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Help us protect Louisiana's children. Report Child Abuse & Neglect: 1-855-4LA-KIDS (1-855-452-5437) toll-free, 24 hours a day, seven days a week
DSS Urges Providers to Prevent Flu in Child Care Centers
Sick children and employees should be sent home, centers closed if flu cases confirmed
"We must be especially cautious to protect the health and safety of children in child care settings as health officials continue to monitor this new strain of H1N1 virus, also known as swine flu," said DSS Secretary Kristy Nichols. "If a child or employee becomes ill with flu-like symptoms, they should be sent home immediately and tested by their physician to determine if they have the H1N1 virus. Child care centers should strongly consider a temporary closure if the flu virus is confirmed."
In addition, Nichols said that in the event of a school or day care closure due to a confirmed case of the H1N1 flu, parents should not seek an alternate child care facility for their children, but instead, children should be kept at home. Likewise, child care centers should not accept a child whose school or daycare has been temporarily closed due to a confirmed case of H1N1 flu.
According to new guidelines released today by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), if a childcare facility closes due to a confirmed case of H1N1 flu or a suspected link to a confirmed H1N1 flu case, they should dismiss students for a minimum of 14 days. This length of time is recommended because children are likely to be infectious for about 7 - 10 days after the onset of illness.
"The purpose of school closures is to contain the potential spread of the H1N1 flu virus, and sending a child to a child care center when their school or daycare is closed would be counterproductive and could put other children at risk of infection," Nichols said.
Secretary Nichols also recommends that if parents of children at a child care center choose to travel to Mexico or another area where there is a confirmed H1N1 virus outbreak, they should consider isolating themselves from contact with others for four days or longer upon return. It is up to the child care center if they will let the child return to the center following the trip.
According to the CDC, symptoms of flu include fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, headache, chills, fatigue, and, in some cases diarrhea. Parents should consult their family's health care provider to determine whether influenza testing is needed and when a child can return to child care.
People exposed to the H1N1 virus infection may be contagious before symptoms begin. Once an infection is confirmed, people are considered potentially contagious as long as symptoms are present and possibly 7-10 days following the onset of the illness. Children, especially younger children, potentially may be contagious for longer periods.
Flu viruses are thought to spread mainly from person to person through coughing or sneezing. People also may become infected by touching something with flu viruses on it and then touching their mouth or nose. DSS encourages parents and child care providers to take these simple steps with children to prevent the spread of flu as recommended by the CDC:
Remind children and care providers to wash their hands or use alcohol-based hand cleaners, and make sure that supplies are available to prevent the spread of germs.
- Encourage care providers and children to use soap and water to wash hands when hands are visibly soiled, or an alcohol-based hand cleaner when soap and water are not available and hands are not visibly soiled.
- Encourage care providers to wash their hands to the extent possible between contacts with infants and children, such as before meals or feedings, after wiping the child's nose or mouth, after touching objects such as tissues or surfaces soiled with saliva or nose drainage, after diaper changes, and after assisting a child with toileting.
- Encourage care providers to wash the hands of infants and toddlers when the hands become soiled.
- Encourage children to wash hands when their hands have become soiled. Teach children to wash hands for 15-20 seconds (long enough for children to sing the "Happy Birthday" song twice).
- Oversee the use of alcohol-based hand cleaner by children and avoid using these on the sensitive skin of infants and toddlers.
- Rub hands thoroughly until the alcohol has dried, when using alcohol-based hand cleaner.
- Keep alcohol-based hand cleaner out of the reach of children to prevent unsupervised use.
- Ensure that sink locations and restrooms are stocked with soap, paper towels or working hand dryers.
- Ensure that each child care room and diaper changing area is supplied with alcohol-based hand cleaner when sinks for washing hands are not readily accessible. Alcohol-based hand cleaner is not recommended when hands are visibly soiled.
- Clean frequently touched surfaces, toys, and commonly shared items at least daily and when visibly soiled.
- Use an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-registered household disinfectant labeled for activity against bacteria and viruses, an EPA-registered hospital disinfectant, or EPA-registered chlorine bleach/hypochlorite solution. Always follow label instructions when using any EPA-registered disinfectant. If EPA-registered chlorine bleach is not available and a generic (i.e., store brand) chlorine bleach is used, mix ¼ cup chlorine bleach with 1 gallon of cool water.
- Keep disinfectants out of the reach of children.
- Advise children and care providers to cover their noses and mouths with a tissue when sneezing or coughing, and to put their used tissue in a waste basket.
- Make sure that tissues are available in all nurseries, child care rooms, and common areas such as reading rooms, classrooms, and rooms where meals are provided.
- Encourage care providers and children to wash their hands or use an alcohol-based hand rub as soon as possible, if they have sneezed or coughed on their hands.
In children, warning signs that need urgent medical attention include:
- Fast breathing or trouble breathing
- Bluish skin color
- Not drinking enough fluids
- Not waking up or not interacting
- Being so irritable that the child does not want to be held
- Flu-like symptoms improve but then return with fever and worse cough
- Fever with a rash
- Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
- Pain or pressure in the chest or abdomen
- Sudden dizziness
- Confusion
- Severe or persistent vomiting


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33" Black , Gold and Silver Top Hat Beads
- Product Code: HS-5459
- Availability: In Stock
Available Options
Product code: HS-5459
33" strands of black, gold, and silver beads with matching top hats. Each set of 3 has one of each color. Each dozen has four of each color.
NOTE: We are UNABLE to ship bead products to California due to state restrictions.
|NOTE: We CANNOT ship bead products to California due to state restrictions
Tags: hs-5459, 33", black, gold, silver, top hat, top hats, hat, hats, beads, new year's, wedding, mardi gras, parade, carnival, ball

subset: commoncrawl


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JAMES McFADDEN is still interested in signing for Celtic despite a proposed move to his boyhood heroes falling through last year.
McFadden, freed by Everton at the end of last season, has been training with former club Motherwell and will play in Stevie Hammell's testimonial match against the Goodison Park side at Fir Park on Saturday.
The 29-year-old forward was thought to be on his way to Celtic last October but while he was reluctant to explain why that deal fell through, he admits he has not given up on the chance to play for the Hoops.
McFadden said: "It is something that would appeal to me but whether it is a possibility, I don't know, you would need to ask somebody at Celtic.
"I don't want to go into it (previous link with Celtic). There was a wee bit of a mix-up.
"But if anybody comes to speak to me, I will speak to them, I wouldn't rule anything out.
"I feel good. Training has been pretty tough but it's pre-season, it's got to be. I feel fit and sharp and just need to play a few games.
"I'm very hopeful (of getting a club).
"There's a few bits of interest but nothing that has blown me away or taken my fancy so I just have to be patient and see what happens."


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Sorry, but it's not going to happen. A report in Sunday's Washington Post about industry attitudes and lobbying on the proposal slips into this misconception at times, equating unlicensed, unmanaged spectrum with "free-Wi-Fi." But even though anyone can put up a wireless access point, that doesn't give them access to the Internet.
But just because we're not getting free wireless, it shouldn't detract from Chairman Genachowski's proposal. When the FCC opened up spectrum in in the 80s, it led to the development of many kinds of new products--Wi-Fi being perhaps the most significant.
If the chairman's plan is executed, commercial entities will try to build new services on it. For example, if Internet service in this spectrum is fast and reliable, some people will choose it for home Internet access and dump their cable or FiOS.
[ Join us at Interop Las Vegas for access to 125+ IT sessions and 300+ exhibiting companies. Register today! ]
It's even possible, as BYTE's Serdar Yegulalp speculates, that services of high enough quality will develop that users will no longer need expensive cellular data plans and just use VoIP for making phone calls. After all, if you can always get Wi-Fi or the equivalent, and some sort of hand-off mechanism is developed so that you can maintain a VoIP call as you roam from hot spot to hot spot, who needs LTE anymore?
There are plenty of reasons why this would be very hard to do, but that's no reason not to try. I don't know about you, but if SS7-based telephony is displaced by less-expensive technologies, I won't shed a tear for the carriers. But the one thing I definitely don't expect is free Wi-Fi.
But even if the federal government isn't going to bring free wireless to all, there are still local and corporate efforts afoot. For instance, in July 2012, New York City announced a pilot program that offers free Wi-Fi at payphone kiosks. The pilot included 10 locations throughout the five boroughs. Then there's Google, which offers free Wi-Fi to Google account holders in Mountain View, Calif. And this January the search giant also launched free Wi-Fi in the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan, the home of Google's New York headquarters.
New York City has started a pilot
program to provide free Wi-Fi at public payphones.
However, many efforts to bring free Wi-Fi to the public fail. And none failed bigger than Wireless Philadelphia. This organization sought to wire the entire city for Wi-Fi and subsidize the service, especially for the low-income residents. It also sought to subsidize computers for low-income residents. Philly is a large city with many residents who would qualify for the subsidies; the project's planners never bothered to think through how they could possibly pay for such an ambitious project. Before too long it became clear that they couldn't.
Wireless Philadelphia struggled for a while and after a few years it finally dropped dead and the city bought out the remainder of its assets for pennies on the dollar. The fundamental problem with Wireless Philadelphia and other free Wi-Fi schemes is that it was not a commercial entity and had no mission to get a service to people who wanted that service. Rather, their mission was to pursue certain political goals no matter what they cost or whether there was any actual demand for the services.
It may be that Internet users have become so accustomed to getting content for free that they now expect the same of Internet access. Keep dreaming.


