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Posts Tagged 'women looking for'
Life is like a Highway
Many people are cruising down the highway of life without a map (vision), confident they are going in the right direction. The fact that so many people are going in the same direction reinforces this assumption. However, as they travel they periodically see people driving pass them on the left, going in the opposite direction. Pride quickly rises up in them as they assume these people are going the wrong way. After all, there are millions of people doing what they are doing. "Not all these people can be wrong," they say to themselves.
Regardless of their reasoning and vast knowledge of life, they continue to see people driving pass them on the left, going in the opposite direction. In addition, those going in the opposite direction are always alone. They are never traveling with or following a crowd. In fact, crowds are following them. Some consider them to be either crazy or trail blazers. Eventually, this phenomenon sparks curiosity in the observing driver, who now wants to understand what all of this means.
Unfortunately, fear quickly rises up within them and tells them to stay the course, because it is easier to do what everyone else is doing than to stand out from the crowd. As this person continues to follow the crowd, they begin to think that maybe the crowd is going the wrong way, and not those going in the opposite direction. This crowd may possibly be cruising down the highway of life without a map (vision). If so, then they cannot possible know where they are going.
"Therefore, why am I following them?" they say to themselves and immediately begin to slow down. Within seconds, they pull over to the side of the road to contemplate what to do next. Once you realize that you are going the wrong way, please do not continue to drive out of pride. Pull over, take a moment to think about your life and make the necessary changes. Type new directions into your GPS (mind and heart) and allow it to guide you to where you need to go – Destiny.
Another analogy is this; many live their lives like a ship on the sea without a rudder. As a result, every wave of social change and wind of immoral compromise, tosses them like a toy with no end in sight. The stormy rains (challenges of life) beat down upon them – forcing their square peg life to fit into the round hole of conformity. This process brings them far beneath their potential and far away from their Destiny.
Unfortunately, the world we live in is not tolerant of everyone becoming successful or rich, although there is enough money for everyone to live comfortably. However, having a lot of money should not be anyone's ultimate goal in life. Many rich people have become slaves to their own prosperity. When the stock market is up, they are emotionally up. When the stock market is down, they are emotionally down. If the stock market plummets, so do they – splat on the sidewalk outside of their high-rise office building.
They made six-figures, had a nice company car, and a benefits package that most people do not know exist. They put their hopes and dreams into something that did not have their best interests at heart. In fact, it lied to them. It told them that all they needed to be happy was to make a lot of money and possess a lot of stuff. However, the more you have the more taxes, insurance and other fees you will have to pay to maintain or protect them. It can quickly become overwhelming to say the least. Many rich people have so much debt from impulse buying, to "Keep up with the Jones'," that they are technically no better off than a person making less than 50k a year.
For many, "getting paid" is their only goal in life. They strive so hard and for so long to get money that it becomes an addiction. No matter how much they have, it is never enough. They prosper financially but their souls remain empty and void of life. Sadness hovers over them like dark clouds on what was supposed to be a sunny day (life). In all their pursuing, they failed to pursue their Destiny, which could have brought fulfillment for their soul, which cries out to them daily. The conclusion of a life lived this way is vanity and vexation of spirit. When money becomes your only pursuit in life, you really become poor in spirit – shallow.
You have to understand that money is merely a tool and should never become your identity. Money is a tool for living, helping others and fulfilling our Destiny. Unfortunately, many strive to accumulate a lot of stuff, thinking it will somehow add to their self-worth. The more they have the more valuable they feel. Their identity is based upon their material things rather than the content of their character. They fail to understand, that true value or lack of value is solely based upon one's character – nothing more. This is important to know because we can only produce what we are on the inside whether good or bad.
Since success is relative, we should view it in the context of our Destiny. Only then will we know what true success looks like for us. When you really think about success, it is about what fulfills you and makes you glad that you are alive. It is usually the simple things in life, like watching a baby take his or her first steps. Then years later, watching that same child, walk across a stage to receive their high school diploma. Unfortunately, those who only measure success by money and material things seem more concerned with impressing people rather than impacting them.
To Purchase just Click Here.
Tags: calling, destiny, for adults, for adults only, for men only, for singles, fulfilling my purpose, how to find adults, how to fulfill my calling, how to fulfill my destiny, how to know my purpose, how to reach my purpose, how to reach your destiny, james, James A. Jimason, jimason, keys to destiny, life coaches, looking for a good time, men looking for, my purpose, unlocking your destiny, women looking for


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Blue Surf Flowers Duct Tape
Whether you use it for around-the-house repairs of funky craft projects, it is perfect for any die-hard crafting fan! It has high performance strength and adhesion characteristics. Also, it tears easily by hand without curling and conforms to uneven surfaces-- just like traditional duct tape. Each roll of tape is 1.88 inches wide by 10 yards long. This package contains one roll of duct tape.
1.88" x 10 yards
Made in USA.

subset: commoncrawl


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Printer Friendly Version
Standard ECMA-128
8-Bit Single-Byte Coded Graphic Character
Sets - Latin Alphabet No. 5
2nd edition (December 1999)
This Standard specifies a set of 191 graphic characters identified as Latin Alphabet No. 5, and specifies the coded representation of each of these characters by means of a single 8-bit byte. None of these characters are "non-spacing".
The use of control functions, such as BACKSPACE or CARRIAGE RETURN for the coded representation of composite characters is prohibited by this Standard.
The following file can be freely downloaded:
This Ecma publication is also approved as ISO 8859-9.
The previous replaced "historical" edition of this Ecma Standard is available here.


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Boat Seat Pedestals
Boat seat and table pedestals not only adhere these components securely to decking, but also must support weight and endure stress without metal fatigue or failure. For fishing boats especially, boat seat pedestals must allow for the ease of motion required to land the big one in fishing tournaments and sport fishing. Whatever the requirement, Wholesale Marine carries the fishing boat pedestal, standard seating pedestal, seat slide, hinges and hardware to perform the task.
Wholesale Marine's vast inventory includes boat seat pedestals and mounts from Garelick, Wise, Swivl-Eze, and Springfield Marine that provide an air cushioned and adjustable ride. Wise adjustable pedestals and mounts adjust from 12 to 18 inches and make for quick disconnect seat mounts. Their durable, anodized aluminum construction with steel rail frames and stainless steel springs will provide support and flexibility for years to come.
Wholesale Marine Has the Best Brands in Boat Seat Pedestals
We stock a range of Garelick Adjustable Pedestal and Pedestal systems as well. Our models feature anodized protective finishes that help prevent saltwater corrosion and weathering. Garelick Pedestal Dinetee Tables are stylish, and practical in pontoon salon and deck areas. They include recessed cup holders and swivel seat mount tops. When not in use the tables may be stowed easily as well.
Another great boat pedestal option is available from Swivl-Eze. The brand's Power Pedestals feature convenient single-lever height adjustments, heavy-duty aluminum tubing, and cushion from shocks and instability on the water. Still another fine options is Springfield Marine's line of Power Pedestals. These provide an air cushioned ride. The seat height adjusts from 12 to 18 inches with just a touch of the control lever. Powder-coated aluminum seat mounts are polished to resist corrosion and provide years of reliable service.
If you have questions regarding which boat seat pedestals will provide your best deck seating options, give us a call at (877) 388-2628. We're here Monday through Friday, from 9:00 AM until 6:00 PM, EST where our team of boating enthusiasts will be glad to provide guidance. Wholesale Marine also offers a low price guarantee, same day flat rate shipping, trouble-free returns, great customer service and solid advice. Be sure to ask about our Loyalty Rewards program.


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(This article has been updated to reflect the postponement of Janet Yellen's Senate testimony. Government data will be released directly on the Web if federal offices are closed.)
Frosty the Snowman had a great time in January. The same cannot be said for shoppers.
Unusually severe weather – polar vortexes and all – made it harder for people to drive and shop in the first month of 2014. There probably was a bit of a hangover from the holiday gift-buying season, too.
Sales at auto dealers, for example, slipped to an annual pace of 15.2 million in January from 15.3 million in December and 16.3 million in November. And other retails also reported fewer people browsing in their stores.
That's why economists polled by MarketWatch expect sales at U.S. retailers to decline by 0.1% in January. And if the large auto sector is excluded, sales were probably flat. The report will be released at 8:30 a.m. Eastern by the Commerce Department.
Is that a bad omen for 2014? Probably not. Consumer spending is the key faster U.S. growth, but poor weather in January makes it harder to figure out what's going on. Another retail report or two will give us a better sense of whether Americans are going to buy more stuff this year. Stay tuned.
At the same time, the Labor Department will issue jobless claims for the first week of February. The number of people applying for jobless benefits is expected to fall slightly to 330,000 from 331,000 in the prior week. Initial claims, a proxy for layoffs, have averaged 335,000 over the past six months and remain near a post-recession low.
The government will also issue business inventories for December at 10 a.m. Eastern – a 0.4% gain is expected.
Late Wednesday, the Senate postponed a hearing with new Federal Reserve Chairwoman Janet Yellen because of an impending storm. Yellen testified on an array of topics during a six-hour hearing on Tuesday in the House, but sometimes the different congressional chambers generate different storylines. Her appearance has not been rescheduled yet.
- Jeffry Bartash
Follow Jeffry on Twitter @jbartash
Follow Capitol Report on Twitter @capitolreport
More from MarketWatch
Young vs. old: Who's dropping out of labor force and why
Washington decides not to have another debt-ceiling crisis


