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I wanted to talk politics and more about why Romney lost and McCrory won, but these readers wanted only to hear more about the upcoming books by their favorite authors, Jill McCorkle and Lee Smith.
These two popular writers are good friends and artistic partners. The musical "Good Ol' Girls" is based on southern women characters in their fiction.
In an interview with the Huffington Post, Smith explained that with these special women, their "big hair and a big heart do not mean a small mind…You don't want to cross a good ol' girl. She'll bring you a casserole, but she'll kill you, too."
Or as McCorkle has said about these good ol' girls, "She's tough and kind and dependable. She speaks her mind and is nobody's doormat."
Such women have populated Smith's 12 novels and four collections of short stories, beginning with "The Last Day the Dogbushes Bloomed" in 1968 and McCorkle's short fiction and novels, beginning with the publication of her first two books, "The Cheerleader" and "July 7" on the same day in 1984.
But it has been 17 years since McCorkle published a new novel. And not since 2007's "On Agate Hill" have we had a chance to read a new Lee Smith novel.
So I will tell what I know about their new books.
For Smith's "Guests on Earth," we will have to wait until October 2013, the date the publisher, Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill, plans to release it.
The new book is set in Asheville, at the Highlands Hospital, during the time Zelda Fitzgerald was a long-term patient there. Her husband, Scott, visited regularly and stayed at the Grove Park Inn. But, according to Smith's agent, Darhansoff & Verrill, the novel will deal with much more than the Fitzgeralds. One character, a young patient is a "little unstable but mostly just adrift and unsure. She meets Zelda Fitzgerald soon after arriving at the hospital, and their paths through the psychiatric therapies of the time are almost identical: insulin and shock treatments, an emphasis on physical and creative activity, the discouragement of introspection. The sickest patients are assigned to the top floor ward, locked in, with no means of escape. In real life, and in this novel, a fire will prove this both tragic and fatal. Smith…brings overdue empathy and insight to a woman whose disease and suffering has been subsumed by myth."
McCorkle's "Life After Life" comes out in March, and people are already writing about it. Her book is set in a retirement facility in a town like Lumberton. Some characters, as McCorkle describes them, are "a man who is faking dementia to escape life with his son, a woman from Boston who has come to this place to retire because it's the hometown of a long-ago lover no one knew about; there is a hospice volunteer committed to collecting the most important details about those she sits with while also making amends with her own life, a young woman trying to survive the legacy of her own sad upbringing, a kid witnessing her parents' volatile marriage; and a senile third-grade teacher who believes we are all eight years old in the heart and who takes photographs and makes things happen that never did, most importantly, memories of herself with her mother, who died young."
Smith and McCorkle will share more about the new books on UNC-TV's North Carolina Bookwatch on Friday, November 30, at 9:30 p.m. and give their fans a chance to be among the first to get copies by calling 1-800-984-9090 and making a donation in support the program.


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Advocates of overturning the right to keep and bear arms have spent years deliberately turning innocents into victims of slaughter for the purpose of disarming the American people.
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"Do as I say, not as I do," they say. Gun-control zealots are predictably out in force after the Sandy Hook killings. For in the perverted mind of confiscation, supporters like Michael Bloomberg and Barack Obama, the murder of twenty kindergarten students represents a long-awaited opportunity to embarrass weak-kneed defenders of the Second Amendment into relenting to a nationwide assault against the foremost liberty of the American people.
On December 19th, New York Mayor Bloomberg favored USA Today readers with a 6 point guide to "stop gun madness."
TRENDING: LiAngelo Ball Tells Truth About The Day He Said 'Thank You' To President
And like every previous claim of the hypocritical founder of Mayors Against (Illegal) Guns (Bloomberg enjoys the 24/7 protection of taxpayer funded, armed bodyguards as he denies gun ownership to fellow New Yorkers), the essay by Bloomberg is a study in calculated misdirection. For Bloomberg and other proponents of "common sense gun legislation" know full well that their proposed ban on the sale of "assault rifles" and "high-capacity" magazines will have no effect on gun crime.
Why craft legislation which purposely disarms only law abiding Americans? Why create and proudly advertise the existence of "gun free zones" which render countless people utterly defenseless against wanton killers?
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If plans for gun confiscation are to succeed, the Left knows it must make firearms a loathsome commodity to an increasingly pro-gun populace. What better way to accomplish such a goal than to facilitate by statute the most murderous fantasies of psychopaths intent upon making their names and deeds part of American history?
So legislation was passed which guaranteed an unlimited supply of defenseless victims for prospective mass murderers. Gun free zones, though represented as safe havens, were knowingly and deliberately fashioned to facilitate leisurely slaughter as they provide only for the security and convenience of armed killers, not their statutorily disarmed victims.
And it was at Sandy Hook that the fondest wishes of gun-confiscation advocates have been granted. Knowing they will never have a better opportunity of success, Michael Bloomberg and other self-absorbed elitists will press demands for firearm bans and restrictions as never before. After all, only unfeeling monsters could defend Second Amendment rights in the face of twenty brutally murdered children.
What sort of perverse, diseased mind is required to deliberately legislate the assured slaughter of innocents in order to advance a political agenda? Perhaps the sort which has been so eagerly involved in promoting the murder of infants for decades.
Soon the banning of specified firearms will begin. When the next psychopath proves this latest gun control legislation to also be ineffective by design, another even more audacious round of gun bans will ensue. Then another and another until confiscation is deemed the "final solution" necessary for the protection of the people. From that day forward, self-defense will consist of begging for one's life rather than defending it on equal terms!
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It is then that the second American Revolution will begin as those who refuse to submit to the Left's long anticipated decree of slavery will resist by every means at their command.
I only hope I'm around to fire the first shot.
Photo credit: Gregory Wild-Smith (Creative Commons)
The views expressed in this opinion article are solely those of their author and are not necessarily either shared or endorsed by the owners of this website.

subset: commoncrawl


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WASHINGTON — Lawyers for singer Chris Brown (pictured) are headed back to court in Washington, but the Grammy winner won't be there.
SEE ALSO: Defense May Question Renisha McBride's Lifestyle In Murder Trial
Brown's trial on a misdemeanor assault charge is currently set for April 17th. On Monday, his lawyers and a government prosecutor will be in court for a motions hearing. Brown's lawyers have asked a judge to dismiss the case, saying prosecutors misused the grand jury process to prepare for trial. They also want certain statements Brown made suppressed.
A government prosecutor, meanwhile, is asking the judge to bar Brown from claiming self-defense or introducing evidence of mental health issues.
Brown and his bodyguard were arrested in Washington in October and are accused of punching a man outside a Washington hotel.
Brown's case will be heard by a judge, not a jury.


