text:
Predicted to be the best team in baseball, the Philadelphia Phillies fulfilled much of that promise by being the only team to win 100+ games, but the dream ultimately ended with a NLDS loss to the eventual World Series champion St. Louis Cardinals. As you might expect with such a talented, experienced roster, there weren't a lot of prospects introduced to majors, but Domonic Brown did make his debut with 210 plate appearances. Brown didn't live up to his billing, but he was better than his .245 batting average (97 OPS+). The fact that he'll be 24 all of next season should also keep everyone calm. Vance Worley, however, had quite the campaign, and while it was unexpected, it was also legit. There's no reason not to feel pretty good about him in the back of the rotation next season.
Everything wasn't so wonderful in the minors, though. The most significant loss came at the cost of 4 solid prospects for Hunter Pence. Jarred Cosart would have been the top prospect in the system and borderline Elite prospect. Jonathan Singleton would have been another Outstanding prospect. And Josh Zeid and Domingo Santana may have also made this list. In other words, the trade to the Astros took a significant toll on the Phillies farm system.
Of the guys left, few guys had standout seasons, and all of them have significant questions that remain. Trevor May and Jesse Biddle had solid seasons, but they weren't spectacular. Many of the lower-levels tools players, such as Sebastian Valle, Freddie Galvis, Jiwan James, and Cesar Hernandez, remain raw and undeveloped. People might ask a few questions about Matt Rizzotti, who had a nice campaign in AA, but it's hard to get excited by a 25-year old who was repeating AA and did worse.
The Phillies' system isn't good at the moment. May sits in the Outstanding category, but he's borderline. Continuing the trend, the guys in the Good category are also on the border. And when you have two relievers in your Top 10, it's just not a good thing, though I'll say that Phillippe Aumont and Justin De Fratus should be excellent relievers for the Phillies. The system has been thinned by all the years of trading for elite talent, but I don't disagree with what they've done. They went big with a special group of guys, and I completely respect Ruben Amaro for what he's done there.
Trevor May SP
Bats/Throws: R/R
Height/Weight: 6'5/215
Age/Level (as of 4/2012): 22/AA
Projection: 2/3/4
May is certainly a big, strong young man, and he uses all of it in a delivery that requires some effort to throw that 92-94 mph fastball. He adds a plus curve and a developing but promising change-up to make his starter's repertoire. Stuff has never been May's problem, however. After flaming out in High-A Clearwater last season, he had to go back to Low-A Lakewood, and he returned to Clearwater in 2011, where he did much better. His mechanics threw him out of whack, and his already bad control became worse. The Phillies got him to make some adjustments, and he made some strides this season, though his control is still below-average. May, however, has no trouble striking out tons of hitters, and hopefully, more innings will improve his control and command.
Jesse Biddle SP
Bats/Throws: L/L
Height/Weight: 6'4/225
Age/Level: 20/High-A
Projection: 3/4
Biddle is a bit of a riddle. He has a large frame and projection, but when he entered pro ball, his fastball went from the low-90s to the high-80s. Yet, Biddle continues to strike out hitters at a decent pace due to an above-average curveball and a blossoming change. And although he is athletic and has a decent delivery, he has below-average control. So the question now becomes what he'll be. Having two solid secondary pitches is excellent, and if that velocity comes back (which wouldn't be surprising given that this was his first full season), his stock could really take off.
Sebastian Valle C
Bats/Throws: R/R
Height/Weight: 6'1/170
Age/Level: 21/AA
Projection: 2-4 WAR
Most of what Valle is remains tools. He has good hand eye-coordination and bat speed, and he can even knock a few out. But his approach is still a mess, and he's never really produced big numbers. Behind the plate, Valle is a bit more refined with a strong arm and solid blocking/receiving skills, and it's his defensive work that keeps him in good standing. As heads into AA, he'll need to be better with the stick, but he seems to be a backup catcher at worst, which is still a nice thing to have.
Brody Colvin SP
Bats/Throws: R/R
Height/Weight: 6'3/195
Age/Level: 21/AA
Projection: 3/4
Colvin may have just as good stuff as May, but he hasn't been able to put it together or keep himself together to prove it. With a fastball in the low-to-mid 90s with sink and an above-average curveball, Colvin has the beginning of a solid arsenal and even has a decent change-up. Colvin, however, had back problems in 2011 and couldn't stay on the mound, and when he was, the back affected the quality of his stuff. Mechanically, Colvin is a bit of a mess, but it's all after he turns his back to first, as he steps way toward third and has to bring his throwing arm way around his body (leaving pitches up-and-in to righties). Colvin certainly has talent and will be given a pass for 2011, but he's got some work to do.
Larry Greene LF/RF
Bats/Throws: L/R
Height/Weight: 6'/235
Age/Level: 19/Low-A
Projection: 2-4 WAR
The Phillies first pick (supplemental round) of the past draft, Greene has impressive raw power, but that might be the starting and end point. Already a fairly built young man, he has little projection, and the size makes him rather slow, meaning he'll have to play in a corner. His swing looks a little long, but he has good bat speed. As I've mentioned, Greene will need to hit, especially because of the position he'll have to play, but he does have a big stick. We'll just have to see if it's enough.
Austin Wright SP
Bats/Throws: L/L
Height/Weight: 6'4/235
Age/Level: 22/High-A
Projection: 3/4
Call this overreacting to a small sample size. Drafted in the 8th round, Wright is a big, strong lefty that didn't exactly produce in college, but when you're a lefty with a 91-94 mph fastball, someone will give you a chance. Given that chance, Wright excelled in his pro debut of 70 innings, even having better-than-expected control, but he still has plenty of questions. While he adds a plus curveball, his change-up lags behind, and as a college senior, he has less time to develop, though I'll repeat that I wouldn't care too much about when a guy came up as long as he's good. Finally and perhaps the biggest question for me, his delivery is almost all arm, and that seems like an injury waiting to happen.
Phillippe Aumont RP
Bats/Throws: L/R
Height/Weight: 6'7/255
Age/Level: 22/MLB
Projection: Relief Ace
Aumont has been yanked in and out of the starting rotation his entire pro career, but he finally has a home in the late innings. Due to a mid-90s sinker and plus to plus-plus curveball, he has the stuff to be utterly dominating. His problem has always been his control, and with a delivery that brings his arm slot to the low ¾ range and a tendency to have his front shoulder fly open, it was an uphill battle making it better. Aumont's control still wavers, but that's less of a problem out of the bullpen. With a few adjustments, he could be really special.
Justin De Fratus RP
Bats/Throws: S/R
Height/Weight: 6'4/220
Age/Level: 24/MLB
Projection: Relief Ace
I don't really like putting relievers on these lists because they just aren't that valuable, but when you have excellent stuff, it makes it a little easier. De Fratus doesn't have the stuff that Aumont does, but he has significantly better control. His sinker sits in the low-90s, and he adds a plus slider to give him a nice 1-2 punch. A nice reliever candidate for 2012, he has nothing left to learn in the minors, but relievers just don't add much value throwing 70 innings or less a season.
Jonathan Pettibone SP
Bats/Throws: L/R
Height/Weight: 6'5/200
Age/Level: 21/AA
Projection: 4/5
Pettibone has certainly produced decently enough in the minors so far in his career, and he has pretty good stuff, with a low-90s fastball and an above-average slider. With a smooth and repeatable delivery, he even has above-average control. What worries me, however, is the fact that he can't even strike out 7 hitters per 9 innings in A-ball. If you can't strike out many in A-ball, it proposes that you'll be worse as you move up the ladder, and few pitchers can even survive in the majors striking out about 6 per 9. Pettibone could improve, but it's hard to project that.
Jiwan James CF
Bats/Throws: S/R
Height/Weight: 6'4/180
Age/Level: 23/AA
Projection: 1-3 WAR
Even if he never hits (which he might not), James is an elite defensive center fielder with above-average range and arm, so there's probably a place for him on a major-league roster at some point. But as I alluded to, James isn't much on the offensive end, and while he has some tools, they aren't very special, either. If he starts to put things together, he could hit enough to be a solid regular, but he's no spring chicken and hasn't really improved in his years in the minors.
Big Question – Thinning System
Usually, I'd never advocate just throwing the future to the wind, but when you've accumulated such elite talent and need to win now, you have to do it, even if it means the farm system will wither due to trades and a few promotions. The Phillies have had an impressive run of success, and they likely have 2, maybe 3, years of being favorites to win the division and a World Series title. But that won't last forever, and the farm system isn't very good right now. There's some talent in lower levels, and while the Phillies don't spend a lot in the draft, they draft fairly well. But if they don't start restocking that system, Eddard Stark has it right, "Winter is coming."


text:
Tomorrow marks the beginning of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. About 1 in 8 women will develop breast cancer at some point in her life. Many of us have been affected by breast cancer in some way, whether directly or indirectly.
While incredible strides have been made in the fight against breast cancer, there is still much to be done. If you're looking for a way to support the cause, Tory Burch is donating 20% from the purchase of select items during October 31, 2014, to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF). The York Buckle tote below is gorgeous. I've shared some other products below that benefit breast cancer research too. My go-to Smashbox primer is wonderful, and now even better because it supports an incredible cause.
I also encourage you to donate directly to the BCRF if you can. I'm donating because I know that my donation brings BCRF one step closer to finding a cure.
And if you are unable to donate or make a purchase, I hope you'll sport pink and raise awareness not only this month, but throughout the year.
Shop for a cure:

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Minor Happenings: Morimando proving to be a quick learner
"Minor Happenings" is a bi-weekly column which recaps the important developments and news in the Indians farm system. Information in this report is compiled from my own research and through discussions with industry personnel inside and outside the Cleveland Indians organization. Unless otherwise noted, the intellectual property contained in this report is owned by IndiansBaseballInsider.com LLC, and any unauthorized reproduction of the information is prohibited.
After the copious amount of draft coverage on the site over the last two weeks, it is time to get things back on track and back to normal. That means catching up on the Happenings This article is available to Indians Baseball Insider subscription holders only. If you are already a subscriber you are either logged out or your account has expired. Please Login or click here to renew your account. If you are not a subscriber, you can click here to create an account »


text:
System Safety Management. The Basic Need For Safety. Originates as a fundamental human need Dr. Abraham Maslow outlined a hierarchy States that humans are motivated to action by unsatisfied needs Physiological needs are first: Air, Water, Food, etc.
Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author.While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server.
"It is immoral to design a product or system for mankind without recognition and evaluation of the hazards associated with that product or system"
September 17, 1908
The first fatal powered-aircraft accident investigation pointed to the need for system safety practices – the formal recognition of this holistic approach came decades later
"…that the Air Service desires to perfect preventive accident measures to the fullest possible may be readily appreciated from the fact that during the calendar year 1920, 51 officers and enlisted men of the Air Service lost their lives in airplane accident, [and] 312 airplanes were damaged or destroyed..."


