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You have to jump into a 5 series to get a 6 now... Runflats are on a bunch of mfg's cars now too... BMW is said to be coming out with more diesels in the spring
You have to jump into a 5 series to get a 6 now... Runflats are on a bunch of mfg's cars now too... BMW is said to be coming out with more diesels in the spring
Here's what to know about runflat tires ...
Yes, you can drive on them when they're deflated ...
... but, that ruins the tire and you'll have to replace it.
Running on one that's flat is limited to 50 miles at 50 mph
Runflat tires for your BMW are very likely only to be found at your BMW dealer or via mail order.
Tire shops with special equipment to remove/install runflat tires are few and far between, likely nonexistent in rural areas.
Runflats are hard riding.
Runflats are expensive.
Where I live I can easily be 100-200 miles from anybody capable of working with runflat tires let alone having any in stock. I can easily be 100 miles from a town of any kind.
You can replace runflats with regular tires, but then you're faced with the fact the car was not designed with any space for a spare tire.
Kent Christensen
Cave contents: 16 R12RS, 13 Toyota Tacoma, 03 Simplicity Legacy, 97 Stihl FS75, Dewalt DW625 & SawStop PCS175
1) My expectations are never low enough & 2) Incompetence is infinite ........David Brooks
On my 2008 328 sedan the space for the tire was filled with stuff that makes the car go-not a place for the tire. My 2010 Cadillac CTS has a "spare tire option" meaning a donut rather than a can of tire goop. Read my older posts awhile back,r.e. BMW runflats. They are crap on any car. Also not mentioned above,I'll ad that they have no jack or lug wrench in the cars either, even "IF"! you had a place for a spare. I'm not sure I understand this "having the right equipment" as I dismounted mine at my local hillbilly tire place? Pretty straight forward as I observed plus it's a process I'm very familiar with. The real issue was that my runflat "awakening" came with the fact that the tire was starting to disintegrate inside toward outside of carcass after only 50 miles & having kept it under 50 MPH as you're supposed too. That's not good! You could not touch the tire when I got home as too hot. Take my word they are crap.
Now , among other things I'm searching for more "creature space". In the CTS, which is a very good(not great) road car, when you have the 2 cup holders in action it requires creative effort to place your sunglasses,spare keys,etc., out of your way!Many late model sedans have become cramped as such. I never hankered for an SUV but seem headed that way to get some space (and seems I like to sit up higher) as the "other car" is a truck which actually does everything except get better gas mileage & we have to have 2 cages.
I'm now looking hard @ doing the SC delivery program. A nice side benefit is that you can buy the car from any USA dealer (meaning get the best price via web/phone) & then I'm fairly close to SC for delivery in a very informational way-plus free hotel & meals-they get the $895 destination fee to play with either way!
'You can say what you want about the South, but I almost never hear of anyone wanting to retire to the North.
I'm wondering what the BMW money amounts to that the dealer gets besides the invoice factor? Also, I'm trying to find out if I qualify for the BMW "Loyalty Credit" with 3 BMW bikes & no BMW car? I've probably owned 30+ BMW cars over the yrs starting in 1969.
Have to agree run flats are not exactly forward progress in auto utility. All the problems noted are real. We dumped the run flats on the SOs 535, replaced with regular stuff and carry plug kits, etc. instead. Way prefer a real spare or even one of the dinky ones to a run flats.
Older BMW 4 cyl motors were not exactly models of power and refinement- and hanging a turbo on one won't change its relative character. Have no direct experience with latest 4 cyl BMW versions but their neighbors at Mercedes make and use 4 cyl motors that could be right at home in tractors- they are far less refined than their 6 and 8 cyl motors. If big fuel savings are your thing, 4 cyl stuff is not necessarily the answer. Big fuel cost reductions will come only from stuff like hybrids, diesel, or significant weight reduction of a vehicle coupled with major aero improvement. The best real world change you're likely to get with a swap to 4 cyl turbo is less than 10% reduction compared to a 6 in same vehicle.
It's all in increments of course.
A four can be more economical simply because it's lighter.
The key to efficiency in internal combustion engines is compression.
Diesels are high compression and adding a turbo to a gasoline engine increases its compression as well.
Remember, efficiency is defined as gallons used and NOT the cost of those gallons, and today's and tomorrow's efficient gasoline engines are going to require premium, i.e. more costly fuel. And will use less of it. There is NO knock sensor escape from this, despite lots of wishful thinking.
Diesel fuel is the most expensive of all (it should be as it contains most power) but diesel engines use it most efficiently.
Another thing in diesel's favor is the absence of pumping losses due to absence of a throttle. BMW handles this pretty well with gasoline engines with valvetronic, which eliminates the throttle, too, and changes engine speed by on-the-fly changes in valve lift and timing.
Fours are back simply because displacements are decreasing while power per displacement measure is increasing (because of turbos). There's no sense in a four larger than, say, 2.5 liters, and very little sense in a six much smaller than 2.0 liters. Some of the big power boys like Corvette, Porsche, AMG, etc. are decreasing displacement for better economy by electronicly shutting off cylinders at times of less-than-maximum power requirement. They still carry the weight, of course.
Kent Christensen
A different term is "mean effective pressure". This actually changes with a turbo and results in performance as it produces the force that pushes the piston downward.
And Diesels have a high compression ratio, because they rely on self ignition of the fuel, which occurs when compressed above a certain level.
The efficiency of Diesel engines isn't really because of the high "compression". It is because Diesel fuel has a higher specific gravity and thus a higher level of energy.
Multi-fuel engines with adjustable compression ratios produce the highest performance output when run with engine oil, like 10W30.


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This study is provided by ICPSR. ICPSR provides leadership and training in data access, curation, and methods of analysis for a diverse and expanding social science research community.
Dutch Parliamentary Election Panel Study, 1981-1986 (ICPSR 9272)
Principal Investigator(s): van der Eijk, C.; Irwin, G.A.; Niemoeller, B.
This panel study was conducted within the framework of the Dutch Parliamentary Election Studies. The survey was administered in five waves. Three waves were conducted in 1981, two before the election of May 26 and one afterward. The fourth wave occurred in the fall of 1982 and the final wave in 1986. The purpose of this collection was to assess electoral change in the Netherlands. Main topics covered in the first wave included political interest, national problems of importance to the respondent, voting behavior in 1977, party identification and membership, vote intention, sense of political efficacy, left-right political ratings, and expectations of election outcome. Many first-wave questions were repeated in the succeeding waves. In the second wave, new questions were added on coalition preference, political knowledge (identification of leading politicians and their functions), faith in prospective premiers, political issues such as the economy (unemployment, inflation), abortion, nuclear energy (closing nuclear plants), and income differences, and which party offered the best solution for solving unemployment, crime, pollution, the housing shortage, welfare fraud, evasion welfare levies (taxes), and nuclear armaments. Respondents' views on religion in society (confessional attitude score), satisfaction with the government, and social participation were also ascertained. The third wave added items on voting behavior in 1981, sense of civic competence, civic political participation, (post-)materialist values, women's liberation, legitimacy of social protest and government reaction, political distrust and political cynicism, and beliefs about religion and society. New items in the fourth wave concerned voting behavior in 1982, the effect of television debates, and future voting. New topics in the fifth wave centered on voting behavior in 1986 and experience with unemployment. Demographic variables include respondent's gender, age, marital status, employment status and profession, education, and religion. Other background variables are available on number of persons in the household, household income, and region.
Access Notes
Data in this collection are available only to users at ICPSR member institutions. Please log in so we can determine if you are with a member institution and have access to these data files.
ASCII + SAS Setup SPSS Setup
Study Description
van der Eijk, C., G.A. Irwin, and B. Niemoeller. Dutch Parliamentary Election Panel Study, 1981-1986. ICPSR09272-v1. Amsterdam, the Netherlands: Steinmetz Archive/Ann Arbor, MI: Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research [distributors], 1997. https://doi.org/10.3886/ICPSR09272.v1
Persistent URL: https://doi.org/10.3886/ICPSR09272.v1
Export Citation:
- RIS (generic format for RefWorks, EndNote, etc.)
- EndNote XML (EndNote X4.0.1 or higher)
This study was funded by:
- Ministry of Education, Culture and Science (Netherlands)
- Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations (Netherlands)
- Social and Cultural Planning Office (Netherlands)
- Netherlands Organization for the Advancement of Pure Research
- University of Amsterdam. Department of Political Science
- Leiden University (Netherlands)
- Erasmus University Rotterdam
- Catholic University Brabant (Netherlands)
Scope of Study
Subject Terms: abortion, crime, domestic policy, Dutch Parliament, foreign policy, government performance, housing shortages, income, inflation, nuclear energy, nuclear weapons, parliamentary elections, political affiliation, political apathy, political attitudes, political change, political issues, political leaders, political participation, pollution, public approval, public opinion, religious attitudes, social protest, trust in government, unemployment, voting behavior, welfare services, womens rights
Geographic Coverage: Europe, Global, Netherlands
- 1981--1986
Universe: Members of the Dutch electorate at the time of the 1981-1986 parliamentary elections.
The following variables from the 1981 study (ICPSR 7912) are not included in the panel file: Var003, Var039-Var110, Var226-Var297, Var440-Var511, and Var651-Var796. Also, the Var1001-Var1334 range contains gaps in the numbering of the panel file.
A significant portion of the documentation is written in Dutch.
It may be necessary to consult two other codebooks that describe the first four waves of the panel. The first three waves (together constituting the regular 1981 election study) have been completely documented in the codebook for DUTCH PARLIAMENTARY ELECTION STUDY, 1981 (ICPSR 7912). The fourth wave has been documented in the form of a separate section in the codebook for DUTCH PARLIAMENTARY ELECTION STUDY, 1982 (ICPSR 8121).
Sample: This panel study is based on a 1981 sample drawn from the electorate for the parliamentary elections of May 26, 1981. The sample was drawn from the mail-delivery register and consists of households. In each household drawn, a single person who was eligible to vote was selected at random as the prospective respondent. For the second, third, and fourth waves, the decision was made to make attrition cumulative, and persons were approached for an interview only if they had been interviewed successfully in a previous wave. The procedure for the last wave was to contact everyone who had participated in the first three waves irrespective of whether they had been interviewed in the fourth wave.
personal interviews
Original ICPSR Release: 1997-10-08
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subset: commoncrawl


