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In January Army Specialist Charles Graner Jr. was sentenced by a military court in Fort Hood, Texas, to ten years behind bars. His crimes: assault, conspiracy, dereliction of duty and committing indecent acts.
Nearly a year after the infamous photographs of US military personnel abusing and humiliating Iraqi prisoners at Abu Ghraib prison in Baghdad had come to light, the graphic allegations of sexual abuse, of guards forcing inmates to masturbate, of naked prisoners stacked into pyramids, of prisoners being hooded and draped with electric wires and of routine beatings, the 36-year-old Graner was taking the rap, labeled by prosecutors as the mastermind of the cell-block sadism.
Throughout his trial, the reservist had claimed he was only following orders, that his superiors had demanded the prisoners be violently "softened up" before being interrogated by military intelligence personnel. In the end the jury, four officers and six high-ranking enlisted men, all of whom had served in Afghanistan or Iraq, didn't buy his argument. "I was only obeying orders" apparently didn't cut it as a moral defense in 2005 any more than it did at the Nuremberg trials.
Whether Graner was actually following the orders of superiors–as Seymour Hersh and others have convincingly argued, and as the copiously documented book The Torture Papers suggests–is clearly critical to understanding the larger context of Abu Ghraib. Wherever one comes down on that question, though, there can be no doubt that Graner is guilty of torture. And so there remains the troubling matter of Graner himself: not just who he is–his biographical details are by now well-known–but how he formed his values and beliefs, what sorts of experiences shaped him. Where, in other words, did Charles Graner come from? And, moreover, what does the small world from which he emerged make of his newfound notoriety? In the answers to those questions may be a few additional clues to the Abu Ghraib atrocities: not only who is responsible, but what they show about American society–where its moral compass on torture lies today.
In 2004, as the macabre images flowed out of Abu Ghraib, the little coal-mining town of Waynesburg, in Appalachian southwestern Pennsylvania's Greene County, was put in an unwelcome spotlight. For it soon came out that Graner, in his civilian incarnation, was a correctional officer at SCI Greene, a supermax prison that had opened in the town a decade earlier.
Like Graner, who served for several years in the Marines in the 1980s and early '90s, most guards at SCI Greene have served in the military, hired by the department of corrections as part of a preferential hiring process for veterans that has turned many prisons into virtual preserves for retired military personnel. Over the past four years, dozens of SCI Greene's staffers have been reactivated into National Guard and Army Reserve units and sent to Iraq and Afghanistan. As of this past summer, the prison administration estimated that of about 700 prison employees, twenty-nine staff, twenty-six of whom were guards, were currently on active duty. Another thirty-seven had been activated at some point since 2001 but had since returned to the prison.


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The Delaware Public Health is reminding Delawareans to make sure your water is safe before drinking and bathing.
The Delaware Public Health is reminding Delawareans to make sure your water is safe before drinking and bathing.
Here are some tips to check whether your water is safe:
If you are on a public water system, check the website of your water provider to make sure your water is safe for drinking and bathing. Eighty-five percent of Delawareans depend upon a public water system. Follow any purification instructions on your water provider's website.If you are among the 15 percent of Delawareans on a private well, DPH will provide free drinking water test kits to detect contamination from bacteria. Test kits will be available at the following sites and must be dropped off at the location at which you picked up the kit once you have a water sample.If the water is found to be contaminated, Public Health staff's goal is to contact people within 72 hours to provide guidance on cleaning up your well. Test kits will be available after state offices reopen, potentially as early as Wednesday.The list of state offices are: University Plaza, Chopin Bldg, 258 Chapman Road, Newark;(302) 283-7100; Thomas Collins Building, 540 S. DuPont HWY, Dover; (302) 744-1000; Delaware Public Laboratory, 30 Sunnyside Road, Smyrna; (302) 653-2870; Adams State Service Center, 544 S. Bedford St., Georgetown; (302) 856-5496.
For more information, call (866) 408-1899 or (800) 232-5460 or visit www.dhss.delaware.gov/dhss/dph/floodhealthinfo.html.

subset: commoncrawl


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Welcome to the Virus Encyclopedia of Panda Security.
Clicker.CN allows hackers to get into and carry out dangerous actions in affected computers, such as capturing screenshots, stealing personal data, etc.
Clicker.CN does not spread automatically using its own means. It needs the attacking user's intervention in order to reach the affected computer. The means of transmission used include, among others, floppy disks, CD-ROMs, email messages with attached files, Internet downloads, FTP, IRC channels, peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing networks, etc.
Clicker.CN has the following additional characteristics:


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The track & field meet gave all participants of CityParks Track & Field program, which provided free lessons in parks across the city this summer, an opportunity to experience the exhilarating spirit of the Olympics, close to home.
Teams of kids, ages five to 16, from the 13 CityParks Track & Field sites across the city competed in various events throughout the day, including Javelin, Discus, Shot Put, Triple Jump, Long Jump, 400 Meter Run, 55 Meter Hurdles, 4x100 Meter Relay, and 100 Meter Dash.
The meet also included events for children with special needs including a 100 Meter Dash that included children in wheelchairs, a Giant Shuttle Relay Race and 55 Meter Dash for Peewees, ages five to seven. Championship medals at Peewee, Beginner, and Intermediate levels were awarded to first and second place winners.
In addition, Pelham Bay Park in the Bronx won the title of "Best Overall for Large Parks" and Kaiser Park in Brooklyn received "Best Overall for Small Parks."
CityParks Track & Field offers free track & field instruction for boys and girls, ages five to 16, with lessons held twice a week from July through August in parks citywide. City Parks Foundation's Sports & Fitness Programs, sponsored by North Shore-LIJ, offer free expert instruction to over 15,000 New York youth and seniors at over 60 locations citywide.


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Annie Elliot, an interior designer in Washington DC, spent seven years waiting, and wanting, to fall in love with her living room. Benjamin Moore helped seal the deal with Sunrays 343.
You can read more about her yellow living room and entire home on her blog, Bossy Color. Check out what the living room looked like a year ago; it gives me hope, as my rooms are always evolving.
What do you think of Annie's yellow living room?
Here's what you can do to find the perfect colors for your home:
- shop at Hirshfield's
- take advantage of Hirshfield's infinite color knowledge
- sample a color at home with the Hirshfield's Big Swatch, color sample pints, quarts and selected 2oz. Benjamin Moore colors
Let Hirshfield's help you fall in love with your home all over again.


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Reviewed by Genesis A (age 7)
Madam President made me laugh a little bit because when she answered these questions like "I know you are but what am I?" I think being the president will be a little wacky for Madam because she does a lot of crazy stuff, like when she kisses a baby and then she leaves. It is special because everybody in my class were laughing at this book. Madam is so funny she made me laugh all day long. My favorite part is when she says veto a lot of times (in one page), because sometimes she acts it out.
I would be glad to recommend this book to anyone because Madam President is one of my favorite books in the whole entire world! I think anyone between 6 and and up could read this book because she would do some funny stuff for the children.


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28 Jul 1858 - 31 Jul 1933
Wife of William R. Pinkston Milligan (marr. 12 Dec 1880); daughter of John Gordon and Mary Fortenberry Penn
Contributed on 12/11/07 by denise.bratcher63
Email This Contributor
Record #: 4426
On this site you can upload gravestone photos, locate ancestors and perform genealogy research. If you have a relative buried in Arkansas, we encourage you to upload a digital image using our Submit a Photo page. Contributing to this genealogy archive helps family historians and genealogy researchers locate their relatives and complete their family tree.
Submitted: 12/11/07 • Approved: 12/6/10 • Last Updated: 9/11/12 • R4426-G4426-S3


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An update from Dr. Quicksall:
The students have gone, and I leave tomorrow for Kakuma. I return to Nairobi on the weekend then head to Dadaab on Monday morning.
Uganda was a huge success, and these few days have also been fruitful as I have met UNESCO and the UN High Commissioner for Refugees-Kenya.


text: Shooting: Story Story Posted 02-18-2013 The President's Guns on President Day - courtesy of the NRA Museum Shotguns and pistols from Eisenhower, Cleveland and Roosevelt By: Lars Dalseide, NRAblog.com From NRAblog.com Fairfax, Virginia - It wasn't always Presidents Day. In fact, up until the 1980s, only two of the four presidential birthdays that fell in February were celebrated with any great regularity (more on that below). Unfortunately, we don't have any of their firearms on display at the National Firearms Museum ... but we do have a few others. First on the list, and atop the page, is the Model 21 Shotgun owned by President Dwight David Eisenhower. Presented to the President by the President of Coca-Cola, this side-by-side .20 gauge comes personalized with Ike's initials and five stars. Next we have a piece from President Theodore Roosevelt. Now regular readers should remember that we have highlighted a number of items from Teddy's personal collection including Rough Rider gear, souvenirs from his African safari and a smattering of rifles. This, however, is something different. With a tight English scroll engraving and mother of pearl grips, this .32 APC by Fabrique Nationale Model is what President Roosevelt held in the nightstand beside his bed. Beauty and security. Finally we arrived at Grover's Shotgun. "A totally unique piece, it's the only 8 gauge that Colt ever," Museum Director Jim Supica tells us. "A very big gun owned by a very big man." Cleveland's claim to fame? The heaviest president on record and the only president to serve two non-consecutive terms. Two 'accomplishments' we're likely to never see again. The other two February born Presidents? William Henry Harrison and Ronald Reagan. A President with the shortest term on record and a President who passed less then a decade ago. Perhaps, in time, we will come to recognize their achievements as well during this national holiday. Until then, enjoy your Presidents Day. NRAblog is your connection to the programs of the NRA. It is a project of the NRA's Media Relations Division. PUBLISHING: NRA Executive Director: Kyle Weaver CONTRIBUTORS: Lars Dalseide. E-mail him at firstname.lastname@example.com. Kyle Jillson. E-mail him at firstname.lastname@example.com. Justin McDaniel E-mail him at firstname.lastname@example.com. Share This Story Next From Story Potterfields Donate Over $157,000 to Support Youth Shooting Sports Related Hunting : Posted 08-05-2011 Shoot the deceased ... in tribute View Comments Categories News Stories Tips Gear Videos Photo Galleries Viewer Photo Galleries Features Concealed Carry & Personal Defense Down Range TV Short Stories by Larry Potterfield AllOutdoor.com Outdoor Blog Sponsored Content Streamlight Shooting Check Out All The Photos Explore the United States. Find information about and activities within your state. Get Started