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Turkish Shells Land on Syria's Soil:
Bahraini Teen, Policeman Killed in Protests
Iraqis Stage Anti-Gov't Protests
Australia-Israel Ties Strained Over Death of Spy Agent
Egyptians Rally Against Protests
Turkey Arrests More Officers Over Coup Plot
Rally for Hunger Striker
Turkish Shells Land on Syria's Soil:
Turkish artillery pounded Syria after a shell fired from the crisis-hit country landed near a town in southern Turkey, Turkish media report.
Turkish state media reported on Friday that a shell fired from neighboring Syria hit the town of Yayladag in Hatay Province near the Syrian border.
No casualties were reported following the incident.
On February 11, at least 13 people were killed and dozens injured when a Syrian mini-bus exploded at a crossing on Turkey's border with Syria.
In October 2012, several Syrian soldiers reportedly lost their lives in an attack by Turkish forces on a military post near the border town of Tel Abyad.
The attack followed a mortar strike from Syria that killed five people in the southeastern Turkish town of Akcakale in Sanliurfa Province.
Ankara has openly voiced support for the militants fighting against Damascus.
Many people, including large numbers of security staff, have been killed in the foreign-backed unrest that broke out In Syria nearly two years ago.
The Syrian government blames certain Western states, especially the United States, and their regional allies for fueling the violence.
Bahraini Teen, Policeman Killed in Protests
Bahraini teenager and Policeman were Killed as thousands continued to protest in the country on the second anniversary of revolution.
Bahraini security forces killed the teenager and injured dozens more protesters on Thursday during clashes on the second anniversary of an uprising to demand democratic reforms in the Persian Gulf Arab state.
Furthermore, a police officer died after being hit by an incendiary device thrown during clashes with protesters in a village overnight, the interior ministry said on Friday.
On Thursday, several hundred demonstrators, mostly youths from largely Shiite villages, blocked roads around the capital Manama and hurled stones and fire bombs at police, who responded with birdshot and tear gas, witnesses said.
Security forces confirmed they had fired warning shots at the crowds and one young man had been killed in the protests, which began in the early morning and lasted almost all day.
The clashes were the most violent in recent months and could mar talks that began on Sunday between mostly Shiite Muslim opposition groups and the Sunni-dominated government to try to end political deadlock in Bahrain, which is home to the US Fifth Fleet.
The 16-year-old boy was shot with birdshot in the village of Daih on the outskirts of Manama, where protests erupted early in the morning, added the witnesses.
Many businesses closed their doors in response to a general strike called by the mainly Shiite opposition.
Friday's Protests
Thousands of anti-government marchers jammed a major highway Friday as clashes broke out for a second day between security forces and protesters marking the anniversary of their uprising in the strategic Persian Gulf nation.
Bahrain has seen almost daily demonstrations in the run-up to the anniversary of the revolt.
Mass protests that erupted in February 2011 at the height of the Arab Spring were crushed, but demonstrations demanding greater rights for Bahrain's Shiite majority and an end to the absolute power of the Sunni ruling family have continued.
Bahrain's chief of public security, Brigadier-General Tariq Al Hassan, said police had fired warning shots on Thursday to disperse a crowd that had attacked them with fire bombs, stones and iron rods, injuring several, some seriously.
"Officers discharged birdshot to defend themselves. At least one rioter was injured in the process. A short time later, a young man was pronounced dead at Salmaniya Medical Center," he said in a statement.
He said several members of the force involved in the incident were being investigated to determine the circumstances of the death.
The main opposition group Wefaq named the youth was Ali Ahmed Ibrahim Al-Jazeeri, a 16-year-old Shiite, and said he had been killed in the village of Diya, near Manama.
It said dozens of others had been hurt, some seriously, and posted pictures of casualties, including a photograph of the dead youth with bandages on his abdomen.
Wefaq said there had also been a confrontation on Sitra island, south of Manama.
"Large numbers of armored vehicles, police cars and buses, convoys of military vehicles and troops deployed in the areas ... to face the peaceful protests demanding freedom and democracy," it said.
A spokesman for EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said news of the protester's death was 'disquieting'.
"We call on all parties to exercise restraint, avoid provocations, and reject violence, especially during the demonstrations today," he said.
An international inquiry commission said in a November 2011 report that 35 people had died during Bahrain's uprising. The dead were mainly protesters but included five security personnel and seven foreigners. The report said five people had died from torture. The opposition puts the death toll at more than 80.
Bahrain's opposition and government resumed reconciliation talks on Sunday for the first time since July 2011.
Officials said delegates had agreed at Wednesday's session on some ground rules for the talks, including the role of government representatives and mechanisms for implementing any agreement, paving the way for further sessions next week.
Iraqis Stage Anti-Gov't Protests
Iraqis have staged rallies against and in support of the country's prime minister in recent months as the sectarian tension in the Arab state is intensifying.
Tens of thousands of Iraqis gathered in several Iraqi cities to protest against what they describe as unfair treatment by the country's government.
In the western cities of Fallujah and Ramadi, former insurgent strongholds, demonstrators blocked the main highway to Jordan and Syria to perform Friday noon prayers. Others gathered in main squares in the northern cities of Samarra and Mosul, and outside a prominent Sunni mosque in the Baghdad, AP reported.
In the capital, security forces blocked roads leading from Sunni-dominated provinces and sealed off all Sunni neighborhoods.
Sunnis have staged mass rallies since late December, demanding Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki step down and calling for an end to raids in their areas and measures against former regime officials, as well as for the release of prisoners.
On Monday, Iraqi demonstrators took to the streets in the southern city of Basra to show solidarity with Nouri Al-Maliki.
Holding pictures of Al-Maliki the protesters chanted slogans in support of the premier and denounced former member of Saddam Hussein's regime, Izzat Ibrahim Al-Douri for instigating anti-government demonstrations.
Iraq has been the scene of anti-government demonstrations since December 23, 2012, when bodyguards of Finance Minister Rafie Al-Issawi were arrested on terrorism-related charges.
The demonstrators allege that the arrests were made on sectarian grounds and demand an end to anti-terrorism laws. The government says it is up to the parliament to decide on abolishing those laws.
This is while, earlier, the Iraqi premier warned that terrorists are trying to infiltrate into anti-government protests in the western province of Anbar to provoke confrontations between security forces and the demonstrators.
Australia-Israel Ties Strained Over Death of Spy Agent
In January 2010 a suspected Mossad hit squad assassinated a top Hamas militant in Dubai. It emerged afterwards--to the fury of Canberra--that some of the cell were using Australian passports.
Current defense minister Stephen Smith, foreign minister at the time, summoned the Israeli ambassador and warned that the countries' friendly ties were at risk.
The explosive revelations this week surrounding so-called "Prisoner X" who died in a Tel Aviv jail has again raised concern over the Israeli spy agency's use of foreign passports.
The man, identified by media as Australian-Israeli Mossad agent Ben Zygier, committed suicide in December 2010 while in isolation at Ayalon prison in a case Israel went to extreme lengths to cover up.
His arrest in February 2010 came just a week after Dubai police publicly accused Mossad agents of carrying out the Hamas hit, saying they were looking for around a dozen people with Western passports--four of them Australian.
The speculation is that Zygier was on the verge of revealing details about Mossad's use of Western passports, among other sensitive operational issues.
An unnamed Australian security official familiar with the case told the Sydney Morning Herald on Friday that Zygier "may well have been about to blow the whistle, but he never got the chance".
The newspaper said he was one of at least three dual Australian-Israeli citizens who emigrated to Israel in the past decade whose cases were investigated by Australia's overseas espionage agency ASIS.
It alleged that in each case the men used their Australian passports to travel to Iran, Syria and Lebanon--countries that do not allow Israelis to enter. Zygier denied he was a spy.
Former Australian intelligence officer Warren Reed said passports from countries such as Australia were particularly useful to Israel.
"It's a clean country, it has a good image like New Zealand. There aren't many countries like that so our nationality and anything connected with it can be very useful in intelligence work," he said.
Reed added that it was not just Israel recruiting people to make use of their passports for espionage activities.
"It's not only Israel doing it, but the Israeli intelligence system possibly depends on this sort of thing more than anyone else," he told Sky News.
"If Ben was going to blow the whistle on something like that, that's a key operational factor and they wouldn't want that to get out.
"One wonders though whether the passport thing is at the center of this. It may be just one component."
In March 2004, two suspected Mossad agents were arrested in New Zealand and later convicted for fraudulently trying to obtain passports from the country, prompting diplomatic sanctions.
When the Dubai story broke in 2010, former Mossad case officer Victor Ostrovsky was quoted in Australian media as saying the agency regularly faked Australian passports for its agents.
Egyptians Rally Against Protests
Around 5,000 mostly Islamists rallied in Egypt against a recent wave of anti-government protests that have killed around 70 people.
The latest cycle of clashes between protesters and police began three weeks ago on the second anniversary of the start of Egypt's uprising that ousted longtime autocrat Hosni Mubarak, AP reported.
Friday's rally, organized by Gamaa Islamiya, is largely seen as a denunciation of those protests, which were staged by liberal activist groups against President Mohammed Morsi of the Muslim Brotherhood.
The rally was not expected to reach massive numbers because Egypt's most powerful Islamist parties are not officially participating.
The Muslim Brotherhood says it will only have a symbolic presence at the protest being held outside Cairo University while the more conservative Salafi parties have declined official participation.
Turkey Arrests More Officers Over Coup Plot
Turkey's state-run news agency said authorities have arrested eight more retired officers over their alleged involvement in the ousting of a government in the late 1990s.
Anadolu Agency reports said the eight, including seven retired generals, were detained on Wednesday and late Thursday pending a trial over a military campaign that forced former Prime Minister Necmettin Erbakan to resign. No trial date has been set.
Anadolu said on Friday that authorities were also questioning six other generals, including a former Air Force commander. They had not been arrested.
Several other officers have already been charged in Erbakan's ouster, which has been dubbed Turkey's "post-modern coup" because the military simply pressured the government to resign.
Turkey has curtailed the military's powers and is making generals account for intervening in government affairs.
Rally for Hunger Striker
Palestinian demonstrators clashed with Israeli soldiers on Friday at a rally held in support of a prisoner observing an intermittent hunger strike to protest his incarceration.


