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Sgt. Bradley Robak (Damien A. Maruscak) returns home from active duty after a mysterious accident leaves him paralyzed and wheelchair bound. Awaiting his return, his mother, Karmen (Camille Keaton) and younger sister, Ashley (Jade Risser) remain unaware of the details of the accident and severity of Brad's condition. Once he arrives, though he looks sickly, his family members are so pleased to see him alive that they don't bring attention to his ill appearance. Over the next twenty-six hours Brad's condition terribly worsens, barreling down to a gruesome conclusion that will change the family forever.
The latest from the sick minds of the twisted creators at ToeTag Pictures comes a new thriller that might surprise a few fans with some pretty deep down home drama. Now, that's not to say they don't have a few surprises in store but we'll get to that later.
The new films features the veteran talents of Camille Keaton playing Karmen the mother of 3 older children who despite a few issues are a pretty close bunch. Sella Turcica centers around the returning war hero Sgt. Bradley Robak (Damien A. Maruscak) who is back home on medical leave after a pretty steady stint with the military. His return is not without problems, as he resurfaces in a wheelchair due to the loss of feeling in his legs. Though that isn't the worst of it. He in fact is so pale and yellow skinned that you would otherwise assume a zombie of sorts. His medical condition is a bit of a mystery as he continues to grow worst thru the progression of the movie. Brad, is welcomed by a caring family who take every measure to support his return and personal care needed. His siblings include his beloved baby sister Ashley and his tattoo owner punk stylish brother Bruce. Though it doesn't help matters a rather annoying black rap artist kid named Gavin is always poking his head around the families affairs including dating Brad's kid sister Ashley. From moment 1, it's apparent that Gavin is better left to eventually being a victim than a reoccurring face in the Robak family.
Brad is having his own issues. While he tries to deal with his return, his lack of leg use and his sister's annoying boyfriend…he has bigger problems. His medical condition stems from a war incident that he has no recollection of. Though he begins to bleed black oily good from his ears with other parts of him slowly deteriorating.
A rash of severe headaches and some war stories that mostly go unfinished suggest that something more sinister and troubling is going on within that is eventually going to rear its ugly head.
Now, your first thought might be what is the title suggesting or mean anyway? I didn't know myself, but that's what wikipedia is for. Which is described as: "The sella turcica (literally Turkish saddle) is a saddle-shaped depression in the sphenoid bone at the base of the human skull." Beyond that I'm not even sure the title really relates to the film, however there are some transforming elements within Brad that are brooding below.
As far as Toetag films go, this smart -get under your skin horror film is perhaps one of the more mature releases from the bunch. Credits go to Don Moore, Fred Vogel and Shelby Vogel for an engaging script. There is alot of dialog and alot room for dramatic acting in this production, so hats off to director Fred Vogel for really creating a solid evolving piece of work. The usual crew is on hand of which the star performer FX wizard Jerami Cruise creates some great finale FX work that will surely satisfy the horror clans. Special mention also goes to composer Mike Hammer, who really suits the mood with some appropriately strong music undertones laying the dramatic tone needed for the film.
The movie itself revisits the idea of other filmmakers who take the paranoia of war and intentions to the next level of experimentation gone wrong. Even with the dramatic tones of Sella Turcica, it has a purpose that ends in bloody extreme violence. Which on the subject of, should really reward the acting performance of Damien A. Maruscak who plays Brad. Maruscak is able to chime in and out of reality with a talent that makes the film. When he finds a more literal transformation, his muscle control and movements would even make the cast of "The Ring" proud. Veteran Camille Keaton has proved she is an acting talent that has come a long way and will continue to prove iconic roles in films for years to come. The build up in FX work and acting transformation is quality stuff. All of this contributes to Sella Turcica as a must see film with powerful performances and a tasty horror presentation. ToeTag is definitely a horror force to be reckoned with.
Sella Turcica (2010)


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Baseball for Dummies (Paperback)
Play, watch, and understand America's favorite pastime
Baseball continues to be a popular game both as a spectator sport and as a pastime. Since the publication of Baseball For Dummies, 3rd Edition, baseball teams have changed, new MLB stadiums have been built, and rules have been updated. This updated 4th Edition brings you the latest information on the players, the places, and above all, the game.
Baseball For Dummies is for baseball fans at all levels, from players and coaches to spectators who love the game. Baseball Hall of Fame player Joe Morgan explains baseball with remarkable insight, using down-to-earth language so everyone from the casual observer to the die-hard fan can gain a fuller appreciation of the sport.
- Improve your hitting, pitching, and fielding
- Find a baseball team to play on, from Little League on up
- Evaluate stats, players, and records
- Coach baseball or umpire effectively
- Get more out of a trip to the ballpark
- The latest on baseball stats and sabermetrics
Complete with Morgan's personal lists of top-ten toughest pitchers, smartest players, and most strategic managers, Baseball For Dummies gives you all the inside tips, facts, and stats so you can have Major League fun
About the Author
Joe Morgan played on two Cincinnati Reds World Series championship teams and was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1990. Richard Lally has written numerous popular books on baseball and other subjects, including Bombers: An Oral History of the New York Yankees and Have Glove, Will Travel (which he co-authored with for Major League pitcher Bill Lee).

subset: commoncrawl


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Efforts to rid the U.S. cow population of tuberculosis have been underway since 1917, when scientists developed the first accurate early detection test. After nearly a century of increasingly more diligent scrutiny and culling programs, total eradication remains elusive.
Six new infected animals have been identified in recent months by animal health officials in Colorado and Kentucky – a seemingly inconsequential number, but an extremely serious reminder that more work remains to be done.
In late May, a Pennsylvania slaughter plant identified a single beef cow as being infected. A subsequent test of its entire herd in northern Kentucky found one additional positive animal. Both were slaughtered and neither entered the human food supply. Kentucky has been certified TB-free by the U.S. Department of Agriculture since 1987. It will remain so as long as another TB-infected animal is not found during the next six months.
In late June, a dairy cow in southern Colorado was identified when she went to slaughter. Subsequent testing of her entire 500-cow herd found three more positive animals. All were slaughtered and none of the meat entered the human food supply. All milk that is sold commercially is pasteurized, which kills the TB bacteria.
Eradication of infected animals and pasteurization of milk are two of the key steps taken by state and federal health officials to protect human health from tuberculosis. Prior to their adoption, TB ranked as one of the leading causes of death in the U.S.
As of July 1 a total of 46 states were certified TB-free. The only exceptions were California, Michigan, Minnesota, and New Mexico. TB is naturally present in deer, elk, bison and other wild animal populations, and is perhaps the biggest obstacle to its total eradication.


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Friday, March 17, 2023
The Atlantic County Office of Emergency Preparedness has issued a Code Blue Alert in accordance with New Jersey regulations that will be in effect on Sunday, March 19 to Monday, March 20.
A Code Blue Alert is required to be issued within 24 to 48 hours of weather conditions that may meet the following criteria based upon National Weather Service forecasts:
Temperatures will reach 32 degrees Fahrenheit or lower with or without precipitation or wind-chill temperatures of 0 degrees or less for a period of two or more hours.
The Code Blue Alert is intended to assist municipalities with a documented population of at least 10 "at risk individuals" who may be living outdoors or in poorly insulated settings and are at risk for weather-related exposure and possible death.
Any resident who experiences a life-threatening emergency should call 9-1-1. Non-life threatening emergencies may be reported to your local municipal office of emergency management. Contact information for all offices is available online at: www.readyatlantic.org/mainpages/localems.asp
As warming centers are activated, they will be included on a statewide list available at nj211.org.


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EXCLUSIVE: Emily VanCamp Gets Nerdy in 'Norman'
Emily VanCamp and Cougar Town star Dan Byrd star in the touching Norman -- out on DVD tomorrow -- about a troubled high school kid pretending to be dying of cancer, who must confront problems with his terminally ill father and the recent death of his mother.
But despite the tragedy, Norman (Byrd) does start up a sweet romance with Emily Harris (VanCamp), who according to the Revenge star, has an interesting "nerdy" quality to her.
"She appears to be one of the popular girls in school, but she's actually in fact new," VanCamp says about her character Emily in this exclusive behind-the-scenes footage from the DVD. "She's sort of the pretty, all-American girl who has this very kind of nerdy, interesting, odd character about her so she sort of contradicts herself in that way."
And director Jonathan Segal is clearly enamored with her final performance.
"Emily VanCamp -- wow. She just has this enchanting quality that can't really be defined," he says. "She takes this girl-next-door, and elevates it to this sort of fairy tale quality that just has this magical feel to it, yet she makes the young woman feel like this person could exist."
Pics: 'Revenge' Cast Strikes a Pose
Watch the video to hear Segal's take on Byrd's powerful performance, as well as how music played such a big role in the film.


