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I must be losing my touch. I've let nearly two months pass without responding to Ezra Klein's defense of RomneyCare, ObamaCare, and other centrally planned health care systems. (For those who want to get up to speed: his original post, my reply, and his response.) So here goes.
Klein notes that he and I had each used flawed measures of RomneyCare's impact on health insurance premiums in Massachusetts. Fair enough. But Klein ignores the study I cited by John Cogan, Glenn Hubbard, and Dan Kessler, which estimates that RomneyCare increased premiums in Massachusetts by 6 percent. The CHK study has limitations, but it is the best estimate available. I hope Klein addresses it.
Klein's fallback position is that even if RomneyCare increases premiums, that's not an indictment of the law because cost-control was not one of its goals. Never mind that Mitt Romney boasted, "the costs of health care will be reduced." Klein knows political rhetoric when he sees it. Yet he oddly sees no parallels between the phony-baloney promises of cost-control used to sell RomneyCare and the phony-baloney promises of cost-control used to sell ObamaCare – despite ample assistance from people like Medicare's chief actuary and Alain Enthoven ("the American people are being deceived").
Then Klein throws down his trump card:
[E]ven a cursory read of the evidence would show that whatever the drawbacks of central planning, it covers people at an extremely low cost. Romney Care's cost problem is a result of pasting a coverage-oriented quick fix atop our insane health-care system. Compare its costs to the British system, the French system, the German system, or any other system, and whatever your conclusions, you won't walk away unimpressed by the ability of centralized systems to cover whole populations for much less money than we spend.
Oy, where to begin? First, Klein violates Cannon's First Rule of Economic Literacy: he writes that centrally planned systems cost less, when what he means is that they spend less.
Second, the phrase "whatever the drawbacks of central planning" is some serious hand-waving. Those "drawbacks" include (among other things): the Medicare program's suppression of comparative-effectiveness research, error-reduction efforts, care coordination, and other delivery innovations; Canada's human-rights violating Medicare system; and the suppression of untold innovations in health insurance and medical treatment by government price controls. Other than a few drawbacks, Mrs. Lincoln…
Third, our "insane health-care system," as I blogged previously, "is the product of the old raft of government price & exchange controls, mandates, and subsidies." Prior to ObamaCare, government already controlled half of all U.S. health care spending directly, granted control over another quarter to employers, and regulated health care more heavily than perhaps any other sector of the economy. Klein and his fellow central planners can't deny paternity. Our "insane health-care system" is the product of central planning.
Finally, only a cursory read of the evidence could lead to the conclusion that central planning contains health care spending. Klein posts the following charts and concludes that since all those (other) centrally planned systems spend less on health care than the United States, central planning must result in lower health care spending.
But if that were true, then one would expect per-capita spending on elderly Americans – who have universal coverage through the centrally planned Medicare program – would not be far out of line when compared to how much other nations spend per elderly resident. Yet the United States is just as far out of here as overall. According to the OECD, the United States spends about twice as much per elderly person as Canada, and more than twice as much as Australia spends. (Alas, I'm not cherry-picking; these are the only four nations for which the OECD provides recent data.)
(One could argue that the reason for this is that Medicare exists alongside the world's largest (ostensibly) private health care sector, whose evils spill over into Medicare. If that were the case, then moving all Americans into Medicare should reduce U.S. health care spending, bringing it back into line with other nations. But consider that Klein and The New Republic's Jonathan Chait both acknowledge that Congress had to throw $2 at the health care industry for every $1 that ObamaCare cut from future Medicare spending. How exactly could Congress move 250 million Americans into Medicare (which presumably would reduce overall spending), or reduce Medicare spending later, given those constraints? How, exactly, would an independent rationing board survive the political dynamics that produce such outcomes? Prediction: it won't. The narrative that central planning contains health care spending just doesn't hold water.)
Klein, The New Republic's Jonathan Cohn, and others have taken a big step by acknowledging that RomneyCare is struggling. When they shift the blame to "the American health care system," however, they obscure what's really happening. As I closed my previous post: "RomneyCare and its progeny ObamaCare are attempts by the Left's central planners to clean up their own mess. If Klein and Cohn want to defend those laws, pointing to the damage already caused by their economic policies won't do the trick. They need to explain why government price & exchange controls, mandates, and subsidies will produce something other than what they have always produced."


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Category: Dear Frankie News Posted by: DaisyMay
Dear Frankie and the Masculine Principle (a la Gerard Butler) (Blog)
Article Date: December 1, 2008 | Publication: Post modern Dilettante | Author: Artemisa's Granddaughter
Source: Postmodern dilettante
Dear Frankie (2004) is another of my Netflix pics. My husband and I were on the outs so he really didn't want to watch it with me. But he did anyway. Such a sport! Of course, he griped about it and his crankiness was wearing on me but we soon got into watching the previews first, then the movie credits. The soundtrack by Alex Heffes is capitivating then suddenly we are watching a single mom (Emily Mortimer), her nine-year-old son Frankie (Jack McElhone) and her mother, a plump little woman who never stops smoking (Mary Riggans) as they settle into a small apartment in Glasgow, Scotland.
Frankie is a silent, dreamy deaf kid who uses sign language to communicate with his mother and writes notes to everybody else. He refuses to wear his hearing aid but is "a champion lip reader," according to his mom. Very quickly we learn Frankie has been getting letters from his dad since he left the family years ago. He's at sea aboard a British ship, the Accra, and sends Frankie stamps from all the places he visits when the ship docks. Frankie writes back to his dad and plots his ports of call on a big map of the world in his bedroom.
But at the same time we learn about Frankie's correspondence with his absent dad we find out that his mom is behind the letters from dad. She rents a post office box in a town a bus ride away where she picks up the letters Frankie writes to his dad.
Well, the film's plot turns on the Accra's surprise appearance off the shores of Glasgow and how Frankie's mom gets stuck with finding someone -- a stranger -- to pretend to be his dad while the ship is anchored in Glasgow's harbor.
Sound implausible? Well, it doesn't play that way, not for this woman reviewer, anyway. The film was directed by a woman, Shona Auerbach, and the script written by another woman, Andrea Gibb. It is a woman's film in that it deals with issues only women face. I won't go into all of them here. Jack McElhone and the actresses that play Frankie's mother and grandmother are pitch perfect in their depiction of a contented, though fatherless, family.
Sharon Small, who my husband and I recognized from The Inspector Lynley series on PBS's Mystery Theatre, is great in the role of a newly acquired family friend, and Gerard Butler is perfect as the bemused stranger she recruits to play the role of Frankie's long absent father.
Well, actually Gerard Butler was absolutely "brilliant," as the Brits would say, in the role of the Stranger, or the Rescuing Stranger, I should say. There he is up above, first (at left) as the Phantom in the movie version of Phantom of the Opera and then as the Spartan warrior, King Leonidas, in the film 300 (2006).
Butler's other film credits include major roles in the Christian Bale/Matthew McConaughey sci-fi flick, Reign of Fire (2002) and Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life (2003). More recently he starred with Hillary Swank in P.S. I Love You (2007) and with Tom Wilkinson in the Guy Ritchie film, Rocknrolla (2008) But I find the roles in which he is pictured above to be most interesting in explaining his effectiveness as the Stranger in Dear Frankie. His role in the Phantom was conceived by Andrew Lloyd Webber for the stage musical which opened on Broadway in 1986 and which continues its uninterrupted run there today. In both the play and the movie which was adapted from it, the character touches a deep chord in the feminine psyche: the mysterious outcast, threatening and at the same time comforting, who brings The Music of the Night into the life of a young woman preparing to marry another, more conventional and socially successful man. Butler in his role as the Stranger in Frankie evokes the same emotional ambiquity and thus adds a muted but palpable tension to the plot.
The character of King Leonidas, the Spartan warrior, in 300, on the other hand, is overtly, if not stereotypically, masculine and Butler who endured round-the-clock physical training in preparation for the film embodies the role with the requisite and charismatic machismo. This quality comes across strongly in the Frankie role but in a far more subtle manner as a foil both to the boyish vulnerability of the nine-year-old Frankie and to the fiercely protective qualities of his mother Lizzie and his grandmother Nell. Butler's first appearance in the otherwise feminine (and childish) cast was riveting. He appears almost out of nowhere at Lizzie's table while she scans the restaurant as she awaits an arranged meeting with him. Silent and attentive, he listens as she explains her dilemma displaying no emotion whatsoever except an awkward willingness to go along with her plan. His initial meeting with Frankie who is as trusting and open as his mother is wary and reserved is another moment of stunning contrast.
I'll not spoil the movie by continuing here but will say that Dear Frankie is worth the seeing (I watched it twice and I never, ever do that). Jimmy, my husband, liked it too. If you want a contrasting opinion see Neil Young's (not the singer, I hope) Film Lounge. I also think it would be suitable for children around Frankie's age (9 years) and older. All around the acting is great. Emily Mortimer is especially fine as Lizzie, Frankie's mom. She sketches an emotional landscape which women easily recognize. I also enjoyed seeing Sharon Small out of her familiar (to me) role as assistant cop to Inspector Lynley. The Film Lounge reviewer mentioned above described Mary Riggan's portrayal of Frankie's grandma as OTT which could mean a number of things including: Over The Top, Off The Truck, and Off The Trolley, none of which apply in my opinion. I found her grandma reserved but tenacious.
Dear Frankie's also a great introduction to the Scots actor, Butler, who at 39, and with five new movies in various stages of development, is destined for even greater celebrity in the near future. Did I mention that he's a hunk? He is. But I suggest you see the movie before you check him out on YouTube where he is featured in some 13,400 videos.
Category: Dear Frankie News
Posted by: DaisyMay

