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Chinese netizens are wondering if a murdered 16-year-old endangered herself by sharing too much on Weibo, according to Shanghaiist.
Shenzen-resident Lai Zengyutong filled her Weibo with self portraits, photos of what she was eating, and information on where she was socializing.
The teenage girl went missing on January 12 in Shenzhen's Baoan district. She had told her family that she was meeting a friend for dinner, but she never returned home. Her body was later found in a junk shop.
Lai has since become a trending topic on Weibo. Netizens began posting candles on her account as a sign of respect, and she now has almost 40,000 followers:
Now people are discussing the role of social media in this tragedy. Shanghaiist points out that Weibo offers little in the way of privacy controls — all interactions are open to the public, even for young users such as Lai.
"Daily photo-posters, be more cautious. Don't give the bad guys an opportunity!", writes one user quoted by Tea Leaf Nation. "A quick look through Lai's microblogging account gives a strong impression that she enjoyed sharing her vivacity with others," observes the blog, pointing out that Lai may have used her social media presence as a way to escape her strict home life.
Shenzhen Police have now announced ( via their Weibo account) that they have arrested a 19-year-old man with the surname Meng in connection to the crime.


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February 3, 2014
To all qualified voters in Appling County:
Notice is hereby given that on November 4, 2014, a nonpartisan election will be held to elect one supervisor(s) from Appling County in the Altamaha Soil and Water Conservation District. District Supervisors serve as unpaid state officials who represent their counties in support of soil and water conservation activities.
March 7, 2014, is the last day on which nominations for candidates for the election will be accepted. The signatures of at least 25 qualified electors of the county are required to nominate a candidate. Candidates must also be qualified electors of the county. Nominating petitions must be received in the office of the Appling County Election Superintendent at 36 South Main Street, Baxley, GA not later than 12:00 noon on March 7, 2014. Petitions may be obtained from the Conservation Commission at the address below, from the Commission's website at www.gaswcc.org or from the Election Superintendent of Appling County.
Brent L. Dykes, Executive Director
4310 Lexington Road
P. O. Box 8024
Athens, GA 30603
2-5 and 2-12ch
gpn09 NOTICE OF ELECTION OF ALTAMAHA SOIL AND WATER CONSERVATION DISTRICT SUPERVISOR
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LONDON (MarketWatch) — European stock markets rose on Tuesday, with banks and mining firms in the lead, as investors welcomed signs of progress in U.S. budget negotiations.
The Stoxx Europe 600 index SXXP, +0.12% climbed 0.5% to close at 280.46, snapping a three-day losing streak.
"The fiscal cliff is the major factor. There are concrete signs that the difference between the two parties are narrowing," said Victoria Clarke, economist at Investec Securities.
"It's optimism that we're close to a deal that is the main driver," she said. See: MarketWatch's coverage of the fiscal cliff.
Shares of Nokia Corp. FI:NOK1V NOK, +0.00% posted one of the biggest gains in the pan-European index and jumped 7.9%. Vincent Maulay, analyst at Oddo Securities, said it could be a reflection of strong sales of the Lumia 920 phone.
Risk-sensitive sectors such as mining firms were also on the rise.
Back to 1987
for stocks?
Our Trading Deck has been home to a spirited debate over whether we're in for a crash.
• L.A. Little: Don't worry | Michael Gayed: Worry
• The warning signs of a 1987-style crash
• Hulbert: Stocks as overvalued as at 2007 high
Shares of heavyweight miner BHP Billiton PLC UK:BLT BHP, +0.80% BHP, -0.15% gained 1.2% in London, while Rio Tinto PLC RIO, +1.49% RIO, +0.76% RIO, -0.04% rose 2.8%. See: Gold futures fall as safe-haven appeal dulls.
The FTSE 100 index UKX, +0.21% added 0.4% to 5,935.90. See: Resource firms, banks lead U.K. stocks higher.
ARM Holdings PLC UK:ARM US:ARMH was also on the rise in London, up 1.6%, as the chip maker launched a joint venture in an effort to beef up security on smartphones and tablets. See: ARM venture aims to tighten smartphone security
The fiscal cliff refers to billions of dollars in U.S. spending cuts and tax hikes slated to automatically take effect in the new year.
President Barack Obama on Monday made a new offer to the Republicans, including $1.2 trillion in revenue increases and $1.22 trillion in spending cuts. See: Obama reportedly makes new fiscal-cliff offer
At a news conference on Tuesday, House Speaker John Boehner, however, said the White House's latest offer wasn't balanced and that the Republicans were readying a bill to increase taxes on incomes of more than $1 million. See: Republicans ready 'plan B' tax bill in cliff talks
U.S. stocks opened higher on Wall Street. See: Fiscal-cliff talks lift stock index futures
Clarke from Investec Securities said markets should also be positioned for a firm start to the new year.
"We have to see how severe some of the austerity measures related to the fiscal cliff will be and what impact they will have on the U.S. economy, but once we have that uncertainty out of the way we have the foundation for a better 2013," she said.
"And if we look at Europe, we have Greece that has been dealt with and will probably stay quiet until the German election in September," she said.
Banks in Europe were also on the rise. Spain's Banco Santander SA SAN, -1.03% SAN, -1.56% added 2.2%, while Italy's Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena SpA BMPS, -5.79% gained 3%.
In Germany, Deutsche Bank AG DBK, -1.56% DB, -2.65% picked up 2.2% and Commerzbank AG CBK, -1.67% rose 3.7%.
The DAX 30 index DAX, +0.26% added 0.6% to 7,653.58.
And in France, Credit Agricole SA ACA, +0.00% climbed 2.2%.
Shares of Renault SA RNO, -0.62% lost 1.9%, after Bernstein cut the car maker to market-perform from outperform.
Rémy Cointreau SA RCO, +2.28% dropped 1.4%, as Citigroup initiated coverage of the drinks maker with a neutral rating.
The CAC 40 index PX1, +0.03% rose 0.3% to 3,648.63.
Outside the major indexes, shares of Ratos AB RATO.B, +2.12% sank 5.1%, after the private-equity firm said it would pay a smaller dividend this year.


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Money worries? Want to make the most of your money?
Say hello to Chatterbox - a place to help you choose where to go
Currently searching for help with Tax Advice
This is a free service. In order for us to identify organisations to help, we need to ask you some general questions about you.
We won't ask for your name, contact details, or anything that could identify you.


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A girl can't even take some time off these days without missing news of an acquisition. While I was enjoying some R&R yesterday in the dentist's chair, ShoreTel revealed its plans to buy Agito.
For $11.4 million ShoreTel gets an enterprise mobility platform that will enable users to communicate on any device at any location and using any network.
Bringing mobility into the fold is important for companies like ShoreTel given smartphones, laptops and, increasingly, tablets are becoming the key tools employed by business users. With the Agito acquisition in its pocket, ShoreTel will be able to provide PBX functionality on a variety of popular wireless endpoints including the BlackBerry, iPhone, iPad, and Nokia and Windows Mobile smartphones.
As discussed in the October issue of Unified Communications Magazine, which should post on TMCnet by the end of this month, Synergy Research's latest data reported in the quarter shows ShoreTel grew market share once again in the June quarter to 8.2 percent in the U.S. pure IP market and 5.6 percent of the U.S. IP telephony market. ShoreTel sold approximately 96,000 end user licenses in the quarter, with more than 800 new customers added in that period.
The company is making gains both in the U.S. and abroad by going up market, and winning more and larger contracts.
ShoreTel started out selling to small businesses, but now also has medium and large enterprise users. The target is opportunities involving between 20 and 10,000 users. It recently sold it first contact center in EMEA in excess of 1,000 lines.
International now represents 10 percent of ShoreTel's business, and that's growing. The company has seen the best success in Australia and Europe. As part of its most recently reported quarterly financials ShoreTel revealed it had record high international revenues of $5 million - about 12 percent of four quarter total revenues. That represents a 130 percent year-over-year increase.
ShoreTel wins and retains customers by delivering what Gavin says are simple and straightforward solutions to their unified communications problems.
"The whole notion of brilliant simplicity is what we focus on," he says.


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NEW YORK (Reuters) - Ben & Jerry's Homemade Inc on Thursday won a court order temporarily blocking a producer of pornographic DVDs from selling and advertising titles with names similar to those of the company and its ice cream flavors.
U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan in Manhattan ordered Caballero Video to stop selling 10 DVD titles in its "Ben & Cherry's" series and to remove references to the products from the Internet.
Kaplan issued his temporary restraining order one day after Ben & Jerry's sued Caballero, accusing the North Hollywood, California-based company of trademark infringement.
Ben & Jerry's sued over the sales of such titles as "Boston Cream Thighs," "Chocolate Fudge Babes" and "Peanut Butter D-Cups," which it said were rip-offs of its Boston Cream Pie, Chocolate Fudge Brownie and Peanut Butter Cup flavors.
In addition, the complaint said the DVDs' packaging mimics Ben & Jerry's packaging, including such images as puffy white clouds and grazing cows, while also featuring images reflecting the DVDs' content.
Kaplan directed Caballero to appear in court on September 12 to explain why he should not enter a preliminary injunction that would require the company to recall infringing products.
It was not immediately clear whether Caballero has hired a lawyer for its defense. A woman who answered the phone at its office said the company had no immediate comment.
Ben & Jerry's is based in South Burlington, Vermont, and said it has sold about 45.6 million gallons of its namesake ice cream in the last three years. It is a unit of London-based Unilever Plc.
Defendants in the case include Rodax Distributors Inc, which does business as Caballero, according to the complaint.
Late Thursday, Kaplan ordered that potentially offensive images included in the original complaint be removed from the public record, but be available on file under seal with the court.
The case is Ben & Jerry's Homemade Inc et al v. Rodax Distributors Inc et al, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York, No. 12-06734.
Additional reporting by Jessica Dye; Editing by Leslie Adler