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A new survey by business consultancy Alix Partners indicates that companies may be facing more litigation than they have in the past two years.
The report, which asked corporate legal officers about their companies' legal disputes, said 35 percent of GCs reported that their clients were involved in more legal disputes than they were in the previous 12 months. Only 7 percent of respondents said they had seen the number of legal disputes drop.
Other key findings from the report include:
- Almost all the more than 100 companies surveyed were involved in contract disputes with other companies.
- More than 50 percent of respondents reported being involved in intellectual property cases—most dealing with other companies.
- 10 percent of companies said they were currently dealing with bet-the-company litigation.
- With GCs increasingly unsatisfied with law firm rates, more legal departments are employing new ways to deal with the high cost of litigation, including alternative fee arrangements and bringing more work in-house.
Read the full Litigation & Corporate Compliance Survey.
See more Facts & Figures on InsideCounsel.


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Spirikaitis Used TLCU's Account at Corporate One to Buy $1.5M Home: Prosecutors
The CEO of a now-shuttered Cleveland credit union used his institution's corporate credit union account to pay for his $1.5 million suburban home, authorities said Friday.
The U.S. Attorney's office there said it has filed court forfeiture documents to seize the home of Alex Spirikaitis, the former CEO of the Taupa Lithuanian Credit Union who has been wanted by the FBI since July 16.
Court documents in U.S. District Court in Cleveland indicate Spirikaitis, who earned $50,000 annually, allegedly used credit union funds to pay for his Solon home, about 25 miles southeast of Cleveland. That's where the FBI thought he was holed up all night when they initially tried to arrest him.
Federal prosecutors also detail in court papers how Spirikaitis carried out his fraudulent scheme.
Spirikaitis is wanted by the FBI on charges of embezzlement in the failure of the $23.6 million Cleveland credit union. The FBI said it has received a "handful" of new leads since releasing last week a photo of Spirikaitis without his goatee. A previously released driver's license photo showed him with a goatee.
Court documents, filed by Assistant U.S. Attorney James L. Mumford on July 26, show the construction of Spirikaitis' home was first paid for with two checks totaling $100,000 from his TLCU personal account.
"All remaining checks – totaling approximately $1,555,132 – came from Spirikaitis in the form of Taupa Lithuanian Credit Union official checks," court documents state. "While working at the Taupa Lithuanian Credit Union, Spirikaitis never made in excess of $50,000."
During a review of TLCU's computer systems after it was liquidated July 12, NCUA auditors discovered Spirikaitis used a software program on his computer identified as "Phantom Font."
That allowed him to electronically download documents and then alter them on his computer, according to court documents. In doing so, he was able to print out a new version with the information he keyed in that exactly mirrored the look and style of the original document from Corporate One Federal Credit Union in Columbus, Ohio, federal authorities allege.
Corporate One FCU provides correspondent banking services to 1,000 credit unions across the country, including TLCU.
Court papers also revealed documents provided by the NCUA had been altered and modified by Spirikaitis, including the Corporate One account statements for TLCU.
"Spirikaitis printed out numbers he wanted to report to auditors and the NCUA, and (then he) taped them over the real numbers from the true Corporate One Federal Credit Union account statement," court documents state. "Spirikaitis then photocopied the altered document resulting in a document that mimicked the appearance of the statement coming directly from Corporate One Federal Credit Union."
The true Corporate One statements showed that TLCU had balances of $229,894, $10,000 and $319,574 – a total of $559,469 as of Jan. 1, 2012, according to court documents. However, TLCU's December 2011 Call Report falsely listed $16,165,288 in assets deposited with correspondent credit unions, authorities said.
The FBI search for Spirikaitis began on July 16 when local police thought they were in a standoff after arriving at his Solon home to arrest him at around 8 p.m. However, when authorities entered the home the next morning, he was not there.
FBI Special Agent Vicki Anderson when police approached the home that evening, Spirikaitis' relatives gave every indication he was inside.
"Family members left the house with us and we thought, from the information we gathered, that he was not going to willingly come out," she said.
For safety's sake for the residential neighborhood, Anderson said authorities waited until daybreak for tactical teams to move in. Additionally, Anderson said, the size of the large home played a part in the decision to wait until daylight before entering.
The official charge the FBI has brought against Spirikaitis, making false credit institution entries, is an unusual one. Anderson said the charge falls under the embezzlement category, and because it is one that could be quickly proven, FBI officials utilized the charge so authorities could quickly execute an arrest warrant.
Still, Anderson said, authorities did not expect Spirikaitis to pose a flight risk.
The FBI now reports he may flee to Canada and was last seen in Cleveland as well as the suburbs of Solon and neighboring Twinsburg.
The former credit union CEO also may go by the aliases, "Michael R. Hess, Rudy Hess or Richard Spirikaitis," authorities said.
Anyone with information about the whereabouts of Spirikaitis is asked to call the Cleveland FBI at (216) 522-1400 or at email@example.com.
The FBI agent also said Spirikaitis may have not acted alone.
"This is a very early on investigation, so we have a lot more work to do," she said. "If people have information about Mr. Spirikaitis and his whereabouts, but also about any dealings that occurred [at the credit union], and wish to come in and talk about it, we're more than open to that."
The drama followed the July 12 liquidation of the $23.6 million credit union, which was seized by the Ohio Department of Financial Institutions and handed over to the NCUA after determining the 1,154-member cooperative was insolvent and had no prospect for restoring viable operations.
Fraud was suspected after a review of the credit union's financial performance reports posted on the NCUA's website revealed 10.31% net worth, 0.78% delinquencies, no charge-offs and 0.42% ROA as of March 31. One abnormal financial statistic was cost of funds, which at 0.87% was much higher than the peer average of 0.36%.
While the failed credit union's website revealed it was paying above-average dividends to members, 0.01% to 0.10% APY for checking, 0.15% APY for savings and as much as 0.40% APY on a $25,000 or larger certificate, the amounts did not justify the cost of funds.
And, liquidity was not an issue, indicating the credit union did not have outstanding borrowings that were driving up cost of funds. The credit union's loan-to-share ratio as of March 31 was less than 35%, far below peer averages.
Taupa Lithuanian did report a considerable amount of cash on its books, more than $15 million as of March 31, with just $729,595 in investments. Total loans were $7.4 million during that period.
The standoff, widely reported by local Cleveland news outlets, did not appear to trigger a run on deposits. A Credit Union Times correspondent visited the credit union's headquarters July 17 and encountered an armed security guard standing behind a glass door of the office, housed in a non-descript brick building on Cleveland's east side.
The guard said the credit union had been closed. He was handing out single-page informational leaflets to members.


