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this one makes sense to me: bargnani for gerald henderson and desagana diop from charlotte bobcats. charlotte just lost another game and need a change, and quick. getting bargnani would add an option to the immature offence cache. getting seldom used diop off of the books makes it a bonus. for toronto, henderson makes perfect sense because:
- last five games proved that there is only one way for toronto to win games:motion offence. speedy agile young players constantly moving for positions instead of standing in corners, awaiting to be served the ball and then, playing isolation, one on one game.
- henderson fits that model, a brilliant offensive player and a perimeter defender that pietrus was in the beginning of his career.
- ross and henderson at the wings would make toronto premium offensive team, yet solid defenders.
hope that team management came to the similar conclusions.


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When Tom and Lori Reisenbichler set out to build their dream home, they were determined to prove that being environmentally responsible doesn't have to rule out luxury. Their modern Park Cities house, built on a block of decades-old brick homes, was designed to highlight sustainable features without scrimping on style.
"You can do luxury without being wasteful," says Tom Reisenbichler, an architect with Perkins+Will who primarily designs hospitals and medical buildings.
There is no shortage of either eco-friendly strategies or high style in the three-story contemporary that the Reisenbichlers share with their high-school son. From photovoltaic solar panels on the roof to flooring made from recycled television tubes and countertops of recycled mirror glass, materials were chosen carefully. Ninety percent of them are recycled or reclaimed, and the house meets LEED gold standards.
The couple, who entertain frequently and have welcomed nearly 3,000 guests since they moved into the University Park house last January, made sure that the residence works for gatherings both large and intimate. With its open concept, expansive rooms and walls of glass that slide open to integrate indoor and outdoor spaces, the first floor is a hostess' dream.
What really wows guests, Reisenbichler says, is when they flip up the wood panel on the living room wall to create a serving bar from the wine room off the kitchen.
Opposite the bar is another showstopper: an 8-foot-long gas fireplace that is positioned halfway up a stone wall. "It appeals to so many people, even if they're not a modernist," Reisenbichler says.
The family members are modernists, without a doubt, and that aesthetic is reflected in the furnishings in the six-bedroom, 10-bath house, which includes mother-in-law quarters on the second floor. Rooms are full of sleek leather furniture, chrome accents, animal hides and graphic prints.
The spare design and hard lines of the architecture are softened by visual textures, richly colored rugs and warm wood walls, including teak that was salvaged from a monastery in Thailand. The couple worked with interior designer Courtney Johnston, also of Perkins+Will, to achieve the look.
"Most of the home's finishes are pretty neutral," Reisenbichler says. "It's the art and furnishings that bring life to the space."
The art, including oversize sculptural pieces, canvases and African jewelry, is a collection of memories from the family's travels juxtaposed with works from North Texas artists.
As much attention as the Reisenbichlers paid to how the 8,300-square-foot house works and looks inside, the couple gave equal attention to the outside spaces. The residence was built around two massive trees on the corner lot; one even stretches through a master-bedroom deck on the second floor.
It was those trees, a live oak and a cedar of Lebanon, that drew the couple to the lot on Caruth Boulevard. "When the neighbors found out I was an architect and planning on building, they said, 'We don't care what you do with the house, just don't hurt the trees.'"
Their conservation efforts did not end with the trees. In the striking landscape created by Complete Landsculpture, rainwater collection supplies the irrigation system and tough, drought-tolerant plants soften the hard-edged angles. Much of the yard and driveway is crushed granite, quite unlike the broad and manicured front lawns on the rest of the street.
The property was included in this year's Water Wise Landscape Tour organized by Dallas Water Utilities. Giant planters and chiseled slabs of stone balance the mass of the venerable cedar, which anchors the east side of the lot. Agaves, yuccas and grasses complement it without detracting from its stately presence.
"Our goal with this house was to show you can do sustainable design without it being bohemian and that you can do luxury without it being wasteful," Reisenbichler says.
Tour the house
The Reisenbichler house and three other Park Cities addresses will be featured on the New Friends New Life holiday tour Dec. 2, from 1 to 4 p.m. The 13th annual event benefits the nonprofit organization that works with sexually exploited teen girls and women.
Advance tickets are $20 at newfriendsnewlife.org and select Tom Thumb stores or by calling 214-965-0935. Tickets the day of the tour will be $25. VIP tickets ($40 in advance; $50 at the door) include transportation between the tour stops.
The featured homes are:
7070 Turtle Creek Lane
3905 Potomac
3501 Caruth
3500 Southwestern

subset: commoncrawl


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Horse meat scandal still looming? UAE consumers demand more transparency
Please meet Marge, in the run up to become UAE's next top steak.
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Consumers say they are being kept in the dark about the red meat quality grading system in the UAE, which imports meat of five different quality levels.
They are demanding that the government give them mandatory quality labelling of red meat. They said they were taken by surprise over the grading system.
"Imported red meat must meet a set of criteria related to fat content, colour of meat and age of animal at one of five quality levels: Prime, Choice, Good, Commercial and Satisfactory," a Ministry of Environment and Water spokesperson told Gulf News.
The spokesperson, however, assured consumers that imported meat of all quality grades is healthy and safe because it must undergo checks and laboratory tests that guarantees it is fit for consumption.
"I never knew a meat grading system based on the colour of meat, estimated age of the animal at slaughter and its fat content existed in the UAE," said Khalil Mohammad, an IT specialist and a long-time resident of the UAE.
Members of the Federal National Council earlier demanded the Government adopt an integrated approach to food safety through coherent farm-to-table measures and adequate monitoring.
Dr Rashid Ahmad Bin Fahd, Minister of Environment and Water, told the House in early March, 90 per cent of Australia's meat exports go through UAE ports and are re-exported to the rest of the world, which he said reflects the trust bestowed on the country by a nation with a highly regulated meat industry.
However, it has emerged that the quality of the red meat Australia exports to the UAE is not on a par with that exported to the US or UK.
An article Tiers of a Cow published in the March 14-20 edition of Business Review Weekly, Australia reported: "Australia has a group of 65 abattoirs — the so-called "tier 2" processors — supplying highly regulated export markets such as the US, UK and Japan. In addition, there is a group of 15 abattoirs - the "tier 1" processors — registered for export to a group of smaller markets including Egypt, Indonesia, Jordan and the UAE."
Layla Khodjasteh, an Australian resident of the UAE, said she was "shocked to learn the quality of meat the UAE imports into the country is not on a par with that exported to other countries such as the US, the UK and Japan.
"This is particularly shocking considering the progress UAE has made as a nation and being a world leader across many industries," Layla said.
Ministry of Environment and Water officials stressed most of the red meat shipments imported from Australia were of high quality and met the UAE's standards.
Vet inspectors of the Abu Dhabi Food Control Authority (ADFCA) confirmed Australian red meat imported into the UAE was of the best quality with the least amount of red meat shipment being destroyed.
Mohammad Jalal Al Raisi, director of communication and community service at the Abu Dhabi Food Control Authority, said imported red meat, including that of Australian origin was subjected to tests at all UAE's ports.
"Meat shipments are again inspected by veterinarians in the Abu Dhabi automated abattoir to ensure they meet safety standards and Sharia rules. Certificates of production and Halal slaughtering are also verified: "Meat yet again is checked at retail outlets," Al Raisi said.
He added each country was eligible to set standards for meat imports.
Dr Hashim Al Nuaimi, director of the Consumer Protection Department at the Ministry of Economy, said the Ministry of Environment and Water, Adfca and municipalities across the country were tasked with ensuring red meat consumed in the country was healthy and safe.
Al Nuaimi added he had no information about a meat grading system in the UAE and his department "has no role in inspecting the quality of red meat."
The Emirates Authority for Standardisation and Metrology (ESMA) did not say how consumers know the quality grade of the meat they buy and whether the rules provide for mandatory quality labelling of red meat, despite repeated requests by Gulf News. Australia's two-tiered classification system, has one group saddled with tightly controlled rules, while less strict standards imposed on Tier One operators sees them trading into same or similar markets, sources told Gulf News.
"The anomalies of the regulations imposed by Australia's Department of Forestry and Fisheries (Daff) means Tier One abattoirs, which export meat to the UAE, operate under a state system allowing self-audits on a yearly basis without the need for Daff appointed meat inspectors and vets to conduct daily checks on meat produced," said a source who wished not to be named.
The source added Tier Two operators, however, operate under the Commonwealth system and must have Daff vets and meat inspectors auditing meat daily and present on site for overseas market export requirements.
The source noted that the traceability of meat coming from a Tier One plant or a Tier Two plant was lost once Australian meat was cleared into the UAE.
Concerning standards, demanded by the highly regulated markets such as the US, UK and Japan in terms of red meat imports, the source said the standards of the European markets for example sees greater demands and expectations.
Top Headlines
- Hoofing around: Pork, horsemeat found in Bahraini burgers
- Outrage over dog meat in Philippines hits Mid-East, home to Philippines community
- No flies on us: Abu Dhabi responds to horse meat scandal
- High priced leftovers bring shady shawarma shop shutdown
- Lebanon spoiling the Zaatar? Bakeries cash in using dangerous additives


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I had the honor of leading Farm Sanctuary's Walk for Farm Animals with founder Gene Baur in Santa Monica. You may remember I was invited during the summer to speak at the annual Hoe Down in Watkin's Glenn, NY with China Study author Dr. Colin Campbell.
We kicked off the walk with talks by Gene and I. Kanga, my pooch, was happy to be a part of the Walk for Animals.
Tami Erin, who played Pipi Longstocking as a child, was our celebrity who came to show her support.
Gene, Tami, Kanga, and myself lead the walk. We covered about 3 miles north from City Hall through the 3rd street promenade. It was a beautiful sunny day, and tons of cars beeped to show their support as they were driving past.
The walk finished back at City Hall in Santa Monica, where Gene and I signed books. The lovely Jolia Allen and Moira Nordholt walked with us too. It was the largest turnout yet, with over 150 walkers.


text: When I was little, grandma always made this stuff with what I think was whipping cream, diced apples with their skins on, chopped walnuts. More than that I can't say. Any ideas what I need to do to make it again. It was an everyday type item, not a holiday food. But I never saw what else she did to it and I'm craving some food memories of her. Thanks


