text:
Right-hander Castellani sees Rockies as a perfect fit
DENVER -- Right hander Ryan Castellani felt as though his whole career was teetering in the balance when former Rockies outfielder Brad Hawpe took the slow stroll to the podium.
As he tried to catch his breath after running to the nearest television, all Castellani could think was, "OK, I'm either going to be really happy or all my hopes are going to be shot down."
DENVER -- Right hander Ryan Castellani felt as though his whole career was teetering in the balance when former Rockies outfielder Brad Hawpe took the slow stroll to the podium.
As he tried to catch his breath after running to the nearest television, all Castellani could think was, "OK, I'm either going to be really happy or all my hopes are going to be shot down."
The Rockies had been the Brophy Prep (Ariz.) product's top choice since the team's area scout, Chris Forbes, first brought him out to Salt River Fields to tour and meet executives this past spring. No other organization had done that and no other organization had been as quite as genuine.
But as his phone sat silent, Castellani decided to send Forbes a text: "If you're in the room, convince them that at No. 48, I'm your guy."
With the Minnesota Twins on the clock at No. 46, Castellani's adviser Joel Wolfe received a call from the Rockies explaining that it was down to him and "another kid." And so he waited.
"Right when 'with the 48th pick' is being said, the Rockies begin calling, and then I see my name," said Castellani. "It was like five hours of waiting for a minute and a half to change my life."
Castellani is no stranger to being weighed against "another kid."
Only 18 years old, Castellani is a grizzled veteran when it comes to world amateur showcases. That has given scouts plenty of time to analyze his game and question why he hasn't seen an increase of velocity like that of his peers.
After beginning his time at Brophy with a higher profile, MLB.com listed the 6-foot-4, 195-pound Castellani as the 131st best prospect entering the draft. Assessments like that get Castellani "fired up."
"The best thing that my adviser said is just to block it all out because Baseball America and Perfect Game aren't the ones writing the checks," said Castellani. "Getting picked 48th [overall] almost proves them wrong a little bit. I just have that chip [on my shoulder] to show them that the Rockies made a very good decision."
But it's not as if the Rockies are looking for Castellani, who registered 55 strikeouts in 50 innings his senior year, to light up the radar gun.
"One of the main things we build our reports on is an ability to get a ground ball," said Vice President of Scouting Bill Schmidt. "He's shown an ability to do exactly that."
According to Castellani, that isn't so much an ability as it is a mentality drilled into him by his mentors: former Major League pitchers Jim Bruske, currently Brophy's pitching coach, and Chris Sinacori.
"Both of them got my mindset away from just trying to throw hard to actually learning how to pitch," said Castellani. "All the mental stuff that you wouldn't really know until you experienced it -- I kind of got that at an earlier age."
It's that advanced understanding, along with all the work he's done throughout the amateur circuit that makes the Rockies confident in Castellani's ability to make a quick transition.
"I think he has that maturity and [Bruske] helped him a lot with that," said Schmidt. "We're talking about a high school kid who already has a lot of experience so far."
Castellani, who is currently committed to Arizona State, plans to fly out to Colorado soon to sign his contract before beginning his summer with the Rockies' Rookie Ball affiliate in Grand Junction. Although it will be his first time visiting the state, he's already been there a thousand times over in his dreams.
"One thing my dad said to me is that it's rare that the organization who is your No. 1 and who you want is the one that ends up picking you. It's just been a perfect fit."
Cody Ulm is an associate reporter for MLB.com.

subset: commoncrawl


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JONESBORO, Ark. (ASU) — Arkansas State head football coach Bryan Harsin announced Tuesday that Julius Brown has been named the Red Wolves cornerbacks coach.
Brown joins Arkansas State after most recently spending the 2012 season as cornerbacks coach at Sun Belt Conference member Troy. Brown coached a cornerbacks corps that saw five different players combine to record 100 tackles, 18 pass break-ups, three fumble recoveries and an interception. Under Brown's direction, Troy corner Bryan Willis ranked 13th in the conference in passes defended and T.J. Bryant was second in the league in fumble recoveries.
Brown will work with Harsin for the second time of his career, also spending time on the Boise State staff for four of the five seasons Harsin was the Broncos' offensive coordinator. Prior to his arrival at Troy, Brown spent the 2009 and 2010 seasons as Boise State's Director of Player Personnel.
During those two seasons, Brown's responsibilities included working as the on-campus recruiting coordinator, organizing official and unofficial visits for recruits and their families, overseeing the football recruiting and scholarship budgets, assisting the director of football operations with summer camps, acting as a liaison with the department's academic support team and representing the football program at campus and community events.
The 2007 and 2008 seasons saw Brown serve as a graduate assistant coach on the Boise State staff. He worked with wide receivers and also served as the assistant director of football operations during that time.
Before joining Boise State, Brown spent one season coaching defensive backs at Boise's Capital High School. He helped lead the Eagles to the state playoffs in his lone season at Capital.
Brown was a three-year starter and four-year letterman as a defensive back for Boise State from 2000-03, also playing while Harsin was on the Broncos' coaching staff. Brown was a member of the 2002 and 2003 WAC championship teams and helped lead Boise State to wins in the 2002 Crucial.com Humanitarian Bowl and the 2003 Plains Capital Fort Worth bowl. He was an Honorable Mention All-WAC choice as a senior after leading the league in passes defended.
"Coach Brown has a well-rounded background, from a coaching aspect to operations to experience as a player," said Harsin. "I saw first-hand at Boise State that he was an outstanding coach, but he's also been successful and done a great job everywhere he has been. He will be another outstanding addition to our coaching staff."
Brown, a native of Stockton, Calif., is a 2006 graduate of Boise State with a degree in business administration.


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Eze Castle Integration Announces London Office Expansion and Appointment of Dean Hill to Executive Director of United Kingdom Operations, International Sales
London – 15 April 2014 – Eze Castle Integration, Ltd., a leading provider of strategic IT solutions and private cloud services to the alternative investment industry, today announced its London team has moved into a new office to accommodate the region's continued client and employee growth. The company also promoted Dean Hill to the position of Executive Director overseeing Eze Castle Integration's United Kingdom operations and international sales efforts.
Eze Castle's London office has experienced consistent year-over-year client and employee growth, causing the company to outgrow its previous office on Marylebone Lane. The new office location in London's Mayfair area offers a more efficient layout that enables effective collaboration across client service and technology teams and will support the company's continued growth.
In addition, Eze Castle named Dean Hill, its former director of sales, EMEA, to the position of executive director, United Kingdom. Hill combines nearly two decades of sales and technology experience with a deep understanding of Eze Castle's business and client requirements. In the new role, Hill will continue business development oversight for the company's UK and Asia offices while assuming responsibility for Eze Castle's UK operations.
"London is one of Eze Castle Integration's fastest growing regions and we continue to invest in our technology, operations and people to ensure we provide the outstanding services our hedge fund and alternative investment clients require," said Vinod Paul, managing director, Eze Castle Integration. "Our move to a larger office space and the promotion of Dean put Eze Castle Integration in an excellent position to achieve continued worldwide growth."
In addition to the London office, Eze Castle has seven offices across the United States plus offices in Hong Kong and Singapore. The company's global presence and global Eze Private Cloud infrastructure make it ideally suited to support the global hedge fund and alternative investment industry.
About Eze Castle Integration
Eze Castle Integration is the leading provider of IT solutions and private cloud services to more than 650 alternative investment firms worldwide, including more than 100 firms with $1 billion or more in assets under management. The company's products and services include Private Cloud Services, Technology Consulting, Outsourced IT Support, Project & Technology Management, Professional Services, Telecommunications, Business Continuity Planning and Disaster Recovery, Archiving, Storage, Colocation and Internet Service. Eze Castle Integration is headquartered in Boston and has offices in Chicago, Dallas, Hong Kong, London, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, New York, San Francisco, Singapore and Stamford.


