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By Roland S. Martin
Editor-in-Chief RolandMartinReports.com
For more than a year I've tried to get Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus to make an appearance on my Sunday morning news show on TV One, the nation's second-largest black cable network.
He has also been invited to appear on my daily segment on "The Tom Joyner Morning Show," with 8 million listeners.
Although Priebus did tell me "yes" a year ago, on the day of the GOP primary debate in South Carolina, he has yet to show up and talk GOP politics to either of these audiences.
This is no shock to me, because most white Republicans I've invited appear to be deathly afraid to accept invites to appear on both shows. In fact, it has been tough even getting a callback or an e-mail from GOP staffers.
Since the debut of my show, "Washington Watch," in September 2009, we have had an open invitation for any member of the GOP House or Senate Conference to appear on the show. In four years, only four — Reps. Tom Price (twice), Allen West, Steve King, and Pete Olson — have appeared on the show.
None was verbally attacked. None was called a bigot or a racist. None was prevented from talking. We had polite, but firm, discourse on multiple issues. Any of them would tell you I was more than fair, providing them with a forum to discuss their policy differences with President Barack Obama and Democrats.
Think about that: Even GOP backbenchers who rarely get called to appear on a national TV or radio show seem afraid to show up.
You would think they'd welcome a chance to share their policies with a constituency that routinely doesn't vote for them. But Republicans routinely pass it up, and then wonder why they don't get the votes of blacks and other minorities.
What I'm describing points up a much larger problem with the GOP and its inability to speak to issues that all voters care about.
That's why I find it interesting that at the GOP retreat this past weekend in Virginia, there was a session entitled, "Coalitions-Discussion on Successful Comms w/ Minorities & Women."
Comms stands for "communications."
If Republicans want to understand how to successfully communicate with minorities and women, it sure would help to actually go to the forums where minorities and women read, listen and watch.
When Michael Steele was chairman of the RNC, he appeared on my TV show and radio segments on many occasions. I could call him on his cell phone or at home and book him on a moment's notice. See, Steele understood that if you want to communicate a policy to black people, it helps to talk to them. Maybe his being black is the reason.
The mental block that keeps the GOP from engaging black folks and others could have something to do with its perception of the issues we care about.
For instance, a prominent black Republican in Illinois told me about a presentation a few years ago with party elders about how they could attract black voters. When it was all done, this Republican said, the first comment from the floor was, "We are not going to support welfare."
The group of black Republicans was puzzled: "We didn't even bring up welfare. What are you talking about?"
The GOP apparently has the idea that minorities don't care about education, taxes, entrepreneurship, homeownership, and a litany of other issues.
When Republicans speak to black folks and the main thing they have to say is that the GOP is the party of Lincoln and he freed the slaves, then you have a problem.
Yes, Republicans played a critical role in civil rights legislation during the 1950s and 1960s while Southern Democrats were obstructionists — but it's the GOP's concern for blacks and minorities in the last four decades that has been troubling and problematic.
Republican consultants will say that cultivating minority voters is a waste of time. That's a short-term view. I would think that allowing the opposition party to get 90% of a group's vote without lifting a finger — because your own ineptitude prevents you from making your case — means trouble long-term.
Republicans could compete for minority votes if they were actually interested in listening to the concerns of said voters. But if they just want to talk to minority voters and not listen, they cannot compete.
I know a bunch of African-Americans who don't self-identify as Democrats. They, and I am one of them, have voted for both Republicans and Democrats. The issues that we care about vary. It's not about ideology or party; it's about what you can do to be of help to those in need.
If the GOP wants to learn how to communicate with minorities, it must listen to and work with the numerous minority Republicans who have been shouting this from the rooftop for years.
You want to hear evidence from a couple of white guys? Pick up the phone and call former U.S. Sen. George Voinovich of Ohio. Heenjoyed sizable black support because when he was mayor of Cleveland, he didn't avoid minorities and treat them as outcasts. He sat down with them, shared their concerns, and worked on public policy — together.
Give Mike Huckabee a ring. When he was governor of Arkansas, he earned a lot of black votes for the same reason as Voinovich. He has urged the GOP to reach out.
One issue where Republicans are finding themselves working with black civil rights leaders and pastors is in the area of sentencing reform. African-Americans see a legal system that has turned into a moneymaking machine for private prisons. GOP governors see state budgets out of control.
A major civil rights leader told me he has found more success working with GOP governors than Democratic governors on sentencing reform.
This is an example of what happens when individuals sit down, talk, share their concerns, and find common ground.
But as long as the GOP is scared to even sit down with black folks and other minorities, it can expect to keep getting dusted at the ballot box. And don't look to blame anyone else but yourselves, when you were given the chance and your own ignorance prevented you from reaching across the divide to talk.


