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MILAN (AP) -- Defending champion Juventus beat Fiorentina 2-0 in the Serie A on Saturday to extend its advantage at the top of the table to five points after second-placed Napoli drew 1-1 at Lazio.
Mirko Vucinic gave Juventus the lead in the 20th minute with a powerful effort under the bar following a poor clearance by Gonzalo Rodriguez.
Alessandro Matri doubled Juve's lead shortly before the break, scoring his third successive goal in unusual circumstances, as the striker's boot had already fallen off before he struck the ball.
"My boot fell off just before the goal, as someone had trodden on the back of my foot,'' Matri said. "I scored in my socks. Oh well, it turned out for the best.''
Juventus coach Antonio Conte and defender Leonardo Bonucci were sitting out bans for insulting a referee.
The result was a timely boost for Juventus, three days before its Champions League match at Celtic.
In Rome, Lazio started the brighter and broke the deadlock after 11 minutes. Abdoullay Konko raced down the right flank before crossing for Sergio Floccari to chest down and pick his spot, firing home from 10 yards.
Stefano Mauri had to go off injured after accidentally stepping on the ball while celebrating and spraining his ankle.
Floccari, who has scored five in his past six matches, could have doubled Lazio's lead but his fierce effort thumped off the post.
Edinson Cavani also hit the woodwork, when his header from a Juan Camilo Zuniga cross, crashed off the underside of the crossbar, bounced onto the line and out to safety.
Lazio had the ball in the back of the net again five minutes after the restart but Giuseppe Biava was clearly offside.
Napoli rescued a point three minutes from time with a spectacular volley from Hugo Campagnaro.
There was still time for Floccari to again hit the woodwork, heading Antonio Candreva's cross onto the bar as both sides strove for the winner.
While Napoli lost ground on Juve, it remained six points ahead of third-placed Lazio.
"It's a really important point,'' Napoli coach Walter Mazzarri said. "It's not easy to win against Lazio. They hit us hard right from the beginning and several of my players didn't start on the right foot. For that reason, it wasn't easy to come out with a positive result.
"I don't know what was going through the players' heads. But several only arrived yesterday after playing for their countries, some after travelling from other continents and I think that counted more than anything else. Lazio had less (players back from international duties) and it was playing at home. They came off negative results and they started better than us.''


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Jail chief: Murder conspirator Jesse Brooks used mom to pay inmatesBy MARK HAYWARD
New Hampshire Union Leader
September 24. 2013 9:41PM
MANCHESTER — Murder-conspirator Jesse Brooks — who is seeking a new trial — used his family wealth to lead a small cadre of fellow inmates at the Valley Street jail five years ago and even orchestrated a sit-in of 40 inmates, the jail superintendent said.
Superintendent David Dionne said jail officials feared that Brooks was controlling inmates with money and monitoring the behavior of corrections officers so he could possibly plot an escape.
Brooks' mother, Lorraine Brooks, was spotted placing $100 deposits into the accounts of two fellow inmates, Dionne said.
Superintendent David Dionne said jail officials feared that Brooks was controlling inmates with money and monitoring the behavior of corrections officers so he could possibly plot an escape.
Brooks' mother, Lorraine Brooks, was spotted placing $100 deposits into the accounts of two fellow inmates, Dionne said.
"Our concern was, this guy's a millionaire," the jail superintendent said last week in an interview with the New Hampshire Union Leader. "What's one hundred bucks to him? Having 40 inmates sit down, and you go in, it escalates, people get hurt, people get killed. That's a concern.
"Our inmates are supposed to listen to us, not other inmates."
Through a spokesman, Mrs. Brooks admitted putting money in the accounts of inmates, but she said she did so to provide them with food and basic necessities.
"After seeing the deplorable way inmates had been treated at the Valley Street jail, I donated small amounts of money to the accounts of prisoners who had befriended my son," she said in a statement Monday.
Jesse Brooks is hoping for a new trial on his 2009 murder-conspiracy conviction in the 2005 murder of handyman Jack Reed of Derry. His father was convicted of murder-for-hire in Reed's death and is serving a life sentence.
Mrs. Brooks has hired a team of lawyers, investigators and a spokesman to win her son's release.
At a news conference earlier this month, they complained that the younger Brooks has been moved from prison to prison.
He was first moved from New Hampshire to Arizona, and then to three separate prisons in Arizona.
They described the junior Brooks as a model inmate who is well-liked but suffers psychologically from the frequent transfers.
They said he is in physical pain because officials withhold the morphine he needs to treat a chronic back problem.
His team expects to file a federal lawsuit challenging his treatment in prison. Brooks is serving a 15- to 30-year sentence.
"The guards grow to love this guy," Paul Ciolino, an investigator on the Brooks team, said two weeks ago. "He's a good guy to have around, a guy who de-escalates problems, not escalates issues."
Dionne paints a different picture of Brooks, who was at the Valley Street jail from March to September 2008 awaiting trial.
Dionne said an investigation determined that Brooks had his mother deposit $100 each into commissary accounts of two inmates, Paul Perry and Edward Gray. They could keep some of the money, but were instructed to buy items such as coffee, junk food, soaps and other items to dole out to inmates at Brooks' instruction.
That's how Brooks orchestrated the 40-inmate sit-in, Dionne said.
He also believes inmates started fights so Brooks could see how the guards reacted. Dionne said he transferred Brooks out of Valley Street jail once he became aware of the network.
He said Mrs. Brooks can legally deposit money into the account of any inmate she wants. But jail regulations prohibit inmates from telling an outsider to deposit money into another inmate's commissary account.
Brooks spokesman Casey Sherman said Brooks was never charged with orchestrating a sit-in. He said Dionne's statements represent the image that authorities crafted of Brooks to get him out of state.
Mrs. Brooks said she gives money to inmates on occasion, but not at the direction of her son.
"This was merely an act of charity to provide them with food and basic necessities and not an enticement to commit any wrongdoing," she said in her statement. She said her son was a model prisoner in New Hampshire.
New Hampshire corrections officials have refused to explain why Brooks was transferred to Arizona. Arizona officials refer questions about Brooks' transfers within Arizona prisons to New Hampshire authorities.