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|The White House
President George W. Bush
|Print this document
For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
November 1, 2004
President's Remarks in Albuquerque, New Mexico
Journal Pavilion
Albuquerque, New Mexico
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you all. (Applause.) Thank you all for coming. (Applause.) We're coming down the stretch, and there's no better place to come than Albuquerque, New Mexico. (Applause.) We are honored you've come out tonight. Thanks for being here. Laura and I are so thrilled that so many have come out to say hello. You're lifting our spirits. (Applause.) And we are here to ask for your vote, and to ask for your help. (Applause.)
Tomorrow is voting day, and I'm asking you to get your friends and neighbors to go to the polls. Turn out our fellow Republicans, wise independents, and discerning Democrats. (Applause.) And tell them, if they want a safer America and a stronger America and a better America, to put me and Dick Cheney back in office. (Applause.)
Perhaps the most important reason to put me back in is so that Laura will be First Lady for four more years. (Applause.) And there's no better way to come down the stretch with two women I love -- our twins, Barbara and Jenna. (Applause.)
I'm proud of my running mate, Dick Cheney. I readily concede he does not have the waviest hair in the race. (Laughter.) You all will be pleased I didn't pick him because of his hairdo. (Laughter.) I picked him because of his experience; I picked him because of his judgment. (Applause.)
I'm really proud of your Senator, Pete Domenici. What a fantastic man. (Applause.) He's as good as they come in public service. (Applause.) He does a fabulous job for New Mexico, and like me, he married well when he married Nancy. (Applause.)
I'm also proud to know a fantastic Congresswoman in Heather Wilson. (Applause.) I want to thank -- I want to thank Heather's husband, Jay, for joining us today. I can't tell you how important it is to send Heather Wilson back to the United States Congress. (Applause.)
It is such an honor to be here with Little Texas and Ricochet. Thank you all for playing. (Applause.) I want to thank my friend, Bob Martinez, of the New Mexico Fraternal Order of Police. I was so proud to get the endorsement of the FOP across this country. Thank you for coming, Bob. (Applause.)
I want to thank -- I want to thank Allen and John and Ken, and all the grassroots activists who are here. I want to thank you for putting up the signs. I want to thank you for making the phone calls. Con su apoyo vamos a ganar. Tomorrow, we're going to carry New Mexico. (Applause.)
AUDIENCE: Viva Bush! Viva Bush! Viva Bush!
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you. I feel so incredibly optimistic about the future of our country. I see a brighter and more hopeful day for every American. One of my favorite sayings comes from a fellow Texan named Tom Lea. He was from El Paso, right across the line, I might add. He said, "Sarah and I live on the east side of the mountain. It is the sunrise side, not the sunset side. It is the side to see the day that is coming, not to see the day that is gone." During the course of this campaign, my opponent has spent much of the time talking about the day that is gone. I'm talking about the day that's coming. (Applause.)
I see a great day coming for this country, a day where prosperity reaches every corner of America, a day when every child is able to read and write and add and subtract -- (applause) -- a day in which this world becomes more free and so we're able to achieve the peace we want for our children and our grandchildren. (Applause.) Tomorrow, the people of America have a chance to bring that better day by voting for strong, confident, optimistic leadership, by voting Bush-Cheney. (Applause.)
AUDIENCE: We want Bush! We want Bush! We want Bush!
THE PRESIDENT: The American President must lead with clarity and purpose. (Applause.) The role of a President is not to follow the path of the latest polls. The role of a President is to lead based upon principle and conviction and conscience. (Applause.) During these four years, I have learned that whatever your strengths are, you are going to need them; whatever your shortcomings are, the people are going to notice them. Sometimes, I am a little too blunt. I get that from my mother. (Applause.) Sometimes I mangle the English language. (Laughter.) I get that from my dad. (Applause.) But all times, whether you agree with me, or not, you know where I stand, what I believe. (Applause.)
This election comes down to five vital issues for our families. The first clear choice concerns your family's budget. When I ran for President four years ago, I pledged to lower taxes for America's families. I kept my word. (Applause.) As a result of our good policies, our economy is growing at rates as fast as any in nearly 20 years. We've added 1.9 million new jobs in the last 13 months. Our farmers and our ranchers are making a living. (Applause.)
The entrepreneurial spirit is strong in America. Small businesses are flourishing. Home ownership rates are at an all-time high. More minority families own a home than ever before in our nation's history. (Applause.) The national unemployment rate is 5.4 percent, which is lower than the average rate of the 1970s, the 1980s, and the 1990s. And the unemployment rate in New Mexico is 5.3 percent. This economy is strong and it is getting stronger. (Applause.)
My opponent has got plans for your family budget, and that's to take a big chunk out of it.
AUDIENCE: Booo!
THE PRESIDENT: He's been in the Senate for 20 years, and he's voted to raise taxes 98 times.
AUDIENCE: Booo!
THE PRESIDENT: That's five -- that's nearly five times every year he's been in the Senate. I would call that a predictable pattern. (Applause.) I'd call that a leading indicator. (Applause.) And when you couple that with the fact that he's promised to raise $2.2 trillion -- he said he's going to pay for it by raising the -- by taxing the rich. You can't raise enough money by running up the top two brackets to pay for $2.2 trillion. You raise about $600 billion to $800 billion. That's way short of what he has promised. I would call that a tax gap. (Laughter.) And given his record, guess who's going to have to fill that tax gap.
AUDIENCE: We are!
THE PRESIDENT: You are. The good news is, we're going to carry New Mexico tomorrow, and win. (Applause.)
The second clear choice in this elections involves the quality of life for our families. Every school must teach, and I believe every child can learn. I went to Washington to challenge the soft bigotry of low expectations and reform our public schools. I kept my word. (Applause.) We're raising standards. We're raising standards. Math and reading scores are on the rise. We're closing the achievement gap by helping minority children. In a new term, we'll build on these reforms and extend them to our high schools so that no child is left behind in America. (Applause.)
We will work to make sure our families have got good health care by making health care more affordable and available. We'll expand health savings accounts. We'll allow small businesses to join together so they can buy insurance at the same discounts that big companies are able to do. (Applause.) We will -- we will help our families in need and we will do something about these junk lawsuits that are running up the cost of health care and running good docs out of practice. (Applause.)
We have got a national problem when it comes to these lawsuits. I have met too many OB/GYNs during the course of this campaign who have had to quit practice because their premiums are too high as a result of lawsuits. I have met too many expectant moms who are desperately worried about whether they're not going to get the health care they need. See, you can't be pro-doctor, pro-patient and pro-personal injury trial lawyer at the same time. (Applause.) My opponent veto -- voted against medical liability reform ten times, and he put a personal injury trial lawyer on the ticket.
AUDIENCE: Booo!
THE PRESIDENT: I am standing with the patients of New Mexico and the doctors of New Mexico. I'm standing for medical liability reform now. (Applause.)
My opponent's got an idea about health care. You might remember one of the debates when he said that the government didn't have anything to do with his plan. I could barely contain myself. (Laughter.) The government has got a lot to do with it. Eight out of ten people end up on the federal plan under his vision, and that is the wrong prescription for American families. In all we do to reform health care, we will make sure the decisions are made by doctors and patients, not by officials in Washington, D.C. (Applause.)
The third clear choice in this election involves your retirement. We have made a solemn commitment to America's seniors on Social Security and Medicare. And when I ran for President four years ago, I promised to keep that commitment and improve Medicare by adding prescription drugs for our seniors, and I kept my word. (Applause.) Beginning in 2006, all seniors will be able to get prescription drug coverage under Medicare.
And I have kept the word on Social Security. I remember those campaigns when they said, if George W. gets elected, you're not going to get your checks. Well, I got elected, and our seniors got their checks. And they will continue to get their checks. (Applause.) But we need to do something about the youngsters. We need to do something about Social Security
-- reforming Social Security for our children and our grandchildren. (Applause.) That's why I'm for personal savings accounts. I believe younger workers ought to take some of their own payroll taxes and set up a personal savings account that will earn a better rate of return, a personal savings account they call their own, an account the government cannot take away. (Applause.)
The job of a President is to confront problems, not to pass them on to future generations and future Presidents. In a new term, I'll bring people together to make sure Social Security is sound and secure for generations to come. (Applause.)
The fourth clear choice in this election is on the values that are crucial to keeping our families strong. I stand for marriage and family, which are the foundations of our society. (Applause.) I stand for a culture of life in which every person matters and every being counts. I proudly signed the ban on partial birth abortions. (Applause.) And I stand for the appointment of federal judges who know the difference between personal opinion and the strict interpretation of the law. (Applause.)
My opponent has a different opinion. He was part of an extreme minority that voted against the Defense of Marriage Act that President Clinton signed into law. He voted against the ban on partial birth abortion.
AUDIENCE: Booo!
THE PRESIDENT: There is a mainstream in American politics, and John Kerry sits on the far left bank. (Applause.) He can run from his liberal record, but he cannot hide. (Applause.)
The final choice in this election is the most important of all because it concerns the security of your family. All progress on every other issue depends on the safety of our citizens. The most solemn duty of the American President is to protect the American people. (Applause.) If our country shows any uncertainty or weakness in this decade, the world will drift toward tragedy. This is not going to happen on my watch. (Applause.)
Our strategy is clear. We have strengthened protections for the homeland. We're reforming and strengthening our intelligence capabilities. We are transforming our military. There will be no draft. The all-volunteer army will remain an all-volunteer army. (Applause.) We are resolute, we are determined, we are staying on the offensive. We are fighting the terrorists abroad so we do not have to face them here at home. (Applause.)
And we are succeeding. Afghanistan is an ally in the war on terror. Pakistan and Saudi Arabia are making raids and capturing terrorist leaders. Libya is dismantling its weapons programs. The army of a free Iraq is defending freedom. Al Qaeda no longer has training camps in Afghanistan. We are systematically destroying the al Qaeda network across the world. (Applause.) More than three-quarters of al Qaeda's key members and associates have been brought to justice, and the rest of them know that we're on their trails. (Applause.)
And one reason we're succeeding is we've got a fantastic military. (Applause.) And I want to thank those who wear our nation's uniform for your service. (Applause.) And I thank -- I thank the military families who are here tonight, and thank you for your service to our country. (Applause.) And I thank the veterans who are here who have set such a great example for those who wear the uniform. (Applause.) And I want to assure you all, we'll keep our commitment I have made to our troops and their families they will have that which is necessary to complete their missions.
That's why I went to the United States Congress and asked for $87 billion in supplemental funding to support our troops in combat. It was an important piece of legislation. And we got widespread support. As a matter of fact, Senator Kerry, on national TV, at one time said, it would be irresponsible to vote against the funding for our troops. And then his poll numbers went down, and he did the irresponsible thing. He voted against the funding.
AUDIENCE: Booo!
THE PRESIDENT: And then -- and then he entered the flip-flop hall of fame. (Applause.) And as -- and as he entered the hall of fame, he said this: "I actually did vote for the $87 billion before I voted against it."
AUDIENCE: Booo!
THE PRESIDENT: I have spent a lot of time in New Mexico, and I've never heard a person talk that way. (Laughter.) He's given a lot of reasons why he voted the way he did, but the most telling of all was when he said, the whole thing was a complicated matter. (Laughter.) There's nothing complicated about supporting our troops in combat. (Applause.)
We have a difference of opinion when it comes to protecting the homeland. My opponent believes that America must submit to what he calls a global test before we commit troops.
AUDIENCE: Booo!
THE PRESIDENT: I'm not making that up. (Laughter.) He actually said that. I was standing pretty close to him when he did. (Laughter.) As far as I can tell, that global test means that America must get permission before we defend ourselves. Listen, I'll work with our allies. I will strengthen our alliances. But I will never turn over America's national security decisions to leaders of other countries. (Applause.)
Recently, my opponent said -- my opponent said that September the 11th did not change him much at all.
AUDIENCE: Booo!
THE PRESIDENT: September the 11th changed me and it changed my outlook on how to defend this country. I will never forget standing in the ruins of the Twin Towers on September the 14, 2001. There were workers in hard hats there yelling at me at the top of their lungs, "Whatever it takes." I remember the person that came out, been in the rubble, and he grabbed me by the arm, he looked me in the eye, and he said, "Do not let me down." Ever since that day, I wake up every morning trying to figure out how to better protect our country. I will never relent in defending America, whatever it takes. (Applause.)
THE PRESIDENT: During -- during the next four years, during the next four years, we'll wage a comprehensive strategy to defend our country, and we will use every asset at our disposal. And one of the most powerful assets we have is freedom. (Applause.) Free nations do not breed resentment. Free nations do not export terror. Free nations become allies in the war against terror. By spreading freedom, we help keep the peace. I believe -- I believe in the power of liberty to transform societies.
I want the younger folks here to realize what has taken place in a brief period of time. (Applause.) Think about what's taken place in the last three-and-a-half years of your life. Take Afghanistan. Afghanistan used to be the home base of al Qaeda, where they could train. Young girls could not go to school in that country because the Taliban were so backward and barbaric. And if their mothers did not toe their line of ideological hatred, they were taken into the public squares and whipped, and sometimes executed in a sports stadium. But because we acted to defend ourselves, because we acted to uphold a doctrine that I declared which said, if you harbor a terrorist, you are equally as guilty as the terrorist, millions of people in Afghanistan -- (applause) -- because we upheld that doctrine, millions of people in Afghanistan voted in a presidential election. And the first voter was a 19-year-old woman. (Applause.) Think about that. Freedom is on the march. And we're safer because of it.
Iraq is still dangerous. It is dangerous because that society is becoming more free and heading toward democracy. And think about how far that country has come since the days of a rule of a brutal tyrant who had torture chambers and mass graves, who used weapons of mass destruction on his own people. Freedom is on the march, and the world is better off for it.
I believe that everybody yearns to be free. I believe that mothers and dads want to raise their children in a free society. (Applause.) I believe all this not because freedom is America's gift to the world; freedom is the Almighty God's gift to each man and woman in this world. (Applause.)
These are historic times, and a lot is at stake in this election. The future safety and prosperity of America are on the ballot. The truth of the matter is this election ultimately comes down to who you can trust. Who can you trust to make this country secure? (Applause.) Who can you trust to make this society a more hopeful place? (Applause.)
If you believe that taxes should stay low so families can pay the bills and small businesses can continue to create jobs, I ask you to come stand with me. (Applause.) If you believe in high standards for public schools, I ask you to come stand with me. (Applause.) If you believe patients and doctors should be in charge of health care, I ask you, come stand with me. (Applause.) If you believe that this nation must honor the commitments of Medicare and strengthen Social Security for generations to come, I ask you to come stand with me. (Applause.) If you believe that this nation should honor marriage and family and make a place for the weak and the vulnerable, I ask you to come stand with me. (Applause.) If you believe America should fight the war on terror with all our might and lead with unwavering confidence in our ideals, I ask you to come stand with me. (Applause.)
If you are a Democrat who believes your party has turned too far to the left this year, I ask you to come stand with me. (Applause.) If you are a minority citizen and you believe in free enterprise and good schools and the enduring values of family and faith, and if you are tired of your vote being taken for granted, I ask you to come stand with me. (Applause.) And if you are a voter who believes that the President of the United States should say what he means and does what he says -- do what he says, and keeps his word, I ask you to come stand with me. (Applause.)
AUDIENCE: Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!
THE PRESIDENT: When I traveled your great state four years ago, I made this pledge, that if I got elected, I would uphold the honor and the dignity of the office to which I had been elected. With your help, with your hard work, we're going to win tomorrow and I will carry that honor and dignity for four more years. God bless, and thank you for coming. Thank you all. (Applause.)