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Prepared by the Sacred Congregation for the Sacraments and Divine Worship
Approved and Confirmed by His Holiness Pope John Paul II April 17, 1980
Following the letter that Pope John Paul II addressed on February 24, 1980, to the
bishops and, through them, to the priests, and in which he again considered the priceless
gift of the Holy Eucharist, the Sacred Congregation for the Sacraments and Divine Worship
is calling to the bishops' attention certain norms concerning worship of this great
These indications are not a summary of everything already stated by the Holy See in the
documents concerning the Eucharist promulgated since the Second Vatican Council and still
in force, particularly in the Missale Romanum,[1] the Ritual De Sacra Communione et de
Cultu Mysterii Eucharistici Extra Missam,[2] and the Instructions Eucharisticum
Mysterium,[3] Memoriale Domini,[4] Immensae caritatis,[5] and Liturgicae
This Sacred Congregation notes with great joy the many positive results of the
liturgical reform: a more active and conscious participation by the faithful in the
liturgical mysteries, doctrinal and catechetical enrichment through the use of the
vernacular, and the wealth of readings from the Bible, a growth in the community sense of
liturgical life, and successful efforts to close the gap between life and worship, between
Liturgical piety and personal piety, and between Liturgy and popular piety.
But these encouraging and positive aspects cannot suppress concern at the varied and
frequent abuses being reported from different parts of the Catholic world: the confusion
of roles, especially regarding the priestly ministry and the role of the laity
(indiscriminate shared recitation of the Eucharistic Prayer, homilies given by lay people,
lay people distributing Communion while the priests refrain from doing so); an increasing
loss of the sense of the sacred (abandonment of liturgical vestments, the Eucharist
celebrated outside church without real need, lack of reverence and respect for the Blessed
Sacrament, etc.); misunderstanding of the ecclesial character of the Liturgy (the use of
private texts, the proliferation of unapproved Eucharistic Prayers, the manipulation of
the liturgical texts for social and political ends) . In these cases we are face to face
with a real falsification of the Catholic Liturgy: "One who offers worship to God on
the Church's behalf in a way contrary to that which is laid down by the Church with
God-given authority and which is customary in the Church is guilty of
None of these things can bring good results. The consequences are--and cannot fail to
be--the impairing of the unity of Faith and worship in the Church, doctrinal uncertainty,
scandal and bewilderment among the People of God, and the near inevitability of violent
The faithful have a right to a true Liturgy, which means the Liturgy desired and laid
down by the Church, which has in fact indicated where adaptations may be made as called
for by pastoral requirements in different places or by different groups of people. Undue
experimentation, changes and creativity bewilder the faithful. The use of unauthorized
texts means a loss of the necessary connection between the lex orandi and the lex
credendi. The Second Vatican Council's admonition in this regard must be remembered:
"No person, even if he be a priest, may add, remove or change anything in the Liturgy
on his own authority."[8] And Paul VI of venerable memory stated that: "Anyone
who takes advantage of the reform to indulge in arbitrary experiments is wasting energy
and offending the ecclesial sense."[9]
View the complete
text of Inaestimabile Donum from the EWTN Online Document Library.
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The Cork senior footballers continue their Allianz league programme next Sunday 19th March 2017, when they take on Meath in Round 5 of the Allianz Football League in Pairc Ui Rinn @ 2pm.
Allianz Football League Division 2
Round 5
Cork v Meath
Sunday, March 19th
2pm @ Pairc Ui Rinn
Referee: Fergal Kelly
The Cork Senior Football team to play Meath next Sunday will be announced here on the website tomorrow night @ 8pm.
There will be live coverage of the game on C103, Radio na Gaeltachta with updates on Red FM, Cork GAA website and Twitter page, but nothing beats being there!!
Ticket Information
Advance Ticket Purchase
Admission for the game is €15 for adults but buy your tickets before Sunday either online at http://corkgaa.tickets.ie or http://gaa.tickets.ie or at Centra/Supervalu stores (see list below) and you'll only pay €12!!! Usual concessions apply, and U16s are free
Pre-Purchase discount ends midnight on the day before the game.
Online sales end on Wednesday's at 2pm.
Match-Day Price:
Adult: €15.00
Concession (Student/OAP): €12.00 available at the venue on the day with valid I.D.
Juveniles (Under 16 Years of Age): Free of Charge
All tickets for this match are UNRESERVED
Ticket only Turnstiles
Cashless turnstiles will operate for the Allianz League home games at Páirc Uí Rinn.
Ticket Vending Booth
On match days patrons can purchase and pay for tickets at the booths and then proceed to the turnstile gaining admission on ticket presentation. Adult tickets €15.00.
Centra/Supervalu Ticket Outlets
|Herlihy's Centra Bishopstown
|O' Feary's Centra Blarney
|Ahern's Centra Carrigtwohill
|Centra / Topaz Charleville
|Centra Clonakilty
|Centra/Topaz Innishannon
|Herlihy's Centra Fermoy
|Centra Kinsale Road
|Centra Mallow
|Centra Rochestown
|Centra South Douglas Road
|Whyte's Centra Togher
|Centra Watergrasshill
|Cronin'Supermarket, Ballylickey
|Down's SuperValu Ballincollig
|Quish's SuperValu Ballincollig
|Caulfield's SuperValu Bandon
|Bigg's SuperValu Bantry
|Scally's SuperValu Blackrock
|Collins SuperValu Blarney
|SuperValu Boherbue
|Collin's SuperValu Carrigaline
|Murphy's SuperVal Castletownbere
|Dick's SuperValu Charleville
|Scally's SuperValu Clonakilty
|Garvey's SuperValu Cobh
|Healys SuperValu Dunmanway
|Riordan's SuperValu Fermoy
|Ryans SuperValu Glanmire
|Ryans SuperValu Grange
|Singleton, SuperValu Hollyhill
|Twohigs SuperValu Kanturk
|SuperValu Kinsale
|O' Leary's SuperValu Macroom
|Dano's SuperValu Mallow
|Murray's SuperValu Mayfield
|Cauldfield's SuperValu Merchant Quay
|Hurley's SuperValu Midleton
|SuperValu Millstreet
|Farrell's SuperValu Mitchelstown
|O Keffee's SuperValu Newmarket
|Field's SuperValu Skibbereen
|Ryan's SuperValu Togher
|Brookes SuperValu Youghal


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Author Notes: When you purchase your steaks you will be looking at two similar cuts. The T-bone and porterhouse look very similar but they are not. Both are cut from the short loin but the porterhouse is going to have a bigger cut of filet (tenderloin) than the t-bone. Look for good marbling, in other words how much fat is distributed in and around the actual red protein. You also want a little fat cap. The other thing I look for is, on the strip loin side of the steak sometimes about halfway down, you will notice a thin line of gristle that extends from the fat cap into the middle of the steak. It is very tough to chew and, while if you like your steak well done this won't affect you, I always try to avoid them. —thirschfeld
Makes: 4 servings
Prep time: 6 hrs 10 min
Cook time: 16 min
porterhouse steaks, 1 pound each
pinch Kosher salt
stick unsalted butter
1 1/2
tablespoons flat leaf parsley, chopped
teaspoon garlic, minced
teaspoon shallot, minced
pinch Freshly ground white pepper
fresh lemon
splash Oil
- At least 6 hours before and up to the day before you plan to cook the steaks place them on a cooling rack set over a tray with edges. You want to catch the drips.
- Season both sides of the steaks with salt. Put them back into the fridge uncovered until an hour before you want to cook them.
- Allow the butter to soften at room temperature. Meanwhile place the garlic, shallot and parsley into a mortar. Using the pestle bruise, crush, and pulverize the aromatics until they are mushy.
- Place the butter into a small mixing bowl and smear it around with a rubber spatula. Add the aromatics, a few drops of lemon juice, a pinch of salt and a few grinds of white pepper. Blend the butter until it is one shade of green with no streaks.
- You can either refrigerate the butter as is or you can roll it up in parchment pepper, then foil and twist the ends to form a round log. The foil allows the ends to stay sealed.
- When your are ready to cook the steaks, season both sides with fresh ground black pepper. Place a cast iron skillet over medium high heat. Add enough oil to coat the bottom of the pan. When the oil is hot -- you don't want it too hot but you want it to start searing right away -- add the steak. Cook the steak on both sides until it is very brown and caramelized. Remove the steak from the pan when it has reached one temperature below where you like. If you want it cooked medium then cook the steak to medium rare and so on. Remove the steak to a sheet tray.
- Cook the second steak in the same fashion. Both steaks can be cooked up to an hour in advance and left to sit at room temperature. Do not refrigerate them.
- In your oven place the top rack so it is about 8 to 10 inches from the broiler. Heat the broiler.
- Using a filet knife cut the meat from each side of the bone then slice the meat into smaller bit size pieces. Re-assemble the steaks on the sheet tray. Smear each steak with some softened maitre d'butter then place a small glob on each steak.
- Place the steaks under the broiler just long enough to melt the butter and heat the steaks through. Serve.
- This recipe is a Community Pick!
More Great Recipes:
American|French|Butter|Parsley|Steak|Shallot|Beef|Cast Iron|Sunday Dinner|Gluten-Free|Entree


text:
Troubled actor Nick Stahl is back behind bars after he was arrested in Los Angeles on drug charges.
The "Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines" star, who has struggled with substance abuse issues in the past, was taken into custody in the early hours of Friday after police allegedly found him using Methamphetamine at a Hollywood hotel.
Stahl remained in custody as WENN went to press.
The 33 year old's latest brush with the law comes just one day after he told TMZ.com he was on the road to sobriety after spending time in hospital on an involuntary psychiatric hold.
On Thursday, he said, "(My recovery is) going good. It's a process… Things seems to be (looking up) and I'm just grateful."
Stahl has faced a tough few years – his wife Rosie has reported him missing on several occasions and he checked into rehab last year (12) to conquer his demons, only to quit and vanish again soon afterwards.
He was cleared of his most recent legal run-in, a charge for lewd conduct, in February after allegedly misbehaving while watching an adult movie in a Los Angeles porn store last year.


text:
We've got the Code and We get you Paid! ABS offer the most current coding and reimbursement techniques available.
We offer the most current coding and reimbursement techniques. With Annapolis Billing handling all the billing and collections we lower your overhead. No staff turnovers, No employee benefits and No need for training and re-training due to staff turnover! No delay in cashflow during employee absenteeism.


