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J.H. Cohn and the Reznick Group today completed their merger to create CohnReznick LLP, the 11th-largest accounting and consulting firm in the United States, with 25 offices, 2,200 employees — including 700 in New Jersey — and revenues of more than $450 million.
It is a merger of equals, with both firms contributing $30 million in equity, said J.H. Cohn's Thomas J. Marino and Reznick's Kenneth E. Baggett, the new firm's co-CEOs.
Marino, who had been CEO of Roseland-based Cohn, said the merger creates new opportunity both for the firm's professionals and its clients.
"The Reznick firm brings us skill sets in areas we didn't have — in renewable energy, for instance, which we can now bring to New Jersey. They are specialists in real estate; we have always had a real estate practice, but not as in-depth as Reznick did." He said there is no geographic overlap, and the merger is additive: "There are no offices that are going to be closed; we are just going to build."
Baggett said CohnReznick will gain entrée into new market opportunities. "Because (we) are larger geographically and have very detailed expertise in certain areas, the market tends to allow a firm of our size to represent clients that in the past we might not have been allowed to – just because private equity wanted a certain size firm, or the public market wanted a certain size firm." The merger " clearly gives us those opportunities and advantages."
Marino said clients "want an independent accountant and they want a business adviser — not to manage their business, but to give them good, solid business advice. That is what we can provide a lot better together than either of us could apart."
The new firm has its headquarters in New York and offices from Boston to Atlanta on the East Coast; Sacramento, Los Angeles and San Diego on the West Coast; and a growing presence in Austin and Chicago. The firm also has offices in India and the Cayman Islands, and is a member of Nexia International, the global accounting, tax and advisory network.


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Tuesday, May 08, 2012 - Tomek and Mirek - Raunchy Sex - KINK
Latest Sets at MaleFeet4U.com
Our previews from malefeet4u.com today are two great looking guys, Anton Vavro and Rado Malek. You can see their full shoots at www.malefeet4u.com.
If you haven't recently checked out the foot site, now is a good time to do so, Franky as completely redesigned it.
Also, thanks for the photo and video suggestions for foot fetish shoots. Please keep them coming by writing firstname.lastname@example.com
|Rado Malek
Open Rado Malek MaleFeet4U.com Set
More about Rado Malek - MaleFeet4U.com ...
|Anton Vavro
Open Anton Vavro MaleFeet4U.com Set
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The End of William Higgins Newsletter

subset: commoncrawl


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Duane and Gaye (Johnson) Steen are celebrating their 60th wedding anniversary on Jan. 30, 2013. They reside in Wichita but called Pratt home for almost 40 years. They have five children, Karen Thurman of Wichita, Shari Hobbs (Kent) of Valley Center, Greg Steen (Kristin) of Wichita, Russell Steen (Janelle) of St. Louis, Mo., and Richard Steen of Manhattan Beach, Calif. They also have 19 grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.
The couple will celebrate their anniversary with family. Congratulations may be sent to 6223 E. Perryton, Bel Aire, KS 67220.


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Artists and lovers of the craft of egg-designing poured into Rockford for the 24th annual Egg Artists' Show & Sale at Midway Village Museum, 6799 Guilford Road.
Director Julia Smith expects more than 300 people to see 40 artists and 10 vendors showing off 300-plus unique eggs. This year's featured artist is Ukraine native Stephanie Troy, whose works were recently added to the permanent collection at the Pysanka Museum in Kolomya, Ukraine.
The show continues from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. Admission is $7 for adults, $5 for 3- to 17-year-olds, and free for museum members.


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Can you believe it's been a year since we had thousands of national flags flying from all our vehicles in support of hosting the 2010 FIFA World Cup? What a proud time that was…
As the national carrier we're glad to say that it seems this spirited SA pride has stuck with us – making SAA the "Coolest Domestic Airline" at the Sunday Times Generation Next 2011 Survey Awards. What's more, we flew the flag even higher this time at the international Skytrax Awards, landing the "Best Airline in Africa" award for the 9th time in a row, as well as the "Best in Service Excellence in Africa" award for the 2nd year in a row.
With so much to celebrate, now's a good time to tell you that we've also recently revamped our in-flight dining menu for our international and regional long-haul flights. Now your taste buds can enjoy a whole new selection of delicious canapés, breads and cheeses, fresh Kingklip and fine South African beef – and of course no celebration is complete without a glass of Moët & Chandon Brut Impérial champagne.
Here's to being proudly South African!
Until we see you again, travel safe!
Stretching almost 4 000 km from top to tip, Argentina has to be one of the most geographically diverse countries on the planet – and it has one of the most intriguing contemporary histories you're likely to come across.
In few other places would a visitor be able to visit the jungle, the desert, lush lakes surrounded by snow-capped mountains, glaciers and frosty mountain towns nestled at the far tip of the world – without crossing a border.
Its capital, Buenos Aires, is a vast city of 18 million people, which a visitor could easily mistake for being a lost megalopolis of Italy, Spain or France. In the city centre majestic art nouveau architecture reaches skywards in all directions.
Although the capital has enough to keep a visitor entertained for weeks, the country has much to offer, and the irresistible allure of Patagonia, a vast semi-desert in the rain shadow of the Andes that extends all the way to Cape Horn at the tip of the continent, lies just to the south.
Did you know? SA226 departs Johannesburg at 09h55 arrives Beunos Aires, Argentina at 16h30 on Wednesday, Friday and Sunday. SA227 departs from Beunos Aires, Argentina at 18h15 arrives in Johannesburg at 08h40 on Wednesday, Friday and Sunday.
Also known as: Jozi, Joburg or Egoli
Places to Visit
Did you know?
Online Check In
South African Airways is pleased to offer our internet check-in service - a simpler, smarter and faster way to check in. Select or change your seat, and print your boarding pass between 24 hours and 3 hours prior to flight departure.
Benefits Include:
For more information, watch our online demo or visit the 'About Online Check-in' page.
A new dining menu
SAA introduces a new in-flight dining menu that is set to delight our customers' palates and further enhance the airline's onboard product offering. After taking into account global trends in dining and cuisine, the airline has designed a healthy menu that aims to tantalise our customers' tastebuds.
International Flights
A selection of canapés, accompanied by the first beverage service, is offered to Business Class customers. International long haul flights have an option of a fresh seafood starter or a hot soup. This is followed by an aperitif, the legendary bubbly from one of France's most famous champagne houses Moët & Chandon Brut Impérial.
A bread basket, filled with an assortment of warm fresh breads and pastries, served with butter and preserves will be offered before the four main course options, which include a poultry, red meat, fish and non-meat dish. The poultry choice is a lighter, healthier option of grilled lemon and herb chicken breast served with steamed baby potatoes, Parisienne butternut and mange touts.
SAA also offers a traditional South African specialty – Kingklip caught off the South African coastline, accompanied by cumin-scented yellow basmati rice, grilled mixed vegetables and a sweetly curried Cape Malay sauce. For a sweet finale, premium class customers will enjoy a cake of the day.
A selection of fine South African cheeses, crackers and preserves will follow, served with beverages from the full bar including South African Port wine Boplaas Cape Tawny Non Vintage. The Boplaas is one of South Africa's most famous Port wines - crowned 2010 "Port of the Year" for the fifth consecutive year at SAA's annual Wine Awards.
The Economy Class service includes a selection of three main courses instead of two: a healthy salad starter, followed by a red meat dish, chicken / fish based dish or a non-meat option. Dessert is followed by cheese and crackers, with a full bar offered.
To add to the travel experience of our customers, SAA strives to ensure that an ingredient authentic to the particular route that is serviced is used.
Domestic Flights
Business Class customers will enjoy a choice of a hot English breakfast or Healthy breakfast comprising of fruit, yoghurt and muesli. For routes shorter that 60 minutes, a choice of continental breakfast or healthy fruit breakfast is offered.
SAA customers will be surprised with delectable snacks, consisting of a choice of meat and non meat option. Delectable morning snacks are accompanied by a fruit salad, while a delicious dessert is served as an afternoon snack accompaniment.
Dinner remains hot with a choice of red meat or chicken / fish. In select menus SAA now offers a traditional South African speciality of samp and beans.
Economy Class customers will be delighted by fresh sandwiches, healthy wraps and picnic baskets with savoury and sweet components.
SAA's new menu is served using re-usable or biodegradable bamboo packaging, in line with the airline's carbon offsetting programme.
Brazilian Formula 1 Grand Prix 2011
Venue: Interlagos Circuit
Date: 25 November 2011 – 27 November 2011
Website: www.formula1.com
Robertson Wine on the River, South Africa
Venue: Robertson Wine Valley
Date: 14 October 2011 - 16 October 2011
US Open 2011
Venue: Arthur Ashe Stadium, Flushing Meadows
Date: 29 August 2011 – 11 September 2011
Website: www.usopen.org
Travel Guard
(available for travel within and out of South Africa only)
Travel Guard, a Chartis company and worldwide leader in travel insurance and assistance, provides products and services to millions of travellers around the globe, including a wide range of emergency services through its wholly-owned assistance centres located in Asia, Europe and the Americas. Travel Guard helps leisure and business travellers alike solve problems and manage risks.
Travel Guard's global reach, unparalleled service quality and proven operational capabilities allow clients to receive best-in-class care. Travel Guard's suite of technology platforms enables seamless integration with all major travel distribution systems and supplier channels. The travel insurance products marketed by Travel Guard are underwritten by insurance company subsidiaries and affiliates of Chartis Inc.
Buy travel insurance now!


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posted by Thom Holwerda on Sat 22nd Sep 2012 22:07 UTC
Ubuntu 12.10 will include advertisements for products on Amazon. It will look like this - if you search, product suggestions will pop up. This seems like a rather slippery slope to me, and I certainly wouldn't want this on my desktop, laptop, smartphone, tablet, or anywhere else. On the web - fine, I'm on your site, not mine - but my desktop is mine, and mine alone. Not that it matters - open source, someone will disable them. Biggest concern: does this mean my search queries get sent across the web?


