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For Engeln, it was about finding her way
Chestnut Hill, Mass.
The question isn't even a question. Spend your college years in Boston or Storrs, Conn.? Please. It's like asking, "would you rather the Crown Roast of Pork or the ham sandwich?"
Ah, but what if the equation considers women's basketball? Storrs is the game's Broadway. Boston … isn't. Storrs is the Land of Make Believe, where the players are rock stars and victory is perpetual. Boston is like everywhere else. Where not everybody knows your name (even if the city is home to Cheers) and you might have to, you know, cope with losing.
So now you know the story of Lauren Engeln, the kid from sunny Laguna Hills, Calif., who made her way east to basketball Broadway for two years. Two years of mostly sitting. Eventually, the clash of ideas came upon her, echoed perfectly by The Clash: Should she stay or should she go?
Stay at UConn and be a backup Rockette or venture to stately Chestnut Hill and a program starting over?
"I loved, loved, loved UConn," Engeln was saying Sunday from the media room at Boston College, where she is a starter. "But at the end of sophomore year I just wanted more. I love basketball. I worked so hard my whole life. I wanted more. I needed to find my way."
Which, you figure, is only the entire point of college. Finding your way. And Engeln is doing so now 80 miles north of UConn geographically, but on the other side of the world by any hoop-o-logical measure.
The good news: She's plays regularly and averages nearly eight points per game. The Eagles are 11-10, one win away from matching last year's win total. The bad news: This is a program still digging its way from the roof collapse caused by SCAM: Sylvia Crawley's Absolute Mess. Crawley is the former coach who ruined everything Cathy Inglese and her three trips to the Sweet 16 built, leaving new coach Erik Johnson to emerge from the rubble.
Days like Sunday, for instance, never happen at Connecticut. BC had a nine-point lead over Wake Forest with eight minutes left. The last 14 possessions featured nine missed shots and four turnovers. Loss.
"I don't regret my decision. This is an amazing place," Engeln said. "It's not realistic to win every game. This is more like reality. And I love it."
And they love her. Johnson, who does upbeat and positive as habit and not affectation, asks Engeln to play some point guard, not her natural position. He says Engeln has some "UConn toughness."
"It's a Godsend having her," he said. "I put her in so many tough situations. She always comes back ready to learn. She oozes basketball. I know she agonized over the decision to leave UConn. But now she's part of building something special."
Engeln's story, especially in a world of burgeoning cynicism, would contribute to it. C'mon. You don't leave Connecticut without a reason. Personality conflict? Hates Geno? Must be something. Except that there's not. They all parted friends.
"I still talk to Stef (Dolson), Kaleena (Mosqueda-Lewis) and Kiah (Stokes). I still talk to Michala (Johnson, who transferred to Wisconsin) and Samarie (Walker, who transferred to Kentucky)," Engeln said. "It's almost like I get to have two college experiences because of my friends I made from UConn. People say there's not as much to do in Storrs. But we made fun out of nothing. You get super close to people when there's not as much to do."
Engeln also holds unique insight into UConn's abject dominance of the game.
"They have a lot of talent, no question. But a lot of teams have talent," she said. "Honestly, it's the way coach Auriemma coaches them. The way he pushes each player. It's a whole other world."
Engeln made sure to sing a few hosannas to Johnson, her new coach, who has his ways of motivating, she said, "but with a lot less cussing."
And with that, Engeln grinned and finished the interview, walking into a cold afternoon in Boston. Finding her way.
This is the opinion of Day sports columnist Mike DiMauro.
Puerto Ricans in New London call for resignation of island's governor
Supreme Court Justice Stevens remembered for 'deep devotion' to law


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Blake Lively had a miserable 27th birthday last week as she recovered from a bee attack.
The former Gossip Girl star was being photographed for her lifestyle website, Preserve, on Sunday when she felt a sudden "electric shock of energy" and realized she had been stung.
In a post on the blog, she writes, "(It was) the final day of the shoot, I felt an electric shock of energy – was it excitement that I was about to turn another year older? Was it nerves? Why did it feel like agony? I like getting older… I think.
"But this felt terrible. Does your butt quite suddenly (and painfully) deflate when you turn 27? Because mine hurt like hell… then my neck, back, legs and forehead. And oh my hands! They were shriveling (sic). It felt like I was being shot by dozens of tiny invisible darts. I felt like the Wicked Witch, melting, melting, burning, melting."
She adds, "I don't know enough about insects to say if they were wasps, honeybees or Mother Nature's miniature flying tasers. What I DO know, is that just moments before we were in the midst of a gorgeous fall fashion shoot. Now, I was a Monty Python sketch; running at top speed in no particular direction, whipping my arms and hands around like I'd just discovered they were growing out of my shoulders without my previous knowledge."
Lively admits she was left shaken after the bee attack, but the swelling didn't completely ruin her birthday – she threw an impromptu party, where guests enjoyed slices of a vanilla cake the actress baked.
Photo Credit: Andrea Raffin / Shutterstock.com

subset: commoncrawl


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I have been feeling an itch in recent weeks to do something different - I am contemplating Debbie Harry levels of blondeness or going back to my tried and true ombre look. It was Friday morning when I was scrolling through pictures of Taylor Swift in a recent issue of Vogue that I decided what my change would be: I would get good and proper fringe.
I went to the Rush Salon on Oxford Street after begging to come in for a lunchtime appointment. Upon arrival, I sat down in a comfy swivel chair while my stylist Georgia and I discussed what I wanted. I desired something thick but not heavy across my forehead - something that could be worn messy and wavy as well as stick straight. I told her about my Taylor Swift revelation and showed her pictures of Emma Stone, Kate Moss, Felicity Jones and Zooey Deschanel that I pulled up on my iPhone.
After twenty minutes and inches and inches of hair had fallen to the floor, I had myself a new pair of bangs. I had mixed feelings - on the one hand I loved them because they were fun and edgy, on the other hand I didn't know how to style them nor did I think I had the confidence to pull them off. I am still struggling with styling them - I am trying to do sideswept bangs, braids, and the full-on blunt fringe look, but I still get a little nervous going out into public with the full-on bang look. I'm sure it will come with time - everything takes some time to get used to, at least for me. But hey, I'm having fun taking modeling pics of myself on Photo Booth.


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Tomi no Hôzan
I can't see dead people or bend spoons. Nor am I able to read people's minds. But, I do possess a sixth sense. While it is not the kind of talent which a person might profit from no matter how sharply it is honed, it amazes friends and family, nevertheless.
In class, I ask a student if his girlfriend has returned from Brazil. He replies that she had, in fact, just come back a few days ago. Another student wonders aloud how I could have known such a thing. I reply that I didn't. The thought had merely popped into my head and I was only asking out of curiosity.
It's always like that.
I'm walking in the neighborhood of Momochi one day when I start thinking about Machiko, a girl I taught several years earlier. Her home is nearby, so it isn't that unusual that my thoughts would turn to her. But then, that train of thought derails and I begin to wonder if her youngest sister-- what is her name again--has started junior high school yet, and is she going to Momochi Junior High or some other school. And who should I bump into as I turn the corner, but Machiko's youngest sister--Nana! That's her name--in a Momochi Junior High School uniform.
I'm passing through the Tenjin underground shopping arcade in Fukuoka City and as I near the Pietro Mio Mio stand, which sells pasta salad in a cup to go, it occurs to me that I have never heard anyone talking about having tried Mio Mio. Wonder if it's any good. A few minutes later, I emerge from the underground shopping arcade and my thoughts turn to Eiko, a pretty student of mine who if I am not mistaken works in the area. Just as I'm thinking, I wonder where Eiko has lunch--speak of the Devil, there Eiko is walking by with, lo and behold, a bag of Pietro's Mio Mio in her hand.
One of my most frequent greetings when I bump into people is: "I was just thinking about you!" I'm afraid they sometimes get the wrong impression, mistakenly believing I had been pining for them.
Similarly, I will envision someone falling, and a moment later, right before my very eyes, a woman will stumble down the stairs at the station, or a man will slip on the pavement. It happens all the time.
And so, the other day, I suggested to my wife that we might take our son to the airport to let him watch the planes take off and land.
"He'll like that," she replied.
"Oh, and while we're there," I said, "let's pick up some Kasutadon."
Kasutadon, a custard-filled sponge cake made of Satsuma sweet potatoes, is Japan's answer to the Twinkie. Unlike the venerable Twinkie, which contains more than twice as many ingredients, Kasutadon will quickly spoil if not refrigerated. The airport happens to be one of the few places in Fukuoka City where the confection is sold.
Hardly a minute had passed after saying that when the doorbell rang. It was my wife's mother. The in-laws apparently had just come back from Kagoshima City and were now bearing gifts: a bottle of Tomi no Hôzan imo shôchû and--surprise, surprise--a bag of Kasutadon.
When my mother-in-law left a few minutes later, I suggested to my wife that while we're at the airport we also get some gold ingots and bags of cash, as well. Sadly, there were no more visitors or souvenirs to be had.
And that's the downside of this otherwise extraordinary faculty of mine. I am not able to summon people or things to appear or happen when I'd like them to; I can only vaguely predict their arrival or occurrence a few moments early. Like I've said, this is not going to make me rich or famous anytime soon.
Tomi no Hôzan with its gold label, however, does make me feel rich.
A friend who seldom, if ever, drank imo shôchû introduced me to Tomi no Hôzan. He claimed the brand was the only one he could appreciate. When I tried it myself, I could understand why.
The pungent sweet potato smell of imo shôchû often divides drinkers into two camps: those who love the spirit (people like myself) and those who are revolted by it. If you belong to the latter, then you owe it to yourself to give Tomi no Hôzan a try.
Produced by Nishi Shuzô (Hioki City, Kagoshima Prefecture), Tomi no Hôzan is premium shôchû made with carefully selected koganesengan (黄金千貫) satsuma sweet potatoes. Frequently described as "fruity", it can be enjoyed on the rocks, or more preferably mixed with hot or cold water to bring out the bouquet.
25% Alc/Vol
Rate: ★★★★
Always predictably good!


