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An estimated twelve million computers worldwide have been infected, mostly outside of the United States where there are more illegal versions of Windows floating about, most of them unable to receive the needed security updates from Microsoft due to their pirated nature. Though security firms have been vigilant in creating methods for prevention and removal, and Microsoft itself has issued alerts and removal instructions, the virus has still maliciously infected many millions of computers worldwide, and it's likely that most people don't even know that their computers have been compromised. Another win for the Macintosh and Linux crowds, Windows is the only vulnerable system. However, remember that just because a system can't be infected doesn't mean that it can't help pass a virus along.
TheoriesThe Conficker worm's purpose is still widely unknown as are its creators, but due to several of its characteristics and to previous worm exploits of similar nature, experts have several theories as to what will happen on April 1st when the worm "detonates," in a manner of speaking.
What is known is that once the virus is triggered on April 1st, it will try to connect to 50,000 domains, 500 each day, to download additional files and instructions. The virus already has indications of a peer-to-peer infrastructure, so one need only use his or her imagination of what may happen.
It is possible that the whole thing is an April Fool's Day joke that will leave everyone just a little more irritable and more protective of their systems, none of whom will be laughing. We've seen mighty hoaxes in the past such as the Y2K Bug or even Google's TiSP.
Optimism aside, since the peer-to-peer technology is already set into place, the worm has a much more malicious purpose. Officials are pretty sure that the intent isn't lighthearted, either:
-Phillip Porras, research director at SRI International
-Jose Nazario, researcher at Arbor Networks
According to a study of the Conficker worm done by SRI International, it contains code that enables "infected computers can act both as clients and servers and share files in both directions. The peer-to-peer design is also highly distributed, making it more difficult for security teams to defeat the system by disabling so-called super-nodes."
It could very well possibly be that it will be used to hijack innocent computers to "rent" to shady industries, particularly that of spamming and the further spreading of other malware. It's also been suggested that Conficker could be used to create a darker and unwilling version of something akin to Freenet.
The most horrifying scheme of all is that it may be used to create what researchers call a "Dark Google," a network of infected computers searchable for information at the whim of the criminal underground as a whole with the authors of the Conficker worm selling the answers to criminal queries put into the system. A thoroughly terrifying idea, to be sure, but only to those infected.
In order to stomp out the infection, many security officials have been strenuously working on prevention and removal, and Microsoft has even offered a $250,000 bounty for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the author(s) of the virus.
Symptoms and Prevention
Infected systems can be spotted by several ways, or may not be spotted at all unless equipped with an antivirus program. Users may notice their account lockout policies are being reset; automatic updates, Background Intelligent Transfer Service, Windows Defender, and Error Reporting Services are disabled; domain controllers respond slowly to client requests; the local network seems slow and congested; and websites related to computer security are blocked.
Anyone who has been receiving Microsoft's automatic updates is safe from the initial spreading of the virus, and antivirus software can take care of other infections from other sources (as described in the below section). However, if successfully infected and undetected, the worm can disable antivirus software as well as automatic updates. Users must be sure to have strong passwords on their network shares to prevent the virus from spreading to their computers from a network. Users should also be wary of the AutoPlay function.
Strains and Spreading
There are apparently four strains of the virus out there already, and the fourth, Conficker.D, will be downloaded and updated to the previous strains and then have its executions triggered on April 1st. The virus is able to spread through a vulnerability that was previously patched in Windows, so those who have successfully performed an automatic update since the patch's inception should be safe from this form of spreading. In the .B and .C variant, the virus also infects machines through network shares breaking through poor passwords, mapped network drives, and removable drives (usually spread through USB drives). The worm uses a scheduled task to initiate the virus on remote machines or via an AutoPlay entry added by the worm. Conficker also connects daily to various generated domains to receive any updates in order to counteract efforts to thwart it. Read more about the different strains in detail here.
Roast Them Alive
Don't take this wrong when I say this, but I'm one to admire the genius it takes to initiate such a scare. However, I am of the opinion that the creators of the Conficker worm ought to be roasted alive and fed, while barely being sustained in consciousness by various medical methods, to insects such as the ants seen on Indiana Jones' newest escapade. It always irks me when people take advantage of the great and marvelous computer technology that we have today to turn it into something so criminal, dark, and terrible that users have to live in fear of their computers being compromised. We will see all too soon whether this rampant virus is truly a curse to the extreme or simply a joke gone foul.


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Seriously?Carlyee wrote:Does anyone else feel like we were getting bullied by a pretty soft Wings squad?
Anyway, given the circumstances we were going to need a little puck luck to beat the Wings. The Hodgson no-goal with 0.1 second on the clock and the burrows miss off the bar would have changed the game. Oh well, team isnt playing well but the rest of the schedule this month is far easier.
-Hodgson with another excellent game, once again very unlucky not to pick up a couple of points. Probably had close to 10 scoring chances and another solid defensive game.
-Sedins were our best line as usual but still not their best game. Datsuk is a very tough match up for them, he's just as strong on the puck but far quicker. Next time we play AV will hopefully push a match up with Kesler.
-Bieksa is starting to remind me of the player we saw after he signed his previous contract, hopefully it's just a slow start.
-Sammy and Sturn are a fairly major defensive liability, I realise both had surgery this off season and are behind, but they are just killing us right now.
-Unfortunately we just have too many guys who are either off their game or behind due to surgery. Sammy, Manny, Sturm, Bieksa, Edler, Lu, and Hansen, have all been sub par and when half your team isn't playing well it is very hard to win consistently.

subset: commoncrawl


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The by now well-known blog post by USCCB Secretary of Communications Helen Osman accusing Catholic News Agency of fabricating quotes by Cardinal George in their report on the bishops' Spring meeting raises more questions than it answers.
First it is curious in the extreme. CNA posted their story on Jun. 16. CNA itself gets much traffic, but the story and Cardinal George's reported remarks additionally spread like wildfire in the Catholic web and to reports by EWTN and CNN. If a news agency fabricates quotes by the president of any major organization and the false quotes spread wide and far, I cannot imagine the reasoning of a communications director who would take five days to respond – and then only in a staff blog post.
Second, while giving the impression that CNA's entire piece was grossly incorrect, Osman corrects only two minor quotes which don't remotely change the substance of what was reported and incorrectly corrects a third point which was not in fact a quote from the original story. Let's look at the accusations:
While the cardinal did present a sequence of events to the bishops, he never used the phrase "so-called Catholic," accused the Catholic Health Association of creating a "parallel magisterium" or said the meeting of the three bishops with Sr. Keehan had "frustrating results."
"Parallel magisterium" was not a quote put into Cardinal George's mouth in the CNA story, but rather a reporter's characterization. It is an accurate description of how Catholic Health Association acted in the health care debate and it would be a fair characterization of how Cardinal George has described their behavior in other public, published remarks.
For the sake of argument, let's grant that the Cardinal did not use the words "so-called" and "frustrating results". What other direct quotes are attributed to him by CNA (excise the red):
"the Catholic Health Association and other so-called Catholic groups provided cover for those on the fence to support Obama and the administration."
"Sr. Carol and her colleagues are to blame"
"I personally met with her in March to no avail,"
"The bill which was passed is fundamentally flawed. The Executive Order is meaningless. Sr. Carol is mistaken in thinking that this is pro-life legislation,"
"in the end, they have weakened the moral voice of the bishops in the U.S."
Are these accurate? Osman goes on to criticize CNN for using the CNA report as a source:
For CNN to elaborate even more on what CNA said in error is even more disturbing. If CNN had tried to verify the citations, it would have learned that CNA fabricated quotes. It also would not have made its huge and erroneous assumption that the issue in question was an example of the bishops at odds with the sisters.
But CNN did not, in fact, use any of the quotes that Osman sought to correct. Are the quotes CNN used also false? Osman doesn't say. What she does say is disturbing and evasive (my emphases):
To honor the bishops' privacy and confidentiality, we will not be releasing the transcript. It's unfortunate if someone breached that confidentiality; also unfortunate if CNA tried to take an educated guess at what the cardinal might have said and cobbled together its own fabrication of the session.
The last suggestion is coy and demands a clarification. Osman, who was present and reviewed the tape of the session, knows full well whether CNA "tried to take an educated guess at what the cardinal might have said and cobbled together its own fabrication of the session." Either it is a substantially accurate transcript (again, granting the exception of four words) or it is not. It is grossly unfair to make such a suggestion when you know the actual facts. Osman can remedy that, as the director of CNA has asked, by releasing the tape, or failing that possibility, by retracting the suggestion.
UPDATE: Michael Sean Winters over at America thinks he knows who the bishops are who "leaked" Cardinal George's comments to CNA are:
It is not difficult to think of who these "several bishops" might be. Go ahead – you can list them. I will only call attention to one telling indication. Yesterday, the blog at the official newspaper of the diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph, Missouri, the Catholic Key, ran an item that questioned the veracity of Helen Osman and defended the substance of the CNA report. The editor of the Catholic Key, Mr. Jack Smith, is a man who has made it a habit of attacking Sr. Carol Keehan in the most scurrilous and unchristian manner; he is on my short list of the very few people who warrant an ad hominem attack. Perhaps Mr. Smith is on such a long leash that his master lets him publish whatever he wants, including this blog post which would seem to question the integrity not only of a staffer at the USCCB but of Cardinal George. Perhaps.
There is much wrong in that paragraph, but I'll correct one thing. The Bishop of Kansas City - St. Joseph did not attend the June bishops' meeting and so any suggestion that he leaked the comments is false.
I'm very pleased to be on Mr. Winter's "short list", but any regular reader of his knows he's exaggerating the exclusivity the club.