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Department of Highways, District 11
ADOPT-A-HIGHWAY SPRING SCRUB WEEK IN WHITLEY COUNTY March 25th – 31st
MANCHESTER, KY. (March 21, 2007) - "Let's clean up the Bluegrass!" The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet announced today that the Adopt-a-Highway Spring Clean Week will be held March 25th – 31st! At this time approximately two (2%) percent of the roads in Whitley County are adopted.
More than 1,196 groups now participate in Kentucky's program, cleaning approximately 8,548 miles annually. The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet began the Adopt-A-Highway Program in 1988.
"Participating groups demonstrate the importance of a clean environment by spreading the word and setting the example that littering is unacceptable behavior," stated Secretary Bill Nighbert. "The Adopt-A-Highway groups take pride in keeping their communities litter-free and beautiful; we certainly appreciate the efforts put forth by each group."
The program increases public environmental awareness, reduces littering, expands tourism, creates a partnership between citizens, community and government, and establishes a sense of pride in our Bluegrass State. The Transportation Cabinet salutes each and every participant, and thanks them for their tireless efforts to educate others.
Each year, the Transportation Cabinet's highway workers spend approximately 200,000 hours removing litter from Kentucky's roadways, collecting over 96,000 bags of litter. The total yearly cost of litter removal averages $4 - 5 million.
How can you contribute to your community, make a difference, send a message and educate others, and have fun with friends all at the same time? Join Kentucky's Adopt-A-Highway Program! By taking personal responsibility for one of your area roadways, you will be setting an example for your community.
The environment is everyone's responsibility. Adopt-A-Highway provides the opportunity to be a part of the solution. As a volunteer, you will save thousands in taxpayer dollars and demonstrate to others the importance of a clean environment.
Any permanently established business, association, community or public organization, or government entity can adopt a stretch of highway. A wide range of groups throughout Kentucky now participate, including homemaker clubs, Boy Scout and Girl Scout troops, high school organizations, Rotary clubs, veterans, college fraternities and sororities, sports teams and Kiwanis clubs. (Sorry, those entities established for the sole purpose of pursuing legislative or regulatory changes are not eligible.)
Two-mile sections of highway are adopted for a period of two years. Groups sign a two-year contract with the Transportation Cabinet, which recognizes the need and desirability of a clean environment and permits the group to contribute toward that effort. Volunteer groups may renew the contract at the end of the two years.
Adopt-A-Highway Coordinators can explain the fundamentals of the program to your group, work with group members in locating an available highway, and notify you of news and upcoming events.
Litter pickups are held at least four times per year or as many times as necessary to keep the area reasonably litter free. The Cabinet coordinates three annual clean-up efforts throughout the year.
Step 1 - Groups interested in becoming members of the Adopt-A-Highway Program can find specific details and District Coordinator information at www.transportation.ky.gov, follow the links to Adopt-A-Highway. Safety guidelines are provided to volunteers and should be reviewed prior to each cleanup.
Step 2 - Your Adopt-A-Highway coordinator will help you get in touch with your county's Maintenance Crew Superintendent to arrange warning sign placement on the date of your pickup. Trash bags and safety vests can be obtained at each State Maintenance Facility, and litter removal is provided by the state highway crews.
For more information, please visit our Website at http://www.kytc.state.ky.us/d11 and follow the links to Adopt-a-Highway.
If you have questions or comments, please contact Sandy Rudder at the District Office in Manchester (606.598.2145) or (email@example.com).


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Photos: Mike Azevedo
Words: Hondo
What a long a wild trip this season has been. First of all, where has all of the snow been? It seems like winter hasn't even really begun; yet this weekend marks the final event of the Dew Cup series. Weird.
The final super-pipe of the 2011-12 Dew cup season happened today, February 11, at Snowbasin resort. The field at this event was a little different then at previous events because there's a ton going on this weekend. At the same time that this event is happening, there's also the Toyota big air in Japan, the Baker Banked Slalom, and practice for the World Snowboard Championships in Norway. It gave a chance to some riders who normally wouldn't make finals, or even place, to do just that.
The day kicked off with the Women. It was a small field, just six riders in the finals. The ladies rode really well, but it was easy to see why top three were the top three. Xuetong Cai, Gretchen Bleiler, and Kelly Clark we all riding really well. They were blasting, but in the end it was Kelly who took the win. It came down right to her final run. Gretchen was in the lead, but Kelly did her 1080 and that was that. It was a real nail biter.
For the guys there were two riders who were the complete standouts all day, Louie Vito and Iouri Podladtchikov. In both of their final runs they were able to do runs with four double corks. It really was a noticeable difference between those two and the rest of the field. One stand out moment though was Spencer Shaw and his frontside 1440 tail-grab. It was nuts. He just grabbed the tail and cranked it. I've personally never seen a 1440, so I thought it was cool. In fact, it was cool enough to get him third place.
Sometimes I don't get the judging at contests. Why do they always score things so high at the very beginning? Don't they know that everyone else has to still go? On Louie Vito's last run he got a 98.00, the highest score in Dew Tour history. Now don't get me wrong, the run was sick. He did four double corks, and was going pretty big. But how did they know for a fact that Ipod wasn't going to send it? We may never know. But one thing I do know is that Louie Vito's the winner today, and is on a flight to Norway to ride in the WCS.
Stay tuned tomorrow for some serious slope coverage from the Toyota Championships at Snowbasin Resort.
1. Kelly Clark, West Dover, Vt., 95.00.
2. Gretchen Bleiler, Aspen, Colo., 94.25.
3. Xuetong Cai, China, 89.75.
4. Sophie Rodriguez, France, 77.00.
5. Sarah Conrad, Canada, 68.50.
6. Arielle Gold, Steamboat Springs, Colo., 26.25.
1. Louie Vito, Bellefontaine, Ohio, 98.00
2. Iouri Podladtchikov, Switzerland, 97.00.
3. Spencer Shaw, Stratton, Vt., 90.00.
4. Trevor Jacob, Malibu, Calif., 88.00.
5. Zachary Black, Breckenridge, Colo., 86.00.
6. Ben Ferguson, Bend, Ore., 83.50.
7. Jack Mitrani, Mammoth Lakes, Calif., 81.50.


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76, of Rolla
Irene "Faye" (Salts) Slawson, of Rolla Missouri was born May 6, 1936 in Rolla to the late Ralph and Irene (Fox) Salts. "Faye" passed from this life on Friday, February 1, 2013, in Washington, Mo., at the age of 76.
Faye was united in marriage to James (Jim) Henry Slawson in Rolla, Who preceded her in death. There were no children born to this union.
Faye is survived by her mom Lillie Salts, Rolla. Brothers, Lonnie Salts, Rolla, David and Cathy Salts, Lenox.
Sisters, Kaye Salts, Reba and Darren Fryer, Joy and Dean Fryer, all of Rolla, and extended Family and friends.
Also Preceding her in death were three brothers, Alfred Leo, Ronnie Gale and Archie Wayne Salts and one sister, Mary Louise Hutchison.


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Find out what's happening in Computer Aided Design Meetup groups around the world and start meeting up with the ones near you.
Computer Aided Design Meetups are just getting started. You can
start your own or check out related topics
Or sign up with email
Already a member? Log in.


text:
LaGrange, Ind., will get a new business in the near future.
LaGrange, Ind., will get a new business in the near future.
The LaGrange Town Council approved tax abatements Monday for Lake Area Designs, a Sturgis manufacturer of wood furniture and custom moulding for the recreational vehicle industry.
The company plans to invest $1.5 million to lease and renovate a 24,000-square-foot facility on North Detroit Street in LaGrange. The company plans to move to the former All That Jazz facility when construction is finished in April.
The manufacturer plans to relocate to LaGrange by 2016 and hopes to hire 34 new workers beginning in June. Ten employees will be retained in Sturgis.
The company was founded in 2004 as Lake Area Mouldings Plus LLC, 25611 Sauger Road, in Sturgis.


text: email@example.com � The Pittsford and Camden-Frontier High School girls basketball team will become quite familiar with each other over the next week.Laura Clark and Lyndsey Billington both scored in double figures Thursday to lift the Pittsford Wildcats to a 50-37 victory over the Camden-Frontier Redskins in the regular season finale for both Southern Central Athletic Association teams.Pittsford (14-5, 11-4 SCAA) will face the Redskins in the semifinals of the Class D district tournament Wednesday. The Wildcats swept the two-game regular season series from Camden-Frontier (8-12).Pittsford held the lead for the majority of the game, building an 18-point advantage at one point."We played consistent all night and did what we had to do," Pittsford coach Chris Hodos said. "(Camden-Frontier) was jacked up for their senior night and played us tough. We're excited for districts and like our chances."Camden-Frontier's Kelsea McNeil was honored after grabbing her first rebound of the night. The sophomore set a school record for most rebounds in a season. McNeil finished the game with 10 rebounds, moving her season total to 227.Clark had 13 points and eight rebounds to lead Pittsford, while Billington added 12 points. Laura Smith scored nine points and Ashley Culbert grabbed eight rebounds. Kristin Belcher finished with six assists and four steals.Homer 51, Reading 29The regular season ended on a down note for the Reading High School girls basketball team Thursday with a road loss to the Homer Trojans in a Big Eight Conference game.Reading (11-9, 7-7 Big Eight) will play in the Class C district tournament at Centreville. The Rangers will face Schoolcraft in the opening round 6 p.m. Monday.Taylor Coe scored 11 points to lead Reading. Michelle Davis added seven points, while Jami Hubbard finished with six points.Joining the Rangers and Schoolcraft in the district tournament include Union City, Quincy, Bronson and the host Bulldogs.��


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Welcome to the world's leading forum on Multiple Sclerosis research, support, and knowledge. For over 10 years, This is MS has provided an unbiased community dedicated to Multiple Sclerosis patients, caregivers, and affected loved ones.
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This was the first, superb example of a noble home in Renaissance Florence. It was built between 1444 and 1462 by Michelozzo di Bartolomeo for the Medici family, who made their chief residence until 1540.
Note the distinctive graduation of the external facing, progressing from the high-relief rustication of the ground floor to the hewn ashlars of the second floor and ending with the smooth surface of the third floor.
The facades, with twin-light mullioned windows, are topped with by a sharply jutting cornice, in the classic style. Inside you can admire the wonderful Magi chapel, a masterpiece of the early Florentine Renaissance, frescoed by Benozzo Gozzoli.
The chapel – square, with a small apse for the altar – contains carved and inland wooden stalls along the walls; the ceiling is also made of carved, painted, and gilt wood, while the floor is decorated with inlaid marble and porphyry. Palazzo Medici Riccardi, today, is the seat of the Prefecture and the Province of Florence. It is also an art exhibitions venue.
For any information:
Palazzo Medici Riccardi e Cappella dei Magi
Via Cavour (055 2760304).
Open 9am-7pm.
Admission: 4 euro.


