text:
Was just reading through a book, "PHP 5 Advanced" by Lary Ullman. He goes over OOP style PHP. I see it used often in CMS's such as WordPress, but I don't really know what the benefit is to OOP coding over Procedural coding. Can anyone help explain the pro's and con's of each and share your personal opinions on each?
PHP Procedural vs Object Oriented
Procedural programming is for amateurs, OOP on the other hand is what it takes for professional programming. In a perfect script, everything is an object.
OOP offers encapsulation, inheritance, polymorphism and composition, it helps you build much more extendable, reusable, maintainable, and organized application. The advantages are more evident in larger programs, which are pretty much impossible to work on with procedural style, especially when teamwork is required.
For newbies, I'd recommend you to work on a project and learn step by step on why OOP will help you create better software. As your application grows in size and complexity, you will realize how it's difficult or impossible to extend your application further if its written in procedural style. At this point, you won't ever want to code in procedural php any longer.
Broadly speaking, the difference is that in procedural programming you create functions (procedures) which act on data structures. With OOP, you're creating objects which encapsulate both data and the methods which act on it.
The idea behind OOP was to make programs easier to write and maintain by allowing problems to be modeled in terms of objects which represent the entities or concepts that the application deals with. One of the classic examples is that of a banking application, where you might have objects that represent customers, accounts, balance transfers, and loans etc.
In my opinion, procedural programming is still useful for writing small, simple scripts.. you might use it when writing a utility script to periodically clean up old log files or something like that. Using objects in a scenario like this would be overkill.
As soon as you start getting more complex with your requirements, and there's the possibility that the program might have to accomodate changes over time, then OOP is the way to go. That said, be aware that just grouping together your functions into classes doesn't make your code OO.. good OO design is something that needs to be learned and practiced.
Thanks for the info guys. Maybe v2 of the CMS I'm coding will convert to OOP. Not sure though as seems like procedural is more commonly used still and the CMS will be open source for users to develop their own plugins/modifications.
I just started the chapters on OOP, but it kinda seems like an object is similar to a function, which contains other functions.
Well, first off, let's be clear that OOP is a technique for programming. Anything you can do in OOP, you can also do in procedural. When we say a language is object oriented, that means it provides mechanisms that makes it convenient to use the object oriented style. For example, we could write object oriented programs in C, but it would be unnecessarily hard because that language doesn't support object oriented techniques.
Now to more directly answer your question: In procedural, the focus is on the processing -- the algorithm needed to perform the desired computation. Whereas in OOP, the focus is on data organization and abstraction. It tries to make us think of our program as interacting concepts rather than as a bunch of data with functions twiddling their bits. The goal is to write programs that scale better and are more adaptable to change.
Wow....I'd certainly disagree to statement #1, and with the end of statement #2.
This is from a lecture on java, it's a pretty good explanation on OOP and the differences with procedural programming. http://www.ctp.bilkent.edu.tr/~russell/java/LectureNotes/1_OOConcepts.htm
I've written in both, and have seen true cludge and spaghetti code from both. The benefit I've personally seen from procedural is it tends to force people to think a little before writing. What I've seen in OOP far too many times is people trying to throw an override method which calls another override, which calls another override, etc. when it would make more sense to take a moment to re-engineer the methods.
The biggest difference to me is the approach - procedural focuses more on functionality (ideally each procedure focuses on one piece of functionality), and OOP is focused on considering everything as an object.
Jeff spelled it out better than me
I know this doesn't really contribute much to the discussion at hand, but isn't WordPress's code base largely procedural?
Or are you talking about various WP plugins?
I find the direct opposite to be true. In my experience, procedural programming tends to have almost no thought behind it - just make the functionality and be done with it. This leads to systems that are generally very messy and hard to extend in the future.
On the other hand, OOP (done well) is all about thinking about how your application may need to adapt over time - good OO systems have very focused objects that do one thing well - a good system will have nice clean interfaces that makes expansions and adjustments really easy. If I'm writing a reporting system for example, I'll tend to focus on the interfaces for my report objects first - I'd then make a bunch of writer objects that take the report interface and output the report in whatever format I want. This would mean I could create new reports easily, and combined with separate report writers, I could output to excel, json, csv etc etc, and every element would stay compatible with every other element.
OOP done well leads to nice clear designs that are easy to work with an expand upon. Unfortunately, there is a lot of php code out there that uses classes, but is not actually object oriented, and it seems from what you've said, that this is the kind of code you have experienced in the past.
I'm not sure about all their code but I know to access a lot of variables they use OOP style variables. WP is just sloppy in my personal opinion.
I use SmartyPHP template system for my CMS and it uses OOP. $smarty->assign('variable_name', 'variable value');
Quick n dirty list of benefits of object oriented design. The main bullet point of OOP is less code (if done right). From there we can get these much more important points:
- Readability - You may not think so since your new to it, but I kill over being handed a large procedural project management wants modified.
- Ease of changes - Make changes in once place rather than many
- Stability - Less chance for slightly different code being produced in multiple places. This is a HUGE deal with bigger projects. HUGE. Did I mention HUGE? A bigger PHP project without strict OO concepts is the first step toward failure.
Beginner Example:
Imagine writing an application that has to make a database connection multiple times (across multiple scripts). Each time you write it out you have at least 2-3 lines dedicated just to the connection. If you ever change credentials or location of the database, you'd have to come back to each page and make the change. A proper OOP setup would mean you only initiate a new DB object that you created which handles your connection for you. Now you or another developer only needs to make a change in one location rather than 10.
While this is a good example showing how to structure things right I don't see it as having anything to do with procedural vs object-oriented. In procedural you simply create the db connection once and store it in a global variable to be accessed by all functions and when credentials change they are still in one place. Or, you create a single function for fetching the db connection and use it everywhere. Or, you store the credentials in a single config file, which can be done with procedural code as well. So I think a better "Begginer Example" would be better :).
But yes, I've seen procedural code where the same db credentials were scattered around 10 different files - this was a pretty large online shop that I inherited to work on and the end result was that I decided to write it again from scratch :).
Correct. In fact, that is a good relevant point. WP's core code is a bit of a mess. While using objects doesn't guarantee your code is neat and well organised, it certainly does help. What I love with objects is how relevant functions are grouped together and relationship between different functions is better described. Having written procedural for years, I relatively recently moved to objects and it's like new life has been breathed into my code.
I use procedural functions for any site-spefiic niche functions but everything else is done with class/objects.
Creating a global variable would be absolutely horrible. Globals are evil.
I'm following along from the sidelines here and just wondered, given that globals are evil, what would be your preferred method of making a database connection multiple times (across multiple scripts) using procedural code?
This is not the point. I just pointed out how they could be used to keep database credentials in a centralized place using procedural programming.
Back in the days when I used procedural programming only I used a global variable and it worked well. But I produced a lot of spaghetti code so I'm not sure if this was the best way.
Maybe a singleton-ish function like getDbConnection() would be better. I don't know if passing around a database handle would be feasible in procedural.
But anyway, this database connection problem didn't really exist back in the old PHP days because the old mysql functions didn't require the connection handle so I could simply connect at the beginning of the script and call mysql_query() in any scope without worrying about passing the connection if I used only one database. That was pure genius in its simplicity!
Well I don't write procedural code, and haven't for a long time... probably about 3-4 years by now.
My code nowadays uses namespaces in php, and all my autoloading is done based on namespaces too, so I don't need require/include statements all over the place either...
I guess to do this in a procedural way, I'd probably have some kind of dbConnect() function, that would take a constant as a parameter... The constant would point to some config file (like a yaml or xml file) that would contain the database connection details. The script would then create the database connection based on those details.
So for example, if I wanted to connect to two different databases, I could do $connectionA = dbConnect(DATABASE_A);, and for the other I could do $connectionB = dbConnect(DATABASE_B);
If I needed to change the password settings or whatever, I'd change it in the mapping file. There'd be a direct connection between a parameter in the mapping file and the constant value (so it'd be like: DATABASE_B = 'report_database' and then in the yaml file or whatever, there'd be a 'report_database' key).
Does that make sense?
I'd probably do something like that...
The only thing you are really left with to mind is to wrap it in a function that maintains the static state internally.
* @return Db
function getDb(){
static $db;
if( isset($db) ){
return $db;
$db = new Db();
return $db;
Two of the only real benefits I can think of are
1 . That is the state is sealed, a global variables very basic existance is too exposed.
class Db{
function getUsers(){
$db = new Db();
function a(){
global $db;
$db = null;
function b(){
global $db;
$db->getUsers(); //fatal where has the db gone in the call chain?
class Db{
function getUsers(){
function getDb(){
static $db;
if( isset($db) ){
return $db;
$db = new Db();
return $db;
function a(){
$db = getDb();
$db = null;
function b(){
$db = getDb();
$db->getUsers(); //nullification of object can only happen in getDb()
- If logic is required at point of request such as for debugging it can be easily added or a break point can be set.
function getDb(){
file_put_contents( 'getDbLog.txt', print_r(debug_backtrace(), true ), FILE_APPEND );
static $db;
if( isset($db) ){
return $db;
$db = new Db();
return $db;
Your first example is what I was thinking here (except getDb() would accept a parameter which could be used to determine which db connection to return) - the only thing is, I wasn't sure whether you could use a static variable outside of a class scope - it's possible to do that just in a function then is it?
I imagine that would be a function -- get_db_connection or whatever -- that you could call from some local scope when you need it. If you think get_db_connection might be called multiple times, then you could use the static keyword to "cache" the db link and return the same value each time.
Of course, the even better option would be the dependency injection / front controller style. (Remember that OOP is a technique, and we can still use that technique even if we don't use classes.)
function app($request)
// connect to database
$db = new PDO('mysql:host=localhost;dbname=<SOMEDB>', '<USERNAME>', 'PASSWORD');
// route and do action
if ($request == '/hello') {
function hello_action($db)
echo 'Hello, World!';
That's a great example of how globals can be dangerous. Any line from anywhere in the program could clobber or otherwise alter a global variable, and there's no easy way to trace where that clobbering happened. So you end up with code that just doesn't work for some inexplicable reason.


text:
Here you can buy lessons for the Hemel Hempstead Area -
If you have never driven before we can offer you your first hour free, as part of a 2 hour lesson. With this you get to make sure you like the instructor before committing to any more lessons with them and we get to see how you are getting along with your driving so we take you forward at your own pace. This is only suitable for driving novices as it starts from the foundations.
If you have driven before we can offer you an assessment lesson for just £20 - with this you get to make sure you like your instructor before committing to any more lessons and we get to see how you are at driving so we can pick you up at your own level and tailor future lessons to suit you. It also can give you a rough idea of how many hours away from test standard you are.
After these our hourly rate is £26 an hour or £25 for NHS or NUS students on production of valid proof. Check our listing for great block booking deals too!
Thanks for choosing Safedrive - please leave a telephone number in the notes and we will get an instructor to call you and get you booked in!