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Saturday, October 8, 2011
Celebrity Costumes
Posted by Admin at 1:10 PM
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Meet & Greet - Specks Pet Supply - Bluff Road
Enjoy a Meet & Great with local Greyhound owners and meet greyhounds in person. The Greyhound Pets of America Indy Chapter holds a Meet & Greet event on the second Saturday of the month at Specks Pet Supply, located in the Buck Creek Shopping Centre just north of Southport on Bluff Road, from 1:00pm - 3:00pm.
Event Properties
|Event Date
|09-08-2018 1:00 pm
|Event End Date
|09-08-2018 3:00 pm
|Specks Pet Supply - Bluff Road


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Terminal Enclosure — E1 General Purpose is
standard. E2 Moisture Resistant/Explosion Resistant,
E3 Explosion Resistant or E4 Moisture
Resistant Enclosures available.
Elements — 0.475" diameter steel sheath
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For more features refer to catalog page PDF to the right.
This is a fillable PDF form. Download the form, open in Adobe Acrobat, complete, save, and send in.


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Actress Sharon Stone was hospitalized with a severe migraine while attending Milan Fashion Week in Italy earlier this week.
The "Basic Instinct" star was at a runway show for fashion house Fendi on Friday when she fell ill and was taken to hospital to undergo tests.
However, she bounced back to full health in time for a special AIDS research gala in the city on Saturday, which she attended as a guest of honor.
Addressing the health scare to reporters on the red carpet, she said, "I feel fine and I'm good and I've got a clean bill of health and I'm happy to be here."
A representative for The American Foundation for AIDS Research added, "She was examined and given a clean bill of health. And as she said, wild horses couldn't keep her away."
The hospitalization comes more than a decade after Stone suffered a brain aneurysm in 2001.


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Little House on the PrairieBook - 2017
Revisit one of the most beloved books in Laura Ingalls Wilder's classic Little House series with this gorgeous hardcover, unjacketed edition of Little House on the Prairie, featuring new, iconic cover art, no interior art, and a special foreword.
When Laura Ingalls and her family leave their little house in the Big Woods of Wisconsin, they head west for the open prairie skies of Kansas Territory. They travel for many days in their covered wagon until they find the perfect spot for Pa to build them a new home. Soon they are planting and plowing, hunting wild ducks and turkeys, and gathering grass for their cows. But just when they begin to feel settled, they are caught in the middle of a dangerous conflict.
Based on the real-life adventures of Laura Ingalls Wilder, Little House on the Prairie is the third book in the award-winning Little House series, which has captivated generations of readers with its depiction of life on the American frontier.
From the critics
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CommentAdd a Comment
The Little House series is a great window into history, what it was like to live on the prairie. They are written to be the wonderful read aloud to young children. The perfect balance between a story line and details of how they did things back then. Kids learn lots while enjoying Laura's stories. As for being racist, white people and indians alike most likely feared for their lives when it came to the other. So, Laura wasn't racist, as she was living real times. If there were a similar Indian account, I'm sure they'd say the same of the white people. Thank you Laura Ingalls Wilder for leaving this historical legacy for our children! What a gift!
Let me preface by saying that I neither read the books or watched the tv show when I was a kid. It wasn't something I shared with my mother or discovered as a seven year old at the library, so I have absolutely no nostalgia over the Little House series. As such, I take great issue with the blatant racism, from Ma's "The only good Indian is a dead Indian" to the black doctor who thinks malaria is caused by watermelons. These books are very problematic, even before you get into the issue of Rose Wilder Lane helping her mother with the writing and likely influencing the story with her libertarian views to make the Ingalls come across even more as pulled up by our bootstraps types.
I am sorry, but I really do not care for Little House at all.
This book is a great book that really is great to begin a discussion about the history of settlement in the Americas and the plight of the natives that were forced off their land. It is also really gets into the nitty gritty of life on the prairie and how settlers survived in an isolated area.
The adventures for the Ingalls family continue in this second book of the "Little House on the Prairie" series. From the big woods of Wisconsin, the Ingalls travel to a new home on the prairies of Kansas. Life as a pioneer can be both exciting and tough, and Wilder's book offers a wonderfully entertaining look into a lifestyle from long ago.
A great book for kids to read!
Love these books!! especially the ingalls girls.
I read this book in second grade.Now I am REREADING it!!!!!! I LOVE Laura Ingalls Wilder books!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Little House on the Prairie is a classic I'll always remember. I wanted to read something a bit different and found this to be very refreshing. The title is little house on the Prairie but it is what happens inside the house, the adventures, the lessons learnt, the grief they felt. In this novel, a family has to leave their big house in the woods of Wisconsin and move to their prairies. There they go through challenges such as having to build their own house. The story revolves around the coming of age of a little girl named Laura. She is not the perfect girl, she is stubborn and fights with her older sister Mary but she is very passionate and loyal. I really loved Laura she was such a fun character to read because her perspective on things was childish and innocent. She felt real emotions she got bored, frustrated and excited all which we as humans can relate to. Although this book takes place in the 19th century, there are many issues we still face today such as jealousies and lifetime friendships, suffering and triumph, death and birth. I would recommend these books to people 11 and older because it is fascinating to read about how people dealt with every day struggles we don't even think about today. For example, I found it amazing how all of their clothes were hand sewn. I also felt like they dealt with their problems with a fresh optimism and ease, something we don't see much of today. Even thought they had faced so many struggles, their life was simple. They got up when the sun did, and slept when it was dark. They always worked to get what they wanted and helped one another out. I feel like some of the morals have been lost over time, and we need books like these to remind us.
The entire Little House on the Prairie series written by Laura Ingalls Wilder is amazing.
Do not let the television show mislead you as it was so vastly different than the truth and from their real lives, it shouldn't have had the same title. The behaviour of the characters in this show would have been incomprehensible back in Laura's time.
I highly recommend the entire series to any and all ages. It is so wonderful to read about such a loving and supportive family.
It is very interesting to learn of the way of life back then when the U.S. was being taken over by white settlers - even to learn how racist Ma was to go so far as to say, "The only good Indian is a dead Indian" as they built a house on Indian Territory.
Pa had the best sense to not war with the Indians. He was respectful to them and thus the Chief he treated well, ended up saving their lives as other tribes were insistent on going to war but this leader was the one that stopped them all - So much for Ma's theory!
It is also educational to learn the ways they lived in a simpler time. I was astounded how they would iron and starch their clothes even while camping!
Age SuitabilityAdd Age Suitability
white_panda_654 thinks this title is suitable for between the ages of 5 and 99
ChessieAndhana thinks this title is suitable for between the ages of 6 and 18
blue_ant_993 thinks this title is suitable for between the ages of 8 and 12
Brown_Dog_70 thinks this title is suitable for All Ages
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SummaryAdd a Summary
The Ingalls family moved from the Big Woods of Wisconsin to Kansas in 1868 (stopping for a while in Rothville, Missouri), and lived there between 1869 and 1870. Baby Carrie was born there in August, and a few weeks after her birth, they were forced to leave the territory (however, in the novel, Carrie is present during the move to Kansas). The Ingalls family moved back to Wisconsin where they lived the next four years. In 1874 they started for Walnut Grove, Minnesota, stopping for a while in Lake City, Minnesota.
Although Wilder states that Charles Ingalls had been told that the Kansas territory would soon be up for settlement, their homestead was on the Osage Indian reservation and Charles' information was incorrect. The Ingalls family had no legal right to occupy their homestead, and once informed of their error, left the territory despite the fact that they had only just begun farming it. Several of their neighbors stayed and fought the decision.