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AAH #121 – Leaving Livonia
September 30th, 2011 at 10:16am
(Archived video after the jump below)
This week we talk UAW and all the other top automotive news of the week. Joe Szczesny from The Oakland Press, joins John McElroy and Autoextremist Peter De Lorenzo for a discussion about where negotiations will go with Ford and Chrysler. Watch this week's show for your weekly dose of unscripted, unapproved, unusually frank discussion on Autoline After Hours!
Thanks to our sponsors who make Autoline After Hours possible: Bridgestone, Chevrolet and Hyundai.
Subscribe to the free podcast version of Autoline After Hours:
Thanks to our partners and friends WardsAuto.com for embedding AAH!


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Wig Type Monofilament by Henry Margu
A monofilament top is a type of wig base made of fine mesh. Hair is individually knotted onto the mesh which gives the wearer the ability to style the hair in any direction. The light mesh is airy, comfortable, and nearly undetectable because it blends in with the wearer's own scalp. It looks like an actual skin part!
Search by Brand:Amore | Aspen | Belle Tress | Dream USA | EasiHair | Ellen Wille | Ellen Wille Hair Society | Envy | Estetica | Gabor | Henry Margu | HIM | Imagination | Jon Renau | Louis Ferre | Nalee | Noriko | Raquel Welch | Rene of Paris | Revolution | Toni Brattin | Tony of Beverly | Tressallure


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Paradise Lost: A Poem, in Twelve Books. The Author John Milton. Printed from the Text of Tonson's Correct Edition of 1711. A New Edition, with Notes and the Life of the Author, in Three Volumes, by Thomas Newton, ...
proprietors, 1795
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Common terms and phrases
action Adam ancient Angels appear arms beauty characters created critic dark death deep delight divine earth edition equal excellent eyes fable fair fall father fire force forms give glory grace greater hand happy hast hath head Heav'n Hell Homer honour hope Italy kind King language Latin learned less letter light lived look mean Milton mind morning nature never night notes observed once pain Paradise Lost particular pass persons poem poet pow'r Powers present printed proper published reader reason received reign rest rise round Satan says shape side sight sons soon Spirits stood sweet taste thee thence things thou thought throne tion verses whole wings write written
Popular passages
Page 139 - Of man's first disobedience, and the fruit Of that forbidden tree, whose mortal taste Brought death into the world, and all our woe, With loss of Eden, till one greater Man Restore us, and regain the blissful seat, Sing, heav'nly Muse...
Page 272 - Fairest of stars, last in the train of night, If better thou belong not to the dawn, Sure pledge of day, that crown'st the smiling morn With thy bright circlet, praise him in thy sphere, While day arises, that sweet hour of prime.
Page 146 - Created hugest that swim the ocean stream : Him haply slumbering on the Norway foam, The pilot of some small night-founder'd skiff Deeming some island, oft, as seamen tell, With fixed anchor in his scaly rind Moors by his side under the lee, while night Invests the sea, and wished morn delays...
Page 256 - Of human offspring, sole propriety In Paradise of all things common else. By thee adulterous lust was driven from men Among the bestial herds to range, by thee Founded in reason, loyal, just, and pure, Relations dear, and all the charities Of father, son, and brother first were known.
Page 140 - Muse, that on the secret top Of Oreb, or of Sinai, didst inspire That Shepherd, who first taught the chosen Seed, In the Beginning how the...
Page 253 - But neither breath of morn, when she ascends With charm of earliest birds; nor rising sun On this delightful land; nor herb, fruit, flower, Glistering with dew; nor fragrance after showers; Nor grateful evening mild; nor silent night, With this her solemn bird, nor walk by moon, Or glittering starlight, without thee is sweet But wherefore all night long shine these?
Page 188 - Rocks, caves, lakes, fens, bogs, dens, and shades of death, A universe of death ; which God by curse Created evil, for evil only good ; Where all life dies, death lives, and nature breeds, Perverse, all monstrous, all prodigious things, Abominable, inutterable, and worse Than fables yet have feigned, or fear conceived, Gorgons, and hydras, and chimeras dire.
Page 170 - The way seems difficult and steep to scale With upright wing against a higher foe. Let such bethink them, if the sleepy drench Of that forgetful lake benumb not still, That in our proper motion we ascend Up to our native seat : descent and fall To us is adverse.
Page 165 - Indian mount, or fairy elves, Whose midnight revels, by a forest side, Or fountain, some belated peasant sees, Or dreams he sees, while overhead the moon Sits arbitress, and nearer to the earth Wheels her pale course ; they, on their mirth and dance Intent, with jocund music charm his ear ; At once with joy and fear his heart rebounds.
Page 190 - The other shape, If shape it might be call'd that shape had none Distinguishable in member, joint, or limb ; Or substance might be call'd that shadow seem'd, For each seem'd either: black it stood as night, Fierce as ten furies, terrible as Hell, And shook a dreadful dart ; what seem'd his head The likeness of a kingly crown had on.