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Rian Johnson Speaks Dump
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December 20th 2017 8:57 pm
January 22nd 2004 10:02 pm
Rian Johnson has been addressing many of the film's twists, turns and controversies in various interviews so here's the relevant quotes collected for easier reading. Feel free to add to it.
On Snoke's death:
Entertainment Weekly
"It would have stopped any of these scenes dead cold if he had stopped and given a 30-second speech about how he's Darth Plagueis…It doesn't matter to Rey. If he had done that, Rey would have blinked and said, 'Who?' And the scene would have gone on…and I'm not saying he's Darth Plagueis!" That's a valid point but probably won't appease some angry fans.
"When I was working on the character of Kylo, I came to a place where I thought the most interesting thing would be to knock the shaky foundation out from under him at the beginning of this movie," Johnson said in regards to the story behind killing Snoke. "By the end of this film, he's gone from being a wannabe Vader to someone who is standing on his own feet as a complex villain taking the reins."
"But then the question is: What place would Snoke have at the end of that?…That made me realize the most interesting thing would be to eliminate that dynamic between the 'emperor' and pupil, so that all bets are off going into the next one. That also led to the possibility of this dramatic turn in the middle, which could also be a really powerful connection point between Kylo and Rey."
You're going to poo-poo this, but with Snoke it almost felt like you didn't know where he was going anyway, so let's just get rid of him.
[Laughs.] Um, no, yeah, that's not really the driving force behind it. But I did definitely think the notion behind this movie, for me, from the start, was to evolve Kylo into a complicated, more solid villain. I guess "villain," for lack of a better word. But someone who takes the reins and steps up and is no longer just pretending to be Vader, but has become his own version of a formidable force. And going into Episode IX, that's the strongest launching pad. That's where you want to put your money down. And if you're dealing with a superior of his, that just seemed less interesting to me than clearing the deck so Kylo can be the main guy. And it gives an opportunity for a big, dramatic beat that's really interesting and we get to have some fun with him.
"Well, I don't know about 'red herring'," Johnson said. "But he is definitely… Snoke's place in this movie came about largely from me figuring out Kylo's arc, what Kylo's arc was going to be in this movie. In my mind what I wanted to do with Kylo was to take him and basically knock out the kind of shaky foundation from under his feet, and build him by he end of the movie into someone who's standing up as a credible, but complex villain."
"He's taken the reins, basically. He's no longer a Vader pretender. He's somebody who actually is going to be going into the next movie [as] someone who's taken control and taken the reins of everything."
"That led very quickly to that idea," Johnson explained. "Because then you get to… okay, you have Kylo there at the end, what is Snoke's place in all this? And do you really want Kylo to be that but with an Emperor figure over him? And if it is that, then suddenly your options are much more familiar going into the next movie."
"So it led to this notion of okay, so that means we're going to have this dramatic moment where Snoke goes [dies] and that means that Kylo can then ascend, actually ascend. And then that means that all bets are off for the next movie and we can't go into it with assumptions of what's going to happen, because we've taken away the familiar element, which I think is powerful."
"And ultimately Snoke was not built up in the last movie," Johnson reminds us. "He was built up with fan theories since the last movie. The truth is Snoke has a couple of very brief scenes in the last film. And I love fan theories by the way. I don't want to just poo-poo them. I think that's an important part of Star Wars fandom and I think it's really fun to think about where these people came from, but the truth is in terms of Snoke's actual place in this movie, it's much more similar to the Emperor's place in the original trilogy."
"It's not about where he comes from. It's not about his backstory. He is the guy behind the guy, and I think he plays out his part in this movie as is appropriate."
On Luke's death:
Entertainment Weekly
"I had huge hesitance. I was terrified. It was a growing sense of dread when I realized this was going to make sense in that chapter." As for why he feels Luke's death is justified, he adds: "I think the hero's journey of Luke Skywalker concluded in Return of the Jedi. This is the hero's journey of Rey, and Finn, and Poe. The [ongoing] story of Luke is one that has to play in tandem with that of Rey."
Asked about the possibility of returning for Episode IX, Mark Hamill said: "I'm just still holding on to the line, 'See you around, kid.' I can be in Episode Nine! I might consider catering the film just so I can hang out."
Did you debate how to end it with Luke, or was that always the plan?
Well, I debated it a lot, but it was always in my head that always made sense to me for a lot of different reasons. First of all, this is Luke's movie. Mark gives a great performance in it. His journey back to taking on the mantle of the legend of Luke Skywalker, basically — something he had rejected as being unhealthy for the universe. And him coming around to realizing that the galaxy needs this — "I need to be the legend they need me to be," and taking that on his shoulders. Once he does that and comes back and does this heroic act that's going to resonate throughout the universe, the notion that then that's the moment to give him his final bow. And that's the most emotionally potent time to do that made a lot of sense. And, honestly, thinking about the number of characters we have on our plate going into the next movie — and I'm not working on the script for IX with J.J. [Abrams] and Chris [Terrio] and I want to be totally clear I don't know what they're doing – but it just vaguely seemed good to me that putting Luke in another realm could open possibilities for his possible involvement in the next one. As opposed to him just being another character that had to be juggled into the plot, if that makes sense.
On Luke being tempted by the Darkside and whether or not Kylo is redeemable:
"Absolutely. That was the embodiment of The Dark Side, is the quick and easy path, right? It's that glimpse of… and Luke has never been… it's not like Luke is a Superman who's impervious to that. Having just, even the brief moment of temptation of it," Johnson explains, "because that's what that moment is. He doesn't give in to the Dark Side, it's a moment of temptation to the Dark Side."
"It reminds me very much of when Vader is tempting Luke, when Luke is underneath the stairs in [Return of the] Jedi, lit with that very beautiful half-and-half, the duality of these two sides of him being pulled. And that's really what that moment is for me, it's a moment of temptation to the Dark Side for Luke." That's a perfect explanation and one which makes a lot of sense for the character."
"Are you kidding? Vader was worse than Kylo ever was, I think, and Vader got redeemed," Johnson said. "Also, I should just for the record [say] that I'm not involved in the writing of the next movie. I'm an audience member in it, just like you, so when I talk about what's going to happen next it's in the context of, as a fan, what I'm thinking of."
On Rey's parentage and if Kylo was lying:
"I don't think he's lying in that moment — I think he is like telling what he saw and I think that Rey seems like she believes it in that moment. So for me, I wrote it as an honest revelation and as an honest kind of reaction to it, as opposed to a move in a game of chess.
"Now as we know in these movies, you know the whole idea of a certain point of view comes into play and as you know I'm not involved in writing the next movie. JJ [Abrams] and Chris [Terrio] are writing it so, I want to make it clear I'm not sure how it's going to get resolved. For me the important part was saying it was an emotionally honest revelation, I feel like it, I don't know, I believed it."
On Yoda's return:
That felt really important to me. And, actually, I cut some of that out and Frank Oz said to me I had to put it back. Because when I first pitched him the scene, it's like the Yoda from Empire is back because that's the one Luke had the emotional connection with. And that's why we did the puppet and recreated the Empire puppet: Neal Scanlan and his team did a recreation of the Yoda puppet. It's not only a puppet, it's an exact replica of the Empire puppet. They found the original molds for it. They found the woman that painted the original eyes for Yoda. Then Frank came and worked with them for a few weeks to get the puppet right. He did a lot of testing and a lot of adjusting with the puppet creators. It was amazing to watch the process. The idea that the last time Luke saw Yoda was in Return of the Jedi and the notion of getting back to that version of Yoda to form the emotional connection with Luke – including a glimpse of the impishness, as part of their relationship. It made a lot of sense.
On new Force abilities:
"When Luke shows up he's projecting, it's like a hardcore variation of what Kylo and Rey have been doing the whole time and that's why it takes so much out of him," Johnson told the Los Angeles Times. "In the version that we play – no – we tried to play really, really fair. In terms of his footsteps – we removed all of his foley — there are no footstep sounds. They never touch. And if you look, the salt flakes that are falling are sparking off of Kylo's saber and not off of Luke's."
"The truth is, because Star Wars until The Force Awakens has been set in amber and we hadn't had a new Star Wars movie in 10 years, you forget that they were introducing new Force stuff with each movie, based on the requirements of the story. Force-grabbing didn't come around until Empire, it wasn't in A New Hope. Same with Force ghosts. They'd introduce new ideas of what could happen with the Force each time."
"The one point where we do introduce a bit of a twist in terms of Force ghosts is where Yoda calls down the lightning onto the tree," Johnson said. "That, I think, is a tantalizing hint of the potential of someone who is a Force ghost interacting with the real world."
On considering a Lando appearance:
The Playlist
"In terms of Lando, I briefly considered — would he work in the Benicio [Del Toro] part, [but] I don't think you would ever buy that Lando would just completely betray the characters like that and have that level of moral ambiguity. Cause we love Lando and you'd come into it with that [expectation]. And also, DJ, the character that they met, for the purposes of Finn's character, had to be a morally ambiguous character that you're not sure about, that you're guessing about, and we already know that we love the character of Lando so it just wouldn't have played in that part story wise."
On why he did not have Obi-Wan appear as a Force Ghost:
The Playlist
"Believe me, man. I would have loved to have had Ewan McGregor in the movie but it was just a matter of storytelling. The original relationship with Obi Wan — obviously if Alec Guinness were still with us that would have made sense. But we never saw Luke ever interact with the Ewan version of Obi Wan, so there's less of the emotional connection and it might have been a little odd. So, it made sense and we could recreate that character [practically], so it made sense that Yoda be the one that comes back and kicks [Luke's] butt a little."
Regarding the Lightsaber toss:
"So, that leads you down a really specific path in terms of where his head is at. And if he's done that and if he's made this huge Herculean effort to pull himself out of the fight, to hide in, like he says, 'The most unfindable place in the galaxy,' it took an entire movie for the most heroic, smartest people in the galaxy to even find him, he's put himself away. Then some kid shows up that he doesn't know and shoves this thing that is everything that he has made this huge effort to step away from into his face with this look in her eyes of expectation like, 'Here you go,' and what is he going to do? Take it and say, 'Great. Let's go save the galaxy.' He's made this choice. He's there for a reason. I knew it was going to be shocking, but I did it because it felt like, obviously it's a dramatic expression of it, but it's an expression of honestly the way that he is going to react to that moment."
On shirtless Kylo:
Huffington Post
"The way in which [director Rian Johnson] decided to create the Force connection by just simply doing vertical cuts without using any CG ... it's pure simplicity in terms of filmmaking with visual cuts. We cut to her side; we cut to Kylo Ren; we cut to her; and back and forth," explained Star Wars: The Last Jedi co-sound supervisor Ren Klyce.
By having Kylo Ren appear shirtless and having Rey comment on it, it shows the audience that their Force connection allows the two to not just hear each other, but see each other as well.
"That was important to establish what she was actually seeing," Klyce continued. "Was she hearing his voice or seeing his face or just his eyes? And so that [shirtless scene] is to inform the audience, 'Oh, she can see his body.'"
Of course, "It's also good humor," Klyce added.
Star Wars: The Last Jedi editor Bob Ducsay confirmed Klyce's analysis as "exactly right," explaining that the Force connection scenes were meant to be shot "as if they were in the same room together, even though they're not."
"Over the course of those sequences, you come to understand all the rules of" that Force connection, Ducsay elaborated. "Ultimately, it's just good storytelling if the audience is learning things the same time the characters they're following are, instead of ahead or behind."
On Phasma's screentime and role in the film:
"I mean, as you can see, man, we had a really full movie already. We had a big, big movie with a lot of characters we were trying to serve, and the God's honest truth is, every character had to find their natural place."
"And Phasma supports Finn's storyline, obviously, and there just… until she shows up to fight him at the end, look through the story that we have, there's just not a lot of space to go into a big Phasma storyline in it."
"So the truth is," Johnson concludes. "It's just a very big cast and you have to kind of pick your battles with it."
On if he considered changing Leia's scenes after Carrie Fisher's passing:
"No. I mean, after we came back from New Year's, Kathy [Kennedy, president of Lucasfilm] and I had a conversation and I felt really strongly that we had a beautiful performance from her," Johnson said.
"Because if we did that [let Leia die], first of all that would feel like a very unsatisfying end to that character, because that moment of her getting blown out [into space] was not engineered to be an ending. And second, that would mean we would lose the scene with her and Luke, the scene with her and Rey at the end, the scene with her and Holdo. So much stuff that I feel I wanted to have from Carrie. I didn't want to lose that."
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Patients You Can See Using Breakthrough
Breakthrough is making it easy for you to see a variety of patients via video counseling. We know it might be a bit confusing, so we want to take a moment to help you understand the three types of patients you can see:
- Self pay patients
- Patients insured by an insurance company not contracted with Breakthrough
- Patients insured by a Breakthrough contracted insurance company
Any patient who wishes to pay out-of-pocket can do so, whether the patient finds you via the website or a face-to-face (F2F) client who would like to use video counseling either exclusively or as an adjunct to F2F care. Self pay patients may schedule an appointment with you via the Breakthrough site. If you elect to bill the patient directly for your services, check the "I'll bill the client myself" box. Note: Even if you decide to bill the client directly, they will still be required to enter their credit card information.
If you haven't already done so, please list your self pay rate on your Profile so prospective patients have this information prior to contacting you. To include a self pay rate:
- Log into your Breakthrough account
- Click your name and then select "Edit Profile"
- Enter your rate in the "Self pay rate" field
Patients insured by an insurance company not contracted with Breakthrough
If you have a patient who is interested in and would benefit from video counseling, has behavioral health benefits through an insurance company not currently contracted with Breakthrough, please use the following procedure to verify if a video counseling session is reimbursable:
- Contact the patient's insurance company at the "Member Services" or "Customer Service" telephone number, which is located on the reverse side of the patient's identification card.
- State, "I have a patient who I believe would benefit clinically from video counseling and I am a part of Breakthrough, a network of providers that offers HIPAA-compliant video counseling. If I see my patient via Breakthough's video counseling platform, will the session be reimbursed?"
If the insurance company's representative states that the session will be reimbursed:
- Direct the patient to www.breakthrough.com to register as a self pay patient and schedule an appointment with you.
- Remember a credit card is required from the patient, although you do not have to use it for collection of the co-pay, co-insurance, deductible, or for other amounts, which are the responsibility of the patient.
- When the session has concluded, complete the Post Session Report, indicating whether you would like Breakthrough to bill the patient's credit card. State in the "Notes" field the insurance company, group name and plan ID you will bill for your services.
- You are responsible for filing the claim, using the GT modifier.
If the insurance company indicates that they will not reimburse you for telehealth services, inquire how you can appeal the decision and secure a written coverage determination.
Patients insured by a Breakthrough contracted insurance company
Any patient who is insured by a Breakthrough contracted payer is eligible for telehealth via Breakthrough and you will be reimbursed. When you complete the Post Session Report, the GT modifier will be automatically included to indicate that the session occurred via telehealth.
List of Breakthrough contracted payers by location:California:
- Blue Shield of CA – Magellan/HAI-CA
- Western Health Advantage
- CareFirst BlueChoice HMO
- CareFirst BlueChoice HMO
- Aetna
- CareFirst BlueChoice HMO
Although your contract with Breakthough includes a nominal fee for use of the telehealth system for self pay patients, we are waiving the fee at this time. In the future, if we determine that it is necessary to charge the fee, we will notify you well in advance. We are actively working to expand the list of insurance companies contracted with Breakthrough that reimburse for telehealth.
We hope you now have a clear understanding of the types of patients you can see using Breakthrough. Our goal is to ensure that Breakthrough offers a phenomenal experience for you and all your patients. As always, if anything requires clarification, we hope you will call us at 888-282-2522 or email us at firstname.lastname@example.com.
The Breakthrough Network Team