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There is a local BYB of Black Labradors in my area. EVERY season, there are big signs selling them. It is like clockwork....every few months there must be a new litter.
I guess someone else got as annoyed as I have been, but did something about it.
Near each Lab sign is another one:
Puppies and Dogs! Any breed or mix you want! http://www.petfinder.com


text: Ronald A. Christaldi Appointed to City of Tampa Economic Impact of Cultural Assets Committee November 23, 2011 Ronald A. Christaldi TAMPA, FL – The law firm of Shumaker, Loop & Kendrick, LLP, is pleased to announce that Ronald A. Christaldi, partner in the Tampa office, has been elected to serve as chair of the Tampa City Council's Citizens Advisory Committee on the Economic Impact of Cultural Assets. Mr. Christaldi was appointed to the Advisory Committee by Councilman Mike Suarez. The Advisory Committee is intended to serve as a catalyst for recommendations to the Tampa City Council in its determination of municipal needs and planning in its consideration of facilitating and supporting the City's unique cultural assets and providing an environment conducive to economic growth.Mr. Christaldi is a business lawyer with experience in both transactions and litigation. Mr. Christaldi is the Chair of the Health Care Practice group in the Tampa, Florida office of Shumaker, Loop & Kendrick, LLP. Mr. Christaldi is a Board Certified Health Lawyer and is AV® Peer Review Rated by Martindale-Hubbell. He has been named one of the Top 100 Lawyers in Florida by Florida Super Lawyers®. Mr. Christaldi has also been recognized as one of the Best Lawyers in America® and selected Florida Legal Elite© by Florida Trend. Mr. Christaldi has also been recognized by the Tampa Bay Business Journal with its prestigious "40 Under 40" award for professional accomplishments and community service.Mr. Christaldi is a member of the American Health Lawyers Association, the Federal Bar Association, American Bar Association and The Hillsborough County Bar Association (Past Chair of the Health Law Section). He is also a member of Leadership Tampa (Class of 2003) and Tampa Connection (Class of 1998-1999). Mr. Christaldi is very active in the community where his work focuses on children, cultural issues and the environment. He serves on the Board of Trustees for Youth Environmental Services, Inc., as well as the Tampa Bay Business Committee for the Arts, and the Tampa Club.Mr. Christaldi received his J.D., magna cum laude, from Florida State University College of Law, his M.A. in International Affairs from Florida State University, and his B.A. from New College of the University of South Florida.* * *Founded in 1925, Shumaker, Loop & Kendrick, LLP is a full service law firm with 215 attorneys practicing in Toledo and Columbus, Ohio; Tampa and Sarasota, Florida; and Charlotte, North Carolina.


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54% of Americans have used a public library in the past year, and 72% live in a "library household." Most say libraries are very important to their communities. Kathryn Zickuhr, Lee Rainie, Kristen Purcell and Maeve Duggan:
- "Americans strongly value the role of public libraries in their communities, both for providing access to materials and resources and for promoting literacy and improving the overall quality of life. Most Americans say they have only had positive experiences at public libraries, and value a range of library resources and services.
- The importance of public libraries to their communities – Some 90% of Americans ages 16 and older said that the closing of their local public library would have an impact on their community, with 63% saying it would have a "major" impact. Asked about the personal impact of a public library closing, two-thirds (67%) of Americans said it would affect them and their families, including 29% who said it would have a major impact.
- Moreover, the vast majority of Americans ages 16 and older say that public libraries play an important role in their communities:
- 95% of Americans ages 16 and older agree that the materials and resources available at public libraries play an important role in giving everyone a chance to succeed;
- 95% say that public libraries are important because they promote literacy and a love of reading;
- 94% say that having a public library improves the quality of life in a community;
- 81% say that public libraries provide many services people would have a hard time finding elsewhere."


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N.M. Tech Professor Emeritus Schery Authors Book, Oct. 4, 2001
by George Zamora
SOCORRO, N.M., October 4, 2001 -- Stephen D. Schery, a professor emeritus of physics at New Mexico Tech, is the author of the latest volume in the Environmental Science and Technology Library series, published by Kluwer Academic Publishers.
Schery wrote 'Understanding Radioactive Aerosols and Their Measurement' as an introduction to radioactivity and aerosols for
the scientifically literate reader with little or no previous exposure to either of these subjects.
Volume 19 of the Environmental Science and Technology Library series provides a step-by-step examination of radioactive
aerosols from the physical science perspective, covering topics such as indoor radon decay products, radioactive aerosols used as tracers of atmospheric processes, models of aerosol transport, and fallout from nuclear weapons and reactor accidents.
The book, which currently is available both in hardbound and paperback versions, is aimed at an interdisciplinary audience at
the advanced undergraduate science student level or higher, and is suitable for self study by professionals or for use as a
textbook in courses related to the subject.
Schery, who retired last year from teaching at New Mexico Tech, had been a research physicist and professor of physics at the university since 1979. He also served as director and principal investigator of Tech's Atmospheric Radioactivity
Laboratory since 1985.


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Saturday, 9 March 2013
Our Beautiful Town Hall Interior
They show the inside of Hyde Town Hall and the mural painted by Harry Rutherford.
We are very lucky to have this beautiful building.
Many Thanks to Phil for sharing the photos ! :)
5 comments:
- Hydonian said...
For the people asking why we didn't put their comments on - Quite simply, we haven't received any.
If you want, please try to post comments again.
Thank you.
- Saturday, 09 March, 2013
If ever you get the chance to have a tour round the Town Hall go for it. It has some great rooms with beautiful stained glass windows. The best person to take you round is Harry Lever an old Hydonian. He has fantastic knowledge about it.
- Saturday, 09 March, 2013
I love the town hall - inside and out, and have photographed much of the stained glass which surrounds the main staircase, which is indeed beautiful. I didn't know it was possible to be shown round the whole building though. Does anyone have details please?
- Sunday, 10 March, 2013
I went round three or four years ago when it was Heritage Day but they don't seemed to have included since. If you know a counsellor may be they could fix it for you.
- Sunday, 10 March, 2013
Barry in Oz. B Williams mentioned Harry Lever. I am amazed that no one from this site has contacted this wonderful old man to get him to post. He is a minefield of information on Hyde, someone needs to grab him before he passes on with all his memories.
- Monday, 11 March, 2013


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"This is not a conference about the U.S., Europe, Africa, or any one country or region. It's a conference for all young people, and we need to fight for solutions that will result in progress for youth in every corner of the world." -- Blair Brettschneider
"There is hope as long as we are willing to spend enough time with one another to realize that beyond any difference, we are all human beings seeking the same things." -- Andrew Leon Hanna
Blair and Andrew were the two U.S. Representatives to the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Youth Forum, which convened in Paris, October 17-20. Over four days, they met and worked with 245 youth from over 100 countries to offer UNESCO new recommendations on empowering youth and improving its work in education, science, culture, and communication.
This year, their discussions centered on "How Youth Drive Change." A quick survey of the other delegates shows how the youth representatives were already making change in their community. They had a range of passions -- from climate change and the environment to LGBT rights and gender equality -- but two things were constant: they all believed in the power of youth to create a better tomorrow, and they felt a commonality with the youth from around the world.
Blair wrote: "Once you have graduated from college (as I have), it becomes more difficult to find groups of people who share your interests, especially when you move to a new city (another thing I have done; I moved to Chicago in 2010). These past few days, I have been surrounded by other young people from all over the world. The delegates here are diverse, but they are all passionate about something. It's inspiring to be surrounded by so many other young men and women who are committed to changing the world for the better. With everything going on in the United States and around the world, this is such an exciting time, and I'm so proud to feel part of a generation that is dedicated to positive change."
The forum was an opportunity for the participants to become more effective changemakers. UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador Forest Whitaker led a discussion with the youth representatives and UNESCO Director General Irina Bokova on the power of conflict resolution. On subsequent days, Whitaker brought together youth from countries with a history of conflict to teach them practical peace-building skills.
One of the major themes of the forum was that youth need more opportunities to engage in policy discussions on topics that matter to them. As Andrew wrote last week, "It is time to stop assuming and start listening to our world's youth."
Do you want to weigh in on the Youth Forum or anything else at UNESCO? Let us know on Facebook or Twitter.
October 24 marks United Nations Day. On United Nations Day, the United States joins 192 fellow member states in celebrating the founding ideals of the UN Charter.


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Dr. Alan Schaffer is a partner of Goshen Medical Associates. He is board-certified in Internal Medicine, Pulmonary Medicine, Critical Care Medicine and Sleep Medicine.
Dr. Schaffer's education includes graduate work at Tulane University School of Medicine at Worcester Memorial Hospital, Worcester, MA, at Albany Medical College, Albany, NY and at Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, NY. Dr. Schaffer graduated from Duke University with a Bachelor of Science in Engineering, Magna Cum Laude.


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ETSI NFV tag
1 result(s) displayed for ETSI NFV (1 - 1 of 1):
NFV INSIGHTS: The making of NFV security - "from vision to reality"
By: David Amzallag - Alcatel-Lucent Vice President, Virtual Telecommunications and CloudBand CTO
While network functions virtualization (NFV) introduces new challenges to security, it also presents unique opportunities for addressing security problems due to the unprecedented scale, flexibility, and central control it affords. Compute, storage, and network resources can be optimally allocated and stitched together as required by the security policy. Our approach to address NFV security is based on a recursive, divide-and-conquer methodology, which involves securing the Alcatel-Lucent CloudBand™ NFV Platform, cloud nodes, and the network that interconnects them. CloudBand uses policy-based placement capabilities enabled by the CloudBand Management System to install virtualized functions in their appropriate security zones, and re-uses the security services provided by NFV applications.
I thought it would be a good idea to describe the journey to this approach together with its "making of" episodes.


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Printer Friendly Version
Standard ECMA-373
Near Field Communication Wired Interface (NFC–WI)
2nd edition (June 2012)
This Ecma Standard specifies the digital wire interface between a Transceiver and a Front-end. The specification includes the signal wires, binary signals, the state diagrams and the bit encodings for three data rates. See also companion Front-end configuration (NFC-FEC) standard.
The following file can be freely downloaded:
This Ecma publication is also approved as ISO/IEC 28361,
which is
freely available here .
The previous replaced "historical" edition of this Ecma Standard is available here.