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Back To School: Ubuntu Laptop Pick
As Ubuntu popularity grows, more and more students are recognizing the added features and potential savings offered by an Ubuntu laptop. We've decided to recongnize an Ubuntu laptop we feel is a sure thing for students of any age or price range. Netbooks and laptops are the students solution to computing because of obvious portability reasons. One thing many students find frustrating is the higher cost of laptops and netbooks compared to desktops with similar specs. The biggest reason that Ubuntu laptops can save you money over Windows laptops is that companies like Dell are able to lower the price of Ubuntu-installed laptops because they don't have to pay for the operating system. Ubuntu can be added to almost any computer by creating and booting to an installation disk however for compatibility reasons buying pre-installed Ubuntu laptop may be the best choice for newbies.
This laptop comes with Ubuntu 8.10 but any users have reported a successful upgrade to Ubuntu 9.04 using the upgrade option within the operating system or by using a Ubuntu 9.04 installation disc. The Inspiron 15n features an Intel Pentium Dual Core T4200 2.0 GHZ processor and 3 GB of RAM. Users can burn CDs and DVDs on an 8x dual layer DVD+/-R drive and this laptop features the popular 15.6″ glossy, wide-screen display. The Inspiron 15n also comes with 802.11g wireless and is available in several cool colors for around $40 extra. Selecting brightness upgrade when purchasing a Dell laptop may be a smart move. Many laptop users feel that $25 for a brighter, more vidid screen is worth the money. If you enjoy using compiz fusion and subtle gaming, the Intel X4500HD graphics card included in the Inspiron 15n is a great choice and the only option with this laptop. Users report seeing little or no system slow down on the Compiz medium setting but this video card may not be ideal for any sort of in-depth gaming. All in all this laptop received great reviews from the Ubuntu community without any major problems to report. One thing that helps is Dell does include licensed codecs for mpeg formats, including mp3, and avi formats. This means no installing Ubuntu restricted extras, everything should work out of the box. The Dell Inspiron 15n is available for $514 plus shipping.
Things you might add:
Intel Core 2 Duo T640(Faster): $50
WLED(Brighter Screen): $25
9-Cell Battery: $75
320 GB Hard Drive(More Space): $50
Bluetooth: $20
1.3 Megapixel Webcam: $25
Colors: (pacific blue, ice blue, promise pink, cherry red, alpine white, jade green): $40
BeginLinux Ubuntu Training Videos: $20
If you're on a lighter budget Dell is also still offering the Inspiron Mini 10v. This smaller laptop comes with Ubuntu 8.04 pre-installed and features a 10.1″ screen, an Intel Atom 1.6 processor, 1GB of RAM, and the 1.3 megapixel webcam all for $299 on Dell. The laptop keyboard is 92% the size of a traditional laptop keyboard according to Dell, which makes it feel less like a toy and more like a tool. This is, in my opinion one improvement over many smaller netbooks that require a learning curve to use because of the smaller keyboard size.
If you're truly interested in using the Ubuntu operating system I highly recommend a pre-installed option over installing on an existing computer. Besides the obvious points of compatibility, quality, and cost, i have one more. Buying Ubuntu installed computers is the only way to create more Ubuntu installed laptop and netbook options in the mainstream marketplace.
Visit the Dell Ubuntu products page.


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Running Time: 119 min.
Release Date: April 18, 2014
DVD: July 22, 2014
Current rating:
based on 74 votes and 32 reviews
Rate Movie | Read all user reviews
Cast: Johnny Depp, Rebecca Hall, Paul Bettany, Cillian Murphy, Kate Mara, Cole Hauser, Morgan Freeman
Yay, it's almost Spring. Well, sort of. It may not feel like it, but it's coming, so...
Many filmmakers have attempted to portray artificial intelligence and the impact,...
Captain America: The Winter Soldier continued to hold its spot at the top of the box...
Easter weekend means it will be a busy time for moviegoers to head to theaters for...


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The health care bill may be passed, but the road to reform certainly painted a polarizing picture of America. From a six-hour summit that failed to sway a single Republican, to shouts of "baby killer" and Tea Party protests, politicians and the public seemed to be from different planets.
Psychologically speaking, perhaps they are, say experts, who weigh in on the reasons behind the seemingly endless acrimony these days over a slew of issues, from gay marriageto abortion.
The reasons are many-faced, involving deep-seated personality differences, contrasting moral views, polarized political partiesand today's 24/7, tell-it-all-in-great detail media, all of which prevent liberals and conservatives from seeing eye-to-eye, experts say.
And at the end of the day, these divisions could explain why we can't all just get along.
Conflicting morals
Before they even get to the issues, liberals and conservatives are already starting off on the wrong foot for bipartisan agreement. Fundamental differences in moralsand personality, paired with emotion-driven logic lead to a basic disconnect between the political bents.
Jonathan Haidt of the University of Virginia and his colleagues have pinned down five basic "moral triggers," or the factors people use to judge right from wrong and that have evolved in human societies. Different cultures and even individuals place more emphasis on certain triggers compared with others.
In a broad sense, they boil down to:
Studies have shown that liberals tend to care only about harm and fairness when considering whether something is moral or not, said Peter Ditto, a professor of psychology and social behavior at the University of California, Irvine, who is involved with Haidt's research. In contrast, conservatives have a more traditional moral structure, and tend to care about all five morality factors, he said.
"So that's where a lot of the problems come in, is that the things that really bother conservatives don't bother liberals very much," Ditto said. "And the two groups don't understand each other's morality very well."
Take gay marriage, for example: "From a liberal standpoint, gay marriage isn't a problem, it doesn't harm anybody, and it's only fair that gay people be allowed to be married just like straight people can," Ditto said.
But for conservatives, gay marriage goes against the traditional idea of marriage, and so presents a real moral problem, Ditto explained.
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Twisting the facts
These basic moral differences can then go on to drive the biased perception of facts, Ditto said. Often people don't agree on an issue, because they interpret — or misinterpret — the facts differently, or they simply ignore facts that don't fit their view. People on both sides of the political aisle do this, studies show, and so even what might seem like simple notions of "right" and "wrong" are judged based on altered realities by both parties.
"People process information, and it's biased to supporting their moral ideological view," he said. "And what you end up with is these sort of radically different perceptions of fact, so that it's not like they're just arguing about morals anymore; they perceive the world completely differently."
This bias worldview might have its roots in emotions as well as morals.
"You tend to form emotional ties to the belief that you hold," said Steve Hoffman, a professor in the Department of Sociology at the University of Buffalo in New York. "And so you seek out that information, or those convictions, and those people that convey the convictions that you think you already have."
Psychology research has also identified personality differencesthat might lead people to identify as either liberal or conservative.
"If you have a high need for certainty, you like things to be very sure or certain, [and] if you have a high need for order, if you tend to see lots of threats and danger out in the world, you're more likely to identify as a conservative," said Christopher M. Federico, a professor of psychology and political science at the University of Minnesota.
On the other hand, people with a lower need for certainty and order and who are less likely to see the world as a threatening place are more likely to identify as liberal, he said.
In other words, ideological sorting is not meaningless. "It's not that you like Coke and I like Pepsi, or something like that; it's something that seems to go much deeper, and it's not psychologically arbitrary so to speak," Federico said.
Polarized parities
So liberals and conservatives are different down to the core. And perhaps that's how it's always been. But are we really more partisan today than in years past? The answer depends on how you define "we."
If you're talking about the American public at large, the answer is not so clear.
For instance, the number of Americans who identify as either Democrat or Republican has remained relatively constant over the last 25 years, said Morris Fiorina, a professor of political science at Stanford University. And the number of Independents hovers around 30 percent to 40 percent, he said, suggesting that most Americans actually have moderate views.
However, gauging the extent of American partisanship remains difficult, Hoffman said, and there are some political scientists who would say America is more partisan today, he said.
What is generally agreed upon, however, is that those who are actively involved in the Democratic and Republican parties seem to have become more divided in recent years.
"If you were to randomly draw a Republican and a Democrat from the population today, they're likely to be further apart than if you randomly drew a Republican and a Democrat from the population 40 years ago," Fiorina said.
In other words, each party is more ideologically homogenous, yet both are at more extreme ends of the spectrum, University of Minnesota's Federico said. "You don't see too many liberal Republicans anymore or as many conservative Democrats," as was the case about 50 years ago, he said.
Case in point, no Republicans voted for Obama's health care bill in either the House or the Senate.
Added on top of this division is the fact that those who are more partisan are the ones who are most engaged in politics, according to Federico.
"The people who are most likely to have an impact on politics, to get involved, to go to marches, to vote, to pay attention to the political media, are those that are especially undergoing all these processes that make people more partisan in a sense," Federico said.
These extreme voices on the left and the right help to fuel the perception that America as a whole is more partisan, Fiorina said.
"The people who are the public face of politics, who get on TV and who are on all the talk shows, and so forth, they are not only highly partisan, they are the most partisan of the partisans," he said.
Same divisions, new media
Speaking of media, experts agree part of the blame for American partisanship, or at least the perception of partisanship, rests with the endless number of politically biased TV and radio shows, newspapers and Internet sites.
While people have likely always had differences in their moral beliefs, and had a tendency to take a skewed view toward the facts, today's media allows such distorted notions to be reinforced, said Ditto, of the University of California, Irvine.
"If I'm a liberal I can go to MSNBC, I listen to NPR, read liberal magazines, I read the Huffington Post," Ditto said. "If I'm a conservative, I go to Fox News, I read Michelle Malkin, I listen to Rush Limbaugh.
"The two sides come in and they just fundamentally don't agree on even the most basic facts, because they want to believe certain things, and they're reinforced [by the media]" Ditto said.
Hoffman agrees.
"There is this kind of rhetoric of absolute conviction, and it's either kind of a right wing conviction or a kind of liberal conviction," he said. "What effect that has, is that it both exacerbate the sense that we live in an increasingly polarized world, and [media pundits] also appeal to people's emotions and their kind of emotional processing," Hoffman said.
The media and the Internet likely also play a role in fueling the spread of radical beliefs. For instance, a recent poll, conducted by Harris Interactive, found that 32 percent of those polled believe that President Obama is a Muslim, and about a quarter of Republicans in the poll think he may be the antichrist. The poll was widely criticized for not properly representing the public, but Harris pollsters stood by its validity. Either way, it illustrated a big gap in how the left and the right view things and how those views can be supported by the media.
"The media give you the support that you need, and you're able to go and find those things, whereas in the past, it was much harder to find something that would support your beliefs, particularly crazy ones," Ditto said.
While many extreme beliefs today, like those expressed in the Harris poll, seem to be coming from the right wing, the same biases also occur on the left, and at another point in history, extreme leftist views might have been more ostentatious.
"To a certain extent the same thing happens on the left, and maybe at different historical times it would be more prominent on the left as well," Ditto said.
© 2012 LiveScience.com. All rights reserved.