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Marilyn Cook, a former principal of Paly, has agreed to step in as acting principal pending the hiring of Winston's replacement. The search already has begun, Superintendent Kevin Skelly said Tuesday.
"We appreciate (Winston's) deep dedication and strong service to our community in this role," Skelly said.
In an email to the Paly community sent late Monday night, Winston said the illness had caused him to reconsider his personal and professional goals.
"At this stage in my life, spending time with my family, protecting my physical health and having a better work-life balance are my top priorities," he wrote.
Winston said he has asked to be reassigned as a teacher.
Skelly said Winston has "done a great job with kids and parents (at Paly).
"He's just worked really hard on the environment at the school. His smiling face on the campus, his approach to the work has been really positive."
Winston is known for his visibility around the high school campus. He recently proposed to move the principal's office to the school library as part of a school remodeling project so as to be physically closer to the center of student activity.
The former special-education teacher and assistant principal at Gunn High School was named to the Paly job in 2010, at 33.
Winston taught special education for six years in Milpitas, where he grew up and now lives with his wife and two children, before joining the Palo Alto district as a special ed teacher at JLS Middle School.
"A piece of my heart" will always be in special ed, he once said.
Winston attended Mission College and earned a degree in psychology from California State University at Hayward (now Cal State East Bay). He earned a teaching credential at Santa Clara University.
A hallmark quote, which adorned his office wall at Gunn and Paly — and which he read aloud three weeks ago at Paly's May 29 graduation ceremony — is from 18th Century English Parliamentarian and abolitionist Thomas Foxwell Buxton: "With ordinary talent and extraordinary perseverance, all things are attainable."
When he was hired as the Paly principal, Winston said his goal was to "understand the community (and) keep it student-centered."
"Student-centered" means "continuing to process decisions and how the school functions based on what is best for our students in all areas — academics, student life, culture, social, emotional, guidance, support and extracurricular activities," he said at the time.
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KEXP Reviews
|Browse by one of the following:
- (Reprise)
Moving away from the stylistic experimentation of his last couple records, Yoakam gets back to his roots with this hard-hitting collection of hard-driving country rock and honky tonk shuffles and ballads. The songwriting's top-notch and packs a hefty emotional punch. 6/15/1998 - Don Yates
Other Dwight Yoakam album reviews:
dwightyoakamacoustic.net - 6/15/2000


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Discussion in 'Miscellaneous' started by Trekker4747, Feb 7, 2013.
I've always got frozen bread. You don't need to nuke it before you toast it.
The safety depends on the type of mold. According to this, most are harmless, but a few are not.
Older LiveStrong link on eating moldy bread.
Since you're probably not sure which kind of mold you ate, I'd recommend a complete blood transfusion and starting a course of steroids, human growth hormone, testosterone, EPO, cortisone, and possibly xenoandrogens and deer antler extract, masked of course by saline injections.
You might also want to buy a really nice bicycle and get on a racing team.
The Lance Armstrong Special?
Actually, refrigerating bread does the exact opposite.
^Not in the high humidity of florida.
^I guess it depends on your goal. Refrigerating bread will make it go stale.
tsq is right. There's a reason it's not breadbox.
Well, it's been a few hours and I think I can say I'm in the clear. No bathroom issues, no hallucinations from ergot poisoning. So, yep, I think from now on I'll fee safe eating the "not visibly moldy" slices of bread. Go Iron Kids!
or you could just but some fresh stuff tomorrow and stop worrying
If you live in the tropics stale is better than filled with mould in 5 minutes. Keep it in the fridge for eating over two days, in the freezer for longer storage.
Molds are fungi, not bacteria.
When you throw away bread that has a bit of mold on it, you dine with HITLER!
Freezing bread works very well in my experience, keeping it in the fridge doesn't, but of course I don't live in a climate where that's necessary. And I eat almost only dark bread, maybe it's different for American sandwich bread.
The bread I buy and because of the way I keep it, if I don't use it in time, it gets inedibly hard long before it gets moldy.
yes, same here. It used to get hard before I could eat it up, so now I always buy a big loaf, cut itup and freeze it. This way I can always have as much bread as I just need, without the rest getting hard.
Btw, you can use the hard bread for puddings and souflees or for thickening a sauce or gravy. There's also a recipe for rye bread soup Or you soak it for a while and feed the ducks with it.
In Germany, consumer protection and MDs urgently recommend that you don't eat bread that has gone moldy but throw away the whole loaf. They say that what you see is only a fraction of the fungus while the rest of it may well have spread though the whole bread already and might cause great damage to your liver and kidneys. Sliced bread is more likely to get moldy because of the larger surface. White bread (toast for example) is moister than dark bread (rye) and therefore more likely to develop mold.
Well, you have to pick your poison. It'll prevent mold (in my experience), but, yes, it'll make it go stale quicker. Freezing it is similar in that regard. But you can toast stale bread, which helps.
^sour dough rye bread freezes rather well. It gets only a tiny bit stale (about as if it were 1-2 days old). I buy it in 6 lbs loaves and freeze it in quarters (not sliced). This way it stays fresher. You can defrost it in the microwave - it's like fresh as long as it's warm.
I used to freeze my bread but I think it takes the flavor out of it.
Couldn't you just spray the loaf with Tinactin, Sporonox, or Fluconizol and get another week out of it?
I've not found refrigerating bread to make it go stale, if it's sealed up well with minimal air inside the plastic bag. It'll delay it from developing mold, and I have plenty of experience in that. But yes, cooler air can make moisture wick out and make it dry. That's why I try to buy a whole loaf and slice it when I need it.
As for freezing, moisture wicking is more of a problem, so you don't want to leave the bread in there for too long (depending upon how much air you've evacuated from the bag). But I've found that softening it up a little in the microwave prior to toasting tends to achieve a more natural consistency than toasting it frozen.
^It's not the humidity or dryness of the environment, but the temperature that makes it go stale. Bread becomes stale fastest at refrigerator temperatures. Bread doesn't stale because moisture is leaving it -- t's not drying out at all, the chemistry is just changing.
You're right. My bad. I meant fungus. Not sure what I was thinking
Separate names with a comma.


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Anglers fishing during the three day tournament totaled more than 2,000, which was an increase over last year, Big Bass Bonanza officials said Sunday.
"I had fished the Big Bass Bonanza only once before this year," Swink said in a final press release. "I fished the Pine Bluff pool last year, but I have fished Coal Pile a couple of times in club tournaments."
When Swink launched his boat Friday morning, he found a number of other contestants in Coal Pile.
"I went all the way to the back of Coal Pile," he said. "That's where I caught this fish."
The fish hit a pumpkin-seed-candy-colored jig with a pork chunk trailer, according to Swink.
There was much more prize money to go around after the top fish of the tournament was named. Each angler claiming the top fish in their respective pool also claimed $10,000.
Winners from the other four pools were:
• Martin Arnold, Alma (4.97 pounds) – Fort Smith pool
• Larry Gentry, Clarksville (6.05 pounds) – Dardanelle/Russellville pool
• Matthew Hamby, Little Rock (6.34 pounds) – North Little Rock/Little Rock pool
• Clinton Chandler, Lewisville (5.64 pounds) – Pine Bluff pool
Successful angler Matthew Hamby of Little Rock, with his 6.34 pound bass brought in Friday, was the top fish in the Little Rock pool as well as the $1,000 Willow Leaf Award winner, which goes to the top parent-child or grandparent-grandchild team.
Also, guaranteed prizes were awarded for second, third and fourth place finishers in each pool.
Bonus money and hourly payouts for the top three fish weighed-in at each station totaled $101,700. More than $200,000 was doled out to tournament anglers.
The annual tournament is the result of a 14-year partnership with the Arkansas Hospitality Association and the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission. This tournament spans more than 300 miles of eligible fishing waters on the Arkansas River inside Arkansas' borders.
The grand prize and other cash awards were handed out during Sunday's 4 p.m. awards ceremony at the Downtown Riverside RV Park in North Little Rock.
For photos of the overall winner, tournament and Willow Leaf award winner, and additional information, go to Arkansasbigbass.com or facebook.com/ArkansasBigBass


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ANNE PEARCE is a Research Fellow and Meadowbrook parent. Her daughter has participated in the All-State Festival for the past 2 years. In this post she writes about the Waldorf approach to music education.
Early on a cold Saturday morning in November, several violin students warmed up for their audition for the 2012-13 All-State Festival, Orchestra. The students looked nervous as they practiced their scales, reviewed their music and waited to be called into the audition room. Jeremy Fortier, the Strings teacher at the Meadowbrook Waldorf School, explained that the students prepared for the audition for months, in school and with a private instructor, learning scales, developing sight-reading skills, and mastering a movement or two from a staple of classical music.
The Rhode Island Music Educators Association sponsors the annual All-State Festival. RIMEA is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting the musical development of all Rhode Islanders, especially through music education and performance in schools and communities. The festival is open to music students in grades 7-12, who are sponsored by their music teachers, in Orchestra, Chorus, and Band. This year 1,594 music students from across Rhode Island auditioned and approximately 600 were selected.
"All-State is music-making at a very high level and an opportunity to participate in a full symphonic orchestra, with woodwinds, brass and percussion; the experience is impressive and unbeatable," Fortier said.
Jeremy Fortier conducts Yuletide Revels in the URI auditorium.
What is also impressive is the large number of Fortier's students who audition and are selected for the All-State Orchestra, especially given the School is relatively small compared to other participating schools whose student population is 5 to 9 times larger. The enrollment data for this year's strings players, for example, shows the Meadowbrook Waldorf School is the best represented at the junior and senior divisions, with 7 of 10 who auditioned selected for the Junior Orchestra and 4 of 7 alumni students selected for the Senior Orchestra. The next best school represented, a school 5 times larger, had 4 strings students selected for the Junior Orchestra and 2 for the Senior Orchestra.
The reason for the Meadowbrook Waldorf School's achievement is not only in the talented teacher's they hire, but in their approach to music education. Every child at the school plays an instrument from Grade 1 through Grade 8 and from their teachers in Strings, Chorus, Recorder and Ensemble, the students gain not only musical skills and knowledge, but a chance to experience the finer aspects of music-making. The Meadowbrook choral program will also be represented at this year's Festival with four current, and several alumni singers. All students learn to play in ensembles, culminating in performances such as the School's annual Yuletide Revels Chorus, Recorder, and Strings Ensemble, and for some, the opportunity to participate in the All-State Festival.
The idea of Waldorf music education is that musical ability goes beyond melody, harmony and rhythm to include the experience of working within a group of peers with differing abilities to produce something beautiful. It helps students go into the world understanding how to listen for more than what meets the ear, and with the satisfaction that comes from refining a skill through effort and perseverance. The Waldorf music curriculum helps produce fine musicians, but its true aim is to help produce fine human beings.
Impressive indeed.
The RIMEA 2012-2013 All-State Festival concert is on 24 March 2013, Choruses at 12:30pm, Orchestras 3:30pm, and Bands 6:00pm , at Veterans Memorial Auditorium in Providence, RI. Tickets are $10.
JEREMY FORTIER has been teaching Grade 6, 7 and 8 Strings at the Meadowbrook Waldorf School in Richmond, RI for eight years. He is also a private teacher for many Meadowbrook students and alumni. He has played the viola for 30 years and participated in several All-State Festivals in Georgia.
All photographs by SETH JACOBSON PHOTOGRAPHY