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Dr. Dre has filed suit against Yamaha for copyright infringement, claiming Yamaha's PRO series headphones directly copy the design of the Beats by Dr. Dre headphone line.
"Consumers appreciated the design, as well as the sound quality, of Beats and began wearing the Beats headphones around their necks as a fashion accessory even when not listening to music," the suit reads. "In fact, the design of the Beats headphones has been a significant driver of the commercial success of the products."
The suit also claims that Yamaha's advertisements for their headphones are piggybacking off the success of the Beats by Dr. Dre headphones and Dr. Dre's legendary position in the music industry. Dre is seeking $75,000 on the basis of Trade Dress Infringement, Unfair Competition and Patent Infringement.
Source: hiphopdx.com


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This week, GAC's Top 20 Country Countdown headed to Louisville, Kentucky for a very special Lady Antebellum concert. The trio's Own The Night Tour became a charity ball for the Henryville, Indiana community which was ravaged by a tornado. Before their show, Lady A hosted a prom event for the juniors and seniors of Henryville High School.
Host Nan Kelley sat down with the band to talk about whose idea the fundraiser was and why it was so important to them to help. Nan got a behind the scenes look at the prom event. In total, Lady A helped raise $285,000 for Henryville. If you missed Friday night's premiere, check the schedule for re-airs throughout the weekend! Full schedule »
On the chart this week, Carrie Underwood remains at No. 1 with "Good Girl" while Miranda Lambert moves into the No. 2 spot with "Over You." Luke Bryan, Hunter Hayes and Keith Urban round out the Top 5 and The Farm make their Top 20 debut with "Home Sweet Home" coming in at No. 15.
This Week's Chart:
1. Carrie Underwood – "Good Girl"
2. Miranda Lambert – "Over You"
3. Luke Bryan – "Drunk On You
4. Hunter Hayes – "Wanted"
5. Keith Urban – "For You"
6. Lauren Alaina – "Georgia Peaches"
7. Lady Antebellum – "Dancing Away With My Heart"
8. Thompson Square – "Glass"
9. Josh Turner – "Time Is Love"
10. Kelly Clarkson – "Mr. Know It All"
11. Lionel Richie with Shania Twain – "Endless Love"
12. Eric Church – "Springsteen"
13. Rascal Flatts – "Banjo"
14. Jason Aldean – "Fly Over States"
15. The Farm – "Home Sweet Home"
16. Taylor Swift feat. The Civil Wars – "Safe Sound"
17. Gloriana – "(Kissed You) Good Night"
18. Kenny Chesney Tim McGraw – "Feel Like A Rock Star"
19. Bucky Covington – "I Wanna Be That Feeling"
20. Kip Moore – "Somethin' 'Bout A Truck"
Vote for GAC's Top 20 Country Countdown now »
GAC's Top 20 Country Countdown premieres every Friday night at 8/7c with re-airs throughout the weekend. Click here for a complete schedule.


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We were sad to learn that Troy Sands passed away Sunday morning. He was a resident DJ at the Dallas Eagle. Sands built his reputation playing the old Brick on Maple Avenue and made a name for himself as a headlining DJ not only in Dallas, but throughout the country. I had the pleasure of writing this story on him as he made his return to the scene after a tough struggle with cancer.
This was posted by two of the Dallas Eagle's managers on Facebook on Sunday:
It's with a heavy heart that we announce that a very beloved member of our family has left us today. DJ Troy Sands passed away this morning. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Troy's family and loved ones. The DJ booth at the Dallas Eagle will never be the same without his smile and laugh. You will be missed greatly Troy. We will post additional information concerning any service or memorial as we receive it.
Mark [Frazier] and Cully [Johnson]
Upon the news, people began posting their condolences on Sands' Facebook page.


text: I use Net::Server as an option in my RPC::XML package, an alternative to using the accept-loop in HTTP::Daemon. I also have a set of tests in the t/ directory for it, in which I manipulate the settings at run-time to control the log file and such. I haven't had any problems, but to be fair I probably have run anything yet that's on the scale of PPerl.


text:
Hi, I'm using xpsp3 and am having problems with zafree. It won't load at start up and is using up the virtual memory causing pc to really slow down. I tried to uninstall but can't because it says other progams are using true vector. I have no idea what the other programs are. Thanks for any help you can give.
Operating System:Windows XP Home Edition
Software Version:
Product Name:ZoneAlarm (Free)


text: My current pair of T22's are nearing the end of their life and it's time to replace them. Went to the TW site and they're out of out of my size in all colors. In fact almost all online retailers that carry them are out of my size. I called Tennis Warehouse to see what was up and while they didn't know for sure that the shoe had been discontinued, they did say the company is doing some restructuring and it currently doesn't look like they will be getting any more T22's. This is a real bummer for me. I have weird feet and tried four or five different shoes before I found the T22, which fits me just right and I've been using them for two years. Anyone out there who used to be a T22 user who could point me to something with a similar fit (especially the wide toe box and low-ish arch)?


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Hydrocephalus is too much fluid in the brain. The fluid is called cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). It is a clear fluid that normally surrounds both the spinal cord and the brain. It is also in the ventricular system of the brain. With hydrocephalus the ventricles, or spaces, become enlarged.
You may be born with hydrocephalus, or it may develop after an injury or illness.
Hydrocephalus occurs when:
These problems with the CSF may be caused by:
Factors that may increase your chance of hydrocephalus include:
Symptoms depend on the severity of the hydrocephalus. The extra CSF puts pressure on the brain. Symptoms may start out mild and become more severe as CSF pressure increases.
Symptoms may include:
In babies, symptoms may include:
The doctor will ask about your symptoms and medical history. A physical exam will be done.
Tests to examine the internal structure of the brain may include:
Talk with your doctor about the best treatment plan for you. Options include:
People who have increased risk for hydrocephalus should be carefully monitored. Immediate treatment might prevent long-term complications.
There are no current guidelines to prevent hydrocephalus, but you can decrease your risk of developing it. In general:
To prevent certain infections in the mother during pregnancy, take these steps:
National Hydrocephalus Foundation
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
Health Canada
Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus Association of Canada
Hydrocephalus in adults. EBSCO DynaMed Plus website. Available at: http://www.dynamed.com/topics/dmp~AN~T506596/Hydrocephalus-in-adults. Updated May 25, 2012. Accessed September 28, 2016.
Hydrocephalus in children. EBSCO DynaMed Plus website. Available at: http://www.dynamed.com/topics/dmp~AN~T474411/Hydrocephalus-in-children. Updated December 21, 2015. Accessed September 28, 2016.
Hydrocephalus fact sheet. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke website. Available at: http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/hydrocephalus/detail_hydrocephalus.htm. Updated April 16, 2014. Accessed September 30, 2014.
Last reviewed August 2015 by Rimas Lukas, MD
Please be aware that this information is provided to supplement the care provided by your physician. It is neither intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. CALL YOUR HEALTHCARE PROVIDER IMMEDIATELY IF YOU THINK YOU MAY HAVE A MEDICAL EMERGENCY. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider prior to starting any new treatment or with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.