subset: commoncrawl


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Pamela Duncan Edwards
United States of America
Pamela Duncan Edwards is a bestselling author of more than twenty-five popular picture books. Her titles include While the World is Sleeping, Livingston Mouse: Roar!, A Noisy Counting Book, Hank, and Some Smug Slug.
Pamela grew up in northern England. She taught preschool for eleven years. She moved to the United States with her husband and two sons over twenty-five years ago. After moving to the US, she became a children's librarian.
Because of her teaching background, her books present early learning concepts and use many literary devices. In many of her stories, animals are the main characters. "I guess I'm almost unaware when I'm creating characters that I lean toward animals," says Pamela.. "It just seems to happen. I live in the country and from my window I see animals playing all the time. In my yard I have squirrels, huge numbers of squabbling birds, a fox mom who regularly presents us with fox kits each year, and a sweet, fat groundhog who lives under our deck. They're part of my life and they've all managed, or will manage, to find their way into my books at some time or other."
Pamela Duncan Edwards lives with her husband in Virginia. For more information about her, please visit http://www.pameladuncanedwards.net/


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According to WHO, Alcohol is a psychoactive substance with dependence-producing properties that has been widely used in many cultures for centuries. The harmful use of alcohol causes a large disease, social and economic burden in societies. Environmental factors such as economic development, culture, availability of alcohol and the level and effectiveness of alcohol policies are relevant factors in explaining differences and historical trends in alcohol consumption and related harm.
Alcohol-related harm is determined by the volume of alcohol consumed, the pattern of drinking, and, on rare occasions, the quality of alcohol consumed. The harmful use of alcohol is a component cause of more than 200 disease and injury conditions in individuals, most notably alcohol dependence, liver cirrhosis, cancers and injuries. The latest causal relationships established are those between alcohol consumption and incidence of infectious diseases such as tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS.
A wide range of effective global, regional and national policies and interventions are in place to reduce the harmful use of alcohol, with a promising trend over the past few decades.
Alcohol consumption:
Worldwide consumption in 2010 was equal to 6.2 litres of pure alcohol consumed per person aged 15 years or older, which translates into 13.5 grams of pure alcohol per day.
A quarter of this consumption (24.8%) was unrecorded, i.e., homemade alcohol, illegally produced or sold outside normal government controls. Of total recorded alcohol consumed worldwide, 50.1% was consumed in the form of spirits.
Worldwide 61.7% of the population aged 15 years or older (15+) had not drunk alcohol in the past 12 months. In all WHO regions, females are more often lifetime abstainers than males. There is a considerable variation in prevalence of abstention across WHO regions.
Worldwide about 16.0% of drinkers aged 15 years or older engage in heavy episodic drinking.
In general, the greater the economic wealth of a country, the more alcohol is consumed and the smaller the number of abstainers. High-income countries have the highest alcohol per capita consumption (APC) and the highest prevalence of heavy episodic drinking among drinkers.
Health consequences
In 2012, about 3.3 million net deaths, or 5.9% of all global deaths, were attributable to alcohol consumption.
There are significant sex differences in the proportion of global deaths attributable to alcohol, for example, in 2012 7.6% of deaths among males and 4% of deaths among females were attributable to alcohol.
In 2012 139 million net DALYs (disability-adjusted life years), or 5.1% of the global burden of disease and injury, were attributable to alcohol consumption.
There is also wide geographical variation in the proportion of alcohol-attributable deaths and DALYs, with the highest alcohol-attributable fractions reported in the WHO European Region.
Policies and interventions
Alcohol policies are developed with the aim of reducing harmful use of alcohol and the alcohol-attributable health and social burden in a population and in society. Such policies can be formulated at the global, regional, multinational, national and subnational level.
Delegations from all 193 Member States of WHO reached consensus at the World Health Assembly in 2010 on a WHO Global stratgy to reduce the harmful use of alcohol.
Many WHO Member States have demonstrated increased leadership and commitment to reducing harmful use of alcohol over the past years.
A significantly higher percentage of the reporting countries indicated having written national alcohol policies and imposing stricter blood alcohol concentration limits in 2012 than in 2008.


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Open a Franchise
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If you have strong interpersonal skills, the ability to manage and motivate employees, and the desire to learn and follow a system that ensures value and customer satisfaction, please fill out the short form below to take an in-depth online tour of the ZAGG franchise ownership opportunity.
Franchise interest form
Fill out the form completely and you will be contacted by one of our staff.
Thank you for filling out the form and taking an interest in being a ZAGG franchise.
You will be contacted by one of our staff.
Franchise Program FAQs
Why should I join the ZAGG Franchise Program?
By joining the ZAGG Franchise Program team you are joining a network of other owners that span across the country. You can become part of a great opportunity to become a business owner in an industry with limitless possibilities. ZAGG has a proven model in place with a low investment, simple operations, corporate support, training program, and much more.
How much is the franchise fee?
Each location will differ as you decide what level you want to enter into the ZAGG retail program. Mall carts, Kiosks, and In-line retail stores are very different and you'll want to discuss with your regional sales representative that would be best for the location you are looking into.
Are there royalty or advertising fees?
No, ZAGG does not ask you to put in any further investment than the initial licensing fee. We encourage each individual owner to find the best way to advertise their business and grow within their area.
How much money will I make?
Our employees, salespeople, or sales managers are not permitted to furnish any oral or written information concerning actual or potential sales. Actual results vary from location to location and we cannot estimate the results of any particular franchise. We encourage you to reach out to other business owners in the area you are interested in and see what potential a location has.
Is there financing available?
No, ZAGG does not offer financing for franchise owners.
Will I receive training?
Yes, once committed to opening a location as a new owner there is a training program at corporate headquarters that will familiarize you with the ZAGG Franchise program, the corporate branding, as well as the products. You will meet with your Regional Representative as well as other integral people within the ZAGG organization.
What are the benefits of being in the ZAGG Franchise Program?
When you become a franchise owner you will have the full benefits of:
- Access to all of ZAGG product line
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- Access to the iFrogz brand
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What skills do I as an owner need to have?
If you have strong interpersonal skills, the ability to manage and motivate employees, and the desire to learn and follow a system that ensures value and customer satisfaction. Being able to reach out and find new customers and create repeat customers is valuable. It also helps to speak fluent English and keep organized records.
Where are the current ZAGG locations?
There are locations all over the US, Canada, Puerto Rico and Mexico. Please look at our MAP and see if there is one in the area you are looking.
Is the Retail Program International?
As of right now we are not set up for international expansion with the retail program.
10 Quick and Easy Steps to Your Grand Opening
- Complete the Interest Form Tab (above)
- Upon receiving the Franchise application, complete and return
- Speak with the District Sales Representative
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STILL HAVE QUESTIONS? Email us:


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Juan "Larry" Sánchez '74, BBA
News Anchor
Believing in Murphy's Law, Sánchez had to be prepared for the unexpected. With his father's multiple assignments in the U.S. Navy that took him to many places, including Africa and the Dominican Republic, he learned to be ready for anything.
At the age of five, he moved to Philadelphia with his family, speaking only Spanish. He quickly immersed in the English language in order to be accepted by his classmates. Not liking to be called "One" instead of Juan, he opted for his nickname of Larry.
When his father died at the age of 42, he left behind a wife and three children. Sánchez was forced to become the "man of the house" and take care of his siblings. He has learned to work hard for what he wants and accept challenges as opportunities. He is no stranger to having two or three jobs at one time, giving 100 percent to everything he does.
He strongly feels that a person has to work hard for the things he wants in life.
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© 2019


text:
Print advertisement created by Comkoi, Mayotte for Yoplait, within the category: Food.
Creative Directors: Alexandre Abravanel, Stephane Lafarge
Art Director: Alexandre Abravanel
Copywriter: Stephane Lafarge
Photographers: Alexandre Abravanel, Stephane Lafarge / Fotolia
Appealing! Nice ad.
the tiny spoon ruins it for me. looks awkward. maybe without the spoon or have the spoon laying next to it.
interesting ad,,,!: completely agree with certainty,,,,the spoon would have looked better on the side,,,but maybe he wants to show how tempting it is,,,so u want to eat it immediately,,,,,!
It would be good if it was the first time someone had done it. And the retouching is bad, man.
Is it a work of Com koi or Ludik ? http://www.ludik.re/portfolio/panier-de-yoplait/
Nice, Big LIKE
More original for same brand and same product =
Appetite appeal: 10/10 Creativity: 2/10
The original of 2008 by Court Circuit agency in Réunion island just near you man ;-)


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Pendaftaran Affiliate | Member Login | Halaman Depan
Soal Tahun 2018
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This is the bottom slider area. You can edit this text and also insert any element here. This is a good place if you want to put an opt-in form or a scarcity countdown.


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Our Lonely First Duffer
What Barack Obama's golf game tells us about his presidency.
To many of us who play golf and generally suck at it—that's me, and most others—it is less a game than a subtle form of torture, a walking stress position. Other sports may be more physically taxing, but none tests one's character so severely—nerves, integrity, honesty and above all temper. (If you've ever four-putted from 20 feet or chunked an easy chip into a sand trap, you'll know what I mean). Naturally, because golf is so hard on the psyche as well as the wallet, it is unusually revealing about the true nature of people—and, of course, presidents. "If the people wish to determine who is the best candidate, put all the contenders on the golf course," the golfing great Gene "The Squire" Sarazen once remarked. "The one who can take five or six bad holes in a row without blowing his stack can handle the affairs of the nation."
That quote appears in a delightful 2003 book, First Off the Tee, by the investigative journalist Don Van Natta Jr., who observed that we could learn a lot from the fact that the last 11 presidents going back to Eisenhower (with the exception of Jimmy Carter) have been fairly obsessed with the game . While detailing their worst habits on the course, Van Natta implied it was no accident that some of the biggest presidential cheaters at golf—Richard Nixon, Lyndon Johnson, Bill Clinton—were also some of the biggest liars in the Oval Office. Clinton, for example, was notorious for taking what Van Natta called "Billigans"—a play on "mulligan," golfing parlance for a do-over (which is not allowed under the rules)."If you want to learn about Bill Clinton's character problem, you don't have to subpoena Whitewater documents," conservative commentator Byron York once wrote. "Just watch him on the golf course."
Story Continued Below
And what of the current First Duffer? After authorizing airstrikes in Iraq, and despite sharp warnings about a possible Russian invasion of Ukraine, this weekend Barack Obama is headed off for another hack-a-thon on Martha's Vineyard—his regular August getaway—so it seems like an appropriate moment to ask what this revelatory sport can tell us about No. 44, who by all accounts has become increasingly obsessed with hitting little white balls into tiny holes.
Though a mediocre golfer, Obama is believed to be an honest scorekeeper, which perhaps should reassure us—if only a little—about the official statements coming out of his White House. He is also known for maintaining his preternaturally calm demeanor on the course as well as off. "I've never really seen him in a bad mood," frequent Obama golf partner Alonzo Mourning, the NBA great, told my POLITICO colleague Jennifer Epstein in late April, saying that Obama looked relaxed even when he was dealing with the 2013 government shutdown (from the course, of course).
But golf is revealing about this president in other ways. It has become, more and more, Obama's refuge from public life—and, perhaps, from what even some friendlier critics are wondering will be seen as a partially failed presidency. Obama himself, who has pretty much given up his first sporting love, basketball, because of a fear of injury (according to Mourning), has said that playing the game is a way " to relax and clear my head." Yet even a relatively sympathetic pundit like the Washington Post's Dana Milbank recently questioned whether it was wise for the 44th president to be tallying 180-plus rounds during his much-troubled tenure (compared with only 24 for George W. Bush in eight years), writing: "Is golf really so important that Obama is willing to handicap his political standing?"
What tells us even more about this particular president than his escapist passion for golf, however, is his routinely narrow choice of playing partners over the past five and a half years. Let's start with the basics: Golf is probably the most social of sports. It is a game virtually designed for getting to know people and expanding one's networks—for schmoozing, unmonitored understandings out in the open air and private winks over the 19th hole.The self-loathing we hackers experience while playing it is partially relieved by golf's convivial and lubricous nature (typically helped along by substantial drinking after the torture is done), as well as the opportunities for empathy, commiseration and a lot of good, manly trash talk.
To abuse Clausewitz, golf—like war—can be a continuation of politics by other means. ""You are picking up so much about people's personality traits, their humor, whether they're jerks," says David Rynecki, author of Deals on the Greens: Lessons in Business and Life from America's Top Executives. "This is even more true in politics than business because so much of politics is driven by personality, and you get a chance to know and understand that."
It is already well-known, of course, that golf is often the businessman's choice for the mysterious process of male bonding (for some reason the same doesn't hold as true for female bonding, but I'm not going there). Golf is not only social, it is irredeemably clubby, a way for our powerful one-percenters to get even cozier as they divide up our economy among themselves (you don't find many antitrust prosecutors on the links). According to a much-cited survey of business executives from 20 years ago, "Golf and the Business Executive," prepared for Hyatt Hotels by a New York-based research firm, 93 percent of those polled said playing golf was a good way to establish closer relationships with business associates, and more than a third said some of their biggest deals were done on a golf course. This has also been true of politics, and presidential golf, at times in the nation's history: Lyndon Johnson, the master of congressional vote-wrangling and a 24/7 politicker, was said to have collected senatorial yeses for the 1964 Civil Rights Act and other legislation while golfing.


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Stars and Stripes
Ramstein Air Base, Germany | January 16, 2013
RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany — About an hour into rehearsal Tuesday morning, Jiggs Whigham tells the teenagers on stage to "put your horns down and stand up, please."
The world-renowned jazz trombonist and music professor tells them to extend and hold their arms out to their sides. At first, the task seems easy, Whigham says.
"Anyone can play four bars in a row without making a mistake — that's no great shakes," he tells the students participating in the DODDS-Europe Honor Jazz Seminar. But "playing a whole arrangement" with its many notes and complexity is much more difficult and requires undivided attention, he said.
"I don't want you thinking about your girlfriend, the pizza, what you ate for breakfast," he said. "It's about the music. It's only about the music."
The rare chance to shut out everything but the music and sing and play with their peers is what makes the jazz seminar special for the 34 students who auditioned and were selected for a seat in the band or a turn at the microphone in the week-long program.
About 170 students applied for the seminar, now in its 30th year, said Hope Matthews, DODDS-Europe fine arts coordinator.
"It is the joy of making music together and at a level that these kids don't get in their regular high school experiences," said Rebecca Brashier, the seminar's vocal ensemble director.
"You don't have to be a jazz musician to come here," said Jeff Pellaton, the seminar's music director. "You have to be a good musician. If you can play your horn, you can fit in."
Aaron Gaudette, 15, a Ramstein High School sophomore who plays the piano and keyboard, said the seminar is "amazing."
"We basically get a week just to jam with people and be with people who respect the same thing that we do," he said.
Vicenza (Italy) High School junior Veronica Borja, one of two sopranos to earn a spot in the seminar's small vocal ensemble, and AFNORTH (Netherlands) junior Madeleine Booth, one of two altos chosen, strived Tuesday to collectively harmonize notes in such Big Band jazz classics as "Old Devil Moon" and "The Nearness of You."
In jazz, "there's all kind of funky chords" and dissonance, Booth said.
"Jazz is hard," Borja said.
This year's musical lineup, with original Stan Kenton arrangements, challenges even the group's returnees, such as Mason Price, a Ramstein High School senior who started playing the trumpet in fifth grade.
"There are some high notes on the trumpet part," he said. "I'm not going to say I can hit all of them all of the time."
The students don't come to rehearsal cold. They can download the music online and get help in advance from the DODDS-Europe teachers who instruct break-out sessions at the seminar.
Four days of intense rehearsal culminate with a free performance Thursday at 7:30 p.m. at the Landstuhl Stadthalle.
"What I tell people (is), close your eyes and you have no idea those are teenagers," Pellaton said.
Whigham, who played trombone in the Glenn Miller Orchestra right out of high school, demands near perfection from his young apprentices.
"I keep telling them that good won't get it," he said. "We're not looking for average. We want to excel."
Now 69, Whigham has led the DODDS-Europe Jazz Seminar for 29 years.
"I got to be here," he said. "I love teaching. I love playing. I love music. Whatever I can do to exemplify that, in any way, I try to; as a player, as a teacher, as a band leader. Working with talented and serious people is very rewarding."
Whigham says he receives emails from former seminar students who have long since graduated.
" 'You said something or did this.' 'That week of honors big band workshop changed my life,' " he said some of the notes say.
"So how can you say no?" he said.
Some former seminar students, such as 19-year-old Paulee Brown, are forging a future in music. The Wiesbaden High School graduate is now a freshman at the Berklee College of Music in Boston.
Brown, who's playing drums in the seminar jazz band this year as a guest and mentor, said the experience helped him learn how to "listen and be mindful of the rest of the band. In order for the whole band to sound good, you have to know your part."
"Jiggs," he said, "he motivates you to be the best that you can be."