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Breakfast is served daily in Rick's Café Monday - Friday 7 am - 10:30 am; Saturday & Sunday 7 am - 11 am. Selections include: hot oatmeal, hard-boiled eggs, whole wheat toast, assorted croissants, mini-muffins, Danish and scones, bagels with cream cheese, peanut butter, preserves and butter, fresh whole fruit and fruit salad with melon and berries, fresh orange, apple and cranberry juice, assorted cereals, assorted yogurts, and a selection of international coffees and teas.
Soy Milk or Almond Milk and gluten free toast and cereal are available upon request. Please advise the hotel of any special requirements in advance when making your reservation so we can prepare to accommodate these requests.
Our guests are also welcome to have a guest, friend or family member join them for breakfast, with our compliments.Guests craving a big hot New York City breakfast will find it right next door at the Brooklyn Diner.


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DENVER - The Double Pump Spring Tournament came to an end with some very impressive performances on Sunday. The player who put on as good of a show as anyone was D'Vauntes Smith-Rivera who went for over 40 points in the 16 and under championship. Also a national sleeper in the 2013 class blew up on the scene.
KC Pump N Run brings it home
Coming into the event most pegged Dream Vision as the team to beat at the 17 and under level. Dream Vision is loaded with five star talent like Shabazz Muhammad, Angelo Chol, and Winston Shepard, and also a quality role player in Matt Shrigley making them one of the most talented teams on the circuit.
Even with that talent staring them in the face, the boys from KC Pump N Run weren't even remotely intimidated. Warrior power forward Christian Kirk was an absolute man inside for Pump N Run. At 6-foot-7 and 215 pounds, Kirk is just a high-motor kid who attacks the glass, and can also step out and hit the mid-range jumper. For the most part Kirk took it right to Chol, and gave Pump N Run the presence it needed on the inside.
While Kirk was doing work down low, it was guards Tyler Kalinoski and Corey Hilliard that got things done on the perimeter. Kalinoski is only on the floor to do one thing, and he does it very well. A 6-foot-2 guard without a ton of quickness, Kalinoski is a much of a knockdown shooter as you will find in the country. With Muhammad guarding him, Kalinoski was running him off screens and creating space to get open looks. When he got his feet set, there was just nothing Muhammad could do about it, and Kalinsoki ended up drilling six threes for the game to finish with his 18 points.
Complementing Kalinoski was Hilliard. Hilliard is the point guard who runs the show, and gets things done. The Dream Vision guards had absolutely no chance to stop Hilliard from getting into the lane and either scoring or dishing to a teammate such as Kirk. Hilliard finished the game with 11 points, and simply controlled every aspect of the action.
Still while the guards did their thing, Kirk was the x-factor. He played well all tournament long, and in the finals is when he really put it on display. He finished with a double-double, and overall was just a problem for Dream Vision due to toughness and effort.
For his part, Muhammad was the only Dream Vision player that seemed to be able to match the intensity of the Pump N Run guys. Muhammad was a force all weekend long, and that continued in the championship game. He scored going to the rim, and used his athleticism and natural strength to finish through contact.
Also when KC Pump N Run would pack it in on Muhammad, he showed competence with his mid-range jumper. Muhammad hit several jumpers from about 15 feet, and just was a force all game long. Overall Muhammad was simply the best player on the floor, and managed to come home with a cool 31 points.
Despite the fact that Muhammad was dominant, KC Pump N Run still came home with the 76-72 victory.
Smith-Rivera puts on a show
Leading up to the championship game, D'Vauntes Smith-Rivera wasn't having his best tournament. The 6-foot-4 combo guard was just struggling to get into a flow, but boy did he find it in a big way when all the chips were in the center against the KC Pump N Run 16 and under squad.
With Indiana Elite missing two of their key components due to early flights, Smith-Rivera put the entire team on his back and simply went to work.
Though he isn't the best up and down athlete, Smith-Rivera has an incredible ability to change speeds with the basketball, and also is able to change directions very quickly. Add in that he has a very tight handle, and ridiculous strength, when so motivated Smith-Rivera can be nearly impossible to keep out of the lane.
KC Pump N Run found that out first hand. Smith-Rivera simply took the ball and went left, right, and down the middle past, over, and around defenders. There was absolutely nothing that the Pump N Run guards could do to stop it. They tried double teaming him, they tried zone, they tried every other combination of defensive help you could imagine, and nothing slowed Smith-Rivera down even remotely.
He finished the game with 41 points and was extraordinarily efficient in the process. Smith-Rivera couldn't have attempted more than about 18 shots, and got to the foul line quite often for and-one opportunities. Overall it was simply a dominant performance as Indiana Elite-Team Indiana cruised home with a 77-62 win to take the title.
Hello World
It isn't very often that a player from Colorado is capable of grabbing the nation's attention. Chauncey Billups did it over a decade ago, and to an extent Matt Bouldin did as well, but in general the state just doesn't produce many high level stars. That is all about to change, and change in a big way.
Get ready to hear the name Chris Thomas. The Colorado native now attends school at Princeton Day Academy in Bowie, Maryland. The little known 6-foot-4 wing asserted himself as one of the premier players in his class with his play over the weekend.
Even though his Colorado Hawks team was completely outmanned by Indiana Elite at the 16 and under level, Thomas is a 2013 star who made an impact and even kept the game relatively close for a long period of time.
Thomas has good size and athleticism, and when the ball in his hands usually good things happen. He is extremely quick from baseline-to-baseline off the bounce, and when he gets in the half court, he knows how to play.
Even though his experience at the highest level is limited at best, Thomas can really shoot the ball well out to three point range, has the ball on a string, and his court vision is unbelievable. Quite often he would split an Indiana Elite double team, get into the lane and then draw a defender and dish off to an open shooter or to a cutter around the rim. When he wasn't doing that, Thomas was just scoring at will using fadeaways, athletic finishes, and a solid jump shot.
Overall there just aren't many players who can do what he does, and add in the basketball intelligence, and it is easy to see why he will be recruited at the highest level.
News and Notes
In an early morning game, arguably the top 2013 prospect in Indiana showed off his game. Collin Hartman of Cathedral High School is a 6-foot-6 combo forward who scored off the bounce, converted down low, and was absolutely pure with his jumper from deep. Not a great athlete, Hartman makes up for it with long arms and a high basketball IQ.
Twins are a dominant theme in the 2013 class nationally. The Harrison twins come from Houston, the Scott twins from Ft. Wayne, and the Robinson twins from San Diego. All three sets of twins are impressive, and the Robinson boys showed that this weekend. Tyree Robinson and Tyrel Robinson are both versatile enough to play three positions at the moment, though in time they will move to becoming combo guards. At 6-foot-3 both have good frames and excellent athleticism. Though both twins struggled with their outside jumpers in the game we watched, it is obvious that they have good form and are usually reliable in that department. Overall they will be recruited at the highest level.
The team that actually knocked the Robinson twins and their Dream Vision squad out of the 16 and under playoffs was Net Gain Sports out of Minnesota. For Net Gain Sports Deonte Blakemore absolutely torched Dream Vision. The ultra quick 5-foot-11 point guard flat out could not miss from three point range, and hit a contested 25 footer to give Net Gain the one point win over Dream Vision. For the game Blakemore was well over 20 points, and also did a good job of getting teammates involved off of dribble penetration.
Minnesota Pump N Run fell in a tough game to Kansas City Pump N Run, but they still made an impression all weekend. Jonah Travis is a beast of a combo forward who is always in attack mode and has the bounce to make an impact. Alex Richter was a scoring stud down low with his crafty moves and scrappy attitude, and the athletic Roosevelt Scott can really shoot off the dribble, and has bounce off the floor at an elite level.
Sunday was a great day for Rosco Allen. Allen used his 6-foot-8 frame with big time skill to get things done for Pump N Run Elite 16's. He scored off the dribble, dribbled the ball up the floor after rebounds on the push, and hit shots from three point range. The potential that Allen always flashes was on display in a big way in terms of production.
Also joining Allen playing well was Landon Drew and Robert Upshaw. Upshaw lacks mobility and athleticism, but he is 7-feet tall with good hands and a solid touch around the rim. Drew is a solid point guard with some flash to his game. He can really shoot it when left open, and also is a good passer who sees the floor well.
Though the KC Pump N Run 15's fell in the semi-finals, Conner Frankamp had nothing to be ashamed of. The point guard has a lot of flair to his game, and the handle he possesses is at a very high level. Just when defenders play off of him in an attempt to keep him in front, Frankamp showed the ability to knock in a deep jumper. Overall he looks the part of a potential high-major guard down the road.
School Lists
Tyree Robinson and Tyrel Robinson will definitely go to school together, and claim to be big fans of the Texas Longhorns. Along with Texas they are hearing from Arizona, Arizona State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Stanford, USC, and San Diego State.
Angelo Chol is down to a final seven schools of Alabama, Connecticut, Florida, Georgetown, Kansas, UCLA, and Washington.
Christian Kirk has offers from Butler, Southern Illinois, and St. Louis. Also he is hearing from Missouri State, Missouri, Illinois, Stanford, and Wichita State.
Corey Hilliard has an offer from Missouri State and interest from Kansas State, Minnesota, Arizona State, and Missouri.


