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Mrs. Beverly H. Camden, 78, formerly of Beeville, died on Friday, May 16, 2008, at her home in Houston. She was born in Houston Oct. 14, 1929. While part of her childhood was spent in Dallas, the family returned to Houston in time for her to attend and graduate from Lamar High School. She then graduated from Rice Institute, and was an enthusiastic and involved alumna. She was a member of the Society of Rice University Women, of which she served as president in 1997-1998. She started teaching in 1958, and spent the next 17 years as a sixth-grade teacher. In 1975, she went back to school herself and received a master’s in education administration from the University of Texas. She finished out her 32-year career as principal of the Madderra-Flournoy and Moreno campuses in Beeville. After retiring, she dedicated the rest of her life to her two biggest passions: her family and travel. Her travels took her around the world, touching six of the seven continents. Survivors include two sons, Charles C. “Cary” Camden IV and wife Anne of Cedar Park and Christopher Fenton Camden and wife Roxanne of Houston; one daughter, Kathryn Sue Sowders and husband James “Butch” of College Station; seven grandchildren, Leslie Richardson Rodriguez, Travis Richardson, Taylor, Carolanne, Harrison, Victoria and Emily Camden; one great-grandson; her sister, Angel Johnson of Houston; and several nieces, nephews, grandnieces and grandnephews. She was preceded in death by her brother, Lloyd “Butch” Harold Hawkins. A memorial service will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday, June 7, at Earthman Funeral Directors-Hunter's Creek Chapel, 8303 Katy Freeway, in Houston. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made in her memory to Rice University (giving.rice.edu) or the charity of choice. Arrangements were entrusted to Earthman Funeral Directors in Houston. Mr. Harold L. Fox, 71, of Pettus, died on Thursday, May 15, 2008, at his residence. He was born on Jan. 22, 1937, in Mineral to Rufus and Etta Butler Fox. He owned and operated heavy equipment in the oil production industry for many years. He was a Baptist. He was preceded in death by his parents; and two brothers, Roy Fox and Clarence Byles. Survivors include his wife, Frances Fox of Pettus; two daughters, Kim (Mark) Brick of Tyler and Kellie (Matt) Davis of Topeka, Kan.; one stepdaughter, Brenda (James) Donnell of Kenedy; one son, Mark (Paula) Fox of Pettus; four stepsons, Andy Moses of Beeville, Darryl (Cindy) Moses of Bulverde, Craig (Rose) Moses of Runge and Eric (Megan) Moses of Lagarto; two sisters, Nellie Hoot of Brazoria and Elsie Compton of Freeport; one brother, Elroy Fox of Clute; 16 grandchildren; and six great-grandchildren. Visitation was held from 3 to 5 p.m. Sunday at Eckols Chapel in Kenedy. Funeral services were held there at 10 a.m. Monday with Rev. Brian Simon and Rev. Billy Walker officiating. Interment followed in the Dahl Cemetery in Bee County. Pallbearers were Larry Holm, Ronnie Fox, Jerry Rodriguez, Larry Sellers, Jesse Berthold Sr. and Jerry Morris. Memorials may be made to Hospice of South Texas. Arrangements were entrusted to Eckols Funeral Home Inc. in Kenedy. Audrey Wolfe Fudge, 97, passed from this life Sunday, May 18, 2008. She was born March 18, 1911, to Pete and Ida (Bradford) Wolfe at their home in Mineral, Texas. She graduated from Mineral High School in 1929 and married Wesley Fudge September 21st that same year. he was a homemaker and a faithful member of the Church of Christ. She was preceded in death by their first child Viola Faye, her husband of 65 years Wesley, 4 brothers Robert, Walter, Kenneth and Boyd, and 2 sisters Viola and Gwendolyn. She is survived by her brother, Elton Wolfe of San Antonio, TX, her son and daughter-in-law Quentin and Barbara Fudge of Mineral, her daughter and son-in-law Ida and Bill Moody of Portland, 3 grandchildren Michael, Jeffrey and Karen Sue Fudge, 7 great-grandchildren Shaelene, Alan, Shane, Darryl, Kristi, Donald and Ashley, 4 great-great-grandchildren, and numerous nieces and nephews. Funeral services will be held at 2:00 PM, Tuesday, May 20, 2008, at Galloway & Sons Funeral Home in Beeville, TX with nephew Larry Harris and Bro. Joshua Rodriguez officiating. Burial will follow in the Mineral Cemetery. Pallbearers will be Mike, Jeff and Darryl Fudge, Jim Madary, Michael Brown and Michael Owen. Galloway & Sons Inc., Funeral Directors Mrs. Mary Alaniz Ortega, 78, of Beeville, died on Friday, May 16, 2008, at her residence. She was born on May 10, 1930, in Beeville to Simplicio and Petra Jaramillo Alaniz. She graduated from Our Lady of Victory School and obtained her degree in cosmetology in Corpus Christi. She owned and operated Mary’s Beauty Shop for the past 62 years. She was a member of Our Lady of Victory Catholic Church and was always assisting with church activities. She is survived by two sons, Edward (Lupita) Ortega Jr. of Beeville and Michael (Yvette) Ortega of San Antonio; two sisters, Petrita (Martin) Sanchez of Beeville and Dora (Ben) Trevino of Houston; two brothers, Ray Alaniz of Beeville and Eustoquio “Toco” (Julia) Alaniz of Sugar Land; four grandchildren, Edward Paul, Rodolfo Miguel, John Mathew and Eddica Maria Ortega. She was preceded in death by three sisters, Olivia Benavidez, Adelaida DeRusse and Olivia Gutierrez; six brothers, Emiliano, Simplicio Jr., Cruz Sr., Cresencio, Inocencio and David Alaniz. A rosary was recited at 7 p.m. Monday at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church. Funeral Mass was celebrated at 10 a.m. Tuesday at Our Lady of Victory Catholic Church with Father Luke officiating. Fernando Cisneros provided special