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Stephen Amell: I Didn't Tell My Parents I Played a Male Prostitute in Hung
Before Stephen Amell was cast as the hero in Arrow, the actor played second fiddle to Thomas Jane on HBO's Hung. "In the hung hierarchy, I was the less hung guy," Amell joked on The Tonight Show With Jay Leno Apr. 23. "I made up for it with enthusiasm. I played Jason, the young, sweet, enthusiastic hooker."
On his first day of work, the 31-year-old was asked to disrobe on camera. Though sex scenes can intimidate some actors, Amell wasn't concerned about being nude on set. "The only person it would be weird with is your parents. But you don't say to them, 'I'm playing a hooker on TV,'" he explained. "You say, 'I'm on a TV show.' 'What channel is it on?' 'HBO.' 'What's it about?' 'Ehh. . . Detroit?'"
PHOTOS: See Stephen Amell's six-pack abs and chiseled chest
Amell added that he didn't like being covered up during nude scenes -- mostly because he hated the sock male actors wear to cover their genitals. "It's more of a pouch. It's terrible. I'd rather be naked. It's embarrassing," the actor admitted. "Once somebody points at it and laughs, then you're fine."
VIDEO: See Stephen Amell kick butt on Arrow
The Canadian star -- who is also a registered insurance broker -- may tackle another racy role if he gets cast in the film adaptation of E.L. James' Fifty Shades of Grey.
PHOTOS: Stars' supernatural TV and movie roles
"I had a meeting with the studio that is doing that movie and we spoke about it. I anecdotally brought it up on my Facebook page . . . and all of a sudden it was this big news story. I'm flattered if any movie role and my name are mentioned in the same sentence, because there haven't been a ton of them," Amell said. "I'm still an actor who wants to work all the time."
This article originally appeared on Usmagazine.com: Stephen Amell: I Didn't Tell My Parents I Played a Male Prostitute in Hung


text: Microweb is a pretty decent product, you can make it autoplay, fire up the webserver, copy over any mysql databases you need, start mysql and then open the index page in the user's default web browser. It's that kind of slickness I like and $299 is easily affordable. I'm not sure how I could do something similar with a pure Perl solution.


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I am scared. This is exactly the kind of team that give the Raptors fits. They play fast (7th in Pace factor) and they shoot the lights out from 3-pt land (#1 in the NBA).
Also, they are much better defensively than you expect from GS.
did rod black just have a stroke? (anybody else catch that?)
You can point to Pietrus, Kleiza and Jose, but I just don't think they will be hanging around.
Also, its not an excuse, its the reality, we have a lot of players that just do not have the NBA experience and are being counted on filling large roles/holes in the roster.
uh oh.. bogut making his presence known
Jarrett Jack is going to torch us later on. And he's going to do it with his eyes mostly shut. Stay tuned.
Aaron Gray is having a surprisingly good game so far.
Why no Lowry?
Don't hate me because I'm an optimist.
Not sure, he never dressed
(He was seen going into the training room during the last game, so maybe he aggravated
hahahah...oh, shit, Ed. Really gotta work on that counter-move....item #1 for the summer for sure
fuck..... Lowry doesn't play and calderon is useless
I think experience is a big factor, as is familiarity. As a team we are young, in terms of our time with each other, you can actually see improvement as the team gets more comfortable with each other.
I think that is the major reason for our recent resurgence.
Calderon has really gotta hit those open shots he's getting tonight.
lowry isn't playing cause of back spasms
Much better Ed, don't try to make a counter...go to the left hook, if they block it they block it, if they don't it's money
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Sigma 30mm F1.4 EX DC HSM Nikon
Further readings for the Sigma 30mm F1.4 EX DC HSM Nikon
To provide photographers with a broader perspective about mobiles, lenses and cameras, here are links to articles, reviews, and analyses of photographic equipment produced by DxOMark, renown websites, magazines or blogs.
| March 31, 2011
Tamron SP AF 28-75mm F/2.8 XR Di LD Aspherical [IF] tested on Canon and Nikon mount.
Launched in 2003, this lens is still a very good choice if you are looking for a cheap standard zoom lens. See the comparisons against famous competitors: Tamron SP AF 28-75mm F/2.8 XR Di LD Aspherical [IF] Nikon Vs Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM Vs Nikon AF-S Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8G ED, here.


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Bee the name on everyone's lips with this USA made full color promotional lip balm featuring over 50 flavor choices.
Keep yourself and your company logo cool with this Gildan 100% preshrunk heavyweight 5.3 oz cotton custom t-shirt.
Get a grip on your next promotion with this handy custom water bottle.
Get noticed easily with this compact sized custom drawstring backpack featuring dual reflective stripes.
A resuable alternative to plastic bottles, this promotional sports bottle comes with a screw top carabiner clip lid.
The heathered jersey and contrast color give this Sport-Tek Jersey Front Structured Custom Cap a vintage look.
Made of vinyl, this clear custom drawstring backpack is perfect for fans packing their stadium and event day items safely.
Put some promotional punch in lunch with these custom lunch bags with a Velcro closure and ID card pocket.
Great for team sports! The moisture-wicking properties make this 8-panel Sport-Tek Dry Zone Solid Structured Custom Cap an ideal solution for sports of all kinds.
This 8-panel structured mid-profile custom cap will provide a great billboard for any logo at a great price.
A unique and fun shaped personalized golf ball drawstring backpack that is perfect for any tennis fan, schools or summer camp!
This reusable Stainless Steel Vacuum Insulated Custom Water Bottle holds 17 ounces of your favorite beverage. It's perfect for use with both hot and cold beverages, and comes in a variety of colors.
Congratulate graduates by providing them with graduation cap customized stress balls to squeeze away the stress of life after education!
Water resistant canvas promotional Classic Custom Boat Tote will your brand afloat!
This breakaway promotional lanyard keeps ID badges handy.
The Goofy Shaped Promotional Pen is a great coversation piece that features a bobble head with bright colored fuzzy hair.
Promote your company logo and healthy eating this new year with this microwave-safe promotional lunch container.
Promotional earbuds set with interchangeable earbud covers.
This 8-panel structured mid-profile custom cap will provide a great billboard for any logo at a great price.
Our #1 best selling white promotional ceramic mug!
Here's bright idea for back to school promotions with this light bulb custom pencil sharpener.
This Promotional Pen will get anyone to smile with it's hysterical laugh!
A total comfort custom spa kit will make a perfect gift to show your appreciation of a job well done.
This promotional magnet is a great back to school giveaway to make sure your logo is seen all day.
The 12" promotional ruler features a clasp for holding a pencil on the underside
Promotional Pocket Kids Games on Recycled Paper that are a perfect handouts at school events and community fairs.
This promotional mug works like an actual black board, and features your logo.
ePromos has the perfect promotional products for every season! So no matter when your event or promotional campaign is, we have items, imprinted with your company name or logo, that will work for any time of year. Browse our seasonal promotional products today!


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Lee tries to prove he's more than DH going forward
By Joe Frisaro / MLB.com
The 36-year-old has become comfortable playing first base for the Marlins. Since he was acquired by Miami from Houston on July 4, he has exclusively played the position.
In 54 games at first for the Marlins, Lee has a .966 fielding percentage. Counting his tenure with Houston, the veteran has played 119 games this year at first.
In previous years, he split time at first and the outfield. A free agent after the season, Lee hopes teams consider him capable of playing the field. Some in the game feel he may be best suited to become a DH.
"That's an idea I want to change," Lee said. "I want to prove to people that I can field. It's something I take a lot of pride in. I'm pretty happy with the way I've played on the field."
In Monday's 7-3 win over the Brewers, Lee made a nice diving play to rob Norichika Aoki.
"I honestly think I can play first base," Lee said. "I would say this year I've played better. It's more of I know where to be. I know where the ball needs to go. I'm more familiar with the position. Sometimes you know all the positions, but you didn't cover all the relays. Right now, I know where to be when the ball is hit."
Reliever Ramos hopes to stand tall during callup
MIAMI -- Performance stamped A.J. Ramos' ticket to the big leagues.
The Marlins on Tuesday selected the contract of the 5-foot-10, 210-pound right-hander, who was the closer at Double-A Jacksonville.
To make roster room for Ramos, Juan Carlos Oviedo was transferred to the 60-day disabled list.
"I've liked him from Spring Training," Miami manager Ozzie Guillen said. "I think he deserved to be here right now. He earned it. He's one of the best pitchers in the organization. Hopefully we can take a look at him here and see how he responds."
As the closer for the Suns, Ramos had 21 saves. In 68 2/3 innings, he struck out 89 while walking 21.
"Obviously, it's something you work for your whole life," said Ramos, who turns 26 on Sept. 20. "It's a great feeling. You try to take every moment in and enjoy it."
Ramos' velocity has been clocked at 94-96 mph, and he has topped out at 98. He mixes in a cutter, slider and changeup. He's trying to join the list of pitchers under 6-feet tall who have shown they belong in the big leagues.
"I've had to work my whole life," Ramos said. "This is going to be nothing new trying to prove myself and to show it doesn't matter what my height is. I'm prepared to work. I'm prepared to do all the things necessary.
"I try to stay as tall as possible on the mound -- arm angle. Get as much downward plain as possible. Also deception with my front arm -- try to hide the ball a little more -- and the velocity."
Ramos is a fan of pitchers like Atlanta's Kris Medlin, who at 5-foot-10 has been dominant.
"Oh definitely," Ramos said. "I'm always cheering for someone who is around my height. It's like me. I'm always cheering for those guys."
Ruggiano dealing with pains of playing every day
MIAMI -- Plenty of work off the field is helping keep Miami's Justin Ruggiano on the field on a daily basis.
For the first time in his Major League career, the 30-year-old outfielder is enduring the rigors of playing every day. Part of the process is playing through some aches and pains.
"You have to take care of your body," Ruggiano said. "You have to do everything pre- and postgame to make yourself available for the next day."
Like many players this time of year, Ruggiano is playing with some discomfort. He's dealt with some low back tightness, which has him doing a series of core exercises.
"The day you kind of get lazy or tired of doing it, it's the next day it's going to be a problem for you," he said. "If I don't take care of myself after a game, the next day is usually a rough one for me.
"For me, there's a lot of core exercises that I need to do -- stretching out, icing. That's something new for me. I've never had this in pro ball before."
Ruggiano has been a key acquisition for the Marlins this season. Acquired in a Minor League trade with the Astros in May, he has become a staple in the lineup, either in center or left field.
In 75 games, he's batting .326 with 13 home runs and 32 RBIs.
Ruggiano came up through the Rays' system, but he never received steady big league playing time. In fact, from 2007-11 with Tampa Bay, he appeared in 98 games and had 195 total at-bats.
Through 75 games with Miami, he's already had 227 at-bats. To make it through the season, he understands he will be playing at less than 100 percent.
"Any nagging injury right now, you're not going to heal up until the offseason," the outfielder said.
Worth noting
When Emilio Bonifacio went on the disabled list on Aug. 22, manager Ozzie Guillen said he expected the speedster to miss the remainder of the season.
Not much has changed on that front.
Bonifacio, who is resting a sprained right knee, is prepared to sit out the final month.
Gorkys Hernandez and Justin Ruggiano have been splitting time in center field since Bonifacio has been out.
Steve Cishek continues to save games, but Guillen still hasn't given the right-hander the title of "closer." Cishek likely will get first dibs on save chances, but Guillen is leaving open the option of using Heath Bell or Mike Dunn to log the final outs.
Bell signed a three-year deal in the offseason. Unless he is traded, the veteran will come into Spring Training with a chance to regain the closer's role.
"I hope and wish Bell is our closer next year," Guillen said. "That makes us a better ballclub."
In 2013, the Marlins radio market will expand. Programming on the Marlins' flagship station, 790 The Ticket, will also air on 104.3 FM.
Marlins games won't air on the FM station for the rest of this season. But next year in the South Florida market, listeners will have the choice to pick up games on either the AM or FM channels.
With the stronger FM signal, 104.3 can be picked up close to Orlando.
Joe Frisaro is a reporter for MLB.com. He writes a blog, called The Fish Pond. Follow him on Twitter @JoeFrisaro. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


