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Vin Scully watches the man hobble to home plate, slams his eyes shut, and prays.
"Please, God, don't let him strikeout,'' Scully, the Los Angeles Dodgers' legendary announcer, remembers saying. "He's had such a great year. He's led the team and worked so hard. And now that he's on the national stage, just don't let him strike out.''
Scully pauses, his 85-year-old eyes glistening, remembers the moment from 25 years ago as if it happened during lunch.
NIGHTENGALE: Series stirs memories of '85 NLCS
"Never, ever,'' Scully tells USA TODAY Sports, "did I ever think he'd hit a home run.''
Neither did the rest of the free world.
Twenty-five years ago today, on Oct. 15, 1988, Dodgers outfielder Kirk Gibson hit one of the most dramatic home runs in baseball history, a game-winning, two-out pinch-hit homer in Game 1 of the World Series, a walk-off homer years before the term was even coined.
The Dodgers won the game, 5-4, and the Oakland Athletics never recovered.
It is the last time the Dodgers have won the World Series.
"The first thing I do every time I walk into Dodger Stadium,'' said Gibson, "is that I look at that seat. Seat '88, that's what I call it.
"I must have watched it thousands of times now, but my favorite thing is to listen to the radio calls from Jack Buck and Don Drysdale. I have it on a little cassette tape, and keep it in areas of the house. Once in a while, I'll walk by, and just listen to it.
"That was my defining moment.''
It is revered as the greatest moment in Los Angeles sports history, entrenched in the souls of seven men:
The hitter, the pitcher, the manager, the scout, the broadcaster, the batboy, and the fan sat down with USA TODAY Sports, telling their stories about that magical evening.
"Well, the man who's been there for the Dodgers all season, Kirk Gibson, is not in the dugout and will not be here for them tonight."
Scully, broadcasting the game for NBC-TV, never envisioned those would be words the words that inspired Gibson to scream at the TV set and slide off the trainer's table.
"We were in commercial break,'' Scully said, "and I said to the producer (Harry Coyle), 'Hey, do me one favor, follow me.' So we get out of commercial break, and we're showing Dodger Stadium, and then I say, 'If you were here, right now, the first thing you would do is look at the Dodger dugout.'''
"Wham, we show a picture of the dugout. And the camera panned the whole thing.
"He's not there. Obviously, he's not going to play tonight.''
Gibson, the 1988 MVP award winner, was in too much pain to even come out for the pre-game introductions. He received two cortisone shots in the afternoon, one for his hamstring and one for his right ankle, and was watching the game in the trainer's room with icebags on his legs.
The moment Scully uttered the words, Gibson screamed at the TV: "Bull----."
He put on nothing more than a jock strap, a pair of socks, and a Michigan Big-Game hunter T-shirt.
He told 25-year-old batboy Mitch Poole to set up a batting tee.
"It did piss him off,'' Poole said. "It was weird that I was even involved. I remember (hitting coach) Ben Hines came walking down past us, and Gibby says, 'Hey, Ben, you want to help me out there.'
"Ben looks at both of us, and says, 'No, why don't you get Mitch to help you.' I'll never forget that.''
"All year long, they looked to him to light the fire, and all year long, he answered the demands, until he was physically unable to start tonight - with two bad legs.''
Gibson, who slept with two pillows under his legs, and couldn't even walk across his own living room hours earlier, picked up a 31-ounce, 35-inch bat, three ounces lighter than his usual, and started swinging.
He instructed Poole to tell Dodgers manager Tommy Lasorda that he could play.
"I'm in cutoff jeans and a T-shirt,'' Poole said, "and I'm yelling at Tommy on the bench. And Tommy is ignoring me. I'm going, 'Tommy! Tommy!''
Said Lasorda: "Get the hell out of here, Mitch!''
Poole: "But Tommy, Gibby wants to talk to you. He says he can hit.''
Lasorda ran down the steps like he was 12, saying this week, "I hurried down there, because I didn't want him to change his mind.''
If not for hearing Scully, Gibson says he likely wouldn't have played, but that triggered a fiery emotion, and a challenge.
"It just hit me when he said that,'' Gibson said. "I had a great year, and they counted on me. The fans counted on me. I counted on me. It was just the moment.
"You start thinking, 'Well, nothing against Dave Anderson [who was on deck], but if you go out there, the fans will go crazy, and something crazy might happen. It can't hurt.'''
Said Scully: "I told Kirk that in all of my years with the Dodgers, that was my greatest contribution, getting you off the rubbing table.''
"And looks who's coming up!"
Dennis Eckersley was the best closer in baseball with 45 saves, and just 11 walks all season. Now, he was facing the bottom of the Dodgers order: catcher Mike Scioscia, third baseman Jeff Hamilton and shortstop Alfredo Griffin.
Scioscia pops up. Hamilton strikes out. Mike Davis pinch-hit for Griffin.
Davis hit just .196 with two homers for the Dodgers, but all Eckersley remembered was the 22 homers he hit in 1987 when they were teammates in Oakland.
"I had too much respect for Mike,'' says Eckersley. "I didn't want to give him anything to hit.
"It turned out to be a mistake.''
Eckersley looked over at the on-deck circle, and shrugged. Anderson, a career .242 hitter who never hit more than four homers in a season, certainly was no threat.
Anderson retreated to the bench. Out stepped Gibson.
"I was surprised,'' Eckersley said, "totally surprised. I didn't even see him in the dugout.''
The crowd stood on its feet, screaming until their lungs hurt, as if trying to will strength into Gibson's legs.
"Here he comes, hobbling, using the bat as a cane,'' Scully says, "and the crowd is roaring.
"That's when I said a little prayer.''
"High fly ball, into right field, she ….is………gone!!"
Gibson, unable to plant his legs with his left hamstring strain and sprained right knee ligament, fouled off the first three pitches he saw. He limped back into the batter's box after each swing. It was painful to watch, even from the Dodgers' bench.
"I remember Orel (Hershiser) was telling people, 'Ah, Gibby, get out of there. Don't hurt yourself. Don't embarrass yourself.'
"I wasn't thinking about embarrassing myself, I was thinking about willing my way to doing something to help the team.''
Gibson, fouling off four pitches, worked the count to full. Eckersley was going into the stretch when Gibson called time, stepped out of the box, and exhaled. He thought about the words uttered by Mel Didier, the Dodgers' prized scout, who addressed the team a day earlier.
"Partner, as sure as I am standing here breathing,'' Gibson remembered, "you're going to see a 3-2 backdoor slider if you see Eckersley in a big situation.''
Didier, standing in the stands by the Dodgers' dugout, watched Eckersley throw the next pitch.
"I turned to my wife,'' Didier said, "and said, 'God, I hope he remembers.''
Eckersley threw a backdoor slider.
"I got goosebumps,'' Didier said.
Gibson swung.
"I wanted to throw something soft,'' Eckersley said. "I thought I was going to trick him. I didn't.''
It sails over the right fielder Jose Canseco, over the fence, and into the bleachers.
"It's incredible he hit it that far,'' said Eckersley, who four years later would coin the term "walk-off" after another blown save, "and flat-footed.''
"In a year that has been so improbable... the impossible has happened!''
Home run.
"The way it was built up,'' Gibson said, "it was L.A. It was Hollywood. The Natural had just come out, and it was fresh in everybody's mind. The homer kind of mimics the movie.''
Lakers star Magic Johnson, whose team had just returned from training camp in Hawaii, fresh off their fourth NBA title in seven years, was watching the game alone in his living room.
"When he walked to the plate,'' Johnson said, "I was in disbelief. We were in school together at Michigan State, so I knew him, but they had talked about the injury being so bad, I didn't expect him to play.
"When he hit it, I fell out of my chair, and then jumped up down like I just won the world championship myself. I remember talking to Kareem (Abdul-Jabbar) the next day, knowing how big of a Dodger fan he is from the Brooklyn days, just how much it means to the city.
"It was such an unbelievable moment. That's one of the greatest sports memories of my life.''
Who would imagine that 25 years later, Johnson is now part-owner of the Dodgers. Gibson is manager of their rivals, the Arizona Diamondbacks. Eckersley is in the Hall of Fame and a TBS announcer. Lasorda, with his second World Series title, was inducted into the Hall of Fame and is a special advisor to Dodgers chairman Mark Walter.
Poole was immediately promoted to clubhouse assistant, and is now the clubhouse manager. Didier, 86, is in his 65th year of professional baseball, a special assistant with the Toronto Blue Jays.
And, of course, Scully is still an icon with the Dodgers, announcing that he will return for his 65th season in 2014.
"It's the most theatrical home run I've ever seen,'' Scully says. "He couldn't make it out for introductions. He a guy who couldn't run. He couldn't even walk.
"And after all of the window dressing, doesn't he hit a home run?
"Unbelievable. In a small way, we'll always be tied together.''
"They are going wild at Dodger Stadium! No one wants to leave!"