text:
The difficulty that presented itself most strongly to me, when I first had the honour of being requested to write this biography, was how I could show what a noble, true, and tender woman Charlotte Bronte really was, without mingling up with her life too much of the personal history of her nearest and most intimate friends. After much consideration of this point, I came to the resolution of writing truly, if I wrote at all; of withholding nothing, though some things, from their very nature, could not be spoken of so fully as others.
One of the deepest interests of her life centres naturally round her marriage, and the preceding circumstances; but more than all other events (because of more recent date, and concerning another as intimately as herself), it requires delicate handling on my part, lest I intrude too roughly on what is most sacred to memory. Yet I have two reasons, which seem to me good and valid ones, for giving some particulars of the course of events which led to her few months of wedded life — that short spell of exceeding happiness. The first is my desire to call attention to the fact that Mr. Nicholls was one who had seen her almost daily for years; seen her as a daughter, a sister, a mistress and a friend. He was not a man to be attracted by any kind of literary fame. I imagine that this, by itself, would rather repel him when he saw it in the possession of a woman. He was a grave, reserved, conscientious man, with a deep sense of religion, and of his duties as one of its ministers.
In silence he had watched her, and loved her long. The love of such a man — a daily spectator of her manner of life for years — is a great testimony to her character as a woman.
How deep his affection was I scarcely dare to tell, even if I could in words. She did not know — she had hardly begun to suspect — that she was the object of any peculiar regard on his part, when, in this very December, he came one evening to tea. After tea, she returned from the study to her own sitting-room, as was her custom, leaving her father and his curate together. Presently she heard the study-door open, and expected to hear the succeeding clash of the front door. Instead, came a tap; and, "like lightning, it flashed upon me what was coming. He entered. He stood before me. What his words were you can imagine; his manner you can hardly realise, nor can I forget it. He made me, for the first time, feel what it costs a man to declare affection when he doubts response. . . . The spectacle of one, ordinarily so statue-like, thus trembling, stirred, and overcome, gave me a strange shock. I could only entreat him to leave me then, and promise a reply on the morrow. I asked if he had spoken to Papa. He said he dared not. I think I half led, half put him out of the room."
So deep, so fervent, and so enduring was the affection Miss Bronte had inspired in the heart of this good man! It is an honour to her; and, as such, I have thought it my duty to speak thus much, and quote thus fully from her letter about it. And now I pass to my second reason for dwelling on a subject which may possibly be considered by some, at first sight, of too private a nature for publication. When Mr. Nicholls had left her, Charlotte went immediately to her father and told him all. He always disapproved of marriages, and constantly talked against them. But he more than disapproved at this time; he could not bear the idea of this attachment of Mr. Nicholls to his daughter. Fearing the consequences of agitation to one so recently an invalid, she made haste to give her father a promise that, on the morrow, Mr. Nicholls should have a distinct refusal. Thus quietly and modestly did she, on whom such hard judgments had been passed by ignorant reviewers, receive this vehement, passionate declaration of love — thus thoughtfully for her father, and unselfishly for herself, put aside all consideration of how she should reply, excepting as he wished!
The immediate result of Mr. Nicholls' declaration of attachment was, that he sent in his resignation of the curacy of Haworth; and that Miss Bronte held herself simply passive, as far as words and actions went, while she suffered acute pain from the strong expressions which her father used in speaking of Mr. Nicholls, and from the too evident distress and failure of health on the part of the latter. Under these circumstances she, more gladly than ever, availed herself of Mrs. Smith's proposal, that she should again visit them in London; and thither she accordingly went in the first week of the year 1853.
From thence I received the following letter. It is with a sad, proud pleasure I copy her words of friendship now.
"January 12th, 1853.
"It is with YOU the ball rests. I have not heard from you since I wrote last; but I thought I knew the reason of your silence, viz. application to work — and therefore I accept it, not merely with resignation, but with satisfaction.
"I am now in London, as the date above will show; staying very quietly at my publisher's, and correcting proofs, etc. Before receiving yours, I had felt, and expressed to Mr. Smith, reluctance to come in the way of 'Ruth;' not that I think SHE would suffer from contact with 'Villette'— we know not but that the damage might be the other way; but I have ever held comparisons to be odious, and would fain that neither I nor my friends should be made subjects for the same. Mr. Smith proposes, accordingly, to defer the publication of my book till the 24th inst.; he says that will give 'Ruth' the start in the papers daily and weekly, and also will leave free to her all the February magazines. Should this delay appear to you insufficient, speak! and it shall be protracted.
"I dare say, arrange as we may, we shall not be able wholly to prevent comparisons; it is the nature of some critics to be invidious; but we need not care we can set them at defiance; they SHALL not make us foes, they SHALL not mingle with our mutual feelings one taint of jealousy there is my hand on that; I know you will give clasp for clasp.
"'Villette' has indeed no right to push itself before 'Ruth.' There is a goodness, a philanthropic purpose, a social use in the latter to which the former cannot for an instant pretend; nor can it claim precedence on the ground of surpassing power I think it much quieter than 'Jane Eyre.'
"I wish to see YOU, probably at least as much as you can wish to see ME, and therefore shall consider your invitation for March as an engagement; about the close of that month, then, I hope to pay you a brief visit. With kindest remembrances to Mr. Gaskell and all your precious circle, I am," etc.
This visit at Mrs. Smith's was passed more quietly than any previous one, and was consequently more in accordance with her own tastes. She saw things rather than persons; and being allowed to have her own choice of sights, she selected the "REAL in preference to the DECORATIVE side of life." She went over two prisons — one ancient, the other modern — Newgate and Pentonville; over two hospitals, the Foundling and Bethlehem. She was also taken, at her own request, to see several of the great City sights; the Bank, the Exchange, Rothschild's, etc.
The power of vast yet minute organisation, always called out her respect and admiration. She appreciated it more fully than most women are able to do. All that she saw during this last visit to London impressed her deeply — so much so as to render her incapable of the immediate expression of her feelings, or of reasoning upon her impressions while they were so vivid. If she had lived, her deep heart would sooner or later have spoken out on these things.
What she saw dwelt in her thoughts, and lay heavy on her spirits. She received the utmost kindness from her hosts, and had the old, warm, and grateful regard for them. But looking back, with the knowledge of what was then the future, which Time has given, one cannot but imagine that there was a toning-down in preparation for the final farewell to these kind friends, whom she saw for the last time on a Wednesday morning in February. She met her friend E—— at Keighley, on her return, and the two proceeded to Haworth together.
"Villette"— which, if less interesting as a mere story than "Jane Eyre," displays yet more of the extraordinary genius of the author — was received with one burst of acclamation. Out of so small a circle of characters, dwelling in so dull and monotonous an area as a "pension," this wonderful tale was evolved!
See how she receives the good tidings of her success!
"Feb. 15th, 1853.
"I got a budget of no less than seven papers yesterday and to-day. The import of all the notices is such as to make my heart swell with thankfulness to Him, who takes note both of suffering, and work, and motives. Papa is pleased too. As to friends in general, I believe I can love them still, without expecting them to take any large share in this sort of gratification. The longer I live, the more plainly I see that gentle must be the strain on fragile human nature; it will not bear much."
I suspect that the touch of slight disappointment, perceptible in the last few lines, arose from her great susceptibility to an opinion she valued much — that of Miss Martineau, who, both in an article on 'Villette' in the Daily News, and in a private letter to Miss Bronte, wounded her to the quick by expressions of censure which she believed to be unjust and unfounded, but which, if correct and true, went deeper than any merely artistic fault. An author may bring himself to believe that he can bear blame with equanimity, from whatever quarter it comes; but its force is derived altogether from the character of this. To the public, one reviewer may be the same impersonal being as another; but an author has frequently a far deeper significance to attach to opinions. They are the verdicts of those whom he respects and admires, or the mere words of those for whose judgment he cares not a jot. It is this knowledge of the individual worth of the reviewer's opinion, which makes the censures of some sink so deep, and prey so heavily upon an author's heart. And thus, in proportion to her true, firm regard for Miss Martineau, did Miss Bronte suffer under what she considered her misjudgment not merely of writing, but of character.
She had long before asked Miss Martineau to tell her whether she considered that any want of womanly delicacy or propriety was betrayed in "Jane Eyre". And on receiving Miss Martineau's assurance that she did not, Miss Bronte entreated her to declare it frankly if she thought there was any failure of this description in any future work of "Currer Bell's." The promise then given of faithful truth-speaking, Miss Martineau fulfilled when "Villette" appeared. Miss Bronte writhed under what she felt to be injustice.
This seems a fitting place to state how utterly unconscious she was of what was, by some, esteemed coarse in her writings. One day, during that visit at the Briery when I first met her, the conversation turned upon the subject of women's writing fiction; and some one remarked on the fact that, in certain instances, authoresses had much outstepped the line which men felt to be proper in works of this kind. Miss Bronte said she wondered how far this was a natural consequence of allowing the imagination to work too constantly; Sir James and Lady Kay Shuttleworth and I expressed our belief that such violations of propriety were altogether unconscious on the part of those to whom reference had been made. I remember her grave, earnest way of saying, "I trust God will take from me whatever power of invention or expression I may have, before He lets me become blind to the sense of what is fitting or unfitting to be said!"
Again, she was invariably shocked and distressed when she heard of any disapproval of "Jane Eyre" on the ground above-mentioned. Some one said to her in London, "You know, you and I, Miss Bronte, have both written naughty books!" She dwelt much on this; and, as if it weighed on her mind, took an opportunity to ask Mrs. Smith, as she would have asked a mother — if she had not been motherless from earliest childhood — whether, indeed, there was anything so wrong in "Jane Eyre."
I do not deny for myself the existence of coarseness here and there in her works, otherwise so entirely noble. I only ask those who read them to consider her life — which has been openly laid bare before them — and to say how it could be otherwise. She saw few men; and among these few were one or two with whom she had been acquainted since early girlhood — who had shown her much friendliness and kindness — through whose family she had received many pleasures — for whose intellect she had a great respect — but who talked before her, if not to her with as little reticence as Rochester talked to Jane Eyre. Take this in connection with her poor brother's sad life, and the out-spoken people among whom she lived — remember her strong feeling of the duty of representing life as it really is, not as it ought to be — and then do her justice for all that she was, and all that she would have been (had God spared her), rather than censure her because circumstances forced her to touch pitch, as it were, and by it her hand was for a moment defiled. It was but skin-deep. Every change in her life was purifying her; it hardly could raise her. Again I cry, "If she had but lived!"
The misunderstanding with Miss Martineau on account of "Villette," was the cause of bitter regret to Miss Bronte. Her woman's nature had been touched, as she thought, with insulting misconception; and she had dearly loved the person who had thus unconsciously wounded her. It was but in the January just past that she had written as follows, in reply to a friend, the tenor of whose letter we may guess from this answer:—
"I read attentively all you say about Miss Martineau; the sincerity and constancy of your solicitude touch me very much; I should grieve to neglect or oppose your advice, and yet I do not feel it would be right to give Miss Martineau up entirely. There is in her nature much that is very noble; hundreds have forsaken her, more, I fear, in the apprehension that their fair names may suffer, if seen in connection with hers, than from any pure convictions, such as you suggest, of harm consequent on her fatal tenets. With these fair-weather friends I cannot bear to rank; and for her sin, is it not one of those of which God and not man must judge?
"To speak the truth, my dear Miss — — I believe, if you were in my place, and knew Miss Martineau as I do — if you had shared with me the proofs of her genuine kindliness, and had seen how she secretly suffers from abandonment — you would be the last to give her up; you would separate the sinner from the sin, and feel as if the right lay rather in quietly adhering to her in her strait, while that adherence is unfashionable and unpopular, than in turning on her your back when the world sets the example. I believe she is one of those whom opposition and desertion make obstinate in error; while patience and tolerance touch her deeply and keenly, and incline her to ask of her own heart whether the course she has been pursuing may not possibly be a faulty course."