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Unique in its segment: The BMW X4 combines
the aesthetics of a coupé with the powerful
dynamics of the BMW X models.
You need the Adobe Flash Player in order to use some of the features of the BMW UK website. Please make sure that Flash is installed and activated. If you have not yet installed Flash, you can download it free of charge from the Adobe website.


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The Guardian on The World Tomorrowwww.guardian.co.uk
Julian Assange kicked off his television show on Russia Today interviewing Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah. The Guardian doesn't pull any punches:
There is a long dishonourable tradition of western intellectuals who have been duped by Moscow. The list includes Bernard Shaw, the Webbs, HG Wells and André Gide. So Assange—whether for idealistic reasons, or simply out of necessity, given his legal bills and fight against extradition to Sweden—isn't the first. But The World Tomorrow confirms he is no fearless revolutionary. Instead he is a useful idiot.


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คาสิโน มาเก๊า ออนไลน์_วิธีเล่นบาคาร่าให้ได้เงิน_ป๊อกเด้งออนไลน์
แอพ Fishing MasterLOG IN NOW to view your ceremony date/time and your hood colour.
Online application for Spring 2019 Convocation is open now at student. แอพ Fishing Master www.adverseconditionals.com. Students must apply before April 30.
Attending graduates will have their portraits taken at Convocation, and Western will provide each graduate with a 5x7 photograph free of charge after the ceremony*. Students will be required to pre-register online, where they can select their ceremony date and time.
*Promotional code will be valid for 6 months following the ceremony.
For more information, see the Photography/Video page.
Videos from each ceremony will be posted online and available for 1 year.
Spring 2018 Convocation Videos: View YouTube playlist here.
Autumn 2018 Convocation Videos: View YouTube playlist here.
Guest Tickets
Graduates are eligible to receive up to 4 guest tickets for Spring Convocation ceremonies, with the exception of King's grads who will be eligible to receive up to 2 guest tickets due to the large size of their graduating class.
Guest tickets will be available to order by logging in beginning May 27, 2019.
Students may request extra tickets (in addition to their standard amount) also starting May 27, 2019.
Academic Regalia
Graduates can pre-order their regalia by visiting buildagrad.ca/Western.
Early Bird ($50):
Monday, March 4 – Friday, May 31 (before 5:30 p.m.).
Late Registration ($60):
Friday, May 31 (beginning at 5:30 p.m.) – Tuesday, June 4.
Onsite ($70)
Find more information in the Academic Regalia section.


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US Common Core State Standard Math 3.MD.B.3
Demonstrations 1 - 1 of 1
Description of Standard: Draw a scaled picture graph and a scaled bar graph to represent a data set with several categories. Solve one- and two-step "how many more" and "how many less" problems using information presented in scaled bar graphs. For example, draw a bar graph in which each square in the bar graph might represent 5 pets.


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Requires Photography
[One of] 66 Photo-lithographs: The Useful-Composed of Ornaments of all Periods and Styles
Accession Number
Medium or Technique
Not On View
Issued Monthly by J. Ph. Ruin. Bufford's Photo Process Boston. Titlepage, Table of Contents. Plates numbered 1 to 71 inclusive.
The plates nos. 2223 to 2532 were originally given by Mr. Henry Sturgis Grew to the School of Modelling and Carving, held at the Museum. When that was finally given up, Henry Grew gave the plates to the Museum, Nov. 13, 1884. (310 plates in all).
Credit Line
Gift of Henry Sturgis Grew


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Three years ago, the Packers and Cardinals met for an epic wild-card playoff game, an Arena-style shootout that ended with a 51-45 overtime victory by Arizona.
The game included a breakout performance by tight end Jermichael Finley, who caught six passes for 159 yards.
"That was clearly one of the most dominant performances I've ever been a part of, of a tight end in a game," coach Mike McCarthy said Friday, via the Associated Press.
Finley believes that the Packers' first game against the Cardinals since that day in January 2010 provides an opportunity to get back to that level. "I feel it. I feel it, seriously," Finley said.
The talented-yet-underachieving pass-catcher also has quit talking about "chemistry" with his quarterback, focusing instead on matters of trust.
"It's opportunity, getting trust back from A-Rod," Finley said. "If I was the quarterback, I wouldn't throw it to the guy who's off rhythm right now, either. So I've got to get that trust back."
Finley's confidence has been lifted by Saturday night talks with Aaron Rodgers. "I'm doing it from here on out every Saturday," Finley said. "The guy is touching the ball 100 percent of the time. You've got to have that trust. That 30-, 45-minute meeting, that shows a lot. And he just says, 'How do you want the ball?' I tell him, 'It ain't how I want it, you tell me what you want me to do.'"
Also giving Finley a kick in the fanny was a video compiled by McCarthy of Finley's plays against the Cardinals.
"It was revealing," McCarthy said. "He was a bigger man then."
Finley's production has been virtually nonexistent in recent weeks, with a grand total of nine catches for 78 yards — in the last four games. Thus, if Finley doesn't get back to being a bigger man soon, he'll be playing with men other than the Packers come 2013.


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"From the Trade Paperback edition.
"Matthew Pearl is the new shining star of literary fiction -- a heady, inventive, and immensely gifted author. With intricate plots, classical themes, and erudite characters…what's not to love?"
-Dan Brown
"Working on a vast canvas, Mr. Pearl keeps this mystery sparkling with erudition... with this captivating brain teaser as his debut novel, seems also to have put his life's work on the line in melding scholarship with mystery. He does justice to both." -Janet Maslin, The New York Times
"Audacious and captivating."
-Adrienne Miller, Esquire
"Mr. Pearl's triumph is mixing these two cultures: wealthy, cultivated men of letters faced with the mysterious and seedy streets of a 19th-century Boston... creating not just a page-turner but a beguiling look at the U.S. in an era when elites shaped the course of learning and publishing. With this story of the Dante Club's own descent into hell, Mr. Pearl's book will delight the Dante novice and expert alike." -Kimberley Strassel, The Wall Street Journal
"Pearl, a graduate of Harvard and Yale Law School and a Dante scholar, ably meshes the literary analysis with a suspenseful plot and in the process humanizes the historical figures... A divine mystery."
-Julie K. L. Dam, People Magazine (Page Turner of the Week)
"Just about anyone who admires smart historical fiction will get a literary jolt out of Matthew Pearl's gory first novel... His Civil War memory fragments alone add up to one of the most unforgettable accounts of that chapter of American history yet written." -Celia McGee, The New York Daily News
"How the club and the police compete and then converge is the mystery and the thrill in a preternaturally accomplished book as wise as it is entertaining. 'The Dante Club' is a carefully plotted, imaginatively shaped, and stylistically credible whodunit of unusual class and intellect... The writing is passionate, the narrative driven."
-Carlo Wolff, The Boston Globe
"Pearl has achieved that intoxicating blend of reality and imagination that Doctorow gave us 25 years ago with Ragtime. Here's hoping Pearl decides to spend his career writing novels and letting that Yale law degree go to waste. The world has enough lawyers. Great novelists are in short supply."
-William Mckeen, The Orlando Sentinel
"Pearl masterfully synthesizes countless aspects of mid-19th-century life into a riveting mystery that creeps through all corners of crippled postwar Boston. To steal a revelation from the book: Lucifer did not create hell; it was Dante. In The Dante Club, Pearl adds one more diabolical ring."
-Christopher Bollen, Time Out (New York)
"This novel is as erudite as it is bloody. It swings from an account of exotic maggots eating a man alive to a discussion of the finer points of Dante's artistic and political vision. The Dante Club is a unique, ambitious, entertaining read, a historical thriller with a poetic streak."
-Chris Kidler, The Baltimore Sun
"'The Dante Club' is a richly detailed microcosm set generously before us. Within it, wit, erudition and a healthy respect for good old fashioned hugger-mugger conspire to produce one of this year's most agreeable entertainments."
-Bruce Allen, Raleigh News & Observer
"Pearl does what a good historical novelist has to do: Look at the past by the light of the imagination, creating a fictional situation -- there was of course no actual Dante killer in 1865 Boston -- to animate the ideas, issues and personalities of the time... There aren't many writers around who can remind you of both James Patterson and Umberto Eco."
-Charles Matthews, San Jose Mercury News
"Young author finds a 'Pearl' in mystery. Boston winters are cruel, and Matthew Pearl captures every icy finger of wind, every sinister shadow and more than a few human-induced chills in 'The Dante Club'... Pearl is a young author worth following. He's created a work that should appeal to history buffs, literary buffs and crime fiction fans alike."
-Robin Vidimos, The Denver Post
"A hell of a first novel... The Dante Club delivers in spades."
-David Lazarus, The San Francisco Chronicle
"The Dante Club is a thoroughly accomplished first novel. Matthew Pearl does a marvelous job of evoking the period and making it come alive with finely drawn characters and an ingenious story."
-David Liss, Edgar Award–winning author of A Conspiracy of Paper
"A fascinating, erudite, and highly entertaining account of a remarkable moment in American literary history."
-Iain Pears, author of An Instance of the Fingerpost
"In The Dante Club, Matthew Pearl expertly combines rollicking entertainment with serious insights about Civil War–era America. The book is fun, smart, and enviably audacious."
-Darin Strauss, author of Chang & Eng and The Real McCoy
"This first-rate thriller breathes such life into the genre that the term 'thrilling' genuinely applies. Matthew Pearl not only succeeds with a deft and elegant plot, but delivers an eloquent and quirky message for our times about the value of literary heroes. In The Dante Club we are privileged to meet the most unlikely quartet of sleuths."
-Gregory Maguire, author of Wicked and Lost
"The Dante Club is pure pleasure for the reader, magnificently informed without being stuffy, gripping without being merely sensational. I particularly enjoyed the nice, easy swing of its pacing. This book can be savored."
-Peter Straub, co-author of Black House
"An ambitious and entertaining thriller that may remind readers of Caleb Carr."
-Publishers Weekly
"Expertly weaving period detail, historical fact, complex character studies, and nail-biting suspense, Pearl has written a unique and utterly absorbing tale."
-Booklist Magazine (starred)
"Matthew Pearl's dazzler of a debut novel, The Dante Club, is just what an historical thriller should be--a creative combo of edge-of-your-seat suspense, fully imagined characters, fictional and real, and an evocative, well-researched, well-realized setting"
-Bookpage Magazine
"A devil of a time... Ingenious use of details and motifs from the Divine Comedy, and a lively picture of the literary culture of post-bellum New England, distinguish this juicy debut historical mystery."
-Kirkus Reviews (starred)
"Absorbing and dramatic... Pearl has proven himself a master."
-Library Journal