music. Burial followed at Our Lady of Victory Cemetery #2. Pallbearers were George Cano, Chris Benavides, Louis Alaniz, Arnold Alaniz, Fred Alaniz, Freddie DeRusse, Ricky Alaniz, Rudy Alaniz and Joe Henry Alaniz. Treviño Funeral Home Mrs. Nohemi “Mimi” Campos Wilson, 41, of College Station, died on Wednesday, May 14, 2008. She was born in Beeville to Francisca Briseno Campos and Marcos Campos Sr. She married Ben Wilson in Las Vegas on Jan. 18, 1997. She was a member of St. Joseph’s Catholic Church and a homemaker. She was preceded in death by her father, Marcos Campos Sr.; one sister, Felipa Cumpian; and her mother-in-law, Janet Wilson Trial. Survivors include her husband, Ben Wilson of College Station; two sons, Trey Wilson and RJ Guerra, both of Beeville; two daughters, Claire Wilson of Beeville and Alyssa Wilson of College Station; her mother, Francisca Campos of Beeville; her father-in-law, Bill Wilson of Beeville; two brothers, Marcos (Gracie) Campos Jr. and Miguel Campos, both of Beeville; seven sisters, Yolanda Campos, Olga (Tony) Flores, Lucy (Albert) Salazar, and JoAnne (Santos) Cardona, all of Beeville, Elvia (Gilbert) Amaro of Lolita, Josie (Edward) Flores of Berclair and Mary (Richard) Perales of Bay City; two brothers-in-law, Brad Wilson of Houston and Bart Wilson of San Antonio; sister-in-law, Happy Wilson of San Antonio; two nieces, Sophie and Laura Wilson; and one nephew, Sully Wilson. Visitation was held from 1 to 9 p.m. Sunday at Galloway & Sons chapel with a rosary recited there at 7 p.m. Funeral services were held at 11 a.m. Monday at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church with Father Pete Elizardo officiating. Burial followed at Glenwood Cemetery. Pallbearers were Armando “Glo”, B.F., Felix Jay, Timmy and Tommy Flores, B.J. Arredondo and Abel Gaona. Honorary pallbearers were John and Jason Cumpian, T.J., Butch and Justin Flores, Adrian Campos, Eric Amaro and Richard Perales Jr. Galloway & Sons Inc., Funeral Directors

Well, I am back and had a great time on our trip to the Holy Land. It was amazing to see things that are over 2,000 years old. If you ever have a chance, please go. I will not bore you with details, but if you want to talk, just come on by and I can show you over 1,000 pictures. Brashear now has a celebrity in their midst. Mrs. Fay Robinson of Brashear placed third in the Ms Hopkins County Senior Classic Pageant. She also won the evening gown part of the competition. I heard she did a great job. Congratulations, Mrs. Robinson, I would love to sit and visit with you. I also heard Carolyn Vaughan was so excited she got to play a baby grand piano. Way to go Carolyn. The rain was so nice on Sunday night and Monday. We had a 1/10th of an inch short of two inches. The rain was much needed. The wind blew down our corn but it is slowly starting to stand up. Lewis Russell told Tom he had the best-looking corn last Sunday. Now we hope it can stand up and keep growing. Getting some tomatoes and I just put up 15 quarts of green beans. Food for next fall, my granddaughter asked me why I canned. I told her I am not sure. I just have been doing it for 40 years and do not know why I keep doing it. But we do have a supply of canned goods in case of a food shortage. Brashear had their annual Brashear Homecoming last Saturday. I am sorry I did not make it but I heard the turnout was great. There were about 70 people and they met at the Family Life Center at the Brashear Baptist Church. Everyone enjoyed the new location and of course there was plenty of room for the service and then for the wonderful food everyone brings. The Homecoming will be held there in the future. There has been talk of making it a historical location. Does anyone know what or how to begin this process? Someone has stepped up to say they will follow the steps needed. Just not sure where to start, please let us know. I was at the courthouse today and talked to Debbie Shirley about elections. Looks like we may use the Baptist Church for elections from now on out, that is if the church approves it. Loving this cool weather, it almost feels like fall. More like football weather, than baseball. I would like to ask for prayers for Ron Bramlett's father. He is not doing well. He recently found out he has cancer. P31 is up and running again for the month of June. There are several new faces and we would love to welcome your beautiful face. Come join the fun and suffer with us. No just kidding would love to have any Brashear women, who would like to get healthier, come join all the fun. This Saturday, there is a garage sale at the Brashear Baptist Church Family Life Building. Sale begins at 8 a.m. with a concession stand. The money earned from the concession stand will go toward some of the youth going to Puerto Rico on a mission trip. After viewing some of the items already there, you need to come on down and check it out. Hope the rain holds off for a few more days. Our hay needs cutting. |< Prev||Next >|

- Special Sections - Public Notices Kentucky officially broke away from Virginia in 1792 to become the 15th state to join the Union. The first order of business was to do what the country, itself, had done just several years earlier: Write a Constitution. It was in Danville, not Frankfort, where the state’s leaders gathered to write that first foundation of our state govern-ment. Kentucky replaced that document twice in the next 90 years. In 1891, the current and fourth Consititution was approved by voters. If you currently subscribe or have subscribed in the past to the Trimble Banner , then simply find your account number on your mailing label and enter it below. Click the question mark below to see where your account ID appears on your mailing label.