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Thunderstorms and heavy rain could hit West Yorkshire this evening.
The Met Office has issued a yellow 'be aware' warning and said up to 30mm of rain could fall in less than an hour.
It said: "Isolated heavy, and possibly severe, thunderstorms are expected to develop on Friday evening across parts of England and Wales. These are likely to become more frequent later and spread northwards towards southern Scotland.
"Some torrential downpours are possible leading to localised surface water flooding, with large hail and frequent lightning also possible hazards."
The warning is valid from 7pm tonight until 7am on Saturday.

subset: commoncrawl


text: Wondering if anyone in here has purchased the new PN-40 yet? I know there are a couple of members here with the PN-20, Parmachenee for one and I think Rick won one. Do you guys like the PN-20 and would you recommend the PN-40 from what experiences you have had with your 1st Delorme GPS? I have had this old Vista since I started caching and it still works great don't get me wrong ( although I have to hit it once in a while to get it going again) :eek: lol.... I just think it is getting time to invest in another GPS. What are your opinions? Thanks


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i told you there was a tutorial coming soon. i hope you love this as much as i do! works on clean hair, dirty hair, curly hair, straight hair, long hair... and if you decide to try it, please let me know what you think. do you like it? was it easy? does this style look good on you?
*if you have short hair and love the braid...YOU CAN do your own version of it:)
watch full screen
i wanted to see if this hair do would stay in place after a work out (i ran outside and was soaked) and it did!!! * i just pinned my bangs back. i loved wearing my hair like this all day! it totally kept the hair off my neck, and sometimes the swing of my pony tail annoys me while i'm running. you know what i'm talking about?!
then the ponytail slaps you and gets stuck on your sweaty face. ugh i hate that! problem solved with this bohemian updo. this photo was taken after my workout, please excuse the sweat.
do you think you will try this? what do you think about the hair tutorials? do you want more tutorials, product knowledge, inspiration? if you have a specific request let me know.
follow my tweets @sunchildsalon
if you missed last tutorial don't worry. just click here.


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Par photos, le samedi 11 juin 2011 à 08:54 |
Par photos, le samedi 11 juin 2011 à 08:54 |
Parle vendredi 12 avril 2019 à 21:23
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Stick to a Green Web Hosting Provider.
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At current estimates the airline industry contributes to 3.5% of global climate change. By 2050 the airline industry is expected to contribute to over 5% of global climate change. Information technology is expanding far more rapidly and should exceed 3.5% of global climate change by 2020 and most likely shall contribute 5% of global climate change far before 2050.
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My wish for gender diversity is to get more girls and young women involved in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). All statistics show that the percentage of girls and women participating in STEM, both in education and in careers, is actually decreasing. And the research also shows that in the future about 70 percent of all jobs will be STEM-related. So young girls and women are making decisions through their education that actually mean those opportunities won't be there for them. As a society, we also risk missing out on the diverse thinking and the creativity that women bring to solving a problem.
I am very lucky to have a fantastic mother who put a lot time into making sure I realized my potential. I wanted to study honors math and physics, but in the all girls' school that I was attending, you didn't have that choice. So my mother changed me to an all boys' school, where I could study the subjects. While I didn't appreciate it at the time—leaving my friends behind—it was a great intervention for me.
Likewise, when I was choosing my degree to go into college, the career guidance teacher recommended I become a primary school teacher since it was a good career for women. Yet my favorite subjects were math and physics. So my mother put a lot of time into looking up career options. It talked about solving problems and said that if you fixed the Christmas tree lights, a career in engineering would suit you, and so that's what I did.
I was lucky to be able to study a subject that has given me a skillset where I have had a fantastic career and can make a difference in the world through the work I do. I think that's something most girls and women would like to do.
My wish for the future is that we increase the participation of girls and women in STEM. I also hope that I have the same positive impact on my two little girls that my mother had on me.


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Monday, Mar 17, 2014
The term for today is "filial piety," also known as filiopiety. The dictionary defines it as "relating to an excessive veneration of ancestors or tradition." As genealogists who spend a lot of time researching our forebears, it is very easy for us to fall into the trap of filial piety – in our thinking, in our writing, and in the way we evaluate evidence. Venerating one's ancestors has many gratifying aspects. It is, after all, biblically sanctioned, since the Old Testament is full of references to Abraham and the patriarchs. Moreover, our nineteenth and twentieth century forebears were fond of boasting when they compiled genealogies and obituaries or drafted sketches for inclusion in county histories.
Do these stories square with reality? A search of the deed records of Cass County, Michigan, for example, shows that Dempster only owned 120 acres, far less than the 300 boasted of in the history. False tradition, exposed! He did become a justice of the peace for a short time, but was never elected judge. Another falsehood exposed. His tombstone shows his death in 1852 at the age of 71, not 75. The account is filiopietistic, since the writer wanted the family to appear more elite than the historical record suggests. It was only natural for him to boast – everyone else was doing it.
When we go to write our own family histories, we need to be careful in several ways. First, we should not accept uncritically the information provided in a county history or obituary. We need to constantly evaluate each piece of evidence we uncover and compare it against other sources of information. And when we go to write, we have to be carefully that filial piety doesn't creep into our own writing. Our ancestors were people, just like us, with many of the same foibles and faults. The best genealogists don't try to hide behind such writing, but present all of the evidence, evaluating each source and judging its origin and quality.
The best genealogies are those that are fully documented and in which the evidence is carefully evaluated using the genealogical proof standard. When we find an article that is filiopietistic, the fact that it was written in such a manner is historically important. By all means cite and quote the source. But then deconstruct it, if possible, into smaller components and compare each boastful statement with other sources, especially those recorded at the time your ancestor lived. If we do this, we can keep filial piety in check. Our historical and genealogical writing will be all the better for doing so.
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Free Entry
Streets Beach is a South Bank icon and a must-visit while you're in the Parklands. As Australia's only inner-city, man-made beach, boasts a sparkling lagoon surrounded by white, sandy beaches and sub-tropical plants. Streets Beach is free to use and is patrolled by qualified lifeguards all year round.
The lifeguard's hours change throughout the year, so please contact the South Bank Visitor Centre on (07) 3156 6366 to see when they are patrolling.


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BARCELONA (Reuters) - Nokia's chief executive said there would be no change in the relationship with its software partner Microsoft, despite the software giant's entry into tablets and partnerships with rival phone makers.
Stephen Elop said Nokia retained a "special" relationship with Microsoft, even though others such as HTC have also launched phones with Windows Phone software.
"They're not sitting in the priority meetings that we're sitting in," he said at the Morgan Stanley Technology, Media and Telecoms conference in Barcelona on Wednesday.
Analysts have said Microsoft could one day become a rival to Nokia if it launches its own smartphones, while there is also speculation that the U.S. company could one day acquire the Finnish phone manufacturer.
Reporting by Paul Sandle


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This week, Money360 is running a short series on some of the key moments in my financial turnaround and how you can experience those moments as well. For a full description of this, see the first article in the series.
When I worked at an office about thirty minutes from my home, my usual daily commute took me by an electronics store, a game shop, two bookstores, a coffee shop, and a few other interesting places. Unsurprisingly, I was often tempted to stop for something on my way home, whether it was coffee, a new book, or something else. Even when I didn't stop, simply going by those places made me think about stopping there and build up my desire to do so a little bit more.
When I started to take a real look at how I was spending my money, I began to notice just how often I was stopping on my way home from work for some sort of treat. It was a very consistent money leak – week in and week out, I was stopping off for things I didn't really need and, honestly, couldn't really afford.
My solution was simple. I changed my route home from work. Instead of traveling by all of those shops, I plotted a new route which took me by a hospital, through a residential neighborhood, and onto a stretch of open road before arriving home. The only places to stop along this new route for things to buy were a pair of gas stations. Not only that, the new route turned out to be a mile shorter than my normal route, so I wound up reducing my gasoline usage, wear and tear on my car, and time during a normal commute.
Amazingly, not only did my incidental spending drop rapidly, my desire to spend on many of the most common temptations dropped rapidly, too.
Reroute Your Commute
When many of us figure out a route to work for the first time, we often mentally "set" that route as the one to take every single time. Usually, it's a route that just incorporates as much roadway as we already know, which often means that it goes by stores that we've shopped at before and the like.
It shouldn't be much of a surprise to learn that such routes are usually not the optimal route, for two reasons.
One, if you're using a route that goes through the commercial district each day, you're opening yourself up to the temptation of spending money every day. Even if you don't stop, you're still subjecting yourself to tons of roadside advertising just by driving through.
Two, there is almost always a better route that will save you time and distance on your commute, resulting in some financial savings.
How do you make it happen? The process is actually really simple.
Just start up Google Maps and map your route to work. Sometimes, the route will match your normal commute – sometimes it won't.
Either way, try to identify at least three alternate routes you could take to and from your place of work. Google Maps offers a handy feature of allowing you to "drag" the mouse pointer around and quickly adjust your route.
Seek out a route that avoids commercial areas, preferably one that also shortens your commute a bit or, at the very least, doesn't add to your commute.
Even if your route seems relatively straightforward and not fraught with temptations, you can still gain some benefit from finding a more optimal route for your commute. If you can shave one mile off of your daily commute each way, you're saving 500 miles per year. In a 25 mile per gallon car and gas prices at $3.50 per gallon, that's $70 on gas savings alone. Add on top of that the savings on maintenance, oil changes, and wear and tear, it really adds up.
To me, this was another deceptively simple step. Not only did it start slowly saving me money and time due to the superior route, it also cut a routine connection to coffee shops and other temptations on my way to and from work. I started desiring these things less, too, so I found myself indulging less often even during non-commute times. A little shift makes a big impression.


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Man sentenced for online 'South Park' threat
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Muslim convert from Brooklyn who pleaded guilty to posting online threats against the creators of the "South Park" television show has been sentenced to 11 ½ years in prison.
Jesse Curtis Morton, who founded the now-defunct Revolution Muslim website, was sentenced Friday in Alexandria. Earlier this year he admitted using the site as an outlet for al-Qaida propaganda. He also conspired with another man to deliver a thinly veiled threat to the creators of the "South Park" television show for perceived insults to the prophet Muhammad.
Defense attorneys had sought a prison term of less than five years.
The other defendant in the case, Zachary Chesser, received a 25-year sentence, but he also tried to travel to Somalia to join the al-Shabab terrorist group.