Kindly and faithful words! which Miss Martineau never knew of; to be repaid in words more grand and tender, when Charlotte lay deaf and cold by her dead sisters. In spite of their short sorrowful misunderstanding, they were a pair of noble women and faithful friends.
I turn to a pleasanter subject. While she was in London, Miss Bronte had seen Lawrence's portrait of Mr. Thackeray, and admired it extremely. Her first words, after she had stood before it some time in silence, were, "And there came up a Lion out of Judah!" The likeness was by this time engraved, and Mr. Smith sent her a copy of it.
To G. SMITH, ESQ.
"Haworth, Feb. 26th, 1853.
"My dear Sir — At a late hour yesterday evening, I had the honour of receiving, at Haworth Parsonage, a distinguished guest, none other than W. M. Thackeray, Esq. Mindful of the rites of hospitality, I hung him up in state this morning. He looks superb in his beautiful, tasteful gilded gibbet. For companion he has the Duke of Wellington, (do you remember giving me that picture?) and for contrast and foil Richmond's portrait of an unworthy individual, who, in such society, must be name-less. Thackeray looks away from the latter character with a grand scorn, edifying to witness. I wonder if the giver of these gifts will ever see them on the walls where they now hang; it pleases me to fancy that one day he may. My father stood for a quarter of an hour this morning examining the great man's picture. The conclusion of his survey was, that he thought it a puzzling head; if he had known nothing previously of the original's character; he could not have read it in his features. I wonder at this. To me the broad brow seems to express intellect. Certain lines about the nose and cheek, betray the satirist and cynic; the mouth indicates a child-like simplicity — perhaps even a degree of irresoluteness, inconsistency — weakness in short, but a weakness not unamiable. The engraving seems to me very good. A certain not quite Christian expression —'not to put too fine a point upon it'— an expression of spite, most vividly marked in the original, is here softened, and perhaps a little — a very little — of the power has escaped in this ameliorating process. Did it strike you thus?"
Miss Bronte was in much better health during this winter of 1852-3, than she had been the year before.
"For my part," (she wrote to me in February) "I have thus far borne the cold weather well. I have taken long walks on the crackling snow, and felt the frosty air bracing. This winter has, for me, not been like last winter. December, January, February, '51-2, passed like a long stormy night, conscious of one painful dream) all solitary grief and sickness. The corresponding months. in '52-3 have gone over my head quietly and not uncheerfully. Thank God for the change and the repose! How welcome it has been He only knows! My father too has borne the season well; and my book, and its reception thus far, have pleased and cheered him."
In March the quiet Parsonage had the honour of receiving a visit from the then Bishop of Ripon. He remained one night with Mr. Bronte". In the evening, some of the neighbouring clergy were invited to meet him at tea and supper; and during the latter meal, some of the "curates "began merrily to upbraid Miss Bronte" with "putting them into a book;" and she, shrinking from thus having her character as authoress thrust upon her at her own table, and in the presence of a stranger, pleasantly appealed to the bishop as to whether it was quite fair thus to drive her, into a corner. His Lordship, I have been told, was agreeably impressed with the gentle unassuming manners of his hostess, and with the perfect propriety and consistency of the arrangements in the modest household. So much for the Bishop's recollection of his visit. Now we will turn to hers.
"March 4th.
"The Bishop has been, and is gone. He is certainly a most charming Bishop; the most benignant gentleman that ever put on lawn sleeves; yet stately too, and quite competent to check encroachments. His visit passed capitally well; and at its close, as he was going away, he expressed himself thoroughly gratified with all he had seen. The Inspector has been also in the course of the past week; so that I have had a somewhat busy time of it. If you could have been at Haworth to share the pleasures of the company, without having been inconvenienced by the little bustle of the preparation, I should have been VERY glad. But the house was a good deal put out of its way, as you may suppose; all passed, however, orderly, quietly, and well. Martha waited very nicely, and I had a person to help her in the kitchen. Papa kept up, too, fully as well as I expected, though I doubt whether he could have borne another day of it. My penalty came on in a strong headache as soon as the Bishop was gone: how thankful I was that it had patiently waited his departure. I continue stupid to-day: of course, it is the reaction consequent on several days of extra exertion and excitement. It is very well to talk of receiving a Bishop without trouble, but you MUST prepare for him."
By this time some of the Reviews had began to find fault with "Villette." Miss Bronte made her old request.
"My dear Sir — Were a review to appear, inspired with treble their animus, PRAY do not withhold it from me. I like to see the satisfactory notices — especially I like to carry them to my father; but I MUST see such as are UNsatisfactory and hostile; these are for my own especial edification; — it is in these I best read public feeling and opinion. To shun examination into the dangerous and disagreeable seems to me cowardly. I long always to know what really IS, and am only unnerved when kept in the dark. . . . . . .
"As to the character of 'Lucy Snowe,' my intention from the first was that she should not occupy the pedestal to which 'Jane Eyre' was raised by some injudicious admirers. She is where I meant her to be, and where no charge of self-laudation can touch her.
"The note you sent this morning from Lady Harriette St. Clair, is precisely to the same purport as Miss Muloch's request — an application for exact and authentic information respecting the fate of M. Paul Emanuel! You see how much the ladies think of this little man, whom you none of you like. I had a letter the other day; announcing that a lady of some note, who had always determined that whenever, she married, her husband should be the counterpart of 'Mr. Knightly' in Miss Austen's 'Emma,' had now changed her mind, and vowed that she would either find the duplicate of Professor Emanuel, or remain for ever single! I have sent Lady Harriette an answer so worded as to leave the matter pretty much where it was. Since the little puzzle amuses the ladies, it would be a pity to spoil their sport by giving them the key."
When Easter, with its duties arising out of sermons to be preached by strange clergymen who had afterwards to be entertained at the Parsonage — with Mechanics' Institute Meetings, and school tea-drinkings, was over and gone; she came, at the close of April, to visit us in Manchester. We had a friend, a young lady, staying with us. Miss Bronte had expected to find us alone; and although our friend was gentle and sensible after Miss Bronte's own heart, yet her presence was enough to create a nervous tremour. I was aware that both of our guests were unusually silent; and I saw a little shiver run from time to time over Miss Bronte's frame. I could account for the modest reserve of the young lady; and the next day Miss Bronte told me how the unexpected sight of a strange face had affected her.
It was now two or three years since I had witnessed a similar effect produced on her; in anticipation of a quiet evening at Fox-How; and since then she had seen many and various people in London: but the physical sensations produced by shyness were still the same; and on the following day she laboured under severe headache. I had several opportunities of perceiving how this nervousness was ingrained in her constitution, and how acutely she suffered in striving to overcome it. One evening we had, among other guests, two sisters who sang Scottish ballads exquisitely. Miss Bronte had been sitting quiet and constrained till they began "The Bonnie House of Airlie," but the effect of that and "Carlisle Yetts," which followed, was as irresistible as the playing of the Piper of Hamelin. The beautiful clear light came into her eyes; her lips quivered with emotion; she forgot herself, rose, and crossed the room to the piano, where she asked eagerly for song after song. The sisters begged her to come and see them the next morning, when they would sing as long as ever she liked; and she promised gladly and thankfully. But on reaching the house her courage failed. We walked some time up and down the street; she upbraiding herself all the while for folly, and trying to dwell on the sweet echoes in her memory rather than on the thought of a third sister who would have to be faced if we went in. But it was of no use; and dreading lest this struggle with herself might bring on one of her trying headaches, I entered at last and made the best apology I could for her non-appearance. Much of this nervous dread of encountering strangers I ascribed to the idea of her personal ugliness, which had been strongly impressed upon her imagination early in life, and which she exaggerated to herself in a remarkable manner. "I notice," said she, "that after a stranger has once looked at my face, he is careful not to let his eyes wander to that part of the room again!" A more untrue idea never entered into any one's head. Two gentlemen who saw her during this visit, without knowing at the time who she was, were singularly attracted by her appearance; and this feeling of attraction towards a pleasant countenance, sweet voice, and gentle timid manners, was so strong in one as to conquer a dislike he had previously entertained to her works.
There was another circumstance that came to my knowledge at this period which told secrets about the finely-strung frame. One night I was on the point of relating some dismal ghost story, just before bed-time. She shrank from hearing it, and confessed that she was superstitious, and, prone at all times to the involuntary recurrence of any thoughts of ominous gloom which might have been suggested to her. She said that on first coming to us, she had found a letter on her dressing-table from a friend in Yorkshire, containing a story which had impressed her vividly ever since; — that it mingled with her dreams at night, and made her sleep restless and unrefreshing.
One day we asked two gentlemen to meet her at dinner; expecting that she and they would have a mutual pleasure in making each other's acquaintance. To our disappointment she drew back with timid reserve from all their advances, replying to their questions and remarks in the briefest manner possible; till at last they gave up their efforts to draw her into conversation in despair, and talked to each other and my husband on subjects of recent local interest. Among these Thackeray's Lectures (which had lately been delivered in Manchester) were spoken of and that on Fielding especially dwelt upon. One gentleman objected to it strongly, as calculated to do moral harm, and regretted that a man having so great an influence over the tone of thought of the day, as Thackeray, should not more carefully weigh his words. The other took the opposite view. He said that Thackeray described men from the inside, as it were; through his strong power of dramatic sympathy, he identified himself with certain characters, felt their temptations, entered into their pleasures, etc. This roused Miss Bronte, who threw herself warmly into the discussion; the ice of her reserve was broken, and from that time she showed her interest in all that was said, and contributed her share to any conversation that was going on in the course of the evening.
What she said, and which part she took, in the dispute about Thackeray's lecture, may be gathered from the following letter, referring to the same subject:—
"The Lectures arrived safely; I have read them through twice. They must be studied to be appreciated. I thought well of them when I heard them delivered, but now I see their real power; and it is great. The lecture on Swift was new to me; I thought it almost matchless. Not that by any means I always agree with Mr. Thackeray's opinions, but his force, his penetration, his pithy simplicity, his eloquence — his manly sonorous eloquence — command entire admiration. . . . Against his errors I protest, were it treason to do so. I was present at the Fielding lecture: the hour spent in listening to it was a painful hour. That Thackeray was wrong in his way of treating Fielding's character and vices, my conscience told me. After reading that lecture, I trebly felt that he was wrong — dangerously wrong. Had Thackeray owned a son, grown, or growing up, and a son, brilliant but reckless — would he have spoken in that light way of courses that lead to disgrace and the grave? He speaks of it all as if he theorised; as if he had never been called on, in the course of his life, to witness the actual consequences of such failings; as if he had never stood by and seen the issue, the final result of it all. I believe, if only once the prospect of a promising life blasted on the outset by wild ways had passed close under his eyes, he never COULD have spoken with such levity of what led to its piteous destruction. Had I a brother yet living, I should tremble to let him read Thackeray's lecture on Fielding. I should hide it away from him. If, in spite of precaution, it should fall into his hands, I should earnestly pray him not to be misled by the voice of the charmer, let him charm never so wisely. Not that for a moment I would have had Thackeray to ABUSE Fielding, or even Pharisaically to condemn his life; but I do most deeply grieve that it never entered into his heart sadly and nearly to feel the peril of such a career, that he might have dedicated some of his great strength to a potent warning against its adoption by any young man. I believe temptation often assails the finest manly natures; as the pecking sparrow or destructive wasp attacks the sweetest and mellowest fruit, eschewing what is sour and crude. The true lover of his race ought to devote his vigour to guard and protect; he should sweep away every lure with a kind of rage at its treachery. You will think this far too serious, I dare say; but the subject is serious, and one cannot help feeling upon it earnestly."
Last updated Sunday, March 27, 2016 at 11:55


