text:
That iTunes song or e-book may be more expensive than you think. If you live in one of the nearly 25 states that charge sales tax on digital goods or services you likely pay more for everything you download from iTunes.
(CNN) -- Apple has settled a lawsuit filed by parents who say their kids downloaded free games from the mobile App Store and then proceeded to rack up hefty bills buying in-game extras.
Under the proposed settlement of a 2011 class-action lawsuit, Apple will offer a $5 iTunes gift card to any U.S. parent who claims that their child paid for extras without their knowledge. The company will offer larger credits, or cash refunds, for people who can show that their bills were larger than $5.
On Friday, the deal will go before a federal judge, who is expected to approve it.
The proposed settlement, first reported by legal-news site Law360 and tech blog GigaOM, does not state how much Apple will pay overall or how many users are affected. Apple will create a website for people interested in cashing in on the settlement and send an e-mail notification to roughly 23 million customers.
People who want more than $5 must show that a larger amount was racked up by their kids in any 45-day period. Those who can show more than $30 in purchases may choose a cash refund instead of an Apple credit. Purchases made until the date of the settlement would be eligible for refunds.
An Apple spokesman said the company would have no comment on the proposed settlement.
In the past few years, this "freemium" business model has become increasingly popular in mobile and social gaming. Zynga games like "FarmVille" led the way for games that are free to download and play but then require players to pay small fees for in-game upgrades or premium content.
Those fees can add up quickly. The lawsuit came after media reports of several cases in which kids' in-game purchases led to parental sticker shock.
Kevin Ofel, an editor at GigaOM, wrote that he got a 2010 iTunes bill for $375 after his kids spent money on the game "TapFish," a virtual aquarium that can be loosely described as "FarmVille" under water.
The lure of digital fish is apparently a strong one. A Florida father reported that his 7-year-old amassed a $613 bill playing the same game.
On its iTunes page, the latest version of the game, "TapFish 2," lists "top in-app purchases" ranging from 99 cents up to $19.99. The game is listed as appropriate for children 4 and older.
The settlement notes that Apple offers paid content on free games that are rated appropriate for children older than 4, 9 and 12 in its App Store.
In 2011, Apple revised its in-app purchasing policy, requiring users to re-enter their account password before paying for enhancements within games. The lawsuit was filed after that policy change, with plaintiffs arguing that it didn't go far enough since minors could still make purchases.
™ & © 2013 Cable News Network, Inc., a Time Warner Company. All rights reserved.


text:
An attorney for the Whispering Sands condominium complex on the Key contends the county has no legitimate grounds for trying to collect $73,663.17 in water bills the county says the complex accumulated over several months when a meter was malfunctioning.
Michelle L. Klymko, of the Becker & Poliakoff law firm in Fort Lauderdale, has offered the county $25,000 to settle the matter, but she said Feb. 3 she had heard nothing yet from the Sarasota County Attorney's Office.
"It's going to be my recommendation that (the homeowners) appeal," she said, if the offer were refused. "To have them pay that bill on a blatant error of the county is very unfair."
In a letter she sent Jan. 6 to Tony Gipe, customer service manager in the county's Utilities Department, Klymko wrote that the Whispering Sands Homeowners Association "was under-billed for a period of 11 months prior to August 2011 for water service. This error resulted in a $73,663.17 addition to the Whispering Sands water bill in September 2011."
Klymko pointed out in the letter that a problem with the complex's water meter was identified and reported to the Utilities Department in February 2009. At that time, she said, the department informed the homeowners association "that it was aware Whispering Sands was in need of a new meter; however, the installation of same would not occur for approximately two years."
Gipe told the Pelican Press Feb. 3, "There was nothing wrong with the meter (in February 2009)."
Klymko wrote in her Jan. 6 letter that the association notified the Utilities Department of continued water-meter issues in May and June 2009.
"Despite this," Klymko added, "no action was taken by Utilities to replace the obviously faulty meter."
In her letter to Gipe, Klymko noted that a resolution approved by the County Commission Feb. 16, 2010, says the Utilities Department may not back-bill undercharges to a customer, because of department errors, for a period greater than 24 months from the time the problem was identified.
"Resolutions are different than ordinances … they're not absolutes, like ordinances," Klymko said.
She also wrote that the Utilities Department had provided no evidence of how it had calculated the charges totaling $73,663.17.
Referring to the back billing, Gipe said, "Those were valid bills. We can't provide free service."
Whispering Sands averages water use of 600,000 to 700,000 gallons a month, Gipe said, with the usage typically fluctuating between 400,000 and 1 million gallons a month. The meter showed the complex, which has 267 units, went over 1 million gallons in water usage for the first time in January 2009. The exact number, he said, was 1,064,000 gallons.
In March 2009, he said, the complex used 710,000 gallons. "(Usage) does vary depending on how the season hits."
Gipe said that although the meter stopped working in June 2010, Utilities Department staff did not suspect a problem when the meter showed zero water consumption for that month, because that was not unusual for a condo complex on the Key in the summer.
In her letter to Gipe, Klymko wrote, "It should be noted that during the time period Utilities claims the meter was not working, the association was billed approximately $5,000 per month. As such, this is not a situation where the association failed to make payments during the (time the meter was malfunctioning and then broken)."
Klymko told the Pelican Press, "We're of the position … that (the homeowners) were just paying what they owed, based on occupancy."
Complex notified it has water-meter problem
An Aug. 31, 2011, letter from the Sarasota County Utilities Department to the Whispering Sands Homeowners Association, says, "While conducting an audit on your account, it was discovered that you were being billed with a meter that was stuck and/or slowing down, and the usage was no longer registering correctly, and we were billing you for the incorrect water usage.
"As of June 2010, there was little or no water usage registering on the meter, which means water was getting through your meter but was not actually registered and billed. To re-bill your water usage, we are using the same usage that registered the prior year for the same month.
"Your location has been under-billed for the past 11 months by $73,663.17, which we have added to your account balance and will be billed on your September 2011 bill … Because we have back-billed your location, we have also placed an 11-month extension on your account to allow you time to pay on the balance. We apologize for the error.
"Thank you for your understanding."
267 — Number of units at Whispering Sands
600,000 to 700,000 — average gallons of water used per month
1,064,000 — the number of gallons the condo used in January 2009
$73,663.17 — the amount the Utilities Department billed the condo for under-billing

subset: commoncrawl


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JACKSONVILLE BEACH, Fla. - Police say they are working to interview 230 witnesses to the fatal shooting of a 40-year-old man outside Nippers Beach Grille on Thursday night and that a determination about who would face charges in connection with the homicide will likely not be made for days.
Jacksonville Beach police have identified the victim as Zachariah J. Tipton, of Fernandina Beach. He was shot about 8:10 p.m. on the service road of Beach Boulevard just east of the Intracoastal Waterway.
A rescue helicopter was called to the scene, but the victim died before he could be transported to the hospital.
Witnesses said gunfire broke out in the parking lot of Nippers, Billy's Boathouse and Beach Marine during a motorcycle event at the restaurant Thursday night.
"I was just coming out to check on the lot and I saw a fight about to break out with a bunch of guys. Pretty much all I saw so I ran inside to get our bartender," said Maureen McGinnes, Nippers manager on duty Thursday night.
Police said two men at the event got into a fight and one of the men pulled a gun and shot the other in the face.
McGinnes said she didn't see the shooting, but heard the shots and came back out to see Tipton unconscious on the ground.
Lucas Duran, one of the restaurant's bartenders who is combat-trained medic and nursing student, give Tipton CPR, but couldn't save his life.
"There were other shots that were fired, but luckily, thank God, no one else was dead or injured," Duran said.
Thursday night officers had a man in handcuffs and said they thought they had the shooter in custody, but Jacksonville Beach police released a statement Friday afternoon saying, "There are a number of people alleged to have some involvement." Due to the large number of potential witnesses, "the determination of appropriate or possible charges has not been reached at this time."
Police said there would likely be no update released on the investigation before Monday.
People who knew Tipton said he was a independent contractor with three children and fun-loving personality.
Another friend said Tipton's favorite thing to do was ride.
"He loved riding bikes," said Louis Carr. "That's all he ever did. Pretty much, if you seen him, he was on a bike."
Members of the motorcycle community said they hope this incident won't create a negative image of all bikers.
"We're just like everybody else in the community; we have lives, careers, families and, you know, don't judge a book by a cover and don't judge the whole biker community from this one act of violence," said Sandy Nelson of Orange Park Chrome Divas.
Owner of Nippers, Rudy Theale, said Friday that the restaurant will never host a bike night again.
"I'm very upset about it. I feel terrible for the man that was shot and killed," Theale said. "It was out on the public street and parking lot and we just can't control it. ... It's just one of those things when you deal with people in the public forum, and you've got so many people coming in and out, you just can't always control what takes place outside of your restaurant."
The popular restaurant opened on schedule at 11 a.m. Friday and had a good lunch crowd. A lot of people said they came out to support Nippers. Others came out to turn Tipton's motorcycle, which remains into the parking lot, into a makeshift memorial.
A fundraiser to help Zachariah Tipton's wife and three kids will take place Saturday from 4 p.m. until close at Nippers. Nippers will give a portion of everything they make Saturday night to the family, plus there will be a table where people can make donations.
Copyright 2014 by News4Jax.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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The One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) Foundation has been pushing its XO notebooks in developing nations for a while now at a price of $188 per notebook. The XO has had some stiff competition in the market from competitors like the Classmate from Intel. Many have seen one major drawback to the XO notebook as being the fact that it ran the Linux operating system rather than Windows.
OLPC attempted to initiate talks in the past with Microsoft to put its Windows operating system on the XO to no avail. At the time Microsoft didn't want to be part of the project because it was going to use Linux as well.
Over time, Microsoft came around to the notion of having its Windows operating systems run on machines that also run Linux, paving the way for talks between it and the OLPC to begin again. Microsoft and the OLPC announced today that they had signed an agreement to provide a customized version of Windows XP for use on the XO Laptop.
Part of the agreement will even allow the OLPC to build XO's that will be dual boot systems with both Linux and Windows installed at the same time.
Microsoft chief research and strategy officer, Craig Mundie said in a statement, "Transforming education is a fundamental goal of Microsoft Unlimited Potential, our ambitious effort to bring sustained social and economic opportunity to people who currently don't enjoy the benefits of technology. By supporting a wide variety of affordable computing solutions for education that includes OLPC's XO laptop, we aim to make technology more relevant, accessible and affordable for students everywhere."
Microsoft says that customers and partners around the world have been asking for a Windows-powered XO because of the fact that Windows on the low-cost machines would allow educators and students access to the entire ecosystem of Windows software.
Many foreign developing nations see Windows on the XO as a way to give their children marketable technology skill with the world's most dominant operating system. Andres Gonzalez Diaz, the governor of Cundinamarca, Columbia says, "As I plan my region's investment in technology, I must evaluate the best way to provide quality education and prepare my citizens for the work force. Windows support on the XO device means that our students and educators will now have access to more than computer-assisted learning experiences. They will also develop marketable technology skills, which can lead to jobs and opportunities for our youth of today and the work force of tomorrow."
According to the New York Times, the addition of Windows to the XO won't add much to the cost of the machines. Under Microsoft's Unlimited Potential program the fee for Windows is around $3 more per machine. To allow the XO to run Windows and Linux will add about $7 to the price tag.
Despite adding Windows to the XO's list of features, the small notebook faces a tough road ahead. As DailyTech reported before, there is more to the implementation of the XO notebook to consider in developing nations than simply buying notebooks and handing them out.


