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UFC 162 takes place Saturday night from the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, headlined by a UFC middleweight championship bout between Anderson Silva and Chris Weidman. Weidman's wrestling and submission game makes him the closest betting underdog to the dominant Silva in many years. Many in the sport, particularly fighters, feel Weidman is Silva's most dangerous challenger.
UFC middleweight title: Anderson Silva vs. Chris Weidman
Anderson Silva is unquestionably the most dominant fighter in UFC history, with a sparkling 16-0 record and rock solid legacy. Weidman at 9-0 has nothing resembling the resume of Silva but does possess a style that could give Silva difficulty. He is an excellent wrestler with a dangerous submission game as well. A big factor could be how Weidman deals with the mental pressure of fighting an opponent so feared and dominant. Many fighters have come into the cage against Anderson Silva already psyched out and Weidman has never fought in a fight remotely this high profile.
Round 1. The fighers don't touch gloves. Weidman shoots for a takedown and he gets it. He drops down some big punches and works into half guard. He drops down elbows to go with the punches and looks to isolate Silva's arm. Silva gets out of danger and Weidman has to posture up to land more punches. He begins dropping down punches from the feet and rolls for an ankle of Silva. Silva gets out and returns to his feet. Silva stands next to the cage and puts down his hands. He welcomes Weidman in and Weidman punches him. Silva says okay and then lands a few kicks to the legs. Weidman goes for punches that land on air and Silva just encourages him for more. Silva encourages him to throw leg kicks and taunts Weidman before throwing punches of his own. Silva is playing around but he lost that round. 10-9 Weidman.
Round 2. Silva is taunting Weidman and encouraging him on before th start of the second round. Perhaps he is trying to bait him into a standup fight. As Weidman throws a punch, Silva feigns that he is hurt and begins dancing around. Weidman goes for a takedown but doesn't get it. Silva lands some hard leg kicks. Weidman goes for a punch. Silva taunts him and encourages him to throw more. So Weidman lands a punch that knocks Silva out. Silva was bobbing his head around dodging Weidman's punches but then got hit with a hook he didn't see and that was it. Just a moment before Silva was knocked out he was wobbling his knees pretending to be hurt to mock Weidman.
Winner: Chris Weidman, KO, round 2.
Mike Pierce vs. David Mitchell
Pierce is one of the more underappreciated fighters in the UFC welterweight division, due in part to his style of fighting. He has won three straight fights and has only lost in the UFC to elite opponents. Mitchell is a submission oriented fighter with a 1-2 record.
Round 1. Pierce closes the distance early and pushes Mitchell against the cage. He grabs a double leg but isn't able to take Mitchell to the ground. They remain in the clinch and exchange body shots. They separate and Pierce connects with a nice hook before looking again for the takedown. Neither fighter is able to gain an advantage so they remain tied up in the clinch. Mitchell lands a pair of nice knees to the body and Pierce responds with one of his own. They separate briefly and Pierce lands a nice straight punch and leg kick. Very dull first round. 10-9 Pierce.
Round 2. Pierce again instigates a clinch and again neither fighter is able to gain much of an advantage. Upon the break, Pierce connects with a few punches. This time, Mitchell goes for the clinch and throws a series of knees to the body. Upon a break from the clinch, Pierce lands a hard looping punch. Mitchell goes down and Pierce pursues him to the ground with a series of hammerfists that force the referee to stop the bout. That was a typical Pierce performance: grinding and unexciting but effective.
Winner: Mike Pierce, TKO, round 2.
Seth Baczynski vs. Brian Melancon
Baczynski has been successful in the UFC following his stint on the Ultimate Fighter television show. He won four fights in a row with submissions and a knockout before dropping his last contest to Mike Pierce. Melancon is making his UFC debut, transferring over to the UFC from Strikeforce. He is only 6-2 in MMA but has fought for a number of prominent organizations including Strikeforce, Bellator, Legacy and now the UFC.
Round 1. Baczynski has a big length and reach advantage, but Melancon has no trouble closing the distance and landing the shots early. He lands a hard left hook early. Moments later he drops Baczynszki with another big shot and looks to finish the fight on the ground. He isn't able to close so he lets Baczynski back up. He then takes Melancon down. Very late in the round, Melancon drops down a bomb from his feet to the grounded Baczynski and a few additional punches as the bell sounds to signal the end of the round. Baczynski can't continue and the fight is called with a second left. That was a great performance by Melancon in his UFC debut.
Winner: Brian Melancon, TKO, round 1.
Edson Barboza vs. Rafaello Oliveira
Barboza is considered one of the top Brazilian prospects in any weight class, with a 11-1 record and wins over high quality fighters like Ross Pearson, Terry Etim and Anthony Njokuani. He suffered his only setback last year in a shocking TKO upset by Jamie Varner. Oliveira is 15-5 in MMA competition but 2-4 in the UFC. He isn't considered at Barboza's level and was an injury replacement for John Makdessi here.
Round 1. Oliveira immediately moves to close the distance but eats a couple counters in the process. Barboza rips a fast kick to the body that elicits an "ooh" from the crowd. Oliveira shoots for a takedown but is easily stuffed. Barboza then turns Oliveira around with one of his vicious leg kicks. Oliveira goes for another takedown but Barboza avoids it. Oliveira connects with a straight left punch and goes for another takedown. It is blocked once more and Barboza goes back to work with leg kicks. Oliveira has another takedown attempt blocked. Barboza mixes kicks to the body and legs. He circles around and is light on his feet, attempting to avoid providing an easy target for a takedown. After another hard leg kick Oliveira begins noticeably limping. Oliveira's leg is bleeding from multiple spots. 10-8 Barboza.
Round 2. Barboza goes back to work with a kick to the body and kick to the leg. He catches Oliveira off balance with a punch but lets him back up. Oliveira then catches Barboza off balance with a punch and tries to use it to get a takedown. Barboza works his way back up to the feet and goes back to the kicks. Oliveira goes down twice from leg kicks and after two more Oliveira goes down again and Herb Dean calls off the fight. Oliveira is in great pain. That was a good stoppage.
Winner: Edson Barboza, TKO, round 2.
Gabriel Gonzaga vs. Dave Herman
Gonzaga is one of the more experienced fighters inside the UFC's Octagon. 15 of his 21 MMA fights have taken place in the UFC. His most famous fight was a main event heavyweight title loss to Randy Couture at UFC 74. He has excellent jiu jitsu but has increasingly relied on his striking in recent years. Dave Herman is a unique character who starts fights fast but has a tendency to fade. He needs a win here after losing his last 3 fights, albeit to Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, Stefan Struve and Roy Nelson.
Round 1. Herman opens with a couple front kicks to the body. Gonzaga responds with a right hook that Herman doesn't see coming. Herman goes down hard and Gonzaga follows with a few punches on the ground to cement the ending.
Winner: Gabriel Gonzaga, TKO, round 1.
Norman Parke vs. Kazuki Tokudome
There is hope that Parke, from Northern Ireland, can be a star in the European market. He won the lightweight division of the Ultimate Fighter season pitting the UK against Australia. Tokudome is fighting for the first time outside of his native Japan. He won his UFC debut in Saitama against Cristiano Marcello.
Round 1. Parke lands the first telling blow with a left hook to Tokudome. The fighters exchange jabs. Parke lands a hard left punch right up the middle but Tokudome is fine. Neither man appears to have a lot of power. Parke clinches and looks for a takedown. He pulls Tokudome down but Tokudome stands right back up. Tokudome nicely reverses Parke as Parke goes for a takedown and takes top position on the ground. Tokudome lands a few punches and attempts to pass guard but he isn't able to do a lot in terms of scoring offense or advancing position. Parke then reverses and gets into side control late in the round. 10-9 Parke.
Round 2. They trade kicks to start. Tokudome moves in with punches and Parke fires back. Parke catches Tokudome with a nice counter hook that has Tokudome in momentary trouble. They then open up with wild, winging punches and trade as the crowd cheers. Parke lands a straight left punch right on the button and then another moments later. Tokudome is able to absorb them so Parke takes him to the ground. Tokudome is able to get back up. Tokudome throws a nice flying knee and some additional punches and Parke takes the fight back to the ground. He immediately gains full mount. Tokudome nicely presses up and gets out of danger. They return to their feet at the close of the round. Very good round for Parke. 10-9 Parke.
Round 3. Tokudome looks for a takedown and they work to secure top position. In a clinch against the cage, Tokudome lands a few hooks from close range. Parke goes for a takedown but Tokudome reverses like he did in the first round to take top position. Parke gets back up. Tokudome connects with a head kick, a few additional punches and takes Parke down. That was his best flurry of the fight. Parke is able to get up quickly. Parke connects with a good 1-2 punch combination. Parke goes for another takedown which Tokudome defends well. 10-9 Tokudome, 29-28 Parke.
Winner: Norman Parke, unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 30-27).
Chris Leben vs. Andrew Craig
Leben is a well-known fighter dating back to his tenure on the first season of the Ultimate Fighter. He has battled addiction over the years and lost 3 of his past 4 fights. This is an extremely important fight for him given that run and the fact he looked terrible in his most recent contest against Derek Brunson. Craig is a gritty and exciting fighter who is 2-1 in his early UFC career. His most recent fight against Ronny Markes was his first MMA loss.
Round 1. Leben marches forward. He eats a knee but clinches and looks for a takedown on Craig. He can't get it and they briefly separate. Leben throws a big overhand punch and goes back to the takedown attempt. He has Craig down for a moment but Craig gets right back up. They break. Leben throws a wild left hook and again looks to take the fight to the ground. He can't get it and Craig lands a nice straight left punch on the break. Craig lands two straight punches and Leben staggers in for another takedown attempt. Craig defends that. Leben goes for another takedown. Upon a break, Craig shoots but doesn't get the takedown. Most are likely going to give that round to Leben for instigating clinches, but Craig was more accurate with his strikes. 10-9 Craig.
Round 2. Leben swings wildly with a couple of hooks but doesn't come remotely close. He clinches again. Neither man gets anything and on the break Craig connects with a very good punch from close range. Leben looks for the takedown again. He can't get it and eats a knee on the break. Leben is moving slowly. They clinch again. No one gets anything and on separation, they trade leg kicks. They clinch and Leben throws some punches to the body. 10-9 Craig.
Round 3. Leben clinches again and this time lands some big punches. Craig answers back with punches of his own and drops Leben. Leben is in big trouble and Craig is pouring it on from the ground. Leben gets up, which may be a mistake. The crowd loudly chants for Leben, who gives a tired look up at the clock. There are still over three minutes left. They clinch again. Upon separation, Craig drops Leben with another punch. Craig goes to work with some punches from the top. Leben gets back up but is taken down again. Leben gets up and is taken down a final time. 10-8 Craig, 30-26 Craig.
Winner: Andrew Craig, split decision (29-28, 28-29, 30-27).
Cub Swanson vs. Dennis Siver
The UFC 162 pay-per-view kicks off with an important featherweight bout. Swanson has worked his way into featherweight title contention with four consecutive impressive victories. His brawling style often makes for crowd pleasing fights. Siver is an accomplished technical striker who is 9-2 in his last 11 UFC fights and 6-1 in his last 7. Most of those have come against quality opposition. The winner here will be one of the very top contenders for Jose Aldo's title.
Round 1. Siver connects with a pair of hard left hands early on. Swanson is trying to move in to land on Siver but he's coming right into range of Siver's looping power punches. Swanson throws a spinning kick and Siver uses the opportunity to take Swanson to the ground. Siver quickly procures half guard position and mixes up punches to the body and head on the ground. Siver works his way into side control. Swanson tries to stand up but cannot. Siver drops down some elbows. He looks to move into full mount but Swanson is able to catch one of his legs and Siver ends up back in Swanson's guard. Swanson goes for a guillotine choke and Siver stands back up to get out. 10-9 Siver.
Round 2. Siver opens the round with a series of kicks from different angles. Siver lands a good hook and Swanson answers with one of his own. As Swanson goes for a punch, Siver ducks under and tries a takedown. Swanson stops him. Swanson looks for a unique almost Capoeira style kick but can't get it. Siver grabs Swanson's head and lands a looping punch. Swanson hits Siver with an excellent kick to the body. Swanson uses a beautiful judo throw and quickly moves into mount in an explosive sequence that the crowd explodes for. He begins throwing punches from full mount and looks for an omoplata in a scramble. 10-9 Swanson.
Round 3. Siver looks for a takedown and on the break cracks Swanson on the chin with a hook. Swanson lands a nice punch of his own on Siver a little bit later. Siver goes for a spinning backfist but gets all air. Swanson appears more comfortable in the standup exchanges now and nails Siver with a long series of punches. Siver eventually goes down and Swanson overwhelms him with punches on the ground to finish the fight. It was a late stoppage by referee Herb Dean.
Winner: Cub Swanson, TKO, round 3.
A lot of stars at the show, including Roy Jones Jr., Mike Tyson and Usher.
Mark Munoz vs. Tim Boetsch
Mark Munoz was one of the top contenders for Anderson Silva's middleweight title prior to a loss to Chris Weidman last year. Now, Weidman is getting that shot and Munoz at 35 needs to get his career back on track. Munoz gained a lot of weight following that loss but got himself back into excellent shape. Boetsch is a gamer. He isn't a particularly good athlete but grinds out wins with his toughness and wrestling.
Round 1. Boetsch goes for a takedown but Munoz elevates and is right back on his feet. Boetsch slams Munoz down but Munoz stands back up. Boetsch moves in with punches and clinches again. Munoz this time takes Boetsch down. Boetsch eats a punch but stands up. Munoz takes Boetsch down again but Boetsch gets up again. Munoz takes Boetsch down a third time. Boetsch grabs a guillotine choke and uses it to take top position. Munoz stands back up and lands some heavy punches to Boetsch. They grapple for control against the cage and trade knees. Munoz lands some more hard punches to the chin of Boetsch and unsuccessfully looks for a takedown at the close. 10-9 Munoz.
Round 2. Munoz looks for a wild flying knee but doesn't come close. They clinch and Munoz looks for a takedown. Neither man is able to pull anything off. Boetsch lands a nice hook and looks for a takedown. However, Munoz powers Boetsch back for a takedown of his own. Boetsch goes to stand up and Munoz tries to use the opportunity to take Boetsch's back. Munoz lands a series of heavy punches to the body but Boetsch stands up. Munoz then takes him right back down. Boetsch stands up and looks for a takedown of his own. Munoz stuffs it and lands more big punches to the body. He lands a couple knees to the body as well. 10-9 Munoz.
Round 3. Munoz lands a nice uppercut and takes Boetsch down. Boetsch looks for a choke but Munoz is able to avoid danger. Munoz goes back to work with hard punches on the ground. Boetsch is in a bad position and can only defend even though he isn't in much danger. Munoz looks for a kimura from the top and the crowd reacts big on a night where there have been lots of knockouts but few submissions. Munoz then looks for a rear naked choke but doesn't have both hooks in. Munoz goes back to work with punches on the ground and lands some heavy ones. Munoz drops some bombs to end the fight. Very impressive performance for Munoz. 10-8 Munoz, 30-26 Munoz.
Winner: Mark Munoz, unanimous decision (29-28, 30-26, 30-27).
Tim Kennedy vs. Roger Gracie
This is the UFC debut of two former Strikeforce fighters. Kennedy gained fame for serving in the army while also competing as a fighter. He came up short twice via decision in Strikeforce middleweight title fights. Gracie, from the most famous fighting family, is a jiu jitsu ace but is lacking in other aspects of his game.
Round 1. Big chants of "You're going to die" in Portuguese from a crowd heavily populated by Brazilians. Gracie shoots for a takedown and gets it. Kennedy stands up. There are "USA" chants but they're quickly drowned out with boos. Gracie moves in with a couple punches and then backs off. Kennedy lands a few leg kicks. Gracie clinches and throws some knees to the body. Gracie gets another takedown and as Kennedy stands up, Gracie gets his hooks in and takes Kennedy's back. Gracie locks up a body triangle with 90 seconds still to go in the round. Kennedy is able to roll out and take top position. Knowing he's down big in the round, he immediately throws some aggressive punches. 10-9 Gracie.
Round 2. Kennedy opens with leg kicks. Gracie ducks down for a takedown but Kennedy pushes him against the cage and takes Gracie down. He lands some hard punches to the head and looks to sink in his hooks. Gracie defends that and they return to their feet. The crowd begins singing in Portuguese. Americans respond with USA chants and the Brazilians boo. This is quite the atmosphere. Kennedy takes Gracie down again. The action is a little slow and they are returned to the feet. Kennedy throws a few punches and clinches. 10-9 Kennedy.
Round 3. Kennedy throws a series of leg kicks early. Gracie isn't particularly active. Kennedy mixes in hooks but they rarely land. Kennedy grabs Gracie's waist and throws some knees to the behind. He releases Gracie and throws some more leg kicks. Gracie clinches and goes for a takedown. Gracie gets very low and momentarily has Kennedy down but Kennedy pops right back up and presses Gracie against the cage. The crowd begins doing the wave. Kennedy returns to throwing leg kicks and Gracie isn't doing much. 10-9 Kennedy, 29-28 Kennedy.
Winner: Tim Kennedy, unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 30-27).
Frankie Edgar vs. Charles Oliveira
Edgar was UFC lightweight champion for almost 2 years, but now has a three fight losing streak on his record. However, all three of those were close decision losses to the current 155 pound and 145 pound champs. He seeks to rebound here against a dangerous 23-year-old fighter with speed, nice striking and a slick submission game. Oliveira is coming off a loss to Cub Swanson but would really elevate his stock with a win in this bout.
Round 1. Edgar comes out fast, throwing straight punches. Oliveira looks for a takedown and then pulls guard. As Edgar stands up, Oliveira lands a hard knee to the shoulder area. They clinch and Oliveira leaps up to pull guard. Edgar lands a few punches and stands up. They exchange punches on the feet and Edgar throws Oliveira down. Oliveira gets up and eats a hook and an uppercut. Edgar stuffs a takedown attempt. In a fast paced scramble, they return to the ground with Edgar on top and Oliveira landing elbows from the bottom. 10-9 Edgar.
Round 2. Oliveira lands a few shots including a heavy leg kick. Edgar throws Oliveira down but lets him back up. Edgar then takes him back down. This time Edgar is content to work in Oliveira's guard and land punches. Oliveira decides to stand up. Oliveira lands a few punches and Edgar is bleeding from the nose. Edgar catches Oliveira off balance with a punch moments later. They begin exchanging openly from close range with each man landing solid punches. Edgar then gets a big slam on Oliveira. Oliveira looks for a guillotine choke at the close of the round. Exciting second half of the round. 10-9 Edgar.
Round 3. Edgar goes to work with power punches early and lands some strong straight punches to Oliveira. He keeps the pressure on and lands some of his best shots of the fight. Oliveira hasn't slowed down to any significant degree but Edgar appears to be taking over as he so often does down the stretch of fights. Oliveira answers back well and snaps back Edgar's head with one of the best punches of the fight. Oliveira trips Edgar but Edgar gets back up. Oliveira appears to hurt Edgar with a shot but Edgar comes right back and lands big punches of his own on Oliveira. The crowd is going nuts. Edgar gets a takedown with a minute left in the fight. Edgar lands some punches and the fight comes to an end. 10-9 Edgar, 30-27 Edgar. But it was a close and exciting fight.
Winner: Frankie Edgar, unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 30-27).
Follow on Twitter at @toddmartinmma.


