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Is there anyone Paul Becker hasn't worked with? He's only 35, yet the Victoria-born director, choreographer and producer has already collaborated with a Hollywood who's who, including Michael Bublé, Ben Vereen, Kenny Ortega, Angelina Jolie, Liza Minnelli, Robin Williams, Debbie Allen, Kristin Chenoweth, the Jonas Brothers, Miley Cyrus and even the Muppets.
Not bad for a kid who began to realize he had all the right moves when he took classes at Kim Breiland's Stages Dance studio in his youth. No wonder the former street dancer says his June homecoming to shoot scenes for Descendants, the Disney Channel movie he's choreographing with director Ortega (Dirty Dancing, High School Musical), was as sweet as it was surreal.
"These kids were so nervous, and I knew what it was like growing up in Victoria," said the former Spectrum Community School student, recalling 400 local dancers who recently lined up for a rare open casting call at Breiland's Stages Performing Arts School studio for the comedy about the sons and daughters of iconic Disney characters.
"It was insane. Ninety per cent of them had never auditioned for anything professional, and this movie came to town and I got to give back. Kenny really wanted to give everyone an equal opportunity."
The busy Los Angeles-based choreographer, whose specialties include hip hop, ballet, tap, martial arts and multimedia, credits Breiland with "really helping me out when I couldn't afford to pay" and "instilling a lot of professional qualities in me."
Descendants was just one of several projects Becker and Ortega have done together since he first met the director-choreographer during a chance encounter at New York's FAO Schwarz toy store in 2005. It inspired their first collaboration — The Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds 3-D concert movie featuring the Jonas Brothers.
"A movie's vision starts with Kenny because he's the director and we just jam off each other. It's amazing working with him," says Becker, who considers his mentor as much an idol as Gene Kelly.
"Kenny's a man with a wealth of ideas. He's a waterfall, and I was honoured he trusted me enough to collaborate with him."
Descendants wasn't the first hometown movie experience for the dancer, who headed to Las Vegas before getting his big break — choreographing a Japanese soap commercial on which he was hired to be Kate Beckinsale's dance partner.
He first appeared as a backgrounder here in Digger in 1993, and returned to stage dance scenes for the Lifetime flick Sorority Wars six years ago.
"It's euphoria," Becker says when asked how he remains so prodigious. "It's stressful because it's high stakes, but it doesn't feel like work. I just love creating."
Indeed, his output — more than 100 movies and TV shows — is staggering. Call him Mr. Versatility for the breadth of his work as an actor, dancer, writer, designer, director and movement master.
Notable credits include Becker's choreography for the CW series Hellcats, episodes of Psych, The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn, Mirror, Mirror, the Diary of a Wimpy Kid movies, Sucker Punch, RV and Bublé's music video Just Haven't Met You Yet. He also produced Canada's Got Talent, and was judge and choreographer on So You Think You Can Dance Canada.
On screen, Becker danced in The Music Man and for director Rob Marshall in Chicago. Recent gigs include choreographing Montreal filmmaker Jerome Sable's Stage Fright, a vehicle for Meat Loaf billed as "Scream meets Glee," and putting Jeremy Renner, Marion Cotillard and Joaquin Phoenix through their paces for James Gray's The Immigrant.
After choreographing an episode of Once, Becker will be back in L.A. to continue editing Last of the Showmen, his "docu-musical" about his idol Ben Vereen that features Minnelli, Shirley MacLaine, David Foster, Usher and David Copperfield.
He's also re-teaming with Sable, his writer for a new Ringling Bros. Circus extravaganza.
He says he never takes his success for granted, noting "only one out of every 50 films" needs a choreographer.
Once described as Walt Disney Co.'s adopted son because of their creative history, Becker says he loves working with the Mouse House.
"It's energy. It's just fun, and you get to be silly," he said. "And it's nice having a company behind you that believes you'll deliver."
A self-taught "computer geek," Becker has also benefited from his technological expertise, as when he helped design Steadicam shots for his Twilight wedding sequence.
Another thing he says he has learned is that comedians such as Andy Samberg (Hot Rod ), Robin Williams, Chris Kattan and Ed Helms often take direction better than trained dancers.
"Robin will give you stuff you wouldn't even think of," says Becker. "They're not afraid of looking like fools."


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The Show wants your Arizona-inspired haikus! Here's how to send your poems.
Fast And Furious Gunbuyer Pleads Guilty
Audio Clip
Fast And Furious Gunbuyer Pleads Guilty
TUCSON, Ariz. -- The man accused of buying the two weapons found at the murder scene of U.S. Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry pleaded guilty to two felony counts Thursday. But none of the charges involve the murder case.
They also don't include any mention of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives gun walking scheme. That was an operation called Fast and Furious.
Instead, Jaime Avila pleaded guilty to dealing guns without a federal firearms license and making false statements in a gun buy. He had previously said he was not guilty.
Jaime Avila Plea Agreement
Avila was one member of a 20-person gunbuying ring that was trafficking in weapons for Mexican drug cartels. Two of the guns he purchased from a gun shop in the Phoenix area were found at the murder scene of Brian Terry in 2010.
An FBI ballistics report shows investigators could not determine whether one of those guns was used to kill the agent.
Avila had been monitored by the ATF and congressional records show the accused leader of the gunbuying ring, Manuel Celis Acosta, had agreed to work with the agency. Avila will be sentenced in June.

subset: commoncrawl


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Sorry I've been MIA but my partner at 613 Avenue Create has been on a medical leave for the last 2 months so I have been responsible for everything! So needless to say every spare minute I've had has gone to the challenge blog. If you haven't visited us yet stop by and see what our talented ladies have come up with for our optional twist. The challenge is Anything Goes but the optional twist is to create something for yourself. You know how it is you make cards and gifts for everyone and their brother but rarely anything for you!
I was actually able to finish my project this week, our sponsors are A Day for Daisies and Fitztown. I chose the A Day for Daisies image Ladybug Hello because of course she reminds me of Shianne especially with the ladybugs! I made a binder for all of my sponsor information for 613 Avenue Create Challenge #74.
Why don't you stop by and see what great projects the DT have made for themselves!Thanks for stopping by!


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MBBChir (Cantab.), MS (Lon.), FRCS (Eng.), FRCS (C-Th)
Senior Consultant Department of Cardiac, Thoracic and Vascular Surgery, NUHCS
Clinical Director Department of Cardiac, Thoracic and Vascular Surgery, NUHCS
Assistant Professor Department of Surgery, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, NUS
Assistant Professor Kristine Teoh graduated from Cambridge University and undertook her Basic Surgical Training in England, becoming a Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of England in 1996. After her BST she entered into Cardiothoracic surgery in London, taking time out to enrol for a postgraduate research degree. She was awarded her Master of Surgery from the University of London in 2006, and obtained her FRCS(C-Th) in 2007. After completing her Specialist Registrar Training in Cardiothoracic Surgery in 2008, she was admitted to the UK General Medical Council's Specialist Register of Cardiothoracic surgeons.
Asst. Prof. Teoh has trained at a number of prestigious Cardiothoracic units in London and has acquired broad experience in adult cardiac surgery, specifically coronary, valve, thoracic aortic and arrhythmia surgery; and in adult thoracic surgery, both open and video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) for lung, pleural, mediastinal and chest wall disease.
Training and working in the UK, where the average age for patients undergoing cardiothoracic surgery is over 70 years, has also given Asst. Prof. Teoh much experience in dealing with elderly patients. In addressing the challenge of working with elderly patients, she has led initiatives to improve the patient experience from initial referral up to the time of eventual discharge from post-operative follow-up. She has thus developed a special interest in improving healthcare provision, quality outcome measures, and innovative transcatheter therapies that avoid the need for major open surgery.
Since completing her training Asst. Prof. Teoh has worked as a locum Consultant in Cardiothoracic Surgery at the Heart Hospital, UCL Hospitals NHS Trust, and as Senior Fellow at the Royal Brompton Hospital. As a senior trainee and subsequently as locum Consultant she was a keen mentor, teacher and trainer of surgical trainees, nursing staff and allied health professionals.
Asst. Prof. Teoh returned to Singapore in 2009 to join NUHS as a Consultant. Her clinical interests include:
In addition she has broader interests in:
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FX Residence
A 10-minute walk from Plaza Senayan shopping mall, FX Residence offers self-catering accommodation with easy access to FX Lifestyle Centre where guests can find a cinema, fitness centre and various shopping and dining options. Guests also enjoy free access to the shared outdoor pool, tennis court and gym. On-site parking and Wi-Fi access are provided free of charge.Offering city views, FX Residence is well appointed with modern amenities like flat-screen cable TVs, DVD player and a safety deposit box. It comprises of a fully equipped kitchen, dining area and a large lounge area with comfortable sofas. Air-conditioned bedrooms each come with wooden flooring and a wardrobe, while the private bathroom includes a shower and free toiletries. A washing machine and ironing facilities are also available.The property is 4.5 km from the lively Kemang area and 30-minute drive from Soekarno-Hatta International Airport.


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Your resume's cover letter is an important part of your job application. Whether this is your first job or you have been in the game for a long time, showing off your talents and skills in the best way possible is a great way to get the attention of the hiring personnel. This means you will need a stellar cover letter. These tips can help you write the best cover letter to help you land that international business job.
– Be concise – It is important to highlight your skills and education and not weight down the cover letter with extransious information. Make your point and move on.
– Be personable – Do not be too generic in your cover letter. Be personable. Address the cover letter properly and do your research to ensure you are sending it to the correct individual. Show a little of your personality in the letter without being too informal.
– Stand out – Though you don't want to spray perfume on your cover letter or use a purple ink to sign your name, there are ways to make yourself stand out from the crowd. One of the best ways is to show you know the job you are applying for or what a international business professional needs to know about that company.
– Follow up – Make certain you follow up any submission for a international business job with a call and/or email. Doing so will show that you are committed, interested, and professional.
Following these simple tips for your cover letter and resume submission can help ensure you are sending a cover letter that will attract the attention of those that are hiring and hopefully have you on your way to an interview.