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Tasting Kauai Food Tour – East Side
May 16, 2019 @ 1:00 pm - 4:30 pm
An event every week that begins at 1:00pm on Thursday, repeating until June 27, 2019
Join us on a culinary romp through paradise! Hop in your car and follow our guide on a tasting adventure through Kauai's Royal Coconut Coast. Take a short stroll down an old plantation road and learn about taro farming; sample paniolo (Hawaiian cowboy) food and enjoy tastings at some of the East Side's best farm-to-table restaurants. This food tour is centered around the beauty and creativity of the Royal Coconut Coast and spotlights a founding chef of Hawaii Regional Cuisine.
This 4-hour tour begins with a 90-minute tour at a family-owned farm where guests sample some of Hawaii's traditional foods while learning about plantation history and culture of the Kealia area. The tour ends at a breezy ocean-side restaurant with island-fresh pupus.
- Five tastings plus a farm tour
- Meet a passionate farmer with a doctorate and learn about Hawaiian culture and plantation history
- Discover farm-to-table food and unique history of the East Side
- Private tastings with some of the East Side's best chefs, including regional legend Jean Marie Josselin
These tours are designed by, Marta Lane, founder of Tasting Kauai. Marta, a Kauai-based food and farm writer since 2010, is the author of "Tasting Kauai – An Insider's Guide to Eating Well on the Garden Island." Tours are expertly led by, Michelle Lemay, a professional tour guide for 10 years who has led adventurous visitors on trips around the world.
These exclusive tours are designed to be small. This allows guests intimate access and personal introductions to some of the best food makers on Kauai. Locally-made products that are available for purchase include, but are not limited to: fresh tropical fruit (seasonal), dried-fruit, honey, organic goat cheese, macadamia nuts, salsa, hot sauce, mustard, ice cream, cookies, pies, pasta and Hawaiian medicinals.
*Custom tours available.
Photos: Tasting Kauai
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Vampires Suck is a 2010 American vampire spoof film based on Twilight directed by Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer, starring Jenn Proske, Matt Lanter, Christopher N. Riggi, Ken Jeong and Anneliese van der Pol.
Becca Crane (Jenn Proske) moves to Sporks to live with her clueless father, Sheriff Frank (Diedrich Bader), after her mother starts an affair with Tiger Woods. Meanwhile, killings have been happening to random people and the number one culprit is the Kardashians. Becca is quickly befriended by many students at her new high school, but she is intrigued by the mysterious and aloof Edward Sullen (Matt Lanter), who perplexes her during their time in biology. Later, Becca is nearly struck by a van in the school parking lot. Edward inexplicably moves from several feet away and stops the vehicle with a student without any harm to himself or Becca, the student being badly injured. He later refuses to explain this act to Becca and warns her against befriending him. After much research, but reaching the wrong conclusion that he is a Jonas Brothers, Edward corrects her saying he's a vampire, though he only consumes animal blood and shows her his shiny bling he wears under his clothes.
The pair fall in love but Edward denies having sex with her and instead Edward introduces Becca to his vampire family on her birthday. While unwrapping a gift, Becca gets a paper cut, causing Edward's family to relapse by her blood's scent and attempt to kill her. Realizing the danger that he and his family pose to Becca, Edward ends their relationship while saving her from the one of the three nomadic vampires who have been killing humans, Jack (Charlie Weber), knocking his head off with a baseball bat.
Edward's departure leaves Becca heartbroken and depressed for months as she discovers that thrill-seeking activities evoke Edward's preserved image. She is also comforted by her deepening friendship with Jacob White (Christopher N. Riggi), the cheerful childhood friend who eases her pain over losing Edward. But due to his strange puberty, Becca discovers he has become a werewolf as his pack arrive to maul another of the nomadic vampires. Edward has moved to Brazil and is now dating Lady Gaga but through a series of miscommunications, Edward believes Becca has killed herself and attempts to provoke the "Zolturi" — a powerful vampire coven capable of killing him — by standing butt naked in the sunlight at the site of the school prom. Becca rushes to the prom in a Porsche 911 to save Edward. Upon arrival, she is slowed down during the warring factions of Edward and Jacob fangirls. She is able to make it in time to see Edward completely naked with a disco ball replacing his penis, which is so bright no one can see him until it becomes twilight and a new moon appears just as an eclipse starts where everyone can see Edward breaking dawn. Everyone stares at him in awe until he bends over to pick up a penny which reveals his hairy butt. Becca, after being awe struck, shows Edward she is alive but not in time for the Zolturi to have seen him naked. However after a fight between him and the Zolturi leader, Daro (Ken Jeong), Edward is forced to make Becca into a vampire so their lives would be spared. He does so after Becca agrees to marry him if he makes her a vampire. The movie concludes with Edward taking a blow to the head by the head Jacob fangirl, who ends up becoming Becca's first meal as a vampire.
The film was released on August 18, 2010.
Like most of Jason Friedberg's and Aaron Seltzer's movies, Vampires Suck received largely negative reviews and had a 6 % rating from Rotten Tomatoes. Metacritic, whose score is based on a 0-100 scale, gave the film an 18/100 based on 16 reviews.
"Witlessly broad and utterly devoid of laughs, Vampires Suck represents a slight step forward for the Friedberg-Seltzer team."[8] Another review aggretator, Metacritic, which consists of a normalized rating from 0–100 on reviews from mainstream critics, calculated an average score of 18 based on 16 critics.[9] Jenn Proske's performance received some praise.[10][11] Spill.com, whose video reviews are usually around five minutes long, had a twenty second review which consisted of Korey Coleman staring blankly into the camera before uttering, "F*** you".[12][13] The review by Peter Travers of Rolling Stone was only four words long, which simply stated: "This movie sucks more."[14] Film critic Mark Kermode reviewed the film on his Radio 5 show, prefacing the review by saying "It's no surprise to know that it's all terrible, witless, boring, terror". He criticized the film for what he perceived as stale subject matter, saying that the Twilight franchise had left the public consciousness and was no-longer fit for parody, "It's not just that the ship has sailed; it's that the ship has sailed, gone across the Atlantic, hit an iceberg, sunk, been dragged up at least one company, been turned into the biggest movie hit ever, and is now currently being retrofitted for 3D for an anniversary re-release."


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Last year, Sanrio unveiled Hello Kitty's strawberry-eared superhero alter ego, Ichigoman ('ichigo' means 'strawberry' in Japanese).
According to official canon, Hello Kitty transforms into Ichigoman when she raises her strawberry smartphone into the air and, together with a crowd of enthusiastic supporters, shouts "power the kitty!" with the force of several million hertz.
As Ichigoman, Kitty uses her strawberry powers to fight monsters and other evils born from the hearts of the wicked. She's also known to do quite a number on consumer's wallets.
Now, after a year of going solo, Sanrio has finally given Ichigoman a partner to fight crime with: Darkgrapeman, a sidekick whose passion for justice is matched only by his fetish for latex.


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The IPBES Secretariat has provided additional information to guide the ongoing nomination of experts for the IPBES work programme. Please consult these Terms of Reference (ToRs) in relation to the work expected from experts, and the selection, responsibilities, time commitment, duration of appointment and availability of support. The nominations are due 28 February 2014.
About IPBES
The Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) was established in 2012 as an independent intergovernmental body open to all member countries of the United Nations. The members are committed to building IPBES as the leading intergovernmental body for assessing the state of the planet's biodiversity, its ecosystems and the essential services they provide to society.


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Nov. 12, 2005
The Gaucho Men's Cross Country season came to a disappointing end on Saturday at the NCAA Regional Championships hosted by Stanford. After an inspiring Big West Championships, the men did not have the same firepower from two weeks ago and finished 9th in a field of 24.
Arizona dominated the meet with an overall score of 33 led by Junior Robert Cheseret who won the 10,000 meter race in a time of 30:03. The Stanford Cardinals were the other automatic qualifier for the National Meet as they finished 2nd with 80pts.
The Gauchos however disappointed still managed to be the 2nd Big West team, the same as how they finished the championships two weeks earlier. They also bettered Pac-10 Programs Washington State and UCLA who finished 11th and 12th respectively.
"Our inconsistency has been frustrating this season. When we're on, we're a pretty good team. Today we were really off and that's disappointing in a race with so much visibility."
Junior Mike Chavez led the Gauchos, finishing 33rd and covering the 10,000 meter course in 31:12. Senior Scott Brandos had the best respective performance of the day, taking 43rd in a time of 31:22. "Brandos did what we asked of him today," added Dolan. "we were hoping he'd be about our 5th man instead of 2nd, but he ran hard and ended his cross country career on a good note." Sophomore Micah Tyhurst, junior Chris Ashley, and senior Alex Cardiasmenos rounded out the Gauchos' front 5 placing 57,67, and 71st respectively.
The team will take a few days off and then begin training for the 2006 track & field campaign.


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Hello Everyone, i have a physics question.
On a parallel circuit, the given voltage is 36V. There are two resistors which link to the other side of the circuit. Those resistors (R1 and R2) are 21 and 24. Before the circuit reached the negative side of the battery, there is another another resistor called R3 which equals 62. What is the current after R3?
I thought I had to do this: R1+R2+R3 = RT, Amps = 36/RT, but i was wrong. why?