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In an environment where most employee 'perks' are subject to tax it may be helpful for you as an employer to be aware of the few concessions that have been made by HMRC.
Long service awards
Long service awards are allowed within strict limits. There will be no tax charge so long as the employee has been with you for at least 20 years and the article given has a value not exceeding £50 for each year of service.
Suggestion scheme awards
Such awards must be made under a properly constituted suggestion scheme, based on a set percentage of the expected financial benefit to your business. The maximum award allowed is £5,000. There is also a concession for 'encouragement awards' of £25 or less to reflect meritorious effort on the part of the employee concerned.
Staff parties
Staff annual functions (e.g. a dinner dance or Christmas party) are tax-free where the total cost per person attending is not more than £150 per year (including VAT).
Promotional gifts
Such items are normally purchased for advertising purposes and must display a 'conspicuous advertisement'. Staff may receive promotional gifts tax-free provided that the overall cost of the articles involved does not exceed £50 per person per year.
Gifts of food, drink, tobacco or vouchers are specifically excluded.
For further details of other non taxable benefits see "Benefits in kind & Expenses payments".
Trivial benefits
Trivial gifts are now exempt from tax up to a vale of £50 per gift. This would apply to gifts such as Christmas gifts. It is also possible to use the exemption to provide flu vaccinations for staff and similar arrangements, provided the benefit is not a voucher exchangeable for cash or a reward for doing their job.
A cash benefit, or a cash voucher however, is always taxable irrespective of the value.
Owner managers are further subject to an annual cap of £300 on gifts to themselves or employees who are members of their family.
- Business
- Personal
- Tax
- Year-End Tax Guide
- Autumn Budget 2017
- Tax rates and allowances
- PAYE and NI
- IR35 Centre
- Tax and business calendar
- Budget and Autumn Statement archive
- Calculators


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Oklahoma City Barons forward Jordan Eberle named AHL player of the monthNHL.com @NHL
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. - Oklahoma City Barons right-winger Jordan Eberle was named American Hockey League player of the month Wednesday after recording 20 points over 11 games in December.
Eberle led all AHL skaters in scoring with 11 goals and nine assists to take the honour for the second straight month. The 22-year-old Regina native leads the AHL with 24 goals and 49 points in 32 games for the Barons this season.
Eberle had 76 points (34-42) in 78 games for the NHL's Edmonton Oilers last season. He was selected by the Oilers with the 22nd overall pick in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft.


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Bieber's mom: conversations with son are private
NEW YORK (AP) — Justin Bieber's mom, Pattie Mallette, has left out some of the rougher details of her early life for a new teen edition of her memoir, "Nowhere But Up."
Out Tuesday from the inspirational publisher Revell, the book includes advice, statistics and hotline numbers for young people on depression, pregnancy, bullying and unwanted sexual advances.
Mallette, who gave birth to Bieber at age 18, faced all of those problems and more growing up in Canada. She now lives in Los Angeles and recently shared her story with young people in the Watts projects, hoping her struggles and turn to Christianity can offer hope.
"There was this one young man. He was probably late teens, early 20s. He said, 'You know, who knew that your story could relate so much with me and that I would have so many similarities with the things that you went through,'" Mallette recalled in a telephone interview from Los Angeles. "I mean, his sister's been shot, but he's been through so many similar emotions and so many similar circumstances."
For Mallette, those circumstances began with the painful divorce of her parents when she was 2. Sex abuse at the hands of a series of tormenters began at 3. She was left with a feeling of worthlessness that led her to drinking, drugging and a suicide attempt by age 17.
"A lot of teenagers are feeling really discouraged at their circumstances," said Mallette, whose memoir co-written with A.J. Gregory came out last year.
And what of her own son? Mallette was tightlipped about Bieber's lower moments of late.
There have been reports of speeding in his Calabasas, California, neighborhood, run-ins with paparazzi, boos at the Billboard Awards and a pet monkey relinquished in Germany.
While she talks to her son regularly, Mallette said Wednesday he prefers she not speak publicly about recent controversies.
"He wants me to continue to respect his boundaries and my relationship with him," Mallette said. "Everybody has their own opinion and everybody wants to sensationalize everything."
Parenting a teen isn't easy for anybody, let alone a pop star with millions of dedicated fans and followers on Twitter and Instagram.
"You have to sort of let them make some of their own decisions," she said. "Me, personally, I would love to be with him all the time and to be able to ground him and deal with his problems and do all of that stuff, but at some point the parenting style changes. I hope to still be a respected voice in his ear."
Follow Leanne Italie on Twitter at http://twitter.com/litalie


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This workshop covers tools used to create eTextbooks and other forms of digital content. Focuses on iBooks Author and programs in the iLife Suite (iMovie, iPhoto and Garageband), with others as needed. Taught by representatives from Apple. This is a hands-on session, so be sure to bring your Mac and iPad. Open to faculty and staff.
Creating Digital Content (Multimedia Tools)
Friday, August 23, 2013 - 2:00pm to 4:00pmLocation:
Oviatt 30


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Your browser does not support iframes.
October 20, 2005
Fairview Baptist Church, located about 12 miles from Campbellsville on KY 337 in Mannsville, will celebrate its 50th anniversary with a celebration and homecoming Sunday, Oct. 23.
The Central Kentucky News-Journal won six awards in the Landmark Community Newspaper Inc. first ever Landmark of Excellence advertising design awards.
Campbellsville University will celebrate Homecoming 2005 on Friday and Saturday, Oct. 21-22.
September 15, 2005
Ernest Wise Sr., 83, of Wise Road in Campbellsville died at 10:29 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 8, 2005 in Louisville.
Gary and Tammy Porter celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary in Las Vegas, Nev.
Richard and Shirley Chelf of Elkhorn will celebrate their 45th wedding anniversary on Thursday, Sept. 22.
Neil and Jaclyn Dabney announce the birth of a son, Noah Lane, at 7:59 a.m. Monday, Aug. 29 at Taylor Regional Hospital in Campbellsville.
September 22, 2005
About 250 volunteers descended on Green River Lake on Saturday to collect trash and other debris from along the lakeshore.
Campbellsville High School will celebrate its 2005 football homecoming on Friday.
The Crossmen of Robinson Creek Baptist Church will be in concert Sunday at Yuma Baptist Church.
Taylor County Marching Band will host its annual invitational Saturday, Sept. 24 on the Taylor County High School football field. 12 bands are set to compete.
Sept. 1, 2005
Shocked and ecstatic are just a couple of words Rebecca Hinton used to describe how she felt Saturday evening at the close of the 2006 Taylor County Junior Miss program. Her name had been called as the winner.
Romey Reynolds Sr., 69, of Meadowview Drive in Campbellsville, died at 1:22 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 26, 2005, in Campbellsville.
Gwynette Sullivan was the guest speaker for the August meeting of the Campbellsville Business and Professional Women's Club.
Sept. 8, 2005
Harold and Renee Osborne of Campbellsville celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary on Aug. 27 with a reception.
Marie Karnes was honored recently on her 90th birthday at Palestine Baptist Church.
From The Heart will be in concert at 6:30 p.m. on Sunday at Campbellsville Christian Church.
Mindi Goff has been named the Taylor Regional Hospital ambassador for July 2005.
August 25, 2005
The Taylor County Historical Society met for its June picnic at Early╒s Chapel United Methodist Church, which was organized in 1856.
Campbellsville University will be hosting its annual Pastors and Church Leaders Conference on Sept. 22-23.
A Durham High School reunion has been planned for Sept. 3-4 at the corner of Baptist Street, Durham Street and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard.
August 18, 2005
James DeWitt and his chickens will be ruffling their feathers during the next four days at the Kentucky State Fair in hopes of being named as grand champion. DeWitt begins competing today with 12 of what he calls "God's greatest creations."
Jennifer Wolford recently earned her Master of Arts degree in creative writing from Florida State University in Tallahassee.
Aug. 11, 2005
Gov. Ernie Fletcher has appointed Yevette Haskins of Campbellsville to the Western Kentucky University Board of Regents.
Madison Tayler Ball celebrated her first birthday on Aug. 3 with a party at home with family and friends.
Saloma Baptist Church will host a homecoming on Sunday, Aug. 28.
Aug. 4, 2005
Ivan and Nadine Barnes of Campbellsville celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary on June 10 with a surprise dinner at the Stonehearth Restaurant in Elizabethtown.
Barbara Sandusky was the winner of the Eastern Star quilt given away during Campbellsville's July Forth celebration.
Cody Smith won the Kentucky State FFA Quiz Contest.
Ashley Kristen Corbin has been honored with Lindsey Wilson College's Begley Scholarship.
July 28, 2005
Shirley Kilby Matney was honored with a surprise 60th birthday party on Sunday, July 3, at the Green River Lake Corps' Pavilion.
Jenny Netherland was honored with a bridal shower on June 11 at the home of Jill Chandler. Netherland married Jim Miller on July 26 in Hilton Head, S.C.
Copyright © 2018
The Central Kentucky News-Journal is your source for local news, sports, events, and information in Campbellsville, KY and the surrounding area.


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STONE MOUNTAIN, Ga. (AP) — Georgia's third-largest school district has been moved off probation for its accreditation, after a tumultuous few years that included the rare step of the governor removing a majority of the local school board.
Officials with the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools made the announcement Tuesday during a packed school board meeting in DeKalb County. The metro Atlanta school district serves nearly 100,000 students.
The district remains on warning but no longer faces the imminent threat of loss of its accreditation. A packed crowd stood and applauded once the announcement was made.
The accrediting association put the district on probation in December 2012, citing problems with board governance and fiscal mismanagement. A loss of accreditation could have affected students' ability to gain college admission and financial aid.