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Exploding onto the crystal growing scene is this new volcano kit. The kit includes the paper form of the volcano, a tray, terraforming solution and instructions. Pour in the magic terraforming solution and watch your mighty volcano grow, effloresce, and bloom.
Ages 6+
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We specialize in Sports Cards & Sports Memorabilia.
We're Buying
Vintage Sports Cards
Vintage Sports Memorabilia
Comic Books (pre-1980)
Rock & Roll Artifacts (pre-1985)
We pay top dollar for items of interest! If you have collectibles from one of our categories, please give us a call to discuss what you have for sale. If you have a sizable collection we are willing to travel to your location or arrange a meeting at one of the many shows that we travel to throughout the country.
Phone: 231-933-1167 -- Fax: 231-933-1203 -- Email:
To order the cards listed, fill out the form and submit. A sales representative will contact you to finalize your selection. If you need or want immediate assistance contact us at (231)-933-1167 or
Terms and Conditions:
Michigan residents must add 6% sales tax, unless a valid resale number is provided to us.
We accept PayPal, personal checks, cashiers checks and money orders.
Shipment values under $2000; $4.95 for USPS First Class Certified Mail (Delivery in 3-5 days)
Shipping value $2000 and up; FREE SHIPPING - USPS Registered Mail (Delivery in 5-14 days) - NO EXCEPTIONS
We will combine shipping charges if multiple items are purchased


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Gerard Butler & Sarah Jessica Parker: Nobel Peace Prize Concert!
Gerard Butler and Sarah Jessica Parker take the stage to host the 2012 Nobel Peace Prize Concert on Tuesday (December 11) at the Oslo Spektrum in Oslo, Norway.
The 47-year-old actress looked lovely in an Erdem dress and Fred Leighton jewelry while being joined by performers Seal, Ne-Yo, Kylie Minogue and others at the event.
PHOTOS: Check out the latest pics of Gerard Butler
Earlier in the day, the stars all attended a press conference ahead of the big event.
FYI: Gerard is wearing an Ermenegildo Zegna suit.
10+ pictures inside of Gerard Butler and others at the 2012 Nobel Peace Prize Concert…


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Many have tried to copy Volvo wheel loaders' allrounder concept, but without success. Different jobs require different attachments, and because Volvo is the wheel loader manufacturer with the most comprehensive range of attachments, you can equip your Volvo wheel loader with attachments that not only do your loader full justice, but also precisely meet your needs and operating conditions. This means unmatched flexibility and versatility.
The standard Volvo attachment bracket VAB-STD is the most commonly used attachment bracket in the world. Originally developed by Volvo and proven for decades globally. The cast steel design offers excellent visibility for the operator. The VABSTD allows quick and safe interchangeability of all hook on attachments in this catalogues as well as attachments from earlier machine generations. The ISO organization have created a International standard based on the Volvo design, ISO 23727.
The perfect fit for handling, stockpiling and loading processed material. Optimized for applications requiring moderate break-out force. Achieve the highest possible machine performance in both short cycle and load and carry applications. Available with optional bolt-on edge.
The best choice for handling, stockpiling and loading processed material, such as sand, gravel and aggregate. Optimized for soft underfoot conditions. Maximize traction and break-out force, while maintaining a clean and level work area for unbeatable productivity and efficiency. Available with optional bolt-on edge.
The best all-round bucket. When fitted with bolt-on edges it works well handling loose material and aggregates in both short cycle and load and carry operations. When fitted with welded teeth options and segments, it is the best choice for loading easily broken material from banks.
The best choice for all-round efficiency. The bucket is primarily intended for use in low-impact operations, with moderately abrasive materials such as dirt, loam, gravel, and clay. Reflective stickers boost visibility for quick and easy filling. Reinforced with wear resistant steel HB400 and HB500. Can be equipped with bolt-on edges, welded teeth options and segments.
The grading bucket has a long flat bottom. It is intended for earthmoving work such as topsoil stripping, small scale dozing, landscaping and levelling of fill. An edge is provided on the back side for grading when the machine is reversed.
The best choice for breaking-out hard and stony material and shot rock. Recommended to be fitted with 1 1/2 leg adapters, teeth (GP or AM) and segments. For gravel, fine shot rock and ore, it can be fitted with a bolt-on edge or teeth.
Heavy-duty, wear resistant bucket. Optimized for loading shot rock or easily broken material from a bank with high break-out capability. When fitted with welded teeth options and segments, it is the best choice for loading easily broken material from a bank.
High capacity light material bucket for efficient handling of low density material such as compost, refuse, coal etc..
High capacity light material bucket for efficient handling of very low density material such as wood chips, grain etc.
The Volvo high tip light material bucket has high capacity for handling low density materials such as compost, refuse, coal etc. The high tip bucket features an increased dump height over standard light material buckets as it is hydraulically lifted from a built-in frame.
A fully open bucket with no internal corners for low density materials such as refuse, compost, etc. The high tip bucket features an increased dump height over standard light material buckets as it is hydraulically lifted from a built-in frame.
Volvo refuse buckets are heavy-duty light material buckets intended for use in recycling applications like handling refuse material, household garbage and other low density waste material.
The bucket is optimized for waste handling at a transfer station. With an extra-long floor and heavy-duty design, this bucket is ideal in push floor operations for both pushing the material to and packing (tamping) it in the container. The clamp arms enable the operator to push approximately 25% more material per load as well as remove material from the truck or container. A third hydraulic function is required to operate the bucket.
The pallet fork frame with pallet fork tines allow the machine to handle, load and move pallets of building material, drainage pipe, lumber, or loose items like sewer pipe easily around the uneven terrain of a construction site.
The visibility optimized forks give the operator a clear view to the ends of the tines. These tines increase precision, control and productivity.
Thin and durable fork tines for handling the stacks of planks. With extended back rest enables the possibility to take several stacks at the same time
Fork frame is ideal for cases where the width of the load varies. The fork tines can be hydraulically adjusted to the width of the load.
With the specially designed one-piece top clamp, the combi fork is perfect for handling palletized goods or roundwood in applications where the load must be secured.
A heavy duty fork with fixed tines designed for heavy duty or block handling, e.g. granite blocks, marble blocks, etc.
The material handling arm is used on construction sites for pipelaying etc. It has two telescopic sections with built-in mechanical stops to prevent overextension.
Holms Front mounted and hydraulically powered sweeper roller which completely eliminates the need for support wheels. The 915 mm/36" diameter of the sweeper roller is especially adapted to large loaders.
Holms 300 large pick-up sweeper for wheel-loaders. A full-sized attachment for professional sweeping.
Holms diagonal plows are well-tested for efficient snow clearing, particularly when clearing roads.
Holms V-plows are robust, effective tools for clearing snow, particularly in urban environments.
We understand that the needs of your business vary. That's why there are four different Customer Support Agreements helping you stay profitable.All agreements
Guarantee performance by keeping your machine a Volvo. We know that every part is vital and help you maximize uptime in the long run through Genuine Volvo Parts.Genuine Volvo Parts


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Simply Stunning: Steel Windows & Doors
If you've been noticing a trend of steel windows and doors showing up in some of your favorite images, you're not alone. These industrial modern beauties are moving outside of factories and into our homes. The strong steel provides for narrow mullions, huge expanses of glass, and lots of light, and works in both modern and traditional architecture.
Of course, there's always a downside... If you're looking to buy steel, expect the cost to be at least double to triple the cost of standard windows and doors (and often even more). While it might not be practical to use them throughout your entire home, they might be worth the splurge for a high-impact and dramatic opening.
1. Studio William Hefner
2. Architectural Digest
3. Michael Haverland Architect
4. Zoldan Interiors
5. Heidi Lerkenfeldt/Stillstars
6. Portella Iron Doors
7. Hope's Windows
8. Hinkley Lighting
9. Marie-Laure Helmkampf Interior Design
10. Luigi Rossellie Architects
(Images: As linked above )


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|Inside Nose Hair add another, change
|Fri, May 25 at 11:30 AM (MDT) change
Terms and Conditions:
Due to the nature of our business we have a "NO CHILD POLICY". Thank you for your understanding
When using a voucher, please notate the number in the promo code below when booking your appointment.
The name on the actual voucher needs to match the client that is getting the service
Cancellation/Reschedule/No-Show Policy
We abide by a strict Cancellation/Reschedule/No-Show Appointment policy
We understand that unanticipated events happen occasionally in everyone's life. In our desire to be effective and fair to all clients, the following policies are honored:
24 hour advance notice is required when CANCELLING or RESCHEDULING an appointment. This allows the opportunity for someone else to schedule an appointment. Forfeiture of the purchased voucher WILL be applied and voucher will no longer be valid.
NO SHOW/Missed appointment: Forfeiture of the purchased voucher WILL be applied and voucher will no longer be valid.


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Hello all. I'm just trying to get some opinions on this. The wind isn't all that great where I reside unfortunately. generally 8-14knots of a average day. So a light wind kite looks to be the most attractive option. I'm 6'4/ 85kg btw.
In looking at the wind range chart on the ozone site they say that the c415m has more power than the zephyr despite the zephyr being the larger of the two. Can anyone weigh in on this? Which would you chose? Thanks in advance.


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When you go to the post, be sure to click on the play button in the Twitteracy area to hear the students speak. Also, note how the Livescribe pen works.
|Image from Aviva's blog
Please be sure to leave a comment. What did you learn from hearing the 2nd graders discuss Twitter? If you visited the Grades 1 and 2 At Ancaster Meadow School further, what interesting discoveries did you make about how tech is being used with the 1st and 2nd graders?


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A slowly building instrumental track, starting with drums and baseline, then layering in ambient incidental sounds, strings, panpipes, synth and brass. It's a slow build intended as a background track but becomes dense enough after the first minute or so to stand alone as well, depending on requirements. The mood of the track is positive and and upbeat.
Could be used as a backing track for an advert, presentation, showreel, etc.
The file is not looped; there is a clearly defined beginning, middle and end, but there are natural points in the track where it could easily be cut and looped if the audio needs to be extended for the purposes of your project.