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The SandBox Files was my way for my friends and family to know what is going on with me while i was in Iraq in '06. The name comes from a cartoon panel I did the first time i was in Iraq in '03,if your familiar with Gary Larson's Farside single panels it was something like that... It has grown into a semi-regular glimpse into a former soldiers life.
Sunday, October 01, 2006
My FIrst Weekend Home...
Next to me was a Vietnam War Marine Veteran. His Name was Kyle apparently he was a sniper during the war. That is at least what he told me. I don't know if I would be able to describe him in a way that would do justice to the person he was but I will do my best, He was wearing a faded button down shirt completely open with out an undershirt, luckily he was a little harry, um ewww! Faddded torn jeans that I'm pretty sure he bought around the time I was teething, and wore them every day since. He too was a big fan of uh... herbal relaxation... Grin... Told me he fought in a war where they issued weed and he believed it should still be legal... Uh News Flash "Kyle" it wasn't legal it was just easier than telling you what to do. There were a few other characters but not nearly as entertaining as the above. There was a young African-American mother who wore a cute sweater and pair of sweats that were about a size or two too small, her two young daughters were very well behaved, if you consider a two year old and a six year old running up and down the aisles well behaved...There was also a young boy about fourteen or so by the name of John, he asked me alot of questions about the war and some obligatory DID you kill anyone questions, he lied about his age after one stop where I saw him smoking during the 15 minute stop. Said he was totally 18. Sure John... sure. Never mind the large badge around your neck that says minor... LOL. About two hours before the end of the Trip I met a Paige. By this time the bus had pretty much emptied out and there were more seats available. Paige is a pierced, tattooed 19 year old mother of one boisterous young child. She and I actually had a really good conversation. We talked about this college she goes to in Olympia and Iraq and are interpretations of the war and how it is being handled. (She supports the Soldiers but not the war.) She had something like 8 piercings 6 of which were visible, apparently she also had her nipples pierced. Which is a little odd but very cool. Paige I think is the only one I met that I would actually like to continue building a friendship. She seemed very intelligent. Anyway here comes the hard part. When I arrived at the bus station in Spokane there was no ride to speak of, which wasn't a big deal Rocky had told me earlier that afternoon that she would be at work until 11pm and I had arrived at 945 pm,,, So I waited... met two more interesting people and gave a bum 8 dollars. The two women I met were very out there. The first was a 47 year old, that was headed to Monroe to confront her boyfriend and the woman he was cheating with. And the thirty five year old African America woman was headed back to Tacoma after spending the last three days with her cousin here in Spokane. She Letitia I believe her name was, was very surprised how nicely the people in Spokane were, she also flirted with me relentlessly, which was only mildly disturbing. "Letitia" was very surprised that the people were so nice in Spokane, and told me she asked herself repeatedly if they knew she was Black, I informed her that her skin color was a big tip. Grin, I am such a smart ass.
Long and depressing story I waited for Rocky until 945 Saturday morning she never showed. I couldn't call her and I have no idea where she actually lives. So Saturday I mainly wandered around down town spokane until about six thirty when I decided to get a room for the night in a nasty dingy little hotel by the name of The Downtowner. The owner was very sweet she looked like a recovering crack addict but she was kind. I saw a few movies one yesterday, and two today, I even paid for one of them today... grin, The end result is I honestly have no Idea what happened to Rocky, I am sure there is a logical explanation, but the truth of the matter is that I am really upset. Which is why the movies. That is how I deal when I'm sad I surround myself with other stories. The part that kills me is after I had gotten on the bus, I called her and she asked me to marry her the next day. I just wish I understood what happened you know? Anyway I took some pretty cool pictures of Spokane, and managed to help the family of a four year old who fell off a ridiculously large Red Rider Wagon Slide. He was fine I believe he just got the wind knocked out of him. Oh and just to top off this oh so happy weekend of depressing events. As I was sitting here writing this blog The girl that I wrote the poem about im'd me (instant mesage). Just to say hi. She is doing well. Which is a good thing and the perfect topper to this weekend... I'll write again soon....
Your sad Scribe
Not so random Quote..
Love is not enough. It must be the foundation, the cornerstone - but not the complete structure. It is much too pliable, too yielding.
Bette Davis (1908 - 1989)
14 comments:
Hey Spiderman,
I'm really sorry for everything that's happened this weekend. It sucks more than words can say. If ya need me to go beat anyone up just say the word ;) jkjkjk. (((((HUGS)))))
No matter how things go with this I hope things get better for you. I always have a shoulder to cry on :)
- 11:13 PM, October 01, 2006
Something sounds a bit fishy with this Rocky person. Wasn't she suppose to be in Iraq as of 9-27-06? Don't get me wrong, I hope things work out for you and her. Something just stinks in Denmark! So how did you get back to Fort Lewis? And what's up with your car? Did you have to ride the bus back home? Rocky better have a good reason for what happened. If not, I would think long and hard about your relationship with her.
- 1:01 PM, October 02, 2006
- Jeff said...
Give Jeff and Doris a call. I sent you the phone numbers to your e-mail. You are welcome to stay with us until you get this fixed up. We are less than 2 hours south of Spokane so you won't have to go back to Fort Lewis.
- 2:36 PM, October 02, 2006
In case you haven't checked your E-mail - do so. We have sent 2 messages. It eases our minds to see that you have friends that really support you and are there for you.
I will send you our cell phone #'s by E-mail so you can call us any time.
Remember, what ever this is about, you can count on us.
Love you.
Gram & Gramps
- 5:22 PM, October 02, 2006
I emailed you on hotmail and myspace.... I am worried about ya so please let me know if you are ok.
It seems to me by reading your myspace and blogspot comments you have a lot of friend and family that love you very much. PLease remember that.
- 6:20 PM, October 02, 2006
So Rebecca, what do you have to say for whats going on?!
Is this a game for you?
I really hope this is all just a sad mistake,or bad communication.
James has really sounded happy, and deeply in love with you. I hope you have more class than the way things are sounding right now.
- 11:39 PM, October 02, 2006
HEY WAIT... Rebecca, aka ME is a penpal that was hooked up with James through "Adopt a Platoon"... I AM NOT RACHEL...That is another person that I don't know... There has been a mix up. I'm on yall's side..... Rebecca and Rachel I can see the similarity in the names but come on .... I'm just his buddy.
Again I am REBECCA from LOUISIANA... not phantom Rachel from I don't know where...
Sorry to get worked up but I'm a good guy/gal!!!
- 7:58 AM, October 03, 2006
- Dreamer said...
You got some good friends here, Darlin. Don't let Rachel or anyone else get ya too down. Just remember it's soooo her loss. There are TONS of good women out there that would love to date you. Give their right...eye tooth for it.
- 10:12 PM, October 03, 2006
I am Deeply Sorry Rebecca!!! Thanks for being a pen pal!
Rocky/Rachel ... I hope your feeling the heat! There are a great deal of people who care about James!
- 1:18 AM, October 04, 2006
Okay, is this Rocky person in Washinton, or is she in Iraq? What is she doing with James car if they just met while he was in Hawaii. Am I missing something here? Grams/Gramps do you know whats going on?! Does any one know whats going on!!!
I really hope that there is a good reason for this whole mix-up!
James ...we are all concerned!
I hope your okay.
Please feel the Love we all have for you!
Rebecca ... I hate to admit it, but I was thinking you were Rocky as well. Sorry!!!
Oh ... the drama!
- 1:52 AM, October 04, 2006
No, we don't KNOW what's going on, but, like everyone else, we are beginning to suspect something that is very upsetting to us because we love AJ (Gramps decided on that label while James was with us in Hawaii) very much.
We sent our cell phone #'s to AJ via E-mail and we hope he will call us while we are in San Jose for the next 5 days, since we won't be able to log onto his blog while we are gone.
Hang in there AJ -- only 28 days and counting, and then a certain somebody had better watch out because Grandma Grizzly bears don't like anyone causing harm to their kin any more than Mama Grizzlies do and this Grizzly will finally be living in WA at the end of this month.
We are so grateful that so many people are standing by AJ and that so much love is flowing to him.
- 2:38 AM, October 04, 2006
Thank you for apologizing. But it is cool, I am a tough girl so I can take it....I just hate to be associated with a person who treats people like that.
I'm just glad we all care so much about James.
- 9:42 AM, October 04, 2006
- Dreamer said...
I already told James but I think Gram and Gramps should know too...Man you guys Rock!! That's just exactly how grandparents should be :). Seems there's a group of people that want to turn into grizzlies over this.
- 4:59 PM, October 04, 2006
dude... that so sucks about what happened!!! some people are just so rude and have no morals or values to be doing this kind of stuff!! especially to someone like you who is an awesome person, kind hearted. hope you got this mess cleared up. hope all is going good. ttys
dr. fish
- 12:45 PM, October 16, 2006


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Τρίτη, 4 Μαρτίου 2008
Guide to Business Planning(Economist Essentials)
To get any new business idea off the ground you must have a plan--and if you need to raise funds to finance the business or get the approval of senior management, it must be a convincing plan. This guide covers every aspect of preparing a business plan including how to analyze the market, how to model the business and financial statements, and analysis of risk and the assessment of both the upside and potential downside, and the all-important executive summary--often the only part of a business plan that is read. Finally, "Guide to Business Planningshows how to use a business plan to help put your ideas into practice and how to monitor and measure the performance of the business. This newest title in The Economist series is critical for businesspeople who have an idea and need a plan.
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Kevin James in the 'Here Comes The Boom' Trailer Will Have You Tapping Out
The brand new trailer for the Kevin James comedy 'Here Comes the Boom' is now online and James is finally covering the genre fans have been begging him to take on for years -- mixed martial arts.
Tired of talking to zoo animals and patrolling the local shopping mall, here Kevin James portrays a teacher working at a school suffering from severe budget cuts. When he learns that there's money in the world of MMA, he trains to become a fighter so he can earn enough to save the school.
'Here Comes the Boom' stars James, Salma Hayek and Henry Winkler. The film was directed by Frank Coraci, who helmed the comedies 'The Waterboy,' 'The Wedding Singer,' 'Click' and 'Zookeeper.'
'Boom' appears to be another harmless family comedy from James, though we're not sure what audience he's trying to go for here. Will mixed martial arts fans flock to the theater to see a shirtless Kevin James try and submit a guy twenty years younger than him? Maybe not, but parents might find it funny and take their kids... but then the notion of violence may turn some of them off to the film. Maybe they should throw a circus bear in there with him.
Check out the new trailer below courtesy of Fandango. 'Here Comes the Boom' submits moviegoers on October 12th.