- About Us - Our Work - Get Involved - Support Us Sign up to receive email updates from LDF. Samuel L. Jackson asks, "What Would Your World Look Like Without LDF?" This weekend marked the 49th Anniversary of “Bloody Sunday,” the Selma to Montgomery, Alabama march that grew out of voter registration movements spearheaded by SNCC, the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee. Lawyers from the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, including President & Director-Counsel Sherrilyn Ifill; Director of the Washington D.C. office Leslie Proll; and the Political Participation Group (Ryan P. Haygood, Natasha Korgaonkar, Leah Aden, and Deuel Ross) traveled to Selma, Alabama to pay homage to those who marched and fought for the right to vote and to discuss the future of America’s important voting protections. "We continue to urge the Senate to strengthen and ultimately pass the proposed Voting Rights Amendment Act, a bipartisan piece of legislation that was introduced in response to the Supreme Court’s devastating decision last June in Shelby County, Alabama v. Holder. At this very moment, millions of voters of color are even more vulnerable to voting discrimination in the wake of that decision. This bill, though not perfect, is measured, flexible and forward-looking, and will provide us with some of the protections we lost last year," said Ryan P. Haygood, Director of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund's Political Participation Group. "As we commemorate the historic day, we are also mindful of a tremendous setback we suffered in the Senate this week. The United States Senate failed to confirm Debo Adegbile, the former Acting Director-Counsel and President of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, for the position of Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights at the Department of Justice. Although he is the preeminent civil rights lawyer of his generation, he was subjected to an unfair smear campaign based on a capital case the NAACP Legal Defense Fund took on during Mr. Adegbile’s tenure here. As one of the nation's leading civil rights lawyers, Mr. Adegbile was superbly qualified to enforce the nation's civil rights laws. With his depth and breadth of experience, there was simply no candidate more qualified for the position," said Sherrilyn Ifill, President and Director-Counsel of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund.

File-Sharing Bill Harmful to Colleges and Universities October 17, 2007 A bill introduced by Republican members of the House Committee on Education and Labor addresses illegal file sharing on campus. The proposed legislation contains harmful provisions affecting higher education institutions. Strongly pushed by the recording and motion picture industry associations, H.R. 3746 would require institutions to adopt technological steps to block file sharing. At the same time, the industry has not reached consensus on the existing technology that can achieve this effectively. The bill, the College Access and Opportunity Act of 2007, was co-sponsored by representatives Howard P. "Buck" McKeon (R-CA) and Ric Keller (R-FL) and includes provisions that: - give the Secretary of Education an unprecedented amount of authority over an area (copyright infringement) in which the department has neither expertise nor jurisidiction; - enables the entertainment industry to shape and define the government mandates related to illegal file sharing; - requires institutions to adopt technological measures to block allegedly illegal file sharing; - links compliance with the law to the institution's eligibility for Title IV student aid; and - singles out colleges and universities. While the majority of illegal file sharing occurs on commercial networks, HR 3746 ignores commercial Internet service providers. It is unclear whether the bill will move forward in the House this year, however, the entertainment industry will continue to actively lobby for adoption of these measures. It's important for members of Congress to hear from colleges and universities on this measure. To find out what you can do and which representatives should be contacted, refer to EDUCAUSE's call to action. EDUCAUSE has also prepared background materials and talking points to help institutions understand the bill's impact as well as craft messages to their congressional contacts. - NACUBO Responds to FASB's NFP Proposal - Results Are In: The 2014 NACUBO Tuition Discounting Study - NLRB Dismisses Union Bid from Northwestern Football Players - WEBCAST: Legislative Lunchcast: A 30-Minute Washington Update from NACUBO Wednesday, September 9, 2015 12:00PM ET - ON-DEMAND: Developing Your Campus Distance Learning Strategy - ON-DEMAND: A Just-in-Time Webcast to Explain FASB’s NFP Reporting Proposal - ON-DEMAND: Decoding ED's Cash Management Proposal - ON-DEMAND: Corporate Sponsorships: Getting it Right - ON-DEMAND: Analytics that Support Planning, Budgeting, and Results - A Guide to College and University Budgeting: Foundations for Institutional Effectiveness, 4th ed. - by Larry Goldstein - NACUBO's Guide to Unitizing Investment Pools - by Mary S. Wheeler - Managing and Collecting Student Accounts and Loans - by David R. Glezerman and Dennis DeSantis