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We used to characterize the Soviet Union as a godless, evil empire. Like many societies based on communism or socialism, the Soviets saw fit to minimize the importance of God and, in many cases, wreaked unimaginable persecution on religious people.
Why is faith in God anathema to such states? It's because they need to remove any authority other than themselves as the arbiter of right and wrong.
Interestingly, last year Russian President Vladimir Putin criticized Euro-Atlantic countries, including the United States, of becoming godless and moving away from Christian values. Some may bristle at such an accusation, but when you consider that many Americans are hesitant even to mention God or Jesus in public, there may be some validity to his claim. We also casually have tossed out many of the principles espoused in the Bible and have concluded that there's no authority greater than man himself.
The separation clause of the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution is inappropriately applied to a host of situations that involve religion. By reinterpreting the law to mean separation of God and state, as opposed to the original intent of keeping the church from having undue influence over state affairs and keeping government from ruling the church, secular progressives have succeeded de facto in redefining part of the Constitution. Such success, however, can only be lasting if "we the people" continue to yield our values and beliefs in order to get along.
A number of years ago, some lawyers approached me to advise that we could not hang our "Think Big" banners in public schools. They claimed the "G" stood for God, and this would be tantamount to government endorsement of religion, which would be contrary to the First Amendment. I countered that the First Amendment also forbids government suppression of religious expression and suggested we pursue this argument at the U.S. Supreme Court.
This may have seemed like a bold and reckless statement, but it wasn't. I knew I would be going to the Supreme Court the next week to receive the Jefferson award and figured I would bring up this issue while I was there. And I did.
Justice Sandra Day O'Connor said we were nowhere near violating the First Amendment and that of course we could put up our banners in a public school without constitutional infringement. In this case, I did not back down in the face of bogus accusations, and we prevailed. We all must have the courage to fight for our beliefs, just as our predecessors fought for our future.
While there is no question that our Judeo-Christian values have taken a hit in recent years, we have not yet reached the point of a totally godless government that sets itself up as the supreme authority and giver of rights. As a nation, we must decide definitively whether we believe in God and godly principles. We must decide whether we revere the Bible and what it means when our elected officials take their oaths of office with one hand upon it. If we do nothing, we allow by default the elimination of God as a central figure in our culture.
As secular progressives try to remove all vestiges of God from our society, let us remember the godly principles of loving our fellow man, caring about our neighborhoods, developing our God-given talents to the utmost so that we become valuable to the people around us, and maintaining high principles that govern our lives. Our Judeo-Christian values led this nation to the pinnacle of the world in record time. If we embrace them, they will keep us there.
While we Americans are giving a cold shoulder to our religious heritage, the Russians are warming to religion. The Russians seem to be gaining prestige and influence throughout the world as we are losing ours. I wonder whether there is a correlation.
There are many well-documented stories about God's intervention on behalf of our country during the War of Independence, but one of my favorites involves the Constitutional Convention in 1787. The delegates could not reach consensus on how the Constitution should be written, and the rancor threatened to destroy the fledgling union.
Benjamin Franklin, who was 81 years old, stood before the entire assembly and reminded them of their frequent prayers during the war against Great Britain. At his suggestion, they knelt and prayed -- and then went on to put together a 16-page document known as the Constitution of the United States, one of the most admired documents in history. From that point forward, congressional sessions were started with prayer.
Second Chronicles 7:14 says, "If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves and pray, and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sins and will heal their land."
These instructions are clear, and secular progressives will shun them. They may control much of the media, but we should not allow them to control our beliefs.