text:
Montezuma County is not an affluent place, as most define that word. It's not Westchester County or Summit County or even La Plata County.
Montezuma County, is, though, a great place to live. More to the point, it's a generous place, and the evidence of that generosity is all around us this time of year.
Organizations hang the names of needy children on trees, and generous individuals "adopt," those children, providing gifts that range from clothing to bicycles. Law-enforcement officers take children shopping with funds donated by the M-CHS Student Government Association and supplemented by the Cortez Retail Enhancement Association.
Other organizations collect names of family who need food baskets, and the food to fill them is always available. Dinner is cooked on Christmas day and served to everyone who wants to join in the festivities at the County Annex, and it's delivered to those who cannot get there.
Salvation Army kettles are filled with change, and more than a few bills, and there are always ringers willing to stand out in the cold.
The thrift stores always manage to find warm clothes for those who need them, and the Good Samaritan Center distributes food and other aid.
The "soup kitchens" always have food, thanks to the churches that support them and community members who volunteer. The Bridge Emergency Shelter also depends on volunteers in its mission to provide a safe place for those who have nowhere else to sleep on cold winter nights.
Neighbors shovel walks and look out for one another. Fellow travelers are always ready with a push or a jump when needed. Adults look out for children. Big kids help little kids.
The giving spirit may not be as evident the rest of the year, but it's there. For each of the 365 days of the year, there are a lot of needs in this community, and willing volunteers and contributors do all they can to help meet them.
The Weber Fire provided an example this year. Volunteer firefighters spent many hours protecting local homes, while local citizens in turn provided food and drink for all the emergency workers. Those who had to evacuate were offered many places to go; livestock was moved and fed; many phone calls were made to make sure everyone was safe.
Civic and school organizations are well supported. Rotarians provide dictionaries for third-graders and, through the Imagination Library program, free books for children younger than school age. Community members, including those without school-age children, volunteer in the schools, sharing their talents and education with their community. The animal shelter and humane society find ways to care for stray animals. Local professionals, across the spectrum, contribute their services in numerous ways. At the beginning of the school year, many, many people help provide supplies for local classrooms.
The list goes on and on, and notable contributions have been omitted from this summary. The point, though, is solid: This community cares.
Thank you, all of you. You make this a great place to live.
Merry Christmas.


text:
Irish Hedge Row History. Session #13
Two Thousand Years of Irish History
From the Hedge School at www.Irishroots.com
The Battle of Clontarf and it's aftermath.
Listen to the complete Hedge Row History Series here:
See all of our sessions on Genealogy; Song; Travel;
Language; and History at the Hedge School here:
Random notes on todays show:
Background Events to The Battle of Clontarf
Strife with province of Leinster and Dublin vs. Brian. Cenel Eogain rises.
Brian Fortifies Thomand (Clare)
Cenel Eogain goes to Kells, and MacSechnaill retreats, fighting continues.
Brian Boru moves on Dublin, and was blockaded till Christmas, but would
return. The Norse of Dublin and the entire province rallied to Sitric, King of
Dublin, who went to the Orkneys and Man. Gained ships and support of several
Norse leaders.
Brian then raises some men from Connaught, but the north 'stood down'
and did not participate, and the same for Osraige. He had support of M.S.
but he is reported leaving on the eve of the battle..
March Begins
Brian marches to Dublin while his son Donnchad attacked the Province of
Leinster as a diversionary tactic..
Good Friday Begins
Battle takes place on Good Friday, April 23, 1014. The two opponents were
about equal and battled the whole day, with heavy losses.
Brian Killed
Brian slain in his tent by Norsemen who were fleeing the scene of defeat.
Norse records also say Brian was killed with a blow to the head, by Brodar,
as the Norse forces were finally fleeing the battlefield in defeat. Brodar is
also given as being slain in both Irish and Norse records. Brians son Murchad
and many Munster leaders slain as well. Leading to a greatly weakened force
and decline of the Dalcassions for a decade or so.
The Viking Lives
Sitric, the King of Dublin, stayed in the city and lived. Brians son Donnchad
led the Munster army home. Brian was buried at Armagh with great ceremony.
This battle was not the exiling of the Norse from Ireland. It was essentially
a battle between forces within Ireland for control. It was the putting down
of a revolt by the province of Leinster and Dublin against Brian.
Everyone was weakened.
Brians grandson would later come to rule brutally in Leinster and Dublin.
The next major point in Irish History would be the coming of the Norman
'Queen' Gorumla
Brians wife Gormflaith (Gorumla) b.955 d.1030 – Vikings called her 'Kormloda'
Three of Brians 4 reputed wives, little are known of. Not so for Gorumla.
Gormflaith must have been amazing, and she was said to have been beautiful.
All the Kings with Gorumla
1) She marries first, Olaf, the Norse King of Dublin.
They have a son, Sitric, who became king of Norse Dublin.
This son opposed Brian Boru in Dublin, at the Battle of Clontarf 1014.
He also went to the islands of Orkney and Man to recruit help.
2) She second marries Malachy, King of the North of Ireland, who fought with
and against Brian Boru, and came to the Battle of Clontarf on Brians side. He
ruled as ard-ri after Brian for a while.
3) She marries thirdly, Brian Boru himself, but may have been put aside for
upon her death she was given as queen of Munster, not Queen of Ireland.
She is recorded also in Norse records as the instigator of the disaster at Clontarf.
No record of Brians physical appearance, not the ones used with more modern
arms, chain mail, etc…
Stay tuned for the next session of "Irish Hedge Row History".
…….So end the notes from the Irish Hedge Row today.
You can listen to the entire show at www.Irishroots.com.
Advertisers and sponsors welcome of course !
The Hedge School has 8 Broadcast series, including
Genealogy; History; Song; Travel; and Language.
All available on the iTunes Irish provider page (click below):
Contact Us
You can reach the Irish Roots Cafe on Twitter and Facebook.
Also at www.IrishRoots.com and by mail at our U.S. location:
The Irish Roots Cafe
Box 7575
Kansas City, Missouri 64116
Leave a message on our Phone (816) 256-3360
Contact us for speaking engagements,
exhibits, and educational events. Since 1984.
©2009 IGF, This information is intended
for personal non-commercial use only.
Please apply for any other usage in writing.
Sponsors Welcome.
Remember to keep the hedge growing –
with your donation, subscription or membership.
– Thank you.
About Your Session Leaders
Both Michael and Peter are graduates of Rockhurst University,
and have given lectures, exhibits, tours, and educational
seminars relating to Ireland since 1984.
Peter Reilly Adams
Hedge School Instructor
Peter traces his roots to the County Fermanagh and County
Cavan. Growing up in the City of New York and influenced by
the Irish neighborhoods, he was educated in Catholic Schools
all his life and was a member of the Augustinian Recollect
Order. Now in Kansas City, Kansas, he has a Bacholar
Degree in Philosophy, Theology and History and Masters
in Liberal Arts and Public Administration
He has taught at every level of education over the past 40
years and served as Assistant to the Mayor in Kansas City.
He was the host of the Irish Radio show, Celtic Crossings
and has led tours to Ireland for 23 years. He is a noted
musician and a talented vocalist.
Michael C. O'Laughlin
Poor Scholar
Mike O'Laughlin is the founder of the hedge school,
and is the leading author and publisher of Irish Works
in the field of Irish Families, Genealogy and History.