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HP recruits Goldman Sachs to grapple activist investors
Collapsed share price makes IT tanker vulnerable
HP has rented the services of Goldman Sachs Group to fend off any potential activist investors seeking to rock the boat.
The WSJ says the investment bank will man the battlements against corporate raiders that could exploit the fallen share price – down by a fifth last month after HP made public its PSG review, canned WebOS hardware and bid for Autonomy.
The resulting high profile exit of CEO Leo Apotheker after just 11 months at the helm and speedy appointment of former eBay chief Meg Whitman, who has not run an IT firm the shape or size of HP, did nothing to assuage analysts' concerns.
She was pulled onto the board in January by Apotheker and supported the strategy to spin off its PC biz and shelve the TouchPad and Pres3, which is currently being worked through with a decision expected by year end.
Activist investors may try to boost shareholder value by modifying the corporate policy, initiating cost cutting and seeking divestment from specific territories or business areas.
A stake of less than ten per cent of existing shares may suffice to underpin a campaign for change at a publicly listed company.
HP clearly feels vulnerable to unwanted advances and Goldman Sachs, which consulted with NYSE Euronext to repel a bid by Nasdaq OMX Group, may advise on a shareholder rights plan of action that make takeovers more difficult. ®


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The United States Steel Corporation (NYSE: X) is the largest integrated steel manufacturer in North America.
While US Steel was founded as a steel producer, it expanded and acquired several different business sectors over the 20th century[1]. By the 1980's, U.S. Steel had a very diversified business structure that included involvement in the steel, energy, agri-chemical, domestic transportation and raw materials industries. Since then, however, the company has restructured itself and returned to its roots as a company dedicated to the production of steel products. In a currently consolidating steel industry, U.S. Steel has maintained discipline in its business approach in recent years, focusing on increasing the production of its current business sectors and improving its product quality. This conservative business approach is aimed to keep the company from suffering losses in times of industry setbacks or economic downturns. On the other hand, U.S. Steel may be missing opportunities to expand its business through acquisitions similar to the strategies employed by U.S. market leaders Arcelor Mittal (MT) and Nucor (NUE).
U.S. Steel still remains dependent on key industries and regions in spite of its vertical integration efforts. In particular, U.S. Steel is dependent on the petroleum and auto industries and is highly affected by activities in China, which affect most steelmakers worldwide.
US Steel announces a net loss of $86 million for the first quarter of 2011, an improvement from net losses of $157 million for the first quarter of 2010.[2] Despite these losses, US Steel posted a 6% increase in quarterly shipments from the previous quarter, totaling 5.8 million tons[2] Similarly, net sales increased by 13% for the quarter, totaling $4.9 billion.[2] Net sales for the first quarter of the previous year were $3.9 billion.[2]
Sales losses were driven by segment losses, especially in the flat-rolled and U.S. Steel Europe segments.[2] Flat-rolled income posted losses of $57 million, a slight improvement of losses of $80 million from the first quarter of 2010.[2] U.S. Steel Europe posted $5 million in losses as compared to gains of $12 million from the first quarter of 2010.[2]
US Steel announced net losses of $249 million for the fourth quarter of 2010.[3] Driving these losses were a decrease in both steel shipments and net sales. Shipments for Q4 FY2010 decreased by 1 percent when compared to the previous quarter, totaling 5.5 million tons.[3] Net sales for the quarter totaled $4.3 billion, a 4 percent drop from the previous quarter.[3] Despite these losses, FY 2010 net losses were $919 million less than the losses the previous fiscal year.[3]
Net losses were driven primarily by losses in the flat-rolled and U.S. Steel Europe divisions of U.S. Steel financial operations. Flat-rolled sales reflected losses of $156 million for the quarter.[3] Similarly, U.S. Steel Europe posted losses of $39 million for the quarter as well.[3]
US Steel has three primary operating segments: flat rolled; tubular products (which make up the primary domestic operations of the company); and U.S. Steel Europe. The domestic operations of U.S. Steel are vertically integrated, meaning that iron ore and coke, which are the primary raw materials used to create steel, are supplied by the company itself.[4] Integration helps to insulate the company from the price volatility of iron ore and coke and therefore enables the company to operate at lower costs than non-integrated producers. U.S. Steel is hoping to begin integrating its services in Europe as well, although currently US Steel Europe purchases most of its raw materials from independent suppliers.
Steel consumption levels correlate with economic growth and expansion. When the global economy is expanding, there is a rise in demand for steel, putting upward pressure on steel prices. When economic growth slows down, steel prices tend to fall. Economic expansion usually means that the primary end markets of the steel industry are performing well. These end markets represent the customers to whom companies such as U.S. Steel sell their products. When steel end markets are performing well, they will buy more steel to make more of their own product. In recent years, China has contributed to a resurgence in the demand for steel. Alongside this, the rest of the global economy's steady growth has provided a stable environment for the steel industry.
About 20% of the steel industry's shipments are to Auto Makers. Several different types of steel products are used for automobiles including flat rolled sheet for auto bodies, bar products for suspension, drive shafts and axles as well as steel alloys for wheels and engine blocks. As time has gone by, the demand for steel has increased as the size of cars and trucks has increased. A shift to smaller, lighter, and more fuel efficient cars could reduce the demand for steel in the future. U.S. Steel has a lot of exposure to the auto industry, especially the Big Three automakers. Poor performance by these three companies could hurt U.S. Steel's revenues.
Tubular steel products are used to build pipelines and rigs. Rising oil prices have spurred exploration and the construction of oil rigs which has helped to maintain demand for steel from this industry. A strong hurricane season that causes a lot of damage to the oil industry's infrastructure also increases the demand for the steel parts that are needed for repairs. Average North American oil rig counts have a strong correlation with U.S. Steel's tubular product shipments.
The company's leading 21% market share in tubular products makes performance in this sector vital; nearly one-third of revenues come from this business unit.
The steel production industry is extremely energy intensive and is a heavy producer of greenhouse gases (GHG's). Facing increasing concern about global warming and simultaneous rising demands for energy worldwide, there has been significant legislation that now affects the steel industry.
Nucor (NUE) and the Commercial Metals Company (CMC) primarily re-melt scrap, which emits about 2/3 less carbon than competitors. Even though Nucor and other mini-mill users might gain competitve advantage relative to integrated steel players like U.S. Steel, the net effect of the Cap and Trade Bill will hurt all domestic steel players because it will incentivize production in countries without emissions caps like Brazil.[5]
U.S. Steel is very entrenched in the United States, and as an integrated steel player will likely see its already dangerously low sub-5% profit margin decline.
As the quality capability of electric arc furnaces increases over time, so the producer who uses traditional iron-ore based steelmaking processes (basic oxygen steelmaking) is being increasingly squeezed by new mini-mill operators using modern EAF technology. In 1980, it was only reinforcing bar products that could be produced from ferrous scrap via the EAF production process route without technical difficulty. By 2010, almost all long products as well as many flat products (except for some galvanised; auto body and tin plate) could be produced through the electric steel making production process route[6]. Technology developments are therefore an important trend in the steel sector, threatening traditional steelmakers who use basic oxygen steelmaking especially.
What separates U.S. Steel from domestic competition is its focus on maintaining an integrated business model and its exposure to the tubular products market. U.S. Steel's tubular production services the high performing oil and gas industry. While Nucor (NUE) and Arcelor Mittal (MT), the other two major steel producers in the United States, have been busy with several acquisitions for growth, U.S. Steel has maintained a conservative acquisition strategy. The integrated business model that U.S. Steel has maintained in the United States and is now striving to achieve in Europe will help protect the company from industry wide downturns that could devastate steel companies that are exposed to raw material price fluctuations.


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Every bird has its own unique personality. That's why we've put together a superior selection of bird accessories and play things to allow you to build just the right toy for your pet. Tropical colors and bird-pleasing shapes and textures can be strung together to keep birds busy and happy. It's fun and easy. Add to your bird's toys or use the blocks as hand toys for your parrot. Nontoxic dye. Assorted colors.
Shop all Build Your Own Toys.


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Types of Yoga
There are over a hundred different schools of Yoga! Some of the most well known are described below:
Hatha Yoga: The physical movements and postures, plus breathing techniques. This is what most people associate with Yoga practice.
Raja Yoga: Called the "royal road," because it incorporates exercise and breathing practice with meditation and study, producing a well-rounded individual.
Jnana Yoga: The path of wisdom; considered the most difficult path.
Bhakti Yoga: The practice of extreme devotion in one-pointed concentration upon one's concept of God.
Karma Yoga: All movement, all work of any kind is done with the mind centered on God.
Tantra Yoga: A way of showing the unseen consciousness in form through specific words, diagrams, and movements. One of the diagrams that is used to show the joining of the physical and spiritual bodies is two triangles superimposed upon one another. The downward-pointing triangle represents the physical body, or the female aspect having to do with work, action, and movement; the upward-pointing triangle represents the spiritual body of support, energy, and vastness.
Kashmir Shaivism: Everything in the universe, according to this thought, has both male and female qualities. Although it is impossible to describe these qualities exactly, some words that could be associated with the male principle are consciousness, energy, mind, and potentiality. The female principle could be described in terms such as manifestation, movement, and form. Many other Yogic philosophies, such as Vedanta, recognize only the male principle, saying that the female aspect - that is, the manifest world - is unreal; that is why you often see pictures of ascetics attempting to negate their body through suffering and self-denial. They are attempting to prove to themselves that the world, or the female aspect, is not important.
Kashmir Shaivism, on the other hand, recognizes that these male and female principles are an equal partnership; they are so interdependent that they cannot be separated; they are, in fact, one thing. The feeling of attraction between them creates the immense complexity of the universe that we enjoy and celebrate.
Also unlike other philosophies, Kashmir Shaivism is based in emotion rather than intellect. In fact, Shaivism says that intellectual understanding by itself will never lead us to "realization" - the summit of Yoga - because it blocks our ability to experience the full power of that male/female consciousness in ourselves. (adapted from Yoga of the Heart)
Courtesy of the American Yoga Association


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Skip to comments.Obama's Planting Seeds: MOOCHelle In The Garden, Big Guy In California
Posted on 04/06/2013 9:12:56 AM PDT by NOBO2012
What a week! Big Guy was in San Fran, acting all heterosexual over the hot California AG: which was great because it gave the Legacy Media something to cluck-cluck over, so as not to have to talk about the 90 million people who Big Guy has disappeared from the workforce since he took office. Nor will they have to note that the official unemployment rate of 7.6% includes another 11.7 million people also out of work.
Thats over 100 million of us not working! Thats, like, nearly one third of our population!!! No wonder Lady M is teaching the children how to plant a garden:
Raise your hand, or scream, or something like that. Like woo hoo!
Theyre going to need to know how to grow their own food.
Needless to say if this was happening under George W. Bush or any R-word for that matter I doubt wed be talking about that great looking attorney general.
Butt hey! It isnt any R-word, so lets get on to Lady Ms day, shall we?
And here we are, just a few minutes later, entertaining the kids with tales of broccoli and spinach.
It may be time for a little more, uh, lifting and separating
Compare and contrast:
Who do you think is the best looking?
Me, Im going with the earth mother, because my job depends on it, butt you can pick whoever.
Butt getting back to the story of the week; I thought I recognized that Californian object of Big Guys false praise:
Sure enough! By scanning my facial recognition program Ive identified her as the groupie that met Big Guy on the tarmac during one of his San Fran campaign swings last year:
The Narcissist in Chief peers into the deep pools of the Narcissist in waiting
For the record: the little woman is still a little unhappy with Big Guys slobbering over Kammys pulchritude. My suggestion: stay out of the Organic Garden of Good and Evil for awhile.
Busy single mom is shovel ready; youve been warned Big Guy
...Read The Rest Here>>>
No, you can just post it right here.
Busy single mom is shovel ready
Hilarious!!!! No lamp thrower is she. LOL
MOM is ne of the most consistently informative and entertaining sites.
I think The Mooch is growing burritos and chili cheese fries in her "garden."
Looks like Bareback Obama is trolling for a new beard in SFO.
I'd never heard of her prior to Baraq's comments.
Guess she used to be Willie Brown's squeeze but he dumped her.
Wikipedia says she's Baraq's next SCOTUS appointee.
Well to paraphrase the late great Johnny Cochran
"If the hips are wide, you must deride"
Big Guy was in San Fran, **acting** all heterosexual.
Is the moose just a prop?.
You should follow FR a little more closely. It was a major blowup in CA when she was selected for AG, given her very Marxist views.
That's the state that went for DiFi 65%.
I would think Kamala was "mainstream" there....
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.