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Dinner, Santa Monica againWednesday, October 7th, 2009
So many places to eat, so few nights…but the decision was made and off we went to the Rustic Canyon Wine Bar and Seasonal Kitchen, 1119 Wilshire Blvd (tel 310 393 7050). I wasn't sure what we were in for but one dish I ate sent me into raptures and was instantly memorable. As is often the case, the small plates or appetizers on a menu can hold more appeal than a meat-laden assortment of entrees which are largely big pieces of meat with extras. To be fair, Rustic Canyon, has some nice offerings of local sea bass with caponata, whole roasted trout with escarole, currants and pinenuts, pan roasted 'Jidori' chicken – which I learnt means a chicken probably given a name at birth, spending its days running free scratching for worms, and generally living a molly-coddled life so it can end up on a menu at $26.00 somewhere.
But it was the roasted baby beet salad that I was after because I was on a mission to eat burrata. Wikipedia tells me burrata is a fresh Italian cheese, made from mozzarella and cream. The outer shell is solid mozzarella while the inside contains both mozzarella and cream, giving it a unique soft texture. But I can tell you more than that: it is the softest silkiest spun ball of num-num you're ever likely to eat (you can see I'll never get a job with Wikipedia!). My salad was layered with chioggia beets, that's the gorgeous little ringed slice of beet you see on top of the salad in the pic, quartered baby red beets, slivered celery and a few celery leaves, which, are nice, in moderation (too many and they taste bitter), sliced crunchy apples, and little nuggets of toasty salty walnuts, and hidden in the middle melting layered globs of burrata. And no, I don't share. This was all doused with a tangy honey and rosemary vinaigrette. Heavenly. Yes. Beautifully balanced with acidity and hint of sweetness. Yes. All gobbled up, platter licked clean. Yes.
My dining companion ordered cappelletti pasta stuffed, and I mean STUFFED full of potato and burrata, topped with a pale rosy-pink sweetish ragu. All rather light, luscious and lovely. Then he ordered the grilled pork chop with slices of roasted pears sitting on little mounds of celery root puree, and chanterelle mushrooms. The pork was cooked perfectly – pink to the centre, juicy and tasty. I followed my salad with 'mezzaluna' pasta shapes, stuffed with a filling of sweet butternut which spilled out like liquid gold, and tossed with brown butter and crispy sage. All delicious, no dessert required. The only grizzle was with the wines, some of which we tried by the glass before switching to a half bottle, but the proverbial match made in heaven eluded us this time.


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OCEAN CITY – In "the brief" this week, we are talking transportation, stimulus money recently granted to Ocean City to enhance transportation as a whole, some of the particular projects that will help improve said transportation, and even about a committee that will be created to repair an inefficiency in one service offered in the realm of transportation.
Committee To Study Transit
Ninety-year-old Bob Melvin has been pleading in one way or another for the better part of two years to town officials to figure out a way to make his trip to the doctor's office in Berlin less off an all-day affair.
Currently, Melvin must ride the ADA bus to the south end of town, switch to a Shore Transit-operated bus and travel the remainder of the eight-mile trip to his physician's office. Melvin says the round trip routinely takes upwards of four hours.
In efforts to help find some closure to the situation and perhaps spearheaded by a letter received by Melvin from the Maryland Transit Authority, Public Works Director Hal Adkins requested to be granted permission from City Council to create a seven-person committee to find a way to alter the inefficient service.
Councilwoman Margaret Pillas was nominated by the Ocean City Council to join Adkins, Department of Transportation Superintendent George Thornes, a member of the Worcester County Commissioners and two representatives from Shore Transit to try to figure out a way to perhaps disperse the funding in the most efficient way to provide the best service to Melvin and other handicapped residents of Ocean City.
Melvin received a letter from the MTA's new regional planner Tracy Perez on March 5 saying that Ocean City would have to go through the county to ask for the funding from the Statewide Special Transportation Assistance Program (SSTAP).
Currently, the MTA allots the money to the county, who awards the SSTAP money to Shore Transit, who handles the curb-to-curb handicapped service all over the county.
This year, Shore Transit received $362,015 in total SSTAP grants, of which they paid a $93,000 share of the grant itself to fund the program, which does not come into the city limits of Ocean City for the curb-to-curb service.
The committee will try to come to an agreement about what to do with the grant money and who should operate the service to provide the best mode of transportation for the area's handicapped riders.
"It is my hope to bring some sort of closure to this issue without overstepping my boundaries as a 'staffer' across political lines," said Adkins. "That's why I'm asking for this committee to be created."
$1.85M In Stimulus Money Headed To Resort
Adkins also reported that the town's transportation department would receive $1.85 million from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to help improve the resort's transit system.
"This is 100 percent money with no local match from the town," said Adkins.
The money will apparently be used on a number of items including new electronic LED signs to be placed at the transit stations on the north and south end of town and one at the West Ocean City park and ride terminal as well.
The largest part of the grant money will be used for four, 40-foot replacement buses to the town's fleet each totaling $316,000 a piece, according to Adkins.
Swipe Your Card To Pay Your Fare?
More than likely, you won't see it until the summer of 2010, but soon, you might be able to use a credit card to pay for your bus fare in Ocean City.
According to Hal Adkins, $100,000 has been allotted from the economic stimulus grant for a pilot program that the MTA has asked the town of Ocean City to develop involving electronic fare-boxes on city buses.
"The MTA approached us several years ago with $990,000 in hand and wanted to employ a system-wide fare-box system," said Adkins. "So this kind of falls under the 'been there, done that' category because I had concerns then and I have concerns now."
Adkins hinted that the pilot program would be used on the park-and-ride buses rather than the town buses initially, but noted that by the time the money comes in October, the season will be over and the park-and-ride will be closed for the season.
"This is going to put me in a bit of a dilemma," said Adkins, "but we might be able to expend the money and put the manufacturing people to work to fabricate the devices, but we won't be able to run them as a guinea pig until the summer of 2010."
Meehan suggested that Adkins try out the system once it's developed on the town's bus fleet in the winter and spring months next year and wanted to make sure that the new venture would stay current in the ever changing world of electronic payments.
"If we are going to move forward with this, then we should move forward like the rest of the world is, and program these to take credit, debit, and smart cards," said Meehan, "and if they can't, we will just be behind and we'll have to get new machines anyway. Everything is moving in that direction."