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Weihel @ollege and ei:minary
Office of the President
Dr. Martin Luther King
309 South Jackson
Montgomery, Alabama
Dear Doctor King:
May 26, 1959
At the request of the Convocation Committee of Bethel College and Seminary
I would like to invite you to visit our campus to bring an evening lecture on
Thursday evening, November 5 or 12.
It would be our hope to make this a public convocation to which the members
of our Twin Cities constituency would be invited as well as our student body.
I am sure that our fieldhouse auditorium, which seats 1'700, would be well
filled for such a convocation.
Bethel College and Seminary is a Baptist institution seI~"ing the Baptist
General Conference of America. Currently its enrollment is about 700. It
comes out of a tradition in which personal piety and conservative theology
has been stressed but is just awakening to some of its social responsibilities
in the world today. We believe that you can be of great help to us in helping
our people become more sensitive at the point of the Christian conscience
and racial discrimination. Last June Dr. Benjamin Mays, President of
Morehouse College, brought the commencement address on our campus and
gave all of us a great deal of stimulation along this line. You would be free
to choose any aspect of the current racial problem that may be current in
your thinking at that time.
In the event that neither of these Thursdays can be fitted into your program,
I would welcome a suggestion from you regarding an alternate time in the
fall or early winter. We desire very much to have you here and would be
glad to adjust our schedule to the extent that we can to make that possible.
]\feedless to say, we will take care of your travel and entertainment expenses
and provide an honorarium. We would be happy to have you suggest the
specific amount of the honorarium which you would like for this kl11d of service.
Dr. Martin Luther King - Page 2 May 26, 1959
I trust that your program will allow this visit to Bethel College and Seminary
and look forward to hearing from you in the affirmative.
Sincerely in Christ,
Carl H. Lundquist
Click tabs to swap between content that is broken into logical sections.


text:
0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.
Catholic Sec of State John Kerry Plus Yale Skull and Bones! ....Oh and VP Biden is Catholic ...http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_KerryKerry was raised as a Roman Catholic by his Catholic father and Episcopalian mother ( Rosemary Isabel (Forbes) Kerry (19132002), a World War II nurse and member of the wealthy Forbes family) . As a child, Kerry served as an altar boy...Kerry spent his summers at the Forbes family estate in Brittany, and there, he enjoyed a more opulent lifestyle than he had previously known in Massachusetts...A Roman Catholic, Kerry was said to carry a rosary, a prayer book, and a St. Christopher medal (the patron saint of travelers) when he campaigned. However, while Kerry is personally against abortion, he supports a woman's legal right to have one, which puts him at odds with the Catholic Church...he enrolled at St. Paul's School in Concord, New Hampshire, and graduated from there in 1962. Kerry learned skills in public speaking and began developing an interest in politics. In his free time, he enjoyed ice hockey and lacrosse, which he played on teams captained by classmate Robert S. Mueller III, the current director of the FBI. [ St. Paul's is a member of the Eight Schools Association, established in 1973 comprising Choate Rosemary Hall (known as Choate), Northfield Mount Hermon, Deerfield Academy, Hotchkiss School, Lawrenceville School, Phillips Academy (known as Andover), and Phillips Exeter Academy (known as Exeter).[2] It is also a member of the Independent School League, the oldest independent school athletic association in the United States]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teresa_Heinz_KerryMaria Teresa Thierstein Simões-Ferreira Heinz (born October 5, 1938), known as Teresa Heinz, is an American businesswoman and philanthropist, the widow of former U.S. Senator H. John Heinz III (R-Pennsylvania), and the wife of current U.S. Secretary of State and former U.S. Senator John Kerry (D-Massachusetts)....Religion Roman Catholic...Heinz is the life estate beneficiary or outright beneficiary of her husband's trusts, making her either extremely wealthy in her own name or powerful as a trustee of Heinz family wealth.[citation needed] Kerry is wealthy in his own right, though not to the same degree, since he became a trust fund beneficiary of his mother's and Forbes family trusts. Kerry and Heinz signed a prenuptial agreement and have kept their premarital assets separate....http://www.newyorker.com/archive/2004/09/27/040927fa_fact...Teresa Heinz Kerry makes an unlikely rebel. She is a sixty-five-year-old Catholic billionaire, born into the colonial society of Mozambique, whose tastes, pieties, and hobbiescultivating roses and collecting still-lifesare those of a traditional, if not Victorian, lady. But when she calls herself a child of Africa one can hear an echo of Rousseau, and it reverberates in the impulsive salvos (playful, caustic, or profane) for which she has been ridiculed as bonkers and a loose cannonhttp://www.lifenews.com/2013/03/13/catholic-joe-biden-to-lead-u-s-delegation-to-greet-pope-francis/Catholic Joe Biden to Lead U.S. Delegation to Greet Pope Francisby Steven Ertelt | Washington, DC | LifeNews.com | 3/13/13Biden is the first Catholic to serve as vice president and he will represent the United States at the installation Mass for Pope Francis on March 19, Vatican spokesman the Rev. Tom Rosica confirmed today. ...
http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/NSAEBB/NSAEBB104/index.htmKISSINGER TO ARGENTINES ON DIRTY WAR: "THE QUICKER YOU SUCCEED THE BETTER"...Washington, D.C., 4 December 2003 - Newly declassified State Department documents obtained by the National Security Archive under the Freedom of Information Act show that in October 1976, Secretary of State Henry Kissinger and high ranking U.S. officials gave their full support to the Argentine military junta and urged them to hurry up and finish the "dirty war" before the U.S. Congress cut military aid. in Buenos Aires and stolen refugee records[/b][/size]. The day after Guzzetti and Secretary Kissinger met, on June 11, twenty-four Chilean and Uruguayan refugees were kidnapped, held illegally for two days, and tortured by a combined Argentine-Chilean-Uruguayan squadron....Kissinger's boys inthe administrationby Robert Zubrin and Kathleen KlenetskyBritish agent Henry Kissinger is still exerting substantial control over U.S. foreign policy through a network of proteges, who served under him at the National Security Council (NSC) or in the State Department, and who now occupy key positions in the Reagan administration. The following is a partial list of Kissinger's forces. Alexander Haig. Secretary of State, was Kissinger's top aide in the Nixon NSC from 1969 to 1973. During that time he helped Kissinger wreck the Rogers Plan to bring permanent peace to the Middle East and assisted Kissinger in Middle East War, which kicked off the first oil hoax. In 1974, Haig, as White House Chief of Staff, was Kissinger's key ally in orchestrating the White House coup which forced Nixon out of office....Frank Carlucci, Deputy Secretary of Defense, was Kissinger's representative as U.S. Ambassador to Portugal from 1975 to 1977, at a time when NATO made repeated attempts to organize a military coup counterrevolution in that country.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_ColbyWilliam Egan Colby (January 4, 1920 April 27, 1996) spent a career in intelligence for the United States, culminating in holding the post of Director of Central Intelligence (DCI) from September 1973 to January 1976....Colby was for most of his life a staunch Roman Catholic.[1] He was often referred to as "the warrior-priest." He married Barbara Heinzen in 1945 and they had five children. The Catholic Church played a "central role" in the family's life, with Colby's two daughters receiving their first communion at St. Peter's Basilica.[2] In 1984, he divorced Barbara and married Democratic diplomat Sally Shelton-Colby....After the war, Colby graduated from Columbia Law School and then briefly practiced law in [ WIlld Bill] William Joseph Donovan's New York firm. Bored by the practice of law and inspired by his liberal beliefs, he moved to Washington to work for the National Labor Relations Board....'Operation Condor' trial begins in Buenos Aires - WALB.com, Albany ...www.walb.com/story/21523707/www.walb.comMar 5, 2013 Argentina has begun a long-awaited human rights trial focused on Operation Condor, the effort by South America's dictators in 1976 to work together to eliminate leftist ... Casey Anthony comes out of seclusion in Tampa, Fla.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Director_of_Central_Intelligence#George_H._W._Bush_1976.E2.80.931977...William Colby 19731976...Colby's time as DCI was also eventful on the world stage. Shortly after he assumed leadership, the Yom Kippur War broke out, an event that surprised not only the American intelligence agencies but also the Israelis. This intelligence surprise reportedly affected Colby's credibility with the Nixon Administration. Meanwhile, after many years of involvement, South Vietnam fell to Communist forces in April 1975, a particularly difficult blow for Colby, who had dedicated so much of his life and career to the American effort there. Events in the arms control field, Angola, the Middle East, and elsewhere also demanded attention.
Pope Francis urges global leaders to end 'tyranny' of money
Hey Pope Frankie... criticism is not a solution. Perhaps if the Church was less occupied with accumulating wealth, molesting little boys and the Oh so time consuming cover-ups, your advisors could have given you a solution as a topic of discussion.
You think the "pope" is in control of the Vatican?? really? I would say he's doing the best he can.
Umm... Enough said.
Wow, the Hidden Hand sign![ And the people cried PEACE,PEACE - but there was no peace ezekiel 7:25 Destruction cometh ; and they shall seek peace, and there shall be none. ...they lead my people astray, saying, 'Peace,' when there is no peace..." Ezekiel 13:10"http://biblehub.com/jeremiah/8-11.htmJeremiah 8:11For they have healed the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace. ] http://paxchristiusa.org/2013/12/26/world-day-of-peace-pope-francis-message-for-the-world-day-of-peace-january-1/http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jan/01/pope-francis-cry-for-peace-vaticanPope Francis tells world to listen to 'cry for peace'Pontiff uses Vatican new year message to say too many people are indifferent to war, violence and injusticeThe Guardian, Wednesday 1 January 2014 11.59 ESTPope Francis has made an impassioned new year's peace address, saying the heart of humanity seemed to have gone astray and too many people were indifferent to war, violence and injustice.The pontiff, who took his papal name from St Francis of Assisi, the saint most associated with peace, urged the world to listen to the "cry for peace" from suffering peoples."What on earth is happening in the hearts of men? What on earth is happening in the heart of humanity?" he said to tens of thousands of people in St Peter's Square on the day the Roman Catholic Church celebrates its World Day of Peace. "It's time to stop!" he said, departing from his prepared text.Francis was speaking from the window of the Apostolic Palace overlooking St Peter's Square that popes traditionally use for their addresses....
Ask a rabbi with more than three brain cells in his bean to rub together to tell you (off the record)... 'Why does the pope wear a yamaka?' Also, why has every tyrant no matter how many people they killed felt it necessary to 'KISS THE RING'. Yes, even the commies did it..
The zucchetto began existence as the Greek pilos and is a descendant of the beret (which itself was originally a large zucchetto). It was adopted circa the Early Middle Ages, if not earlier, to keep clerics' tonsured heads warm. Its name derives from its resemblance to half a pumpkin. Its appearance is almost identical to the Jewish kippah (yarmulke), though its significance is quite different.
Page created in 0.099 seconds with 18 queries.