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Kent TsujimotoNew York Mets
Pitcher | Ht: | Wt:
|Mets | Three signed to minor league deals
Sun, 20 Feb 2011 12:08:27 -0800
The New York Mets have signed OF Jesus Feliciano (Mets), 1B Chris Shelton (Astros) and P Kent Tsujimoto (Golden League) to minor league contracts, according to Anthony DiComo of MLB.com. None of the players received an invitation to major league camp.
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|| Source: MLB.com - Anthony DiComo


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'Proud is an understatement'
Beaumont dance studio brings two national titles home from Los Angeles
Beaumont's iRule Dance Studio brought home two national team titles, as well as several individual placements, from the LA DanceMagic competition in Irvine, Calif., last month.
Both iRule's junior (ages 7-12) and senior (13 and up) dance companies claimed the national title in their age divisions. Seven-year-old Brett Rule came in third overall for her solo, and iRule teaching assistant Xavier Richmond was the first runner-up for the competition's national male dancer of the year.
The dancers also took four days of classes while there, but there was a little time left over for leisure. Thanks to iRule's foundation, the dancers were also able to visit Disneyland.
"We had 125 people go — 50 dancers and then their families," owner Charlee Rule said. "These kids, they worked during the Christmas break, they worked on spring break — it's a different kind of group. This isn't recreational."
Rule said her dancers have been practicing their routines since last August, but that was only half the battle, as the dancers had to raise most of the funds for the trip themselves.
"In November of last year, we went to Houston and competed and qualified, and then worked towards the goal of going to L.A.," Rule said. "We raised money all year long. We had a lot of private donations, and we had a gala night where we all got together and had a band. We raised most of our money from that night, and we had an auction — things like that. The kids sold candy — I mean, there was nothing that we didn't do. It's a family effort, and a team effort, and we made it happen."
Rule said she was very proud of the way her dancers performed, especially since one of the groups they were competing against was featured on "Live to Dance," Paula Abdul's show on CBS.
"They were in the top of that," Rule said. "I mean, they had huge studios, tons of kids — it's overwhelming. And to see that we still had results from it — that's pretty incredible. Proud is an understatement."


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Shadowgun: Deadzone now available, includes a new multiplayer voice chat
After a solid month of beta testing Madfinger Games has released the final version of their highly anticipated multiplayer shooter Shadowgun: Deadzone. The game is free to play, but you will need a newish Android device to experience the console quality graphics.
I spent a couple hours playing the beta and it was the best ... Read More »


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Scratching your head wondering how what is arguably the most enduring icon in American history is without a museum of its own? Don't fret.
According to its founder and developer, HP Newquist, the National Guitar Museum will open in a yet-to-be-determined American city within five years. In the meantime, Pioneer Valley residents will be able to get a sneak peek at what will be some of said museum's most valuable wares courtesy of the new exhibit Guitar: The Instrument That Rocked The World.
"While there are several galleries and private collections in the U.S., there is nothing that explores all the aspects of the guitar from its evolution over the course of centuries to its current cultural impact," notes Newquist.
His traveling ode to axes is currently on display at the Springfield Museums with an exhibit so large it spills into two of the complex's five facilities.
The George Walter Vincent Smith Art Museum will offer an historical perspective on the instrument, displaying early stringed samples from Persia and Africa and other examples right up to the rise of American craftsmen like C.F. Martin and Orville Gibson. The neighboring Springfield Science Museum closes the circle from the 1960s through the present, including modern wonders like the "Rock Ock," the world's only playable eight-neck guitar.
The entire Guitar collection is also awash in interactive exhibits detailing the science behind the sounds. It also holds the distinction of including the world's largest playable guitar—certified by Guinness and coming in at an astounding 43 feet.
Guitar: The Instrument That Rocked The World will be on view through Sunday, April 21. There is a special admission fee of $3 above the general museum fee to view it. For more details, kindly point your browser to springfieldmuseums.org.
Meanwhile, over at neighboring Symphony Hall in Springfield, they're thinking Pink this weekend. No, not the mono-monikered popster of same name… she'll actually be at Mohegan Sun March 27.
We're talking Dark Side Of The Moon and beyond with The Pink Floyd Experience, a multi-sensory assault of sights and sounds slated to consume the Hall this Friday, Feb. 8.
Tix range from $28-$38, depending on your proximity to the proceedings, and are available at citystage.symphonyhall.com.
That same evening, Feb. 8, up in Noho, iconic advant-garders The Residents celebrate four decades of sonic revelry with an Iron Horse anniversary bash. In researching the historic occasion on the band's website, residents.com, it also appears that the eccentric San Francisco quartet has upped its marketing game to levels that make Gene Simmons look like a five-and-dime store operator.
For example, for a mere $100,000, fans can purchase The Residents' Ultimate Box Set—packaged in a 28 cubic-foot refrigerator and containing more than 100 products, including 40 vinyl LPs, 50 CDs, rare singles, DVDs and of course, one of the band's signature eyeball-with-top-hat masks from the MTV days.
Similarly celebrating a musical milestone in the great city of Northampton is the Four Sunday series, which kicked off its 20th season with the a capella extravaganza The Silver Chord Bowl at Smith College Feb. 3. The series picks up again this Sunday with Mardival, a Mardi Gras/Carnival mash-up featuring Jaimoe (of The Allman Brothers Band fame) at the Academy of Music Feb. 10.
And it's truly one for the ages as Staten Island fifth graders PS22 team up with local treasures The Young@Heart Chorus at the Academy once again Feb. 17. (This show has the added allure of including Springfield's SciTech Band as well.)
Per tradition, the series will conclude with the show that started it all—The Really Big Show—on Feb. 24. A variety-style show that has included everything from contortionists and poets and jugglers to opera stars, comedians and animal acts in years past, the 2013 installment will see WRSI-The River's Monte Belmonte put on his best Ed Sullivan and host the festivities.
For full details, ticket prices, purchasing and more, visit the online home of the nonprofit agency that will benefit from it all—northamptonartscouncil.org.•
Send correspondence to Nightcrawler, P.O. Box 427, Somers, CT 06071; fax to (860) 394-4262 or email firstname.lastname@example.com.


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Investment Overview
Equity based investments do not afford the same capital security as a deposit account.
The levels, bases and reliefs from taxation are subject to the individual circumstances of the investor and may be subject to change.
This at-a-glance guide is designed to give you a quick snapshot of a range of different investment vehicles available.
It is important to note that the value of investments and income from them may go down. You may not get back the original amount invested and the levels, basis and reliefs of taxation are subject to change. This is not intended as an exhaustive guide.
Deposits may be held in:
- Commercial banks
- Building societies
- ISAs
National Savings and Investments have a number of different instruments*:
- Fixed Interest Savings Certificates
- Children's Bonus Bonds
- Fixed Rate Savings Bond
- Income Bonds
- Investment account
Asset-backed investments can be held in:
- Shares
- Issued by companies to raise money
- Dividends related to profitability
- Potential Capital Gains Tax on realised gains when shares sold
- Gilt-edged Securities
- Government guaranteed
- Fixed rate of interest or coupon
- Interest liable for tax
- Full nominal value repaid at redemption date
- Some Gilts index linked
- No Capital Gains Tax on Gilts
- Unit trusts
- Investors' money pooled to form large funds
- Medium to long-term investments in stocks and shares
- Broad spread for greater security
- Professional fund management
- Units priced on the basis of the value of the underlying investments
- Income distributed or re-invested
- Income liable for tax
- Potential for Capital Gains Tax
- Cash ISA
The overall limit for a Cash ISA is now £20,000 with the ability to transfer Stocks and Shares ISAs into a Cash ISA and vice versa.
- Stocks and Shares ISA
With a Stocks and Shares ISA you can invest the full £20,000 per year, The Stocks and Shares ISA must include a stocks and shares element. The overall limit at which you can invest in a Stocks and Shares ISA has been raised to £20,000 per year.
Investors do not pay any personal tax on income or gains, but ISAs do pay tax on income from stocks and shares within the funds.
- Tessa Only ISA
Anyone who held Tessas will have previously converted these to TOISAs, these are no longer available and have been replaced by ISAs.
- Investment trusts
- Pooled investments run by limited companies
- Medium to long-term investments
- Professionally managed
- Income and gains liable to tax
- Stock market determines the price so shares can trade at a discount or a premium to the underlying asset value
- The funds are 'closed-ended'
- Open ended investment companies (OEICs)
- Pooled investments run by limited companies
- Medium to long term investments
- Professionally managed
- Income and gains liable to tax
- Single pricing based on the net asset value
- Charges expressed separately
- The funds are 'open-ended'
- Investment bonds
- Single premium (i.e. lump sum investment)
- Non qualifying life assurance policy
- Medium to long-term investments
- With profit or unit-linked
- Withdrawals possible
- No personal liability for basic rate Income Tax or Capital Gains Tax
- Withdrawals may trigger a liability to higher rates of tax or the loss of age allowance for the over 65s
*These products and services are not regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).
Related Articles
| Asset-backed Investments | Deposit Based Investment | Individual Savings Accounts (ISAs) | Investment Overview |