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Johnson's Island, Ohio. Jan. 31st 1865."
My Dear Wife."
The long and painful suspense under which I have suffered for nearly two months past is at length broken. Your precious, affectionate letter of Dec. 17-Jan. 6th is at hand. None but myself can know what sweet relief it brings to my heart to hear from you after so long an interval. Until the receipt of this I have not heard from you since the 6th Nov. You know my Dearest one how near and dear you are to my heart-and, in consequence, how deep is my solicitude for your welfare and happiness. The happiness which I feel on hearing that you are still preserved, in health security and comfort, you can readily imagine. I thank you and love you from the depth of my heart for the many assurances of your priceless love and devotion. Each dear one of them is treasured in my inmost heart. Many a lonely moment do I spend in contemplating the priceless treasure which I have in the love of one of the purest, best and loveliest of earthly companions. I do trust that our long and painful separation is near a happy termination. The prospect for an exchange of prisoners is now regarded as better than ever before since my capture. My heart leaps at the thought of being restored to you and all the dear ones once more. But I must not be too sanguine lest a crashing disappointment awaits me. Be hopeful and trustful my Dear wife. Providence has blessed us in each others love and preserved us thus far the comforting hope of a happy reunion and a life of connubial felicity. Though absent you are ever near my heart and in my prayers. No funds have reached me save the 10 dollars sent by Mrs. Rogers. Love to all. Your Ever Devoted Husband. Richd M. Leavell.
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Is birth control fight about religious freedom? Column
Obama takes step farther on contraceptives, but Christian Right wants a fight instead.
The Obama administration has now gone a step farther to address religious freedom objections to contraceptive provisions under the health-care reform law -- creating, through new rules issued Friday, a way for employees of religiously affiliated organizations to access birth control without their employers getting their hands dirty.
BLACKWELL: No compromise in new contraception mandate
Given the swift and hostile reaction by many in the Christian Right gallery, you have to wonder why the president and his people bothered extending this olive branch. Has it ever been clearer that the culture warriors are more interested in a fight than a compromise solution, or that complaints about religious freedom under attack are greatly overblown?
After the Department of Health and Human Services announced the new rules, leading conservative Catholic voices had the decency to say, in effect: Give us a chance to study the new provisions, and then we'll let you know whether they address our concerns. Fair enough.
If only groups such as the American Life League could likewise pause and assess before erupting in the predictable cries about religious freedom under attack. The Obama administration continues "to treat our country's conscience like a jailor," railed Judie Brown, president of the American Life League. Matt Bowman, senior legal counsel at Alliance Defending Freedom, demanded that the administration "immediately abandon the idea that it has the power to withhold or dispense our fundamental freedoms to whomever it chooses."
Not even a thank-you-for-trying?
Several aspects of this conflict are no doubt mystifying to those outside the circle of social and religious conservatives. Contraceptives are widely used and accepted in American culture -- by Christians and non-Christians alike -- and they are proven preventatives against abortion, which the Obama critics are fighting mightily to prevent. Why the fuss?
That's not the point. Religious freedom matters a great deal under our Constitution, and it's not my call, or yours, to say whether a given law or practice is, or is not, a religious freedom issue for a given organization or person. If religious conservatives say that the contraception coverage violates their consciences, then it does.
If the objectors can be believed, that is. The problem here is that the Christian Right has cried so loud and long about its religious liberties being violated -- and in such self-serving ways -- that it's difficult to trust that the continued opposition to the ObamaCare contraception rules is more than ax-grinding and fight-picking.
When the argument broke out anew at the end of last week, it was against the backdrop of a revealing a new survey by the Barna Group, highlighting what the polling firm's Christian president terms a "double standard" when it comes to evangelicals and religious freedom. Barna found 71% of evangelicals are "very concerned" about religious freedoms becoming more restricted in the coming years, as opposed to 29% of adult Americans overall.
But what evangelicals call an erosion of religious freedom begins to look like something else when you consider this: The Barna survey finds a majority of evangelicals agree that Judeo-Christian values should be given preference in this country, and only 37% agree that "no one set of values should dominate." These Christians, Barna President David Kinnaman says, seem as interested in dominance as religious freedom. Says Kinnaman: "They cannot have it both ways."
No, they can't. The data give statistical heft to what has been increasingly obvious over years of culture war politics: Conservative Christian cries of "religious liberty" violations often are, in truth, complaints about the decline in conservative Christian power and prerogatives in an America that is growing ever more religiously diverse.
Seen this way, the cries about Obama and a war on religious freedom, and laments about an America in which traditional Christians are on the run and under attack, sound hyperbolic and belligerent. Evangelical theologian Paul Louis Metzger hits the nail on the head when he points out, as he did this past week in a Patheos.com article, that "if we evangelical Christians want religious freedom, we will need to champion the religious freedom of others, even if we disagree with them on their views, and even if it means that they will critique us with that freedom."
Only when partisan evangelicals earn a reputation for sincere regard for religious freedom -- for all people's religious freedom -- will complaints about non-evangelical presidents and their supposed assaults on liberty ring credible.
Tom Krattenmaker is a Portland-based writer specializing in religion in public life and a member of USA TODAY's Board of Contributors. He is the author of the new book The Evangelicals You Don't Know, to be released in April.
In addition to its own editorials, USA TODAY publishes diverse opinions
from outside writers, including our Board of Contributors.


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World's largest steel maker ArcelorMittal today said it will write down the value of its European business by about USD 4.3 billion on account of decreasing demand in Europe due to weaker macro economic and market environment.
"The write down will take the form of a non-cash impairment charge that will be recorded in the fourth quarter of 2012. The impairment is due to a weaker macro economic and market environment in Europe where apparent steel demand has fallen by approximately 8 per cent this year, bringing the cumulative demand decline to 29 per cent since 2007," the company said in a statement.
The development comes on heels of the company closing its blast furnaces in France and Belgium. "This weaker demand environment, and expectations that it will persist over the near and medium term, led to a downward revision of cash flow expectations underlying the valuation of the European businesses to which goodwill has been allocated," the company said.
This is in contrast to the US, where apparent steel consumption is up almost 8 per cent this year and is now approximately 10 per cent lower than it was in 2007, it added. The company said its key metrics such as net debt and operating profits, as well as compliance with debt covenants, are unaffected by this impairment.
Europe's steel industry is struggling with excess production capacity amid economic downturn.


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|Web Reg Available to:
All registrants: 12/20/2018 @ 12:00A - 01/10/2019 @ 12:00A
|6 years to under 18 years
|There are 0 sections of this class
Max Count: (10), Min Count: (5), Enrolled: (7)
Waitlisted: (0)
|Potential Fees:
IV Lessons Fees: $130.00 (Required)
The Academy is designed to teach skating skills at a faster pace in a small group environment. This seven week training program will provide skaters with a variety of on ice skating instruction as well as the opportunity to develop further mastery of their skills by working in a semi-private or small group. This class is perfect for anyone wanting to perform in ice shows, compete, learn new disciplines in figure skating or wanting to advance through the levels quicker. ** PLEASE NOTE THE LEVEL REQUIREMENTS HAVE CHANGED. Academy Bronze is for skaters in
Basic 3-6, Academy Silver is for skaters in Pre-Freeskate - Freeskate 3, Academy Gold is for skaters in Freeskate 4-6 and Academy Platinum is for skaters who have passed Freeskate 6.
Skaters enrolled in this class are required to register for a Learn to Skate USA membership. Please visit learntoskateusa.com to register. Your confirmation email must be emailed to the Director of Figure Skating at email@example.com before your first day of class.
Skate rental at this level is not included in the fees. For all skaters in Basic 7 and above and The Academy, the following dress code is required: Girls must wear skating skirts or dresses with skating tights, yoga pants with sweatshirts, wrap sweaters or fleece jackets. Jeans and hoodies are not allowed! Boys must wear athletic pants with stretch and t-shirts, sweatshirts or fleece jackets. Jeans and hoodies are not allowed! Please pack a water bottle, tissues and gloves for your skaters.