text:
Today's Yeasty Loaf experiment.
I've been playing about with my enriched direct dough formula. I reduced the enrichment and the result was a lighter, springier texture to the crumb whilst maintaining a good crust and flavour. I wish I could post a picture but I don't know how to post more than 1 on a post. I would go as far as to say the flavour was slightly improved by the reduced enrichment. I think next time I will reduce the butter & sugar a little more. I also want to try not just finishing them off on the shelf to crust up the bottom but finish the baking upside down for a crustier bottom to the loaf and see which one works best. I'm aiming for the best texture with the fuller flavour. This is the 5th bake I've done since rediscovering my passion for bread making again. I love the feel of the dough and the excitement and anticipation between each stage of making bread. Overall a very successful bake and I managed to get a loaf for the freezer. I am one very happy chappy with the results. Especially with my Banneton. I love the lines on the finished boule. With a bit more practice I should get an even nicer looking loaf. And with the other 2 on order all my loaves will soon all have the 'banneton look'. My baking leaves a lot to be desired with a lot of room for improvement but I'm hoping I will with practice get even better than I was when I baked almost everyday and my loaves look as good as the others posted on this site (Gotta aim high). My scoring still needs work. It's messy. I have ordered a lame to see if having the proper tool helps. But I think it's a confidence thing. Iron hand in a velvet glove as they say. I just need practice. Practice is a good excuse to bake. I plan on giving my starter 'Susie' a try soon with my first adventure in to sourdough. I have previously when I baked bread all the time dabbled in sourdough but never much more and this time I want to really see where the dough leads me. Cheerio for now & Happy Baking Krisps I'm not sure why the picture has uploaded upside down?!


text:
File under "Cool-looking-industrial-devices":
The EXAscan is a handheld 3D laser scanner small enough to fit in a carry-on size suitcase. It uses 3 high resolution cameras in conjunction with a self-positioning target system alleviating any need for external tracking devices during scanning. And on top of all that it looks like special issue starfleet equipment. (and most likely costs about as much.) –Link
HOW TO – Build your own 3D scanner –Link


text:
QI host and self-confessed gadget geek Stephen Fry has become the latest celebrity to record directions for TomTom. Fans can now download his dulcet, wizened tones to use while driving, for the princely sum of £7.95.
By becoming a TomTomite, Fry joins a long and distinguished list of celeb voices, including Spongebob Squarepants, the controversial Jeremy Clarkson, Brian Blessed, Bert and Ernie from Sesame Street, and C3PO - a wide variety of characters, we're sure you'll agree. However, with the UK national treasure at the helm, you can be guaranteed plenty of quips, deviations and quaint affectations that will delight you along your journey. We expect nothing less.
Of course, the humble satnav only made it to the 22nd position in Stephen Fry's 100 Greatest Gadgets, a list created for a Channel 4 TV show back in August. It was beaten by, among others, the folding bike, an apple peeler and, famously, a lighter. But you can't lend your voice to an apple peeler. Unless you're Keith Harris.
You can buy the Stephen Fry TomTom voice from www.tomtom.com. There are also samples of his directions to listen to on a dedicated page.
Pic: Flickr / LightCapturePaper


text:
Sunnyside NY Junk Removal
11104 Junk Hauling Services
We understand that Junk and clutter can be a huge pain to deal with, so let our team take care of it. We can handle homes of all types and kinds. It doesn't matter where it is, we're ready to tackle your junk and clutter removal needs. We offer free estimates, so give us a call today and we'll get started!
Not all of what we remove ends up in a dump. The rest is recycled or donated. If it is good, reusable stuff, don't worry we don't throw that away! We donate these items to charity and other organizations.
Relieve the Stress and Remove the Mess!
We can handle all types of junk and clutter removal needs, and will give free estimates to the Sunnyside, NY area. If you are confused about how much it will cost, don't worry, we price by volume of junk, and if your aren't sure about how much you need removed, we can help you out with that too!
Call us at (877) 967-1585 to get a free quote
Commercial Junk Removal
Complete Office & Property Clean Out!
Business equipment is no joke. It's often heavy and hard to take apart, so let the experts take care of it. We'll take everything apart piece by piece, and get it out of your sight for good. By the time we're done, it will look like a whole new office!
We do tear down and disassembly of large items, equipment, or machinery. Clean Out and removal of store fixtures, restaurant equipment, office furniture, cubicles, equipment. We charge by the truck load, fast, and efficient. Most projects can be less than a day to complete.
Clean Outs
We offer many different types of clean outs in the Sunnyside, NY 11104 Area, including:
- Attic Clean Outs in Sunnyside, NY
- Crawl Space Clean Outs in 11104, NY
- Basement Clean Outs in Sunnyside
- Hoarding Clean Outs in 11104
- Storage Clean Outs in Sunnyside, NY
- Commercial Clean Outs in 11104, NY
Call us at (877) 967-1585 to get a free quote
Sunnyside-NY-11104-Junk Hauling
Woodside-NY-11377-Junk Removal
Long Island City-NY-11101-Junk Removal
Maspeth-NY-11378-Junk Removal
Jackson Heights-NY-11372-Junk Removal Services
Astoria-NY-11102-Junk Removal
Middle Village-NY-11379-Junk Removal Services
Elmhurst-NY-11373-Junk Removal Services
East Elmhurst-NY-11369-Junk Hauling
Rego Park-NY-11374-Junk Removal


text:
Confused about the Delta?
Confused about the Delta?
That's understandable. The governor's proposed $14 billion twin tunnels project is complex, and critics have proposed a number of alternatives.
The Delta Protection Commission invites the public to learn more during a meeting Thursday in the heart of the Delta - Courtland - not far from where the proposed tunnels would begin.
The commission will discuss the governor's plan and whether to take a position on it, said Michael Machado, the former state senator who is now executive director of the commission. This could be Machado's last meeting, as he announced last month he was stepping down.
Machado said Monday he thought it would be good to have a cross-section of presentations and perspectives, while also giving the public a chance to comment. So, in addition to the twin tunnels, commissioners will discuss:
� A plan recently unveiled by Rep. John Garamendi, D-Walnut Grove, which calls for reducing reliance on the Delta and consideration of a much smaller tunnel. Garamendi is expected to speak;
� A plan by environmental groups to protect the Delta by reducing exports and bolstering water conservation;
� A plan by engineer Robert Pyke to move the proposed tunnel intakes from the Sacramento River north of Courtland to Sherman Island in the west Delta; and
� Local farm bureaus' outlook on the situation.
The meeting is scheduled for 6:15 p.m. at the Courtland Auditorium, 146 Primasing Ave. For details, visit www.delta.ca.gov.


text:
Two plump pals play amongst swirling flakes of snow, with polar bears, penguins and presents below. Adorable musical globe pays homage to the joys of friendship! Plays Jingle Bells. Wind-up musical mechanism on bottom of base. Weight 1.9 lbs. Polyresin with glass globe. 4 1/2" diameter x 5 1/2" high. Retail Price: $39.95.
[Contact Us] [Privacy] [Security]