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Trout and Cabrera: Here We Go Again
Last year, the AL MVP debate turned into something resembling a culture war, with Miguel Cabrera representing the traditional methods of player evaluation while Mike Trout was the darling of the sabermetric community. In the final tally, Cabrera won in a landslide, receiving 22 of the 28 first place votes, but Trout and Cabrera were #1 and #2 on 27 of the 28 ballots submitted, with Trout sliding to third on just one ballot. While there was disagreement over which of the two was more valuable, there was broad consensus that they represented a tier unto themselves, with everyone else looking up to their excellence.
Well, it's happening again. If you pull up the leaderboard for American League hitters, there's Mike Trout at #1 (+6.9 WAR), followed more closely than last year by Miguel Cabrera at #2 (+6.4 WAR). While Trout blew away the field by WAR last year, Cabrera's having an even better season in 2013 than he did a year ago, while Trout is just a little shy of last year's remarkable pace. This year, instead of the big gap in WAR being between Trout and Cabrera, the gap is between Trout/Cabrera and everyone else; Chris Davis, at +5.1 WAR, is a distant third.
Once again, though, Cabrera has the advantage in all of the things that WAR ignores but voters do not. The Tigers are 64-45, first place in the AL Central and likely headed to the postseason, while the Angels are 51-59, fourth place in the AL West and only headed for a list of the most expensive flops. For those who use a team's place in the standings as part of their MVP calculation, the Tigers success and the Angels failure will almost certainly push the needle in Cabrera's favor.
Then, of course, there are the RBIs. No single stat correlates better with MVP votes throughout history than runs batted in, and if there's a big time RBI guy on a first place team, then you have a favorite to take home the award. Cabrera isn't running away with the RBI crown like he did a year ago — thanks to the aforementioned Chris Davis, who currently leads with 102 — but he still blows Trout out of the water in a heads up RBI comparison, 99 to 67. If one still believes that RBIs are a useful metric, then it is not a difficult leap to favor Cabrera once again.
In fact, if the MVP voting were actually held today, I doubt Trout would get more than one or two first place votes, and maybe not even any. Last year, the numbers made a strong case for Trout, who hit nearly as well as Cabrera while playing center field, and stole 49 bases just for fun. This year, Trout hasn't hit as well as Cabrera and has played a lot of left field, and he's only stolen 23 bases with a lower success rate.
The defensive metrics don't love Trout's performance this year either, which is the primary reason his numbers are simply best-in-the-league rather than who-set-this-video-game-to-rookie-mode. On the one hand, critics of WAR can't really downgrade Trout's performance based on attacking the validity of single season defensive metrics, but on the other hand, Trout's supporters don't have as strong of a case that the defensive gap between the two is dramatic enough to offset Cabrera's offensive advantage. Trout is unquestionably a better defender than Cabrera, and he has still played more center field than left field this year, but there have been fewer ridiculous home run saving catches and jaw dropping plays from the Angels outfielder this year.
So, instead of having the stats guys trumpeting his historically great season, we're left with two players well within the range of any kind of measurement error. Both are having superlative seasons, but trying to argue that one season has been obviously better than the other is a difficult task, given their respective performances. And when the nerdy numbers have it as close, you can essentially bet that the traditional numbers will be used as a tie-breaker, leaving Trout without any real firm support barring a monster finish — or Cabrera collapse — down the stretch.
My guess is that if the voting was held today, Trout wouldn't even finish second. Davis leads the league in home runs and RBIs, and the Orioles in a playoff race. Despite the fact that Cabrera has been significantly better and his team has a better record, Davis is probably the more real threat to Cabrera winning a second straight MVP award. If the Orioles end up winning a wild card spot and the Tigers miss the playoffs, then Davis might actually be the frontrunner at that point. Regardless of what Trout does in the season's last two months, the Angels aren't going anywhere, and he probably can't improve his case much at all because of that.
So, for the second straight year, the best player in baseball has little chance of winning the MVP award. Despite the logical flaws associated with basing an individual award on team performance, Cabrera is certainly a worthy MVP candidate, and I won't have a problem with him winning the award. Depending on how the Tigers and Orioles finish, we might even find ourselves on the side of advocating on Cabrera's behalf, which would be a fun turn of events given last year's accusations of an anti-Cabrera slant to our coverage.
At the end of the day, awards balloting isn't really that important, and Mike Trout doesn't need a trophy to cement himself as the premier player in the game today. I do wonder, however, how long it will take before the rest of the Angels are good enough to help Trout get officially recognized as the great player he already is.
Dave is the Managing Editor of FanGraphs.


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« Back to people
Amit PitaruFormer Adjunct, Alumni, Class of 2006
|Courses Taught:
|Code and Me
Code and Me II
Designing for Constraints
Games and Art (w/ Zack Gage)
Amit develops instruments and methods for making music, animation, and
dance. His personal and collaborative work with James Paterson has recently
exhibited and performed at the London Design Museum, Paris Pompidou Center,
Sundance Film festival and ICC Museum in Tokyo. Amit also works as a
user-experience designer and game developer. His latest project attempts to
make everyday software and video games more accessible to children with
disabilities. You can read about at http://pitaru.com/macarthur
See his works at:
http://rhondaforever.com A drawing tool.
http://sonicwiresculpor.com A musical instrument.
http://pitaru.com/macarthur The case for inclusive game design
http://pitaru.com everything else