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ECTS was developed by the EU Commission for Education in order to provide common procedures to guarantee academic recognition of studies abroad.
(Basic information: history, location, students, address, coordinator,...)
The students incoming from the EU countries do not need visa!
All incoming students must hold health insurance. The Czech Republic normally recognises health insurance valid within the EU. Nevertheless, you should check with your insurance office whether this is the case with your particular health insurance. You should also take out additional insurance covering hospital care, if necessary. If you are not a member of EU country, you have to pay all emergency fees in advance. Ask your insurance company for additional information. There are no vaccination requirements.
EU citizens can bring any goods which are for their own use. The only limitation is with tabaco and alcohol. You can bring 800 cigarettes, 400 short cigars, 200 cigars and 1kg of filler and also 10 litres of spirits, 90 litres of wine, 110 litres of beer.
Non EU citizen can bring goods of value only up to EUR 175, 200 cigarettes, 100 short cigars, 50 cigars, 250g of filler, 1 litre of spirit, 2 litres of wine, 50g of parfume. You can import or export unlimited amounts of Czech and foreign currency.
Slezská univerzita v Opavě
Na Rybníčku 626/1
746 01 Opava
|+420 553 684 111
Ústřední podatelna univerzity
Bezručovo nám. 885/14
746 01 Opava
|Webové stránky podatelny


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Canada Senior Women's Basketball
At the end of June 2013, Canada Basketball announced they would be moving the national women's team to Edmonton. This puts the national focus of the sport on our city. It will mean more competitions for fans, and more elite sport development and mentorship for our young players.Read More


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NEW YORK, NY – Oliver Stone premiered his new film about Hugo Chavez this weekend, with Chavez as his date. On his program, Glenn Beck exposed the Leftist Hollywood Conspiracy at work.
Beck took the time to decipher the clues of the Hollywood conspiracy to turn America into a socialist regime. Glenn analyzed photos of Oliver Stone with Chavez on his arm. The two arrived in an armored gondola that Beck noticed flied its flags on the left hand side. Citing numerous seemingly innocuous details Beck wrote them down on a board, showing that if you took the third letter from each word it spelled out "Leftist Despooh," which we can safely assume is the same as a Leftist Despot.
He went on to go over the reception of the crowd. "What I don't understand" Beck said "is that if these people love freedom, why did they put up with this. If all these Italians, and foreigners, and Hollywood Elite, really loved freedom, I mean LOVED freedom, why did they allow a Dictator to show up?" According to Beck the movie received a standing ovation from the entire crowd. "Now I'm not saying that the people who saw this movie are planning a Communist Revolution, but until they prove otherwise we have to assume they are."
He played an audio clip of applause after the film and slowed it down digitally until it clearly said "Down with Capitalism!" Beck went on assure viewers he had personally removed all speakers in and within one square mile of his studio in case of any Leftist subliminal messages being broadcast. "We will now have a logo at the bottom of our screen that says we are 110% free of Socialist subliminal messages. Don't trust any program, that doesn't carry that logo."
Beck concluded his program saying through tears "It couldn't be more clear America. Hollywood has joined with Hugo Chavez and together they wish to bring down everything we love about America. For the sake of your Children, for the sake of America, don't watch any programming that doesn't have the 110% Socialist Message Free logo. Because if Hollywood has their way, we'll all be living under this: a Leftist Despooh. Goodnight America."
NEW YORK, NY – Oliver Stone premiered his new film about Hugo Chavez this weekend, with Chavez as his date. On his program, Glenn Beck exposed the Leftist Hollywood Conspiracy at work.


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This the same photo I used to start the last Postscripts article back in April. That time, it was followed by a cropped copy of just the face. This time, it will be followed by three other Cat Elvis T-shirts that have been offered recently.
I'm not crazy about this one. What makes them think fans want a T-shirt with a cat/Elvis face on his US Army profile photo? I also don't like the name – Elvis Purrsley – but at least it's better than the first one – Meowvis Pawsley.
I don't like this one at all.
Please, please… No more cat/Elvis T-shirts.
Back in 2010 I did a 50th anniversary look at Flaming Star. It featured these pictures of Elvis and Barbara Eden looking pretty chummy. However, as I pointed out then, she was actually the wife of Elvis' character's brother, played by Steve Forrest.
A few more Elvis and Barbara Eden photos have showed up.
Elvis never got this intimate with his sister-in-law in the film, but it is certainly a good movie promo picture of two beautiful people.
Another photo taken at this session was the inspiration for this famous Andy Warhol silkscreen.
For more on this Warhol artwork, check out this ElvisBlog post from 2010.
I've shown many variations on Elvis' famous pose in Jailhouse Rock, the most recent in 2012. Many of them are very creative, but here's one in 3D:
Here we have Elvis in fireman gear, hose in hand, balanced on the top of a fire truck. Where do people get their inspirations for this stuff?
Over the years, ElvisBlog has shown the work of artists and Photoshop jockeys that put US presidents in Elvis jumpsuits. Look what I just found.
Does anyone know if there is an Elvis connection to the Flamingo Café?
Once I had found an image of Joe Biden in a jumpsuit, I Googled all the other major Democratic presidential candidates to see if anybody had done them. The only thing I could find is this.
As I've written before, someone once said Al Gore was a minus zero on the Elvis Scale. I wonder what they would say about Bernie Sanders?
This is a really amateurish job of inserting Elvis into a photo of the Beatles crossing Abbey Road. I recently read an article on the 50th anniversary of the album, and it said a total of six shots were taken. This is one of the rejects with the Beetles going in the opposite direction from the one we know. Here's a different rejected photo with a slightly better Elvis insertion.
It looks like Elvis has a spear pushing against Paul's neck, but it just the sidewalk curb.
I guess the Photoshop guys can't mess with the famous album cover photo without running into copyright problems. They won't get into any trouble with this:
There are many images around pairing up Elvis, Marilyn Monroe, James Dean, and Humphrey Bogart, but this is different.
The tag on this one said, "Beatles in Elvis Jumpsuits on Abbey Road." I don't think Elvis would have been caught dead in three of them, especially Ringo's.
Just a few weeks ago, I posted these three photos of Elvis looking like a college student on campus. Here's a new one:
This is a montage of Elvis doing his performance while on stage floors. It was taken from a post in 2017.
Here's a new one.
I've been collecting Elvis photos for 15 years, and I never saw this one before last week. I love it. Doesn't he looks like an animal on the prowl? Elvis was just so cool.
© 2019 Philip R Arnold, Original Elvis Blogmeister All Rights Reserved www.ElvisBlog.net
Elvis, Elvis Presley, and Graceland are registered trademarks of Elvis Presley Enterprises, Inc.