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Neo Nobility is a site that focuses upon the future era and royalty aspect of the manga Bishoujo Senshi Sailormoon. I hope to divulge greatly on a very open-ended and elegant era of a very celebrated storyline.
The story and characters have become cultural icons and are recognized almost instantly when someone voices "Sailormoon." I grew up with this series and perhaps that's why my interests in mythology and our Solar system are so prevalent. Besides the aforementioned, my favorite part of Sailormoon has always been the less discussed arc of royalty and a glimpse of the future selves of our protagonists. This dedication is over a decade old and while I'm no longer an active fan of Sailormoon, I enjoy keeping this little place open as a reminder of an incredible series ♥
Update April 4, 2012 Manga downloads are down at the moment. I will have them back up in December sorry I don't have time right now to do all of that ^^ See you then!!


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Quintana solid, but drops finale in Detroit
DETROIT -- An easy way for the White Sox to judge their seven-game road trip to Texas and Detroit would be to label it a qualified success.
Yes, they posted a subpar 3-4 record against the Rangers and Tigers (11-8), a run that ended Thursday afternoon with 7-4 loss at Comerica Park. But they did so without Chris Sale taking the mound.View Full Game Coverage
DETROIT -- An easy way for the White Sox to judge their seven-game road trip to Texas and Detroit would be to label it a qualified success.
Yes, they posted a subpar 3-4 record against the Rangers and Tigers (11-8), a run that ended Thursday afternoon with 7-4 loss at Comerica Park. But they did so without Chris Sale taking the mound.View Full Game Coverage
They did so with leadoff man Adam Eaton out the etire four-game set against the Tigers and Conor Gillaspie missing the final three contests. They did so with Felipe Paulino battling through soreness in his rotator cuff during a rough start on Friday in Arlington.
Their replacements certainly are more than capable, but they still aren't the everyday starters. So saying this run was better than average wouldn't be out of the question.
But the White Sox aren't about breaking even and aren't about moral victories. It doesn't matter that this team is taking part in its much-talked about reshaping process. They still want to contend in 2014.
Losing four of seven games isn't exactly unacceptable. It's also far from ideal.
"Obviously your goal is to win every series, and we didn't do that," said White Sox designated hitter Adam Dunn, who hit his 445th career homer and doubled in Thursday's setback. "So any time you come home with a losing record, I don't think that's what your goal is.
"I thought we played pretty good on the road. We had chances offensively to break the game open or get a big hit and score some runs early. We just haven't been able to do it."
There were chances late Thursday for the White Sox against Detroit setup man Joba Chamberlain, and there were chances early against Max Scherzer (2-1), the reigning American League Cy Young winner. In fact, the White Sox put two runners on base in the second, fourth and fifth while Scherzer was on the mound over his six innings. They only could manage two runs.
One of those runs was of the gift variety, when Dayan Viciedo's routine fly ball to open the sixth was lost by right fielder Torii Hunter upon contact. By the time he found the ball, Hunter could make only a last-second dive. He couldn't come up with it, leaving Viciedo with a triple.
Viciedo, who scored on Alexei Ramirez's sacrifice fly, finished a home run short of the cycle and was batting an American League-best .377 at the contest's end..
Scherzer struck out 10, including Gordon Beckham three times in his first game of the 2014 campaign, but he also threw 110 pitches.
"Q [Jose Quintana] pitched a good ballgame, he really did. He deserved better," said White Sox manager Robin Ventura. "But Max got us when he needed to. We had opportunities and they took advantage of theirs."
"He's a Cy Young winner," said Dunn of Scherzer. "He's another guy with great stuff and the same story against [Justin] Verlander: when you get opportunities early, you've got to capitalize on them. If not, they don't get any easier. That's kind of what happened again today."
Quintana (1-2) yielded single runs in the second, third and fifth, which was enough to hand the southpaw loss No. 2. All three runs scored after two were out and nobody was on base.
"It's a pretty good lineup," said Quintana, who allowed seven hits over six innings and 98 pitches, didn't walk a batter and struck out three. "I wanted to throw less pitches because I wanted to go long in the game, but the only thing with me was [three] runs after two outs."
"We had a good approach with two outs," Detroit's Miguel Cabrera said. "And we put the ball in play."
In the second for Detroit, it was an Austin Jackson triple and a Nick Castellanos single. In the third, it was Ian Kinsler's single, a wild pitch and Cabrera's run-scoring single to right. And it was Rajai Davis who connected for a solo homer in the fifth.
Detroit added two in the seventh off of the relief tandem of Maikel Cleto and Daniel Webb, with Cabrera delivering a two-out single to center with the bases loaded. The Tigers scored two more in the eighth to answer a comeback by the White Sox (11-12) in the top of the frame against Chamberlain.
Dunn doubled, Viciedo singled and Ramirez singled to bring home one, and Alejandro De Aza's stolen base with runners on first and third, coupled with Detroit catcher Bryan Holaday's bad throw into center, scored Viciedo with the second tally. Close, but not quite good enough as Joe Nathan (fourth save) finished off the White Sox in the ninth. He was aided on the final out by a batter interference call on Jose Abreu, who struck out as Marcus Semien tried to steal second. Semien was ruled out on the call to end the game.
That "close but not quite good enough" description would pretty much fit the White Sox journey away from U.S. Cellular Field.
"Coming through here, we're pretty banged up and with [Detroit], it still is pretty good," Ventura said. "Hopefully we can get healthy and go from there."
"The White Sox are always a challenging team. They're always going to compete against me and grind out at-bats against me," Scherzer said. "I felt like they did that today. They were able to put runners on base, but I did a good job of pitching with runners on base, and I was able to rack up strikeouts when I needed."
Scott Merkin is a reporter for MLB.com. Read his blog, Merk's Works, and follow him on Twitter @scottmerkin.