He is in close custody in Arizona, a classification given to inmates who are deemed a "high risk to the public and staff," according to Arizona corrections spokesman Bill Lamoreaux. Close custody inmates require "controlled movement" and are housed in two-person cells, he said.
They are placed in close custody for a number of reasons, including their criminal record, escape history, institutional violence, age, gang affiliation and length of sentence, he said.
Crime, law and justice Public Safety Social issues Manchester Top Section Stories

subset: commoncrawl


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Grading the 'Boys, Part III: Running Backs
In Parts I and II of our "Grading the 'Boys" Series, we analyzed the efficiency of six Cowboys' offensive linemen in both run blocking and pass protection. In doing so, we attempted to isolate one component of the offense as effectively as possible to determine the worth of individual players.
In reality, of course, offenses are holistic systems. The productivity of each position indirectly affects the ability of players at each other position to properly perform. In the running game, the success of linemen is affected greatly by the talent level of the running backs, and vice versa.
In Part III of our "Grading the 'Boys" Series, we will study the productivity of Marion Barber, Felix Jones, and Tashard Choice. These three players all contributed in different ways and in distinct situations, so we will keep this in mind when analyzing the statistics we gathered from our film study.
- In this particular analysis, we will grade each running back on four components: short-yardage running, overall running, receiving, and pass protection.
- The four components of the overall grade are not all equal. They will be weighted 15/45/20/20, respectively.
- All totals include the playoffs.
- As always, the best stats are circled in blue, the worst in red.
- Marion Barber
Short-Yardage Running: D-
Barber had by far the lowest average on the team on runs up the middle and in short-yardage situations, averaging just 2.8 yards-per-carry and converting a ridiculously low 56.0 (14 for 25) percent of the time with just one yard to go (for either a first down or a touchdown). His yards after contact and number of broken tackles were both down significantly from prior seasons.
Overall Running: C
Barber was more effective on draws and counters than in short-yardage situations. His 4.2 average was mediocre, but he did carry the ball a lot more in these short-yardage and goal-to-go scenarios. He still scored seven touchdowns, but only about once every 29 carries.
Receiving: B
Barber was again solid in the passing game, although his receptions decreased due to the presence of both Felix Jones and Tashard Choice. Barber does an excellent job of disguising his intentions on screen passes.
Pass Protection: B
Marion gave up the most sacks of any running back (three), but he was also on the field during pass plays about twice as much as the other backs. He does a great job of taking on defenders much larger than him, usually coming out on top.
Overall Grade: 77.2 (C+)
- Felix Jones
Short-Yardage Running: B+
Despite not receiving a lot of short-yardage carries (five), Felix Jones converted on them 100.0 percent of the time. His runs up the middle, which may be more indicative of his short-yardage abilities than such a small sample size, is still solid at 4.1 yards-per-carry. It is hard to relate this number to Barber's, though, because Barber had more short-yardage runs up the middle which would have decreased his average.
Overall Running: A
Jones really displayed his value to the Cowboys in 2009. He averaged a ridiculous 6.2 yards-per-carry, including 220 yards on 22 counters. He also surprisingly led the team in yards after contact and broken tackles.
Receiving: B
Jones' receiving numbers were solid, but with his explosiveness, we would expect them to be a bit higher. They should increase next season, particularly with teams focusing in on the run when he is in the game.
Pass Protection: B
We think Jones is underrated in pass protection. He gave up one sack on the season, but he is rather good at an aspect of his game which most believe is his biggest weakness.
Overall Grade: 89.8 (A-)
- Tashard Choice
Short-Yardage Running: B+
It is difficult to grade this aspect of Choice's game. He was a respectable 5 for 7 in short-yardage situations and also led the team (by a lot) with a 5.8 yards-per-carry average on runs up the middle. However, he averaged only 1.9 yards after contact and broke just three tackles all season.
Overall Running: B
Choice averaged 5.0 yards-per-rush on the season, with a large chunk of his rushing yards coming from the Wildcat formation. It seemed like he was more comfortable taking the direct snap than on other runs, as he was worst on the team in both counter and draw average. His 5.1 percent touchdown rate led the squad.
Receiving: B+
Choice led the team in reception average, which you would expect out of your third-down back. He isn't incredibly fast or strong, but just solid in all aspects of the game.
Pass Protection: A-
Choice really has done an excellent job in pass protection since his rookie season. According to our film study, he didn't allow a sack all season.
Overall Grade: 87.3 (B+)
Final Running Back Rankings
1. Felix Jones: 89.8 (A-)
2. Tashard Choice: 87.3 (B+)
3. Marion Barber: 77.2 (C+)
A lot of fans are calling for the Cowboys to trade Marion Barber. Other than the fact that his contract makes this basically impossible, we don't think it would be a smart move. Barber still has his place on the team. If the 'Boys would trade any of their backs, they would turn a positional strength into a possible weakness. The team would be just one injury shy of having only one experienced running back on the roster. Three good running backs is certainly a luxury, but it also is an important component in the success of the Dallas offense.
So how should Jason Garrett alter how he utilizes each of these players in 2010? First, Barber needs to get fewer carries. He received 54.3 percent of the regular-season rushes in '09, with Jones garnering 29.5 percent and Choice 16.2 percent. In 2010, we would advise the following breakdown:
- Felix Jones: 50 percent
- Tashard Choice: 30 percent
- Marion Barber: 20 percent
Some may argue that we would be giving up on Barber too quickly, but now is not the time to wait on players. The Cowboys are built to win now, and the most productive players should play.
These percentages could be attained by starting Jones and letting him play two series for each of Tashard Choice's one. We would also use Tashard Choice on short-yardage runs, including a bit more Wildcat. Barber would come in to spell Jones and Choice, particularly on third down, and to finish games out. In baseball, closers are only successful because they haven't pitched all game. The same is true for Marion Barber. By saving his energy, he could effectively return to the "closer" role, creating the most efficient Dallas Cowboys backfield possible.
In our next "Grading the 'Boys" segment, we will analyze the productivity of the cornerbacks.