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As more Millennials assume leadership positions around the world, organizations are becoming increasingly concerned with how to ensure their success. However, most existing research on those born between the early '80s and late '90s is skewed toward understanding what a narrow, typically Western, population wants. Conclusions based on such a limited sample could lead to bad decisions (and missed opportunities) around attracting, retaining, and developing millennial leaders in a global business environment.
To broaden our understanding of what Millennials want at work, INSEAD's Emerging Markets Institute, Universum, and the HEAD Foundation conducted the first of what will become an annual survey of Millennials — and the largest study of its kind. We surveyed 16,637 people between 18 and 30 years old, in 43 countries across Asia, Africa, Europe, Latin America, the Middle East, and North America. The data was collected from May to August 2014, and the results are presented in "Millennials: Understanding a Misunderstood Generation."
While the data have limitations (for example, random sampling could not be used and some regions/countries had more responses than others), the size of the sample and its global reach allowed for clear patterns to emerge. When asked about the desire to become leaders, the importance of work-life balance, and the expectations around retirement, we found that some common assumptions rang true, while others did not. But perhaps most importantly, we found that almost all views varied considerably by culture.
Millennials are interested in becoming leaders — for different reasons. On average, 40% of respondents claimed that becoming a manager/leader was "very important." This ranged from 8% in Japan to 63% in India. And the reasons (money, opportunities to coach, building career foundations, etc.) also varied across cultures.
High future earnings stood out as the most dominant theme globally, yet the range was quite wide. Half of respondents from Central/Eastern Europe chose high future earnings as a reason to pursue leadership, while only 17% of Africans did. African Millennials seemed to care most about gaining opportunities to coach and mentor others (46%), a response that didn't resonate as much in other regions — less than a quarter chose it in Asia-Pacific (APAC) countries, Central/Eastern Europe, and the Middle East. We also found that the opportunity to influence an organization was chosen by nearly half of those in Central/Eastern Europe and North America, but by only about a quarter of those in APAC countries and the Middle East. Companies should consider these findings when structuring incentives and leadership development programs.
What Millennials wanted to see in a leader varied even more. For example, in North America, Western Europe, and Africa, at least 40% of respondents said they wanted managers who "empower their employees." Yet only about 12% of Millennials in Central/Eastern Europe and the Middle East chose that quality. We can only speculate about the reasons, but the diverging preferences may be associated with a lingering imprint of the autocratic governance structures that were very much the norm in Central/Eastern Europe until not long ago, and are still in place in many parts of the Middle East.
Instead, 58% of respondents from Central/Eastern Europe believed that technical or functional expertise in a manager was important (in other regions, only a third or fewer respondents agreed). In the APAC countries and the Middle East, however, no single response drew more than one third of respondents.
Work-life balance doesn't mean the same thing to all. Millennials strive for work-life balance, but this tends to mean work-me balance, not work-family balance. They want time for themselves and space for their own self-expression. Overall, the dominant definition was "enough leisure time for my private life" (57%), followed by "flexible work hours" (45%) and "recognition and respect for employees" (45%).
Which responses or regions were outliers? In both Central/Eastern and Western Europe, "overtime compensation" scored relatively highly (52% and 45% respectively), indicating greater interest in regulated labor issues. In North America, 59% chose "flexible work hours," perhaps indicating a stronger preference for autonomy. On the other hand, North American millennials do not seem averse to working long hours if it speeds up career progress — 42% found this proposition interesting. It was the same in Latin America, and it was 51% in Africa. However, nearly half of respondents in every region said they would give up a well-paid and prestigious job to gain better work-life balance. Central/Eastern Europe was the exception, as 42% said they would not.
Most Asian millennials defined work-life balance as having enough time set aside for their private lives, but this average hides differing country-by-country attitudes. In Singapore, 76% defined work-life balance as having leisure time to spend privately, while in Thailand, only 29% did. In India, 42% defined it as "flexible working conditions," while in Vietnam, 76% saw it as "offering external activities (e.g. sports, cultural events)." Many Asian Millennials also seem to stress the importance of social ties more than their Western counterparts. For example, they rely more on support from friends and family.
That said, some attitudes were similar across the world. For example, spending time with family ranked among the highest of priorities in every region we surveyed. And perhaps surprisingly, we found that working for the betterment of society was not a priority for a majority of Millennials anywhere.
The "fear of not being able to retire" isn't as widespread as it's made out to be. The data show that this notion, often written about in the West, is not generally supported. Notably, in the Asia-Pacific, 58% of Millennials expected to retire by age 60 (in China, it was higher). And Central/Eastern European Millennials predicted the oldest retirement ages, with more than 27% expecting to retire at or after the age of 70.
We must be careful not to imply more than the data tells us. For example, it would not be fair to assume Millennials in regions with higher than average expected retirement ages (Europe and North America) are less confident about their financial future. Those findings could simply show a higher degree of confidence about future health. What we probably can assume is that Millennials in regions with lower projected retirement ages (APAC) feel more confident about their financial ability to do so. We also found that Millennials in Central/Eastern Europe, Africa, Asia, and Latin America most widely believed that they'd enjoy a higher living standard than their parents.
Generally, Asian Millennials are positive about their prospects for a secure financial future – with the possible exception of Australia. This outlook seems to correlate with the economic growth the region has experienced in their lifetimes. But while they do not necessarily fear retirement, they do they fear getting stuck in a job that they do not like and that is not challenging.
When we asked about work-related fears, we found that the top three were getting stuck with no development opportunities, not being able to realize their career goals, and not finding a job that matches their personality. Certain regions had "outlier fears," or responses that were significantly different from those in other parts of the world. For example, in Africa, more Millennials (22%) worried that they wouldn't get the chances they deserved because of their ethnic background. This differed from the average across other regions (12% in North America, 2% in Latin America, and 1% in Central/Eastern Europe). These regions noted other big fears. In North America, it was: "I will work too much." While in Latin America, it was: "I will underperform;" and in Central/Eastern Europe, it was: "I won't be valuable to the organization."
To attract, retain, and develop Millennial leaders, companies and managers need to take these regional differences into consideration. What matters to a Brazilian Millennial might differ from what matters to a Singaporean Millennial, which differs from what matters to an American Millennial. But while it's important to understand what's valued in a particular culture, it's also necessary to remember that people vary greatly within cultures. If there is one thing we know about Millennials globally, it is that they want to be seen as individuals.


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General views
San Antonio, TX - SABCS 2015 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium - General views of attendees here today, Friday December 11, 2015. during the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium being held at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center in San Antonio, TX. Over 7,500 physicians, researchers, patient advocates and healthcare professionals from over 90 countries attended the meeting which features the latest research on breast cancer treatment and prevention. Photo by © MedMeetingImages/Todd Buchanan 2015 Technical Questions: email@example.com
General views of attendees SABCS 2015


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Grilled Pear and Mizuna Salad with Pear Brandy Dressing
Northern Michigan Recipes: The Intentional Minimalist blogger Kristin Celeste Shroeger never disappoints with her wholesome and downright delicious meals! This minimalist farm-to-table recipe is created with local fresh produce paired with homemade infused oils, dressings, marinades, pestos and sauces. By eating seasonally, we reap the benefits of good health through nutrition from fresh, unprocessed and sustainable produce.
Look for more of Kristin's fresh and tasty recipes on her blog The Intentional Minimalist!
- Homemade lemon infused olive oil (recipe link)
- Farm fresh local pear
- Farm fresh local baby red onion
- Farm fresh local bacon
- Farm fresh local mizuna
- Farm fresh local chives
- Local fromange blanc
- Local pear brandy
- Local maple syrup
- Sea salt
- Ground pepper
Heat metal grill pan over medium heat with one tablespoon lemon infused olive oil. Per salad, slice one pear into three sections, place in grill pan and grill for one-two minutes. Reserve grilled pears. Slice one baby red onion per salad and add to the grill pan with two slices per salad of bacon. Cook the bacon and red onion for a few minutes in the left over lemon oil from the pears. Reserve bacon and red onion rings. Add one tablespoon lemon infused olive oil, one tablespoon pear brandy and one tablespoon maple syrup to pan and stir over low heat for one minute. Mince one teaspoon chives per salad. Remove stems from mizauna leaves and plate two cups mizuna per salad. Plate pears on salad with red onion rings. Cut bacon stips in half and place one teaspoon fromange blanc on the end of bacon. Roll bacon up and place on salad (repeat with four bacon wraps per salad). Sprinkle salad with minced chives, drizzle a few teaspoons warm pear brandy dressing and season with sea salt and ground pepper.