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Apps were probably my biggest hangup with switching to Android, at least now that the hardware is (in the case of the Nexus One at least) slick enough to feel good in use. Apps and the fact that almost every music appliance we have at home has an iPod/iPhone connector on it anyway - more on that particular hangup another time.
So, when I got the Nexus, my first task was to find apps, in some cases equivalents to those I was already using on the iPhone, and in other cases, new apps that you can not get on the iPhone for various reasons (often because Apple doesn't let them through the approvals process).
Let's take a look at some of the app equivalents for those I used heavily on the iPhone first:
- Music and multimedia apps: I came to rely on music applications like Pandora, Last.fm, various internet streaming radio and of course the built in music player on the iPhone. Happily there are equivalents for all of these in Android, and they work better (for one thing, they continue to play music when you switch to another application). I currently have installed on Android: Last.fm (with scrobbling for music you play in other apps too!), Pandora, XiiaLive, Slacker, Listen (for podcasts, includes background downloading), bTunes (a replacement player for music on the SD card) and RadioTime. There are many more, perhaps I am missing some good ones, but these have all my uses covered.
- Next most used on iPhone was eReaders, in particular Stanza. Sadly there is no direct equivalent for Stanza yet (this is an area where Android is definitely behind right now). Aldiko and WordPlayer are both excellent reading apps, but they don't have the content deals worked out with fictionwise, books on board and others right now to be able to purchase and download books, and as much as I like reading classics, I like reading bestsellers too. eReader.com lets you buy books and has an application for Android, but it's a bit clunky - nowhere near as slick as Stanza. Kobobooks is looking hopeful too, but their reader is so immature as to be unusable (for example, it goes back to the beginning of the book each time unless you remember to bookmark it before closing the app - heaven help you if a call comes in and you forget). If Aldiko can get some content deals, or Kobobooks can improve their player, or if (as I hope) Stanza gets in on the act, it will be a great solution. For now, Android gets a C+ for effort, but eReading is something I used my iPhone for a great deal. One little bonus though is that WordPlayer will read the books out to you using text to speech - a neat feature, but of course not for best-sellers just yet.
- Next up in my list of importance is Navigation/Maps. Android is almost universally ahead here. Of course, there is the killer feature - turn-by-turn directions in Google maps (with voice, street view, etc.) but in addition there is Latitude (which was rejected by Apple). Latitude on Android rocks - it updates my position for my friends to see in real-time if I turn it on (on the iPhone, you have to visit the web page to get your position updated). Layar is another great app - overlaying the world with virtual labels for all sorts of data. MultiMap and OruxMaps have great support for OpenStreetMap data (including OpenCycleMap), and finally Google's My Tracks rounds out my favorites - tracking and recording of your rides, runs, hikes, etc. with full altitude profile and trip statistics available. Google places directory gets an honorable mention too - see what's around you - I don't use it much, but it's useful sometimes.
There are a couple of disappointments though. Surprisingly, Google Earth is better on the iPhone (no reason for it to be that I can tell, it just is - e.g. no tilt with accelerometer support on the Android one), and another app I used a lot on the iPhone - everytrail, lags significantly in features (on the iPhone it lets you search for nearby trails and download them to follow, on Android it is record and upload only!).
- Communications next - in particular messaging. Google talk is built right in to android and has background notifications, Hi AIM is a free (at least for now) AIM client that has background notifications too, and there are many other options. The GMail app is easily the best mobile gmail application I have seen. Twitter is well served - everyone knows seesmic, but I have actually been using (and slightly preferring) Twicca myself. Google voice is built right in too - wonderful online service and wonderfully integrated into Android (for example, I can choose to have just international calls routed through Google voice automatically, and it also doubles as my visual-voicemail option). Foursquare has an app that is the equivalent of the iPhone one, and the facebook app that comes with Android works just fine. Android is again ahead here in my judgement, just because of background processes and the freedom of applications to make it onto the platform :-).
- Productivity and other assorted items: the only real hole here for me is, strangely enough, Google tasks. Just like the iPhone there is the online mobile targeted site, and that works fine as long as you are online, but I was surprised there was no local app that your todo list synced to on Android, hopefully it is in the works (as I tend to live and die by gmail, calendar and my tasks list). Calendar is fine (although I feel it could do with a UI makeover), syncing to the google calendar is perfect so far, and as I mentioned above it has the best mobile gmail app I have seen, but the lack of offline tasks, as well as features like location awareness for tasks, is a hole. For notes, there is evernote, wikinotes (I had to mention it) and many others, News and Weather built in options are good, but there is also the Weather Channel app which is worth a look.
In the other assorted items category, Shazam is available (thank goodness) and works as expected (if you don't know, Shazam listens to music playing somewhere and tells you what it is). The integration with the Amazon music store is good for impulse buys too :-). Google shopper is nice for sanity checks while shopping. Photo management also shines - the ability for new services to register themselves as send options means that you can install flickr uploaders that work with all apps capable of sending a photo, or send it via twitter or IM, etc. Very slick.
- There are also some apps for which there is simply no equivalent on the iPhone, at least not yet. For example Goggles - which is like Shazam for images (take a picture, tell me what I am looking at). I mentioned My Tracks already, and turn by turn directions in Google maps. Listen - mentioned in multimedia, gives a real podcast client - one that actually just automatically downloads podcasts directly to the phone so that they are available for offline listening whenever you want. SqueezeControl gives me remote control over my squeezebox (there might be something to do this on the iPhone but I didn't think of looking before), and there are neat system features that I didn't have on the iPhone, for example I can see exactly where the power has gone since the last charge (display, apps, phone radio, background file downloading, etc.) and use it to find the battery hogs.
- I should mention games too. I am not a huge game-player, so this is lower on my list, but it is also a domain where Android is weaker than the iPhone. I was actually quite addicted to Words with Friends while I was using the iPhone, but there is no Android version so I have had to kick the habit. I do have frozen bubble, and a couple of other puzzlers on there, and I also have Shortyz - a kick-ass crossword game written by my friend Robert Cooper, which is slick and almost perfect (will be perfect when it has cryptics available).
So, all in all pretty good, with some concern over gaming - there are good games of every genre to be had, but they are not as numerous as on the iPhone, and many are not as recognizable (you don't see many licensed games, for example Shrek Kart on the iPhone). Perhaps Google should consider some gaming stimulus money, or at the very least a few "gaming on Android" articles to publicize some of the more polished options out there.
However, there are a few things that are not so great with the apps story:
The top of my list is that you can't install apps onto the SD card still. This was a limitation when I was working as an Android advocate at Google, fully a couple of years ago now, but I can't believe it hasn't been rectified yet. This means you are resource limited by the available main memory on the device, 512 megs in the case of the Nexus. It's pretty easy to fill this up when you like apps as much as I do. Cyanogenmod (which I have now installed) does let you install apps on the SD card, but this is hardly a consumer level operation (rooting and re-flashing your phone is a pretty scary operation when you actually own the phone and have to pay for a new one if you mess things up).
Games seem to be an area where Apple is well ahead. This is less important for me to be sure, but it's going to be a big factor for a lot of people. I think the games situation is complicated by the SD card issue, since games tend to be big, and that will eat up a lot of the available internal memory. Some games designers have worked around this by downloading a big glob of data when you first run it - less than ideal but it works around the limitation. Even so, the glossy games market on the iPhone is a big draw.
The polish is also just a shade less impressive than the iPhone. By way of an example - the headphone remote control (the button on the headphones that can be used to pause, and skip, music playback). It works with other applications, just like on the iPhone, but the whole thing can get a bit confused with multiple music applications running. The way I would expect it to work is that the last music app to play, or the one currently playing, will get the headphone button click event and act on it. In practice, it seems to be a complex enough outcome that it seems kind of random exactly what will happen - instead of the podcast pausing, the music player will start playing over the top, or my audio book will carry on from where I left off. As a programmer, I know these details are a real pain in the butt to get right, but as a consumer I want it to just work. Apple is good at that in spite of (or perhaps because of) their other issues (for example, an over developed sense of control :-) ).
Alright - enough downers, let's get upbeat again.
The biggest plus, and this is huge, for Android applications is that I can write my own. Sure I could theoretically write for the iPhone if I wanted to abide by the following restrictions:
- Sign up and pay $99 for the privilege (Android market costs $25 to register, but you don't even have to pay that just to write and distribute software unless you want to go through the market)
- Agree to some truly heinous restrictions about development, like having to use a blessed language (C, C++ or Objective C), Apple having full rights to allow or block anything I write for pretty much any reason they choose (they blocked Latitude and Google Voice apps for reasons yet to be disclosed, etc.)
- Develop on a Mac. I am a Linux developer, I like it that way, and I like to develop on Linux. Android development just works on Linux, it's dead easy, quick and I can use my existing skills rather than learn a whole new set of stuff which only works on one very close platform
- Agree not to talk about the Apple developer agreement ever (this is a condition of becoming an iPhone developer). Since I co-host the Java Posse and I hate any attempt to control what I can talk about there, that simply isn't likely to happen
So, since I don't want to do any of these things, I am going to develop for Android, and it's dead easy. I actually just finished my first application for Android in 2 years - Andro Flubber. I actually ported this useful utility to Android when I was at Google, but never completed it and lost the source code in the intervening years, so I sat down and did it again.
It took me about 2.5 hours from new project to running app, and maybe an extra 2 for some polish and extra features (like sound, custom background image, etc.). I have since put the source code up on github, and the application up for free on the Android market. The details are:
Name: Andro Flubber (not the best name, but I had to call it something) - a Flub is a mistake in recording, therefore flubber tracks mistakes, and Andro for Android.
Description: marks mistakes on a timeline while recording a podcast, and then emails you a list of the mistakes in the audacity bookmarks format, so you can see where they are in post-production and edit them out.
Source Code: available from github at http://github.com/dickwall/AndroFlubber, not exemplary yet (I should sprinkle in a comment or two, probably some best practices not being observed), but it works and can be improved on. I chose to theme it with the Java Posse logo and put in some other features specific to the podcast, but you can fork the code and customize it yourself if you desire.
App on Marketplace: You can use the barcode scanner on the 2d barcode above to download it, or just go to http://apps.doubletwist.com/Andro-Flubber/-5965901916352705395 or look for Andro Flubber on Android Market from your phone. Right now it requires Android 2.1 - this is just cos I need to download and verify with earlier versions of the API which I will do in due course, but for now I just wanted it to get out there.