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PT. Hewlett-Packard Berca Servisindo (Indonesia)
Available qualification programs
EXIN IT Service Management focuses less on the theory and more on the practical side of ITSM. It combines key IT service management elements with the quality principles of the ISO/IEC 20000 standard. The EXIN IT Service Management certification program offers several side-entry and bridge possibilities for those professionals with ITSM qualifications.
EXIN's certification program IT Service Management based on ISO/IEC 20000 and Changes in the ISO/IEC 20000 standard.
Version 2018 of the ISO/IEC 20000 standard has been released.
The main changes are summarized below.
The impact of these changes on the certification content are minimal. EXIN's certification based on ISO/IEC 20000 tests your understanding of IT service management using ISO/IEC 20000 as a guideline, as opposed to testing knowledge of the standard. Moreover EXIN's certifications have a lifetime validity so if you do your exam now your certificate remains valid.
The main changes in the standard:
a) it is restructured into the high level structure used for all management system standards (Annex SL). This introduces new common requirements for context of the organization, planning to achieve objectives and actions to address risks and opportunities. There are some updated previous requirements, for example, documented information, resources, competence and awareness;
b) growing trends in service management have been taken into account, such as commoditization of services, management of multiple suppliers by a service integrator and the need to determine value of services for customers;
c) addition of requirements about knowledge and planning the services;
d) separated out previously combined clauses (for example incident management and service request management, service continuity management and service availability management);
e) the organization cannot demonstrate conformity if other parties are used to provide or operate all services, service components or processes within the scope of the SMS;
f) changes to definitions, mostly due to Annex SL.
g) minimized the required documented information leaving only key documents such as the service management plan.
A clear overview of the changes in the 2018 edition can be found in 'A Guide to ISO/IEC 20000-1:2018 Service Management' by Dolf van der Haven ISBN 9781912651344
The EXIN Cloud Computing program looks at the way IT-related services are provided via the internet. The creation of this modern, digital utility has led to a wide array of roles needing at least basic Cloud knowledge. Issues of scalability, agility and security are covered within the context of Cloud Computing. The exam materials have been created in collaboration with experts in the Cloud industry.
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Brilliant Amber LED emits mild warm glow and provides high intensity, evenly distributed illumination; peak wavelength of 585nm which produces a candle flame color. Amber LED is preferred in many areas such as living rooms, dens, and bedrooms because the light they output makes illumination warmer and softener. Hot spot to install with this length: Windows, Doors, Signs, Kitchen Cabinets, Mirrors, Pet Houses, Mailboxes, Address Plates, Tree Trunks, Posts, Hallways, Lofts, Kid Rooms, Stone Tables and Chairs, Snack Bars, and Dining Tables.
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Remembering Lonesome George main content.
by AMNH on
On Sunday, the tree of life lost another member: Lonesome George, the famed last survivor of the Pinta Island tortoises (Chelonoidis abingdoni). Director of the Museum's Center for Biodiveristy and Conservation Eleanor Sterling has been in the Galapagos for the past few days. She recently answered a few questions about Lonesome George's passing and legacy.
What are you doing in the Galapagos?
Eleanor Sterling: The Galapagos National Park Service and the Galapagos Conservancy called together a meeting of experts on public participation in monitoring and conservation and I was invited as a specialist.
Who was Lonesome George?
Sterling: Lonesome George was a giant tortoise who was close to a century old and who was quite famous for being the last known representative of his species. And with his death, the whole species that was found on Pinta Island in the Galapagos is now extinct. There are other individuals who have some of the genes of Pinta Island tortoises, but he was last known individual to have the full genome of this species.
What role did humans play in the decline of his species?
Sterling: Seafaring individuals stopped by the Galapagos and collected tens of thousands of tortoises over the years. They packed their hulls with tortoises to use as food as they traveled around rest of world, because tortoises could last a long time without dying. Humans also introduced species such as rats to the islands where tortoises live, and those introduced species compete with tortoises for food or depredate on their young and eggs.
What role do giant tortoises play in ecosystems?
Sterling: They're important in the way they transform the size, shape, and reproduction of the cacti that they eat as well as the way that their large shells and bodies essentially mow down vegetation such as young cacti. These tortoises play an important role in maintaining habitat for other species, so much so that we call them ecosystem engineers.
What's the significance of the ongoing loss of species worldwide?
Sterling: It's difficult to estimate the role that any single species plays in a particular environment, nor can we predict what the effects of a species loss will be on an ecosystem. But certainly the loss of ecosystem engineers means that a system is going to go through major changes that will reverberate across species. That being said, Lonesome George and his relatives have been gone from Pinta Island for decades, so our concern in this case is with endangered tortoises on other islands and how we can avoid their loss as well. Perhaps more importantly, we have lost a fellow species on Earth and we humans have a moral responsibility to recognize our role in its extinction. We are obliged to think about how we can support healthy people and healthy ecosystems in the future.
What has the mood in the community been like following Lonesome George's passing?
The Galápagos National Park staff and researchers here are devastated. Around the town of Puerto Ayora, people are sad or commenting on his death. He was a wonderful ambassador for the rich and diverse life in the Galápagos as well as for the plight of endangered species. There are signs in stores and restaurants mourning his loss and the extinction of a species.
What are the Center for Biodiversity and Conservation's projects in the area and how does the CBC partner with local organizations?
Sterling: Currently, we work with the Galapagos National Park Service as well as James Gibbs from SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry to understand the role of tortoises in the larger ecosystem and to help conserve these magnificent creatures.


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Anne Bancroft (September 17, 1931 – June 6, 2005) was an American actress associated with the Method acting school, which she had studied under Lee Strasberg.
She made her film debut in Don't Bother to Knock (1952) and, following a string of supporting film roles during the 1950s, won an Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance in The Miracle Worker (1962), receiving subsequent nominations for her roles in The Pumpkin Eater (1964), The Graduate (1967), The Turning Point (1977), and Agnes of God (1985). Bancroft's other acclaimed movies as a lead actress include Young Winston (1972), The Prisoner of Second Avenue (1975), To Be or Not to Be (1983), and 84 Charing Cross Road (1987).
Later in her career, she made the transition back to supporting roles in theatrical films such as Point of No Return (1993), Home for the Holidays (1995), Great Expectations (1998), Antz (1998),Keeping the Faith (2000), and Heartbreakers (2001). She also starred in seven television films, the last of which was The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone (2003) for which she received Emmy and Screen Actors Guild Award nominations.


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The order is for 175 2MW MM82 and MM92 turbines to go to the Rivière du Moulin wind farm in the Lac Pikauba and Lac Ministuk territories.
The deal is part of a 954MW supply agreement Repower and EDF made in 2009. The agreement, which included blade manufacturer LM Wind Power, comprised delivery of up to 954MW or blades for up to 477 wind turbines for five wind farm projects in Quebec, Canada.
Installation will take place in two phases. The first 150MW will be installed in 2013, with the second following in December 2014.
Speaking about the deal, Repower CEO Andreas Nauen said: "This contract is a milestone for Repower as it is our biggest to date."
Earlier this month, EDF EN announced brought 300MW of wind farms online in Quebec as part of a build programme to increase its installed capacity in the province to over 1GW by end-2015.