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The United States has the highest incarceration rate in the world. About 2.3 million citizens are in prison or jail, according to the Bureau of Justice.
On Sunday, 89.9 KUNM will broadcast a special where family members and inmates from around the country—and New Mexico—call in to speak to their loved ones. The pre-taped program is part of the Thousand Kites project, which collects stories about the prison system, and connects families and inmates.
I wrote about Thousand Kites back in September, when founder Nick Szuberla visited the South Valley and worked with the Media Literacy Project and La Plazita Institute to start an Albuquerque initiative.
"Research has repeatedly shown that inmates who maintain strong connections with their families are less likely to become trapped in the revolving door of the criminal justice system," says Media Literacy Project Executive Director Andrea Quijada in a news release.
Narratives are still being collected through New Mexico Kites. People can also call in their stories and shoutouts toll free, 24/7.
English: 877-518-0606
Español: 877-525-8237


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As I wrote here, after the Sandy Hook murders I felt compelled to do something, even if it was only symbolic. So, last month, I joined the NRA, the nation's most effective civil rights organization, for the first time. It turned out that 250,000 others had the same idea, so the organization was backed up for a while. But a few days ago I got my free NRA range bag, and today the first issue of American Rifleman arrived in the mail.
A monthly feature in American Rifleman is "The Armed Citizen," which recounts true stories of armed self-defense. In this month's issue, the armed citizens include, among others, "an 83-year-old woman using a walker." This story is typical:
A 35-year-old woman woke around 3:30 a.m. and checked on her husband, who was working on his computer. The couple was startled when their home alarm started. The woman's husband checked the surveillance footage on his computer only to discover four masked men working to pry open a window. One of the men carried a rifle. As the woman dialed 911, her husband retrieved his own firearm. The intruders gained entry within minutes. The homeowner crouched behind a sofa and fired. The intruders returned fire before fleeing the home. No one was reportedly injured. The Times-Picayune, New Orleans, LA, 11/16/12.
This incident is typical in that no one was hit. Anti-gun zealots like to quote statistics to the effect that a firearm in the home is more likely to be used in a suicide attempt or be involved in an accidental shooting than to shoot an intruder. Well, yeah. More than half of all gun-related fatalities are suicides. But the key point here is that guns are used all the time in self-defense without shooting anyone. I believe that various studies indicate that when guns are used successfully in self-defense, more than 80% of the time, they are not fired. When they are fired, it is a safe bet that most of the time no one is hit. So to measure the utility of a firearm for self-defense by the number of criminals who are actually shot is silly. The case described above is typical in that the homeowner drove off four intruders without wounding any of them.
UPDATE: Notwithstanding the storm that rages over "assault weapons," it is good to see that those who know what they are talking about are entirely unabashed. This is an ad by SIG Sauer, one of my favorite firearms manufacturers, in this month's American Rifleman. I couldn't readily find it on line, so I photographed it in the magazine with my iPhone:
The semiautomatic rifle being advertised is a SIG M400, named, obviously, after the Army's M4 carbine. It is an AR-15 type rifle, and no doubt falls within the class of "assault weapons" that Barack Obama wants to ban. But why, exactly? Well, it looks "military-style," a term that Obama used several times in his press conference last week. You can tell that by looking at the guy in the ad! So…it just follows, doesn't it?
The day may come when the childish ignorance of Obama and his ilk reigns, but in the meantime, if you subscribe to American Rifleman or visit the SIG Sauer web site, you can buy an M400. Assuming they aren't sold out.


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Renewable energy losing its shine in Europe
BERLIN -- For British entrepreneur Timothy Porter and millions of other Europeans who get generous financial incentives for solar panels, the sun has been very lucrative.
Not only does the government pay Porter for producing solar energy he produces, at far higher than the market rate for electricity, but he can also use what he generates for himself.
"It's fantastic," he said, admiring the solar panel he installed on the roof of his home in the English West Midlands two years ago.
Such subsidies are widespread in Europe, where policymakers say that energy from wind and the sun will stave global temperature increases they blame on the use of fossil fuels like oil and coal. But Europe's debt crisis has many countries worrying more about their bottom line than climate.
Governments around the world have watched Europe as it has moved to implement generous subsidy schemes like Porter's to meet ambitious green energy goals and race towards a future free of fossil fuels.
But with skyrocketing costs, major infrastructure challenges and biting austerity measures brought on by the debt crisis, some wonder why Europe has gone through the trouble of promising so much green so soon.
?Across the English Channel, Germans consumers are waking up to the costs of going green: As of Jan. 1, they are paying 11% more for electricity than they did last year thanks to government plans to replace nuclear plants with wind and solar power that requires significant and constant public money to be made cost effective.
There were a few reasons the subsidies were put in place years ago.
There was a general desire for energy independence from Russia, where natural gas had sometimes been used as a weapon to pressure nations on political matters and the cost was unpredictable. Renewable energy was also seen as a source for jobs and income.
There was also concern for the climate, say analysts: a 2011 Eurobarometer poll showed that Europeans believe climate change to be a graver problem than the financial crisis plaguing Europe.
Nowhere is this concern more acute than in Germany. The country has long had an ambitious clean energy plan that aims to have the entire country running on 80% renewable energies by the year 2050.
That plan was fast-tracked following the accident at Japan's Fukushima reactor in March 2011, and by Germans' overwhelming opposition to nuclear power stemming from the lingering memories of the nuclear disaster at Chernobyl in the former Soviet Union more than two decades ago. For years after, forest-loving Germans worried about picking wild mushrooms.
Chancellor Angela Merkel – once a champion of nukes – did an about-face on her nuclear policy. She announced that all of Germany's 17 nuclear plants would be shut down by the year 2022, 14 years ahead of schedule and closed eight immediately.
But her decision had little to do with the safety of Germany's nuclear reactors, say analysts. Merkel's conservative Christian Democratic Union were worried over regional elections, and federal elections in September: If she wants to remain chancellor she needed to siphon votes from the Greens and Social Democrats, both anti-nuke.
Dubbed the "energy transition," the move has become a logistical and financial headache for Berlin. Nuclear power had represented one-fifth of the country's energy supply, and Environment Minister Peter Altmaier recently estimated the shift to renewables could total up to $1.3 trillion by 2030.