The latest news about 3D printing, cool gadgets, weird&funny stuff... Posted: Nov 20, 2013 Researchers use CT and 3-D printers to recreate dinosaur fossils (Nanowerk News) Data from computed tomography (CT) scans can be used with three-dimensional (3-D) printers to make accurate copies of fossilized bones, according to new research published online in the journal Radiology ("Reviving the Dinosaur: Virtual Reconstruction and Three-dimensional Printing of a Dinosaur Vertebra"). Fossils are often stored in plaster casts, or jackets, to protect them from damage. Getting information about a fossil typically requires the removal of the plaster and all the sediment surrounding it, which can lead to loss of material or even destruction of the fossil itself. This 3D print is next to the original unprepared and erroneously labeled plaster jacket. German researchers studied the feasibility of using CT and 3-D printers to nondestructively separate fossilized bone from its surrounding sediment matrix and produce a 3-D print of the fossilized bone itself. "The most important benefit of this method is that it is non-destructive, and the risk of harming the fossil is minimal," said study author Ahi Sema Issever, M.D., from the Department of Radiology at Charité Campus Mitte in Berlin. "Also, it is not as time-consuming as conventional preparation." Dr. Issever and colleagues applied the method to an unidentified fossil from the Museum für Naturkunde, a major natural history museum in Berlin. The fossil and others like it were buried under rubble in the basement of the museum after a World War II bombing raid. Since then, museum staff members have had difficulty sorting and identifying some of the plaster jackets. Researchers performed CT on the unidentified fossil with a 320-slice multi-detector system. The different attenuation, or absorption of radiation, through the bone compared with the surrounding matrix enabled clear depiction of a fossilized vertebral body. After studying the CT scan and comparing it to old excavation drawings, the researchers were able to trace the fossil's origin to the Halberstadt excavation, a major dig from 1910 to 1927 in a clay pit south of Halberstadt, Germany. In addition, the CT study provided valuable information about the condition and integrity of the fossil, showing multiple fractures and destruction of the front rim of the vertebral body. This is a digitized image of original excavation field map from Halberstadt, 1923. Inset is magnification of fossilized vertebra. Furthermore, the CT dataset helped the researchers build an accurate reconstruction of the fossil with selective laser sintering, a technology that uses a high-powered laser to fuse together materials to make a 3-D object. Dr. Issever noted that the findings come at a time when advances in technology and cheaper availability of 3-D printers are making them more common as a tool for research. Digital models of the objects can be transferred rapidly among researchers, and endless numbers of exact copies may be produced and distributed, greatly advancing scientific exchange, Dr. Issever said. The technology also potentially enables a global interchange of unique fossils with museums, schools and other settings. "The digital dataset and, ultimately, reproductions of the 3-D print may easily be shared, and other research facilities could thus gain valuable informational access to rare fossils, which otherwise would have been restricted," Dr. Issever said. "Just like Gutenberg's printing press opened the world of books to the public, digital datasets and 3-D prints of fossils may now be distributed more broadly, while protecting the original intact fossil." Source: Radiological Society of North America If you liked this article, please give it a quick review on reddit or StumbleUpon. Thanks! Check out these other trending stories on Nanowerk:

Working as a solopreneur can be a lonely road. Sure, we do our best to attend networking events and social gatherings, we join co-working spaces (like the fabulous HiVE Vancouver!) and meet friends and collaborators for coffee or lunch. We might even get a dog so that we have a reason to go outside on rainy, dreary days! Yet despite all of our supporters and their good intentions, we really are our own best cheerleader. Enter: The Business Coach I am a goal-setting, vision boarding, kick-my-own-butt-into-gear kind of gal, so I never really thought I needed a coach. And, like any woman on a mission, I have trouble asking for help. I have worked with coaches in the past, and I have gotten a lot from the experience, but this time was different. This time, I wasn’t questioning where I wanted to go or how I was going to get there – I realized that I was doing exactly what I wanted to do and I was exactly where I wanted to be…and that scared the heck out of me! I kept asking myself when will the other shoe drop? I first met Lisa Princic at a LOCOBC event, an organization that connects values-based businesses to help grow the local economy. A mutual friend introduced us and told me how Lisa had helped her dig deeper into her business vision and get more out of what she was already doing. Yup, that sounded like something I could get on board with! Working with a coach can be a bit like looking into one of those magnifying mirrors – the more you look, the more you notice every line, spot or imperfection. You start to see what needs attention but you also learn to appreciate what is already there. You see things clearly. Lisa was my New Years Resolution, or at least the experience she helped me create was. My goal was simple (or so I thought): to deepen my own practice and make my business more sustainable. In other words, figure out how to hold onto that awesome feeling you get when you are doing exactly what you love! Now came the tricky part – holding my business up to that darn mirror… Over the course of 20 weeks, Lisa and I chatted every 2 weeks. We discussed the goals and challenges I laid out from my previous sessions and she helped me set up new ones. It was more than holding me accountable – she made me realize that in order to go deeper and become more sustainable I would I have to allow my business to transform. Transformation. That’s it, that’s what I was afraid of. I had finally arrived at a place in my career where