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I was so nervous that I could hardly watch! I could have done cartwheels after Jordan won. The best part was seeing Natalie close to tears when she found out. She always said Jordan did not count in comps. The look on Natalie's face was really worth putting up with this unhoped for final 3. If Jordan does win it all and that is a big IF, I think her only chance of winning is unfortunately taking the Gnat because no one really seems to like her anymore in the jury house.
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I think that Sidious was talking about Qui-Gon. Yoda is able to discern that Qui-Gon has managed to maintain his identity through the Force. And while Sidious might be a master of the Dark Side, he must be very attuned to the Force as a whole. He might be able to detect that Qui-Gon has managed to maintain his identity in the Force. As for him offering to help Anakin discover the secrets to immortality? I think that's just part of the seduction. Sidious tells Anakin what he wants to hear, even though he might not have the answers.
Qui-Gon learned this technique from the Shamen of the whills
I've read somewhere that all Jedi and Sith have a particular power that they excel in. I assume Plagueis' was the resurrection thing. I guess that Sidious' power was foresight, so he knew that Anakin would cause Padme's death, so telling Anakin that "we need to work together" was a delaying tactic until Anakin did the deed.
Who is Sidious refering to. By all the implications he's probably referring to Plageus, but is he? \
Quote from: jedipurge on March 31, 2008, 07:03 PMWho is Sidious refering to. By all the implications he's probably referring to Plageus, but is he? \It's clear in the film that Palpatine is referring to Darth Plageuis the Wise. It was obvious that was Palps' master, and that Palps killed him in his sleep and it was "ironic that (Plageuis) had the power to stop others from dying, but not himself."I don't think there is any question about this.
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Shawty Lo Speaks On The Fight Incident & Responds To Meatball "How The Hell I Steal Yo Swag" Plus Says "T.I. F*ck You N*gga. Everyone Know You Fake P*ssy"!
*WSHH Exclusive*
Shawty Lo interview. Speaks on whats going on with the allegeded getting jumped rumors, T.I, & more.
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Celebrating illustration, design, cartoon and comic art of the mid-20th century.
Monday, February 01, 2010
Lou Cunette: A Style to Satisfy Every Artistic Appetite!
Whoops! Sorry, did I say "cartoonist"?
Er... the October '46 issue of Life magazine contains an ad for General Motors, nicely painted in an almost Albert Dorne-ish style by an illustrator named Lou Cunette.
Waitaminut... the August 1950 issue of Life magazine sports an ad for Howard Johnson's by a cartoonist - definitely a cartoonist - named Lou Cunette.
Except in a completely different cartoon style.
Uh... the following year an artist named Lou Cunette did a photo-illustration collage in a sort of David Stone Martin-inspired style for Fortune magazine. Hhmmmmm....
The next year, 1952, in a style very typical of contemporary magazine illustration of the day, someone named Lou Cunette did a run of illustrations for the Woman's Day column, "How to Be a Girl".
They look like they could have been done by a Cooper studio artist.
So just who the heck was this Lou Cunette?
He was an illustrator who could produce a style for every artistic appetite.
Beyond that, I haven't a clue. But I feel a great affinity for Mr. Cunette. I don't know if he was a 'restless illustrator' who couldn't settle into one style, who enjoyed dabbling in a little of everything, or a Jack-of-all-trades ( and some might argue, "a master of none" ). But that would be unfair, because Cunette's skills are evident.
I suspect perhaps it was a little of both. Some illustrators don't enjoy careers with a definitive focus... but that's not to say they don't enjoy fulfilling careers. If the day ever comes when someone who knew Lou Cunette finds this post, I'm sure we'll learn about his other accomplishments. And I'll bet we'll discover that Lou Cunette didn't just satisfy the artistic appetites of his clients, but he satisfied his own as well.
* My Lou Cunette Flickr set.
9 comments:
- Charlie Allen10:00 PM
Thanks, Leif. Never heard of the artist, either....and the variety of work and ads didn't add to recognition. But he was very competent....and maybe it shows that in those years, in order to stay busy, he chose a whole gamut of illustrative styles. Speaking from experience, it sure made work a lot more fun. I had a lot of variety, more in mediums and use of the illustrations, but definitely it kept an artist on his toes.ReplyDelete
Never heard of him either. Diverse styles is not somthing I'de associate with the 50's when there seemed to be enough work around to pursue one style, but more with the 80's when illustrators were trying to grab what little work there was. In my formative years in the 80's, I'de do anything in any style or medium to make ends meet, generally to the detriment of the eventual piece. I was seldom happy with the illustrations, mainly because I just didn't have enough time to explore the stylistic possibilities of the medium, coupled with the fact that I was comparing myself to recognised masters of the style. Still, there are a few I'm fairly pleased with looking back.ReplyDelete
Cunette seemed to have the ability to create decent work in whatever style he chose, but I'de guess he never really felt he'd achieved his potential because of it.
I'm fascinated by both your responses, Charlie and Roger. Charlie talks about variety making work a lot of fun... Roger speaks about his frustration at not having had enough of a chance to really explorethe possibilities of some of those various styles and assumes Cunette must have also felt frustrated. But I don't agree.ReplyDelete
As it happens I was just interviewed for an illustration podcast yesterday and spoke at length on the subject of 'the restless illustrator'. I wrote in yesterday's post that I feel an affinity for Lou Cunette's situation - and I was speaking from my own career experience. I'm very happy to have worked in a great variety of styles - in fact, some clients look to me to provide any style they need and I'm pleased to be able to deliver it on demand.
Maybe its my ADD, but I have no interest in pursuing one style for a lifetime. Each new style is a new opportunity to challenge myself and explore... and after a time or two I grow bored of that one and I'm ready to try something new. I hope (and wouldn't be surprised to learn) that Lou Cunette felt the same way.
Very interesting stuff both visually and with the comments expressed. I tend to agree with the joy of exploration theory and am reminded of animator Ward Kimball. Not only was he a great draftsman, he was a fine painter too. Ward could paint tight representational paintings and abstracted stylized works all beautifully. To him it was just fun.ReplyDelete
- Anonymous1:16 PM
Louis Cunette was my grandfather. He was a very talented artist whose work can be found in books and magazines. He also was an illustrator for Walt Disney until he passed in 1993.ReplyDeleteReplies
there is an estate sale tomorrow at 81C Forest Rd, Milford, CT 06461 with several of your grandfather original oil paintings available for sale. https://www.estatesales.net/CT/Milford/06461/1677693Delete
- Beth Retzlaff9:25 AM
To anonymous Lou Cunette was my grandfather. I am interested in knowing who you are.Delete


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division cases
This information was filed in the traffic division of Marion County District Court. All fines include court costs.
Mickey Lee Brubaker, 518 N. Cedar St., Marion; case dismissed Feb. 24.
Jordan Lee Trapp, 1305 Whitetail Rd., Florence; pleaded not guilty Jan. 15 to a charge of driving under the influence, status hearing set for Feb. 19.


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Woodrow Charles "Woody" Herman (May 16, 1913 – October 29, 1987) was an American jazz clarinetist, alto and soprano saxophonist, singer, and big band leader. Leading various groups called "The Herd," Herman was one of the most popular of the 1930s and 1940s bandleaders. His bands often played music that was experimental for its time. He was a featured halftime performer for Super Bowl VII.
The best President we ever had


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Pratt & Whitney PurePower® PW1100G-JM Engines Selected for JetBlue's Airbus A320neo Aircraft Family
EAST HARTFORD, Conn. – JetBlue Airways (Nasdaq: JBLU) has selected Pratt & Whitney PurePower PW1100G-JM engines to power its order of 40 firm A320neo family aircraft. The MOU includes 86 PurePower engines with a long-term PureSolutionSM maintenance service agreement. Deliveries are scheduled to start in 2018. Pratt & Whitney is a division of United Technologies Corp. (NYSE:UTX).
"Pratt & Whitney has done an outstanding job developing an engine for the Airbus A320neo; we are confident we've made an excellent choice for our aircraft," said Dave Barger, president and CEO of JetBlue Airways. "The PurePower Engines are an investment in our fleet, our environment and our people that will maximize performance and efficiency, while minimizing our carbon footprint."
"We are thrilled that JetBlue is the first U.S. airline to select the environmentally-friendly PurePower engine for its A320neo aircraft family," said Todd Kallman, Pratt & Whitney Commercial Engines & Global Services president. "Already a long-time IAE customer, we look forward to continuing our strong relationship with the JetBlue team."
Each JetBlue Airbus A320neo family aircraft will be powered by two PurePower PW1100G-JM engines with benefits including double-digit reductions in fuel burn, environmental emissions, engine noise and operating costs when compared with today's engines.
The PurePower engine uses an advanced gear system allowing the engine's fan to operate at a different speed than the low-pressure compressor and turbine. The combination of the gear system and an all-new advanced core delivers the fuel efficiency and environmental benefits.
New York-based JetBlue Airways has created a new airline category based on value, service and style. JetBlue serves 70 cities with 700 daily flights. For more on JetBlue, visit www.jetblue.com.
Pratt & Whitney is a world leader in the design, manufacture and service of aircraft engines, space propulsion systems and industrial gas turbines. United Technologies, based in Hartford, Conn., is a diversified company providing high technology products and services to the global aerospace and building industries.
This release includes "forward looking statements" concerning future business opportunities and other matters involving this engine that are subject to risks and uncertainties. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated or implied in forward looking statements include changes in the health of the global economy and the strength of end market demand in the aerospace industry; as well as company specific items including the ability to achieve cost reductions at planned levels; challenges in the design, development, production and support of advanced technologies including this engine, and new products including the engine discussed in this press release; and delays and disruption in delivery of materials and services from suppliers. For information identifying other important economic, political, regulatory, legal, technological, competitive and other uncertainties, see UTC's SEC filings as submitted from time to time, including but not limited to, the information included in UTC's 10-K and 10-Q Reports under the headings "Business," "Risk Factors," "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" and "Cautionary Note Concerning Factors that May Affect Future Results," as well as the information included in UTC's Current Reports on Form 8-K.