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(images via dazeddigital)When I was still in school i wrote an essay on Punk culture for my art project, I'd never really given much thought to Vivienne Westwood beyond the face that everyone I knew either had a Westwood handbag or purse.. (Okay so I'm from Liverpool, and 99% of the female and gay population here is OBSESSED with Vivienne Westwood). Her collection for AW13 really brings me back to the Westwood basics that I spent all that time trying to define; her use of heritage patterns like hounds tooth and tartan are kept fresh with a gorgeous yellow and blue colour pallet, and bringing in new shapes and styles like the AMAZING varsity jackets that kind of reminds me of Kenzo last season. Even the bright orange shoes from the collection are gorgeous. FINALLY a relevant and well done punk inspired collection, perfect to take me out of my monochrome box. The message of the collection was political and blatant as ever, with anti-climate change badges throughout, here's a link to Viv's new 'Revolution' blog to find out more. Today my outfit had a small nod to British Punk Heritage: Westwood T-shirt, Topshop Jacket and Jeans, Dr Marten Boots.
British punk by stemearns featuring kenzo


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EARS is a network that supports and represents rescue centres and sanctuaries across Europe, enabling them to work together to achieve mutual animal welfare and conservation goals. A strong and effective European network, EARS works to promote and achieve continuous improvements in animal welfare, and tackle the very reasons that necessitate the existence of rescue centres and sanctuaries.
At its core EARS operates a membership style system for eligible rescue centres and sanctuaries in Europe. The system ensures that only facilities meeting the EARS criteria can join and maintain Partner (member) status. Becoming an EARS Partner provides opportunities for facilities to improve the work they do while recognising the achievements and progress already made.
There is great strength in bringing together like-minded organisations to share solutions to shared challenges. Big or small, family or institutionally managed, rescue centres and sanctuaries occupy highly specialist roles in animal welfare. Joining forces, sharing expertise, resources, and ambition can significantly increase individual impact, and help reach collective goals. EARS creates and delivers opportunities for collaboration and communication across the region.
EARS was created to support and represent rescue centres and sanctuaries across Europe. Caught up in the day-to-day work of animal rescue and triage, EARS ensures that rescue centres and sanctuaries in the region can contribute to important national and regional issues and debates, and that their voice, interests and concerns are represented and heard at the highest levels.
With limited resources, constant fundraising, and passionate but overworked teams, rescue centres and sanctuaries demonstrate an inexhaustible drive to improve animal welfare and tackle the very reasons that necessitate their existence. EARS provides opportunities to exchange expertise and knowledge, and facilities access to external advice and training when Partners need extra support to sustain high quality work.
CITES Secretary-General John Scanlon, along with Dutch Secretary of State for Economic Affairs Martijn van Dam, recently made an official visit to EARS Partner AAP...
EARS Partner AAP-Primadomus is looking for volunteers. To find out more please click here.
The European Commission, along with Morocco and Algeria, has this week tabled a proposal at the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) to...


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Grogg's electricians have fully stocked trucks and the capability to perform any necessary electrical repair in your home, no matter how big or small. Call the most trusted company in the Mid-Ohio Valley for all your electrical service needs.
Regular maintenance of your home's electrical system is also very beneficial. With regular maintenance and checking, you will learn about problems as they develop rather than learning about them when it is too late and you find yourself in the middle of an emergency situation. You will also be able to rest assured that every visible component in your plumbing system is operating at its peak efficiency. Click here to learn more about Grogg's industry-leading maintenance plans.


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Title: The Shadow Operation
Series: The Center, Bk 4
Author: M.C. Lee
Publisher: Harmony Ink Press
Cover Artist: Maria Fanning
Rating: 3 of 5 Stars
Publication Date: 12/29/2016
Length: Novel (~ 50K-100K)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Contemporary, Mystery/Thriller, Young Adult
As a teenage agent for a shadowy organization known as the Center, Jack is used to danger and intrigue. But his newest assignment will push the boundaries of what he's come to expect. Jack poses as Jack Elliot, an identity assigned to Alex Sutherland after Alex's family is forced to enter a witness protection program. Something is awry, and the family's two previous relocations have been compromised. Jack and the Center must determine where the leak is coming from—within the program, or from the Sutherland family itself.
Along with Sean and Instructor Clare Colson, Jack slips into Alex's life, deliberately putting a target on his back in the hopes of drawing out whoever is betraying the Sutherlands. Matt returns to the team while Martin and Leo provide support, and together they must discover who is revealing the family's secret identities—before it's too late for everyone.
My View:
I really enjoyed the first several books of this series but this one just didn't do it for me.
The stories have always centered around Jack, a sort-of James Bond working for a mysterious organization known as The Center. There is usually a balance between Jack's mission and his relationship with boyfriend Leo while also throwing in information about Jack's mysterious past.
My biggest issue with Shadow Operation is that it felt much more plot-based than character-based. There was way too much set up for the operation, we didn't get to any of the action until thirty percent in and not nearly enough character-based stuff throughout.
There just wasn't enough personal interaction and what there was just felt forced. It didn't mesh well with the rest of the story.
I'm sure I'll read the next chapter in the series but I'm not nearly as excited as I have been in the past.
The Shadow Operation on Goodreads
Harmony Ink Press
Amazon US
Amazon UK
Amazon CA
All Romance eBooks
I would like to thank the publisher for providing me with the eARC of this title in exchange for my honest opinion.
|Farewell Giveaway
I have a number of paperbacks, most of which are signed, to giveaway. Over the between now (11 Mar 2017) and 31 Mar 2017, every comment on the blog (this post and all other new posts), will be entered to win 1 of these paperbacks. There are also some misc swag items, so there will be a few packs of these to give away as well.
Thank you so much for your support over the last 4 years. Prism will be closing its doors on 1 April 2017. All content will remain available, but no new content will appear after 31 Mar 2017. As such all request forms have been turned off. Again Thank you,
|This post may contain affiliate links.
|Prism Book Alliance® assumes no liability for the ownership of photos or content used in guest posts and interviews. The post author assumes all responsibility and liability for this content.


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Developers: Don't forget to check out Essential Resources for Getting Started with Windows Azure for links to podcasts, tools, videos, whitepapers, SDKs and much more!
In conversations with UG leads across Canada, we heard clearly that the cloud represents so many opportunities for organizations, developers and IT professionals. After listening to this feedback, through these conversations and others from TechDays, we decided we needed to do something that drives awareness and helps grow skills. That something turned out to be the Azure Community Promotion.
Launched in December of last year, the Azure Community Promotion provides a means for user group community members to give back while growing their skills learning Windows Azure. For each individual that took the time to grow their skills and shared their experience, we committed to donating $25 to their user group and also send the individual a $25 gift card. There was no limit on how many user group members could participate but all validation screenshots needed to be submitted email@example.com by Dec 31st.
Before the promotion ended, John Oxley stated in a blog post that he wanted to see us reach a goal of over $3000 by December 31st! Well, you did it! Through your efforts and on behalf of your user groups a total of $4325 was raised from over 170 submissions benefitting 28 user groups across the country!
Who's awesome? You're awesome!
What makes this result even more special is that everyone contributed at a time when family and spending time with loved ones are especially important. The fact that many of you also chose to give back to the community and assist your local user group just shows how when we work together we can achieve so much to the benefit of many. Our heartfelt thanks to each and every individual who took the time to try Azure and deploy an application.
In the coming weeks, we will be sending out gift cards to those who submitted an Azure application as part of the promotion. We will also be contacting each of the user group leads whose groups benefited from the promotion and who were so instrumental in getting the message out to their membership and soliciting everyone's participation to help raise some always welcome additional funds to the group.
Once again, thanks to all who participated and for raising $4325 for user groups across Canada!