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story index
By Anonymous
As I drove into the driveway, the hairs on the back of my neck were standing up. It was 4am and I'd just gotten off work. I always get home at this time, don't know why I would be feeling nervous now. I gathered up my stuff and started to get out of the truck. I had never noticed the car that had driven up behind the driveway, blacked out. And I didn't notice the person dressed all in black that had snuck up to the side of my truck. I didn't notice until it was too late, when I felt the arm wrap around my waist and the hand clamp over my mouth with a rag soaked in something so strong, it overpowered my senses. I remember trying to fight, but I kept fighting to breath past the rag. My arms felt sluggish as I tried to connect with something. It was like a thousand dreams I'd had, where I was trying to fight someone, and I would ball up my fist and give it all my strength, and then feel like it was moving through water, super slow, barely making contact. That's exactly how I felt, like I was moving in slow motion, barely able to move. I think I remember kicking, and him picking me up off the ground so easily, feeling his grip around my face and waist and thinking he must be incredibly strong, because I wasn't little by any means. I'm short, but solidly built and a little overweight.
But that was a long time ago, a lifetime ago. I can barely remember my old life. Everything changed drastically. Some of it is as clear as yesterday, and other parts, like it was years ago. In reality, its been 6 months since I started this new life. I guess I should tell you something about myself. I was a workaholic married to a workaholic. I had never dated before marrying my husband, and had been so shy growing up that guys never noticed I was around. When I met my husband I thought that this was it, this was my life forever. Boy was I wrong. Things were destined to change, for the better I think, but at the time it scared me to death. I'd been married for about 9 years when I realized how unfulfilling my sex life was. I knew there was a lot missing and I went looking for it. I had a longterm affair, but he didn't have a whole lot of time for me. But I learned a lot during that time, a lot about me and what I wanted. And what I found out was that I was kinky. At least by my husband's standards.
I started spending time on the computer and in chat rooms. That's where I met him. In a chat room that is. I spent most of my time in D/s rooms, learning the internet rules of D/s, knowing that the real thing was totally different, but I really didn't think I had a chance of that anyway. This was just for fun, to fulfill part of that need I had. I became his online submissive and as such I had assignments. And I had to write about my assignments. Sometimes it would be to write about my deepest, darkest desires, or my fears. Ok, most of the time it was about those things. And how they made me feel. For the most part, they scared me, but excited me at the same time. I was starting to become so confused, sometimes I wasn't sure what was real and what wasn't. He sent me a picture of himself and I was relieved to see that he wasn't an ogre, in fact, he was downright handsome. Course I was no princess so I was amazed when he liked the picture I sent him. Over the months we talked and talked, mostly over the computer, and then by phone. Cyber sex is one thing, but phone sex, OH MY GOD. It can be incredible. Just hearing a voice while you play with your toys, closing your eyes, pretending he's there with you. I'm wet just thinking about it.
Anyway, we had been talking for months and he suggested meeting in real life. I gave him every reason in the world why I couldn't meet him. He wanted me to leave my husband and come live with him and be his real life slave. I said he was crazy and there was no way I could do something like that. I had a family, I had a job, I had a life. I just couldn't. Well, needless to say, he didn't care what I said. He took it upon himself to help me through it. He always said he could tell what was best for me. And that's what led up to my abduction in the middle of the night. He had it all planned out. He knew exactly when I got home from work every day. He knew none of my neighbors would be out at that time, and hubby would be sound asleep. It would be hours before anyone noticed I was not at home. And most importantly, I had my laptop with me. So there was no way anyone could find our emails or my stories. Or find out anything about the other life I was leading.
When I came to I was blindfolded and gagged, and I couldn't tell where I was. I couldn't move my arms or my legs. All I could hear was my own heartbeat. I could tell I wasn't wearing any clothes because I could feel my skin touching something, but I couldn't tell if it was wood, or plastic, or what. I felt claustrophobic and started to panic, and as I attempted to thrash around, I could tell that I was in some type of box-like container. I tried to scream but with a gag, all that came out were odd animal-like sounds. I couldn't hear the box open but I felt it, the change in air on my skin. Then I felt his touch on my breasts, just lightly over my nipples, then down my chest to my stomach. I couldn't hear a thing, and I realized I must have some sort of earplugs on. I was petrified. And then the box closed up and I was alone again.
I couldn't tell how long it was until he came back. But as soon as the box opened, I knew he would touch me, and this time, my body ached for it. As soon as his fingertips hit my skin, I tried to move into it, as they trailed down my chin and neck, around my nipples, down to my stomach and thighs. I could feel myself leaking fluid from my pussy and I didn't even know who this person was! What kind of sex-crazed slut was I? I didn't care who it was, my body was craving some sort of stimulation. This being in a box, not seeing, hearing, feeling anything, was torture. And the feel of his fingers was pure pleasure. And then, just as I could feel myself getting close, the box closed. This went on for god knows how long. He would just barely touch me, letting me become more and more excited. And every time it took less of his touch. Finally, after what seemed like forever, he opened the box and went right to my pussy. I felt him peel the lips back and I'm sure it was his tongue, flicking on my clit, pushing his tongue into my soaking wet cunt. I came almost immediately, my hips straining against the bindings, my breathing ragged as I tried to let loose. My muscles were jerking and spasming as I came and came and came. And then, the box closed. It took several minutes for me to calm down.
The next thing I remember is the box opening and 2 strong hands lifting me out and setting me down on the floor. The bindings were undone and I sat there for a few minutes rubbing my wrists, trying to get the feeling back into my hands, and feeling the cuffs in place there. I started to bring my hands up to take off the gag and blindfold but they were jerked out from me by the strap he still had attached to the cuffs. I still couldn't see or hear, but I did have a sense of smell and I could smell cologne. He must have realized this because the next thing he did took that away from me too. I felt a hood being placed over my head. Not something like the Ku Klux Klan wears, not loose fitting at all. But it felt like thick leather and it fit over my head so tightly I wasn't sure it wouldn't crack my skull. I could feel him tightening it. There were no nose holes, only a hole for my mouth. So now my sense of smell was gone. This was complete, utter darkness and silence. All I could hear was my own body, my heart pounding in my chest, the blood rushing through my head. He led me across the floor, I prayed he wouldn't let me run into things just for fun. I slid my feet along the floor at first, but he would have none of that and I felt a crop hit my legs til I started walking normally. When I ran into the toilet, I felt a flood of relief. I needed to go so bad, but was I allowed? I hesitated, waiting for some sign, I certainly couldn't ask. He didn't move, so I figured that it was ok. I waited to be yanked away, but he didn't. Thank god. When I was finished, it was a little awkward without being able to see but I managed, he tugged on the straps and I followed as best I could.
I was getting a lot better at this walking behind him. I was getting pretty confident that he wouldn't run me into anything. The next stop was the kitchen. Of course, without my sense of smell I couldn't tell until he took out the gag and handed me the toast, it had strawberry jam on it, my favorite. It took me a while to get the hang of getting it in the mouth hole, but I got better at that too. As soon as I was done eating, the gag was back. I jumped when I felt his tongue on my chest, licking off the crumbs, but I immediately was shaking, jerking, my pussy pouring out fluids. Every touch drove me to ecstasy. I longed for it, would have begged for it if I was allowed to speak.
It seemed like I was following him for hours and hours, sometimes sitting still until my joints ached. I knew better than to fidget. It only took a few whacks with the crop on my ass cheeks to figure that one out. I was always a quick study. Every so often he would touch me again, sometimes just stroke my calf, sometimes the inside of my arm, but again, that's all it took to set me off, shaking, spasming, fluids flowing freely down my legs. I was a regular laboratory study in conditioning. Pavlov's slave. And then, far too soon, he was binding my arms and legs and I was back in the box. If it hadn't been for the gag, I would have begged and pleaded for him to let me out. I would have promised him anything to keep me out of that box. The only good part was that the hood came off. I could feel him bathing my face with a wet rag, there were still some toast crumbs that had fallen inside the mask. And then, back in the box, unable to move. Waiting for tomorrow.
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Preserve your sanity
Sky has been holding down the fort here at VF while I have been (among other things) struggling with my toddler on many fronts, one of them being brushing his teeth. While usually we can cajole him into completing the task this sweet kids toothbrush that he picked out at Whole Foods has helped immensely:
They are great, not only are they adorable, but it really helps to talk about the animals as we are brushing. It makes the whole process a bit easier. Plus they are made from recycled materials, BPA free and you can get a toothbrush subscription. Your toddler might actually look forward to getting a new toothbrush every few months, and run right in to use it every night until the next one comes.