I felt safe, valued and respected…and I wanted to hold onto that. But I soon realized that the part of my business that I loved the most was pioneering into new territory: learning new skills, meeting new people and allowing my perspectives to change. I came into Lisa’s coaching process with a strong vision and sense of purpose. While I may not have realized it at the time, she opened my eyes to the fact that I was limiting myself by trying to hold onto things just as they were. I was blocking the road, and all along I thought I was driving free and clear. I spent the past few months exploring my true vision for Narrative Communications and everything kept coming back to the word Story. When I first called myself a Storyteller, people looked at me with confused eyes and a crooked grin. “You mean, like sitting around a campfire kind of storyteller?” No. I meant the deeper stories that exist inside each of us. Jung calls it our Collective Unconscious, Joseph Campbell spoke in Archetypes. I have spent the past 10 years exploring the world of myth. From reading books by Robert Bringhurst, Lewis Hyde and Annette Simmons, to taking courses in narrative psychology, to learning how to facilitate and build community. I have been redefining, mostly for myself, what a storyteller is. My passion is to harvest and gather stories, to weave and share stories. What I do is bigger than storytelling. It is bigger than any one single story or any one single person. It is about connecting personal experiences with universal themes. It is about tapping into a larger narrative that exists inside each of us and within our collective communities. It is myth-making. All of this brought me back to my first passion: Folklore. Fairytales. Fables. The stories we read when we are little and the stories that resonate when we are adults. The stories we feel we have heard before. The stories that are full of nostalgia and brimming with cultural memory. That was why I set off to study a Masters in Mythology at the University of Edinburgh many moons ago. That was why I moved to Ghana, West Africa to host storytelling circles. That is why I set out to start this business in the first place. So what I am? I am a Brand Mythologist. There. I’ve said it. It is bigger than storytelling. It is bigger than strategy. It is everything that connects us, it is everything that we are. Let the transformation begin!

NASA, Vanderbilt University's Dyer Observatory Partner to Provide Summer Fun, Improve Stem Education for Middle School Students NASA and Vanderbilt Dyer Observatory will kick off summer June 21 with events designed to provide local middle school students with summer fun and combat the "slide: in learning than can often happen during the break from the classroom. Media is invited to attend. Who: Leland Melvin, NASA associate administrator for education and two-time space shuttle astronaut, will participate in hands-on activities from 1:30-3 p.m. with about 40 local 5th- and 6th-graders. Activities include designing and building a shock-absorbing system -- using paper, straws and marshmallows -- that protects two astronauts when they land and learning how planetary features are discovered through remote-sensing techniques. Melvin, who has logged more than 565 hours in space, is responsible for developing and implementing NASA's education programs that raise awareness of the agency's goals and missions and inspire interest in STEM fields -- science, technology, engineering and mathematics. A later special event, "The Mighty Sky," features a presentation by Melvin, with music from an upcoming album of the same name performed by Nashville-based singer-songwriter Beth Nielsen Chapman and The Long Players. The event begins at 7:30 p.m. at Dyer Observatory, with preconcert, hands-on educational programming provided by a team from NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala., and Dyer volunteers, beginning at 5 p.m. Dyer's telescopes will also be open for viewing following the event. The events are part of NASA's Summer of Innovation project – the agency's response to a national need to improve the skills and enhance the engagement of American students in STEM education. This is the second year Dyer Observatory has partnered with NASA and the Marshall Center on the SOI project. When: Thursday, June 21 Where: Vanderbilt Dyer Observatory 1000 Oman Drive, Brentwood, TN To attend: News media interested in attending the events should contact Angela Storey in Marshall's Public & Employee Communications Office at 256-544-0034. - end - text-only version of this release

Prime Real Estate Mercury's prime meridian, or 0° longitude, crosses through the left side of this image. The prime meridian was defined as the longitude where the Sun was directly overhead as Mercury passed through its first perihelion in the year 1950. The area was first seen by a spacecraft during MESSENGER's second Mercury flyby and is located to the northwest of the impact crater Derain. The image here has been placed into a map projection with north to the top. The original image was binned on the spacecraft from its original 1024 × 1024 pixel size to 512 × 512. This type of image compression helps to reduce the amount of data that must be downlinked across interplanetary space from MESSENGER to the Deep Space Network on Earth. Date acquired: March 30, 2011 Image Credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Carnegie Institution of Washington