text:
Asterisk is a hybrid TDM and packet voice PBX (Private Branch eXchange) and IVR platform with ACD functionality. It acts as middleware between the Internet (IAX, SIP, MGCP, Skinny, H.323), telephony channels (like Zaptel, T1, PRI, E1, FXO, FXS, VoIP, VoFR, ISDN, modems, Internet Phone Jack, etc.), and applications (like voice-mail, conferencing, directories, MP3 players, intercoms, etc.). It has many advanced features such as a codec translation API. The base distribution includes several channel backends, as well as applications. However, the beauty of Asterisk is its ability to be extended using its APIs, dynamic module loader, and AGI scripting interface. End users can even write their own applications that run on the system in C or any scripting language of their choice.
auto nice daemon activates itself in certain intervals, and renices jobs according to their priority, and CPU usage. Jobs owned by root are left alone. Jobs are never increased in their priority. It is very flexible. The renice intervals can be adjusted, as well as the default nice level, and the activation intervals. A priority database stores user/group/job tuples along with their renice values for three CPU usage time ranges. The strategy for searching the priority database can be configured. Linux, OpenBSD, FreeBSD, Digital UNIX, Solaris, and IRIX are supported.
Clustering is the idea of making several computers act as one for the purposes of either performance or reliability. The Clustering Daemon guarantees that a response will be serviced provided at least one cluster node is up. It runs as a userspace process and provides a large amount of flexibility.
ClusterNFS is a set of patches for the "Universal NFS Daemon" (UNFSD) to allow multiple clients to nfs mount the same root filesystem by providing "tagged" filenames. When a client requests the file "/path/filename", the ClusterNFS server checks for the existence of files of the form "/path/filename$$TAG=value$$". If such a file exists and the client has a matching value for KEY, this file is returned. If the client does not have a matching value or no such file exists, the file request proceeds as normal. Currently supported keys include HOST (hostname), IP (IP number), CLIENT (matches any nfs client) and CREATE (for "tagged" creation of files).
Condor is a high throughput system, scheduling and providing large amounts of computational power over a long period of time. It provides the efficient use of a large variety of systems, from idle desktop workstations and dedicated clusters to grid systems all over the world, while its incredibly flexible configuration implements and maintains the machine owner's desired policy for the machine's availability.
distributed.net is a loosely knit group of computer users from all of the world that is taking up challenges requiring lots of computing power (most notably the RC5, DES, and OGR cracking contests). It is simple to participate in the challenges by downloading and running their client software (which uses idle CPU time to complete its tasks).
A minimalist news reader.
A small, safe, and fast formatting library for C++.


text:
January 24, 2013
Japanese brand Neighborhood presents its new Spring/Summer 2013 Collection. Solid outerwear, knitwear, a good range of shirting and of course the usual strong denim pieces make up the collection of the brand. Also the accessories range impresses with the usual line-up of beanies, scarves, caps and sunglasses, but mainly with the more unusual pieces, such as a helmet and porcelain incense stand. In terms of footwear Neighborhood offers a range of boots and a few sneakers this season.
Flip through the full collection lookbook in the gallery below.
words by David Fischer


text:
With the winter season well and truly over and summer fast approaching the Three Valleys are taking on their latest improvements at full speed.
Back in March we covered the new Funitel lift, Nordic-styled hotel and luxury apartments in Val Thorens. Courchevel and Meribel have now also got in on the act announcing their own resort upgrades and new additions.
Early in the season the rumour mill kicked into gear that the Bergin Saulire lift in Meribel was due to be replaced, this rumour had been knocking around for a few seasons. By February the lift company had posters on the lift station to this affect, though details were kept to a minimal. In recent weeks the Meribel lift company have announced that the new lift will be an eight man, high-speed gondola, carrying up to 2,800 skiers an hour. The station will continue to run in two sections, the same as the current lift, but will whisk skiers up to the top of Saulire from the Chaudanne in only 12 minutes. The top section of the lift is due to be completed for the 2011/12 season, with the full lift in operation for the 2012/13 season.
Meribel Mottaret will also be benefitting from a new high-speed, eight man gondola, as the Platiers 1 & 2 bubble will be replaced, offering quicker access to Val Thorens and Les Menuires. Hopefully they will also replace Platiers 3 with either a gondola or upgraded chair, as the lift queues here can bottleneck with everyone coming off the bubble or skiing down.
There are also rumours coming from guys in La Tania that the Plantrey chairlift in Courchevel 1850 is being upgraded to a six man, which should keep La Tania fans and locals happy, as the lift offers a quick and usually queue-less way back to resort. There are also more snow cannons being placed on the Murette piste down to Le Praz, at the bottom of the valley.
Courchevel is also investing in a new sports centre, due for completion in 2014, on the outskirts of 1550, by the current tennis courts and summer lido-style pool. The video shows a very modern looking set-up with a variety of pools and facilities. The resort offers a reliable and frequent bus service, so whether in 1850, 1650 or La Tania access to the sports centre will only be a short bus ride away.
So, over the next two seasons the Three Valleys will have two new high-speed gondolas, a new Funitel lift, a new six-man chairlift and more amenities, from luxury apartments to an über modern sports centre. I'm sure there will be plenty more developments from the world's largest ski area and British skiers' most popular destination, continues to maintains it's position at the top.
Written by Stephen Adam


text:
Linda Spence remembered for her dedication and service
She had been attending the Manchester Car Show Saturday and had enjoyed the day there before returning home, several friends and colleagues said on Monday.
"Linda Spence tap danced her way through heaven's gate early Sunday morning, after having a special car show weekend filled with her family, friends and truck club," according to a statement released Monday by her surviving family members. "Linda passed peacefully in her sleep," the statement continued.
Spence served as the assistant town clerk from August, 1987, until her appointment in October, 1996, as interim town clerk. She was subsequently elected to the post the following March, 1997, and served without interruption since then.
She succeeded Barbara Cross, who had been the town clerk since 1979. She lived in Manchester with her husband, Terrel. The couple had three children and four grandchildren. She was a graduate of Burr and Burton Seminary, as the school was then known, in 1973.
Spence received numerous honors and recognition for her work as a town clerk during her tenure. According to the town of Manchester's website, she was named Vermont's Town Clerk of the Year in 2003, and served as president of the Vermont Municipal Clerks' and Treasurers' Association from 2000-02.
She remained actively involved in the state's clerks' and treasurers' association, as well as the New England Association of City and Town Clerks and the International Institute of Municipal Clerks. Two weeks ago, she traveled to Milwaukee, Wisc., for a conference of the International association of municipal clerks that she attended with Tammy Legacy, the town clerk of Roxbury, Vt., who is currently the president of the Vermont Municipal Clerks and Treasurers Association. A delegation of town clerks was planning to attend the visiting hours planned for Thursday afternoon at the Park House from 4-7 p.m., French said.
"Linda was a mentor when I started - she got me involved in the New England Association of Cities and Town Clerks," French said in a phone interview Tuesday. "She loved her life as a town clerk - and loved her family more - she made many friends in the town clerk circle."
Sandra Pinsonault, the town clerk of Dorset, seconded the view that Spence was widely respected by colleagues and other town officials she worked with over the years.
"I think the town clerk profession has lost an amazing town clerk and mentor - she was a very important and integral part of our organization on both the state and New England region (levels) as well as our international association," Pinsonault said. "She really fought for her beliefs in our profession and she certainly will be missed by all of us."
Anita Sheldon, who is currently Manchester's assistant town clerk, is assuming, under state law, the role of acting town clerk. She will be performing all the regular duties of the town clerk until a new town clerk is appointed by the select board.
When a new town clerk is selected, that appointment will run until March, 2015, when Spence's three-year term would have expired. The town clerk is an elected position.
The town's select board could also opt to hold a special election to fill the position under state law, said town manager John O'Keefe. A special meeting of the select board may be held early next week to decide on an appointment, which under state law, needs to be made "forthwith," he said. "It's difficult - we're all still mourning the loss of Linda, but state law requires us to do that," O'Keefe said. "All of us at Town Hall are still in a state of shock. It didn't hit home until we showed up for work today and she wasn't here."
Town officials considered closing the office for a couple of days but Anita Sheldon, Spence's assistant, didn't want to do that and thought it was important the office stay open, he said.
The town clerk's duties run across a wide range of municipal functions, from issuing dog licenses to overseeing election results.
The Select Board also released a statement on Monday, noting Spence's contributions to the town.
"The Selectboard and all of Town government is deeply saddened by the sudden loss of our Town Clerk Linda Spence," the statement read. "Her enthusiasm, dedication and passion for public service was unmatched. She will be forever remembered for her sense of humor, devotion to her family and pets and love of life."
Select Board member Steve Nichols recalled the long term roots in the community that Spence and her parents, Norman and Mabel Thompson, represented in Manchester. He and Spence had worked together as co-chairs of the town's 250th anniversary celebration in 2011, he said.
"Linda was an icon in Manchester," he said during an interview Monday. "She was very genuine. If she had something to say, she'd surely tell you. She was constructive and positive. It's just tragic."
State Representative Jeff Wilson was Manchester's town manager when Spence was hired as assistant town clerk, and recalled her devotion to her work.
"She took the job extraordinarily seriously and was very dedicated, not only to the folks in Manchester, but also participated in the state association and the international association of town clerks," he said. "She was devoted to the job and devoted to the taxpayers and voters of Manchester."
According to an obituary notice released Monday, no funeral service will be held, at Linda Spence's request. Visiting hours will be held Thursday, June 12, from 4-7 p. m. at the Park House in the Dana L. Thompson Memorial Recreation Park.
In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts in Spence's memory may be made to the Manchester Firefighters Association, in care of Brewster and Shea Funeral Service.
If you'd like to leave a comment (or a tip or a question) about this story with the editors, please email us. We also welcome letters to the editor for publication; you can do that by filling out our letters form and submitting it to the newsroom.