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By Chuck Murr | Associated Press
BEREA -- The playoffs are no longer possible. With two games left, the Cleveland Browns are reduced to playing for pride.
And for quarterback Brandon Weeden, maybe his future.
"At this point I've just got to let it fly," Weeden said. "From here on out, just let it rip and be aggressive, continue to take shots and see where it ends up."
Weeden hopes that swashbuckling style puts points on the board and helps prove he is Cleveland's quarterback for the future despite being a 29-year-old rookie. A good game Sunday in Denver could shape the opinion of a new front office expected to make sweeping changes following a ninth losing season in 10 years by the Browns (5-9).
"I can't think about that," Weeden said. "I need to play well because I haven't played well enough. For myself, for this team, that's all I'm worried about."
Offensive coordinator Brad Childress said Thursday that Weeden has the right attitude: "Like he has done all year long, he has to keep shooting."
Weeden misfired, though, in Cleveland's final home game, a 38-21 loss to Washington after a three-game winning streak. He looked indecisive following two costly interceptions the Redskins turned into 14 points.
"I think you get in the mindset where you're thinking about being too cautious," he said. "That's when you're not as accurate. I'm not going to blame it on being a rookie. That's long gone. It's on me. I've got to play better."
Weeden will need to swiftly deliver the ball on target against the Broncos (11-3). Linebacker Von Miller keys a stout defense that has helped Denver outscore opponents by 114 points during nine straight wins. His 16 sacks are third in the NFL and one shy of the Broncos record by Elvis Dumervil in 2009. Dumervil and Miller also have six forced fumbles apiece this year.
"He's good, one of the best I faced in college," Weeden said of Miller. "He didn't sack me, but he got a personal foul for a late hit, 15 yards. I think I kind of still feel it."
Five-time Pro Bowl left tackle Joe Thomas' goal is to help keep Weeden's uniform clean. He knows it is a touch task; Denver has 42 sacks overall.
"It's tough to say definitively, 'Yes, they are the best,' " Thomas said of Denver's dynamic defensive duo. "They're certainly in the top couple of tandems.
"Miller may be the fastest guy on their defense, corners and safeties included. When you talk about the combination of speed, quickness and you put him out there rushing the quarterback at 240 pounds or whatever he is, that's a tough group of talent to deal with."
Weeden has had decent protection, being sacked only 26 times. And though he's thrown three more interceptions than his 14 touchdown passes, Weeden has passed for 3,281 yards. That's 10th best in Browns history and the seventh highest ever by an NFL rookie.
"Numbers are getting thrown out the window now that we're obviously not in the playoff hunt anymore," Weeden said. "Now it's just going out, playing well, getting better."
While he's at it, he wouldn't mind outslinging one of his heroes, Peyton Manning.
"He's always been one of my favorite players," Weeden said. "He's not only a great quarterback, but one of the smartest to ever play this game. He's what every quarterback kind of shoots to be.
"I can't say it's daunting. It'll be fun. I'm excited about the challenge."
NOTES: KR-WR Josh Cribbs won the Pro Bowl fan vote for AFC special teamer. "It means a lot, coming from the fans," he said. Fans, players and coaches votes each count one-third toward determining the 43-man rosters. Cribbs was second to Baltimore's Jacoby Jones at kick returner. Other Browns in top five: K Phil Dawson, second to Oakland's Sebastian Janikowski; MLB D'Qwell Jackson, second; OT Joe Thomas, fourth; and rookie RB Trent Richardson, fifth. ... WR Mohamed Massaquoi (knee) DL Frostee Rucker (hip) and TE Jordan Cameron (head) did not practice. ... Cameron is being treated for concussion-like symptoms. Alex Smith and rookie Brad Smelley are most likely to replace him.


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MLG regrets to announce that we will not be awarding 1st or 2nd Place finishes for the Summer Championship League of Legends Event. We have determined that there was collusion between the two final teams, Curse NA and Team Dignitas. This is in clear violation of both the letter and spirit of MLG's Official Pro Circuit Conduct Rules: "competitors may not intentionally Forfeit a Game or conspire to manipulate Rankings or Brackets." As such, both teams have been disqualified, and no placements or prize money will be awarded.
Riot has agreed with this decision and, in accordance with their Season 2 rules on Unsportsmanlike Conduct, will not be awarding Circuit points to either team.
The 3rd and 4th Place teams will receive the prize money and Circuit Points they have earned, and all other results stand. No 1st or 2nd Place will be awarded for this event.
Both teams have agreed that the disqualification was warranted. While there is some contention over the exact nature of the actions taken by Curse NA and Dignitas which led to the disqualification, both teams, as well as MLG and Riot, agree that any collusion, or anything involving not playing a tournament match to win, warrants disqualification.
None of the parties involved, especially the teams, are happy about this occurrence, because they all take League of Legends eSports very seriously.


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Now that the Street knows that Dell Computers is considering taking itself private, it's time to consider what a big deal like that could look like.
Bloomberg broke the news that the struggling hardware company is talking to banks and private equity firms about possibly going private.
In Q3, it missed analyst estimates that it would generate $13.9 billion in revenue, coming in at $13.7 billion. According to Gartner, PC sales were down 5% over the holidays.
So how would the doctors of Wall Street deal with this patient? To buy the company from shareholders, they would do a standard private equity leveraged buyout — a deal in which the purchasing price of a company is financed by equity and debt.
Industry folks told Business Insider that the deal would likely require two big players in the private equity space (Think: KKR, Blackstone, TPG) going in on the deal together — a "club deal."
What PE investors see when they look at Dell is a cheap company with $11 billion in cash and good cash flow.
"The question is 'how fast is the decline?'" one analyst told Business Insider. "People aren't buying PCs anymore... You would need to write a $5 billion equity check."
That check would lever the company 4 times and puts the purchasing price at $13.00 per share (it's currently trading at $12.60).
Michael Dell owns 16% of the company, and that could make the deal easier for PE firms, but currently the company is levered 2x — it's holding some debt that would require refinancing — so the deal would need to include that.
"It's a stable business with great cash flow... would de-lever pretty quickly," the analyst continued. "Plus PE firms bring leaner management and operations so you could cut costs. I think someone would buy it and spin it out into two divisions. A lot of companies like Oracle and Cisco could want the server and storage business. Maybe Microsoft wants the PC business."
In short, start your engines.
And below, check out the quick math a PE analyst did for Business Insider:


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Spyderco C157GTIP LionSpy Folding Knife 3-5/8" ELMAX Steel Blade, G10 / Titanium Handles
SP157GTIP: C157GTIP LionSpy
Unlike the SR-1's one-piece titanium handle, the LionSpy features a two-piece handle construction that consists of one black G-10 scale and one titanium scale. The titanium scale is precision machined from solid 6AL-4V titanium and serves as the basis of the knife's stout Reeve Integral Lock (R.I.L.) mechanism. Both scales are CNC machined with a series of grooves perpendicular to the handle's length to enhance its texture and ensure a positive grip. They also feature a refined shape that supports a wider range of grip styles and include a compact pocket clip that supports right-side, tip-up carry. This unique combination of materials and the knife's open-backed design reduce weight and simplify cleaning and maintenance.
To minimize lock wear, the LionSpy's R.I.L. mechanism features a hardened steel insert that interfaces with the ramp on the blade. This ensures that the mating parts have comparable hardnesses and increases both the strength and service life of the knife.
The LionSpy's lock also includes Gianni Pauletta's patented RotoLock device. This titanium disk serves as an overtravel stop for the lock bar, preventing it from being pushed too far when the lock is released. When the knife is open, turning the RotoLock approximately 1/8 turn clockwise wedges the lock bar in place, preventing unintentional release of the lock and ensuring superior stability during hard-use cutting chores. To close the knife, rotate the RotoLock counterclockwise and push the lock bar laterally to unlock the blade.
The blade of the LionSpy is ground from premium Elmax PM 170 steel. A third-generation powdered metallurgy steel from Austria's Bohler-Uddeholm, Elmax boasts high carbon and chromium contents and an extra-fine grain structure that provide extreme edge holding and corrosion resistance. The blade is a sturdy 4.5mm thick, but features a high flat grind and a pronounced "belly" for superior edge geometry and cutting performance. It also proudly wears Spyderco's Trademark Round Hole™ for positive blade deployment, even while wearing gloves.
The LionSpy is a unique collaboration that combines an award-winning design with Spyderco's distinctive style and functionality to yield a truly exceptional hard-use folding knife. We sincerely hope that you are pleased with your choice and that your LionSpy serves you well for many years to come.
- Blade Length: 3.625" (92 mm)
- Cutting Edge: 3.55" (90 mm)
- Blade Thickness: 0.18" (4.5 mm)
- Overall Length: 8.43" (214 mm)
- Closed Length: 4.59" (117 mm)
- Hole Diameter: 0.59" (15 mm)
- Blade Steel: Elmax
- Weight: 5.9 oz. (168 g)
- Handle Material: G-10 / Titanium
- Made in Italy
UPC Code: 716104009213
Developed by Chris Reeve, it functions like a liner lock but the lock is comprised of one of the handle scales. It's an extremely strong and easy to manipulate lock.
Includes a pocket clip for easy accessibility and a more secure carry.
A nonferrous metal, it's prized for its high strength to weight ratio and is often used on higher end knives.
Extremely fine grained powdered metal that strikes the balance between edge holding and corrosion resistance perfectly. Much more likely to get a rolled edge than have a chip develop.
$79.99On Sale: $39.95
$69.99On Sale: $39.95
$59.99On Sale: $24.95
$99.99On Sale: $55.95