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Emerald green is the Pantone color of the year. Which makes us think green grass. Which makes us think golf. If you're looking for perfectly manicured greens to be an integral part of your next Wisconsin B&B getaway, then use this handy map to plot out which course you'd like to tackle and then cross reference the nearest B&B. English Manor B&B in Sheboygan, Cobblestone B&B in Birchwoord, and Hollyberry Inn in Hayward have a nice golf package offers, so perhaps tee it up there for starters. Hollyberry Inn sent in this jewel of a golf package:
Receive twenty percent off green fees when you stay at Hollyberry Inn B & B. Come play the "4-Star" rated, prestigious and affordable Hayward Golf Club. This "#1 Most played Golf Course in Northern Wisconsin" offers a challenging yet friendly, beautifully manicured, immaculately groomed course. HGC is just blocks from Hollyberry Inn, where you will enjoy a warm, inviting, comfortable stay, including a scrumptious homemade breakfast before you hit the links. Holly will be happy to schedule your tee times and any other golfing arrangements. Plan ahead to ensure best tee times. (Certain days and times may not be available.) 715-934-4004


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File Storage APIs have gone mainstream in the last year and developers are in a race to integrate the popular file storage options that are available to users on the internet. Dropbox has been one of the key players and, with the release of the Dropbox API aims to push the envelope by releasing not just support for newer features like sharing and search but also with the release of developer SDKs to maximize its reach across developers.
The new release, named API version 1 is packed with features to go along with a completely revamped developer site. Dropbox clearly plans to court not just mobile developers but also web application developers. The new version in addition to Android and iOS support, also has developers SDKs for Python, Ruby and Java. The Open Source community has also made available Dropbox API ports to C# and PHP.
Some of the key features in Version 1 of the Dropbox API include:
- OAuth v1 is now the official supported authentication mechanism. No need to ask for username and password in your application.
- File Revisions and Search: You can now search and share with your application. Powerful File Revision Management is also supported. For e.g. reverting to an older version of the file, undeleting files, etc.
- App Folders: You do not need to expose the entire folder hierarchy if your application only does read/write from single designated folder. That is exactly what the App Folder is and you can even move or rename this App Folder and Dropbox will manage that for you.
Developers are recommended to move to API Version 1 in due course of time. Dropbox has stated that they plan to phase out API Version 0, though no timeframe has been given for now.
For full details on the latest Dropbox API, visit the Developer Site.


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This watercolour painting by Fred Cook depicts loaded hay carts at Tooley's farm one North End Road. Also shown is an Inn where one of the hay carts has stopped. The colours of this work are particularly bright and in good condition.
The Collection
Museum info
Opening times
House & Museum
12pm - 5pm
Wednesday - Friday & Sunday
Closed on Saturday
The Buttery Cafe 10am - 5pm Wednesday - Friday 9.30am - 5.30pm Saturday & Sunday


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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Jerry Horn
Atlanta, GA – On this, the 45th Anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech, Priests for Life Pastoral Associate Dr. Alveda King released the following statement:
"Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., a man of God, a man of great compassion, and a man of non-violence, once said, 'The Negro cannot win as long as he is willing to sacrifice the lives of his children for comfort and safety.' I know in my heart that if Uncle Martin were alive today, he would join with me in the greatest civil rights struggle of this generation – the recognition of the unborn child's basic right to life.
"My uncle Martin would agree that we cannot end poverty, hunger, or suffering by killing those who might suffer. We cannot claim to guarantee equal rights if we deny the rights of the helpless. And we cannot feign ignorance of the fact that those who are torn apart, crushed, or left to die on an abortionist's table are just as human as we are.
"My uncle said that injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. There is injustice in our land. We have turned being unwanted into a crime penalized by death. Today, I echo the words of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. – let freedom ring. From every mountain top, let freedom ring for all Americans, wanted and unwanted, born and unborn."
Priests for Life is the nation's largest Catholic pro-life organization dedicated to ending abortion and euthanasia. For more information, visit www.priestsforlife.org.


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John DiStaso's Granite Status: Bass heads list of NH Republicans fighting to overturn California same-sex marriage banBy John DiStaso, Senior Political Reporter
February 27. 2013 4:55PM
WEDNESDAY, Feb. 27: FIGHTING PROPOSITION 8. Former U.S. Rep. Charlie Bass and two sitting state senators are among a group of prominent Granite State Republicans who have joined the legal battle to overturn California's Proposition 8, which currently outlaws same-sex marriage in that state.
With the challenge set to be heard by the U.S. Supreme Court next month, about 100 well-known Republicans nationally have signed on to a "friend of the court" amicus brief in support of the plaintiffs attempting to overturn the measure.
(For earlier Granite Status items, click on "Granite Status" above).
Sources tell the Granite Status that New Hampshire Republicans who also signed the brief, along with Bass, included Republicans state Sen. Nancy Stiles of Hampton and John Reagan of Deerfield.
Also signing was Tyler Deaton, current secretary of the New Hampshire Young Republicans and managing director of B-Fresh Consulting. He is a former leader in the successful efforts to enact same-sex marriage in New Hampshire and defeat repeal attempts as campaign manager of New Hampshire Republicans for Freedom and Equality and a former spokesperson for Standing Up for New Hampshire Families.
State Rep. Adam Schroadter, vice chairman of the House Business Caucus, and Jacob P. Wagner, chairman of the New Hampshire Federation of College Republicans, have also signed on in support of the plaintiffs in the Proposition 8 case.
Bass told the Granite Status that he also "signed on" in support of repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act in his final days as a congressman.
"I also don't think that civil marriage, which is what this case is about, poses any threat to religious freedom," he said.
"It also reflects the reality that we have in New Hampshire," in which same-sex marriage is legal, Bass said.
"I received a note from (former Republican National Committee Chairman) Ken Mehlman about it," Bass said. "He sent me the brief and I read it and I thought it made sense."
Nationally-known Republicans who have signed on to the brief include Mehlman, who is on the board of the American Foundation for Equal Rights, former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman, the former presidential candidate who backed only civil unions as a candidate but now backs same-sex marriage, former Massachusetts governors William Weld and Jane Swift, former New Jersey Gov. Christine Todd Whitman, and former California candidate for governor Meg Whitman.
The amicus brief says in part:
"Whether same-sex couples should have access to civil marriage divides thoughtful, concerned citizens. But this Court has long recognized that a belief, no matter how strongly or sincerely held, cannot justify a legal distinction that is unsupported by a factual basis, especially where something as important as civil marriage is concerned.
"Our constitutional tradition requires the judiciary to protect our most cherished liberties against overreaching by the legislature or the electorate, and that principle, no less than our commitment to democratic self-government, is necessary to individual freedom and limited government," the brief says.


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North American "Sailor Moon" fans can rejoice: "Sailor Moon Crystal," the new reboot of the classic anime franchise, will be available to stream starting July 5 on Hulu and Viz Media's Neon Alley.
Based on Naoko Takeuchi's long-running manga series, "Sailor Moon Crystal" will retell the story of Usagi Tsukino discovering she is Sailor Moon. As revealed in the trailer below, Usagi meets Luna, a black cat that can talk, who has been searching for her. After she is given a special brooch to transform into Sailor Moon, Usagi is tasked with the mission to gather her allies, other Sailor Senshi or "Guardians," and defeat the enemy.
As in the original anime series that aired in the U.S. starting in 1995, Sailor Moon's mission also involves seeking out the Legendary Silver Crystal and protecting it from Queen Beryl.
"Fans everywhere have eagerly awaited the launch of the new 'Sailor Moon Crystal' series, and we are very excited to announce its premiere on Neon Alley and Hulu starting next month," said Charlene Ingram, Viz Media's senior manager of animation marketing, in a statement. After the premiere, new episodes of the anime, subtitled in English, will be available on the first and third Saturdays of each month.
To commemorate the series' launch, Viz Media will also be hosting Sailor Moon Day on July 5 at the 2014 Anime Expo with special activities. Among the planned events is a panel where the first two newly produced dubbed episodes of the original animated "Sailor Moon" series will premiere. The Anime Expo will be held at the Los Angeles Convention Center from July 3 to 6.
How do you like Sailor Moon's new look? Let us know in the comments section below.
– Tracy Brown | @tracycbrown | @LATHeroComplex
'Poppy Hill' trailer: Love, secrets in bygone era
VIDEO: A scene from 'The Wind Rises'
Miyazaki's farewell film coming to U.S.
'The Simpsons' pays tribute to Hayao Miyazaki
'Totoro,' 'Mononoke' returning to theaters
'Arrietty' director on the beauty of Studio Ghibli
Ghibli films spirited away to the big screen
Miyazaki breaks silent Iraq protest
'Tangled Ever After': Disney lets its hair down
Miyazaki: Even if you don't see details, you do
Miyazaki's 'Nausicaä' as personal archaeology


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Zimbabwe: Monitors foresee more polling chaos
HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) — An independent Zimbabwe election monitoring group said Wednesday many of the nation's 6.2 million voters will not be likely to cast their ballots if elections are not delayed.
Less than 10 percent of police and officials eligible for a special vote ahead of crucial national polls managed to cast their ballots in early polling "fraught with irregularities," the Election Resource Center said. About 80,000 police, soldiers and officials will be on duty during the July 31 vote.
Earlier on Wednesday, the state commission said in a statement it apologized to the uniformed forces, state officials "and to political parties and the nation at large" and acknowledged "substantial numbers" of voters were turned away during the special voting on Sunday and Monday that spilled into Tuesday.
"All persons who were deprived of the opportunity to vote will be able to vote on July 31 when the rest of the electorate votes," it said.
Voting papers and equipment were not delivered in time at most of the 210 voting posts, and the resource center blamed delays in printing the materials. Zimbabweans are scheduled to vote at 9,600 polling stations for countrywide vote that is two weeks away.
The resource center said the nation faced "further shame and embarrassment," if polls were not delayed. It said Nigeria in 2011 postponed elections twice for logistical reasons and went on to have a fair poll.
Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai's party, in a shaky coalition with longtime President Robert Mugabe since the last violent and disputed elections in 2008, said in a separate statement the special voting exposed the commission's inability to hold a credible election at the end of the month.
Tendai Biti, the third ranking official in Tsvangirai's party who is also the finance minister, alleged "a chaos faction" in Mugabe's party was trying to derail election procedures to sow confusion across the country for their own gain at the polls.
"This election is illegitimate and unfair. We are participating because the people are tired and want change. We are going to soldier on," Biti said in the statement.