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STOCKHOLM ROCK OUT -part II
Stockholm Rock Out is a new rock festival in Sweden which is now in its second year. When the first edition of the festival took place on May 1st it was almost disastrous because the giant volcano clouds forced most of the headliners to cancel their appearances but this time all measures worked well without any unexpected problems or last minute changes. By European standards, the band line up in Stockholm Rock Out was somewhat extravagant. The list included many great bands which haven't been here in ages, like Keel and Tuff, and there were also some unique one off performances like the one with Great White w/ Paul Shortino on vocals and the farewell show of Zinny J. Zan. Like the organizers advertised, this festival is indeed organized for music lovers by music lovers.


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Read the full story here Web Link posted Monday, December 3, 2012, 5:06 PM
Town Square
Palo Alto school board members to take oath
Original post made on Dec 3, 2012
Read the full story here Web Link posted Monday, December 3, 2012, 5:06 PM
a resident of Charleston Gardens
on Dec 3, 2012 at 6:28 pm
The Guidance Services Policy scheduled for discussion includes two disturbing proposals. 1) The new Policy sets a guideline of once per year as acceptable for meeting with a counselor for the purpose of academic advising and post secondary planning at our high schools 2) The new Policy strikes through mention of the Teacher Advisory program which is currently a part of Paly's Guidance model. If you value Teacher Advisory at Paly and support the Gunn Guidance Advisory Council in their work to add services for Gunn, please let Dr. Skelly and the Board know that these changes are not acceptable.
The last Board, provided additional resources for TA at Paly and an extra counselor at Gunn. The last Board supported Teacher Advisory and asked that Gunn and Paly share best practices and to include Advisory as part of this discussion. The last Board stopped short of asking Gunn to implement Teacher Advisory but did require that both schools provide comparable service levels.
We should not seek to reach the lowest common denominator of an annual counseling appointment. Instead the campuses should be encouraged to continue their work to improve guidance delivery including the TA system. Our students need to meet with their counselor more than once per year. Our campuses are getting larger. The college admission process is getting more complex and competitive. With A-G alignment, more students will need academic advising to make sure that they are meeting the new graduation requirements. Don't let the Board transition result in a take-away of services for our students.
a resident of Crescent Park
on Dec 3, 2012 at 6:44 pm
I think it is crucial for the community to see the CURRENT board policy, below:
Teacher-Based Advisory Program
The Board recognizes that a supportive, ongoing relationship with a caring adult can
provide a student with valuable advice and security. The Board desires to establish a
teacher-based advisory program in which teachers, with supervision and support from a
credentialed school counselor, advise students in such areas as character development,
conflict resolution, and self-esteem. The Board expects this program to enhance studentteacher relationships and give students positive, adult role models. The Superintendent or designee and a credentialed school counselor shall design this program and submit it to the Board for adoption.
Ken Dauber, Kathy Sharp, Wynn Hausser, Trish Davis, and the rest of We Can Do Better -- and all of Dauber's 14,000 plus supporters have tried to get the current board policy -- the one above -- to be enforced by the previous board for more than 2 years. The PAUSD School Board has a current policy in favor of Teacher Advisory not just for high school but for secondary schools. As with P-8, no change in policy was ever needed -- the board simply had to implement its own existing policy. The Board last year asked the Superintendent NOT to actually carry out this policy by telling him that he "shall design this program and submit it to the Board for adoption." [Portion removed by Palo Alto Online staff.]
Now, for the icing on the Gunn parent and student cake, the Superintendent, in collaboration with Barbara Mitchell -- an avowed opponent of this policy -- is trying to get the Board to undo its own policy rather than carry it out.
This is an absolute travesty. Email the school board members and tell them not to change their own policy rather than implement it. Tell the board that it is their job to implement their own policies not to change them to suit the teachers' union. This is an absolute disgrace.
Paly parents -- I hope you want Gunn counseling, because clearly that is what the superintendent has in store for you. Last year he stated to the board that he felt that Paly had "overinvested" in counseling, and he sat idly by while Gunn teaachers gave TA a drubbing. This is not a joke -- TA is going to be ended at Paly under this policy.
a resident of Duveneck/St. Francis
on Dec 3, 2012 at 7:24 pm
The Paly TA program costs $$. Paly and Gunn get an equal amount of funding per student from PAUSD and PiE. If they implement the TA program - which costs more than the current Gunn model - Gunn will have to something. For example, they could eliminate the Engineering electives, eliminate Titan 101, increase class sizes, etc.
Its not as simple as implementing the Paly model at Gunn. Paly has chosen to have the TA program and has larger classes and different/less elective (definitely nothing Engineering).
Can't have it all without more $$.
a resident of Crescent Park
on Dec 3, 2012 at 7:50 pm
palo alto mom - that has nothing to do with the current proposal. The current proposal is NOT about TA at Gunn. It's about TA anywhere in the district -- including at Paly. The school board is being asked by the superintendent to END ITS COMMITMENT TO TA FOR THE DISTRICT which includes Paly. This post is addressed to Paly parents like myself: I do not want this school board to roll back and take away the benefits of TA from my student. If you agree, please email the school board and urge them to reject this regressive proposal.
firstname.lastname@example.com, email@example.com, email@example.com, firstname.lastname@example.com. [Portion removed by Palo Alto Online staff.]
a resident of Crescent Park
on Dec 3, 2012 at 8:34 pm
@Dauber vote
"and all of Dauber's 14,000 plus supporters have tried to get the current board policy...enforced"
Interesting assumption. I guess that means that Melissa, Camille, and Heidi's 52,000 plus supporters don't want it enforced. Given these numbers the board vote should be obvious.
a resident of Palo Verde
on Dec 3, 2012 at 8:44 pm
[Post removed by Palo Alto Online staff.]
a resident of Community Center
on Dec 3, 2012 at 9:12 pm
[Portion removed by Palo Alto Online staff.] This new policy says that all guidance services will be provided by "guidance staff." This new policy provides 1 meeting per year for all students -- do you understand that for Paly that is a drop of 8 meetings a year? This new policy says that guidance staff will work with students rather than "identify and work with" students having issues. Do you undertand what is going on?
a resident of Community Center
on Dec 3, 2012 at 9:59 pm
[Post removed by Palo Alto Online staff.]
a resident of Charleston Gardens
on Dec 4, 2012 at 7:42 am
A closer read of the proposed Guidance Policy also calls for the elimination of Supplemental Counseling Programs for Students identified as At Risk. This eliminates AVID, Focus on Success, and College Pathways at a time when these programs are most in need given the change in the A-G requirements. Without a policy that reflects and supports what is going on on the ground at each campus, there is no way to ensure comparability of service or continuation of these programs with changes in staff or administration. This policy is not in the best interest of our children.
a resident of Midtown
on Dec 4, 2012 at 9:07 am
[Post removed by Palo Alto Online staff.]
a resident of Crescent Park
on Dec 4, 2012 at 9:15 am
Is you're reaction simply because they removed the focus on TA and incorporated the requirements across all schools?
You seem to be raising issues when none exist. If you did actually read the report you would have seen that they are introducing the requirement:
"Counselors shall assist in developing intervention plans to help identify those students who may be at risk so that proactive support may be provided".
It DOES NOT eliminate any programs for children at risk.
Again, fully read the proposal before jumping to conclusions. It deals with everything without dictating how to do it and puts the emphasis on empowering the schools to make the best decisions for their students. This model of site-based decision making is, after all, exactly what Palo Alto emphatically voted for.
a resident of Community Center
on Dec 4, 2012 at 1:02 pm
[Post removed by Palo Alto Online staff.]
a resident of Crescent Park
on Dec 4, 2012 at 1:59 pm
[Post removed by Palo Alto Online staff.]
a resident of Charleston Gardens
on Dec 4, 2012 at 2:12 pm
In an email to the Board today, Dr. Skelly said he will be pulling the Guidance Policy from the Board Agenda currently scheduled for tonight's meeting. In the email he voiced concern that the proposal was causing more confusion than was the original intent - to support Gunn and Paly in improvement of their counseling services. I support Dr. Skelly's decision, as the proposed policy changes are problematic and represent a significant departure from what is currently working well at the school sites and from previous Board direction.
a resident of Crescent Park
on Dec 4, 2012 at 3:00 pm
I agree it should probably be pulled. The document was poorly presented and required interpretation, which should never be the case.
However, I disagree that it was a significant departure from what is currently well at all schools sites. It was mostly restructuring the previous statements without requiring specific implementations and I applaud that effort.
a resident of Another Palo Alto neighborhood
on Dec 4, 2012 at 10:09 pm
Huh is right. You do some interesting math to make it seem like the election wasn't as close as it was.
The difference between the highest vote getter and lowest was only about 5% of the vote. All of the candidates got around twenty-something percent of the the vote. Since there were three votes for four slots, that means there were nearly as many people who included Ken Dauber in their slate of three as any of the other candidates. The vote showed he has nearly as much support in the community as any of the other candidates, including the incumbents who have a natural advantage, which is hardly a ringing endorsement of the status quo. Again, since there were three votes for four candidates, this means support was pretty evenly divided in the community among the four candidates.
I encouraged everyone to vote the Weekly slate, which inadvertently encouraged people to vote for two of Mr. Dauber's opponents as well. Had I realized this might cost him the election, I think I would have encouraged more people to vote only for him. Nothing against the other candidates, all of whom I think will do a good job, I just think he would make the board more effective than any of them.
But, the election is over. I am grateful for Mr. Dauber's contributions to our community despite a lot of undeserved criticism. And I look forward to the contributions of Emberling, Townsend, and Baten Caswell. I hope everyone will remember that they are three caring people first and foremost, who are doing this first and foremost out of a sense of service to our kids and our community. I don't see anything wrong with people getting assertive about important issues when they disagree, but I hope people will refrain from making it personal the way some in our community do. (Especially taking ad hominem pot shots online.)
Congratulations to the new incumbents, thank you in advance for your service to our community.
a resident of Crescent Park
on Dec 5, 2012 at 10:22 am
"Huh is right"
Thank you!