text:
Al Jazeera: Troop levels to drop by 40,000 in Afghanistan
Members of the 49-nation international force in Afghanistan have announced that the number of foreign troops in that nation will shrink by 40,000 by the end of 2012.
The largest planned reduction is from the US, which will remove 33,000 troops. That would represent one-third of the 101,000 American troops in Afghanistan in June, when US military presence was at its peak, according to US defence department figures.
Continues at: aljazeera.com – Troop levels to drop by 40,000 in Afghanistan
Claudio Alpaca permalinkNovember 29, 2011 19:23
Skrink of foreign troops: a positive signal, indicatif of acquired capacity of Afghan forces to patrol its territory, control, done garancy of democracy and human rights respect.
We assist to the born of a new state, that has now the possibility to be autonomous on its gestion.
A new country for a new more advanced people.
Thanks to all warriors who have, on years of sacrifices, made that possible.
Claudio Alpaca


text:
Register now and join the entire Scott-3Rox team for the 2016 Team Launch, and support the Trail to Rio. Three-time Olympian, Geoff Kabush is back to lead the team, and is excited to be a part of a great event that will introduce the new roster for SCOTT-3ROX.
One-of-a-kind silent auction collector items, including signed jerseys.
Meet and mingle with 2016 SCOTT-3Rox athletes, and staff.
Open Beer Bar & Food Stations – Special Team Gear & Prizes – Photos & Autographs
SCOTT-3Rox is a Canadian-based professional mountain bike team and UCI MTB Team, currently ranked 19th in the world. 2016 is a significant year for the Team as the largest sporting event in the world, the Olympic Games, takes place this summer. Be sure to register, and support the Team's pursuit of Olympic excellence.
- When
Arta Gallery – 14 Distillery Ln., Toronto, ON M5A 3C4 CA – View Map
Register HERE.


text:
Showbox APK Download and install
Showbox APK
All those flick aficionados out there seeking simple as well as practical means to stream flicks survive their mobile devices, your search is over. Showbox Application is the application that you always desired. It can allow online streaming of any kind of film or TV show of your option on any kind of tool. All you need to is install the Showbox APK download as well as stream a movie or TELEVISION serial of your option.showbox apk While the app is not offered on Play Shop as yet, you could download the Showbox set up Android data in APK format. The Showbox Apk download for Android permits individuals to easily install the application on their mobiles, tablets or computer systems.
If you are an Android user, this application is the best method to view your preferred film or TV show.Showbox for PC It is in fact considered the optimal one for streaming films live in HD top quality which additionally entirely complimentary.
Showbox APK Download and install for Android
The Showbox Apk download for android devices offers a great deal of features as well as alternatives that many users will extensively take pleasure in. First of all, there is no constraint on the quantity of motion pictures or TV shows that you can view. The application has a really friendly user interface and anybody could browse via conveniently. There is a substantial search data source and also arranging alternatives that could permit you to go through all the films and also shows which are offered.
Likewise see:
Heavy steam Showbox on Chromecast
Showbox for PC
Showbox iPad
You will be able to discover your desired material without any problem. The best feature of the Showbox for android is the free access to HD high quality movies and also TV serials. You do not have to spend for anything, neither do you need to subscribe anywhere. All that is required is the setup of the App.
The app will certainly present all the favorite, latest and most enjoyed options for the individuals to browse via.openstreetmap You could also download any kind of movie or program that you like without worrying about pop-ups and also ads. The app enables users to enjoy the downloaded movies or shows offline too by keeping them individually.
While the Showbox APK download for Android is primarily used on Android supported devices, that does not imply that it is not compatible with various other running systems. Customers could equally as easily stream movies by means of Showbox on PC, Mac, Kindle as well as numerous other platforms.


text:
الرجاء الأنتظار ..
Single-Author Research Papers published in National or Local Journals in the Qaseem University
Please note that: the system updates the data every one hour, thus any update on the system during that period may not be included.
Search Conditions: Single-Author Research Papers published in National or Local Journals
Research Publications in Scientific Journals
Single-Author Research Papers published in National or Local Journals
Ismail, M. S.
The beginning of the complementary feeding of the infant and weaning foods.
Arab Journal for Foods and Nutrition,.
January 2013 Volume 30, pp 110-131
Mohamed Saleh Mohamed.
Heads of cabbage, cauliflower, and lettuce reduce blood glucose among diabetic rats
J. of Home Econ. Minufiya Univ.
September 2001 Volume 11 No 4 Page 163-179
Mohamed Saleh Mohamed.
Studying some healthy and nutritional factors that correlated with obesity among students of Minufiya university
Arab Journal of Food and Nutrition.
June 2003 Volume. 8 (Suppl 4) Page 188-209
February 1994 vol.19 (2 ) : 737-750
Ibrahim S. Salem and Nehal M. Belal.
Relevance of pumpkin (Cucurbita sp.) seeds and oils on the ameliorative effects of kidney and liver functions and body weight of hypercholestermic renal failed-rats
Egyptian Journal of Nutrition.
5/4 2015
Mousa, H. M., Farahna M. M. , Ismail, M. S., Al-Hassan A. A. , Ammar, A. S. and Abdel-Salam A. M..
Anti-diabetic effect of olive leaves extract in alloxan-diabetic rats
Journal of Agricultural and Veterinary Sciences Qassim University,.
7, (2):181-196. 2014
A.S.M. Ammar.
Isolation of shrimp-- chitosan and its utilization as a coagulant in some food processing waste treatment.
The Bull. Fac. Agric., Cairo Univ. Vol.57(2), 339 – 350..
Al-Hassan A. A..
Extraction and characterization of halal gelatin from fish skin
Journal of Agricultural and Veterinary Sciences, Qassim University,.
January 2016 Vol. 9, No. 1, pp. 71-80
Gehan, A.M. Hussein and Abdel-Razik, M.M..
Evaluation of total milk proteinate as a milk substitute of egg in cake and mayonnaise making
Egypt J. Food Science.
2005 33(2): 141- 161
Nesreen M. El-Said, Eshak M. El-Hadidy and Ihab S. Ashoush.
Effect of mushroom extracts on antioxidants level and sensory properties of pasteurized strawberry juice
J. of Egyptian Nutrition.
2012 27(4): 105-123
Ashoush, I.S. and Soad M. Abou El-tasahiel.
Determination of some Controversy Additives in Foodstuffs
J. of Biological Chemistry and Environmental Sciences.
2008 3(2): 163-173
Abd-Elaziz, A.M.S. and Ashoush, I.S.
Effect of Monosodium Glutamate treatment on reproductive performance in Male Albino Rats
Egyptian J. of basic and applied physiology.
2007 6(1):101-110
Shaker, E.; Ashoush, I. S. and El-Hadidy, E..
Nutritional Evaluation of green and brown seaweeds; antioxidants and food additives
J. of Egyptian nutrition.
2006 21(3):109-132
Ashoush, I.S. and Abd-Elaziz, A.M.S.
Monosodium glutamate-induced oxidative stress and genotoxicity in the rat as evidence of a potential risk in human diets
Annals of agricultural science, Moshtohor.
2006 44(3): 1053-1062
Aljabeili, H. S., E. A. Abd El-Hady, M. M. Abd El-Razik and M. Abd Elgadir.
Quality Characteristics of Cured Dried Camel Meat Formulated with Different Medicinal Plants as Natural Preservatives
Journal of Agriculture and Veterinray Sciences Qassim University.
January 2016
M. Abd Elgadir, Mohamed E. S. Mirghani and Mousa H. M.
Thermal Behavior of Selected Pig Meat - Biopolymer Mixtures for Halal Purposes: A review
Journal of Agricultural and Veterinary Sciences, Qassim University.
July 2015
Mohamed G. E. Gadallah.
Rheological, Organoleptical and Quality Characteristics of Gluten-Free Rice Cakes Formulated with Sorghum and Germinated Chickpea Flours
Food and Nutrition Sciences, 2017, 8, 535-550.
May 2017
Khaled M. El-Zahar.
Antimicrobial activity of sheep yoghurt prepared by different commercial starter strains
Alexandria Science Exchange Journal. 30 (2): 188-197.
Khaled M. El-Zahar.
Accelerated ripening of UF Feta-cheese by using freeze-shocked culture of Lactobacillus helveticus or barley extract
Alexandria Science Exchange Journal. 30 (2): 198-204.
عدد زيارات هذا الموقع
© All copyrights are Reserved for Scientific Research Deanship - Qassim University