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You are here
10 Best Gear Picks For Baby Activities
Your baby's ready to play! Stock up on these great products and you'll be set for all the fun times ahead.
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Photo Courtesy of Tiny Love
Lights, music, action!
The Tiny Love Gymini is loaded to the max: textures, sounds and colors abound from dangling accessories on the arched bars. There's also a detachable kick pad with mirror that you can tote along in the car or from room to room. Heaven! ($70, tinylove.com)
Photo Courtesy of Summer Infant
Super is really the word here: your baby can sit supported when she's a wee one, play upright later on with the five cute toys on the tray, and then when she's ready to join the table, it becomes the perfect booster seat for your budding epicure! ($44.99, albeebaby.com)
Photo Courtesy of Skip Hop
Tummy-time wonder
A soft, colorful play mat is an invaluable spot to plop your tiny bug so she can groove on her tummy. Add in five hanging toys (including a mirrored cow and crinkly piggy), textured fabrics and cool graphics, and you've got yourself a winner. ($59.99, oopma.com)
Photo Courtesy of Kolcraft
Cruiser's dream
Your sweetie is now mobile, so set her up with this colorful walker/push toy. She'll bounce to the music, fiddle with the toys and push the easy-grip handle when she's ready to get where she wants to go. ($72.99, babyage.com)
The WonderBug Activity Center opens up a world of discovery and development for baby in the form of a cute, lovable bug! The many features include:
- A variety of toys & activities to entertain baby
- Wilbur WonderWorm who includes lights, music & sounds
- A seat that bounces and spins 360°
- Height adjustable for growing babies
- Disassembles easily for travel & storage
- Machine washable seat pad
Photo Courtesy of Infantino
A clean ride
Amuse your tot at the store (and keep germs at bay at the same time) with the Infantino cart cover (good for grimy restaurant highchairs, too); it wraps around the seat and sides and comes with a monkey pal, teether toy and a tiki hut peek-a-boo mirror. ($19.99, step2.com)
Photo Courtesy of Graco
High-tech rocker
It's a tough transition from the womb to the real world, but you can ease the way with the Sweetpeace center from Graco. Its cradling motions and low-frequency sounds (heartbeat, wind and rain) will bring back all the loving comfort your babe felt in utero. ($146, walmart.com)
Photo Courtesy of Graco
Travel star
It sets up in no time and packs away easily into its own carrying bag, making this Graco bassinet/changing table/playard an ideal choice for a weekend away. Plus, the music feature plays both classical tunes and nature sounds to soothe your little pumpkin to sleep. ($115.21, amazon.com)
Photo Courtesy of Evenflo
It's a play mat, exersaucer and activity table in one, so you can use it from the earliest days up to 2 years of age. The seat has three adjustable positions and the tray is packed with toys and music—your little guy will be playing 'til the sun goes down. ($129.99, babiesrus.com)
Double duty
This playard from Chicco will grow with your baby: it's both a bassinet for when she's a newborn and portable crib as she gets older. The detachable toy bar works for both items, and includes music, vibration and a nightlight. ($189.99, toysrus.com)
Photo Courtesy of Baby Björn
Modern fun
This handsome baby seat is the ultimate little bouncer. He'll love to rock himself in it and play with the add-on toy bar, filled with colorful spinning wooden doo-dads. Your babe controls the action in this seat, unlike in other bouncers, which do the work for him. What a thrill! It'll look good in your living room, too. ($170 for seat, $40 for toy bar, giggle.com)


text: Modelnumber: 0701-701-190/1Model: SkirtColour: Spring BlackMaterial: viscose/elastanDesignOverlap function with a strip of cloth underneath, so you won't show "too much" cleavage. Tops with extra length means no "opening"between trousers and top. Carefully chosen models to highlight the best parts of your figure. Comfortable jersey fabric with stretch. Cool patterns and joyful colors. In "bara Glad" you'll be able to feel well dressed and comfortable at the same time.There is a thought in the patternThanks to the unique function in bara Glads clothes for breast feeding you can relax and look great! Our unique patterns are created by Swedish designers exclusively for bara Glad.An investment for you wardrobe which you preferablycan wear after you stopped you breast feeding! Please click on image for detailed photoand size chart.


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Korea abandons plan to hunt endangered whales
An official circular issued by the International Whaling Commission (IWC) this week announced that the government of Korea "had changed its position regarding its initial plan on scientific whaling and would instead undertake research using non-lethal methods."
The Republic of Korea announced in June 2012 its plans to kill endangered whales under a loophole in the whaling treaty that allows for so-called 'scientific' whaling. The proposal was met with fierce opposition from numerous IWC member governments that called the hunt unnecessary given the availability of modern non-lethal research techniques.
Korea's previous plans involved the hunting of an endangered stock of minke whales, which would have sent a dangerous signal that even the most threatened of whales are fair game for exploitation.
"WWF congratulates the Republic of Korea for reversing its decision to hunt endangered minke whales for scientific purposes," said Wendy Elliott, Species Manager for WWF International. "We hope that this positive move is a step towards strengthened conservation of whales in Korean waters."
Japan is the only country that continues to kill whales for purportedly 'scientific' purposes, with meat going straight to sale in the Japanese market. The Japanese hunt includes takes of whales in the Southern Ocean, a legally-defined sanctuary where whale hunting is prohibited.
"Killing whales in the name of 'science' is entirely unnecessary in the 21st century, when non-lethal research provides all necessary information effectively," Elliott said. "Korea's decision means that Japan is the only country left to continue this outdated practice. We hope this is a wake-up call that now is the time to end Japanese scientific whaling in the Southern Ocean for good."
Contact: Alona Rivord arivord[at]wwfint[dot]org +41 79 959 1963


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8:00 pm
First Freedom: The Fight for Religious Liberty This film tells the story of how the Founding Fathers of the United States raised the ideal of religious freedom to the level of a fundamental human right, using re-enactments, the Founding Fathers' own words and the commentary of key experts. The late Forrest Church, author, minister and former Idahoan, is one of the commentators.G
9:30 pm
Iranian Americans When their homeland is racked by political and religious upheaval, leading to revolution, tens of thousands of Iranians left their homeland for the United States. This account of displacement is told by more than 25 of these immigrants, who when uprooted built completely new lives in their new country. Today they are educators, politicians, diplomats, scientists, comedians, bankers, writers and engineers, among other careers.G
10:30 pm
Serving America: Memories of Peace Corps A mix of archival film and photographs, along with personal stories from former volunteers, tells a story of service and idealism. Interviews convey the volunteers' passion, commitment and bravery as they lived and worked in developing countries. From almost fatal obstacles to spiritual epiphanies, these men and women describe their transformative experiences.G
11:00 pm
Charlie Rose NULL


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Zeel Massage On Demand®
in Huntington Beach
Zeel delivers your very own Huntington Beach massage 365 days a year with just the click of a button. Just sit back and relax, Zeel has your back.
Get a Massage
Massages in Huntington Beach, CA just got easier to come across, thanks to Zeel. Huntington Beach is not only California's Orange County capital, it's also the largest metro area contained within Orange County. This coastal city is especially well-known for its superb surfing, earning it the nickname Surf City, USA. It's no surprise that Huntington Beach is home to the International Surfing Museum. Luckily, Huntington Beach is also home to Zeel, so the best massage in Huntington Beach is never more than an hour or the click of a button away.
Zeel delivers your very own Huntington Beach massage 365 days a year, for start times as early as 8 am and as late as 10:30 pm. Our mobile massage therapists in Huntington Beach are happy to bring a great massage in-home or in a hotel room, with as little as an hour's notice. Plus, booking is super-simple on the Zeel app, or on Zeel.com. A massage in Huntington Beach from Zeel is the perfect treat after a day on the beach!
Enter your zip code to find out if Zeel is available in your area.
and other nearby areas.
Book a 5-star massage easily in seconds from our website or massage app.
A massage therapist will come to your Huntington Beach home, hotel, or office in as little as an hour, or schedule in advance.
Relax and recuperate with a spa-quality massage in the comfort of your Huntington Beach home.
Huntington Beach Massage Therapists
There are over 9,000 massage therapists in the Zeel network nationwide. Here are a few that are available for in-home massages in Huntington Beach.
in Huntington Beach
Zeel provides Swedish massage, deep tissue massage, prenatal massage, sports massage, couples massage, and chair massage in Huntington Beach.


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Apr 06,2009
The Savage Truth on Money: The gold standard
by Terry Savage
If you can stop licking your stock market wounds for a minute, it's time to consider your IRA contribution for this year. The April 15 tax deadline is also the last date you can make contributions for 2008. And it would be a good time to consider your 2009 contribution.
In 2008 and 2009, the contribution limits remain the same: $5,000 for both traditional and Roth IRAs for those under age 50. But if you're 50 or older, you can set aside $6,000 for each of these years.
If you qualify with adjusted gross income of less than $101,000 on a single return or $159,000 on a joint return, and you are not covered by a company retirement plan, you can open a tax-deductible traditional IRA. Remember, part of the money you're investing today would have gone to the government in taxes!
The possibility of higher tax rates in the future makes a Roth IRA even more attractive. You don't get an immediate tax deduction. But if the government keeps its promise, the gains will all come out tax-tree to help pay for your retirement.
It takes a strong heart and a good sense of perspective to consider making an IRA contribution now. This year, more people are likely to take a conservative attitude, after watching their IRA accounts melt down with the stock market. That might turn out to be an unfortunate decision: Money in bank CDs can't grow much, while you might be passing up a chance to pick up bargains in the stock market.
Perhaps it's time to get even more sophisticated with your IRA or IRA rollover account. While stocks traditionally have been a good "hedge" against the impact of inflation, you might want to diversify into another direct inflation hedge: gold or silver. Yes, you can buy shares of mining companies, or mutual funds that buy these stocks, or Exchange Traded Funds that buy the metals.
But most people are unaware that you can buy certain gold bullion coins and bars for your IRA — if they are held in trust by a certified custodian. Those include U.S. coins such as gold and silver Eagles, and gold Buffalo coins, as well as bars and wafers of the precious metals. Some foreign coins, such as Australian Kangaroos and Canadian Maple Leafs, also meet fineness standards to qualify.
You cannot buy collectibles, such as numismatic coins, for your IRA — even if they are gold. And those "commemorative" gold "coins" don't qualify either. Similarly, you're not allowed to buy artwork, gems, stamps, antiques and other collectibles inside an IRA.
The basic principle of investing in "alternative assets" in your IRA is that there must be an official "custodian" who has control of these assets for your benefit. There are several companies that provide that service. Entrust (www.theentrustgroup .com) is one of them. The Blanchard Group — a coin dealer — has a similar program using its GoldStar Trust (www. blanchard.com). I prefer separating the coin dealer purchase from the IRA custodian, which is how Entrust works.
If you have an IRA with a "checking" feature at a mutual fund company, you can go to a coin dealer, pay for your coins with a check from your IRA — and then direct that the coins be sent to Entrust by certified mail for storage. Or you can open a new IRA with Entrust, and they'll handle the purchase for you with your coin dealer.
The coins are then placed in a safe-deposit vault in the bank of your choice. The safe deposit box is opened by the trust company as trustee for your IRA. You can watch the coins being placed in the box — but you don't get a key to it.
As an alternative, Entrust can act as trustee for coins left in the vaults of a certified dealer. They sign the storage agreement with the coin dealer as your trustee. Either way, the IRA holder gets a daily online statement, as well as a year-end valuation for seniors who must start taking a required minimum distribution.
Entrust CEO Hugh Bromma says there is a growing interest in gold and silver bullion for IRAs, even among those most scared about the future of financial institutions: "We can act as custodian for your gold in any vault, even outside the United States."
We plan our retirement in dollars, and we will pay our retirement living expenses in dollars. But how much will those dollars buy in our retirement years? If dollars don't keep their buying power, gold will! And that's The Savage Truth.
Terry Savage is a registered investment adviser and is on the board of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange.