In the video chat below, Louisa Rose of Yalumba Wines Australia has some fascinating insights into the lovely floral white wine Viognier, including how it affects the robust red wine Shiraz when even just 5% is added to the blend. This is one of the most aromatic and under-appreciated white wines, perfect for a variety of dishes, including hearty meats when you don’t want to drink red. Eden Valley, South Australia, Australia: Love it: beautiful and exotic with white floral notes. Drink: 2012-2015. 954644 13% XD 750 mL $24.95 Score: 91/100. Eden Valley, South Australia, Australia: Toasty with attractive black fruit and a hint of hint on the nose. The dash of Viognier in the blend gives the mid-palate a lovely lift. Terrific wine for this price point. Drink: 2012-2015. 524926 14.50% XD 750 mL $21.95 Score: 90/100. Coonawarra, South Australia, Australia: Gorgeous richness with a juicy underlay of fleshy dark berries. Layers of pleasure with a terrific long finish. Serve it to your boss at dinner and get a raise, guaranteed. Drink: 2012-2016. 473645 13.50% D 750 mL $53.95 Score: 93/100. You may also enjoy these video chats: See all wine video chats here. Is there someone else with a fascinating wine story whom you think I should interview? Please e-mail me: email@example.com.

Ed Sayres & His Proxies February 20, 2012 by Nathan J. Winograd Amy Paulin, Nancy Perry, & The ASPCA’s Effort to Turn Back the Clock on Animal Protection in NYS by 40 Years. The fight against NYS Assembly Bill A05449 has brought many new animal lovers to our cause. The facebook page of the legislative sponsor of this bill, Amy Paulin, is overwhelmed by thousands of comments by animal lovers begging her to withdraw her “Quick Kill Bill.” The number of e-mails sent to legislators in opposition is now well over 18,000 and when we asked for donations to pay for newspaper ads in Paulin’s hometown, we raised thousands of dollars to do so in just a matter of hours. Clearly, New York’s animal lovers are angry and fighting back. There is a right side to this issue, and it is NOT the one being championed by the ASPCA. Yet because media reports about the battle over this deadly legislation have failed to place it into a proper historical perspective, and in order to ensure that everyone fighting this dangerous bill is an informed and effective advocate, I wanted to provide the back story of A05449 and how it came to be. For those of you who might be new to this issue and already angry with the ASPCA about their attempts not only to stop rescue access but to erode what little protections animals entering shelters in New York already have, you will no doubt find the history behind this bill equally shocking and, hopefully, equally motivating in the cause of its defeat. For anyone who is familiar with the back-story of A05449, the ASPCA “Quick Kill” bill being sponsored by Assembly Member Amy Paulin, it can be incredibly frustrating to read media accounts of the battle about this harmful and deadly legislation. In two recent New York Daily News articles, the ASPCA is portrayed as having introduced the bill in order to address existing deficiencies in New York law regarding shelter animals. The legislation is described not only as necessary, but equally false, the article leaves the impression that the ASPCA conceived of this legislation on its own, to address real and pressing problems in New York shelters, and not, as is really the case, as a means of co-opting and therefore destroying true shelter reform legislation introduced by No Kill advocates in New York over the last three years. Unfortunately, the media often do not know what to make of a battle that seems, at a first and quick impression, to pit animal lovers against animal lovers. When the environmental movement takes on polluters or oil companies, it is easy for outsiders to orient themselves to the struggle and to understand whose interests each side represents. But when animal rescuers take on the ASPCA, confusion often sets in. With deadlines looming and the age of investigative journalism in its death throes, rare is the reporter who takes the time to research and understand what is truly going on, rather than to simply fall back on preconceived notions that favor the status quo. In short, many journalists simply cave into their biases: assuming that because the ASPCA is supposedly an animal protection organization, and because the ASPCA is old, wealthy and powerful, that it must be on the right side of this issue—the side of the animals. No Kill advocates are therefore conveniently written off as unreasonable, even though, in truth, the policies we advocate, and not those of our opponents, are those that most faithfully represent the mainstream views of most Americans who do not want animals in shelters to be killed out of custom or convenience. A quick look at the facebook page of Amy Paulin, the legislative sponsor of A05449, filled with thousands of comments by New York animal lovers asking her to withdraw her deadly bill and none in support, combined with the 15,000 e-mails that flooded the offices of Albany legislators begging them to kill the ASPCA bill on the eve of an important vote, and it becomes clear which side represents the views of most people, and which side represents the extreme. Despite their professed missions, our nation’s old-guard animal protection organizations are staffed by former kill shelter directors and their friends. As such, they have tragically become the equivalent of corrupt labor unions, fighting innovation and accountability at our nation’s shelters at all costs. And perhaps no story demonstrates this point more clearly than the story of how the ASPCA/Paulin “Quick Kill” bill came into existence. Three years ago, a one year old dog named Oreo was intentionally thrown off a sixth floor Brooklyn roof top. Oreo suffered two broken legs and a fractured rib. Oreo also appeared to have been beaten in the past—several of the neighbors in the building where Oreo lived reported hearing the sounds of the dog being hit. The ASPCA nursed her back to health and arrested the perpetrator. They also