text:
Gen. Boykin: Obama going wrong way on families
See what research reveals is best indicator of the future of youth
By Michael F. Haverluck
Barack Obama called during his State of the Union for taxpayer-funded universal preschool f or children, which would yank them out of their homes at an even earlier age.
But a new study shows the opposite – family cohesion, is the No. 1 determinant of a healthy home and a healthy society.
When asked about the message from the study, which showed only 45 percent of 15-17-year-old teens in America live with both married parents, Lt. Gen. William G. Boykin said such cohesion is as important in the home as it is on the battlefield.
"Family intactness, when measured, always has a beneficial influence on U.S. social policy outcomes," said Boykin, who serves as Family Research Council's executive vice president.
Boykin, who commanded all the Army's Green Berets, notes that whether a family stays together or not is the greatest predictor of teen pregnancy, school performance, income and reliance on the government.
The most revealing gauge of the health of the American family was recently released in the third annual "Index of Family Belonging and Rejection" by FRC's Marriage and Religious Research Institute. It gives a transparent look at which cities and states do the best and worst job at keeping their families together. A new offshoot of the study, called the "U.S. Social Policy: Dependence on the Family," gives a sobering look at how broken homes are the main contributor to destructive teen behaviors that have harmful effects on themselves and society.
In Obama's address, he suggested preschool for all to counter negative youth trends – many of which are highlighted in the studies. But FRC President Tony Perkins argues that more school and more federal money cannot remedy problems that begin and end inside the home.
"President Obama has again endorsed a government solution to a spiritual and familial problem," Perkins points out. "President Obama and his big government supporters think that starting school at a younger age will help solve society's problems. But a study of the federal preschool program Head Start shows that for all the money spent on the program, it had little effect on educational outcomes after preschool concluded."
Boykin, who served four years as the Deputy Undersecretary of Defense and Intelligence, concurs, indicating that America should know better than to embrace costly government intervention to solve its problems.
"We already have Head Start for lower income children," the 36-year Army veteran asserts, insisting that taking children out of their homes at an earlier age is not the solution, but rather adds to the problem.
"If the U.S. 'universalizes' these programs, we know what will happen. Mothers with higher incomes see their kids' IQs drop if they use more daycare … Moms, who are otherwise comparable locally, can see better labor markets and hence choose work over time with baby. Those moms are seen later in life to have lower-functioning children."
According to Dr. Henry Potrykus, who co-authored MARRI's research, schooling should no longer be considered as the foremost gauge to monitor the condition of American society.
"The analysis of this year's Index of Family Belonging showed that the social welfare of our nation is determined not just by its educational attainment, but in equal measure by how intact or broken children's families are," Potrykus told WND. "Across the United States, areas with high Index scores have lower female risk factors, such as less teenage out-of-wedlock birth, lower welfare dependency and higher education and income generation."
And what cities registered the highest when it comes to family intactness? Only three of America's 45 largest cities had more than 50 percent of households with 15- to 17-year-olds living in them who grew up with both married parents. They are San Jose, Calif. (56 percent), Seattle, Wash. (54 percent) and San Francisco, Calif. (53 percent). And only an additional four cities are at or above the nation's mean of 45 percent: Fort Worth, Texas (48 percent), Mesa, Ariz. (47 percent), Austin, Texas (46 percent) and Virginia Beach, Va. (45 percent).
And the worst in the group?
"In the five cities scoring lowest on Family Belonging, fewer than two in 10 teenagers have been raised by both parents," MARRI reports. "These cities were Cleveland, Ohio (15 percent), Baltimore, Md. (16 percent), Washington, D.C. (17 percent), Memphis, Tenn. (17 percent) and Detroit, Mich. (18 percent)."
Generally speaking, major urban areas aren't exactly kid-friendly.
"In the average large city, just over three in 10 teenagers have grown up with both married parents (36 percent) – significantly lower than the national average Family Belonging Index," the research states.
Other than the surprises of predominantly liberal cities like Seattle and San Francisco being on the top of the index for intact families, what does Potrykus consider to be the biggest shocker about the findings?
"Across all census regions (not just cities), once family intactness, education, and other demographic factors are taken into account, an area's racial composition matters little for social policy outcomes," Potrykus explains.
"For example, Hispanics in an area show a positive influence on male employment and show no influence on an area's food stamp recipiency levels once these other more fundamental social variables are factored in."
The Index of Family Belonging for the states also calculates the percentage of 15- to 17-year-olds who have grown up with both married parents. Only 11 states weigh in at more than 50 percent: Utah (60 percent), Minnesota and North Dakota at 57 percent, Nebraska (54 percent), New Jersey and New Hampshire at 53 percent, Iowa, South Dakota and Massachusetts at 52 percent and Connecticut and Idaho at 51 percent.
The bottom 10 states are all at 40 percent or below when it comes to the rate of 15- to 17-year-olds growing up with their married parents, and they are predominantly located in the Southeast. Mississippi is in the cellar at 32 percent, followed by Louisiana (36 percent), Alabama and Arkansas at 37 percent, New Mexico and Georgia at 38 percent, South Carolina and Florida at 39 percent and Tennessee and Nevada at 40 percent.
Taking a broader look at youth of all ages, MARRI also ranked America's 100 largest cities by calculating the percentage of all households with children with married family heads. The top 10 are: Plano, Texas (77 percent), Seattle, Wash. (70 percent), Fargo, N.D. and San Jose, Calif. at 69 percent, Chandler, Ariz. and Lincoln, Neb. at 68 percent, San Francisco, Calif. and Madison, Wis. at 66 percent, San Diego, Calif. (65 percent) and Salt Lake City, Utah (64 percent). Bringing up the rear as the bottom five are Detroit, Mich. (27 percent), Wilmington, Del. (28 percent), Cleveland, Ohio (29 percent) and Baltimore, Md. and Birmingham, Ala. at 30 percent.
And the social consequences of these family cohesion percentages are very significant.
"Family intactness is roughly as important as high school education and more important than college education in influencing outcomes of public policy interest," the Social Policy report states. "[It] is the most important factor … in determining an area's dependence on welfare programs that target organic poverty [including] receipt of food stamps, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families and state welfare transfers, Supplemental Security Income transfers and prime-age adult public healthcare recipiency."
Low percentages for cities predict higher rates of other social burdens and hardships, as well.
"Family intactness has the second-largest influence on overall diminishment of prime-age female, and child, poverty," the study divulges, while also pointing out that it has the greatest "attenuating influence on teenage out-of-wedlock birth."
Perkins says the panacea to this teen epidemic is quite simple and doesn't require billions of taxpayer dollars to implement.
"Children need parental involvement and attention," asserts the pro-family advocate. "They need strong families."
He blames many of the moral concessions America and its courts have tolerated and embraced for decades as a major part of the problem, claiming that adults have put their desires above the basic needs of children.
"What a four-year-old needs more than anything is a loving, secure home with a mom and dad who love each other," Perkins, whose organization is based in Washington, D.C., contends. "There is no better way to start a young life. We cannot have secure, well-prepared, confident children if we continue to sustain a culture where no-fault divorce, cohabitation and out-of-wedlock births are the norm."
On behalf of FRC, Perkins calls upon the commander in chief to stop declaring war on taxpayers' pocketbooks with exorbitant and ineffective multi-billion dollar programs and follow through with a pro-family policy he recently proposed during his State of the Union speech.
"We urge the president and his allies to instead focus on another line from the State of the Union address," Perkins implored. "President Obama said he planned to use tax credits to 'encourage fatherhood ― because what makes you a man isn't the ability to conceive a child; it's having the courage to raise one.' We completely agree. That's the sort of policy proposal that Americans of all political colors can get behind, and we urge the president to put his time and energy into promoting family formation, not further deficit spending."
This is a plan of the president's that Gen. Boykin also supports, maintaining that through the pro-family tax credits, the commander in chief has redirected his war on societal, academic and economic decay in the right direction.
"Policies that would act as actual incentives for keeping dads around will work either to reduce out-of-wedlock birth, which is a result of out-of-wedlock sexual activity, or reduce divorce," Boykin concluded. "All elected officials should embrace such policies if they are interested in the cognitive and non-cognitive development of children, which is to say the cognitive and non-cognitive human capital of our future workforce."


text:
Waxoyl and those flax linen socks to ward off evil...
Being a predominantly nocturnal rider has earned me vampire status and a lot of trouble-not least as my son announced to his primary school teacher that I regularly slept in a coffin, hung upside down and turned into a bat, thus prompting suggestion from the (C of E) school that I must be part of some cult, thus requiring investigation by social services! Misunderstandings reconciled and the world was once again round.
Never one to deny my fascination for the dark side, there is something glorious about swooping through the night air, the scurrying of woodland mammals within the undergrowth, foxes darting across my path- caught momentarily in the glare of high power Li-on or old fashioned Lead acid lighting systems. Be under no illusion, I'm drawn to a good dynamo-especially for all-nighters but for two or so hours frenetic fun, secluded lanes, back roads and bridle path are best sampled with rechargeable retina burners.
Optics have improved along with outright power and battery performance, giving a more natural light and subsequently accurate view of conditions ahead. This might be of secondary importance to semi/rural commuters but it can mean the difference between a wrong turn and a nasty spill. One of my most amusing wrong turns occurred while riding the crosser at 1am some two years ago. Believing a long, open grass track was a continuation of bridle path, I slipped us on to the big ring and charged into the descent, which lasted for about half a mile. Whooping euphorically I was suddenly conscious of two wheelie bins and a somewhat irate householder, who graciously saw the funny side while making their displeasure abundantly clear. Oh for the want of a helmet cam… Would've been a sure-fire hit on You Tube!
Super clear optics or otherwise, the dark can play tricks on the mind-at least away from our neon lit town centres. Late the other night I took a trip through more remote parts and to an abandoned monastery. Nothing, not a house for a good mile, the gentle swoosh of damp night air caressing roadside and field foliage. The long, winding and ever narrowing lane felt almost claustrophobic closing in on me we hurtled toward the abandoned church with boarded windows yet structure and graveyard remarkably kempt.
From behind the trees steps a hooded figure. I couldn't discern between monk's habit or priest from the Greek Orthodox Church further up the climb. One thing's for sure, Univega and I are doubling round and sprinting away on the middle ring, legs whirring faster, faster as my lungs crave air. This is the one time I yearned for an invisibility cloak and daren't glance behind.
Mercifully the crossroads were clear but there'd been sufficient chamois soiling action for one night so the final six miles home were along the main roads.
Checking the tyres for sharps the next morning I was confronted by a remarkably stubborn valve head. With some effort, releasing it saw droplets of lime green spatter decorating both the chainstay and concrete floor. Momentarily bemused, it suddenly occurred this was the magic sealant giving up the ghost after twelve months loyal service.
An unusually quiet, albeit very productive weekend revealed that I had purchased the wrong aerosol Waxoyl for quick interim treatment of my Ka's sills and panels. The clear (yellow) variant implies to MOT testers and others, that you are simply a diligent owner seeking to preserve the car's chassis etc from the ravages of rot whereas the black not only makes a mess (black engine bays etc aside) but also suggests something more sinister lurks beneath. Mercifully this is not a problem on black engine bays and inside bicycle frames so a relatives Micra saw a light covering before whipping out seat posts, blasting it down the seat tubes and inside a steel tune-up stand for good measure. Some will call this paranoia, others peace of mind.
Continuing the theme of warding off evil, recent outings wearing these Flax linen socks imported by Mila Ptashenko (www.burls.co.uk) suggest they're probably a better bet than most for keeping shoe climate fresh and yet warm. Renown for my capacity to destroy socks, there's no sign of the dreaded peek-a-boo toe and so far, these machine-wash beautifully. Flax linen is a very pure material free of bleaching and other chemical processes. Russian folklore suggests the material protects the wearer from the evil eye and promotes good health. Whether you dismiss the former as superstitious nonsense, the less chemical processes our clothes and food is subjected to, the better. On the strength of their recent performance I'm prepared to make a bulk purchase for cycling and civilian wardrobes alike.
Shaun Audane is a freelance writer/product tester with over twenty-eight years riding experience, the last twelve (120,000 miles) spent putting bikes and kit through their paces for a variety of publications. Previous generations of his family worked at manufacturing's sharp end, thus Shaun can weld, has a sound understanding of frame building practice and a preference for steel or titanium framesets.
Citing Richard Ballantine and an Au pair as his earliest cycling influences, he is presently writing a cycling book with particular focus upon women, families and disabled audiences (Having been a registered care manager and coached children at Herne Hill Velodrome in earlier careers)