subset: commoncrawl


text: Recent modder trend: Cramming game machines in other game machines. It's shoehorning for shits and giggles. Case in point, this project, an Atari 2600 in a SEGA Game Gear. While not exactly sexy, it is a fitted an Atari 2600 emulator into a SEGA Game Gear shell. What it lacks in slick good looks, the modder makes up in functionality. It's possible to load actual 2600 cartridges in the portable's back slot. Dubbed the "Atari Gear 2600," the handheld can go for 7-8 hours on AA batteries. Looks aren't everything! Oh, and the guy who made this? His name is Chris Koopa. And he should really should be doing Nintendo mods, not Atari and not SEGA ones. Atari Gear [CHRIS KOOPA via Ben Heck via technabob via Gizmodo]


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Already among the best compensated state workers in the nation, tens of thousands of California employees are set to receive pay raises on Monday, along with an end to unpaid furlough days and an increase in the state's contributions to their health care.
The state worker increases total more than $480 million in the spending plan signed this week by Gov.
The 2 percent to 5 percent pay increases, negotiated by the previous administration, will be added to the top of each pay range for about 80 percent of the workforce. Others would receive similar hikes after reaching that level of seniority for a year.
Raises account for about $420 million of the added cost, with roughly $60 million going to health and dental care. Because of the way the state has accounted for furlough days, the cost of restoring those paid hours could not be calculated.
California state employees already have the highest average salary at $70,777, according to a study last fall by the nonpartisan Center for Continuing Study of the California Economy in Palo Alto. That compares with the national average of $54,976 in 2011, according to the study.
When was your last raise?
2012-2013 20% (107)
2010-2011 12% (63)
2008-2009 18% (95)
2006-2007 21% (110)
Earlier 30% (157)
532 total votes.
Trailing the Golden State were New Jersey at $69,302, Connecticut at $67,828 and New York at $67,350. The authors note that California ranks near the middle for state employee pay if it's taken as a percentage of state personal income.
State workers get raises periodically based on years of service, but they last had an across-the-board raise in 2006-07. Former Gov.
Government workers are due for another raise more quickly this time.
Brown and lawmakers are working to finalize a new three-year pact to take effect one year from now with the union representing about half of the 180,000 state workers.
Provisions on the table would increase compensation costs by hundreds of millions of dollars. The tentative agreement with the Service Employees International Union Local 1000 calls for a 4.5 percent across-the-board raise — all of it coming in the final two years. Negotiations continue with many of the state's remaining bargaining units.
In calling for an increase, SEIU invoked its support of Brown's Proposition 30 sales and income tax increases approved by voters in November. The measure, which temporarily hiked the sales tax a quarter cent on the dollar and boosted income taxes on the wealthy on a sliding scale, was sold as a fix for school budgets, but freed up billions of dollars of state money previously mandated to be spent on schools.
Critics say raises for state employees were not what was promised with the ballot measure. Republican Senate leader
The Brown administration says it recognizes that through cutbacks and hard work state employees have played a vital role in stabilizing the state's finances over the past five years. Officials described the tentative pact as prudent because it phases in the pay increases no sooner than next year based on the state's economic recovery.
In addressing the agreement, SEIU Local 1000 President Yvonne Walker said the union accomplished all four of its top priorities: across-the-board raises, no new furloughs or paid-leave days, preserving health benefit premiums and protecting retirement security.
Under the proposed deal, If California meets certain revenue targets, state workers would receive a 2 percent raise on July 1, 2014 and a 2.5 percent increase on July 1, 2015. The entire 4.5 percent increase would be effective July 1, 2015 if the targets are not met.
SEIU officials did not return messages seeking comment on the raises taking effect this week. However, in a recent announcement to members, union officials described the past negotiations as a difficult undertaking given the depths of the economic recession. Union leaders said the state demanded more than $1 billion in take-aways and no wage increase.
"After spending literally hundreds of hours battling the Schwarzenegger Administration in 2010, we reached an agreement that cut those concessions in half," the letter said.
Under the expiring provisions, SEIU state workers received eight hours of unpaid leave a month that penciled out to a 4.6 percent pay cut. The previous deal also increased employee pension payments by 3 percent, with most contributing about 8 percent of their pay to help cover retirement costs.
The contract tentatively set to take effect next summer is estimated to increase the state's employee compensation costs by more than $700 million over three years.
There remains another factor that could put the state on the hook for tens of millions more — management raises spurred by the employee pay hikes.
Nick Schroeder a public employment expert in the Legislative Analyst's Office, said when rank-and-file employees negotiate raises, managers and supervisors don't typically receive a bump. Problems arise when the pay spread between managers and rank-and-file workers is too small to create an incentive for employees to accept the additional responsibilities of becoming a manager, Schroeder said.
Analysts say it would cost another $118 million to extend the raises to managers and supervisors of workers represented by SEIU.
"Any analysis should really be done at a micro level," Schroeder said. "We would want to be very surgical about it."
Democratic Assemblyman Rob Bonta of Oakland, chairman of the Committee on Public Employees, Retirement and Social Security, said the tentative agreement represents savings in pension dial-backs (approved by the state last year) for new employees while allocating moderate cost-of-living increases.
"This is a modest agreement that recognizes the role state workers have played in stabilizing California's finances in the last few years," he said.
The legislature's analysts say average state worker pay was reduced by about $21,000 over the last five years. The average employee received 79 furlough days over that period.
Democratic Assemblyman
"I've watched them change the course and direction of their lives and the lives of their children because they've been asked to sacrifice beyond any measure of others even while they've been asked to do more," he said. "The response has been one of digging in, digging deeper, doing the job, performing the public service that they are dedicated to, and delivering the indispensable services without which the California dream would ground to a halt."
Donnelly noted he and others are rejecting a 5.3 percent pay raise due to state politicians in December, increases made possible in part due to passage of Proposition 30.
"It doesn't make any sense to raise the taxes of the people in order to raise anybody's pay," Donnelly said. "Until we have given back the taxpayers some of their money — until we have lowered tax rates, which were raised supposedly to pay for ongoing obligations like education funding — then this package here … should be voted down."
View the Video Watchdog Minute: State workers do 'SEIU Shake' for raises