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WHITTIER (CNS) – LA KISS will conduct its first practice today, with 35 players expected to be at Whittier College beginning to compete for the 24 spots on the Arena Football League team's regular-season roster.
The KISS was built through an expansion draft, trades and finding players from other AFL teams or who used to play in the NFL who would then sign contracts with the league and be assigned to the KISS.
Under the AFL's single-entity business model, players negotiate contracts with teams but formally sign contracts with the league and are assigned to the team seeking them.
The best-known KISS player is quarterback Colt Brennan, a standout at Orange County's Mater Dei High School and Saddleback College who went on to set 31 major college records at Hawaii and finish third in voting for the Heisman Trophy in 2007.
Brennan was chosen by Washington in the sixth round in the 2008 NFL draft and spent two seasons with the team, but never played a regular-season game. He later spent time in the training camps of the Oakland Raiders and Saskatchewan Roughriders of the Canadian Football League.
The KISS announced on Friday it had been assigned quarterback Tyler Hansen and defensive back Ricky Tunstall and acquired defensive back Andre Jones in a trade from the San Antonio Talons in exchange for offensive lineman Jeremy Lewis and defensive lineman Mark Crawford.
Hansen completed his college career at Colorado in 2011 fourth in school history in passing yardage. Jones was an All-Arena selection with the Milwaukee Mustangs in 2011.
The team will open its season March 15 at San Antonio, play at Orlando March 21, then face the Portland Thunder in its home opener April 5 at Honda Center.
The KISS is owned by Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley of the rock band KISS, their manager Doc McGhee and Brett Bouchy, who had spent 17 years in various front office roles with the AFL's Orlando Predators.


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HOUSTON - Sheriff's deputies said a couple was found tied up in their northwest Harris County home for more than 12 hours Sunday and the husband was dead.
The home is located in the 9500 block of Kelsey Meadows Court in the Laurel Creek subdivision. Investigators said relatives found Sandra Melgar, 53, tied up in one closet and the body of her husband, Jaime Melgar, 52, tied up in another closet.
Authorities said family members went to the Melgar's home Sunday around 4:30 p.m. to celebrate the couple's wedding anniversary. Investigators said Sandra Melgar told them she and her husband were in the bathroom around 1 a.m. when she blacked out. Melgar claims the next thing she remembers was being in a closet tied up.
Deputies would not say how Jaime Melgar was killed. Investigators said there did not appear to be any forced entry into the home and everything looked intact. The garage door was found open.
Sandra Melgar was taken to the Harris County Sheriff's Office homicide division on Lockwood in East Houston to be interviewed.
The Melgars recently celebrated their anniversary.
"Thirty-two years was the anniversary. Yes, they were celebrating it," a friend said.
A motive is not yet known.
Copyright 2012 by Click2Houston.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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MTG Canoris API - Sample Source Code
The Music Technology Group (MTG) is part of the Department of Information and Communication Technologies at the Universitat Pompeu Fabra in Barcelona. The MTG specializes in sound and music computing with more than 40 researchers coming from multiple disciplines. Research in the group is carried out on topics such as audio signal processing, sound and music description, musical interfaces, sound and music communities, and performance modeling. The MTG offers Canoris a web service for audio analysis, audio similarity search and voice processing. Via the Canoris API developers have access to several technologies from the MTG and its partners including functionality for both the analysis and synthesis of sound, integrating into a single coherent platform the output of years of research in the fields of music information retrieval and digital signal processing. Public documentation of the API is not available.


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wasp wrote:Hello,
Could be a very similar figure?. The link is an AFA graduate Stormtrooper, and looks identical to the one shown here jules_p:
it shouldn't be the same - that's my old one and currently resides in Spain with a very disgruntled buyer. There is also a dirt smudge on the body of my old one


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TBarCode SDK - Microsoft ActiveX Compliant Barcode Generator Control
Generate any barcode quickly and smoothly. This barcode generator component is embedded with a few clicks into any application compatible with Microsoft® ActiveX® technology. You profit from a huge number of supported barcode symbologies, easy usability and optimal barcode quality.
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TBarCode SDK offers powerful barcode generator capabilities in a clearly structured interface. In addition to the bar-code ActiveX control TBarCode SDK contains a bar-code DLL and .NET barcode classes for ASP.NET, C#, etc. developers.
Numerous sample applications with source code and supportive online video tutorials ensure a quick start.
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Refuel, re-energize, and reduce muscle soreness with this after-workout shake. Four parts carbs to one part protein ensures speedy muscle repair after intense workouts!* Now all-natural, with no artificial flavors or sweeteners.
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1Phillips, sm, J.W. Hartman and SB Wilkinson. 2005. Dietary protein to support anabolism with resistance exercise in men. J. Am. Coll Nutr. 24:1345.
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What do you reckon was the colour of the year at Eurobike? Hands-up. Red? Nope. Blue? Nope. Surely not brown? Nah, you're just being silly now. The colour that is set to dominate the bicycle world in 2012 is – wait for it – green.
Yep, green. You heard it here first. And if you're skeptical, we have the proof. It's right here in our little green dossier. And just to ram the point home we went round and took some video evidence too which we're callingl Un court métrage sur verte… it's about green bikes 'n' that.
Just a note on the video in case you're concerned about TR. There was no medical reason for him to be in that wheelchair… he was just tired and borrowed it from one of the nurses on the Muc-Off stand. Don't ask. Anyway, back to the bikes.
Exhibit number one is the aluminium Felt F95, the entry-level model in the F range and the biggest seller. That's green alright, but do you know what Felt call that particular shade? Monster green. That has to earn them extra points... If we were handing out green points. Which we're not. You get matching decals on the Alex R500 rims too.
That monster green gets an airing elsewhere in the Felt range. This is the front end of the AR3 aero road bike (which, admittedly, was monster green last year too). They've gone for a more subtle approach here. Lless monster, more... pixie. Nice, though – not too in yer face.
Kona have taken a similar approach on their Jake the Snake cyclo cross bike. Guess what they call that green. Green. A point off for being boring (if we were doing points etc). That's a butted 7005 aluminium frame, by the way, with a full-carbon fork and a Shimano 105 group. If you want to add that particular hue to your life, the Jake the Snake will set you back £1,400.
Next up, the Roll 01 from Specialized's sub-brand Globe. That's a steel frame and you can run it as either a singlespeed or a fixie because you get a flip-flop hub. What would you call that shade? Pistachio? Not really. Let's not worry too much about it. Moving on…
This is a magnesium bike from Segal of The Netherlands and very shiny it is too. As well as the frame and forks, the rims are green too. And the saddle. And the bars. Take it easy there, Dutch fellas; you can have too much of a good thing, you know.
Right, this is a Giant frame that Shimano have fitted with their brand new Ultegra Di2 components. There are 1,000 of these at dealers around Europe for people to go and test ride. Is it green, though? At best it's greeny-yellow. Who put this picture in the green dossier? I'm not allowing it. Next…
Hang on! This bike is clearly yellow. It even has Cadel Evans' number from the Tour de France on the back. They've made it yellow to celebrate his win. I don't care who it belongs to: rules is rules. Out!
Ah, now we're talking. This is more like it. This is the Specialized Venge that Mark Cavendish rode in the Tour de France, with green logos and trim to match his points jersey. See, it all ties together.
Cav even has green graphics on his humungously oversized Pro Vibe stem. Textbook.
This is the Carrera Erakle. Carrera say, "The characteristic shapes of geometrically variable oversize tubing, rational use of rectangular sections, massively oversized housing of the bottom bracket, shaped rear stays and aerodynamically shaped integrated seatpost, unite perfectly with the material used: stratified HM (High Modulus) carbon fiber, diversified and oriented on the basis of the computerized analysis of acting and reacting forces that stress different areas of the frame."
More to the point, it has green bits on it, and in this little article that has to be a bonus.
What that actually says on the down tube is 'Hrinkow' which is an Austrian brand. Check out the front brake that's integrated into the huge fork crown. Check out the green-ness. It's a hard word to say, Hrinkow. Try it. Hrinkow. (You did as well, didn't you?)
This is the Adventure from Calfee Design of the USA. It's a carbon fibre randonneur – which isn't something you see every day. You get wide tyre clearance with enough space for full mudguards. Calfee reckon it's 16.5lb (7.5kg) without guards.
And this is a bike that has been sprayed up by Nokon, the cable people. I'm not entirely sure what that paintjob is supposed to be, but I like it.
"Can everyone put pictures of green bikes from Eurobike into a folder called 'Eurobike – The Green Gallery', please." I didn't specify they should be bikes that go on the road but on a website called road.cc, I didn't think it needed saying. Cyclo cross bikes at a push.
I'm not even entering into a discussion on whether this is actually green. But it isn't. Next.
These green lever hoods are on Campag's prototype electronic groupset aboard a Team Movistar Pinarello. If you want to get on trend and green up your own bike, check out Hudz at i-ride. Mind you, if your frame is red, that's going to look a right train wreck. Probably best you go with red Hudz to match.
Right, a quick look at some green threads. Hang on, is this brand really called Gloom? Oh, Qloom. Either way, it's odd... as is that mannequin's pose.
Oakley are getting fully into the green thing. There's a lot going on with this hoody. Too much, arguably.
And finally, last but by no means least, here's someone in a green shirt standing in a bowl of water while trying to look nonchalant. Brilliant. We need more of this.
Like most other green things, our green gallery will keep growing cos we've got plenty more pics of green bikes 'n' bits and bobs to work our way through yet.
Mat has worked for loads of bike magazines over 20+ years, and been editor of 220 Triathlon and Cycling Plus. He's been road.cc technical editor for eight years, testing bikes, fettling the latest kit, and trying out the most up-to-the-minute clothing. We send him off around the world to get all the news from launches and shows too. He has won his category in Ironman UK 70.3 and finished on the podium in both marathons he has run. Mat is a Cambridge graduate who did a post-grad in magazine journalism, and he is a past winner of the Cycling Media Award for Specialist Online Writer.