text:
Most of us in the good old U.S. of A. are looking at a long, lovely weekend in celebration of our nation's independence from British tyranny. All around the world, students and teachers alike are celebrating freedom from tyranny of a different sort. So where are you going birding this weekend? Comment below on the excitement you have planned!
I'm still unpacking from my big move to Rochester but might sneak away for a bit to explore the local color. Corey won't be far away as he's plundering the Catskills in search of Bicknell's Thrush and other boreal treats. Charlie is on standby for a flight so he could be birding anywhere in the world over the weekend or stuck in the hotel for three days waiting for the phone to ring. The latter might provide a preferable respite from traveling as Charlie is hosting the 3rd anniversary edition of I and the Bird this week!
While lifting your eyes to the skies this weekend for fireworks, be sure to indulge in Sky Watch Friday…
Watch the skies for powerful herons, like this Black-crowned Night Heron (photo by Corey)
What an awesome Sky Watch picture!
I will be birdig in my local patch this weekend BUT come 8-9 July, I will have the joy of leading a 2-day tour to Sinharaja 'World Heritage' rain forest.
Have a great 4th of July!
I'll be birding at home in my own backyard probably…but there are lots of lovely birds to see there 🙂 Lovely photo and skywatch! Have a happy 4th!
Wow, Mike, this is magnificent.
I think this is the best Sky Watch Friday yet. The things I have seen are very encouraging and the photography is spot on.
I really admire your photography skills and your critical eye for composition, lighting and texture.
Abraham Lincoln
—Brookville Daily Photo
Great blog and shots. Nice bird.
Good one, Mike. It's just – uh, mmh – It's not a Yellow Crowned Night Heron! It's a Black Crowned Night Heron. Gorgeous shot however – and one that's still missing in my repertoire – this bird in flight!
Happy 4th!
Cheers, Klaus
It is well known that we Portuguese once sailed the seven seas searching for new lands, wealth and adventures.
We were brave in those days and gave the world new worlds!
Luckily I don't have to sail the big oceans on a small ship to sea the wonders of our world …
No Sir, I just need to check with Mr. Tom, the finest host there is, for a trip around the world with SKY WATCH TOURS and with a click here, a click there I am quickly in the USA, England, Brazil, Italy, China, Australia, Finland … well, everywhere.
And on each stop I come to see a little marvel of our world under a great sky!
Hope you can come and see my piece of the sky at lenses & visions
I don´t think mine will be a match to yours but even so …
Great catch for SWF! This reminds me the quote… "God and Nature first made us what we are, and then out of our own created genius we make ourselves what we want to be. Follow always that great law. Let the sky and God be our limit and Eternity our measurement"…. Happy weekend! Mine's up too hope you can drop by..
I will be on a lake in central Illinois and will photograph whatever bird happens to meander by. For the most part I will simply be celebrating the end of British tyranny!
Just perfect!!!
Beautiful… thank you so much for joining in again this week.. I'm a bit late visiting but still wanted you to know your post was very much Appreciated..
Lol, Mike – you can be sure that I catch it when I see the shot, I'm still trying to make. Come thinking of it – I want one of the Yellow Crowned Night Heron, too!
Cheers, Klaus
Oh, I love those black-crowned night herons – and to see one in flight is even better. Regarding where I am birding this weekend — my own backyard.
Great sky watch post, still trying to see all the sky watch photos on Tom's blog.
I'm going looking for Common Ravens in eastern Ohio – we've just had our first breeding record here since the late 19th century…
© 2013 10,000 Birds. All words, images, and opinions are the property of their respective authors unless stated otherwise.


text:
Many health club owners think that the key to successful marketing is driving heaps of traffic to their website, hoping for some sign-ups and hoping they will recover the cost of the marketing to get traffic there in the first place. This "spray and pray" approach just doesn't cut it, especially if you are looking for loyal, long-term members.
The following are three ways in which you can successfully nurture your leads and ultimately convert them into long-term members:
1. Capture each lead's attention and details. How are you currently getting new leads at your gym? Do you advertise in a local newspaper, hand out flyers or rely on word of mouth? Typically, prospective members go to your website to scope out your gym before they actually call and make an appointment for a tour. You must capture those people's contact information when they take that online tour. Does your website have an area where these leads must give you their contact information, such as a place to sign up for a newsletter or equivalent offer? Clearly state the benefit to them for offering their contact information to you.
By capturing at least their e-mail address and name, you have a way to follow up and communicate with them. The fact that they put their details into your website qualified them as more than just site surfers.
Action Steps:
- Capture each lead's details with something that would be of interest to them (an e-book, an e-newsletter or a bonus).
- Spruce up your website so the key benefits of your facility are crystal clear.
2. Education-based marketing. With the explosion of social media, YouTube and effective search engines, all the information we need is literally at our fingertips. We are in the information age where consumers are hungry for information that will make their lives happier, easier and more productive. So what does this mean for your club?
The key to warming up leads starts with offering them information that will benefit them, delivered frequently and consistently. This builds trust and familiarity. Educate members about why your club is the best option for them while also providing them with great tips and advice that they can easily start to implement.
Action Steps:
- If you don't already have one, set up a biweekly or monthly newsletter full of quality information for new leads as well as members. Give valuable advice they can use and offer reasons why your gym is the best option for them.
3. Unique added-value features. If you are driving leads to your website and are not capturing their details, then you are making a grave mistake. Marketing is not hoping that people sign up on their first contact with you. It is a specific process in which you regularly communicate, educate and wow your leads to join your club.
All fitness facilities are essentially the same in the eyes of many people. One facility may offer extra features or fancier equipment, but prospects think that if the price or location is right, they can basically get the same end result at any club.
Does your website offer potential members a clear-as-day reason for choosing your facility over others? What is going to make your gym stand out from the rest? What are you doing in your club to wow potential members so they know that you care about them actually getting great results in your club?
Action Steps:
- Offer something that is unique to your club and that boosts your prospect's gym results, such as running a special 90-day challenge for new leads that offers a money-back guarantee if they are not satisfied and provides them with advice on all areas of wellness (nutrition, stress, goal-setting, etc). This is a great way to convert "on the fence" leads into gym members.
- Offer the first 10 new member sign-ups each month a free six-month subscription to a fitness magazine.
These extra perks are enough to get new sign-ons and create a better relationship with new members. Ultimately, members join a club to get results, so if you can find ways to help them achieve their desired goal, then you will create a loyal, long-term member.
Nalisha Patel is an industry consultant who uses psychology and persuasion to help clubs increase member retention and boost fitness results for members. She has a bachelor's of science degree in exercise science and psychology. She can be reached at email@example.com. She is offering a free white paper titled "Seven Wickedly Effective Ways to Get and Keep Members" to help you increase your club profits. Discover on page 4 the single biggest reason members quit. Find out if you are making this mistake in your club and how you can instantly correct it. Go to http://www.MagneticMemberRetention.com/free to download.


text:
To post in the forums you will need to first register. All new members are welcomed, with one caveat: You must behave and be nice AND SEARCH BEFORE POSTING!
There are 40 guest users online • Display guests
|Forum location
|Last updated
|Bing [Bot]
|Index page
|Fri Jul 19, 2019 10:30 am
|Google [Bot]
|Reading topic in Hidden Glasgow Projects
|Fri Jul 19, 2019 10:29 am
Legend: Administrators, Global moderators


text:
Grisham Kranks: Socko opening weekend defies critics
John Grisham got an early Christmas present. Christmas with the Kranks, the movie based on his bestseller Skipping Christmas, seized the number-three spot in the crowded pool of Thanksgiving releases.
A comedy, Kranks delivered $32 million over the five-day weekend to edge out another holiday film, The Polar Express, and trounce Alexander, an epic by Oliver Stone, the director with whom Grisham has publicly sparred.
"It's good news and bad news," says Grisham. "It's always good news to open like that."
On the other hand, there are the reviews. "I don't read reviews," he says. "I've been told they're horrendously bad."
Tim Allen and Jamie Lee Curtis star as Luther and Norah Krank, who decide to forego Christmas for a cruise, much to the dismay of their neighbors, led by Dan Aykroyd.
Grisham, who has over 60 million books in print, broke out of the legal thriller genre in 2001 with Painted House and Skipping Christmas. Now number two on this week's New York Times list of fiction paperback bestsellers, the holiday fantasy about getting away from it all proves it has perennial legs.
With seven other novels adapted for the big screen, the release of Christmas with the Kranks is almost business as usual for Grisham.
"To be honest," Grisham says, "January 2005 will be the 15th consecutive year I've published a book a year– and in some years I've done two."
The author of 17 bestsellers sits down with the Hook in his huge, minimalist office space on the Downtown Mall and talks about why he doesn't read reviews, the mystery of what works at the box office, and what people on his Christmas list won't be getting this year.
What's the difference between releasing a best-selling novel and having a hit movie release?
I have nothing to do with the movies. With the Kranks, we did go to New York for the premiere, and that was the first time in a while. I did no interviews– this is the first one. We never went to the set. They built one in L.A. with 13 houses and invited us out. We talked about it, but we couldn't get out there.
What inspired Skipping Christmas ?
I woke up on December 26 four years ago. I was tired and bloated. I was stuffing plastic bags with wrapping paper and debris and taking them outside. The pile got bigger and bigger.
I went through the kitchen, and the counters were full of fruitcakes and bad wine that nobody would ever drink. I thought, what a waste of money.
I made a list of all the things you'd have to give up if you skipped Christmas– Christmas cards, gifts, the tree, parties– the list got pretty long.
What inspired the title Christmas with the Kranks?
That's a typical Hollywood story. Another movie, Surviving Christmas with Ben Affleck, was so bad, they didn't release it last year. It was a dog. But it cost $30 million, and it was released this October. There's a rule in Hollywood that two movies released within six weeks can't have titles that sound alike like Skipping Christmas and Surviving Christmas.
How'd you like the movie?
I enjoyed it a lot. It's really odd when you see something you've written up on the screen. When you write it, you're having to visualize it, and it's odd to see how someone else filmed it.
I tried to make the book as funny as possible. In the legal thrillers, they make me take the humor out, even the one-liners. I put them in now just to irritate them.
Chris Columbus wrote the script, and they stuck in more slapstick. But it's a very faithful adaptation. That's all you can ask for.
Your contempt of critics is pretty well known, and the critics have slammed Christmas with the Kranks. So when Roger Ebert calls it "a holiday movie of stunning awfulness," does that bother you– or is the real story in the number of people who saw it over the weekend and the $32 million it brought in?
After awhile, you just tune it out. I used to read reviews in the early days. Now I just take it with a grain of salt. My goal is to write high-quality popular fiction. When it comes to the movies, I don't make the movies. Life's too short to worry about what Roger Ebert says.
You've called the movie of The Chamber a "train wreck." Why did you hate it so much?
It was a perfectly dreadful movie based on a dreadful screenplay. It just didn't work. They messed the story up.
What's your favorite movie made from one of your books?
The Rainmaker. Francis Ford Coppola directed it in '96 or maybe '97. It had a very young Matt Damon, Jon Voight, and Danny DeVito. I spent more time on that set. Coppola is a writer, and he really wanted me to read the script and make suggestions.
The movie opened the weekend before The Titanic and made about $50 million. It's doing okay on home video. That's the big thing now: movies are like the previews for video.
How can a movie like The Kranks rake it in while a movie like Mickey– with a moral message and lots of father-son bonding– can't even find a distributor?
I'm way beyond answers on that one. Hugh Wilson and I made the movie here in 2001. We used local people, and we made a good kids' baseball movie. That's when the fun stopped.
Disney was anxious for us to make it– but they didn't take it. As we worked our way down through the distributors, everybody said no.
It's a hard movie to pigeonhole. It's not a Bad News Bears. It's a father-son story, and there's the cheating element. We thought it was a good PG movie to take your family to.
When we said we'd distribute it, we released it in 18 markets. We spent more money promoting it, and I went to all those openings and did a lot of interviews. I saw it 30 times. I still think it's a good movie. Moms, dads, and kids love it, but the buzz never caught on. It'll come out on DVD in February. Four or five years down the road, we'll break even.
I'm not able to answer why some movies make it. Some of mine haven't. Runaway Jury had Dustin Hoffman, John Cusack, and Gene Hackman. That did $50 million. It kind of bothers me when a good movie like Runaway Jury doesn't make back its money. It will eventually.
Is everyone on your Christmas list getting a Mickey DVD this year?
The people on my list are pretty much sick of Mickey. They're Mickey-ed out.
You do a cameo in Mickey. Any desire to appear in any more movies?
That was the first and last time. I did it to save the $10,000 we were going to pay someone to do what I do every year as Little League baseball commissioner.
What's your favorite Christmas movie?
A Christmas Story, the one about the kid who wants a BB gun. I love The Grinch– the cartoon, not the movie. And there have been some great variations on A Christmas Carol.
Do you have a friendly rivalry with J.K. Rowling over the number-one-writer-in-the-world slot?
[He laughs.] There's no doubt who's number one. I was number one for a long time. I tried to act like it was no big deal, but I kind of miss it.
You've done something pretty unusual: You've skipped genres, but readers haven't skipped you. What's next– a tragic love story? Romantic comedy? Children's fantasy?
The next one is called The Broker, and comes out January 11. I can't look 10 years down the road, but I can see a legal thriller for the next five years. I can see a smaller book, like Skipping Christmas.
But I can't write romance or sci-fi or horror stories. When you write about lawyers and the law, the material is endless. As long as legal thrillers are popular, I'll keep writing 'em.
img src="/images/issues/2004/0348/cover-allen">
Tim "Santa Clause" Allen is on a holiday roll with the Kranks.
img src="/images/issues/2004/0348/cover-curtis">
Jamie Lee Curtis moves from Halloween to Christmas, keeping her look of terror intact.
img src="/images/issues/2004/0348/cover-akyroyd">
Dan Akyroyd demands a Frosty on every roof in Grisham's new flick.
In his gallery-like office on the Downtown Mall, John Grisham chalks up a good opening weekend with Christmas with the Kranks, and ponders the mysteries of why Mickey didn't find a distributor.