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Suicide killed more American troops last year than combat in Afghanistan, and that is likely to be the case again this year.
According to the Pentagon, there were at least 349 confirmed suicides in 2012, compared with 310 U.S. combat deaths in Afghanistan in the same period.
Historically, the suicide rate in the military has hovered around half the civilian rate. But in 2004, that changed: The rate doubled, and now it's on track to overtake the civilian rate.
The causes and remedies of the suicide epidemic are complicated, but one Army base in Texas has bucked the trend: At Fort Bliss, the suicide rate actually went down last year. In fact, it's declined consistently over the past three years: down to five suicides in 2012 from 12 in 2010.
"It was kind of a no-brainer," says Maj. Gen. Dana Pittard, who last month finished three years as the top commander at Fort Bliss. "Our focus was getting our soldiers to [get] help."
"In 10 years, only one case [of suicide at Fort Bliss] that we know of ... took place when a soldier was in treatment," says Pittard.
Pittard has battled to overcome the military's macho culture that considers reaching for help a sign of weakness. He mandated that all troops arriving at Fort Bliss take a two-day suicide awareness and prevention course that was different from the training used by the rest of the Army.
The program, which uses a more interactive approach, including role-playing, stresses action and intervention by peers to help troubled soldiers. But asking if someone feels suicidal is just the first step.
"That is the hard part. Ask the questions," says Storey Smith, a social worker, who teaches suicide prevention at Fort Bliss.
"But then the next thing that happens is if the answer is, 'Yes,' what do I do?" she says. "Equally important, if the answer is 'No,' is he really OK?"
A Brother's Helplessness
Army Staff Sgt. Kevin Allen grew up in a military family. His older brother Jason joined the Air Force, and then a couple years later, in 2001, Kevin joined the Army. The two brothers — best friends — still talked on the phone constantly.
"We took Verizon to the cleaner when they offered us unlimited minutes," Kevin says. "I'd drain my phone and then take my wife's phone. We would talk nonstop."
During Kevin's two Iraq deployments, the brothers lost the ability to stay in such constant contact.
But in 2009, things were looking up. Jason was out of the Air Force and living near their parents in Jackson, Ohio. Kevin was home from Iraq and stationed just a six-hour drive away in Maryland.
That spring, they weren't talking as much as Kevin had hoped. Then a strange phone call coincided with a day of Army training — a dull PowerPoint course on suicide awareness.
"I have to be honest, I couldn't have cared less about the training. And nobody in the room could," Kevin says. "We sat through it every single year."
But that evening, Jason called for the first time in weeks. The subject of the conversation was mundane, but the tone was off.
"He's talking about the cost of inkjet printers. Going on and on, typical conversation. Something just struck me. It was his demeanor; I couldn't really enunciate just what it was," Kevin says. "Then it hit me: I think he's suicidal."
Kevin got permission from his superior and then drove through the night to Ohio. The whole way he was grappling with a question.
"What if he said, 'Yes, I'm going to kill myself' but then refused any other services. Was I prepared to call the sheriff on him?" Kevin says.
It took all weekend. Kevin bought a case of beer and took his brother out to burn a brush pile for their dad. They sat by the fire, drinking.
"I finally turned to him and said, 'Jason, we need to talk. What's going on?' He looked at me and I knew that he knew what I was going to say. But he just got up, and walked away. And that was the end of my nerve," says Kevin. "It was like every bit of the fears that I had that he was going to reject me for this, that confirmed them."
The next morning, the brothers said goodbye in the rain. Kevin Allen drove back to Maryland. Jason Allen killed himself a week later.
Kevin says he's played the moment over endlessly in his head, thinking about what he could have done differently. Three years later he arrived at Fort Bliss. He dreaded the idea of another suicide prevention course. But it wasn't the same old PowerPoint presentation. Soldiers role-play through the awkward process of asking questions and taking action with someone contemplating suicide.
"I truly believe that had I had that training, that I can't guarantee that my brother would be alive, but I know for a fact that that night sitting out by a bonfire, every bit of my actions would have been different," Kevin says.
A Colleague's Intervention
The training also teaches that anyone can be at risk, which highlights a surprising fact: Half of the suicides in the military are troops who never saw war. While PTSD and brain injuries from combat are contributing factors, it remains stubbornly hard to predict who will fall victim.
"Most people with any given risk factor never attempt [suicide]," says the National Institute of Mental Health's Michael Schoenbaum, who studies military suicide. "Suicide is not like food poisoning, where you find out what is in the salad bar and you go remove the tuna salad."
Other factors are the same as in the civilian world: relationships, drugs and alcohol, or money problems.
"It just got overwhelming, to the point where I didn't know what to do," says a Fort Bliss soldier who asked to use only his nickname, "Sgt. D."
His commanding officer says Sgt. D is a great soldier; he never showed any signs he was in trouble. But this April, with bills stacking up and a relentless workload, Sgt. D saw no solution.
He was at home on the patio; his wife was out, his two young kids inside. He started thinking about how to kill himself. If a gun had been handy, Sgt. D says, he might well have used it.
Instead, he called a soldier in his unit, Spc. Katherine Kline.
"I was in the field and ... I got a phone call from him," Kline says. "It was pretty alarming."
"I opened up to her and burst out in tears, telling her I don't feel like being here anymore," Sgt. D says.
They'd both had the suicide prevention training, so perhaps on some level Sgt. D chose to call someone who would listen, and do something.
Kline got her commanding officer; after calling the MPs, they headed to Sgt. D's house.
"After it happened and we got there, and I saw that he was OK, I was like, what if he wasn't going to do it, like I just made this big mess for nothing," Kline says. "But at the same time, I was thinking, what if I never see him again. When he hugged me all the fears went away, and I was like, 'OK I did the right thing.' "
Sgt. D is still on active duty and is receiving counseling. With the support of his commander, he's considering an Army program that helps enlisted men train to become officers.
Around the country, Army bases are implementing aspects of Fort Bliss' multipronged approach. The much larger bureaucracy of the Pentagon is moving a bit more slowly, with a framework for suicide prevention due at the end of this year.
From NPR News, this is ALL THINGS CONSIDERED. I'm Robert Siegel.
And I'm Melissa Block. This week on the program, we're talking about the problem of suicide in the military. Yesterday, we heard the story of one Marine's life and death. Today, we're going to examine how lives might be saved. Experts don't really understand what drives people to commit suicide, and that means there's no easy solution. But one Army base - Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas - has made suicide prevention a mission.
NPR's Quil Lawrence visited the base and has a story about this agonizing question: How do you intervene, if you think someone may take his own life?
QUIL LAWRENCE, BYLINE: Staff Sgt. Kevin Allen grew up in a military family. He joined the Army; his brother, Jason, joined the Air Force.
STAFF SGT. KEVIN ALLEN: He and I were best friends.
LAWRENCE: I spoke with Kevin, now stationed at Fort Bliss.
ALLEN: We took Verizon to the cleaner, when they offered us unlimited phone calls back and forth. And - I mean, we would just talk nonstop. We were just very, very close.
LAWRENCE: Kevin deployed twice to Iraq. Jason never saw combat. But it was Jason who had struggled with depression over the years. They couldn't talk so much when Kevin deployed. But when he came back from Iraq, they had a chance to be close again. Jason had left the Air Force and was living near their parents in Ohio. Kevin was stationed just six hours away.
It was March 2009; it was a Friday. Kevin had spent all day in a boring Army course on suicide.
ALLEN: I have to be honest, I couldn't have cared less about that training. And nobody in the room could. We sat through it every single year.
LAWRENCE: That evening, his brother calls. Jason hadn't called in weeks. They talked about nothing important - inkjet printers, actually - but something was off.
ALLEN: Something just struck me. I couldn't really enunciate exactly what it was. And then it kind of hit me. I said, I think that he's suicidal.
LAWRENCE: Staff Sgt. Kevin Allen called his superior, explained a little; and then drove through the night, to Ohio. He wanted to intervene, but he wasn't completely sure he knew how.
ALLEN: What if he told me, yes, I'm going to kill myself? Was I prepared to call the sheriff on him, and what would that do to my relationship? And so I'm scared. And so that Saturday, I went and bought - I call a suitcase; a 30-pack of Milwaukee's Best, which is kind of an old tradition from when we were much younger. And we went out. And my dad has a farm in Ohio there, and he had a brush pile that needed burned.
Drug a bench over; we were sitting there with beer. And he's sitting right next to me - right to my left. And the whole time, I'm trying to work up the nerve to simply ask this question. And finally, I just turned to him and I said, Jason, we need to talk. What's going on? And he looked at me, and I knew that he knew what I was going to say.
But he just got up and walked away. That was the end of my nerve. It was like every bit of the fears that I had that he was going to reject me for this - yes, that confirmed them.
LAWRENCE: Next morning, the brothers said goodbye in the rain. Kevin Allen drove off. Jason Allen killed himself eight days later. Kevin has replayed that moment by the bonfire a million times in his head, wishing he'd known what to say.
STOREY SMITH: That is the hard part. Ask the question.
LAWRENCE: Storey Smith is a social worker who teaches suicide prevention at Fort Bliss.
SMITH: But then the next thing that happens is, if the answer is yes, what do I do? Equally important, if the answer is no, is he really OK?
LAWRENCE: The base claims the lowest suicide rate in the Army. Smith puts that down to the intensive training here. Everyone takes a two-day course, even Kevin Allen. Two years after his brother took his own life, Staff Sgt. Allen arrived at Fort Bliss. He was not keen on a two-day-long discussion of suicide. But this isn't the famously dull Army course. It's a program called Assist, produced by a private company.
Soldiers role-play. Billboards all over the base encourage everyone to nudge troubled soldiers into treatment. The bottom line: When in doubt, intervene. The training also teaches that anyone can be at risk. Half of the suicides in the military are troops who never saw war. Often, the issue is a relationship or money.
SGT. D: Should I go to these loan sharks? Should I - you know, what should I do? Bills just start stacking up.
LAWRENCE: That's another soldier at Fort Bliss. He goes by Sgt. D. He asked to use just his nickname because of the stigma around mental health issues.
SGT. D: It just got overwhelming, to the point where, you know, I didn't know what to do.
LAWRENCE: His commanding officer says Sgt. D is a great soldier, never showed any signs he was in trouble. But Sgt. D was bottling up a lot of frustration. By this April, it was too much for him. He was at home on the patio, his wife was out, his two young kids inside. He started thinking about how to kill himself.
SGT. D: I didn't have a gun. I didn't want to bleed out and have my kids see it.
LAWRENCE: If a gun had been handy, Sgt. D says he might well have used it. Instead, he called a soldier in his unit, Spc. Katherine Kline.
SPC. KATHERINE KLINE: I was in the field, and I got a phone call from him. It was pretty alarming.
SGT. D: And then, you know, I just opened up to her, just burst out in tears and just started telling her, you know, I don't feel like being here anymore.
KLINE: After we hung up - and I didn't know what to do, so I was like, OK, it's not right. Something has to happen right now.
LAWRENCE: They both had the training, so Sgt. D maybe knew he was calling someone who would listen and do something. Spc. Kline did do something. She got her commanding officer. They called the MPs and made for Sgt. D's house. Then, she called him back.
SGT. D: And she was crying. And she was like, I'm sorry. I was like, what are you sorry for? And the two MPs cars pull, and the ambulance pulls up. And the fire truck pulls up.
KLINE: After it happened and we got there, and I seen that he was OK, I was like, what if he wasn't going to do it? Like, so I just made this big mess for nothing. But then, at the same time, I was sitting there thinking, like, what if I never see him again? To me, it was worth it. At first, I was like man, what have I done? I'm so sorry Sgt. D. Like, I didn't mean to embarrass you or anything. But now and even whenever he hugged me, all the fears went away. And I was like OK, I did the right thing.
LAWRENCE: Sgt. D is getting help. He's still on the job. Other bases throughout the military are looking at how to teach the skills that prevent suicide, skills Staff Sgt. Kevin Allen only wishes he'd had four years ago sitting next to his brother, Jason.
ALLEN: I truly believe that had I had that training - that I can't guarantee my brother would be alive, but I know for a fact that that night sitting out by a bonfire, every bit of my actions would have been different.
LAWRENCE: Kevin Allen says worst case, he would have intervened, and his brother would have hated him for a few years. Those years would be over by now, Allen says, but his best friend would still be around.
Quil Lawrence, NPR News. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.