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Go #InsideInnovation at IDEALondon
Take an eye-opening tour of Cisco's Innovation Center to see how it's turning big ideas from startups into reality.
January 26, 2017
Take an eye-opening tour of Cisco's Innovation Center to see how it's turning big ideas from startups into reality.
January 26, 2017
Digital - October 26, 2016
Travel to Rio, to get an inside look at how Cisco's Innovation Center is helping Brazil become a digitized country. Innovation is at the forefront of everything Cisco is working on with its ecosystem of partners and startups.
Innovation - September 06, 2016
Travel to Sydney and see how Cisco is working on innovation to create the pathways to commercialization.
Innovation - August 02, 2016
See how Cisco's Innovation Center is making a positive impact on Perth's job market.
Innovation - May 02, 2016
Journey to Paris, France—a city that is embarking on digitization. With Big Data, IoT, and deep learning, Paris is reinventing the Internet.
Innovation - February 22, 2016
Take a tour of Barcelona where fog computing is helping to make it one of the smartest cities.
Digital - January 12, 2016
Join us as we tour Toronto's Innovation Center, where collaboration is creating solutions for health care, finance, education, and smart cities.
Innovation - August 30, 2015
Travel to Tokyo, Japan's largest city, where Cisco is partnering with companies like Toshiba and institutions like Keio University to bring new tech innovation to the forefront.
Innovation - June 15, 2015
"Amazing things happen when you connect the previously unconnected." Such is the work of Cisco's Innovation Center in Songdo, Korea—a city in one of the most technologically advanced countries in the world.
Digital - May 18, 2015
As metropolitan cities continue to grow, technology innovation is changing the way people live, work and play.
Digital - April 13, 2015
Keeping up with the lightning pace of technology in today's digital world requires new ways of thinking. It means providing an open environment where the best and brightest can collaborate.
Sign up for our daily newsletter


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The Home of Fashion Film and Live Fashion Broadcasting
OMG Matthew Williamson show... hate to say these words but... I DIE.. Best collection ever!! Amazing buzz backstage !
Matthew Williamson SS13 show was amazing! @SBTRKT soundtrack: Wildfire. #LFW #londonfashionweek #hapticworld
Cara at Matthew Williamson @BritishVogue #LFW http://t.co/FIVdznSJ
Distracted by this spectator at Matthew Williamson! Bling tastic http://t.co/9veHTifr
Poppy D and Olivia P front row at Matthew Williamson #LFW http://t.co/YmtY7upZ
David Gandy has just arrived at Matthew Williamson #lfw
Anniversary book by Matthew Williamson. 15 years. Can't wait to see his anniversary collection. http://t.co/d8smRq4Q
Braids & beauty backstage. This season's Matthew Williamson girl has just returned from India's exotic climes-RF #LFW http://t.co/AKv2bbcl
Matthew Williamson has provided us with a celebratory sketch book if you will of his inspiration and 15-year celebrations #lfw
Lights rediscovering Matthew Williamson's love of India at his S/S '13 show @hintmag http://t.co/GftLAeYt
The Matthew Williamson venue is literally on top of Cannon St tube! Incredible building #lfw #londonfashionweek
Peacock feathers and beads on rails backstage before Matthew Williamson #LFW #sneakpeek http://t.co/dhCWlNae
Backstage at Matthew Williamson. #LFW http://t.co/gSBk7TW5
Panoramic, skyscraper views for Matthew Williamson's 15th anniversary #LFW show. London, in all its glory: http://t.co/gBJPpJXd
Up next is Matthew Williamson - expecting some colour to warm up this grey #lfw day
Just spotted Matthew Williamson backstage with Benefit #lfw http://t.co/h9cDFxVt
All running late at Matthew Williamson, but look at this amazing? Huge backstage area! http://t.co/tmcQPU2b
Matthew Williamson launches a shoe line and it's stunning! Matthew Williamson is launching his first footwear… http://t.co/HpuO9IxX
#HairMeetWardrobe SS13 show schedule: Today we're styling Matthew Williamson for his show at 1pm! We couldn't be more excited!
For 15th anniversary #LFW show on Sunday, Matthew Williamson is inspired by India. Preview the intricate embroidery: http://t.co/yYsB7ceL


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Data recovery and undelete
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Bad file troubleshooting and fixing
Unreliable and damaged media reading
File, disk and flash memory wiping
Redundant data removal
All in One: Essential Data Tools
Data Wipe
Secure Data Eraser is a solution to keep your computer privacy: wipe your files, disk drives, flash memory and unused disk space so your sensitive data CAN NEVER BE ACCESSED OR RECOVERED. The program uses either fast or secure erase algorithms. Files and folders may be combined in wipe lists to be erased in a single procedure. Supports both FAT and NTFS file systems.
Please follow this link for more information: http://www.essentialdatatools.com/products/securedataeraser/


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Ingraham: GOP Needs A 2016 Nominee Willing To "Swift Boat" Hillary Clinton
Video ››› ››› MEDIA MATTERS STAFF
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A Wall Street Journal op-ed pushed discredit smears to claim that Senator John Kerry is anti-military and not fit for a possible cabinet post.
President Obama is reportedly considering Kerry to be Secretary of State or Defense. In response, former Journal editorial board member Seth Lipsky asked in his op-ed "why in the world" the president would consider Kerry for either position. Lipsky claimed nobody did more than Kerry to "besmirch the name of the GIs who fought in Vietnam." As evidence, Lipsky cited 1971 testimony by Kerry that members of the military had committed war crimes in Vietnam. Lipsky suggested this claim was unfounded aside from the massacre at My Lai. But as FactCheck.org stated in 2004, "ample evidence of other atrocities has come to light" since Kerry's 1971 testimony.
Lipsky wrote:
In 1971 Mr. Kerry related to the Senate accusations that he said had been made by veterans testifying before an antiwar group called the Winter Soldier Investigation.
The conviction of Lt. William Calley for his role in the massacre at My Lai is a reminder that our side did commit some war crimes in Vietnam. But they were, as Mr. Obama suggested, the misdeeds of a few. According to the website wintersoldier.com, which is sympathetic to Mr. O'Neill and the Swift Vets, the allegations raised by the Winter Soldier investigation were examined by the Defense Department and either did not hold up or could not be proved and no one was ever prosecuted for the allegations made by Mr. Kerry's group. Allies of Vietnam Veterans Against the War, sponsor of the antiwar hearings at which veterans testified, dispute critics of the investigation.
But Factcheck.org debunked the claim that Kerry was making unfounded charges, pointing out that Kerry was relating stories he had heard from fellow members of the armed forces and that stories of wartime atrocities by U.S. troops have been documented in a book by Marine Corps veteran Gary D. Solis, a Pulitzer Prize winning series by the Toledo Blade, and by a Columbia University doctoral student who said she found evidence of hundreds of atrocities in government archives.
Outlining the growing controversy about the timeline of Mitt Romney's Bain Capital career, CNN's Jim Acosta recently asked the candidate if he believed he was "being swift-boated in this campaign." Later that same evening, reporting on Anderson Cooper 360, CNN's Tom Forman forged a tighter connection, suggesting "Republican analysts fear Mitt Romney could become the second politician from Massachusetts swift boated out of the presidency."
Here's how Forman describe the Swift Boat affair [emphasis added]:
FORMAN: He's talking about the Swift Boat campaign, in which President Bush's challenger John Kerry was demonized over what his campaign considered an attribute. His decorated service as a soldier in Vietnam. The Swift Boat ads, backed by a group of pro-Bush veterans, questioned the Democratic challenger's conduct in the war, his anti-war activities later and his patriotism.
Kerry was slow to respond and never very effective in refuting their claims even though his critics offered little in the way of proof. He lost the election of course. And for many Democrats, swift-boating became a catch-all term for any unfair, untrue, personal assault on a candidate.
Trying to tie contemporary questions about Romney's Bain past with an infamous GOP smear campaign is an exercise in false equivalency. "The Swift Boat campaign was completely a lie," Esquires' Charles Pierce recently reminded readers. "Nothing the Swifties said about John Kerry was true." And yet, despite the cavernous gap between the Swift Boat affair and the ongoing Bain story, the comparison continues to gain currency.
The conservative Washington Examiner editorial page on Monday lamented the "Swift-Baining of Mitt Romney." What had the Obama campaign done that was so unfair to the Republican candidate? It had "seized on reports by liberal websites Mother Jones and Talking Points Memo -- and later by the Boston Globe -- citing Securities and Exchange Commission filings that listed Romney as the CEO of Bain after he was said to have left for the Olympics."
Quoting news outlets that cite government documents regarding Romney's employment record now constitutes a smear campaign?
Let's stipulate this fact going forward: A candidate having his résumé or biography examined during the course of a presidential campaign does not constitute being "swift boated." Enthusiastic "vetting" of candidates' backgrounds is a routine aspect of general elections.
The distinguishing feature of a Swift Boat smear campaign, of course, was that virtually every single war-era allegation made against Kerry's military service proved to be false, leaving the assumption that the entire point of the coordinated, deep-pocketed attack was to purposefully spread as manly lies as possible. And not just small fibs, but truly unconscionable lies about a serviceman's record during the unpopular Vietnam War.
Responding to a relentless wave of Iowa attacks ads produced by a Mitt Romney-friendly Super PAC, an angry Newt Gingrich last week challenged Romney to debate the "dishonest" commercials. Over the holiday weekend, Gingrich said of the ads, "I feel Romney-boated."
As the Associated press noted:
Gingrich's nautical attack was a reference to a 2004 TV ad campaign by a group called the "Swiftboat Veterans for Truth" that bloodied Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry.
Gingrich's turn of phrase was telling. Why? Because this was Newt Gingrich, a leader of the modern-day conservative movement, presidential candidate, and proud Republican partisan adopting language that acknowledged the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth are synonymous with unsubstantiated campaign attack ads. With his "Romney-boated" comment, the former Republican Speaker of the House reinforced what progressives have been saying for years.
But wait, everyone knows the Swifties peddled slanderous lies about John Kerry, right? Everyone acknowledges their ad campaign represented a new low point in American politics, right?
For years, prominent right-wing bloggers have clung to the parallel universe belief that the Swifties were honorable men and that none of their wild Vietnam War claims about Kerry were ever debunked. Within the right-wing media, the Swift Boat Veterans are fondly remembered as heroes who "courageously told the untold truths."
Previously, from Michelle Malkin:
A reminder to conservatives: "Swift-Boating" does not equal smearing. Swift-Boating means exposing hard truths about corrupt Democrats.
From Powerline:
Most of what the Vets said in their ads has never been disputed, let alone discredited.
From Patterico's Pontifications:
The canard that the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth was a "smear campaign" is so well accepted by Big Media that ABC NEWS feels comfortable in portraying the Swifties' ad campaign as "slanderous" and "smear ads."
On and on the denial goes as far-right bloggers cling to their Swift Boat fantasy. But now, with the likes of Newt Gingrich using the Swift Boat handle as bipartisan shorthand for claims of duplicitous campaign lies, that fantasy is being put to bed.
By Republicans.
Discussing on CNN the 2004 presidential election and noting that Democrats believed Sen. John Kerry had "unassailable military credentials," Chris Cillizza asserted, "Well, lo and behold, a group called the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth raises questions about it, John Kerry is presented as a flip-flopper, and that conventional wisdom goes out the window." But Cillizza failed to note that the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth's "questions" were false and baseless smears about Kerry's service in the Vietnam War.
Fox News' Molly Henneberg uncritically reported the assertion by Bud Day, a member of the then-named Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, that Wesley Clark "spent a month in Vietnam, got badly wounded, evacuated, and that was his Vietnam experience." In fact, according to documents posted on the website for Clark's 2004 presidential campaign, Clark served at least six months in Vietnam -- first as a 1st Infantry Division staff officer, then as an infantry company commander -- before he was wounded.
David Freddoso's upcoming book, The Case Against Barack Obama, will be published by Regnery, which reportedly "likens the goal of [the Obama] book to that of 'Unfit for Command,' " a widely discredited book containing numerous false and baseless attacks on John Kerry's military service.
On his radio show, Limbaugh claimed that the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth "were right on the money, and nobody has disproven anything they claimed in any of their ads, statements, written commentaries, or anything of the sort." In fact, most of the allegations the Swift Boat Veterans made about Sen. John Kerry's Vietnam War service during the 2004 presidential campaign have been thoroughly discredited, often by official military records, but also by the Swift Boat accusers themselves, who struggled to keep their stories straight.
ABC News political director Mark Halperin falsely suggested that while progressive 527 organizations with ties to the Democratic Party attacked President Bush during the 2004 election, there were no comparable groups on the right. But one of the most prominent 527 groups in the 2004 election cycle was the Swift Boat Veterans For Truth, a group with ties to both the GOP and the Bush-Cheney '04 campaign whose attacks on Democratic candidate John Kerry -- which included numerous false and discredited allegations -- received broad coverage in the media.
On The New York Times' weblog The Caucus, Kate Phillips wrote that "swift-boating became a verb for negative ads" during the 2004 presidential election. However, the group behind the ads, the Swift Boat Veterans and POWs for Truth, did much more than just run "negative ads" -- they launched a widespread smear campaign against Sen. John Kerry based on lies, factual distortions, and baseless attacks on Kerry's Vietnam War record and personal life.