The move left some of Germany's neighbors grumbling.
"Outside of Germany, we've noticed that there are two perspectives," said Gerd Rosenkranz, a spokesman for the non-profit German Environmental Aid. "One is, 'there go those crazy Germans again' and the other is 'there go those crazy Germans again' – but it's possible that they'll succeed.'"
But at what price?
In Germany, the rapid switch to renewables has sent electricity prices soaring. In January, the extra charges paid by German consumers to suppliers of renewable energy alone rose 47%. That, say analysts, means annual electricity bills will rise by nearly $258 for households across Germany.
"Because of the additional supply of electricity offered from renewables, the price for electricity has fallen – that's good for corporate or industry clients, but not so for private homes," said Claudia Kemfert, an energy analyst at the German Institute for Economic Research in Berlin. "That's a crooked picture that nobody really expected beforehand."
Analysts say that Germans are willing to pay for renewable energy out of concern for the environment and climate change.
"It's taken so seriously because we see that climate change is already happening, that CO2 emissions are already causing some droughts, floods and melting of the ice sheets," said Brigitte Knopf, head of the Sustainable Solutions group at the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) near Berlin.
Skeptics of Germany's energy transition at home and abroad say that that it is a waste of money, that data indicates that global warming may not be what had been predicted.
For example, they point to data released last year that some scientists say shows global warming stopped 16 years ago. Professor Judith Curry, head of the climate science department at Georgia Tech, says the data confirms the existence of a "pause" in warming.
While German consumers have so far been tolerant of price hikes in the name of going green, the government is nervous, especially in light of upcoming elections in September – Germany's energy transition is a hot issue here.
"Eighty percent of households don't even know what their electricity bill is," she added. "A lot of people simply don't think about it – they know their computer bill, their flat-rate (phone bill), their iPad well, but when you ask about electricity they don't know."
Politicians in Germany are worried over consumers, aka voters, waking up and the backlash it could create.
Still, the cost of trying to change the climate by reducing CO2 emissions has become too much to bear for other European nations mired in debt or hobbled by overspending.
As austerity measures take hold from Spain to the Netherlands, governments have been rushing to cut the very subsidies for green energy they once eagerly waved through to help the infant sectors grow.
Those subsidies – pioneered by Germany in 2000 to help meeting Europe-wide climate goals enshrined in European Union law – spurred an unsustainable, artificial boom in solar, wind and other renewables, which some analysts say have contributed to financial meltdown on the continent.
Similar policies have spread to 50 countries worldwide, including 16 of the 27 EU member states. As a result the renewables sector boomed, in particular solar, even in countries such as Germany where a sunny day is far more rare than in Spain.
"It's government subsidized electricity prices that have given rise to the current problems in Europe, not renewable energy," said Sebastian Mariz, managing partner at EPPA consultancy firm in Madrid. "[Subsidies] are just one of the external costs which increase this electricity deficit."
That has left Europeans struggling to figure out what to do next. In Spain, a country on the brink of economic collapse, the situation is dire: Madrid owes a whopping $35 billion to Spanish utility companies – debt accumulated over a decade of government-regulated electricity prices.
"The whole Spanish electricity system is in debt," said Paolo Frankl, head of the Renewable Energy Unit at the International Energy Agency in Paris who called the situation "completely unsustainable."
European governments have now realized this growth – which saw consumers footing the bill for investors' soaring profit margins – was out of control: The UK and Czech Republic have already cut their subsidies in half, while Italy imposed a cap on new renewable energy providers. Germany cut subsidies by up to 30% and announced a major overhaul of the program Thursday.
"Germany needed to act," said Matthias Lang, an attorney with Bird & Bird in Dusseldorf that specializes in energy. "The previous rate was simply not sustainable. There is a limit where even the most willing consumers will object."
The problem now, says Lang, is that with the shutdown of eight nuclear reactors and more to close, something has to fill the gap quickly. And in Germany, renewables are supposed to do so but no one knows how to do that affordably.
The German government has poured millions of euros in the past two years into trying to update the electricity grid system, and plans to build thousands of miles of electricity lines to accommodate the increasing influx of renewables. But huge gaps still exist because the infrastructure wasn't in place when the decision to accelerate the nuclear exit was made.
Also, the technology to store energy or move it from offshore wind farms is still lagging. Until it catches up, Germany can't fulfill its energy transition.
Analysts say that whether it is renewables or fossil fuels, EU energy infrastructure overall is aging – about half of the continent's existing power generating capacity from coal, nuclear and gas will have to be replaced in the next 10 years, despite austerity, and that is expensive – for fossil fuel production or renewables.
"Investment will have to happen, there is little choice," said Frauke Thies, EU energy policy advisor at Greenpeace. "The question is where these investments happen and which technologies Europe invests in."
Analysts say the cost burden of moving to renewables is one Europeans will only shoulder in the immediate future. As the technology and infrastructure improve at a rapid pace, the expense will shrink dramatically.
"There are higher electricity prices and they will be higher for a certain time period because of the transition, but at some point this system will be the cheaper one because the nuclear reactors and conventional power plants are getting increasingly expensive," said Rosenkranz of German Environmental Aid.
Analysts and industry scoff at such claims, saying the true costs of both nuclear energy as well as renewables in the long-term is unknown. And where the money will come from to expand renewable energy production has been left unsaid.
Still, a recent study published by Bloomberg New Energy Finance showed that the cost of onshore wind energy will actually pull even with fossil fuels by the year 2016, as both turbine costs fall and productivity rises.
Their price has already begun to fall over the past few years and they have other advantages, says Raffaele Piria, the program director of the Smart Energy for Europe Platform (SEFEP).
"(Fossil fuels) are scarcer sources and the gas that is burned today can't be burned again tomorrow, whereas the wind that blows today will blow tomorrow again in the same place," he said. "Renewables in the long term have the advantage because they are not finite."
Investment is needed at a time when some EU states are struggling to stay financially afloat, and money for renewable energy expansion simply isn't there. Without investment and development, clean energy will remain prohibitively expensive.