text:
The Bear Barry SmithGrand Rapids, Michigan, US
Light, friendly, upbeat vocal characteristics that can also deliver harder, more focused approach for Promotional type deliveries. Casual, conversational style with an \"Easy to listen to\" timbre, as well as a warm deep reassuring projection. Hard sell, soft sell, Intense, layed back, reassuring, confidant, inspirational, coveted, friendly, Sophisticated, Mild mannered, clear, likable, modern, mystical, sexy, soothing, charming, raspy, characters, cartoons, whimsical, rocking, tough, believable, noticeable, deep, caring, happy, concert style, movie trailer, corporate, educational, in your face, uplifting, retro, old style, elder, young, jingle writer, controlled, off the wall, comedic, serious, introspective, out going, professional, down to earth, childlike, quick, conservative,atitude, big, bold, network, corporate, warm and fuzzy, baritone, bass, balls 20 Years experience (Website hidden)
English (North American)
North American, US General American (GenAm)
Middle Aged, Senior, Young Adult
Special Skills
Audiobooks, Business, Documentaries, Educational, Internet, Movie Trailers, Podcasting, Radio, Telephone, Television, Videogames
20 years whats to say? Yes, I do have a real name, Barry Smith, but my grandmother always called me Bear so I guess it stuck. I have spent a bunch of years in the broadcast business and won 3 national broadcast personality of the year awards. It all really got started when I recorded my first commercial on the tape recorder I got for my 7th birthday from my grandfather… How far we have come…. Oh and the other question I get a lot is "Does the Bear….you know…in the woods? Of course the answer is yes. That's also the answer I love to give all my clients, so just let me know what your vision is. Whatever the project big or small I am sure the answer will be yes!
(Website hidden)
University Of Michigan Music major
Computer & Software
Ableton Live
Special Equipment
it's a secret
Delivery Methods
email, mp3. ftp, isdn
Turnaround Time
as soon as you need it! 1 hour what ever it takes!
Service Description
Often a voiceover will be asked to change the delivery and tone of the commercial, promo, trailer or narrative to reflect what producer wants. Unfortunately, not every voiceover can do this. Taking direction is a talent in and of itself....Bear is extremely good at this. Maybe that's why he is in such demand.
From Comedy and Drama, to Mystery and Horror, every product or service needs to be represented in a way that resonates with the viewer and listener in such a way that that viewer goes out and BUYS the product. But first they have to "buy" the message. Bear is the messenger so many advertisers have chosen.
(Website hidden)
I think you would be fantastic for advertising on the Rush Limbaugh or Sean Hannity networks. I've book-marked you, and when USIRR Amendment goes national radio, I'll email you again. Thanks for responding, you brought alot of energy and creativity to the script and made the words jump off the page. Outstanding Barry!USIRR
John Wells
Payment Terms
Hire The Bear as a voice actor. Payment is made through Voices.com SurePay, an escrow service that guarantees your work is done to your satisfaction. Send payment securely by Visa, Mastercard or PayPal through Voices.com then download your files from the website.
Watch a video to see how to make a payment
Next Steps
To contact The Bear Barry Smith about your project, request a quote today. We'll walk you through the process step-by-step. It's fast and easy.
Promo Demo 318
Hire The Bear Barry Smith as a voice actor. Working with The Bear Barry Smith is fast and easy. We'll walk you through the process step-by-step.
Request a quote for your project today.


text:
Have you ever told a part of your story that you have been keeping inside? There is a freedom that comes in the telling. Big Daddy Weave captures the power of testimony in their song, "My Story."
I've been greatly impacted by the testimony of others recently. It sent me to explore the story of Solomon.
On this episode I discuss:
Podcast: Play in new window | Download


text:
SPOILERS 3:00–19:30 http://www.facebook.com/theskeletoncrewshow
Alex and Michael J start things off giving their thoughts on Cabin In The Woods. Will it revolutionize the horror genre? Is it a bold step forward? Listen in and hear what the guys think.
Beginning – 19:30
Then, Dan joins us as we hit on HorrorBid headlines: A Serbian Film gets an UNCUT DVD release, Will Bill Murray finally agree to GHOSTBUSTERS 3, Julianne Moore joins the Carrie remake, and more!
22:25 – End
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 48:36 — 44.8MB) | Embed
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Android | Email | RSS | More
To Download right click Download and choose Save As
Subscribe with Itunes by clicking here: itpc://feeds.feedburner.com/TheSkeletonCrewShow
Check out their Youtube channel here: http://www.youtube.com/user/theskeletoncrewshow?feature=watch


text:
Vital Signs Chart: Gloomier Consumers
Americans registered dissatisfaction with the economy this month, sending the Consumer Confidence Index down to 59.7 in March from 68 in February. Consumers expressed less confidence in current economic conditions as well as future ones. Last month's rise in confidence was short-lived, once the payroll-tax holiday expired in January and February's higher gasoline prices took hold.


text:
We are an RP server hosting group. We currently only have an altis life server but we plan on expanding to rust and unturned.
Search Query
Display results as : Posts Topics
Advanced Search
Current date/time is Sun Jan 21, 2018 4:12 am
There are no newer topics in this forum


text:
Page 5
"I don't care what you do." Harper held up her hands and shrugged.
"Thank you." Gemma turned on her heel and slammed the bedroom door behind her.
Harper leaned on her doorframe as her father climbed the stairs. He was a tall man with big strong hands, worn from years of working at the dock. Though in his forties, Brian was rather fit, and other than the few gray streaks in his hair, he didn't look his age.
Stopping in front of Harper's room, her father crossed his arms and looked down at her. "What was that about?"
"I dunno." She shrugged and stared down at her toes, noticing the bright blue nail polish had begun to chip.
"You've got to stop telling her what to do," Brian said quietly.
"I'm not!"
"She's going to make mistakes, just like you do, but she'll be okay, just like you are."
"Why am I the bad guy?" Harper finally lifted her eyes to look up at her father. "Alex is too old for her, and it's dangerous out there. I'm not being unreasonable."
"But you're not her parent," Brian said. "I am. You have your own life to live. You should be worrying about college this fall. Let me worry about Gemma, okay? I can take care of her."
"I know." She sighed.
"Do you?" Brian asked honestly, looking her in the eyes. "I know I've let you take on too much since your mom…" He trailed off, letting it hang in the air. "But that doesn't mean we won't be okay without you."
"I know. I'm sorry, Dad." She forced a smile. "I just worry."
"Well, try not to, and get some sleep tonight, okay?"
"Okay." She nodded.
He leaned down and kissed her on the forehead. "Night, sweetie."
"Night, Dad."
Harper went back into her room, shutting the door behind her. Her father was right, and she knew it, but that didn't change the way she felt. For good or for bad, Gemma had been Harper's responsibility for the past nine years. Or, at the very least, Harper had felt responsible.
She sat down on her bed with a heavy sigh. Leaving them would be impossible.
She should be excited about finally getting out on her own, especially considering how hard she'd worked for it. Even with working part-time at the library and volunteering at the animal shelter, Harper had managed to get a 4.0 all through high school.
The scholarship she'd been awarded had opened doors for her that her father's budget couldn't. Every college she'd applied to had been eager to have her. She could've gone anywhere, but she'd chosen a state school only forty minutes away from Capri.
Peering out through the curtains, Harper could see the light from Alex's bedroom. She grabbed her phone from her bedside table, meaning to text him, but changed her mind. He'd been her friend for years, and despite the fact that she'd never harbored any romantic feelings for him, his growing flirtation with her younger sister weirded Harper out a bit.
The pipes groaned as Gemma turned on the hot water in the bathroom across the hall. Harper grabbed the blue nail polish so she could touch up her toenails and listened to Gemma sing in the shower, her voice soft like a lullaby.
Harper gave up after one foot and curled up in bed. Within moments of her head hitting the pillow, she was out.
By the time Harper woke up in the morning, her dad was already gone for work, and Gemma was rushing around the kitchen. It never stopped being strange to Harper that, even waking up at seven in the morning, she was the late sleeper in the family.
"I made some hard-boiled eggs this morning," Gemma said through a mouthful of food. Based on the yellow crumbles coming out of her mouth, it looked like Gemma had just finished off an egg. "I cooked up the whole dozen, so you can have some."
"Thanks." Harper yawned as she sat down at the kitchen table.
Gemma stood next to the open dishwasher, quickly downing a glass of orange juice. When she finished, she threw the glass in the dishwasher, next to her dirty plate. She was already dressed in worn jeans and a T-shirt, and her hair had been pulled up into a ponytail.
"I gotta get to swim practice," Gemma said as she hurried by.
"Why so early?" Harper leaned back in her chair so she could watch through the doorway as Gemma slipped on her shoes. "I thought practice didn't start until eight."
"It doesn't. But my car won't start, so I'm biking it there."
"I can give you a ride," Harper offered.
"Nah, I'm fine." Gemma grabbed her gym bag and sifted through it, making sure she had everything she needed. She pulled out her iPod and shoved it in the pocket of her jeans.
"You're not supposed to listen to that when you ride your bike," Harper reminded her. "You can't hear oncoming traffic."
"I'll be fine." Gemma ignored her and tossed the earbuds around her neck.
"It's supposed to rain today," Harper said.
Gemma grabbed a gray sweatshirt from where it hung on the coatrack, and then she held it up for Harper to see. "Got my hoodie." Without waiting for Harper to say any more, Gemma turned around and opened the front door. "See you later!"
"Have a good day!" Harper called after her, but the door had already slammed shut behind Gemma.
Harper sat in the kitchen for a few minutes, allowing herself to wake up before the silence annoyed her into action. She put on the stereo so the house felt less empty. Her father always kept the radio set on the classic rock station, and she spent a lot of mornings with Bruce Springsteen.
When she opened the fridge to get some breakfast, she saw the crumpled brown paper bag that contained her father's lunch. He'd forgotten it. Again. On her own lunch break, she'd have to leave early to take it down to the docks for him.
After she finished eating breakfast, Harper hurried about her morning routine. She cleaned out the fridge, throwing away old leftovers, before starting the dishwasher and taking out the garbage. It was Thursday, and on the brightly colored chore calendar she'd made it said LAUNDRY and BATHROOM in big block letters.
Since laundry took longer, Harper started that first. In the process, she discovered that Gemma must've borrowed one of her tops and spilled a chili dog on it. She'd have to remember to have a talk with her about that later.
The bathroom was always a pain to clean. The shower drain was always filled with a disproportionate amount of Gemma's golden brown hair. Since Harper's hair was darker, coarser, and longer, she'd expect to see more of it, but it was always Gemma's clogging up the pipes.