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Syria's revolutionary resilience
examines the latest developments for the Syrian revolution.
AUGUST WAS the deadliest month yet for the Syrian Revolution, with more than 1,600 deaths just in the final week of the month. In Daraya, a suburb of Damascus known for its commitment to nonviolence, government forces massacred 400 people, prompting an international outcry.
But regime apologists continued their shameful practice of parroting the lies of the Syrian government. Casting doubt on the revolutionaries' description of events, some reporters, including seasoned correspondent Robert Fisk, wrongfully blamed the Free Syrian Army for the killing in Daraya. This follows the Houla massacre earlier this year, when rebel forces were accused of murdering more than 100 people, mostly women and children. It has since been confirmed that the Houla massacre was the work of the regime.
Yet this has not stopped the Syrian people from moving forward in their fight against the decades-old Assad dictatorship. The Syrian Revolution, an integral part of the Arab revolutions sweeping the region, hasn't been defeated despite the enormous local, regional, and international forces arrayed against it.
FOR ALL the talk about foreign flow of weapons and support for the revolutionaries, nothing of any substance has made it to the fighters in Syria. Most arms are acquired on the black market and smuggled into Syria with no official backing.
The regional conditions are not favorable to an increase in quantity and quality of state-supplied weapons, which would require operations in neighboring countries. Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan and Iraq cannot host such operations without risking their own internal destabilization and getting dragged into a regional war. As a result, only light weapons are making their way into Syria.
As for direct intervention by the U.S., Syrian Marxist Salamah Kailah explained that the Syrian revolution is happening in a new world. This is not the 1990s after the collapse of the Soviet Union, which left the U.S. as the greatest hegemonic world power. It is not pre-2008, when the U.S. adopted former Defense Secretary Rumsfeld's theory of a revolution in military affairs, "which emphasized America's ability to wage two big wars and several smaller wars at the same time."
The U.S. is in a period of deep structural economic crisis, Kailah wrote, which has led to a "significant decrease in the Department of Defense budget, and in the number of American forces, including the Marines." The U.S. "can only wage one war (and it is now stuck in Afghanistan)." Therefore, Washington will not intervene militarily at this moment because it is not prepared to deal with a potential regional war.
Western powers have furthermore declared that they will not provide arms to the revolutionaries. Whatever little is trickling in is mostly logistical and non-lethal support to select groups, and even the extent of that aid is disputed. In fact, the U.S. is blocking any transfer of heavy weapons by any party.
French Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian was categorical about it, stating recently: "Things are very clear: on the question of supplying weapons, the answer is no. France does not supply and will not supply the Syrian opposition with weapons." Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Turkey are only sending light weapons or funds to groups who pledge allegiance to those countries.
The scale of foreign intervention currently in Syria is in the other direction--heavily weighed towards Russian and Iranian military and logistical support for the Assad regime. The problem of foreign intervention in Syria is not due to Syrian revolutionary fighters who accept weapons from the outside in order to protect themselves and engage the regime's forces.
But regardless of the debates for or against intervention in Syria, it's obvious that Western powers are moved by questions of self-interest, not by lobbying efforts--especially when it comes to war.
If the U.S. changes its calculation and decides to intervene directly, it will not need United Nations approval or an invitation from the Syrian opposition. Those of us in the West who support the Syrian revolution--and those of us in Syria who are active in the Syrian Revolution--cannot dictate to the U.S. the terms of its involvement, and cannot control it or its regional consequences once it is unleashed.
The point of saying this is not to place conditions on the Syrian Revolution, but because we want the revolution to succeed, and because we, along with the Syrian revolutionary left, see the strategy of betting on foreign intervention as a danger that threatens the revolution. The power of the Syrian people themselves has proved to be greater than all the empty talk of support coming from the world governments.
Furthermore, repeated promises of foreign support and arms shipments have put revolutionaries in potentially compromising situations.
For example, in the battle for Aleppo, Syria's largest city, the revolutionaries have heroically stood up to the regime's relentless bombing campaign, including the use of air strikes to destroy neighborhoods. But they are desperately outgunned. As the Los Angeles Times reported, "Several opposition fighters complained that they had been led to believe at the outset of the attack on Aleppo that arms deliveries would arrive regularly from neighboring Turkey, but that the anticipated shipments never materialized."
THIS BRINGS up another debate within the revolutionary movement about the wisdom of the resistance holding ground in civilian neighborhoods, with the associated regime attacks, civilian casualties and destruction, versus guerrilla hit-and-run tactics against regime positions.
But one thing is certain: the strategy of armed resistance was forced on the revolutionaries.
The risk was that the armed resistance would operate without a political strategy that ties it to the Local Coordinating Committees--which are the neighborhood-based groups that organize the street protests. There was a fear (shared by this writer) that the resistance would focus exclusively on attacking regime forces and leave no place for mass participation in the revolution. The approach would allow the regime to set a trap for the revolution and defeat it militarily.
Nevertheless, the resilience of the Syrian people proved stronger than the dictatorship's military might. Opposition groups continued to protest, march and strike, and the revolution continued to develop and challenge the regime in new ways. Without this popular support, the outnumbered and under-armed groups in the Free Syrian Army (FSA)--itself a loosely connected group of different fighters--simply could not have survived.
As the Lebanese author and activist Gilbert Achcar argues:
I have already said that the main strategic dilemma of the Syrian revolution is to succeed in combining the peaceful mass movement with the armed struggle. It is not conceivable, faced with a regime of the nature of the Syrian regime, that the peaceful struggle can continue infinitely. That would be equivalent to advocating that peaceful demonstrators continue to get slaughtered like sheep, day after day.
It is a classic dilemma in popular revolutions against tyrannical regimes that do not hesitate to kill. Under such conditions, it becomes necessary to create an armed wing of the revolution to protect the peaceful movement, and wage guerrilla warfare against the forces of the regime and its murderous militias (the "shabbiha").
Furthermore, due to the organic link between the military and the ruling family, Achcar writes, "In countries like Libya or Syria, one cannot bet on the abandonment of the tyrant by elite military units. The peaceful overthrow of the regime in countries such as these is impossible."
Some observers have mistakenly linked the armed struggle with religious sectarianism. This is not true. The Islamist armed groups that are trying to take advantage of the situation exist on the fringe of the revolutionary movement.
Yet it is not surprising that the regime is painting the whole revolution as the work of Islamic fundamentalist terrorists. The government's aim was to prevent the revolt from spreading to areas dominated by religious and ethnic minorities and to isolate the resistance among Sunni Muslims, while also garnering international support (or at least acquiescence) for the brutal crackdown.
While the groups and brigades grouped loosely under the FSA have Islamic names that borrow from the area's rich history (and are sometimes designed to attract sources of material support), they are not driven by sectarianism. Actual sectarianism is fueled by the regime's deliberate massacres aimed at provoking such a response from the revolutionaries. This is amplified by Gulf states selectively supporting groups with a shared ideology, which deflects any homegrown anger against their own dictatorial system.
The problem we face, however, is that the regime's continued use of sectarian death squads and its attempts to implicate other minorities in its atrocities are in fact creating a fertile ground for sectarianism to take root in Syria--even among the opposition. This is a major challenge for the revolutionary forces.
ALTHOUGH THERE is nothing automatic about overcoming such challenges, the FSA and the revolutionary formations in Syria are correcting, adapting and learning how to work together.
Many armed groups inside the FSA have explicitly rejected sectarianism. The July edition of Frontline, a revolutionary leftist newspaper from Syria, gives the example of the military council in Deir el-Zour, which issued rules to the FSA fighters, including:
-- It is forbidden to set up checkpoints and inconvenience people.
It is forbidden to kill regime informants, but if you catch one, you can beat them and then deliver them to their family.
It is forbidden to interfere with or attack Alawites in Deir Ezzour.
Members of the FSA must pay for anything received from the people either by paying cash, or working: harvest the fields, build [or help rebuild], etc.
In addition, in early August, the Local Coordinating Committees (LCCs) published a Code of Conduct for military operations, which included a pledge by fighters "not to exercise reprisals on the basis of ethnicity, sect, religion or any other basis."
In September, fearing that foreign groups may take advantage of the Syrian situation to push their own agendas, the head of the FSA Military Council asked all foreign fighters to leave the country. "We don't want Syria to turn into an area for settling scores or proxy wars," he said, "We have enough experienced men to win the battle, but are lacking quality weapons which would help expedite the results."
While the resistance fighters have captured headlines, there has been a proliferation of grassroots councils, some of them more democratic than others, which organize everything from protests to civil disobedience to flash mobs. In some places, they even function as local governments in the absence of the regime, taking up basic functions, such as garbage collection, civil defense, armed defense, evacuations, food and medicine distribution, and more.
These functions of self-government vary according to location. In some cases, the tasks are carried out by committees that coordinate in the same council. Elsewhere, these efforts are more fragmented. Sometimes, the councils operate only on the scale of a small neighborhood. Other councils operate in a more structured manner on the scale of larger districts and cities.
For example, several FSA groups may affiliate with a military council, which is then part of a larger revolutionary council, which also includes the Local Coordinating Committees and other groups. Sometimes, the memberships between the different groups are distinct, and other times, they overlap.
As Jamie Allinson put it, "The presence of these local committees, and their character, should not be taken as an argument that the Syrian workers' republic is nigh. Rather they indicate that the dynamics in Syria are those--complicated, bloody, messy--of an actual revolutionary process and not simply an extrusion of armed gangs operating at the behest of external enemies."
MANY PEOPLE, including the revolutionary left in Syria, are calling to increase these grassroots organizations and make them more democratic. They are calling for the formation of popular brigades to protect neighborhoods and public institutions.
Everybody is discussing what to do when the regime falls. What are the immediate tasks of the revolutionary government? Dismantling the security regime? Forming a constituent assembly with free elections based on proportional representation to draft a revolutionary secular constitution?
The grassroots councils should play a main role in a free Syria. They are the legitimate representatives of the Syrian revolution. They are not only critical for the current fight against the regime, but they are also the hope for the future. The stronger and more participatory they are, the harder it will be for anybody to force unjust laws and conditions on the Syrian people, regardless of who takes "official" power in Damascus.
Moreover, the threat of Western cooptation or fear of Islamists coming to power needs to be understood in the current context of region-wide popular uprisings against dictatorships. Syrians will not accept another dictator, backed by either East or West. Syria also faces a deep economic crises that the Islamist parties cannot solve. The problem is not simply a matter of regime authoritarianism and corruption that needs to be cleaned up. The conditions that the majority of Syrians are rebelling against are due to fundamental problems with neoliberal economic policies.
It will be up to these committees organized on a local regional, and provincial level to meet these challenges and take on the tasks of fulfilling the potential of the revolution and the historic aspirations of the Syrian people.
These aspirations include, but are not limited to: freedom to speak our minds, practice our different religions, languages and cultural traditions, live in a truly secular society, have free elections for accountable representatives, and finally recognize the full rights of the Kurdish population including their right to self-determination.
Further, a revolutionary democratic Syria should press to liberate the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, support a free Palestine, reject economic policies and systems that concentrate wealth at the top of society and adopt economic policies and systems which serve the interests of the majority of Syrians--workers, peasants, students and youths. To that end, Syrians need the right to form independent unions and organizations of the working class to strengthen that struggle and carry it forward. The list goes on and on.
This is a very tall order. Some of it is controversial, much of it in direct conflict with Washington's and Moscow's interests. But this perspective can only be discussed, debated and resolved in the course of a continued revolutionary struggle and a decisive victory over the dictatorship.