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myAzimia necesitaba un nuevo diseño de logotipo y lanzó un concurso de diseño en 99designs.
Un ganador ha sido elegido entre 50 diseños de 22 diseñadores freelance.
I am the founder of inuka.org, which is the first microfinance peer to peer lending site that is aimed solely at provding capital financing to women in sub-saharan Africa who have small businesses. We are a social enterprise that has both commercial and social aims. Inuka is swahili word meaning 'to rise up' and this matches the aims of inuka.org completely; through our online Peer to Peer lending platform, we aim to connect social investors all over the globe with female owned businesses in sub-saharan Africa and help these women 'rise up' from their current standards of living and promote their economic empowerment through the capital they receive for funding their small businesses.
We target social investors, people who have a philanthropic leaning and want to make a difference in the dveloping world. This market niche is also internet savvy which means that they are comfortable with making transactions over the internet (i.e investing over the internet). Social investors are people who interesting in investing for good and at the same time making a social impact through their investments.
We need a simple logo that depicts the name of our organisation and the meaning of the word 'inuka' (to rise up) the logo should give a feeling of movement if possible showing something or someone rising up. We dont want a map of Africa in the logo as it is too cliche. Our colours are green, black and grey. These colours can be used in any combination. As we are targetting female owned businesses in teh devloping world we would be ok with a logo that includes a female form although this not should be the overwhelming or core part of the logo. We want you to be as creative as you can be and produce a simple but memorable logo.
Descubre cómo funciona un concurso de diseño u obtén más información sobre nuestros servicios de diseño de logo.


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Due to the overwhelming attendee feedback from last year's RezFest®, HomeAway Software for Professionals™ is proud to announce a repeat of the most vibrant and comprehensive software user conference for property management companies of all sizes on September 25 - 27, 2012 at Red Rock Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada. Join us for an incredible 2-day event where you will learn firsthand about the latest industry trends, imminent technology changes and most importantly, tangible ways to take your vacation rental business to higher levels of efficiency than you've ever imagined. This year, we challenged ourselves to outperform last year's success, which is not going to be easy after what we heard last year:
"RezFest 2011 was the best conference I have attended in 10 years," said Doug Byron from RE/MAX Lake Travis & Co.
You won't want to miss the most valuable industry event and miss an opportunity to spend 2 1/2 days learning and networking with the most innovative property managers in the industry while having fun at the Red Rock Casino, Resort and Spa with all of us. This venue offers exquisite hotel rooms and suites with an unmatched combination of comfort, extravagance and value. Guests at the Red Rock Casino, Resort and Spa are pampered with every comfort and convenience imaginable, from luxurious bed linens to iPod jack sound system in every room and in-room spa treatments by appointment.
"RezFest is not only a wonderful way to keep your finger on the pulse of the vacation rental industry, but also a terrific opportunity to network and interact with some of the most innovative minds in the field." (Mark Carraway - Meyer Vacation Rentals)
In addition to over 80 educational sessions to choose from and evenings of fun-filled events, you will hear from two extraordinary keynote speakers. Brian Sharples (CEO of HomeAway, Inc), who has lead the biggest revolution in the travel industry in decades, and Tom Flick. Mr. Flick has provided guidance to world class companies, including Starbucks, Ritz-Carlton, Boeing, Marriott and dozens of others. His insights have inspired sales teams, executives and managers from some of the greatest companies in America—who have asked him to return year after year. HomeAway is excited to have Mr. Flick speak about teamwork, performance and growth to the greatest companies in the vacation rental industry. And as a hands-on owner and user of vacation rental properties, Mr. Flick is bound to surprise you with leadership ideas you can apply to your business immediately.
You can attend RezFest 2012 for less than $240 if you take advantage of our "early bird" pricing, a $260 saving over our rack-rate pricing! So Register Today and receive the best possible value of any industry conference!


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It looks like your browser is out of date.
To use all features of KLM.com safely, we recommend that you update your browser, or that you choose a different one. Continuing with this version may result in parts of the website not being displayed properly, if at all. Also, the security of your personal information is better safeguarded with an updated browser.
When you think of romantic Rome, mysterious corridors and old crypts may not be the first thing that come to mind. Just outside the city are the Catacombs of Rome, a network of underground cemeteries dug in the second century AD. The most impressive are the Catacombs of St Callixtus, where 16 popes and some 30 martyrs are buried.
The catacombs of St Callixtus owe their name to the deacon Callixtus, who was appointed cemetery supervisor by Pope Zephyrinus in the third century. These catacombs became the official burial place of the Church of Rome. Christianity was still a fairly uncommon faith at the time and while the Romans cremated their dead, Christians preferred that their loved ones be buried. Roman religion forbade burial within city bounds, so the catacombs became the designated place.
There is an air of mystery in the corridors. The catacombs count no fewer than 4 storeys and some are 20 metres below ground. The most important of the various sections is the popes' area, also known as 'the little Vatican'. The popes' crypts of St Callixtus are considered the most beautiful in the catacombs and original inscriptions are still visible in the walls.
The crypt of St Cecilia is another highlight. St Cecilia, patroness of music, was buried here for 5 centuries. She died a martyr's death around the year 230 and her body was missing for a long time. Her tomb was rediscovered with the catacombs of St Callixtus in 820. Pope Paschal I gave the order to rebuild a church in the place where she had died and transferred her body there. The basilica of Santa Cecilia can still be admired in the charming neighbourhood of Trastevere.
The hallways and rooms of the catacombs are richly decorated with Christian symbols. As Christians could not practice their faith openly at the time, they painted and carved symbols to express their beliefs. The best known are the monogram of Christ, the fish and the Good Shepherd. The monogram consists of the Greek characters X and P, the first two letters of the Greek word for Christ. If they are engraved on a tomb, this means that a Christian is buried there.


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Auburn dropped a 78-57 decision to San Diego State on Friday night.
BOULDER, Colo. �— Auburn dropped a 78-57 decision to San Diego State on Friday night in the first round of the Omni Hotels Classic.
Junior Tyrese Tanner was the top scorer for Auburn (3-2) with 17 points, along with four rebounds and three steals, while Tra'cee Tanner followed with 13 points and a team-high eight rebounds off the bench. Hasina Muhammad rounded out the double-digit scorers with 10.
Auburn trailed by as many as 15 points in the first half.
The Tigers rallied back, however, out-scoring the Aztecs 15-5 to close out the period and holding SDSU scoreless for the last 4:06.
The Tigers kept the momentum rolling into the second half and tied the game at 36-36 with 15:05 to play after a 3-pointer from Courtney Strain. That would be the final run, though, as San Diego State scored the next seven points and outscored Auburn 42-21 the rest of the game. Courtney Clements led the way for the Aztecs, scoring 26 points with five rebounds and three steals.