text:
Police officers need to be brave, trustworthy, and dedicated to serving the
community. They also need to be very physically fit and demonstrate high levels
of integrity and honesty. All that has been true for as long as there have been
police services. The demands of the modern world have added the need for education
and training to the personal qualities required by an officer in law enforcement.
The legal system continues to grow in complexity, as does the technology which
assists investigations and evidence gathering. The modern police officer needs
to be master of a far wider range of skills and knowledge than ever before.
This fact is demonstrated by the emphasis on formal education placed by police
departments when assessing new recruits.
Whether you hope to enter police work at a local, state, or national level, an associate or bachelor degree in law enforcement will provide the right education to help you succeed. Your program should offer courses in criminal law, investigation, justice, and procedure. You will also study the working and administration of a police department, the gathering of evidence, and interview techniques. State and federal police departments normally insist on a college degree. Although you may be able to find work at local level with a high school diploma (or equivalent) a degree will increase your prospects of getting the job you want. It will also help you to develop your future career and maximize your promotion and earnings potential.
Publish date: February 10, 2011


text:
The Reel Deal
A Reel Deal Film Review
Film Insight by Tyler Malone
January 2011
Reel Rating: 2.5 out of 5
The best part of watching The Tourist (perhaps besides the ever-pleasing eye-candy of Monsieur Depp and Madame Jolie-Pitt) is that the viewing experience makes you want to be a tourist. It's not so much that you want to be the tourist in The Tourist (though getting picked up on by a girl as hot as Angelina Jolie while on a train is probably the recipe for the greatest vacation I've never had), but rather that the movie acts as travel porn.
What makes the film travel porn? Well, when Jolie's character sips tea at a cafe in Paris, I wanted to sip tea at a cafe in Paris (and I don't even like tea). I could almost have cared less about who was monitoring/stalking her in that early scene. And as Depp's character takes a train ride to Italy, I wanted to take a train ride to Italy as well. The majority of what one might call plot seems to go away in the end, if there ever was much here to begin with. I won't lie: I had forgotten the majority of what happened in the movie by the time I exited the theater; what stayed with me were the locations and the fun.
Travel porn isn't always a bad thing. Unlike Eat, Pray, Love, from earlier in the year, which was the most detestable form of travel porn (i.e. travel porn that pretends to be deep, philosophical, moving and empowering–bleh!), The Tourist doesn't pretend to be anything but fun action in fun locations. You could call it To Catch A Thief-Lite (which in itself was already somewhat Hitchcock-Lite). It's like one of those middle-of-the-road James Bond films, without Bond, of course, but with just as much sexiness and action, and just as many one-liners and plot twists (some that work and others that don't). Whereas Eat, Pray, Love left me wanting to puke, rant, defecate, The Tourist is an entirely watchable movie, even if it has its definite flaws and plenty of eye-roll moments.
Overall, as travel porn it is much better than something like Eat, Pray, Love, and as a romantic comedy it is miles above The Bounty Hunter (and the slew of other terrible rom-coms to come out in 2010), but as a wannabe-Hitchcock-Lite thriller it's nothing memorable or engaging, and as a straight-up action film it isn't quite as satisfying as the other Angelina Jolie film of 2010, Salt. Probably the greatest endorsement I can give this film is that it wasn't boring–and not only is it not boring, but it contains attractive actors in attractive locations. Is that enough to attract you to the theater? If it is, then enjoy it–I'm sure you will. If that isn't enough to draw you in, then you're probably better staying away. It comes down to this: I don't recommend the film wholeheartedly, but I will admit unapologetically to having enjoyed touring with The Tourist. And if you need a vacation, it's not such a bad trip.
The Tourist is a film directed by Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck, written by Christopher McQuarrie, Julian Fellowes and Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck, and based on the film Anthony Zimmer (which was written by Jérôme Salle). It stars Angelina Jolie, Johnny Depp, Paul Bettany, Timothy Dalton, Steven Berkoff and Rufus Sewell. The film revolves around Frank, an American tourist visiting Italy to mend a broken heart. Elise is an extraordinary woman who deliberately crosses his path.
Written by Tyler Malone
Photography Courtesy of Columbia Pictures
Design by Marie Havens
Film Still of The Tourist, Photography Courtesy of Columbia Pictures


text:
Hp SleekBook 11-N002TU X360 Series Touchscreen Beats Edition Laptop
-Intel N3520 2.16ghz (4x Cores/Cpus) Processor
-4.0GB DDR3 memory
-Intel HD Graphics Card
-500gig 2.5inch SATA HDD
-HDMI,Built-in HD Web Camera
-Wifi b/g/n Ready
-8in1 Card reader
-BEATS Audio Speakers
-11.6inch Widescreen HD LED TOUCHSCREEN Mntr.
-Good battery life
-Original Adapter/Charger
-Licensed Windows 8 Installed
Now Selling Price: P14,950
Contact no:
Sun : 0933-520-4151
Globe: 0917-248-6883
In Good Running Condition.
No History Repair.
Test All your Want.
Meeting Place:
-Boni/ Shaw / Ayala / Q.Ave Mrt
-Sm Sta. Mesa /Centerpoint
-Pioneer Forum Robinson
-St. Francis
-Sm Megamall
-Starmall Crossing
First Come First Served.
Tips for Online Transactions
- Avoid scams by acting locally or paying with PayPal, Bank Deposit, LBC, or Pera Padala without the item.
- Never pay with anonymous payment services
- Don't buy or sell outside of your country. Don't accept cheques
- This site is never involved in any transaction, and does not handle payments, shipping, guarantee transactions, provide escrow services, or offer "buyer protection" or "seller certification"


text:
Dogs all the way
- DogsVote A
- CatsVote B
- SnakesVote C
Most Helpful Girl
Dogs for me. I've had two wonderful dogs growing up, and they're just more fun to interact with usually. I'd love to have a cat, too, honestly, but I'm allergic.00|00|0
Thanks for MHO!
Most Helpful Guy
I'm a dog person all the way. Cats are cool, but dogs are awesome. I have two great danes and love 'em. However, I also hold a special place in my heart for the Shiba Inu breed (aka "Doge").00|00|0
Thanks for MHO


text:
eHarmony is a unique dating website, in that it uses a matchmaking method based on what makes real-world relationships successful. It pairs you up based not on what you're looking for, but on what you're really about as a person: beliefs, values, skills, emotions, and personality traits. It's the ideal service if you're looking to find someone to stay together with for a long time to come.
TechBoomers offers free articles that teach people how to use technology to make their lives easier (and more fun!). To support our work, some of our content contains links to websites that pay us affiliate commissions when our users visit them through us and make purchases. Learn more about how this works.
Learn how to use
popular websites
Is there a useful, important, or advanced feature of this website that you think we missed, or that our users would like to know about? Help us all out by listing it below.


text:
Chinese German Economic Center: Our Services at a Glance
CGEC Chinese German Economic Center – Gesellschaft für chinesisch-deutsche Wirtschaftskooperation mbH has been established in Hamburg, Germany in 1997. With our international team, we provide professional consulting services to Chinese and European enterprises and investors. We have deep experience in Asia – especially China, including Hong Kong and Taiwan.
For two decades, we have been building bridges between Europe and Asia. European Clients benefit from our extensive knowledge of the Chinese market and its culture. Chinese companies value our extensive knowledge of local regulations and legal conditions in Europe.
Our Clients and Partners:
Our Advantages:
As a German company with strong China experience, we have all the know-how that is needed for entering European and Chinese markets. We are proud to share this expertise with our clients. We have good relationships to various government officials and trade associations. In addition, we know many directors and owners of leading companies from a wide range of industries personally. Through our network, we are able to gain intelligent insights; that allows us to provide excellent consulting services to our clients.
Meet our Team!
We believe in integrity, reliability and commitment. Our focus is on our clients' objectives and needs. In order to create a pleasant, productive atmosphere at any stage of our projects. Our partners and employees provide multi-language support in German, English, Chinese, Italian, French and Russian.
Alongside German expatriates, our China desk is staffed with Chinese professionals who have considerable experience in Europe's business environment. Our staff not only has extensive knowledge of accounting, law and business and regulatory affairs in China and Europe, but can also give advice from a strategic point of view.