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Are you trying to lose weight with Lean Cuisine, Smart Ones or another brand of frozen meal? Packaged diet foods provide calorie-controlled portions that can help you slim down. But weight loss is not a slam dunk with these products. You have to follow a few guidelines to make Lean Cuisine diet plan work.

Good Reasons to Use Lean Cuisine for Weight Loss

Smart dieters often use frozen meals as part of their weight loss program. There are many good reasons to use Smart Ones or Lean Cuisine to lose weight.

Low in calories. Most diet meal brands provide a complete meal for about 300 calories. Many of the selections provide even fewer calories. A typical lunch or dinner can provide 400 calories, 500 calories or even more. So using a lower calorie option can help you to reach the calorie deficit needed for weight loss.

Popular foods. When you stand in the freezer section at the grocery store, you'll see a very large selection of frozen diet meals. There are Mexican meals, Asian meals, Italian meals and you'll find many of your favorite comfort foods as well. That means you can select foods that you are used to eating. Eating familiar foods may help you to stick to your diet, especially in the beginning of your weight loss journey when food restriction is most difficult.

Easy to prepare. Nothing is more simple to prepare than a Lean Cuisine or a Smart Ones. Simply pop it in the microwave and within a matter of minutes, you have a complete lunch or dinner.

Convenient. Frozen meals are easy to find in any grocery store, they are simple to store in your freezer and they can even be stashed in a cooler bag to bring to work.

Fast preparation. When you are very hungry and craving a quick bite, it's easy to grab the quickest meal or snack available. Sometimes, this is high-calorie junk food or even fast food. But a frozen meal is faster. Having them on hand may cure your cravings quickly so you don't fall victim to diet-destroyers.

Calorie counting simplicity. If you're counting calories with your smartphone app, Smart Ones and Lean Cuisine calories are a snap to log. Simply use the barcode scanner and you'll have the exact number of calories added to your food journal in a single step.

Portion control. New dieters are often frustrated by having to learn the correct portion sizes for weight loss. Frozen diet meals do the work for you. Each meal not only provides you with the proper portion size but also helps you to learn how to eat less to slim down.

Cost. Using lean cuisine for weight loss can be cheaper than using a diet delivery program for weight loss. The cost of each meal may (or may not) be higher than a popular commercial food plan like Jenny Craig, Weight Watchers or Bistro MD, but most of those plans require you to commit to a long-term program to get the best rate. And generally, you have to buy all or most of your meals from the service to subscribe.

Downsides to Eating Lean Cuisine for Weight Loss

Before you empty out your freezer to make room for the new diet meals you plan to use for weight loss, consider some of the reasons that Smart Ones or Lean Cuisine may not work for weight loss.

High in sodium. Like almost all frozen meals, diet meals are often high in sodium. If you are trying to cut back on your salt intake or reduce your water weight to slim down, then these meals may not help your cause.

Meals may be heavily processed. Most nutrition experts agree that heavily processed foods don't support optimal health. They recommend that you get your calories from whole foods like fruits and vegetables and lean sources of protein with fewer added ingredients. Many frozen diet meals include processed meats and side dishes.

You might miss out on fiber. Some, but not all, frozen meals are low in fiber. Fiber helps you to feel full and satisfied after eating. If you're a dieter, this feeling of satiety can help you to eat less in the hours after your meal.

You may develop a microwavable habit. If you get used to cooking your meals in the microwave, you might reach your goal weight, but it might be easier to gain the weight back afterward. Many non-diet microwave meals are very high in calories, high in fat, low in nutrition and may even contain dangerous trans fat.

Don't learn healthy habits. One of the most important parts of the weight loss process is learning to organize and prepare healthy, diet-friendly meals. If you use Lean Cuisine to lose weight, you may not learn how to cook nutritious meals and how to organize a meal plan to slim down and maintain your new body.

Train your taste buds. When you eat comfort foods like meatloaf, mashed potatoes, lasagna, or macaroni and cheese, you may train your taste buds to crave these traditionally high-fat foods. Then when you transition off your diet you may still want them. When you give in to the cravings, the weight is likely to come back.

Tips for Using Lean Cuisine to Lose Weight

If you use a frozen diet meal to slim down, follow these guidelines to make the process work in the short and long-term.

First, use the meals sparingly. Include them in your daily diet if enjoy the flavor and convenience of Smart Ones or Lean Cuisine. But make them part of a complete meal plan that also includes fresh fruit, fresh vegetables, whole grains and meals that you organize and prepare yourself.

Next, cut back on sodium at meals and snack time. If you notice that you can't lose weight with Lean Cuisine, it may be due to a higher than normal sodium or carbohydrate intake. Both of these factors can help you to gain water weight and will cause you to see an increase on the scale. You can also look for frozen meals that are lower in sodium.

Lastly, learn to read food labels for weight loss. Before you toss a healthy-looking frozen meal into your grocery cart, learn how to scan the back of the package to see if it is really likely to help you slim down or if the meal will satisfy your cravings for comfort food without getting you closer to your weight goal.


text: That right there may be the source or at least adding to the problem she is having. Does HW know she is using polyester strings. To much for a 10-11 yo to handle and not necessary especially now as she is going through a grip change. Consider this setup to soften things up a bit. Stay with the Black code (technifibre brand), 18G OK or can go with 17G, put them only on the mains. For the cross string consider using Technifibre X-One Phase (multifilament) 16G. String the mains 4-5lbs looser then the cross strings ex 50Lbs mains w/ co-poly, 55lbs cross w/ multifilament. If your daughter is playing at least 10-12 /wk then you will probably restring them every 2-3 weeks which is what you would need to do anyway if you are using only the polyester strings. This is done whether they break or not.


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Today let's address a new Oscar 'controversy' that's got lots of people in Tinseltown riled up. All because an actor decided to take measures into her own hands and do a little self-promotion It seems Melissa Leo, Best Supporting Actress nominee for her role in The Fighter, has managed to invite some serious tongue-wagging and finger-pointing. In a move that's being roundly criticized Ms. Leo actually took out ads of herself all dolled-up in glamorous wear, asking people to "consider" her for the Oscar. She also happens to be the category's frontrunner. Pundits and commentators immediately cried foul, calling the gesture inappropriate.
What do you think? Would you vote for her…now?
Okay, let's examine this for a moment. First of all, it's very common for movie studios to spend zillions of dollars promoting their films for Oscar. It's both expected and frowned upon (even though they all do it). A case in point was back with Shakespeare in Love and Saving Private Ryan. Allegedly, a certain studio spent soooo much money that a certain romantic comedy trounced what was deemed a better and certainly more "substantial" film. Who knows (I liked 'em both). But Melissa Leo has come under fire here for several reasons, not the least of which is the fact that she's admitted taking out the advertisements and paying for them herself (why she did the admitting part is beyond me – why not say your 'team' did it?) But this is not a 50 year-old who suffers fools, nor was she afraid to come forward and explain that she wasn't getting the magazine covers and the talk shows that apparently other nominees are getting and thus, felt she had to do something. I'm reading that she's being called "desperate" and that it's a tacky ploy. Okay. So maybe we need to ask ourselves what the response would be if, say George Clooney had done this. Or maybe Reese Witherspoon. Or Sandra Bullock — would they criticize her? Or another glossy Hollywood insider. Now I'm certain that any of those guys would have had the savvy to "blame" the ads on someone else, so they get to look cool. By the same token, if a very young starlet had done it, we probably wouldn't have given it another thought, since that's just what actors do.
Which is precisely why I don't think you can fault Leo for being forthright. Having spoken to her several times I can assure you this lady's the real deal, and there is nothing Hollywood about her, hence what may appear a less than delicate move. She's very bright and couldn't be more genuine, also probably off-putting to many inside an industry that counts on more of a trained-seal type who looks great and doesn't rock the boat too much. But I say, let her be. Her time has clearly come, she's had it coming for a while (did anyone see Frozen River??) and she'll probably win. I hope she does, and I hope that this endeavor on her part will wind up simply being cash unnecessarily spent, rather than a messy blemish on her career. But that's just me.
Today's poll:
The Grammy Awards are this Sunday on CBS. Which performer(s) are you most excited about seeing:
1) Gwyneth Paltrow & Cee Lo Green
2) Lady Gaga
3) Barbra Streisand
4) Rihanna & Drake
For the latest pop culture news and voting, make sure to sign up for the People's Choice newsletter!