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PREP NOTEBOOK: Lady Tigers upset Lady Trojans
Girls basketball
Fred T. Foard 60, Bandys 56
The Lady Tigers delivered the Lady Trojans their first loss of the season Tuesday in Newton.
Chelsea Turner led Foard (4-2) with 19 points, while Courtney Hull added 10 points.
Foard's Kayla Whitworth also recorded her third-straight double-double in Tuesday's game. Whitworth tallied 16 points and 10 rebounds.
Haleigh Lackey led Bandys (4-1) with 14 points.
Maiden 54, St. Stephens 41
Sabrien Gaither scored 21 points to lead the Lady Blue Devils to their second victory against the Lady Indians on Tuesday.
Christina Helms added 12 points for Maiden (2-3). Rachel Pritchard and Tamisha Streeter also scored in double digits for the Lady Blue Devils with 11 and 10 points, respectively.
Jodi Kerley led St. Stephens (2-4) with eight points, while Autumn Williams and Keyona Hicks each added seven points.
North Lincoln 55, Bunker Hill 43
The Lady Knights kept the Lady Bears winless with a victory Tuesday in Claremont.
Payton Bruce led North Lincoln (5-2) with 17 points, while Ace Easter added 13 points.
Leading Bunker Hill (0-4) was Brittany Travis with 10 points.
Boys basketball
St. Stephens 66, Maiden 30
The Indians marched to 6-0 with a home victory Tuesday against the Blue Devils.
Kerigan Farley scored 18 points to lead Saint, while D.J Lynch and Alex Ijame each added 13 points.
Austin Wright scored a team-high nine points for Maiden (0-5).
Fred T. Foard 79, Bandys 43
The Tigers completed a season sweep of the Trojans with a victory Tuesday in Newton.
Joe Isenhour scored a game-high 19 points for Foard. Spencer Matthews and Jordan Turner each added 12 points, while Ketty Cameron tallied 10 points.
Chris Sorenson led Bandys (2-3) with 14 points.
North Lincoln 55, Bunker Hill 50
The Bears remain winless after a five-point home loss to the Knights on Tuesday in Claremont.
J'len Wilson scored a team-high 21 points to lead Bunker Hill (0-4), while A.J. Hines and Justin Setzer added 10 points each.
North Lincoln (6-1) was paced by Chase Sterling, who scored 19 points in Tuesday's game.


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|Episode Description
|Friday, Mar 1, 2013 - 1:00 AM
"Three Farewells: Medicine & The End of Life"
This program looks at the difficult choices a loving family makes as they confront the end of life. When a perfect pregnancy ends in unforeseen complications, and the newborn suffers very severe brain injury, how should the parents decide what is best for their baby?. D
|More on LEARN/CREATE (MT)
|No upcoming shows in database


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Windows Processes Accelerator is a rogue anti-spyware program from the Rogue.FakeVimes family. This program is classified as a rogue as it displays false information in order to trick you into purchasing the program. This particular variant is spread via two methods. The first method is the use of hacked web sites that exploit visitor's vulnerable programs in order to install the rogue without their permission. The second method uses web sites that display fake online anti-malware scanners that pretend to scan your computer, state that it is infected, and then prompt you to download and install Windows Processes Accelerator in order to clean it.
Once the rogue is installed on your computer it will be configured to start automatically when Windows starts. Once started it will perform a fake scan and then state that there are numerous infections present. If you attempt to use the program to remove these infections, though, it will state that you first need to purchase it before it can do so. This is a scam as the scan results are all fake, and in many cases, the infected files do not even exist on your computer. Therefore, please ignore the scan results and do not purchase the program.
While the rogue is running it will also hijack many of the infected computer's functions. For example, when you attempt to run an executable it will terminate it automatically. Furthermore, Windows Processes Accelerator will hijack the Windows Task Manager and Registry editor so that when you launch them, it will instead open the rogue's Advanced Process Control screen, which acts like a task manager. This allows the rogue to take full control of your computer until you pay the "ransom".
Last, but not least, this infection will also display fake security warnings that are designed to make you think that your computer has a severe computer security problem. These warnings may state that your computer is downloading copyrighted material, has viruses, or is sending out spam email.
Firewall has blocked a program from accessing the Internet
C:\program files\internet explorer\iexplore.exe
is suspected to have infected your PC. This type of virus intercepts entered data and transmits them to a remote server.
Trojan activity detected. System data security is at risk.
It is recommended to activate protection and run a full system scan.
Warning! Identity theft attempt Detected
Hidden connection IP: 18.104.22.168
Target: Your passwords for sites
Just like the scan results, all of these security alerts are fake and should be ignored.
As you can see, Windows Processes Accelerator is a scam that was created to trick you into thinking your computer was severely infected so that you will then purchase it. For no reason should you purchase this program, and if you have, you should contact your credit card company and dispute the charge stating that the program is a scam and a computer virus. To remove Windows Processes Accelerator and related malware, please follow the steps in the removal guide below.
Windows Processes Accelerator Removal Options
Self Help Guide
If you are uncomfortable making changes to your computer or following these steps, do not worry! Instead you can get free one-on-one help by asking in the forums.
To remove Windows Processes Accelerator, follow these steps:
- STEP 1: Print out instructions before we begin.
- STEP 2: Reboot into Safe Mode with Networking
- STEP 3: Remove proxy servers from installed web browsers.
- STEP 4: Use Rkill to terminate suspicious programs.
- STEP 5: Use Malwarebytes AntiMalware to Scan for Malware and Unwanted Programs
- STEP 6: Use HitmanPro to scan your computer for badware
- STEP 7: Run Secunia PSI to find outdated and vulnerable programs.
This removal guide may appear overwhelming due to the amount of the steps and numerous programs that will be used. It was only written this way to provide clear, detailed, and easy to understand instructions that anyone can use to remove this infection for free. Before using this guide, we suggest that you read it once and download all necessary tools to your desktop. After doing so, please print this page as you may need to close your browser window or reboot your computer.
Reboot your computer into Safe Mode with Networking using the instructions for your version of Windows found in the following tutorial:
How to start Windows in Safe Mode
When following the steps in the above tutorial, select Safe Mode with Networking rather than just Safe Mode. When the computer reboots into Safe Mode with Networking make sure you login with the username you normally use. When you are at your Windows desktop, please continue with the rest of the steps.
This infection changes your Windows settings to use a proxy server that will not allow you to browse any pages on the Internet with Internet Explorer or update security software. Regardless of the web browser you use, for these instructions we will first need need to fix this problem so that we can download the utilities we need to remove this infection.
Please start Internet Explorer, and when the program is open, click on the Tools menu and then select Internet Options as shown in the image below.
You should now be in the Internet Options screen as shown in the image below.
Now click on the Connections tab as designated by the blue arrow above.
You will now be at the Connections tab as shown by the image below.
Now click on the Lan Settings button as designated by the blue arrow above.
You will now be at the Local Area Network (LAN) settings screen as shown by the image below.
Under the Proxy Server section, please uncheck the checkbox labeled Use a proxy server for your LAN. Then press the OK button to close this screen. Then press the OK button to close the Internet Options screen. Now that you have disabled the proxy server you will be able to browse the web again with Internet Explorer.
To terminate any programs that may interfere with the removal process we must first download the Rkill program. Rkill will search your computer for active malware infections and attempt to terminate them so that they wont interfere with the removal process. To do this, please download RKill to your desktop from the following link.
When at the download page, click on the Download Now button labeled iExplore.exe. When you are prompted where to save it, please save it on your desktop.
Once it is downloaded, double-click on the iExplore.exe icon in order to automatically attempt to stop any processes associated with Windows Processes Accelerator and other malware. Please be patient while the program looks for various malware programs and ends them. When it has finished, the black window will automatically close and a log file will open. Please review the log file and then close so you can continue with the next step. If you have problems running RKill, you can download the other renamed versions of RKill from the rkill download page. All of the files are renamed copies of RKill, which you can try instead. Please note that the download page will open in a new browser window or tab.
Do not reboot your computer after running RKill as the malware programs will start again.
At this point you should download Malwarebytes Anti-Malware, or MBAM, to scan your computer for any infections, adware, or potentially unwanted programs that may be present. Please download Malwarebytes from the following location and save it to your desktop:
Malwarebytes Anti-Malware
Once downloaded, close all programs and Windows on your computer, including this one.
Double-click on the icon on your desktop named mb3-setup-1878.1878-22.214.171.1242. This will start the installation of MBAM onto your computer.
When the installation begins, keep following the prompts in order to continue with the installation process. Do not make any changes to default settings and when the program has finished installing, make sure you leave Launch Malwarebytes Anti-Malware checked. Then click on the Finish button. If MalwareBytes prompts you to reboot, please do not do so.
MBAM will now start and you will be at the main screen as shown below.
We now need to enable rootkit scanning to detect the largest amount of malware and unwanted programs that is possible with MalwareBytes. To do this, click on the Settings button on the left side of the screen and you will be brought to the general settings section.
Now click on the Protection tab at the top of the screen. You will now be shown the settings MalwareBytes will use when scanning your computer.
At this screen, please enable the Scan for rootkits setting by clicking on the toggle switch so it turns green.
Now that you have enabled rootkit scanning, click on the Scan button to go to the scan screen.
Make sure Threat Scan is selected and then click on the Start Scan button. If there is an update available for Malwarebytes it will automatically download and install it before performing the scan.
MBAM will now start scanning your computer for malware. This process can take quite a while, so we suggest you do something else and periodically check on the status of the scan to see when it is finished.
When MBAM is finished scanning it will display a screen that displays any malware, adware, or potentially unwanted programs that it has detected. Please note that the items found may be different than what is shown in the image below due to the guide being updated for newer versions of MBAM.
You should now click on the Remove Selected button to remove all the selected items. MBAM will now delete all of the files and registry keys and add them to the programs quarantine. When removing the files, MBAM may require a reboot in order to remove some of them. If it displays a message stating that it needs to reboot, please allow it to do so. Once your computer has rebooted, and you are logged in, please continue with the rest of the steps.
You can now exit the MBAM program.
If your computer is still in Safe Mode with Networking, you can reboot your computer back to normal mode. Once your computer is rebooted and you are back at the desktop, you can proceed with the rest of the instructions.
Now you should download HitmanPro from the following location and save it to your desktop:
When you visit the above page, please download the version that corresponds to the bit-type of the Windows version you are using.
Once downloaded, double-click on the file named HitmanPro.exe (for 32-bit versions of Windows) or HitmanPro_x64.exe (for 64-bit versions of Windows). When the program starts you will be presented with the start screen as shown below.
Now click on the Next button to continue with the scan process.
You will now be at the HitmanPro setup screen. If you would like to install the 30 day trial for HitmanPro, select the Yes, create a copy of HitmanPro so I can regularly scan this computer (recommended) option. Otherwise, if you just want to scan the computer this one time, please select the No, I only want to perform a one-time scan to check this computer option.
Once you have selected one of the options, please click on the Next button.
HitmanPro will now begin to scan your computer for infections, adware, and potentially unwanted programs. When it has finished it will display a list of all the items that Hitman has found as shown in the image below. Please note that the items found may be different than what is shown in the image.
You should now click on the Next button to have HitmanPro remove the detected items. When it is done you will be shown a Removal Results screen that shows the status of the various programs that were removed. At this screen you should click on the Next button and then if prompted you should click on the Reboot button. If HitmanPro does not prompt you to reboot, please just click on the Close button.
Once your computer has has restarted or you pressed the Close button, you should now be at your Windows desktop.
As many malware and unwanted programs are installed through vulnerabilities found in out-dated and insecure programs, it is strongly suggested that you use Secunia PSI to scan for vulnerable programs on your computer. A tutorial on how to use Secunia PSI to scan for vulnerable programs can be found here:
How to detect vulnerable and out-dated programs using Secunia Personal Software Inspector
Your computer should now be free of the Windows Processes Accelerator program. If your current security solution allowed this program on your computer, you may want to consider purchasing the full-featured version of Malwarebytes Anti-Malware to protect against these types of threats in the future.
If you are still having problems with your computer after completing these instructions, then please follow the steps outlined in the topic linked below:
Preparation Guide For Use Before Using Malware Removal Tools and Requesting Help
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While Malwarebytes Anti-Malware & HitmanPro will scan and clean a computer for free, the free versions do not offer real-time protection. If you want to be fully protected at all times then it is recommended that you purchase a premium version.
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Purchase the full-featured version of Malwarebytes Anti-Malware, which includes real-time protection, scheduled scanning, and website filtering, to protect yourself against these types of threats in the future!
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Tommaso's Firetruck Kura Bed
Rosandra lives in Rome and when it came time to hand down her older son's IKEA Kura bed to her 2-year-old, Tommaso, she decided to create something really special for him. Since he has a "passion for cars" a firetruck bed was just the thing.
Rosandra describes the bed makeover:
I added some plywood to create the door and the window. I put on the wheels of an old toy car and have painted in red, grey and white the different part of the "truck". I have equipped the bed with a little fire extinguisher, flashlights on the top, a garden hose and some stickers. Under the bed there is a lot of space for him to "drive" and to store his toys. On the wall I painted a skyline with bright acrylic colors and in the sky I made the "sun" shine!!
Thanks Rosandra!
• Jeep Bed
• Firestation Bedroom
• Rex's Superhero Room
• Lawson's Castle Bed
(Images: reader Rosandra)