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1959 Fleer Ted Williams #68 'Signs for 1959' RARE SHORT PRINT (Red Sox) Baseball cardPrice = $ 700
#68 - RAREST CARD IN SET & perhaps rarest card from the '50s !!! Pulled because Bucky Harris (in photo) was Topps property.
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baseball, football, basketball, hockey, sports and
non-sport cards and card collecting.
(part 1)
Baseball card production was virtually halted in the early 1940's due to paper shortages created by World War II. The "Modern Era" of baseball cards began in 1948 when Bowman Gum Inc. offered one card and one piece of gum in a pack for a penny.
The first important football set was the Mayo set featuring college players in 1984. Other than the 1935 National Chicle set no other key football set was issued until 1948 when noth Bowman and Leaf produced sets.
1952,1953,1954,1955 Red Man TOBACCORed Man Tobacco issued baseball cards in 1952, 1953, 1954 and 1955, making them the only tobacco company to do so since 1920. The cards are very attractive with a large, painted portrait and a short player's bio on the front. On the back is company advertising. 1/2" tabs at the bottom of each card could be exchanged for a prize. The exchange rate was 50 tabs for one free Big League style baseball cap. Thus, cards with the tabs still intact are much, much, harder to find making them more valuable.
Without the tabs it is difficult to determine which year certain players were issued. It is usually easiest to determine the year by looking at the expiration date on the back. Subtract 1 from the expiration year to determine the year of the card.
Each set is made up of 25 players from each league all personally selected by Editor J.G. Taylor Spink of the "Sporting News". Managers from each league were included in the 1952 and 1953 sets. The 1954 set had four different variations. If you ignore the many variations of the expiration dates, that brings the total to only 208 cards to complete your Master Red Man Tobacco Baseball Card Set !!! Start collecting now !
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1952,1953,1954,1955 Red Man Tobacco cards checklist and prices
1971 O-Pee-Chee BaseballAlso referred to as OPC or Topps Canada, most vintage OPC sets were near replicas of the Topps cards from that year. Exactly same in design they usually only differed with the addition of French to the backs and some fronts.
To the benefit of collector's OPC made several changes in their 1971 set. The most obvious and useful was a complete redesign of the card backs and the addition of another player photo ! Additionly, over 20 cards were changed including the inclusion of what could be considered the first "Traded" cards. Another difference: Topps cards #202 and #289 were changed to allow the addition of 2 more Expos to the set.
The 1971 OPC set is legendary for its short print run, estimated at perhaps just 5% of Topps' Production. This issue is considered quite elusive, even in Canada.
TOP ROOKIE: Steve Garvey
TOP STARS: Nolan Ryan, Roberto Clemente, Willie Mays, Hank Aaron, Ernie Banks, Pete Rose, Ted Williams, Thurman Munson, Reggie Jackson, Don Baylor/Dusty Baker RC & MORE !!!
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Good Internet - Family Friendly Directory Submit Link
Latest articlesAngry Birds Space for Android Review
Angry Birds Space, the latest release of the wildly popular Angry Birds series was released on 22nd March 2012. The new version takes the game into interstellar space for new levels of pig-smashing fun.
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The Mitsubishi Lancer is a 5-seater sedan that has been considered as one of the best sedans ever. This was made for the rally but it now invades the streets. It comes in three models named as Lancer DE, Lancer ES, Lancer GTS, and Lancer Ralliart.
New features of the iPod Touch 4G
The new feature of the iPod Touch 4G is its built-in dual cameras (front/back). This has been the most requested feature since the 2nd-generation and many were hoping that the 3rd-gen upgrade would bring. The front-camera can record high definition videos (720p HD at 30fps) but pretty crappy at taking still shots.
Stock charts tips that will help you in all times
Stock trading and marketing has become one of the latest ventures of people these days and for those who are looking forward for earning extra money it is the best resource for any sort of applications. Stock trading involves a lot of things that beginners might not know of or they haven't tried doing.
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1960 Topps #542 Ken Hamlin SCARCE HIGH NUMBER (Kansas City A's) Baseball cardPrice = $ 17.95
Select a different Sport or Vintage Baseball Cards set Enter words,partial words,partial words with wildcards (*) or a phrase in quotes.
1959 Topps Yankees displays vintage 1959 Topps Yankees cards.
Bowman Mantle displays all Bowman Mickey Mantle cards, old and recent.
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Buying vintage sports cards! Bring/escort them to Los Angeles.
Below are some tidbits on baseball and sportscard collecting.
Visit our web site for more info on vintage and current
baseball, football, basketball, hockey, sports and
non-sport cards and card collecting.
(part 4)
Test Issue - a preliminary offering issued as a test to see if a product would be accepted by collectors.
Tobacco Card - typically from the early 1900s, these were cards issued with tobacco products. The most famous of which is the "T-206" Honus Wagner card.
Traded/Update Set - a set issued after the original issue primarily featuring rookies or players who were traded since the original issue came out.
Trimmed Card - a card reduced in size from when it was issued, usually to hide an imperfection such as damaged edges or corners. Trimmed cards usually have very little value but in some cases such as the 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle, even trimmed cards can go for thousands of dollars. The most famous 'trimmed' card to date is the T206 Honus Wagner purchased by Wayne Gretzky. The card was actually too large and was trimmed down to it's proper size.
Unauthorized Issue - a card release which is not licensed by a league, a player's association, or by a player.
Variation - a card that was printed by the manufacturer in two or more different ways.
Wax - a universal collecting term for factory-sealed packs or boxes. The term "wax" most often refers to sealed material that was originally released in the early 1990's or back -- a time when packs were wrapped and sealed in wax paper wrappers. It can casually reference modern era packs or boxes that no longer use actual wax paper.
1952,1953,1954,1955 Red Man TOBACCORed Man Tobacco issued baseball cards in 1952, 1953, 1954 and 1955, making them the only tobacco company to do so since 1920. The cards are very attractive with a large, painted portrait and a short player's bio on the front. On the back is company advertising. 1/2" tabs at the bottom of each card could be exchanged for a prize. The exchange rate was 50 tabs for one free Big League style baseball cap. Thus, cards with the tabs still intact are much, much, harder to find making them more valuable.
Without the tabs it is difficult to determine which year certain players were issued. It is usually easiest to determine the year by looking at the expiration date on the back. Subtract 1 from the expiration year to determine the year of the card.
Each set is made up of 25 players from each league all personally selected by Editor J.G. Taylor Spink of the "Sporting News". Managers from each league were included in the 1952 and 1953 sets. The 1954 set had four different variations. If you ignore the many variations of the expiration dates, that brings the total to only 208 cards to complete your Master Red Man Tobacco Baseball Card Set !!! Start collecting now !
Click for complete
1952,1953,1954,1955 Red Man Tobacco cards checklist and prices
1971 O-Pee-Chee BaseballAlso referred to as OPC or Topps Canada, most vintage OPC sets were near replicas of the Topps cards from that year. Exactly same in design they usually only differed with the addition of French to the backs and some fronts.
To the benefit of collector's OPC made several changes in their 1971 set. The most obvious and useful was a complete redesign of the card backs and the addition of another player photo ! Additionly, over 20 cards were changed including the inclusion of what could be considered the first "Traded" cards. Another difference: Topps cards #202 and #289 were changed to allow the addition of 2 more Expos to the set.
The 1971 OPC set is legendary for its short print run, estimated at perhaps just 5% of Topps' Production. This issue is considered quite elusive, even in Canada.
TOP ROOKIE: Steve Garvey
TOP STARS: Nolan Ryan, Roberto Clemente, Willie Mays, Hank Aaron, Ernie Banks, Pete Rose, Ted Williams, Thurman Munson, Reggie Jackson, Don Baylor/Dusty Baker RC & MORE !!!
Click for complete
1971 OPC/O-Pee-Chee Baseball checklist and prices
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Camdenton Black Belt Academy's Ethan Leigh recently brought home honors from the NATSA National Championship; three gold medals, to be exact. But another lake area resident also has been making a splash in a few taekwondo tournaments.
That person is four-year-old Alan Poage, Jr, son of Rich and Ericka Poage of AAA Poage BankersAdvertising. Poage has been a student at Camdenton Black Belt Academy for about 5 months, and is currently an orange belt, working his way towards the next step up, a yellow belt.
Recently, Poage competed in the 22nd Annual US Central Open Taekwondo Championship on August 3, which was held in Oklahoma City. He competed in Sparring and Forms, in which he received a second place trophy in forms. He also had a great match against a five-year-old yellow belt in sparring. The final score of that match was 14-12, with Poage walked away with another second place finish.
Earlier this summer, the youngster competed in the Ozark Invitational Taekwondo Championship held in Camdenton in which he won three gold medals.
With that kind of resume, and being just four, Poage's potential is just beginning to be seen.


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Thank you for the idea but i dont know how to reward them and...im not sure if they"ll be happy...it'll be a great help if you can tell me a little more about making this into a contest
You should make this a contest!
Rawrz101 Thank you so much of thinking to try and draw it!!!
Thank you!!!! They both look awesome!!!! Thank you so much!!!!
I'll try~
I'll draw one
Yay!!! Thank you!!! its an extra info but she fights with poles(metal ones) and i can't wait!!!! (>w<) *excitement is just making me jump in my seat!!!!*
i will try to draw sue
it's okay!!! I cant wait to see it!!! *does a weird dance* and ur drawings are cute~~~ (especially the cat one ) Thank u for thinking about trying or maybe trying!!! (did i make sense???) (O.o)
but i'm bored, so... i might as well try to draw one!!!
Aaaaaah~ i drew more OCs so ill post them as soon as i can!!!! And once again thank you all for considering to draw my OCs~ I can't wait~~~~ (i always get excited for these things and my friends are like (O.o) <(.......) yup Its how i am~~~~ sorry... i think I'm making NO sense typing to myself but if anyone reads this Thank you!!!!
Thank You!!! its okay! I cant wait
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OK, I know that it seems far, far away, but fishing season will soon be upon us. Next Friday, March 1, area fishermen and fisherwomen will converge on Roaring River in Cassville for the annual opening day of trout season.
OK, I know that it seems far, far away, but fishing season will soon be upon us. Next Friday, March 1, area fishermen and fisherwomen will converge on Roaring River in Cassville for the annual opening day of trout season.
Personally, I have never attended this event – I have always wanted to, but usually it has always been on a day of the week when I have had to work or was in school. So, maybe one day, I will.
I have talked to friends and did interviews about people who have attended this annual event. My best friend, Steve Haas, used to go to Cassville's schools and he stated they would cancel school for this day. Wow, what a neat holiday.
It has been a while since I went fishing, but I remember years and years ago when I begged and pleaded with my parents to go fishing. Then one day, we went. They helped us get the right stuff such as fishing poles, nets, tackle box and even the bait. Now I used both the lures and even cheese and hot dogs, but when it came time to get the worms, my grandfather, Pop Garner, came to the rescue.
Pop lived down the street near the Newtonia Branch and one day, he was outside digging in the ground for the worms.
So with all of the fixings, Mom, Dad, Greg and I hopped into Dad's truck, heading to Jolly Mill, in the eastern part of Newton County. We found our spot and within a matter of a few minutes, the line dipped, signifying that I had a bite on the line. I reeled it in and there was a fish, actually a small sun perch. Smiling from ear to ear, I wanted to try it again and so I did. I think that day, along with the family, we snagged four or six fish.
Now came the part of what to do with them. I decided that I wanted to show my grandparents and we took them home to Newtonia. The perch were too small to eat, so we let them go in the Newtonia Branch.
After that successful day of fishing, I would later go when I could to either Jolly Mill, down here in Neosho by Lime Kiln Road and even in Carthage.
Years after Grandpa Garner passed away, one of the items that was given to me was his old tackle box. I still have it and I really hope to use it soon.
Fishing gives me a time to relax and think about things.
I encourage each of you if you have the time, it is a valuable hobby and one that you will treasure forever.
And who knows, maybe soon I will be on the banks of the Roaring River in Cassville with the thousands upon thousands of trout fishermen and fisherwomen on March 1.
Todd G. Higdon is a staff writer and writes a weekly column for the Neosho Daily News. He can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.com.
Follow him on Twitter at @toddghigdonNDN


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AMD Phenom II X4 940 Review
Activision's Call Of Duty World at War goes right back to the bread and butter of the franchise - WWII FPS action. In this rendition, you start off in the South Pacific and move through a series of missions that flip back and forth between the Russian front and the island hopping advance toward the Imperial Japanese homeland. Included is a mission on Peliliu Island, arguably one of the more difficult and costly battles in the Pacific theater. The gameplay in the single player mode is rather short, but the game makes up for this shortcoming in online gameplay. If you thought COD4 looked nice, this game is amazing with the graphics maxed out playing at a large resolution. This game just may be my reason to move to a 30 inch monitor. I will use Fraps to measure a section of gameplay in the Semper Fi map on Makin Island to compare performance of these video cards.
- All in game settings to maximum
- FPS measured via Fraps
Again, while slower than the i7, the Phenom II stands with the Q9450.