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I was bored the other day, so I went back and read some old emails I had sent about 2 years ago, read old forum posts I'd written, listened to some music I liked back then... and I realized that 17 year old me and 19 year old me are 2 different people. I changed so much; I barely recognized myself in those songs. I need to ask if this keeps happening as you get older? Because it's absolutely terrifying. I don't want to look back in a couple of years and hate or be embarrassed by myself. Do people keep changing so much or is it to a lesser extent?
Never look back and be embarrassed; it's part of growing, learning and finding your way.
Maturity develops over time so we're bound to grow up. I look back and laugh at photos where the fashion and hairstyles are so different. On the other hand, yes, I freely admit I can cringe at my behaviour when I reflect but I also think it must have helped shape who I am today.
Some people remain the same and some people go through changes. I fall into the latter category and I'd hope that for the most part that was for the greater good.
I have to say I had some control of how, what, why made those changes occur as sometimes I had to change but there's not wrong with change if it means you are developing as a person. It can make you more rounded, more whole and perhaps even a better person if you use the changes wisely. As long as that's not a bad thing, take the changes in your stride.
In the meantime make decisions that will make you look back and smile.
Over to you.
Everyone goes through change, it's not a bad thing! It would be much worse to go through life having not changed at all. There's no need to be embarrassed by your past. You acted on things that interested you, and there's no shame in that because it's what you wanted at that time in your life. This of course depends on the severity of your actions, but something as minute as your musical preference shouldn't get you so worrysome. Instead of looking back at who you were, look forward to the person you want to become. Warm regards, Blake.
Of course you can change as you get older – I know I have in some ways. When I look back on some things and what I used to like, I am baffled at how different I was back then. Change can be a good thing though, so don't worry! Most of the things I remember about my old self, I just laugh at now – so it's more funny and light memories, and not really painful or tough ones. Your interests and taste in music may have changed, but that doesn't mean you as a person have. It's important to have a good and healthy relationship with yourself, so long as you maintain that, I don't think you'll have anything to hate or feel embarrassed about in the future. Lots of people like some things growing up and then something completely different later on in life. I believe that it's totally normal for people to change a bit, so don't be afraid of that. Just be happy, be positive and be yourself! Best wishes, Medina.
You've done something many people are not able to or don't want to: you have looked back in reflexion and critcism of yourselves.That's a skill.
Don't forget the 'healing' aspects of arts, fashion and so on.With things in our surrounding we can create something like a compensation or protection for our soul's state.Especially a teenager has to go through a lot we all know.So when you're through suddenly clothes don't have to be black,walls not blue or music not the same anymore e.g., our complete expression might modify.So don't worry about changing in those things, it's natural. Better observe changes in your evaluation of values, your opinion what is right or wrong. I guess you're on a right way. L.Q.
Yes, people keep changing but I prefer to use 'evolving'. You learned new things, you met new people, you experienced new things - you evolved. You are still yourself but enriched. You should not hate or be embarrassed by yourself when you look back - what you did two/ten/twenty years ago has huge impact on who you are now - this is important part of you.
I think more important is if you are feeling good with yourself now and if you are happy. If yes it means that you are in the right place at the right time. Magdalena.
Coming from a 17 year old, I can grasp your understanding of personal change. If that two year change was that horrifying, that can only mean that you have significantly grown and matured in such a way that it has benefited you by looking at your past actions—whether good or bad--and recognizing your mistakes. Although I'm not familiar with your culture, in the United States, the ages between 17 and 20 are the "coming of age" where it bridges you to the adult world, taking responsibilities and idealistically, a career. It's the time where you discover your identity in the world. You're at that stage where you'd notice yourself in the past and wonder why you weren't a little wiser. Obviously you've gone through a change and chances are it may continue. It may even have been a transformation. But that's part of life. Of course you're going to hate your past self but it's all growth. You're going to make mistakes but my advice is to have no regrets. I believe that in your case, something this drastic won't occur sometime soon. Just take a breath and be content for where you are now. We learn and grow everyday so don't fret, ok?
Just to end with this: A simple plot. But I know one thing. Good things, are coming your way. Best of Luck, Liku.
In your life, you will live through many events, and those events will change you, or you will change because of the impact of those events. When I look back on the person I was a few years ago, I was much different than I am now. You shouldn't be embarrassed by the person you used to be, because change can be for the better and you didn't know then what you know now. I think we change more rapidly when we're younger because we're still discovering who we are and trying to find the person we want to be. The important thing is that you like who you are and where you're going and that you don't lose yourself along the way. Bleier, U.S.
People change all the time, sometimes for good sometimes for bad. But it's how you change how it makes a difference. I know very well how my music taste had change as I had, but that's because I'm young, and so are you. Maybe you are just finding yourself and on the way, you can find different ways to be or think and when you discovered your real personality. There will be one day when you probably regret for something you did but it's much worst to regret to something you didn't do so you should live the moment but worry about the future too. What I'm trying to say is that there's no one in the world that hasn't change. There is always something that changes our minds about something else and before you can't tell you think in a complete different way. But that's ok. I am sure your friends are not who they used to be 3 years ago, but that doesn't make them bad people. Changing is ok, but in the end, you are the very same person you were at the beginning. Be yourself, Lyssete.
Thanks to all those who replied to this week's question. Remember, Team Oracle is open to anyone so if you fancy replying, click to read this week's, and send us your answer.


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All he has to do is play backup SG until Shump gets back. Once Shump gets back, I doubt he'll get much playing time. I suppose he could get some run at SF, but I'd say 'Melo and Novak will be getting all those minutes, barring injury.
Still, we definitely needed more depth at this position. Might as well pick a freakish athlete that at least has potential of making some impact


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With the team playing flat in the first half, and battling back in the second, Cedarville dropped the 3A-4 Conference game to Lamar 28-12 Friday night at Glen Wisely Field.
"The defense played well, but we're just too beat up," said head coach Mark Shelton, who spent the better part of the week in the hospital and missed three days of practice with his squad. "We just had some guys that normally play well, just not play well at all (Friday) night.
"Lamar is a Top 10 team, and we were in the middle of them up until the end."
Cedarville's defense made goal-line stand late in the fourth quarter. Lamar (6-0, 3-0) was fourth-and-goal from the Pirate 1-yard line, when junior Corey Fincher came up with a pancake block to flatten out the ballcarrier, Ryan James.
The Pirates (5-1, 2-1) took over at their own 1. A miscommunication on the ensuing play, and Cedarville fumbled in the end zone to be recovered by Dusty Wilkins. After Dyllanjer Choate's PAT, the Warriors were up 21-12.
Cedarville got the ball back, but since the kickoff was mishandled, the Pirates began on their own 6-yard line. Two plays later and on quarterback Dylan Shelton's 45th pass attempt of the night, he hit Lamar's Logan Yarbrough, who went in untouched from the Cedarville 18 for the second score. The Warrior defense scored twice in a manner of 16 seconds to extend their lead, 28-12.
Cedarville's offensive line also gave up six sacks, but the momentum shifted on Lamar's final possession of the game. Cedarville's defense had forced Lamar to punt on four second-half possessions after an earlier interception.
The Warriors were looking at a third-and-10 from the Cedarville 47, then Hernandez picked off Sampley, and returned it to about the Warrior 30. However, he was flagged for pass interference, late in the return, which gave Lamar the ball back with a first down.
Eight plays later, the Warriors were stopped at the Pirate 1-yard line with 2:00 remaining in the game.
"That was a game-changer," said coach Shelton of the penalty. "We shouldn't have, but we got our heads down, and it took the wind from us.
"We might not have scored if we were allowed to keep that interception, but the game would have been a lot closer, and we wouldn't have made so many forced mistakes there at the end."
In all, Lamar earned three of its 11 first downs via penalties..The Pirates had five penalties total for 53 yards. Lamar had 10 penalties (five on both offense and defense) for a total of 66 yards.
Both defenses forced punts most of the evening as Lamar had to punt away six times, and Cedarville punted eight times.
In the first half, Blake Kern scored Lamar's first touchdown on a 43-yard pass and Hunter Sanders scored on a 25-yard run.
Sampley was 10 of 19 for 132 yards. Sanders led the ground game with 154 yards on 13 carries.
Next week Cedarville hosts Paris, while Charleston visits Lamar for the 3A-4 Conference title.


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After three years of droughts, Cape Town, South Africa, has set Day Zero—the day the town runs out of water—for April 21, 2018. Cape...
Birmingham Utilities of Ansonia, Conn., to Become New Owner
Philadelphia Suburban Corporation has reached an agreement of sale with Birmingham Utilities, Inc., and Birmingham H2O Services, Inc., wholly-owned subsidiaries of BIW Limited -- an investor-owned water utility based in Ansonia, Connecticut -- to sell the regulated and non-regulated Connecticut operations and the regulated New York operations of AquaSource, Inc., to Birmingham for an aggregate purchase price of approximately $5 million.
The sale is contingent upon the successful closing of PSC's purchase of AquaSource utility systems (which include the Connecticut and New York operations) pursuant to the previously announced purchase agreement with DQE, Inc. That closing is expected to take place in the third quarter.
In July 2002, PSC announced that it had reached an agreement with DQE, Inc., and its subsidiary AquaSource, Inc., to purchase AquaSource's investor-owned water and wastewater systems and assume selected integrated operating and maintenance contracts.
The sale of the Connecticut and New York regulated AquaSource operations to Birmingham Utilities is subject to state regulatory approvals. PSC recently received regulatory approval from Connecticut and New York to purchase these systems from DQE.
However, PSC's purchase of the AquaSource utility systems requires the regulatory approvals in 10 jurisdictions, nine of which have already been secured. PSC and DQE are awaiting regulatory approval from the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities
PSC Chairman Nicholas DeBenedictis said that the pending sale of the Connecticut and New York operations makes sense because of their small size in comparison to the other AquaSource systems and the fact that PSC also has no other utility operations in those states. "Collectively, the regulated AquaSource operations we are purchasing serve approximately 130,000 customer accounts, the vast majority of which are in Texas, Florida, Virginia, Indiana, North Carolina, New Jersey and Missouri. Connecticut and New York together make up a small part of the entire AquaSource system with just 2,100 and 1,100 customers respectively," said DeBenedictis. "With such a small customer complement and no existing PSC operations in those states, it didn't make much sense for us to apply the resources necessary to manage those operations--particularly with a willing and capable buyer like Birmingham that already has operations in the area and can take advantage of its local economy of scale and knowledge."