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Hi EFI community,
For a customer, we need to submit PostScript jobs to a Canon imageRUNNER C7500 series behind a GX500 controller with page range functionality.
By page range functionality, I mean we let the user print a subset of the submitted document total pages. For instance, print only pages 2, 3 and 4 from a document which is 10 pages long.
Our application submits jobs through JMF + JDF queries. Weve already implemented working page range support for PDF documents using the JDF Pages attribute of the Runlist element which allows specifying a list of index of the pages specified in the LayoutElement
For instance, The following JDF sample allows printing the first page of a multi-pages PDF job, resulting - as expected - in a single page job displayed in Command Workstation.
My issue is that Ive observed that the Pages attribute seems to be ignored with PostScript jobs. Specifying the Runlist attribute Pages="0" in the JDF ticket of a PostScript multipage job wont result in a one-page job in Command Workstation. Actually, all job pages are part of the resulting job in that case.HTML Code:<JDF > <ResourcePool> <RunList Pages="0"> <LayoutElementRef rRef="IDLE" /> </RunList> <LayoutElement > </LayoutElement> ...
Is that an expected behavior? Do I need to take a whole different approach to support page range with PostScript files?
Thank you for your help.


text:
No jail time for man who pleaded guilty in strangling assault
An Anchorage man walked out of court a free man Wednesday after changing his plea in the case of a brazen midday assault in which charging documents say he offered a woman a ride, then strangled her unconscious and masturbated on her.
An Anchorage grand jury indicted Justin Schneider, 34, on four felony charges including kidnapping and assault, and one misdemeanor count of Harassment I--offensive contact with fluids -- for the August 2017 incident.
Schneider struck a deal with the state, pleading guilty to a single felony assault charge in exchange for a sentence of two years with one suspended. Schneider faces no additional jail time. He received credit for time served while wearing an ankle monitor and living with his family.
A criminal complaint against Schneider, written by APD Detective Brett Sarber, said that the victim had been at the Holiday gas station at Minnesota Drive and Spenard Road, looking for a ride toward Muldoon. A man later identified as Schneider pulled up in a white SUV, introduced himself as "Dan" and claimed he knew the victim; he offered her a ride, which she accepted.
"(The victim) said that she had never met the man in her life prior to this encounter, and nothing else about their encounter involved drugs, sex or money, or sex for money," Sarber wrote.
Instead of heading to Muldoon, the driver said he had to get something from another car and drove to the area of 36th Avenue and Turnagain Street, where they were stopped by road construction. A construction worker in the area later remembered Schneider, the victim and the SUV when police asked about them.
Schneider then stopped the SUV on 36th east of Wisconsin Street, and asked the victim to get out while he loaded items into the vehicle. Once she approached the rear of the vehicle, Sarber wrote, Schneider "full on tackled" her, shoving her to the ground. He then began to strangle her with both hands around her throat, telling her that he was going to kill her.
"She said she could not fight him off, he was too heavy and had her down being choked to death," Sarber wrote. "(The victim) said she lost consciousness, thinking she was going to die."
When the victim woke up, she told police, Schneider was rising from her and zipping up his pants. He offered her a tissue, which police later recovered as evidence.
"The man told her that he wasn't really going to kill her, that he needed her to believe she was going to die so that he could be sexually fulfilled," Sarber wrote.
The victim said Schneider also let her retrieve her backpack and cellphone from the SUV's front seat. Sarber said she used the phone to call police and report the vehicle's license-plate number the moment Schneider drove out of sight.
The license plate number, along with the victim's description of the man, led APD to Schneider, who had reportedly driven from the scene of the assault to his job at Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport, where he worked as a controller in the airport's tower.
Anchorage Assistant District Attorney Andrew Grannik said Wednesday that Schneider lost his job working for the federal government as a result of the case, a consequence he called a "life sentence."
Grannik said he agreed to the plea deal based on Schneider's enrollment and progress in a treatment program, and an expert's assessment that the risk of him re-offending is low.
"I hope it doesn't happen," Grannik said. "That's the reason why I made the deal that I've made, because I have reasonable expectations that it will not happen. But I would like the gentleman to be on notice that that is his one pass -- it's not really a pass -- but given the conduct, one might consider that it is."
When given the opportunity to speak, Schneider offered no apology or recognition of the potential long-term impacts the assault might have had on his victim but highlighted the positive effects the case has had on his own life.
"I would just like to emphasize how grateful I am for this process," Schneider said. "It has given me a year to really work on myself and become a better person, and a better husband, and a better father, and I'm very eager to continue that journey."
Judge Michael Corey accepted the deal, noting the outcome of the case could be described as "breathtaking." He said his decision was based on the prospect of rehabilitation.
"Mr. Schneider is going to be a member of our community, and he would not be in jail for the rest of his life even if he had been convicted on all of the counts for which he was charged," said Judge Corey.
He also told Schneider, "This can never happen again."
Grannik said he attempted to reach the victim by phone to notify her about the hearing but was unsuccessful. He said had he needed to locate her for the purpose of a trial, he would have needed the assistance of detectives.
When asked why Schneider was not required to register as a sex offender, Grannik explained that the conduct in the case did not meet the legal requirements of sexual assault charges, even though the assault included sexual elements.
As part of the plea deal, Schneider must spend three years on probation.
Copyright 2018 KTVA. All rights reserved.


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Seventh-seeded UMass Boston women's basketball (13-12, 4-10 Little East) is set to travel to take on defending champion University of Southern Maine (18-7, 10-4 Little East) Tuesday night at 7:00 p.m. in the Little East Conference Quarterfinals.
Tuesday February 25, 2014
SEASON SERIES: The second-seeded Huskies lead the all-time series 63-0, after handing the Beacons a pair of single-digits losses earlier this season.
Southern Maine earned a 55-47 victory in the first contest at Hill Gymnasium. After trailing 29-21 at halftime, the Beacons used a 9-0 run to grab their lone lead of the contest at 30-29 with 14:38 to play. The Huskies answered with a 12-2 run of their own to take control behind eight combined points from Megan Pelletier and Erin McNamara. Sophomore forward Olivia Murphy (Canton, Mass.) led UMass Boston with 13 points and 15 rebounds in the loss, while junior Kirsten Morrison (North Reading, Mass.) added 12 points and nine rebounds.
The second contest between the two sides proved to be even closer, as Southern Maine hung on for a 49-48 victory last Tuesday, in the closest-ever game between the two programs. Southern Maine built a double-digit lead (39-27) at the 11:17 mark of the second half, but Morrison led UMass Boston back into the game, with 12 of her 18 second-half points coming during an 18-2 UMass Boston run. McNamara and the Huskies responded with a 6-1 run of their own to close out the game to earn the victory. Morrison paced the Beacons with 18 points and six rebounds, while Andrea Suffredini (Milford, Mass.) chipped in with 13 points and three assists.
SCOUTING THE BEACONS: Despite their seventh-place finish, UMass Boston women's basketball has proven that they are capable of competing against the top teams in the Little East. The Beacons knocked off each of the three teams directly ahead of them in the LEC standings and came within single-digits of defeating Southern Maine in back-to-back contests for the first time in school history.
If the Beacons are going to pull off the upset, they will need to control the paint. Even with Murphy, the conference's leading scorer (15.9 ppg) and second-leading rebounder (10.6 rbg), missing the second contest, UMass Boston earned a 22-8 advantage in points in the paint. Morrison has come up big for the Beacons in both games, averaging 15 points and 7.5 rebounds, while shooting 53 percent. Freshman Katrina Edwards (Springfield, Mass.) and Brittany Moore (Billerica, Mass.) have provided nice depth inside and will need to step up if Murphy is unable to play in the contest.
The Beacons' backcourt is led by Suffredini and freshman Mallory Nelson (Tospham, Maine). Suffredini sits third on the Beacons with 8.4 points per game and tied for third in the Little East Conference with her 3.4 assists per game. Nelson has been a nice second-half surprise for the Beacons, as she enters the contest averaging six points, 3.3 rebounds and an assist per game.
SCOUTING THE HUSKIES: After a surprisingly slow start to the conference season, Southern Maine ended the year on an 8-1 run against LEC foes. Southern Maine used a 56-38 victory over third-seeded Eastern Connecticut State University Saturday, to wrap up the second seed in the tournament.
Gary Fifield's team is led by a trio of native Mainers: in McNamara, Pelletier and sophomore Rebecca Knight. McNamara ranks fifth in the Little East with her 13.4 points per game, sixth with 3.3 assists per game and second with her 1.9 made three-pointers per game. Pelletier and Knight provide the scoring inside, as the two players have combined to average 19.1 points and 12.5 rebounds per game.
LOOKING FORWARD: The winner of Tuesday night's matchup will advance to Friday's Little East Conference Semifinals to take on the winner of #3 Eastern Connecticut State University and #6 Keene State College.