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Cut off your hair. Get a hit. James Spader did.
As Raymond (Red) Reddington on NBC's "The Blacklist," the 53-year actor looks like some beaten-down midlevel bureaucrat rather than the criminal mastermind he plays on the show. And the frumpy character looks miles away from the sensitive types he played in the early days of his 35-year-career.
Right now, his shorn head feels "wonderful," the actor says from New York City, where he shoots the series. And why not? After two episodes, "The Blacklist" has been a critical and ratings success, something that the network desperately needed. The show is smartly positioned after one of NBC's few bona fide hits, "The Voice." But it likely would have found an audience anyway.
The series works on an edge-of-your-seat premise. Spader's Reddington is a former FBI agent who went rogue some 20 years before, putting him on the agency's most-wanted list. In the first episode, he turns himself in, promising to help catch the worst criminals. His only condition is that he work directly with young agent Elizabeth Keen (Megan Boone).
Spader, who will be the title villain in 2015's "Avengers: Age of Ultron," says playing Red as rumpled and nearly bald was the "right choice" for the character.
"It just seemed to fit his lifestyle," he says. "He's someone who has to move — travel lightly and move swiftly — and it seemed eminently practical for him."
"The Blacklist" dangles a lot of questions at its beginning, including the relationship between Red and Elizabeth, which has been compared by some critics to Hannibal Lecter and Clarice Starling in "The Silence of the Lambs."
"I can see where people would raise the comparison because of the pilot, with somebody shackled to a chair in a big containment cell and this young FBI woman coming in," he admits.
But Spader notes that the show is quick to evolve past that, pointing to the second episode, which ran last week, in which Red is allowed to move more freely after reaching an arrangement with the FBI.
Spader's career began in such films as "Pretty in Pink" and "Mannequin." He then gained acclaim in "Sex, Lies, and Videotape" and later won three Emmys for playing the character Alan Shore in two series, "The Practice" and "Boston Legal."
After "Boston Legal" ended in 2008, the actor was away from television for three years. He took a role in David Mamet's play "Race," and then played a strong-arm lobbyist in Steven Spielberg's "Lincoln." What was to be a one-time appearance on "The Office" in 2011 turned into a season and eventually led to the offer for "The Blacklist."
"He seemed like he'd be great fun to play and he would sustain over the course of the season and even over multiple seasons," says Spader about his character, Red.
"There are so many unanswered questions about him, and it felt like it would take a long time to answer the questions. And for me, just from a completely selfish point of view, that was enticing because it opened the door to all sorts of surprises as time goes on."
Some have wondered if "The Blacklist" would just become "catch the super bad guy of the week" instead of an ongoing thriller, but Spader believes there is room for both.
"I think it makes for a show that is pretty unique to me in that episodes can stand alone and yet they also feed a greater story. For people who stay with the show, I think there's much more satisfaction than just a straight procedural," says Spader.
Spader admits he wasn't much of a TV watcher before working on the series.
"Then, I got the feel what it felt like to be a viewer — I was so anticipatory about the next script," he says.
But like the viewers, he's still waiting to find out how much of the show will develop.
While he knows Red has an intimate knowledge of Elizabeth, who has a mysterious past herself, Spader isn't sure what their relationship really is. Some have speculated that he is the father of the young FBI analyst but Spader doesn't think so, though he concedes he doesn't know — and wouldn't tell us if he did.
"It seems too easy," he says. "But, you know what? Maybe it's a very circuitous route back to the simplest answer of all. So we'll have to wait and see."
He also will have to wait to see if "The Blacklist" is picked up for a full season, though there seems little doubt of that now. If it is, Spader says he will be packing his bags in the last days of production to get over to London and start shooting the "Avengers" movie.
Spader had talked to Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige a while back, mentioning that he was interested in joining the comic-book world when "this opportunity came along."
"I talked with Joss Whedon, and he said he really hadn't considered anyone else. It's a chance to step into another place that's completely foreign to me."
As for his nearly bald head, Spader has no regrets. Red does wear a fedora, which helps with the New York weather.
"It's still early autumn here. So ask me again in January," he says with a laugh.


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11.15.13BP has developed two new technologies for the production of key petrochemical feedstocks. SaaBre is a new route for the production of acetic acid from syngas and Hummingbird® directly converts ethanol to ethylene through dehydration.
SaaBre's breakthrough is a process for the conversion of synthesis gas (carbon monoxide and hydrogen derived from hydrocarbons such as natural gas) directly to acetic acid in a proprietary, integrated three-step process that avoids the need to purify carbon monoxide (CO) or purchase methanol, according to the company.
SaaBre is expected to deliver a significant reduction in variable manufacturing costs, and lead to capital efficiencies, compared to the carbonylation of methanol route which has been the leading technology for several decades.
Acetic acid is a versatile intermediate chemical, used in a variety of products, such as paints, adhesives and solvents, as well as in the production of PTA, used extensively in polyester manufacture.
Hummingbird is a newly developed proprietary process by which ethanol is dehydrated to produce ethylene, a fundamental building block for the plastics and other petrochemical industries. The new technology is lower cost and simpler compared to existing ethanol to ethylene technologies.
Both SaaBre and Hummingbird were developed over a number of years at BP's advanced laboratories at the Hull Research and Technology Centre (HRTC), alongside its acetic acid manufacturing site, Europe's largest, at Saltend, Hull in the UK. BP is actively exploring options for commercializing both technologies. SaaBre is planned for deployment in future acetic acid investments whilst Hummingbird is a licensing play for BP.


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April 4, 2011
Game One Box Score
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. - UCSB captured a pair of 4-1 wins over visiting South Dakota during a rare Monday non-conference doubleheader at Campus Diamond.
With the wins, UCSB improves to 15-18 on the season and matches its total wins from the 2010 campaign with 20 games still left on the slate. South Dakota drops to 12-23 overall.
The Gauchos scored first in game one and never relinquished the lead. In the bottom of the third, Allison Taylor hit a two-out double to the right center field warning track sending Kathryn Pilpil home. During the following at-bat Keilani Jennings pushed the Gaucho lead to 2-0 with an RBI double hit to the far right corner of the outfield.
In the fifth, Taylor hit her second RBI double of the game to center field to score McKenzie Kane and push the Gaucho advantage to three. The lead became four when the Brooke Putich reached first and scored on a pair of Coyote errors in the sixth inning.
South Dakota prevented the shutout at the top of the seventh when Kate Snow hit a RBI double to center field bringing Kassie Loe home for the Coyote's lone run of the game.
Freshman Andriana Collins (9-9) picked up the win after tossing the complete game and striking out a season-high nine batters. She allowed just one run on five hits while walking two.
At the plate, Taylor was dominant with her two doubles, two RBI and run scored. Kane, meanwhile, went 3-for-4 with a run.
Coming off the game one win, the Gauchos' focus seemed to have faltered a bit as they committed two consecutive fielding errors to open game two. With one out and runners on the corners, Mel Johnson hit a single to left center field driving Lindsey Boyd home and giving South Dakota its first lead of the day.
In the third it looked as if the Coyotes were going to do some more damage as they loaded the bases on consecutive singles and a walk with no outs. Junior pitcher Krista Cobb remained calm and earned the first out with a strike out. The Gauchos were able to get the next two outs at home after South Dakota hit into consecutive fielder's choices to end the inning.
UCSB translated its defensive momentum onto the other side of the ball at the bottom of the same inning. Lainey DePompa led off with a single hit just out of the reach of South Dakota pitcher Erica Denney. Brooke Putich was then able to move pinch runner Kelly McDonald with a bunt while also beating out the throw to first to put two runners on with no outs. Pilpil followed with the game-winning triple hit to left center field, which put the Gauchos ahead, 2-1. One out later, Taylor grounded out to second base giving Pilpil ample time to score and push the UCSB lead to two runs.
In the sixth, Putich hit a single to the pitcher sending Lauren Boser home for the Gauchos' fourth run.
Cobb (6-9) grabbed the win after pitching the complete game and allowing just one unearned run. She walked three and struck out five in the victory. Offensively, DePompa led the way going 2-for-2.
The Gauchos will resume Big West Conference action this weekend when they travel to Cal Poly for a three game series, which will begin with a noon doubleheader on Saturday.
Gauchos Sweep Doubleheader with South Dakota
Apr 04, 2011


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Not Exactly Rocket Science
Tag archives for Muscovy
Patricia Brennan from Yale University is trying to encourage male Muscovy ducks to launch their ballistic penises into test tubes. Normally, the duck keeps its penis inside-out within a sac in its body. When the time for mating arrives, the penis explodes outwards to a fully-erect 20cm, around a quarter of the animal's total body…


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Bombing Suspect, Uncle Had Falling-Out Over Islam
MONTGOMERY VILLAGE, Md. - An uncle of the Boston Marathon bombing suspects says he had a falling-out with one of his nephews because of the man's increased commitment to Islam.
Ruslan Tsarni says he grew concerned about Tamerlan Tsarnaev when he told him in a 2009 phone conversation that he had chosen "God's business" over work or school. Tsarni said he then contacted a family friend who told him Tsarnaev had been influenced by a recent convert to Islam.
Tsarni says the two hadn't spoken since that call. The 26-year-old Tsarnaev was killed in a shootout with police Friday. His younger brother, 19-year-old Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, was captured that evening.
Tsarni says he was relieved his younger nephew was captured alive so he could seek forgiveness from the bombing victims.
Photo courtesy of The Bay Area News Station.