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PLEASE NOTE THAT TABLES IN THE 'PIT' AREA OF THE CLUB WILL BE CLEARED TO ALLOW SPACE FOR DANCING FOR THIS PERFORMANCE! THE JOINT IS JUMPIN'! Step right into the SWING ERA with James Langton & his fabulous SOLID SENDERS ORCHESTRA, recreating the best of BIG BAND SWING including... find out more Tap to see more
Alexander Stewart (vocals), Alex Webb (piano), Andy Chapman (drums), Rob Anstey (bass), Patrick Hayes (trbne), Jonny Griffiths (tenor sax), Nat Facey (alto), Freddie Gavita (trpt) 'Stewart's talent is undeniable … natural swing, agility and energy' said Jazzwise... find out more Tap to see more
Doors 6.30pm, £7 on the door Samba de Roda ('dance circle') is the inspiration behind this monthly Rio de Janeiro type get-together. Think of the evening as a musical conversation between singers, guitarists and percussionists performing away from the... find out more Tap to see more


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Sale, Morneau leading close Final Vote races
Richards, Porcello pursuing Chicago lefty, while Rizzo, Upton aim to deny former Twin
By Mark Newman / MLB.com
Rockies first baseman Justin Morneau and White Sox pitcher Chris Sale, two veterans who played key roles in past All-Star victories, were each leading tight races after the first 36 hours of balloting in the All-Star Game Final Vote Sponsored by Experian.
Morneau, who scored the winning run for the American League in the 15th inning of the 2008 Midsummer Classic, is hoping for what would be an emotional return to Target Field when the 85th All-Star Game is played there on July 15. The former Twin jumped out to an early, but narrow, National League lead, trailed most closely by Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo and Braves left fielder Justin Upton. Nationals second baseman Anthony Rendon and Marlins third baseman Casey McGehee were running fourth and fifth, respectively.
Sale, the winning pitcher of last year's All-Star Game, broke out in front of the AL nominees. Angels right-hander Garrett Richards, Tigers right-hander Rick Porcello and Indians right-hander Corey Kluber followed Sale most closely. Astros left-hander Dallas Keuchel was in fifth place.
More than 15 million online votes have been cast and tens of millions more are expected by the close of balloting at 4 p.m. ET on Thursday, as fans decide on a position player for the NL and a pitcher for the AL. Managers Mike Matheny of the NL and John Farrell of the AL, in conjunction with Major League Baseball, each presented five nominees so you can decide the 34th and final roster spots. Balloting began Sunday evening and the winners will be revealed on MLB.com soon after the balloting ends on Thursday.
Final Vote candidates
|American League
|Dallas Keuchel, HOU
|Corey Kluber, CLE
|Rick Porcello, DET
|Garrett Richards, LAA
|Chris Sale, CWS
|National League
|Justin Morneau, COL
|Anthony Rendon, WAS
|Anthony Rizzo, CHC
|Casey McGehee, MIA
|Justin Upton, ATL
In each of the past seven years, clubs have formed alliances to lend their collective support for their respective candidates. This year's alliances are Indians-Rockies (#ClevelandRox), Astros-Marlins (#GoBeardorGoHome), White Sox-Nationals, Braves-Angels and Cubs-Tigers.
Here is a closer look at this year's choices (statistics are through Monday's games):
NL nominees
Justin Morneau: #VoteMorneau (N2) -- Talk about widespread support. Not only does Morneau have alliance backers in Cleveland and in his native Canada (including hockey players), but also huge support in Minnesota, where he was a Twin from 2003-13 and was selected to four straight All-Star Games from 2007-10 (scoring the winning run in 2008). Morneau has been as consistent as they come in 2014, batting .315 with 13 homers while turning in 30 multi-hit performances. The left-handed slugger leads the Rockies in both doubles (20) and RBIs (59) while ranking second to only NL All-Star Troy Tulowitzki in total hits (99) and homers.
"I'm not much of a self-promoter," Morneau said. "At this point I feel I've played well enough to be there. Obviously, you hope that's what comes out in the end. But there are other guys that are having great seasons, too. ... It's a tough ride but I feel like to this point it would really be an honor to be on that third-base line and get introduced in that stadium in Minnesota, and be a part of that team."
Anthony Rizzo: #VoteRizzo (N4) -- After hitting his 18th homer on Monday -- the most of any NL first baseman -- Rizzo said, "Whatever happens this week is on the fans. Our team winning will get us in the highlights more. It's nice to get that knock."
The Cubs have a legendary fan base but they are seeking their first Final Vote win after three nominations. In 2003, Corey Patterson was nominated but was injured that Sunday against St. Louis and had to be replaced by Pittsburgh's Kenny Lofton a day later, after receiving votes, so Cubs fans had no chance at that one. Aramis Ramirez finished behind winner Bobby Abreu in '04 and Carlos Zambrano was behind winner Chris Young in '07.
Rizzo, who was playing a day-night doubleheader on Tuesday, said he has heard from people "I hadn't heard from in a long time" amid the ongoing campaign, and you can expect to see some funny comments made by his teammates touting Rizzo's credentials, taped for use in TV broadcasts during the Cubs' series in Cincinnati.
Justin Upton: #VoteJUp (N5) -- Upton had a double and single in Monday's 4-3 loss in New York, and we'll find out whether he can make it two straight Final Vote winners for the NL East-leading Braves. The two-time All-Star has the sixth-highest OPS (.855) of any NL outfielder, and only Tulowitzki and Giancarlo Stanton of the Marlins have a higher OPS against lefties in the NL -- a potential key for in-game strategy to secure the World Series home-field advantage. Upton is tied for third in the NL in homers with 17.
"It will be interesting to see how Braves country reacts to me," Upton said. "But I'm hoping it's the same way and I'm hoping I can get there."
Anthony Rendon: #VoteRendon (N3) -- After five consecutive years of falling short, can the Nationals mount a successful Final Vote campaign? Rendon is definitely doing his part. In Monday's game, the versatile infielder hit a game-tying two-run homer in the sixth, and he's among the team leaders in RBIs and runs scored. Matheny could use him at second or third base at any point in the game.
"He has ability to stay the same in any situation," teammate Adam LaRoche said. "To be as consistent as he has been, you just don't see that in young guys. It's something that takes a few years to pick up on. He just has that mindset. It's not just done on the surface. That's his personality. He is very level headed along with being competitive. He wants to be the best at what he does. I love the kid."
Casey McGehee: #VoteHitsMcGehee (N1) -- They call him "Hits McGehee" because he leads the NL with 110 hits, and Miami's third baseman has been bunching them together lately. He had his fourth consecutive multi-hit game on Monday night, doing most of his own campaigning on the field. He has a 14-game hitting streak, and since June 3 he has gone only two games without a hit. His average is up to .322, and Matt Adams of St. Louis is the only other player in the Majors with a top-10 average who isn't on an All-Star roster.
"We're going to try to do everything we can to get this guy into the All-Star Game," Marlins manager Mike Redmond said. "He's had such a great first half, and has been such a big part of our team, so we're trying to do everything we can to help him without him having to lobby for himself."
AL nominees
Chris Sale: #TargetSale (A5) -- The winning pitcher of last year's All-Star Game is prepared to make his own statement on Wednesday when he starts at Boston, coming off a complete-game victory during which he struck out 12 and walked no one. Sale lost a whole month to injury, but he is 8-1 with a 0.87 WHIP and is slider-death to lefties. The White Sox are as savvy as it comes in Final Vote campaigning, having helped Scott Podsednik, A.J. Pierzynski and Paul Konerko become All-Stars this way.
"Just seeing how much involvement they're putting on me," Sale said of fun with the Final Vote campaign process. "I've got texts from high school coaches, my college coach saying we've got everyone we know, they've got their sources, this and that all voting for you. It definitely makes me appreciate everyone around me a lot more."
Garrett Richards: #VoteGRich (A4) -- The funny thing about those "#VOTEGRICH" T-shirts all over Angel Stadium on Monday night was the fact that using all caps makes you think of Bobby Grich, who earned half of his six All-Star nods during his Angels days from 1977-86. Hey, maybe that will work in this case. In his first full season as a starter, Richards has held batters to a league-low .196 batting average while posting a 2.71 ERA and 119 strikeouts. Richards is trying to end the Angels' 0-for-5 skid in Final Vote competition, and how can you ignore this Vine plea by All-Star starter Mike Trout:
"Garrett's my roommate in Cali, and I want him to be my roommate in Minnesota," Trout says, then proceeding to intone the hashtag.
Rick Porcello: #PickRick (A3) -- Porcello's 25-inning scoreless streak, which had included back-to-back shutouts, came to an end when he took the loss in Sunday night's game against the Rays that immediately followed his Final Vote appearance. Nevertheless, Porcello is the winningest pitcher on the ballot, with 11 victories -- second in the Majors only to the Yankees' Masahiro Tanaka.
"I'm very happy for my teammates that have made the team, and I'm honored to be included in the Final Vote," Porcello said after Sunday's game. "Lots of good pitchers out there. [Losing] doesn't take anything away from how well I've pitched in the first half."
Corey Kluber: #VoteKluber (A2) -- If you like strikeout pitchers, then here's your top candidate on the AL ballot, as Kluber ranks fifth in the league with 137. That includes 10 punchouts in his most recent outing Sunday against Kansas City. Indians teammate Nick Swisher won the 2010 AL Final Vote thanks largely to his own huge Twitter account, and maybe Kluber will benefit from a campaign tweet that Swisher recently sent.
"It's an honor," Kluber said. "It's nice to be recognized, but ultimately, individual stuff is not what I'm shooting for. The ultimate goal is for the team to win."
Dallas Keuchel: #VoteKeuchel (A1) -- The Astros' top starting pitcher this season, Keuchel is 8-5 with a 3.06 ERA and three complete games in 16 starts. He has big social-media backing, but probably the best campaign weapon at his disposal this week is a scheduled Lone Star showdown start on Wednesday opposite 2012 AL Final Vote winner Yu Darvish of the Rangers.
"It's nice to see the support I've been getting," Keuchel said. "Regardless of what happens, I appreciate everything that everybody's been doing for me."
History shows that all is not always lost for players who don't win a Final Vote. Of the 96 previous players who fell short during the first 12 years, 18 were subsequently added as All-Star replacements -- 19 percent, or nearly one in five of all non-winners. However, there was no such All-Star honor for any of the eight who finished behind Steve Delabar of Toronto and Freddie Freeman of Atlanta last year, so the surest route is to win this competition.
You can also vote on the mobile web at MLB.com/vote or via text message. To receive the Final Vote ballot, text the word "VOTE" to 89269. To vote for a specific player, text your choice to 89269. For example: Text "A3" to vote for AL Player 3 or "N3" to vote for NL Player 3. Standard message and data rates may apply. Text "STOP" to end and "HELP" for information. Mobile voting in Canada also is available and fans should text their choices to 101010.
For the third consecutive year, the All-Star Game MLB.com Final Vote will include social balloting participation, as Twitter support from the 10 candidates' fans over the last six hours of balloting will count toward their Final Vote totals. From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. ET on Thursday, any tweet that includes a designated player hashtag will be tabulated as part of the official vote total used to determine the winners. Fans will be able to follow @MLB for the latest standings updates over the course of the entire four-day voting period.
In addition, MLB.com is providing a unique analysis of how a specific region in the United States is voting for the 10 candidates. Scroll over any county to see a color-coded display showing the online vote share for each player. Click here or visit MLB.com to access the data visualization map.
The final phase of All-Star Game voting will again allow you to help choose the Ted Williams All-Star Game Most Valuable Player Award presented by Chevrolet. During the Midsummer Classic, vote exclusively online at MLB.com and via Twitter in the 2014 All-Star Game MLB.com MVP Vote Sponsored by Pepsi, and the fans' collective voice will represent 20 percent of the overall vote that determines the recipient of the Arch Ward Trophy.
MLB.TV Premium subscribers, for the first time, will be able to live stream the All-Star Game via MLB.TV through FOX's participating video providers. Access will be available across more than 400 platforms that support MLB.TV, including the award-winning MLB.com At Bat app. MLB.com will provide extensive online coverage of the All-Star Week festivities.
The 85th All-Star Game will be televised nationally by FOX, in Canada by Rogers Sportsnet and RDS, and worldwide by partners in more than 200 countries via MLB International's independent feed. ESPN Radio and ESPN Radio Deportes will provide national radio coverage of the All-Star Game. MLB Network and SiriusXM will also provide comprehensive All-Star Week coverage. More information is available at allstargame.com.
Mark Newman is enterprise editor of MLB.com. Read and join other baseball fans on his MLB.com community blog. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