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A 360 degree feedback review is designed to gather anonymous feedback about an employee from the people working most closely with him or her — including direct reports (in the case of managers & supervisors), peers, and managers. In this regard it isn't a typical performance review.
During a 360-degree review, a team member can expect to receive feedback from all angles. Supervisors, direct reports and peers will all chip in with their views on that person's skills, behavior, and impact on the rest of the team.
It's a completely different way to approach the traditional performance review, in which the manager alone tells the team member how well they're doing their job.
360 feedback doesn't actually focus on performance, but rather on all aspects that can be attributed to an employee's behavior. In this way it can help the person improve their interactions, their communication, and in the end, their job performance.
Since it's done anonymously, it can be a great way to find out about your 'blind spots' (the differences between how you perceive yourself vs. how others perceive you) without adding strain to your professional relationships. Maybe the silly jokes you feel embarrassed about making every now and then are actually helping others go through their day with a smile on their faces.
And that is exactly the point of a 360 review: You learn things about yourself that you would never have discovered otherwise.
360 reviews can be a very powerful tool to help employees develop and grow–as long as the reviews are constructive and employees are willing to incorporate the feedback they get.
Some 90% of Fortune 500 companies use 360 reviews with their employees. As consultants Jack Zenger and Joseph Folkman wrote in the Harvard Business Review, "There is one thing we've personally seen that profoundly and consistently changes lives–what's generally referred to as the 360-degree feedback process."
You know how you start fiddling with your hair the minute you start a video chat and see your own image on the screen? It's because you suddenly see yourself as others can see you–and you want to make sure that you project your best possible version to them.
It's the same with 360 reviews. When team members get an unfiltered outside view of their actions and behavior, they can immediately see what others see and take action to enhance their strengths and improve upon their weaknesses.
This effect can do wonders for the team as a whole if the review is centered on helping team members along a long-term track of personal growth that is aligned with the organization's goals.
A 360-degree evaluation needs to be anonymous, but it shouldn't turn into a chance to snipe at a colleague. Those managing the process need to make it clear to everyone taking the survey that the goal is to discover strengths as well as weaknesses.
Another important point is that 360 reviews should only be used to help team members as a development tool: Providing feedback that helps people grow in their careers.
This exercise should not be used as a performance rating instrument, and especially not for deciding promotions or raises.
Since 360 reviews focus on behaviors, they can be used widely in order to promote the kind of culture that the organization needs.
In their book The Art and Science of 360 Degree Feedback, Richard Lepsinger and Anntoinette D. Lucia recommend using them when the company wants to:
It's clear, then, that one of your first steps in deciding to conduct a 360 feedback exercise is identifying which behaviors make a difference in your company–since you will want to promote them.
Another important factor to decide whether to use a 360 review is that the subject of the review has to believe in it. The team member being evaluated must be committed to using the results in a constructive manner and take the chance to develop as a professional and a person.
After all, it's a rare chance they will get of having everyone else focused on them and their participation in the team.
Performing a 360 degree review used to be a complex and expensive process, many times involving outside consultants and lots of company time.
But technology and online surveys have made it increasingly easy to apply this effective tool to more members of your team. (Heck, even a robot can get a job review these days.)
This means that this highly effective tool can be used more often and by more people to increase cooperation and collaboration in your team.
Our expert-certified 360-degree employee evaluation survey template is set up to offer evaluations for supervisors, coworkers, and subordinates. You can customize it for each employee you want to review, edit it to focus on your company's larger goals and desired behaviors, send the survey via email invitation, and then analyze the results—without ever leaving SurveyMonkey.
Here are some important tips to take into account:
What to write in a 360 review is as important as why you should conduct it in the first place.
Good survey questions are specific. Keep them simple, use an easily understandable language, and avoid any bias in formulating them.
It's also important to keep the survey short enough that everyone will complete it and avoid survey fatigue.
Our Question Bank has hundreds of great questions that you can use in employee performance reviews. Just click on through to the Human Resources category to find them. And you can customize your questions to the specific needs of your team–including using the person's name instead of "your coworker."
The next time performance reviews come up on your calendar, you may want to consider the option of using 360 feedback surveys in your team. It is a great way to help key members of your team develop in their careers and to build a positive culture inside the company.
Want more tips for making a perfect survey every time? Download our free eGuide for writing surveys that real people can take. Get guide
Editor's note: This blog was originally posted in 2011 and has been revamped for accuracy.
Here are some ideas to ensure that respondents will answer your surveys.
If your survey is short and sweet, there's a greater chance that more respondents will complete it.
Little incentives like small discount or an entry into a drawing can help ensure respondents complete your survey.
With SurveyMonkey Audience, you can purchase access to an audience who meets specific demographic criteria for your survey. It's a great way to get targeted responses from a specific group.
Send as many surveys and quizzes as you want—even with free plans.
Easily create and send professional surveys. Get reliable results quickly.
Access pre-written questions and templates approved by our survey scientists.
Check results on the go from any device. Spot trends as data comes in.
Surveys give you more than just answers. Get feedback and new perspectives.
Extract and share insights from your data with your team.


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The Hope College Great Performance Series (GPS) returns for the 2008-09 season with performances ranging from a legendary dance company to a three-time Grammy nominated string quartet. For over 30 years GPS has brought internationally recognized performers to West Michigan, featuring the best in dance, theatre, jazz, and classical music.
The series open Thursday & Friday, Sept. 4-5, with Taylor 2 Dance in the Knicerbocker Theatre. Few artists have impacted their art form as much as Paul Taylor has in dance over six decades. His company grew out of his own performance background and its reputation grew on his outstanding choreography. In 1993 Taylor created "Taylor 2" as a six-person company, modeled after his original company he founded over 50 years ago. In addition to extensive performances in New York, the company has toured throughout the U.S. and on a government sponsored tour of six African nations. Young, explosive, and always interesting, Taylor 2 dancers push the limits in their art. "The New York Times" reviewed a performance saying "The performing would have been impressive enough...but the dancers' aplomb and artistry were even more remarkable."
On Friday, Oct. 17, the always exciting Synergy Brass Quintet performs at Dimnent Chapel. This young quintet plays Bach by memory and shoot fireworks out of their instruments on You Tube. Classical fans will love their talent and energy, while those looking for a new way to experience classical music will not want to miss this ensemble. They perform nearly 300 concerts per year and are dedicated to school outreach programs as well (including two while in Holland). Someone apparently forgot to tell this group that classical music is not "hip." "Performances are impeccable and deeply moving. This group delivers gorgeous, balanced sound and has completely mastered any technical skill you can name" says the "American Record Guide."
On Thursday, Nov. 6, you can be one of the first to see the chamber orchestra, CityMusic Cleveland, perform outside of their region when they come to Dimnent Chapel on their first ever tour. Created just five years ago this orchestra continues to seek new audiences for classical music. Since 2005 James Gaffigan has been the Music Director of CityMusic Cleveland; he also serves as Associate Conductor of the San Francisco Symphony, under Michael Tilson Thomas. The performance will feature the highly acclaimed young cellist, Joshua Roman performing Schumann's "Cello Concerto." "CityMusic Cleveland has a welcome habit of spoiling concertgoers new and otherwise. Under music director James Gaffigan...it also galvanizes the works they face" says "The Cleveland Plain Dealer."
On Friday, Jan. 16, the Chuchito Valdés Quartet will heat up Dimnent Chapel with their Cuban based jazz sound. Following in the footsteps of his famed father Chucho Valdés and grandfather Bebo Valdés, Chuchito continues the legacy of great piano players from Cuba. His influences of Afro Cuban rhythms and jazz creates an exciting and energetic blend of spicy music that energize audiences. He has also extensively studied classical music including harmony and composition. "Valdés and his band reinvigorated age old Cuban musical forms, the venerable cha-cha-cha and mambo standards revitalized by the muscular virtuosity of a mostly younger generation of players" says "The Chicago Tribune."
One great theatre company presents two different performances when Aquila Theatre performs on Friday and Saturday, Feb. 13 and 14, at the Knickerbocker Theatre. Aquila has won international praise for their innovative presentations of classics including "The Iliad," which is Homer's epic story of Achilles and the Trojan Wars and will be presented by the company on Friday, Feb. 13. One of the greatest works in literature, it was first performed as a play over 2,500 years ago. "A performance of staggering power" says "The New York Times" about Aquila's "Iliad." The wide range of the company will be seen the next night, Saturday, Feb. 14, when they turn to "Comedy of Errors," one of Shakespeare's most vibrant and sparkling comedies. "Unmistakable fun" says "The Los Angeles Times" about Aquila's "Comedy of Errors."
The series ends on Tuesday, March 31, when the Grammy nominated Quartet San Francisco performs at Dimnent Chapel. With Grammy nominations for best classical crossover recordings for their last two releases (2006 and 2007) and International Tango competition winners (New York, 2004), Quartet San Francisco expresses itself in its agility and standout virtuosic playing. As crossover specialists they excel in multiple styles - from jazz to tango, pop to funk, blues to bluegrass, gypsy swing to big band and beyond. "The musicians played with breezy wit, fine technical finish and a genuine feeling for musical idiom," says "The Washington Post."
All Great Performance Series performances begin at 7:30 p.m.
The CityMusic Cleveland performance is supported by the Performing Arts Fund, a program of Arts Midwest funded by the National Endowment for the Arts, which believes that a great nation deserves great art, with additional contributions from Michigan Council for Arts & Cultural Affairs, General Mills Foundation, and Land O'Lakes Foundation.
Season tickets are now available. Subscriptions are $58 for adults, $47 for senior citizens, and $125 for a family (no matter how many children). The subscriptions are such a savings that they are equivalent to seeing two shows for free.
Tickets for individual shows go on sale on Monday, Aug. 25, at 10 a.m. Both individual tickets and season subscriptions are available at the ticket office in the DeVos Fieldhouse or by calling (616) 395-7890.
Following the Aug. 25 ticket opening, the ticket office will be open weekdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The ticket office is in the main lobby of the DeVos Fieldhouse, which is located at 222 Fairbanks Ave., between Ninth and 11th streets.
More information about the season may be obtained online by visiting www.hope.edu/gps.