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1. Federal Medical Marijuana "Truth in Trials Act" Reintroduced [FEATURE]by psmith, July 18, 2012, 08:25pm, (Issue #743)
US Rep. Sam Farr (D-CA) Tuesday introduced House Resolution 6134, the Truth in Trials Act, which would allow defendants in federal criminal prosecutions the ability to use medical marijuana evidence at trial. The bipartisan legislation has 18 cosponsors so far, including Reps. Barney Frank (D-MA) and Ron Paul (R-TX).
Currently in federal criminal cases, medical marijuana providers are not allowed to present evidence that they were operating under state medical marijuana laws. Federal prosecutors can exclude all evidence of medical use or state law compliance in federal trials, virtually guaranteeing the convictions of medical marijuana patients and providers.
"The federal government has tilted the scales of justice towards conviction by denying medical marijuana defendants the right to present all of the evidence at trial," said Congressman Farr. "My bill would restore due process rights to law-abiding citizens acting within the parameters of state and local laws. Juries should hear the entire story of a patient's medical marijuana use before choosing to convict, not the heavily edited version they currently hear."
Under the bill, people facing federal prosecution could "introduce evidence demonstrating that the marijuana-related activities for which the person stands accused were performed in compliance with state law regarding the medical use of marijuana."
The bill would also create an affirmative defense under federal law. "It is an affirmative defense to a prosecution or proceeding under any federal law for marijuana-related activities, which the proponent must establish by a preponderance of the evidence, that those activities comply with state law regarding the medical use of marijuana," the bill says.
And the bill would make it harder for the federal government to seize and destroy medical marijuana. "No plant may be seized under any federal law otherwise permitting such seizure if the plant is being grown or stored pursuant to a recommendation by a physician or an order of a state or municipal agency in accordance with state law regarding the medical use of marijuana," the bill says.
"The federal government should be leaving enforcement issues up to the local and state officials who designed the medical marijuana laws in the first place," said Steph Sherer, executive director of Americans for Safe Access, the country's leading medical marijuana advocacy group and strong supporters of the legislation introduced today. "But, as long as the Justice Department is going to arrest and prosecute people in medical marijuana states, defendants ought to have a right to a fair trial. The 'Truth in Trials' Act will restore the balance of justice and bring fundamental fairness to federal medical marijuana trials."
Most federal medical marijuana cases result in plea bargains due to the denial of a defense at trial. But some defendants still choose to fight the charges -- and they lose. That was the case with Morro Bay, California, dispensary operator Charles Lynch, who was convicted and sentenced in 2008 after being unable to cite his compliance with state law.
Lynch is out on bail pending his appeal, which is currently before the 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals. He's doing better than Chico medical marijuana provider Bryan Epis, who is currently sitting in federal prison working on a 10-year sentence after fighting and losing his case and his appeals.
The bill could help -- not only with the immediate issue of medical marijuana legal defenses in federal court, but also in the broader ambit of marijuana law reform, advocates said.
"It's definitely a step in the right direction, even if it isn't as far-reaching as some of the other bills," said Marijuana Policy Project communications director Morgan Fox, alluding to the four other marijuana-related bills introduced in Congress this session. "If the administration is going to continue cracking down they way they have been, it would be nice to have an affirmative defense."
"This is the fifth marijuana bill this session," noted Drug Policy Alliance national affairs director Bill Piper. "That's a sign of momentum. It used to be a struggle to get one introduced, and now we have five and could see even more. When you look at issues that are moving, you see a lot of competing bills. This is a good sign," he said.
Piper held out little hope of any forward progress on the bill this year. "It's unlikely to go anywhere in the Republican-controlled House, but you never know about next year," Piper said.
But while the conventional wisdom is that marijuana reform legislation is unlikely to move in the House, Fox isn't so sure.
"The needle seems to be swinging, and it's possible House conservatives might try to use this in a symbolic way to go against the administration in an election period without having to significantly change their policies," he said, noting the low number of federal prosecutions it would actually effect. "It would be significant for the people getting arrested, of course, but that number is fairly small."
Allowing medical marijuana patients and providers to mount evidence that they are complying with state medical marijuana laws is the right thing to do, said Piper.
"It's just common sense to allow patients to tell juries the truth," Piper said. "It's not asking for much, just for defendants to be able to tell the truth."


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CloudPhysics has secured $15 million in a Series C round of funding. The financing was led by Jafco Ventures with participation from existing investors Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers and Mayfield.
CloudPhysics, who provides predictive analytics for virtual datacenter management, today announced it has secured $15 million in a Series C round of funding, led by venture capital firm Jafco Ventures with participation from the company's existing investors Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers and Mayfield. CloudPhysics, who has raised $27.5 million to date, will use the funding to invest further in developing its groundbreaking SaaS solution, which leverages Big Data analytics to enable IT to uncover hidden operational hazards before problems emerge and identifies radical efficiency improvements in virtualized IT operations management. The company will also use the funding to expand go-to-market activities and scale the company's business.
The company today also announced the general availability of Storage Analytics, a new release of its predictive analytics solution that dramatically simplifies the overwhelming complexities of managing storage resources in the virtual datacenter: [http://www.cloudphysics.com/press_releases/cloudphysics-releases-storage-analytics-for-virtual-datacenters]
"This is a very exciting time for CloudPhysics as it brings to market a fundamentally new approach to IT operations management," said Jeb Miller, General Partner at Jafco Ventures and CloudPhysics Board Member. "Through Big Data analytics, CloudPhysics is shifting the focus of infrastructure management from reactive to predictive, enabling more intelligent and cost-effective IT. Jafco Ventures didn't want to miss this opportunity to invest in CloudPhysics and its vision, and we're excited to bring the full range of Jafco's resources into the mix to help the company ramp in the market."
CloudPhysics was founded in 2011 with the mission to continuously deliver insights to IT teams for actively managing the dynamics of their virtualized infrastructures. To that end, the company's servers collect a daily stream of more than 140 billion samples of configuration, performance, failure and event data from its global user base, with a total of 50+ billion samples collected to date. This "Collective Intelligence," combined with CloudPhysics' patent-pending data center simulation and unique resource management techniques, empowers enterprise IT to drive Google-like operations excellence, using actionable analytics from a large, relevant, continually refreshed dataset.
"Big Data technology is used by companies across numerous industries to discover new ways to improve operations. Ironically, one industry that is missing from the list is IT itself – and our vision is to remedy that," said John Blumenthal, CloudPhysics co-founder and CEO. "The new funding will help us accelerate product innovation as well as fuel our sales and marketing efforts, expanding our growing base of users and bringing the power of data-driven decision making to IT admins everywhere."
Since its initial product release at VMware's VMworld 2013, the company has garnered numerous awards and accolades in recognition of its innovation, which include being named a Top 10 Virtualization Company to Watch in 2014 by TechTarget SearchServerVirtualization, a Top 10 Big Data Startup to Watch by Network World and one of the 21 hottest startups by Business Insider. [http://www.cloudphysics.com/company]
Additional Resources
● Read CEO John Blumenthal's blog on today's news [http://www.cloudphysics.com/blog/doubling-down-storage-analytics]
● Download CloudPhysics free trial [http://www.cloudphysics.com/free-trial]
● Follow @cloudphysics on Twitter [http://www.twitter.com/cloudphysics]
About CloudPhysics
CloudPhysics provides predictive analytics for virtual datacenters, delivering data-driven insights that enable IT teams to proactively manage their virtualized infrastructures while reducing cost and risk. The company's SaaS-based offering collects machine metadata of virtualized infrastructure and, using Big Data analytics combined with unique patent-pending datacenter simulation and resource management techniques, uncovers hidden operational hazards before problems emerge and identifies radical improvements in resource utilization. CloudPhysics' unique approach to IT operations management gives IT teams more power than ever before to understand, troubleshoot and optimize their virtualized datacenters. The company, based in Mountain View, Calif., serves thousands of users worldwide and is backed by Jafco Ventures, Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers and Mayfield.


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Tinsley Towers
Thursday, 28th August 2008 by Alex Turnbull
Tinsley Viaduct is a two-tier road bridge in Sheffield, England; the first of its kind in the UK. It carries the M1 motorway over a 1033 metre section of the Don Valley, and is one of Sheffield's most prominent landmarks. Sadly there's not much to see from our viewpoint.
Fortunately for us however, the Tinsley Viaduct runs right past the Tinsley Towers, a fantastic pair of defunct cooling towers. Due to their extremely close proximity to the viaduct, they were left standing when the power plant they served was demolished in the 70s.
As it happens, "extremely close" is a bit of an understatement – the nearest tower stands only 12 metres from the M1!
Actually, "stood" is the correct term I'm afraid.
Following years of strengthening work to the viaduct (and presumably advances in demolition technology), the towers were finally brought down1 in the early hours of Sunday the 24th August. You can watch a video of the spectacular destruction of the towers over at the BBC.
Thanks to Radio 2 and the ever informative Jonathan Rawle.
Despite several campaigns to save them, including a rather fanciful attempt to reposition them as some kind of "art installation". ↩