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Home / About Quark / Press / Press Center
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Denver - 11/19/2012 - With the release of QuarkXPress 9.5 and App Studio just days away, now is the perfect time to purchase a copy of QuarkXPress 9. Everyone who purchases a new, full-license copy of QuarkXPress 9 starting today will receive a second license free. The licenses can be upgraded to QuarkXPress 9.5 as soon as it's available.
QuarkXPress 9 is design software that lets anyone create and publish rich, compelling content for print, the Web, e-readers, tablets and mobile devices with one easy-to-use tool. In addition, QuarkXPress 9.5 includes support for App Studio, the cloud-based HTML5 solution that turns print into interactive tablet experiences.
Buy One, Get One Details
New, full-product licenses of QuarkXPress 9 purchased during the promotional period are eligible for the Buy One, Get One promotion. Upgrades, site and volume licenses, educational, and non-profit licenses are excluded. The additional license of QuarkXPress 9 will be a non-transferable, fully-functional copy provided via download. For details on redeeming the free license as well full terms and conditions, visit http://content.quark.com/2for1-US.html.
For more information about QuarkXPress 9 please visit: http://www.quark.com/Products/QuarkXPress/.
For more information about App Studio please visit: www.AppStudio.net.
About Quark Software
Quark's software enables organizations of all sizes to meet customer demand for engaging, relevant communications when, where, and how they want them. Our solutions combine the power of XML with flexible layout and design to automate the delivery of customer communications to print, Web, and interactive experiences on the latest digital devices. Financial services firms, manufacturers, and governments around the world rely on Quark solutions to elevate customer communications to new levels, reduce time to market, and lower costs.
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European Commission - Press release
Future VAT system: pro-business, pro-growth
Brussels, 6 December 2011 – "Value Added Tax (VAT) is paid for by citizens, collected by businesses and accounts for over 20% of national revenues. It therefore has a significant impact on every single EU citizen. However, it is now 40 years since the EU VAT system was first set up, and the regime no longer fits with our service-driven, technology-based economy. The time has come for an ambitious VAT reform." said Algirdas Šemeta, Commissioner for Taxation, Customs, Anti-fraud and Audit.
On this basis, the Commission today adopted a Communication on the future of VAT. This sets out the fundamental characteristics that must underlie the new VAT regime, and priority actions needed to create a simpler, more efficient and more robust VAT system in the EU.
Three overriding objectives shape the vision for the new VAT system:
First, VAT must be made more workable for businesses. A simpler, more transparent VAT system would relieve businesses of considerable administrative burdens and encourage greater cross-border trade. This, in turn, will be good for growth. Among the measures envisaged for a more business-friendly VAT are expanding the one-stop-shop approach for cross border transactions; standardizing VAT declarations; and providing clear and easy access to the details of all national VAT regimes through a central web-portal.
Second, VAT must be made more efficient in supporting Member States' fiscal consolidation efforts and sustainable economic growth. Broadening tax bases and limiting the use of reduced rates could generate new revenue for Member States without the need for rate increases. The standard VAT rate could even be reduced in some Member States, without any impact on revenue, if exemptions and reductions were removed. The Communication sets out the principles that should guide the review of exemptions and reduced rates. The Commission will also be analysing Member States' use of reduced rates and exemptions when reviewing their fiscal policies in the context of the European Semester (see MEMO/11/11).
Third, the huge revenue losses that occur today due to uncollected VAT and fraud need to be stopped. It is estimated that around 12% of the total VAT which should be collected, is not (so-called VAT Gap). In 2012 the Commission will propose a quick reaction mechanism to ensure Member States can respond better to suspected fraud schemes. Furthermore, the Commission will see whether current anti-fraud mechanisms, such as Eurofisc, need to be strengthened and will explore the possibility of a cross-border audit team to facilitate multilateral controls.
Finally, the Commission has concluded that the long-standing question of changing to a VAT system based on taxation at origin is no longer relevant. Therefore, VAT will continue to be collected in the country of destination (i.e. where the customer is located), and the Commission will work on creating a modern EU VAT system based on this principle.
On 1st December 2010, the Commission adopted a Green Paper on "The future of VAT – Towards a simpler, more robust and efficient VAT system". This Green Paper was followed by a six month public consultation in which the Commission received 1700 contributions from businesses, academics, citizens and tax authorities.
The European Parliament, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Tax Policy Group consisting of the personal representatives of the finance ministers welcomed the Green Paper and confirmed the need to reform the EU VAT system.
In parallel, the Commission carried out an economic evaluation of the VAT system.
For the full text of the Communication and more details on VAT, see:
Homepage of Commissioner Algirdas Šemeta, EU Taxation and Customs Union, Audit and Anti-fraud Commissioner:
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text:
The search about 500 miles west of the Midway Atoll, where one British citizen was rescued from the boat and the other went overboard, was expected to continue at least until Monday morning, Coast Guard spokesman Petty Officer Eric J. Chandler said.
The 35-year-old missing man was conscious and wearing a yellow life jacket when he went overboard, Chandler said.
Officials from the Marine Rescue Coordination Center Falmouth, United Kingdom, reported to the U.S. Coast Guard in Hawaii at about 11:30 p.m. Saturday that one man from the 38-foot vessel had fallen overboard, and the one who remained aboard had little sailing experience.
The area nearly 2,000 miles from Oahu was too remote to reach quickly by boat, and winds were reported at 25 mph with 6-foot-high seas.
"It's real challenging out there," Chandler said. "We can't get our cutters out there."
The Coast Guard sent an HC-130 Hercules airplane from an Oahu air station, and the Navy diverted the USS Peleliu, an amphibious assault ship that was headed homeward, to assist in the search.
Two Navy helicopters were sent to search from the Peleliu at about 5 a.m. Sunday. One of them found the boat, lowered a hoist and pulled the man in.
The Coast Guard plane had two crews working shifts on the HC-130 so one could rest at Wake Island while the other searched.
The men's names weren't immediately released and their voyage's purpose was not immediately clear.
Chandler said that while remote, the location of the boat was not especially surprising.
"People sail pretty often pretty far out of reach," he said. "I don't think that it's that unusual."


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ROCKVILLE, MD -- A hearing-impaired former employee of the Jewish Community Center (JCC) of Greater Washington, Rockville, MD, is suing the organization for discrimination.
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) filed the lawsuit on behalf of Carole Schulman last month in the United States District Court in Greenbelt, MD. Schulman was demoted from a nursery school assistant teacher at the JCC to a mailroom clerk position. She worked at the JCC from December 2005 until June 30 of this year.
The lawsuit alleges that the JCC engaged in "unlawful employment practices," which included "declaring Schulman unable to perform her assistant teacher position with or without a reasonable accommodation."
Schulman has been hard of hearing for more than 20 years but has a cochlear implant in one ear that gives her partial hearing, allowing her to hear high-pitched noises, such as "children laughing and talking," the lawsuit states. The lawsuit also says that Schulman was "at all times willing and able" to perform the functions of her position as assistant nursery school teacher "with or without reasonable accommodation."
"We are surprised by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission's action," Michael Feinstein, JCC CEO, wrote in an e-mail statement to The Gazette of Gaithersburg, MD. "The inclusion of those with special needs and respect for every individual are core values of the Jewish Community Center of Greater Washington."
Schulman previously filed a complaint against the JCC with the EEOC some 30 days before filing the lawsuit which claimed the JCC violated Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act, according to the lawsuit.


text:
Hospital Orientation for Expectant Parents (Encinitas)
Join a Tour of the Facility
Join a Tour of the Facility
Be prepared for your delivery with this orientation and tour of Scripps Memorial Hospital Encinitas.
Learn where to enter the hospital, special services that are available to you and your family during your stay, and how to streamline your admission. You'll also get answers to your questions about delivering your baby at Scripps.
Pre-registration allows us to reserve your space and contact you in the event of a change to the time or location of a class.
Please remember, we cannot guarantee accommodation for walk-in participation at our classes, screenings and programs and cannot be responsible for any inconvenience due to lack of registration.
- Scripps Memorial Hospital Encinitas
- Main Lobby
- Encinitas, CA 92024354 Santa Fe Drive
|Sat, Nov 21st, 2015 - Sat, Nov 21st, 2015
|4:30 pm - 6 pm


text:
Pretty sure I did the majority of my runs Purist during my initial playthrough because I had to save money for bank upgrades and class building upgrades. So put me in with the "locker space didn't effect me" crowd.
That said, after I unlocked the important things locker space started to be an issue. Rather, relockering things became annoying so I basically stopped doing it unless I really needed a certain item (for testing bugs and such, like the Orb of Zot on CO issue).
Nowadays, what keeps me playing is... I don't even know. I have every item, class, dungeon and building unlocked and the only things I can do now is grind for ridiculously expensive bank upgrades and a 100,000 gold locker slot. What I think the game might be in need of is some actual completion rewards, because it feels like "completion for the sake of completion" at this point, and the Alpha had tangible and useful rewards for completion which was a much better situation IMO.
EDIT: because I forgot to mention that certain balance issues are still bothering me. When I can finish Slime Pits with an Elf Monk after getting a bad roll on the "LEMMISI?" glyph and revealing the entire map at level 4, simply because I had enough knowledge to prep an extremely broken item (Trisword) and then last-minute worship GG for 2 hits of Cleansing, I have to wonder WTF the devs are doing because balance can't possibly be in a good place when that's doable.