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Ray C. Bigger, age 82 of Lake Geneva, WI, passed away on Thursday, May 1, 2014 at St. Mary's Hospital of Janesville, WI. He was born on January 28, 1932, the son of Otto and Jennifer Bigger. Ray was united in marriage to Barbara Johnson on August 7, 1964 in Chicago, IL. He spent his career as truck driver for Over the Road and was an avid fisherman. Ray is survived by his loving wife, Barbara, three sons; Ronald Bigger of MI, Larry (Shirley) Bigger of IL, and James Bigger of Lake Geneva, WI, nine grandchildren, seven great-grandchildren, one sister, LaVonne Rini of AZ, and one brother, George (Carol) Bigger of MI. He was preceded in passing by his parents, his daughter, Jeannette, and one sister, Pat.
Funeral services will be held at 11:00am on Tuesday, May 6, 2014 at Monroe Funeral Home in Delavan, WI, with Deacon Philip Kilkenny officiating. Visitation will be from 10:00am to service time at the funeral home. Burial will follow funeral services at Roselawn Memory Gardens, in Lake Geneva, WI. MONROE FUNERAL HOME, in Delavan, WI, is assisting the family. Visit us at monroefh.com.


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If I were a General Manager…
about his lifestyle. Poor Manny, $20 million a year and adored by fans– tough life. Yet we still are involved in trade talks.
I think you could blow the doors off of a few of these slowing moving deals with the guys you have in your farm system, and the surplus guys like Brad Penny and Saito.
The next few days are going to be a whirlwind, but I expect the Red Sox to get a few more pieces before it is all said and done.
If you got Martinez, would you still go "hog wild" for Joe Mauer next year, or when he is a Free Agent?
Always great to try and see the view from the top of the farm system and realize you have some golden arms and bats in your ranks.
Rays Renegade
Varitek is said to retire just in time for Victor to come aboard or at least that is the popular opinion I read. Personally I hope this is not what the Tribe does but I have no control over this.
Your blogs are very well written, and I wish you the best of luck in your writing career. It's a tough gig, as I've written for magazines, websites, and a newspaper and never made a dime. It's a lot of fun nevertheless.
I love the Minor Leagues and would love to make the trip out east to see the Portland SeaDogs, BoSox, and PawSox. Check out my blog if you get a chance.
'Minoring In Baseball'
I agree with your assessment, the Sox can win it as is. The only thing I hope will come between the Sox and another championship is my Rangers. Yeah, yeah, but I can still dream.
So I take it you don't think Nick Green is the answer at short, at least not for right now? Shortstop seems to be the most difficult position to fill. Once teams find a good one, or at least a good prospect, they are understandably reluctant to part with them. I don't blame the Sox for dealing Hanley Ramirez, since they got Josh Beckett and a couple of World Series rings as part of the deal. I just wish the Twins got something more than Delmon Young when they dealt Jason Bartlett.-Erinhttp://plunking-gomez.blogspot.com
I'm not sure I agree with trading Kotsay and keeping Drew. If we needed one – then Kotsay would have been my choice. With Hank Aaron on board – it was announced yesterday that the Commissioner's office will be taking another look at Pete Rose and it appears that they might be softening their stance. I suppose this is one "positive" from the steroid era.
Halladay is interesting – he is only tied up through the end of 2010 (there are rumors that he could be a free agent at the end of this season) and he has told the Jays he will not extend his contract with them. The rumor on Yahoo Sports today is that the Red Sox have offered Buchholz and two other players for him. If we got him. I'd like to see Smoltz put into the bullpen. He has innings of brilliance – but at this moment he doesn't have the consistency to be a starting pitcher yet. Penny I think for now is the better choice for starting then Smoltz. I guess we will know in a couple of days.
Hi girl,
Just wanted to let you know I stopped by and think your blog is amazing! :] I read a few entries but I'll definitely be reading more from now on. Not a R-Sox fan but it doesn't matter since it's all incredibly well written. :] xoxo http://diamondgirl55.mlblogs.com
Hi girl,
Just wanted to let you know I stopped by and think your blog is amazing! :] I read a few entries but I'll definitely be reading more from now on. Not a R-Sox fan but it doesn't matter since it's all incredibly well written. :] xoxo http://diamondgirl55.mlblogs.com
I really wished I'd seen the perfect game too. I was mad at myself for not, but, like you said, I didn't have any premonition that said I should watch it. Nomar was kind of amazing with the Sox, I would agree that there's a curse of some kind on short, but really, I like Nick Green, I think he's a pretty good player.
how ya been? its been a while. glad your summers going well. im having a blast too. I watched Jim Rice's induction on the jumbotron out in Arizona. he was very personable and captivating. glad he made you proud…the complete opposite of David Ortiz huh
The Sox take a lot of starters and make them bench players because they have better guys as starters. And the guys are willing to do anything for a championship ring, including giving up on playing every day. It doesn't seem very fair for Martinez or Varitek right now, but…the manager will work things out. He's good.
Well you guys did end up making the Victor Martinez deal huh. Mhm by the way…….I'm back, obviously….! hooooray
a little off topic but i just had to tell you. i watched Fever Pitch tonight with my girlfriend. i honestly love that movie. ive seen it a few times before a couple of years ago but i just had to watch it with her. it really signifies our relationship. i am just liek jimmy fallon except with the pirates. she really doesnt understand baseball or my passion so it wa snice for her to see that she is not the only girl with an obsessed boyfriend. i hope she learned some tips from drew barrymore!
I think there is a Shortstop curse since Nomar left. Yeah, Green is doing great, but it's not the same. Watching the speeches of Rice and Henderson would have been amazing to see, and inspirational too. Seeing the perfect game wou;d have been awesome as well. As far as the rest of the season goes, with Martinez and Kotchman coming to Boston, I hope we get another ring. Go Sox!!
I think there is a Shortstop curse since Nomar left. Yeah, Green is doing great, but it's not the same. Watching the speeches of Rice and Henderson would have been amazing to see, and inspirational too. Seeing the perfect game wou;d have been awesome as well. As far as the rest of the season goes, with Martinez and Kotchman coming to Boston, I hope we get another ring. Go Sox!!
Big series we are about to start tonight. We have to beat you guys. We just have to. If we lose 2, we're dead. If we split, then we are ok, but not in great shape. We have to take you down 2 times in a row to get this thing into "fun" territory.
Congrats on #7 on the latest Leader's List!
Now you'd better get used to Casey Kotchman instead of LaRoche. I thought that was pretty funny how he finally got to settle in and then he is dealt away again. Speaking of Bronson Arroyo, I read a story on espn.com that he admitted to using steroids of some sort. He said it made him feel like he jump on top of a basketball hoop or something. He said he wouldn't be surprised if he was on "The List" because he took them around 2003 and 2004. Man, there are going to be so many yankee fans comlpaining that that championship team was cheating. Between Arroyo and Manny and Big Papi and who knows who else. I would like to say Casey Kelly come up as a pitcher and a shortstop. You know, he starts as the pitcher and goes maybe 6 or 7 innings, then when they go to the bullpen they shift him to shortstop and he can hit a home run. That would be fun to watch!
P.S. Welcome back!
I'm glad the Jays didn't go after Lugo. We were interested in him as a free agent. I don't think the Jays would have traded Halladay to the Red Sox or Yankees, unless it was a very large offer. So, for both our sakes, I'm glad that didn't happen. If Halladay is traded, I'd rather see him out of the A.L. East.
I have a feeling you'd be an excellent GM (if you deal as well as you write!). Very eager to hear your thoughts regarding your visit to the Hall of Fame and your take on the potential future induction of Pete Rose. That would be another blog certainly worth reading!