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NH drivers, put that phone down...By MICHAEL COUSINEAU
New Hampshire Union Leader
January 05. 2014 8:03PM
The percentage of fatal crashes blamed on driver inattention or distraction in New Hampshire doubled in 2013 over the previous year, according to state figures.
Cellphone use specifically was considered a "contributing factor" in two fatal motor-vehicle crashes in 2013, according to the state Department of Safety.
New Hampshire roadways had 122 fatal crashes in 2013, the highest since tying 2007's number. A total of 133 people died in those crashes — the highest since 166 were killed in 2005. (The 2013 figures won't be finalized until the end of January.)
The fatality figures come as two legislators have submitted bills pushing to ban drivers from using hand-held cellphones while driving.
Rep. Laura Pantelakos, D-Portsmouth, said her bill goes beyond cellphones to include prohibiting drivers from using other electronics, including laptops and GPS navigational systems.
"I've raised seven kids, and I think I'm quite the multi-tasker, but I can't drive and answer the phone at the same time," said Pantelakos, who has proposed four or five cellphone-related bills over the past decade or so.
Neither bill has a hearing date yet before the House Transportation Committee. The Legislature has turned down repeated attempts to curb cellphone use while driving. New Hampshire currently prohibits reading and sending text messages while driving.
"I just think the police need to hold people accountable for the laws in place and fine them and get the message out: New Hampshire doesn't mess around," said Rep. Al Baldasaro, R-Londonderry. "I've seen people in the morning putting on makeup, reading newspapers, smoking, you name it."
Both fatal crashes in which the Department of Safety says cellphone use was a contributing factor occurred just before Christmas.
Authorities said Travis Hobbs, 20, of Mont Vernon was checking his email on his cellphone when he allegedly struck and killed former Amherst Fire Chief John Bachman on Dec. 23. Hobbs is charged with negligent homicide.
The other crash involved three vehicles on Christmas Eve in Brookline. Katie Hamilton, a Brookline mother of three, was killed. Hamilton's father, Steven Whitcomb, is a volunteer firefighter and was among the firefighters who arrived at the scene.
Of the 122 fatal crashes in 2013, authorities have made a final determination in 106. Driver impairment was blamed for 49 crashes, according to Department of Safety data. Driver distraction/inattention was involved in 14 fatal crashes. That matched the number of accidents attributed to exceeding the posted speed limit or going too fast for road conditions.
In 2012, six of 99 fatal crashes were blamed on driver distraction/inattention.
The 14 fatal crashes involving driver inattention/distraction in 2013 represent the highest number dating back to at least 2009.
Driver "inattention" involves the driver doing something, such as turning on a radio or dialing a phone. "Distraction" is defined as the action of someone or something that affects the driver, such as a child misbehaving in the back seat.
A recently released driving study by the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute showed that reaching for a phone, dialing or texting on a hand-held cellphone increased the risk of getting into a crash by three times. But there was no direct increased crash risk from specifically talking on the phone.
Rep. Sylvia Gale, a Nashua Democrat, said much of society has come to recognize the dangers of public smoking and drinking and driving — and perhaps the same will happen with cellphone use.
"If we look at it from a public health perspective, I think that might be the right tack," Gale said. "We need to be real clear, when you're out on the road, you need to focus eyes and ears, all attention on what's in front of you."
Gale said her bill was prompted by a constituent who told her he had been run off the road by a driver talking on his cellphone.
House Bill 1117, sponsored by Gale, prohibits cellphone use while driving a vehicle, except for hands-free devices or emergency personnel performing their duties. Violators are subject to a $100 fine.
Pantelakos' legislation, House Bill 1360, would prohibit a driver from using "any hand-held or other portable electronic equipment capable of providing data communication between two or more persons, including, without limitation, a mobile telephone, a text messaging device, a paging device, a personal digital assistant, a laptop computer, electronic equipment that is capable of playing a video game or digital video disk, equipment on which digital photographs are taken or transmitted, or any combination thereof, or equipment that is capable of visually receiving a television broadcast."
It also would prohibit a person younger than 18 from using a cellphone, whether hands-free or not, while driving a vehicle or temporarily stopped in traffic.
Any violator is subject to a $100 fine plus a penalty assessment on his license for a first offense, $250 plus penalty assessment for a second offense and $500 plus penalty assessment for any subsequent offense within a 24-month period. Anyone under 18 also would be subject to license suspension or revocation under current law. Either law, if passed, would take effect Jan. 1, 2015.
Last month, a Hillsborough County grand jury indicted former Manchester police Sgt. Stephen Coco with two felonies for an alleged hit-and-run accident that injured two teenagers in Bedford last spring. Coco's attorney, Mark Howard, said Coco was reaching for his cellphone when he traveled up on a snowbank and never realized he hit someone.
New Hampshire Politics Social issues Technology Accidents Top Section Stories