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Northern cooks can make 'em too!
Better Half and I visited friends to help them put a roof on a rental home they own. Well, let me clarify: Better Half was going to help with a roof and I was playing around with my buddy C. These Southern Belles (courtesy of my cookbook Sassafras) are my contribution to the good folks that volunteered to roof. It takes maybe five minutes to prepare these caramel morsels. I also made a few snide comments to some of the guys—those count as contributions too. . . .
C and I had a blast. We shopped in a little Ozark town and played around on their 100 acres. We went on a golf ball hunt, (the men love to see how far they can hit the golf balls) which sort of reminded me of an Easter Egg hunt. Not surprisingly, I found very few while C found a sackful! We walked around the property quite a bit and listened to the beautiful sound of the water rushing through their cave. The cave is huge and amazing; archaeologists have visited to find and document Indian artifacts. C's husband is awesome at finding arrowheads in the creek and cave. We played multiple games of dominoes, marbles, and gin rummy. We made homemade feta and mozzarella cheeses, as well as visiting their workshop where we gals utilized saws, drills, and other myriad "manly" tools and crafted something special for my knitting. . . . (another post!).
We had a lot of fun cooking loads of food for the men and talking until the wee hours. Oh, we also damaged a few items: an antique chair from France (honestly, I don't weigh that much!) and C's thumb (which I'm sure will grow back together. Thank God she's an RN!).
Southern Belles
2 c flour
1¾ c packed light brown sugar
1 c butter, softened
1½ to 2 c whole pecans
1½ c chocolate (semi, milk, etc.) chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 350°. Mix flour, 1 c brown sugar and ½ c butter until crumbly. Press on bottom of ungreased 9″ x 13″ pan. Sprinkle with single layer of pecans. Combine remaining butter and brown sugar in small saucepan and boil one minute. Pour over pecans (making a thin layer). Bake 18 to 22 minutes or until caramel layer bubbles. Remove from oven and immediately sprinkle with chocolate chips, gently spreading as chocolate melts. Cool and cut into bars.
Enjoy y'all!


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Underrun protection system
Protecting other road-users
The differing heights of trucks and cars have always constituted a safety problem in traffic, not least if a head-on collision should occur.
Now, we are proud to offer a solution in the shape of Volvo's Front Under-run Protection System (FUPS), which is fitted as standard on Volvo FH and Volvo FM models.
The FUPS prevents passenger cars from becoming wedged under the truck's front in a frontal collision, and thereby reduces the risk of serious injuries and increases the survival rate for the car's occupants.
The Front Under-run protection beam serves as a 200 mm deep crumple zone, considerably reducing penetration into the car's passenger compartment. With the truck bumper situated on the same level as that of a typical car bumper, the deformation zone of the car can be utilised in the best possible way.
The FUPS comes fully integrated into the cab's structure in the FH and FM series, but does not add any extra weight.


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Review: Reversi Reloaded
Ahhh, Reversi; it's such a simple concept, yet has become so popular. And with Reversi Reloaded, you can now play this classic game on the move with your iPhone or iPad. Before I installed the game, my first concern for it was space – the iPhone does not have a lot to offer in terms of screen space, and when I started my first Reversi game, the squares were indeed quite small. Despite this, however, I had absolutely no trouble selecting the correct boxes… so kudos to Mobivention for making this typical board game work with the iPhone's limiting factors.


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Harry S. Truman Memorial Veterans' Hospital
VA health care for Women Veterans
When you visit a VA medical center, you will notice there are far more men than Women Veterans enrolled in the VA system. For this reason, many Women Veterans are not aware of resources offered just for them. Truman VA is proud to partner and provide services to Women Veterans. Learn about services available and ask about eligibility.
- General care: includes health evaluation and counseling, disease prevention, nutrition counseling, weight control, smoking cessation, and substance abuse counseling and treatment as well as gender-specific primary care, e.g., cervical cancer screens (Pap smears), breast cancer screens (mammograms), birth control, preconception counseling, Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine, menopausal support (hormone replacement therapy).
- Mental health: includes evaluation and assistance for issues such as depression, mood and anxiety disorders; intimate partner and domestic violence; sexual trauma; elder abuse or neglect; parenting and anger management; marital, caregiver or family-related stress; and post-deployment adjustment or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
- Military Sexual Trauma (MST): Women—and men as well—may experience repeated sexual harassment or sexual assault during their military service. Special services are available to women who have experienced MST. VA provides free, confidential counseling and treatment for mental and physical health conditions related to MST.
- Management and screening of chronic conditions: includes heart disease, diabetes, cancer, glandular disorders, osteoporosis, and fibromyalgia as well as sexually transmitted diseases such as HIV/AIDS and hepatitis.
- Reproductive health care: includes maternity care, infertility evaluation and limited treatment; sexual problems, tubal ligation, urinary incontinence, and others. VA is prohibited by legislative authority from providing either in-vitro fertilization or abortion services.
- Rehabilitation, homebound, and long-term care: VA referrals are given to those in need of rehabilitation therapies such as physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech-language therapy, exercise therapy, recreational therapy, and vocational therapy. Homebound and long-term care services are available as well, limited to those meeting specific requirements.
If you are a female Veteran or know a female Veteran, consider enrolling for VA health care. For more information about services available to Women Veterans, contact Cindy Stivers, Women Veterans Program Manager, at (573) 814-6457.
Be involved with your health care and contact your Primary Care Provider for additional health care needs.
Brought to you by the Health Promotion Disease Prevention Program


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Find us on:
Answers to questions that are commonly asked by persons who are considering adoption. Topics covered include what children are available for adoption; who can adopt; what kinds of costs are involved; the procedure for each type of adoption (agency, independent); privacy issues.
Review Date: Monday, December 01, 2014
Child Welfare Information Gateway
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Many employees charged with computer disposal approach the process as a recycling event; data destruction is viewed only as a function of electronic recycling. The employee allows an electronic recycler to remove old computers from his/her custody with hard drives intact. The promise is "full erasure" when they get back to their warehouse. The hard drive will, most likely, be resold on the secondary market.
If the computer disposal project is approached as a data destruction event, the employee has many questions to answer. Should we erase, degauss or shred hard drives? Do our computers have one or two hard drives? Does our printer/copier have a hard drive? Onsite data destruction is the safest but, is offsite acceptable?
Staying compliant with HIPAA & HITECH is very difficult, especially if you don't understand how digital data is stored and properly destroyed...
Hire a NAID Certified vendor that will: 1) physically shred computer hard drives, 2) perform the service onsite (at your location), give you a Certificate of Destruction with a Serial Number report, and 3) show proof of Professional Liability Insurance specific to data destruction.


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Get Your Business On the Map w/ Townsquare Marketing Solutions August 4th – 6th
"If Nobody Knows… Nobody Cares"
If you own or run a business, your number one job is to GROW, right? But do you know how your customers perceive you? For example, in reality you might have the best hot dog in the world, but if nobody knows, nobody cares.
Even in today's social media landslide of customer awareness, advertising is STILL the most effective way for YOU to brand your business and market position.
That's where we come in. We're Townsquare Media, a full service media company that specializes in marketing your business to your customers. The Townsquare Marketing Solution approach combines vast market and media experience to pin point your core message.
Let us show you how. Join us at one of our free Townsquare Marketing Solution Workshops by filling out the form at the bottom of the page.
Dates and Times
Holiday Inn Gateway Centre
5353 Gateway Center, Flint, MI 48507
- -August 5th, 2014 – 8:30am, 10:30am, 1pm, 3pm & 5:30pm
- -August 6th, 2014 – 8:30am, 10:30am, 1pm & 3pm
Lapeer County Club
3786 Hunt Rd, Lapeer, MI 48446
- -August 4th, 2014 – 5:30pm


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NEW ORLEANS, LA-The University of Massachusetts Dartmouth's track and field teams have earned national academic honors.
Both the men's team and the women's team have been named Division III All-Academic teams by the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association.
To qualify, a team must post an overall grade point average of 3.10 or better. The women's team, which was honored for the second year in a row, posted an overall 3.27 GPA, while the men's team, which missed the cutoff last year, had an overall GPA of 3.13. UMass Dartmouth was the only public university in New England to have both their men's and women's teams honored.
"I'm very proud of both the men's and women's teams," said UMass Dartmouth Head Coach Steve Gardiner. "Since day one, one of our team's goals was to be recognized academically, and our team really pursued it. The women have now made it two years in a row, and the guys made it after missing last year by just a tenth of a point."


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More solid-gold scratch-building from The Internet Craftsmanship Museum. Shown here, the original M.A.S.H. helicopter in magnificent brass by modeler Ken Foran:
Ken…located a H-13D being restored in Canada, visited with them for two days shooting 10 rolls of film and numerous sketches with dimensions. He later located an engine rebuilder in Detroit that was rebuilding a Franklin engine; again a visit with rolls of film being taken. Ken also located and purchased original parts catalogs and erection manuals with more details and dimensions…To add features Ken also enabled the main rotor to turn the tail rotor and turn the cooling fan for the engine. Note the 1/8" diameter working universal joint.
The work is a commission for Fine Art Models, for use as a master from which to cast molds for a production run.