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Cal Lutheran - 1, Farmingdale State - 0 (2OT)
Farmingdale, N.Y. - The Farmingdale State women's soccer team fell 1-0 in double overtime to California Lutheran in today's non-conference game in Farmingdale, N.Y. The Rams dropped to 2-2 overall with the loss, while the Regals improved to 3-1.
Cal Lutheran freshman midfielder Melissa Abdelkerim (Tarzana, Calif.) scored the unassisted golden goal at 102:34 to give her team the 1-0 victory.
The Regals controlled the offense all game with a 22-3 shot advantage over the Rams, but Farmingdale State freshman goalkeeper Breanna Blair (Littleton, Colo.) was fantastic in net with a career-high 13 saves, including nine in the second half, to keep her team in the game.
Farmingdale State will now travel to face Western Connecticut on Tuesday, September 11 at 7:00 p.m.


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The 2011 Salvation Army Central Oklahoma Red Kettle Campaign kicked off Nov. 25, and hundreds of locations in Central Oklahoma will host Salvation Army Bell Ringers this Christmas season.
However, collections for the Red Kettle are $7,500 lower this year than they were this same time last year.
The Salvation Army uses the donations to the Red Kettles for services to the Central Oklahoma area, capped off by its Christmas assistance program. The kick-off event, held Nov. 25 at Norman I-35 Walmart, featured Salvation Army officers and bellringers as well as Oklahoma's largest Red Kettle, the Oklahoma City Thunder Mascot Rumble the Bison and the Salvation Army ensemble.
The Salvation Army Central Oklahoma Area Command includes Canadian, Cleveland and Oklahoma Counties.
"Our goal this year is to raise $599,768 total for all three counties," said Area Commander Major Dan Proctor. "Last year, we were so blessed that the community beat the 2010 goal of $433,000, and we hope once again, citizens will donate their pocket change to help make a real difference to those suffering."
The Army has increased its services due to higher demand and needs to bring in more than last year to meet the goal. By county, this year's goals are $28,727 for Canadian County, $106,261 for Cleveland County and $464,780 for Oklahoma County.
Throughout the past several years, The Salvation Army Central Oklahoma continues to see an increase in services. The Salvation Army depends upon bellringing and other fundraising efforts throughout the Christmas season for 20 percent of its fiscal year budget.
"What we really need is for more service clubs, volunteer organizations, college students, community leaders, church Sunday School classes, families or individuals to commit to covering a location for a day or two, or half-days for smaller groups. Many clubs or groups have helped in the past and may even consider raising their own bar to help even more, perhaps covering a longer day or a second day. This would be so very helpful," said Major Proctor.
The Salvation Army will once again provide toys and clothes to 2,000 families in Central Oklahomaas well. Gifts will also be given to nursing home residents.
The Salvation Army and its officers are deeply committed to carrying out its ministry not only during the holiday season, but year round, said Major Proctor.
"Although our visibility is more heightened during the holidays, it is important that the community knows that our programs are ongoing," said Major Proctor. "We all need to come together to revitalize and strengthen the core of our local community by offering support any way we can."
To volunteer to help with the bell ringing or for more information about Christmas programs, call Lois Green at 405-246-1100. Paid bell ringing positions are also available, although volunteers are preferred.


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Hey z team--
Just came across a really useful site for those of you working with information management software for System z. It's the new Information Management Software for System z e-media site, and I think you'll find its collection of materials both interesting and useful. Check out the webcasts, teleconferences, brochures, whitepapers, and demos you'll find there. The URL is
http://event.on24.com/event/10/77/73/rt/index.html?eventid=107773&sessionid=1&key=F7CB6172EA2BB5B79CB34ABADBC995AD&eventuserid=15876496_[Read More]


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The Campus Goes Red for Women's Heart Health
Join Campus Rec each Friday throughout the month of February as we raise money and awareness for The American Heart Association and The National Go Red Campaign supporting women's heart health by wearing red on Feb. 2, 9, 16 & 23.
Campus Recreation is hosting a series of events throughout the month to support women's heart health with a kick-off photo on National Go Red Day, Feb. 2, at 2:15 pm in the SERC Lobby. Please join us in creating a campus memory in support of women's heart health.
The American Heart Association holds this annual day called "National Go Red Day" that will be held on Friday, Feb. 2. Awareness is raised for this cause by wearing the color red on that day, and on our campus each Friday during the month of February. All the money that is raised goes directly to the American Heart Association.
This year, Campus Recreation is encouraging the entire campus to participate every Friday in the month of February. If you are interested in helping to take part in this event, for a small donation of $5 you can wear red and/or jeans as a way of showing your support. Once you make your donation, you will place your name on a heart that will be added to the Wall of Heart Warriors located in the SERC, and you will be given a red dress pin or rubber bracelet to show your support.
The following locations are available to drop off your $5 donation and pick up your little red dress pin or support bracelet and donation sticker.
Campus Recreation Membership Services Desk at the SERC
Seymour Student Union room B105
Rakov room A112
Allen room 319
Brown room 228
Cooper room B4G
Hartwell room 23
If your office or department is interested in participating, feel free to contact JoLynne Weitzel at email@example.com, Brittany Baldwin at firstname.lastname@example.com or Alisa Fox at email@example.com so they can provide collection envelopes.
We are encouraging the Brockport community to share your jean/red pictures via social media using the #Lifeiswhy, #GoRedForWomen, #Brockport and #BportSocial hashtags.
posted by afox [2018-01-31]
Events & Activities


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nsca (Nagios Service Check Acceptor)
NSCA is a Linux/Unix daemon allows you to integrate passive alerts and
checks from remote machines and applications with Nagios. Useful for
processing security alerts, as well as redundant Nagios setups.
Maintained by: Bas Couwenberg
Keywords: nsca,send_nsca,nagios,passive service checks
ChangeLog: nsca
Download SlackBuild:
nsca.tar.gz.asc (FAQ)
(the SlackBuild does not include the source)
|Individual Files:
| doinst.sh
| nsca.SlackBuild
| nsca.info
| rc.nsca
| slack-desc
© 2006-2019 SlackBuilds.org Project. All rights reserved.
Slackware® is a registered trademark of Patrick Volkerding
Linux® is a registered trademark of Linus Torvalds
Web Design by WebSight Designs | Managed Hosting by OnyxLight Communications