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>Condition: Sickle cell disorders are the most common hemoglobinopathies (abnormal red blood cells) encountered in the United States. Sickle cell anemia (HbS) results from a mutation that changes the amino acid at position 6 on the beta chain from glutamic acid to valine. The homozygous state produces sickle cell anemia.
>Sickle trait (HbAS) is the heterozygous (carrier) state; it can be affected by low oxygen levels. Sickle cell trait occurs in 8 percent of African Americans in the United States. Oddly enough, HbS confers a protective advantage against malaria infection.
>In general, however, sickle cell disorders have no advantages. Sickle cells are dehydrated, stiff and viscous: they flow poorly though small blood vessels, which can cause local hypoxia (low oxygen levels) and can lead to numerous complications.
>Hypoxia, cold or dehydration can cause the RBCs to sickle. This may cause a sickle crisis, often manifested as pain. The sickle crisis may affect the bones, chest, abdomen and spleen. The pulmonary circulation is also particularly vulnerable to pulmonary vascular occlusion because it receives blood that has been deoxygenated, which allows sickling to happen. Chest symptoms may include pain and fever. Infections, such as pneumonia, meningitis and osteomyelitis are major problems. Effects on the central nervous system include stroke in about 8 percent of individuals with HbS. Red blood cell count (RBC) lifespan is shortened in all varieties of sickle cell disorders (normal RBC: 120 days; HbSS ( sickle cell trait): 17 days; HbSC (another form of HbS): 28 days). HbS patients commonly become severely anemic.
>Fitness and Diving: Recurrent sickle crises can impair an individual's ability to exercise. Pain associated with sickle cell disorder can confuse the diagnosis of DCI. Pulmonary function is also affected by HbS. Local hypoxia and the occlusion of vessels can affect nitrogen loading and unloading during dive decompression. Diving may make HbS worse, too. For persons with sickle cell disorder, diving is not advised.
>Medication Used in Treatment: The treatment of sickle cell syndromes includes hydration, oxygenation and analgesics for the painful crises. Some new research projects include attempts to prevent RBCs from sickling and to reduce the effects of sickled red cells on blood flow.
>Additional Information:


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With cream cheese, cherries and a sweet topping, this recipe turns chocolate chip cookies into something special. They taste like a combination of cookie and candy, and the sweet bites are a treat for the eyes as well. They're a family favorite at Christmastime—and year-round! —LeeAnn McCue, West Springfield, Massachusetts
Total TimePrep: 20 min. Bake: 10 min./batch + cooling
Makes32 cookies
- 1 tube (18 ounces) refrigerated chocolate chip cookie dough
- 3 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 3/4 cup confectioners' sugar
- 1/4 cup chopped maraschino cherries
- 1 drop red food coloring, optional
- 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
- 2 tablespoons butter
- With a sharp knife, cut cookie dough into eight equal slices. Cut each slice into quarters; roll into balls. Place 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 375° for 10 minutes or until golden brown. Immediately make a deep impression in the center of each cookie using the back of a small melon baller or small spoon. Cool for 5 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely. Meanwhile, in a bowl, cream the cream cheese and sugar. Pat cherries dry with paper towels. Stir cherries and food coloring if desired into creamed mixture. Place a teaspoonful of filling into the center of each cookie. In a heavy saucepan over low heat, melt chocolate chips and butter, stirring occasionally. Drizzle over cookies. Store in the refrigerator.
Nutrition Facts2 cookies: 225 calories, 11g fat (5g saturated fat), 17mg cholesterol, 99mg sodium, 30g carbohydrate (22g sugars, 1g fiber), 2g protein.
Every product is independently selected by our editors. If you buy something through our links, we may earn an affiliate commission.


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Every week, a DIY expert spares us a trip to the grocery store and shows us how to make small batches of great foods at home.
Today, Brandon Matzek of Kitchen Konfidence shares his recipe for harissa, a sweet-spicy condiment that adds excitement to any meal.
A few years after I moved to San Diego, a friend of mine introduced me to Café Chloe, a charming French restaurant in the heart of the East Village. Nestled amongst other diners on the patio, we started our meal with an order of pommes frites. Matchstick-cut frites and wisps of frizzled leek spilled out from a cone of parchment, served with a trio of bold dipping sauces. The first was a peppery watercress aioli with just a hint of spice. The second was a golden-hued sauce flavored with garlic and sultry saffron. The last was a glossy ketchup spiked with something completely new to me: harissa.
After just one taste of this sweet-spicy condiment, I was compelled to research and explore. In its most basic form, harissa, a North African chile sauce, is made with dried chiles, garlic, olive oil and spices. In this version, I've brightened the flavors by adding lemon juice, zest and red wine vinegar to brighten flavors, and included tomato paste for body. I also opt for dried chiles that fall into the "sweet and complex" category, rather than smoky or spicy: a blend of ancho, mulato and guajillo chiles provides a fruity base with intriguing depth of flavor. Thick yet smooth, this harissa pairs well with a variety of proteins (lamb, beef, chicken, fish) and starches (pasta, farro, rice, potatoes).
Homemade Harissa
Adapted from the New York Times
Makes 1 cup
5 medium dried red chile peppers, stems removed* 1/4 cup red wine vinegar 3 tablespoons lemon juice 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest 6 cloves garlic, finely chopped 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil 1 teaspoon coriander seeds 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste 1/3 cup tomato paste
* I use a mixture of 1 ancho chile, 1 mulato chile and 3 guajillo chiles, and my harissa turns out complex and flavorful -- not spicy. Dried chipotle peppers will give your harissa a smokier flavor, while chile de árbol will add heat.
Soak the chile peppers in vinegar for 30 to 45 minutes, until soft. Combine chiles, vinegar, lemon juice, lemon zest, garlic, and olive in a food processor and process until smooth.
Lightly toast the coriander and fennel seeds in a frying pan, and then grind them using a mortar and pestle. Add these ground spices to the food processor along with the pepper, allspice, nutmeg, salt, and tomato paste. Process until smooth, drizzling in extra olive oil if the mixture seems too thick. Season to taste with additional kosher salt.
Aside from mixing this Harissa with ketchup to complement a batch of French fries, I love using it in a quick weeknight pasta dish. Here's my go-to recipe: using a mortar and pestle (or small food processor), pulverize 3 cloves of garlic with a large pinch of salt. Mix in 3 spoonfuls of Harissa and 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, then set aside. Drop a half pound of pasta (I like penne) in salted boiling water. While the pasta cooks, toast a large handful of pine nuts, zest a lemon, tear several stalks of kale leaves into bite-sizes pieces, and chop up a number of pitted green olives. Just before the pasta reaches al dente, add the kale, cook briefly, then drain both pasta and kale. In the same pot, add half of the Harissa mixture and a pinch of red pepper flake. Warm for a few moments over medium heat. Add the pasta, kale, nuts, zest, and olives, tossing to combine. Once everything is warmed through, transfer to a serving platter and drizzle over the remaining Harissa oil.
Save and print the recipe here.
See what other Food52 readers are saying.