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FUQUAY-VARINA, N.C.—Timothy Day isn't exactly sick of corn by the end of the summer, but …
"If I had a penny every time I've heard, 'This is a-MAZE-ing,' I'd certainly be rich by now," he says with a chuckle.
Over the past couple of months, Day has cut more than 50 corn mazes. Someone else does the designs, but there's definitely some artistry in the way he spins that steering knob.
"My paintbrush is a rototiller," Day says. "And a tractor hooked to it."
Most people associate corn mazes with Halloween, but the work starts long before October.
Day's season began the last week in June. Since then, he and his partner have been as far north as Ontario, Canada, as far south as Florida, and to "almost every state between here and there."
"It's not out of the ordinary for us to drive 3,000 or 4,000 miles in five days and cut out 10 or 12 corn mazes in that amount of time," says Day, who lives in Edinburg, Va., and who's been doing this since 2005. "Our truck is our hotel. We actually sleep in the truck most of the time. We keep either the tractor driving or the truck driving, one or the other. One of us is driving something almost 24 hours a day."
Day cuts for Maize Quest out of New Park, Pa. Company owner Hugh McPherson says this season has been a logistical nightmare.
"The rain has been sending us to scheduling haywire for the cutting crew," says McPherson, aka "The Maze Master."
He and Day have to stagger the cutting schedule to catch the corn at just the right growth stage. If it's too mature, the plants will grow back in the paths he's cut.
Day likes to cut the corn when it's about waist- or chest-high, but that's not just for practical reasons. He's allergic once the corn tassels.
"Basically, anywhere that the pollen touches me, I just get a really itchy rash," says Day, who ran into that problem this year outside Memphis, Tenn. "It gets to where the pollen is so thick in your eyes … you can feel the grit on your eyeballs and, literally, for three days my eyes will run yellow."
Once he gets to a farm, it's all fairly routine.
First, he drives around the field's perimeter to establish the boundaries for the GPS system. Then he fits the design into that shape, and the computer does the rest.
"There's very little room for error in our corn mazes," he says. "They're tight-packed. The trails are close to together. So a little mistake breaks through a whole wall and changes the whole maze."
With some designs, Day—who runs landscaping business the rest of the year—has to go in with a lawnmower. And occasionally he'll arrive to find that the field's not quite big enough to accommodate the artist's vision.
"And then I get to play a little bit of designer on the fly," he says. "It's kind of fun when that happens, too."
Most of the work takes place between sunup and sundown. But Day has been known to cut in the dark.
"You've got to trust this more," he says, hoisting the little black box in his right hand.
Sometimes, getting to the job is the hardest part.
On a recent Saturday, Day's truck limped into this little bedroom community south of Raleigh just before dawn.
He was supposed to cut the field at Naylor Family Farms on Aug. 16, but a band of thunderstorms turned him away. He was scheduled to do another maze in Chesnee, S.C., the following Friday morning, and decided to hit Naylor before dusk that evening.
But just outside Charlotte, Day's pickup truck started giving him trouble. He'd just swapped out the transmission a few days earlier, and now the new one was going out on him.
Not wanting to let Robert Naylor down again, Day picked his way across the state—driving 15 miles, stopping to let the truck cool down, then doing another 15 miles.
"It took me 15 hours to get here when it should have taken four," the bleary-eyed redhead with the day's growth of beard said with a wan smile.
The majority of mazes Day cuts are about 5 or 6 acres, though he's done fields as large as 13 acres. The stand of corn at Naylor Family Farms is just shy of 10.
Naylor went with a pirate theme last year. This season, he chose a maze called "Escape from Egypt," with pyramids, palm trees and a giant camel at the center.
This is Naylor's third year doing a maze. He says it takes him a couple of weeks to memorize the path.
"It's easy to get disoriented, even if you have your map," he says as turkey buzzards circle overhead. "And that's the point of it, I guess. It's kind of fun when you get lost—if you're not in a hurry."
Day isn't just a Maize Quest employee. He's also a client.
His brother, Jonathan, runs Bridgemont Farm, a 500-acre spread in Virginia's picturesque Shenandoah Valley, where the family raises corn, soybeans and beef cattle. Day cut their design in July.
The 12-acre field is divided into two interconnected mazes—"The Great Train Adventure," with a giant steam locomotive, and "The Dinosaur Adventure," featuring a Triceratops and Tyrannosaurus rex.
The big rush is over. But Day's odyssey won't truly be finished until late November or early December, when he heads to Palm City, Fla., to cut a winter maze.
Despite the grueling, sometimes monotonous schedule, the maze-maker has so far avoided maize malaise.
"I like corn," Day insists. "I love corn."
On the web:
Maize Quest http://www.cornmaze.com/Pages/Corn%20Maze%20Cornfield%20Maze.aspx
Naylor Family Farms http://www.naylorfamilyfarm.com/info.php
Bridgemont Farm http://www.getlostinthecorn.com/
Allen G. Breed is a national writer, based in Raleigh, N.C. He can be reached at features(at)ap.org. Follow him on Twitter at http://twitter.com/(hash)!/AllenGBreed


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ATG Swept Up in Oracle Spending Spree
Nov 2, 2010 11:17 AM PT
Oracle announced Tuesday that it will acquire Art Technology Group (ATG) -- a provider of e-commerce applications and platforms -- for US$6.00 per share, or approximately $1 billion in cash. Oracle and ATG both pointed to the complementary nature of their applications.
ATG provides an e-commerce platform that includes a cross-channel blend of online, in-store and mobile applications. Oracle wants to integrate this technology into its CRM, ERP, retail and supply chain lines, as well as its middleware and business intelligence technology.
One of the things that makes ATG particularly attractive to Oracle is its integration of mobile technology into its e-commerce platform. Mobile applications are the "fourth" channel -- after store, catalog and online -- for retail companies to reach their customers, noted David Dorf, Oracle's director of technology strategy, in a blog post last month. The ATG acquisition will give Oracle a stronger footing in that fourth channel.
Oracle did not respond to CRM Buyer's request for further information, and ATG was unable to provide comments by press time.
Oracle Building-Through-Acquisitions Plan
Oracle has been on a buying binge over the last few years. The company has purchased large clumps of customers in its core database and ERP territory, while also picking up best-of-breed players -- like ATG -- to extend beyond its traditional enterprise software reach into CRM, retail, and supply chain territory.
"They are clearly moving broadly in the software space," Rob Enderle, principal analyst for the Enderle Group, told CRM Buyer. "ATG gives them a nice adjunct to CRM and e-commerce. It brings in retail and puts them up on the Web."
Oracle acquisition tally comes to nearly 70 companies since 2005.
"The buying spree continues. [Oracle CEO] Larry Ellison has laid out a short-term tactical, as well as a long-term strategic, battle plan," Laura DiDio, principal analyst at ITIC, told CRM Buyer. "He's up to almost $40 billion in the past four or five years. He is not a shy or modest man."
The Challenge of Mergers
The integration of ATG into Oracle may be awkward, no matter how complementary the technologies of the two companies.
"There are inevitable issues when you merge two disparate entities," said DiDio. "You have to merge tech services, the engineering organizations. You have to decide which products stay and which get phased out. You have to decide if you are going to keep the brand name."
While Oracle has vast experience in mergers, the process involves considerable unknowns.
"Oracle never says now much of the technical service, support and sales staff they're going to retain," DiDio pointed out. "If ATG people start jumping ship, that's a problem. We saw that with the Sun acquisition. Oracle's track record has not been outstanding on the post-merger period."
Are ATG's Customers Getting Nervous?
What will happen to ATG's customers may be the biggest unknown consequence of the deal.
"Oracle's history of maintaining customer satisfaction after a merger is really bad," said Enderle. "Oracle doesn't seem to care, because the customers can't move. It's difficult to extract yourself from it. The newly acquired ATG customers are really nervous."
The area where ATG may be the most vulnerable after the Oracle acquisition is in technical services and support.
"Oracle has not really demonstrated that they have improved the customer experience in service, support and improvement of the products," said DiDio. "You have complementary technology between Oracle and ATG, but what happens to technical support for customers?"
If Oracle's history plays forward, ATG customers may have good reason for concern.
"When HP bought Compaq, that was well managed," said DiDio. "In Oracle's case, the PeopleSoft acquisition was pretty bloody. It's just not easy -- no matter how much you reassure your customers."


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TI has released a graphical software development tool for DSP development. Dubbed the C6EZFlo, the tool simplifies the development process by letting developers generate prototype software on TI DSPs without learning new programming languages or specific DSP architecture.
The C6EZFlo's GUI lets developers utilize drag-and-drop functionality to create a signal flow block diagram. The blocks in the diagram represent anything from a peripheral input/output data transaction to a specialized DSP filter kernel.
The tool generates heavily commented and cleanly structured C code based on the block diagram, which the developer can use in its raw form or modify to adjust the design. Developers can leverage C6EZFlo with TI's C6000 DSP devices, such as C674x DSPs, as well as DSP-based DaVinci video processors, including DM643x and DM648, which enables quick and easy prototyping for various end applications, including industrial imaging, industrial monitoring, test and measurement, music effects and medical imaging applications.
The C6EZFlo software development tool is available here for free download.