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You are currently browsing the tag archive for the 'John Knechtel' tag.
I thought I would continue an earlier post, divided up into part 1 and part 2, on recent books surrounding food issues that seem to be so very prevalent in our society, as there are some new interesting sounding books I've seen around. There was also a request from one of these earlier posts to include a short description of each book, so I'll do that from now on too. Here goes…
•Food Security for the Faint of Heart written by Robin Wheeler, published by New Society Publishers, 2008. Wheeler, a BC resident, permaculture activist, author, teacher and founder of the Sustainable Living Arts School, writes about the trip to the grocery store we all so often take for granted. What would we do if there was no grocery store? Where would we get our food? She tries to empower her readers into re-gaining control over their food and where it comes from with chapters such as "Preserving garden food" and "Saving freezer food during a power outage".
• The Omnivores's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals is written by Michael Pollan, published in 2007 by Penguin Press. Simply put, Pollan as a self-proclaimed omnivore, writes a narrative work in which he evaluates where his dinner could come from; specifically from fast-food/industrial, organic, or self-gathered. Pollan also wrote In Defense of Food which I mentioned in part 1, and Botany of Desire in 2002.
• The End of Food: How the Food Industry is Destroying Our Food Supply and What You Can Do About It by Thomas F. Pawlick. I like the look of the table of contents of this book because though it starts off with chapters titled "The End of Food", "Collateral Damage" and "The X Files" and a little tale about a tomato that won't ripen and bounces like a red tennis ball, which all sounds pretty grim (necessary to read, but grim just the same) he follows these with chapters of solutions, called "Think Locally, Fight Locally" and "Being Human". I like it already. BONUS: there is an interesting interview of the author by Malcolm Jolley on Gremolata.
• Slow Food Nation by Carlo Petrini, with Forward by Alice Waters, published in 2007. Petrini has written a stack of other books on the slow food movement, is the founder and driving force of Slow Food and was recently acclaimed as a great innovator in Time Magazine's list of European Heroes. Slow Food Nation teaches it's readers about the ways in which they can re-gain control of what they're eating. BONUS: see a little youtube clip of Petrini.
And if you want to ponder the world of food in a different way, you can check out Food by John Knechtel, Editor, and Director of Alphabet City Media in Toronto, Canada. This book puts together a variety of both visual artist and writers examinations of food: healthy food, unhealthy food, new food, old food, food with emotional ties, food as it's told from different peoples points of view. What a novel concept; this will most certainly be my next purchase. Knechtel has also edited books on the topics and appropriately titled Trash, Fuel and Suspect.
Happy reading!
~ j


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Message Board
Don Keith Message Board
Talk about the novels, new and used books that Keith has written!
Author Keith's Book Reviews
Final Bearing
A maniacal South American drug lord, Juan deSantiago, devises a unique means to deliver his highly-addictive product to the U.S. He has developed a mini-sub that can slip into Puget Sound and deliver the specially-treated product. But this load of cocaine has too much of a top-secret additive and can cause death to its users. Captain Jon Ward of the nuclear submarine USS Spadefish and a team of Navy SEALs must stop deSantiago and his latest shipment o...
The Forever Season
C.P. McKay is a true scholar athlete, one who wants to pursue his love for learning while enjoying the game of college football. He is met by obstacles every way he turns as he tries to do those things he most wants to do. This is an award-winning coming-of-age novel....


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John R. Read
Chief, Litigation III Section
Antitrust Division
United States Department of Justice
450 5th St NW
Suite 4000
Washington DC 20530
May 28, 2012
Dear Mr. Read,
I'm writing to you as the author of forty-six books--eight legacy published, two Amazon published (with three more on the way), and thirty-six self-published, all of which inform the views I express in this letter.
As you doubtless recognize from the mail you're receiving, there is currently underway a letter-writing campaign coordinated by the Association of Authors' Representatives, the Authors Guild, and other parts of the publishing establishment attempting to persuade you that the DOJ's suit against five of the Big Six and Apple is without merit, and that the Agency model is, at best, good for everyone, at worst, harmless.
I'm writing to tell you that these organizations did not solicit the views of their members, that they in no way speak on behalf of all or even most of their members, and that (as I imagine is obvious) they are motivated not by what's best for consumers, but by what they see as best for themselves.
I recognize that the heart of the DOJ's suit is collusion, not high prices. But it's clear that the legacy publishing industry's strategy is to keep the prices of ebooks high so as not to cannibalize high-margin hardback sales. If the prices of legacy published books are kept artificially high it could be argued that my lower-priced self-published books are made more attractive by comparison, but I believe that a regime of higher-priced books is bad for the industry overall because it slows the growth of the global book market, which indeed hurts all sales. I also believe it's obviously bad for consumers, especially lower-income consumers, who could buy more of the books they loved if those books weren't priced so high.
When prices of media are high, they're a barrier to entry. Many are avoiding buying an ereader because the ebooks they most want are $9.99 - $14.99. If prices came down, more Kindles (and Kobo readers and Nooks and Sony readers) would be sold. That widens the market, which leads to more ebook sales. This is good for authors, and for readers who can get more for their money.
When prices of media are high, they're a barrier to entry. Many are avoiding buying an ereader because the ebooks they most want are $9.99 - $14.99. If prices came down, more Kindles (and Kobo readers and Nooks and Sony readers) would be sold. That widens the market, which leads to more ebook sales. This is good for authors, and for readers who can get more for their money.
I write a popular blog, notable in the industry for its contrary opinions, called A Newbie's Guide to Publishing http://jakonrath.blogspot.com and I'm including four recent blog posts to underscore some of the points I make above, and the structural problems in the publishing industry as they relate to the DOJ suit.
The first, written by Barry Eisler (a former attorney and author of eight legacy-published books, two with Amazon's Thomas & Mercer imprint, and four self-published titles), succinctly explains how big publishers function as a cartel (or, as it was recently revealed they refer to themselves, a "club").
The second explains how the agency publishing model harms authors and consumers. http://jakonrath.blogspot.com/2012/04/agency-model-sucks.html
The third and fourth are direct refutations of two letters sent to you--one by the Association of Authors' Representatives http://jakonrath.blogspot.com/2012/05/aar-fail.html, and one by agent Simon Lipskar http://jakonrath.blogspot.com/2012/05/simon-says.html, president of a literary agency called Writers House. I have done my best to show how poorly thought-out, disingenuous, misleading, and sometimes outright deceitful these letters are.
The language I've used to rebuke these agents is the language I use on my blog, which is casual, coarse, and accusatory. I mention this just so you'll know that despite what I think is justifiable anger at the industry practices which I believe betray authors and harm readers, I recognize there's a difference in the kind of tone one can use in a blog and the kind one ought to use in a letter like this one.
Thank you in advance for taking the time to read these posts. Though it is my understanding that the goal of the DOJ's suit is to protect consumers, it is my belief that the group most harmed by the actions of the publishing cartel is writers, who have been forced to accept onerous, often unconscionable contract terms without recourse. The Association of Authors' Representatives, and the Authors Guild, which purportedly defend the rights of writers, in fact work for the publishers. For decades, thousands of writers have been exploited by a powerful industry that universally offers nonnegotiable, one-sided terms, which have gone unchallenged. To that end I offer three more links to posts I have written, http://jakonrath.blogspot.com/2012/05/pricing-books-and-ebooks.html, http://jakonrath.blogspot.com/2012/05/exploited-writers-in-unfair-industry.html, and
Also, I should mention a point that was brought up in the comments to one of these posts (the comments are a great place to read what writers and readers really feel about this issue). I'll paraphrase: "Why is it the Big 6 had no problems with Amazon when they were drastically discounting hardcover book prices, but when Amazon does the same thing with ebooks it is suddenly the end of competition?"
These blog posts show that Amazon has not destroyed competition. In fact, it is the only company encouraging it.
Sincerely yours,
Joe Konrath
(the mailed and emailed letters contain the referenced blog posts in their entirety)
Joe Konrath
(the mailed and emailed letters contain the referenced blog posts in their entirety)