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The most common instance where Notice is served is an NIP for speeding. There is an NIP time limit that applies of 14 days from the offence. However, how this is calculated will depend on how the notice is given. Don't wait until it's too late. Call Motor Defence Solicitors now, on 0800 2800 912, for a fixed fee consultation with a specialist solicitor.
A summons, for offences such as speeding, careless driving, drink driving etc...is issued in the Magistrates' Court, although the case may then be transferred to the Crown Court.
Your driving fell below that expected of a competent driver or driving a vehicle on a road or in any public place dangerously or in a dangerous condition
Being in charge of a vehicle when unfit due to drink or drugs
Where an individual deliberately withholds or provides misleading information
Systems used in the UK are generally type approved and require regular calibration. You are likely to come across the following types: Cameras, Laser, Radar, Stopwatch, Video. Some of the more common devices used include the Gatso, LTI2020, Vascar, Truevelo. For more detailed information on the individual devices, please click here
You are in an ever shrinking group of drivers. Keep the first penalty points off your driving licence
If you got your full driving licence less than 2 years ago you are on the verge of revocation and re-test. Insurance premiums start to rise.
One more slip and your driving licence is gone. You could face a 6 month driving disqualification
You are looking at a 6 month driving ban unless you come up with a convincing argument at Court.
The Police can stop you by the road if they suspect an offence has occured. You will usually be given a Fixed Penalty Notice (NIP), HORT1 Producer or depending on the offence, be arrested and taken to a Police Station. Typical offences within this scenario include:
A Proprietor or Driver of a licensed vehicle shall report to the authority as soon as is reasonably practicable and in any case within 72 hours of the occurrence, any accident to a licensed vehicle causing damage materially affecting the safety, performance or appearance of the vehicle or the comfort or convenience of persons using the vehicle or rendering the vehicle.
No, there is not a requirement for an NIP for offences relating the failure to report an accident.
Fine up to £1,000.
There is a defence available if owner can show that they were not aware that their vehicle had been involved in an accident. However, this will be dependent on the facts of the case. Therefore it is critical that the full circumstances of your case are examined to ensure your case is properly prepared. If you face an allegation, we advise you contact us to take specialist legal advice.
Click the button above to request a callback from one of our team.
Call us on 0800 2800 912
Our office hours are 9:00am - 5:30pm Monday to Friday.
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Legal matters are not simple. For help, call the experts at Motor Defence Solicitors on 0800 2800 912


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The conference that has inspired thousands of students to advance the ideas of individual freedom, a strong national defense, free enterprise, and traditional values begins next week.
Now in its 39th year, Young America's Foundation's sold-out National Conservative Student Conference (NCSC) has educated more than two generations of young Americans. By bringing the top conservatives in America together with the next generation of our nation's leaders, Young America's Foundation has led the charge to inspire students to take bold action in defense of freedom's principles.
This year's conference is no different with a sold-out student audience preparing to converge on our nation's capital to learn from and be inspired by the conservative leaders who've blazed the trail ahead.
Just as when Young America's Foundation had a close working relationship with President Reagan, today's conservative leaders from the halls of government will brief students in person at NCSC.
This year we're especially excited to welcome Vice President Mike Pence to address our students.
The Vice President joins our other confirmed speakers including Senators Mike Lee and Rand Paul. Rachel Campos-Duffy, Eric Bolling, Bay Buchanan, Todd Starnes, Kate Obenshain, Speaker Newt Gingrich, Harmeet Dhillon, Dennis Prager, Dinesh D'Souza, Nigel Farage, Governor George Allen, Stuart Taylor, Jr., John Lenczowski, Dr. Burt Folsom, David French, Carol M. Swain, Everett Piper, Art Laffer, Larry O'Connor, Jonah Goldberg, and Patrick X. Coyle are among the leading conservatives addressing this year's NCSC.
The motivating speeches delivered by these conservative leaders have a lasting impact on students. Many attendees are inspired to take their campus activism to the next level, boldly advancing conservative ideas and winning over their peers.
Today's conservative leaders know NCSC students are our Movement's future because they once sat in the audience.
NCSC alumni such as Marc Thiessen, Peter Schweizer, Candice Jackson, Dave Bossie, Marc Short, Todd Buccholz, Kathryn Lopez, and LeahCampos have continued to advance conservative values as they became prominent national leaders.
New York Times bestselling author Peter Schweizer attended his first NCSC in 1982, and reflected on the conference's life-changing impact saying, "I discovered then and there that, unlike articles or lectures, books can really influence a person over the long term. That's why I turned to writing books after college."
Even after they leave school, young Americans inspired by Young America's Foundation conferences continue to dedicate their work to promoting conservatism. That impact is why after nearly four decades, Young America's Foundation's National Conservative Student Conference remains a vital entrance point for our Movement.


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Set around the apocalyptic year of 2000, Metropolis has had a seminal influence on science fiction and futuristic movies as diverse as The Bride of Frankenstein, Blade Runner, and Dark City. Featuring literally a cast of thousands, Metropolis creates a reality so complex and artistically unified the viewer gets swept away to this future world. Director Fritz Lang's surreal and occasionally incomprehensible storyline is overwhelmed by a visually spectacular exercise in German expressionism. Master cinematographer Karl Freund fills the screen with an array of stylized shadows, oblique camera angles, geometric images, and nightmarish labyrinths. The film's dialectical theme may seem dated in these post-Marxist times, and its message that the head and the hand can do no good without the heart may seem a little romantic to more cynical ages, but the warnings about techno-demagoguery continue to have modern relevance. The actors give typical silent-film performances, full of exaggerated expressions and broad gestures, but they express their characters' fragile humanity despite these mannerisms. Rudolf Klein-Rogge's unforgettable work as the evil genius Rotwang became the template for all subsequent mad-scientist performances. Despite being a critical and popular disappointment on its initial release, the film eventually gained cult status and was rediscovered by critics and audiences alike. When it was re-released in the 1980s, some missing footage was restored and a synthesizer-heavy soundtrack by Giorgio Moroder was added, to much gnashing of critical teeth.
Metropolis (1927)
Directed by Fritz LangGenres - Science Fiction | Sub-Genres - Psychological Sci-Fi | Run Time - 115 min. | Countries - Germany | MPAA Rating - PG13
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Dayton, George Washington Headed to the NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament
Related Links
The Atlantic 10 tied for the most selections in the WNIT field with five teams. This marks the second consecutive year the A-10 has had five teams in the field.
Duquesne (23-7) is making its 10th consecutive postseason appearance. The Dukes will face Miami (OH) in the first round of the WNIT on Thursday.
Fordham's appearance in the WNIT will be mark the fifth time in the past six years that the Rams (22-9) have participated in postseason play. The Rams will host Harvard on Friday.
George Mason (23-9), is led by A-10 Player of the Year Natalie Butler, will be making its third-ever postseason appearance. The Patriots will host Stephen F. Austin on Friday at EagleBank Arena.
Saint Joseph's (18-14) will face Seton Hall on Wednesday. The Hawks are making their second consecutive appearance in the WNIT. The winner of that game will advance to face the winner of West Virginia and Bucknell.
Saint Louis (17-15) is participating in postseason play for the third straight season and only the fourth time in program history. The Billikens will travel to Kansas State on Thursday evening.


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Last year, my family was lucky enough to enjoy an extended stay at Walt Disney World Resort, allowing enough time to visit Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon, the two waterparks on Disney property in Orlando.
Both were great and provided a nice break from the major parks, but each had some distinct advantages:
Best thrill ride: Summit Plummet at Blizzard Beach
I tried to beg off this ride, claiming picture-taking duties, but my kids (ages 9 and 12) wouldn't hear it. So down I went on this very high (120 feet), very fast (60 mph), and super-wedgie inducing free-fall body slide. It was awesome.
Best pool: The Surf Pool at Typhoon Lagoon
This giant pool alternates between bobbing waves and a giant 6-foot kowabunga wave that is announced by a conch-shell whistle (followed by excited shrieks from the swimmers). The kids played for hours in the pool while we enjoyed a few Coronas on the "beach." What's better than that?
Best theme: Melting Ski Resort, Blizzard Beach
Disney is all about theming, and Blizzard Beach is one of its best concoctions. The premise is that a ski resort was built up during a freak Florida blizzard and is now melting away. Mount Gushmore, a Chair Lift , Toboggan Racers, and a "Warming Hut" all play off the theme. It's a nice chilly mind-play in the hot southern sun.
Best attraction: The Shark Reef at Typhoon Lagoon
The sharks may be small, but the cool factor is big. After quick instructions, visitors snorkel across a frosty, salt-water pool while getting a peek at tropical fish, sting rays, and, yes, leopard sharks. It's great for major bragging rights when you return home.
Best for little ones: Blizzard Beach
Tike's Peak (under 48 in) and Ski Patrol Training Camp (under 60 in) allow kids to splash, play, slide, and even zip line under the very watchful eyes of the Disney lifeguards. For the little ones, Blizzard Beach's low-key wave pool (Melt-Away Bay) is also far better than its roiling counterpart at Typhoon Lagoon.
Shorter lines: Typhoon Lagoon
Blizzard Beach is newer, has a killer theme, and, with Summit Plummet as a huge draw, tends to have longer lines. Disney tries to keep you cool as you wait, but it's Florida, and it's hot, and crankiness can rear its ugly head after waiting 30 minutes for a 30 second slide. The lines at Typhoon Lagoon are shorter, in my experience, and the vibe is a little more laid back.
If you have to choose: Typhoon Lagoon
Both parks are amazing, but in my opinion the wave pool, snorkeling with sharks, a new Crush 'n Gusher water coaster, and an overall more relaxed atmosphere has Typhoon Lagoon winning out.
Whichever you choose, arrive early, hit the big-draw attractions first, and make sure to leave some time to float around on the lazy rivers at each park.
It may be Walt Disney World, but you deserve a little downtime to float and relax at the happiest place on earth.


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Mashup: Cooqy Comments
A novel Flash-based interface to search eBay.
Interesting Idea ebay searching in a flash app. Not the worst tool i\'ve used but no were near the best. Needs a lot of improvement... Oh and WTF is the point of that color thing in the seach options. SO STUPID.
Works great for me...haven't found anything better
How to create new event ?