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|Home >> Course Descriptions >> College of Arts and Sciences
|Numerical Methods for PDE I
|Three semester hours.
A study of algorithms for the numerical solution of hyperbolic and parabolic partial differential equations using the finite difference method; stability and convergence of methods and error bounds. Applications from physics and engineering will be emphasized. Prerequisites: Graduate standing and permission of instructor.
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August 29, 2013
Chatting with the Chancellor
President Harrison, center, chats with Chancellor of the Board of Regents, John Carey, right, as they tour campus with Student Ambassadors and Senior Vice Chancellor Gary Cates. The Chancellor was on campus Monday to visit and learn more about Columbus State as part of a tour of Ohio colleges and universities. Chancellor Carey began his new role in late April this year.
Picture tomorrow, no rain predicted!
The 50th anniversary group photo will be taken at 1:00 p.m. tomorrow (Friday, August 30) outside near the statue. Please stop out a little early if you'd like to pick up your anniversary t-shirt before the photo; or come out right at 1:00 p.m. if you only can spare a few minutes for this activity! You can also get your shirt after the photo, or you will be able to get one on our Day of Service, September 26! We will take this photo as close to 1:00 p.m. as we can, so everyone can be on their way back to class or office quickly. The photo will be made into a souvenir poster of our 50th anniversary, so don't miss out!
Columbus State 50th Anniversary Day of Service coming next month
As noted in last week's Update, our upcoming Fall In-Service Day will become the Columbus State 50th Anniversary Day of Service—Thursday, September 26! Take a moment to hear why we will undertake this large, very exciting project next month:
On the Day of Service website, you can now read a listing of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about the day, including such things as "Where will we be able to volunteer?" "Will we still have a department meeting?" and "How will we get lunch?"
Also on the website is the sign-up form, where you can view all the volunteer opportunities for Day of Service, select your favorite, and sign up! The deadline to submit your Day of Service form online is Friday, September 16.
Helms writes book on diversity and inclusion
Les Helms, instructor in Business Management, has published a new e-book available on www.smashwords.com entitled "A Better World: How Personal Operating Systems Affect Culture, Diversity and Inclusion."
"We wrote the book because after close to 30 years of training, discussion and focus on culture and diversity, we still don't seem to be making much progress," says Helms. "Perhaps that is because we focus on specific prejudices rather than understanding the mechanism that underlies all forms of prejudice. What we tried to do in the book was explain that underlying mechanism and how we can manage it more effectively. The book does address serious and complex issues however it does so in a manner that makes them easy to understand and is often humorous."
Managing with Strengths Workshop offered for managers
A new workshop, scheduled for September 10, from 8:00 a.m. to noon, will explore ways managers can use their strengths and the strengths of their employees to impact employee loyalty and productivity. The session will study managers who effectively use strengths to hire, focus, motivate, and develop employees, and ultimately impact employee engagement and performance. Participants will begin to develop strategies for managing employees using a strengths-based approach. All current managers who have completed Win with Your Strengths are invited to register at http://web.cscc.edu/is/employeetraining/course.asp?C=517. For more information, contact Lori Thomas or call ext. 3860.
Caregivers Employee Resource Group is Sept. 6
The challenges of caring for others can result in caregivers ignoring their own physical and emotional health. Share your story and network with other employees who also provide care to children, elderly family members or dependent adults. Join the group on Friday, September 6, from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in the Library Studio (lower level) for the Caregivers ERG. Contact Lori Thomas, Caregivers ERG liaison, for more information.
New security tip: "No Vishing"
If you receive an email asking you to call an 800 number related to a banking issue, don't ever call the number. Your credit card has a phone number on the back of it, as do your account statements. Be safe: Don't call a phone number listed in an email. Instead, look the number up on your account statement. There is a new attack called "Vishing," designed to have you call a fake, automated answering system, and get you to enter your account number and other sensitive information.
As a reminder, Columbus State will never call or email you asking for your login name, password, Social Security Number, or Cougar ID. If you receive a phone call or email asking for this information, do not provide it and immediately call the Help Desk at ext. 5050.
Lloyd presents at Lakeside Chautauqua
Thomas Lloyd, director of the Columbus State Concert Band and ensembles, gave a presentation on "The Music of Stephen Foster" August 26 at the Lakeside Ohio Chautauqua. The lecture included recorded examples and several songs sung by Lloyd accompanying himself at the piano. This is the fourth time he has appeared at Lakeside. Previous programs were on composers William Grant Still, Amy Beach and the music of the Civil War era.


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Sauber to stay with Ferrari
Sauber has vowed to "stay together" with its engine supplier Ferrari.
The Swiss team, already struggling financially, has not scored a single point so far in 2014 and therefore is in danger of being left outside the lucrative top ten positions in the constructors' championship.
Team boss and co-owner Monisha Kaltenborn admitted that Ferrari's troubled first turbo V6 design for 2014 is "one of the major factors" in Sauber's current situation.
"But I think it is too easy to say something is the fault of others," she is quoted by Italiaracing.
"We must always look first of all at what we do, be honest about it and say that this car is definitely not one of the best that we have produced."
But particularly in the sport's all-new 'power unit' era, the engine package is a crucial element and there have been rumours Sauber could soon become the first non-works customer of returning supplier Honda's latest F1 foray.
Kaltenborn admitted: "The engine is one of the major factors, especially from the point of view of driveability, but this is not the reason to give up.
"We have a long relationship with Ferrari and we have had our ups and downs over the years, but let's stay together and we will come out together," she added.
Kaltenborn played down any similarity between Sauber's situation and that endured by Red Bull and Renault, whose relationship has clearly been strained by the French marque's 2014 troubles.
"I do not know the situation between Renault and Red Bull," she insisted, "but we are very close to Ferrari and have a very open relationship.
"We have never pointed the finger. If there are times when things do not go as well, we say it openly and put the focus on everyone getting together in this situation.
"I'm quite sure that if I'm sad or unhappy, my colleagues at Ferrari are twice as sad or unhappy. The important thing is that they are on the right track, they know what to do and I have full confidence in their potential," said Kaltenborn.


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You can never go back to Valhalla
Aside from the crazy news of what happened in this tiny Westchester community (See 7online News) our return trip yesterday to Valhalla felt nothing like a homecoming. Maybe it was the fact that it was Saturday morning. Maybe it is by noon every small child needs to be at a birthday party. Or maybe when you are at a gigantic gym you should never have people climbing next to you. Unfortunately by noon, all these things were happening. Perhaps the best and most telling was this exchange as Josh and I worked on a new problem. After one try a young fellow with long hair comes up and says, "Hey do you mind? Let me try it?" Josh walks off. They guys climbs the problem easily as he has obviously done it countless times before. Josh comes back. "Hey you didn't get to see me do it?", "Yeah", Josh says, "I like to try to figure it out for myself." There you have it, gym etiquette 101. Don't jump on other peoples lines, when they are figuring it out.
At this point a shrill woman with her 8 year old were fighting with each other. The child was running around bouncing off of things. She tries to ask us what easy things he can climb, but before we even tell her, "Less than 100 points" as they were rated, she and her equally shrill and awful child are climbing and yelling at each other again. Westchester is beautiful. Also, if the the gym is 10,000 square feet, find a line that isn't on top of someone else. So simple. Weekends at gyms suck. This Saturday further reinforced this for me. Also, if you can help it, don't be shrill a Westchester mother. And stop wearing white tennis shoes and stone washed jeans (see Jerry Seinfeld look), it's not 1992.


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Emirates and flydubai
Enjoy convenient access to the flydubai network. Easily connect to flydubai destinations via the Emirates route network.
If you're travelling from an Emirates destination and connecting onto flydubai, your baggage will be checked through to your final destination. And you'll also get your boarding pass for your connecting flydubai flight.
If you're travelling from a flydubai destination and connecting onto Emirates, your baggage will be checked through to your final destination. Depending on your connecting flight, you'll either receive your Emirates connecting boarding pass when you check in with flydubai, or at the flydubai transfer desk in Terminal 2, before you go to Terminal 3 to board your connecting flight.
Emirates baggage allowances and charges (where applicable) will apply for the full journey on codeshare itineraries (including if the first sector is on flydubai). Emirates Skywards Platinum, Gold and Silver baggage allowances are applicable on flydubai flights.
When you land in Terminal 3, you can use our coach service to go directly to the Terminal 2 departure gates for your connecting flydubai flight.
Please note that from 27 October 2019, flydubai flights to the following destinations will operate from Terminal 3, Dubai International (DXB):
flydubai flights currently operating from Terminal 3, Dubai International (DXB):
All other flydubai flights will continue to operate from Terminal 2, Dubai International (DXB).
To earn Skywards Miles and Tier Miles on flydubai flights, book your next journey on emirates.com and combine an Emirates and a flydubai flight.
And if you are an Emirates Skywards Silver, Gold or Platinum member you can enjoy selected benefits on connecting flydubai flights like flydubai Business Class check-in, additional checked baggage, bonus Skywards Miles and priority baggage delivery.
Terms and conditions
*This route is served by both Emirates and flydubai.
If you bought a ticket with Emirates and part of your journey is with flydubai, here is some important information you need to know.
As your booking is with Emirates, you will need to contact Emirates to make any amendments to your travel plans. Please call your local Emirates office.
For Emirates originating flights, you will receive your onward boarding pass at check-in. When you check in, your baggage will be tagged for your final destination – that means you won't have to collect it in Dubai.
For flydubai originating flights, you may have to check in for the onward flight and collect your boarding pass at the Emirates transfer desk in Dubai. In this case, you will have to identify your baggage to airport staff in Dubai so it can be associated with the Emirates boarding pass.
Emirates baggage allowances and charges (where applicable) will apply for the full journey (including if the first sector is on flydubai). Emirates Skywards Platinum, Gold and Silver allowances are applicable on flydubai sectors.
In Dubai, Emirates operates from Terminal 3 and flydubai operates from Terminal 2. If you arrive on an Emirates flight and you're connecting to an onward flydubai flight, you need to take a bus to the F Gates. There are signs to guide you.


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Many years ago I picked up a book that literally blew my mind. It was the Cuckoo's Egg by Clifford Stoll and it's a genuine classic, a true tale of hackers and how one was tracked down in the very early days of the internet.
Now the story is about events in 1986, so it captures the state of technology at the time (which rather dates the book), but wow, what a great story.
So why mention the book? Well apart from the fact that it is well worth a read, the key issue that Clifford saw again and again was default passwords. The hacker would identify a target and then try to logon using default IDs and default passwords, usually with great success.
Now I have blogged in the past about the determined (but often ignored) way that Brocade switches berate you into changing default passwords. But pretty well all products need to do this, as they all have the same issue (and a truly problematic counter-point). You absolutely need to do two things with every product in your data center:
- Change the default passwords on every device you deploy.
- Record what those passwords got set to (preferably using a logical or physical password safe).
Now don't laugh, but forgotten/lost passwords on data center kit (like switches) is a VERY common problem. When I worked in the IBM Storage Support team I took calls EVERY WEEK from clients who had devices they could not logon to, for all manner of reasons. For some, supplying them with the default passwords saved them (and condemned their employer?), but for others they needed much more detailed assistance.
My preferred solution to this challenge is to use external authentication (like LDAP) but being able to reset passwords with an external tool is also a nice option to have available.
The reason I started thinking about this is a nice tool IBM offer for the Storwize V7000 called the Initialization Tool that you can download from here. Using this tool you can reset the password of the Superuser ID on a Storwize V7000 back to the default (passw0rd). The tool runs on a USB key. After requesting the tool to help you to reset the superuser password, you insert the USB key into the Storwize V7000, wait for the orange indicator light on the relevant node canister to stop blinking and the task is complete. Then put the USB key back into your laptop and run the init tool again to get a completion report that should look like this:
This is great to rescue customers who have lost their passwords, but the question then gets raised: Can I block this?
My first response is: if you are concerned about unauthorized people with malicious intent placing USB keys into your Storwize V7000, then don't let them into your computer room (presuming you can spot them by the colour of the hat they are wearing). If that is not an option, lock the rack that the Storwize V7000 resides in (change control does have its benefits). If that is not an option, there is one more alternative, but it is a tad extreme.
What we can do is prevent password reset via USB key (or in the case of the SVC, via the front panel). We do this by issuing the following CLI command: setpwdreset -disable
In the following example, I confirm that password reset is possible (value 1), I then disable it and confirm that password reset is no longer possible (value 0). If curious I could then get some help on that command:
firstname.lastname@example.com's password: IBM_2076:StorwizeV7000_324:anthonyv>setpwdreset -show Password status: [1] IBM_2076:StorwizeV7000_324:anthonyv>setpwdreset -disable IBM_2076:StorwizeV7000_324:anthonyv>setpwdreset -show Password status: [0] IBM_2076:StorwizeV7000_324:anthonyv>setpwdreset -h
I then try to reset the password with the USB key, but I get a very different message when I run the init-tool after moving the USB key back to my laptop:
If I then change my mind, I can enable password reset via this command:
IBM_2076:StorwizeV7000_324:anthonyv>setpwdreset -enable
So do I recommend you do this on your machine?
Only if your paranoia is matched by your attention to detail.
My reason to hesitate recommending it is simple: If you prevent password reset and then forget your password (and have no other local Security Administrator accounts), you have locked the door and thrown away the key. Far better to physically lock the rack.
In the end though, your company needs to set a policy that is actively enforced (with no exceptions). So get to it.