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Job Information
Deloitte Oracle Cloud ERP Financials- Manager in San Diego, California
Oracle ERP Cloud - Manager
Got your head in the cloud? With so much technology moving to the Cloud, our business requirements are taking us to new heights. By harnessing the power of Oracle ERP Cloud, you can streamline enterprise business processes with ERP Cloud's Financials, Procurement, or Portfolio Management. Do you have the ability to transform an organization through the latest social, mobile, and analytic technologies? We re looking for someone that can increases the effectiveness of decision making and drive innovation. If your head s in the cloud, find out where we can take you with Oracle Enterprise Solutions.
Work you ll do
As a Diamond-level member of the Oracle Partner Network, Deloitte needs thought leaders like yourself to help pave the way for our clients and Oracle service line development. For our clients, our Oracle ERP Cloud Managers reduce cost and support innovation at the enterprise level by managing business requirements and leading the functional design, prototyping and process design stages of Oracle Cloud implementations. Responsibilities will include:
Client Management: Manage day to day interactions with executive clients and sponsors
Delivery: Manage and deliver components of client engagements that identify, design, and implement technology and creative business solutions for large companies. Responsibilities include, among others, managing teams in the identification of business requirements, functional design, process design (including scenario design, flow mapping), prototyping, testing, training, defining support procedures.
Business Development: Develop and maintain contact with top decision makers at key clients; organize and lead pursuit teams; participate and lead aspects of the proposal development process; contribute to the development of proposal pricing strategies
People Development: Perform role of counselor and coach; provide input and guidance into the staffing process; actively participate in staff recruitment and retention activities; provide leadership and support for delivery teams and staff in local offices
Oracle Enterprise Solutions (OES)
Our Oracle Enterprise Solutions practice provides services from ERP and Cloud Strategy, through Business Transformation and Applications Implementation, to Operate and Cloud Release Management. We modernize our client s business and core environments to leverage technology innovations around Cloud, Digital, Mobility and Social Collaboration. We help our clients address digital transformation by designing modern applications and industry specific solutions to deliver outcomes that improve flexibility, scalability and cost management. Oracle ERP products include Oracle Cloud SaaS, EBS, PeopleSoft, and JD Edwards.
Professionals can expect to deliver heart of the business projects and work closely with client leaders in finance, logistics, manufacturing, shop floor, scheduling, engineering and design, IT, project management as well as the C-suite including the CEO, CFO, CIO and COO. We assess current business processes and capabilities as part of digital transformation initiatives and support strategic priorities across clients enterprises.
Functional professional with 5 ERP Financials implementations (e.g., Oracle ERP Cloud, Oracle R12) and a senior team member, team lead or Project Manager on at least 3 full cycle implementations.
Experience as a resource in the implementation lifecycle of at least 3 Oracle ERP Cloud projects (Release 10 or later).
A minimum of 10 years of experience implementing some combination of Oracle Financials applications such as: General Ledger (GL), Sub-ledger Accounting (SLA), Financial Accounting Hub (FAH), Accounts Receivables (AR), Accounts Payables (AP), Cash Management, Fixed Assets, Treasury, EBTax, Advanced Global Intercompany Systems (AGIS), Procure-to-Pay (P2P), Invoice modules
Oracle ERP Cloud experience in at least three of these modules: General Ledger, Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable, Asset Management, Procurement, Expenses and Enterprise Contracts
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Experience reporting to C-level client contacts, managing client teams, in addition to on- and off-site, and off-shore functional and technical teams
Must have experience collaborating with clients on business process enhancements
Up to 80% travel required
A Bachelor s degree
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10 years of consulting experience which includes: contributing to requests for proposals (RFP), client presentations, detailing scope of work (SOW)
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Strong oral and written communication skills, including presentation skills (MS Visio, MS PowerPoint)
Strong problem solving and troubleshooting skills with the ability to exercise mature judgment
Commitment to gaining exposure in multiple industries
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An advanced degree in the area of specialization
Two full lifecycle implementations of Oracle R12 (eBusiness, E-biz)
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As of this writing, SERIAL by Blake Crouch & Jack Kilborn has been downloaded over 70,000 times. The majority of these have been on the Amazon Kindle.
Of course, SERIAL is free, which helps. But it's still gratifying to know that our little short story has been read (and in some cases, hated) by so many people.
Naturally, I've been thinking about how I could follow this up.
Regular blog readers know I've been doing pretty well selling my old short stories and unpublished novels on Kindle. But I've never actually written anything specifically for the Kindle.
Until now.
Jack Kilborn and I got together and did a prequel to SERIAL. Not only does it feature one of SERIAL's bad guys, it also features Taylor, one of the Red Ops from Kilborn's horror novel AFRAID.
I wracked my brain trying to figure out a good protagonist to throw into this nest of vipers, and came up with the obvious.
Jack Daniels.
The novella is called TRUCK STOP.
Before the events of Jack Kilborn's epic horror novel AFRAID...
Before the events of J.A. Konrath's critically acclaimed thrillers FUZZY NAVEL and CHERRY BOMB...
Before the events of Jack Kilborn's and Blake Crouch's #1 Amazon Kindle bestseller SERIAL...
Three hunters of humans meet for the ultimate showdown at the TRUCK STOP.
Taylor is a recreational killer, with dozens of gristly murders under his belt. He pulls into a busy Wisconsin truck stop at midnight, trolling for the next to die.
Chicago Homicide cop Jacqueline "Jack" Daniels is a long way from home, driving to meet her boyfriend for a well-earned vacation. She pulls into the truck stop for a quick cup of coffee and stumbles into her worst nightmare.
Jack's no stranger to dealing with psychos, but she's got her hands full trying to stop Taylor. Especially since he's getting help from someone just as deadly; a portly serial maniac named Donaldson...
TRUCK STOP is a 15,000 word thriller novella that ties together Konrath's and Kilborn's works, with terrifying results.
A prequel to SERIAL, which has been downloaded more than 70,000 times, TRUCK STOP is an eighteen-wheeled ride straight into hell. Not for the faint of heart. Let the reader beware.
This ebook also includes an exclusive interview: JA Konrath talks with Jack Kilborn, plus excerpts from their latest books, CHERRY BOMB and AFRAID.
Here's the Kindle link: http://www.amazon.com/Truck-Stop-Psycho-Thriller-ebook/dp/B002G99RRK
I'm really curious how this will sell, because Kilborn has been doing better than Konrath on Kindle. I'm also interested to see if this does anything for my backlist of Kindle books.
If you don't have a Kindle, and want to download it as a pdf (or many other formats), I also uploaded it to Smashwords.com.
I'll keep everyone posted. In the meantime, feel free to spread the word...
Sunday, July 05, 2009
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Massachusetts Governmental Activities Exposition Photograph Album
Browse Finding Aid:
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The following terms represent persons, organizations, and topics documented in this collection. Use these headings to search for additional materials on this web site, in the Five College Library Catalog, or in other library catalogs and databases.
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Get DVD Talk Feeds
Is there a sports figure who has been more thoroughly documented than Muhammad Ali? The three-time heavyweight champ was one of the first professional athletes to fully capture the attention of mass media, and to understand how he could utilize it. Reporters loved him because he made good copy; he gave funny, sharp quotes, his story was dramatic, and his charisma was palpable. Because he was such a compelling figure, and there's so much great footage of him in action (in and out of the ring), you can trace the bulk of his career through the documentary films that have taken him as their subject: from the early days in Muhammad Ali: Made in Miami to the "Rumble in the Jungle", seen in the brilliant Oscar-winning doc When We Were Kings to the Thrilla in Manila to his tragic final fights, seen in the excellent new ESPN documentary Muhammad and Larry. (Michael Mann's biographical feature Ali helps fill in some of the blanks as well.)
But Champions Forever pre-dates them all, its primary (in fact, its only) advantage over those films is that director Dimitri Logothetis was able to capture Ali's thoughts on his most famous bouts before his Parkinson's nearly grinded his ability to speak to a halt. To be sure, his speech has slowed here, but he still has his considerable warmth, charisma, and good humor (the camera captures his "Wanna see it again?" joke, among many others). His discussions and memories of fight strategies are lucid and enlightening, and his grin remains downright infectious.
The film also includes his contemporaries Joe Frazier, Ken Norton, George Forman, and Larry Holmes, opening with Holmes' 1988 loss to Mike Tyson, the heir apparent (at that time, anyway) to Ali. The film then moves back to profile each of the eventual champions--their humble beginnings, and how they entered the ring. Though the four contemporaries get some screen time, Ali is the documentary's primary focus; it walks us through his early triumphs, his conversion to Islam, his controversial anti-draft stand, and his subsequent return to the sport. His story is intercut with the rise of the other fighters, and their thoughts on their own styles and how they faced off against Ali.
As a clip show, Champions Forever is fantastic; there's amazing old footage of Ali's amateur and early professional bouts, as well as his early pro fights (good lord, he was so young and so fast), and a great clip of him joking around at a weigh-in. Most of the important fights get at least a mention, though few are delved into in great detail. And the contributions of his fellow fighters are significant (especially during an enjoyable, and sometimes tense, roundtable interview).
So as a document, it's invaluable--to see these clips, to hear these guys remember these fights. But as documentary filmmaking, it's strictly paint-by-numbers; though it's full of iconic moments and tremendous stories, it never sucks us in the way that the best sports documentaries (and, for that matter, the Ali docs listed above) do.
This new "definitive edition" of Champions Forever has a somewhat awkward construction. There are three parts--the two bonus features and the film itself, which runs 80 minutes--but the menu's "Play all" option plays them in an odd order that puts the feature up between the two extras.
The video quality is, overall, pretty poor. The sketchy quality of the old clips is understandable, but the new interviews are a soft, fuzzy, washed-out mess, full of ugly grain, compression artifacts, ghosting, and comet trails. The aspect ratio is also all over the place--it begins in non-anamorphic letterboxed, but then uses some full-frame archival footage before going completely full frame about twenty minutes in.
The 2.0 mix is also pretty muddy, primarily due to the less-than-perfect recording of the interviews, which are sometimes difficult to understand (and given no assistance by absent subtitles). Some of Ali's "lost interviews" are captured on the fly, but even the sit-down, studio chats are frequently encumbered by hiss and other surface noise. It's a fleeting issue, and doesn't ruin the experience, but it's still nothing to recommend.
There are two bonus items, both of them bulky, one better than the other. The "Lost Interviews" (31:15) consists of outtakes and extras with Ali shot in the late 80s, during production of the film and at its premiere. It has some good stories (including how he threw away his gold medal), some funny lines (Of Howard Cosell, the interviewer says, "You made him a known name," to which Ali replies, "And he didn't give me a quarter!"), and some good clips, but the attempt to present it as a stand-alone piece doesn't work; it's formless, shapeless.
"Dinner with the Champs" (30:32) is an awkwardly-staged piece, a dinner/group interview hosted (inexplicably) by baseball legend Reggie Jackson. The featurette has its moments, but it is overlong and mostly redundant, and is burdened by some pretty bad sound.
With its wide focus and conventional style, Champions Forever might serve as a worthwhile introduction to Ali for younger audiences, or a pleasant stroll down memory lane for old fans. But it suffers in comparison to the many Muhammad Ali documentaries that have followed it; those films offer penetrating analysis and genuine tension and insight, while this one is more like a greatest-hits reel.
Jason lives in New York. He holds an MA in Cultural Reporting and Criticism from NYU.