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Josh Groban Gossip
Josh Groban gossip, latest news, photos, and video.
Smutty Social Media, May 26, 2016
Lindsay is all work work work work work as usual. Rushing around from work to lunch to work and fittings but still smiling!! #love #raybans saving the day 😎 Full Story
Smutty Social Media, December 4, 2015
Astrid Stawiarz/ Jamie McCarthy/ John Parra/ Dimitrios Kambouris/ Getty Images
The worst thing about Coldplay playing the Super Bowl halftime show (besides the music) is having to see Chris Martin's smug face for the next month. Oh and you know how private he is right? So private he would never want his girlfriend to post a photo from his show. Full Story
New Year fur & Twitter songs
Kanye West hooked up with Jay-Z yesterday in New York for a meeting at the Mercer Hotel. As you can see, he was animal all over with an orange handle handbag and a fur coat to keep warm. Needless to say, Kanye being Kanye, there's little chance of this being fake. West and Jay are just coming off their New Year's Eve in Vegas where they both took the stage at the Cosmopolitan opening with Coldplay. Full Story


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Collapsible Drag & Drop Panels Using jQuery
Aug 25th, 2009 - 50 Comments »
Drag n Drop panels are great to let the user control how he/she wants to see the information as he can arrange various information blocks according to his preference. This type of functionality is often provided by web portals or personal homepage services like iGoogle.
Similarly, WordPress dashboard also lets user control how the various boxes are displayed.
Today, i am going to show you how to create collapsible, drag and drop panels easily using jQuery and jQuery UI libraries. Here's what the final result will look like.
Let's begin with it.
Include The Libraries
We'll be using the all powerful jQuery library and the jQuery UI libraries, so grab the latest version of both and add it to your page header.
The HTML Structure
We'll be using two vertical columns defined by div with
class="column" in this example that will hold our panels. You can increase the number of panels by adjusting the width in the stylesheet for
.column. Each panel is a div with
class="dragbox". And the content of each panel resides within div with
Here's the complete HTML structure for our example, i will be using 5 panels within two columns.

Handle 1

ConfigureHandle 2

Handle 3

Handle 4

Handle 5

You can add a link to configuration of a panel within the

 tag using
. This will show up when mouse hovers over the panel header.
Each column now has a unique id and every panel also has a unique id, this will help in saving the order of panels if the user changes them.
The CSS Styles
Here are the CSS styles, you can modify it as you wish but remember to adjust the width of
.column in case you increase the number of columns.
.column{ width:49%; margin-right:.5%; min-height:300px; background:#fff; float:left; } .column .dragbox{ margin:5px 2px 20px; background:#fff; position:relative; border:1px solid #ddd; -moz-border-radius:5px; -webkit-border-radius:5px; } .column .dragbox h2{ margin:0; font-size:12px; padding:5px; background:#f0f0f0; color:#000; border-bottom:1px solid #eee; font-family:Verdana; cursor:move; } .dragbox-content{ background:#fff; min-height:100px; margin:5px; font-family:'Lucida Grande', Verdana; font-size:0.8em; line-height:1.5em; } .column .placeholder{ background: #f0f0f0; border:1px dashed #ddd; } .dragbox h2.collapse{ background:#f0f0f0 url('collapse.png') no-repeat top right; } .dragbox h2 .configure{ font-size:11px; font-weight:normal; margin-right:30px; float:right; }
The JavaScript Code
To make the boxes draggable and droppable, we'll be using the Sortables function of jQuery UI library. Here' the code you need to use, add this to
$(document).ready() function:
$('.column').sortable({ connectWith: '.column', handle: 'h2', cursor: 'move', placeholder: 'placeholder', forcePlaceholderSize: true, opacity: 0.4, }) .disableSelection();
Explanation: I used some options with sortable function . the first one
connectWith lets you move panels across different columns. The
handle defines the tag which is used to drag the panel. The
placeholder parameter is the CSS class to use for the panel placeholder which is displayed when you drag a panel to show the possible position of the dragged panel.
forcePlaceholderSize makes sure that placeholder size is equal to the size of the dragged panel and at last
opacity sets the opacity of the panel while dragging.
Collapsing The Panels
To collapse the content of a panel when you click on the panel header and show the configure link on panel header on hover, use the below code in jQuery document ready function.
$('.dragbox').each(function(){ $(this).hover(function(){ $(this).find('h2').addClass('collapse'); }, function(){ $(this).find('h2').removeClass('collapse'); }) .find('h2').hover(function(){ $(this).find('.configure').css('visibility', 'visible'); }, function(){ $(this).find('.configure').css('visibility', 'hidden'); }) .click(function(){ $(this).siblings('.dragbox-content').toggle(); }) .end() .find('.configure').css('visibility', 'hidden'); });
One thing you'll notice after adding this code is that when you drag the panel, the content of the panel toggles as when you drag the click event of panel header also fires that toggles the state of content. To fix this, you need to add another parameter to sortable so that when drag is finished, state of content does not toggle.
$('.column').sortable({ connectWith: '.column', handle: 'h2', cursor: 'move', placeholder: 'placeholder', forcePlaceholderSize: true, opacity: 0.4, stop: function(event, ui){ $(ui.item).find('h2').click(); } }) .disableSelection();
Here i added another parameter stop that defines the function to use when drag is complete. Once the drag is complete, click event of panel header is fired so that the original state of content is restored.
Saving State
Update (Sep 16, 2009)
Many of the commentors below asked about how to save the state of panels. I have written a follow up post on how to save state using database. Be sure to check it if you want to know.
There you are with nice multi-column collapsible drag drop panels.
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50 Responses (Add Your Comment)
How would you save the positions of the panels?
Great article! Thanks for taking the time to explain the Drag and drop panels through Jquery. I've been thinking about similar topics lately, and it's good to see that I'm not alone. What do you think about paging with Jquery?
It does not seem to work in opera 10. It will move and pop up that it has been changed but move it to a weird location. WordPress used to have this same problem a version or two ago but seemed to have fixed it sense then. Works great in the other browsers!
typo in the title!
Hi i wanna now how u can have such a nice designed comment-Box. I want it too! :/ can u tell me how you did this?
Hi, its great article but it is not working in IE 7 but its working fine with firefox.
I think javascript is not working in the IE 7. I need it very badly, can you please tell me how to fix it
Thanks so much for the great write-up! I already had something similar to this working using the interface library, but it was having IE issues so I figured I would try this one, worked immediately… Almost. IE8 seems to only recognize the area directly over the h2 text as a handle, _until_ you drag/drop it, at which time the entire gray box becomes draggable. Weird. I'll post again if I figure it out.
Nice one, thanks. I've done a similar trick with jQuery, jQuery UI and ist-ui-panel (googled recently).
Thanks for this but I also have the same problem where it does become active until you drag it once… also its seem to drag easier from top-bottom than from bottom-top.
Also how do you propose to reload the saved order (from wherever I was thinking writing that array to a cookie) on each postback?
thanks in advance
I have been trying in vain for hours to get the data saved to a database. Any chance you can give some pointers on this area of the script please?
Hi. THanks for this wonderful effect. I need to store this positions . Can you give me the sample update coding…(with explanation)… Once again thanks for this beautiful one…………….
All greetings!
My browser is Opera, it blocks the movement after he takes not a correct position.
What could be the problem, the script itself or customize css?
I am in an unfortunate position in that I have to cater for IE6. I have noticed that in this browser the handle only works on the text of the header and also the expand / collapse arrows don't work. Are these things that can be changed with css selectors or would they need a bigger fix?
Excellent tutorial and many thanks for sharing.
Is it possible to show us how you save the state in cookies and then retrieve the state from those cookies on postback or refersh.
Thanks again.
Hi All
I now have a working version of the database update script. I changed it from GET to POST as well. I am not a fan of GET, no idea why really
You will also need to update the JS script to send the data to the php file. see further below for the full modified JS
$ind = preg_replace ('/[^\d\s]/', '',$ind); //strip non-numeric characters
$ind = (int)$ind;//make it an integer
$insertions = prep_data($ind,$val);
mysql_query("$insertions") or die('Error, insert query failed');
echo '> Widget position updated';
Obviously you will need to change the database table and row details but all should be good. works absolutely fine for me. If you need a little more help drop me a mail and I will walk you through it.
here is the JS
}, function(){
$(this).find('.configure').css('visibility', 'visible');
}, function(){
$(this).find('.configure').css('visibility', 'hidden');
.find('.configure').css('visibility', 'hidden');
function stageResponse(){
}, 2000);}
connectWith: '.column',
handle: 'h2',
cursor: 'move',
placeholder: 'placeholder',
forcePlaceholderSize: true,
opacity: 0.4,
stop: function(event, ui){
var sortorder='';
var item_order=$(this).sortable('toArray');
var columnId=$(this).attr('id');
/*Pass sortorder variable to server using ajax to save state*/
$.post('updateDesktop.php', sortorder, function(updateDesktopResponse){
Thanks should go to "kratsg" from phpfreaks for his help debugging and fixing the script that saves the data.
I forgot to add, that script will only update which column the widget is in, it DOES NOT currently update the order in the column or remember the open/closed state
I am working on the last few things to make sure it works in every way possible.
Anybody out there have any idea how to get the widget order working?
email has been sent. thank you
Working on integrating this on my works development site, but have a problem where the original div's will only sort in the column it is originally in.
The site uses Blueprint CSS as the framework for the layout and has 3 columns. The 2 sidebars (left and right of the content) need to be sortable and be able to move panels from 1 side to the other.
Are there any known issues with Blueprint CSS or is it another factor?
After a little bit more research multiple column sorting doesn't work until you upgrade to jQuery 1.3.2
Unfortunately I am limited to jQuery 1.2.6, you may want to add a caveat to let people know.
great work!
i have a question about cross browser compatibility between firefox and ie7. in the stop function, there's a $(ui.item).find('h2′).click(), which seems to be forcing the panel to open back up after dragging, i imagine because it's being dragging is erroneously also registering a click triggering a toggle. the problem is that with that line in, it works great in firefox, but not in ie7. take the line out, and the reverse is true. is there a fix to make it work for both?
also, i'm noticing that in ie7, the first time you try to drag a panel, the handle only seems to apply to the text in the header. after the first move, then you can use the entire header as a handle. is this a known jquery issue?
thanks in advance
for the drag handle weirdness in ie7 i was mentioning earlier, an effective fix is to specify "zoom: 1″ in the css for the header. still trying to fix the issue of the click line in 'stop' fixing the issue in firefox, but making it collapse on drag and drop in ie7.
Great Work !
This work in Firefox but not in IE6,IE7,IE8 can u please help me its urgent.
I am having the same issue with IE, did you find any work around for this issue?
Hi this is great tutorial, just what Iam looking for.
I'm tweaking with your code and jquery for hours and Now I just have one problem how can I lock the first and or second cell in the left side side column I want it static just like in the customization layout of the blogspot.com.
any hint or help how can this be done.
many thanks
Nick Ace
1. How do I insert dynamically new widget windows… with different div Id's??
2. Also how do i remove a particular widget if I follow your approach. ??
Comments are closed for this post.