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Recently, we received the great news that the number of Texas students taking the SAT has soared over the past five years, especially among minority students. Statistics released last week show a 42 percent increase among African American students and a 65 percent increase among Hispanic students. More than ever before, Texas students from all backgrounds are dreaming of going to college and are taking active steps to get there.
This is quite a turnaround for Texas. In 2000, we had a smaller percentage of students going to college than any of the other 10 most populous states. To reverse this trend, the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board adopted a strategic plan called Closing the Gaps by 2015, which challenged our higher education institutions to increase enrollment by 500,000 in 15 years.
By 2005, this plan was working so well that we moved the goalposts back further, increasing the target number to 630,000 by 2015.
As interest in pursuing a college degree is increasing, state officials have to do everything we can to remove the roadblocks and enable students to pursue their dreams.
That's why I'm calling for a four-year tuition freeze for incoming freshmen, so that the amount students pay when they first arrive on campus will be locked in through what should be their senior year.
Not only will this help students and their families predict and plan for the cost of their college careers, it will also provide a powerful incentive to complete degrees on time.
Currently, less than 30 percent of students at Texas' four-year institutions graduate within four years. In fact, only 58 percent get their degrees in six.
Clearly, this system can – and must – be improved.
For this reason, I'm also proposing we link a portion of each university's funding to the number of students that graduate.
Under the existing formula, state funding is based primarily upon the number of students who enroll in the university. This number is important, but it's not the complete story. Under my proposal, 10 percent of the school's funding will be tied to how many of those students are actually receiving degrees.
Simply put, if a school fails to graduate students, it'll eventually cost it some funding.
This will encourage universities to do everything they can to help their students complete their degrees and graduate in a timely fashion, saving both the student — and ultimately the university — time and money.
Along those lines, we must do more to give students a clearer picture of how much is at stake when it comes to graduating on time. One way to do this is by requiring universities to break down the costs and inform students of the price tag for graduating in four years, compared to five or six.
In the 2011 State of the State address, I challenged our universities to develop bachelor's degree programs that cost no more than $10,000. My challenge gained national attention, and while some shook their heads and said it couldn't be done, others simply went to work.
Already, nine institutions have announced programs to meet that challenge, and others will soon be added to the list.
These measures will make college more affordable and will meet the growing demand for higher education in a way that encourages students to complete their degrees on time.
While the average Texas college student graduates with less debt than the national average, now is the time to take steps to prevent us from moving further up that chart.
To meet the growing demand for higher education in Texas, we must give our students affordable and predictable options and reduce the debt that they carry with them as they start their careers.


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Hanover County Comprehensive Coastal Resource Management Portal
Your gateway to information and tools to assist Hanover County with implementation of tidal shoreline laws and policy established by the Virginia General Assembly.When accessing data from this site, users agree to all conditions outlined in this disclaimer.
The Center for Coastal Resources Management (CCRM) provides these data with the understanding that they are not guaranteed to be correct or complete, and conclusions drawn from the data set are the sole responsibility of the user. Every attempt has been made to ensure that these data and the documentation are reliable and accurate. CCRM, the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS), and the Commonwealth of Virginia assume no liability for any damages caused by inaccuracies in the data or documentation; and make no warranty, express or implied, as to the accuracy, completeness, or utility of this information, nor does the fact of distribution constitute a warranty.
Mapping Tools
Interactive map viewers use the most recent available data pertaining to shoreline conditions, shoreline access and protection structures, tidal marshes, beaches, bathymetry, and topographic elevations, to map and display preferred shoreline best management practices and sea-level rise scenarios. (best viewed on large screens)
Comprehensive Map Viewer
Sea-Level Rise Risk and Vulnerability Tool
- AdaptVA Interactive Map (zoom to locality by using the "Find address or place" search tool)
Shoreline & Tidal Marsh Inventory Reports
Current and historical assessments of shoreline features.
GIS Data Downloads
Click below to download data included in the mapping tools.
- Shoreline Inventory GIS Data – 2017 includes TMI GIS data
- Shoreline Management Model GIS Data – 2017
General Guidance
Shoreline Best Management Practices
Comprehensive Plan Guidance
- Tidal Shoreline Laws & Policies
- CCRMP FAQ's


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U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Northern District of New York offers a database of opinions listed by year and judge. For a more detailed search, enter the keyword or case number in the search box above.
Judge Stephen D. Gerling (Retired)
Fleet Bank v. Caples, et al. (In re Caples, et al.), No. 96-70007 [ECF No. 8] Bankr. N.D.N.Y. 02/07/1996


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The Leap Motion controller, a computer accessory that lets you control your Mac or Windows 7 PC with hand gestures, will launch May 13 for a very reasonable $79.99, the company announced today.
Pre-orders begin today at Best Buy stores.
Leap Motion had a lot of people going nuts when they saw it at the Consumer Electronics Show earlier this year. The dongle sits beneath your computer monitor and can recognize hand gestures in the air such as swipes, pinches, etc. It's much more practical than using a touchscreen all-in-one PC.
But it's one of those things you have to see to believe. Check out Leap Motion's demo video:


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The world has another potential Netflix-killer.
Verizon and Coinstar, owner of DVD kiosk service Redbox, have announced that they'll be launching a joint venture combining Redbox's product with a video on-demand streaming and download service from Verizon.
Planned for the second half of 2012, the venture joins the biggest provider of physical DVDs with Verizon's massive network.
Verizon will hold a 65 percent ownership share, with Redbox having a 35 percent ownership share at the outset.
We'll have more details on the joint venture later. The companies have a conference call scheduled for 9:30.
In the meantime, click here for some great Netflix alternatives >


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Latest News
- First Released
- Platforms
- nds, wii
- Genre
- Shooter
- Summary
- A multi-view 3rd-person shooter that takes players on a journey through the past, present and future of air combat. The main character of the game is pilot David McBride, a 40-year-old veteran of Operation "Sand Storm". He discovers, by a total chance, the plans of the "Molayarius", a sect cultivating traditions of the Knights Templar of Grand Master Jacques de Molay crest. They aim to summon the demon Bafometonto the world. David aims to to destroy these plans, but he finds himself in a world and an epoch of danger as he is flung through time, is led and perhaps misled by the seductive but dangerous Anna, and is constantly under fire as he flies through 10 levels of shooting and flying action all around the world and across time. Proposed for next-gen machines (and also considered for the Nintendo DS), this flying action game project has captured notice partially for its developer's efforts to make this a Nintendo-exclusive title. The game was submitted to Nintendo of Europe, but was not picked up.