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"Big To Do on 22" will begin at 9 a.m. today through Saturday at Delaware First Baptist Church on State Highway 22 West. Quilts, knick-knacks, glassware and miscellaneous items will be available. Proceeds will go towards a new cook top and Church Camp.
Goodwill donations go toward raffle
Spring is here and it's time to clean, donate and win. Goodwill Industries of Arkansas will give one lucky donor a free house cleaning (worth $250). Now through Sunday, every time someone makes a donation at Goodwill, their name will be entered for a free house cleaning and other great prizes. Houses get cleaned, people get free career services through Goodwill and items are diverted from the landfill.
Cattlemen's Association to meet Thursday
The Pope County Cattlemen's Association will meet at 7 p.m. Thursday at the Russellville First Assembly of God Church fellowship hall for its regular meeting. Pope County political candidates are invited to attend, visit and speak a few minutes. A question-and-answer session will follow.
There will be a cake and pie auction to raise money for the PCCA scholarship fund. The meal will be potluck. All interested persons are invited.
Garden club to host plant sale Saturday
The Dardanelle Garden Club will host its annual plant sale from 8 a.m. to noon Saturday on the parking lot of the Yell County Courthouse. There will be shrubs, annuals and perennials from the member's garden. Come get your gardening questions answered. Gardening magazine and related items will also be available.
'National Volunteer Week' begins Sunday
"National Volunteer Week" is from Sunday through April 21, and everyone at Saint Mary's Regional Medical Center thanks all those who volunteer their time and energies toward making the Arkansas River Valley such a great place to live, work, and grow a family.
We also want to say "Thank you" to a special group of men and women — the 65 volunteers who assist our patients, visitors, physicians and staff every day. Whether it's demonstrated simply by your warm greetings to concerned guests or through your faithfulness to help wherever needed, your generous spirit and passion for service always shine forth. From the physicians and staff at Saint Mary's, we say "Thank you, volunteers. Thank you for helping to make Saint Mary's a place of healing, hope and excellent care for our community."


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A study published by the American Chemical Society's (ACS) journal found that the small invisible particulates created by wood smoke may have several severe health effects. Known as wood smoke particulate matter (WSPM), the tiny items used for home heating may create unnecessary health risks.
During the winter months, air pollution rises significantly due to an increase in wood burning. For both economic and sentimental reasons, wood-burning fireplaces and stoves become a popular home heating option.
In homes that burn or neighbor wood-burning stoves, placing medical-grade air purifiers in bedrooms may cut down on prolonged exposure. This can greatly decrease the potential negative health effects associated with wood burning. Wood burning increases the likelihood of developing a heart attack in adults, a stroke in post-menopausal women, aggravating current respiratory problems and contributes to asthma in young children, reports the LA Times.
Science Daily reports that WSPM contains aromatic hydrocarbons that work as a human carcinogen. These negative health effects can have permanent effects on a person's health. The change from wood-burning stoves to those that burn faux logs coated in natural gas may be a potential answer for a beneficial change. A medical-grade air purifier can also help to combat potentially harmful pollutants.


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Here's an incomplete demo-version program of a PacMan-type game I'm making. Read the "Manual.txt" file included in the zip attachment before you play, as there are some major differences between real PacMan and this PacMan. For instance, as of now I have no ghosts, and the challenge is to get through the maze without running into walls. Harder than it sounds, believe me .
So load it up and tell me what you think, and criticism is welcomed (though do try and not get too rude about it lol) as this is a demo version of the game and I'd like ideas on what I can do to fix it up before I totally finish and release it to you all (by a different title, of course!)


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Summer is approaching, which leads me to thinking about dinner salads.
No, not the "dinner salad" you see on some menus, the salad made up of lettuce, a wedge or two of tomato and maybe some carrot threads.
I want a big, bold salad loaded with lots of fresh veggies – and maybe some grilled chicken or seafood – that will be the dinner, not just the start of the dinner.
Though June gloom is still ahead of us, there were a couple of days recently that were hot and sunny enough to get my salad cravings going. Too hot to turn on the stove, much less the oven to make dinner.
Instead I looked to summer and Cooking Light for my inspiration.
The salad I came up with expanded on the veggie selection with a plate full of colorful heirloom tomatoes, cucumbers from a friend's garden, roasted golden beets, avocado and grilled corn and red onions. I served it with some simple grilled shrimp on the side.
But the star of the plate was something that is so very simple: a ranch salad dressing full of fresh herb flavor and lightened up using low-fat mayonnaise and fat-free plain yogurt.
Now my kid, 3, only recently had his first taste of ranch dressing from a bottle. He liked it, but he was not overly impressed. When he tried this fresher, homemade version, he happily dragged all the lovely fresh salad ingredients through the little puddle of dressing I spooned out onto his plate.
I am not a fan of an overdressed salad, especially with creamy dressings. This, with the yogurt, was so flavorful that a little went a long way. Slightly tart and creamy at the same time. There was just a little bite from fresh shallots and garlic and black pepper.
It is a dressing that can be used to jazz up a basic wedge salad, but it has enough flavor to not fade away next to a variety of flavorful ingredients.
I make this in a mason-type jar, just adding all the stuff in there and giving it a good shake to combine.
Bring on summer!
Herby Ranch Dressing
Yield: 4-6 servings
- 1/4 cup nonfat buttermilk
- 2 tablespoons fat-free plain yogurt
- 1 tablespoons low-fat mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh chives
- 1 tablespoon minced shallots
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- Salt and pepper to taste
1. In a medium glass jar with a lid, combine first seven ingredients and shake vigorously to combine. (Or whisk well in a small mixing bowl). Season to taste with salt and pepper
2. Serve with your favorite fresh vegetables as crudité or make a summer salad with heirloom tomatoes, cucumber, avocado, roasted beets, grilled red onion, grilled corn or whatever else suits your taste.
Source: Adapted from Cooking Light
Cook's note: If you cannot find nonfat buttermilk, use low-fat.
Contact the writer: firstname.lastname@example.com


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How to Get Rid of Oil Stains on Clothes
Style SOS: How to Battle Oil Stains and Win
Let's just cut to the chase — oil stains don't have to be the death knell of your soiled clothes. In fact, it's pretty easy to rid those pesky grease spots from your favorite tees and jeans with our quick five-step SOS drill. Just remember: at the moment of stain disaster, try not to panic, don't despair, and definitely avoid rubbing at the stain. Do those three things at the outset and you're already off to a running start. We promise, there's life after olive oil spillage and butter-related crimes, and our tips below will not only help you combat those oil stains, but they'll also lead you straight to stain removal victory.
- Pre-pretreat it. Before the real battle begins, cover the stain with cornstarch and let it soak for at least 30 minutes. Then, simply shake off the excess powder before heading to step two.
- Shout it out. There's a reason why this brand has become a household name — Shout is awesome. It literally saves (clothes') lives. In regards to oil stains, you want to spray the area with a solvent-based stain remover, like Shout Advanced Stain Remover Trigger Spray ($3), and gently blot.
- Liquid dish detergent is your friend. If it's a serious oil offense, it may be worth your while to apply a heavy-duty liquid dish detergent to the stain before officially washing. We chose Dawn Ultra Pure Essentials Dishwashing Liquid in Sparkling Mist ($3) because not only does Dawn swear by "lifting the stain out," but this iteration is hypoallergenic, too. Whether you skip this step altogether or take every precaution, it's now time to throw the stained item of clothing into the washer.
- Hot water, within reason. Use hot water, if possible. While we don't advise washing dark clothing with hot water, definitely try a warmer water load. The bottom line: the hotter the water, the more likely the stain will wash out.
- The dryer is not your friend. Above all, do not put the stained clothing in the dryer. If the stain didn't come all the way out, the heat will set it into place. The best solution is to air dry it flat.
Image Source: POPSUGAR Photography / Maria del Rio
Product Credit: Achro Top, Jenni Kayne Pants, Theresa M Lee Ring, Delfina Delettrez Bracelet
Product Credit: Achro Top, Jenni Kayne Pants, Theresa M Lee Ring, Delfina Delettrez Bracelet