text:
On behalf of Nurse Betsy, we wanted to take a moment to share some reminders regarding student medications at school.
Per district policy, a written permission form for both prescription and over-the-counter medications must be completed and signed by both the parents and the child's licensed healthcare provider.
Please note that these forms are available through Nurse Betsy and are also posted here on the website.
Once the permission form is received, medications must be brought to the nurse by a parent or guardian, and must be in the original bottle and labeled with the student's name.
No medication is to be taken to or from school by students.
Once at school, only prescribed emergency medications may be in the student's possession under the supervision of the teacher.
Thank you in advance for continuing to be mindful of these policies and procedures, and please contact Nurse Betsy should you have any questions: 423-886-0898 or firstname.lastname@example.com.
4435 Shackleford Ridge Rd., Signal Mtn, TN 37377 • 423-886-0898 (ofc) • 423-886-0897 (fax) email@example.com (for site-related inquiries)
Copyright © 2018 Nolan Elementary School


text:
SEO Writing: Why Writing on the Most Popular Keywords Is Often a Waste of Time
A few days ago, I received the following email from an aspiring SEO writer. She wrote:
After reading your [SEO writing] book, I realized that I need to get some great [SEO] samples under my belt. My last corporate gig was in HR and I have a host of hobbies and interests but I'm stumped on what I could write about let alone a topic I can optimize for.
For example, I'm really interested in healthy living so I used the adwords keyword analyzer tool and typed in "[Noni Juice]" I received a host of "synonyms" that people are using in their searches. Can I choose the highest ranking one and write an article using that key phrase? Is is [sic] that easy?
Note: Keyword has been changed to protect her possible niche.
The answer is, no, it's not this easy. There are a host of factors that go into selecting which keyword phrases to write on. And, in fact, writing on the most popular keywords phrases is often a waste of time.
The reason is, the more popular a keyword phrase is, the more competition it has. Hence, it's harder to rank for that phrase. So what should you do?
You must be a subscriber to read this post in its entirety. Don't worry, it's free!
As of April 7, you must be a subscriber to read new content on this site and its parent site, InkwellEditorial.com. New content includes all posts written after 4/7/2010. When you subscribe, you'll get access to the most recent content, as well as all future posts and all previous posts you may have missed.
How to Subscribe
You can subscribe from any page of http://InkwellEditorial.com. It's this site's parent site; simply look for the subscription boxes for newsletter sign-up and/or RSS feed on the right-hand side of every page of the site. Of course, your contact information is protected — it is never sold, rented, leased or compromised in any way.
Why Subscribe? Get Real, First-Hand Advice from All Types of Freelance Writers
Week in and week out, you get first-hand "freelance writing stories from the trenches" here at InkwellEditorial.com. I routinely relay my freelance writing experiences — everything from setting rates, to how to market, to knowing when to say no to a project. Also, I answer questions – in great detail (no fluff here!) — from other freelancers writers (new and experienced).
Recent posts you may have missed by not being a subscriber include:
Why I Turned Down a $2,000 – $3,000 Freelance Writing Job That Could Have Led to Even More Work;
I look forward to having you as a subscriber.
SEO Writing Ecourse News: The next class has been scheduled. You'll learn 4 ways to make money online using your newly acquired skills. Read why you may want to take this one instead of waiting.
P.S.: Find this post informative? Follow Us on Twitter.
P.P.S.: Want an easy, fast way to get started in affiliate marketing, making as much as $50, $100 or $150/day? Get How to Make Money Placing Ads on Free Classified Ad Sites(ie, Backpage.com). If you want to make some easy money promoting affiliate products on free classified ad sites, this ebook is for you. I've personally sold tens of thousands of dollars of e-products (my own and affiliate products) doing this since January 2009.
Copyright © 2010: All material on this site is copyright protected and cannot be reproduced in any manner whatsoever without my written consent (linking to is fine).


text:
My Nonprofit Reviews
163 profile views
1 reviews
Review for Best Friends Animal Society, Kanab, UT, USA
I haven't been to Best Friends in Utah but I have a friend to has. She said the place is amazing. I commend the work they do and the care they give to animals. I am a member of the Guardian Angel program and contribute on a monthly basis.
More Feedback
I've personally experienced the results of this organization in...
emails and the magazine
If I had to make changes to this organization, I would...
make it bigger to accomodate more animals
Role: Donor & Mortgage Broker.


text:
Issues of concern to people who live in the west: property rights, water rights, endangered species, livestock grazing, energy production, wilderness and western agriculture. Plus a few items on western history, western literature and the sport of rodeo... Frank DuBois served as the NM Secretary of Agriculture from 1988 to 2003. DuBois is a former legislative assistant to a U.S. Senator, a Deputy Assistant Secretary of Interior, and is the founder of the DuBois Rodeo Scholarship.
Wednesday, December 09, 2015
Rancher kidnapped??
Anybody else hearing rumors concerning an individual and his truck being kidnapped by drug smugglers and then taken to Wilcox where they were eventually released?
Posted by Frank DuBois at 7:51 AM
Labels: Border
No comments:
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


text:
Article by Mozo
Mortgage brokers can offer a valuable service if you're searching for a home loan. They can make the whole process a lot easier, smoother and sometimes, a lot cheaper. But because our main aim at Mozo is to save you money, we can't help but dig into just what exactly it will cost you for the convenience.
Read on for a rundown of how using a mortgage broker will affect the cost of your home loan - and then decide for yourself if it's worth it.
Generally speaking, mortgage brokers don't charge you a fee, although some do, so it's important to shop around and make sure you're getting the best deal possible. There are heaps of mortgage brokers who don't charge you a thing, like Mozo's resident home loan negotiator, Steve - so there's really no reason to be paying unnecessary fees.
Although fees aren't usually something you'll have to take into account when choosing a mortgage broker, you do have to consider how they're getting paid, because it can have an effect on your home loan and what advice they give you.
Mortgage brokers are people too - they need to feed their families and pay their bills. They're not helping you negotiate a better home loan deal from the goodness of their hearts. Brokers usually work on commission, which can come in two parts: the upfront commission and an recurring monthly commission.
The upfront commission is the most common, and the amount varies from lender to lender, between 0.3-0.7% of the loan value. So, for example, if you ended up taking out a $500,000 home loan, and your broker was working on a 0.5% commission, they would make $2,500 straight up.
The recurring commission is based on the remaining loan amount for each year of your home loan and paid to your broker on a monthly basis. This type of commission is less common, and pays a smaller percentage, often less than 0.3%.
The important thing to remember about these commissions, is that each lender offers different rates. So, if your mortgage broker stands to make a 0.3% commission from one and a 0.7% commission from another, guess which one they're going to recommend?
The fact of the matter is that your broker may not be totally objective in their advice, because some lenders or home loans will secure them a better commission, but may not be the best deal for you.
It's also important to know that if for some reason you cancel or refinance your home loan within the first 12-18 months, your mortgage broker will often be required to refund their upfront commission. Why does that matter to you? Because it means that often your contract with the mortgage broker will state that if this happens, you would have to pay the mortgage broker back for that refund.
That's a tough one to answer. It depends on your broker, what deal they secure for you, and how much work you're willing to put into doing your own research.
If you go with a mortgage broker, they may have access to deals you wouldn't have otherwise - but on the other hand, they may steer you toward a home loan that's better for them than you. You can always opt to do some D.I.Y research on your home loan instead, which can sometimes save you money, because small online lenders who often don't deal with many - or any - brokers can often offer significant savings.There are heaps of resources to find your own red hot home loan deal, including:
While a mortgage broker can be a helpful service for some homebuyers, they're certainly not for everyone. If you've got the time and inclination, you can certainly score yourself a great home loan by comparing home loans yourself. And if you're worried about missing out on the insider deals a mortgage broker might have access to, check out the Mozo mystery bank deal, for rock bottom rates from a bunch of providers.Mortgage broker guides


text:
Here's to traveling at its most luxurious—and efficient. This lightweight travel or weekend bag is the perfect companion for the constant jet setter. It's large enough to fit all your essentials and has internal pockets to keep everything organized. For extra convenience, the three smaller cases can be used for shoes, shirts or toiletries. Mark / Giusti's strong Italian heritage is reflected in the pattern of the lining, which is inspired by the original marble floors of the Basilica di San Marco in Venice.
Made in Italy. Lightweight travel bag. Crafted with 100 percent vegetable tanned leather trim, 100 percent wool fabric for body and 100 percent cotton sateen lining.
AHAlife is committed to help you live a conscious and inspired life.
Many of the items you discover here are exclusive to AHAlife, which is what makes our community of designers and artisans so special.
If you find one of our products anywhere else for less than it's being sold on our site, we will match it.
Our dedicated Concierge Team is here to help. Reach out any time at:


text:
As it turns out, the Pirates released Ross Ohlendorf last night to create a space on the roster to make a Rule 5 pick today, not to make room for Yamaico Navarro. The roster spot for Navarro will apparently be cleared sometime this afternoon.
The draft is in about five minutes. I'm busy this morning, but I'll try to get this post updated as quickly as I can. Until then, you can check out Vlad at Bucs Dugout's great preview of the draft because the Pirates' pick will likely come from his list of players.
UPDATE (10:12)- The Pirates picked Gustavo Nunez, a shortstop from the Tigers organization that Baseball America calls a "highly skilled defender with a highly questionable bat." They just missed Pedro Ciriaco so much! They also apparently lost Brett Lorin to the Diamondbacks, which is a little disappointing, but not really all that surprising.
ANALYZING UPDATE: I'm not sure I understand this pick a whole lot. Nunez is 23 and only just made it to Double-A part way through 2011. He had a decent line at Advanced-A this year (.304/.368/.431), but he was pretty brutal there in 2010 as a 22-year old, hitting .222/.263/.281. He was also pretty rough at Double-A after his promotion in 2011, hitting .215/.282/.289 in 34 games. He shows flashes with the bat from time to time that might make him a bit more interesting if he were already in the organization, but I find it hard to believe the Pirates are going to be able to hide him on the 25-man roster all year with Clint Barmes and Yamaico Navarro and Chase d'Arnaud and Jordy Mercer all being more deserving of playing time at this point.
TEAMS: Pittsburgh Pirates, Kansas City Royals
MLB News
Delivered to your inbox
You'll also receive Yardbarker's daily Top 10, featuring the best sports stories from around the web. Customize your newsletter to get articles on your favorite sports and teams. And the best part? It's free!
|Best of Yardbarker
|NFL News
|MLB News
|NBA News
|NHL News
Today's Best Stuff
For Publishers
Company Info
Follow Yardbarker
|© 2018 YB Media, LLC. All rights reserved. Use of this website (including any and all parts and components) constitutes your acceptance of these Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.