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Afghan IEDS: warfare on the cheap
For pennies on the millions of dollars, Afghan insurgents fight the mighty U.S. military.
Nobody in the world can match American firepower. They'd be crushed.
Instead, they fashion bombs from fertilizer and matches and fight the war on a budget, according to a detailed price list assembled by the Pentagon's Joint Improvised Explosive Defeat Organization.
A 110-pound bag of ammonium-nitrate fertilizer goes for $160 in Afghanistan. It drops to $48 for the same size bag of potassium chlorate, the fuel for matches. The average IED in Afghanistan contained about 52 pound of homemade explosive.
IEDs, minus the markup for the bomb makers fee and cost of assembly, range from a few hundred dollars to nearly $20,000.
• The most-common IED, the type triggered by a person's weight or a vehicle, cost $416 to build. They're also very hard to detect since they can contain little or no metal that can be picked up mine detectors.
• An IED triggered by wire is even cheaper: $386.
• Radio-signal detonation increases the cost to as much as $478.
Costs climb when suicide bombers or cars or trucks are involved.
• A suicide bomb attack with an IED like a vest costs between $1,200 and $11,710.
• A car or truck bomb, depending on the size of the vehicle, runs from $6,076 to $12,708.
• The same car or truck bomb delivered by a suicide attacker costs between $12,961 and $19,593.
Their relative cheapness helps explain why the Center for Naval Analyses predicts in a report that IEDs will continue to be a threat to deployed U.S. forces until at least 2020. Makeshift bombs like the one used to attack runners and spectators at the Boston Marathon will continue to threaten folks at home.
STORY: Pentagon phasing out MRAPs, but bomb threat remains
Other threats, like micro drones, might be used in attacks, according to the report. But they're not likely to replace IEDs.
"In short, the IED threat observed in Iraq, Afghanistan and the homeland in recent years will likely persist..." the report concludes.


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The quarterly
filing of the employer income tax withholdings and the UI/DI/FLI contributions
is combined. Most employers will use Form NJ-927, while employers
required to make weekly payments will use Form NJ-927W. You must be
registered with the Division of Revenue to file using the Division of Revenue Website or to obtain authorization to file through the Divisions electronic filing program (SFTP). If your business is already
registered but you now have employees, you may change your registration
records, either online or by submitting Form REG-C-L which can be downloaded for processing. You will then receive the
necessary information for filing.
NOTE: Beginning first quarter 2009, the State requires all business registrants to electronically report and remit all insurance contributions, wage reports and income tax withholdings (Forms NJ-927, NJ-927-W, NJ-927-H, NJ 500 and WR-30). You will no longer receive these forms in the mail each quarter.
To access your online file to submit a return or payment, you will
need to enter your New Jersey taxpayer identification number and either the PIN number
or your registered taxpayer name.
online format will be similar to completing a paper return. Online
payment options include e-check, credit card and electronic funds
transfer (EFT) and payments may be scheduled for a future date. You
will be provided a real time confirmation in this secured site that
is available 24 hours daily. Filings for prior periods and amended
returns may also be submitted electronically through the Division's online application or electronic filing program (SFTP).
NOTE: The phone system previously used to file the employer quarterly report (NJ927, NJ927W and NJ927H) was eliminated on December 31, 2008. Employers filing these forms must now do so online or through the Division's electronic filing program (SFTP).
of household (domestic) workers may report and remit income tax withholdings
and unemployment and disability insurance contributions on an annual
basis by using Form NJ-927H.
NOTE: Form NJ-927H is only used to report income tax
and UI/DI contributions for household workers. Employers with other
types of employees must use Form NJ-927/927W for reporting purposes.
There are no special
provisions for seasonal businesses. Seasonal employers, like all employers
must file a report even if there is no liability for the period.


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Pan American Games currently taking place in Canada
for athletes from North America, Central America, the
Caribbean and South America.
Track cycling started yesterday with the hosts winning
both the men's and women's team sprint and qualifying
slightly faster than the Sarah Hammer led USA women's
team pursuit foursome. Men's omnium is also underway.
Men's sprint qualifying held today:
1.Hugo Barrette (CAN) 9.978
2.Fabian Puerta (COL) 10.015
3.Hersony Canelon (COL) 10.041 EDIT: (VEN) not (COL)
4.Nijisane Phillip (TRI) 10.121
5.Joseph Veloce (CAN) 10.158
6. Matt Baranoski (USA) 10.161
(all these won their 1/8 final heats
and advance to 1/4 finals with two
others from the repechages.)
EDIT: actually Barrette (CAN) was
relegated in his 1/8 final but did
progress through the repechage.