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Improving your health since 2000
1.58 oz.
1 Stick(s)
Nature's Way - Immunables Vanilla Flavored 30 x 1.5 g Packets - 1.58 oz. (45 g)
Nature's Way Immunables Vanilla Flavored is the unique blend of two probiotic strains Lactobacillus aciophilus NCFM and Bifidobacterium lactis Bi-07 which promote healthy immune function in kids and reduce days absent from daycare. An immunobiotic as a probiotic that supports the immune system. The strains used in Immunables are live cultures that are researched and help support immune health. Immunables is available in easy-to-use stick packs for your convenience, and to help maintain freshness and stability. Immunables can be emptied directly into mouth, mixed into a cold drink or added to unheated food such as cold cereal.
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About Nature's Way
America's leader in herbal medicine.
If you've heard of Nature's Way, or better yet, used their products, it's not surprising. They have been America's leader in herbal medicine for over 40 years. As the pre-eminent provider of health and healing through the power of nature, their commitment to quality reflects their commitment to you. In fact, it's woven into the very story of their founding.
A family crisis and an herbal renaissance.
Nature's Way originated from a circumstance everyone can understand-a family's desperate need to overcome a personal health crisis. Back in the late 1960s, Tom Murdock, the founder of what is now Nature's Way, needed a solution to help his gravely ill wife. After trying conventional medicine without success, Tom and his wife turned to the traditional Native American knowledge of "medicinal plants" growing in the Arizona desert. As a result, she recovered and lived an additional 25 years.
Tom Murdock's pioneering spirit did more than save a life-it led to the renaissance of herbal medicine in America. As word spread about his wife's recovery, Tom set out to find other healthy treasures growing in the Arizona desert. By 1969, Tom and his family had eight new herbal remedies to share with others and thus began the legacy of Nature's Way.
While it may seem hard to believe now, for many years herbal knowledge was a lost art in a country fueled by conventional, and often invasive, medical approaches. The founding of Nature's Way reopened a door that had long been closed. Motivated by a passion to spread the power of natural healing, Tom and his family moved back home to the beautiful mountain valleys of Utah and almost single-handedly spurred the growth of what could be called the "Silicon Valley of Herbal Supplements."
An industry pioneer in many ways.
When you've been pioneering natural health for over 40 years, you develop an impressive list of "firsts" among major dietary supplement companies. Many of these innovations initiated by Nature's Way have shaped how America thinks about natural medicine. Here are just a few:
It's more than a business. Nature's Way believes in giving back.
Nature's Way is grateful for their business success and they express it through a tradition of giving back. A few examples include:
Nature's Way Today.
Today, their manufacturing capacities have expanded and they're able to bring even more good things to you. That's because being affiliated with Schwabe North America and its family of brands, including Boericke & Tafel, Enzymatic Therapy, Integrative Therapeutics, Inc., allows them to expand their reach and enhance the health of more people through the power of nature.
As one of the most technologically advanced supplement manufacturers in the United States, they continue to push the boundaries forward on quality research, testing and introducing new ingredients. We offer over 500 premium nutritional and natural products, including single herbs and herbal extracts, homeopathic remedies, vitamins, minerals and specialty products.
While herbal supplements are still the backbone of their product line, new and innovative products including Alive Whole Food Energizer, Primadophilus probiotics, Ginkgold clinically proven ginkgo extract, EfaGold essential fatty acids, Hydraplenish hyaluronic acid and Thisilyn liver support formulas, just to name a few, are exciting additions to their offering.
After all, innovation, seeking the best in nature, and bringing "the world's best" to the marketplace is their goal. Like their founder Tom Murdock, they're still pioneering. There are many discoveries yet to be made in this amazing world. They may happen in a rainforest, a savannah, or like they did over 40 years ago, in a desert. When they are discovered, they'll bring them to you.
That's why you can Trust the Leaf.
Nature's Way's company logo-the green leaf seen on their product packaging and on this web site-features a motto: "Trust the Leaf." They mean it. They take it seriously. They strive to produce the very best and have worked hard to build trusting relationships with their retailers and with you. They know that millions of people rely on Nature's Way products to enhance their health. They consider it a legacy of their history and a pledge to the future.
|Nature's Way - Immunables Vanilla Flavored 30 x 1.5 g Packets - 1.58 oz. (45 g)
|Other Ingredients: Potato maltodextrin, Xylitol, Starch, Natural vanilla flavor with other natural flavors, Calcium silicate, Stevia.


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HUDSON — The year 2012 was seen as a year of progress to Hudson City Manager Steve Hartsel, and the upcoming year already carries the promise of seeing continued improvements.
From the passage of a millage to make improvements on the Hudson Area Schools to positive reports of economic growth, Hartsel said he is encouraged by what is happening in the city.
Hartsel said Kecy Corp. received a $180,000 grant from the state strategic fund based on a program it entered in 2009.
"The state said if they invested $425,000 in robotic welding cells and hired at least 30 full-time employees, they would receive the grant," Hartsel said. "In fact, they exceeded the requirements and had added 42 jobs at the time of the award."
Hartsel said all other major manufacturers in Hudson are operating at pre-recession levels. Additionally, several new businesses opened in Hudson, and ground was recently broken for a new Dollar General store.
In 2012, Consumers Energy replaced its electrical substation in the city.
"That was one of our major infrastructure accomplishments," Hartsel said.
After a year delay at the state level, the Murdock walking trail project has been green-lit for completion and is expected to be completed by June.
A third walking trail — still in design development — is expected to be completed by the end of 2013.
The Hudson Public Library was approved on Dec. 21 by the state library board to move forward with developing a library district that — pending the approval of a millage request for funding — will serve Hudson and the surrounding area and be independent of the uncertainty of ample funding from the city.
Earlier this year, the city closed out its 2010 facade improvement project list, Hartsel said, meaning all of the requirements in the grant agreements were met. The city received $275,000 that year from the state to put toward matched funds from business owners.
Overall, more than $500,000 was invested in 2010 for three properties in the downtown historic district.
Hartsel said a majority of the 2011 projects are completed, thanks to $325,000 in state grant money to make a total of $620,000 in restoration for four properties.
Nine other buildings in the downtown development district were painted with local development funds, six of those in the historic district.
In 2013, Hartsel said there are plans to continue the restoration of downtown buildings, and push for the reconstruction of two north downtown parking lots and a streetscape on North Church Street.
Phase One of the Pleasant Street reconstruction project that will rebuild the street from Grove to South Church streets is scheduled for completion by June.
On the east side of town, Steger Industrial Drive is also set for completion this spring, making several undeveloped industrial properties more marketable, Hartsel said.
The city recently received a nearly $200,000 state grant that will be put toward finding out how rainwater is getting into the sewer system and how to fix it.
Hartsel said the study is scheduled to take place around the time of the spring thaw. The city's wastewater treatment plant typically processes nearly 500,000 gallons of sewage each day. However, city officials said, when heavy rain falls, that amount more than doubles.
Gateway signage on the east and west ends of Hudson is expected to be replaced in 2013.
All in all, Hartsel said he is pleased by what is taking place in the small city in western Lenawee County.
"Hudson is a great place to work and live in," he said.
Hudson city manager looks back at 2012, ahead to 2013
HUDSON — The year 2012 was seen as a year of progress to Hudson City Manager Steve Hartsel, and the upcoming year already carries the promise of seeing continued improvements.


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July 27
Word of the Day, This Day in History, Number to Know, Website of the Day, Today�s Featured Birthday and Daily Quote.
Word of the Day
Cockaigne kah-KAYN noun; An imaginary land of ease and luxury. � Dictionary.com
This Day in History
July 27, 1953: Fighting in the Korean War ends when the United States China, and North Korea sign an armistice agreement. Syngman Rhee, President of South Korea, refuses to sign but pledges to observe the armistice.
Number to Know
2.5: The width in miles of the Demilitarized Zone separating North and South Korea.
Website of the Day: The Demilitarized Zone (DMZ)
Photo albums of the heavily fortified Korean Demilitarized Zone, with pictures taken from both sides of the border.
Today�s Featured Birthday
Bill Engvall, American comedian and actor, 57.
Daily Quote
�I�ll tell you, it�s a real slap in the face when you walk onto a college campus with your daughter and you catch some guy checking her out.� � Bill Engvall
More Content Now
Morning Minutes, July 27
July 27


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Posted on February 15, 2013
The DuPage County (IL) Genealogical Society's 38th Annual Conference will be held on Saturday, February 23, 2013. This year the theme is "Discovering America's Early Roots."
Speakers for this full-day event include Jeanne Larzalere Bloom, CGSM, Lloyd deWitt Bockstruck, Billie Stone Fogarty, and Jennifer Holik. They'll cover a variety of topics from "Proving Indian Ancestry – Grandma said we were Indian so how do I prove it?" to "Internet Techniques For Locating Lost Relatives."
In addition to the presentations, there will be an exhibition space with Vendors representives from other local societies and libraries.
Be sure to stop by and say "hello" to Grace Dumelle who will be there representing the Newberry and selling copies of her book, Finding your Chicago Ancestors.
Check out the conference website for details.


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Style # 182484
A bodycon twist on logo styles, this ribbed dress features soft light-weight stretch, classic embellished logo at front and low neckline. Style it with flat sandals and a fedora for a low-key look.
- 97% rayon, 3% spandex.
- Center back to hem: 32" (81 cm).
- Hand wash.
- Made in USA.
- Model is 5'9" and wearing a US size S.