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NFL Players React to Obama's Opinions on Football
Baltimore Ravens safety Ed Reed. (Photo: AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Baltimore Ravens linebacker Terrell Suggs respects and understands President Barack Obama's opinion about the dangers of football — and hesitation about having a child play.
The hard-hitting 2011 Defensive Player of the Year also says that no matter how violent the sport, his 4-year-old son will be allowed to take it up if he wants.
"It would have to be his choice," Suggs said Monday. "Football isn't for everybody. If my son ... came to me and said, 'Dad, I want to play football,' then I would let him play."
The president's thoughts about the future of the NFL — and whether he'd let a son play football — were a main topic of conversation as Super Bowl week got under way. So much so that when San Francisco 49ers offensive lineman Alex Boone stepped away from his interview session, he asked someone, "What's up with all this Obama (stuff)?"
Here's what's up: In an interview with The New Republic, the newly inaugurated president expressed what many other parents might be thinking following new studies about concussions and recent suicides by former NFL players.
"I'm a big football fan, but I have to tell you, if I had a son, I'd have to think long and hard before I let him play football," Obama said.
"I think that those of us who love the sport are going to have to wrestle with the fact that it will probably change gradually to try to reduce some of the violence," he added. "In some cases, that may make it a little bit less exciting, but it will be a whole lot better for the players, and those of us who are fans maybe won't have to examine our consciences quite as much."
Ravens safety Ed Reed, for one, agreed with the sentiment.
"I am with Obama," Reed said. "I have a son. I am not forcing football on my son. If he wants to play it ... I can't make decisions for him. All I can do is say, 'Son, I played it so you don't have to.'"
Reed, a nine-time Pro Bowl selection in his 11 NFL seasons, thinks there needs to be improvements within the league.
"We've got some leaks in it that need to be worked out," Reed said. "Every medical training room should be upgraded; training rooms can be a lot better."
And as he noted: "When you've got the president talking about it, you got something."
Reed isn't sure everyone is being trained properly or cared for adequately.
"I felt like I played the game as safe as possible," he said. "I even tell the guys that they have to take care of their bodies, take care of themselves. If you take care of that, it will take care of you."
Researchers at the National Institutes of Health announced recently that Junior Seau — the star linebacker who died of a self-inflicted gunshot last year — had a degenerative brain disease often linked to repeated blows to the head.
Seau is one of several dozen football players who were found to have chronic traumatic ecephalopathy, or CTE.
The NFL is facing lawsuits brought by thousands of former players who say the league withheld information on the harmful effects of concussions.
Players who were asked Monday about Obama's comments tended to side with Ravens center Matt Birk, who did not hesitate before saying: "I have three sons, and once they get to a certain age, if they want to play football, I would let them."
San Francisco's Boone doesn't see how there is a lot of room for the game itself to change.
"There's going to be injuries and there's going to be problems," Boone said, "but we're working on trying to prevent them."
His coach, Jim Harbaugh, responded to the president's remarks in a lighter vein. Harbaugh, who played quarterback in the NFL for 14 seasons, mentioned his own child.
"Well, I have a 4-month-old — almost, soon-to-be 5-month-old — son, Jack Harbaugh, and if President Obama feels that way, then (there will) be a little less competition for Jack Harbaugh when he gets older," San Francisco's coach said with a chuckle. "That's the first thing that jumps into my mind, if other parents are thinking that way."
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Guest Profile
Christine Arylo
Christine Arylo is an inspirational catalyst for women and girls everywhere, daring, inspiring and guiding them to be, love and live their REAL ME's, instead of the images they often find themselves trying to live into.
Christine is a transformational teacher, internationally recognized speaker and author of the official self-love guidebook, Madly in Love with ME, the Daring Adventure to Becoming Your Own Best Friend. After earning her MBA from Kellogg and climbing the corporate ladder for fifteen years, she chose to devote her life to creating a new reality for women and girls, one based on self-love and true feminine power instead of the relentless pursuit of having to do, be and have it all.
A recovering achievement junkie and doing addict, Christine left her cushy executive lifestyle in 2006 to found an international self-love movement, author the go-to book on love and relationships, Choosing ME before WE, co-found a virtual self-love school for women, Inner Mean Girl Reform School, and mentor others. Her dedication earned her the affectionate title, 'The Queen of Self-Love.'
Christine has been featured on CBS, ABC, FOX, WGN, E, in the Huffington Post, Belief.net, the Daily Love, and on the radio shows, spas, conferences and stages around the world, including TEDx. She normally lives in Northern California with her soul partner, Noah, but recently they have gone nomadic, and have embarked on a 6 month U.S. tour they call the TEAM LOVE TOUR 2013.
To find out more about Christine, including how to receive her weekly Love Letters, go to www.christinearylo.com.


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Md. Gay Marriage Opponents Prepare for Referendum
Gay marriage opponents are gathering names for a referendum as the Maryland House of Delegates consider a bill that would legalize gay marriage in the state.
Supporters of traditional marriage are not waiting for state delegates or Gov. Martin O'Malley to approve the gay marriage legislation before preparing for the 2012 referendum. Pro-family advocates are already collecting petition signatures to give voters the final say in the same-sex marriage debate.
Family Research Council Chaplain Rev. Pierre Bynum, who is a Maryland resident, is very optimistic that there will be enough support for a referendum.
"There's no question that the numbers are there to overturn this," said Bynum in a statement Monday.
He and other FRC members are expected to rally Maryland's church community to get the 53,650 signatures needed to get the issue on the 2012 ballot. House Committee members could vote as early as Tuesday on the measure.
"There are churches in our coalition that have 20,000 people in their church, so it's a question of just circulating [a petition] among a few churches," Bynum explained.
The Maryland House of Delegates is currently considering the state Senate bill that would allow homosexuals to wed lawfully.
Although Maryland's Senate approved the gay marriage legislation last week, members were deeply divided over the issue. The final vote was 25-21 in favor of legalizing marriage among homosexuals.
Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller (D-Calvert) and opponents of the bill vowed that if the legislation becomes law, it would appear on the 2012 ballot as a referendum question for residents to vote on.
When the issue comes before residents, Rev. Bynum said, some of those who were silent on gay marriage will break their silence. "We're not going to fail," he asserted.
However, many believe the bill's passage through the conservative state Senate and O'Malley's willingness to sign the bill is a sign that Marylanders are ready for legalized gay marriage.
O'Malley, a Catholic, agreed to sign a same-sex marriage bill as long as it includes a provision allowing churches to refuse to perform a same-sex wedding. An amendment protecting religious groups and institutions was added in before the bill was passed Feb. 24.
Attorney General Doug Gansler told CBS station WJZ, "There's a national movement toward [gay marriage]. More people in Maryland now favor it than are against it."
However, a recent poll found that the majority of Maryland voters are against gay marriage. Among those surveyed, 54 percent support marriage between one man and one woman compared to 37 percent who say marriage should be available to same-sex couples.
The state House could take a final vote on the legislation by Friday. The House needs 71 votes to approve the legislation and pass it to the governor for his signature. Delegate Heather Mizeur, an openly lesbian lawmaker, told NBC's affiliate WBAL that there are 69 commitments for the bill so far within the chamber.


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Designed by War Design | Country: Australia
More great work for Logan Wines by War Design of Australia. "Logan Wines recently approached us about developing a label for a new, limited release wine they were creating for a wine club. We drew on the winemakers family history to give us inspiration. The Logan family crest seemed like fertile territory. It shows passion nails piecing a human heart with the motto 'Hoc majoram virtus: This is the valour of my ancestors. And so, Love & Valour was born."


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Braves complete sweep, beat Halladay, Phillies
ATLANTA (AP) -- Chipper Jones says the Phillies became a mental hurdle for the Braves during Philadelphia's run of five straight NL East titles.
Atlanta has cleared that hurdle with six straight wins over the Phillies this month.
Jones and Jason Heyward homered off Roy Halladay, and the Braves completed a three-game sweep of last-place Philadelphia with a 6-2 victory Sunday.
Atlanta also swept a three-game series at Philadelphia from July 6-8. The Braves have won six straight over the Phillies for the first time since 1996-97, according to STATS LLC.
"It's a big, big sweep for us," Jones said. "I think mentally as a team you've got to get over certain humps, and Philly as a team has been a big hump for us. They've been winning the division for a long time and they've handled us pretty well. Now we've got to get over that hump of beating the Nationals. The Nationals have had our number a little bit the last couple of years, and they're the team ahead of us, so we have to get going."
Atlanta, which began the day four games behind first-place Washington in the NL East, has won five straight.
Tim Hudson (10-4) gave up two runs and seven hits in 5 2-3 innings and combined with Ben Sheets and Mike Minor to give Braves starters four runs and one walk allowed in the series.
Hudson has reached 10 wins despite missing most of the first month while recovering from back surgery. He is 4-0 with a 3.19 ERA in his last five starts.
"I've been fortunate to be able to go out there and stay healthy since I missed that first month," Hudson said. "Guys have played really well behind me. Every time I've gone out there we've scored runs. It's easy to get wins when they score five or six runs for you."
Jonny Venters, Chad Durbin, Eric O'Flaherty and Cristhian Martinez followed with two-hit relief.
With the Braves ahead 3-2, Freddie Freeman hit a two-run single off Jake Diekman in a three-run seventh.
In danger of ending a streak of consecutive playoff appearances at five, Philadelphia (45-57) is last in the NL East this late in a season for the first time since Aug. 12, 2002, STATS said. The sweep could turn the Phillies into sellers before Tuesday's deadline for trades without waivers.
Shane Victorino, Hunter Pence and Joe Blanton have been mentioned in trade speculation. Victorino and others lobbied after the game for management to keep the team intact.
"We've got 60 games," said Victorino, who homered and had three hits. "That's my goal, to play 60 games here. I'm wearing a `P' on my hat, `Phillies' across my chest. I want it to be here."
Asked whether the Phillies will be buyers or sellers at the trade deadline, manager Charlie Manuel said: "I think where we're at speaks for itself.
"We're definitely behind. We would have to come a long way. ... We've still got a heartbeat."
Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said the Phillies remain a dangerous team.
"They're a good club, and they still scare you," Gonzalez said. "They're not clicking on all cylinders right now for whatever reason. But they still have got a pretty good pitching staff and they've got those guys in the middle of the lineup.
"They're still a respectable team and I still respect them, just for the fact they're a veteran group of guys that have won championships and a World Series. To me it's just a matter of time before they get it going."
Halladay (4-6), a two-time Cy Young Award winner, allowed three runs and six hits in six innings with seven strikeouts, dropping to 0-1 with a 5.82 ERA in three starts after missing seven weeks with a strained right lat muscle. He got his 2,000th strikeout in the first inning, fanning David Ross.
Atlanta took a 2-0 lead in the first as five straight hitters reached with two outs. Heyward hit a first-pitch homer, his 16th home run of the season, and Dan Uggla stopped an 0-for-21 slump with an RBI double.
Jones led off the third with his 10th homer, pushing the lead to 3-0. He has 1,042 extra-base hits, passing Pete Rose for sole possession of second place for switch-hitters, behind Eddie Murray's 1,099.
Victorino led off the fourth with his ninth homer and Carlos Ruiz knocked out Hudson with an RBI single in the sixth.
Diekman dropped Heyward's grounder for a run-scoring error in the seventh.
NOTES: Gonzalez expects SS Andrelton Simmons, who was placed on the 15-day DL with a broken right little finger on July 13, to need six weeks to recover, including an injury rehab stint. That would place his return around Aug. 24. ... Laynce Nix made his first start of the season in right field. Hunter Pence, who had started 100 of the first 101 games in right field, remained in right field after his pinch single in the sixth. ... The Phillies are off Monday and open a series at Washington on Tuesday night with LHP Cliff Lee on the mound. Braves RHP Tommy Hanson will face Miami LHP Mark Buehrle in the opener of a four-game series on Monday night.