text: Being a poster on this board while not having watched Babylon 5 is like being a beer drinker at a pot party; you feel perfectly fine with your refreshing beverage, but everyone else thinks you're lame for not joining in and they all seem to be having a good time. So... I've spent the last year rewatching and reviewing Voyager and Enterprise, and the next show I was asked to review was DS9, a show which I'm a huge fan of. But it occured to me several weeks ago that before I attempt to review DS9 it would be interesting to watch Babylon 5 first, and after some discussion with others I have decided to do a similar review thread for B5, the main difference being that I've only seen 5 episodes of B5, so I'm going into this show "blind". Background on me I'm 23 now, will I ever live to see 24? The way things are going, probably yes (because it's only a few weeks away). I've been a Trekkie for as long as I can remember; I grew up with TNG, I later moved on to become a Niner, I was a Voyager hater (now semi-hater) and I felt that Enterprise was an okay show overall. I went back and watched TOS over a year ago and enjoyed the show because of the characters. My other television drama interests include The West Wing, The Sopranos, The Wire, Lost and the reimagined BSG. I first learned of B5 from my sister who was a big fan of the show as I was growing up, but she didn't allow me to watch it because she felt I was too young to understand it. The bitch. She only showed me one episode to pique my interest, it was an episode in the guise of a news report, and it was so long ago that I don't remember anything else about it. Years later my brother became a fan and he used to constantly belittle DS9 for being a lame copy of B5. The prick. His attitude instilled in me a sort of resentment towards B5 and I resisted watching it for many, many years. Eventually I decided to give the show a chance and I watched the first four episodes of season 1 (I didn't know about The Gathering) and I found it to be so dull that I tried watching Firefly and Rome instead. But as I said above, being on this board without having watched Babylon 5 doesn't feel right, people are constantly calling it the greatest sci-fi show of all time, and in a desperate attempt to fit in with my fellow nerds I am finally going to take the plunge and watch it. Avoiding spoilers about the show has gotten harder as the months have gone by, so if I don't take the plunge now I might find that the whole show has been ruined for me. I already know some plot threads, I know that there's some sort of war involving a race called the Shadows and a few days ago a thread which was supposed to be about The West Wing spoiled me to that fact that B5 has a storyline where they form their own state. Beyond that I know very little, so if you are reading this thread please don't post spoilers! Thank you. The review format The most important thing to note is that I'm not an insightful reviewer, if I have to choose between making a point or making a joke I will choose the joke, although I would prefer to merge the two if I can. I'm also quite tough to please in many regards and I will mark an episode down for arbitrary reasons. I feel that many people in the Enterprise forum were upset by this because they thought I was going to try and bring a higher calibre of review and were disappointed by what some might consider mean-spirited humour. I'm laying this on the table right now to lower everybody's expectations. The format works as follows; I watch an episode (usually one a day, but that can fluctuate, especially at exam time) then I rate it between 0 and 5 stars, including half-stars. At the end of each season I post a season review where I create some graphs, determine the average score for the season and discuss what I liked and what I felt was lacking. (Here's an example.) I used to judge the writers and throw up some graphs for that as well, but since JMS apparently wrote 90% of the show I probably wont be doing that here. This is a scale I once wrote up to explain my scoring mechanism: 0: Not worthy of my ridicule ½: Awful *: Bad *½: Poor **: Meh **½: Average ***: Enjoyable ***½: Good ****: Very good ****½: Great *****: Exceptional To my former readers: Unlike Voyager and Enterprise (and, one day, DS9), the TNG-lite rule is not in play here since the show is its own universe and doesn't need to justify itself as different. Also, I probably wont have counters for B5 because a) I don't know what I should be counting, and b) I don't want to distract myself with counting things on my first run through the show. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, such as Mike Sussman hunting me down and torturing me, I will watch The Gathering tonight and post a review of it some time tomorrow, then I'll move on to the series during the week. I hope to have fun doing this, and if only one other person is entertained by it then... well, that would be rubbish. I'm hoping for at least a dozen drooling sycophants to follow this thread and remind me daily how empty their lives would be without my reviews. Thanks for reading.


text:
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Помогите нам: эти порнозвезды присутствуют в этом видео?
Pornstar Name:
The table disappeared...
fuck the noise
Whose the star and whats the movie called
why girls in back of pub don't ghive him a footjob too?!?!
John, lying is not fun...
She has perfect technique with those sexy feet!
the movie is Without Limits 2 and the actress is Claudia Jackson
the guy is gorgeous too
the girl giving the pleasing orgasm is Sandra Iron
that_guy =3 what? RWJ already has fapping material if he wants...
One of the best foot jobs I've ever seen beautiful foot job had me jerking off
Thats my Woman i am marrid whit her !
Every foot-fetishist's dream-come-true.
PLEASE What is the name of the girl?
Anybody know the name of the girl or the film ?
i want to suck him off
Que macho bonito do pau gostoso!
My one would free himself in this situation!
me gusta que me hicieran una paja con los pies esta chavala
Thank you, nylady for finding this pearl...
do you know the name of the actress
Im jerking
how did she get his cock out @ 1.43?
gimme more under table videos!!!
nice fantasy...sexy girl...hot action...piuhh!
I really like it. Fantastic ! Hope u can give me Japanese foot job under the table too.
Einfach geil!!!!
gimme more footjob under table videos. This one is good
The sound and the vid drive me mad!
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text:
http://mmajunkie.com The UFC's return to the Indiana state capital appears to have its first fight booking.
Featherweights Bart Palaszewski (36-15 MMA, 1-1 UFC) and Diego Nunes (17-3 MMA, 2-2 UFC) are being targeted for a bout at UFC on FX 5 in Indianapolis. Sources with knowledge of the booking on Thursday confirmed the plans with MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com).
UFC on FX 5 takes place Sept. 7 at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. Main-card fights will air on FX. Preliminary-card fights are likely to air on a combination of Facebook and FUEL TV.
Palaszewski in February dropped a unanimous decision to Hatsu Hioki at UFC 144 in Japan. The Midwest-based veteran of more than 50 professional fights won his UFC debut in October 2010 at UFC 137, knocking out Tyson Griffin in the first round. That fight was the first for "Bartimus" in more than 10 months after moving over from the WEC.
Nunes has been up and down so far in his UFC career after moving over from the WEC. In April, he dropped a unanimous decision to Dennis Siver at UFC on FUEL TV 2 in Sweden. A loss to Kenny Florian at UFC 131 was sandwiched in between his two UFC wins – split decisions over Mike Brown and Manny Gamburyan.
The UFC first visited Indianapolis in September 2010 for the UFC 119 pay-per-view, which featured a main event heavyweight bout between Frank Mir and Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic, which Mir won by third-round knockout.
Bankers Life Fieldhouse is home to the NBA's Indiana Pacers, the WNBA's Indiana Fever and the Big Ten Conference basketball tournaments.
For the latest on UFC on FX 5, stay tuned to the MMA Rumors section of the site.
(Pictured: Bart Palaszewski)


text:
Here's a link from the USFSA website giving the US team envelopes for the 2005-2006 season.
Michael Weiss, Matt Savoie, and Jennifer Kirk are on Team B this season.
Not surprisingly, Johnny Weir, Evan Lysacek, and Timothy Goebel are on Team A, as are Michelle Kwan and Sasha Cohen.
Good luck to them! Go, USA!