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BMW M1 Schnitzer Gp. 5
by Phil Wicks
With the falling through of a deal BMW made with Lamborghini to produce a mid engined road car, BMW decided to go it alone and the first results were a twin cam 3.5 litre mechanically fuel injected straight six; remember now, this was the mid seventies, and by 1978 BMW went into production and supplied their baby to the public. The street version of the M1 (Designation E26) produced 204 kW and the soon to follow racing version pumped out a healthy 634 kW.
The car was hand built and had to comply with homologation regulations before a full on assault could be mounted in International motorsport. Four hundred and fifty three were eventually produced in total, with only 20 being full on race versions. These were to comply to group 4 regulations requiring 400 vehicles which were built by several makers. Intended for public sale and with some poor publicity, the model was set to fail. The solution was to inaugurate a one-car series which BMW then did, calling it the Procar Championship series. The short lived one-make Procar Championship series lasted two seasons, the only two winners being Nicki Lauder and Nelson Piquet, both driving for BMW Motorsport.
Schnitzer Motorsport
The next link in the car's history is Schnitzer racing, Schnitzer was formed in the sixties by two brothers who had been introduced to competitive motorsport by their step father, and success soon followed when they self tuned a BMW 2000 Ti to take out a German national class in 1966. Success followed in various saloon car events and soon the team were tuning cars for customers, one of their first successes was when, in 1969, Ernst Furtmayr won the European championship racing a Schnitzer tuned 2002 Ti.
BMW M1's on eBay
Schnitzer went from strength to strength building engines and chassis for resale, and most of all, for the German BMW motorsport team, taking them to many motorsport victories over the following years. Such famous names as Winkelhock, Stuck, Ravaglia, Cecotto, Mueller, Priaulx and many others have sat behind the wheel of some of the greatest racing sedans of all time carrying the BMW and Schnitzer names; and many have won Touring and GT Car titles across all continents.
The BMW modeled here was a later version of one of the original cars. With the demise of the Procar Championship, the cars found there way to other hands and other disciplines. They were even brutalized by having V8 engine swaps! One discipline they gravitated to was the popular Group 5 (4th generation) racing. Although it was outclassed by the Porsches in Group 5, it did enjoy moderate success in Group B endurance racing in the early to mid eighties.
As hard as I look at the internet and at BMW Motorsport and AC Schnitzer racing, I can find neither hide nor hair of this model (except for the Sideways model?). Maybe it is a fantasy livery much like the MSC De Tomaso Jaegermeister livery? This aside, the JPS livery finishes the model well and this is still a very appealing model.
So on to the model and more so onto the limited edition. This is an edition of 1008 which seems a funny number, but none the less, it is not a long production run. No doubt the model is made in other liveries which can undermine its 'Ltd. Ed." status. You get a card which declares exactly which model you have and besides this you get a model of a pit babe or grid girl with a blank placard. The girl is one of four variants, the rest of which I am assured are available separately!
The Scalextricesque clamshell display box is finished in black and gold, or is that brown and gold? Likewise the model itself has a decidedly brown appearance and when placed up against other JPS models is decidedly brown! But does that detract from it, I think not. As with Sideways' other models it is well appointed and the tampo has been carefully executed, and doors and panels alike have a crisp appearance to them.
Rear end detail is good and the front too has had some design time spent on it; to the point where the model carries two fine vanes which run the length of the bonnet front to back. Interior detail is present but no time has been spent on dash and interior detail; yet there is a good deal of work in the driver? As with most Gp 5 models the wheel arches are pumped out to locate the wide track and Sideways have ensured the brake ducts contain adequate photoetched grilles for realism.
And once again the artificial wheel trims which hide brake cooling impellers on the real thing are also up to scratch. One of the details I would expect to find, even on an '80's race car would be the drivers names on the doors, wings or roof; this model has none which again makes me think it could be fantasy livery. Lastly from the outside there are far less breakables on this body than some other Sideways models. The door mirrors look and are vulnerable, just handling the model caused the left door mirror to fall out; undamaged, it will be a simple task to refit, or should it be left out 'til its racing days are over, Mmmmmmmm??
Underneath are no surprises and I fully expect the model to be almost a carbon copy of its Sideways predecessors. There are two options for the traction magnet but the rear axle option would best be left for huge tracks with sweeping bends. The traction magnet itself is the standard type and if you were racing Carrera or magnabraid, perhaps the sport magnet would be better, but don't forget kids, check your local club rules before swapping magnets!!
Under the body we see a very clean shell. Very simple, and might I venture, possibly a lot stronger than some of the other Sideways models in the series. I suspect this model will be the most durable of the Sideways cars. Even the body mounting posts are reinforced! Mmmmm!
Once again on the topside of the chassis are all the basic Sideways (read Slot.it) accoutrements, and again, like earlier models, the motor and axle heights and offsets are adjustable up to 1 m.m. with replacement parts coming in a little pack inside the base of the display box along with the pit babe and the spare Allen key.
Again, plenty of screws for the racer to play with but be aware, when racing the model as a non magnet car, all the screws will need to be tight to avoid the dreaded 'sloppy chassis hop' I have a Capri which hated left hand corners, and even with the motor mounting screws up tight, it still insisted on juddering coming out of bends. Lost for ideas, I carefully hot glued the motor in! Problem solved! Even though everything was tight! Another warning here, if you do hot glue your non magnet racer motors in, be warned that the Slot.it chassis' are not that thick or rigid (hence the hopping), hot glue from a hot gun will melt and deform some of the thinner parts, so be careful where you apply it!!
I haven't endeavoured to track test this model as I fear nothing new will be learned. Mass production has allowed the maker to duplicate model characteristics across the range without variation. Rest assured, for the Sideways/Slot.it racer there will be no rude awakenings and now on track surprises so you can rest with comfort in the knowledge that this model is another potential winner in the right hands.
You know what comes next, do yourself a favour…….. etc. etc….. You will love this little black (brown?) baby even if it does look a little pumped out scalewise. The only real criticism I could level at it is the fact that through practicality, Sideways (Slot.it) have given the model those ghastly undersized tyres making it look a bit whompish! But hey! Ian at MJK can soon fix that for you!
BMW M1's on eBay
Locally, this model comes in at about Au$110.00 which is a little bit rich for me, hunting about on the internet will reveal some excellent bargains even when postage is taken into consideration! Mmmmmmm……………..?
Many thanks to fellow Q32 and LCR racer Moby for the opportunity to review this very attractive model!


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Rebecca Newberry is a family child care provider in Tulsa, OK. This child care provider participates in a subsidized child care program. To learn more about this child care provider, please send them an email.
Do you run this child care program? If so, click here to add photos and more information!
Parent Reviews
There are currently no parent reviews for this daycare.


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The HPLHS holiday horrors of A Very Scary Solstice and An Even Scarier Solstice are available once again in one supremely disturbing holiday bundle.
You get two CDs containing 46 of your favorite holiday songs, beautifully orchestrated and performed by professional singers and asylum inmates. You get two fully annotated sing-along songbooks, brimming with deranged lyrics, Christmas carol lore, Mythos trivia and introductions by formerly respectable Lovecraftian scholar S.T. Joshi and author Ramsey Campbell.
Best of all, this double book and double CD set comes in its own hand-made Solstice Tentacle, suitable for hanging above your fireplace or your favorite non-Euclidean doorway. Our procurement team found a new source for shoggoth skin. This year's edition is a little groovier yet still topped with a velvet cuff. At 22 inches long this suckered monstrosity is large enought to contain not only the Unbearably Scary Solstice Combo, but also a DVD or two and other Mythos goodies. Delight your weird friends with this very strange — and strangely charming — holiday gift.
Crave even more solstice stuff? Check out our Cyclopean Holiday Combo!