"The problem is with the financial crisis there is not much cash at the moment and to get there you need to invest the cash now," said Stephane Bourgeois, head of Regulatory Affairs at The European Wind Energy Association (EWEA). "It's a chicken and egg problem to get the costs down further."
Even so, say analysts, one thing is clear: It is too late for Europe to go back on its green dream now.
"You go for it, you jump off the 10 meter board," said Kemfert. "And once you've decided to jump you can't change your mind halfway down."


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Hi ladies!
I own a Medela Pump in Style Advanced and it works great for me while I'm at work (I work part-time), but sometimes in the evenings lately I want to boost my back-up milk supply. We have completely run out of extra milk because my five month old's appetite has increased and I am not pumping enough at work for the following day. It has been sort of a hassle because I am very happy and excited by daughter is eating more and increasing her appetite, but I am stressed that I am not bringing home enough for the following day. I used to be able to bring home enough to feed her AND have some left over to store away. I should edit that my milk supply is not dwindling.
I have a two-fold question. First, when I am away, let's say for 6 hours, I have read online I should leave my baby between 9-11 ounces of milk. How can I increase what I am pumping at work on my breaks? I have switched to pumping twice a day, but I only got an ounce and a half more than doing one break.
Also, pumping at night while I'm home with my baby is a bit of a hassle. I will do it, of course, but I feel that a good hand pump would be easier for me to use than the multi-part double electric pump. I know it may not extract as much, but for when I just need that extra ounce or two, it seems to be the best option for me. What is the best manual breast pump? I've looked at the Medela Harmony and the Lansinoh (which has wonderful reviews).
I feel like I am obsessed with breast milk these days. I think about it all day at work, calculating how much I have, how much I should leave my baby, and how to amplify my emergency milk stash. Can anyone shed some light on my situation or offer any advice?


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The inaugural BottleRock Napa Valley festival doesn't officially begin until Thursday.
Yet, there are those who simply can't wait for the good times — and tunes — to start.
Thankfully, organizers were kind enough to kick things off a day early, with a pre-festival gig headlined by the hot hip-hop duo Macklemore and Ryan Lewis on Wednesday.
The duo, best known for the incredibly catchy hit "Thrift Shop," certainly didn't disappoint the estimated 10,000 fans that showed up on BottleRock Eve. (Organizers didn't have an exact head count for the crowd and that unofficial estimate was provided onstage by Macklemore.)
The audience was certainly in a festive mood, enjoying the music, celebrating the Golden State Warriors victory (thank goodness for smart phones) and looking forward to all that's come at the lovely Napa Valley Expo Center.
And — wow! — is there a ton to look forward to over the next four days. The Avett Brothers, Primus and Joan Jett are among the acts scheduled for Thursday. Then the likes of the Black Keys, Alabama Shakes and the Flaming Lips arrive on Friday. Saturday's offerings include Jane's Addiction, Kings of Leon and Iron & Wine. The whole thing wraps up on Sunday with the Zac Brown Band, Train and Cake, among many others.
In all, more than 60 acts will appear at the first (and, hopefully, annual) BottleRock Napa. What's even more impressive is that such a high percentage of these acts are ones really worth seeing in concert.
That's just the music side of the equation. BottleRock is also offering top-notch comedians and plenty of fine food and drink.
Everything appeared to go relatively smoothly on Wednesday's dress rehearsal. It was a great chance to walk leisurely through the site, before crowds expected to number as large as 35,000 arrive this weekend. It's a pleasant, and appropriate, spot for music, with plenty of vendors and fan-friendly amenities.
Hopefully, the rest of the headliners will be as good as Macklemore and Lewis.
I tried to see the duo back in March at the South by Southwest music festival in Texas, yet had no luck getting into the relatively small club where the hip-hop heroes were playing. So, it was great to finally get the chance to see them live.
They turned out to be better than I expected, working the crowd with gusto and delivering nothing but solid songs. The hits, of course, were great, but they certainly didn't greatly overshadow the rest of the tunes on the set list.
Macklemore and Lewis are living large in the present, with possibly even a brighter future ahead of them. Although it's still early, it appears that a similar thing can be said of the BottleRock Napa Valley festival.
Follow Jim Harrington at http://twitter.com/jimthecritic, www.facebook.com/jim.bayareanews and http://blogs.mercurynews.com/aei/category/concerts.
When: Festival runs Thursday-Sunday; pre-festival concerts held Wednesday
Where: Napa Valley Expo
Tickets: Single-day tickets are $139 and multi-day passes start at $329; http://bottlerocknapavalley.com


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CAC Radio – Episode 28: Famous belt maker Rico Mann joins the program!
Famous belt maker Rico Mann joins CAC Radio!
Join CAC Executive Board Member Morgan Dollar and his radio cohost David Buckler as they welcome Mr. Rico Mann to the program. Rico talks about his partnership with Dave Millican and Reggie Parks and how they have created championship belts for the world's largest wrestling promotions. Rico also talks about working with superstars such as Madonna and KISS, the one-of-a-kind CAC Honoree belt they donate to the club every year. and how much he enjoys coming to the CAC Reunion. In addition, Morgan and David spend some time discussing the 2014 award nominees, William Moody's inclusion in the WWE Hall of Fame, and much more. We hope you enjoy the program!
Check out www.davemillicanbelts.com/ and www.aceofbelts.com for more information on these great championship belts!
Stay in touch with Rico Mann on Facebook at /Rico Mann and Twitter @RicoMann.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download


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Watch Vernon Wells Perform Dramatic Readings from 'The Road Warrior,' 'Weird Science' and 'Commando'
Vernon Wells kicks ass. That's it, plain and simple. He's been kicking ass since the early '80s when he blazed onto the scene rocking a red mohawk in The Road Warrior, and he's still kicking ass to this day, appearing in several small films you've probably never heard of, many of which include the words "Death," "Justice" and/or "Killing" in their titles.