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A rundown of the trades that have already occurred (asterisk represents trades I personally feel are the most important for contending teams--not to be confused with steroids):
June 6: Angel Berroa (SS) to the Dodgers; Juan Rivera (IF) to the Royals
June 13: Trot Nixon (OF) to the Mets; Diamondbacks get player to be named or cash
July 7: *C.C. Sabathia (SP) to the Brewers; Matt LaPorta (OF), Zach Jackson (P), and Rob Bryson (P) to the Indians*
July 8: *Rich Harden (SP) and Chad Gaudin (P) to the Cubs for four players to the A's (more here)
July 17: Tony Clark (1B) to the Diamonbacks; Evan Scribner (P) to the Padres
July 17: Joe Blanton (P) to the Phillies for three players to the A's including Matt Spencer (OF)
July 20: Ray Durham (2B) to the Brewers for two players headed to the Giants
July 22: Pitching deal--Randy Wolf to the Astros, Chad Reineke to the Padres
July 25: *Xavier Nady (OF) and Marte (P) to the Yanks for four players to the Pirates*
July 26: Casey Blake (3B) to the Dodgers for Carlos Santana (C) and Jon Meloan (P) to the Indians
July 27: *Mark Teixeira (1B) to the Angels for Casey Kotchman (1B) and Marek (P) to the Braves*
July 28: Ivan Rodriguez (C) to the Yanks; Kyle Farnsworth (P) to the Tigers
The Braves were going to lose Mark Teixeira at the end of the season to free agency, but they don't seem to have taken advantage of his worth. On the other hand, the Angels capitalized on this trade and are nearly a sure bet for clinching that division. The Padres seem to be trading all over the place, but are they even going to make it to the post season? I highly doubt it. The Dodgers needed a bat, Casey Blake on a good day probably won't be enough for them. The Cubs and Brewers made wise pitching choices that will leave them in the race up until the end. The Yankees are attempting to clean up their lineup with so many injuries. If anyone can replace Jorge Posada, it's Pudge Rodriguez, but that doesn't make me feel any better about Pudge going to the Yanks!
Players to keep an eye on today: Greg Maddux (SP) of the Padres, Adam Dunn (OF) and Ken Griffey, Jr. (OF) of the Reds, Jeremy Hermida (OF) of the Marlins, Manny Ramirez (OF) of the Red Sox, Jason Bay (OF) of the Pirates, Will Ohman (P) of the Braves, Brian Fuentes (SP) of the Rockies, Ron Mahay (P) of the Royals, and Adrian Beltre (3B) of the Mariners.
Update (9:18 a.m. MST): Ken Griffey, Jr. is said to be in talks for a trade to the Chicago White Sox. The former Mariner and current Red has never played for a World Series winning (or playing) team and would like to do so before the end of his 608-home run and still counting career.
Update (9:32 a.m. MST): From the rumor mill...embattled Boston Red Sox outfielder Manny Ramirez may be going to the Florida Marlins (of all teams!!) in a three-team deal. If this indeed happens, I still don't believe Theo Epstein will let it, this coul put the Marlins in a position to take over the National League East where they have been battling the Mets & Philles competently for over a month. Manny, who like Ken Griffey, Jr., gets the final say and he's saying he won't block a trade.
Update (9:50 a.m. MST): Word is the Reds have agreed to trade Junior to the White Sox, but are awaiting final word and approval from Griffey himself.
Update (9:59 a.m. MST): And it's golden! Ken Griffey, Jr. is headed to the White Sox--just agreed to it. No word on what the Reds get in return.
3 hours and 53 minutes to go...
Update (10:09 a.m. MST): Marlins trade prospect Hernandez for left-hander Rhodes; Astros acquire Hawkins from Yanks
Update (10:26 a.m. MST): Pirates may be holding up the Ramirez deal.
Update (10:56 a.m. MST): Sports Illustrated is reporting that Manny Ramirez has approved possible trade to the Florida Marlins. However, the Pirates want more from the Red Sox for Jason Bay than Theo Epstein and the Bo-Sox may be willing to pay. Seems the Marlins are willing to trade whatever is necessary to the Pirates to assure Manny arrives in Miami. What do you think the chances are all those empty seats at Dolphin Stadium will fill up if Manny turns up in Miami?
3 hours and 4 minutes to go...
I've yet to decide what the silence out of the Mets and the Nationals means for the National League East. Where Washington is concerned, I suspect it boils down to having very little money and players that aren't worth much if anything (Paul Lo Duca I'm looking at you).
Found this from yesterday's Houston Chronicle: Astros to those interested--thanks for asking, but not a snowball's chance in hell. They are keeping Tejada! Is this the second-wind of Miguel Tejada? If his performance in the all star game is any indication, then a resounding yes!
Update (11:37 a.m. MST): If the Red Sox don't deserve Manny, nobody deserves Manny? It's beginning to look like a deal that would land Manny Ramirez in Miami and Jason Bay in Boston is all but dead. There are of course still 2 hours and 23 minutes before the Red Sox have hit a brick wall (or big green monster) with this deal, but it doesn't look good for the BoSox.
Update (11:43 a.m. MST): Details of the Manny situation via Ken Rosenthal. Is no news good news? Not if there is "nothing to talk about."
I didn't say there was anything sane about the trade deadline! 1 hour, 32 minutes and the race is on.
Final Update and Analysis:
As of the 4 p.m. (EST) trade deadline, no deals had been announced for today's most talked about players: Manny Ramirez and Jason Bay. It seems that in the last hour before the trade deadline, a deal that would have sent Manny to the Florida Marlins fell apart and Jason Bay was left hanging. Then talk got louder about Bay going to the bay, literally, Los Angeles to be exact.
The 4 p.m. trade deadline came and went. Still no deals to be announced.
However, word is that a deal has been reached between three teams, the Boston Red Sox, the Pittsburgh Pirates, and the Los Angeles Dodgers, sending Manny Ramirez to L.A., Jason Bay to Boston, and four minor leaguers (possibly Brandon Moss and Andy LaRoche) to the Pirates.
I didn't believe that the Red Sox would trade Manny, but once Manny started saying he'd accept a trade anywhere, I figured things had gotten bad enough that Manny wanted out and Boston would in fact move him. After all he's done and said recently, Manny needed a move almost as much as the Red Sox needed him off the front page of the Boston Globe. Ironically, L.A. deserves Manny. Hopefully for Joe Torre the trade turns out better than it did when Andruw Jones booked a flight from Atlanta to L.A.
Jason Bay's presence in a Boston outfield doesn't detract much from the overall defense of the BoSox. His hitting may. For all that has been said about Manny, there is no denying his presence in any lineup. You don't trade away a 600-career homerun hitter and not feel the pain a little.
As for the rest of today's trade deadline news, I am happy to see Ken Griffey, Jr. getting some of the spotlight. This guy is a class act. More so than any other active player in the league. He is what is great and decent about Major League Baseball. Will his move to the White Sox earn him a World Series victory? Too soon to tell if Chicago will still be at the top of the their division. However, Chicago fans, I think, can really appreciate the talent of Griffey. He'll be happy, showing of that trademark smile, no matter where he plays. Let's just hope he's playing for a team that will see a whole lot of the post season.
Here's what no news from the Mets and Nationals means to me. The Nationals will not see post-season play for at least another couple of years. Without making any moves before the trade deadline they aren't ever going to bring in young talent or get rid of veteran talent. As far as I'm concerned, they should send Paul Lo Duca packing. For whatever they're paying him they could easily pick up some minor league talent. The Mets are a bit more complicated. They have had their own shakeup this year and the exit of Willie Randolph may have been the biggest change they could handle. They have a decent, young team that is still in the race. Despite their epic collapse last year, they know what it takes to win. It would have benefitted them to go shopping for a little more outfield help. Trot Nixon and Carlos Beltran can't do it all and it may be awhile before Ryan Church and Moises Alou are healthy and back in the lineup. The funny thing is, when the season started I thought that by the trade deadline they'd be shopping for a new first baseman by way of the Diamondbacks or Braves. Good for Delgado for coming around.
The team I think stands the most to gain by these pre-deadline happenings is the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Mark Teixeira brings gold-glove skills and a serious bat to their roster. He will be what the Braves were looking for and couldn't capitalize on. With a solid lineup behind him, look for big numbers from Tex.
The team I don't want to have anything to gain from all of this is the Yankees. In fact, since last night I've spent a lot of time wondering if my favorite catcher can remain my favorite catcher once he suits up in pinstripes. I was looking at stats for Ivan Rodriguez earlier and noticed that he's listed at 5'9" and 190 lbs. Pudge! Are you kidding? I wonder how pitchers will adjust going from the tall and slender Jorge Posada to the short (can't be more than 5'5") and stocky Pudge. Regardless of size, the 2003 NLCS MVP brings thirteen gold gloves with him to the remaining days of Yankee Stadium. Thirteen gold gloves behind the dish, can you really beat that? Nady will stabilize the Yanks' outfield, his arm is certainly stronger than Damon's, but will his bat bring the numbers the Yankees need to stay in contention? Who knows. I want to say no.
Who were the winners and losers this trade season? Obviously, the Angels and the Brewers. With solid hitting and pitching you can't go wrong. The Red Sox struck even. The Pirates three years from now may be the winners of today's trade, but tomorrow they'll be the team without two solid bats. The Braves made a horrible trade in terms of what they got for what they had. And I'm still wondering how the Tigers couldn't agree to send Pudge to the Marlins in some sort of deal similar to the Willis/Cabrera deal. The Reds lost big time, the White Sox too soon to tell, but probably winners in the short term.
Surprise of the day? Not a single Molina was traded. Can't blame the Cardinals for holding tight to Yadier, the Yankees now have a backup catcher for their backup catcher, but Bengie? Staying put for a team that doesn't seem to need anyone to catch anything behind the plate--not with fastballs that everybody is hitting and wild pitches that not even the backstop is knocking down.
Minus the part where I had "Best of You" by the Foo Fighters stuck in my head all damn day and had to take a break for physical therapy, this has been a fairly exciting and enjoyable trade deadline.