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|MLB Career Stats
|San Francisco
|NY Yankees
|15th in NL
|10th in NL
|14th in NL
|June 26, 2014
|Tacoma Rainiers released LF Xavier Nady.
|May 31, 2014
|LF Xavier Nady assigned to Tacoma Rainiers.
|May 30, 2014
|Seattle Mariners signed free agent LF Xavier Nady to a minor league contract.
|May 11, 2014
|LF Xavier Nady elected free agency.
|May 11, 2014
|LF Xavier Nady elected free agency.
|May 8, 2014
|San Diego Padres sent LF Xavier Nady outright to El Paso Chihuahuas.
|May 5, 2014
|San Diego Padres designated LF Xavier Nady for assignment.
|January 23, 2014
|San Diego Padres signed free agent LF Xavier Nady to a minor league contract and invited him to spring training.
|November 4, 2013
|LF Xavier Nady elected free agency.
|June 30, 2013
|Colorado Rockies signed free agent OF Xavier Nady to a minor league contract.
|June 30, 2013
|LF Xavier Nady assigned to Colorado Springs Sky Sox.
|June 29, 2013
|Omaha Storm Chasers released 1B Xavier Nady.
|March 29, 2013
|1B Xavier Nady assigned to Omaha Storm Chasers.
|March 27, 2013
|Kansas City Royals signed free agent LF Xavier Nady to a minor league contract and invited him to spring training.
|March 25, 2013
|Kansas City Royals released LF Xavier Nady.
|December 14, 2012
|Kansas City Royals signed free agent LF Xavier Nady to a minor league contract and invited him to spring training.
|November 3, 2012
|LF Xavier Nady elected free agency.
|September 1, 2012
|San Francisco Giants selected the contract of LF Xavier Nady from Fresno Grizzlies.
|August 5, 2012
|San Francisco Giants signed free agent LF Xavier Nady to a minor league contract.
|August 5, 2012
|Xavier Nady assigned to Fresno Grizzlies.
|July 29, 2012
|Washington Nationals released LF Xavier Nady.
|July 21, 2012
|Washington Nationals designated LF Xavier Nady for assignment.
|July 7, 2012
|sent LF Xavier Nady on a rehab assignment to Potomac Nationals.
|June 25, 2012
|Washington Nationals placed LF Xavier Nady on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to June 24, 2012. right wrist tendonitis
|April 3, 2012
|Washington Nationals selected the contract of LF Xavier Nady from Syracuse Chiefs.
|March 28, 2012
|Washington Nationals signed free agent 1B Xavier Nady to a minor league contract and invited him to spring training.
|March 17, 2012
|Syracuse Chiefs signed free agent Xavier Nady.
|October 31, 2011
|1B Xavier Nady elected free agency.
|October 11, 2011
|Arizona Diamondbacks activated 1B Xavier Nady from the 15-day disabled list.
|August 13, 2011
|Arizona Diamondbacks placed 1B Xavier Nady on the 15-day disabled list. fractured left hand
|December 17, 2010
|Arizona Diamondbacks signed free agent LF Xavier Nady.
|November 7, 2010
|1B Xavier Nady elected free agency.
|January 29, 2010
|Chicago Cubs signed free agent 1B Xavier Nady.
|November 9, 2009
|RF Xavier Nady elected free agency.
|July 31, 2009
|New York Yankees transferred RF Xavier Nady from the 15-day disabled list to the 60-day disabled list.
|June 24, 2009
|New York Yankees sent RF Xavier Nady on a rehab assignment to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees.
|April 16, 2009
|New York Yankees placed RF Xavier Nady on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to April 15, 2009. Right elbow pain
Full name is Xavier Clifford Nady, VI...he and his wife, Meredith, have two sons, Xavier VII and Brayden...Graduated from Salinas (Calif.) High School where he was named the Northern California Player of the Year and first-team All-State after batting .619 with 12 home runs his senior season...Drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals in the fourth round of the 1997 draft, but did not sign...Hit 17 home runs for the U.S. National Team in 1999, just 3 shy of Tino Martinez' 1988 Team USA single-season record...Played collegiately at the University of California where he was a three-time All-Pac-10 selection, a two-time All-American and two-time member of the USA National Team...left Cal holding records with 57 home runs, 191 RBI and 479 total bases...his .729 career slugging pct. was the highest in Pac-10 history, topping Mark McGwire's .718 mark at USC from 1982-84...Father, Xavier III, played football at Colorado and his cousin, Scott, played football at Cal.2013
Played at the Triple-A level in the Royals and Rockies organizations...Batted a combined .296 with 15 home runs for Omaha and Colorado Springs.2012 Xavier made the Opening Day roster of the Washington Nationals, appearing in 40 games...Missed nearly a month on the D.L. with right wrist tendinitis...placed on 15-day D.L. on June 24 and was reinstated, after 12 rehab contests with Potomac, on July 21...Was released by Washington and signed to a minor league deal by San Francisco on August 3...after 25 games with Fresno (AAA), was a September 1 recall by the Giants...Made the Giants ALDS postseason roster and appeared in 4 games of the series vs. Cincinnati, going 0-for-5 at the plate with a walk and 3 strikeouts. 2011 Played in 82 games for Arizona, batting .248. 2010 Appeared in 119 games for the Cubs and hit .256 (81-for-317) with 13 doubles, 6 home runs and 33 RBI...Made 76 starts, including 48 at first base, 22 in right field, 4 in left field and 2 as the club's designated hitter...Played in a season-high 31 straight games from Aug. 15-Sept. 18, batting .324 (35-for-108) with 5 doubles, 2 home runs and 10 RBI during that stretch...Posted a .275 batting average (50-for-182) with 4 home runs and 19 RBI in 63 road games...Got the start in right field for the Cubs' home opener vs. Brewers on April 12...delivered a 3-run home run off Doug Davis to ignite a 5-run third inning...Hit a game-winning, eighth-inning pinch-hit single that plated Alfonso Soriano on May 16 vs. Pirates...snapped a 0-for-9 drought as a pinch-hitter...Matched his career-high with 4 hits on June 1 @ Pirates, falling a triple short of the cycle, in his ninth career 4-hit contest...Hit a monthly-best .320 (24-for-75) with 8 doubles, a home run and 8 RBI in 22 games during August...Had a season-high 7-game hitting streak from Sept. 11-18 over which he hit .393 (11-for-28). 2009 Xavier appeared in just seven games for the Yankees before undergoing season-ending "Tommy John" surgery July 8, forcing the outfielder to miss 154 regular season games ... batted .286 (8-for-28) with four runs, four doubles and two RBI. ... Hit safely in each of his seven games, marking the longest hitting streak to begin a season in his career. ... Made his sixth career Opening Day roster with his fourth different team ... was 1-for-4 with a double, RBI and a walk as the starting right fielder, April 6 at Baltimore. ... Left the April 14 game at Tampa Bay in the eighth inning with soreness in his right elbow ... it was his final appearance of the season. ... Placed on the 15-day disabled list April 16 (retroactive to April 15) with an ulnar collateral ligament injury of the right elbow. ... May 15, began a hitting program at extended spring training, batting .367 (11-for-30) with seven walks, a double and three homers in eight games (not including intrasquad or simulated games). Made his first appearance in right field at extended spring training June 18. ... Played two rehab games with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, June 24- 25 vs. Syracuse ... removed himself in the fifth inning of the June 25 contest after making a throw from the outfield. ... Visited Dr. Lewis Yocum in California, June 30...had season-ending "Tommy John" surgery July 8 ... transferred to 60-day D.L. July 31. 2008 Batted .305 (169-for-555) with 76R, 37 doubles, 1 triple, 25HR and 97RBI in 148 combined games with the Pirates and Yankees (45 starts in LF, 88 in RF, eight at DH)... set career highs in runs, hits, doubles, home runs, RBI and walks (39)... also tied for seventh among all Major League outfielders with 12 outfield assists, tying his career high (2003)...Was acquired by the Yankees from Pittsburgh on 7/26 in exchange for minor league RHPs Ross Ohlendorf, Jeff Karstens and Daniel McCutchen and OF Jose Tabata... the Yankees went 32-28 following the trade...Hit .268 (61-for-228) with 11 doubles, 12HR and 40RBI in 59 games with the Yankees (45 starts in LF, eight at DH and six in RF)... was the second-most RBI and tied for the second-most homers on the team from the time of the acquisition through the end of the season... six of his 12HR with the Yankees either tied the game or put the Yankees ahead...Made his Yankees debut on 7/26 at Boston, starting in LF and going 0-for-3 with 1R and 1BB after arriving at the ballpark less than two hours before first pitch... was hitless in his first two Yankees games (0-for-8)...Collected his first hit as a Yankee in 7/28 loss vs. Baltimore, a solo home run in the seventh... became the first player to homer for his first hit as a Yankee since Wilson Betemit on 8/1/07 vs. Chicago (AL) and the 14th player to do so this decade (since 2000)... according to the Elias Sports Bureau, was the first player since Aaron Guiel (7/14/06 vs. Chicago-AL) to homer in his home debut at Yankee Stadium...Homered in consecutive games on 8/3-4 giving him four home runs in his first nine games with the Yankees (30AB)... according to the Elias Sports Bureau, was the first midseason acquisition by the Yankees to hit four homers within his first 30AB since Glenallen Hill in 2000, who hit his fourth home run in his 24th at-bat...Set a career high with 6RBI and tied a career high with 4H in 8/3 win vs. the Angels, going 4-for-5 with 1 double and a three-run home run...Was named the American League "co-Player of the Week" along with Kansas City's Mike Aviles for the week of 7/28-8/3 after batting .526 (10-for-19) with 3HR and 10RBI in six games during the Yankees' seven-game homestand... according to Elias, it was Nady's highest average and most RBI for any homestand of his career (min. 5AB)... was his second weekly honor this season after taking home the award in week one of the season with the Pirates... was the first player since Carlos Beltran (Kansas City/ Houston) in 2004 to win the award in both leagues in the same season... became the Yankees' first and only position player to take home the award in 2008...Had four hitting streaks of at least 10 games in 2008, including an 11-gamer from 7/30-8/10 (.439, 18-for-41, 4 doubles, 4HR and 12RBI)...Batted cleanup for the first time in his career, going 1-for-4 with 1BB in 9/4 loss at Tampa Bay...Tied a career-high with 4R in 9/26 win at Boston, going 3-for-5 with 1 double and 1BB... hit his final home run of the season in 9/28 Game 1 win at Boston... the three-run shot gave the Yankees the lead and helped Mike Mussina earn his 20th win of the season...Was batting a team-high .330 (108-for-327) with 26 doubles, 1 triple, 13HR and 57RBI in 89 games (82 starts in RF) with the Pirates at the time he was traded... was tied for tops in the National League with 10 outfield assists and ranked fifth in the NL in batting average...Was Pittsburgh's Opening Day starter in right field... went 4-for-7 with 1 double, 2HR and 4RBI on Opening Day at Atlanta... became just one of six players in Major League history to hit two home runs in his team's first game twice in his career (also hit 2HR for the Padres on Opening Day in 2005)... was named the National League "Player of the Week" for the first week of the season (3/31-4/6)...Hit safely in career-high 14 straight games from 4/12-26, going 20-for-54 (.370) with 6 doubles, 1HR and 13 RBI... led the National League with 26RBI during the first month of the season, marking the most by a Pittsburgh player since Willie Stargell had 27 in April 1971...Homered in back-to-back games on 5/21-22 vs. Milwaukee and hit four home runs in an eight-game span from 5/21-29...Suffered a left shoulder contusion on 6/14 while running into the right field wall in foul territory at Baltimore... underwent an MRI in Pittsburgh on 6/16 and results revealed a Grade 1 AC joint sprain of his left shoulder... missed nine games before walking as a pinch-hitter on 6/27 vs. Tampa Bay... made start on 6/28 went 2-for-5 with 2 doubles...Missed first three games after the All-Star break after wife Meredith gave birth to couple's first child (son Xavier) on 7/15... hit safely in final 13 games with Pittsburgh (20-for-53, .377) and went 13-for-27 (.481) in last seven contests... reached base in 39 of his last 41 games (with an at-bat) with the Pirates, batting .347 (52- for-150) with 12 doubles and six home runs over the stretch. 2007 Spent first full season with Pittsburgh...Established career highs in home runs and RBI...Hit 17 of his 20 home runs off right-handed pitchers...Made 89 starts in right field, 10 in center field (last one coming on 7/31), nine in left field and four as the designated hitter...Led team with 12 HBP's...Received 23 walks - just seven in 49 games after the All-Star break...Hit a two-out game-tying home run in the 9th inning off Houston's Brad Lidge on Opening Day at Minute Maid Park...Also homered the following day while picking up two hits and two RBI...Made first of 10 starts in center field on 4/8 in Cincinnati and went 2-for- 5...Went 3-for-4 with a double, home run and three RBI on 4/19 at Milwaukee...Left game on 4/21 in Los Angeles after suffering a left hamstring strain...Missed 10 straight starts before returning to the lineup on 5/3 at Milwaukee...Had season-high four hits on 5/8 at Chicago (NL)...Homered and had three RBI while also recording first of four assists on 5/18 vs. Arizona...Hit safely in 12 of his 13 games from 5/16-31, going 20-for-55 (.364) with three doubles, three home runs and 13 RBI...Had a career-high tying four RBI on 6/5 at Washington...Left the 6/6 contest with tightness in his left hamstring...Served as the club's designated hitter in all three games at Yankee Stadium from 6/8-10 and went 3-for-11 with a homer and three runs scored...Recorded third career multihomer game on 6/27 at Florida, which included the game-winner in the 10th inning...Had back-to-back three-hit contests on 7/5-6. ...Went 21 consecutive games without a home run between 7/7 and 8/10...Hit .321 in July with 11 doubles and just one home run (7/6 vs. Chicago - NL)...Suffered a strained left hamstring on 7/31 vs. St. Louis and did not start again until 8/18; went 1-for-7 as a pinch hitter in that time...Hit first career home run as a pinch hitter on 8/13 off San Francisco's Steve Kline (game two)...Returned to starting lineup on 8/18 and hit safely in six straight games (8-for-19, .421)...Homered in back-to-back games on 8/22 and 8/24...Homered as a pinch hitter for the second time on 8/24 at Houston; a game-tying solo shot with two outs in the bottom of the 9th off Brad Lidge (Pirates won the game 8-3 in 15 innings)...Was hit in the head by a pitch thrown by Andy Cavazos in St. Louis on 9/3 and missed 10 games due to lingering effects of a concussion...Returned to lineup on 9/15 in Houston and went 0- for-5 with three strikeouts...Had three hits, including a home run, on 9/18 at San Diego...Went 7-for-40 (.175) in final 10 games, dropping average from .290 to .278...Hit .397 (23-for-58) and knocked in 33 runs with runners in scoring position and two outs. 2006 Hit .280 with 28 doubles, 17 home runs and 63 RBI in 130 combined games with the Mets and Pirates. ...Established career highs in nearly every offensive category...Was New York's Opening Day starter in right field and went 4-for-4 with a double, RBI and a run scored vs. Washington on 4/3...Became just the second player in club history to collect four hits in his Mets debut (also Richie Hebner on 4/5/79 at Chicago - Opening Day)...Collected a hit in each of his first five at bats and hit safely in 19 of his 23 games in April...Went deep for the first time in second game on 4/5 vs. Washington...Homered three times in a four-game stretch from 4/14-17, including back-to-back games on 4/16 and 4/17...Homered and had a career-high tying four RBI on 5/4 vs. Pittsburgh...Was on the 15-day disabled list from 5/30 thru 6/18 after undergoing an appendectomy...Played in three rehab games with Norfolk (Mets' AAA) before being reinstated...Went deep twice on 6/20 vs. Cincinnati for second career multi-homer game. ....Made 71 appearances (70 starts) in right field and one appearance (7/8 vs. Florida) at first base with the Mets...Was acquired by the Pirates on 7/31 in deal for pitchers Roberto Hernandez and Oliver Perez...Reached base safely in 14 of first 16 starts with Pittsburgh...Started at first base and went 1-for-4 in Pirates debut on 8/1 vs. Atlanta...Went 4-for-5 with three doubles and a pair of RBI on 8/4 at Chicago (NL)...Hit first home run for the Pirates while going 4-for-5 with three RBI on 8/18 at Cincinnati...Hit safely in career-high nine consecutive games from 8/22-30 (16-for-37, .432)...Ranked eighth among N.L. batters with a .350 average (37-for-103) during the month of August...Snapped an 0-for-21 streak on 9/17...Committed a pair of throwing errors in start at first base on 9/26 vs. Houston...Batted .200 (24-for-100) in final month of season but hit safely in four of last five contests...Made 27 starts in right field and 25 starts at first base with Pittsburgh...Had one outfield assist with Pittsburgh (9/21 at LA). 2005 Spent first full season in the big leagues with San Diego...Made 44 appearances (34 starts) at first base, 30 appearances (28 starts) in center field, 26 appearances (six starts) in left field, 13 appearances (seven starts) in right field and three appearances (two starts) at third base...Had first career two homer game while knocking in four runs in his season debut on 4/4 at Colorado...Had first career four-hit game and fell a double shy of hitting for the cycle on 4/9 vs. Pittsburgh...Had second four-hit game four days later (the first Padres player to register two, four-hit games in the first eight games of the season)...Was hitting .405 (15-for-37) after his first 10 games before going 2-for-32 in his final 12 games in April...Made first career start at third base on 4/27 at San Francisco...Hit .345 (10-for-29) in 16 games in May...Went deep in a career-high four consecutive games from 6/24-27. ...Batted .323 (10-for-30) during eight-game hitting streak from 6/24 thru 7/2...Went 9-for-18 in five games from 7/17-26...Took Atlanta's Joey Devine deep for first career grand slam on 8/20 at Turner Field. 2004 Split season between Portland (Padres' AAA) and San Diego...Began season with Portland...Hit .381 (16-for-42) in first 12 games before being placed on the disabled list with a right shin strain...Was reinstated from the disabled list on 5/11...Went deep twice on 5/12 at Memphis...Was recalled by San Diego on 6/2 and started that day in left field vs. Colorado...Went 0-for-9 in four games before being optioned back to Portland on 6/16...Scored a run in seven consecutive games from 6/18-24...Homered in three consecutive games from 6/18-20, including a two home run game on 6/18 vs. Fresno...Was recalled by San Diego for a second time on 7/5...Went 3-for-5 while going deep for first time on 7/9 vs. Colorado...Was optioned back to Portland on 8/4...Collected a season-high tying five RBI on 8/13 vs. Salt Lake...Homered in four consecutive games from 8/13-16...Knocked in 12 runs over five game period from 8/13-17...Homered twice and knocked in five runs for a second time on 8/23 vs. Tacoma...Went deep five times in final six games and hit safely in his last six games from 8/29 thru 9/3...Hit .436 (17-for-39) in 13 games played at first base...Was recalled a third and final time on 9/6...Hit safely in five consecutive games from 9/7-11...Went deep for final time on 10/1. 2003 Finished eighth among N.L. rookies in hitting, fifth in runs scored, seventh in doubles, tied for sixth in home runs, fifth in hits, eighth in RBI, sixth in multi-hit games (26) and eighth in extra base hits (27)...Led all N.L. rookies with 12 outfield assists, which also tied for fourth among all league outfielders...Was the Opening Day starter in right field and went 1-for-4 with a double and an RBI...Connected off San Francisco's Damian Moss for first big league home run on 4/2, becoming the first player in major league history whose first or last name started with the letter "X" to hit a home run - the only other major leaguers whose names began with the letter "X" were Xavier Hernandez and Xavier Rescigno)...Earned National League Rookie-of-the-Month honors in May (the first Padre to be named Rookie-of-the-Month) after batting .330 (33-for-103) with four home runs and 15 RBI...Was optioned to Portland on 7/23...Was recalled on 9/2 and hit .385 with two home runs and eight RBI in 16 games upon promotion. 2002 Hit a combined .281 (136-for-484) with 18 doubles, four triples, 23 home runs and 80 RBI between Lake Elsinore (Padres' A) and Portland. 2001 Earned California League mid-season and post-season All-Star honors...Was also named the league's Rookie-of-the-Year and Most Valuable Player...Was tabbed as San Diego's Minor League Player-of-the-Year and Rookie-of-the-Year...Helped lead his Lake Elsinore club to a share of the league title...Underwent "Tommy John" surgery on 9/29 on his right elbow on 9/28 (Dr. Lewis Yocum and Dr. Jan Fronek reconstructed the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow with a right plantaris tendon graft at the Kerlan-Jobe Surgery Center in Los Angeles, CA). 2000 Was drafted by San Diego in the second round of the June draft...Joined the Padres on 9/17, becoming the 20th player to go directly to the major leagues out of the draft since the draft was instituted in 1965...Was the fifth player to do so since 1979 (the first since Los Angeles' Darren Dreifort in 1994 and the first position player since John Olerud of the Toronto Blue Jays in 1989)...Made major league debut as a pinch hitter on 9/30 vs. Los Angeles and singled off Onan Masaoka...Reported to Peoria of the Arizona Fall League, but did not play due to tendinitis in the right elbow after going 1-for-4 in his first game.