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Melasma is a skin condition where brown patches appear on the skin. These patches usually appear on the cheeks, nose, forehead, chin, and upper lip. Patches can also appear on the neck and forearms.
Because it is common in pregnant women, melasma may be referred to as the mask of pregnancy.
The brown patches are due to an increased amount of melanin in the skin. The exact cause of increase in melanin is unknown. It is thought to be associated with hormones such as estrogen and progesterone. Sun exposure also plays a major role.
Risk Factors
Melasma is more common in women during their reproductive years, but it can occur in men. Other factors that increase may your chance of melasma include:
- Pregnancy
- Taking birth control pills
- Family history of melasma
- Having a darker skin tone
- Getting too much sun exposure
- Using products that irritate the skin, such as cosmetics
- Certain medications, such as antiseizure drugs or hormone therapy
You will be asked about your symptoms and medical history. Your skin will be examined. A lamp, called a Wood's lamp, may be used to look at your skin. A small sample of skin may be taken for a biopsy. The sample will be sent to a lab to confirm the diagnosis.
Melasma may go away on its own. If it does not go away, it may need to be treated. In general, treating melasma can be difficult, especially if the pigment is deeper. Talk with your doctor about the best treatment plan for you.
Removing Cause
Factors that are causing the melasma may be removed. For example:
- Melasma associated with pregnancy may slowly fade after giving birth.
- Melasma associated with birth control pills or hormone replacement therapy may fade after the medication is stopped.
Melasma can reappear and become darker if you become pregnant again or resume taking medication.
Avoid using products that irritate your skin. These include make-up, creams, and cleansers.
Ultraviolet Light Protection
Protecting your skin from UV light is important in helping to fade melasma. This means avoiding sun and tanning bed exposure. Your doctor may advise wearing sunscreen, clothing, and hats when outdoors.
Depigmenting Medications
Certain medications, like bleaching creams, are used to lighten skin color. A common bleaching cream used to treat melasma is hydroquinone. This may also be used with other creams or combination of creams such as tretinoin, corticosteroids, azelaic acid, or glycolic acid. These creams enhance the skin-lightening effect.
Your skin may be sensitive to these medications. Use care and start slowly when first using them. It may take several months before you see an improvement.
Other Treatments
Other treatments remove outer layers of the skin. These include:
- Chemical peel
- Microdermabrasion—removing top layer of skin
- Laser therapy
To help reduce your chance of getting melasma:
- Limit the amount of time you spend in the sun. Avoid using tanning booths.
- Use sunscreen every day. Wear sunscreen that protects against both UVA and UVB rays and has an SPF of 30 or more.
Revision Information
- Reviewer: Michael Woods, MD
- Review Date: 06/2016 -
- Update Date: 05/22/2014 -


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Visit our main website at www.StDavids.com
Jill Shuman, MS, RD, ELS
Circumcision, the surgical removal of the foreskin from the penis, may be one of the oldest surgical procedures known to mankind. There are several reasons parents may choose to have their sons circumcised, including religious customs, social or cultural reasons, and to prevent medical complications. While some studies have shown that circumcision may have medical benefits, it is not a necessary procedure for all boys. Parents should carefully examine the evidence for and against circumcision before making a decision.
Today, circumcision is much more common in certain parts of the world, namely the Middle East, Canada, and the US. In the United States more than half of male newborns are circumcised. Why do some parents decide against this procedure? What are the controversies surrounding it?
The issue here is whether the procedure is beneficial, medically unnecessary, or harmful. Unfortunately, studies are controversial and subject to individual interpretation.
Advocates of the procedure cite studies showing that circumcised men have lower rates of
urinary tract infections, penile cancer (a disorder that is very rare in all men) and heterosexual
(most of the studies were done in African countries, which may make them less relevant for men in other parts of the world). One study involved almost 5,000 uncircumcised men in Uganda. Half of the men were circumcised, while the other half served as controls. The trial was stopped early after the study found a 50% relative risk reduction in acquiring HIV among the men who were circumcised.
Other studies have also shown that women who have had an uncircumcised partner may have a higher risk of
cervical cancer. This is because human papillomavirus (HPV) infection in men can be transferred to women during sexual intercourse. Although evidence is inconsistent, there may be an association between penile HPV rates and uncircumcised men. HPV vaccines, which are recommended for boys and girls starting after age 11, offer protection against the most common types HPV.
Parents may be concerned about keeping their son's uncircumcised penis clean. While it may seem easier to clean a circumcised penis, there is no special care needed for an uncircumcised penis. Gentle washing with warm water is all that is needed during infancy. As boys get older, they can be taught how to clean beneath their foreskin daily with soap and warm water where dead skin cells and oils mix together (smegma). Smegma is normal and is not a cause for concern. Be aware that foreskin retraction should never be forced. In most cases, it will be retractable by age 5 (in some, it may not occur until adolescence).
Without circumcision, men may develop
phimosis, a condition in which the foreskin gets stuck in a "pulled back" state. The majority of these cases, though, can be easily treated without any surgical intervention. Only severe cases of phimosis may require circumcision to prevent recurrence.
Circumcision, though, is a painful procedure and requires local anesthesia and about 7-10 days of healing. In addition to complications like bleeding and infection, there are occasional surgical mishaps in which too much or too little of the foreskin is removed. Occasionally there can even be injury to the penis itself. These problems, which are rare, may require further surgery.
There are many issues involved when deciding to have your baby circumcised. You may choose for or against the procedure based on ethical, religious, or societal reasons. By talking with the doctor, you can gain a better understanding of what circumcision entails and further discuss the pros and cons.
Please be aware that this information is provided to supplement the care provided by your physician. It is neither intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. CALL YOUR HEALTHCARE PROVIDER IMMEDIATELY IF YOU THINK YOU MAY HAVE A MEDICAL EMERGENCY. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider prior to starting any new treatment or with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.
Copyright © EBSCO Publishing. All rights reserved.
Women's Center of Texas12221 N. Mopac Expwy.Austin, TX 78758Telephone: (512) 478-3627Map & Directions


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When children's wishes come true at wonderland KLIA
28 December 2013
Sepang, 28 December 2013 - Fifteen (15) children from Rumah Charis, Kuala Lumpur had their wishes granted at KL International Airport when they each received the gift they wished for courtesy of Malaysia Airports and MIXfm.
The gifts were specially bought for the children by Malaysia Airports and MIXfm under the Make A Wish Come True At WonderlandKLIAcampaign. The Campaign aimed to spread some of the joy of giving and sharing during the year-end festive season.
Wish lists obtained from the children were hung on a Christmas Tree of Hope at KLIA from 12 December till 27 December. Visitors and travelers at KLIA were able to make a contribution via a cash donation to help fund the purchase of the gifts for the children. Donations started at a minimum of RM20.
Amongst the gifts presented to the children, aged between 5-17 years old, were toys, books, clothing, school necessities and shopping vouchers. The children received their gifts from Mix fm radio announcers.
In addition to the gifts, the children were also treated to a full-day excursion to KLIA, which kicked off with a journey onboard the KLIA Ekspres train. The complimentary KLIA Ekspres train tickets were provided by Express Rail Link Sdn Bhd (ERL). At KLIA, they had breakfast courtesy of KFC, lunch provided by McDonald's, shopped at KLIA's Satellite Building compliments of the RM150 shopping vouchers they each received from Malaysia Airports, and were hosted to tea by Old Town Café.