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Spike Jonze's idiosyncratic risk-taking has been rewarded with broad acclaim throughout his career, including two Directors Guild of America nods and four Oscar nominations (three this year alone for "Her"). Still, he's not immune to doubt.
"To be honest, in editing, there's always periods where I feel like the movie is never gonna work," he says. "'It's a noble idea, but ultimately a flawed idea.' Usually it'll go away after a week or so and I'll be excited about the movie again."
To craft "Her's" unique love story involving Theodore (Joaquin Phoenix) and his computer's operating system, Samantha (the voice of Scarlett Johansson), Jonze and his collaborators fixed their courage and created a pleasant, clean, near-future Los Angeles — more Gene Roddenberry than Aldous Huxley.
Jonze says he and his longtime production designer, K.K. Barrett, "talked a lot about creating this world where everything is easy and comfortable, accessible and warm, and yet there's still this loneliness and longing and need for connection; that pull between the seemingly utopian world and that particular type of melancholy that seems like a heightened version of what can exist today." Jonze is speaking in a conference call that includes his friend and collaborator Karen O of the alternative rock band the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. The songwriter is nominated with Jonze for the film's handmade love ballad, "The Moon Song."
The writer-director says he had the film's initial idea 10 years ago, spurred by his "conversation" with a proto-artificial intelligence, but about five years ago started thinking of it in deeper terms.
"Had the idea just stopped at a guy having a relationship with an artificially intelligent program, I probably wouldn't have continued developing the story," he says. "I realized it could be a means for me to write about relationships, as complexly as I could pull off. Two people connecting, trying to be intimate, is as complicated an idea as there is."
It's easy to see how the concept of "Her" could have been transformed — perhaps into an R-rated comedy or a dystopian thriller — if more commercial concerns had come to the fore.
"I'm fortunately removed from that kind of development process," says Jonze. "My process is much more internal. It's ultimately sort of closing my eyes and trying to home in on a feeling that is important to me, and following that feeling wherever it leads me."
Karen O laughs when Jonze asks if she remembers when he first shared the concept with her: "I don't remember when, but it didn't shock me. I didn't think you were crazy for having that idea. It seemed kind of up your alley, really," she says.
Jonze asked the indie rocker, who also collaborated on his 2009 film "Where the Wild Things Are," to compose a song for a tender scene in which Theodore and Samantha improvise a tune together. Karen O has said she wrote and recorded the delicate ukulele song at her dining room table.
"I think my main reference was that scene from 'The Jerk,' where Steve Martin and Bernadette Peters sang 'Tonight You Belong to Me,'" she says. "It's such a memorable moment and he's playing on the ukulele; it was definitely sort of a nod to that."
Jonze says of the composition, "I thought it was perfect. What Karen does well is she can home in on a feeling inside her and channel it through her music. The lyric, they're 'a million miles away' on the moon together, a million miles from everyone else — that feeling of falling in love and being with somebody in their own world — it's something only they share … I loved that.
"At the same time, there was a little bit of foreshadowing … a bittersweet [hint] that she was going off into space. I think it was in that little balance that we went back and forth on the lyrics a lot, just through emails."
Karen O agrees: "Initially, it was a little too bittersweet, and you wanted to warm it up a little bit. [The collaborating] helped a lot because it brought it to that place you're talking about, being in that world a million miles from everyone else rather than a million miles from each other."
"Yeah," says Jonze. "If anything, my lyrical contribution was 'More of the sweet, less of the bitter.'"
Although Jonze had given her the script soon after he finished it ("for her notes"), Karen O didn't see the scene with their song until the premiere.
"He kind of saved it for me.... I got butterflies in my stomach, you know? I got self-conscious about it; that's my character," says the indie rocker. "But I thought it was a pretty sweet moment in the film. I kind of blushed."


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Their population has been declining slowly for the last two-thousand years. Though the Minbari claim it is the migration of souls, this could mean their genetic pool is stagnating.
Question: What about the other races?
JMS: The Minbari eventually make it; the Narn and Centauri do not. They don't die out, they just don't hit a state of First One-ishness, which is darn close to immortality (barring violence).
Granitehewer wrote:perhaps the passing into obscurity of the narn relates to their lack of psykers since that material was taken from their gene pool............?
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Hi Yvonne,
I'm visiting Sarasota and I'm looking to play some tennis...I can play Sunday and Monday. My hours are pretty flexible.
Hey Yvonne,
We should hit sometimes. Its been a while that i had played tennis. I'm new in the area of Sarasota and i'm just looking for people to play with.
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Welcome to Benezit Dictionary of Artists
- A comprehensive and definitive resource for artists' biographies, published since 1911
- Includes 149,000 biographies as well as auction records, exhibition histories, and over 11,000 images of artists' signatures and stamps of sale
Laura Poitras
Best known for her 2014 Academy Award–winning documentary, Citizenfour, Laura Poitras's artistic practice focuses on current events through video pieces and immersive installations. In Bed Down Location (2016), viewers lie under a video projection of the night sky from places where the US facilitates drone strikes, inviting them to empathize with those living in war-torn nations.
Prophet Royal Robertson
The paintings of Prophet Royal Robertson feature futuristic imagery set against contrasting colors and abundant text. His work references personal experiences and visions of the supernatural, as well as messages he reported sent to him by God. The end of his marriage served as a turning point in his artistic practice, becoming an obsession in his life and art.
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By Rob Schabert, Sports Information Director
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. -- School's out for summer, and for so
many Tennessee Tech students, the end of the spring semester meant
packing their clothes, stuffing it into their cars, and driving
home. For some it's a short drive, for others several
For the members of the Golden Eagle tennis team, the two-time Ohio Valley Conference regular season champions, it's not quite so easy. An international crew of student-athletes, the individual members of coach Kenny Doyle's team spent anywhere from eight to 20 hours to get home.
The eight players on the 2013 roster hail from seven different countries, including two from South America, three from western Europe and three from eastern Europe.
While each of them says they enjoy their time in Cookeville, they looked forward to returning to their home countries and their families. Their summer plans are not much different than most Tech students – they all plan to relax (specifically, they plan to "not study") and play tennis. Some will play soccer. All will take naps.
And eat. Oh, how they plan to eat.
"The very first thing I want to do when I get back is eat," said Arturo Santa Ruiz, a native of Bogota Colombia, who accepted his degree in mechanical engineering in May with a 3.84 GPA. "I'll see my family, I'll say 'hi' to them, then I'll say 'lets go eat somewhere!'"
For Arturo, the journey home took him more than 2,300 miles, directly over Cuba, into Bogota.
"I grew up the first 15 years in Barranquilla, and now I live in Bogota," he explains. "I'll miss Cookeville and the university in general, the team, and our travel, but that was just one stage in life. Going to college and being on the team, it becomes part of your family. The university was my home for the last four years, and I got used to the people and the help they gave me."
Barranquilla is near the coast, in the northern part of one of the northernmost countries in South America.
"It's on the coast, and it's always 80 or 90 degrees," he explains. "There are a lot of hidden beaches around. It's beautiful, the people are friendly, and there is really great seafood."
South of Barranquilla is Bogota, the capital city, with a drastically different setting than on the coast.
"Colombia has a lot of mountains, and we are known for our coffee," he says. "We have two distinct types of foods. On the coast, it's seafood, and in the inner regions, beans, rice and meat dishes."
Spending time in Tennessee, in the mid-South region of the United States, has added to the life lessons learned by Arturo and his teammates.
"Tennis players, when we're travelling around, we travel internationally," he said. "That's how we get recruited. So, we get used to different cultures, different points of view, but it all comes together. It's all a learning experience."
For freshman Othon Lima, the journey home also takes him due South, to Macapa, in the Amapa region of Brazil, the largest country on the continent.
"We're located in the very northern part of the country, where the equator passes through Brazil," Lima explains. "It's difficult to get there from here. First, I have to fly to the South of Brazil, then fly back to the north."
A newcomer to the team this year, Lima is first going to meet up with his family in New York City and spend some time exploring. Once back home, he plans to take some online courses and begin an electrical engineering internship.
The rest of the team flew to Europe, heading to Spain, Russia, Serbia, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan. Altogether, they spent approximately 70 combined hours in the air to get home.
Alejandro Augusto and Alvaro Cintas had the "easiest" journeys, just 10 hours or so to Spain. Augusto, the OVC Freshman of the Year in 2012 and an all-OVC player this season, headed to Madrid, near the center of the country.
"I will visit my family, spend some time with them, visit some friends, then I plan to play a lot of tournaments," Augusto says. "I plan to relax, and I will play some soccer. In Madrid, everybody plays soccer."
Pavle Perovic, another freshman, headed to Kragujevac, an industrial and historic city of 150,000 in the heart of Serbia. His homeland is tucked in the midst of Romania, Hungary, Croatia, Bulgaria, and Bosnia and Herzogovina.
"My home city is historic, it was once the capital of
Serbia, and it's very beautiful," he says. "I
liked Cookeville. It's fresh and has clean air, which is a
little different from my hometown."
Should someone plan to visit his hometown, where would he recommend they visit?
"The statue of all the people who were killed by the Germans," he says without hesitation. A major feature of the city is the Museum of Genocide.
The remaining three members of the team are practically neighbors, all coming to Tech from countries that were once a part of the Soviet Union.
Vasily Eremeev, a junior studying web design, is from Krasnoyarsk, the third-largest city in Siberia, in the center of Russia, and an important junction of the Trans-Siberian Railway.
Changing planes in Moscow, Eremeev took 18 hours to get home. Once there, his plans were simple.
"I plan to relax and chill with my friends and family," he says.
Not quite so for Artem Tarasov and Syrym Abdukhalikov, who hope to fill their summer hours competing in tennis tournaments.
Tarasov headed to Tashkent in Uzbekistan, but not without taking several flights. From Nashville, he flew to New York, then Riga in Latvia, and finally into Tashkent. Once a significant trading point on the Silk Road, the city was devastated in 1966 by an earthquake that left 300,000 homeless. It rose as an industrial city when the invasion into the U.S.S.R. by Nazi Germany in 1941 forced the government to relocate factories from western Russia to Tarasov's city.
"Altogether, it's about 15 or 16 hours," Tarasov says nonchalantly. "I'm used to the flight. I sleep and watch movies. It's not so bad."
A sophomore majoring in business administration, Tarasov was ready for the change in culture upon his return.
"My hometown is not very much like Cookeville," he explains. "It's big. There are about four million people there."
Coming to Tech has been a good experience, he insists.
"Before I came here, I knew Syrym (Abdukhalikov) and (assistant coach) Alex (Chen)," he says. "We knew each other for many years. Then we met the other guys and we've all become good friends. We studied together and we helped each other."
For Syrym, the trip back to Kazakhstan probably completed his
final time in Cookeville, home for nearly three years after his
transfer from the University of Oklahoma. He earned his degree in
May in Interdisciplinary Studies and in June was named as
Tech's Outstanding Male Athlete of the Year. A two-time
all-OVC selection while playing at the No. 1 singles position,
Abdukhalikov was named the OVC Player of the Year after going
unbeaten in conference matches for two consecutive years.
His hometown of Almaty, the former capital of Kazakhstan with a population of 1.5 million, dates back to 1,000 BC and the Bronze Age. The city submitted an unsuccessful bid to host the 2014 Olympic Winter Games.
"We don't get a lot of tourists," he admits. "Most people don't know where it is, but it remains one of the most popular cities in the region. We have good weather. The theatres and museums are really good there, and so are the galleries. The food is also amazing."
It's a sports-minded city, Syrym says.
"During the summer, everybody plays soccer or they run. Sports are pretty big back home. For me, I am going to try to play in some tournaments and see how it goes."