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Daniel Perrault is known as the "Baby Faced Killer" has been released from Kent Maximum Security Prison and plans on living in Vancouver BC. Daniel refused treatment while serving his prison term and is at a high risk to re-offend. Over the past 22 years he has raped a women after escaping from jail and stomped a man to death. http://www.globaltvbc.com/high-risk+sex+offender+released+today+in+vancouver/6442737113/story.html
Related articles
- Surrey sexual sadist to be released after serving his sentence (theprovince.com)


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This week, St. Joseph�s Abbey in Spencer has released its first beer, the Spencer Ale. It is the first beer in the U.S. to receive the official "Authentic Trappist Product," one of only 10 monasteries in the world allowed to use the label.
For those not familiar with Trappist beers, this week I�ll provide kind of a primer of what they are, and some of the ones you can get. Next week, I�ll feature a sit-down interview with the monks of St. Joseph�s.
First off, what is a Trappist beer? Trappist is not a style of beer. The International Trappist Association is made up of monasteries that belong to the Order of Cistercians of the Strict Observance and sell products commercially. The goal is to raise money to run the monasteries as well as helping people in need.
The Authentic Trappist Product label is awarded to monasteries that produce their products within or near the monastery. Other than beer, the other items that can be deemed Authentic Trappist Products include cheese, liquor, bread and chocolate.
With St. Joseph�s Abbey receiving permission to use the label, there are now 10 monasteries that now brew authentic Trappist beer. Six of them are in Belgium, two in the Netherlands and one each in Austria and the United States.
Again, Trappist does not mean a beer has to be a specific style of beer, although most of them tend to be Belgian styles of ales. The biggest similarity is almost all of the Trappist ales I�ve had a chance to try are top-notch.
Many of the Trappist beers are available in the United States. The easiest to find is the Chimay line of beers, brewed by the Scourmont Lez Chimay in Belgium. They brew three beers, known as the Chimay White, Chimay Red and Chimay Blue. The colors have nothing to do with the types of beers; it�s just the color of the labels.
The Red is a 7 percent alcohol by volume (ABV) dubbel, which is malty beer with just a bit of hop flavor and some spiciness. The White is a tripel a 9 percent ABV beer that is stronger than the dubbel and the Blue is a Belgian strong ale, which is also 9 percent, but tastes even maltier and more fruity flavors from the yeast.
Another relatively easy to find Trappist beer is the Orval Trappist Ale from the Orval Abbey in Belgium. This beer is a 6.2 percent ABV Belgian pale ale. This beer has more of a hop bite than many of the other Trappist ales. It is crisp, slightly earthy and has some pleasant tartness.
A personal favorite is the Rochefort beers from the Abbaye Notre-Dame de Saint-Remy, also in Belgium. They brew the Rochefort 6, Rochefort 8 and Rochefort 10. As the numbers get higher, the alcohol by volume goes up. The Rochefort 6, is a pleasant Belgian dubbel that is 7.5 percent ABV, while the Rochefort 10 is an 11.3 percent ABV quad.
Other Trappist beers available in the U.S. include the beers from Achel and Westmalle (both from Belgium) and the Koningshoeven beers from the Netherlands (I had a very interesting birthday involving Koningshoeven, if you ever see me in person feel free to ask about it, I can�t put it in a family paper).
One of the most famous Trappist beers, and one of the most rare, is the Westvleteren 12, brewed at the Saint Sixtus Abbey in Westvleteren in Belgium. This beer gained huge notoriety a few years ago when several online beer sites named it the best beer in the world and a large black market developed for this beer, which was only sold legally at the monastery in a couple of local businesses.
About two years ago, needing extra money for renovations at the monastery, Westvleteren 12 was sold in the U.S. for the first time in a limited number of stores and one day only. Lines formed and the beer sold out. Was it worth it? It�s a really good beer, but I don�t think I�d go through the effort it took to get it.
So here�s a little background on Trappist ales and some of the ones available. If you�re going to try the new Spencer Ale, give a few of these to try to see the varierty of beers being brewed under the Trappist designation.
Must-Have Beer of the Week
The Must-Have Beer of the Week is the brand-new Victory Brewing Company Hop Ranch.
The Hop Ranch is a 9 percent ABV double India pale ale. This is a very fruity double IPA. When you take your first sniff of the beer, you�ll notice melon and even a touch of orange. Flavor wise, expect pineapple and honeydew. It�s a treat.
Email Norman Miller at email@example.com or call 508-626-3823. Check out the Beer Nut blog at blogs.wickedlocal.com/beernut. Follow him on Twitter at @realbeernut. Also check out "Norman Miller, The Beer Nut" on Facebook.
The Beer Nut: Spencer abbey releases first U.S. Trappist beer
This week, St. Joseph�s Abbey in Spencer has released its first beer, the Spencer Ale. It is the first beer in the U.S. to receive the official "Authentic Trappist Product," one of only 10 monasteries in the world allowed to use the label.