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Donald Byrd/the Group's intermission-less "BYRD-lesque" (New Victory Theater, through March 17) revisits repertory works and adds the new Burlesque, linked by Steven Cuiffo's cute anti-magic entr'actes. Each act tempts our disbelief, our dissection of its legerdemain; burlesque means both a form of vaudeville and a mocking treatment of something badly in need of deflation. Byrd, longtime citizen of Sardonia, bravely turns his brash, stiletto wit upon himself as a man of the theater, asking if, after the passage of time, there's any there there. Works like Drastic Cuts and A Folk Dance, both from 1992, depict the stage as setting for extreme sport, the spotlight going to the most driven. In Burlesque—a cheesy, rollicking N'awlins scenario with Louis Armstrong tunes, glitter babes, and grinning guys in bowler hats and fedoras—the plastic, bulletproof smiles eventually fade, knees ache, and nerves fray. Beneath the dancers' killer attitude, energy, and technical sophistication, there's an intelligent if somewhat elusive, teasing perspective that hooks your attention.
Anita Cheng Dance's Remap (Joyce Soho, February) featured noteworthy miniatures—dances no longer than an old pop radio hit. Compression works well for Cheng and her excellent performers. They may be as physically compact as Shih-Ling (Gail) Hsu, soloist in Land, who maintained graceful precision in the midst of Cheng's experiments with stretch, isolation, and gravity. Or they may be robust—like Cary McWilliam and Christopher Williams, unbreakable duo of the turbulent Fauna, or Cheng herself, in Six of One a rubbery toy relishing its pose-ability and clean lines. Second Nature, the most engrossing of the longer works, belonged to Meg Harper, covered in pewter-colored fabric and clear plastic strips, mottled by a video projection, buffeted by the sounds of subways, jets, and Morse code. Upright, coolly gazing, she scraped the sky and dreamed the city's life.


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Ulpan began last week. I'm in kitah daled (ulpan goes in alphabetical levels alef-vav, vav being the highest level) in my ulpan. I'm in Ulpan Etzion in Jerusalem. What's unique about this ulpan is that there is the option to be an internal student (live in the absorption center) or an external student (live outside the ulpan). I'm an internal student-- aside from it being MUCH less expensive, it's nice because I get to get the full experience and not have to worry about when the last bus is to get back to my apt.
I'm still waiting for one roommate to arrive, but Eden and I have set up a LOT of stuff already, which will be good when Miriam (our third roommate) arrives.
Back to classes-- more about the accommodations later. I'm in kitah daled-- the ulpan only goes up to daled. They were trying to have a higher class, but in the end I don't know if they didn't have enough people or if they didn't have a teacher, but daled is as high up as it goes (but the level that's being taught is actually higher than daled). We are doing grammar and "reality"-- reading articles, listening to the news headlines, etc. It's a work in progress. There are about 15 people in my class, give or take, but the classroom is small so it's kind of tight space-wise. There are levels/classes alef 1-4, bet 1-3, gimel, and daled. Gimel is really big-- something like 30 people, I think. Most of the classes have 2 teachers; my class has 2- Mira on Sunday, Monday, and Wednesday; Esther on Tuesday and Thursday (like many other places in Israel, Ulpan Etzion is on a Sunday-Thursday schedule). I already have a test on Wednesday-- grammar (masculine/feminine plural nouns and adjectives). I actually remember this from about 6th grade- maybe 7th or 8th, but definitely Mrs. Eshed's class. I had a green/blue 5-subject notebook and I remember the list of words that look like they are masculine but are really feminine (it's a difference in conjugation). Brings back memories... One of the things the teachers are really concentrating on is higher-level vocabulary and proper, higher-level grammar and language use, beyond what's spoken on the street. I will update you as classes go on. But so far I like my classmates and my teachers.
Ulpan Etzion is housed in Beit Canada, which is a merkaz klita, or absorption center, in Jerusalem. There are other programs housed here as well, but I don't really know much about them. Beit Canada is pretty much the edge of Jerusalem, but there are 2 bus lines (one that goes downtown) that come every 20-ish minutes.
Although the previous location of Ulpan Etzion was sooooooo much better and central to, well, everything, one advantage of Beit Canada over the old location is that the rooms are real apartments with proper kitchens-ish. The kitchens come with a fridge and 2 gas burners, and of course a sink. Eden and I bought a kumkum (electric tea kettle like thing), a toaster, an iron, and Rita and Dov lent us their old toaster oven, which is really quite large. It's really a mini oven-- and it works nicely; I already baked cookies in it :) The way the apartment itself is set up is: you walk in and immediately to your right are 2 closets and to your left is a table; in front of you there is a bathroom and the kitchen (yeah, they're right next to each other...I know...). If you make a left and walk just past the table you walk into a small bedroom which is Eden's. If you walk just past the table and make a right you walk into a large room (separated from the eating area by a doorway-- I need to get a curtain for it) with 2 beds, 2 desks, and 2 shelves (1 double, 1 single) which is my and Miriam's room. The bathroom is pretty standard-- toilet, sink with a mirror above it, shower (not a shoilet) with a folding rack that we haven't figured how to fold back up so it just stays down... The kitchen is really small; it has a fridge, small counter with 2 drawers (dairy silverware drawer, pareve silverware drawer) and 1 cabinet (medium, no shelves, dairy dishes) beneath it (we usually put the dishes to dry on this counter), a sink with cabinets above (1 small, 1 large, 2 shelves each, that we use for food) and beneath it (1 very large but no shelves-- just an open area; we put cleaning supplies and bags under here), and then another counter that we put the oven on and the burners are on with a large cabinet with 2 shelves under (meat silverware/dishes, and pareve dishes). We put the kumkum on this counter too. The toaster, which we haven't used yet, sits on top of the fridge with the aluminum foil, saran/cling/plastic wrap, cereals, paper towel roll, and containers (we got a set of containers in 3 sizes for storage). Not that we really need to cook because we get lunch and dinner every day; we are responsible for breakfast, but that's not too intense. I did make myself a grilled cheese sandwich in the oven yesterday, though.
What else? Well, the heating doesn't really work...we have 1 small radiator in the eating area that works but the big heater in the big room doesn't work and it's a bit chilly.
I think that's about it. So far so good.
More about shopping adventures next time!
Sunday, January 24, 2010
אההההה....איך אומרים...
Posted by Lauren at 4:52 PM
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Medical questions & health advice by board certified doctors
"Can diabetic foot ulcers cause premature death?"
I just read an article that said that people with diabetes who have foot ulcers are at an increased risk for premature death, heart attacks, and stroke. I am a diabetic and I have severe ulcers on the bottom and sides of my feet that will not heal. I know I have poor circulation in my feet and legs, and I also have peripheral neuropathy and sometimes cannot feel when my foot is infected. My doctor told me that my foot may have to be amputated. Now, in addition to worrying about losing my foot, and I going to have to worry about dying sooner than I should if I can't get my foot ulcers to heal?
It is true that diabetic foot ulcers are associated with severe medical problems such as heart attacks and strokes, which is why you must be managed by a team of physicians. However, there is not any direct link between the foot ulcer itself and these other diseases. The reason that diabetic foot ulcers are predictive of things like heart attacks is because ulcers are a sign that the vascular system is not healthy. The excess sugar that circulates in the bloodstream of diabetics will eventually damage the blood vessels throughout the body. This kind of damage occurs in people who have had diabetes for a long time or in people whose diabetes is poorly controlled. Smoking makes the damage to blood vessels immensely worse. Chronic, non-healing leg and foot ulcers develop when enough damage has been done to the blood vessels that not enough blood can circulate to the legs for healing to take place. When the blood vessels are damaged this badly in the legs, they are almost always damaged in other parts of the body like the heart and brain. The result of damaged blood vessels in the heart is increased risk of having a heart attack and the result of damaged blood vessels in the brain is an increased risk of having a stroke. If you have ulcer disease in your lower extremities that is severe enough that amputation is being considered, you are definitely at increased risk for heart attacks and strokes. The first thing you can do to reduce your risk for these health problems is to make sure your diabetes is very well managed. See your primary care doctor or endocrinologist regularly and follow all the advice that they give you. If you are a smoker, the second thing you can do to improve your health is to quit smoking immediately. A diabetic with severe vascular disease needs a team of physicians managing their health. You need a primary care physician who will direct your care. You need to see an endocrinologist who can manage your diabetes and its complications. A cardiologist can assess your heart health and perform special testing to determine the condition of the blood vessels feeding your heart. Finally, if you have severe ulcer disease in your lower extremities, you need to see a vascular surgeon to determine if a revascularization procedure or an amputation will be required (and your vascular surgeon will require you to be evaluated by a cardiologist before surgery would be considered).
Need more info?See a cardiologist today
Zocdoc Answers is for general informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. If you think you may have a medical emergency, call your doctor (in the United States) 911 immediately. Always seek the advice of your doctor before starting or changing treatment. Medical professionals who provide responses to health-related questions are intended third party beneficiaries with certain rights under Zocdoc's Terms of Service.


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Thank you all for the nice comments and Birthday wishes! I had a great day with my family. I went to Sea World and so enjoyed it!
Thought I'd share some great pictures of my favorite things... Seahorses, of course, Dolphin, Shamu Rocks show, and Sea lions!
Have a great day


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Boston Private is a leading wealth management, trust, and private banking company with a national presence. Headquartered in Boston, we serve clients from our offices located in the major markets of Boston, San Francisco, San Jose, Los Angeles and Palm Beach.
We're committed to building a trusted relationship with each client and have the broad expertise to create comprehensive, custom solutions for their personal and business needs that are often interconnected.
As wealth creators, our clients value having one trusted resource that can help them address all of their wealth management, trust, and private banking needs.
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Why Choose Baptist Health?
Baptist Health has a rich history and reputation of excellence. It is committed to providing employees with a safe and healthy work environment that fosters interdependence, teamwork, innovation, initiative and opportunities for growth through personal and professional support, training and development.
Top 15 Best Places to Work in Kentucky
Hear our employees talk about why they love working at Baptist Health.
About Baptist Health
Founded in 1924 in Louisville, Kentucky, Baptist Health is a full-spectrum health system dedicated to improving the health of the communities it serves. The Baptist Health family consists of eight hospitals (seven owned and one managed); employed and independent physicians; more than 170 outpatient facilities, physician practices and services, including urgent care and retail-based clinics; outpatient diagnostic and surgery centers; home care; occupational medicine and physical therapy clinics; and fitness centers. Its subsidiary, Baptist Health Plan, provides health insurance, managed care services and administrative services to employers, employees and their dependents, serving members in Kentucky and surrounding states.
Baptist Health's seven owned hospitals include more than 2,100 licensed beds in Corbin, La Grange, Lexington, Louisville, Madisonville, Paducah and Richmond. Baptist Health manages Hardin Memorial Hospital, a 300-bed hospital in Elizabethtown.
Baptist's physician network includes more than 450 employed physicians and more than 1,600 independent physicians. It employs more than 16,000 people in Kentucky and surrounding states.
Job Openings
Are you looking for a rewarding career at Baptist Health in an area or role that you did not see listed? If so, please check out all of our system wide openings by clicking here.