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China's Dirty Air Clears a Path for New Investments
To avoid more damage to the environment, the central government is willing to compromise less industrial growth for a more 'Beautiful China.' in order. The WSJ's Wei Gu tells us why China's emphasis on cleaning up the country may be a good time for investors in the environmental industry.
This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.
I ... the the ... I think in the river in China and disgusting coalition could actually be a good thing for investors ... welcome to Asia Today Ahmadi the Sanchanta ... with me to discuss this is Wall Street Journal reporter way to ... play thanks so much for joining today so in your latest column ... you say that the theme of beautiful tying that which is something that was discussed at the most recent National People's Congress ... is actually a team that can drive investors toward certain stocks come about that when Santoli the abstract but the beans actually very useful when Baxter as ... the ten years ago it was harmonious society ... and that was a letdown raising minimum wages ... and now conflicts and that is the ballots will mean teeny coming totals one notch wing to sacrifice the console on the environment ... so I expect a wastewater treatment environmental services companies to do well but some of the energy intensive industries may not do as well as the fall ... that is playing out in your piece that up with that that was really interesting it's a it's quite difficult to get into these industries and in so much of that ... is dependent on government connections ... um and and what kinds of connections these countries have with the government of the little bit about that ... it's a very fragmented industry so we took a one mile radius of this is ... to clean up the want and actually going to light show called elemental actually he's so nice to have and did it with an ocean far every day so it's not like the making of content and then a new chassis increase come on the mend and the UK economy of scale ... so it's quite difficult to scale up an error of law as it can sell for you now only each on this ... somewhat you asked us back to focus on companies that has a strong home base and connections to government ... about the valuations and some of the stock sell on average are they undervalued right now I mean is this a good chance for investors to get in ... what sites in and then thankfully not The anymore so in the Poste two month they had outperformed the market ... up something like forty percent some of us on so I actually doubled so that's what it's hard to find the UBS ... on all sides and I went and laid back says Akshay who lives ... and son of suffering from the strand and the thinking of modest market ... so I think the story is less power than in the PJ and ... self assembly Hong Kong there are some company that does waste water treatment ... actually maybe the good and bad a way to sum up everything the ball ... twenty times he compared apples potential ... off twenty percent earnings growth sixty s and still I reasonable ... I loved it and the kicker a new Honda Civic the ultimate luxury good for so many families in China as an air purifier ... telling what about that in coming but how the market is booming for air purifier its ... invasive lots of ... reasons spending ... the southern U S dollar as the new them all I can purify at ... the scene this is something month high of ... also on the low and Iran local companies making them the sausage has yet to do ... that because he was Kenmore on a ballot for publishing as also approaching Gets was for the award winning to spend more of the things ... that helps companies like the ... conference and they have we simply wanted to be in a memo winning market share ... had taken him down he'll coal producer ... thank you so much weight to reporter for The Wall Street Journal ... for more on this column is that it WS J dot com while the app patience and my because Sanchanta ...


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Tuesday, September 25, 2012
Split Creek Farm
One of my favorite day trips from my parents' cabin in the woods of North Georgia is Split Creek Farm in Anderson, SC. We have been going there to stock up on their wonderful goat cheese for more years than I can remember, after we discovered their delicious cheese at Connemara, Carl Sandburg's home. Evin Evans and Patricia Bell have been running the goat dairy since 1985 and have been turning out award winning cheese, their goat cheese won the Gold Medal at the 2010 World Cheese Championship, since 1988.
You can go visit the herd of mostly Nubians and pick up some goat cheese at the shop, Monday - Saturday 9:00AM-6:00PM and Sundays 2:00PM-5:00PM. While you are there you may encounter a few of the farm's turkeys enjoying a stroll down the lane, with their heads together, deep in conversation.
The Great Pyrenees assigned to guard duty do an excellent job of protecting their charges from predators, this big guy never too his eyes off me while I was within 30 feet of the fence. Unfortunately, the predators these days are more often the two legged kind.
I love watching the goats playing their games, like the rambunctious hircine version of king of the mountain seen above. On my last visit, there was even a heavily pregnant doe with hiccups, I wished I'd brought my video camera as it was one of the funniest things I'd ever seen.
Of course the very best time to visit is in the spring when they are kidding, and no, I don't mean joking. I'm talking about when there are dozens of the most adorable baby goats running around that you have ever seen, inquisitive, playful, sweet, you will want to take them all home with you.
Evin and Patricia know that the best goat cheese comes from the purest, freshest milk, so they milk twice a day and refuse to give their does hormones to encourage higher milk production, which clearly isn't needed, as their does routinely win in the national show ring, as well as for milk production. They also keep their pastures natural, with no pesticides or herbicides ever applied.
If you would like a tour of the farm, you can call 864-287-3921. The farm is located at 3806 Centerville Rd, Anderson, SC, 29625. You can also e-mail them for more information.
Posted by Emily R. at 9:41 PM
1 comment:
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I'm a big believer in the old maxim, "If you don't ask, you don't get." With that in mind, I'd like to throw caution to the wind and ask the Vatican's College of Cardinals to consider me for the job opening that recently became available. Now, before you say anything, let me be the first to point out the many reasons "why not." I'm Jewish. I've never understood the hoopla over the Old Testament, with all the smiting and begetting. I'm a twice- divorced sitcom writer with a shady past. And perhaps most importantly, I look silly in a hat. No argument, the cons are plentiful. But let's take a moment to examine the pros. First, I am completely untouched by the abuse scandal that is currently engulfing the church. I can stand on the balcony that overlooks St. Peter's Square and say to the adoring masses, with a straight, albeit Semitic face, "Folks, I've never even met an altar boy." With me as your pontiff you buy yourself some serious deniability. Next, believe it or not, I happen to be a very spiritually inclined guy. I would love a job where my primary thrust was encouraging prayer, meditation and acts of loving kindness. (Although in the interest of full disclosure, we would have to negotiate some common sense middle ground for any other thrusting I might want to do. It'd be a shame to waste adoring masses as long as they consist entirely of consenting adults.) And finally, there's the issue of my name. How can a billion true believers not smile and breathe a sigh of relief when the white smoke coming from the chimney is to announce the investiture of Pope Chuck? Cardinals, I want to assure you that while my papacy is a little "outside the box," you can rest assured that I would passionately carry the good word to all the poor and the downtrodden, beginning with a holy visit to Saint-Tropez, or maybe the Bahamas or Turks & Caicos. And just think of the marketing opportunities! How is "Pope Chuck" not the name of the next Adam Sandler movie? What's to stop me from busting a move on the balcony and starting a dance craze called "Pope Chuckin'"? And don't get me started on the demographic potential of a TV show entitled "Pope Chuck, P.I." (Kiss the ring, or get punched by it!) Yes, this transition represents an incredible opportunity for the church to be reborn. And at the end of the day, isn't that the name of the game?
1st Aired: 21 February 2013


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GROWN-UP TABLE: Have you graduated to the grown-up table at your family's annual holiday feast? It's a big moment. Some people make the grown-up table long before they reach adulthood; some are never invited. But those who do have a special place at the big table, year after year, still can find themselves relegated to a spring-pokey couch bed in the basement. If this is you, and if you don't relish spending a handful of nights trying to find the exact spot where springs don't pinch your back, best make for a sleep situation that's worthy of one who now sits at the grown-up table. Hotel Palomar is offering a deal that's tailored to holiday gatherings who find that the house has gotten a bit too full.
PIE + BOOZE + FAMILY: That's the deal's memorable moniker. It starts at $229, and in addition to your room you get pie -- pie! -- or preserves to show with, meaning your contribution to the family meal will be a snap. No looking for open stores on various holidays. You also get a bottle of Wild Turkey, and whether you keep that or gift it is up to you (we suspect most people will vote the former). Here are more details. Missing the spring in your back yet? And that one uncle who watches TV in the next room for the better part of the night? Thought not. Be with your family and love them during the day but get some good sleep after dark.