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A murder trial that reconstructed nearly the entire life of a nomadic 22-year-old and revisited in excruciating detail one of the most horrific crimes the South Shore has seen ended with a guilty verdict and two life prison sentences without parole for the accused.
A murder trial that reconstructed nearly the entire life of a troubled 22-year-old and revisited in excruciating detail one of the most horrific crimes the South Shore has seen ended with a guilty verdict and two life prison sentences without parole for the accused.
Ryan Bois stared blankly at a desk in front of him as the jury delivered its verdict Thursday in Norfolk Superior Court. He had taken in virtually every earlier stage of the trial the same way.THE VERDICTS
- 1st degree murder
- Rape of a child by force (2 counts)
- Home invasion
- Kidnapping
- Larceny of a motor vehicle
- Larceny of property under $250
- Destruction of property under $250
- Failure to stop for a police officer
- Negligent operation of a motor vehicle
- Possession of cocaine
- Operating a motor vehicle with a suspended license
After an impact statement from Joanna Mullin's parents was read by one of Joanna's aunts, an emotional Judge Janet Sanders called the crime "unspeakable ... worse than anything I have seen in my 14 years as a judge."
In addition to other charges, Bois was found guilty of first-degree murder, two counts of rape of a child with force and home invasion, all crimes that carry maximum life prison sentences. He was sentenced to two life terms without parole, which he will serve at the state's maximum-security prison in Walpole.
The jury deliberated for about eight hours before rendering its verdict.
Bois broke into his grandmother Arlene White's home in Weymouth in August 2007 and stole money from White's purse before raping and killing Joanna in a guest bedroom.
Strangulation was determined to be the cause of death. The prosecutor said Joanna, a smiley, blue-eyed girl a month from starting the first grade, was strangled with the necklace she was wearing.
The tearful sniffling of family members' broke the silence after the verdict was read. Neither Bois' parents nor Joanna's were in the courtroom.
James Mullin, one of Joanna's uncles, said Joanna's mother was kept abreast of the proceedings by cell phone throughout the trial.
"There's no happiness here, folks," Mullin told reporters on the steps of Norfolk Superior Court after the verdict was delivered. "This family has been ripped apart. Both families have been ripped apart. I only hope that there's justice for Joanna, and we can try to sew this hole up a little bit."
Prosecutor Robert Nelson broke out in tears after the verdict, at one point slouching over a desk with his head in his hands. Nelson was even-tempered throughout the trial until he choked up during closing arguments on Wednesday.
"When you're a little kid, six years can seem like an eternity," Nelson told the jury Wednesday. "But Joanna Mullin, that was her life. Six years – that was her life."
Joanna had two younger brothers, Jeffrey and James. A sister, Jayne, was born about a year after Joanna was killed.
Janet Mullin Saucedo read the impact statement from Joanna's parents, Jerome and Heather Mullin. It touches on how Joanna's siblings will process the death as they grow older.
"Our son Jeffrey lost so much that night," the parents' statement reads. "He misses her terribly and cannot understand why his best friend in the whole world is no longer here."
The heart-wrenching trial took a toll on jurors. Moments after the sentence was imposed, four of them left the courthouse and met nearby for lunch.
Reached by phone, one juror said the group was hesitant to discuss the trial, fearful of affecting an appeal. First-degree murder convictions are automatically appealed.
"It was a very draining and emotional experience," said the juror, who asked not to be identified. "We hope this decision brings some peace and closure to the family."
Bois wore no particular expression as court officers put him into a van about an hour after the trial ended. His attorney, Beverly Cannone, said he repeatedly expressed remorse.
"He's expressed over and over again the fact that if he could take this night back, he'd do it in a heartbeat," she said. "He loved that little girl."
There appeared to be no forgiveness for Bois from Joanna's relatives. James Mullin thanked jurors for "seeing Ryan as the manipulator and deceiver that he is," while Joanna's parents, with whom Bois lived for a time, termed Bois' actions "truly the ultimate betrayal."
Patriot Ledger reporter John Kelly contributed to this story. Jack Encarnacao may be reached at firstname.lastname@example.com.
A rundown of what happened on Aug. 4, 2007, and early the next morning involving Ryan Bois and his young victim, Joanna Mullin, according to testimony during his murder trial:
- Bois calls his grandmother Arlene White and asks if he can come by her Weymouth home. She tells him not to.
- He spends several hours drinking and partying at a cookout in Weymouth.
- At about 10 p.m., a friend drives him to his grandmother's house. He cuts a window screen and sneaks in, then rapes and kills his 6-year-old cousin.
- He steals his grand-mother's SUV and drives away with Joanna's body in the back seat.
- While driving around, Bois places eight calls to one of two men later charged in the 2005 slayings of two homeless men in Hingham.
- Bois also calls and then meets with Terrence Gandy in Dorchester, smokes some marijuana with him, and asks him how he would get rid of a dead body.
- At about 1:15 a.m. Aug. 5, Weymouth police spot Bois speeding in Weymouth and chase him.
- The SUV crashes in Quincy, where Bois is caught and officers find Joanna's body.
LAST TUESDAY: Trial opens. Jury selection begins; nine jurors chosen.
LAST WEDNESDAY: Jury selection completed.
LAST THURSDAY: Jury views crime scenes in Quincy and Weymouth. Attorneys present opening arguments. Friends of Bois and police officers testify.
LAST FRIDAY: More police testimony. Man who spoke to Bois after the killing and before the arrest testifies. Jury sees evidence and video from crime scene.
MONDAY: Medical examiner, police, psychologist and Bois' grandmother testify. Prosecution and defense rest.
TUESDAY: Closing arguments delayed after defense attorney reports that Bois is too "fragile" to handle being in court.
WEDNESDAY: Closing arguments made. Jury gets the case, begins deliberating.
THURSDAY: Jury issues verdicts on all 12 counts.


text:
BigLaw Braces For Revenue Hit In Federal Shutdown
Rich Gold, a partner on Holland & Knight LLP's policy side, said a revenue disruption from the shutdown that began at midnight Tuesday might be offset by the recent jump in related advising work — if it doesn't last too long.
"We have a lot of clients with government...
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text:
Hechavarria latest to be scratched from lineup
By Joe Frisaro / MLB.com
MIAMI -- On Wednesday night, yet another regular was scratched due to an ailment.
Adeiny Hechavarria, who belted a three-run homer in Tuesday's 8-2 win, was taken out of the lineup due to a sore right elbow.
Hechavarria participated in batting practice, but he felt discomfort and was replaced in the starting lineup at shortstop by Chris Valaika, who batted eighth.
"He's going to be evaluated, and we should know more tomorrow, hopefully," manager Mike Redmond said. "I think he made a throw and had some discomfort in his elbow. That's why we took him out, and we should know more tomorrow."
The Marlins lost, 6-1, to the Nationals on Wednesday night, and the team is opening a four-game series at Cincinnati on Thursday. Hechavarria, meanwhile, will be examined in Miami, and it is unclear if he will be available for the road trip.
Although Valaika started at shortstop on Thursday, there is a chance second baseman Donovan Solano will play some shortstop with Valaika playing second base if Hechavarria is out for an extended period.
Since last Friday night, the Marlins have had four players scratched from the starting lineup in six days -- Giancarlo Stanton (Friday), Justin Ruggiano (Saturday), Austin Kearns (Sunday) and now Hechavarria.
Hechavarria had started the first 14 games.
In 15 games, the Marlins have had 14 different lineups.
Stanton set to return Thursday in Cincinnati
MIAMI -- Miami's struggling offense is about to get a significant power boost.
All-Star Giancarlo Stanton is set to return to the lineup on Thursday when the Marlins open a four-game series against the Reds at Great American Ball Park.
"Stanton hit today, and he said things felt good," manager Mike Redmond said. "He should be good to go for tomorrow. That's a good sign, obviously. We all know how important he is to this lineup. That's good news. He felt better today."
Counting Wednesday's series finale with the Nationals at Marlins Park, Stanton will have missed six straight games.
The 23-year-old slugger jarred his shoulder while making a diving catch on April 5 at the Mets. He remained playing through discomfort, before the shoulder pinched on April 12.
In nine games, Stanton is batting .167 with no home runs or RBIs. Still, he is one of the most feared hitters in the game, and he is the focal point of Miami's lineup.
"Obviously, he's such a big part of our lineup," Redmond said. "At the same time, too, these games don't stop. We've got to keep playing, keep grinding, and guys have to fill that spot until he gets back.
"We've battled. Guys have had scrappy at-bats, but it will be good to get him back in that lineup to get some consistency. I don't want to have all these different lineups. I'd love to be able to write it down, that this is our right-handed lineup, and this is our left-handed lineup, and let's go get 'em. We haven't had that. Tomorrow, we hope that is the start of having a more stable lineup."
Placido Polanco has been hitting third in Stanton's absence.
Mahoney activated, available off bench vs. Nats
MIAMI -- It didn't take long for Joe Mahoney to leave his mark on Marlins Park.
During batting practice, the 6-foot-6, 245-pounder deposited three balls into the second deck in right field. For good measure, another of his drives smacked off the facing of the second deck, knocking out a few panels from a Johnson Controls advertisement. In fact, the drive knocked the letter "s" off of Controls.
"I build them up in BP," said manager Mike Redmond, who pitched to Mahoney. "That's what I do. He's a big, strong guy."
Mahoney on Wednesday was reinstated from the 15-day disabled list, where he had been out with an intercostal strain. The first baseman, who also may play some corner outfield, is replacing catcher Kyle Skipworth, who was optioned after Wednesday's 8-2 win over Washington.
Mahoney showed some power in Spring Training, belting three home runs while driving in eight in 30 at-bats before he was sidelined.
In four rehab-assignment games for Class A Jupiter, Mahoney hit .438 (7-for-16) with one home run.
"I was feeling good down there, and [the Marlins] had a need," Mahoney said. "That's what I'm here for, to help this team win any way I can."
Mahoney was an option off the bench on Wednesday night, and Redmond is trying to figure out when to use him. Greg Dobbs has been effective at first base since Casey Kotchman strained his left hamstring in the second game of the season.
"[Mahoney] gives us another left-handed bat," Redmond said. "We've got to figure out when we will get him in there. He's a guy with power potential in the batting order. Hopefully, he will be a boost to our lineup."
A year ago, Mahoney made his big league debut with the Orioles. He appeared in two games and was hitless in four at-bats.
Worth noting
• Austin Kearns, hospitalized overnight on Sunday with an irregular heartbeat, was in the starting lineup in right field on Wednesday. "It's good to be back with the guys and not sitting in a hospital bed," Kearns said.
Kearns noted that on Sunday he woke up with an elevated heart rate that didn't go away. The veteran has never had any heart issues, and he is on medication. "I was a little nervous," he said. "I've never had anything like that before."
• Henderson Alvarez on Wednesday threw 35 pitches off the mound. Alvarez is on the disabled list with right shoulder inflammation, and he isn't expected to join the rotation until late April or early May. The right-hander is scheduled to throw about 50 pitches off the mound on Saturday, and a simulated game could follow a few days later. "He's starting his progression, and he's feeling good," Redmond said. "That's the most important thing."
Joe Frisaro is a reporter for MLB.com. He writes a blog, called The Fish Pond. Follow him on Twitter @JoeFrisaro. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