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"Whatever women do, they must do twice as well as men to be half as good. Luckily, this is not difficult."
Charlotte Whitton
On my 11-year old daughter's first day of day-camp this summer, she came home with the news that her group is called 'Chana Senesh', and she was the only one who knew who Chana Senesh actually was. She read about it in the Israeli 'Time Tunnel' series, which tell the stories of different episodes of Jewish and Israeli history through the eyes of two children who travel through time by walking through a magic tunnel. (The series, aimed at children age 6-10, is quite excellent and fills in lots gaps created in school history lessons.)
The overall topic of my daughter's day-camp is Jewish Women Heroines, and those covered are the usual crew. Aside from Chana Senesh, all the other women are Biblical: Sarah, Rivka, and Rachel, Queen Esther, and maybe Devorah the Judge. I don't remember. These characters are, without question, heroic, Jewish, and women. But the girls in G's summer-camp already know all about them. They learn the lessons of these great women during school hours.
I would like to think that these girls learn that heroes don't live only in the Bible and that you don't have to be related to a great man to be a great woman.
There is no lack of contemporary Jewish women heroines that the girls could learn about and from.
Here are three: (and I've kept it down to three because if I named all the women heroes, there wouldn't be enough cyberspace….)
1. I did a quick Google search on Jewish Israeli Heroines and the first name that came up was Chaya Hammer, known far and wide as the Chicken Lady. I had heard of Chaya some years ago, and am pleased to put her first on my list.
More than two decades ago, Chaya visited her local
butcher to buy chicken for Shabbat. She saw one of the clerks put a large bag of bones and skin on the counter and a young girl say thank you, take the bag, and quietly leave the shop. Jerusalem
"How many cats and dogs does that family have to get such a large bag of bones," she wondered.
Of course, it turned out that the family had no pets, no income, a sick father, and seven hungry children. From that day on, Chaya paid for the family's Shabbat meat. Over the next 20 years, Chaya came to help hundreds of
families, at a cost of over $1000 a week. In addition, she sent checks to more hundreds of families across the country every Rosh Chodesh (New Moon) with cards she designed herself. Her great-granddaughter addressed the envelopes. Jerusalem
She received donations from around the world to help her expand her 'business'. She adopted families impoverished by disease, victims of terrorist attacks, and holocaust survivors.
Chaya herself was a survivor of Russian pogroms. She knew what it was to be hungry. Yet, when asked why she worked so hard to help feed others, she would simply answer, "It's the Jewish way."
Chaya Hammer passed away in May, 2010 at the age of 100. May her memory be for a blessing.
2. Unlike Chaya Hammer, my next heroine is already well-known, with hundreds of streets throughout
named after her. There might even be a Time Tunnel book about her (but I don't think so). However, her life and her activities are not a part of any school curriculum. Yet, her actions have saved the lives of hundreds of thousands of Jews, Muslims, and Christians over the last 100 years. Israel
Henrietta Szold was born to a rabbinic family in 1860 in
. Working as a teacher, she established the first night-school for immigrants in the Baltimore . This enabled working immigrants to learn English and, eventually, gain a wide education. USA
A great Zionist, Szold first visited
in 1909. She was already 49 years old, but it was only then that she found her life's passion. Walking the streets of Palestine , she noticed the flies and the filth. She realized that she could do something to eradicate the germs and disease that was rampant at the time in the city. Szold returned to the Jerusalem , and in 1912 she founded what would eventually become known as "Hadassah". US
Hadassah's first program was the establishment of a visiting nurse system in
in 1913. Starting with two nurses, the organization, which funded the American Zionist Medical Unit, brought American personnel, equipment, and know-how to the Jerusalem Holy Land. Eventually, Hadassah, under Szold's leadership, established a nursing school, clinics, x-ray labs, infant welfare stations, and more. All this eventually morphed into the world renowned , comprising two hospitals with over 1000 beds and outpatient clinics all over the country, giving quality healthcare to everyone, regardless of race, religion, or nationality. From its website: More than a million people are treated each year in over 120 outpatient clinics and one of more than 70 departments and specialized units. A complete range of diagnostic laboratories as well as the most-up-to-date imaging machines and other state-of-the-art equipment backs these clinical arms. Hadassah provides practically every possible medical service available in the most advanced medical centers in the world. Some departments are the only facilities of their kind in the Hadassah Medical Center area; others are unique in Jerusalem , which has led the government to designate Hadassah as a Israel in a number of medical specialties. National Center
Today, 100 years after its founding, Hadassah is the world's largest Jewish organization, and the largest volunteer women's organization.
Profoundly Zionistic, Szold moved to
in 1920 to take charge of the medical unit. But other challenges awaited her here. In the 30s, she became active in the administration of the Youth Aliyah, an organization set up to bring youngsters from Palestine Europe to . She was instrumental in saving 1000s of young lives from the Nazi death camps. Palestine
All this, because Henrietta Szold dared to dream of making life in the
Holy Land better for all its people.
Her achievements came at a price. Szold never married, never had a child of her own and lived far from her family in
. America
She died in her apartment in
, in February, 1945. May her memory be for a blessing. Jerusalem
3. My third hero is as obvious as she is common. Nevertheless, the girls in my daughter's summer-camp should learn what their older sisters, their mothers, their aunts, and grandmothers have done and how they have contributed to Israeli life, and what they sacrificed to do it.
The young women who give two years of their lives to either the IDF or to National Service are my personal heroes. And they should be recognized as such.
In pre-Israel days, women made up of 20% of the units (Hagana, Palmach, Irgun) that would eventually make up the IDF. Today, they make up 33% of all IDF soldiers, and 51% of its officers (!!!). There are women in all ground, air, and navy units of the IDF. 1500 female combat soldiers are drafted each year and serve the same 36 months as the male soldiers. There are female combat pilots, tank drivers, navigators, and infantry soldiers. They work in intelligence units, engineering units, and computer analysis. There is no sphere in the army that women are not a part of.
Religious girls are exempt from the IDF and instead volunteer for two years performing National Service. These girls work in hospitals, assisted living centers, special education facilities, museums, immigrant organizations, and many more places. Though required to work 30-40 hours a week, many of these girls work up to 100 hours a week, all on a voluntary basis. Established in 1971 with 60 girls, Sherut Leumi (National Service in Hebrew) today has thousands of women working in various institutions around the country that would not be able to function without them.
Whereas their American counterparts are choosing colleges, dating, and planning for their future, 18-year-old Israeli girls are putting their personal lives on hold, giving their time and energy to their country and helping their fellow citizens. How many women around the world are willing to sacrifice these years, and perhaps their lives for their country, and for their people, because it's 'the Jewish way'.
These Israeli girls, despite the uniforms, despite the hard work, and the fatigue, and the dirt – or maybe because of them – are the most beautiful in the world. Ask any Jewish mother.
May the merits of these women protect and bless us all.


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The health and well-being of children has certainly been hitting the headlines over the past few weeks. On August 18th the government released a plan aimed at tackling childhood obesity, but it was widely criticised by numerous industry experts.
Medical campaigners and experts labelled the plans as weak and 'watered down', as they relied on voluntary action and failed to restrict junk food marketing and advertising.
Mick Armstrong, Chair of the British Dental Association, commented on the release:
"It will take more than half-measures to deal with the sugar crisis. A sugar levy is one thing, but watering down action on junk food advertising and 2-for-1 deals sends entirely the wrong signal to business, parents and health professionals. The Health Secretary cannot afford to take a relaxed attitude to sugar. Children in his constituency might enjoy the lowest rates of obesity and tooth decay in England, but we think all children deserve the best start in life.
"We require a real strategy from government, one that is willing to address the huge, costly and preventable health inequalities Britain now faces. This isn't rocket science, but we need Ministers to take a lead."
A different approach
If there was ever a time when people needed a greater focus to be taken on dental health, it is now. And that's exactly what Ingrid Perry did.
As a Practice Manager at mydentist in Bridlington, Ingrid was already well aware of the direct correlation between poor general health and poor oral health. But in 2006 she visited a local primary school to deliver an oral health education session, and was approached by the head teacher who expressed concerns about the number of children taking time off because of toothache.
Having witnessed the effect of poor dental health first hand, Ingrid felt inspired to raise awareness of the importance of children having access to regular dental care. As a result the Teeth Team programme was set up in 2010.
Teeth Team currently works with more than 9,000 children across the city of Hull. Working entirely on the efforts of volunteers and the support of businesses in the dental industry, the programme visits schools and teaches children the importance of healthy diets, effective tooth brushing and regularly attending dental checkups.
And that's not all they have done. In 2012 they launched 543junior.co.uk, an oral health education hub aimed at those aged five to 16 with games, lessons, and resources for parents and teachers alike. Later that year they introduced fluoride varnish applications for children undergoing dental assessments as a quick and simple way of reducing the risk of tooth decay.
Since then they have received endorsements from the National Oral Health Promotion Group and the Oral Health Foundation, and have partnered with a number of businesses to take their efforts further, including Colgate, mydentist and Siemens.
"Although the government have plans to implement a national initiative in the autumn, there will undoubtedly be some areas of England that miss out due to funding constraints," Ingrid commented. "Many local authorities are already struggling to balance the books with their limited budgets and unfortunately, dental health appears to be very low on the list of priorities.
"The advice I would give to anyone who may be faltering on a project is to never give up if you truly believe in what you are trying to achieve. Sometimes it may feel like everything is against you no matter which way you turn, but if you know in your heart you can and will make a difference, then never walk away!"
What does the future hold for Teeth Team?
With nearly 10,000 children supported across Hull and East Yorkshire, the growth of the Teeth Team shows no sign of slowing down with an expansion into Lincolnshire. They also have further plans to grow across the country in the near future.
But ultimately, Ingrid has stated that she would like to see a Teeth Team programme in every town and city in the UK, so their passion can continue to make a huge difference to so many children's lives.
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- Basement rec room, Lutheran Church of the Messiah 129 Russell St Brooklyn, NY, 11222 United States (map)
Everyone welcome!
Everyone welcome!
The Greenpoint Williamsburg CSA (GWCSA) is a volunteer-run community supported agriculture organization in Brooklyn, NY that is partnered with the Garden of Eve Organic Farm in Riverhead, Long Island. By purchasing shares, our members support the farm when they need it most – before the start of the growing season – and receive fresh, organic produce throughout the summer and fall.