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It almost sounds like the makings of a joke: an atheist, a Muslim and the Mechanicsburg Halloween parade. But non-believers aren't laughing about an attack and insist what's really frightening is the way a district judge ruled on it.
The Atheists of Central Pennsylvania decided to walk in the Mechanicsburg Halloween parade. There was a zombie Pope and a zombie Muhammed. On YouTube, you can catch a scary moment. It's dark and distorted, but a Muslim man comes off the curb extremely offended at Muhammed being depicted in this way.
"He grabbed me, choked me from the back, and spun me around to try to get my sign off that was wrapped around my neck," said Ernie Perce, who donned the costume.
The Muslim man and Perce both called police to report a crime. Both kept walking, and a few blocks down found Sgt. Brian Curtis. He talked to both and came to this conclusion.
"Mr. Perce has the right to do what he did that evening, and the defendant in this case was wrong in confronting him," he said.
Talaag Elbayomy was charged with harassment, but District Judge Mark Martin threw it out after criticizing Perce, the victim, and even calling him a "doofus." The audio is also on YouTube.
Martin, who has done several tours of duty in the Middle East, said Perce would be put to death in those societies for his crime, but Perce wonders why that's relevant in this country.
"He let a man who is Muslim, because of his preference of his culture and his way of life, walk free from an attack," Perce said.
R. Mark Thomas represented Elbayomy and applauds the judge.
"I think this was a good dressing down by the judge," he said. "The so-called victim was the antagonist and we introduced evidence that clearly showed his attitude toward Muslims. The judge didn't do anything I wouldn't have done if I was in that position."
Although Elbayomy denied touching Perce at trial, Curtis said he admitted grabbing Perce's sign and beard the night of the incident.
Talaag Elbayomy said he was at the parade with his wife and two kids and felt he just had to do something. In fact, he too called police because he thought it was a crime for someone to depict Muhammed in such a way. He has since learned otherwise.
Views: 332
I have one word for this issue: APPEAL!!!
i have a question - what was a muslim family doing at a Halloween parade?
"Virtually all Halloween traditions are based either in ancient pagan culture, or in Christianity. From an Islamic point of view, they all are forms of idolatry (shirk). As Muslims, our celebrations should be ones that honor and uphold our faith and beliefs. How can we worship only Allah, the Creator, if we participate in activities that are based in pagan rituals, divination, and the spirit world."
if he was such a devout Muslim and hence, offended, perhaps he shouldn't be at an event based on Pagan or Christian beliefs.
as for the judge's decision, if it were based on lack of evidence for assault that's one thing, but it sounds as though the judge was making a decision based on his ideals of wright or wrong, and he feels as though the victim was the protagonist. judge's should be impartial and solely look at the law and evidence. i fail to see how his decision was based on anything but personal opinion.
Gee I wonder if the Muslim maybe was LOOKING for things to be offended about!
Although it does demonstrate the statistics that atheists are disliked more than any other minority (including Muslims), the more serious thing is the victim-blaming and the assault on free speech. I've read plenty of examples of the "you have the right to never be offended" mentality across the world, but now it's hit my home state.
Pretty sure Flynt won. too.
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Nov 19, 2012
Mebane, NC, US
Mebane, N.C., Nov. 19, 2012 – A smoke alarm's low battery chirp is the number one home fire safety complaint among American homeowners who participated in a recent survey conducted by Kelton on behalf of Kidde, the leading manufacturer of residential fire safety products. In fact, 61 percent of respondents have left their alarm without a working battery. Kidde's new Worry-Free line of smoke alarms with a 10-year sealed-in lithium battery aims to solve common consumer complaints and pressing fire industry concerns. Kidde is a business of UTC Climate, Controls, & Security, a unit of United Technologies Corp. (NYSE: UTX)
According to the survey results, homeowners' primary frustration is timing: almost half of those who have heard a low battery chirp said that it sounded in the middle of the night. Yet, homeowners don't automatically replace the battery. After hearing a low battery chirp, 33 percent of homeowners might wait a day or more to replace it, according to the survey. Another seven percent say they'd be more likely to disconnect the battery than insert a new one.
Failing to react quickly and replace batteries could have tragic results. The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) cites missing or disconnected batteries as the main reason smoke alarms fail to operate in residential fires. Two-thirds of all home fire deaths occur in homes with either no smoke alarm or no working alarm. Recently, the National Association of State Fire Marshals (NASFM) issued a recommendation for smoke alarms to be powered by 10-year, sealed-in batteries. NASFM's support of a long-life battery follows similar recommendations from NFPA and the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
"Overall, smoke alarms have been cited as a great success story in this country's efforts to reduce fire death rates, but persistent problems have been identified along the way that continue to hamper our ability to reduce home fire deaths," said J. William Degnan, state fire marshal, New Hampshire and president, NASFM . "Consumers with battery-operated smoke alarms should use 10-year batteries in tamper-resistant units to help ensure that they will have that early warning if it is needed. A sealed-in, 10-year battery takes the burden off consumers to remember to change smoke alarm batteries, and it will save lives."
Kidde's Worry-Free smoke alarms offer a decade of protection without ever having to replace a battery. They are the only UL-listed alarms to contain a photoelectric smoke sensor that is programmed to reduce nuisance alarms, the second most common complaint of homeowners. The Kelton survey found one quarter of homeowners report nuisance alarms sounding at least once a month when cooking in their home. Kidde's Worry-Free Kitchen Alarm includes smart-sensing technology to minimize, if not eliminate, cooking-related nuisance alarms. Each Worry-Free Kitchen Alarm is designed with location-specific features, such as super-bright LEDs in the Hallway Alarm and an added voice warning in the Bedroom Alarm to help wake those who may sleep through the traditional beep. NFPA recommends installing smoke alarms on each floor and inside and outside of sleeping areas. However, survey results show less than a quarter of homeowners comply with this recommendation, and three out of four homeowners don't know where to place alarms.
"We've heard loud and clear that homeowners are frustrated with low battery chirps and nuisance alarms," said Chris Rovenstine, vice president, sales and marketing, Kidde. "In addition to technology advances that eliminate the low-battery chirp, the Worry-Free smoke alarms give consumers peace-of-mind by offering features to address location-specific safety needs. Homeowners now can feel confident that they have the right alarm for the right location."
Kidde's Worry-Free smoke alarms are available at The Home Depot. With no need to replace batteries, consumers will save about $40 in battery costs over the life of an alarm. After ten years, the alarms will sound a warning to indicate it is time for replacement. Fire experts recommend replacing all smoke alarms every 10 years.
The online survey was conducted by Kelton between July – August 2012 among 1,018 homeowners with battery-powered smoke alarms and homes older than 10 years. For more information, visit www.worryfreealarm.com.


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StarDust: Seth MacFarlane + Emma Stone To Hilariously Announce the Oscar Nominees + More
- Emma Stone and Seth MacFarlane to announce the 2013 Oscar noms and Kimye's baby name. [Hypable]
- Heidi Klum is not afraid to bring out the whips and chains to use on her bodyguard boyfriend. [Bohomoth]
- Justin Bieber would never smoke weed! He visits dying leukemia patients in his spare time. [PopCrush]
- Katy Perry already named the "Hottest Woman of 2013" by Men's Health. How? [IDLYITW]
- Sarah Michelle Gellar takes another stab at returning to the small screen with TV sitcom. [Rickey]
- Brandi Glanville hates Eddie Cibrian so much she gave away her wedding dress. [Amy Grindhouse]
- Michael Douglas and Matt Damon's Liberace biopic too gay for Hollywood but not HBO. [ScreenCrush]
- Mila Kunis' looks are being destroyed by Ashton Kutcher one day at a time. [Evil Beet Gossip]
- Gerard Depardieu named Minister of Culture in Mordovia as the poor get poorer. [Jezebel]
- Everyone needs to thank NBC for talking Donald Trump out of running for president. [Gossip Cop]
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Demi Lovato Releasing Self-Titled eBook
Calling all Lovatics! Are you ready to get an in-depth look at Demi Lovato's touring life and the making of her newest album? Then get ready for some great news! The 'Heart Attack' songstress is releasing a self-titled eBook, due out on June 11, that will give fans an up-close and personal glimpse of Demi.
The book, which is exclusively available for iPads, will include behind-the-scenes footage and photos in addition to a foreword written by Ryan Seacrest, a letter penned by Demi to her Lovatics and an exclusive video performance of 'In Case.'
The book is available for pre-order now and we think this is a totally awesome idea. It's not a typical "behind-the-scenes" book that most celebs put out with a few pictures and perhaps a note to their fans. Lovato is adding a whole new dimension with exclusive video of her making her album 'Demi' in addition to past footage from her other tours and other highlights in her career. This endeavor is for die hard Lovatics only! Fairweather fans need not apply!


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By Chesney Hearst, Contributing Reporter
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – A significant rise in the number of foreign immigrants coming into Brazil is seen as an indication of the country's varied opportunities, as well as the relative lack of options abroad since the global economic crisis. While the process of gaining legal residency and finding work in Brazil is not simple, more and more are finding a way each year.
A recent report by O Globo states that the number of requests for a Cadastro de Pessoas Físicas (CPF) by foreigners after they have obtained legal residence in the country has increased ten percent since 2011.
Analyzed data from the Registro Nacional de Estrangeiros (RNE), a document issued by the Department of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Justice (MJ), also showed that the number of legal foreign residents has boomed in the last decade.
The report shows the numbers jumped from 22,418 in 2002 to last year's figure of 1,466,584, equal to the entire population of the city Porto Alegre, the capital of southern state Rio Grande do Sul.
Immigration specialists are attributing the influx of people to Brazil's increased credibility and economic stability which began during presidency of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (Lula) between January, 2003 – December, 2010.
Also in 2009, Brazil's ex-President Lula signed into legislation Law 11961/09, better known as the Amnesty Law. The law promised temporary amnesty to foreigners living illegally in Brazil, and created a path towards permanent residency within two years.
Of the over 43,000 individuals who were granted amnesty, Bolivians are believed to be the greatest beneficiaries, numbering over 17,000, mostly in the state of São Paulo. Other notable nationalities to apply for amnesty are Chinese (5,500), Peruvians (4,600), Paraguayans (4,100), and Koreans (1,100). Approximately 2,400 Europeans are also believed to have received amnesty under the law.
Mutiple pre-sal discoveries off of the country's south-east coast have also stimulated the Brazilian oil industry, causing many involved in that business to relocate to the country. "Brazil is the new hub of global petroleum. Anyone who works in the field has to be here now," Joe Lochridge, a commercial director of an American company that drills and exports Brazilian oil, told O Globo.
A growing interest in gastronomy and international cuisine is also enticing international chefs and restaurateurs to take up residence in Brazil. By opening a business in Brazil using an investment visa, many foreigner entrepreneurs are able to establish a means of income and the ability to live in Brazil legally.
Read more (in Portuguese)
* The Rio Times Daily Updates feature is offered to help keep you up-to-date with important news as it happens.