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This year marks the 20th anniversary of the release of Upper Deck's first baseball card set. A new licensing agreement between the card company and the Major League Baseball Players Association means Upper Deck can start working on plans for its 21st season.
"Our goal is to provide collectors with great baseball card products, while continuing to grow the market with an infusion of new consumers. We're confident Upper Deck can help us realize those goals," said MLBPA category director Evan Kaplan of the renewed partnership.
Kaplan said he's been impressed by the efforts of Upper Deck to promote baseball cards to youngsters and help introduce them to the fun of collecting.
"Upper Deck consistently demonstrated their dedication to achieving long-term sales growth for the baseball card market," he said. "Their kid-focused and online marketing programs, like UpperDeckU.com, combined with a long line of exceptional products, is a testament to their pursuit of sustained long-term growth for this category."
The first release of the new license term will be Upper Deck Series One Baseball, currently scheduled to launch on Feb. 6.
The licensing deal with UD is the first announced by the MLBPA thus far for next season. The MLBPA's trading card licenses with Topps and Upper Deck both expire at the end of this year.
This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


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Application for Graduation AND the Commencement RSVP are due by Friday, November 9, 2012 to ensure your inclusion in the commencement program.
There will be one ceremony held for Fall 2012 Commencement. The ceremony will be held in the McLeod Center. Seating is on a first-come, first-serve basis. While there is not a limit to the number of guests who can be in attendance, we encourage students to keep in mind a seating ratio of approximately six guests per student.
- ALL Graduate and Undergraduate Students
- Saturday, December 15, 2012 at 11:00 a.m
All information pertaining to the Fall 2012 Commencement, caps and gowns, diplomas and diploma covers, federal loan exit interviews, graduation check-outs, etc. is available to you via the Office of the Registrar Webpage.
If you applied to graduate at the conclusion of the Fall semester, please monitor your e-mail for important information from our office. It is also important to check your academic advisement report in your student center, under the academics tab, for deficiencies in your graduation requirements. All deficiencies must be taken care of prior to January 24, 2013. If materials are not completed prior to this date, you will need to apply to graduate at the conclusion of the Spring semester. Please note that a $60.00 graduation fee is assessed each time you apply to graduate.
Diplomas will be mailed to your home address mid-February after grades have been reported by the faculty and eligibility for graduation has been determined. Please log into your MyUNIverse account to verify the accuracy of your home address.
If you wish your diploma to be mailed to a different address, or to an address outside of the U.S. border, please notify Irene Elbert via e-mail (firstname.lastname@example.com). Foreign diplomas will be sent out by express mail delivery.


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Charlie Sheen's House Is Being Raided By Police Right Now
According to TMZ, police are raiding Charlie Sheen's Beverly Hills' home in a "pre-planned raid" tonight:
Sources tell us the LAPD has been conducting an investigation into criminal activity — possibly drugs or weapons. And someone who is at the house tells us cops may be attempting to put Charlie on an involuntary — 5150 — psychiatric hold.
LAPD confirms they're at the house. Sheen just announced a couple of live shows. So, bright side: The inevitable awfulness of these shows is now the least of his problems.
Update: or... maybe not? Charlie Sheen just tweeted: "all good here on homefront. all reports are false. I'll explain more very soon." (Although you can clearly see the police in this live helicopter camera over Sheen's house.)
[Image via INF]


text:
However, Margins are notoriously slim
in the consumer electronics retail business, and Best Buy has been
using its Geek Squad services subsidiary to help bolster revenues.
In its latest investigation, The
Consumerist tackled
Best Buy's Geek Squad optimization services which retails for
$39.95. During its investigation involving 18 Best Buy stores in 11
states, the publication looked to determine 1) What exactly is
included in the optimization service, 2) How does Best Buy market
the service, and 3) Is it worth it to the consumer to purchase the
The results were pretty much in line
with what most tech heads would expect when it comes to services
offered by Best Buy or similar big box retailers. The Consumerist
found that one Best Buy rep promised that optimization would boost a
new PC's performance by 200%. In actual Consumer Reports
testing, however, it was found that at least one machine which had
been optimized by Geek Squad performed 32% worse than a stock,
non-altered system -- in fact, none of the optimized systems
performed better than machines that were fresh out of the box.
So what exactly are these optimizations
that are being performed? According to The Consumerist,
Windows Updates were downloaded on machines, desktop icons had been
cleaned up a bit, and some UI tweaks were done to make navigation
"easier" for the consumer.
Even more telling were a few other
issues that cropped up in the investigation. While Best Buy's Geek
Squad removed desktop icons related to trialware that is notorious
for cluttering and bogging down new systems, the offending programs
were still left installed. A power cord for one of the systems had
even been left out of the box after the "optimization" was
In addition, at least one reader was
told that she could not buy a new laptop at the advertised sale price
because all of the machines in stock had already been pre-optimized --
and thus came with a price tag that was $39.95 higher -- and there
were no un-optimized machines in stock.
Understandably, The Consumerist
surmised that not only is the service not worth the $40 price tag,
but it didn't even improve the performance of the new machines.
For its part, a Best Buy representative
noted that the service "isn't for everybody" and that "I
would get optimization for my parents."