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While checking out this featured article I noticed that you made an error in identifying the Lion King props. The Lion King puppets are from Legend of the Lion King, an extinct attraction that was at the Magic Kingdom, not to be confused with Festival of the Lion King which is at Animal Kingdom.
Page 1 of 1
Correction in Featured Article
Posted 22 February 2008 - 08:14 PM
"In an age of fads, copycats, and rapidly changing trends, you have chosen to stand out from the rest and be an individual. We applaud your courage and self-expression. Thanks for being a part of our show today. Don't ever change. The world needs more people with your spirit." - The Citizens of Hollywood
Posted 22 February 2008 - 09:49 PM
[quote="SnuggieD'oh! Thanks for correcting me on that. I was thinking Legend of the Lion King but confused it with Festival of the Lion King. My mistake. Thanks for pointing it out Peter!
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Last night marked not only the 10th anniversary of Balthazar but the opening of FR.OG, a French fusion a few doors down from the birthday boy. Clearly, FR.OG's Didier Virot was sending a message to the ancien r gime. But must McNally fear that his French dominion is threatened? After an opening night visit, we'll have to go with mais non!
While Balthazar embodies a fetishized version of fin de si cle Paris, FR.OG aspires to a late 1990's chic. There's wavy plaster, lots of pink, and circular booths shrouded in what seems like a shower curtain. When we walked in, a Buena Vista Social Club-esque version of Lady Marmalade played, inexplicably followed by Chopin's Nocturne No. 2 in E Flat, Op. 9, No. 2. For some reason, I imagine it is a lot what the bathroom in the summer home of Renee Montaigne looks and sounds like: "Sexiness," dim lights, fusion. Down a spiral staircase, a large lounge area contains another bar and more tile. There was a bathroom attendant and a Schillerian unisexiness to the commodes.
What was served of the vaguely Asian food was uniformly excellent. Tomato soup came with a dollop of curry cream; pork and shrimp spring rolls offered crunch and spice. The exhaustive cocktail lists includes well-done standbys as the Ginger Martini with a rose twist. New York's the Robs have a better idea of the full menu but it is safe to say, fans of cuisine traditionnelle fran aise will be better served by sticking with the ten-year old Balthazar while more adventuresome diners might want to stop by the fresh meat. —Josh


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Castle Point Anime Convention 2013
April 7th, 2013 * Hoboken, NJ
Yeap, I went another college-run anime convention held in New Jersey.
This con was also easy to reach as I simply took a NJ transit Bus, and it only took less than 20 minutes from the Times Square/Port Authority Bus Terminal.
Bus Route #126, Zone 2, Round Trip Ticket $6.40
I already pre-registered online so the pick-up line was a way shorter than the other line of people buying at-doot-ticket.
I felt so lucky for avoiding a long line.
Then, I headed outside finding a dealers' room.
The nicely color-printed program guide had a convention map, but since I'm a map-blind not seeing any kind of maps correctly, I decided to ask nearby CPAC staffs. And 2 staffs near the entrance of building had no idea where the dealers' room is located. So I just wondered around this nice green campus looking for the specific building where other cosplayers were going into.
Yeap, in a convention like this, you don't need a map, but follow your "cosplay" instinct.
And there was a scene I didn't see at SpringFestNY 2013. The center of campus was filled with quite a lot of cosplayers!
Anyway, I found the dealers' room & artists' alley.
Then, I'm out again meeting TheBigTog Photography. We had one fun comedy Miku LOL photoshoot. ^_^
After the shoot, I headed back to NY getting on a bus 126 again.
Comparing to the previous college-run convention (SpringFestNY), CPAC was a little better in a way of saying you get a chance to see more cosplayers under nice sunny weather (a bit windy though). This was one day con and the online ticket cost only $12.00 so I definitely recommend you pre-register online to avoid a long waiting line next year.


text: The ESA on my 2007 RT has just started to exhibit a problem. When scrolling through the various settings, it will not go from two to one rider position. Seems to change all other settings. Is this the beginning of full failure, or just a glitch? Can this be repaired or manually changed? Any ideas?


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Arenado lets instincts take over on defense
By Thomas Harding / MLB.com
LOS ANGELES -- Third baseman Nolan Arenado's game-saving diving catch of a Tim Federowicz line drive to end a Dodgers threat in the fourth inning of the Rockies' 5-4, 11-inning victory pleased a large group of family and friends -- well, to an extent.
Arenado grew up in Lake Forest, Calif., where there are plenty of Dodgers fans, including those in his family.
"My closest cousin, he's a huge, huge Dodger fan," Arenado said. "He follows them, like, nonstop. He wants me to have success, but he wants to the Dodgers to win. So we have a little competition, and through messages, we talk a lot of trash about it. But it's been fun.
"In San Diego, there's a lot of family, too, but the Dodger atmosphere gets people going. My family has a lot of Dodger fans."
Arenado, coming off winning a Rawlings Gold Glove as a rookie last season, has kept up the highlight-reel plays that are way more fun for him to perform than to analyze. It seemed as if he knew exactly where the ball would be hit. He seemed to be moving or leaning with the pitch, and was able to take four choppy steps before making the dive.
"Sometimes you just get the feeling the ball's going to come your way," Arenado said. "I guess you just build the instincts. But I try not to overthink. When I overthink when I have the ball, that's when I make the error and get myself in trouble. I try not to analyze things too much. I just do them and hope it works out."
Confidence, angles key to Ottavino's success
LOS ANGELES -- The Rockies' Adam Ottavino finds amusing that a right-handed reliever and his best pitch can have social media cachet.
Earlier this season, a tribute handle, @OttavinosSlider, showed up on Twitter. During his strong inning Friday night, the team's twitter account gave him a hashtag -- #Ottomatic, which happens to have been a nickname he earned as a closer during his collegiate career at Northeastern University.
Ottavino, an Instagram guy himself, isn't bothered by the attention. After all, it's the result of an ERA that was the definition of the empty set through 11 games, the last being a one-strikeout eighth inning in Friday's 5-4, 11-inning victory over the Dodgers.
"It's pretty cool," he said. "Obviously, I've got to keep it up. It's kind of neat."
Ottavino, 28, entered the Rockies' game with the Dodgers on Saturday with 13 strikeouts, which is almost half of his 28 total outs.
As last season progressed, manager Walt Weiss began using Ottavino later in games, mostly against tough right-handed hitters, who have difficulty dealing with his slider's angle and movement. Righties hit .198 against him. However, lefty batters hit .325, which more or less threatened to limit him to specialist duty.
This year, Ottavino, whose father has long worked as an actor in New York, is posting stats that say he can't be typecast. Righties are 4-for-27 (.148), with two of the hits coming in one game. But lefties are 1-for-8 (.125).
"He's made adjustments against left-handed hitters, so if there's a tough lefty sandwiched in between a couple of right-handers, he can go through the lefty to get to the next righty," Weiss said. "He's made some physical adjustments to attacking left-handed hitters."
Ottavino's adjustment involves the uncommon strategy of switching from the third-base side of the rubber, where he works against righties, to the first-base side against lefties. The adjustment resulted from Ottavino studying all of his at-bats against lefties during the offseason.
"It's giving them a little tougher angle," Ottavino said. "And my strategy has been switched up a little. It's worked out against the few lefties I have faced. That was a big goal for me. I killed righties last year, so if I could become respectable against lefties, I could improve over last year."
Ottavino is known for the sudden and big, downward diagonal break on his slider. But his increased dependability is rooted in another pitch.
"My slider is the same as it was, although I feel I use it better," Ottavino said. "But I feel a little stronger this year and my fastball is a little better. I've got a little bit more velocity, a mile or two per hour on average. I also know my strategy better of where to locate it."
Weiss said the increased power is a matter of confidence.
"He's always had the devastating slider, but it's tough to use it when you're in bad counts," Weiss said. "His fastball command and velocity is better. That's a big part of it.
"A couple years ago, before I was here, his velocity was up there. Last year, maybe trying to command it, pitchers will take a little off of it. But he's got velocity and command, and a lot of confidence. When he gets in pitchers' counts, he's a handful."
Worth noting
• Weiss said it's unlikely that right-hander Jhoulys Chacin will make his next start on Tuesday for Triple-A Colorado Springs at Memphis. Chacin, who sustained a right shoulder strain at the start of Spring Training and has been gradually working his way back, is determined to be healthy after throwing 80 pitches in his last start.
Weiss said the Rockies haven't come to an official decision, and his thought could change based on what happens in the coming days, but he is leaning toward having Chacin's next start be in the Minors.
• Weiss' effort to keep the right-handed-hitting outfielders sharp resulted in his starting Brandon Barnes, who had a key pinch-hit double Friday, and Drew Stubbs on Saturday, with Charlie Blackmon and Corey Dickerson sitting against Dodgers lefty Paul Maholm.
Blackmon, however, is hitting .398 and has done well against lefty pitching. That means he is a candidate to start the next two games, Sunday against the Dodgers' Hyun-Jin Ryu and Monday at Arizona against Wade Miley.
Thomas Harding is a reporter for MLB.com. Read his blog, Hardball in the Rockies, and follow him on Twitter @harding_at_mlb. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