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- Find an Item
- About Us
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- Events
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Nonfiction Chronicles: Money Matters
So, January is almost over -- how are your New Year's resolutions holding up? Right about now we could all use a little help sticking to our plans to reach goals we've set only a few weeks ago. And second only in popularity to the goal of losing weight or quitting smoking must be the objective of getting our financial lives in order. New City Library has some great resources to assist you if your aim is to set a budget, spend less, save more of your paycheck or invest more prudently. Check out these titles:
One Year to an Organized Financial Life: From Your Bills to Your Bank Account, Your Home to Your Retirement, the Week-by-Week Guide to Achieving Financial Peace of Mind by Regina Leeds and Russell Wild.
Your Money Ratios: 8 Simple Tools for Financial Security by Charles Farrell.
Wealth Watchers: A Simple Program to Help You Spend Less and Save More by Alice Wood.
Rule Your Freakin' Retirement: How to Retire Rich by Actively Managing Your Assets by Michael Parness.
The Cure for Money Madness: Break Your Bad Habits, Live Without Financial Stress - and Make More Money! by Spencer D. Sherman.
You'll find all of these books and more in the Personal Finance section of the library with the Dewey call number 332.


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Twenty four music lovers from Ireland joined Gerry Murphy's Beethoven Tour earlier this year, visiting locations from Bonn to Vienna, associated with Ludwig van Beethoven the man and his music.
Composer, teacher and raconteur Gerry Murphy takes on the challenge of going behind the myths and the legends surrounding Beethoven, to find the human being behind the music, telling the story in his own erudite and witty way.
RTÉ lyric fm, Friday 6 September, 7pm-8pm


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These Neck Sizer Dies use precision-machined neck bushings (sold separately) to size the case neck just enough provide the exact amount of bullet tension without overworking the brass. To determine the proper neck bushing size, measure the outside neck diameter of a loaded cartridge and subtract .002" to .003" to allow for a small amount of brass spring back. Shellholder sold separately.
Technical Information
Material: Polished and Heat Treated Steel
Die Types Included:
Neck Sizer Die (with expander-decapping unit)
Plastic Storage Case
Gold Medal Match sizing dies use a separate neck bushing
Neck bushing is not included
To determine bushing size, measure the outside neck diameter of a loaded cartridge, subtract .002" to .003" -- this allows approximately .001" of brass spring back for correct neck tension. Another method is to measure the neck wall thickness of a case, multiply by two, add the diameter of the bullet and subtract .001" -- RCBS suggests purchasing neck bushings one to two sizes above and below the target diameter.
Neck Sizer Dies size only the neck of the case (NOT the shoulder or body) just enough to snugly hold the bullet for extended case life and accuracy
Lifetime Guarantee from RCBS
Shellholder not included.
Gold Medal Match bushing dies will accept bushings made by Hornady, Redding or Wilson in addition to RCBS bushings.
Technical Information
Material: Polished and Heat Treated Steel
Die Types Included:
Additional Information


text:
Episode 1
Welcome to Briarcliff
The notorious serial killer Boody Face is committed to the Barncliff Manor.
Rent, buy and watch the latest movies and TV shows online
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Set in 1964, AMERICAN HORROR STORY: ASYLUM takes us into a Church-run haven for the criminally insane, ruled with an iron fist by Sister Jude (Jessica Lange), a nun with a troubled past.
Drama, Horror
Suitable only for adults
Welcome to Briarcliff
The notorious serial killer Boody Face is committed to the Barncliff Manor.
Tricks and Treats
Lana plans an escape from Briarcliff, and enlists Grace's help.
A strangely transformed Sister Mary Eunice sows discontent.
I am Anne Frank Part 1
A woman is brought to Briarcliff who believes herself to be Anne Frank.
I am Anne Frank Part 2
A man claiming to be Anne's husband arrives, calling her story into doubt.
The Origins of Monstrosity
A sinister, murderous child is brought to Briarcliff.
Dark Cousin
A terrifying being is summoned that even the possessed Sister Mary Eunice fears.
Unholy Night
A killer who dresses as Santa Claus is an inmate at Briarcliff.
The Coat Hanger
Lana finds herself pregnant and desperate for an abortion.
The Name Game
The Monsignor resolves to help Sister Mary Eunice battle the Devil within.
Spilt Milk
Grace brings Kit devastating news about the aliens' experiments on Alma.
Grace develops a worrying obsession with the aliens.
Madness Ends
Past and present collide, and everyone's secrets are exposed.
Own forever. Watch on up to 5 devices.
PC, Mac, Chromecast, iPad, iPhone, Android phones and tablets, Windows phones and tablets, Xbox, smart TVs, set-top boxes and Blu-ray players.
Download on iOS 8+, Android 4.0+ and Windows 8.1+ in app. Includes rentals.
Download this episode and watch on Windows Media Player*
*UK internet connection required to acquire licence Learn more.