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Welcome to Los Angeles, California
Welcome to sunny Los Angeles, California. Known definitively as the City of Angels, L.A. and The Entertainment Capital of the World; a metropolis which breathes in creativity and exhales production. Credit belongs to its residents, who have managed to form the highest assembly of ethnic diversity and the second largest population in the United States. This mass differentiation of ethnicity and culture is mirrored throughout the city where visitors are given limitless options on food, entertainment and shopping. There is no surprise that Los Angeles plays a distinct role in film careers and is the largest hub for motion picture production in the world. Some of the most interesting things to do in Los Angeles revolve around the film industry and are must see attractions for all guests new to the area.
Reasons to Visit Los Angeles
Popular attractions in Los Angeles nearby Radisson Hotels include: Shopping on Rodeo Drive, The Hollywood Walk of Fame, Universal Studios and Disneyland Theme Parks, The Los Angeles Zoo, Getty Museum, Tar Pits, Beverly Hills and Venice Beach. There is plenty of excitement surrounding L.A.'s prominent sports teams as well. There are 9 unique sports franchises here in town, but Staples Center is a must for all fans of basketball and hockey. Allow us at the Radisson to put you closer to all your interests here in Los Angeles by staying at one of our eight convenient locations in and around town.


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'Oh What a Tangled Web We Weave…' It's Not Just Syria at Stake
As the world watches to see what the United States of America will do about Syria and the use of chemical weapons against civilians in the civil war in that country, many Americans don't really even know what the conflict is about. After all, it's a world away and many think to themselves, "it doesn't affect me anyway."
"We wrote this book for those people who don't have a clue."
One author who lives in Bangor, Maine, who devoted his career to forestry, has turned his attention to geopolitics and, in a new book, says if there is ever a time for every single American to understand what's happening in the Middle East, it's now.
Dr. Michael Coffman has a PhD in Ecosystems Analysis and a minor in climatology. He has had over forty years of university teaching, research, and consulting experience, and for years worked for the paper company Champion International that operated in Maine.
Dr. Coffman explains how a man devoted to forestry winds up sounding the alarm about radical Islam's plan to dominate the world in the book he co-authored with Kate Mathieson, Radical Islam in the House.
Some who are actually following the events in the Middle East, still may only have a rudimentary understanding of what is at risk in the event the United States did launch some sort of attack against the Syrian regime. It's clear Congress wants some answers to avoid any 'unintended consequences.'
The book explains there are many different sects of Islam with the two dominant being the Shi'ite (Iran), and Sunni (Saudi Arabia-Arabian Peninsula) and even though they are at odds with each other in how the holy jihad should be waged (violent vs. cultural), their end game is the same.
One of the citations in Dr. Coffman's book is from Reza Kahlili (pen name) who was born in Iran and worked inside the Iranian Revolutionary Guards. Kahlili is the author of a Time to Betray and in interviews suggests that the radical ideology exposed in Radical Islam in the House is real, intolerant, and ruthless.
Two pages of the book list some of the names of those associated with the Muslim Brotherhood, provided by the Investigative Project on Terrorism after scouring reams of the White House visitation logs. Ironically, this news article appeared just Friday indicating a court had ruled the White House could keep visitor logs secret from the public. The public's house.
It's called taqiyya or lying for the faith.
"Oh ye who believe! Fight those of the disbelievers (Kaffirs) who are near to you, and let them find harshness in you, and know that Allah is with those who keep their duty unto Him. Believers! Wage war against such infidels, as are your neighbors, and let them find you rigorous." Qur'an 9:123-124
The book goes on to explain Shari'a compliant finance used by banking corporations in the U.S. and instances where U.S. judges have actually set aside the U.S. Constitution to rule cases based on Shari'a Law.
The book also suggests, as does its many citations from readily available material, that given President Barack Hussein Obama's extensive knowledge of, and family background with the Wahhabist form of Islam, he may be far more aware of how his moves in Syria may impact this country than most members of Congress may think as the President tries to get them to support his case for holding Syria accountable.


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Microsoft Surface RT reviews
Other news
• iPad mini: Why Tim Cook's Apple is a better company than the one Steve Jobs left behind – Farhad Manjoo argues that Apple always seemed to be operating at the edge of its capacity, but Tim Cook has changed that.
• Some Apple Retail Stores Offering 30-Day Window to Exchange iPads for New Model – Did you buy a new iPad in the past month, only to see it replaced Tuesday with a beefed up, newer model? Some stores will exchange it for you.
• Apple introduces new 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display, ships today for $1,699 and 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina Display: Hands On – The new, 13-inch MacBook Pro gets favorable early looks.
• Digging Into Apple's Fusion Drive Details – Apple's combo SSD/HDD drive intelligently decides what files should go on which drive. It's similar to a hybrid hard drive, but with more flash memory and smarter management.
• Dutch court says Samsung does not infringe Apple patent – Another loss for Apple.
• Zynga's Boston, Austin Layoffs Today: "Almost Everyone Was In The Dark" – The game company lays off 100 staffers and closes its Boston office.
• Facebook Sales Exceed Estimates as Companies Experiment With Ads – Facebook's earnings are better than expected, and show real growth in mobile.
• Hackers Get Credit Data at Barnes & Noble – Customers who shopped at 63 Barnes & Noble stores in New York City, San Diego, Miami and Chicago may have had their credit card data and PINs stole.
• Researcher Develops Patch for Java Zero-Day, Puts Pressure on Oracle to Deliver its Fix
• Netflix Says Amazon Is Gaining and HBO Is Coming – Netflix's subscriber growth is down as a result.


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Razor1911 rulez Amstrad vs Thomson Main Party entrance Demomakers Demomakers Demomakers Demomakers Screens 3rd day... still no sleep... Acet1 artwork Inside Espace St Julien Ice cream Crime scene Dubm00d, I & Tit Seb Tired Console Console Skulls Skulls Tit Seb at desks Needle John drunk Tit Seb at desks Razor1911 rulez Gameboy music Gameboy music Desks waiting for a DJ Live set from Marseille Rose from Sweden Tit Seb at desks Shadow Live set from Sweden Miam Punch Out French demomakers Doing shits with toys Doing shits with toys Dictée magique tunée Doing shits with toys TB303 + TR808 = ? PICT1984 TB303 + TR808 + Skull amplifier = ? TB303 + TR808 + Skull amplifier = ? TB303 + TR808 + Skull amplifier = ? Boy playing old game
Posted on 11/09/2007
Photo taken on November 3, 2007
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