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It's funny how the pendulum swings. Earlier this week I was watching an Italian cannibal movie that I *thought* was tamer than other representatives of the subgenre, only to find upon further research that it was worse than I could have imagined. And now I find myself reviewing the SPECIAL UNCUT VERSION of a women-in-prison flick directed by infamous international sex fiend Jess Franco and starring Eurohottie Extraordinaire and top-10 Vicar Happy-Dream Subject Rosalba Neri, a confluence of awesomenesses you would think could spell nothing but Eurosleaze greatness. And what do I find? A movie that, even in its uncut version, barely earns an R-rating for either sex OR violence. What the fuck, Jess? How did you let THAT happen?
This is not to say that 99 Women doesn't have pleasures to offer--I could watch Rosalba Neri brush her teeth for half an hour, and she does much more than that here; and Jess does manage some striking visuals and coaxes at least one awesomely nuts performance out of a collaborator. It's just that for a movie whose original title is "Der Heiße Tod" (literally, "The Hot Death"), you might be expecting just a little more.
The movie opens on a dead, flybuzzed carcass on the desolate shores of a hot, rocky island. This is the ilse of Castile de la Muerte--the Castle of Death--a South American women's prison renowned for its impregnability and the cruelty of its wardress. In the distance a small boat approaches, bearing three new inmates to the prison: redheaded junkie Nathalie (Luciana Paluzzi), brunette showgirl Helga (Elisa Montés), and shell-shocked blonde Marie (Maria Rohm). Apparently justice is harsh and swift in South America--so swift that Helga was apparently tried, convicted, and transported without ever having time to change out of her can-can outfit!
We get some of the aforementioned beautiful shots of the prison as the girls approach--it's an old fortress of some kind, all sand-colored stone and sharp planes under bright blue, cloudless skies. As they disembark the girls notice a body beign carted out the prison's front door--"Suicide," one warden helpfully informs us, though not convincingly. The wardress, Thelma Diaz (a wonderfully over-the-top Mercedes McCambridge) shows up and lays down the law by getting slappy on Marie when she offers her name instead of her assigned number. "From now on you have no name, only a number. You have no future, only the past. You have no hope, only regret. You have no friends--only me." The strange, half-Spanish half-German accent McCambridge affects only gives lines like this more bite.
After the girls are issued their fetching gray prison frocks (Marie's with the stencilled number "99" over the left breast, justifying the film's title), they are shown to the Big Communal Cell, where the main reason for watching this movie awaits:
Rosalba Neri aka Number 76, is Zoe, and apparently has special dispensation from Madame Thelma to wear her sheer black stockings AT ALL TIMES--even when on work detail in the salt mines! This is the kind of Wardress's Pet privilege to which a fair-minded, progressive person can only shake his head and say "ZANG." Rosalba seems to spend most of her time lounging around in on pillows in the communal cell, fondling her harem of fellow prisoners/admirers and saying nasty things to Helga, who we learn has spent some time at the prison before. Meanwhile Marie is concerned about Nathalie's withdrawal pains and tries to convince the guards to send a doctor; Madame Thelma puts her in the Punishment Cell for her compassion (which is surprisingly light on the punishment, it must be said), and Nathalie passes on in the night, glad to be quit of such a terrible, sexy world.
The next day Wardress Diaz gets a visit from her corrupt partner in correction Governor Santos, played to shaven-headed, tan-cheeked perfection by a wonderfully oily Herbert Lom. Santos lets Diaz do whatever she wants with the female prisoners, so long as every now and then she lets him drop by to "correct" some of the hard cases--particularly if they're petite and blonde. As such he's very interested in #99. However, the recent deaths at the prison have drawn the attention of more scrupulous higher-ups, and they're sending a new wardress to take Thelma's place; in order to keep themselves supplied with all the female flesh they can whip, Santos and Diaz begin to plot the new boss's downfall.
The following afternoon Rosalba and Helga get embroiled in a work-detail catfight; when Marie steps in to help her friend, she and Rosalba are sent to the sick bay to lick their... wounds. Later that night Santos comes in to punish the girls, or more specifically Marie--Rosalba gleefully helps the Governor by slapping and undressing Marie, molesting the new girl under Santos's leering eye. Franco picks this scene to get artistic on us, filming the molestation in extreme close-ups and nearly indecipherable blurry shots, all to a strangely romantic musical score. While visually interesting, this directorial choice would also seem to subvert the conventions of the WiP genre--after all, the molestation and whipping are what put people's asses in the seats for this type of flick.
Soon the new wardress, Leonie Carroll (Maria Schell) arrives, and sets about making changes to the way things are run at the Castile. Preferring compassion to the lash, she abolishes the Punishment Cell and cuts back on the nighttime guard details, much to the demoted Diaz's strenuous objections. The juxtaposition of Schell's smiling, soft-voiced administator and McCambridge's overblown Frau Hitler impression is amusing, particularly in a later scene where Diaz derides her new superior's methods while flailing her arms dramatically. In fact, McCambridge's whole acting method in this flick is pretty amazing in its gasket-blowing intensity--it's almost expressionistic in a way, hyper-real, and I agree with Franco when he says in the accompanying interview that whenever McCambridge is onscreen, you can't take your eyes off her. A commanding presence, and one of the highlights of the film.
Unfortunately the other highlights are few and far between. Franco hits the required notes here--the girls plan an escape into the island jungle, hoping to make it to the harbor and hitch a ride to the mainland, they meet up with a male prisoner who had the same plan for some cave-bound nookie, and arrive at their destination only to find Lom and his goons waiting for them--but it's all done slowly and with a strange reticence to focus in on the sexual and violent elements of the story; all the stranger because this is Jess Franco we're talking about.
For instance, after their correction by Santos, Rosalba and Marie wind up in the same cell again, only this time they decide to get friendly. Rosalba shares the story of how she came to the prison, and we get a groovy flashback to her days as a stripper for an audience of public school lesbians and how her jealous female boss killed Rosalba's boyfriend, which led Rosalba to murder the boss in return. Rosalba's striptease in this scene is done with colored lights and candles that recall Soledad Miranda's nightclub act in the far superior Vampyros Lesbos, and the whole thing is done in a dreamy, psychedelic style that's quite appealing. Inspired to compassion by the sob story, Marie decides to comfort Rosalba with lesbian sex--willingly this time--and again Franco breaks out the blurry shots and extreme closeups, as if unwilling to show what's actually going on. Some might find this a laudable choice, but again, given the milieu here, I couldn't help but feel it was (ahem) anticlimactic.
Probably the best sequence in the movie is Marie's flashback to the events that landed her in prison, told to the compassionate Wardress Carroll. Her story of her abduction by a motorcycle gang, subsequent rape, and murder of one of her attackers in order to escape is done with a surreal tone--the bikers all wear white hoods during the attack, and the leader uses lipstick to paint a mouth on his, which is a disturbing image. The rape itself is shown in silhouette, which works in this case, as Franco's closeups and moody lighting give the story the horrifying unreality of a nightmare.
But apart from this, the movie comes across as reticent, tame, and (most criminally) kind of boring. The story moves along sluggishly and predictably, there's hardly any tension to speak of, and the one scene of whipping--again, a staple of the WiP genre--is just as reticent as the sex scenes. If not for the periodic visual flourishes and the presence of Ms. Neri (who later shows up in an amazing piece of lingerie that is definitely NOT up to the prison dress code), there would be little here to hold one's interest at all.
The DVD also includes an interview with Franco himself discussing the production, and he's as enthusiastic and interesting as always. His anecdotes about Mercedes McCambridge, his tales of the movie's distribution and unexpected success, and other tidbits are fun to listen to. As often happens, listening to Franco talk about his work almost convinced me that the movie was much, much better than what I had actually just seen.
However, much as I admire Jess's enthusiasm and passion, The Hot Death left me rather cold. It may seem strange that I fault his movie for NOT being as ugly and violent as WiP flicks usually are, but in this case the flick could have used a little more of that, if only to make the viewer concerned about the protagonists' safety and nervous about their chances of getting away. Lacking such, 99 Women unfortunately falls flat. 1.5 thumbs, with an added quarter for Rosalba's stunning gorgeosity, for a total of 1.75. Serious Franco fans might find something here, but others might want to stay on the straight and narrow.
Friday, January 9, 2009
99 Women (1969): or, Jess Dials it Back
Posted by The Vicar of VHS at 10:27 AM
Labels: '60s, 1-2 Thumbs, Jess Franco, Jungle, Prison, Rosalba Neri
6 comments:
- Nigel M said...
what I thought was a bit nuts was when the escapees were caught between guards and dogs on one side and a gang of escapees from mens prison looking to rape on the other. definately one of those WTF? moments of cinema.
- January 9, 2009 at 2:21 PM
- Karswell said...
My "wft" moment comes by looking at the poster and seeing verteran actor Herbert Lom bottom billed. WFT?! *eye twitches*
- January 9, 2009 at 3:27 PM
- The Vicar of VHS said...
Nigel--thanks for commenting! I'm sure there's an allegory there with the dogs and men. :) Especially since the prisoners don't seem to care as much about escaping as they do about following the girls through the jungle.
Karswell--to be fair, Lom *is* only in a few scenes. But of course he TOTALLY owns them. LOL @ "eye twitches" btw--my first exposure to Herbert was of course in the Pink Panther movies. He actually always kinda creeped me out as a kid, even while I was laughing. Now of course I know why!
- January 9, 2009 at 3:55 PM
- Nigel M said...
Vicar,the comparison between dogs and men? Damn! I missed that one! Yes I think you are 100% spot on.
I have only seen the late night TV version of this but wasn't there sex inserts added to Lom's scenes if so this could tag onto Karswell's comment in that Lom would have got a WTF moment when he saw the finished movie.
- January 9, 2009 at 6:49 PM
- Rev. Fred Phantom said...
I too have only seen the late night "Skin-o-max" version back in the 90's. I'm sure it was an edited version, but I do remember the boredom. Yet I'm driven by some sick desire to seek out all of Franco's films so I will make my way back to this one at some point.
- January 11, 2009 at 10:23 AM
- Nigel M said...
Rev, I am no Jess franco expert but I ve seen enough to realise that if you are on a mission to see all Franco's movies then you are going to watch a some truly awful movies. Rather you than me, so let me know how you got on when you completed that mission :)
- January 12, 2009 at 12:59 PM


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