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This heroic tale chronicles David Fandila's quest to become the world's top-ranked bullfighter. Heart-wrenching setbacks and thrilling successes dramatize "El Fandi's" three-year journey across Spain and Latin America and into the pages of bullfighting history. It is a story of love--of a son for his family, of audiences for their heroes, of a people for their cultural traditions, and of the bullfighter's paradoxical love for the majestic beast that he must kill to create his art. As David struggles to achieve his place in the pantheon of Spain's greatest bullfighters, he is confronted by those who question the place of this ancient and brutal ritual in the modern world.
Director: Stephen Higgins and Nina Gilden Seavey
Producer: Stephen Higgins
Cast: Lluis Agusti, Veronica Canete, David Fandila, Trini Fandila, Juan Fandila, Juan Alvaro Fandila, Elvira Lindo, Eduardo Lago, Santiago Lopez and Antonio Matilla
Sorry there are no upcoming showtimes for The Matador


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We're America's largest mortgage lender, closing loans in all 50 states. J.D Power ranked Quicken Loans "Highest in Customer Satisfaction in Primary Mortgage Origination" for the past eight consecutive years, 2010 – 2017. The company was also ranked highest in the nation for client satisfaction among mortgage servicers by J.D. Power for four consecutive years, 2014 through 2017, each year the company was eligible. There's a simple reason we've been so successful: We care about the people we work with.
If you're tired of stuffy, bureaucratic workplaces, then you'll be delighted to find something different here. We strive to make a creative, fun and collaborative environment you simply won't find anywhere else. Quicken Loans was named #1 in ESSENCE Magazine's first ever list of "Best Places to Work for African Americans" in 2015. We've been on Computerworld's "Best Places to Work in IT" list for 13 years running, hitting #1 the last five years. We were also ranked #14 in FORTUNE Magazine's list of "100 Best Companies to Work For" in 2018, remaining in the top-30 for the past 15 years.
The Payroll Team Leader oversees the processing and maintenance of payroll and payroll tax information by managing and executing on payroll preparation, completing reports and maintaining records. By using experience and tact, this leader supports and aligns our business objectives and strategies.
What'll Make You Special
Why We're Different
Corporate politics not your strong suit? The anti-corporate culture of Quicken Loans gives our team members the initiative to build solutions together and grow both personally and professionally. At Quicken Loans, we're in the business of putting roofs over our clients' heads, but we certainly aren't putting ceilings on our team members' careers. If you're interested in working in a place with a philosophy that's truly different, apply today.
Quicken Loans is an equal opportunity employer.
Disclaimer: Quicken Loans received the highest numerical score in the proprietary J.D. Power 2010 – 2016 Primary Mortgage Origination studies and the 2014 – 2017 Primary Mortgage Servicer studies. 2016 Origination (or Sales) based on 5,182 total responses and measures the opinions of customers who originated a new mortgage or refinanced within the past 12 months, surveyed in July – August 2016. 2017 Servicing based on 7,374 total responses and measures the opinions of homeowners on their mortgage servicing company, surveyed in March – April 2017. Your experiences may vary. Visit JDPower.com.
Quicken Loans is the #1 online lender based on the ranking of Quicken Loans in comparison to online residential mortgage lenders included in the Inside Mortgage Finance "Top 50 Mortgage Lenders" report from Q2 2017.


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San Francisco 49ers Keychains
San Francisco 49ers Keychains & Lanyards
Bargain deals for licensed Leather San Francisco 49ers keychain at DiscountedKeychains.com. Order easily in just a few seconds and carry your favorite NFL team always with you. What set us apart from other distributors: fantastic prices – FREE shipping for $15 orders or above – very fast shipping from California warehouse – option to engrave and personalize – official product of NFL.
Several shapes to choose from: Durable San Francisco 49ers Keychain bottle opener in high polish chrome steel, oval, rectangle, wave, spinner, tear drop or always useful solid San Francisco 49ers Lanyard with detachable keyring.


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FEDERAL CARTRIDGE CO Premium Centerfire Rifle Cartridges
Federal Premium 308 Winchester 165 Grain Sierra GameKing Boat-Tail Soft Poi
Premium vitalshok from the world leader in premium ammunition comes vitalshok your best option for medium to large game. You spend all year dreaming of the moment of truth, so why trust that moment to anything less. Vitalshok is available in the world's finest big game bullets, from the unrivaled Speer trophy bonded bear claw and nosler's latest offerings to Sierra and Barnes match that with world class brass, select powders and legendary primers and you get unmatched premium performance.
SPECIFICATIONS:Mfg Item Num: P308C Category: AMMO CENTERFIRE Caliber :308 WinchesterBullet Type :Sierra GameKing BTSPBullet Weight :165 GRMuzzle Energy :2670 ft lbsMuzzle Velocity :2700 fpsRounds/box :20 Rounds Per Box, 10 Boxes Per Case


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Style # 208097
With ruched paneling, sheer detail and super soft fabric with high elasticity, this bebe top is a highly-versatile item that will work with suiting and off-duty items alike.
- 90% nylon, 10% spandex
- Center back to hem: 22" (56 cm)
- Sleeve length: 24" (61 cm)
- Dry clean
- Imported
- Model is 5'9" and is wearing a US size S
Rated 5 out of 5�by 2 reviewers.
Rated 5 out of 5�by sophie lovely and adorable the best thing i ever buy. i am 4"11 and 110 lb. i receive this wonderful Ruched Mesh Sheer Sleeve Top last week and i love it....it looks wonderful on me . i am going to buy the black color of that too December 8, 2012
Rated 5 out of 5�by CocoChanellv Cute! Tried this top on in the store in the sandshell color and it's so cute! The only thing I did not like was that the neck opening does not stretch making it very hard to get off and on. December 3, 2012
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|2013-01-03, 06:04
|Link #4141
ばか =)
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Belfast, Northern Ireland
Age: 32
|2013-01-03, 16:14
|Link #4142
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Montreal, QC, Canada
Age: 35
Only at Manchester City that a manager can tolerate both a jerk spending months on vacation during the season AND a total idiot devoid of any sense of discipline before reintegrating both in the team's squad. Now that is what happens in one of both cases in the end when the manager is a wuss.
Balotelli is a bloody retard, that's a given. Yet, I'm enjoying this and I hope the Carlos Tevez case will also blow up in Roberto Mancini's face. *evil grins*
|2013-01-17, 09:42
|Link #4144
Looking for ONE PIECE
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Sleeping Forest
so glad Pep took the Bayern job. and i pray that Rafa goes at the end of the season.
the only one i think would be able to turn us around would be Joachim Low. his style of foot ball would be perfect for Chelsea. even though there are reports of him going to Real, hoping that will not come to be.
if it is true than that means Jose would go and we would be stuck with Rafa. there aren't many managers willing to come to us. unless we give them a sacking cause worth a lot.
|2013-01-17, 12:37
|Link #4146
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2009
It will be interesting to see how Guardiola's stock will hold up after a period at another club. He deserves credit for his work but how good do you have to be as a manager to win with the player material and resources of Barca?
Moving from the world's strongest side to another world top 3 team has been labeled as a low risk by the media. But I still have to see if Pep will be able to control the divas of FC Hollywood. The way he handled Ibrahimovic isn't too promising and then there is the vocal Bayern board. Interesting times ahead.
|2013-02-10, 15:28
|Link #4151
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Montreal, QC, Canada
Age: 35
Southampton have got a new breath of life since they hired that new Spanish manager a few weeks ago; they could have earned a result at Old Trafford a few weeks ago. And to add insult to injury to City's performance, Manchester United won 2-0 against Everton (REVENGE!!) and are now 12 points ahead of City.
Ryan Giggs... 39 years of age and still able to find the back of the net in the League. Hats off to him!
|2013-02-10, 20:30
|Link #4152
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2009
EPL is back to a one horse race this season with City dropping points all over the place.
Now the EPL, Bundes Liga and La Liga all but decided in name, we should be able to see the big guns in full flight for the CL this year. The upcoming RM versus MU should be a treat.
|2013-02-10, 20:55
|Link #4153
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Tesla Leicht Institute
Age: 28
|2013-02-10, 21:15
|Link #4154
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2009
|2013-02-15, 14:04
|Link #4155
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2009
This week saw the return of Champions league football after the winter break.
Some interesting matches. Celtic versus Juventus was a nice appetizer with a game that was as classic as the team involved. British power football versus a balanced Italian defense. Celtic pressed hard and unsettled their opponents passing game, but never looked quite able to break down the wall. In the end Juves excess in quality resulted in a few deadly counters that settled the outcome before the return.
The main course was Real Madrid versus Man United. A clash between giants with well over a 1$ billion worth of players available for this encounter.
The resulting 1-1 draw leaves the return wide open for both sides to progress. It's hard to judge this result as decisive either way. Tactically speaking Ferguson was able to neutralize the threat of Madrid's counters and Ronaldo's individual brilliance. However United had to rely more on it's defense and goalie then looked comfortable. United surrendered the midfield without as much as putting up a fight. This might have been wise given the superiority of Madrid in midfield. Still Mourinho might be glad that Madrid wasn't pressed hard as they looked a bit dodgy at the back.
Surprising was the lack of accuracy of the strikers on both ends. Benzema falls short of world class and Van Persie as a modern hybrid lacks the killer instinct to bury chances like a true center nine.
In this match up playing at home may not be the usual advantage with both sides preferring to be reactive. The return in Manchester promises to be interesting.
|2013-02-20, 18:11
|Link #4156
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Montreal, QC, Canada
Age: 35
Another set of matches in the round of 16 in the Champions League is now in the books.
Arsenal 1-3 Bayern Munich: it just shows that Bayern are quite the team to beat this year while Arsenal are still stuck with the same usual problems in Europe. If you ask me, someone has to consider forcing Wenger to step down and start anew.
Porto 1-0 Malaga: didn't see much of the match, but playing in Porto is always difficult for any opposition. Good result for the Portugese side as they can now think about going to Spain and force the issue with only a single away goal.
Galatasaray 1-1 Schalke 04: the struggling German team earned a satisfying result in the circumstances with Jermaines Jones' away goal that tied the game up after Burak Yılmaz's opening goal. It was also Didier Drogba's return on the European stage after last year's final in Munich and he was once again at the heart of the Turks' attacks.
AC Milan 2-0 Barcelona: certainly the biggest upset so far in the first leg matches of the round of 16. The Italians' tactics to contain Lionel Messi were spot on and the number of goalscoring chances for Barcelona was considerably low. People will certainly talk about the alleged hand ball on Kevin-Prince Boateng's goal, but I'd have still given the goal considering the whole sequence (initial shot deflected off Alba, the Milan player standing very close to Alba with no chance to react with any purpose, etc.). And the counterattack leading to Sulley Muntari's 2-0 goal was superbly done. Final words: Milan didn't steal this game at all; it was a well deserved victory.
Next dates for the first set of second leg matches: March 5 & 6.
Last edited by KiraYamatoFan; 2013-02-20 at 22:55.
|2013-02-20, 22:59
|Link #4158
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Montreal, QC, Canada
Age: 35
Even if Bayern are the team to beat, they should know they can't get ahead of themselves whoever comes in front of them. Just thinking of last year's final should be a clear indicator that a cup tie doesn't have to be won by the better team on the pitch.
|2013-02-21, 09:05
|Link #4159
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2009
Chelsea last season on the other hand...now that was a statistic anomaly. They retained an impossibly high conversion rate while giving away loads of chances per game that opponents somehow kept missing.
If Barcelona will be eliminated, it really opens up the stage. There's about half a dozen team left who have the potential to win it.
|2013-02-21, 14:51
|Link #4160
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: in my really nice house
Bayern look better then last year, but your right they can't get ahead of themselves, a good example of that is Real Madrid and Barcelona last year, that why they got eliminated.
|football, soccer
|Thread Tools