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When Your Baby Is Overdue
Ask any mom whose pregnancy went into extra innings: Right around your due date, the phone calls, emails and texts start coming: "Is anything happening?" and "What does the doctor say?" or... "Wellll????" Playing the waiting game during the last few weeks of pregnancy is hard, but it becomes especially difficult when 40 weeks turn into 41... or 42. But the first thing to know is this: Your due date is just an estimate. In fact, only 5 percent of babies are born on theirs.
Check out 40 Weeks: Your week-by-week guide >>
"No woman should feel nervous or anxious if she's still pregnant after her due date," says Alex C. Vidaeff, M.D., M.P.H., a maternal-fetal medicine researcher and practitioner at the University of Texas Medical School at Houston. "Due dates can be off by a week in either direction." Sometimes, even two weeks! Despite that fact, many women get hung up on those dates and feel distress when they come and go, Vidaeff adds.
In the first trimester, your due date is calculated by adding 40 weeks (280 days) to the first day of your last menstrual period, then synched with ultrasound images that date the age of the embryo or fetus. But the result is just an educated "guesstimate." "You might really be 39 weeks when you think you're at 40," says Vidaeff, adding that pregnancy length is, in many cases, genetically determined.
Going into overtime
The strict medical definition of "post-term" (aka "post-date") is a pregnancy that goes beyond 42 weeks. However, recent research has shown that delivery after 40 weeks may come with certain risks, and OB-GYNs have responded in kind. "We now change our clinical practices at 40 weeks to prevent potential complications in both Mom and Baby," says Carri R. Warshak, M.D., an assistant professor in the department of maternal-fetal medicine at the University of Cincinnati.
At the 40-week mark, your doctor or midwife will become more vigilant about monitoring the baby. Post-term infants are at higher risk for problems with glucose metabolism, which can lead to excessive birth weight, and for inhaling meconium (fecal waste); this can cause breathing problems or infection at birth. Amniotic fluid levels can drop, and after 42 weeks, the placenta may not work as well as it did earlier.
Read more about placenta power >>
Your caregiver will regularly check your amniotic fluid level, the baby's heart rate and his estimated weight, which increases significantly from 40 to 42 weeks. "If the fetus weighs more than 8 pounds, 13 ounces, you may have difficulty pushing during labor, and using a forceps or vacuum may be necessary for delivery," says Warshak.
When Baby needs a nudge
After 39 or 40 weeks, it's sometimes best to deliver sooner rather than later: Studies have shown that newborn admissions to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) increase slightly when a pregnancy lasts 40 to 42 weeks. And stillbirth, though still rare, becomes a concern: At 40 weeks, the risk is two to three per 1,000 babies; at 42 weeks, it's four to seven per 1,000. If labor hasn't started spontaneously, you'll probably be induced at 41 weeks — at the latest. "If your cervix has started to dilate, odds are in your favor for a successful induction," Warshak says. Translation: You won't end up having a Cesarean section.
Learn about these 5 common labor complications >>
More about your baby's due date
The overdue blues
Conception date calculator
"Expecting a Baby" added to Facebook


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Other features and differences between the Slim and older models is that the Slim includes an additional USB port, it is also significantly quieter than the older versions, it has a port for Microsoft's new Kinect product which is scheduled to be released in the fall, and the power brick is much smaller. The bottom line is if you already own an Xbox 360 and you aren't having any issues than there is no real reason to buy this product, considering none of the new additions are totally necessary. But if you're looking to buy a 360 for the first time or if your old one got the RROD or you're having other troubles with it, then this is the Xbox 360 to buy; at $299.99, it's a steal.
What do you think about the new 360? Is it worth buying?
First off I love the design, glossy black matches my TV, my surround sound system, and my TV stand. The touch sensitive buttons are cool, my TV has those and they work well and look cool.
The hard drive is just awesome, I had to buy a 60GB drive when they came out with the ability to install games because the standard 20GB one is just stupid small.
Surround sound output I like. I don't have an HDMI cable for my 360 (I only have 1, connecting the surround sound to the TV) so I've never been able to use my surround sound and that sucks. And after spending $500 on a console and another $80-ish on a 60GB hard drive I'm not about to spend more money on it.
A quieter system is always good. I install all my games so I don't get disc drive noise, but the fans are brutally loud.
I'm not really interested in Kinect though, I'm more of a lazy gamer, don't really want to jump around and wave my arms all over the place.
/--\ - Lance Corporal
Petrol Heads - High Roller
(\__/) (\_(\(\(\
(='.'=)(=':' )(-_-)
the best thing that the new xbox360 doesn't have the red ring problem
agreed also new xbox360 have powerfull cooler
Click Here for G2Play for great deals
Oh and Don't forget some tuts on ASM and defeating DMA
Clicky Here for them
The reason for the slim is it will be close to impossible to flash the drive to allow backups :P
So does that mean it's harder to load pirated games on it?
/--\ - Lance Corporal
Petrol Heads - High Roller
Click Here for G2Play for great deals
Oh and Don't forget some tuts on ASM and defeating DMA
Clicky Here for them
* Updated game trainers and cheats daily
* Get notified when new cheats are added
* Request which games get new trainers
* Priority support with any problem


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Employee Fraud Schemes Costly for Financial Institutions, ACUC Speaker Says
Financial institution employee fraud schemes last a median of 18 months before detection, with a median loss of $140,000, said CUNA Mutual Senior Risk Management Consultant Roger Nettie during a breakout session Wednesday morning at CUNA's America's Credit Union Conference in New York.
According to the 2012 Global Fraud Study conducted by the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners, more than one-fifth of these caused losses of at least $1 million.
Also from 2013 ACUC:
Data Can Give Competitive Edge
Indirect Lending Debate Shifts Views
Gladwell Says Press the Competition
"The longer a perpetrator works for an organization, the higher fraud losses tend to be," Nettie said. "CUNA Mutual Group claims records show that over a five-year period, employee dishonesty represented just 13% of fraud claims, but 45% of fraud losses."
Many credit unions believe their employees are all trustworthy and that they have strong enough internal controls to prevent internal theft from occurring, he said.
Yet, it still occurs.
"Fraud does not discriminate. There is no immunity to this exposure based on geography, asset size, employee tenure, or past experience," Nettie said.
Another growing area of direct losses is wire fraud, especially from HELOC accounts, with credit unions reporting more than $25 million in losses from 2007 to 2012, he said. The average reported loss in 2012 was $175,000, with some approaching $1 million. "Credit unions experiencing losses generally had inadequate security for large-dollar transfers, enabling crooks to easily defeat callback security measures," Nettie said.
Consequently, CUNA Mutual Group implemented new terms with its funds transfer coverage to encourage additional controls for remote requests, and discourage the practice of accepting large-dollar remote requests.
Nettie offered a number of recommendations to limit wire fraud, such as spotting fraud red flags and using layered levels of security.
In addition, electronic crime continues to cause direct losses through computer malware and money mules that illegally transfer money on behalf of scam operators, typically in another country.
Nettie said prevention measures such as cookies, device recognition, Internet protocol and challenge/response questions have limited effectiveness. As alternatives, he suggested out-of-band authentication, hardware tokens, digital certificates and biometrics.
Liability losses for credit unions continue to be led by employment practices liability claims and subsequent litigation.
"EPL losses make up nearly two-thirds of all of CUNA Mutual Group Management and Professional Liability losses, with the most common allegations being wrongful termination, retaliation, and race and gender discrimination," he said.
Nettie suggested credit unions have updated policies and procedures reviewed by legal counsel and provide regular staff training.
Finally, Nettie discussed the growing incidence of costly lender liability claims, which generally allege the credit union failed to follow state law requirements in their Notices of Intent to sell repossessed property and Notices of Deficiency letters.
"Usually, this is a case of you getting sued by your worst borrower and then having it mushroom into a class action lawsuit," Nettie said. "It's vitally important to have your forms reviewed and approved by legal counsel for each applicable state, and train employees on how to properly complete the forms."
The conference wrapped up Wednesday at the New York Hilton.


text:
Centralized operations: the future of operating models for Risk, Control and Compliance
In these times of continued global economic uncertainty, cost reduction and effective risk management remain key imperatives.
Organizations are required to manage a multitude of challenges:
- Slow growth in mature markets
- Challenges in realizing the full growth potential in emerging markets and managing the risk of operating in these markets
- Commodity price volatility
- The opportunities and threats of new technology and the digital age
- The ever-changing and increasing burden of regulatory compliance
Not surprisingly, back-office functions such as HR, Finance and IT have been required to respond to this cost reduction agenda to ensure they deliver maximum value at minimum cost. One now-standard response has been the use of new, more centralized operating models in the shape of shared services, offshoring (to areas such as India, Eastern Europe and South America), and co-sourcing with and outsourcing to third-party providers.
The need to centralize and reduce the cost of back-office processes and transactions is the standard expectation across businesses today. Historically, Risk, Control and Compliance functions have been less willing to embrace these new, more centralized operating models.
However, leading organizations are challenging the status quo of their risk, control and compliance operating models; they are looking at ways in which they too can contribute to cost reduction while enhancing risk management controls and compliance practices.
We discuss what risk, control and compliance capabilities are being shifted into new centralized operating models (and which are not); and the challenges in making this transition:
- Why organizations are changing their risk, control and compliance operating models, and the nature and scale of benefits to be realized
- What the options are in moving to centralized operating models and some of the key criteria influencing what to shift or retain
- How organizations are making and embedding these changes and the typical pitfalls
Centralized operating models can support cost reduction initiatives, adapt to changing risk profiles, and provide real insight into the management of risks, controls and compliance needs globally and locally.
New centralized operating models represent a fundamental opportunity for Risk, Controls and Compliance functions to align with the rest of the business, manage risk more effectively and drive down cost.
Risk, Control and Compliance functions are increasingly asking "when and how" they make this move — not "if."


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Liz Smith
Published Tuesday November 27, 2012 at 6:00 am
'You're ALL flops. I am the Earth mother and you are all flops!"
That was Elizabeth Taylor at her raging, ribald best in the movie "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" Although the Edward Albee dialogue had not been written for Taylor, that line flamboyantly expressed Elizabeth Taylor's hold on the world's imagination. Even when Taylor herself flopped, it was with such magnitude she still seemed beyond mere mortals. And of course, she always came back stronger than ever, a deep-cleavaged phoenix forever rising from the ashes. She commanded the gods to do her bidding, and the world stood back, agog.
There's been much chat about Elizabeth Taylor in the weeks leading up to Sunday's airing of Lindsay Lohan's "Liz and Dick" TV movie. Those who feared that Lifetime's nickel-and-dime version of Taylor would somehow devalue the original, were silly. If anything, Taylor has gone up in public estimation, because Lohan has driven her own image so far into the ground. (No woman in Hollywood is as negatively perceived as Lindsay, with the exception of Halle Berry. The public does not seem to be on Berry's side, through any of her traumas.)
I keep hearing that "Elizabeth must be turning in her grave." I doubt it. The casting of Lindsay probably wouldn't have bothered ET. In fact, she might have felt compassion for the long-troubled Lohan, and even given her a tip or two. Taylor would have loathed the title, "Liz and Dick." (Neither of the Burtons cared for the diminutive of their given names.) And Elizabeth would have fought anything that put Richard in a bad light. Elizabeth knew who she was, and she knew we knew. (She did battle NBC over a TV movie about her life back in 1982, but it wasn't about fear of exposure. Elizabeth sued on the grounds that as a working actress, any impersonation would affect her finances negatively. She won. Years later, as her health declined rapidly — no longer working — she didn't bother fighting an ABC movie. It came and went without harming Taylor's iconic status.)
Oh, and that reminds me — how was "Liz and Dick"? Some critics said it was not bad enough to be good campy fun. I must disagree. It was hilarious. It is right up there with "The Bad Seed," "Valley of the Dolls," "Body of Evidence" and "Showgirls." I won't even say Lindsay was "miscast" because I think anybody would be. Not that Lohan didn't give it her all. She threw tantrums and vases and guzzled from vodka bottles as if she'd been doing it all her life. (Pause to discreetly clear throat.)