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NORTH HOLLYWOOD>> U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer made a rare appearance to the San Fernando Valley Thursday to make a pitch for the Affordable Care Act and encourage millions of eligible Californians to si gn up for health insurance beginning on Oct. 1.
Boxer held a press conference at Valley Community Clinic in North Hollywood to outline benefits she said were already experienced by millions of Californians because of the ACA, including the 8 million residents who now receive preventative care and 400,000 young adults who are provided coverage under their parents' plans.
But she admitted that concern runs deep among federal, state and local officials who worry that a large chunk of Californians still don't understand how health care reform affects them. More than 5 million state residents are eligible for low-cost health coverage.
"The reason I'm here today is to say, California, wake up!" Boxer said. "Something good is going to happen. We're so used to the bad news but this is good news."
Her pitch comes less than two months before eligible Californians will be able to shop for health plans on the state's market exchange called Covered California.
The federal health law requires most Americans to have health insurance starting January 2014, and many residents will qualify for free or subsidized coverage based on their income. Already, those who qualify or those who want to change health plans can go to CoveredCA.com or call 888-975-1142 and compare plans under tiered policies that include Bronze, Silver, Gold and Platinum — each providing different levels of out-of-pocket costs, based on income. The plans listed are for individual coverage. Small business owners also can view rates, but the provision that requires companies with more than 50 employees to provide coverage or face fines was delayed by a year.
Of the 5.3 million Californians eligible for low cost health insurance, at least 2.6 million may be eligible for tax subsidies to help pay for their coverage.
Last month, community clinics received $22 million in Health and Human Services grants to hire more than 400 outreach workers to find the 576,000 Californians who qualify for the low-cost health plans.
Once signed up, those newly insured will likely receive care through community clinics, many of which have worked to expand to accommodate all the new patients.
Valley Community Clinic, for example, will not only expand its North Hollywood location, but also open a new comprehensive clinic in North Hills next year. Last year, the clinic saw 70,000 visits by 20,000 patients. That may double because of the Affordable Care Act, said Paula Wilson, CEO of Valley Community Clinic.
But one concern remains for them as well as clinics statewide: the nation needs at least 40,000 new primary care doctors in the next seven years to fill what some say is an anticipated shortage of physicians ready to care for the newly insured.
In California, 42 of the state's 58 counties have fewer than 60 to 80 primary care physicians per 100,000 population, according to a report released last year by the Association of American Medical Colleges.
"We are dealing with that today. Right now we have a plan," Wilson said. "Come 2014, we'll have to see."
Meanwhile, Boxer said the nation is watching California as it works to meet all the requirements of the Affordable Care Act. Some have said if a state as large as California, which has the most uninsured in the nation, is unsuccessful in enrollment, then the ACA will fail as well.
Boxer believes the state will succeed, but agreed California's role is huge.
"California is key," she said. "Our state is pivotal."


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Whether you're a retail employer, an educator, a student or employee seeking a career in retail, this is your first and best stop for retail career information!
If you're an Employer, you will find information on topics such as training and certification programs, recruitment and how to become more involved with CRI, among other vital topics for your business.
For those wanting a career in the exciting world of retail, you will find valuable information: everything from the varied positions in the retail industry, to job seeking tips and an up-to-date listing of job search websites.
Educators are an important cog in the retail engine. You'll find information such as scholarship programs and teaching tools to help educate retail students.
Find out more:
Rewarding Canada's Future Retail Talent
Impressing the opportunities of a career in retail on current retail students is critical for the continued growth of the industry. For the past 11 years, RCC's Retail as a Career Scholarship program has been leading the charge. Read more.
About CRI
Retail is more than just a job. Retail is a dynamic and challenging career!
At Canadian Retail Institute (CRI), we are dedicated to helping you launch the retail career of your dreams. As a division of Retail Council of Canada (RCC), we strive to promote retail as a fulfilling and rewarding career through educational programs, scholarships and partnerships with post-secondary institutions offering retail programs across the country. Our efforts are focused on strengthening the industry by encouraging retail education, increasing career awareness and advancing professional designation programs.
On this site you will find information for students & career seekers, employers and educators. From professional designation programs and scholarships to research and career information and resources, this site has everything you need to explore a career in the retail industry.
Responding to the needs of the retail industry, Retail Council of Canada (RCC) established the Canadian Retail Institute (CRI), which is dedicated to strengthening the industry by encouraging retail education, increasing career awareness and developing certification and training programs to improve workforce skills.
Career Awareness
Retail is a dynamic industry! In order to get the word out, CRI attends career fairs, visits schools, and creates links with educators and employers to inform them about retail careers.
To encourage students to pursue higher education in retail, CRI has created the Retail as a Career Scholarship Program. Scholarships are open to anyone pursuing post-secondary studies in a retail or business-related program.
Certification and Training
As Canada's only professional designations for retail sales associates and first level managers, CRI certification and training programs are designed to ensure employers that their businesses will be supported by a winning and fully qualified in-store team, and to give employees a competitive advantage within the retail industry.


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Shaheen attracting Democratic Senate allies in urging ACA open enrollment extensionBy JOHN DiSTASO
Senior Political Reporter
October 23. 2013 11:49PM
(Friday morning update)
Nine Democratic U.S. senators have joined New Hampshire Sen. Jeanne Shaheen's effort to extend open enrollment for the Affordable Care Act until technical problem with the HealthCare.gov web site are resolved.
The Shaheen-led coalition issued a letter Friday to Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius asking for the delay. It reiterated a call Shaheen made earlier this week in an open letter to President Barack Obama.
Shaheen will discuss the issue on the CBS news talk show "Face the Nation" on Sunday, a spokesman said.
Joining Shaheen in the new letter are Democratic U.S. Sens. Mark Begich of Alaska, Mark Pryor of Arkansas, Mary Landrieu of Louisiana, Kay Hagan of North Carolina, Dianne Feinstein of California, Mark Udall and Michael Bennet of Colorado, and Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich of New Mexico.
The letter voices support for the ACA but says, "However, now that the marketplaces are open, we have become discouraged and frustrated with the problems and interactions that are occurring with the Affordable Care Act's federally-administered website, HealthCare.gov.
"Given the existing problems with HealthCare.gov and other state-run marketplace websites that depend on the federally-administered website, we urge you to consider extending open enrollment beyond the current end date of March 31, 2014. Extending this period will give consumers critical time in which to become familiar with the website and choose a plan that is best for them. Individuals should not be penalized for lack of coverage if they are unable to purchase health insurance due to technical problems."
(Earlier reports on this issue follow.)
(Thursday afternoon update:)
Sen. Jeanne Shaheen is not on board with a plan by fellow Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia to delay by a year the Affordable Care Act's individual mandate and related penalties for not signing up for an insurance plan.
Republican Sen. Kelly Ayotte, meanwhile, welcomed the bipartisan effort by Manchin and Republican Georgia Sen. Johnny Isakson.
Manchin announced Wednesday night that he was working with Isakson on a bill that would delay fines under the ACA until Jan. 1, 2015, calling it a "transition year."
Shaheen does not support that specific delay at this time, said her spokesman, Shripal Shah, on Thursday. But he did not rule out the possibility of a change in her position as developments continue in Washington.
Shaheen, said Shah, has called for a delay in the open enrollment sign-up period under the ACA until "technical problems" with the plan's web site, HealthCare.gov, are resolved. She also said in an open letter to President Barack Obama earlier this week that there should be a corresponding delay in fines until the site is running smoothly.
But Shah clarified that unlike the Manchin plan, with a specific call for a year-long delay, as it is being reported, Shaheen's call for a penalty delay is more open-ended and is related to improvements being made on ACA web site.
Shaheen's call on Tuesday for a delay in the enrollment period gathered momentum among Democratic senators.
On Wednesday, she picked up support from Democratic Sens. Mark Pryor of Arkansas, Mark Begich of Alaska, Mary Landrieu of Louisiana and Kay Hagan of North Carolina.
Republican Ayotte voiced support for the bipartisan individual mandate delay effort.
"I have co-sponsored legislation that would delay both the individual and employer mandates for one year, as well as a bill to delay all of Obamacare for one year, including the law's $1 trillion in new taxes," Ayotte said.
"I welcome the new Manchin-Isakson bipartisan proposal that would give American families the same relief that big businesses received when the administration delayed the law's employer mandate," she said. "Americans shouldn't have to face new tax penalties while so many are still having difficulty accessing the exchange web site and signing up for an insurance plan."
The conservative advocacy group Americans for Prosperity-New Hampshire on Wednesday called on Shaheen to support an individual mandate delay, and the state Republican Party on Thursday followed with a call for her to specifically back the Manchin plan.
"We applaud Senator Shaheen for acknowledging that the rollout of ObamaCare has been a disaster and that New Hampshire residents are wasting considerable time and energy attempting to enroll in a broken website," said Greg Moore, state director for AFP-NH. "However, if she is serious about offering relief to Granite Staters who will be faced with a penalty because of the incompetence of the Obama administration, she will file legislation to delay the individual mandate for all of 2014."
State GOP chair Jennifer Horn said, "If Senator Shaheen was actually serious about standing up for New Hampshire she would -- at a minimum -- join Democrat Senator Joe Manchin's bipartisan effort to delay the individual mandate tax for one year," Horn said.
(An earlier report follows.)
Sen. Jeanne Shaheen this week became the first Senate Democrat to urge President Barack Obama to extend the open enrollment period for Affordable Care Act sign-ups due to what she called its "technical problems."
A spokesman for the senator said, however, she does not support a delay in the health care law's overall individual mandate.
"Senator Shaheen believes that the White House should consider extending open enrollment because of ongoing problems with HealthCare.gov," said the spokesman, Shripal Shah.
Shaheen, in a letter to Obama Tuesday, also wrote that individuals should not be penalized if "technical problems" with enrollment prevents them from obtaining coverage by the March 31, 2014 deadline.
Shaheen's position in favor of extending open enrollment put her at odds with a prominent fellow Capitol Hill Democrat. U.S. House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi on Wednesday reportedly said she "respectfully" disagreed with Shaheen and did not support an extension.
New Hampshire's two Democratic U.S. House members agreed with Shaheen on an enrollment extension, rather than their House leader.
Rep. Carol Shea-Porter said extending the deadline is "a matter of fairness for New Hampshire families."
Rep. Ann Kuster said she is frustrated by the website's technical problems and as the Obama administration works to fix it, "I agree with Senator Shaheen that the President should extend open enrollment so that Granite Staters have sufficient time to study and shop for coverage.
"I also urge him to ensure that no Granite Staters are penalized for failing to purchase insurance as a result of the ongoing technical problems," Kuster said.
Shaheen coupled her request to the President with a strong overall endorsement of the ACA, saying it "has already had a significant impact on the lives of millions of Americans.
"Seniors are now paying less for their prescription drugs," Shaheen wrote, "important preventive care services, such as some cancer screenings and immunizations, are available for free and important work is being done to improve the quality of care we receive. Americans now have the opportunity to receive tax credits to purchase quality health insurance, and starting in January 2014, insurance companies will no longer be able to deny health coverage because of a pre-existing condition or drop coverage if someone is sick."
But Shaheen wrote that due to the HealthCare.gov website's "difficulties," open enrollment should be extended past March 31 to give people more time to obtain coverage before facing penalties.
Shaheen also asked that the White House, "in light of the difficulties individuals may be having with enrolling through HealthCare.gov," clarify "how the individual responsibility penalty will be administered and enforced.
"If an individual is unable to purchase health insurance due to technical problems with enrollment, they should not be penalized because of lack of coverage," Shaheen wrote.
"The difficulty that people in New Hampshire and in other states that are relying on the federally facilitated marketplaces are experiencing is incredibly frustrating and disappointing," Shaheen wrote. "For over three years, we have been waiting for the creation of the health insurance exchanges, which now in their fourth week of existence, are riddled with problems.
New Hampshire does not have its own state exchange, due to a state law passed in 2012 by what was then a Republican-dominated state Legislature, so Granite Staters must sign up through the federal exchange.
Shaheen wrote Obama that "we must do better. As you continue to fix problems with the website and the enrollment process, it is critical that the administration be open to modifications that provide greater flexibility for the American people seeking to access health insurance. Extending the open enrollment period and clarification on the enforcement and administration of the individual responsibility penalty would be a great start."
Pelosi briefly addressed the Shaheen request after a Capitol Hill meeting between members of the House Democratic caucus and federal officials involved in administering the ACA.
"I don't support that," she told reporters, according to Politico.com.
"I think we should be able to go forward," Pelosi was quoted as saying. "There are glitches, but there are solutions as well."
Shaheen's spokesman made clear her opposition to an overall delay in the individual mandate as a report surfaced that West Virginia Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin has begun working on legislation to delay for a year the penalty for not signing up for health coverage.
State Republican Party Chairman Jennifer Horn, in a statement Wednesday, said Shaheen's request for an open enrollment extension "is too little, too late.
"If Senator Shaheen was serious about standing up for New Hampshire, she would immediately demand that President Obama delay the law for individuals as he has for big businesses," Horn said.
To follow developments of the Affordable Care Act, go to unionleader.com/aca