Your fondest memories of Wells kicking ass most likely date back to a string of movies between the years 1981 and 1985, when the actor starred in The Road Warrior, Weird Science and Commando. In two of those films (Road Warrior and Weird Science) he even played the same character (kind of), and then in Commando he played a villain who looked like your dad and fought Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Wells has done a TON of stuff since then, but these are the movies people remember him from. These are the movies fans want to hear him talk about. These are the movies we want to see him reenact years later while performing dramatic readings of dialogue during something called Victory Variety Hour's Super Nova A-Go-Go.
Check it out below. This is from 2008, but that doesn't make it any less awesome.
"I was doing a play in Melbourne and George Miller's girlfriend was at one of the showings. She suggested to George that I would be perfect for the role of Wez. I had no idea what the "Road Warrior" was about so George came down for a meeting and after about an hour of telling dirty jokes we both went on our way. A month later I get a call saying I got the part. I still had no idea what the film or the role was even about. It wasn't until I had to go to Sydney for my costume fittings did I start to figure it out. Originally I had thought that I couldn't do the role and was in my own way trying to get out of the role. Once I got the whole costume on George stood me in front of the mirror and I was scared shitless. After George doing that I figured I could probably do the role." -- Vernon Wells
Movies.com, the ultimate source for everything movies, is your destination for new movie trailers, reviews, photos, times, tickets + more! Stay in the know with the latest movie news and cast interviews at Movies.com.
Copyright © 2018 FANDANGO MOVIES.


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WASHINGTON (AP) — The 2016 presidential election only seems far away if you're not planning to run in it. For those who are thinking about seeking their party's presidential nomination, there's so very much to do, starting yesterday.
This is a time to get to know donors, to get the public to know you on TV and social media, to visit big primary states, network with the activists and ideologues, produce a vanity book, polish a record, deal with personal baggage, take a stand, develop a world view and scout for advisers and political organizations that can power up a campaign team. All while sounding coy about running. And in some cases, not even being sure you will.
The main players: For the Democrats, Vice President Joe Biden, former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley; and for the Republicans, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal; Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan and Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker.
NON-DENIAL DENIAL: Cagey words that cloak presidential ambitions, and none too convincingly.
Biden: "I can die a happy man never having been president of the United States of America. But it doesn't mean I won't run."
Clinton: "I have absolutely no plans to run. ... I don't know everything I'll be doing. I'll be working on behalf of women and girls, and hopefully be writing and speaking. Those are the things that I am planning to do right now. ... I'm looking forward to this next chapter in my life, whatever it is."
Cuomo: "To the extent that I'm focusing on politics, it's my (governor's) race next year."
O'Malley: "By the end of this year, we're on course to have a body of work that lays the framework of the candidacy for 2016."
Bush: "My thinking is not to think about it for a year."
Christie: "I'm nowhere near making that decision yet, at all. I mean, I think anybody who tries to plan in politics that far in advance is crazy. ... I love being governor and I want to stay as governor."
Jindal: "The reality is anybody who's thinking about 2016 needs to have their head examined. It's way too early."
Paul: "We're thinking about growing the party. What comes after that, we'll see."
Rubio: "I told people I haven't even thought about that. That's a decision far in the future."
Ryan: "I will give it serious consideration, but I'm going to do that later on."
Walker: "That's not anything I've really spent a whole lot of time thinking about."
WRITE A BOOK: The perfect stage-setter, just ask Barack Obama ("Dreams from My Father," 2004; "The Audacity of Hope," 2006.)
Biden: Not since "Promises to Keep" from '07.
Cuomo: Yes, coming in 2014.
Clinton: Yes, coming in 2014.
O'Malley: No.
Bush: Yes, on immigration.
Christie: No.
Jindal: Yes, but in 2010.
Paul: "Government Bullies: How Everyday Americans Are Being Harassed, Abused, and Imprisoned by the Feds," in 2012; "The Tea Party Goes to Washington," 2011.
Rubio: Yes, "An American Son: A Memoir," 2012.
Ryan: Among various authors of "The Path to Prosperity: A Blueprint for American Renewal," with the snoozy sub-sub-title: "Fiscal Year 2013 Budget Resolution."
Walker: Yes, "Unintimidated: A Governor's Story and a Nation's Challenge," is coming in the fall with former Bush speechwriter Marc Thiessen as ghost-writer.
GO TO IOWA: Its caucuses are the opening act of the nomination contest.
Biden: Yes, in 2012 campaign.
Clinton: No.
Cuomo: No.
O'Malley: Yes, headlined Sen. Tom Harkin's annual steak fry in the fall.
Bush: Yes, in 2012.
Christie: Yes, in 2012.
Jindal: Yes, summer visit, then flew with Iowa governor to governors association meeting in Milwaukee. In Iowa seven times in 2012.
Paul: Yes, Lincoln Day Dinner in May, meeting with pastors in July.
Rubio: Yes, in 2012 just days after the election.
Ryan: Yes, multiple times as 2012 veep candidate. Keynote speaker at governor's annual birthday fundraiser coming in November.
Walker: Yes, May fund-raiser.
GO TO NEW HAMPSHIRE: Nation's first primary comes after Iowa and is just as important.
Biden: Yes, in 2012 campaign, and 2013 fundraiser planned in Maine for New Hampshire governor.
Clinton: No.
Cuomo: No.
O'Malley: Yes, once in 2012.
Bush: No.
Christie: Yes, three times in 2012.
Jindal: Yes, headlined state GOP fundraiser in May, visited twice in 2012.
Paul: Yes, headlined state GOP fundraiser in May.
Rubio: Yes, multiple times in 2012.
Ryan: Yes, multiple times as veep candidate in 2012.
Walker: Yes, keynote speaker at 2012 state GOP convention.
GO ABROAD: Helps to give neophytes foreign policy cred, and Israel is a touchstone for U.S. politicians.
Biden: Yes, tons.
Clinton: Yes, nearly 1 million miles as secretary of state. Canadian speech since leaving State Department.
Cuomo: Yes, but not much lately. Israel twice in 2002.
O'Malley: Yes. Israel this year for a second time. Also Denmark, Ireland, France in 2013. Asia in 2011, Iraq in 2010.
Bush: Yes, several overseas trips a year. Three times to Israel since 1980s.
Christie: Yes, Israel and Jordan in 2012.