text:
Partly Cloudy
NORTH LAS VEGAS, NV - NOVEMBER 09: Copies of the highly-anticipated video game 'Call of Duty: Black Ops' are displayed at a GameStop Corp. store November 9, 2010 in North Las Vegas, Nevada. Video game publisher Activision Blizzard Inc. released the seventh installment in the 'Call of Duty' franchise at midnight. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
Hollywood and the video game industry received scant attention Wednesday when President Barack Obama unveiled sweeping proposals for curbing gun violence in the wake of the Newtown, Conn., school shooting.
The White House pressed most forcefully for a reluctant Congress to pass universal background checks and bans on military-style assault weapons and high-capacity ammunition magazines like the ones used in the Sandy Hook Elementary massacre.
No connection was suggested between bloody entertainment fictions and real-life violence. Instead, the White House is calling on research on the effect of media and video games on gun violence.
Among the 23 executive measures signed Wednesday by Obama is a directive to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and scientific agencies to conduct research into the causes and prevention of gun violence. The order specifically cited "investigating the relationship between video games, media images and violence."
The measure meant that media would not be exempt from conversations about violence, but it also suggested the White House would not make Hollywood, television networks and video game makers a central part of the discussion. It's a relative footnote in the White House's broad, multi-point plan, and Obama did not mention violence in entertainment in his remarks Wednesday.
The White House plan did mention media, but suggested that any effort would be related to ratings systems or technology: "The entertainment and video game industries have a responsibility to give parents tools and choices about the movies and programs their children watch and the games their children play."
The administration is calling on Congress to provide $10 million for the CDC research.
The CDC has been barred by Congress to use funds to "advocate or promote gun control," but the White House order claims that "research on gun violence is not advocacy" and that providing information to Americans on the issue is "critical public health research."
Since 26 were killed by a gunman at Sandy Hook in December, some have called for changes in the entertainment industry, which regularly churns out first-person shooter video games, grisly primetime dramas and casually violent blockbusters.
The Motion Picture Association of America, the National Association of Broadcasters, National Cable & Telecommunications Association and the Independent Film & Television Alliance responded to Wednesday's proposal in a joint statement:
"We support the president's goal of reducing gun violence in this country. It is a complex problem, and as we have said, we stand ready to be a part of the conversation and welcome further academic examination and consideration on these issues as the president has proposed."
After the Newtown massacre, Wayne Pierre, vice-president of the National Rifle Association, attacked the entertainment industry, calling it "a callous, corrupt and corrupting shadow industry that sells and sows violence against its own people." He cited a number of video games and films, most of them many years old, like the movies "American Psycho" and "Natural Born Killers," and the video games "Mortal Kombat" and "Grand Theft Auto."
President Obama's adviser, David Axelrod, had tweeted that he's in favor of gun control, "but shouldn't we also question marketing murder as a game?"
Others have countered that the same video games and movies are played and watched around the world, but that the tragedies of gun violence are for other reasons endemic to the U.S.
The Entertainment Software Association, which represents video game publishers, referenced that argument Wednesday in a statement that embraced Obama's proposal.
"The same entertainment is enjoyed across all cultures and nations, but tragic levels of gun violence remain unique to our country," said the ESA. "Scientific research an international and domestic crime data point toward the same conclusion: Entertainment does not cause violent behavior in the real world."
Several R-rated films released after Newton have been swept into the debate. Arnold Schwarzenegger, the former California governor and action film star, recently told USA Today in discussing his new shoot-em-up film "The Last Stand": "It's entertainment. People know the difference."
Quentin Tarantino, whose new film "Django Unchained" is a cartoonish, bloody spaghetti western set in the slavery-era South, has often grown testy when questioned about movie violence and real-life violence. Speaking to NPR, Tarantino said it was disrespectful to the memory of the victims to talk about movies: "I don't think one has to do with the other."
In 2011, the Supreme Court rejected a California law banning the sale of violent video games to children. The decision claimed that video games, like other media, are protected by the First Amendment. In dissent, Justice Stephen G. Breyer claimed previous studies showed the link between
violence and video games, concluding "the video games in question are particularly likely to harm children."
In the majority, Justice Antonin Scalia wrote that the government can't regulate depictions of violence, which he said were age-old, anyway: "Grimm's Fairy Tales, for example, are grim indeed."


text:
It was time she realized there were many more things right in her life than wrong. – Queenisms™
Is this true for you – we learned while we were still pretty young to count up the bad things that were happening rather than look at the good we already had? It was a bad habit that was making our lives miserable so we began letting it go and made the choice to look at what was right in our lives. We start in the morning when we wake up – first off we're glad we woke up! Then we start with the little things like, glad to have teeth to brush, glad to have soap to wash our face with or a big cup of Joe to start out the day. When we started adding up the little things we realized we had a lot of things to be grateful for. How about you?
Tags: choice, happiness, positive affirmations


text:
Learn To Swim Assessments
Although assessing swimmers is done every session, we are aiming to do the formal assessments on set dates so that parents will be aware when they will be taking place.
For 2017/18 these will be:
19th and 21st October 2017 11th and 13th January 2018 5th and 7th April 2018
28th and 30th June 2018 20th and 22nd September 2018 8th and 13th December 2018
Thursday Evening Assessment (5th Apr 2018)
Location: DLC
Upcoming Events
|Kent County Championships 1
|20 Jan 18
|Thursday Evening Assessment
|05 Apr 18
|Saturday Morning Assessment
|07 Apr 18
|Thursday Evening Assessment
|28 Jun 18
|Saturday Morning Assessment
|30 Jun 18
Dover Water Polo
Fancy a new sport? Come and try this fun game which combines swimming and ball skills....
Trials for new members from September - contact us to find out more!


text:
Megan Fox Quotes
Home » Celebrity Quotes » Megan Fox Quotes
Name: Megan Denise Fox
Nickname(s): Mega Fox & Foxy Megan.
Height: 5' 4" (1.63 m)
Birthday: May 16, 1986
Active Since: 2001
Fox is considered: A sex symbol.
Occupations: Model & An Actress.
I'd rather have sex with Brian all the time than leave the house. He doesn't mind. I really enjoy having sex, and that's offensive to some people. Women are the quickest to call other women sluts, which is sad. I haven't met a lot of men who've said, "You like having sex? What a dirty whore you are!". That's because they wish their wives or girlfriends would have more sex with them. I think people are born bisexual and the make subconscious choices based on the pressures of society. I have no question in my mind about being bisexual. But I'm also a hypocrite: I would never date a girl who is bisexual, because that means they also sleep with men, and men are so dirty that I'd never sleep with a girl who had slept with a man. - Megan Fox ♥ I think that I'm so psychotic & so mentally ill that...
If I could tap into that I could do something really interesting. I think all women in Hollywood are known as sex symbols.
That's what our purpose is in this business.
You're merchandised, you're a product.
You're sold and it's based on sex. But that's okay.
I think women should be empowered by that, not degraded. I'm horrible to live with. I don't clean.
My clothes end up wherever I take them off. I forget to flush the toilet. I'm not trying to take Cate Blanchett down. I'm just really confident sexually,
& I think that sort of oozes out of my pores.
It's just there. It's something I don't have to turn on. I've done one movie.
And it's not a movie I want to stand on as far as acting ability goes.
I mean, I'm not going to win an Oscar anytime soon. I'm not Meryl Streep. Well, I'm clearly not ugly. I'm smart and I can be really funny and interesting,
And I can go toe-to-toe with anybody in a conversation. I'm the biggest nerd - I love comic books and stuff like that!
I don't have any friends who are actresses.
I only had one girlfriend when I was growing up.
Most of my friends were boys. I was such a tomboy. I enjoyed doing guy things. I've never been a big believer in formal education. People who don't like me talk about it as though I'm trash because I have tattoos.
I find that insane because it's 2008, not the 1950s.
Tattoos aren't limited to sailors. It's a form of art I find beautiful. I love it. When I was 14, I thought I was the coolest kid in school because I told everyone the jokes in FHM. When you think about it, we actors are kind of prostitutes. We get paid to feign attraction & love. Other people are paying to watch us kissing someone, touching someone, doing things people in a normal monogamous relationship would never do with anyone who's not their partner. It's really kind of gross. Zac Efron is my obsession, we're the same person.
We're not actually here, it's like Janet and Michael Jackson.
He just puts on his wig and a dress, and it's me, and you don't know that.
It's one of the greatest mysteries of all time.


text:
While promoting new action flick "The Amazing Spider Man 2" on Good Morning America, Thursday morning, actor Jamie Foxx did an impressive impersonation of Miami Heat basketball player LeBron James.
In his best King James (the player's alter ego) impression, Fox did the athlete's signature move while on the court — his now famous stomp while beating his chest after a great play. Foxx's facial expression was even on point.
GMA shared the video early Thursday morning adding, "@iamjamiefoxx doing his best @kingjames impersonation… #SpotOn #GMAzing"
Want to see Jamie Foxx do a nearly perfect King James impersonation, then watch this video below.
Here's a look at the athlete in motion.
What are your thoughts CK readers, how did Jamie do?