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MWC 15 Special
Melodeo, a Seattle-based company that provides solutions for music on the mobile phone, last week announced its expansion into new markets, including making Podcasts available for download to the mobile phone. There are nearly 400,000 Podcasts available today but to hear them you need to connect your PC to the Internet, and your portable device to your PC. You need to repeat this process each time you want an update.
Melodeo Mobilcast simplifies the process of finding and listening to Podcasts by downloading it to your mobile phone, over the air. With a few simple steps you will be listening to Podcasts when you want, on the one device you carry with you every day - your mobile phone.
Mobilcast will be available in early September but you can already watch a demo to see just how to get Podcasts on your mobile phones in future.
Melodeo hasn't announced yet which platforms Mobilcast will support (in the demo, a Symbian Series 60 device is used) so we have to wait to get the answer (I've already sent them an E-Mail, maybe we will know sooner). Also it shouldn't be forgotten, that downloading a Podcast over the air (via GPRS or UMTS) can costs your right arm so yes, as cool this feature might be, without flat fees or a lot of included volume you can forget it.
Update: Melodeo just confirmed that the initial release will be available for Symbian device only, followed by a J2ME version later. A Windows Mobile version isn't planned yet which isn't that dramatic since there are a couple of Podcast-enabled RSS-clients available already.
Cheers ~ Arne
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European Renaissance and Baroque Art: 1500-1700
The art exhibited in gallery 1 was produced between the 16th and 18th centuries, and originates from the leading artistic centres of Europe. This period is marked by important social and political changes, and art itself underwent a major transformation. Civic artist guilds regulated the aesthetic standards, price of artwork, and training necessary for an artist to achieve professional status. Oil paint and canvas supports gradually replaced egg tempera and wood panels, and the roles of the artist, patron, and art object itself were redrawn. Linked closely to these advances was the broad dissemination of religious and political texts and images precipitated by the invention of the printing press in the mid-15th century.
In the 15th and early 16th centuries, culminating with the High Renaissance in Italy, new standards were set for the representation of the human body and perspective. The Renaissance, which means "rebirth," saw the intellectual and artistic revival of classical values, and laid the foundation for modern humanism. By 1650 prevailing aesthetic concerns heralded a new style known as Mannerism, and classicism gave way to an intensely subjective expression. Patronage spread from church and court to the nobility and wealthy merchant class, and the new outlook embraced secular subjects.
The large area of northern Europe—roughly equivalent to modern Belgium, Germany, and Holland—had a vital and distinctive artistic tradition in the 15th and 16th centuries. Some of the greatest changes in the art of this period came as a result of the Protestant Reformation in the early 16th century, and subsequent reforms brought on by the Catholic Counter Reformation. The established Gothic style persisted, but it gradually incorporated Renaissance techniques and subjects. The demand for landscapes, portraits, and still lifes increased significantly, foreshadowing the golden age of Dutch painting.
Several works from the WAG's Gort Collection, one of the finest collections of northern Renaissance painting in Canada, provide the foundation for this first section of the exhibition.
Related Programs & Events
Past Programs & Events
Art for Lunch - Director's Tour
Wednesday, March 10, 2010 from 12:10pm to 1pm
Flavours of Art - Love Is In the Air
February 14 • Love is in the air...Explore four centuries of love-themed art through the WAG's European and Canadian collections with Anna Wiebe, Head of Education.
Friday, February 14, 2014 from 6pm to 9pm
Culture Days at the WAG
Celebrate Culture Days with a visit to the WAG!
Saturday, September 26, 2015 from 11am to 5pm
Nuit Blanche Winnipeg: Carpe Noctem
Stay up into the wee hours at this free, all night celebration of the arts with music, dance, film, and more!
Saturday, September 26, 2015 from 6pm to 3am
Holiday Family Fusion Days - The Great Art Hunt
Embark on an exciting family tour of the galleries using our new WAG Art Adventure booklet.
Tuesday, December 29, 2015 from 1pm to 3pm
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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Four-night musical extravaganza Snowlive opens with Stax celebration, Booker T. Jones
CRYSTAL BAY, Nev. – It takes a former bowling alley to put folks in the right frame of mind.
Before it was a musical venue, the Crystal Bay Casino's Crown Room was a bowling alley. The Brooklyn Bowl is used for bowling and concerts, and since 2010 it's been the site for Bowlive, 10 nights of music hosted by the trio Soulive, which is accompanied by special guests for each performance. A four-night, Lake Tahoe version of the event began in 2012: Snowlive, which will be held for the second time starting Wednesday, Feb. 20.
So strike up the bands.
Soulive is a soul and funk trio which is accomplished in many musical styles. Its label is Royal Family Records, managed by Jeff Krasno, the co-founder of Squaw Valley's annual Wanderlust Festival and whose brother Eric is guitarist for the company's top two bands, Soulive and Lettuce. Soulive will be accompanied all four nights by the Shady Horns from Lettuce.
Soulive's rhythm section is brothers Alan Evans on drums and Neal Evans on organ.
Opening night celebrates soul music and Stax Records, a Memphis studio in the 1960s famous for artists such as Otis Redding, Albert King, Johnny Taylor, Issac Hayes and, most notably, the house band Booker T. and the MGs. Booker T. Jones will headline Wednesday's show and the featured singer is Orgone's Niki J. Crawford.
Thursday, Feb. 21 is Rock night with Robert Randolph, the Slide Brothers and Big Sam Williams.
Friday, Feb. 21 is New Orleans night with Papa Mail, Meters bassist George Porter Jr. and Big Sam Williams.
Saturday's finale features Nicki Bluhm, Papa Mali, George Porter Jr. and surprise guests.
A drummer with a distinct, aggressive sound, Evans was asked how he will change his approach each night.
"I am going to lay on you," Evans said, "the big secret: It doesn't. When I was younger, there was a lot of effort trying to learn these different styles and trying to fit into whatever. As I have gotten older – it could be laziness but I don't think so – I found my voice. It got to a point where I would listen to my recording and I liked my playing. I realized that's my voice on the drums. I play other instruments, but on the drums, this is my sound."
Also an engineer and producer with his company Playonbrother, Evans produced On the Spot Trio's two albums. On the Spot Trio plays the Soul-Stax night's after-party in the Red Room. On the Spot Trio guitarist Danny Mayer also plays in the Alan Evans Trio, which releases, "Merkaba," its second album (see review next week in Lake Tahoe Action).
"The Crystal Bay Casino is extremely grateful to Soulive and Royal Family Records for allowing us to partake in the second year of what has become one of Lake Tahoe's premier annual events, Bill Wood, the casino manager, said in a press statement. "The lineup for this year's Snowlive is outrageous and literally no one knows exactly what the final cast will be from night to night. We can however fill you in on who will be guest starring each night with our favorite funk trio, Soulive."
Continuing with a bowling theme, concert-goers might not pin their hopes on getting walk-up tickets each night. Tickets are available online at HYPERLINK "http://www.crystalbaycasino.com" http://www.crystalbaycasino.com, by phone at 775.833.6333 or at the Crystal Bay Casino cashier cage. All shows are 21 and over general standing room only and smoke free. Guest appearances subject to change without notice.
The fourth annual Bowlive begins March 7 in Brooklyn.


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I don't know where to post this question but this is the most suitable place I found to ask the question...so I am asking it here. Some admin might put it in some more meaningful place!
After going through some of the pages some days back, I had come to know about a champ from my very own country namely ANKIT FADIA who wrote six bestselling books on hacking ( correct me if I am wrong). I found it interesting, sat down to take some time to google about him and after sometime the forum discussions in various board started speaking about wherether he is a CHEAT or if he is really a HACKER? Meanwhile I opened his profile and saw that he has worked with some top notch companies like Symantec, Ms,...etc. So I dont think that he is a FAKE HACKER.
Also after reading some of the pages of his book NETWORK SECURITY : A HACKER'S PERSPECTIVE, I THINK his book is quite good to start off with. I like the language and the tips he has given in so easy languagae.
Since you people are senior than me, knowinf much more than what I know about the online world, can you people explain who and what exactly is this chap???


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Taco Dog & Rodeo Cat Costume Photo 2 of 9
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with my cat brother ...
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This homemade costume for pets entered our 2013 Halloween Costume Contest.
A word from Yumiko, the 'Taco Dog & Rodeo Cat' costume creator:
My youngest kitty, Azuki and a new comer of my family, Kuri are always good to be together and even in those costumes! Kuri - means Chestnut in Japanese and Azuki - means Read Bean... Read more »