dubbed her the “miracle dog,” and fundraised off her plight. But the miracle was short-lived. According to Ed Sayres, the President of the ASPCA, when Oreo recovered from her injuries, she started to show signs of aggression. After a series of temperament tests, Ed Sayres made the decision to kill her. (Although there are videos taken of Oreo, the ASPCA has refused to release them. The only documentation we have of Oreo is a photograph of ASPCA employees hugging her, their own faces inches from hers). The New York Times reported the story the day before Oreo’s scheduled execution. Pets Alive, a No Kill sanctuary in Upstate New York which specializes in rehabilitating aggressive dogs (and, if that proves impossible, safely caring for them for the rest of their lives), contacted the ASPCA to ask if they could take Oreo. They made numerous phone calls and sent numerous e-mails. They were ignored, hung-up on and lied to. And Oreo was killed. As word spread among animal lovers about what had happened, the furor and condemnation of the ASPCA was immediate and severe. No Kill rescue organizations, tired of shelters killing animals they wanted to take, adopted Oreo as their mascot and sought the introduction of a bill that would make it illegal for a shelter to kill an animal a rescue organization was willing to save. Assembly Member Micah Kellner, whose district includes the headquarters of the ASPCA, called it “Oreo’s Law.” Although Oreo’s death was the catalyst, the legislation was desperately needed statewide. A survey of New York rescue groups revealed that 71% had experienced shelter directors who refused to work with them, and who then killed the very animals they had offered to take. It was estimated that if Oreo’s Law passed, 25,000 animals a year—mostly friendly and healthy dogs, cats, puppies, kittens, rabbits and other animals—would be saved who would otherwise be killed by New York shelters. The number could be even higher, as much as 60,000 animals a year. Meet Ed Sayres Ed Sayres—a long-time opponent of No Kill efforts nationwide and spiteful of the backlash against his killing of Oreo—declared that he would use his leverage in the State Capitol to defeat the bill. And although the public support for the bill was overwhelming, with calls to the New York legislators shutting down the servers in the NYS Assembly not once but twice, Oreo’s Law was defeated by a coalition of anti-animal “animal protection” groups, spearheaded by the ASPCA. Oreo’s Law was introduced again in 2011 but under a new name—the Companion Animal Access & Rescue Act or CAARA—with the hope that changing the title of the bill might diminish ASPCA opposition. No such luck. Again the ASPCA led the opposition which defeated the bill. With CAARA pending again this year, the ASPCA sought a new tactic to ensure its defeat and its final demise: introducing competing legislation. Ed Sayres attempted to mollify opposition by passing the ASPCA’s own “rescue access” bill. But not only was the bill nothing of the sort—actually giving shelters the legal right not to work with rescue groups and therefore to kill animals rescuers wanted to save—but it went even went one, egregious step further. As if to punish rescuers and animal lovers for daring to challenge the mighty ASPCA, A05449 actually erodes one of the most important protections animals in shelters have: mandatory holding periods. Angry at those who question what until recently has been the ASPCA’s unlimited authority to determine sheltering policy in New York state, Ed Sayres is now trying to not only co-opt and destroy efforts at true rescue access legislation, but to turn back the clock on animal protection in New York state forty years to 1971. Contrary to misperceptions by the media and contrary to ASPCA assertions, A04559 does NOT mandate rescue access. It merely suggests it, and then codifies in law a shelter’s right not to work with rescue organizations. It states that shelters “may” give animals to rescue groups rather than kill them, instead of “shall” give the animals to them is required by CAARA, A07312, the bill supported by the New York rescue community and thousands of New York animal lovers. And in codifying a shelter’s unlimited authority to determine whether a rescue group or particular animal qualifies, the law eviscerates whistleblower protection for rescuers who want to expose cruel and abusive treatment of animals in the shelters they may visit but are now afraid to do so for fear of losing their rescue privileges. Other parts of A05449 which seem to give the illusion of reform are worded so as to be merely suggestive. The bill suggests that shelters scan for microchips and post lost animals on the internet only if they find it “practicable” to do so. Again, the real shelter reform bill mandates that these common sense things be done whether a shelter wants to or not precisely because at far too many shelters they are not being done, with shelters already finding it inconvenient, or not “practicable,” to do so. But the worst part of the bill is the provision which eliminates holding periods for scared and shy animals, granting shelters the authority to kill such animals the moment they walk in the door. If shelter staff determines that an animal is in “psychological pain,” the animal can be killed immediately. Not only is killing an animal for being scared or shy cruel, and not only is killing an animal who is fearful of being harmed both paradoxical and absurd (a shelter is doing the very thing they claim they want to prevent: harm an animal), but there is no definition in law as to what constitutes “psychological pain” and no standards as to how it is to be applied. If any two shelter employees—including the janitor, the receptionist, or a kennel attendant—believe that