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The world is
not with us—enough.
O taste and see.
–Denise Levertov, "Taste and See"
It may seem incongruous to speak about a poet by introducing the work of another poet—in this case, Luci Shaw via Denise Levertov. But many factors make this epigraph fitting of Luci's work, vision, and character, the most immediate reason being that Luci is the recipient of the tenth annual Denise Levertov Award, an annual literary award given by Image Journal, Seattle Pacific University, and the SPU MFA program in creative writing.
If it weren't for Luci's work and vision, it could be said the MFA program that shaped and spurred me wouldn't exist. And if it weren't for Luci's character—generous and lovingly, stubbornly brilliant—many poets and writers who wrestle with Christian faith would not have the room to explore language and belief on equal terms.
Luci Shaw, alongside Levertov, has spent her life opening the world to us through poems and prose, her faith never smugly covering up life's unanswerable complexities. Instead, Luci's Christianity is one with muscle: it asks the hard questions, examines the difficulties of doubt, of thirsty children in Honduras, of a mother's coldness in the face of a child's need for love.
But if Luci's faith can be compared to muscle, it is a supple one, unafraid to bend and bow to the mysteries that both haunt and comfort her: "Sterile, skeptics, yet we may be broken / to his slow, silent birth, his beginning / new in us."
In Luci, we see a poet who does not shy away from faith, but without kitsch or pretense, clings to it with her whole being. We are brought to both beauty and wonder in a way that both satisfies and leaves us hungry, a way that demands total attention: "My whole body an ear, an eye," she writes in "The Simple Dark," a poem that could be considered a trademark of Luci's aesthetic vision.
Luci's poetry has taught me this: paying attention is hard, holy work, and we must do it all the time. And we must bring others to see what we see, make them stare a little longer than they are comfortable doing, in order to see the beauty and difficulty of the world that we live in.
This is what it means, in Luci's work, to "taste and see"—to examine what is around us with an open heart, and to recognize that what makes the world feel frightening to us is often our own fear, which, when faced, can give way to something more.
In a small way, I try to share Luci's vision with others. I've bought many of her almost thirty books, but none of them are on my shelves: they sit with friends, churchgoers, old students who needed something to read.I've had the honor of working with Luci on some of her poems as an editor for The Other Journal, and I was always surprised at her graciousness, her fluid revisions, the kindness with which she took my simple questions.
I was completely surprised at the reception my students gave her work when I taught her latest book of poetry, Harvesting Fog. The journey through Luci's book was slow and rewarding. Many of my students had never read a full book of poetry before, and were delighted to find a poet whose depictions of ladybugs, water, and midnight soul searching mirrored their own.
One student wrote a poem in response to one of Luci's and submitted it to a magazine. Another student, a self-professed hater of poetry, wrote a poem about his Mountain Dew bottle in imitation of Luci that shocked both of us with its wit and humor.
We spent one class hour sitting in the woods outside campus, the morning sun spilling through the tree branches, all of us standing in a circle, listening to a Kenyan student read Luci's work, her hushed, graceful voice hard to catch in the windy morning.
This was a lesson to us—the need to listen closely, to quiet ourselves, to pay attention. It is still a lesson to me in these days where I rush through job applications and frantically add items to my unborn son's baby registry.
It is a lesson to all of us who would measure our faith by the products of our belief: committees headed, checks written, but our own midnight questions ignored out of fear, or apathy, or simple weariness at the endurance faith requires.
"We live in such a changing, complex, intricately formed universe. Every part of it deserves to be brought to our attention." Luci said in a recent interview with Image.
And what does that attention do but force us to listen for God, even if what we hear is silence, or a murmuring that we cannot decipher? What does that attention do but erase our excuses, reveal our needs to us, humble us to the bone?
And if that is the case, what can we hope for? If we read Luci rightly, we hope for love, which she sees as a reality that, perfectly divine, is always drawing us:
"The tide that outward ebbs, turns then and inward flows," she writes in "The Returns of Love," comparing our blind seeking to the endless reach of God's love for us. "And what I offer you, you'll multiply to me."
Luci's body of work is a legacy that offers us a way to see the world as a testament to what is multiplied to us, an invitation to God's table, which invites all and is for all. Her work challenges us to see that invitation in things both beautiful and difficult—to not only see, but to accept, partake, and pass on.
Today's post is the second of two honoring Luci Shaw, the 2013 recipient of the Denise Levertov Award to be presented in Seattle on May 16 at an event open to the public. Click here for more information.


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You know your city might be out to stop your Synagogue when one of its most powerful officials testifies that its creation might bother the Libyan embassy that is your neighbor. But that was the testimony of City Engineer Ken Albert at a recent hearing where he said that our Synagogue may not have enough "landscape buffering" to protect the Libyans next door.
Landscape buffering.
And here I was more concerned about Kaddafi owning the house next door to me and possibly stockpiling arms as he reportedly did with embassies all over the world and God forbid harming my family. And what did the city do protect us? Nothing. Zero. Gornisht.
Over thirty years they even forced me, and the rest of Englewood's residents, to subsidize Kaddafi's murderous regime by refusing to challenge his tax exemption. But as soon as we apply for a Synagogue, the city Engineer, whose full salary remains undisclosed despite it being paid from the public purse, is concerned that we might interfere with the rights of the Libyans. It has suddenly taken on great importance that our Libyan neighbors – who pay no taxes – be protected by requiring planting of evergreens capable of growing to 106 feet within one year, 25 feet from the property line. It seems that landscape buffering has now been added to our national policy of cooperation and trust building between our two nations! Perhaps they are trying to play out "and they shall turn their swords into plowshares…."
Our hearings before Englewood's Board of Adjustment have been farcical. Harry Reidler is a member of the board who is also an active Democratic Council member in Bergen County. He has repeatedly brought up my Congressional candidacy (Republican) in the hearings, although they were never germane to the application. His hostility has been glaring and undisguised.
In the last thirteen years our Synagogue has hosted thousands of people of every denomination, religion, color and creed, including Mayors of our City, Governors, Senators, and world-renowned personalities. For many, especially secular Jews and non-Jews, it is their first introduction to the beauty of Judaism and the peace and serenity of the Sabbath. But that did not stop Reidler from a bizarre insinuation in the last hearing, by some strange comparison, that our Synagogue might be something of a scam. This loathsome and slanderous suggestion, bordering on the anti-Semitic, was, mercifully, quickly objected to by the chair but only on the grounds that it was off topic. That Reidler seems to have made up his mind about our application before it was heard and does not even evince a pretense of objectivity is evident from the hearing's transcripts, which are all part of the public record. Another board member, Elliot Fuld, seems only slightly behind Reidler in animus and opposition.
Hearings that are supposed to be fair and objective have instead been characterized by deep hostility, making a mockery of Englewood justice. Albert, for example, did not even reveal, as he should have been required to at the beginning of his testimony, that about eight years ago, after he and the city tried to strong-arm me by appropriating part of our property for a traffic light and offered us $1000 in compensation (in Englewood, when your home is assessed for tax purposes it is Versailles, but for condemnations it suddenly becomes a trailer park), I sued the city with Albert as its main witness. They paid me a settlement and Albert's plan was revised. They did not take the land. Surely a lawsuit in which Albert played a central role should have been mentioned by him as part of full disclosure.
Nor is the board beyond intimidation in order to try and get us to back down and withdraw our application. Ken Albert is supposed to be simply the City Engineer, however well compensated. But in our hearings he suddenly decided to play the role of City code enforcer, suggesting to the board that because we have employees (he mentioned four, there are actually fewer) we are in violation of city statutes. (Interestingly, the last City code enforcer, Peter Abballe, with whom I clashed over the Kaddafi home next door to me, was arrested by the FBI in a sting operation and pleaded guilty to taking bribes). Those present at the hearing began to imagine a frightening scenario of a city doing random spot checks for inconsequential violations on the part of citizens that run afoul of city elders.


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May 24, 2010
Advanced Overnight Camp Registration
Advanced Summer Showcase Registration
The UC Santa Barbara softball program will be running a trio of camps this summer on the UCSB campus it has recently been announced.
The first camp being offered during the summer of 2010 is the Advanced Overnight Camp running June 21-23. This camp is geared toward the skilled and motivated player - if you want to play college softball, this is the camp for you!
During the Advanced Overnight Camp, the UCSB coaching staff with focus on skill development and position-specific instruction. For more information on the camp and to register, click here.
UCSB will also run two Advanced Summer Showcases on July 24 and 25. These single day camps will open with a morning session consisting of offensive and defensive skill development and conclude with an afternoon session, which will focus on practicing live game situations. For more information and to register, click here.


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Director of Athletics, 1977-98
Founder Iron Dukes Organization
Baseball Coach, 1968-70
Tom Butters retied from Duke in 1998 after 30 years at the university, the last 20 as the Director of Athletics.
A former professional baseball pitcher with the Pittsburgh Pirates, Butters came to Duke in 1967 as Director of Special Events. He was the Blue Devils baseball coach from 1968-70, later founded the Iron Dukes Organization and moved into the AD's chair in 1977.
Known as a champion fundraiser, he led the way in updating several facilities that hadn't been touched since they were first erected in the 1930s and 40s. He was known as a no-nonsense administrator who, while serving on the NCAA Basketball Committee, was instrumental in negotiating its $1 billion deal with CBS.
His Duke trademark may have been his insistence on absolute integrity in every facet of the athletics operation. That commitment to excellence took the Blue Devil program to the height of excellence on and off the playing surface. The 1986 men's soccer squad won the school's first ever national championship while the 1991 and 1992 men's basketball teams soon followed with the gold trophy. Duke annually graduated over 95 percent of its student athletes during Butters' regime, highlighted by the football program earning the nation's most outstanding graduation rate nine times.