Jindal: No, not as governor.
Paul: Yes, Israel and Jordan in January.
Rubio: Yes, Israel and Jordan in February, also Israel after 2010 Senate election.
Ryan: Yes, Middle East during congressional career; visited troops in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Walker: Yes, China in April. Not been to Israel.
DON'T FORGET SOUTH CAROLINA: First Southern primary and big in its own right.
Biden: Yes, headlined annual fundraising dinner in May for state party, appeared at Rep. James Clyburn's annual fish-fry, Easter weekend vacation on Kiawah Island.
Clinton: No.
Cuomo: No.
O'Malley: Yes, April speech to party activists.
Bush: Yes, 2012 speech.
Christie: Yes, helped Mitt Romney raise money in 2012.
Jindal: Yes, attending August fund-raiser for governor.
Paul: Yes, headlined two fundraisers.
Rubio: Yes, headlined 2012 Silver Elephant dinner.
Ryan: Yes, in 2012 campaign.
Walker: Yes, attending August fund-raiser for governor.
MEET THE MONEY: To know donors now is to tap them later.
Biden: Yes, schmoozes party contributors at private receptions.
Clinton: No, but supporters are raising big money to encourage her to run.
Cuomo: Flush coffers for 2014 governor's race.
O'Malley: Yes, as finance chairman for Democratic Governors Association in 2014 mid-term campaign.
Bush: Yes, party this summer for his book at home of Woody Johnson, owner of New York Jets and leading Republican bundler.
Christie: Yes, aggressive 2013 national fundraising tour for his governor's race, attended Romney's Utah retreat with major party donors in June.
Jindal: Yes, met leading GOP donors in New York City.
Paul: Yes, attended Romney's Utah retreat with major party donors, met GOP donors in New York City.
Rubio: Yes, met major GOP donors in New York City, attended Washington meeting with Romney bundlers.
Ryan: Yes, attended Romney's Utah retreat with major party donors, has 2012 campaign money connections.
Walker: Yes, headlined 2013 fundraisers in New York and Connecticut.
NETWORK LIKE MAD: Taking their case to ideologues, activists and party heavyweights who hold great sway in nomination race.
Biden: Yes, vigorously with Dems and activists.
Clinton: Limited, getting started with speeches.
Cuomo: Very little on the radar. Skipped national governors meeting in August.
O'Malley: Yes, vigorously, and big splash at national governors meeting.
Bush: Yes, with conservative activists, education leaders.
Christie: Yes, keynote speaker at 2012 GOP convention; will be 2014 chairman of GOP governors association.
Jindal: Yes, headlined winter meeting of Republican National Committee; lots of conservative outreach.
Paul: Yes, plenty. Conservative activists, tech leaders, Reagan Presidential Library speech.
Rubio: Yes, conservative and party activists.
Ryan: Yes, prime networker as 2012 veep candidate. Helping fellow House members raise money.
Walker: Belle of the ball as host of the National Governors Association meeting in August.
HOG THE TV: Achieving national recognition by sermonizing on the Sunday talk shows, or going for soft questions and easy laughs on late-night TV.
Biden: No, not lately.
Clinton: No. But stay tuned for "Hillary" miniseries.
Cuomo: No.
O'Malley: Frequently on Sunday talk shows in 2012 campaign, once since.
Bush: Six Sunday talk show appearances since 2012 election, including all five shows on March 10 to plug book on immigration.
Christie: Yes, late-night TV circuit, playing for laughs.
Jindal: Two Sunday talk shows since 2012 election.
Paul: Eight Sunday talk shows since election, leads the chattering pack.
Rubio: Six Sunday talk shows since election, including all five on April 13.
Ryan: Five Sunday talks shows since election.
Walker: Four Sunday talk shows since election.
ACTUALLY DO SOMETHING: For voters who want to support doers, not just talkers.
Biden: Point man on gun control, which failed. Lots on foreign policy. Negotiated fiscal cliff deal.
Clinton: Record as secretary of state, senator and first lady.
Cuomo: Pushed New York's legalization of gay marriage, first gun-control law after Newtown, Conn., school massacre. Minimum wage boost, on-time budgets, teacher standards.
O'Malley: : Toughened gun laws, repealed death penalty, saw voters approve gay marriage after he got behind legislation to approve it, set up a framework to develop offshore wind power.
Bush: As Florida governor, revamped state educational system, cut taxes, managed state through hurricanes.
Christie: Led state's response to Superstorm Sandy. Agreed to expand state's Medicaid program under Obamacare while some other Republican governors have refused. Vetoed bill that would have legalized gay marriage, signed law increasing pension and health costs for public workers.
Jindal: Privatized much of Louisiana's Medicaid program, shrank public hospital system, signed statewide voucher program that covers private school tuition for certain students. Signed abortion restrictions, fought liberalization of adoption law, making it impossible for gay couples to adopt jointly. Hurricane and Gulf oil spill disaster response.
Paul: One-man, nearly 13-hour Senate filibuster to protest drone policy put him at forefront of civil liberties debate.
Rubio: Broker of Senate immigration overhaul, though he's gone quiet on the issue. Working with anti-abortion groups on Senate version of bill that would ban abortions after 20 weeks.
Ryan: Budget-hawk record to be judged on. Emerging as influential moderate on immigration.
Walker: Curbs on public service unions became national flashpoint, but he won the effort — and the recall election that followed.
TAKE A NATIONAL STAND: Effective state governance is nice but leaders must build national stature on issues of the day.
Biden: Eclectic. Guns, violence against women, gay rights, veterans.
Clinton: Eclectic. Recent speeches have focused on the economy, housing, opportunities for women, voting rights.
Cuomo: Environmentalists nationally and the energy industry are closely watching his pending decision whether to allow fracking in upstate New York counties near the Pennsylvania line.
O'Malley: The liberal checklist: more spending on education, infrastructure, transportation; supports same-sex marriage, immigration reform, repealing death penalty, pushes environmental protections.
Bush: Education, immigration, economy.
Christie: Moderate on the reach and functions of government. Yet took on labor unions, opposes gay marriage and opposes abortion rights except in case of rape, incest or to save the life of the woman.