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U-boot for LS Pro
- 1 Background & Facts
- 2 Ready-Made U-Boot Images for LS Pro or LS Live
- 3 Building U-Boot from ...
- 4 Flashing U-Boot to Your LS Pro
- 5 References
Background & Facts
What is U-Boot?
U-Boot, or Das U-Boot, is a open-source, universal bootloader that is used in the LinkStation Pro/Live/KuroPro and other ARM-based NAS devices that Buffalo Technology makes. It has become more widespread in its use in other brands as well. Pre-ARM LinkStations/Kuro's had a proprietary bootloader, though LinuxNotIncluded and other members of the community here worked to bring U-Boot to the PPC and Mipsel based LinkStation devices as well.
We are all looking forward to a new, clean port of U-Boot for the LinkStation Pro.
Why upgrade it?
The build of U-Boot that is stock on the LS Pro (v1 and v2) and its contemporaries has very limited features, at least in comparision to what we have for the PPC LinkStations. Some noteworthy limitations to and exclusions from its capabilities include:
- no NetConsole - with netconsole and NetCat, one can connect to the unit with serial-style console control, over the network
- maximum number of arguments is 16, making changes of some of the more complicated env vars from the U-Boot side difficult/cumbersome
- missing commands:
- run - run commands in an environment variable
- dhcp - invoke DHCP client to obtain IP/boot params
- bdinfo - print Board Info structure
- loadb - load binary file over serial line (kermit mode)
- loads - load S-Record file over serial line
- ping - send ICMP ECHO_REQUEST to network host
- coninfo - print console devices and information
- crc32 - checksum calculation
While some of these commands aren't really essential, the first few are quite advantageous to have, and missing them is an impediment. It is notable that LinuxNotIncluded's ports to PPC and Mipsel have all of these capabilities.
Thanks to jonli447, lb_worm and others who worked on this and left a trail to follow for the rest of us. Also, thanks to bbradley, Nicolas Pitre, Dominic Rath and others who are working on a clean port of U-Boot for Feroceon or doing great things w/ OpenOCD so we can have a better U-Boot for LS Pro's and the other ARM-based LinkStations. bbradley also helped out w/ some of problems I was having w/ flashing in Linux.
Ready-Made U-Boot Images for LS Pro or LS Live
Untar any of these before using. Flash (at your own risk) using the directions below.
These are stock U-Boot images, with ID strings shown:
- for the LS Pro/Live V1 u-boot_LSProV1-stock.bin.tar.gz
U-Boot 1.1.1 (Jun 12 2006 - 10:32:00) Marvell version: 1.10.8
- for the LS Pro/Live V2 u-boot_LSProV2-stock.bin.tar.gz
U-Boot 1.1.1 (Apr 18 2007 - 18:35:44) Marvell version: 1.12.1 - TINY
for the LS Pro/Live V2 with a wider array of U-Boot commands
u-boot_LSProV2_DG_BuffNASCentral-fullcommands.bin.tar.gz It has been tested in a LS Pro V2 and works w/ the stock firmware and foonas-em. Read the Brick Warning below and use at your risk. ID string:
U-Boot 1.1.1 (Mar 5 2008 - 22:04:56)DG Buffalo NAS Central - Marvell v1.12.1+ TINY
Forum thread and post pertaining to it: Custom U-Boot Image Available for LS Pro V2, along with info on it.
for the LS Pro/Live V1 and V2 with Netconsole and more commands
This is functional and and works well. See "Limitations" below for one issue and its workaround. It has been tested with stock firmware & foonas/foonas-em. In addition, it is very possible that this will work in some of the TeraStations, but it has not be tested in them yet. Read the Brick Warning below and use at your risk - for now, only open to developers, admins, betatesters, etc. Note that this is not necessarily a finished product, and the part of the purpose of it limited release is just to get ideas on how to improve it, or to hear that it is "good to go".
Download it from here : Netconsole_enabled_UBoot-beta_4-12-08-1318.tar.gz
- Works w/ stockware and foonas, with commands built in for changing env var settings easily
- Has a working Netconsole, looks for netcat ip of 192.168.11.149, and automatically uses 192.168.11.150
- Can be switched back to serial console (manual for now)
- In case of hdd failure, auto-fallback to tftp-boot works with both stock firmware and foonas, and can be extended to other distros
- Full command set:
? - alias for 'help' base - print or set address offset bdinfo - print Board Info structure boot - boot default, i.e., run 'bootcmd' bootd - boot default, i.e., run 'bootcmd' boot end . bootm - boot application image from memory bootp - boot image via network using BootP/TFTP protocol bubt - Burn an image on the Boot Flash. cmp - memory compare coninfo - print console devices and information cp - memory copy cpumap - Display CPU memory mapping settings. crc32 - checksum calculation date - get/set/reset date & time dhcp - invoke DHCP client to obtain IP/boot params diskboot- boot from IDE device echo - echo args to console erase - erase FLASH memory ext2load- load binary file from a Ext2 filesystem ext2ls- list files in a directory (default /) flinfo - print FLASH memory information go - start application at address 'addr' help - print online help ide - IDE sub-system loadb - load binary file over serial line (kermit mode) loads - load S-Record file over serial line loop - infinite loop on address range md - memory display micon -command(2byte hex) -data(witin 32byte hex) mm - memory modify (auto-incrementing) mtest - simple RAM test mw - memory write (fill) nm - memory modify (constant address) pci - list and access PCI Configuration Space ping - send ICMP ECHO_REQUEST to network host printenv- print environment variables protect - enable or disable FLASH write protection rarpboot- boot image via network using RARP/TFTP protocol reset - Perform RESET of the CPU run - run commands in an environment variable saveenv - save environment variables to persistent storage security -device -command -options -password setenv - set environment variables shutdown - Poff . tftpboot- boot image via network using TFTP protocol version - print monitor version
Utility scripts (env vars that can be run as scripts, e.g. run foohdb):
nc - switch to netconsole ser - switch to serial console foohdbb - set bootcmd for foonas hdd booting & boot ( bootcmd=ide reset; ext2load ide 0:1 0x00100000 /boot/uImage; setenv bootargs firstname.lastname@example.com/,@192.168.11.149/ root=/dev/sda1 rw ;bootm 0x00100000 ) footftp - set def_tftp for automatic fallback to foonas_em ( def_tftp=tftp 0x00800000 uImage_em ; setenv bootargs email@example.com/,@192.168.11.149/ root=/dev/ram0 rw ; bootm 0x00800000 ) keepalive - (not working at this time) send a micon command to keep UBoot alive. Use this in the case you have no hdd attached or no initrd can be found.
1. It has been tested and we've discovered one minor anomaly with an easy workaround. It has the requirement to be able ping whatever host is at ncip at boot time. It does not require nc to be running on that host, just to be able to see it (arp ping?). Otherwise it works normally. The workaround for this is to make sure you have a host running at boot time that has the ip listed in ncip. (If you are wondering, ncip is a uboot env var that lists the value of the ip where a netcat/nc host might appear.) Users are strongly advised against changing the env var values for ncip, serverip, netmask or any other network associated value.
2. No button-based minimal console (ie, you can't choose boot modes with the buttons on front/rear of LS, as you can in LNI's PPC UBoot port).
3. Because of hdd built-in search function and other factors, at power-up there is a 5-10 second lag to the first output from netconsole.
4. Sometimes during the autoboot countdown, the input of keystrokes seems uneven or slow. This may be a quirk similar to what LNI had noted in the LS1's UBoot. At the moment I am unable to pin down the cause of it, or to fix it. The easy work-around is to hit 3 returns once you see 'egiga0'.
Building U-Boot from ...
Buffalo GPL sources
1. Start by installing the Codesourcery Toolchain setup, shown here : Setting up the CodeSourcery Toolchain for x86-to-ARM Cross-Compiling. There is a handy auto-install script provided that is advantageous to use.
- Follow all the direction on the page linked to.
- By default it is the 2005q3 toolchain, and this is the (a) correct one to use for building U-Boot from the 1.1.1 source.
2. Adjust your environmental variables so that linking is correct.
3. Test your setup. It is suggested that you test your cross-compiler setup by building Linux 2.6.12 or 2.6.16, for instance. See this article for directions on how this is done. Both of these articles:
yield some good instructions and further hints.
Using the 1.1.1 Buff109 source
Now that your toolchain is set up, you have two choices for building U-Boot from Buffalo's GPL sources. The first choice, 1.1.1 Buff109, is ready to go, without any alterations needed and is known to work. The second choice, 1.1.4-working (the name of the directory inside the archive) is not quite ready for use, but is probably very close. While it was tempting to try to work with it, since NetConsole is in this source already, some of the underpinnings for the LSPro boards are not complete in this source, so at the moment it is looking like more of a dead end than a promising opportunity. It remains to be seen when (or if) Buffalo will release more GPL UBoot source.
4. Get the source ready and read up on U-Boot.
- Download and untar the source u-boot-1.1.1_buf109.tar.gz to wherever you are going to compile it, probably in COMPILING.
- Read the README in the source for a lot of useful information about configuring U-Boot.
- Read the documentation on U-Boot, like this U-Boot Reference/Manual from the developer Denx.
5. (Optional) Make any adjustments to include/configs/db88f5181.h that you want to. Tinkering with this can have serious consequences - like a broken U-Boot, so use caution.
6. In the script buffalomake.sh comment out the line third line to look like this:
#. /opt/cross.conf
7. Run the script.
OR configure manually and make.
8. After a few minutes you should find a u-boot.bin in the source directory.
9. Make sure you read the Brick Warning before you attempt to flash.
Using the 1.1.4 "working" source
4. Get the source ready and read up on U-Boot.
- Download and untar the source u-boot-1.1.4-lspro.tar.gz to wherever you are going to compile it, probably in COMPILING. When you untar it, you will notice a suffix "-working".
- Read the README in the source for a lot of useful information about configuring U-Boot.
- Also read the Release Notes for important tips on how this version has changed since the Buf109 source.
- Read the documentation on U-Boot, like this U-Boot Reference/Manual from the developer Denx.
5. In the source, some symlinks have to be added to get it to compile. Trying any make *_config command will reveal problems. In particular, you may need to change the following directories so that the names are symlinks rather than actual directories:
include/asm/proc include/asm/arch include/asm
pointing, of course to the ARM counterparts for these. Or just remove them.
6. Optional. Edit include/configs/mv_feroceon.h to your liking. See the README and docs for details on possibilities.
7. In this issue of Marvell's UBoot sources (see ReleaseNotes for details), the structure of the configure and make commands have changed:
cd u-boot-1.1.4 make mrproper make rd88f5182_NAS2_TINY_buffalo_hs_config TINY=256K_4K make
will yield a uboot.bin of around 230kb with the default options.
8. Note: This source is not in a finished state, and needs some work still to get it to form a complete, working UBoot.bin. It is not advisable to flash this to your LS at this point. It will start and load a kernel, but we haven't seen it boot a kernel yet, either from tftp or from the hdd.
Netconsole-enabled/Patched 1.1.4 Sources
U-Boot 1.1.4 has been patched with the board and cpu code from the above Buffalo Version 1.09 sources to yield a working prototype for a Netconsole-enabled U-Boot for LSPro (both V1 & V2). It is still in testing, but has been shown to work with both Pro versions. The source in its current state of development is available here. While experimentation is encouraged on this, it is important to remember that JTAG is necessary to recover from any serious problems - ie. it can be easy to brick one's box when messing with u-boot.
Directions for building U-Boot with this source are identical to those above in the Buff109 section.
Vanilla Sources
This is a work in progress. At least one community member is currently working on this.
Flashing U-Boot to Your LS Pro
From a Linux Box using JTAG
See this article on JTAG for the LS Pro for instructions and details. Normally, this is a last resort method for flashing U-Boot to ROM. It is used most often when one doesn't have a functioning U-Boot in ROM already.
From within U-Boot
1. Read the Brick Warning above first!. You brick it, you bought it.
2. Set up a tftp server and have your known valid u-boot image (called my_u-boot.bin here, adjust to your situation) sitting at its root directory. You may have to adjust either your U-Boot env vars or your network to have the tftp server at the correct ip given in U-Boots serverip variable.
3. While connected to the U-Boot console (either serial or netcat connection), from the U-Boot side issue the following commands (adjust my_u-boot.bin to your situation):
tftp 0x00100000 my_u-boot.bin protect off 1:0-63 erase 1:0-63 cp.b ${fileaddr} 0xfffc0000 ${filesize} protect on 1:0-63 saveenv
This should yield output similar to this.
Marvell>> tftp 0x00100000 u-boot_davy_02082008.bin Using egiga0 device TFTP from server 192.168.11.149; our IP address is 192.168.11.150 Filename 'u-boot_davy_02082008.bin'. Load address: 0x100000 Loading: ################################################# done Bytes transferred = 245776 (3c010 hex) Marvell>> protect off 1:0-63 Un-Protect Flash Sectors 0-63 in Bank # 1 ................................................................ done Marvell>> erase 1:0-63 Erase Flash Sectors 0-63 in Bank # 1 ................................................................ Marvell>> cp.b ${fileaddr} 0xfffc0000 ${filesize} Copy to Flash... done Marvell>> protect on 1:0-63 Protect Flash Sectors 0-63 in Bank # 1 ................................................................ done Marvell>> saveenv Saving Environment to Flash... . Un-Protected 1 sectors Erasing Flash... . Erased 1 sectors Writing to Flash... done . Protected 1 sectors
From within Linux on your LinkStation Pro
1. Read the Brick Warning above first!. You brick it, you bought it. This method of flashing is not the safest one, but I have flashed w/ it 15 to 20 times now without any problem.
2. It has been tested on the LSProV1, a LSLiveV2 and on a KuroPro. It should work on any ARM-based LS/Kuro that has the proper support in its kernel. No guarantees, though and read the brick warning above.
You need to change to the directory where your known good U-Boot image is, dd it to /dev/mtdblock0, and then compare or diff to make sure the results are what you expected. Note the block size (bs=4k), from the fact that there are 256k in the ROM chip, and 64 sectors (see U-Boot's flinfo command for this).
foonas-em$ dd if=ubootv14.bin of=/dev/mtdblock0 bs=4k 64+0 records in 64+0 records out foonas-em$ cat /dev/mtdblock0 > currentcontents.bin foonas-em$ diff ubootv14.bin currentcontents.bin foonas-em$
Note that if you use a u-boot.bin image that is not the full 256k in size, when you diff or cmp that image to the currentcontents.bin, it will flag it as different, since their sizes differ. Therefore, one may choose to flash a full 256k image instead of the 240k-ish ones that are created by compiling.
Also, note that if this method doesn't work for you, then you will need JTAG to recover. Fortunately, flashing from within Linux seems pretty reliable, but YMMV.
Forum Threads Related to this Subject
Build System for U-Boot on LS Pro