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SARASOTA, Fla. (Feb. 14, 2013) – For the first time in Florida, a physician at Sarasota Memorial Hospital has surgically implanted the first FDA-approved telescope prosthesis for patients with end-stage macular degeneration.
Sarasota Neuro-Ophthalmologist Marc H. Levy, MD, implanted the pea-sized telescope directly into the right eye of 81-year-old Leslie Vlontis, a Venice woman with severe vision loss due to age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Dr. Levy performed the procedure in a little over an hour at Sarasota Memorial's outpatient Cape Surgery Center on the hospital's main campus Feb. 4.
Macular Degeneration
End-Stage Age-Related Macular Degeneration is the leading cause of blindness. The disease creates a permanent central vision blind spot making it difficult or impossible to recognize even closefamily or friends.
The pea-sized implantable telescope helps improve vision in patients with the most advanced form of macular degeneration, while being virtually unnoticeable in the eye.
AMD is a condition that affects mainly older people, damages the center of the retina (macula) and results in a loss of vision in the center of the visual field. About 8 million people in the United States have AMD and nearly 2 million of them have significant vision loss, according to the National Eye Institute. It is the leading cause of irreversible vision loss and legal blindness in the US and often makes it difficult or impossible to recognize faces or perform daily tasks like reading or watching TV.
The tiny telescope – part of VisionCare Ophthalmic Technologies' CentraSight® treatment program – is the first medical device approved by the FDA that is implanted into the eye to treat AMD, and the only treatment option for people whose AMD blindness no longer responds to medication. It was approved by the FDA in 2010, but did not become commercially available in Florida until last fall when it was approved for Medicare coverage.
"I've gone gray and nearly bald waiting for this day," said Dr. Levy after today's successful implant. "Our team was the Florida test site for this device 11 years ago, and we recognized the benefits to patients early on, both visually and psychologically. Although it's not a cure, it is effective in restoring enough vision for people to enjoy many of the simple acts we all take for granted – pouring a cup of coffee, crossing the street safely, seeing a smile on their grandbaby's face."
The implant uses micro-optical technology to improve "straight ahead," or central vision, Dr. Levy said. During surgery, the natural lens of the eye is removed and the telescope is inserted in its place. Working in conjunction with the cornea, the implant magnifies objects two to three times their normal size and projects the images beyond the scarred macula to the healthy part of the retina.
Patients who have the procedure still won't be able to see all of the details of an object before them, but with about six to eight weeks of visual rehabilitation training, Dr. Levy says the brain can learn to put together images projected on the retina from both eyes to help them recognize faces, words on a page and pictures on a screen.
During clinical trials of the device, Dr. Levy implanted the miniature telescope in five area patients at the Cape Surgery Center between 2002-2004 and monitored their condition for the past 10 years. Three of the five patients have since passed away due to age, but he said the other two continue to enjoy better vision with their implants.
Not everyone is a candidate for the telescope. To qualify, potential patients must meet FDA age, vision and cornea health requirements. In addition, the CentraSight treatment program utilizes a multispecialty provider team approach for proper diagnosis, surgical evaluation and post-operative care. Prospective patients undergo a medical, visual, and functional evaluation prior to the surgery to assess if the benefits of the procedure outweigh the potential risks. A unique aspect of the pre-operative evaluation is the ability to simulate, prior to surgery, what a person may expect to see once the telescope is implanted to determine if the possible improvement will meet the patient's expectations.
"It's not an immediate fix," Dr. Levy said. "After we implant the telescope, the patient needs to work with our low vision team and rehabilitation specialists for a number of weeks to learn how to use the telescope in every day activities."
To hear from the doctor, patient and see video footage of this procedure, you can watch a video on Sarasota Memorial's education channel on YouTube
News coverage:
New Hope for Macular Degeneration
Read the Sarasota Herald-Tribune article
Sarasota physician implants telescope for macular degeneration
Read the Tampa Bay Business Journal blog article
Recently-approved eye implant sugery done in Sarasota
View the ABC7 news clip
Macular Degeneration Breakthrough
View the FOX13 news clip
About VisionCare/CentraSight
The Food & Drug Administration has approved VisionCare's Implantable Miniature Telescope (by Dr. Isaac Lipshitz) for use in patients with irreversible end-stage macular degeneration. The first-of-its-kind telescope implant is integral to CentraSight®, a new patient care program developed by VisionCare to treat patients with end-stage AMD. In its 217-patient multi-center study that spanned nearly a decade, 90 percent of patients receiving the implant achieved at least a 2-line gain in either their distance or best-corrected visual acuity, and 75 percent of patients improved their level of vision from severe or profound to moderate impairment.
As with any medical intervention, potential risks and complications exist with the telescope implant. Possible side effects include decreased vision or vision impairing corneal swelling. Patients can learn more about the telescope implant, including risks/benefits, by visiting www.CentraSight.com, or calling 1-877-99SIGHT to speak with a CentraSight Information Specialist.
The implant cost is covered by Medicare, though individual states may vary in the approval process.
About Marc Levy, MD/The Sarasota Retina Institute
Marc H. Levy, MD, is a Neuro-Ophthalmologist with The Sarasota Retina Institute, which specializes in treating complex eye problems such as macular degeneration, retinal detachments, diabetic and thyroid-related eye diseases, strabismus, optic nerve diseases, ocular trauma and infections. In addition to Dr. Levy, the group's multi-disciplinary team includes: Retina Specialists Melvin C. Chen, MD and Waldemar Torres, MD; Optometrist and Low Vision Specialist Lissa Rivero, OD; Optometrist Jeannene Dieter, OD; Low Vision Occupational Therapist Yolanda Cate; and Clinical Coordinator Peggy Jelemensky.
About Sarasota Memorial Health Care System/Cape Surgery Center
Sarasota Memorial Health Care System is a regional referral center offering Southwest Florida's greatest breadth and depth of inpatient, outpatient and extended care services, with more than 800,000 patient visits a year. Sarasota Memorial's 806-bed acute care hospital has been recognized repeatedly as one of the nation's largest, safest and best, with superior patient outcomes and a complete continuum of outpatient services– including the Cape Surgery Center (same day outpatient surgery center), urgent care clinics and physician groups, laboratory and diagnostic imaging centers, to home health and skilled nursing & rehabilitation. Sarasota Memorial is the only hospital in the Suncoast region (Sarasota, Manatee, Charlotte and DeSoto counties) ever to rank in U.S. News & World Report's "Best Hospitals" and HealthGrades "America's 50 Best Hospitals" lists. The Cape Surgery Center is located adjacent to the main hospital.
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