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INDIANAPOLIS (AP) ? Mike Krzyzewski already holds the NCAA record for most wins by a coach.
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) ? Mike Krzyzewski already holds the NCAA record for most wins by a coach.
Thanks to Seth Curry's big scoring night, Krzyzewski could finish the weekend by tying one of John Wooden's records.
Curry scored 29 points, tied the school record for most 3-pointers in an NCAA tournament game and led the Duke Blue Devils past Michigan State 71-61, putting Krzyzewski within one win of his 12th Final Four appearance. All Duke has to do is beat top-seeded Louisville in the NCAA tournament's Midwest Regional final ? something it already has done.
"We were fortunate to win that game. They've been playing the best basketball in the country," Krzyzewski said, referring to Duke's 76-71 victory Nov. 24. "I love their two guards. I think they're great kids and they're dynamic. But they're deep. They're a deep team. We can't turn the ball over against them."
Duke (30-5) can create its own set of problems as the Spartans found out Friday night.
Curry knocked down six of his first seven 3s before missing his final two to tie a school record that had been attained six other times, most recently by Jason Williams on March 22, 2001, against UCLA. He had plenty of help, too. Rasheed Sulaimon scored 16 points, making 12 of 14 from the free-throw line, also tying a school record for free throws made in a tourney game. Mason Plumlee added 14 points and seven rebounds in the return to his home state.
And if Krzyzewski earns career win No. 958 on Sunday against top-seeded Louisville, he will break a second-place tie with North Carolina's Dean Smith and move into a tie with Wooden for most Final Four appearances by a head coach in NCAA history.
Krzyzewski isn't the only one chasing a milestone.
A win would also move Louisville coach Rick Pitino into a tie for fourth all-time with Roy Williams and he is trying to get the Cardinals back to the Final Four for the second straight year.
Clearly, Louisville (32-5) has a few advantages. The game in Indianapolis will be played about 100 miles from campus and another heavily-partisan Cardinals crowd is expected at Lucas Oil Stadium.
But Louisville will face a team that was ranked No. 1 earlier this season and in the same venue it lost as the top seeded team in the Midwest Region just four years ago to Michigan State. Plus, they'll be facing a Duke team that is clicking on all cylinders.
"If a team's game plan is to just to be tough or physical with us, that's not going to win," Plumlee said.
The Spartans (27-9) learned that lesson the hard way.
They focused, as usual, on dominating the middle.
Instead, Curry's 3-point barrage loosened things up, and forced Michigan State to play catch-up most of the second half.
His sixth 3 of the night broke a 38-38 tie early in the second half, sending Duke on a 9-0 run. The Blue Devils never trailed again.
"Honestly, I was just trying to help my shot. I got a few to go early," Curry said. "I feel like every time I take a shot, it's going to go down and nothing felt different tonight."
The Spartans were led by Keith Appling, who scored 16 points despite playing with a brace over his injured right shoulder. Adreian Payne added 14 points and 10 rebounds, but it wasn't nearly enough against Curry & Co.
Coach Tom Izzo was hoping that his only son's prediction, that Duke would beat Michigan State in the regional semis, would be wrong. Instead, the younger Izzo got it right.
"They're a good team, they played well, Curry hurt us, no question about it," Izzo said. "We didn't quit, we hung in there. I thought we played poorly for us, but the better team won tonight."
The game was billed as an entertaining contest between two of college basketball's most successful coaches ? and it lived up to the hype.
The first half was played to a near draw with four ties and eight lead changes.
Michigan State grabbed an 18-17 lead on Derrick Nix's tip-in with 9:52 left in the first half, but Curry then scored nine points in an 11-2 run for the Blue Devils. He was fouled by Travis Trice while attempting a 3-pointer and made all three free throws to make it 28-20 with 4:59 remaining.
Back came the Spartans, who clamped down on defense and closed to 32-31 at halftime.
But Curry's early second-half scoring spree was all the Blue Devils needed. Michigan State pulled within seven with 1:32 to go, but couldn't get any closer after trailing by as much as 13 in the second half.
"We knew we would have to play at that level. They're a little more athletic than we are," Krzyzewski said. "We had to try to match that and tonight we were able to do that. I'm glad it's not a seven-game series because I'm not sure we'd be able to continue to do it. But tonight we were able to do it."


text: With the forecast calling for severe weather, many towns affected by last years flooding are preparing. Julie Hiendel, city clerk for Columbus Junction, says they have all their pumps ready and are keeping an eye on the Iowa river and making sure the same thing doesnt happen again. She says they are more prepared this year and learned a lot from last year's events.


text:
Airbnb's Global Growth
Airbnb has released a fantastic infographic, Airbnb's Global Growth, sharing their own stats about their phenominal growth from August 2008 to February 2012.
Airbnb started in Brian and Joe's San Francisco apartment. Today, more than five million nights have been booked on Airbnb. And although Airbnb's roots are in the USA, more than 75% of all reservations last year were international - where either the traveler or host (or both!) was outside the United States. Check out our infographic celebrating the international growth that you've powered.
I think an infographic is a great way for a company to share it's story with it's executives, it's shareholders, the press and the public in general. Infographics are visual storytelling, and every company has a story to tell.
The design is beautiful! They've included a wide variety of data visualization types: area chart, doughnut chart, maps, bars and illustrations. The one complaint I have is that too many of the stats are just shown in large text. Large fonts don't make good data visualizations.
They made an interesting choice and included the URL for a separate page on their website about the Airbnb service, instead of linking back to the original infographic. I know they want to promote their service, but I think this is a mistake, because a reader has to search through their blog posts to find the infographic. A couple things missing from the bottom: a copyright statement and credit to the designer.
Thanks to Slavik for sending in the link!


text: "Friday night Grand Hustle were deep in The Mansion Elan night club for the celebration of D.O.P.E & Spot latest mixtapes. T.I. introduced the crowd to his newest group D.O.P.E and Spot then performed "Harry Potter" off that self titled D.O.P.E mixtape. B.o.B. took the mic and performed his hit single "Strange Clouds"!"