text:
Dolan let his ego screw the Knicks
Let him walk
Resign him and keep him long term
Resign him and trade him January 2013 with Amare
Dolan let his ego screw the Knicks
next season are you gonna change your username to LINveryvulnerable?
Jeremy Lin's market value happen to be a great lift upward for any of the NBA's small market teams.
Why did the Rockets go for him? Because it made basketball sense and marketing sense.
The Rockets not only filled a position of need, but also snagged a player who may re-establish the franchise in Asia, where the team enjoyed massive popularity during Yao Ming's career.
Lin is American-born, but of Chinese and Taiwanese descent, and his timing is perfect to capitalize on the NBA's explosive growth in China. He'll wear No. 7 for the Rockets, a change from the No. 17 he wore with the Knicks. The team began taking pre-orders for Lin jerseys online on Wednesday.
Yao was widely credited with breaking open the Chinese market for the NBA, but his retirement last summer hasn't slowed the game's growth or popularity.
Television ratings for live NBA games on CCTV5, the national network in China, were up 21 percent in 2011-12 from the previous season, the league said. The NBA had about 16 million followers on social media when Yao retired, and that number spiked to 49 million last season, the league said.
Marc Ganis, president of Chicago-based SportsCorp, says the Rockets will be able to build on Lin's marketability.
"There is still a lot of interest in the Rockets in China, even without Yao," Ganis said. "This is clearly an effort to get a good player, but also capitalize on the in-roads that the team has already made with Chinese sponsors and the fans there."
Reaction among fans closer to home was muted. While Lin's arrival was the talk of sports radio in Houston and generated a healthy dose of chatter on Twitter, the marquee at the Toyota Center mentioned only season-ticket packages for the Rockets, along with an Aerosmith concert and a WWE Smackdown.
On the basketball front, general manager Daryl Morey still has work to do.
We all can write a conspiracy-theory about Jeremy Lin's free agency, b/c they all sound good...
anyone who believes lin wanted to be a knick... Smack yourself. Then ask yourself what part did lin play in this?
Did he search for offers? Yes, as a restricted free agent we can match any offer
did he get offers? Yes, and in order for us to match he must sign and we must match until the clock runs out (72 hrs from delivery)
could he have been a knick if he wanted? This is the tricky part. Reports say yes we wanted to match the orignal offer. Reports also show how we presented kidd with an opportunity to teach lin. We got kidd. We reported our intentions. Lin knew our intentions.
Now what's the only way this deal doesn't get done?
Lin, knowing our intentions to match, flew to vegas and got another offer... For a different amount. An amount that equates to 54mil in total. An amount that matches lbj, durant and others in his 5th year.
Could lin have not signed that yet told us, perhaps negotiated? Yes
he did the only thing he could do to f*ck this up.
Don't try any excuses. He's an econ major from harvard.
My instincts say he didn't want it. He couldn't handle it. It was settling in, and he knows he can't handle it.
This is not about money. Subtract and find the difference between the 2 deals and tell me that was the selling point.
I don't want anyone, i repeat anyone who doesn't want the knicks.
F*ck this n!gga
we will make it a priority to sh*t on houston this year. Good luck, he could have had an opportunity to play with perenial all-stars. To be "linsanity".
But just as what happened under fire in mia, this coward shrivled.
Way to go Dolan.
See Belichick.
I don't care who is to blame, that can be argued all day, We also will never know how well Lin would have played if he had decided to sign here.
What we do know is that Dolan completely failed by giving Lin up for nothing....
Image hotlinked from a malware website // removed
and I didn't give you an infraction, i don't know who did, you're entitled to your opinion, and I'm entitled to argue with you. if you think you won, whatever that means, good for you. you're a d*ck. btw, peace.
To all those who think Lin didn't want to play for the Knicks, you're wrong.
[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]
If he had it his way, Jeremy Lin says he'd still be with the New York Knicks.
But Lin woke up Wednesday morning as a member of the Houston Rockets after the Knicks declined to match Houston's three-year, $25.1 million offer sheet.
"Honestly, I preferred New York," Lin told Sports Illustrated. "But my main goal in free agency was to go to a team that had plans for me and wanted me. I wanted to have fun playing basketball. ... Now I'm definitely relieved."
Lin's comments shed light on the Knicks decision not to match his offer from Houston and the process that led to it.
A team source told ESPNNewYork.com earlier this week that the third year of the Rockets' offer -- worth $14.8 million -- caused the Knicks to consider letting Lin go. If the Knicks matched the offer, they would have been subject to a luxury tax in the third year, potentially bringing their total out-of-pocket cost for Lin to about $43 million in 2014-15.
The Rockets' offer to Lin will pay him $5 million in the first year, $5.225 million in the second and $14.8 million in the third, according to sources.
Lin told Sports Illustrated that he'd never considered the idea that the Knicks wouldn't match his offer until the team traded for point guard Raymond Felton last Saturday, confirming what a source told ESPNNewYork.com on Tuesday.
Lin had been given several assurances that he'd be back in New York prior to the Felton trade.
In late June, the 23-year-old had dinner with Knicks coach Mike Woodson in Los Angeles to talk about his future with the club.
"Woodson was saying, 'You're going to be a starter, you're going to be a big part of the team,'" Lin said. "I came away really excited."
"Felton's signing was the first time when I thought, 'Oh, wow, I might not be a Knick,'" Lin added.
That became a reality late Tuesday night, when the Knicks officially announced that they'd be letting Lin walk, confirming what ESPN's Stephen A. Smith had reported over the weekend that New York had no plans to match the offer.
Shortly after the Knicks announced their decision, Lin tweeted, "Much love and thankfulness to the Knicks and New York for your support this past year...easily the best year of my life#ForeverGrateful."
"Extremely excited and honored to be a Houston Rocket again!!#RedNation," Lin added in another tweet.
The Knicks stated publicly after the season that they had every intention of bringing Lin back.
But New York's thinking changed when Lin signed his final offer sheet with Houston.
Original reports stated that the Rockets' offer to Lin was for four years and $28.8 million, with the third and fourth years for $9.3 million each.
But New York balked at the final offer sheet, which was heavily backloaded in the third season.
With Lin out, the Knicks will turn to Felton at point guard. Jason Kidd, 39, will serve as Felton's backup.
As for Lin, he joins a Rockets team that finished in ninth place in the Western Conference last year and underwent a major overhaul in the offseason. Houston is said to be interested in obtaining Dwight Howard from the Orlando Magic.
Sports Illustrated reports that Lin is "happy" with his new employer, even though the Rockets had cut him before this past season. A source close to Lin told ESPNNewYork.com late Tuesday that he was "warming up" to the idea of playing for the Rockets.
The Knicks' decision to cut ties with Lin ends his brief but unforgettable run in New York.
The 23-year-old averaged 14.6 points, 6.2 assists and 3.1 rebounds in 35 games with 25 starts before his season was cut short because of surgery to repair torn cartilage in his knee.
Lin tried to rejoin the Knicks during the playoffs, but wasn't able to play. He declared himself "85 percent" healthy before Game 5 of the Knicks-Heat series but did not suit up. According to a team source, that caused friction in the locker room.
"Other guys were hurt, playing at less than 85 percent, so some of them didn't like that," said the source.
Lin addressed the injury and the surrounding circumstances with Sports Illustrated.
"Every single vet on our team that has been in the league longer than five years pulled me aside and told me that I shouldn't play," Lin said. "And I had arguments with them about why I should."
Sports Illustrated also reports that Lin clarified his "85 percent" comment. According to the magazine, Lin claims that he was 15 percent from the "absolute minimum threshold to play."
"People think it was easy for me to sit there and watch us lose, like I had nothing to do with the season," Lin said. "I was dying to play. I didn't miss a game due to injury in seven years until this past season, and people are acting like I wouldn't want to play in the playoffs? Of the NBA? In my first season?"
Lin also said that Dolan, the Knicks owner, supported his decision.
"I have plans for you in the future," Lin remembers Dolan saying, according to SI. "This is a long-term investment. Don't rush back."
In the 35 games he was healthy, Lin went from an end-of-the-bench afterthought to an international phenomenon.
The undrafted guard out of Harvard, who was also cut by the Warriors in the preseason and played in the D-League, set the league on fire in February, leading the Knicks to seven consecutive wins. He scored at least 20 points in nine of 10 games during that stretch.
Lin, a restricted free agent who made $788,000 last season, expressed to SI his appreciation for Knicks fans during his incredible run last year.
"I love the New York fans to death," Lin said. "That's the biggest reason why I wanted to return to New York. The way they embraced me, the way they supported us this past season, was better than anything I've ever seen or experienced. I'll go to my grave saying that. What New York did for me was unbelievable. I wanted to play in front of those fans for the rest of my career."
Favorite Team: Knicks
Favorite Player: D. Rose
Favorite Position: PG
business decision:
let go of an international phenomenon earning millions of dollars in few short weeks for nothing.
basketball decision:
let go of a 23 year old point guard with all the potential in the world for nothing in return
what are the excuses?
1) too much to pay?
-please - and that's coming from an organization that put themselves in hole for loading up on the likes of Eddy Curry and Jerome James?
Not to mention that the contract could have been traded away if needed be.
2) pissed off the owner?
-please - so intelligent decisions are supposed to be based on that?
Houston's FO just outsmarted everyone in this.
Lin will be an All Star simply because he is an internationally popular player who can actually score and dish enough to put up good numbers in the league - not to mention again how young he is.
...Well hey, then again we're talking about DOlan's Knicks.
Now you wonder why LeBron would stay the **** away from Dolan owned Knicks.


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Beware the office Xmas bash: it could land you in court
'Tis the season to be jolly, sloshed and much worse at the office Christmas party, an event that has marked the end of many careers.
Records from courts and tribunals across Australia show that, for some people, December is a time not only to drink to excess but to abuse, assault or sexually harass colleagues, or to give them inappropriate gifts.
In the worst cases, employers have paid hundreds of thousands of dollars in compensation and individuals have copped criminal charges.
A senior associate at legal firm Bradley Allen Love, Jennifer Wyborn, says that, even when a work-organised party is after-hours and no one is "working", the event is, effectively, an extension of the office.
"Put simply, the Christmas party is a 'workplace', regardless of when and where it's held."
Under workplace safety laws, employers could also be liable for any harm that befell volunteers who helped out at the event, she said.
At last year's Christmas do for Airservices Australia's Melbourne staff, a senior male manager allegedly groped and bit a junior female colleague.
An earlier, higher-profile dispute involved a Telstra shopworker who stripped and had sex with two male co-workers in a hotel, in front of appalled female colleagues.
After two appeals, Telstra won the right to sack her, arguing that, although her misbehaviour took place after the Christmas function, it was still "at work".
This year, the Federal Court ruled that a trucking business owner sexually harassed his younger receptionist when he gave her, as a Christmas gift, "lingerie and a pair of purple fluffy handcuffs", even though the pair had previously had an intermittent sexual relationship.
Ms Wyborn said it was best to avoid "joke" presents that might be taken the wrong way.
And her advice on sex with colleagues?
"Just don't do it! It may be that, in many cases, this has occurred and the couple ended up married and in a wonderful relationship," she said.
"The difficulty is when it goes rotten and one party doesn't accept that it's ended.
"In the private sphere, this may be seen as a desperate or clingy ex-partner, but it can become sexual harassment if it's in a workplace."
Perhaps the simplest way to avoid trouble while merrymaking, however, was to enjoy an alcohol-free Christmas party, she said.
"Or at least be very careful about the amount."
Party safely
- Avoid grog or strictly limit your drinking.
- Employers should make non-alcoholic drinks available and be ready to close the bar.
- Don't say or do anything at the party you wouldn't do in the office during business hours.
- If you're a manager, remind staff they're still at work and should behave accordingly.
- Plan beforehand how staff will get home safely.
- Keep gifts "clean": no hanky-panky or innuendo.
- Unusually attracted to a colleague? Take a cold shower.
Markus Mannheim edits The Public Sector Informant, edits comment at The Canberra Times and writes regularly about government.
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text:
Chris Brown has returned to Twitter after nearly a week passed since he has deleted his account. While he has yet to send a new Tweet, the firebrand singer has updated his Instagram account with a photo of Rihanna and him, with a cigarette(?) dangling from his mouth. He added to the image a caption that was sure to fire up the blogosphere.
The newly uploaded photo finds Brown puffing a cigarette while sitting on a couch next to Rihanna, who is wrapped in a camouflage blanket (or sleeping bag? New wave Snuggie? ).
The caption reads: "What would music today sound like if these two kids didn't exist?"
The photo is the first full-faced image of them together either has uploaded since it has been reported that they rekindled their romance. Rihanna posted a picture last week of a shirtless Brown who was laying face-down on a bed. She later posted another shot that showed the back of Brown's head, and included her face.
The new Instagram image comes as Brown made his return to Twitter. Last week, the singer pulled the plug on "@ChrisBrown" after getting into a Twitter tiff with comedy writer Jenny Johnson.
Brown had not left behind his social media altogether. After he deleted his Twitter account, he posted to Instagram an announcement of his upcoming album. At press time, his account remains active with no updates.
E. Parker, CBS Local


text:
Discussion in 'Former Pro Player Talk' started by joe sch, Nov 11, 2011.
upload photo via tinypic or similar site...
I can't get to it either.
The website name in your url is asterisk'ed out, an error or possibly failed an auto filter?
Will save you the hassle. It was on the big auction website...
I see no stich.
Separate names with a comma.