text:
Fear of commitment
I write too many personal posts in this blog that its turning into a very private and mushy blog, and I don't like that. I actually don't want to write this post, but I keep getting those thoughts in my head and they don't go away until I write them down, and then publish them here! So, although I really don't want to keep writing all that too personal stuff and analyze myself online, I can't help it, since its the only way I'll get it off my head and get on with other stuff in my life. Seems that this blog is working like a substitute for having a girlfriend! That's really the most important thing to me in a long term real relationship --sharing. Actually, since I'm not really sharing with the blog, but rather, with whoever reads it, then if you're reading this personal stuff, consider yourself my girlfriend for the period that you're reading it (guy or gal)! If you don't like that, then don't go on.
So (my dear girlfriend), I've realized that I'm a classic case of men's fear of commitment. I subconsciously act in ways to avoid commitment, and I've apparently been like that my entire life. Even with the girl I loved the most and was close to marry, whenever we were too close to this life-long commitment all those fears and worries about us start creeping up to my mind that I start giving her a hell of a time until she goes and does her crazy thing and eventually dumps me. Then we get back together and start all over. Until we finally came to our senses and ended it for good. Sorry babe, and be thankful that you got rid of me for good at last.
Imagine that such a guy, me, actually goes to setup meetings to meet potential brides for marriage. Sure, I want to settle down and I want to have a good stable long term healthy relationship, but I don't want the responsibility that comes with it, and I don't want to have kids yet. I'm a kid myself for God's sake.
So I go meet those girls I've been setup with, and in fact (for all those who didn't know what I meant in my earlier post) I feel that I am a prostitute, and I'm selling myself cheap. So if we ever end up meeting for a second time, I dump on her all the negative things I see in myself, even if I like the girl (actually, especially if I like the girl). I like it best when the girl doesn't like me and shortens the way for me.
I've realized this fear of commitment in the way I'm attracted to women too. I'm attracted to those who don't suit me and those who don't fit with me in a never-ending relationship, and who'd either dump me or kill me on the first turn. And those who probably suit me, are settled down, and are just "marriage material" by default, I'm just not attracted to, and am always afraid of getting bored of them and eventually strangling them.
But I have this fear of commitment with everything, not just women. Whenever I feel I'm stuck in a place I get very disturbed and dizzy. For example, although I would probably end up spending the rest of my life in Egypt doing nothing useful, but what would ease that on me is knowing that I can leave and end my commitment to this country anytime. Not that I'll sell it out, but that I can take a long break, and detach for a while.
Switching jobs have apparently turned out to be my favorite hobby. Five jobs in three years! I start a job and the thing that keeps me going (for as long as I go) is knowing that I can leave and go elsewhere when things get muddy and I can't stand it anymore. My friend who might be joining with me in my new job was just telling me yesterday that we should look beyond this job and see what we'll be doing next and how we can capitalize on it to start our own business later. Hell, that's the only way I look at jobs, not how to start my own business out of it, but I always look beyond it, and I know that I'll never stay in a job forever. That was also one of my greatest fears from going ahead and pursuing my PhD. Commit for 4 or 5 years. No way, not me.
A friend of mine advised me once to think of divorce whenever you think of marriage.
But you know my real problem is that I get attached. Too attached actually. And that's part of the reason I yearn for change; to discipline myself from that strong sense of emotional attachment. Can you imagine getting attached to something that you can't commit too, so you can't let go, so you end up dizzy like a bee.
You know what. These were probably some of the thoughts that I would not have been able to share with a girlfriend (nor my potential employer).
So.. is there hope for me?


text:
Kevin McQuaid, on doubles play with Shields: "I thought that we had a good tournamnet. We started a little slow today against a very good pair, but when we got going we were right there with them."
McQuaid, on tournament: "This was the best tournament we have had as a team so far. The guys worked on some new stuff and we ended up getting a lot of victories. We came up here and did what we wanted to do so we are happy with that."
Blane Shields, on his tournament: "I played a lot of matches this weekend, but I felt really good out there. We ran into a very strong doubles team today that did not give us any free points. We started to play a little bit too late."
Shields, on number of matches: "Everyone worked really hard this weekend and we got much better results at this tournament this year than we did last year. We stayed together as a team and were definitely the most vocal team out there. We are all feeling confident and we hope to be even better next tournament."


text:
Kevin Williamson of the National Review has found something to make him very upset. So upset that it makes him want to "burn my passport and move into a fortified rural compound." So upset that he compares it the actions of the Gestapo in Nazi Germany. What is it? Federal regulation of food content.
Eggnog in particular. It's in this article detailing what is inside the eggnog you're buying at the grocery store:
Cholesterol-laden home recipes for nog call for six to 12 eggs per quart of milk. This version—which shows up in stores for the holidays—contains far fewer. Based on the total cholesterol content, we estimate that it has just two large egg yolks per quart. Because eggnog contains dairy and eggs, it's regulated by the FDA, which requires commercial nog to contain 1 percent "egg yolk solids."…
The FDA dictates that US nog have at least 6 percent milk fat. Since whole milk is only about 3.5 percent, many manufacturers add a dollop of cream to boost the lipids.
Somewhere in the vast array of federal rules and regulations — the 10,000 Commandments — is one specifying the minimum of milk fat that eggnog shall contain. Did the men who fought at Lexington and Concord do so in order to set up a new regime that would manage their lives on this level? King George III would never have dreamed of such imperious behavior. Is there nothing too trivial for the federal government to micromanage?…
I shall now set something on fire.
Yes, he's clearly exaggerating for some non-comedic effect. But seriously, this is worth pulling out the Hitler analogies? This is what it takes to make a right winger freak out?


text:
C&M Camilla and Marc
Arie Tank Dress
This item hasn't been reviewed yet.
or pay over time with
or 4 payments of $27.25 withLearn more
Available Now
Take an extra 20% off a great range of already reduced women's, men's and kids. Discount applied in bag.
Not available in conjunction with any other offer. While stocks last. Offer available until 24/07/2019.
Terms and Conditions
Bonus Offers (including gift cards) and gifts: Unless otherwise stated, bonus offers and gifts are limited to one per customer and available while stocks last. If the purchased item is returned, the bonus or gift must also be returned or its value will be deducted from the refund. All offers are subject to stock availability. Offers are not available in conjunction with any other offer.


text: I need someone who can move my store from Miva Merchant to something like Zen Cart. I can't do this myself and my Site Mgr. Team divorced and crashed. Probably could also pay for a few other things needed to update onemoreriver.com. I can be emailed at onemoreriver.net for quicker response to this job offer.