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Study Suggests Plants Can Be Altruistic Too
Altruism is the behavior that exudes the selfless concern of one to benefit the well being of another at one's own expense. In the animal kingdom, some of these altruistic notions can be when a dog raises orphaned cats or squirrels or when Vervet monkeys will warn fellow monkeys of the presence of predators even though their alarm call will increase their own chances of being attacked. However, altruism is not only linked to humans and members of the animal kingdom - according to a study from the University of Colorado Boulder, research suggests that some plants may also have an altruistic side.
Researchers at CU Boulder studied corn in which each fertilized seed that contained two "siblings" – an embryo (part of a seed) and an endosperm (tissue that provides nutrition to the embryo as the seed grows).
They compared the growth and behavior of the embryos and endosperm in seeds sharing the same mother and father with the growth and behavior of embryos and endosperm that had genetically different parents.
"The results indicated embryos with the same mother and father as the endosperm in their seed weighed significantly more than embryos with the same mother but a different father," said CU-Boulder Professor Pamela Diggle. "We found that endosperm that does not share the same father as the embryo does not hand over as much food -- it appears to be acting less cooperatively."
Diggle explains that previous research has shown that plants can withhold nutrients from inferior offspring when resources are limited. "Our study is the first to specifically test the idea of cooperation among siblings in plants."
"One of the most fundamental laws of nature is that if you are going to be an altruist, give it up to your closest relatives," said William "Ned" Friedman, co-author of the paper and professor at Harvard University who helped conduct research. "Altruism only evolves if the benefactor is a close relative of the beneficiary. When the endosperm gives all of its food to the embryo and then dies, it doesn't get more altruistic than that."
The paper can be found in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Read more at the University of Colorado, Boulder.
Corn image via Shutterstock.


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after upgrading some projects to VS 2010, i'm now getting some truly odd behavior.
there are 3 parts to this particular monstrosity:
a .NET client application
a C++/CLI interop wrapper DLL
a native DLL
the .NET application and the wrapper are part of the same solution, the native DLL a precompiled binary manually loaded at runtime.
there are 2 structs, allocated in the wrapper, which contain pointers. these are getting lost in the call into the native dll.
there is also a plain old char* that gets passed in; it is unscathed.
win7 x64 vs2010
any ideas greatly appreciated.
already found this:
Potential Errors Passing CRT Objects Across DLL Boundaries
everything is being compiled as /MDd, which appears to be debug version of /MD


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Raps are 9th.
Presented entirely without comment:
Raps are 9th.
Presented entirely without comment:
I'm sorry, I don't understand what this is?
Me neither. How are we 9th and Pelicans 3rd?
I believe Hollinger's rankings take +/- point differential, schedule and strength of opponents into account. So the fact that the Raptors have lost sooooo many close games (2 by 1 point, 1 by 2 points, 1 by 3 points and 2 overtime losses) to mostly really good teams (playoff teams last year and projected to be playoff teams this year) makes the Raptors a lot better than their record otherwise suggests.
I think his rankings reflect the same sort of optimism that so few of us RR Raptors fans seem to have these days. Contrary to popular belief in many threads, the sky isn't falling... yet.
The rankings here don't reflect the actual ratings he gives them. Looks like ranking order is actually by strength of sched for some reason.
Yeah, I realize that, but the link provided sorts by Strength of Schedule. (I thought at first it was an error in the page, but it's just that the link isn't to the actual ranking order.)
Here's the correct link:
Raptors are 23rd, right about where they belong.
That is 9th based on strength of schedule. Do you really think the Raptors are better than the Thunder?
Good teams win more often than they lose regardless of opponent. Period.
I will repeat a comment from numerous forums: this is a bad team tied for the 2nd worst record in the NBA. Numerous people, myself included, have been saying, "We'll be just fine.... hopefully" for 5 years now. I think the Raptors will be fine..... eventually, but not without meaningful change. The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. If that is true then a lot of Raptor fans and its management are freaking insane.
Well 23rd isn't as bad as what our record indicates. But being 23rd means we miss the playoffs and we give OKC the 8th pick next year = negative on every level.
I dont create controversies. Theyre there long before I open my mouth. I just bring them to your attention.
-- Charles Barkley
Raptors are not 9th. Wish you would edit your original post. They are listed 9th due to the strength of schedule (out of their control - and irrespective of their success/failure).
I admit this team is better then their record, but there is no silver lining here, you can easily sort their rating which puts them 23rd.
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ACParadise Network: American Cosplay Paradise American Cosplay Experience American Cosplay Snapshots
Cosplayer KenEden > Costume of Mikhail (Michael/Michel) Blanc (Macross Frontier)
- Most Recent Photo
- 06-17-2012
- Series
- Macross Frontier
- Character
- Mikhail (Michael/Michel) Blanc
- Special Variation:
- SMS version
- Year Completed:
- Construction Difficulty:
About this Costume
- Construction Details:
Jacket made by me and matched with red fabric used in Tako's jacket (Peter wore). Patches came from Tako again. She even recommended the cosplay to me!
Awesome wig by Chas!!
- Personal Thoughts:
- I enjoy wearing this costume! The wig turned out great and the group is fun to shoot with!
Awesome wig by Chas!!
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text:
Copperhead & Ajax Peaks
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Copperhead (left) and Ajax (center - in the distance) Peaks are north of Freeman Peak.
© Mike Hoyt, 3sep06.
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Ajax Peak (Mountain/Rock)
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Beaverhead Mountains (Area/Range)
Freeman Peak (Mountain/Rock)
Copperhead Peak (Mountain/Rock)
Best of the Beaverheads (Album)
Image Data
Image ID: 223044
Hits: 4569
Lat/Lon: 45.30380°N / 113.7281°W
Object Title: Copperhead & Ajax Peaks
Image Type(s): Hiking, Informational, Scenery


text:
Read the full story here Web Link posted Wednesday, July 25, 2012, 12:07 PM
Town Square
No settlement in high-speed-rail lawsuit
Original post made on Jul 25, 2012
Read the full story here Web Link posted Wednesday, July 25, 2012, 12:07 PM
Comments (4)
a resident of Shoreline West
on Jul 25, 2012 at 12:12 pm
I hope they can get back the money already spent. Where's Van Ark these days? Enjoying the Caymans?
a resident of Rex Manor
on Jul 25, 2012 at 2:59 pm
Van Ark is probably off building something for somebody who actually wants it. On the Weekly thread for this no mention has been made that if CAHSR had agreed with what the plaintiffs want, then all the Fed money would be missed while the program EIR is revised to exclude four tracks. EVEN though the PROJECT EIR for the Peninsula will be limited to the blended system. All of these machinations are why the Governor was considering CEQA streamlining for HSR. But oh-we can't do that, it would make tree huggers into hypocrits. We can't build anything in California these days, because we will never all agree on what to build, and those who don't agree can always find a way to litigate instead of negotiate. Some day folks younger than me will wake up with no more new freeways, no more new runways, and no HSR either. I hope by then Mr. Scott's transporter actually works so that people who need or want to move about can just say "beam me up".
a resident of Gemello
on Jul 25, 2012 at 6:59 pm
Four tracks is way to go since it elliminates delays due to freight, switching and breakdowns of old system. HSR should be direct route to meet Prop 1 A 2 be 40 min requirement consistently, safely and reliably. This is how we do HSR in Japan for many decades. We move millions of happy commuters from city to city quickly. We have separate track for freights and energy supply movements.
a resident of Rex Manor
on Jul 26, 2012 at 12:21 pm
Good idea S. Hirosha let's run happy commuter tracks 3&4 through your house and backyard.
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