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About this collection
Every Tennessean has a story. Share yours.
To commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Civil War (2011-2015), the Tennessee State Library and Archives is sending teams of archivists and conservators across the state of Tennessee to document and preserve Civil War-era materials. Thus far, the team has digitized thousands of original items that have rarely been viewed by the public.
Digital copies of these documents and artifacts, representing the rich Civil War heritage of Tennessee families, have now become part of a virtual exhibit commemorating the 150th anniversary of the war in Tennessee. The Library and Archives staff continues to make visits to counties across the state, so please check back regularly in order to view new items.
The Looking Back collection encompasses an extraordinary and diverse range of original items that were in use during the Civil War. Wartime letters, diaries, and photographs are well represented as are uniforms, quilts, rifles, pistols, and artillery shells. Tennesseans have brought in objects as unusual as carved minié balls, surgical kits, musical instruments, a horse blanket, and a half-boot made for a wounded soldier. The documents are equally interesting, and range from beautiful letters from soldiers home to their wives, diaries, and hand-drawn maps to eye-catching finds, such as a military pass signed by President Lincoln and a letter signed by Jefferson Davis.
Many of these materials brought in by patrons during a Looking Back event have never been documented or studied by historians, largely because they have been kept in private hands. These newly discovered primary sources will help fill in gaps in the historical record and will be available to future researchers and students of the Civil War in Tennessee.
Microfilm-only collections
Some donors bring in large collections to be digitized for the Looking Back project. In some cases, the Library and Archives opts to microfilm these materials rather than digitize them on-site because of time constraints. For a list of the collections that the Library and Archives has microfilmed during the Looking Back project, please click here. In order to view the microfilm, a visit to the Library and Archives is required.
Online collections
The images in the online Looking Back collection constitute the vast majority of the items contributed to the project. All images are stored on our servers and can be retrieved by a staff member. In addition to the information about each object that was recorded during a digitization event, some items may also have supporting materials that can be viewed upon request. While donor information is kept confidential, all other data compiled on the digitized materials is available for the public.
Please note: some items are compound objects. This means that there are multiple images for the same item. On our website, these items will open to a view of the first page of the item with thumbnails and associated page numbers for subsequent pages listed on the right. To view other pages, click on the selected thumbnail or page number as desired. Remember that you can zoom in on all pages of a compound object by using the zoom toolbar, located directly above each image.
++ For information on ordering copies of the images found in the Looking Back collection, click here.


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A tour of Dimock, Pennsylvania, with Victoria Switzer is a bumpy ride over torn-up roads, around parking lots filled with heavy machinery and storage tanks, and past well pads that not long ago were forests. The winter here was quiet, but with the thawing ground came the return of the rigs, the trucks, the constant noise and lights of a twenty-four-hour-a-day gas drilling operation. "It's a modern-day Deadwood out here," Switzer says, likening the activity to the gold rush. "No rules, no regs, just rigs."
The "occupation," as she calls it, hasn't just transformed Dimock into an industrial hub; it has also damaged the local water supply and put residents' health at risk. After a stray drill bit banged four wells in 2008, Switzer says, weird things started happening to people's water: some flushed black, some orange, some turned bubbly. One well exploded, the result of methane migration, and residents say elevated metal and toluene levels have ruined twelve others. Then, in September 2009, about 8,000 gallons of hazardous drilling fluids spilled into nearby fields and creeks. The contamination and related health problems have prompted fifteen families to file suit against Cabot Oil and Gas, the primary leaseholder in the area, alleging fraud and contract violation and seeking to stop the damage from spreading.
If she could do it all over again, Switzer says, she never would have signed the 2006 drilling lease that helped open Pandora's Box here. But at the time, she'd never heard of hydrofracking—the Cabot representative didn't mention the word to her when he gained the rights to drill on her land. The story of gas drilling in Dimock begins more than a mile below the earth's surface in the Marcellus Shale, a huge rock formation that extends from New York to Tennessee. Some geologists estimate that the Marcellus contains enough shale gas to power the United States for two decades. But the gas is caught in millions of tiny pores and can be extracted only through hydraulic fracturing, or hydrofracking, a controversial process that requires blasting millions of gallons of water, sand and toxic chemicals deep underground to create fissures that open the pores and free gas to rise to the surface.
Hydrofracking is a hugely lucrative and rapidly expanding industry—the consulting firm PFC Energy recently reported that shale gas production accounts for about 10 percent of US natural gas production, up from 1 percent in 2000. It is bolstered not only by a powerful lobby but also by growing awareness of the threats posed by climate change and America's dependence on foreign oil. In recent years, a broad coalition of energy analysts and government officials have embraced domestic natural gas as a promising "bridge fuel" that could help smooth the transition from more carbon-intensive fossil fuels like oil and coal to renewable energy sources like solar and wind. The catch, though, is that the natural gas industry shares the same history as other energy industries operating in the United States. A string of recent disasters—including the TVA coal ash spill, the Massey coal mine explosion and the Deepwater Horizon oil spill—have demonstrated all too vividly that failure to regulate and oversee resource extraction can lead to catastrophe. Some fear that Dimock is the first natural gas casualty, an early warning of what could happen on a much larger scale if fracking spreads unchecked to other residential areas in the Marcellus region and across the country.


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Trial looms in beating of Albany toddlerBy LARISSA MULKERN
Union Leader Correspondent
December 16. 2012 10:18PM
OSSIPEE - The man charged with severely beating and kidnapping of his ex-girlfriend's toddler is expected to appear at a scheduling conference next month.
Justin Roy, 34, formerly of Albany, has been held in Carroll County jail on $50,000 cash bail since his arrest and arraignment on numerous charges last April. He was indicted on April 13 on one count of first -degree assault, five counts of second-degree assault, two counts of kidnapping, one count of criminal restraint - all felonies - and two counts of misdemeanor level simple assault.
If convicted of the most serious felony offenses that come with extended term sentences because they involve children under 13, Roy faces more than 100 years in jail. The extended term felony offenses carry 10- to 30-year prison terms.
Carroll County Attorney Thomas Dewhurst III on Friday said the pre-trial scheduling conference is on the calendar for Jan. 10.
Dewhurst, who has prosecuted the case since the indictments, ends his term as county attorney on Jan. 1. He said that it hasn't been determined if he would continue to prosecute the case for the county early next year. Former County Attorney Robin Gordon was reelected to the post this fall and begins her term in January.
Roy is charged with beating the then 2-year-old son of his former girlfriend, Heather Downs. The boy is now 3. The boy suffered life-threatening injuries including damage to his intestines and pancreas, and was hospitalized for several weeks. He is now recovering, with his younger brother, in the care of his grandparents and father in Maine.
Roy is also charged with injuring Downs' 8-year-old son by pushing him, causing him to hit his head on a coffee table, and with simple assault for squirting the contents of a baby bottle into the baby boy's face.
Heather Downs has since been charged with one count of felony witness tampering and three counts of endangering the welfare of a child.