text:
Gomes happy to see fellow Brazilian in big leagues
By Jordan Bastian and Mark Emery / MLB.com
CLEVELAND -- Yan Gomes turned around at his locker inside the Indians clubhouse and saw a group of reporters waiting for him. The young catcher smiled, knowing all too well what inquiries were going to be thrown his way.
"You guys don't even have to ask the question," Gomes said with a laugh. "I already know what the question is."
Tuesday marked the first time in Major League history that two Brazilian players appeared in the same game. Gomes, who wore a shirt with "Brasil" written across his chest, was in the starting lineup for the Indians and fellow Brazilian Andre Rienzo was on the mound for the White Sox. The Indians announced that the game was being broadcast on ESPN Brazil in the South American country.
Until Tuesday's game, Gomes had been the only player from his homeland to reach the big leagues.
"It's just another big step for what we've been talking about, getting Brazil on the map," Gomes said. "It's going to be exciting. We're both kind of nervous. I'm even kind of nervous, and I've been up here for a little bit already. It'll be exciting to see what he does. Hopefully, he sticks around."
Gomes, who played with Rienzo in the qualifying round of the 2013 World Baseball Classic, said having two Brazilians square off in a Major League game was a historic moment.
"You never would've heard that for baseball," Gomes said. "I've already had people tweeting me and sending me emails about it. They know what's going on. The whole country, I'm sure not all of them know. I'm sure the people know who have been keeping up with baseball in Brazil."
Earlier this month, Brazilian soccer legend Pele sent a tweet to Gomes, congratulating the young catcher on his success.
"I'm sure Pele is going to tweet him, too, now," Gomes joked. "Best of luck to him. It's exciting to see what's happening now. Hopefully, kids in Brazil look up to us going on now and the sport grows over there."
Rienzo allowed three runs (all unearned) over seven innings in a no-decision. Gomes went 1-for-2 against with a walk and a strikeout against his countryman in the Tribe's 7-4 comeback win.
Giambi 'grateful' to still be playing baseball
CLEVELAND -- Jason Giambi has joked with his wife that he will keep playing baseball until someone tears the uniform off his body. If someone ever tried to actually do that to the aging slugger, it would not be an easy task.
"I'd fight him first," Giambi said with a laugh.
On Tuesday, the 42-year-old Giambi spent time discussing the pinch-hit home run one night earlier that sent the Indians to a 3-2 victory over the White Sox. With his ninth-inning blast into the bushes beyond the center-field wall at Progressive Field, Giambi became the oldest player in baseball history to launch a walk-off.
Hammerin' Hank Aaron previously held that record.
"That's pretty unbelievable," Giambi said of breaking Aaron's mark. "It's unfathomable. I'm just grateful, and I thank God I'm still playing, to have this opportunity to be here."
Giambi signed a Minor League contract with the Indians shortly before Spring Training and needed a handful of roster decisions to align just right for him -- a pure designated hitter and pinch-hitter -- to crack the Opening Day roster. Giambi's season line (.194 average through 45 games) is not necessarily pretty, but he has been productive in his 124 at-bats.
"He kind of stays in the moment," Indians manager Terry Francona said. "He's a good hitter. He's just got some mileage, so you can't really play him all the time. So you try to pick your spots where it's optimal for him, because he can still do some damage."
Entering Tuesday, Giambi was averaging one RBI per 5.17 at-bats, which ranked seventh among American League hitters with at least 120 at-bats. The six in front of him include Miguel Cabrera, Chris Davis, Edwin Encarnacion, David Ortiz, Wil Myers and Mark DeRosa.
"I knew I could contribute," said Giambi, who had seven home runs and 24 RBIs heading into Tuesday's game. "The contribution sometimes, if you can put your ego in the back pocket, can be in different ways in this game that sometimes isn't on the scoreboard."
Francona has raved since the early stages of Spring Training about Giambi's leadership, but the manager said the veteran continues to raise the bar.
"He's been a blessing to everybody that's come in contact with him in the Indians organization," Francona said. "I was pleased that we were getting him. He was always one of my favorite guys ever since he was a young kid, but I didn't really know that he was this special."
Masterson goes a cut above for charity
CLEVELAND -- For Justin Masterson and James Godshall, hair is overrated.
Godshall, a 14-year-old from Willowick, Ohio, had his head shaved by Masterson in the Indians dugout on Tuesday before Cleveland hosted the White Sox. The youngster's latest haircut came after his father won an auction in May through Tribe Treasures, one of two annual fundraisers put on by the Indians Wives Association. Masterson's wife, Meryl, made the "styling" abilities of her husband available for one lucky fan.
"It was pretty cool," Godshall said. "I was really wanting it to get this short. I just didn't know if it would actually happen."
Godshall didn't find out his ears would be lowered by a Major League player until last week, when his father revealed it to him for his birthday. The timing couldn't have been better, as Godshall has swim championships coming up.
Before Masterson busted out the shaving cream and razor, he had to buzz Godshall's head with a set of clippers. After removing a few prominent clumps of hair, the All-Star pitcher stopped and said, "There ya go! It's perfect."
Masterson, a perennial jokester, continued the trimming, all the while answering questions about his own hair history. Growing up, he wanted to either have dreadlocks or a shaved head. Long hair wasn't very becoming on him, so the Mr. Clean look he donned for Halloween one year stuck.
And now, thanks to his efforts, Masterson has a bald buddy.
"We could have had some more stuff as far as a hot towel and some other things that would have made this a perfect head shave," Masterson said. "But for the overall sense, he didn't bleed too much, which is always a tough thing the first time you shave a head. I think it went well. He looks good, and it's nice and smooth."
Quote to note
"I think that would be the biggest shame of everything I've been through in this game, to not pass it on. I think that would be the biggest crime. I love it, and I get so excited for them when they grow."
--Giambi, on being a leader in the clubhouse
Smoke signals
• Following a pair of one-inning rehab outings with the Rookie-level Arizona League Indians, right-hander Josh Tomlin, rejoined the Tribe on Tuesday. Francona said it is a "possibility" that Tomlin could rejoin the big league pitching staff before the end of this season.
"He's starting to pitch now," Francona said. "I think it's good for him [to be here with the team]. I think his teammates love seeing him and it gets him back in this atmosphere a little bit between starts. And it gets him with our medical staff."
• Second-base umpire D.J. Reyburn called Alexei Ramirez safe on a stolen-base attempt in the eighth inning on Monday, but replays clearly showed Indians second baseman Jason Kipnis applying the tag before the runner made contact with the bag. Under the circumstances, Francona was asked for his view on potentially increasing the use of instant replay.
"I don't know," Francona said. "There's probably a way down the road where they'll figure out how to do it. I just don't think anybody has come up with the exact way to do it. Part of the fun of our game -- not when you're on the bad side, I know that's hard -- is umpires and managers and plays. And they're actually pretty good. There's so much replay that they have to be."
• Heading into Tuesday's game with the White Sox, the Indians starting rotation had gone a combined 8-2 with a 1.84 ERA (22 earned runs in 107 2/3 innings) in 17 games, dating back to July 8. Cleveland's pitching staff as a whole has a Major League-best 2.07 ERA in that same span.
• On Tuesday, the Indians named High Class A Carolina right-hander Nick Pasquale the organization's Minor League Player of the Week for July 21-28. During that time period, Pasquale went 2-0 with 13 shutout innings across a pair of starts for the Mudcats.
• On Tuesday, the White Sox scored first against the Indians, ending Cleveland's franchise-record streak of 16 straight games in which it scored the first run. The previous club record of 15 was set in July 1906. The Indians' 16-game run was the longest in the Majors since the Brewers scored first in 21 straight games in 1990.
Jordan Bastian is a reporter for MLB.com. Read his blog, Major League Bastian, and follow him on Twitter @MLBastian. Mark Emery is an associate reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


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Su Casa: Show Me Your Casa!
Are you getting your Casa ready for guests this week? Are you planning future Easter dinner menus and table layouts, like Sgdish is? If you've made some cool changes to your pad, or recently moved and renovated, I want to see it. Show off all of your home updates in my group on TeamSugar called Su Casa, where readers can share snapshots and stories related to home decorating, crafts, organizing, and gardening.
A Su Casa post could be anything from a photo of your favorite room —such as a seasonal tablescape, from Su Casa member Sgdish — to a tiny nook you're tickled by. Think of it as a Look Book for home style. If I see something I like in Su Casa, I might end up featuring it on CasaSugar, so don't be surprised if you get an email from me!
To learn how to join and post in the group,
To join the Su Casa group, just follow this link and click "subscribe" beneath the photo on the lefthand side of the page. Once you're subscribed, click Share in the upper lefthand menu of any TeamSugar page and choose what type of post you want to create. If you have just one photo and some text, create a blog; if you have a gallery you want to share, select "photos."
TeamSugar has a great primer on how to create a blog post, so check that out if you've never posted one before. Here's a rundown of the basic process:
- Add a Title and the Body (content for your post). Don't forget to click Check Spelling link and Upload an Image to make your post stand out!
- Post this to a group? Click on the dropdown menu and select the Su Casa group. You will only be able to see groups you're subscribed to, so if you haven't joined Su Casa yet, you will need to.
- Click on the dropdown menu and choose the Home and Garden Channel and add some keywords (use a comma, if needed!) in the Tags text box. Then click "I'm done" to view your post!