text:
Read the full story here Web Link posted Tuesday, February 12, 2013, 7:17 AM
Town Square
Bay Area reacts to first Papal resignation in nearly 600 years
Original post made on Feb 12, 2013
Read the full story here Web Link posted Tuesday, February 12, 2013, 7:17 AM
Comments (30)
a resident of Country Fair
on Feb 12, 2013 at 10:03 am
I am interested in knowing where the present Pope will reside
during the remainder of his years.Will be admit himself to a Cloistered Monastery or will be remain within the Vatican grounds ?
He of course will continue to remain a Cardinal in the ranks of the Catholic Church as he steps down from being the Holy Father.Since he is so ill will he consider being admitted into Religious Infirmary
and having proper medical care ??
I admire His holiness for his humility and being honest with himself and his fellow Cardinals by stepping down. He is and will continue to be a great man in many people's eyes. let us keep him in our hearts and prayers.
a resident of Danville
on Feb 12, 2013 at 10:12 am
The idea that he should expect compensation from the Church, either in cloistered monastery or on the Vatican grounds, strikes me as ludicrous. I don't give money to the Church to support a disgraced papal resident who claims to be God's voice on earth and then steps down with a cloud of suspicion over his head. Anybody ever hear of a 401K? For heaven's sake!
a resident of Valley Trails
on Feb 12, 2013 at 10:12 am
@ Tom - I heard on the news yesterday that he will remain on Vatican grounds in a special living quarters set up for him. From as cost-standpoint, this makes sense - I think there would be security issues if he went to live in a non-Vatican infirmary.
Plus, I don't think he's really ill ill, he's just not up for the demands of travel. I think it's great that he's setting a precedent that it's okay for the Pope to retire prior to his death.
a resident of Downtown
on Feb 12, 2013 at 10:33 am
Newsflash - The pope's personal butler, who has been sitting in a Vatican jailhouse for many months because of personal papers he stole from the Vatican, has released some of these documents to the press. These documents show that the pope himself has been accused of molesting children prior to his rise to the papacy. Prior to today's release, these documents had been concealed by the Roman Catholic Church.
There. Now you know why he's stepping down.
BTW - Do you know of any other local priests who have retired from the priesthood and/or active duties at an age earlier than most? Ever wonder why?
a resident of Vintage Hills
on Feb 12, 2013 at 11:03 am
Kathleen Ruegsegger is a registered user.
Mea Maxima Culpa - Silence in the House of God is currently playing on HBO. Ratzinger's role is included. An article about the filmmaker: Web Link
And the New York Times coverage: Web Link&
a resident of Danville
on Feb 12, 2013 at 1:26 pm
This is a message for Mary of Danville and Godless...it's a wonder you both don't get struck by lightening or have your tongues cut off.
I would not hesitate to accomodate the both of you. Sick people like you should be silenced.
a resident of Livermore
on Feb 12, 2013 at 2:36 pm
il papa is not ill but he is frail. He will eventually live in a cloistered environment on Vatican property.
Kevin Annet says FOLLOW THE MONEY: Web Link
This is the best analysis that I've read to the unexpected resignation of il papa!
a resident of Livermore
on Feb 12, 2013 at 2:38 pm
This is where il papa will live once it is renovated: Web Link
a resident of Livermore
on Feb 12, 2013 at 2:45 pm
To the best of my knowledge, il papa was not accused of sexually molesting children and the papers that were stolen had nothing to do with such an accusation.
The butler has been released from jail and the Vatican will help him find another job.
I must say that I'm ticklled that he is stepping down...tee hee...
a resident of Livermore
on Feb 12, 2013 at 3:12 pm
Papal Butler released: Web Link
a resident of Danville
on Feb 12, 2013 at 3:16 pm
Thank you, Cholo. This breaking story may turn out to be even bigger than the Mary Hayashi shop lifting scandal.
a resident of Livermore
on Feb 12, 2013 at 3:17 pm
Archbishop Georg Ganswein to assist il papa in his new digs:
Web Link
a resident of Downtown
on Feb 12, 2013 at 6:20 pm
(Post removed by Pleasanton Weekly Online staff because it contains personal information about an individual or business.)
a resident of Downtown
on Feb 12, 2013 at 6:54 pm
(Post removed by Pleasanton Weekly Online staff because it contains personal information about an individual or business.)
a resident of Downtown
on Feb 12, 2013 at 9:53 pm
WOW! The Pleasanton Weekly is removing posts where atheists express their points of view? Really?
What happened to open forums? Just because I don't believe in a god does that mean I don't have a voice on this website?
a resident of Danville
on Feb 12, 2013 at 10:02 pm
If you want to criticize the church because it has relied upon union labor, that's one thing; but criticizing the church as a private institution, no way. But what does it matter to you, because you're going to hell anyway?
a resident of Downtown
on Feb 12, 2013 at 10:08 pm
Here. I'll post something relevant to the news story at hand.
I hope that the papal seat remains vacant for the next 605 years (the same length of time that the Roman Catholic Inquisition lasted).
The Bay Area reacts...
a resident of Another Pleasanton neighborhood
on Feb 13, 2013 at 2:14 pm
godless, are all you irrelevant atheist minorities so hostile towards the rest of us, or did a person of faith step on your toes when you were little? Your belief in atheism is an act of faith just like the majority of people have faith in God. Even though you believe you were created magically out of a pile of goo somewhere in the universe, with no intervention from any higher being, you're faith is not much different from ours...except for the part where you're totally wrong.
a resident of California Reflections
on Feb 13, 2013 at 3:45 pm
Here is one reason I believe there is no god: children who suffer at the hands of adults. At a minimum, a god would make himself known to the family, let them know the child is in heaven. There is no merciful god who leaves a family to wonder where their child is, like Eileen Mishelhoff (and a tingly sense that all is taken care of doesn't counter the unnecessarily cruel death of the child). I can live with the inevitability of disease. I can live with not knowing where my dead relatives ended up. I can live with man's inhumanity to man. I cannot live with a god (and religions) who sees one child hurt and let's the perp live to hurt another child--particularly a man who is ordained as his representative. A god who allows just one person to repeat all the unspeakable offenses that happen to children does not deserve my belief, respect, or acknowledgment.
a resident of Rosewood
on Feb 13, 2013 at 6:25 pm
Dear godliness,
God works in mysteries ways. Suffer the little children, but we are all children before God. He's testing us, and your failing. You'll never get into heavan with your bad attitude. Wise up.
a resident of Another Pleasanton neighborhood
on Feb 13, 2013 at 10:16 pm
I rather liked the reasoning of godliness, and tend to agree. I'm rather 'fact based', and don't believe in fairy tales like santa and easter bunny.
ALL child molesters should be behind bars, including any coaches or priests....puzzling how some get a free pass for unlimited abuses.
I just hope the next guy can deal with the 'real' world of today and instead of promoting excessive breeding, stop the poverty caused by that excessive breeding, in the likes of Mexico and Haiti, then dumping those starving kids on US taxpayers. Condoms should be by every hymnal in the pews. Condoms prevent abortions....shouldn't intelligent people in the TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY want to prevent abortions? There should not be another pope from the dark ages. Empty words about caring for the earth are quite hypocritical when over-population is destroying the earth, starving siblings, and breaking welfare. Time to deal with the realty.
a resident of Livermore
on Feb 13, 2013 at 10:38 pm
Web Link
Bishop Accountability is a database of Catholic priests & nuns who have sexually abused children and vulnerable adults. Thousands and thousands and thousands of Catholic clergy have been involved in destroying the lives American children and their families.
Other religions and their representatives have also committed sex crimes against children. Very few Americans are concerned about the rape of children by clergy. They may have feelings, but those feelings don't generally translate into actions that lead to the capture and imprisonment of the perpetrators. I have no explanation for why America's elected representative have remained largely silent re: child rape by clergy.
a resident of Livermore
on Feb 13, 2013 at 10:44 pm
I don't believe that "G_D" is testing anybody. What's continuing to happen is adults who want to rape and murder children have a free pass.
It seems to me that most Americans believe children as sub-human with no rights. No American President has taken decisive action to protect the most vulnerable American citizens.
People can pray for children until the cows come home, your children art still at risk for rape daily.
a resident of Livermore
on Feb 13, 2013 at 10:48 pm
Rabbis also rape children: Web Link
a resident of Livermore
on Feb 13, 2013 at 10:56 pm
The Awareness Center: Web Link
a resident of Another Pleasanton neighborhood
on Feb 14, 2013 at 2:54 pm
The links are interesting. There is a wide range of hypocrisies. The pope continuing to cause poverty and over-populating of earth beyond it's resourses, is cruel to mankind. Condoms PREVENT abortions... An intelligent, realistic pope is desperately needed in this twenty-first century. It's up to the people to demand it.... shame on the silence by the people on a number of issues, even silencing their own children. Shame. Intelligent people must speak up and out.
a resident of Livermore
on Feb 14, 2013 at 6:08 pm
Child Abuse Fact Sheet for Parents:
Web Link
a resident of Livermore
on Feb 14, 2013 at 7:46 pm
Put up your money...the next pope will come from this bunch:
Web Link
I bet on the Cardinal Hummes of Brazil, top row, left.
All bets are ON!
a resident of Livermore
on Feb 15, 2013 at 4:11 pm
Cardinal Turkson, leading contender for Pope and from Africa supports legislation to kill gay people:
Web Link
a resident of Livermore
on Feb 15, 2013 at 6:45 pm
Does Cardinal Turkson support the genocide of sexual minorities in Africa?
Salami, Salami … Baloney
By Tom Cushing | 25 comments | 606 views
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text:
Volume IV, No. 2, Winter 1976
|Donna Scott
|Caryn Rader
|Doug Sharp
|Jeff Jaynes
|Daniel Hough
|Diana Foreman
|Stephen Ludwig
|Kathy Hawk
|Teresa Maddux
|Kyra Gibson
|Carla Roberts
|Mike Doolin
|Paula Wilson
|Beverly Barber
|Gala Morrow
|Larry Renken
|Cindy Honssinger
|Mark Elam
|Darrell Pollock
|Terri Jones
|Douglas Goodwin
|Vickie Massey
|Angela Hancock
|Jim Baldwin
|Jimmy Harrelston
|Terry Brandt
|Emery Savage
|Jim Conner
|Nancy Honssinger
|Jenny Kelso
|Larry Doyle
|Teresa Reed
|Alexa Hoke
BITTERSWEET, a special English class of twenty-four students grade ten through twelve at Lebanon High School, hopes to capture the lore, crafts, tradition and the culture of the Ozark people and to portray characteristics of the land which have influenced their life and development.
BITTERSWEET is published quarterly by BITTERSWEET, Inc., a special class at Lebanon High School, 777 Brice Street, Lebanon, Missouri 65536. Circulation is by subcription and newsstand. Subscriptions are $6.00 a year, single copies $ 2.00. Back issues are available. All unsolicited manuscripts must be accompanied by a self-addressed stamped envelope. We welcome letters and assume we may use them in our magazine. No portion of this publication may be reproduced in any form, except for brief excerpts for review purposes without the consent of the editors of BITTERSWEET. Second cl'ass postage paid at Lebanon, Missouri 65536. Return requested.
Title design protected by U. S. Trademark registration.
Copyright © 1981 BITTERSWEET, INC.
Table of Contents | Other Issues