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Astros, top pick Aiken unable to reach deal
Two days after the Astros selected him with the No. 1 overall pick, Brady Aiken agreed to terms on a $6.5 million bonus that would have matched the Draft record for a high school pitcher. But what was supposed to be a routine physical led to questions about Aiken's elbow, and the signing deadline passed Friday at 4 p.m. CT without him signing a contract.
A left-hander from Cathedral Catholic High in San Diego, Aiken became just the third No. 1 overall pick in Draft history not to come to terms, following Danny Goodwin (White Sox) in 1971 and Tim Belcher (Twins) in 1983. Baseball sources said that the Astros made three offers to Aiken on Friday, the last of which was for slightly more than $5 million.
Two days after the Astros selected him with the No. 1 overall pick, Brady Aiken agreed to terms on a $6.5 million bonus that would have matched the Draft record for a high school pitcher. But what was supposed to be a routine physical led to questions about Aiken's elbow, and the signing deadline passed Friday at 4 p.m. CT without him signing a contract.
A left-hander from Cathedral Catholic High in San Diego, Aiken became just the third No. 1 overall pick in Draft history not to come to terms, following Danny Goodwin (White Sox) in 1971 and Tim Belcher (Twins) in 1983. Baseball sources said that the Astros made three offers to Aiken on Friday, the last of which was for slightly more than $5 million.
"We did reach out multiple times today," Houston general manager Jeff Luhnow said. "For whatever reason, the other side wasn't responding. It was very fruitless negotiating against ourselves. We tried. We gave it our best shot to get a deal done with Brady, but it wasn't to be.
"It's disappointing. Our fans are disappointed, obviously. The second pick next year doesn't feel as good as signing Brady Aiken would have been today. Still, it's not a fatal blow to our plan. It's a setback, no question, but we're going to continue to invest in our pipeline and our strategy won't change."
Luhnow said the Astros also tried make contact with Aiken and his family earlier in the week but were unsuccessful.
Jim Aiken, Brady's father, and Casey Close of Excel Sports Management, who's advising Aiken, both declined comment via text messages. Earlier in the week, Close accused Houston of trying to manipulate its Draft pool to reduce Aiken's bonus and create extra money to sign 21st-rounder Mac Marshall, a Parkview (Ga.) High left-hander and Louisiana State recruit rated as a top-three-rounds talent.
The third high school lefty ever taken with the Draft's top pick, Aiken agreed to terms on a $6.5 million bonus on June 7, matching Jameson Taillon's (Pirates, 2010) standard for prep pitchers. He flew to Houston on June 23 for a physical that was supposed to cement the deal, but the results left the club concerned about the size of the ulnar collateral ligament in Aiken's left elbow.
The Astros subsequently reduced their offer to $3,168,840, which equals the minimum 40 percent of his assigned pick value ($7,922,100) required to receive the No. 2 overall choice in 2015 as compensation for Aiken not signing.
Fifth-rounder Jacob Nix, who like Aiken was advised by Close of Excel Sports Management, got caught in the fallout of Aiken's physical. A right-hander from Los Alamitos (Calif.) High, Nix agreed to a $1.5 million bonus within two weeks of the Draft. But his deal was put on hold and ultimately rescinded because if Houston had paid him $1.5 million without signing Aiken, it would have exceeded its bonus pool by more than 15 percent -- and lost its next two first-round picks as a penalty under the Draft rules.
"Certainly in the Draft -- and I haven't looked at the numbers in a while -- but there's a long way before these guys become Major League players," Astros owner Jim Crane said. "They did sign a very high percentage of the guys we drafted. You'd like to get all of them. We're certainly disappointed we didn't get these two, but we'll move on and keep working and deploy the money in other areas, international or free agents. We'll continue to get better. We're all disappointed we couldn't get him signed."
While Jim Aiken and Close were silent Friday, MLB Players Association executive director Tony Clark was not. The No. 2 overall pick in the 1990 Draft, Clark issued a statement after the deadline passed.
"Today, two young men should be one step closer to realizing their dreams of becoming Major League ballplayers," the statement read. "Because of the actions of the Houston Astros, they are not. The MLBPA, the players and their advisers are exploring all legal options."
Luhnow denied that the Astros violated any rules or tried to take advantage of Aiken in order to sign Marshall.
"We were following the rules all along," Luhnow said. "We advised Major League Baseball of what we were doing every step of the way. We didn't do anything unethical. We didn't try to game the system. We tried to do what was best for the Houston Astros in accordance with the current [Collective Bargaining Agreement] and the Draft system. It's frustrating listening to people who are saying we tried to pull a fast one."
Both Aiken and Nix are committed to UCLA. If they join the Bruins, they wouldn't be Draft-eligible again until 2017.
However, Aiken and Nix could enter the 2015 Draft if they were to attend junior college or play in an independent professional league. Clark's reference to "legal options" suggests that they could have the MLBPA pursue a grievance or they could file a lawsuit.
A parallel to Aiken's situation happened last year, when St. Ignatius High (San Francisco) lefty Matt Krook agreed to terms with the Marlins as a supplemental first-round selection (35th overall) but failed his physical. Miami offered him 40 percent of his assigned value and received the 36th pick in the 2014 Draft. Krook decided to follow through on his commitment to attend Oregon, where he had Tommy John surgery this spring.
Multiple baseball officials believe that the circumstances surrounding Aiken (and Krook) will lead to eventual changes in the way Draft physicals are conducted. The current CBA, which came into play in December 2011, overhauled the Draft rules and called for a pre-Draft medical combine, though MLB and the MLBPA have been unable to work out the logistics.
When the Draft is held in early June, many college and high school players are still in the midst of their seasons. So almost all physicals take place after the Draft, with the determination of whether the player passes or fails solely at the discretion of the team's doctor. If he fails, like Aiken and Krook, the 40-percent rule gives the club almost all of the leverage and makes further negotiations difficult.
"This is a good opportunity to have a conversation about the process, see if we can take the lessons learned this year and make it better for everybody," Luhnow said. "We have an opportunity, together with the union, to prevent something like this from happening again."
Jim Callis is a reporter for MLB.com.


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- Maximum temperature: 100 F (38 C)
- Minimum temperature: 40 F (5 C)
- Maximum pressure: 125 psi (8.6 bar)
- Minimum pressure: 20 psi (1.4 bar)
- End Caps: Polypropylene
- Inner/Outer Wraps: Polyolefin
- Netting: Polyethylene
- Gaskets: Buna-N