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As usual (which is not very usual, since it's only the second time that I'm doing this thing) we start off our roundup with IndyCar, a series that's chosen by a lot of the F1 refugees to continue their career in. The 3rd race of the season, which took place at Long Beach, California, was heavily affected by a massive wave of 10-place grid penalties received by all teams running Chevy engines due to the engine changes that all of them underwent. Among those affected were Rubens Barrichello and Sebastien Bourdais, who started 22nd and 25th on the grid respectively. The overwhelming amount of penalties lead Justin Wilson and Takuma Sato to start very high up the grid - 3rd in Wilson's case and 6th in Sato. In the race, which was dominated by Australian Will Power, Sato was aiming at a podium finish, when he was pushed off track by Ryan Hunter-Reay during the penultimate lap. As a result, Sato ended up 8th, with Rubens and Justin right behind him. Bourdais only managed 17th, classified 3 laps behind the leader.
The fourth race of the season, which took place in Sao Paolo, Brazil, saw Sato achieve his first podium in IndyCar after a near perfect drive. Sato started from 25th and managed his way up to 3rd, despite a drive through penalty handed to him for speeding in the pit lane, losing out only to Will Power and Ryan Hunter-Reay. Justin Wilson started from 26th and retired from the race with nine laps to go due to a mechanical failure. Rubens Barrichello started 16th and ended up 10th. Bourdais, who was 22nd on the grid, finished 18th, one lap behind the leader.
The podium has put Sato into 7th in the standings with 83 points. Rubens occupies 11th with 79, ahead of both his teammates EJ Viso and Tony Kanaan. Wilson is currently 16th with 64 points, Bourdais - 20th with 59.
In Nascar Sprint Cup, Juan Pablo Montoya (who I totally forgot about last time) has managed 21st, 16th and twice 12th in the four races that took place in April, which puts him in 16th with 239 points. In comparison, Ryan Newman, who's rounding up the list of people set to make the Chase for the Cup playoffs right now, has 278 points. Meanwhile, Scott Speed continued his run of being a Nascar backmarker, taking part in three races - he failed to qualify for one of them and was 43rd in the other two, which gives him all of 2 points and the 48th spot in the standings. Scott has also competed in two Nationwide races, finishing 41st and 40th. In Nascar Camping Truck, Nelson Piquet Jr. has managed to score his first pole in the series in the third race of the season. He did not manage to convert that into a win, though, finishing 7th. Completing the next race in 4th gives him 140 points to take 5th in the standings, where he is 23 points behind the leader after four races.
In WTCC, Gabriele Tarquini had his worst weekend of the season to date in Morocco - managing a good qualifying but having his Q2 results erased because of a weight infringement in the car. He started both races in 12th, but failed to score points in either - finishing race one in 11th and pulling into the pits to retire after the formation lap in race two. Tiago Monteiro had a similarly dissapointing weekend - in race one, he only completed 7 laps and retired, while, in race two, which he started from pole, he ended up 9th. Two weeks after that, in Slovakia, Tarquini took third in qualifying with no Chevrolet cars ahead for race one. He finished said race in first, after pulling a fairly questionable move on race leader Norbert Michelisz. It is worth noting that Tarquini's win was also the first 1-2 finish for Lukoil Racing Team as teammate Aleksei Dudukalo finished second. In the second race, Tarquini managed to get up to third and was challenging WTCC champion Yvan Muller for second place. He went a little too far with his attempts, perhaps, and almost ended up spinning Muller out, but received no penalty for his actions, finishing third. Monteiro, who managed the best qualifying of the season so far (which put him on fourth for the race one grid), failed to finish either of the races.
As such, after 4 race weekends, Tarquini is fifth in the standings with 87 points, six points behind his likely main rival Tom Coronel. The Chevy trio, just like last year, seems unreachable for either of them as of now. Monteiro has been having a terrible season so far, mostly due to car reliability than anything else - after eight races, he is only 18th with six points.
In Superstars Series, Vitantonio Liuzzi qualified in fifth for the first Imola race and finished it in sixth. As the top eight finishers of race one are reversed for the race two grid, he started it in third and was holding on to that position until retiring with a gearbox problem. Ex-Minardi and Footwork Arrows driver Christian Fittipaldi, who replaced Mika Salo in Imola, managed to qualify in ninth for race one, and finished the two races in 5th and 4th. Another F1 retiree, Gianni Morbidelli, was fourth in qualifying and was fighting for the win throughout all of race one, but after a last lap contact with race leader Johan Kristoffersson was forced to retire. He fought his way up the field in race two but was given a drive-through penalty for being a tad too aggressive. To add insult to injury, his engine gave up shortly before the end of the race.
April also marked the beginning of the 2012 season in DTM, the German touring car championship. Continuing on in it from last year are ex-F1 drivers Ralf Schumacher and David Coulthard. While Ralf finished last season in 8th with 2 podiums and 21 points, David only managed one point throughout. The trend was looking to continue this year, as David missed out on Q2, qualifying in 18th. Ralf, meanwhile, managed 11th on the grid, missing out on Q3 by 0.005s. In the race, however, Ralf had a terrible beginning stint in which he managed to take out BMW's Dirk Werner as well as DTM veteran Bruno Spengler in two different accidents. Ralf was promptly given a drive-through, but seeing how unlike his competitors, he actually remained in the race, he managed 7th in the end - a fairly decent recovery drive in a race that surely hasn't won him any new fans. It is also worth noting that while 7th is a place in points, Ralf came behind all of his teammates - McLaren's test driver Gary Paffett (1st), DTM veteran Jamie Green (2nd) and GP2 race winner Christian Vietoris (4th). DC came in eighth.
you happen to know of any ex-F1 guys that I missed, by all means,
inform me. It's very likely that I just forgot about them or didn't even
know they were in F1.


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Articles On these pages you will find articles about the moon. These vary from simple to complex, and cover subjects ranging from lunar geology to theories about the moon's origin.


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Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Alpha - Blue & Green
Posted by Lori at 12:35 PM
2 comments:
Just a quick note to let you know that a link to this post will be placed on CraftCrave in the DigiFree category today [01 Jun 10:15am GMT]. Thanks, Maria
- June 1, 2011 at 5:42 AM
- CBH said...
Thank you so much for this post. I want to let you know that I posted a link to your blog in CBH Digital Scrapbooking Freebies, under the Page 8 post on Jun. 01, 2011. Thanks again.
- June 1, 2011 at 7:07 AM
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I tried to comment on the piece, but my comments are still being blocked by the Guardian's moderators, who still haven't let my comment on Larry Elliot's piece yesterday get through.
I did get two replies to my complaints though. The first one, from email@example.com said
"your comments were not removed because they were offensive but because they were seen as being spam-like.
Here is what our standards say about links to personal sites:
7. We will remove any posts that are obviously commercial or otherwise spam-like. Our aim is that this site should provide a space for people to interact with our content and each other, and we actively discourage commercial entities passing themselves off as individuals, in order to post advertising material or links. This may also apply to people or organisations who frequently post propaganda or external links without adding substantively to the quality of the discussion on the Guardian website.
The moderator who was working decided that links to your own site were excessive and therefore removed the comments with links and placed your account in pre moderation."
The second one, from Annabel at firstname.lastname@example.com, said
"Your comments were removed because they contained persistent links to positivemoney.org.uk and http://simonthorpesideas.blogspot.com."
She then quoted the FAQ which says
"Q: Can I link to my own blog?
A: We encourage contributors to the Guardian website to include links to content which is revealing, relevant, informative and/or provides more background or context about a particular perspective, situation or topic. That means it's OK to link to specific posts on your own blog when it's appropriate, given the guidelines above. "
I replied to Annabel by pointing out that (for example) one of my censored comments last week argued that if the 0.1% European FTT was introduced across Europe, but countries only required to pay the EU their share of the 141 billion euro EU budget, the UK would keep up to 98.4% of the revenue. My blog, and specifically the entry that I added on the 28th of october is the ONLY PLACE WHERE THIS CAN BE FOUND. This is surely exactly what the guidelines on links to your own blog allow.
I offered to stop using a generic link to my blog, but I fail to see why I should not be allowed to link to my entries when they contain the specific information needed to back my points.
I really hope that they will remove me from the premoderation black list real soon now.