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March 27, 2001
It is a pleasure to be here today to participate in the discussion on whether ocean carriers or shippers would be the main beneficiaries of a totally deregulated market. I particularly look forward to hearing how my fellow panelists wrestle with this question. But before directly addressing this crucial and timely issue, I would like to comment on some related matters raised by the phrasing of this question.
I am assuming that by a "totally deregulated market" we are talking about one without antitrust immunity for conferences or agreements among ocean common carriers, where such groups would be subject to applicable competition laws. Clearly, removal of antitrust immunity is an issue unto itself, and it continues to be cause for serious debate. "Total deregulation," however, rarely is discussed - it is difficult to see the benefits in having the ocean transportation industry free from any oversight to protect the interests of all the parties involved.
The Federal Maritime Commission definitely has more than an academic interest in these issues. Indeed, if antitrust immunity for carriers were discarded, carrier agreements would not be filed with and reviewed by the Commission. We would, however, still need to monitor joint carrier actions to protect against abusive behavior. This would be in addition to the major role we would continue to play in enforcing our other responsibilities under the Shipping Act of 1984, including our authority to take action against unfair foreign maritime practices.
The program note correctly points out that liner shipping was not totally deregulated on many respects by the Ocean Shipping Reform Act of 1998 ("OSRA"). The ocean transportation industry was in fact re-regulated in many respects by OSRA. Nonetheless, antitrust immunity for ocean carriers was considerably limited and circumscribed by OSRA. Essentially, conference control over service contracts has been eliminated. As a result, there has been a proliferation of service contracts between individual shippers and individual carriers. OSRA also retained the Commission's authority to review carrier agreements to assess their anticompetitive effects and to require changes in agreements where appropriate.
I believe that any attempt to limit or eliminate ocean carriers' ability to act concertedly must be done on a somewhat uniform basis. As you know, there are at least twenty industrialized nations - including the European Union members - that provide some form of antitrust immunity or exemption from restrictive practices legislation for liner conferences. Under these circumstances, it would be economic suicide for one country to unilaterally abandon a system that has worked well and is still permitted elsewhere. In this regard, I note that the Canadian government appears to have recognized the need to maintain the ability of carriers serving its trade to act concertedly. It recently introduced the Canada Shipping Act, 2001, which would amend the Shipping Conferences Exemption Act to move it much closer to OSRA's re-regulated (not deregulated) approach.
I think it's also important to keep the traditional underpinnings of antitrust immunity in mind. Since 1916, liner shipping has been given limited antitrust immunity to allow it the flexibility to address the serious price and service volatility that is endemic to the industry. The industry has had to contend with chronic overcapacity given the introduction of progressively larger ships, imbalances in trade flows, seasonal fluctuations in trade flows, and the influence of various non-commercial interests, such as national pride and national security.
When faced with overcapacity, carriers tend to compete aggressively in order to fill their ships, as empty slots produce no revenue. Carriers are thus prone to bidding rates down to levels close to or below their costs. A degree of antitrust immunity allows carriers to engage in limited "self-regulation" - through conferences or discussion agreements - to keep rates from sinking below compensatory levels or to attempt to stabilize rates when overcapacity ceases. I would note, however, that the purpose of antitrust immunity is primarily to ensure an adequate and efficient supply of ocean transportation services in a manner that best fosters the flow of ocean commerce. This allows U.S. exports and U.S. trade to compete in the global marketplace and thus benefits U.S. businesses and consumers, too.
Antitrust immunity also allows for a broad range of efficiency - enhancing arrangements as well. Carriers can easily band together into operational alliances which permit them to share larger, more efficient vessels, terminals and other assets, while preserving separate, competing commercial and marketing entities. These create operational efficiencies which lead to lower costs and improved service for customers. Such cooperation can also facilitate entry into new trades. Without the ability to engage in such arrangements, carriers perhaps would consider mergers, leading to a reduction in the number of carriers and the possibility that U.S. international trade would be controlled by a small oligopoly of powerful lines. Moreover, antitrust immunity in U.S. trades is not unfettered or absolute. There are sufficient checks and controls built into the system to ensure that cooperative conduct does not result in serious anticompetitive effects.
Turning now to the million pound question - will carriers or shippers be the main beneficiaries of a totally deregulated market? I believe that the only logical answer is - it depends. As is true of many of life's cosmic questions, there is no easy answer. I note, however, that the question presupposes that both carriers and shippers will benefit under a totally deregulated market, but that one sector may gain more than the other. I would contend, however, that total deregulation may not necessarily benefit one sector over the other, and may in fact end up benefitting neither.
Large shippers will always have their ocean transportation needs met at prices with which they are generally satisfied. I am very concerned, however, about how a totally deregulated transportation market will affect the small to medium-sized shipper. These shippers are the backbone of our economy. According to recent statistics compiled by the U.S. Department of Commerce, ninety-seven percent of all U.S. export companies in 1998 were small and medium sized companies, and eighty-eight percent were small companies. These small and medium companies were responsible for slightly less than thirty percent of all U.S. exports. It is extremely important that the interests of these shippers be kept in mind in any deregulatory debate, for they are the ones who will feel the effects of any decreases in service or increases in prices.
I believe that the real question before us today is whether there are any benefits from complete deregulation, especially in light of the movement toward deregulation that has already taken place under OSRA. Stated another way - if there are no overall efficiency gains from deregulation, then where are the benefits? I would like to discuss, therefore, whether deregulation will increase or decrease the overall efficiency of ocean transportation, without harming service.
In this regard, we must consider what impact the removal of antitrust immunity would have on the efficient use of ocean transportation supply. There are three main sources of efficiency on the supply side: 1) improved vessel utilization; 2) advances in vessel design; and 3) improved terminal throughput. Focusing only on vessel utilization, we must ask ourselves whether total deregulation is necessary to noticeably reduce excess vessel capacity in our trades.
It is worth pointing out the relative explosion of vessel sharing agreements ("VSAs") over the past several years. The number of VSAs filed with the Commission grew from 87 in 1997 to 148 this past year. These agreements all involve two or more carriers sharing space on one or more vessels. They can range from a simple space charter arrangement to a complex carrier alliance, with considerable involvement by the parties. But they all provide for a more efficient use of vessels' space because two or more carriers use the same vessel. I submit to you that anyone arguing for total deregulation would have to demonstrate that such a system would result in better vessel utilization than that currently achieved by the industry by way of VSAs, which exists by virtue of antitrust immunity.
The current system in the U.S. makes it very easy for carriers to implement VSAs. They are generally viewed by the Commission as beneficial because of their efficiency-enhancing aspects. The Commission reviews these arrangements closely to ensure that there is always some excess capacity in a particular trade. Under a system of total deregulation, such arrangements would be assessed or policed by competition authorities like the U.S. Department of Justice, and there is no guarantee that they will look favorably on them.
Total deregulation would give carriers a greater incentive to consolidate through mergers, as they find it more difficult to work together to cut costs and maintain a diverse and frequent port call presence through VSAs. Mergers raise serious concerns about capacity declines as consolidation often leads to fewer players investing in less supply. In the face of greater uncertainty over the ability to earn normal profits, carriers would be pressured to decrease their investment in vessel capacity. Mergers would also reduce competition by reducing the number of players in the market. In essence, in the international transportation arena, those with the deepest pockets and significant government backing would most likely prevail. But of even greater concern to me, mergers would result in a greater dependence on state-owned carriers.
We must ask ourselves who would benefit most from the anticipated consolidations in the ocean transportation industry. Some might argue that the most efficient or well-run carriers would prevail in such an environment; but I beg to differ. I believe that the most likely winners will be those carriers with the highest level of government support and backing. In the U.S. trades, these would be the major controlled carriers, in particular, the Chinese state-owned carriers, COSCO, Sinotrans, and China Shipping Container Lines. While privately-owned carriers would be forced to cut back or sell off their shipping operations entirely, state-run carriers will be happy to step in and fill the void.
Without a doubt shippers must have sufficient vessel capacity to move our international trade. This has always been taken for granted under our current limited antitrust regime, and the deregulatory debate seems to center on the price side. While the maritime industry debates deregulation, it must never take adequacy of supply for granted.
The only way shippers as a class would benefit from total deregulation would be if carriers were currently reaping excessive profits that deregulation would force them to share with shippers. There is no evidence, however, to indicate that this is the case. Rates assessed by carriers appear to be compensatory, and the healthy competition in the industry ensures that carriers are not accruing excess profits. I might add that shippers are not generally complaining to the FMC about rate levels being unreasonably high as a result of antitrust immunity. The procompetitive forces unleashed by OSRA have ensured that rate levels today are about the same as ten years ago, despite carriers' ability to discuss and even agree upon rates.
One class of shippers that may be particularly affected by a totally deregulated environment is the non-vessel-operating common carrier ("NVOCC"). This is somewhat ironic because NVOCCs led the charge in the last Congress to eliminate antitrust immunity for ocean carrier agreements. If rates come down, NVOCCs will face stiff competition from the shipping lines themselves. Full-service carriers will probably compete in the NVOCCs' core areas of consolidation and logistics as they look to exploit new profit centers. When capacity is at a premium, NVOCCs may find it extremely difficult to buy space in bulk at discount rates, that they can profitably resell to their customers.
Although the focus of my comments has been on whether repeal of antitrust immunity for carrier agreements would benefit carriers or shippers, I would be remiss if I did not at least mention possible effects on other segments of the ocean transportation industry. Ports in particular may be adversely affected by such an outcome. As we all recognize, there has been a growing trend among ocean carriers to gravitate to larger and larger ships. Carriers routinely use 5,000 TEUs vessels, and vessels of up to 10,000 TEUs are currently on order. This trend, combined with more consolidation from deregulation, will result in fewer and fewer ports being serviced by direct vessel calls. The surviving carriers will shift to a small number of load-center ports, perhaps just one or two on each U.S. Coast. This will have a significant, deleterious impact on the economies of those ports left behind, and on the businesses that ship through them.
In conclusion, I would like to contrast our current regulatory regime with the world of total deregulation. The current regulatory regime is one of limited carrier cooperation with oversight by an expert regulatory agency. Under this scenario: 1) there is international consensus on the appropriate regulatory approach; 2) oversight and enforcement occur under internationally accepted procedures; 3) there are no regulatory barriers to entry; 4) there is a wide selection of carriers and services available; 5) market pricing is driven by supply and demand considerations; and 6) confidential contracts are permitted and encouraged. Complete deregulation would result in the application of domestic antitrust laws by domestic antitrust agencies. Under this approach: 1) there would be a patchwork of approaches to the deregulation of the maritime industry; 2) the possible use of blocking statutes could impede consistent enforcement and create foreign relations problems; 3) entry conditions may vary depending on national regulatory approaches; 4) industry consolidations and various national regulatory approaches would reduce available options; 5) pricing may be subject to national regulatory regimes (e.g., minimum rates); and 6) confidentiality of contracts may be subject to national regulatory restrictions. So while I strongly encourage debate and discussion, I believe it is very important to recognize exactly what we have with our current system, and then seriously weigh the benefits and costs attendant to any changes.
This site is an official U.S. Government Website