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This year, spring weather has reminded me of April through June of my sophomore year in high school — rain and unseasonable cold punctuated by short, infrequent warm spells. As of this writing we have had the same meteorological menu.
When school ended that spring before my junior year, I was a precocious young teen looking toward summer baseball, fishing and reading, and late July and August blueberry raking to save money for school clothes and other needs.
That spring and summer I was a center fielder in a Babe Ruth league for boys my age and also a first baseman for the Windsor men's town team. I participated in four or five games per week, mostly evenings except for Sunday doubleheaders, but that left plenty of time for fishing — and fish I did — mostly hoofing it to waters in Somerville and Windsor.
Much of my fishing occurred with a neighbor and cousin, David French. We hit the Sheepscot River, mostly the deadwater upstream of downtown Somerville. We also fished French's Mill Pond and Lovejoy Stream that flowed through it. David lived on a high bank above the pond, so that was his home water.
We talked trout but often targeted pickerel, underscoring a June day in my life, fishing for this toothy critter in a pool below falls on the stream:
The sunny morning began unseasonably cold with hard gales. While we rowed up the pond to a faint path along the stream, squalls pushed the boat around. Once off the water, though, the forest partially blocked wind, which made casting into the pool easier.
Back then the falls looked like a photo on a sports-fishing calendar, and in fact a historical map of ancient Atlantic salmon runs on the continent showed that this lordly king once used little Lovejoy Stream for spawning. However, two dams had relegated the water to chain pickerel and lowly yellow perch, and that's what we caught that day — yellow perch.
Pickerel weren't home in the pool, but yellow perch took lures like brookies and fought like trout, too. We didn't eat this perch, so that was the first time I had ever caught and released fish, and it felt good.
The experience of fast action in a remote, aesthetic setting made the day a lifetime memory that keeps on giving, but David's mother, Rosie, offered the second part of the day's underscore.
Rosie was a sweet soul and in a good-natured way she gently scolded us for catching and releasing yellow perch, the kind of reprimand that didn't make us feel badly about ourselves.
In those days, catch and release was a foreign concept in rural Maine, so if Rosie had said anything other than intimating that we should eat what we caught, then her words would have shocked me. She was an angler herself.
When I started living the catch-and-release life five years later, adults — mostly men — complained bitterly to me about the practice, but I was blessed or damned with a caustic wit that kept criticism at bay.
My C&R ethic began that day on the idyllic perch pool. Now an ugly power line crosses the falls, and dam removal drained French's Mill Pond. Salmon never returned up the stream, either. Yes, you can't go home again.
I had already discovered Ernest Hemingway and D.H. Lawrence. Hemingway's "In Our Time" enthralled me with stories about youngsters fishing, hunting and reading as I had, and Lawrence's "Lady Chatterley's Lover" attracted me for sex scenes. That summer before my junior year, I read Lawrence's "The Rainbow," which romanticized rural culture.
In those high school summers, small events occurred that shaped my later life, and I understood their importance at the time. One occurred on an evening after blueberry raking, when after supper I was heading down the road to the Sheepscot, carrying a fishing rod.
An acquaintance of my father sat alone in his pickup, sipping a green, 16-ounce Ballantine ale, and gruffly asked, "Is that all ya' do is go fishin'?"
"No," I said in a defiant tone that caught him off guard, "I rake blueberries, play sports — and read."
I kept walking to the Sheepscot for a hopeful rendezvous with brown trout. His comment started me thinking that yes, I did fish a lot and was proud of it.
That childhood passion has carried into adulthood, taking me from Costa Rica for giant tarpon to northern Quebec for Atlantic salmon to the West for browns and rainbows to The Keys for tarpon, bonefish and sharks with all the stops between, and I often made money doing it.
Childhood passions set the stages for adulthood, and if we choose the right path, it makes all the difference in creating a higher quality of life.
Ken Allen of Belgrade Lakes, a writer, editor and photographer, may be reached at:
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Cape Elizabeth head football coach takes South Portland job


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125 years ago, Point Washington United Methodist church was a miracle waiting to happen
On July 20 and 21, the church will celebrate its 125th anniversary with a "day on the holy grounds" from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the church, 1290 N. County Hwy. 395 in Santa Rosa Beach.
The Stephens Center will be set up as an exhibit hall, with a great variety of memorabilia. There will be games for children during the morning, and Deep South Bluegrass will be on site with music to set the festive mood. The United Methodist Men will provide a light lunch and at 1 p.m. singing and storytelling begins in the sanctuary.
On Sunday, July 21, Bishop Paul Leeland will be guest speaker during the 10 a.m. service in the Family Life Center. A potluck luncheon will follow on the grounds.
� �Old home week� should be fun, deeply meaningful and memorable for all of us," current pastor Spencer Turnipseed told The Sun. "So, spread the good tidings and let's have a great crowd and a great time! It will be a terrific way to signify the last 125 years and begin the next 125."
Building a church
The congregation began meeting in the schoolhouse in 1887, and in 1888 the group asked the presiding elder of the District to provide a minister for Point Washington.
A map from 1888 shows Point Washington in Washington County. PWUMC historian Brenda Rees told The Sun, �When Point Washington left Walton County in 1825 to be part of Washington County until 1913, what is now known as Destin went with it. South Walton, including Point Washington, and Destin returned to Walton County in 1913. Then, Okaloosa County was founded in 1915 and took Destin."
Rev. John Wesley moved to the Point and was not only the first pastor, he was also the fourth. He was the regular Sunday preacher while the appointed pastor, G.N. Winslet, came over for a night service on second Thursdays.
Rees told The Sun that the land for the church was donated by General William Miller and his wife Maria in 1893.
Miller, a soldier, attorney, timberman and politician, served as a general in the Confederate States Army during the Civil War. He led reserve troops of the state of Florida and won one of the South's last victories of the war at the Battle of Natural Bridge.
Born in Ithaca, N.Y., Miller was also a veteran of the Mexican-American War, and was awarded by the government for his service with 40 acres of land in Florida.
Members of the first church contributed their materials and time to the building. The lumber was all local and milled at the Strickland and Wesley sawmills. Wesley continued to serve the church until his death in 1901.
Services have continued every Sunday since with no interruption. Rev. Wesley's son, Stephen, kept faith alive by ringing the bell and leading services every Sunday until his death in 1943.
Pastor Houseman
With about 30 pastors since 1888, Harry Houseman, pastor from 1988 to 2000, wrote about those formative years in a history of the church.
On June 12, 1988, 24 people showed up that first Sunday which was listed as the 100th anniversary and �homecoming.� Only four of the worshippers returned the following Sunday, but attendance was up to 34, Houseman wrote.
"A story circulated that there was room on the pews for each congregant to lay down and stretch out. Oh well � shouldn�t folks be comfortable at church? The time was a-coming that we couldn�t put them in with shoe horns!"
Being a tourist and snowbird community, attendance would vary from service to service, and many of its members had service jobs and worked Sundays.
"We have many retirees whose families are scattered across the fruited plain, but with their pledge to attend every time they could, we began to fill the pews."
After Houseman�s arrival, membership reached 47 by the end of 1988, and by 1994 was up to 116. In 1997, the rolls grew to 196 and more than 270 by 2000, with all bills paid and no indebtedness. Today, membership stands at 507.
Houseman believed �that the congregation, like the church, was a splendid example of Christian beauty firmly witnessing to the extended community, the conference and the world � following [Methodism founder] John Wesley�s great proclamation, 'The world is my parish.' There is a wonderful excitement in the air about the church and its mission. The people are positive, motivated, and faithful.�
Growing church
Point Washington built a parsonage in 1981 and was now a �station� church. Pastor Mike Columbo, the first occupant, experimented with different service times and he was the one who started the beach service at Seaside. The Community Church in Santa Rosa Beach later took on that responsibility.
It was in 1990 that the church bought the lot east of the church at the urging of Van Ness Butler who said he saw growth on the horizon. Four men pledged the security of the loan and within a year it was paid off.
"We had many a work day on the lot for we had to take it 'as is," Houseman wrote in his history. "That means all the junk on it was ours! The brick pilings became the sidewalk in front of the parsonage. About 20 old windows were tossed only to find out years later people who do crafts wanted them enough to pay for them."
After an enormous bonfire to get rid of debris left by the house that stood on the property, church members cleared the land by hand.
"Mary Norris, Jonnye Butler, and Helen Strickland were a trio of weed whacking women with machete, hoe, and wrist power," Houseman wrote.
Also, 1990 was the year the church began using the acronym PWUMC.
"The snowbirds wanted a shorter name to write on their checks. That acronym allowed more space for the amounts. They were good contributors."
Name changes
Originally known as the Point Washington Church, in 1894 it became First Methodist Episcopal Church, South, better known as ME Church South.
In 1939 it became First Methodist Church after the union of the three major Methodist bodies, and in 1968 became First United Methodist Church when the Methodist Church and the Evangelical United Brethren Church united.
Officially it is still First United Methodist Church, Point Washington, Florida, with PWUMC as its name of endearment.
Renovation of the little historic church house began on Jan. 4, 1997, and all activities moved to The Stephens Center. The FamilyLife Centerwas built in 2005 and is used for contemporary services each week and the preschool.
The people are proud of the �early American gothic� architecture of their church, according to Houseman.
"We like the hype that it is the most photographed church on CR 395. It�s not unusual to see artists behind their easels, with oils, watercolors or charcoal, capturing on their medium the beauty of this house of God."
The "little white church" is an active full time parish of the Alabama-West Florida Conference � thanks in part to all the faithful who have gone on before.