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Quirky, groovy Jazz/Blues tune with lounge bar feel. Piano, bass and drums. Comical, fun vibe!
WAV file available upon request. Please don't forget to rate!
This track is in a MONEY-SAVING Music Pack: http://audiojungle.net/item/coolest-blues-music-pack/3520227
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This track is perfect as intro or trailer. Brass, choir and strings makes it sounds epic and heroic. It's good for animations and games featuring bravery, heroism and battle scenes.
VideoHive authors, please feel free to use my tracks and previews in your projects, just send me link to your project where you used my track. Thank you.


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Brittany Howard stomps, shakes, whispers, and roars, riding the wave thrown up by her fast-rising band, Alabama Shakes. There's the vulnerability and passion of bedrock soul in the vocals, the dynamics of the blues and the fury of garage-punk in the quartet's music.
"Are you scared to wear your heart on your sleeve?/Are you scared of me?," Howard sings on "You Ain't Alone," the tumultuous song that anchors the Shakes' debut album, "Boys & Girls," due out in April on ATO Records.
"I think what's wrong with too many people is they're too reserved," the singer says from her home in Athens, Ala., just before the band heads out on a tour that brings it to Lincoln Hall on Friday. "They're miserable but they don't want to talk about it. The biggest lie in the world is in answer to the question, 'How are you?' People usually say, 'I'm fine,' but that's mostly bull. Everyone wants to display being perfect. They tell themselves and their friends, 'I drive this car, I own this house, I'm fine.' People ball up into these tight wads of repression."
For Howard, writing and playing music is the antidote to what isn't fine about her life. "Songwriting is like talking to yourself when there is no one to talk to," she says.
Howard did a lot of that as a kid, spending weekends in her room experimenting with instruments and a tape recorder, making up lyrics and layering sounds, unconsciously preparing herself for a life now consumed by music.
"There's not a whole lot to do in Athens," she says. "When I was 13, I just started entertaining myself by writing songs. I'd sit in my room for 10 hours playing the same song, stacking vocals, trying out different drum beats, realizing no one would ever hear this but having so much fun. I guess I got my voice from just doing that so often. After a while you get better at it. A vocal coach might call that 'training.'"
Her taste in music was considerably more esoteric than the typical teen in a small-town northern Alabama high school. "I spent a lot of time with my grandmother's music: Dion, the Platters, the Drifters, the Temptations – I grew up on that," she says. Later she discovered T. Rex and David Bowie, and got her education in roots music from Led Zeppelin and Rolling Stones albums.
"I was amazed to find out they were British because they were singing all these old blues and country songs," she says with a laugh
After years of solitary woodshedding, Howard was itching to start a band, but could find no suitable collaborators interested in the same kind of music as she was. Then she saw Zac Cockrell wearing an At the Drive In T-shirt in her high school psychology class and instinctively knew she had found her musical match. She invited Cockrell over to work on music, and soon they were writing and recording songs in a "jam trailer" in her back yard, a makeshift studio with power lines running from her parents' house so the fledgling band could plug in and record.
Eventually Howard and Cockrell added Steve Johnson on drums and Heath Fogg on guitar, and in between day jobs (Howard was a postal carrier) began hammering out an identity. The band had to play covers to get gigs in the conservative northern Alabama scene, but soon began filtering in originals that caught the attention of the Drive By Truckers' Patterson Hood, who invited Alabama Shakes to open for the Truckers on tour last year.
The band had good songs – the core of "Girls & Boys" made up their repertoire – but it also had robust stage presence, embodied by Howard's holding-nothing-back style. "I'm not that flashy in private, I'm usually pretty reserved," she says. "But on stage, it's about not being afraid of anything – of anyone judging you. It's one place you can be free. So why not sing as loud as you can, hoop and holler and jump around? A show is a moment. When it's done, it's over. I find that extremely liberating."
Alabama Shakes: 10 p.m. Friday at Lincoln Hall, 2424 N. Lincoln Av., $15; lincolnhallchicago.com.


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I did something very bad today. One of my New Year Resolutions was to never EVAH be tempted again by a lovely nice book cover. Duhhh. It didn't even take half a month and I already sinned.
Here's my excuse:
I had a very busy day today: getting up at half seven, teaching until half ten, spending the afternoon alternately working on some editorial reviews and drilling English grammar and vocabulary into my head. Then, with the feeling of having accomplished a lot, I left the library where I studied to catch the train because at 6 pm my English class would begin. On the way to the station I passed a lovely book shop called The Works. One of this shop's many faults is to sell books in bulks, namely 3 for 5 pounds, or 3 for 10 pounds and so on…
Well, as if steered by an invisible hand, I went into this shop and saw five different Elizabeth Chadwick books in the "3 for 5 pounds" section. If I were an author I would probably kill for such lovely, gorgeous covers, as a reader, I didn't stand a chance. I NEEDED to buy them. I can't say that Elizabeth Chadwick worked very well for me so far. I tried Falcons of Montabard which I considered to be an average read, and I also had a go at The Greatest Knight which I didn't even finish. I am not the biggest Medieval fan, but damn, I simply couldn't resist. I mean, I payed approximatively 2,5€/book, wheras Amazon asks 10€ for them, on a cheap day, and it is practically impossible to find them through Bookmooch. And don't you think that new books have a certain flair and charme to them nothing can rival? I really have to stop myself caressing them and raving over their covers :-)
Oh yes, the sixth book I bought because of the bargain offer, otherwise I would have had to pay more LOL.


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A beautiful piano and orchestra piece perfect for many types of scenes. This one is sure to emotionally grip your audience!
Files included in the .zip file:
Timeless.wav – 1:09
Timeless.mp3 – 1:09
If you use this song in your project, please leave a comment with the link. I would love to promote you!
THANK YOU for taking an interest in donrobertsmusic portfolio!


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Need help
SKYPE: wholesalepetitem
Whatsapp: +8613817863381
E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com
Pet Dog Clothes Costumes Superman
- Material:100% cotton
- The red cape is a separate piece that simply ties around the neck.
- A great costume for public dog walks, pet shows or even just having some fun with the family on Christmas day or other special occasions.
- Hand wash gentle in cold water
- Available sizes and size chart
Size (inch) Height Neck S 7-8 7-8.5 M 9-10 8.5-10.5 L 10.5-11.5 10-12 XL 12-13 12-14


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You are here: Root > By Topic > Language ExtensionsView the dependency graph for this library
|Web site
|Mailing list
|0.2 - Friday, 23 February 2007
|OS compatibility
|ASDF installable
|Official Download
|Mirrored Download
|Source code repository
The library is a set of macros tries to emulate python's generators functionality in lisp.
One difference from the python's generators it is impossible to save a generator to a variable and call 'next' method manually. Only 'foreach' syntax is supported.
The reason of missed 'next' method is that pygen does not use real continuations to implement generators (as python does). It uses continuations idea only. Library's macros perform CPS transformation for FOREACH and YIELD forms.
(defgenerator gen1()
(yield 1)
(yield 2)
(yield 3))
(defun use-generator ()
(foreach x in gen1()
(print x)))
Normal thinking of the code is: OK, call gen1(), save the return value into a variable 'x' and call print(x); call gen1() again and do the same; cal gen1() again, again, again... In short, 'foreach' is a master and 'generator' is a slave - master calls slave while slave has a job to do.
But we can thing a little bit different: OK, we know what we are going to do with the generator's value - run the body of FOREACH form ((print x) in our case). So, it is possible to pass that code to a generator and the generator will call it when needed. The generator becomes a master and foreach becomes a slave. We can think about a generator as a normal function that receives additional parameter - what to do with the result value aka continuation. By pygen's macros the code above is transformed into something like this:
(defun gen1 (*cont*)
(funcall *cont* 1)
(funcall *cont* 2)
(funcall *cont* 3))
(defun use-generator ()
(gen1 #'(lambda (x) (print x))))
If a generator function is simple that means it is relatively easy to save and and restore the function's state in a closure it might be more appropriate to use series package or some other lazy-lists package. For someone it could be more convenient to pass a functional parameter represented a continuation to a generator directly. Pygen is doing well when a generator function is a quite complex, e.g. there are several inner loops or when it is needed to work with 'unwind-protect' resources such as files. For example, SAX and pull XML parsers could be implemented using generators.
Generators are an abstraction. If it is suitable for you - pygen is here :)
Language Extensions | Python | Implementations | ASDF installable | Libraries
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You must be logged to add a comment


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Do not attempt any unknown, fancy, toxic, dangerous, too good to be true or expensive rat control method until you check with this website.
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|The Social Traffic
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Wallets & Wristlets > Iris Card Wallet - Black Onyx
Iris Card Wallet
Black Onyx
Our card wallet goes anywhere, thanks to the chain with both a clasp and a key ring - attach it to your keys, belt loop or purse handle. It also makes a great gift!
- Origin: Imported
- Exterior: Leather
- Interior: Polyester
- Antique brass tone hardware
- 5.5in L x 0.25in W x 3.5in H
- Main Zipper Closure
- 7 credit card slots
- 1 clear id picture window
- 2 slit pockets
- Split key
- Dog leash
- Clean with a damp cloth.
- 106365
Reviews6 Reviews
February 21 2018
Very handy for several ids and cash.
Displaying 1 of 6
May 29 2017
When I first bought this wallet I love how soft the leather is. Now I don't even carry a bag I just carry my wallet everywhere I go. Everyone keeps saying I love your wallet. It was a good buy
Displaying 2 of 6
October 2 2016
Love that this is small and fits even in my pocket when I want to run somewhere without my purse (hiking, etc). I also love the brown leather and the snake print! The only thing I'm not thrilled about is the card pockets begin on the outside. I didn't put credit cards in it for fear they may fall out. Instead, I put my hunting/fishing card in there and I constantly have to push it back into the slot as it is sliding partially out. So it may actually fall out if I don't pay attention to it. So no important cards will go in there. If they make one with the slots on the inside, I'll definitely buy another one. Because other than that, I absolutely love it!
Displaying 3 of 6
March 23 2015
i love this little wallet! It's not to much but not to little either!
Displaying 4 of 6
February 19 2015
I purchased this wallet along with a purse in the same pink stripe color. The wallet is the perfect size and I love the clip and key ring addition. I give it 4 stars because the purple fabric is really easy to scratch, if you put a credit card in too quickly or in a rough manner it will scratch. Great design I just wish the quality was a little better, after it gets scratched up too much I won't want to use it anymore.
Displaying 5 of 6
August 19 2014
I really like the wallet. If you need something small that can hold your important cards, money, and your keys, then this is for you. It allows me to carry my necessary items without being weighed down.
Displaying 6 of 6