text:
Discussion in 'The Bar' started by Westerberg, Jan 27, 2013.
ng them?
I'm sure they knew they messed up somewhere.
Like using a superfluous apostrophe when they named the piece?
It's requested it
I don't get it.
Everybody's a critic.
How'd are you?
According to Dr Who, no they didn't and if you ever go back in time you shouldn't tell them.


text:
Early in the sci-fi mobile game "Revolution 60," one character is essentially rendered brain-dead. Our heroine, Holiday, frets over what she'll tell the fiancé of her immobilized pal.
Maybe, one of the other space-flying shipmates wisecracks, the boy back home isn't so hot on personality.
Doubtful, as being reduced to mere eye candy would likely be seen as a fate worse than death for the four women at the core of "Revolution 60" — and for the two women who founded the company that created the game.
Giant Spacekat's "Revolution 60," released in late July for iPhones and iPads, is a pocket-sized game that dreams big, ambitiously attempting to marry a complex narrative and fully drawn characters with pick-up-and-play accessibility.
That's not its only mission. Developed by a Boston-based team of four led by Giant Spacekat's head of development, Brianna Wu, the four female characters of "Revolution 60" also bring a little gender parity to video games, an entertainment medium in which the gruff male hero has long been the norm.
But if it's no secret that the gun-driven mainstream game industry has over-emphasized testosterone, Wu says that during the three-year development period for "Revolution 60" she learned there may be some differences in the way men and women approach games.
Much of it comes down to rhythm.
Taking cues from "Charlie's Angels," "Revolution 60" has a retro-futuristic look that sends players on a save-the-world mission to regain control of an orbital weapon system. The four female operatives who drive the game could be characters on "The Jetsons," if that animated series had regularly featured secret agents lifted from a 1960s go-go dance video.
The story comes first in "Revolution 60," and a large part of the game has players following visual cues to drive the plot and conversations. It's fast, as the game (free for the first 45 minutes or so and then $5.99 to complete) could likely be solved in a few hours one afternoon. The story is pushed along by swiping, tapping and tracing prompts on the touch screen, and is interspersed with fight scenes.
The battles rely less on reflexes and more on pattern recognition. When conflict arises, the screen shifts to a grid, and the sprightly Holiday, outfitted in a form-fitting green-and-white uniform, moves around the screen more like a dancer than an assassin. The player is the choreographer, directing Holiday when to dash left or right, or when to strike with a simple tap.
The action sequences shifted dramatically during the development of the game, a system Wu says was honed by making a concerted effort to include female players in the game-testing process.
"We got our game testers back, and the list was 90% men…. Meaning it was only men who were going to be giving their opinion on the game and shaping the changes we would make to the game," Wu says via phone. "I said, 'No, no, no, no, no.' If you look at the market, it is a fact that half of all players out there are women."
The most recent data from the Entertainment Software Assn., an industry trade group, estimates that 48% of dedicated game players are women. And yet the 10 top-selling video games of 2013 were dominated by franchises that largely emphasize male aggression, be it "Grand Theft Auto," "Call of Duty," "Assassin's Creed" or "Battlefield."
More indie-minded developers, however, are gradually bringing diversity to the industry. Some of the most striking games of 2014 are those that deviate from the norm, be it the wayfaring princess and shape-shifting world of "Monument Valley" or the flame-haired singer whose life is stolen from her in the sci-fi noir of "Transistor."
These games stand out in part because their main characters stray from convention, but so do their game play mechanics. Wu notes that testing "Revolution 60" with a diverse crop of potential players — men, women, serious gamers and even those who rarely played games — altered the design philosophy for the young developers (Spacekat team members are all in their early- to mid-30s).
"It shifted the type of game we're making — radically shifted," Wu says of "Revolution 60," which cost close to half a million dollars to develop. "I remember one play-test where this guy comes in and he's 'bam-bam-bam-bam-bam.' He was moving as fast as he could on the iPad. It was like, 'Attack!'
"Women," on the other hand, Wu says, "generally liked something that was a little more methodical, that was more rhythm-based, that rewarded pattern recognition. We split the difference between those two. That's just an example of women having a different kind of awareness — that women needed to be represented in game-testing."
Wu, a self-taught game engineer who studied journalism and worked throughout her 20s in various political roles (fundraising, door-to-door polling, etc.), has become an outspoken proponent of bringing more female voices to the game industry, a task she says is sometimes made more difficult by a persistent boys' club mentality.
"I haven't been out to my car at night by myself since January 2nd," she wrote in an article [warning: link contains profanity] for the game site Polygon, detailing the daily harassment she and her peers have faced. While much of the harassment comes anonymously and online, some of it includes graphic and racist threats.
"There's this assumption that if you're a woman in the industry you cannot be an engineer," she says on the phone. "It's the harassment I get online daily. I could never have guessed how much rape threats and violence would be a part of my job. It's astonishing."
It's also continuing to shape how Wu and Giant Spacekat's co-founder and lead animator Amanda Stenquist Warner think about games. In "Revolution 60," for instance, the women are tall and thin, and their features are, well, accentuated.
"There's this sense out there from men who play games that women want characters that are kid-safe or desexualized. I completely don't get it," Wu says. "Our women are attractive and strong, but we don't have the camera linger on different parts of their body."
Going forward, however, Wu says there will likely be changes. "Revolution 60" is planned to be a trilogy, and she says she's received feedback that "women out there were thirsting for more representative body types."
She's listening, because that's one segment of her audience that can't be alienated. To make her point, she notes that Stenquist Warner recently had a daughter.
"I don't want her to grow up in a society where there's all these messages that girls can't be engineers or girls can't play video games," Wu says. "It's ridiculous. If we change that even a little bit for her, it's really important. It's worth fighting for. We'll end with the utopian note."
— Todd Martens | @Toddmartens | @LATherocomplex
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