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July 31st marks National Mutt Day, also known as National Mixed Breed Dog Day. This event was started in 2005 to bring awareness to the number of mixed breed dogs that end up in shelters.
About 75-80% of dogs in shelters are mixed breeds. Most purebreds that end up in shelters are adopted very quickly by the public wanting a less expensive pure breed or by breed rescue groups.
There are plenty of reasons to adopt a "Mutt" over a pure breed dog.
- Mixed breed dogs tend to live longer than pure breeds and tend to be healthier with less "breed-specific diseases" and conditions. This is because mixed breeds are derived from a more diverse gene pool than pure breeds.
- Mixed breeds are just as capable of being trained to be excellent family dogs. They can be trained to perform skills such as bomb and drug sniffing, search and rescue, and guiding people with disabilities.
- Mutts come in all shapes and sizes and will have unique features that will earn you compliments at the dog park.
- You can find a mixed breed to fit your lifestyle. You can find a friendly mutt, an exercise partner, or a "snuggler" – whatever your lifestyle, you are sure to find a mutt that will fit in.
- Mixed breeds tend not to have the extremes in behavior that purebreds do.
- Adopting a mutt can be more affordable than the cost of purchasing a purebred dog. *Keep in mind that every dog still requires routine veterinary visits (consider pet health insurance), obedience training, a nutritious diet, toys, bedding, and other supplies.
- The best reason for adopting a Mutt – you get to provide a loving home for a dog that deserves to be part of family. Every dog that is adopted from a shelter is one less that is purchased from a puppy mill.
Some tips for finding the perfect mutt
- Do research on owning a dog if you have never owned one before. Some breeds (mixed breeds included) require lots of daily exercise.
- Do not be impulsive once you are at the shelter. While your heart strings may be pulled, be very deliberate and take time to consider what you really want. This will avoid a mismatch and potential return to the shelter.
- Speak to the shelter employees about what kind of dog would fit best with you. The employees will have gotten to know the dogs and will be able to help you choose one that will best fit into your family's lifestyle.
- Some dogs in shelters have behavior problems which led their previous owner to give them up. Be prepared to commit significant time to training the dog and remember that any behavioral problems are NOT the fault of the dog, but often natural dog behaviors that we find inappropriate or possibly bad habits or fear-based issues from the previous owner who let them down.
Not ready to adopt?
There are still ways you can help support your local shelter. Consider making a donation – every donation counts no matter how small. Call your local shelter to see if they need any donations – towels, food, and toys are items that the shelter may need. Consider fostering a mutt until he can find a permanent home. Many shelters can't house all the dogs in need of a home. Fostering can be a great way to see if you are ready to adopt a dog, and provides a dog with a loving home in the meantime.
Want to get involved?
Spread the word about National Mutt Day on social media, volunteer at your local shelter, or make the ultimate commitment and adopt a Mutt this July!


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Mentally finding out the day of the week for any date is a skill you can easily learn. You don't need to be an autistic genius – all it takes is basic memorization effort and some trivial math.
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Inspiration: Christmas Trees in the Kitchen
We've talked a bit about decorating the kitchen for the holidays. It seems most of us want to introduce some special touch to the room, but fear clutter in a space that's busy and often cramped for space anyway. Might a small tree be the solution?
Here are a few kitchens with Christmas trees incorporated into them. Some ideas we gleaned from this gallery for setting up a kitchen tree without taking up too much space:
- Set it up on the floor if you have an out-of-the-way corner.
- Contain it, much like a fruit bowl.
- Get a small rosemary tree that will be both beautiful and useful in the kitchen, well after the holidays.
Related: Look! Rosemary Trees At Whole Foods
Images: Keith Scott Morton/Country Living, Michael Luppino/Country Living, Flickr member Sultry licensed for use under Creative Commons, House Beautiful


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6:00 pm
Outdoor Idaho "Rec Tech" Whether producing custom jet boats, some of the world's best-known knives, high-end fly fishing reels or calorie-packed and great-tasting energy bars, the people leading Idaho's recreation technology companies share one characteristic: They love Idaho's great outdoors. This episode features the adventurous men and women behind these innovations.G
6:30 pm
Dialogue "Dr. Abraham Verghese: Conversations from the Sun Valley Writers' Conference" The author of My Own Country, an account of his work with AIDS patients in rural Tennessee, talks with Host Marcia Franklin. Verghese is also the author of Cutting for Stone a recent bestselling novel; he teaches at Stanford Medical School and speaks about health-care reform and doctor-patient issues.G
7:00 pm
PBS NewsHour NULL
8:00 pm
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10:00 pm
Aspen Institute Presents "Sports and Society: More Than A Game" Speakers: Jim Brown, Craig Robinson, John Walsh. D
11:00 pm
Nature "Attenborough's Life Stories: Understanding the Natural World" In honor of Sir David Attenborough's 60th anniversary on television, this three-part miniseries focuses on three fields that David Attenborough feels have been transformed most profoundly: filmmaking, science and the environment. Richly illustrated with the sequences (re-mastered in HD) that Attenborough has spent 60 years capturing, new interviews in which he revisits the content, stories and locations that were featured in his landmark series, and packed with the personal anecdotes of the BBC's most accomplished raconteur, "Attenborough's Life Stories" is a singular synopsis of a unique half-century plus. In "Understanding the Natural World," Sir David Attenborough shares his memories of the scientists and the breakthroughs that helped shape his own career. D


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@ mellow
Thanks and I just posted my last one.
Man, I have to thank you Mattbrot....you made me look back through the stuff I read over the years and I located the above article I read some time ago
Many times I posted in this forum that LBJ has won more player of week and month awards than anyone in NBA History....well above is the link to that
In fairness to MJ.....player of the month in his era was player of month for the entire NBA...around 2001 they started giving the distinction/honor to an eastern conference and western conference player......bottom line is in LBJs era he is blowing everyone away
LBJ won this 20 times to date.....anyone think he will not get more? Again, another accomplishment that simply is not being reported....just the "clutch" stuff
I count the other notables this many times
Wade 6
Kobe 15
Kevin Durant 5
Michael Jordan 14* took two years off...again award was only given to one guy in his time...not monthly *** asterisk ***
Shaq 12
Dwight Howard 5
Derrick Rose "1" I kept posting everywhere why is he MVP.? He was player of month only once that year...LBJ was player of month twice that season and had more player of weeks too.
Magic 5
Bird 7
Olajuwon 6
Duncan 3
Garnett 7
David Robinson 3
Barkley 3
Karl Malone 5
My point is there are so many things this guy is doing but "MANY" want the narrative to read look @ Boston playoff games and the Mavs playoff games
His player or week and month honors are off the charts...and this number will only continue to grow
that was my last post......all these articles started to come back to me...when I read the post saying "this stuff is hard to prove.....and the stats are empty....."
Kobe has had the better career...."and better teammates."
Now that Wade and Lebron have each other (playing with all stars like kobe has played with virtually his entire career)
the playing field is even.
What exactly does Kobe do "defintitely better than D Wade"
To me, they are essentially the same player
nice scorer...nice defenders....but what does kobe do DEFINTIVELY better than Wade?
To me, it is not as clear cut as it seems. Just my opinion.
Let me try to clarify my "opinion"
Kobe is the more decorated...player...played in LA...Bigger Superstar.....etc..etc...
But like the movie "trading places ...that starred Eddie Murphy".....I traded Wade for Kobe.....and I see Wade getting those same rings in LA that kobe got...but I am not so sure that Kobe makes his teammates better the way "his fanbase" thinks he does....
I actually think Kobe scores more (becuase he shoots more)
but Wade is the better passer...blocks more shots
and I think they steal the ball -- EVEN
rebounding ... maybe EVEN.
The media clearly says edge kobe. I just think their GAME is closer than folks think.....can Wade stop Kobe one on one....NOPE
Can Kobe stop Wade one on one...NOPE
so what separates the two? In my opinion, it is the other parts of their game.....and to me - that is edge D Wade.
Just my opinion.
Unfortunately, I do not have the articles to support my opinion about D Wade that is so clearly out there with LBJ
But there is footage to show other NBA greats saying D Wade has the BEST STEP-THRU SPLIT THE DOUBLE TEAM MOVE...in nba history......and their are stats to support that D Wade may pass kobe in career steals, rebounds and blocks .....but kobe gets the nod for the all defense team guard spot over Wade every year ...which is w.i.e.r.d - and proves that media bias and popularity is at play with the defensive squad guys)
But for the most part......they are the same guy
An "A" is an "A"
To me
* Kobe is an all star
Wade is an all star
* Kobe is a great offensive player
Wade is a great offensive player
* Kobe plays good defense
Wade plays good defense
* Kobe can finish games
Wade can finish games
Whatever Kobe can do
Wade can do
Kobe is not defintively better than Wade
Just my opinion
I did not say wade is clearly > kobe.....
I did say that kobe fans and media have annoited kobe to be MORE than what he is.....he is a scorer...he is a champion.....he is NOT a good teammate...NOT a great passer...and to me NOT a better all around player than Wade
Wade is extremely close to kobe - skill and B-Ball wise......Kobe has been extremely fortunate to have been drafted by the Lakers .....skill wise NO he is not superior to Wade.
And yes, if knowing what I know now about their skills...I would want the better all around player....and I think Wade makes his teammates better more so than kobe....
You guys love the tough shot taking---tough shot making....BLACK MAMBA persona....I can win this thing by melf bryant......I get it....I see it......I'm entertained too!!!!!!
....but I will take the guy that the teammates are not begging for the ball from/for in their media interviews and
the guy that a coach (phil jackson) didn't write a book saying quote " sometimes kobe is uncoachable" end quote
To me, they are close in ability......I say edge to the guy that is the better teammate....and passer....and that is D Wade
C'mon folks, everyone cannot have the same opinion....
you say hot...I say cold.....someone else says ugly...another says cute......we all are entiltled to our own opinions...sometimes we have to agree to disagree....and there is nothing wrong with that.