text:
110 Hanover St., Manchester, 606-1235, www.hookednh.com
Hours: Monday through Saturday, 4-10 p.m.
On a recent Saturday night, the corner of Hanover and Chestnut streets in Manchester was packed with people waiting to dine at Ignite and at owner Neville Pereira's newest restaurant — Hooked.
"It was such a good feeling," Pereira said. "The buzz was on." Pereira's new eatery opened on Valentine's Day and he said "the place has just taken off."
A unique aspect of Hooked, whose walls are painted a vibrant goldenrod color, is its raw bar, manned nightly by — what else? — a raw bartender. "A raw bar is something Manchester doesn't have," Pereira said.
The ice-filled raw bar offers oysters, clams, shrimp and lobster cocktail, peppered mackerel, smoked rainbow trout, smoked pastrami salmon (rubbed with pastrami seasoning) and ahi yellow fin tuna. The restaurant also offers a "Sampler Plateau" filled with enough raw bar items to serve four to six guests. And the condiments go beyond the traditional cocktail sauce and mignonette: guests may also opt for sriracha, wasabi, horseradish, pickled ginger, ponzu, capers, onions, cilantro crema or lemon crème fraiche.
Calamari, tossed with cherry peppers and cayenne lime aioli, and Costa Rican fish tacos (three soft tacos filled with mahi mahi, pico de gallo, greens and creole tartar sauce) serve as the top-selling appetizers at Hooked, but starter options also include such dishes as sea conch fritters and Sicilian escargot.
"Everyone that goes to the islands eats conch fritters and, especially in the winter, we want to bring back those memories," Pereira said.
While many chefs serve escargot en croute or sauteed in butter, Pereira said he decided to serve them Sicilian style to keep in line with his bold menu. The escargot at Hooked is served in a sauce of sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, shallots, butter and wine and topped with provolone and asiago cheese.
While coming up with bold-flavored entrees, Pereira settled on many international-inspired dishes. The menu now boasts an Aegean Haddock Piccata, which is eight ounces of fresh haddock sauteed in a piccata sauce of butter, wine, capers, scallions and garlic, red bell peppers and sliced pepperoncini, and topped with feta cheese. "You can't get more Greek than that," Pereira said.
Other dishes with international flair are the Sukayaki shrimp (shrimp tossed in Japanese sweet and sour sauce), the blackened mahi mahi (blended with cajun spices) and the Tandoori salmon.
"Tandoori is a very strong Indian flavor but also a familiar one," Pereira said. "The herbs make [the salmon] a bold color and the yogurt adds a nice tangy taste."
Pereira noted his favorite entree as the Seafood Cioppino: sea scallops, tilapia, mussels and clams served in broth of tomatoes, white wine and Italian herbs and accompanied by crusty bread for dipping, all served in a bowl nearly eight inches deep that is filled three-fourths full.
"It's a great dish if you have a good appetite," Pereira said, adding that he chose the big bowls because they have a dip on the side to make it easier for customers to scoop and sip.
In addition to a full lobster — Pereira said now is the best time for lobster as the crustacean's shells are harder and the meat sweeter — customers may opt for lobster macaroni and cheese or lobster ravioli with a champagne-cream-tarragon beurre blanc.
"In today's market, lobster is an expensive commodity," Pereira said. "Things like lobster macaroni and cheese and ravioli still give that effect to people … they satisfy people's lobster fix."
To break the monotony of the all-seafood menu (all the salads are even topped with fish), Hooked offers Fins and Feathers, a combination of chicken and seafood, and a Surf and Turf, a filet served with seafood.
"Our menu is just a guideline, we'll do anything — Fins and Fins, Feathers and Feathers, Turf and Turf — that sort of thing," Pereira said. "We try to accommodate everybody."
As he considers both Hooked and Ignite to be small restaurants (Hooked seats 44 but will be able to accommodate nearly double that number of guests when it adds outdoor seating this summer), Pereira said he has been very busy splitting his time between the two eateries.
"I've been having a lot of fun with it," Pereira said. "My thing is that I want to meet all of my customers and if I can't greet all of them, I will go to their tables and talk to them. I think a personal touch goes a long, long way."


text:
Let's put aside the fanciful talk of adding this guy and re-signing that guy for a moment and consider what all this stuff is going to cost, shall we?
Let me scare you right off the bat:
If the Dolphins want to add an elite wide receiver this offseason in free agency -- assuming one is even available -- it is going to cost around $9-$11 million per season. That's according to former NFL agent and salary cap expert Joel Corry, who now writes about NFL contracts and the salary cap for the National Football Post.
"The high end UFA WRs will be looking at Vincent Jackson's 5-year, $55,555,555 deal ($26M GTD) as a benchmark," Corry tweeted to me on Thursday.
That is $11 million a year, folks.
Obviously, there are two things at play that must be stipulated.
That price is for a Vincent Jackson-type wide receiver. The player asking for that money must offer that enormous amount of talent. Jackson caught 72 passes for 1,384 yards (a whopping 19.2 yards per catch) and eight TDs in 2012. I'm not certain anyone on the market rises to that level of ability.
Jackson is a deep threat all day long and he also happens to be 6-5 and 230 pounds. (Yeah, amazing).
And the $11 million is the starting asking price. It is not necessarily the final price.
While any elite wide receiver on the market may want $11, I'm sure most will be talked off that skyscrapper ledge to a much lower floor. I'd say, and this is a conservative estimate, the elite wide receiver on the market this year will get around $10 million per season and it'll fall sharply from there. Remember, Wes Welker made $9.55 million under a franchise tag in 2012 and would cost $11.4 million if tagged in 2013 -- which is unlikely.
By the way, the cost of doing business in the wide receiver market won't be cheap for the Dolphins even if they stick with what they got. Pending free agent Brian Hartline, a No. 2 receiver, will be looking for $5-$6 million per year on the open market if he gets there.
Greg Jennings? He'll be hovering in the $8-$9 million annual range.
And the price at other positions won't be much cheaper.
Elite cornerbacks are expecting $10 million per season. Agents will be looking at Brandon Carr's five-year $50 million deal with Dallas and Jason McCourty's 5-year, $43 million deal to stay in Tennesee and see that as the numbers to shoot for.
So Carr is averaging $10 million a year while McCourty is averaging $8.6 million per year.
That's the zip code cornerback Sean Smith expects to inhabit at the start of free agency. And yes, he's likely going to free agency. I don't think the Dolphins will pay that kind of money for Smith. They see him as a good player who still has unmet potential. They do not see him as a game-changer or playmaker.
There are also questions about how Smith will react professionally once he gets paid. Will he cruise? Will he feel entitled? Will the work ethic suffer?
(Kindly post comments on whether you believe Sean Smith is worth $8.6 million per season in the appropriate section below).
That's the cost of doing business, folks.
The Dolphins will be lucky to re-sign Randy Starks for the $6 million a year Paul Soliai got in March of 2012. The Herald's Barry Jackson tells me the sides have opened talks but are not close.
I'll say.
I would imagine Starks will be the highest-paid DT on the team, seeing as he's the only one that's been to a couple of Pro Bowls. But I don't see how the Dolphins can pay him the $8 million per year that Vince Wilfork makes or certainly not the $12 million per year that Haloti Ngata makes.
So that might land him in the $7 million a year slot.
That might well be the cost of doing business.


text:
How to Use
Madam Walker was so impressed during a visit to Indianapolis in 1910 that she decided to make it her national headquarters. The city was served by eight major railway systems and was home to a substantial African-American community. She built a factory there that employed local African-American men and women. Before her death, Madam Walker planned an ambitious new building for her headquarters. Completed by her daughter in 1927, the Walker Building housed her company as well as other businesses.
Questions for Map 2
1. Why would the railway system in Indianapolis have been important to Madam Walker's business?
2. Locate Monument Circle, the historic center of the city of Indianapolis. Find North, South, East, and West streets, which were the original boundaries of the city.
3. Locate and circle the area around the intersection of Indiana Avenue and West Street, which was the heart of Indianapolis's African-American community. It was lined with cafes, offices, and other thriving businesses.
4. Find the location of Madam Walker's original manufacturing building (built in 1910) on the east side of West Street between North and Walnut streets. Now find the present Walker Building (built in 1927), across the street at the northwest corner of Indiana Avenue and West Street. Why would Walker have decided to establish her business and subsequently plan a commercial and social building in this area?
* The map on the screen has a resolution of 72 dots per inch (dpi), and therefore will print poorly. You can obtain a high quality version of Map 2, but be aware that the file will take as much as two minutes to load with a 28.8K modem.


text:
click to enlarge
Check out this sticker from Disc Golf Association, inventors of Disc Golf. This awesome 7-inch decal is die-cut out of vinyl, creating a cool and durable look on just about any surface. If you love disc golf, DGA or both, then this is a great way to show your support for the sport and to dress up your ride, locker, door, mirror, or just about anything else. Available in a variety of colors.


text: Now, that I've got it, I'm at a total loss. What do I do with it??? My new longarm was delivered Friday and set up. My rep showed me the basics but I am totally without a clue here. I think I am learning the panthograph fairly well. But, I am more worried about free motion quilting. How do I learn to make feathers? Do I draw them out and do it that way or just practice until I get it down? How do you go about choosing a design and then implementing it?