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Smoak in question with oblique injury
By Gregg Bell / Special to MLB.com
SEATTLE -- First baseman Justin Smoak left in the eighth inning of the Mariners' 5-2 loss to the Rangers on Saturday night with what manager Eric Wedge called a strained oblique.
The Mariners' No. 5 hitter will be evaluated again before Sunday's series finale.
The injury apparently occurred during a check swing in the first inning against Rangers left-hander Derek Holland. He struck out looking, lined out in the third inning and then struck out swinging against Holland in the sixth. Endy Chavez pinch-hit for Smoak in the eighth.
"He didn't think that much of it, and then it didn't go away," Wedge said of Smoak's pain.
Smoak had reached base safely in 16 of 17 games with a .400 on-base percentage before his 0-for-3 Saturday. He has 17 hits in 24 games with a .418 on-base percentage since April 22.
Mike Morse moved from right field to first base to replace Smoak in the ninth inning.
Kendrys Morales has made nine starts at first base this season, second on the club to Smoak's 40.
Reluctant Wedge calls more replay 'inevitable'
SEATTLE -- The day after Mariners catcher Jesus Sucre's first Major League at-bat turned into a double play that really wasn't, manager Eric Wedge conceded expanded use of instant replay is probably "inevitable."
Wedge maintains he is a fan of "the human element" of umpiring being integral to the game,but he wasn't a fan of what happened Friday night.
The back end of Sucre's double-play grounder was Elvis Andrus' throw to Rangers first baseman Mitch Moreland. The problem was Moreland wasn't the player who caught the ball. That was pitcher Justin Grimm, who was well off the bag -- but his glove and Moreland's glove nearly touched when the pitcher cut the throw off, making it appear to most that Moreland made the catch.
Replays showed clearly what really happened, but only Grimm and Moreland appeared to be in the know in real time.
First-base umpire Jeff Nelson called Sucre out, completing a bizarre double play that was scored 3-6-3 and later changed to 3-6-1.
Wedge came out to argue -- that Moreland's foot was off the bag when he caught the ball. The manager had no idea until after the game that Grimm had caught the ball.
"You can't hide anything anymore," Wedge said.
Though he feels expanded instant replay for safe-out calls is coming, the question for Wedge is where do you draw the line?
Asked if he were Major League Baseball's Commissioner where exactly he would draw that line of when instant replay can be used, Wedge laughed and said, "I'm glad I'm not the Commissioner."
More positive Ryan: '.200 feels like .550'
SEATTLE -- The youth movement that edged into the middle of the Mariners' infield on Friday shifted into full gear against the Texas Rangers on Saturday night, when Carlos Triunfel made his first start of 2013.
But the 23-year-old didn't make his sixth Major League start since debuting last September by playing his natural position of shortstop. He was batting eighth and playing second base, for Dustin Ackley, who's mired in an 0-for-13 skid.
Brendan Ryan wasn't about to yield at shortstop. Not now, anyway.
The Mariners entered the second game of the weekend series against first-place Texas on a seven-game losing streak. That wasn't because of Ryan. Seattle's three-year starter at shortstop entered Saturday 13-for-32 (.406) in his last nine games. That had raised his average 80 points in 12 days, from his season low of .122 to .202.
No, that's not exactly the stuff of Tigers reining Triple Crown winner Miguel Cabrera. Yet, it was good enough for Ryan to laugh about being above .200 for the first time since April 13. He finished 2012 at .194.
"It's been so bad, .200 feels like .550 right now," he joked before Saturday's batting practice. "I almost don't even want to know what it [batting average] is. I want to stay hungry."
Ryan credits a concerted mentoring combination for heating up his bat: hitting coach Dave Hansen; first-base coach Mike Brumley; plus Ryan's brother, Paul. Paul is 15 years older than the 31-year-old Brendan and has been tutoring him since T-ball in their native Southern California.
Brendan and Paul talk at least three or four times each week. Big brother's latest tip was to watch pitches longer through the strike zone.
"He just wanted me to see the pitches deeper. My point of contact had been so far in front of me, I was just popping pitches up or rolling them over," Brendan said. "It's about trusting your hands, and trusting your eyes."
Ryan's contract expires after this season. He loves Seattle so much he recently bought a condominium downtown near Pike Place Market. That's where he, his wife, Sharyn, and their golden retriever/poodle Bear Grylls (yes, after the TV adventurer) live.
Saturday was the 718th game he has played since he debuted with St. Louis in 2007. That's enough experience to know why the Mariners promoted Triunfel from Triple-A Tacoma.
The native of the Dominican Republic, considered a top Mariners prospect a few years ago, hit .300 in 44 games with the Rainiers. That was before Triunfel flew from SeaTac Airport to Reno and back to SeaTac on Friday, arriving a half-hour after this series with the Rangers began.
He flied out while pinch-hitting in the ninth inning in his 2013 debut.
"I can only control so much," Ryan said. "I know he is not here to sit. He's going to play. Sometimes there will be days I'm not in there. I understand that."
Ryan also understands he and Triunfel will continue to play together if Ryan keeps hitting like this.
"It's been a good 10 days now for him," manager Eric Wedge said of Ryan. "He just needs to stick with what he's been doing."
Triunfel's new-found patience is paying off
SEATTLE -- Mariners infielder Carlos Triunfel said before his first start of the season on Saturday that he's been working diligently since last summer to be far more patient at the plate.
It's paid off. The only time he'd been at .300 or above in any of his previous six Minor League seasons before this spring was the .309 he hit in 43 games as a 17-year-old with Class A Wisconsin in the Midwest League.
That was mere months after Mariners scouts Bob Engle and Patrick Guerrero signed Triunfel as a free agent out of the Dominican Republic in the fall of 2006.
"That was always my problem. I've been working on that this year -- to be a lot more patient," Triunfel said through a team interpreter. "I feel good."
Worth noting
• Triunfel's start Saturday made for the 46th lineup configuration Wedge has used in the Mariners' first 49 games.
• The Mariners will wear desert-camouflage caps with authentic digital patterns licensed from the United States Marine Corps on Monday for Memorial Day's 1:10 p.m. PT game against the San Diego Padres.
• Tom Wilhelmsen entered Saturday without a save chance in more than a week. He was 11-for-12 in save chances and had kept right-handed batters hitless in 31 at-bats with four walks.
Gregg Bell is a contributor to MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


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A subsidiary of ARG Transportation Services, SPSR's primary traffic sources are agricultural chemicals, feed grains, and building products interchanged with the UP at Benson, Willcox, and Casa Grande, Ariz. The railroad's oldest predecessor goes back 125 years to 1888, when the Arizona & South Eastern Railroad laid 60 miles of track from Benson to Bisbee, Ariz., eventually becoming part of the Southern Pacific.
"We're proud to have played an integral role developing southeastern Arizona's economy and being a good neighbor to the towns and cities we serve," said ARG Transportation Services Vice President Operations Paul Thomas. "Our goal is to continue using the resources at hand to grow the business, increase employment, operate in a safe, injury-free manner, and be responsible stewards of our environment."
In August, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency designated SPSR as a partner in EPA's SmartWay Transport Partnership program. The railroad was recognized for its success improving both fuel efficiency and environmental performance by reducing greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution.
ARG Transportation Services also operates the 133-mile Coos Bay Rail Link, headquartered in Coos Bay, Ore.


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More than half of all newborns in Marion County last year were born out of wedlock. It is an alarming number but hardly a statistical blip or a one-time phenomenon.
More than half of all newborns in Marion County last year were born out of wedlock. It is an alarming number but hardly a statistical blip or a one-time phenomenon. No, for Marion County it is becoming the rule rather than the exception. Every year since 2007, according to the annual Kids Count survey on children's well-being in America, 50 percent or more of all new babies born in our community have been born to a single mother — and to a father who all too often is uninvolved, unsupportive and, frankly, unavailable.
It is the new normal, and it is a community crisis.
The Marion County Children's Alliance broached the subject of fatherless homes in our community Wednesday with its monthly luncheon program, "One Approach to a Successful Fatherhood Initiative." Andy Mayer of the Tampa-based All Pro Dad talked about the importance of fathers being involved with their children, whether the father lives in the home or not. All Pro Dad, whose spokesman is former NFL coach Tony Dungy, offers guidance on establishing school- and community-based programs that encourage involvement of fathers.
"The idea is if we can get a dad to make any kind of positive change, only if it's one time a year, we'll take it," Mayer told us.
With good reason. Mayer shared with the Alliance gathering the negative impacts not having a father around can have on children. Children from "fatherless homes," he pointed out, account for:
63 percent of youth suicides
90 percent of homeless and runaway children
85 percent of children with behavior disorders
71 percent of high school dropouts
70 percent of youths in state-operated institutions
Absentee fathers are detrimental not only to their children but to their community as well, because it also bears the brunt — socially and financially — of this crisis.
Add to that list this number: 30 percent of all Marion County children live in poverty, compared with 25 percent statewide.
We heartily applaud the Children's Alliance for bringing this too-little-discussed issue out in the open. This community must begin addressing its fatherhood problem for its children and itself.
"I hope it's the start of a conversation," Alliance Steering Committee Chairman Scott Hackmyer told us. So do we.
But it will take more than just the Children's Alliance. This is a massive, communitywide problem that has become, sadly, the new normal for Marion County.
To undertake a serious fatherhood initiative will take all of the dozens of children's services agencies in the Children's Alliance, our churches, our schools, our youth sports leagues, our civic clubs and our health community, for starters. In short, this is an undertaking that will require the whole community, and it will not be fixed in a year or two, but rather it will take a generation or more.
But we have to start the conversation. We as a community have to explain to our young mothers- and fathers-to-be the economic, social and safety risks of single parenthood — on them and their children. We have to explain how to avoid unwanted pregnancies. We have to explain — and exhibit — what fatherhood is and how rewarding it can be.
We have a crisis in our community, and we need to start talking about it. Now.


text:
You want to use your UniTech PDA or Handheld PC together
with a Linux based computer?
Here are links to compatibility and configuration guides about Linux and PDAs manufactured by
The general resource section at the bottom, contains links
to useful Linux utilities (mostly available under GPL), community efforts, HOWTOs and FAQs.
Have you written a report yourself? Then please feel free to
submit a new entry.
|UniTech PA960W(http://www.linuxdevices.com/news/NS4724702464.html)