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Eugène-Louis Boudin
French, 1824–1898
River Scene with Windmill at Dordrecht, Holland, 1884
oil on canvas
50.2 x 61.6 cm
On long-term loan from The Winnipeg Foundation; Bequest of Kathleen Burrows Lightcap
A devoted marine painter, often working in the en plein air tradition, Eugène-Louis Boudin was one of the early leaders of the Impressionists, and exhibited in the first Impressionist exhibition in 1874 in Paris. Born in the seaport town of Honfleur, Boudin, like many of the landscape painters of his generation, remained committed to exploring his craft outdoors, creating his own distinctive studies of the sea and sky. This wind-blown seascape of Portrieux is highlighted by the artist's trademark brushwork, with the paint applied quickly and generously in order to capture the impression of the scene before him. The river view of Dordrecht, Holland, painted later, in 1884, reveals the artist's preoccupation with the changing effects of cloud and natural light depending on the time of day or weather conditions. The impressive canopy of the cloud-filled sky, occupying two-thirds of the composition, affirms Boudin's reputation as "master of the sky."
Gallery Hours
- Tuesday 11am-5pm
- Wednesday 11am-5pm
- Thursday 11am-5pm
- Friday 11am-9pm
- Saturday 11am-5pm
- Sunday 11am-5pm
- Closed Monday


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First Lady Michelle Obama went on an impromptu shopping spree with Ellen as she co-hosted on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" Tuesday, alongside guest Steph Curry, of the Golden State Warriors.
It's the first time a first lady is appearing on the show.
"What an honor for her," DeGeneres jokes, according to a preview video for the appearance that also shows the pair dancing.
DeGeneres and Obama talk to Curry about playing golf with the president, and he jokes that he's playing "Secret Service" while denying their requests to know what Barack's handicap is when it comes to the sport.
"I was told not to disclose that information on our president's handicap — that's top secret," Curry says.
Curry and Obama also talk the president's tendency to trash talk while playing, which leads Michelle Obama to giving him tips to go back at him.
"Talk about his ears," Obama says, "Here's one: As you're putting, you wanna say 'the shadow from your ears is really messing up my putt.'"
The two will also discuss Brita's "Drink Up" initiative, which is aimed at getting families to drink more water, and to educate them on affordable better tasting drinking water options.
The interview takes a serious turn as Obama talks about her time spent at the White House throughout the last eight years. She reflects on what she's going to miss.
"It's really the people. Ya know, think about it," she says. "The girls have grown up in the White House. I mean the staff that's there we see them every day. These are people who have helped us raise our kids."
She also discusses how she and Barack are trying to encourage their daughters, Malia and Sasha, to savor every last moment spent in the White House.
While she says they think they're ready to move on, she knows it won't be as easy on them as they believe. But she says she is very proud of the way they've grown up.
"I mean, I just love them to death and the big thing I've always worried about was making sure that they got out of this whole," Obama says. "I'm just proud that they are poised, smart, intelligent young women."
Music star Usher is also set to make an appearance on the show, with a surprise appearance from an actor.
The show will air at 3 p.m. Eastern time.


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Toyota Motor Corp.'s European division next month will take charge of global product planning for small cars as the Japanese automaker expands model research and development in the region.
The change, announced Dec. 17, means that Toyota will count on Europe to develop future products in the minicar, subcompact and compact segments, something that Ford Motor Co. and Fiat-Chrysler also do.
"It is essential to bring focus to this mission and the product planning division will play a key role in this integrated strategy, together with our engineers and designers," Toyota Motor Europe CEO Didier Leroy said in a statement.


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{{Appears in| 24 28 31 }}
| faction = Vel'Vloz'ress
| status = Deceased
| race = Rift Halme
| born =
| died = 11??
| talents = Keeping Kharla'ggen in line.
| trivia = "Nainai" may simply be a way of saying "Nanny" and not her real name.
[[Category:Can be featured]]

Nainai was [[Kharla'ggen Vel'Vloz'ress]]' elderly halme caretaker.

==Appearance and Personality==
Nainai is a Rift Halme, and therefore very pale. She is bent with age and walks with a cane. She dresses conservatively in grays and whites. While her eyes are also pale, she does not seem to be blind, as evident of her referral to [[Kiel'ndia Vel'Vloz'ress]] as "Pumpkin" (a reference to Kiel's orange hair), though her seeing may be poor due to her race and her age.
Nainai is very grandmotherly, caring for Kharla as one would a young child and comforting when needed, offering kindness and stability in a clan that is very turbulent and cruel. She likely also has a commanding side that ensures that Kharla does as she is told when in her care. She was obedient to Kiel and Sene'kha, but she did not wear a slave collar. That may have been because Sene'kha felt no necessity to restrain Nainai, and to ensure that Kharla listened to her instead of seeing her as an underling.
===Arc I===
Nainai acted as caretaker to Kharla, bathing her and cleaning up after her, and likely also acted as a nanny to a young Kiel due to their familiarity. She was chosen for this task because, as a Halme without an aura, she could not be turned into a "doll" by Kharla'ggen's rare sorcery. It is unknown if Nainai is her real name or a nickname given by Kharla.
She was with Kharla when Kiel returned after the death of [[Sene'kha Vel'Vloz'ress]] in order to keep Kharla from being used by any of the Nether Summoners to control the clan. Nainai was deeply disturbed by the news of Sene'kha's death, but readily submitted to Kiel's will. She assisted in readying Kharla and the various "dolls" for Kiel's stand against the first Nether Summoner to try and claim Kharla'ggen, which happened to be [[Larvova Vloz'ress]].
After [[Naal'suul Vel'Beldrobbaen]]'s demonic possession, Kiel returned to the fortress and was greeted by Nainai, who had belts that Kiel requested for Naal. The wounds of loss reopened and Kiel tossed the belts at seemingly no one, yelling at this "no one" to leave her alone. While her friends were at a loss on how to deal with the outburst, Nainai comforted Kiel and even tried asking the figments of Kiel's imagination to leave the girl alone.
Nainai also arrived to the scene of Kiel's poisoning after the [[Vloz'ress Upheaval]] and lamented Sene'kha's absence, as no Nether Summoner would dare such a thing under Sene'kha's rule. She also made mention that a boy had come to call Kiel out for a visit with [[Chrys'tel Vel'Sharen]], rousing Kiel from her angry depression at the realization that it was [[Nau'kheol Vel'Sharen]]. That perhaps showed a slight "crafty" side to Nainai in getting around Kiel's refusal to interact with her old friends, as she might have known about Kiel's crushes and prince-harem aspirations.
===Arc II===
While Nainai continued to care for Kharla after Kiel took control of the Vloz'ress, she was very old and passed away sometime in the fifteen years between the story arcs. Kharla has had other caretakers, but they apparently do not have the same knack as Nainai had for getting Kharla to listen. Kiel implied that is because they fear Kharla's ability instead of asserting authority as Nainai did (who admittedly did not have to fear Kharla's high sorcery).
==Notable Quotes==
"Please leave the child in peace, whoever you may be. Spirit, god, demon. Please." - Nainai begging the "audience" to let Kiel grieve over Naal'suul in peace, as she comforts Kiel.
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Slumping rookie Travis d'Arnaud hit a winning single with two outs in the 12th inning, lifting the New York Mets to a 1-0 victory over the Florida Marlins on Sunday.
Dillon Gee and Tom Koehler took a pitchers' duel into the eighth inning before the Marlins and Mets each used five relievers to finish off the fifth extra-inning matchup this season between the NL East's worst teams.
D'Arnaud came through in a game of many missed opportunities after the two previous batters grounded into forceouts at the plate. New York had loaded the bases with no outs against Zach Phillip (0-1), making his third appearance for the Marlins.
Ryan Webb relieved after Lucas Duda walked to load the bases and got pinch-hitter Zach Lutz to ground to third base. Andrew Brown then grounded to first base, and the throw went home for the second out.
D'Arnaud, who singled in the 11th only to be stranded at third base, lined a soft single up the middle to give the Mets their fifth win in 16 home games. The young catcher has just five hits in his last 28 at-bats.
Vic Black (1-0) pitched a perfect 12th inning for his first career win.
Miami wasted chances early, going 0 for 12 with runners in scoring position in the first nine innings. Eric Young Jr. was the only Mets player to reach second base — a two-out double in the sixth — until they put a runner on third in the 11th. But Young was struck out by Chad Qualls to end the threat.
The Marlins have lost eight of 10.
The two offensively challenged teams matched the Cubs and Reds for most times reaching extras this season. The Mets' and Marlins' extras included 20 innings on June 8 and 15 on April 29.
Gee and Koehler had batters flummoxed into the eighth. Both mixed breaking balls that dipped into the 70s with a fastball that reached 90 mph for Gree and 94 mph for Koehler. The result: flailing bats, awkward checked swings and a whole lot of softly hit balls.
The Bronx-born Koehler was 0-4 with a 5.89 ERA in seven starts since beating the Mets since Aug. 1 with six scoreless innings.
Pitching in front of more than 40 friends and family from the area — he grew up in New Rochelle and played college ball at Stony Brook — he was impressive against a team that had scored just 12 runs in the first seven games of a homestand.
Gee sent a soft line drive over a ducking Koehler's head with two outs in the third for the Mets only baserunner.
Koehler allowed three hits in a career best-matching eight innings. He struck out five without walking a batter — he had gone six straight starts giving up at least two walks.
Gee has been stingy when he has allowed runners on base. Batters were just 3 of 28 with runners in scoring position coming and the Marlins were worse: hitless in seven at-bats against the right-hander.
Gee gave up six hits in 7 1-3 innings. He walked two and struck out eight, including four in a row between the second and third.
NOTES: Murphy made two errors in the ninth. ... Murphy Mets manager Terry Collins said reliever Frank Francisco will be unavailable for several days after he was hit on the right hand by a line drive in the opener of Saturday's doubleheader. ... Injured Mets 3B David Wright (hamstring) played long toss with a couple a participants in a baseball clinic being conducted for youth from Newtown, Conn., before batting practice. ... The Marlins are 5-13 in extra innings. The Mets are 8-10.