text:
|View Poll Results: Aquarion EVOL - Episode 24 Rating
|Perfect 10
|9 out of 10 : Excellent
|8 out of 10 : Very Good
|7 out of 10 : Good
|6 out of 10 : Average
|5 out of 10 : Below Average
|4 out of 10 : Poor
|3 out of 10 : Bad
|2 out of 10 : Very Bad
|1 out of 10 : Painful
|Voters: 55. You may not vote on this poll
|Thread Tools
|2012-06-15, 14:26
|Link #241
Six Shooter
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: USA
Age: 39
I'll also add that I find it ironic that fans dislike Mikono because they think she is cunning and two-faced, when the fans generally like (and Mikono dislikes!) Fudo precisely because he is cunning and two-faced, constantly manipulating people's feelings and hiding the true purpose of his orders/decisions.
|2012-06-15, 14:37
|Link #242
Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2012
In my opinion, Mikono's "indeciveness" and "passiveness" comeback was needed in order to continue/drag on the plot. If she decided to chose between Amata/Kagura during the events of episode 21 ( The episode where she watched on top of a building while Kagura/Amata punched eachothers faces in..I think..) the conflict between Amata and Kagura would've ended right there (which is the main conflict of the plot). And then they would'nt have any material left. And I doubt they would want to dedicate the last episodes of the series to another MIX rescue mission since it would make them (Andy and MIX) seem like the main characters... More then they already do..:P So in other words, they chose plot over character developement. :/
I'm sure that once they decide this Amata/Kagura conflict has to end (and since she has to be the one to end it). She will show her active self again... since it'll be necessary for the plot.. >.>
Last edited by queenSwild; 2012-06-15 at 14:55.
|2012-06-15, 14:57
|Link #243
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: "Sacrifice one to appease the few."
Well yeah the writers are at fault, however that doesn't change that Zessica was set up to lose to Mikono. Thus they hate Mikono since if she wasn't there than there would be no reason Amata wouldn't be pushed to Zessica as far as they're concerned. Though it is sad the writers failed hard with this that even Amata's VA would rather Amata get with Zessica than the Lead Heroine.
Anyone else starting to believe that Zessica could very well be OVA Reika? They also have similiar names(At least Reika's "Original" Name) and a lot of bad luck thrown their way.
|2012-06-15, 15:07
|Link #244
Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2012
He said ,"Things'd be smoother if Amata and Zessica got together." Which is true. There would be no Amata/Kagura conflict. I mean, why would Kagura fight him if he already has his wench? Mykage wouldn't have a body. How could he trick her if she was already content with her life? But then, there would be no plot.(Amata's love for Mikono is the thing that got this show started afterall..:/) And we can't have that can we? :/
|2012-06-15, 15:16
|Link #245
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: "Sacrifice one to appease the few."
It doesn't matter, she's the rival to Zessica for Amata who happens to be the winner no matter what. Fans are angry over this because Mikono has done jacksquat for the relationship she's going to win in by default while Zessica has done everything right but because Mikono has to win, since she's the end game lover for Amata, it means that Zessica must lose(And lose hard). Thus Fans hate Mikono for that since her winning by default leaves a bad taste in everyones mouth since she has done nothing to work towards her "Happy Ending" compared to Zessica and will just have it handed to her on a silver platter.
Even if Amata got with Zessica I highly doubt that he would let a strange wolf man take Mikono away to a strange planet that they later learn turns women into men. Mykage would be screwed in this but it's Mykage, he would think of something to get what he wants.
|2012-06-15, 15:52
|Link #246
Carpe Diem
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: ||At the edge of finality.||
Age: 29
In the end, the presentation (word choice, ironic interference) of the rejection might have been more important than the rejection itself, and its implied (anyway) that Zessica got the idea. The problem is, as far as I can tell, that while Zessica knows how Amata feels, she knows that he is in the dark with Mikono and that there's a chance that Mikono might run off with Kagura (its the best way to really explain Zessica's confrontation of Mikono at the end of 17). So, since she loves Amata (and wants to win him anyway), she's there to support him and prop him up when he trips up, all the while she tries to get his attention and holds out hope that, while Amata is for now infatuated with Mikono, he might turn an eye to her one day since he's not yet in a committed relationship. To some degree it's also implied that she was readying herself to move on in this life but held onto hope for another life (that's a lot of love, many shittons), and, ultimately, everything got dropped her head at once with the revelation that Amata and Mikono are the destined lovers. It shatters her one hope (and future hope, so two hopes, really) that Amata might one day give up on Mikono or be turned down since they are destined lovers, so they are destined to love one another always, so, by proxy, Mikono must love Amata.
Go back to the start, and basically, from the point of view of Zessica's fans, a lot of her suffering comes up because Mikono has left the door of hope open. The rest is probably confused anger at the befuddling themes in the show. Zessica's spent more time trying to fight fate (and trying to win the guy, comparable levels of Andy trying to win and save MIX) than anyone else in the show, yet it is Amata who uses *fate doesn't matter* as his way to woo Mikono even though they are fated anyway, all the while Mikono just *is* (and has put in literally the minimal one episode of effort by meetings the guy first. Just go back through the show and ask yourself, how many times does Mikono pursue a relationship vs. how many times is she put into a cute moment because of (a.) coincidence or (b.) accident or (c.) because Amata does something). So you get a perplexing case of:
- Fights fate but is losing to fate.
- Says he'll fight fate but doesn't really.
- Is in a state of existence and met the guy first, winning.
Yes, Amata could have done more (but, Zessica was avoiding him fairly obviously), Zessica could have tried to sit him down and asked him WHY he likes Mikono (and boy would that have been a can of worms, forcing the writers to give some reason for why (as I'm curious too)), Mikono could have said something or other after the confession but she neither tells Zessica nor Amata how she feels, leaving both of them in limbo (and she even admits it on her adventure to find Fudo... just doesn't do anything about it). You can stretch this to how or why Kagura is still a problem, answer? No one talks to anyone unless the plot wills it.
|2012-06-15, 15:53
|Link #247
Join Date: Sep 2008
|2012-06-15, 16:00
|Link #248
Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2012
If you can say that Amata would get together with Zessica if Mikono wasn't around, then I'm sure that Mikono would get together with Kagura if Amata wasn't around. So does Amata really have a say in regards to a guy she wants to be with? Sure, Mykage could've used Yunoha when she was depressed because of Jin's death, but he didn't. Zessica is special, to him atleast.
Last edited by queenSwild; 2012-06-15 at 16:33.
|2012-06-15, 16:32
|Link #249
Junior Member
Join Date: May 2004
|2012-06-15, 16:45
|Link #250
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: "Sacrifice one to appease the few."
No one needs to convince you of anything. Fact is that many hate Mikono and that Mikono's inaction, even if it's just there to give Kagura a reason to exist and for Zessica to get screwed over so Mykage takes her body, is just not a very likeable trait at all compared to Zessica. Since this is a mostly male oriented audience it makes sense that they hate Mikono because she looks like a cheat/tease and guys dream of a girl like Zessica who doesn't beat around the bush for what seems like forever. Was surprising that many female viewers hate Mikono as well and the whole Amata x Mikono dynamic and would rather she get with Bad Boy Kagura who is like a male Zessica when his feelings are concerned.
Funny that the more open characters are the ones that both sides of the spectrum have latched on to while hating the indecisive ones because they're indirectly causing the open ones to go through a bunch of unneeded suffering. With only 2 episodes left I doubt Mikono suddenly doing "Anything" will sit will with the majority of the fanbase, especially if her anything is "Lulz, merge Amata and Kagura together so I get both for my happy ending epilogue!".
And yeah, pretty much that. If Amata wasn't around than Mikono would get with Kagura who is clearly the far more popular pairing to Mikono than Amata is. Which you know is a huge writing issue when the "Losers" are leagues ahead in popularity over the 'Destined Winners" and that the fans want the Losers to Win and hate the idea of the Winners winning and getting together even though that's what the End Game plan has been set up to be outside last minute changes. Which seems unlikely since Kagura will most likely die soon or get merged into Amata and considering Zessica's state and how they love kicking her every week...
|2012-06-15, 17:37
|Link #251
Six Shooter
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: USA
Age: 39
But that's how fans can be. It isn't helped that the writers apparently felt they had to have Zessica fall in love with Amata in order to keep the audience guessing as whether Zessica was the reincarnation of someone (and so Mykage could use her). I think the story would have worked much better if Zessica and Amata had remained friends, but in today's anime climate, that might not be possible.
|2012-06-15, 17:43
|Link #252
Carpe Diem
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: ||At the edge of finality.||
Age: 29
- Has something important to say but doesn't say it.
- Admits that her inaction and fear of being hurt has caused people to suffer.
- She already knows what it is that she has to say but puts it off.
That immediately rules out the possibility that she was going off to search for answers (about her feelings), she already knew what she wanted to say. So...? Why not say it? Its not like she didn't have an opportunity moments earlier. Its not like Amata wouldn't have benefited greatly from her saying something reassuring to him like "I love you". Does she just revel in the thought of making people continue to suffer because she didn't want to say what it was that she already knew she was going to say but didn't? (I wrote that last sentence in jest initially, but now...)
Last edited by Vena; 2012-06-15 at 17:56.
|2012-06-15, 17:43
|Link #253
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: "Sacrifice one to appease the few."
However, Fans see it as Amata really wanting Mikono thus he has zero romantic attraction, other than those moments where he totally appreciates Zessica's body(And did show "some" interest in her... When Mikono wasn't around), to anything that isn't Mikono even though his attraction to her seemed pretty forced and relied heavily on the Love At First Sight which was later reinforced by "Destiny". With the reveal that Apollonius never reincarnated into Apollo and was really Pollon they have really made the whole Reincarnation and Destiny thing seem like a pile of crude to the fanbase. If that's Destiny than why isn't the cast scrambling to get Amata away from Mikono already?
|2012-06-15, 18:39
|Link #254
Join Date: Mar 2012
The most blaring problem I have with Mikono is how they raised certain 'flags' for how her character would be developed over the course of the series. She was so pathetic and passive at the beginning, she got her connection power and seemed to be changing a little, they revealed that her self esteem issues are because her father put her down a lot and that's it. Her character development halted completely.
I used to think that Mikono at the end of this would be somewhat like Minmay from Macross, dumping the protagonist for another romantic interest while still being a decent character. But the big difference is that Minmay stopped a war, and the most significant thing I recall Mikono doing was the connection power during the funeral. (When last has she used her power to connect?)
You can almost draw a dichotomy between Mikono and Zessica and Amata and Kagura. Well, not so much for Kagura because at this point I still don't know much about him. Right now I think he's stuck in a rut and has the mental capacity of a dog because he shows no sign of any thought or insight (besides kuso onna). I had expectations that he would have become more like a main character nearing the end of this, but to be totally honest he seems like a character with the sole purpose of getting views from rabid fangirls.
Hats off to kawamori though if the last 2 episodes are amazing, but going by the track record of EVOL i highly doubt it.
|2012-06-15, 20:59
|Link #256
Riding the Ange Express
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Sunriseland
Amata, Mikono and Zessica: Victims of weak character development.
P.S. I'm a Zessica fan too, and it sucks to see her get crapped on but I can't blame Mikono for it. I don't think Mikono is a bad character, I do think she's dangerously bordered on being a MacGuffin at times, but my problem with her is that she is too passive and hasn't really shown why she's so important. She has shown that she is caring and nice, but aside from being Celiane's reincarnation, what is her defining trait? What makes Amata risk his life for her? What makes Kagura so obsessed with her? Why should we care about her?
That is one of things that disappoints me so much about Evol. In a story that is very character driven, they drop the ball in developing the main characters.
For Amata: Why should we care about his past? Why should we care about his feelings for Mikono? Why should we want him to succeed? Yes he's willing to take on the world for Mikono, and that is admirable but why should we care?
Zessica's case: A lot of attachment to her could be considered pity. Yes, she did do the confession in episode 16 and the kiss in episode 21 but really a lot of the attachment and support for her could be considered out of pity. She's the underdog, the hopeless suitor. People like the underdog. She did have a good personality at first but she eventually became this chronic depressed, overly-dependent girl, that has been dragged through the dirt. This got her sympathy with the fans but it doesn't make her a good character.
I would like to know how other fans feel about this.
I'm sorry if my thoughts aren't organized and if this post seems like a rant.
Last edited by KleenexGhost; 2012-06-15 at 21:09.
|2012-06-15, 22:29
|Link #257
Senior Member
I think that one thing that Aquarion EVOL could have probably played up a bit more is how these Vector Pilots are real heroes protecting their world. This fact is too often lost in the shuffle of Soap Opera-ish romance conflict focus. Basically, the "Power Rangers" aspect of this show could have been played up a bit more to make Amata, Zessica, and even Mikono (since she has helped out a few times at least) seem more heroic.
Some of this is a simple matter of throwing in bits of dialogue to make it more clear.
"You've done enough damage to the city! I'm putting a stop to your murderous rampage now!" - Possibly a good line for Amata or Zessica.
"No! All those people! Stop, please!" - Possibly a good line for Mikono.
Granted, this is a bit cliche, but it does get the point across that these protagonists protect their world and the people living in it.
But Zessica is hardly the first anime girl to be made into the hopeless third point of a love triangle. Many of them didn't get the level of viewer sympathy/pity that Zessica has received.
Some of that is how heavily the show has focused on Zessica's plight (thus amplifying how much people feel sorry for her, and can't help but have our hearts go out to her).
But a lot of it, I think, is also how Zessica seems almost tailor-made to amplify all of Mikono's weaknesses by sheer contrast.
Mikono is indecisive. Zessica is very decisive.
Mikono is typically passive. Zessica is typically very proactive.
Mikono was initially defined by her fear. Zessica started out like the female version of a hotblooded male Gundam pilot.
Mikono frequently gets upset with Amata. Zessica virtually never does, even when she has much more reason to.
Mikono hasn't done/said anything all that romantic towards Amata. Zessica has.
So, especially from a male viewer perspective, this is what many see:
Zessica is a flirtatious, fun-loving, genki girl who is courageous in battle and in expressing her feelings. She is bold and brash but also with an adorably romantic side to her that comes out in key moments. She's highly expressive with her love, and repeatedly shows a willingness to put her own feelings aside to support the feelings of the man she loves. Now, if you're a guy simply evaluating Zessica's likability as a potential girlfriend, what's not to like? She's great.
Mikono is a generally nice and friendly girl, but she also is passive, indecisive, takes offense easily, and doesn't forgive easily. She's not that good at expressing her feelings, romantic or otherwise. Now, if you're a guy simply evaluating Mikono's likability as a potential girlfriend, there's issues here. She's still a generally nice, cute girl, but she screams "high-maintenance" to a lot of male viewers, I'm sure. And "high-maintenance" combined with "not emotionally expressive" is like THE most feared personality trait combo in a potential girlfriend, for a lot of guys.
Now, I can kinda get why some/many female viewers would like Mikono more than Zessica. For some of them, Zessica's flirtatious nature probably reminds them of some of their more reckless female friends that jump on guys too quickly.
And Mikono does have some edges over Zessica - Mikono is more careful, more cautious, more clear-thinking dare I say. But in a really hammy show like Aquarion EVOL these personality traits don't have the same effect as they might in a more 'down-to-Earth' romance drama. In something like Kimi ni Todoke, Mashiro-iro Symphony, or even a Key/KyoAni anime, Mikono's strengths would probably stand out more. But in the hammy Aquarion EVOL, they get drowned out by Andy acting so passionately about MIX(Y), Kagura acting so passionately about Mikono, Jin and Yunoha acting so passionately over each other, and Zessica acting so passionately about Amata.
Mikono is like the shrewd and cautious pilot... in a Top Gun movie. It doesn't come off as well there.
I hope my post didn't come off like a rant.
Last edited by Triple_R; 2012-06-15 at 23:04.
|2012-06-15, 22:57
|Link #258
Riding the Ange Express
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Sunriseland
@Triple_R Mikono is Iceman while Zessica is Maverick
Your response was great so I'm gonna piggyback on some points.
I agree that it seems that Zessica is there to make Mikono's flaws stand out. That's really screwing over Mikono. I don't get why the writers would do that? To make them contrast even more? I would it get that if that's what they were going for but they could have done it better.
Like you said Amata is a good guy, he's just too vanilla. We need a reason to get behind him.
They could have definitely played up the hero aspect of the vector pilots. The fate of the world is at stake, some Power Ranger style "You're not getting away with this!" or "Leave our planet alone" lines would really have helped. However Izumo and Jin did have moments like that.
Your Mikono and Zessica comparison was spot on.
I know I'm sounding like a broken record but we just needed more depth to the characters.
And your post was definitely not a rant.
Last edited by KleenexGhost; 2012-06-16 at 00:46.
|2012-06-16, 00:03
|Link #259
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: "Sacrifice one to appease the few."
|2012-06-16, 05:08
|Link #260
Join Date: Mar 2012
|Thread Tools