text:
By Chad Waller, Director of Communications and Sports Information
KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Jura Levy of Oklahoma Baptist has been named NAIA National Women's Indoor Track Athlete of the Week and Larissa Wilden of Mount Mercy (Iowa) has been tabbed as the NAIA National Women's Indoor Field Athlete of the Week, the national office announced Wednesday. Levy and Wilden were selected based on their performances from Jan. 28 - Feb. 3.
For the second time this year, Levy is recognized nationally for her efforts in track events. A senior from Trelawny, Jamaica, finished with a NAIA top time of 23.62 in the 200 meters. Hosted by NCAA Division I Nebraska, she beat sprinters from Florida, Kentucky, Illinois and Baylor at the Frank Sevigne Husker Invitational Feb. 1-2. She finished second in the 60 meters (7.33), improving on the NAIA's No. 2 mark. Levy teamed up with Stacy Warrior, Taylor Moore and Aspen Marical to take top medal honors in the 4x400 relay with a clocking of 3:50.19. That effort is the top time in the NAIA this season.
Wilden, a senior from Clinton, Iowa, set two school records and a pair of personal bests at the Hilltop Invitational, hosted by NCAA Division III Cornell (Iowa) Feb. 2. She improved on her NAIA leading mark in the high jump with a record leap of 1.72 meters (65-4 ¼) to finish first overall. She also won the 60-meter hurdles with another school and personal record of 9.12 seconds. That time hit the NAIA "B" qualifying mark. In the 200 meters, she took third (27.59) and was a big reason the Mustangs took home a team victory.
The next Athlete of the Week announcement will be on Feb. 13. For the complete Athlete of the Week calendar, click here.
Field Nominees: Taylor Mayes, Cumberlands (Ky.); Brianna Betts, Ottawa (Kan.); Lenzey Stidham, Siena Heights (Mich.); Hannah Lentz, College of Idaho; Tessa Gryzen, Davenport (Mich.); Dawn Caffery, Ashford (Iowa); Stacia Murray, Indiana Tech; Callie Walker, Midland (Neb.); Arryana Barton, McPherson (Kan.); Jamie Crouse, Concordia (Neb.); Neeia Cooperwood, Morningside (Iowa); Jillian Ourada, Doane (Neb.); Lexi Wilt, Central Methodist (Mo.); Stephanie Nelson, Baker (Kan.); Meaghan Foster, William Penn (Iowa); Naomi Patrnchak, St. Ambrose (Iowa); Val Veiock, Grand View (Iowa); Ashleigh Nalty, Missouri Baptist; Brittany Brisco, Missouri Valley; Jessica Sosnowski, Eastern Oregon; Tina Huffman, Indiana Wesleyan; Kenney Meigs, Oklahoma Baptist; Lindsay Lipa, Cornerstone (Mich.); Kaycee Harris, Tennessee Wesleyan; Christa Hicks, Union (Ky.).
Track Nominees: Darcy Mascotti, Cumberlands (Ky.); Sarah Daines, Ottawa (Kan.); Hillary Holt, College of Idaho; Jessica Davis , Texas Wesleyan; Kelsee VanderBaan, Davenport (Mich.); Nichole Johnson, Ashford (Iowa); Katelyn Lewis, Indiana Tech; Skyler Barger, Culver-Stockton (Mo.); Whitney Dooley, Midland (Neb.); Cassie Hollenback, Southwestern (Kan.); Larissa Wilden, Mount Mercy (Iowa); Rachel Renken, Friends (Kan.); Breanna Mathes, Morningside (Iowa); Kim Wood, Concordia (Neb.); Held Cheryl, William Woods (Mo.); Jessa Sughroue, Doane (Neb.); Megan Rosa, Baker (Kan.); Kaitlyn Loeffler, Central Methodist (Mo.); Allie McFayden, Grand View (Iowa); Sarah Niemeir, Missouri Valley; Michelle Leichleiter, Hastings (Neb.); Gortia Ferguson, Wayland Baptist (Texas); Kate O'Halloran, Oklahoma City; Taylor Tacha, Nebraska Wesleyan; Kadie Booth, Eastern Oregon; Angel Gaesser, Indiana Wesleyan; Lindsey McDonald, Park (Mo.); Rachel Hull, Tennessee Wesleyan.
2013 Women's Indoor Track & Field Athletes of the Week (Field, Track)
Week 1: Gabriella Dixson, Concordia (Ore.), Jura Levy, Oklahoma Baptist
Week 2: Reta Woodard, Embry-Riddle (Fla.), Adella King, Indiana Tech
Week 3: Reta Woodard, Embry-Riddle (Fla.); Hillary Holt, College of Idaho
Week 4: Larissa Wilden, Mount Mercy (Iowa); Jura Levy, Oklahoma Baptist


text:
Related story: Sex And The State House? Cynthia Nixon Eyed As Cuomo Primary Challenger
Who would you support in a 2018 NY Democratic gubernatorial primary if these were the choices?
Gov. Andrew Cuomo
Actress Cynthia Nixon
Syracuse Mayor Stephanie Miner
Former State Sen. Terry Gipson
Terry Gipson said since Washington, D.C. is out of the business of governing, that New York needs a governor willing to be a strong leader.
Gipson, a Rhinebeck resident who represented Putnam and Dutchess for one term as state senator in the 41st district, revealed he is considering launching a Democratic primary campaign against Governor Andrew Cuomo, who is running for a third term.
"I don't see our governor being a strong leader," Gipson said. "Our future is in danger."
While he was in the state senate, Gipson said the executive office was not helpful in getting progressive legislation to move forward, despite being a Democratic governor in a Democratic leaning state.
"We need to look at things that will help a wide variety of New Yorkers," Gipson said. "We are allowing the federal government to threaten our health care, why isn't our state doing something about it? We now have a conservative Supreme Court, why hasn't the governor gotten behind a woman's right to choose?
Gipson said he would also like to see universal voter registration and campaign finance reform.
"We need to get corporate money out of our government," Gipson said. "These are all progressive ideas and the governor has not taken a leadership role.
The progressive wave Bernie Sanders created in 2016 is one Gipson hopes to use if he chooses to run. He said he plans to rally grassroots organizations behind his campaign.
"That wave is still alive and very much growing," Gipson said. "We can do really great things for our state."
In 2014, Cuomo was challenged in a primary by Zephyr Teachout before defeating Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino to win a second term in the general election. Astorino and Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro are considering challenging Cuomo on the Republican line.
Gipson said he will take his time, do his due diligence and try to meet with as many groups as I can before he makes a decision.
"The political landscape is fluid and always changing," Gipson said.
.Gipson was defeated for re-election in 2014 by Sue Serino. Serino defeated him again in 2016.
Click here to sign up for Daily Voice's free daily emails and news alerts.


text:
Wassim Haddad, Winner of the 2014 Pendray Aerospace Literature Award, American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics
Professor Wassim Haddad of the School of Aerospace Engineering and chair of the Flight Mechanics and Control Discipline at Georgia Institute of Technology "has been selected to receive the 2014 Pendray Aerospace Literature Award. This is the highest honor in literature bestowed by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA). The award is presented for an outstanding contribution or contributions to aeronautical and astronautical literature in the relatively recent past."
The citation of Prof. Haddad's award reads "Paramount and fundamental contributions to the literature of dynamical systems and control for large-scale aerospace systems."
Prof. Haddad's award is given in part for the research in his book, co-authored with Sergey G. Nersesov and published by PUP in 2011: Stability and Control of Large-Scale Dynamical Systems: A Vector Dissipative Systems Approach
Modern complex large-scale dynamical systems exist in virtually every aspect of science and engineering, and are associated with a wide variety of physical, technological, environmental, and social phenomena, including aerospace, power, communications, and network systems, to name just a few. This book develops a general stability analysis and control design framework for nonlinear large-scale interconnected dynamical systems, and presents the most complete treatment on vector Lyapunov function methods, vector dissipativity theory, and decentralized control architectures.
Wassim M. Haddad is a professor in the School of Aerospace Engineering and chair of the Flight Mechanics and Control Discipline at Georgia Institute of Technology.


text:
EXIT(3) BSD Programmer's Manual EXIT(3)
exit, _Exit - perform normal program termination
#include <stdlib.h> void exit(int status); void _Exit(int status);
The exit() and _Exit() functions terminate a process. Before termination, exit() performs the following operations in the order listed: 1. Call the functions registered with the atexit(3) function, in the reverse order of their registration. 2. Flush all open output streams. 3. Close all open streams. 4. Unlink all files created with the tmpfile(3) function. The _Exit() function terminates without calling the functions registered with the atexit(3) function. The OpenBSD implementation of _Exit() does not flush open output streams or unlink files created with the tmpfile(3) function. However, this behavior is implementation-specific. Lastly, exit() and _Exit() call _exit(2). Note that typically _exit(2) only passes the lower 8 bits of status on to the parent, thus negative values have less meaning.
The exit() and _Exit() functions never return.
_exit(2), atexit(3), intro(3), sysexits(3), tmpfile(3)
The exit() and _Exit() functions conform to ISO/IEC 9899:1999 ("ISO C99"). MirOS BSD #10-current January 21, 2004 1
Generated on 2017-04-03 16:26:17 by $MirOS: src/scripts/roff2htm,v 1.88 2017/01/29 00:51:06 tg Exp $
These manual pages and other documentation are copyrighted by their respective writers;
their source is available at our CVSweb,
AnonCVS, and other mirrors. The rest is Copyright © 2002–2017 The MirOS Project, Germany.
This product includes material provided by mirabilos.
This manual page's HTML representation is supposed to be valid XHTML/1.1; if not, please send a bug report — diffs preferred.


text:
Castellani & Chiarini designs and manufactures moulds for thermoplastic injection and pressure moulding. Present in the world market since 1978, Castellani & Chiarini works with leading companies in the following sectors: garden, automobile, ecological, technical, home and medical equipment. Software systems at our disposal include CAD systems, 2D/1 and FAO/1 workstations To make our moulds, we use the following steels: WNR 1.1730, 1.2311, 1.2738, 1.2714 and various aluminium and copper alloys.
Spletišča podjetja
www Glavna stran


text:
This weekend, explore the weather phenomena that rule our planet this Friday, April 26 at an exclusive members' event at HMNS Sugar Land.
Learn all about the forces behind the weather with the Zula Patrol, an intergalactic band of fact-gatherers. Children's crafts, refreshments and a cash bar for the chaperones will be available from 6 to 8:30 p.m.
While you're here, check out Sugar Land's brand new Paleo Hall — 5,000 square feet dedicated to major mounts (including a Triceratops and T. rex), an incredible selection of trilobites, detailed to-scale models and an animated prehistoric aquarium.
This event is likely to sell out; to reserve your tickets now, click here!


text:
May 16, 2011
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. - Ryan Martin, who set a UC Santa Barbara record in the 800 meters while winning the event at the Big West Conference Championships on Saturday, has been named UCSBgauchos.com Athlete of the Week.
Martin trailed UC Irvine's Charles Jock for virtually the entire race before catching him at the end and winning with a lunge across the finish line. Martin finished in a time of 1:45.34 while Jock, who came into the meet as the favorite and with the conference's top time in 2011, finished in 1:45.40.
The native of Lake Forest, Calif., broke his own school record in the 800 meters. At the 2010 NCAA Preliminaries in Eugene, Ore., Martin ran a 1:46.71. He then earned All-American honors when he clocked 1:47.02 in the finals, finishing fourth.
Martin, whose time is the third fastest in the nation this year, will return to Eugene, Ore., on May 26-28 for the NCAA West Regionals. He will be aiming to qualify for his second straight NCAA Championships.
Ryan Martin Selected UCSBgauchos.com Athlete of the Week
May 16, 2011


text:
Candida albicans is one of the leading causes of hospital-acquired infections in immune compromised patients. The risk of both developing candidiasis and the clinical outcome of infection is variable among patients, and the host-dependent factors that contribute to patient susceptibility to C. albicans infection are poorly understood. In this issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation, Michail Lionakis and colleagues at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases demonstrated that the chemokine receptor CX3CR1 is required for the interaction of C. albicans and macrophages in the kidney. Mice lacking this receptor were prone to C. albicans-induced kidney failure; however, these mice did not have increased fungal burden in other organs. Furthermore, the authors found that patients with a mutation in the gene encoding CX3CR1 were at higher risk of candidiasis. This study identifies an important role for the interaction of C. albicans and macrophages in disease progression and outcome.
|Contact: Corinne Williams
Journal of Clinical Investigation