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A Jewish-owned restaurant was targeted with a swastika over the weekend.
Over the weekend, Honey's Sit 'n Eat, the restaurant at the corner of Fourth and Brown Streets that proudly proclaims its Jewish identity through menu items like matzah ball soup and brisket platters, as well as by its sign that uses Hebrew-style lettering, was defaced by anti-Semitic graffiti. The swastika and other scrawls covering the restaurant's exterior were found the morning of June 1.
Honey's owners quickly painted over it, but photos taken before the graffiti was obscured quickly went viral on local social media as people expressed solidarity with the bruncherie and its Jewish owner, Ellen Mogell.
When I see negativity toward anyone or group of people, I feel sick. As the grandchild of Holocaust survivors, this hits home even worse.
Judging by the reactions of people interviewed for this story, I'm not alone in feeling this way.
"I saw that graffiti. Pathetic. It's hard to believe that the person who did this would do it based upon the font/lettering of Honey's sign. But if so, it makes it even more upsetting," said Jason Clarke of Marlton. "The trend of hate and violence in the great neighborhoods of the city is unsettling."
Oron Daskal, the owner of North Bowl and a Northern Liberties resident was even more emphatic. "Graffiti tagging is a sore subject for me," he said. "On one hand, you can't say anything, because you can start a tagging war. " Although his establishment has been subjected to other forms of vandalism and has never been targeted with anti-Semitic graffiti, he could sympathize with the problem. "We have probably spent about $6,000 since we've opened, just for repairing mirrors and walls. It is blatant ignorance."
"There's no room for promoting the swastika anymore," he said. "It hurts."
Adam Oded, another Northern Liberties homeowner, said: "It's unfortunate to see a swastika spray-painted on a Jewish-style restaurant in my neighborhood. Why Honey's? Probably because there is tight security at actual Jewish institutions like the National Museum of American Jewish History, The Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia and our historic synagogues like Congregation Mikveh Israel and Rodeph Shalom. I assume that the person who did this doesn't live in Northern Liberties and probably doesn't have many Jewish friends. I'll probably go to Honey's for a meal this week to show my support."
I second that.
With Respect,
The Bubbi Project


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All area codes are 850 unless specified.
Thursday, Nov. 22
The inaugural 30A 10K Thanksgiving Day race and 1 mile fun run begins at 7:30 a.m. at South Barrett Square in Rosemary Beach. Visit www.30a10k.com.
Turkey Trot
A Turkey Trot Fun run will be held at 8 a.m. at Marina Park in WaterColor. Thanksgiving brunch and dinner will be served at Fish Out of Water. Cost is $55. Call 534-5050.
Thanksgiving at Harbor Docks
The entire Destin community is invited to attend a family tradition of free Thanksgiving dinner from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Nov. 22 at Harbor Docks on U.S. 98 in Destin. Give thanks while enjoying the beauty of the Destin Harbor. Although dinner is free, donations are requested as a thank you and to assist Habitat for Humanity with their continued work.
Cottages for Kids
Cottages for Kids, a fundraising event that benefits Children�s Volunteer Health Network, Inc., will be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekends through Nov. 24, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Nov. 22 and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and 5-8 p.m. Nov. 23 on the East Long Green in Rosemary Beach for the public to view and for kids to play. Volunteers are needed help sell raffle tickets, serve as security around the cottages and other various duties. Email firstname.lastname@example.com.
Florida Trail Association
A potluck Thanksgiving dinner at Blackwater River State Park at noon with a short, leisurely hike around the Chain of Lakes trail afterwards. Call 682-6098.
Friday Nov. 23
Midnight Madness
The Midnight Madness sale at Silver Sands Premium Outlets kicks off at midnight as Thanksgiving ends and runs through Sunday with a wide range of savings, early-bird offers and more. Hours are 12 a.m. to 10 p.m. Nov. 23, 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Nov. 24 and 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Nov. 25.
Book signing
Mike Huckabee will sign copies of his book, �Dear Chandler, Dear Scarlett,� at 2 p.m. at Books-A-Million in Destin Commons.
Baytowne on Ice
The ice skating rink at The Village of Baytowne Wharf will be open through Jan. 31 at the Apex Broadcasting Skating Pavilion. For $10 guests can skate for an hour and a half. Skate rental is $2. The first hour of each day is reserved for "kids skate" for youth 12 and under. Season passes are available for $140. During November bring two non-perishable cans of food for Harvest House of Destin and receive a free skate rental. Call 816-682-1003 for times and special skating packages.
Saturday, Nov. 24
Topsail tour
Learn the full history of Florida�s most famous reptile, the alligator, at 1:30 p.m. at Topsail Hill Preserve State Park in Santa Rosa Beach. All programs require a $6 per car entry admission. Call 267-8330.
Biophilia Center
Learn about owls, hawks, and other Florida raptors at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. at the E.O. Wilson Biophilia Center. Standard admission rates apply. Call 835-1824.
Holiday Bazaar
The Amvets Ladies Auxiliary Post #178, DeFuniak Springs, will hold a Holiday Bazaar from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the post, 4776 Hwy. 90 W. Event is free. Food and beverages will be available. Call 892-4594 or 859-2187.
Bocce Tournament
The Seventh Annual Fall Bocce Tournament will be held at 11 a.m. on the Western Green in Rosemary Beach. Registration is $40 and begins at 9 a.m.
Seaside Farmers Market
Get your pick of fresh produce, baked goods, dairy products, native plants and other unique offerings from 8 a.m. to noon in the Amphitheatre behind Raw & Juicy. Enjoy special cooking demos and activities.
Sunday, Nov. 25
Sunday Brunch
Show your support for new local talent Max McCann as Plus Opportunity, Inc., pours Mimosas for donations from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Hibiscus Coffee & Guesthouse, 85 Defuniak St. in Grayton Beach. Call 231-2733.
Low Country Boil
723 Whiskey Bravo, 3031 E. County Hwy. 30-A in the heart of Old Seagrove, offers a Low Country Shrimp Boil with boiled shrimp or crawfish and all the fixin�s plus live music from 3-7 p.m. Call 213-0015.
Monday, Nov. 26
Rudy Applewhite
Tommy Bahama�s Restaurant & Bar, 525 Grand Blvd. in Sandestin, presents Rudy Applewhite from 4-9 p.m. every Monday, Tuesday and Thursday. Call 654-1743,
Pajama Time Story Time
Join storyteller Ms. Cheryl at 6 p.m. in the children�s room of the Coastal Library for some bedtime stories in your pajamas. This will be a quiet time for little readers to relax to a bedtime story in the comfort of their caretaker�s arms. Call 267-2809.
Tuesday, Nov. 27
Dannica Lowery
Dannica Lowery performs live from 6-9 p.m. at Shorty�s Surfside Bar, 63 Hotz Ave. in Grayton Beach. Call 468-0417.
Florida Trail Association
Meeting at 6 p.m. at Ed�s Hometown Seafood & Steaks in Niceville. Visitors welcome. Call 654-1172.
Wednesday, Nov. 28
Cat Ciao!
A charity lunch to benefit Feline Friends of Destin will be held from 12-1 p.m. Nov. 28 at Carrabba's. Minimum of $20 donation. Door prizes include 2-night, 2-bed condo stay. Purchase tickets at http://ffod_carrabbascharitylunch.eventbrite.com/#, purchase at The Cat Clinic in Destin or the PetSmart Adoption Center on weekends, or call 837-3869.
Alzheimer�s support group
Alzheimer's Family Services will host a support group for family members or friends coping with a loved one with Alzheimer�s disease at 2 p.m. at The Great Event Center (Creehan�s), 12590 Emerald Coast Parkway, Suite C. The support group is free and respite care is available. To register, call 478-7790 or visit www.AlzFamServ.org.
Rosalina plays classic standards and show tunes on keyboard from 6-9 p.m. at Christiano's Ristorante in Santa Rosa Beach. Call 267-2185.
Thursday, Nov. 29
Rotary Club of South Walton
The Rotary Club of South Walton meets for breakfast at 7:30 a.m. at the Embassy Suites, Scenic Hwy. 98 in Miramar Beach. Visiting Rotarians and their guests are welcome. Call 267-2929.
Marie's Bistro
Singer/guitarist Bill Evett performs from 6-10 p.m. Fridays with DJ Shane beginning at 10 p.m. at Marie�s Bistro on 30A in Blue Mountain Beach. Karaoke takes center stage on Wednesdays; Kelsey Anna performs from 7-10 p.m. Thursdays; and Redd Sings from 6:30-9:30 p.m. Tuesdays with DJ Shane beginning at 10 p.m. Shag Music & Dance Class is held from 5-7 p.m. Sundays with Ben Friedman from 7-10 p.m.
Friday, Nov. 30
Topsail tour
Learn about Florida�s sharks at 1:30 p.m. Nov. 30 at Topsail Hill Preserve State Park in Santa Rosa Beach. All programs require a $6 per car entry admission. Call 267-8330.
Pastel Society Juried Exhibition
The Pastel Society of North Florida will host its 12th Biennial National Juried All-Pastel Exhibition through Nov. 30 at Mattie Kelly Arts Center Galleries, 100 College Blvd. at Northwest Florida State College. The exhibition is free and open to the public. For information, email email@example.com or 729-6044.
Saturday, Dec. 1
Seaside Farmers Market
Get your pick of fresh produce, baked goods, dairy products, native plants and other unique offerings from 8 a.m. to noon in the Amphitheatre behind Raw & Juicy. Enjoy special cooking demos and activities.
Biophilia Center
Solve the mystery of the tracks, skulls and furs at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Dec. 1 at the E.O. Wilson Biophilia Center. Standard admission rates apply. Call 835-1824.
Dream Band
Sing and dance with the Dream Band at 8 p.m. at John Wehner's Village Door, 136 Fisherman's Cove in Baytowne Wharf. Call 502-4590.


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I had earlier shared about the plants that repel mosquitoes. In case you have not read the plants that naturally repel mosquitoes are -
- Citronella Plant
- Eucalyptus Plant
- Catnip
- Lemon Basil
- Lavender Plant
But do you know about the plants that could attract mosquitoes?
Almost all the plants that you grow indoors can attract mosquitoes and help them to breed and multiply.
Plants with wet soil, water collected in pot dishes become the breeding place for mosquitoes.
Chikungunya mosquitoes are believed to breed near water-clogged areas of trees and plants.
You must follow the steps to protect your family from mosquitoes and still have a good indoor garden
1. Wipe your plastic pots from outside after watering the plants, as mosquitoes can lay eggs even in 1 drop of water.
2. Do not let water get collected in pot dishes or corners around the pot.
3. Throw away any excess water from Flower Pot Dish
4. Use Mosquito Repellent Cream if you have plants in the bedroom.
5. Use natural mosquito repellent or electronic mosquito repellent for few days in a week to prevent any mosquitoes if any.
These simple steps will help you to stay protected against mosquitoes and enjoy gardening!