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Whenlock Wenlock and Whitehead questions
Hello, my name is David Whenlock b12/Feb/1947 Bolton Lancashire England, My Father was George Rothwell Whenlock b11/June/1908 - d15/May/1966 Bolton, his Father was James Arthur Whenlock b9/Feb/1865 - d28/Mar/1944 Bolton, his Father was Richard Wenlock b26/June/1836 Uttoxeter,Staffordshire England - d12/Oct/1916 Lancaster Lancashire England Question any one know why Richard Wenlock added the (H) to our surname? he had 5 children with Jane Dance b25/Dec/1832 Bidford-on-Avon Warwickshire - d24/May/1872 Bolton, (no marriage certificate found yet), all 5 children with the Whenlock surname,the first Charles Edward Whenlock b20/Mar/1859 Birmingham West Midlands, then Richard Henry b11/Mar/1861 Birmingham, then Annie b10/Dec/1862 Bolton, then James Arthur 9/Feb/1865 Bolton, then Eliza b1869 Bolton, yet he had a child named Charles Wenlock b24/Feb/1864 Lapley, Staffordshire with Sarah Whitehead b1846 Bolton - d29/Nov/1906 Bolton anyone know of any more children while Richard was still with Jane Dance? when Jane died in 1872 Richard married Sarah Whitehead in 1873 at St Georges Church in Bolton and had 5 more children John Thomas Whenlock 10/Dec/1873 Bolton - d12/Aug/1950, Mary Jane Whenlock 12/Aug/1875 Bolton - d1880, William Frederick 14/Feb/1878 Bolton - , Joseph Edmund 16/May/1879 Bolton - d1880, Maria Anne b1880 Bolton -. in 1872 Bolton Sarah Whitehead give birth to a son Giles Leonard Whitehead d1935 I wonder who was the Father ? maybe Richard but because of the death of Jane maybe thought it would look bad to call Giles Whenlock.
on 2013-01-27 10:42:35
whenlock47 has been a Family Tree Circles member since Jan 2013.


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Kangol Wool 507 Cap
Code: 6845BC
Product Description
The Kangol Wool 507 is a Progressive Shape with Sleek Modern Curves that is quickly becoming Kangol's most popular shape. It is made from Kangol's felted wool. Color shown is Dark Flannel. A tonal Kangaroo Logo is embroidered on the center-back of the cap.


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NHIAA on storm alert for today's hockey, basketball tournament games
February 26. 2013 11:46PM
The NHIAA will announce any boys' ice hockey or girls' basketball tournament postponements on its website if today's expected snowstorm warrants them.
"We have a special alert button on the front of our website (NHIAA.org) that will be activated if there is a postponement," said NHIAA finance director Diane Jobin.
In Divisions I and II boys' ice hockey, two preliminary games are slated for each division at the sites of the higher seeds. High school fans can also get tournament updates today by following Union Leader sports tweets at https://twitter.com/NHULSports.


text:
Stocks rise, oil falls as Syria threat fades
NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks are opening higher on Wall Street and the price of crude oil is falling after Syria agreed to give up its chemical weapons.
The Dow Jones industrial average rose 76 points, or 0.5 percent, to 15,138 after the first few minutes of trading Tuesday.
The Standard & Poor's 500 index rose seven points, or 0.4 percent, to 1,678 and the Nasdaq composite rose 14 points, or 0.4 percent, to 3,720.
The price of crude, which closed above $110 a barrel on Friday, lost $2.50, or 2.2 percent, to $107.09 a barrel.
Syria has accepted Russia's proposal to place its chemical weapons under international control so they can be dismantled. The West has accused Syrian President Bashar Assad of using the weapons on civilians in the country's civil war.


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Mat Gamelfree agent
First Baseman | Ht: | Wt: 230
|Braves | Mat Gamel released
Tue, 18 Feb 2014 12:22:58 -0800
The Atlanta Braves released 1B Mat Gamel (knee) Tuesday, Feb. 18, after he re-injured his knee in individual workouts last week.
|Comment (0)
|| Share:
|| Source: The Atlanta Journal-Constitution - David O'Brien
|Braves | Announce non-roster invitees
Mon, 13 Jan 2014 20:57:08 -0800
The Atlanta Braves announced that they will have 22 non-roster invitees to spring training. The list includes Ps Lay Batista, J.R. Graham, Jason Hursh, Mark Lamm, Cody Martin, Yunesky Maya, Daniel Rodriguez, Gus Schlosser, Atahualpa Severino, Shae Simmons and Ian Thomas, Cs Matt Kennelly, Steve Lerud, Braeden Schlehuber, Jose Yepez, INFs Mat Gamel, Phil Gosselin, Tyler Greene, Mark Hamilton, Tommy La Stella, Edward Salcedo and OF Matt Lipka.
|Comment (0)
|| Share:
|| Source: Braves.com
|Braves | Mat Gamel signs
Fri, 13 Dec 2013 13:53:42 -0800
The Atlanta Braves signed free-agent 1B Mat Gamel (Brewers) to a minor league deal Friday, Dec. 13.
|Comment (0)
|| Share:
|| Source: MLB.com - Mark Bowman
|Cubs | Three non-tendered
Tue, 03 Dec 2013 07:17:42 -0800
The Chicago Cubs non-tendered RP Daniel Bard, RP Chang-Yong Lim and 1B Mat Gamel.
|Comment (0)
|| Share:
|| Source: MLB.com - Carrie Muskat
|Cubs | Two newcomers working out
Mon, 07 Oct 2013 17:41:59 -0700
Chicago Cubs P Daniel Bard and INF Mat Gamel are each working out at the team's minor-league facility in Arizona. Bard is expected to throw from a mound Tuesday, Oct. 8.
|Comment (0)
|| Share:
|| Source: MLB.com - Carrie Muskat
|Cubs | Mat Gamel claimed off waivers
Thu, 03 Oct 2013 12:16:39 -0700
The Chicago Cubs claimed 1B Mat Gamel off waivers from the Milwaukee Brewers Thursday, Oct. 3. Gamel hasn't played since May of 2012 after tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee twice.
Fantasy Tip: Gamel is a low-risk investment for the Cubbies that could potentially yield a high reward. Third base was his original position, so expect him to compete for a roster spot there in spring training. It'll all depend on how healthy his knee is, but don't completely forget about this guy if he wins the job.
|Comment (0)
|| Share:
|| Source: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel - Tom Haudricourt
|Brewers | Mat Gamel to DL
Thu, 21 Mar 2013 11:27:23 -0700
The Milwaukee Brewers placed 1B Mat Gamel (knee) on the 60-day disabled list Wednesday, March 20.
Fantasy Tip: Gamel is out for the year again after tearing the ACL in his right knee.
|Comment (0)
|| Share:
|| Source: CBSSports.com
|Brewers | Mat Gamel to have surgery
Wed, 06 Mar 2013 08:07:32 -0800
Milwaukee Brewers 1B Mat Gamel (knee) received a second opinion and will go ahead with surgery Friday, March 8. He'll miss the entire season.
|Comment (0)
|| Share:
|| Source: MLB.com - Adam McCalvy
|Brewers | Mat Gamel injury update
Mon, 18 Feb 2013 10:05:56 -0800
Updating a previous report, Milwaukee Brewers 1B Mat Gamel (knee) suffered a tear to his surgically repaired anterior cruciate ligament. Assistant general manager Gord Ash said the tear is in the middle of the repair, which is unusual.
|Comment (0)
|| Share:
|| Source: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel - Todd Rosiak
|Brewers | Mat Gamel to miss 2013 season
Mon, 18 Feb 2013 09:16:52 -0800
Milwaukee Brewers 1B Mat Gamel (knee) will miss the 2013 season because of a knee injury.
Fantasy Tip: Gamel was going to start at first base while Corey Hart (knee) was out of the lineup, but the team will now need to find another player to fill that role. Taylor Green may be next in line for the job and could be considered as a late-round pick in deep leagues. Hunter Morris is one of the team's prospects that could also be an option if he plays well during spring training.
|Comment (0)
|| Share:
|| Source: Twitter