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People working together made Sweat Equity possible
Oct. 6, 2011 at 5:06 a.m.
Imagine not having a roof over your head.
Can you conceive of living out of your car or traveling from house to house and being dependent on someone, who is obviously superior to you, to provide you and your children temporary shelter and then telling you to move on when you have worn out your welcome?
Can you conceive of the personal indignity of being dependant on others because you are not capable of standing on your own? Habitat for Humanity provides an alternative for those desirous of owning their own home and achieving independence. Habitat for Humanity is NOT a charity; it is a vehicle for raising yourself up.
As an organization, Habitat depends on the labor of volunteers for the majority of construction, but it still needs funds for purchasing materials, tools, equipment, etc. Organizations such as Habitat often conduct fundraisers as a means to generate funds. On Oct. 1, Habitat for Humanity Victoria held a Sweat Equity Challenge for the third consecutive year.
The SEC is an event comprised of numerous athletic events that are attractive to a wide range of individuals. This year, there were 16 events providing activities for individuals and teams, and details can still be viewed at sweatequitychallenge.org.
The challenge is a means of raising funds for building efforts, and the name is a means of informing the community that qualified applicants not only pay for their homes monetarily but also by working for 300 hours on their own homes, hence the term Sweat Equity. They earn their homes.
My wife, Gayle, and I have supported Habitat for years as we know in our hearts that, like us, many want to own their own home. Because of our desire to support Habitat, we have actively helped in the Sweat Equity Challenge each year.
It is at this point that I have to say, "I have made a short story long." The real reason for this guest column is to clarify an article about the SEC in the Victoria Advocate, published Oct. 2.
The article stated that Tom Austin created the obstacle course. Hello, I am Tom Austin and that statement is ludicrous. The obstacle course was approximately 1½-mile long and had 18 different obstacles, including the water hazards. It was a small army of individuals and companies who contributed to the construction and success of the obstacle course, and I want to acknowledge their contributions at this point.
Labor was provided by Speedy Castillo, Arpad Panahay, Clint Nesloney, Lois Nesloney, and the high school's Air Force ROTC cadets also volunteered labor hours, which was organized and supervised by Speedy Castillo. Materials were provided by Earthworks Nursery & Landscaping, Discount Tire, Zarsky Lumber and the city of Victoria.
Equipment was provided by MW Rentals & Servicing and Midway Grass Farms. Labor and equipment was provided in the form of Les Richter operating and Victoria Communications providing a pole truck to erect the larger obstacles.
In addition, the ROTC cadets and aforementioned individuals also assisted on the day of the event in the supervision and operation of the obstacle course.
Without these individual, corporate and collective efforts, the obstacle course would not have been such a success.
I wish to express my thanks and respect for their contributions in an effort to help our fellow man and community. The cadets are to be commended, as they contributed their time on weekends to labor in the desire to help improve our community. The adults willingly and aggressively shared their time, tools and skills to construct a physically challenging course and are representative of the values we hold dear. Thank you all again. You made it possible.
Each year, the SEC has grown. It is extremely gratifying to see the participants as it is evidence that the community is supporting their fellow citizens in Victoria and Habitat is not totally dependent on corporate support.
It is up to us as individuals to support the efforts of those seeking not a hand out, but a hand up.
I would like to paraphrase Thomas Paine's quote and say that as a community, "If we don't all stand together, then we may all fall together."
See you for SEC 2012.
Tom Austin is a longtime supporter of Habitat for Humanity and resides in Victoria.


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Maddon, wife setting out on open road
By Sam Strong / MLB.com
ST. PETERSBURG -- Good luck tracking Rays manager Joe Maddon down during the All-Star break.
Maddon and his wife, Jaye, will hop in their 30-foot RV -- the same one Jaye drove from California to Florida during the offeseason -- and head to Florida's east coast after Sunday's game.
"The idea of hitting the open road today is kind of an exciting thought," Maddon said. "This is our first salvo into the RV world. And it's something that you can grow with a bit. You can grow both mentally and physically, regarding the size of your RV."
Maddon may want to take pointers from fellow American League manager Ron Gardenhire of Minnesota. Maddon called Gardenhire "a pro" when it comes to RV-ing and said "Gardy lit up" when they discussed the open road recently. Gardenhire cruises in a 40-foot diesel vehicle around the country during the offseason.
"Maybe down the road, we'll consider moving it along a little bit," Maddon said. "We don't have the diesel unit yet. From what I've gathered, the diesel unit is the way to go. But we'll wait on that."
And while he will be away from his home, he doesn't mistake driving for camping.
"It's not exactly roughing it. I have DirecTV and Sirius Radio," Maddon said. "We can watch the All-Star Game. You have a fridge and stove and that good stuff. There are two air conditioning units, so it's nice and cool in there. You have a generator, so you could park it anywhere and live."
Maddon also said he would consider bringing his English bulldog Winston along.
"That will be a game-time decision," he said with a smile."
Escobar unlikely to miss time after exiting game
ST. PETERSBURG -- Rays shortstop Yunel Escobar left Sunday's 5-0 win over the Astros in the eighth inning with a mild right hamstring strain.
Escobar beat shortstop Ronny Cedeno's throw to first base on an infield single, but he pulled up after he ran through the base and left the game shortly thereafter.
Manager Joe Maddon said he didn't feel the injury was serious.
"In a different moment, I could have left him out there to play but chose not to," Maddon said.
Escobar missed four games in late April with an injury to his hamstring on the same leg, but Maddon said he doesn't envision Escobar missing time after the All-Star break.
"I think he's fine," Maddon aid. "He could have continued to play if he really needed to. He should be fine by the fifth day."
Cobb feels no fear getting back on mound
ST. PETERSBURG -- Sunday was the first time Alex Cobb stood on the pitcher's mound at Tropicana Field since he suffered a concussion when he was hit in the head by a line drive off the bat of Kansas City's Eric Hosmer on June 15.
Fans were already filtering into the stadium while the entire starting rotation, manager Joe Maddon, executive vice president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman and senior baseball advisor Don Zimmer lined up along the back of the batting cage to see Cobb throw to live hitters for the first time.
"I wanted it to be game-like, and I think we accomplished that feat," Cobb said "There's no shyness of the ball coming back to me. I'm happy with that."
Cobb threw about 40 pitches without a screen in front of him, tossing to outfielder Sam Fuld and clubhouse manager Chris Westmoreland.
He showed no hesitation in delivering his first pitch to a batter since the one that resulted in him spending a night in the hospital.
"That happened on one pitch, and I've thrown millions of other pitches," Cobb said. "The subconscious remembers the good ones, not just the one bad one. It's not going to be in my thought process when I'm on the mound now or in the future. I'm fortunate in that."
Cobb was met with a cheer from the small crowd and chest bumps from his teammates as he crossed the chalk on his way back to the dugout.
"It's amazing how quickly you forget how to pitch, and once batters get in there, the intensity goes up a little bit," Cobb said. "Body parts start flying in different directions that you aren't used to, and it takes a little while to get settled down. Toward the end of my session right there, it got a lot better. I was happy with it."
No official date has been set for Cobb's return, but he plans to throw a similar session in Port Charlotte -- home of the Rays' Class A affiliate -- on Thursday. He had previously mentioned an early-August return as a realistic goal.
Cobb was 6-2 with a 3.01 ERA before the injury in his second full Major-League season.
Price gives All-Star Moore vote of confidence
ST. PETERSBURG -- At the season's outset, few Rays fans would have predicted last season's American League Cy Young Award winner would have three days off for the All-Star break.
Even fewer would have guessed that one of Tampa Bay's least experienced starters would be headed to New York City for the Midsummer Classic, but that's exactly the way it has shaken out, as David Price will miss the game for the first time since 2009, while Matt Moore will attend for the first time.
Price -- who started in Anaheim in 2010 and went to Arizona in 2011 and Kansas City in 2012 -- shared some advice with his locker neighbor before Moore took off for the Big Apple.
"The main thing is to have fun," Price said. "This is his first experience with something like this, and it can be heavy at times, but being on the East Coast will be better for him, because when you have it on the West Coast, you have to start everything so much earlier. I know he'll have time to sleep in and hang out with his family. That will be good for him."
Moore has carried the load for much of the first half, becoming the second pitcher to win 13 games before the break, while Price missed time with a left triceps strain.
"He's done extremely well," Price said of Moore. "He has definitely commanded his fastball better, and he's gone deeper into games. He knows he can still get much better.
"Last year, he was kind of looking all over the place. This year, he's 100 percent focused on every pitch, and that's why he's been able to put up the numbers he has been. That's why he's an All-Star."
Sam Strong is an associate reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


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Discussion in 'Miscellaneous' started by Angela 0077, Jun 6, 2010.
Hollies - Long Cool Woman (In A Black Dress)
"After the Rain Has Fallen" by Sting.
"A Bad Dream" - Keane.
"Nikita," Elton John
"Great Balls of Fire," Jerry Lee Lewis
"30 days in the hole" - Humble Pie
Sunday Girl by Blondie
"Skyfall," Adele
"I hear you knocking" - Dave Edmunds
Enjoy The Silence - Depeche Mode
VNV Nation-Futureperfect-Carbon
"We Care A Lot" by Faith No More
"Everything Has Changed" - Taylor Swift (Featuring Ed Sheeran.)
"I Want Love," Elton John
"Red House" - Jimi Hendrix
"Think For Yourself," The Beatles
Lord of the Rings film score-Howard Shore
"You Won't See Me," The Beatles
Separate names with a comma.


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Alicia Keys Curly Formal Updo Hairstyle
Description(Added: 14th October 2010 )
This creative bun is roll is braided, rolled and pinned to the top of the head to achieve this stunning 'do which is great for any special occasion. Allow plenty of time to re-create this look and with the help of the right products, this style will hold well all day.
- Hair Category: Formal
- Hair Length: Updo Long
- Hair Elasticity: Curly
- Gender: Women
- Face Shape: Round, Oval, Heart, and Triangular
- Hair Density: Medium/Thick
- Hair Texture: Fine/Medium
- Age: Under 21, 21 - 30, 31 - 40, and 41 - 50
- Height: Any
- Weight: Thin/Average/Large
- Glasses: Suits with and without
- Styling Time: 30+ minutes
- Styling Tip: Allow up to 2 hours styling time for hot roller setting, teasing, pinning and spraying. This long lasting style is great for all occasions and all weather conditions.


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Lookbook: Billionaire Boys Club 2013 Spring Collection
Last month, we showed you pieces from Billionaire Boys Club's 2013 Spring collection. Now you can see all the looks in their lifestyle lookbook.
Similar to the stuff we previewed in February, the new collection doesn't shy away from BBC's signature style. Never afraid to introduce men to the pinker side of things, BBC features a broad range of patterns, textures, and bright colors this season. You're also getting various options as well, from reverse ombre-faded denim jeans to striped suspenders and windbreaker sweatsuits (seen above). Street style connoisseurs from all corners are represented in BBC's latest.
Shop the entire collection by visiting their web store [HERE].