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"Small quantities of processed meat such as bacon, sausages or salami can increase the likelihood of dying early by a fifth," The Daily Telegraph reported today.
The news is based on a large study that looked at the diets and health of over 120,000 people over periods of up to 28 years, assessing their diets every four years and following the development of any heart problems or cancer.
Researchers found that regularly eating red meat, in particular processed meat, was associated with a significantly higher risk of dying prematurely. Each 85 gram daily serving of unprocessed red meat (equivalent to about three thin slices of roast beef) was associated with a 13% increase in death risk during the study period, while one daily serving of processed meat (one hot dog or two slices of bacon) was associated with a 20% increased risk.
The researchers then input their data into a theoretical model, which estimated that 9.3% of early deaths in men and 7.6% in women in the study could have been prevented if all the participants had consumed fewer than 0.5 servings a day (about 42 gram a day) of red meat.
This was a well-conducted study but it could not conclusively prove that red meat raises the risk of premature death, although the results are of key interest and the evidence is mounting on the issue. According to UK dietary surveys, 4 in 10 men and 1 in 10 women eat more than 90 grams of red and processed meat a day. The Department of Health recommends that people eating more than 90 grams of red and processed meat a day limit their intake to no more than 70 grams a day in cooked weight. That is about the size of a large beefburger.
Where did the story come from?
The study was carried out by researchers from a number of research institutions, including the Harvard School of Public Health in the US. It was funded by the US National Institutes of Health, and the US National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute.
The study was published in the peer-reviewed medical journal, Archives of Internal Medicine.
This research was widely reported in the media, with several reports including comments from independent experts. The Daily Mail also included some critical comments on the research from the industry funded Meat Advisory Panel. The Sun's claim that red meat kills was misleading.
What kind of research was this?
This was a prospective cohort study to investigate the association between red meat intake and early death in two large groups of men and women. It looked at both deaths from all causes and deaths from heart disease and cancer.
The researchers point out that red meat consumption has been associated with increased risk of chronic diseases but its association with the risk of mortality (death) remains uncertain.
What did the research involve?
The researchers analysed data from two large US cohort studies of health and lifestyle that took place in the US between 1976 and 2008. One of these studies examined outcomes in a range of healthcare professionals and the other only in nurses. In these studies, health questionnaires were sent to participants every two years to collect health-related information, with food questionnaires sent out every four years.
How much red meat should I eat?
Eating lots of red and processed meat is thought to increase the risk of bowel cancer, so the Department of Health advises that people who eat more than 90 grams of red and processed meat a day should cut down to 70 grams or less (cooked weight). Below is the typical cooked meat content in various food items:
- A Big Mac: 70 grams
- A quarter pounder beefburger: 78 grams
- A 5oz rump steak: 102 grams
- A grilled 8oz beef steak: 163 grams
- A cooked breakfast (two standard British sausages – often sold in packs of eight that weigh 1lb or 454 grams and measuring around 9cm long – and two thin-cut rashers of bacon): 130 grams
- A Peperami: 25 grams
- A large doner kebab: 130 grams
- A portion of Sunday roast (three thin-cut slices of roast lamb, beef or pork, about the size of half a slice of sliced bread): 90 grams
For the present analysis, researchers assessed the diets of 37,698 men and 83,644 women who were free of both cancer and heart disease at the start of the studies (1986 and 1980 respectively).
Diet was assessed using the validated food frequency questionnaires they had completed, which included detailed questions on both processed and unprocessed meat consumption.
In each questionnaire, participants were asked how often on average they consumed each food of a standard portion size, with nine possible responses ranging from 'never, or less than once a month' to 'six or more times a day'. The standard serving size was 85 grams (3oz) for unprocessed red meat. Processed red meat included bacon (two slices, 13g) hot dogs (one, 45 grams). The participants were sent these questionnaires every four years until 2006.
The researchers collected information about deaths among participants by reports from next of kin, through postal authorities and by searching a national death index. The cause of death was primarily taken from medical records and death certificates. The researchers used codes from an international classification of diseases to distinguish between deaths due to cancer and cardiovascular disease.
They used appropriate statistical methods to analyse the data, taking account of possible other factors such as bodyweight, smoking status, physical activity level, family history, blood pressure and cholesterol.
In a further analysis the researchers modelled how death rates would be affected if one daily serving of red meat was substituted with an alternative food such as fish, poultry, nuts, legumes, low fat dairy or wholegrain.
What were the basic results?
The 121,342 participants were followed up for up to 28 years, during which time there were 23,926 deaths, including 9,464 deaths due to cancer and 5,910 from heart disease and stroke (collectively classed as cardiovascular disease [CVD]).
The researchers compared the highest consumers of red meat with the lowest consumers of red meat to calculate the increases in risk due to each additional serving a day. This was an average across all groups and it is worth noting that even the people with the lowest consumption of red meat were still eating, on average, a quarter of a serving a day and so were not vegetarian. The researchers found:
- consuming one serving of unprocessed red meat a day was associated with a 13% increased risk of early death (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.07-1.20), an 18% increase in risk of death from CVD (1.13-1.23) and a 10% increase in the risk of death from cancer (1.06-1.14)
- one serving of processed meat daily was associated with a 20% increased risk of early death (CI 95% 1.15-1.24), 21% increase in risk of death from CVD (1.13-1.31) and a 16% increase in the risk of death from cancer (1.09-1.23)
When the researchers modelled the impact of replacing meat with other foods their model estimated that:
- substituting one serving of red meat a day with one serving a day of other foods was associated with between 7% and 19% lower mortality risk
- 9.3% of early deaths in men and 7.6% in women taking part in the study could be prevented at the end of follow-up if all the individuals consumed fewer than 0.5 servings a day (approximately 42g a day) of red meat
How did the researchers interpret the results?
They say their study provides evidence that regular consumption of red meat, especially processed meat, is associated with an increased risk of death due to any cause, as well as due to CVD and cancer. Conversely, substitution with other protein sources is associated with a lower risk.
The authors propose that presence of saturated fat and iron in red meat might partly explain this association with higher risk of CVD, while the presence of other constituents such as sodium and nitrites might explain the additional risk associated with processed meats. They also point out that some of the compounds in red meat created by high temperature cooking are potential carcinogens.
This study had several strengths including its size, long follow-up period and detailed and repeated assessments of people's meat intake. It also adjusted the results for other factors that might affect risk of mortality. However, relying on participants to self-report factors, such as their meat intake through questionnaires, introduces the possibility of error, although the questionnaires were validated. Furthermore, participants were mainly white health professionals, so the results may not be relatable to other populations.
This study cannot prove that regular consumption of red meat 'kills', as The Sun put it. Red meat is a good source of protein and certain nutrients such as iron, some vitamins and zinc, but it is already recognised that it is likely to raise the risk of cancer especially bowel cancer. The Department of Health advises adults who eat high levels of red and processed meat should reduce their intake to no more than 70 gram a day to reduce this risk. For advice on how to cut down, see our guidelines on red meat consumption.
- Pan A, Sun Q, Bernstein AM et al. Red Meat Consumption and Mortality - Results From 2 Prospective Cohort Studies. Archives of Internal Medicine, March 12 2012
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Best Dressed of the Week - 13/7/12
Updated Friday July 13, 10.31am: From Miranda Kerr's sea green maxi dress to Rachel Bilson's denim shorts and leopard-print boots, the stars' off-duty style provides ample style inspiration for the weekend. SEE THE BEST DRESSED STARS Meanwhile, Anne Hathaway appeared on The Today Show in a pre-spring/summer 2013 Erdem dress, whilst Kristen Stewart chose a neon miniskirt for the Comic-Con event in San Diego. SEE KRISTEN STEWART'S STYLE FILE
Updated Thursday July 12, 10.52am: From Miranda Kerr in floaty florals to Jessica Biel in Christian Dior pre-spring/summer 2013, the stars debuted impeccable summer style yesterday. In New York, Anne Hathaway chose a fringed Stella McCartney dress for a television appearance, whilst Monica Bellucci wore Dolce & Gabbana florals to leave the designers' couture show in Sicily on a helicopter. SEE THE BEST DRESSED STARS Updated Wednesday July 11, 11.03am: Last night, Louis Vuitton's celebration of Yayoi Kusama in New York saw stars from Diane Kruger to Sofia Coppola flocking to the Whitney Museum in their prettiest dresses, whilst Harley Viera-Newton and Lauren Santo Domingo paid tribute to the brand in pieces from its spring/summer 2012 collection. SEE THE BEST DRESSED STARS SEE LOUIS VUITTON'S KUSAMA COLLECTION Off-duty style inspiration today comes from Emily Blunt, Katie Holmes and Lana Del Rey, whilst Anne Hathaway was chic in a little black dress at the premiere of Shut Up and Play The Hits in New York. Updated Tuesday July 10, 10.41am: From Angelina Jolie and Keira Knightley's casual ensembles to Diane Kruger's show-stopping  Azzedine Alaïa gown, impeccable style was being showcased everywhere from New York to Sarajevo yesterday.  SEE THE BEST DRESSED STARS Meanwhile,  Diane von Furstenberg and Meg Ryan kept things simple in black for a Nora Ephron Memorial Service, whilst Charlene, Princess of Monaco chose a sweeping golden gown for a dinner in Berlin. Updated Monday July 9, 11.19am: All eyes were on Wimbledon this weekend, although our attention often strayed from the courts to take in the fashion on show in the stands.
 SEE THE BEST DRESSED
 The Duchess of Cambridge wore a cream Joseph dress - first seen during her trip to Canada last year - to attend the men's final with sister Pippa, who chose a Project D design.  Victoria and  David Beckham made their first appearance of the tournament, with the designer choosing a fitted dress from her autumn/winter 2012-13 collection to see Roger Federer take another title.
 SEE WIMBLEDON'S MOST STYLISH ATTENDEES
YOU SHOULD SEE:  The Duchess of Cambridge's style history...
YOU SHOULD SEE:  Wimbledon street chic...


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Bales faces angry victims, relatives as sentencing continues
JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, Wash. – Two Afghan villagers who traveled about 7,000 miles to testify against a U.S. soldier who massacred their relatives say they wanted more time to address the court.
Haji Wazir Mohammad, a man who lost 11 family members in the attack, and his cousin, Khamal Adin, took the witness stand Wednesday against Staff Sgt. Robert Bales during his sentencing at Joint Base Lewis-McChord south of Seattle.
Bales faces life in prison with or without the possibility of release for killing 16 Afghan civilians in March 2012.
The two villagers answered questions from a prosecutor, describing the horror they found when they arrived at the village and how the attacks have affected them.
When the questions were over, they asked if they could say anything more, but it was prohibited by court rules.


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Every once in awhile, an opportunity comes along to do something fun and unexpected here at Product Girl. This time we were asked to do a blind test of a new body lotion coming out from a major national brand. We did not receive any information on the product at all, it just came in a box with a question mark on it and labeled for testing purposes. Before I even received the package, my mind was racing thinking about what brand could possible be behind this… Dove? Aveeno? Lubriderm? Either way, I was excited to participate and was anxious to try the new body lotion!
I received the box this week and went directly into testing mode. I'm not much of a body lotion gal but this winter seemed to be determined to make me one. That said, I can't handle anything that feels heavy or greasy on my skin. I need my hydration to absorb quickly, I need it feel light as a feather and I need it to smell good… and we're good on all counts. Again, my mind started racing about what brand could be behind this new body lotion. I went around testing the different lotions I had at home to see if I could find some similarity in formula but I struck out. My curiosity is only getting worse now.
Want to join in on the fun with me? This mystery brand wants you to play along. Five lucky readers will be randomly selected to receive this secret lotion to test and provide their feedback to me to report back to the brand. We will find out which brand is behind this lotion together, all you need to do is comment here and tell me what brand you think we're dealing with. We will select the five readers next week and be in touch more information. Are you in? Comment and good luck!


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Clarkson University is an independent, nationally recognized technological university whose faculty of teacher-scholars aspires to offer superior instruction and engage in high-quality research and scholarship in engineering, business, science, health, education and liberal arts. Our primary mission is to educate talented and motivated men and women to become successful professionals through quality pre-collegiate, undergraduate, graduate, and professional continuing education programs, with particular emphasis on the undergraduate experience. Our community and campus settings enhance the quality of student life and afford students access to and interaction with their faculty. We value the diversity of our University community, and we strive to attune ourselves and our programs to our global, pluralistic society. We share the belief that humane and environmentally sound economic and social development derive from the expansion, diffusion, and application of knowledge.
Formally adopted in 1995, the Vision of a Clarkson Education is the foundation that differentiates Clarkson graduates around the globe — first as students, then as young professionals in high demand in a highly competitive marketplace, and ultimately as CEOs, company owners and leaders with proven career and life success with remarkable mobility. (as cited by Brookings in naming top 10 universities nationwide for ROI).
The Clarkson University educational experience is designed to provide talented and ambitious students with the knowledge and skills necessary to achieve positions of leadership within their chosen profession. The combination of Clarkson's strong technologically rich curricula and state-of-the-art teaching and research facilities, coupled with an unparalleled commitment to a friendly learning environment and to students' personal development, uniquely prepares Clarkson graduates to excel in their chosen professions and to lead rewarding and creative lives.
In addition to attaining mastery of the core knowledge within the field, a Clarkson education is designed to enable students to:
- solve real-world, open-ended problems with creativity and risk taking to obtain solutions that are practical and sustainable, including those they encounter in state-of-the-art research under the direction of distinguished faculty;
- develop and refine exceptional communication skills with an awareness of potential cultural differences;
- lead effectively and work productively within disciplinary and multidisciplinary teams composed of members with diverse interests and backgrounds;
- excel in using computing and information technologies;
- learn through instruction and guidance by nationally recognized faculty whose commitment to both teaching and research has made Clarkson a nationally ranked university.
A Clarkson student's education is greatly enhanced by a personal and friendly learning environment, within a small, residential, nationally recognized University, which:
- places students at the center of the educational process and where all employees have a commitment to creating an environment that contributes positively to students' overall educational experience;
- draws undergraduates, graduate students, faculty and staff together into a cohesive and stimulating learning community, wherein an atmosphere of scholarship and spirit of research is cultivated;
- uses our campus as a living laboratory to improve learning, and uses the wider region to broaden and extend Clarkson's outreach and service;
- provides personal advising and interaction with faculty and staff as well as supportive relationships among students;
- offers many leadership opportunities through co-curricular groups and activities;
- respects and learns from its community of diverse people, backgrounds and cultures.
Together, these provide a unique educational experience that is directed toward developing the whole person.
Effective teamwork encourages creativity and self-initiative in our respective roles and partnerships. It is essential in getting the task done and in developing the skills needed to meet the challenges of ensuring sustainability of local and global economic, environmental and social systems.
A positive and friendly atmosphere is created when we care about each other, when we are open to constructive criticism and when we show appreciation for a job well done.
Honesty and accountability in one's actions and words form the foundation of our relationships with others.
Having a vision of a sustainable future helps us prepare for it. Embracing the inevitable changes in our world as opportunities allows us to anticipate, promote and facilitate change.
The mutual appreciation of differences and a plurality of opinions, beliefs and cultural traditions inform and enrich our lives.
Offering our time and skills for the good of our fellow citizens leads to the prosperity and environmental health of the community and to the well-being and character development of the individual.
Educational experiences in and out of the classroom enliven our minds, broaden our horizons and facilitate dialogue and consensus. Learning is a lifelong activity.
"A workman that needeth not to be ashamed." (The favorite Biblical phrase of University namesake Thomas S. Clarkson.) Initiative and hard work are key ingredients in getting the task done.