text:
Little Aria and I have been baking like elves this season. I dressed her up in her favorite Disney Frozen-themed apron and she helped me create our wonderful Christmas sweets. Today, she made simple fluffly mini red velvet cupcakes topped with delicious cream cheese frosting.
What made them Christmas-themed you ask? Aria answered making a shrieking noise: "Sprinkles!". And she finally had wonderful miniature sweets for the holidays. Happy holidays, everyone!
I was inspired by the holiday season to make this savory pie. I made my own yam-flavored pie crust and filled it with French green lentils, red onions, crème fraîche and yams and topped it with smoked Cheddar cheese.
To ensure the yams were fully cooked, I twice-baked them. This all-the-way yam pie could be a great highlight to your holiday table.
We've been entertaining a lot these days. I wanted to share a few of my go-to party food recipes when we host dinner parties.
If you entertain as much as we do, I hope you find plenty of inspiration in these 5 appetizer recipes.
If you were born in the 80s and lived in France, you probably know of the marble cake called Le Savane de Papy Brossard. Ça a bercé mon enfance, which I'd translate to "it sweetened my childhood". This coffee cake is a marbré cake. The beauty of this cake is its appealing look once sliced with its gorgeously marbled, streaked appearance made of vanilla and chocolate.
A generous amount of quality butter and a little milk made the cake moist and fluffy while milk chocolate provided the contrast in color needed for this sweet treat. I think the result was very close to the one I had when I was a child. My hope is that baby Aria will keep the same fond memories of this chocolate marble cake once she grows up!
This is my second most favorite chicken recipe (after my poulet rôti, "roasted chicken"). The whole idea is to use dark meat from the chicken thigh, stuff it, pan-sear the meat and finish cooking in the oven. It's as simple as that. First, I used boneless chicken (de-boning the thigh and using the bones for excellent chicken broth) and made sure the skin was still on. Then I proceeded with the tender meat. I used a preserved lemon marinade and let it rest overnight. For the filling, I combined roasted red bell peppers, Manzanilla olives, shallots and cornichons (French gherkins).
To me, cooking is an expression of love. The dish doesn't have to be complicated. Learn your basics and you'll be able to dazzle your friends and family with creative, over-the-top dishes by making a few variants of your favorite recipes.


text:
Headlines archive
New national report: Wisconsin justice initiative on right track
Madison, Wisconsin - May 2, 2012
|Judge Carl Ashley, EJSS chair
A newly released report from the National Center for State Courts (NCSC), a non-partisan justice think tank based in Denver, says Wisconsin's effort to build a stronger infrastructure of community programs and treatment alternatives to address the root causes of crime is paying dividends and should be continued.
The 150-page report, Effective Justice Strategies in Wisconsin/A Report of Findings and Recommendations, was two years in the making. Researchers from NCSC visited 15 counties across the state and also surveyed numerous justice system stakeholders to assess the value of a range of strategies developed in Wisconsin to improve public safety and get smarter on crime. Site visits took place in Ashland, Brown, Dane, Eau Claire, La Crosse, Marathon, Milwaukee, Outagamie, Ozaukee, Portage, Racine, Rock, St. Croix, Waukesha and Winnebago counties.
The researchers focused on three public-safety initiatives that have taken root in Wisconsin in the last decade: the use of risk-and-needs assessments to help improve decisions made about incarceration, bail, treatment needs, conditions of probation and so on; the development of problem-solving courts targeted at drug addiction, mental health issues and more; and the advent of collaborative justice councils, county-based groups that bring together top decision-makers from every entity involved in the criminal justice system to improve existing procedures and establish new approaches to a community's unique challenges. These councils have been created in at least 30 counties across Wisconsin, and can tackle improvements and projects that no individual entity could handle alone.
The goal of these three initiatives, and a constellation of others established in the Wisconsin courts, is improving public safety. That means identifying better ways to hold offenders accountable while reducing crime and recidivism and giving taxpayers the best possible return on every dollar spent on criminal justice. The effort began in 2004 and is steered by the statewide Effective Justice Strategies Subcommittee (EJSS) of the Supreme Court's Planning and Policy Advisory Committee.
Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge Carl Ashley, EJSS chair, said this about the NCSC report: "The research findings support what those of us in the trenches of the criminal justice system believe to be true: that there is a place for incarceration, but by and large, improving public safety and turning offenders into contributing members of society requires something more. Addressing the root causes of crime is what ultimately will make our streets safer and give taxpayers a better return on their investment."
Wisconsin's program has made the state a laboratory for justice initiatives in recent years:
- In 2011, Eau Claire and Milwaukee were chosen from among seven finalists for two federal grants to examine every step in the criminal justice process, asking: why do we do the things we do? Are they effective? How do we know? Practices that do not stand up to scrutiny will be swapped for practices that have been proven successful. These are called evidence-based practices.
- In 2008, Wisconsin was one of four states selected by the Council of State Governments to participate in the Chief Justices' Criminal Justice/Mental Health Leadership Initiative, a project aimed at improving the criminal justice system's response to people with mental illness.
- Also in 2008, Wisconsin was one of eight states chosen to participate in the Justice Reinvestment Initiative, which aims to reduce corrections spending and increase public safety through the use of strategies that have been tested and proven to be successful at turning offenders away from a life of crime.
The NCSC researchers lauded Wisconsin's work to improve public safety by getting smarter on crime, and recommended that the state continue on this track and institute regular evaluations of the effectiveness and cost-efficiency of justice strategies such as problem-solving courts.
The NCSC report was developed under a grant from the State Justice Institute, a non-profit, non-partisan corporation established by federal law in 1984 to help improve the quality of justice in the state courts. Points of view expressed in the report do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the State Justice Institute. The full report is available here .
Shelly Fox
Special Projects Manager
(608) 261-0684