text:
You have read the quotes, heard the facts, seen everything concrete the Phillies are willing to divulge about their strategy for fortifying their roster in the weeks to come. But rare is the occasion when it behooves an organization to open itself like a book to the general public. So now let's attempt to discern what they really mean, through deductive reasoning, background knowledge and a little bit of educated guess-work.
Ruben Amaro Jr. says that some of his prospects are "untouchables," even if one of them is the only thing standing in the way of a deal for a top-of-the-rotation former Cy Young winner like Roy Halladay. Do you believe him?
No and yes. I believe that he wants prospective trade partners to believe that. And I even believe that he wants himself to believe that. But you are telling me that if the Blue Jays came forward and said that they would trade Roy Halladay for Kyle Drabek straight up, plus pay half of Halladay's salary in 2010, that Amaro wouldn't even consider it? Much less strip down to his boxers and dress socks and do cartwheels in the Darien St. parking lot? Sorry, I don't buy it. Sure, the aforementioned scenario is unlikely. But that's not the point. The point is, there are no absolutes. There is a line between on and off limits, regardless of how extreme that line may be.
So you are telling me the Phillies would trade Kyle Drabek?
No and yes. If you asked me to handicap the odds of the 21-year-old righty being traded, I'd put them at 1,000-to-1. Not because of what Amaro said, but because of what Charlie Manuel said. As I wrote today in the printed product, Manuel is a man who is paid to win within the next three years, which is how long his contract covers. So when even he says that he wouldn't trade Drabek, and when he explains himself by comparing Drabek to Tom Seaver, it is a pretty good indication not only that the Phillies see Drabek in the same terms they saw Cole Hamels, but it is a pretty good indication that they think he will be in the major leagues by 2010 at the latest. And as much as a Roy Halladay might help their chances this year and next year, look at the rotation they are envisioning for 2011:
- Cole Hamels, $9.5 million
- J.A. Happ, $2 million
- Tom Seaver (AKA Drabek) , $400,000
That would give them three starters for a hair under $12 million. Which could set them up to spend big money on at least one top-of-the-rotation starter. Some names who are forecast to be on the market after the 2010 season? Cliff Lee, Brandon Webb, Josh Beckett, and, yes, Roy Halladay. Which means any of those, plus unforeseen others, could be in Halladay-type trade situations by the middle of next year. Still under contract for that 2011 season will be Ryan Howard, Chase Utley, Jimmy Rollins (assuming his option is picked up), Raul Ibanez and Shane Victorino.
This is America, so I understand the impulsive nature that screams, "If not this year, then when?" And if Darren Daulton is correct and the world is going to end in 2012, then the Phillies could look pretty foolish for hording their Earthen Treasures. But 2011 still falls before 2012, and if you look at things from the perspective I just offered, then maybe the Phillies actually would have a better chance at winning a World Series by hanging on to Drabek and spending big money on a starter for 2011 then they would be trading away the farm this season for Roy Halladay.
Now, all of this is assuming that Drabek continues to progress as the Phillies believe he will, and that he stays healthy (remember he had elbow surgery in 2007). And it is assuming that Happ continues to be the solid No. 3/No. 4 that he has been. Which is why the faction who believes that you are better off trading an unproven-yet-high-ceiling for a "Sure Thing" like Roy Halladay has a point. But again, just like there are no absolutes when it comes to "untouchables," there are no absolutes when it comes to "Sure Things." Roy Halladay is 32 years old, and has just as good a chance at injuring himself as Drabek does.
So if Drabek isn't untouchable, at least by a strict interpretation of the word, why would Amaro and Manuel imply that he is?
It is called posturing, just like J.P. Ricciardi is doing by saying that the Blue Jays expect a haul -- start with two top pitching prospects and a solid position prospect and go from there -- or they are not trading Halladay. Does any one really think that Ricciardi was suddenly struck by the urge to go on a media campaign announcing the availability of his prize ace? That he simply feels obliged to let the world know that Halladay is available, but that he is under no pressure at all to trade the righthander away? Sure, the possibility exists. But Ricciardi is a smart man. And he knows that Halladay's value will never be higher.
If Ricciardi has already decided that Toronto has no shot at retaining him -- and he has said that publicly -- then there are only two reasons he has to hold on to him:
- The Blue Jays have a shot at winning a World Series this year or next.
- (Halladay's Value in Tickets Sold - Value of His Replacement) > ($7 million - Value Sacrificed By Waiting to Trade Him in Offseason)
True, Toronto is within four games of a Wild Card spot. But look at all the other teams who are in front of them, starting with Boston, New York and Tampa Bay in their own division. Ricciardi may very well believe that hanging on to Halladay is their best chance at winning. And it probably is. But the people who pay his salary may have decided that a World Series is unlikely, and that it is time to blow the thing up and save as much money in the process, and then leave it to the next guy to start building again. Keep in mind, they just released B.J. Ryan. And there best chance at saving money is by dealing Halladay. The only way it would make sense (or cents) to hang on to Halladay is if the Blue Jays believe his presence (which, ostensibly, will maintain the consumer's faith in a possible postseason run) will sell enough tickets to off-set both his salary for the rest of the season (roughly $7 million) plus the value they might be sacrificing by waiting until after the season to trade him. And that might very well be the case.
But it does no good for Ricciardi to tell the media, "Hey, the Boss Man told me I need to get rid of this contract. And, sure, I'd love to pillage another team's farm system in return. But I'm realistic, and I know we'll probably have to settle for one top pitching prospect and not two."
In the same way, it makes no sense for Ruben Amaro Jr. to tell the media, "Hey, we love Roy Halladay, and we have for the last year-and-a-half. We really don't want to trade away Drabek, Knapp or Dominic Brown. But if push came to shove, sure we'd think about parting with one of them."
Keep in mind that Ricciardi is not the only one reading Amaro's words. So is every other general manager who is thinking about putting together a package for Halladay. And it does no good to show your cards to every one involved. If Amaro comes out and says, "No one is untouchable," then John Mozeliak in St. Louis reads that and thinks, "Well, if they are thinking about including their top two prospects, then we have have to top that." Amaro does not want to help drive up the asking price.
Nor, for that matter, do any of Toronto's rivals in the American League. Think it is a coincidence that a day after many national pundits floated the Yankees as possible landing place, some "club sources" told New York reporters that there was no chance they would be involved in the bidding? Brian Cashman doesn't want to be used to help drive up the potential haul that the Blue Jays can land.
But if the Phillies really want Halladay, doesn't a hard-line stance come with the risk of losing him to another team?
Absolutely. That's why this time of year is so intriguing. Because public comments must be measured against private ones, and the mysterious "sources" that leak information to various reporters must be determined to be valid or agenda-driven, and in many ways general managers are like the general public, not entirely sure of where reality lies. But, as they say, that's baseball. As much as we would like it to be black-and-white, it isn't.
So if they really want Halladay, and they don't get him, what happens then?
The same thing that would have happened had Halladay not been on the market. Keep in mind that, until the beginning of this week, the Blue Jays weren't believed to be actively pursuing a trade. There are other options out there. Keep in mind that the Phillies wanted C.C. Sabathia last year. Instead, they got Joe Blanton. And, as Amaro pointed out yesterday, there are an awful lot of ballplayers walking around Citizens Bank Park wearing rings that sure as hell didn't come from a Cracker Jack box.
So if the Phillies don't get Halladay. . .
There could be fringe consequences, both positive and negative. One thing the Phillies will surely consider is that St. Louis is considered a player. If they don't land Halladay, and St. Louis does, not only are the Phillies without the second top-of-the-rotation pitcher that it often takes to win in the postseason, but a potential playoff rival has one.
On the other hand, the Phillies stand to benefit from Halladay's availability, because it should diminish the asking price of other clubs who will be looking to move starters. If Dan Haren becomes available, Arizona will have one less suitor. And that trickles all the way down to the Jarrod Washburns of the world.
Supply and demand, baby. It's a beautiful thing.
Where can I get a copy of these magical "Prospect Rankings" that every major league team uses to determine value?
I'm glad you asked. There isn't one (Believe it or not, it didn't take years of covering baseball to figure that out). We are operating under the assumption that the Blue Jays value the Phillies' prospects the same way the Phillies value their own prospects. What if Jason Donald is the exact type of short stop prospect Toronto longs for? What if they don't even want Donald? What if they value Carlos Carrasco higher than Kyle Drabek? What if the Blue Jays covet Michael Taylor? What if they think Dominic Brown is vastly over-rated? What if they secretly want Gustavo Chacin back? There is a variety of evidence that suggests none of this is the case. But the fact is, the only people who really know how an organization evaluates talent is those in the organization.
Just something to keep in mind.
Did you really just spend two hours of a picturesque morning having an internal dialogue with yourself about a baseball trade?
Yes, but it's better than spending 48 hours locked in a press box dining room voting for Shane Victorino.


text:
BG girls pass their first big testBy KEVIN GRAY
New Hampshire Union Leader
December 14. 2012 11:21PM
BEDFORD - Facing a stern test on the road, Bishop Guertin of Nashua scored a dozen straight points in the fourth quarter and defeated Bedford, 51-42, in girls' basketball action Friday night.
It's early for playoff talk, but Division I may not feature another game with so much talent until the postseason.
Junior guard Jamie Sherburne led the Cardinals with 13 points and sank six consecutive free throws down the stretch. Senior forward Madison Gibbs added 11 points, and senior center Meghan Green had eight points as BG improved to 2-0. Bedford (2-1) suffered its first loss since moving up to Division I.
"Bedford's as talented as any team in the state," Bishop Guertin second-year coach Scott Hazelton said. "That's a big win. We struggled at times, offensively, but the good thing is we know we can get a lot better."
Bedford won the first four minutes, swatting shots and holding BG scoreless on six consecutive possessions. Bulldogs captain Maggie McGown had the first basket of the game, and Rachel Collins hit a 3-pointer late in the first half, but neither team could find a rhythm on offense.
"I think they blocked our first three shots. We made up for it by playing good defense," said Green, committed to play at Boston University next season.
The defending champs regained their swagger in the second quarter.
Green scored twice in the paint, and Sherburne split the defense with drives to the bucket. BG's Gibbs and Nicole Hayner each sank 3-pointers - the result of swift ball movement - and the Cards took a 24-15 lead into halftime.
The Bulldogs battled back in the third quarter, trimming the deficit to 26-23 on Haley Driscoll's aggressive move to the basket. Megan Kerutis snapped a five-minute drought for BG, converting on a layup, and the game tightened up in the final stanza.
McGown sank a pair of free throws with 3:05 remaining, whittling BG's lead to 38-36. From there, however, the Cardinals unleashed a 12-0 run to seal the big win.
McGown had 10 points and Rachel Collins eight in a balanced attack for the Bulldogs. BG's Green, a resident of Bedford, scored all of her eight points in the first half.
"Bedford's a really good team, and we knew they'd be a contender after moving up to this division," said Green, who played against some of her good friends and fellow Bedford residents. "It was kind of weird for me. I was going to attend Bedford but at the last minute decided to go to BG. It's a lot of fun coming back to my hometown, but I'm definitely proud to say I'm playing for Bishop Guertin."
Bedford's Driscoll (four points) sat out a chunk of the first half after banging her head on the floor but seemed OK after returning. The Bulldogs have embraced a baptism by fire since moving up to Division I, beating Manchester Central and Londonderry prior to Friday night's battle with BG.