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Ello! This is sort of a random shopping haul, but it all started from me doing what I always do when I got to a place like Target, Walmart, or Bed Bath and Beyond…I say "Oh I am just running in to pick up one thing.." $50 later…Ha ha, does that ever happen to you guys? I find myself mindlessly trolling the makeup, hair, and clothes sections and by the time that I am done I have checked out with way more than I ever intended to buy!
This, was definitely one of those trips! Here are just some of the products that I picked up from mostly Bed Bath and Beyond and One from Target. It is funny, you wouldn't think Bed Bath and Beyond would have amazing beauty products for the cheapest I have found, including Walmart, but it really does! I love that store, and they always have what I am looking for, for a good price, and give you a ton of coupons!
Here are the things that I picked up form there, they are random, but all things I needed or wanted to try out!
Let me know if you guys would like a review of any of these products, or if you have already tried them what you think of them, are they good or bad?
Firstly, I picked up this Nail Repair Nail polish. I picked this up because, without acrylics I am always growing my nails out nice and long then they catch on something and painfully rip half way through the nail! And I basically consider crying myself to sleep because it is like DO I CUT THE NAIL? DO I WAIT FOR IT TO CATCH AGAIN AND END MY DAYS?! Finally, I have found something to aid my nail suffering, wish me luck!
On the right is the Sudden CHange under eye firming serum. I know, I know I am not no 70 years of age, and am only 20, but hay sometimes I get some nasty under eye bags so girls gotta try somethin'! Apparently from reading the packaging you dab some of this magic under your eyes (onto the bags) and they instantly firm up and look like your young again! Hmmm…certainly caught my interest!
Here I have some Whitening Listerine mouth wash, pretty boring I know…But I LOVE COFEE, and there is no way of avoiding it or the stains it leaves on my pearly whites. SO maybe this will be the answer to my prayers, or maybe I will not last a minute and spit this gross tasting concoction into the sink after 6 second.
On the right, are two products The SImple brand eye makeup remover, and the Trader Joe's Tea Tree Tingle Shampoo. I, admit I have already tried the Simple brand makeup remover, and at first I was like WT*. I though I had waisted my money, this was the only product I picked up from Target, and was so excited to try out. I even got the idea form a fellow blogger, and when I first used it, I was basically ready to return it. Little did I know I was not using it to the best of its' abilities. At first I used it by squirting some onto a tissue, then toilet paper and trying to wipe away a night of smeared mascara and eyeliner. BIG NO NO, there was some eyelashes lost that day 😥 And it did nothing but cause pain, irritation, and money lost. But, I had an epiphany and tried it on a cotton ball! Whew baby, momma knows! You just have to soak a cotton ball, not pad, and gently let it sit on your eye for a couple of seconds then work the makeup off slowly in a massaging motion. It looks as if I had virgin skin never touched by makeup before in its' life. This stuff has changed my makeup removing routine, and I am very thankful that I gave it another chance!
As for the shampoo, I am really excited to try this one out, it was also suggested to me! Mint or tingling shampoos are said to cause scalp follicle stimulation, thus producing faster hair growth, who knows? It was only three dollars at Trader Joe's, so I figure if it does nothing it is not a total loss! I like that the shampoo is cheap, accessible, is natural (no sulphates or parobens), and is a decent sized product amaount. The shampoo doesn't have that harsh tea tree smell, it smells more like minty tooth paste, and actually smells very fresh and clean! I am excited to see how I make out with it.
Here is two shots of the one jar of Revlon Color Stay whipped Foundation, in 110 Ivory. This is the lightest shade they had which I was sad about, because I am so fair I basically need Bella Swan Vampire White in order for the makeup to match my skin tone. This caught my eye, it was only $10 which it usually can get up to $14 at other places I have seen it sold, and I used a coupon! I was interested in trying this foundation out because of all the rave reviews I watched about this on Youtube. if you guys have tried this, give me a shout out and let me know if it is magic in a jar or a total fail on Revlon's part.
Next, I have the Johnsons' Baby Oil. No I do not have an infant, but someone once told me that if you drag a bit of this in the center of your leg, starting from your thigh down to your ankle, it will elongate your leg and add a slimming effect. Pretty cool, right? Maybe I will just look like my legs could grease a pan but we will see!
On the right I have some Cetaphil Moisturizing Lotion. I got this in the travel/sample size, because my current facial lotion (Nutrogena Oil Free Facial Lotion) has ran out, and I was not totally happy with it. That facial moisturizer actually made my skin oilier! Like so oily you could see my cheek shine from out in space. So once it ran out I decided to switch my game up and try the all so bragged about Cetaiphil. Hopefully this will be my dream product and moisturize my skin, but not leave it dripping with oil.
The next two are very random products. The one on the left, obviously a mini spray bottle. A PINK ONE. Since it is summer again, and I love scrunching my hair, but never have a spray bottle, and end up putting my head under the sink, I thought this was something essential to have, for scrunching my hair and sleek Kim Kardashian wanna-be high pony tails.
On the right is Palmer's Cocoa Butter for stretch marks on Prego ladies. Let's just say MR. PALMER not only do pregnant women have stretch marks. I have some from, yo-yoing my weight, growing, ect. Needless to say, I have some battle wounds that I would like to work on getting rid of and have heard amazing things about this from my sister, who is actually pregnant and working to prevent tiger scratches on her baby bump! The smell is very pungent with cocoa, but hay smells like it is going to work! Fingers crossed!….and toes, and eyes! :0
Lastly, I just have some boring hair clips. But, hay! I told you this was a random haul, and I just thought these little guys are so cute; sparkly ones, lace, and metalic. These will be great on no wash hair days, and when I don't feel like dealing with my strands and just want to throw them back in a simple up do.
If you enjoy seeing my random haul posts then please like this, and follow me for some more good stuff! Thank you guys so much for reading, and love always Pearlsnheels ❤
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Judy Gayle Rice of Charleston
Judy Gayle Rice of Charleston, Ark.,died Saturday, Aug. 27, 2011, in Alamosa,Colo., from injuries suffered in a motorcycleaccident. She was born March 8,1947, in Fort Smith to Theodore Williamsand Betty Jo (Beshears) Williams. She was64.Judy was a Health Records ServiceSpecialist for the North Logan Health Unit in Paris, Ark..Funeral service will be at 10 a.m. Friday, Sept. 9 atBrotherton Funeral Home Chapel in Charleston with TheRev. Bill Van Meter officiating. Burial will be at CaulksvilleCemetery in Caulksville, Ark., under the direction ofBrotherton Brothers Funeral Home in Charleston.She is survived by her husband of 42 years, Don Riceof the home; one daughter, Leisa Pfeiffer and husbandRick of Caulksville; two sons, Cody Rice of Kentucky andMichael "Fred" Rice of Booneville, Ark.; her father andmother, Ted and Betty Williams of Pocola; three sisters,Doris Reichert of Evansville, Ark., Linda Pendergrass ofCedarville, Ark., and Jan Riggs of Poteau; four grandchildren,Kirsten Drewry, Lucas Hice, and Alan and Lee Rice;one step-grandchild, Kara Inklebarger; one great grandchildand two step-great-grandchildren.Pallbearers will be Dale, David, and Ron Rice, Kip andLucas Hice, Cecil King, and Kevin Inklebarger.Honorary Pallbearers will be Allen King and ErnestMueller.The family will visit with friends from 6-8 p.m.Thursday, Sept. 8, at the funeral home.To pay an online tribute, please visit www.brothertonbrothersfuneralhomes.com.


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Cheney has been steadily moving up at karate....Saturday he tested for his next stripe on his green belt. He had to demonstrate his skills and break a board with his foot.
It took a couple of tries but he broke the board!!
Getting his stripe....next belt will be red & he will test for that around July/August. After the red belt, he works on getting his black belt....he should be getting his black belt when he is about 14 or so. CRAZY!!
These 3 boys started karate about the same time so they frequently test together. Cheney sure has learned a lot about discipline and hard work through karate. We are very proud of him!!


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Pick Your Sport
With 13 different sports to choose from, you can compete individually or on a team. Which will you choose?
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Reunite with friends, coaches, and host families through our alumni database.
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"I met such great friends that I will hopefully keep in touch with for years to come. I love JCC Maccabi!!"