Jindal: A record of privatization to show he means government should be downsized, happy to carry a social conservative banner.
Paul: Tea party plus. Fiscal conservative, criticizes surveillance state. Praised Supreme Court gay marriage ruling as one that avoids "culture war."
Rubio: Economy, abortion, tea party fiscal conservatism; immigration liberalization if he decides to get back to it.
Ryan: Cutting spending, taking on entitlements.
Walker: Fiscal stewardship, from a GOP point of view. Tough guy against the unions and liberal defenders of the status quo.
BAGGAGE TO CHECK: It's never too early to deal with skeletons in the closet; rivals will be rattling them soon enough.
Biden: Flubs, fibs, age. Deflection: "I am who I am."
Clinton: Benghazi, polarizing when political, age. GOP wants to pin blame on her for vulnerability of U.S. diplomatic mission in Libya that came under deadly attack.
Cuomo: New York economy is dragging, his poll numbers have sunk, went through public and bitter divorce with Kerry Kennedy, daughter of late Sen. Robert Kennedy, in 2005.
O'Malley: A record of raising taxes that could be challenged by less liberal Democrats, never mind Republicans.
Bush: The Bush factor. Does the country want a Bush dynasty after presidents George H. W. and George W.?
Christie: The fat factor and man dates with President Barack Obama and Bill Clinton.
Jindal: Ambitious plan to replace state's personal and corporate taxes with higher sales taxes flopped, delivered dud of a speech when given juicy platform of responding to Obama's first presidential address to Congress in 2009. Deflection: Poking fun at himself. Jindal administration's award of a $200 million Medicaid contract is under investigation by state and federal grand juries.
Paul: Dear old dad: Must move beyond Ron Paul's fringe reputation. Bridge-burning in Congress endears him to tea party, could bite him otherwise. Deflection: GOP outreach to minorities.
Rubio: Rift with tea party constituency on immigration, "a real trial for me." Deflection: Go aggressive on a matter of common ground, which he did in vowing to take apart Obamacare. And stop talking about immigration. Response to Obama's 2013 State of the Union speech was remembered only for his clumsy reach for water. Deflection: Make fun of himself.
Ryan: Budget axe cuts both ways — catnip to conservatives but people want their Medicare. Carries stigma of 2012 election loss as running mate.
Walker: Some things that give him huge appeal with GOP conservatives — taking on unions, most notably — would whip up Democratic critics in general election. Wisconsin near bottom in job creation.
RUN SHADOW CAMPAIGN: One way to run without running is to have a political action committee to promote ideas or other candidates for office, or to hire advisers who can switch to a campaign when the time comes.
Biden: Limited, given his current position, but maintains close contact with political advisers past and present.
Clinton: Ready for Hillary super PAC set up by supporters is laying groundwork.
Cuomo: Overshadowed by Clinton's shadow campaign. Considered a likely contender if Clinton ends up not running.
O'Malley: Set up a PAC called O'Say Can You See and hired two people for fundraising and communications.
Bush: He's a Bush — he's got connections. Statehouse lobbyist Sally Bradshaw, chief of staff when he was governor, is his go-to political person.
Christie: Building broad coalition of donors through his national fundraising tour this spring. There were also "draft Christie" movements in Iowa and South Carolina in 2011, where activists continue to support him. Hired senior Romney media mind Russ Schriefer in late spring.
Jindal: His media consulting shop is OnMessage, based in Alexandria, Va., where campaign strategist Curt Anderson has had long relationship with him. Timmy Teepell, former campaign chief of staff for Jindal, has been made partner.
Paul: Has leadership PAC called Rand PAC, maintains ties to father's political network in early primary states.
Rubio: Reclaim America PAC led by former deputy chief of staff, Terry Sullivan, veteran of South Carolina politics, expected to be active behind GOP candidates across country in 2014 midterms.
Ryan: His Prosperity Action PAC.
Walker: Consults with top Republican governor strategists such as Phil Musser and Nick Ayers.
GET WITH IT ON SOCIAL MEDIA: A must for spreading ideas, poking competitors, raising money, organizing events and showing a personal side, though often a very canned version.
Biden: Not active on Facebook, occasional contributor to his office's Twitter account.
Clinton: Legions of followers, few tweets, since starting with Twitter in June. Not active on Facebook.
Cuomo: Few if any personal tweets; Facebook also generated primarily by staff.
O'Malley: On Twitter, standard governor's fare but promotes rare appearances by his Celtic rock band, O'Malley's March, for which he sings and plays guitar and tin whistle. On Facebook, his PAC-generated page is more active than official governor's account.
Bush: Tweets many Wall Street Journal stories. On Facebook, promotes immigration book, education reform.
Christie: More engaged in Twitter ("It was great to be able to visit with the owners of Rossi's Rent-A-Rama in Ortley today.") than Facebook.
Jindal: Active on Twitter and on Facebook, where he lists among favorite books, "John Henry Newman: A Biography," about recently canonized British cardinal and sage. Also favors James Bond movies.
Paul: Aggressive. Bragged on Twitter in June that he'd attracted more than 1 million likes for his Facebook page, where he lists his own books as his favorites.
Rubio: Aggressive. King of Twitter in GOP field, second only to Clinton in followers. On Facebook, lists "Pulp Fiction" movie and "The Tudors" historical fiction TV series among favorites.
Ryan: King of Facebook among potential rivals in both parties, with nearly 4.9 million likes. Seeks $10 donations for "Team Ryan" bumper stickers for his PAC and kisses a fish. Posts photo of Obama with his feet up on Oval Office desk. Commanding presence on Twitter, too, via an account associated with his PAC and another as congressman.
Walker: Posts every little thing on Facebook. "Glad USDA is keeping cranberries on school menus. I drink several bottles of cranberry juice each day!" Also active on Twitter, where he spread word about beer doughnuts at state fair.
Associated Press writers Ken Thomas, Josh Lederman and Nancy Benac in Washington; Brian Witte in Annapolis, Md.; Bill Barrow in Atlanta; Tom Beaumont in Des Moines, Iowa; and Steve Peoples in Boston contributed to this report.