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This is a guest post written by Brian Zimmerman. Brian is managing director of OpenView Venture Partners, an expansion-stage venture capital firm focused on providing technology companies with deep operational support. You can follow Brian on Twitter @BrianZimm1.
When Joe Pulizzi and Newt Barrett published their bestselling book, Get Content, Get Customers in 2008, the authors wrote that the marketing world — and the online universe at large — needed to prepare for a content revolution.
Pulizzi and Barrett argued that content, which you can think of as a component of a well-rounded inbound marketing strategy, would change the way businesses communicate with their buyers, breaking down the barriers put up by years of interruptive marketing. It would drive stronger brand affinity, awareness, and engagement, and provide companies an opportunity to communicate directly with their buyers, rather than talking at them.
Of course, like any revolutionary idea, some marketers laughed off Pulizzi and Barrett's prediction as a passing fad. Others suggested content would never be the king of marketing.
At OpenView Venture Partners, however, we saw things differently.
When our founder, Scott Maxwell, read Pulizzi and Barrett's book, he saw an opportunity to deliver on our vision and enhance our brand promise — which was and still is to help expansion-stage senior management teams build great companies by gathering, creating, storing, and disseminating best practices across all functional areas of their businesses.
In 2009, we began executing our own inbound marketing strategy, which initially focused on a three vehicles for creating and disseminating relevant, unique, and value-added content:
- OpenView Labs: This site would be our content hub, aggregating the best ideas and insight from our own team and top industry experts. Today, it hosts everything from videos and podcasts to Q&As, curated content, and guest articles, all of which are focused on issues related to product, customer, and company development at the expansion stage.
- OpenView Blog: Our firm blog is the epicenter of our internal thought leadership, including individual blogs written by more than 25 different OpenView employees on topics ranging from sales and marketing strategy to research and analytics, corporate development, recruitment, product development, and customer service.
- Viewing Value Newsletter: A collection of the best content published on our Labs site and blog that we distribute to more than 11,000 entrepreneurs every week.
Our collective inbound marketing goal was simple: deliver on our brand promise, increase the firm's brand awareness, and establish OpenView and its people as thought leaders in the very specific — and competitive — expansion-stage software market.
Sound familiar?
That should be the goal of most growing technology companies. Marketing is no longer about subjectively promoting your message to your target audience. It's about working closely with buyers to better understand their pain points, developing content and collateral that speaks to those issues. Ultimately, that will create the kind of authentic relationships that yield short- and long-term results.
Now, I know that's much easier said than done. Modern consumers are savvy, short on time, and generally unwilling to listen unless they see immediate value in what you have to say. Complicating things further is the fact that inbound marketing takes time, resources, patience, and commitment to yield a return on investment. And those aren't exactly things that startups and expansion-stage companies have in spades.
But if a small venture capital firm can holistically execute a successful inbound marketing strategy with only a handful of employees and a few freelance writers in a world where it's never been done before, why can't other companies do it, too?
5 Lessons From Our Inbound Marketing Journey
If you're trying to get an inbound marketing initiative off the ground, here are five things we learned from our own three-year journey that might help:
1) Be Patient
It took two years for us to really see the fruits of our labor, but the wait was worth it. By setting and sticking to a specific inbound strategy, we were able to grow our newsletter subscribership from zero to 11,000 and increase traffic to our three sites by 600 percent. Inbound marketing takes time to be effective, so don't bail on it after six months — even if you're not seeing the results you were hoping for.
2) Be Consistent
Nothing will kill a blogging or content creation initiative faster than an inconsistent publishing schedule. HubSpot's 2012 State of Inbound Marketing research shows that customer acquisition is directly correlated with blogging frequency; 66% of businesses that blog have acquired a customer through their blog. Be sure to update your blog at least once a week (the more the better) and be sure to post or share fresh, timely content regularly.
3) Get Organized
While an editorial calendar is an important tool for mapping out the content you plan to publish, an equally important inbound marketing tool is a content creation calendar. Like an editorial calendar, it helps you keep track of the content you plan to publish. It also provides a more in-depth view of where each piece of content stands, who its stakeholders are, and what the next steps are in its creation and publication. You can create one easily in an Excel spreadsheet and have it feed directly into your editorial calendar.
4) Build the Right Infrastructure
To be truly successful, an inbound marketing effort and content strategy requires buy-in from everyone in your company, along with the right external people, processes, and tools to make it work. At OpenView, our director of content strategy and managing editor lead our initiative, and we also rely on a strong network of freelance writers and graphic designers to help us quickly and efficiently produce high-quality content.
5) Don't Try to Do Everything at Once
Three years into our inbound marketing initiative, we're publishing ebooks, case studies, exclusive industry reports, and unique infographics, to go with our aforementioned Labs site, blog, and newsletter. But we didn't try to do all of those things on day one. Biting off more than you can chew will simply water down your content and prevent you from providing the high-quality, targeted information your customers need. That being said, don't hesitate to take risks and try new types of content to see what resonates with your audience. If it works well, repeat it. If not, move on to something else.
The bottom line is that marketing today is inbound marketing. It's no longer a fad or a revolutionary idea. It's a marketing necessity, especially for growing companies that need to validate themselves or their brand, and educate their audience about who they are, what they do, and how they can help address a specific customer need or pain point. If you're not producing content that does all of that, you're letting someone else dictate your brand and its future. In today's fast moving, web-based world, that's a recipe for business disaster.
Originally published Apr 12, 2012 5:00:00 PM, updated October 20 2016


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Tuesday, April 17, 2012
Grain of Truth: What is a Grain Anyway?
As I mentioned in yesterday's post about a so-called "potato whiskey," the federal regulations require that whiskey be made from grain, but what is a grain? Ten years ago, there was no reason to ask this question, since at that time, all American whiskey was made from some combination of corn, wheat, barley and/or rye. Today, however, we live in a completely different whiskey world. The explosion of the craft distilling movement has brought with it numerous innovations around whiskey, including in the mashbills. Today there is whiskey being made from spelt, millet, oats, buckwheat, hops, you name it. But are all of these grains?
Interestingly, the term "grain" is not defined in the federal regulations that set out definitions for spirits nor is it defined in Title 27 of the United States Code, which governs alcohol. The term is defined in other sections of the code. In the agricultural standards, 7 U.S.C. § 75(g), there is the following definition: the term "grain" means corn, wheat, rye, oats, barley, flaxseed, sorghum, soybeans, mixed grain, and any other food grains, feed grains, and oilseeds for which standards are established under section 4 of this Act. There is another provision, in the Bankruptcy Code, that actually includes "dry edible beans" in the definition of "grain" (11 U.S.C. § 557(b)(1)), but the provision makes clear that its application is limited to the bankruptcy of someone who owns or operates a grain storage facility, so let's concentrate on the definition of grain in the agricultural standards provisions.
The Agricultural Code definition is very loose and includes a catch all to include any other grain for which standards are established by the Secretary of Agriculture. If soybeans, a legume, are a grain, then why not other beans, or peanuts for that matter? As to oilseed, another section of the Code tells us that the term "oilseed" includes "soybeans, sunflower seed, rapeseed, canola, safflower, flaxseed, [and] mustard seed" among others. (7 U.S.C. § 1462). Mustard whiskey anyone? Heck, I'm beginning to wonder if potatoes really could be a grain.
All that being said, it would be perfectly reasonable for the TTB, to determine that the term "grain" as used in the regulation of spirits is defined differently than when used in the agricultural code. It is fully appropriate to have different definitions for the same word in different contexts. In a famous nineteenth century case, the Supreme Court held that tomatoes should be deemed a vegetable for the purposes of tariffs because while botanically a fruit, its traditional use was more akin to that of a vegetable. (Nix v. Hedden, 149 U.S. 304 (1893)). So even though the term grain is broadly used in some contexts, in the world of whiskey, the TTB can and should use a narrower definition.
Why is this at all important? Well, if we want the terms we use to mean anything and want to have some understanding of what we are purchasing when we purchase "whiskey," these definitions are the way to do it. I have no problem with anyone who wants to make soybean liquor, but let's not call it whiskey, that would be going against the grain.
Labels: Commentary, Legal, Whiskey
4 comments:
The grain of cereal grasses is also botanically a fruit, called caryopsis.
- April 18, 2012 at 6:22 AM
- SteveBM said...
I've always found it interesting that corn, a vegetable, is also termed a grain.
Corn: the vegetable that hates saying goodbye.
- April 18, 2012 at 9:15 AM
Buckwheat is also a special case since botanically it's not a cereal. Corn, rye, wheat, oats, rice, barley, and other relatives are all cereals.
- April 19, 2012 at 11:16 AM
- sku said...
Good point Tim. I'm not sure buckwheat even falls under the broad agricultural standards definition, though there is a Buckwheat Whiskey being made in the US.
- April 19, 2012 at 11:38 AM
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