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Welcome to LAX-Files.com
Welcome to LAX-Files.com, your one stop place to learn everything about LAX-Files the book, LAX-Files events, LAX-Files charity auctions, and most importantly, Kim Manners.
This book is dedicated to the memory of the late and great television director, Kim Manners.
Kim is known for his prolific and emotionally captivating work on Booker, 21 Jump St., Brisco County Jr, Simon and Simon, The X-Files, and Supernatural.
All of the books profits will go to the American Cancer Society, the charity of the Manner's Family choosing.
The LAX-Files Book Signing took place on Saturday May 7, 2011 at the Mark Goodsen Screening Room at the American Film Institute (AFI). The event started at 12:00 but some fans had been in line since 9:30.
Jana Fain of Mardy's Munchies arrived with an assortment of wraps, tarts, and cupcakes at 11:30. Mitch Pileggi was the first guest to arrive, followed by Jeff Gulka, Glen Morgan, Jim Wong, and Darin Morgan. TMZ.com also arrived on the property – uninvited – as they heard "there were people here" and asked to take photos of the celebrity guests. While the talent was updated on their unexpected arrival, TMZ.com elected to leave the school.
Promptly at 13:00 the event began with three video presentations. You Are Phile by AdaPiper, a Welcome Message from Frank Spotnitz, and an LAX-Files Kim Manners Promo video. Honored audience members included Bob Mandel, AFI Dean and director of The X-Files Pilot episode, Julia Vera, the actress who played the old Indian woman who was in the cave with Cigarette Smoking Man in The Truth and Mrs. Lana Chee in Dreamland II, and Matt Hurwitz, author of The Complete X-Files.
Courtney Smith, the event moderator introduced Author Erica Fraga, who spoke about how the book came to fruition, why it was dedicated to late director Kim Manners, and the American Cancer Society, who would be the recipient of the day's profits at the request of the Manner's family. Fraga also mentioned that, due to illness, Chris Carter would not be attending today's event, at which time Mitch Pileggi, standing stage left, bellowed, "that's because he heard I was coming. I wanna see a Doctor's note!" Fraga then proceeded to introduce Mitch Pileggi, Jeff Gulka, Darin Morgan, Jim Wong, and Glen Morgan.
After the applause and flash bulbs ceased, Smith asked her first question to the panelists: "How did Kim Manners influence them?" Mitch answered that Kim turned him on to double espressos and was a prolific director. Jeff added that Kim helped him as he entered the acting world, since he was so young, by being patient with him, but Kim's intensity also scared him. Darin said that he and Kim wanted to kill each other the first time they met on Humbug. Darin believed he wrote a script that was easy to direct, but Kim had a hard time with it at the first read. By the second read, they respected each other. Glen said he and Jim first met Kim on 21 Jump Street and recounted the story of first meeting Kim, which is found in LAX-Files. Glen also remembered a scene where Kim was directing Gillian, and the scene moved him to tears. Naturally, the LAX-Files crew affectionately teased him and Kim responded to Glen by flipping him off. Jim added that he felt very secure with Kim.
Smith's second question dealt with Kim's unique style of directing, the so called Manners Moments, as described in LAX-Files. Mitch jumped in and said how much he hated to have the camera up his nose and how those shots drive him crazy. Jim added that Kim was a sensitive soul. Darin took the opportunity to mimic what Kim did in video village, as he watched the actors on screen, which lead to laughter throughout the theater, and said Kim was always prepared as a director, which is something you needed to be on The X-Files. Darin also remembered watching Kim direct the scene in Humbug, where Jim Rose has to hammer a nail into his nose, and watching him rotate the camera around his head. It was a way to show the audience what was happening, while not actually showing the insertion of the nail. Darin added that he heard Kim give his brother a compliment, and the whole panel discussed how important it is in the industry to receive compliments for their work.
Smith's third question asked about the relationship of Mulder, the believer, and Scully, the skeptic. Both Jim and Glen recalled reading fan criticism on the internet about the opposing personalities, which is why they wrote Beyond the Sea, where they were able to reverse the role of the characters. Initially, FOX was not a fan of the episode, but the more time Jim and Glen spent with David and Gillian, the easier it became to write. Jim added that he asked in an early meeting, back in Season 1, when Mulder and Scully would get together. Glen quickly jumped in and said, "If they kiss the show's over. If she sees an alien, the show's over!" Mitch was asked if he would like to write or direct an episode, and he said, "I'm too lazy." Jeff talked about how it was to grow up on the series. He said before he came on in Season 5, his parents would watch The X-Files, and while he never watched a lot of the episodes, he knew that when the theme song came on, he was scared. Once he joined the show, however, his fear went away. Fraga then reminded Jeff that Mitch turned him into a man on the show, since they had to enter a makeup trailer on set. The full story can be found on page 56 in LAX-Files. Mitch then added that there may have been tassels on the women's breasts, and proceed to demonstrate.
Smith's fourth question to the panelists was how they felt The X-Files influenced current shows on television, like Bones or Fringe. Mitch muttered, "Well, just look at them" to which the audience readily agreed by nodding their heads. Darin stated that when he worked as a producer on Fringe he was frequently asked by the writers, "what would you do on The X-Files?" Darin added that while he used to watch Fringe, he hopes it has gotten better. Glen recalled attending a pitch meeting and his colleague asked him not to mention The X-Files, since executives always want to hear about the show. Glen added that shows like Bones and Fringe do not have the same chemistry that David and Gillian had, in addition to wonderful writers like himself, Darin, and Jim.
Smith's fifth question asked the panel members if there anything they wanted their characters to do or not to do on the show. Mitch said he wanted to shoot the decapitated head of the Russian scientist in I Want to Believe when he burst into the make shift lab, but Chris told him no, stating it was not something Skinner would do. Mitch reminded Chris that he shot Krycek in the head, but was still not allowed to do it. Mitch remembers how happy he was when Frank called him to tell him he would be the one to shoot Krycek. Mitch always assumed Mulder would be the one to pull the trigger.
Jim added that he wrote two versions of Musings of a Cigarette Smoking Man, one where Frohike is killed and the one that aired. Jim and Glen detailed how the scene would show blood spattering from Frohike's chest, but they were told that CSM would never do that. An audience member asked if the alternate ending to the episode would be released, both men said that he B footage has either been lost or destroyed, and it would never surface. Glen ended the story by saying, "our ending was better."
Smith's sixth question asked the writers if they wrote a script with a particular actor in mind. Darin said no, but The X-Files was always blessed with great actors. He added that his inspiration to Peter Boyle's character in Clyde Bruckman's Final Response was his father. He added that when he wrote Jose Chung's 'From Outer Space', he envision Jose Chung's character, ultimately played by Charles Nelson Riley, to be like Truman Capote. He spoke about auditioning an actor who came across as Truman Capote, but when he was asked to imitate Capote, it didn't work. Darin said that Rip Torn was considered for the part of Jose Chung.
Glen added that Chris Carter had a set of rules for each character on both The X-Files and Millennium. A staff writer on The X-Files wrote a scene where Mulder takes notes and Chris told her that that Mulder doesn't take notes, he keeps it all in his head. The Morgan brothers shared an inside joke, about how Frank Black didn't eat certain foods on Millennium either.
Smith's seventh question asked Mitch and Jeff where they felt their characters were after the show ended. Mitch said he has no idea what Skinner is doing, but he has seen and read some outlandish stuff on the internet, where Skinner is photo shopped into situations. Jeff added that he thinks Gibson Praise is a bad guy, perhaps Cancer Man 2.0, reading people's minds. Jeff added that he hopes there is a place for his character in a 3rd X-Files Film. Darin said he liked to see Eddie Van Blundht meeting the Flukeman in XF3.
Smith's eighth question was to Mitch, on his take on the Skinner, Scully, and Mulder relationship. Mitch said it was, at times, a Big Brother relationship to Mulder and Scully and how he always wanted to play the role where Skinner has a crush on Scully. He added that there was a definite turning point in their relationship after Mulder was abducted. Mitch then spoke about his audition for the role of Skinner, how he was called back twice and by the third time, if he wasn't told yes or no to the part, he would walk away. He came into the third audition really angry and ended up getting the part. Glen jumped in that casting Mitch changed the direction of the show, and then told the story of casting for Mrs. Scully. When it came time to cast her role, Bob Goodwin left the panel when his wife, Sheila Larken, came into read. Glen said that no one knew they were married at the time, and Bob told Glen that he felt his wife was too young for the part, but didn't want his emotions to cloud the rest of the panel's judgment. Glen then shared a story about Doug Hutchison audition for the role of Eugene Tooms. In his audition, Doug was told to "get angry." Doug started off very calm, and then progressed into an agitated state, to the point where security was almost called to remove Doug. After his scene, Doug calmed down and was quickly cast for the part.
Glen added that casting Brad Douriff for Luther Lee Boggs in Beyond the Sea was a challenge, as Brad doesn't read well for his parts; you just have to know he's good for the show and hire him. Jim and Glen added that they gave up their writing fees to make sure Douriff was cast, and FOX approved it. Smith asked the writers if there was anything they wanted to write that never made it past the FOX censors. Jim said that he and Glen had another story about Eugene Tooms and Howard Gordon and Alex (Gansa) had a story involving abortion, but FOX rejected those ideas. Glen said he wanted to do a Frank Black/Home crossover for the second season of Millennium, but he was told that the Peacock family would never been seen on network television again.
Glen shared the story of how Home almost never made it to television, which can be found in LAX-Files and says that the actress who played Mother Peacock, Karin Konoval, is the nicest person who will ever meet, having worked with her on Tower Prep. Mitch chuckles and says Morgan and Wong are his favorite writers and thanks them for helping him land the job of Skinner. After a pause, Mitch asked them, "whatever happened to Skinner's wife?" No one had an answer other than one day they were divorced, and she was never heard of again. Fraga quipped that Skinner found love with his new secretary and Mitch responded with, "yes; for life."
Smith's tenth question asked the panelists to share their favorite Kim stories. Glen responded with many of the fond memories he has of Kim involved alcohol, but he does remember the bar fight at Sutton Place in Vancouver, where a guy tried to kiss Kim's wife. The full details of the event are in LAX-Files. Jeff said he was very young on the series, but remembers hearing lots of swear words and being treated like everyone else, not some little kid around Kim. Mitch remembers recently working on Supernatural and the day of filming happened to be Kim's birthday. Becoming emotional and teary eyed Mitch shares with the audience how production stopped and everyone sang Happy Birthday to Kim. Darin remembered Kim having creative differences with Vincent Schiavelli on Humbug and how Kim left him to handle it, explaining that the director hands of the actor to the writer. Glen told the story of Kim's funeral, how his brother Kelly, was not able to get through his speech while Kim's ashes were placed on a director's chair. Kelly looked up to the sky and told himself, "Kick it in the ass, Kelly" because that is what his brother would have told him. Mitch added that he was driving down a street in Vancouver and he saw Kim and Marline walking down the street, holding hands. Mitch said there was so much love between the two of them.
The Question and Answer session ended on this note, and the panelists went to the lobby to autograph items and take photos with the audience members.
Interviews were conducted of the panelists throughout the day by XFilesNews.com and X-FilesLexicon.com. Be sure and check out their sites for the footage.
Did you attend the event? Want to share your thoughts about missing the event? Please leave a comment below.
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