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Increasingly organisations are publishing a blog. They are perceived as a powerful marketing tool and a great way to engage with customers. However, the majority fail for one simple reason…
This post is brought to you by Shopify. Shopify is an ecommerce solutions made by designers, for designers. For more information visit shopify.com/boagworld.
Before I reveal the reason why the majority of blogs fail and what makes the select few succeed, I want to explain why I believe institutional blogs are so important.
Why your organisation should blog
An organisational blog has huge potential. Just some of the benefits include:
- Search engine visibility – Blogs are keyword heavy. This can be a good way to improve your search engine ranking. A well written, useful post will naturally attract users and be placed highly on search engines. Regular posting also encourages search engines to spider your site more often, which means your content is listed faster.
- Increased links – If your blog posts are interesting and relevant, people are more likely to link to them. For example, another website owner is unlikely to link to a product page for a vitamin supplement. However they may link to a post talking about the benefits of vitamin supplements to health. Third party links not only drive traffic, they also improve search engine ranking.
- Reaching new audiences – You can also take blog posts and syndicate them. In other words you can allow other website owners to republish the content in return for a link back to your own blog. This is a superb way of reaching users who would never normally visit your website.
- Generating repeat traffic – If you are blogging regularly and allow users to subscribe either by email or RSS, it can be a great way of keeping users coming back. This keeps your brand in their minds and will increase the likelihood of them completing your calls to action.
- Gaining customer feedback – Blogs are not just a broadcast tool. They are also an excellent way of gathering user feedback through commenting. You can use this to improve your website and offering.
So if corporate blogs are so effective, why do so many fail? The answer is unbelievably simple.
Why do corporate blogs fail?
Corporate blogs mainly fail for a single reason… the organisations stop posting. It is that simple.
The question now becomes, "why do they stop posting?" The answer to this is equally simple – blogging is hard work.
Many corporate bloggers start off enthusiastically in the hopes of instant returns. However, as I say in "The 10 Harsh Truths of Corporate Blogging"…
Building a readership is a long term commitment. It can take months for users to recognise your blog as a consistent source of useful information. Only then will they start visiting it regularly and recommending it to others.
It doesn't just take time, it also takes commitment. That means posting regularly and to a schedule. Users are more likely to visit your blog if they know you release a post on a certain day each week.
The biggest problem however is not the long term commitment or time, it's consistently coming up with content.
Most blogger start off well but when they do not get support from others with their organisation they begin to falter. They simply do not know enough about their organisation to blog without contributions from others. The problem is that everybody else is too busy with their own responsibilities to write for the blog.
The result is that either the blog dies completely or becomes a graveyard for press releases that nobody cares about.
How then do you keep coming up with content to feed your corporate blog over the long term?
How to keep feeding the animal
Believe it or not, if you have the right mindset it isn't difficult to come up with ideas for posts on a regular basis. It is simply a matter of remembering three principles:
Not all posts need to be long
There is no statutory length on blog posts. In fact it could be argued that longer posts such as this one are less effective because they require greater commitment from the reader.
Do not be afraid to write shorter posts. In fact one of the most successful blogs in the tech sector (Daring Fireball) often consists of only a couple of paragraphs.
If you are busy, write a shorter post. If you have time, write something more in-depth. It is better to write shorter posts more consistently than sporadically writing longer ones.
Keep a list of post ideas
In my post "5 Lists Every Website Owner Should Keep" I wrote…
Blog ideas occur to me all the time. When I am reading a book, watching TV or even in the shower. Rarely am I able to sit down and write a post there and then. That is why I keep a list of blog ideas. I know by the time I come to write something, all of those great ideas will have been forgotten.
By keeping a list of post ideas you avoid panic when the deadline for posting looms. When faced with an empty post your mind often goes blank. Having an existing list of ideas avoids this.
Vary the type of post
Finally, remember that there are lots of different types of blog posts. It is easy to get stuck into one type of blogging and that can seriously limit potential subject matter. Below are just some of the types of blog posts I regularly write…
- Questions – Asking your audience a question is a great way to encourage engagement. It also significantly reduces your workload because it is the commenters who write the post! You can even write a followup post that highlight the best responses you received.
- Interviews – Although it can often be hard to encourage others within your organisation to blog, it is easier to get them to agree to an interview. You can either interview them about their area of expertise or do a profile piece on them as an individual. There is also no reason you cannot interview experts from outside your own organisation too. Finally, if you are pushed for time why not record the interview as audio or video? This will save a lot of time writing up your post and also helps to vary the users experience.
- Case studies – A blog is also an excellent place to post case studies of work your organisation has done. However, be careful to ensure these are not self congratulatory. The emphasis of such posts should be on identifying problems that the reader can associate with and demonstrating how they can be overcome through an example. The focus should always be on the reader and not on your organisation.
- Multimedia Posts – I have already mentioned how video and audio can be used for interviews. However, this is just the tip of the iceberg. Audio and video combined with photography can be a great way of communicating information, whether it is giving a tour of your facilities or a way of capturing an event you are running.
- Events – If you do run events these are excellent sources of blog material. Whether you are running conferences, workshops or supplier days there is always something to blog about. If you have speakers, try recording their talks as this makes excellent blog material.
- Commentary – Another source of inspiration and a way to produce a post quickly, is to respond to what others have written on the web. These commentary pieces tend to short and yet users like them because it highlights other online content they maybe interested in.
- News – Typically corporate news tends to be inward looking, focusing on news from within the company. As with case studies this can be very self congratulatory and so should be limited. However, you can also post sector specific news that would be of interest to your readers. It is also an excellent way of encouraging repeat traffic because you become seen as the definitive news sources for developments in your sector.
- Reviews – One easy source of ideas is to review the work of others. Posting reviews of books, software or services is useful to users and often attracts the interest of those being reviewed. It can be a great way of making new contacts and spreading the reputation of your organisation.
- Hints and tips – Short pieces of advice are great filler posts and easily digestible by readers. They also establish your organisation as an expert with advice to share. This increasing your credibility.
- Tutorials – Tutorials guide the user through a series of steps to complete a specific goal. Although tutorials have traditionally been used for learning software, they can also be used to help reader complete real world tasks like build a wall or replace a tire. Tutorials often combine imagery and text, although video is becoming increasingly popular. Whatever their form, tutorials always seem popular with users.
- Lists – Users also enjoy top 10 lists. For example '10 ways to improve your blogging.' The main reason for this popularity is that they are easy to digest. A user can glance at the headlines without reading the post in detail. As a blogger, lists are easy to write because they have no complex structure and points do not need to lead from one to another.
- Resources – Posts that highlight useful resources is both popular and easy to write. You can highlight interesting articles on your own blog as well as elsewhere on the web. You can also point out books, white papers or other types of resources which maybe of interest.
- Predictions – People are always interested in what the future holds for their sector. Predication post are therefore always popular especially around new year. Although there are risks associated with getting it wrong, these posts do make your organisation appear visionary and progressive in its thinking.
- Debates – Every sector has issues that divide opinion. Although your organisation should expresses its opinion on its blog, it can also provide an opportunity to put forward different viewpoints. Debate posts will take an issue and outline the various points of view. It then opens the discussion to readers who post in the comments. These types of posts always attract a lot of interest and responses.
The secret of successful company blogging
So the secret of successful company blogging is simple. Don't give up when you run out of ideas. Instead try changing your approach to blogging and don't be afraid to keep your posts short (unlike this one!).
Finally, avoid the situation entirely by keeping a list of blog ideas that you can call upon when inspiration run dries.
Ultimately successful corporate blogging is about perseverance.
This post is brought to you by Shopify. Shopify is an ecommerce solutions made by designers, for designers. For more information visit shopify.com/boagworld.


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News and information was tightly controlled in Equatorial Guinea, which CPJ identified as one of the world's most censored nations. Nearly all news media were owned and run by the government or its allies. One independently owned newspaper circulated in the country, but it had to practice self-censorship; no independent broadcasters operated domestically. Even in this rigid environment, authorities fearful of the implications of Arab unrest censored news coverage of the protests. President Teodoro Obiang continued efforts to alter his international image, assuming presidency of the African Union and reviving his effort to establish an "Obiang Prize" in life sciences under the auspices of UNESCO. For the second time, UNESCO suspended consideration of the prize after a global campaign by human rights and freedom of expression groups. As he marked his 32 years in power, Obiang declared there were "no" human rights violations in his country. But his administration suspended a state radio presenter for a mere reference to a "leader of the Libyan revolution." Authorities also urged the owners of television sets in public places not to show international satellite channels covering the Arab unrest, according to local journalists. Security agents detained a German TV crew and deleted footage of an interview with an opposition leader and pictures of children playing in slums.
The government banned news of Arab unrest on tightly monitored national airwaves and on television sets in public places, according to local journalists. CPJ has ranked Equatorial Guinea as the fourth most censored nation in the world.
CPJ documented at least 10 cases in which authorities arrested, censored, or obstructed journalists. Officials were particularly sensitive to coverage of poverty, obstructing at least three journalists who tried to document the issue.
Breakdown of attacks in 2011:
4: Arrests
4: Cases of censorship
1: Case of obstruction
1: Case of retaliatory harassment
The government paid three Washington-based public relations firms a total of US$1,192,329.50 between April and October 2010 to produce positive news about Equatorial Guinea, according to a report by the U.S. Department of Justice.
All television and radio were directly run by the government or controlled through its allies, CPJ research shows.
A dearth of independent news sources:
1: Independent newspaper
0: Independent television
0: Independent radio
1: Correspondent for international media
Drawing on his considerable wealth, Obiang tried to establish a self-named prize in life sciences under the auspices of UNESCO. The international agency postponed consideration of the proposal after human rights groups said Obiang's poor record contradicted UNESCO's values.
A prize not to be:
2008: Obiang offered UNESCO US$3 million for a self-named International Prize for Research in the Life Sciences.
May 2010: Thirty freedom of expression organizations expressed opposition. A month later, laureates of the UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize joined in opposition.
October 2010: UNESCO indefinitely suspended the prize pending "consultations among all parties."
July 2011: At a summit in Equatorial Guinea, African Union heads of state passed a resolution urging UNESCO to reverse its decision.
September 2011: Republic of Congo and Ivory Coast requested that UNESCO's executive board adopt the prize immediately.
October 2011: UNESCO deferred action on the prize, and set up a working group to continue consultations.