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Myopia control spectacles and contact lenses
Myopia control spectacles and contact lenses addressing myopia 'epidemic'
Myopia control spectacle lenses were co-developed with Carl Zeiss Vision and have been launched in several countries in Asia. The lenses have demonstrated an ability to control the progression of myopia by up to 30% in children aged 6 to 12 years with a certain history of parental myopia.
Myopia control contact lens designs have also been developed.
The Vision CRC myopia program has now transitioned to Brien Holden Vision Institute. Find out more here.


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Walking by this tree today, I wondered at the contrasting shapes in nature.
To protect the fruit of the tree, the treet growes hundreds of torns some the size of 3 inches.
In contrast to the fruit, which starts as a green oval shape the size of a pear,
Then when opening there is a floppy white cotton looking ball inside.
That expands to to form a shape around 3 times the size of the fruit in awonderful and perfect pompom ball shape, ( as in photo above).
The cotton shape slowly loses its shape, break apart and falls to the ground.
Later on the fruit will bloom to form beautiful white flower.


text: A Late September Madison Saturday in Photos Posted on September 29, 2012 by amanda Today's delicious finds at the Dane County Farmers' Market: last round of sweet corn, white thai eggplants, purple carrots, bountiful hot & sweet peppers, green onions, leeks, beets (with greens!). Pretty, pretty peppers. Beautiful veggies, beautiful pit bull, beautiful weather. Everything I ever wanted. Smile And Kiss! Our tomato plants are still full of goods. We're hoping they ripen up quickly this week while it's a little warmer! Thyme's still standing tall. Our precious elephant ear is finally back on the mend. And it's lovely. Zinnia Love Zinnia Love Forever. Relaxin' And strikin' poses. Time for lunch. Post by Amanda Advertisements Share this:TwitterFacebookLike this:Like Loading... Related


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(click on or under the picture to enlarge)
On August 21, 1992, Lena's first movie 'Waterland' was released in UK theaters.
Waterland follows the story of a mentally anguished high school history teacher (Tom Crick/Jeremy Irons) going through a complete reassessment of his life. His method for reassessing his life is to narrate it to his class and interweave in it three generations of his family's history. The movie portrays the teacher's narrative in the form of flashbacks to tell the story of a teenage boy and his mentally challenged older brother living on the fens of England with their widowed father. The entire movie is motivated by an opening scene in which the history teacher's barren wife (Mary Crick/Sinead Cusack) steals a child from a supermarket and believes it to be hers. The teacher explains to his class how he and his wife carried out a teenage romance which led to a disastrous abortion that mutilated the girl's womb and left her infertile. (Young Mary/Lena Headey & Young Tom/Grant Warnock) The teacher is tortured by the guilt of this act as well as the jealousy he demonstrated to his older brother when he suspected his girlfriend's child was that of his brother. The girlfriend explains that the child cannot be that of the mentally challenged brother because his penis was of such enormousness that it could not fit into her despite several attempts. The girlfriend's flirtation with the older brother sets off events that lead to the older brother's suicide by drowning. A side-theme throughout the narration is of the teacher's grandfather, who was a successful brewer and who fathered with his daughter the narrator's older brother, thus accounting for the older brother's genetic difficulties. The movie ends with the teacher's dismissal from his school and a possible renewal of his relationship with his wife.
source: Wikipedia
The movie also starred Ethan Hawke, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Pete Postlethwaite, and John Heard.
To celebrate Lena's career, check out these fan made videos showcasing some of her work. Thanks Carmen Rey!!!
vid #1 by CarmenRey85
vid #1 by CarmenRey85
vid #2 by CarmenRey85
vid #3 by CarmenRey85
(music by Luar Na Lubre)
Lena's latest movie is 'DREDD' 3D (2012), it hits theaters in the UK on 7 Sept & the USA on Sept 21. The video game 'Dishonored', for which she voices the character of Calista, is due out on October 9. Looking ahead to next year, so far we'll have season 3 of 'Game Of Thrones', 'Vigilandia', 'Mariah Mundi and the Midas Box', 'The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones', and 'Grimm Fairy Tales' the animated series, she voices the lead character, Dr. Sela Mathers, a Doctor/Professor of Literature. Also in the pipeline for next year is 'The Poisoners', but no word yet on an actual filming date, we'll have to wait and see.
So you see, lots to look forward to! And hopefully a lot more to come!
So you see, lots to look forward to! And hopefully a lot more to come!


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At this point, I think everyone knows that I am a Matt den Dekker fan. I've argued in his favor since early spring training, when he leaped through the St. Lucie night and pulled a would-be home run from beyond the left-centerfield wall. Many Mets fans never knew who den Dekker was until that moment. That catch brought him into the limelight.
But maybe it was just one catch, people thought. If you've read the scouting reports on den Dekker, you would see that most will agree that he has gold glove potential. If den Dekker were to win a gold glove in a Mets uniform someday, he would only be the third outfielder in the team's history to ever do so. The other two gold glove winner recipients in the outfield were Tommie Agee (1970), and Carlos Beltran (2006-08).
Den Dekker continued to make highlight reel catches through the spring right up until he fractured his wrist on what would have been another catch featured on ESPN's Top Ten. The fan base has been torn on den Dekker and can basically separated into two categories—one group of fans said his offense was not good enough to be considered for the major league roster, and the other group said his defense more than makes up for his offensive woes, and he will figure it out eventually if you keep giving him at-bats.
I was really hoping that den Dekker would make the opening day roster. I felt that he could help the team win ball games with stellar defense, speed on the base paths, and pop the occasional home run. I felt the fans would rally around a player of his type—young, exciting, and balls to the wall. I recommended hitting him down in the eight hole until he figures it out, which I was convinced he would. There hasn't been a player that I checked the box scores every time he played to see how he did in awhile. It was a feel-good story, and I was rooting for den Dekker.
I know people are down on den Dekker's offense, but Toby Hyde's recent evaluation of den Dekker seems a bit harsh. Here is what he had to say about den Dekker in case you missed it:
He was not a realistic candidate to make the Opening Day roster. Again, he hit .220/.256/.373 in 77 games in AAA last year with 90 strikeouts – a 28% strikeout rate. In 45 PA this spring, he was no better: .205/.222/.364 with one walk and 16 strikeouts – a 36% strikeout rate. I have lowered my offensive expectations for den Dekker from poor in the big leagues, to poor in AAA.
Everyone looks at the strikeouts as a major concern. Don't get me wrong, I understand that you don't want a player striking out a lot. An out is an out, but putting the ball in play puts the pressure on the defense to make the play and potentially make a mistake. If you strike out a ton, you are not doing that. But for a young player I would rather see him striking out and taking pitchers deep into the count versus hitting weak grounders after swinging at the first or second pitch. And I would be more likely to accept a player with a high strikeout rate if he provides gold glove defense in a premiere position, has proven to be a decent situational hitter and maybe knock the ball out of the park every now and then. Den Dekker has nine hits this spring and seven RBI. That means the hits were productive. Just bat him towards the back of the lineup until he adjusts.
I pretty much accepted the fact that he would not be on the Opening Day roster, after I read time after time about how his offense and not being on the 40-man roster hurt his chances. Then he fractured his wrist and the reality set in that he definitely won't be on the roster.
I say I accepted it, instead of say I supported that would-be decision, because I never truly believed that den Dekker should be sent down. Now in full acceptance, I am going through Adam Rubin's latest roster projection and see that Kirk Nieuwenhuis is not only on his projected opening day roster, but the starting centerfielder and leadoff hitter? Did I miss something? He is 2-26 so far this spring. Two hits all spring and may be our starting centerfielder, but there was no chance den Dekker was making this team? I'm not buying it.
Then I scroll down Rubin's page a little more and read that "concerned about their defensive capability in center field, the Mets are mulling carrying Kirk Nieuwenhuis on the Opening Day roster over a bona fide backup shortstop (Omar Quintanilla)." Well slap me sideways. Defense does matter after all.
After putting all those pieces together, I don't think I am reading into this too much by saying that I believe that den Dekker did have a very good shot at making the opening day roster. Den Dekker had outplayed Nieuwenhuis in every way, shape and form this spring. Den Dekker's bat still needs to develop, but there are three positions on that baseball field where a coach will take defense into account when making decisions—shortstop, catcher, and of course, center field. And you won't find too many centerfielders with better defense than Matt den Dekker. Let's hope Matt has a speedy recovery from his wrist injury, so we can see this rare talent roaming the green pastures at Citi Field soon.


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Point guard Trey Burke was the national player of the year at Michigan and led the squad within one win of a national championship, the same plateau reached by the Wolverines' "Fab Five" of 1992 and 1993. Now Burke has the keys to an NBA franchise that knows championship heartbreak intimately -- the Jazz. Utah came up short in two straight years to Michael Jordan's Chicago Bulls.
A tanking effort currently appears in the works for Utah. The Jazz allowed Al Jefferson and Paul Millsap to depart in free agency and traded for the expiring contracts of Warriors castoffs Richard Jefferson and Andris Biedrins. If Utah wins the Andrew Wiggins sweepstakes, Burke could take the franchise to heights it and Michigan just barely missed.
-- Follow Alex Leichenger on Twitter @AlexLeich.


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From the Washington Post:
Lisa Jackson is looking for some friends down on the farm.
Farm-state voters have seemingly lost patience with Democrats in Washington. Last fall, the governorships and a combined 16 congressional seats in several key states that supported President Barack Obama in 2008 flipped to Republicans, including Iowa, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.
At the center of complaints from farm-state lawmakers: the Environmental Protection Agency's air and water regulations, which they claim will put farms out of business.
In an effort to repair its image in the heartland, EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson and other Cabinet officials are hitting the road and the airwaves.
Jackson traveled to Iowa last month and California farm country in March, and EPA says additional trips are in the works. She has also been trying to improve EPA's image through appearances on local radio stations and with op-eds in farm states.
For more, see: EPA tries to win back farm states