text:
The next time you feel the lure of the "last call" at the bar, you might want to keep this in mind: alcohol consumption causes over 20,000 cancer-related deaths in America ever year, making it a significant preventable risk factor for the disease.
As CBS News reports, the World Health Organization already classifies alcohol as the world's third largest risk factor for disease burden. But its link with cancer is "not widely appreciated by the public and remains underemphasized even by physicians," the study's author, Dr. Timothy Naimi of the Boston University School of Medicine, explained in a press release.
The report's authors hope to combat that ignorance with their findings, which conclude that alcohol causes as many as 3.7 percent of all American cancer-related deaths annually — and drinking alcohol increases risk factors for "cancers of the mouth, throat, esophagus, liver, colon, rectum and breast:"
Researchers determined that alcohol-related cancer death took away an average of 18 potential years from a person's life. Average consumption for the group was 1.5 drinks a day or less, and those drinkers made up 30 percent of the reported deaths. Larger amounts of alcohol led to higher risks of dying from cancer. Forty-eight to 60 percent of the deaths were attributed to people who drank three or more drinks a day.
"When it comes to alcohol consumption and cancers, clearly excessive drinking is the riskiest type of drinking," Naimi said to CBS station WBZ in Boston. "But when it comes to cancer, there is no safe level of alcohol consumption."
In addition to figuring out how many cancer deaths were related to alcohol, researchers also determined that breast cancer was the most common type of drinking-related deaths in women. This form of cancer alone made up 15 percent of the alcohol-related deaths, amounting to 6,000 women annually.
For men, mouth, throat and esophageal cancers were the most common alcohol-associated deaths, making up about 6,000 deaths annually.
All told, the combined costs of lost productivity from criminal justice proceedings, missed work, and medical care related to drinking alcohol adds up to $223 billion in health expenditures every year. That number might actually be even bigger, considering that it likely does not incorporate the full breadth of cancer-related costs caused by alcohol.
The findings also underscore the disproportionate toll that alcohol advertising targeting America's youth may have on the black population. In general, alcohol advertising targets young, black Americans, a group that also tends to be more susceptible to both getting cancer and dying from cancer than other racial demographics.
Source: Think Progress


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Mayor Bloomberg Made Some Really Lame Gay Jokes at a Fancy Gay Party
For the fourth year running, Mayor Michael Bloomberg stopped by the gay holiday party formerly known as "Toys for Tots" to show how much he loves his queer constituents. This year he came with gay-themed toys and bad gay-themed jokes.
According to the Daily News, while rubbing elbows at Chelsea Piers on Friday night with Manhattan's A gays like Andy Cohen and Lance Bass, Bloomberg cracked up the crowd with lines like, "I haven't seen so many guys since there was a Ricky Martin book signing." Really? He went there? After showing off his pink sweater (groan), he said, "You should see what's in my closet." We're not sure what it might be, but we bet it has something to do with Ed Koch.
Bloomberg wasn't just there to drum up the gay vote (Bloomberg 4 Prez 2012, Girl!) and support his friend Robby Browne, the real estate exec who started the event 25 years ago, but to donate toys—very gay toys. He had a Glee Magic Eight Ball, some lesbian Annette Benning and Julianne Moore dolls (this testosterone-heavy room isn't right for that joke, Mike), and two Twilight dolls. The only way gay men differ from teenage girls is that we're not completely obsessed with Twilight, so it wasn't exactly on-key, but we can understand the mistake. Bloomie tried to win over the crowd by asking if they were Team Edward or Team Jacob. Of course the ab-obsessed gay masses said they were on Team Jacob and Bloomberg replied, "I bet you'd want to be on him too." OK, fair enough.
Bloomberg also donated a poster for the camp-tastic Cher and Christina Aguilera jam Burlesque. There is really nothing we can say about that because, well, the gays are pretty much obsessed with it right now. Good one, Mayor Mike. You got us there. But what is up with Republicans and really stale gay jokes these days?
[Photo via Getty]


text:
Neglected Twitter Feature Gets a Makeover from a Plucky Startup
First introduced in 2009 by Twitter's own Nick Kallen, Twitter Lists have become the most loved Twitter feature for many of its loyal users. And yet, Lists have barely been updated since then. Twitter Lists have been the red-headed stepchild of Twitter. Relegated to sitting in the corner, eating paint chips, and forced to watch […]Read more


text:
USA Today: Glitches Hamper 2010 Count
We're really wondering who at the Census Bureau is responsible for the below problems…because he or she should be fired immediately…MyTwoCensus.com will soon be investigating who was responsible for this language foible….see the following report from USA Today:
The words dieu tra jumped out at Quyen Vuong as she perused the 2010 Vietnamese-language Census form online.
"It's a very scary connotation in the sense that there is a crime and the government needs to investigate," says Vuong, a member of two Census outreach committees in California's Santa Clara County and executive director of the International Children Assistance Network.
The words the Census Bureau used to refer to its upcoming population count evoke chilling memories for Vietnamese immigrants who escaped a Communist regime. Vuong alerted the Census Bureau, and Director Robert Groves told her that online Census materials were being changed and would use the more neutral thong ke (tally) to refer to the count. It's too late, however, to edit preprinted forms.
Vuong says the government should launch a media campaign to acknowledge the mistake and apologize.
Despite an unprecedented $340 million promotion that includes $130 million for ads in 28 languages (including Tagalog, Yiddish, Khmer, and Urdu), user guides in 59 languages and the Census questionnaire itself in six — English, Spanish, Russian, Chinese, Korean and Vietnamese — glitches and gripes surround the Census effort:
• The Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund last week reported widespread problems in Asian communities, from mistranslations to insufficient staffing in local Census offices.
"We don't want to be too critical, but no one had a chance to preview the language guides, the advertising campaign," says Glenn Magpantay, director of the Democracy Program at AALDEF. Concerns over privacy and confidentiality continue, he says.
• The National Newspaper Publishers Association, which represents about 200 black community newspapers, is angry that the Census Bureau is spending only $2.5 million on ads in black media.
"We think they're about $10 million short," says Danny Bakewell, chairman of the group. "They're setting it up for us to have the greatest undercount in the history of America. If this happens, it will devastate our community for the next 10 years at least."
The number of seats each state has in the U.S. House of Representatives is based on Census counts every 10 years. The tally also helps to redraw political districts and determine the allocation of more than $400 billion a year in federal money to states and cities.
• Korean-American groups want to see more Census spending in their community. "We heard that there was so much money out there for Census outreach, but I don't see a dollar," says Young Sun Song, a community organizer for the Korean American Resource & Cultural Center in Chicago.
• In Texas, the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund complains that the state has not formed a complete-count committee to encourage response to the 2010 Census forms that will land in mailboxes next month.
Tags: dieu tra, Dr. Robert M. Groves, Haya El Nasser, Quyen Vuong, USA Today, Vietnam, Vietnamese


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Will Ebooks Jeopardize the Carbon Reduction Goals of the Book Industry?
The shift towards ebooks is having a significant influence on every part of the book industry, from publishers working to reinvent their value proposition to brick and mortar bookstores fighting for their future.
But what about the carbon footprint of the book industry?Does this shift represent an opportunity for the industry given the growing number of books sold without even one tree falling down? Or, maybe it is also a potential risk as ebooks can actually hurt the efforts of the industry to reduce its footprint? Well, apparently it can be both.
In April 2009 the Book Industry Environmental Council (disclosure: Eco-Libris is a member of BIEC) announced a goal of reducing the U.S. book industry's greenhouse gas emissions by 20% by 2020 (from a 2006 baseline), with the intent of achieving an 80% reduction by 2050. When the announcement was made, ebooks had less than 5% market share and weren't considered to have a significant impact on the industry's carbon footprint. In 2020 the picture will loom very different – some predict that ebooks will represent then as much as 50% of the market (some estimates go even higher), which means that every second book sold in 2020 will be an electronic one.
This forecast represents not just a dramatic change in the book industry, but also in its carbon footprint. The carbon footprint of the industry that BIEC's announcement referred to was 12.4 million metric tons (carbon equivalent), or 4.01 kg CO2 per book (source: Book Industry Environmental Trends and Climate Impacts Report). The largest contributor to this footprint, according to this report, is the logging and manufacturing of paper, which constitute 87.3% of total carbon emissions.
Article continues: http://www.triplepundit.com/2011/02/will-ebooks-jeopardize-book-industrys-carbon-reduction-goals/