an animal is in “psychological pain,” that animal can be killed immediately. For those New Yorkers who share their lives with a dog or cat, the threat this bill creates to their cherished pet is very real: the next time the gardener accidentally leaves the gate open or the next time the kids forget to close the front door and their pet escapes, it may be the last time he is ever seen alive. Because being scared or shy are precisely the behaviors that often characterize lost or stray pets, shelters would be granted the authority to kill many animals immediately upon intake, before their families even have a chance to look for them. In many cases, before their families even have a chance to notice that their beloved pet is missing. Meet Nancy Perry In 2009, after his killing of Oreo, Sayres promised the ASPCA Board of Directors that the outpouring of concern would quiet after a few days or weeks. It continues three years later. In fact, the outcry over Sayres’ actions remains strong and to date, unending. Unable to delete comments from the ASPCA Facebook page fast enough, the condemnation and call for his ouster is not only intensifying, but diversifying. Assembly Member Amy Paulin, the sponsor of the ASPCA “Quick Kill” bill has had her Facebook page completely taken over. Ads will begin running in her district newspaper this week and a billboard will soon grace her Scarsdale, NY community. In addition, animal lovers have turned their ire to the Chair of the ASPCA Board of Directors, demanding that she cease shirking her duty by turning a blind eye to the ASPCA’s war on animals and rescue groups. And Joseph Lentol, the longest running Assembly Member in New York, has joined the fray. Assembly Member Lentol recently released a statement explaining that he understands that A05449 is designed to give “absolute power” to shelters, eviscerating any whistleblower protections of the Kellner bill. In addition, rather than parrot the fiction that shelters care and are working hard to save lives, he noted that, “the worst thing we could do would be to allow the ASPCA to go backwards by permitting them to limit the organizations they will work with. If an organization faults them – they could find themselves off the list of approved rescues! That’s not wise and that is not how we work to open up all publicly funded institutions for public review.” The proud parent of his own rescued pets, Lentol admitted that his own animals may have been killed under the bill. He is now assuring New Yorkers that the bill will not be reported out of his committee. A caring man would not have sacrificed animals to his own vendetta. A smart man would have walked away from the bill given the overwhelming opposition. Ed Sayres, unfortunately, is neither. Instead of admitting that the effort to derail true shelter reform was over, Ed Sayres is attempting a superficial makeover by blaming Paulin and offering up a better spokesman. And he thought he found one, in Nancy Perry, the ASPCA’s Vice-President of Government Relations. It is now Perry’s job to quell the unrest over the bill and sell it in a softer way. It is her job to distance the ASPCA from the “psychological pain” language, the center of the public’s ire and a thinly-veiled declaration of war on feral cats and other animals who act traumatized in a shelter environment. The ASPCA, which has proved itself willing to stab animals and animal rescuers in the back, has chosen to do the same to Amy Paulin, and Nancy Perry is wielding the blade. Late last week, Nancy Perry released a statement on the ASPCA Pro Facebook page that attempts to rewrite history and imply that Paulin, on her own and without their guidance, authored their bill. Perry stated that the bill had problems she, too, is concerned about, and that Paulin made a mistake. It would be the first of her many lies. According to Assembly Member Micah Kellner, “The ASPCA isn’t just supporting A5449-A [which is bad enough], they wrote this bill behind closed doors… Everything in A5549-A is written exactly as the ASPCA wanted. Don’t let them fool you by blaming Albany. This bill is a huge step backward for animals because the ASPCA wanted it that way… As with most things in this world it comes down to maintaining power…” In fact, they chose Amy Paulin precisely because of her reputation for introducing bills without regard for what is in them, without even reading them. The ASPCA wanted a legislator willing to rubber stamp their power grab, and Paulin fit the bill. Proving herself as willing as Sayres to betray the animals, Perry continued with several additional misrepresentations. She stated that the ASPCA’s support for the Paulin bill was only a response to the fact that Kellner’s legislation was seen as an unfunded mandate, and that Albany would not pass it: “We don’t think the Kellner bill can pass—we have been told in no uncertain terms it is not passable. The unfunded mandate problem is not about finding funding. It is just the reality of how the New York state legislature works. They just won’t pass bills that force expensive requirements on local entities.” Not only is this an admission that the Paulin bill does not require shelters to do anything they claim is not “practicable” (giving them the ability to cite lack of resources for the refusal to do anything differently than they are doing now), but it is a lie. Paulin herself has authored bills that imposed requirements on local governments without any funding attached. And more importantly, the inability to pass the Kellner bill in the past is only because of the ASPCA’s opposition. Perry also lied to animal lovers by claiming that the ASPCA is motivated in its opposition to the Kellner bill, and before it, Oreo’s Law, because of a fear of hoarding. There is no question that the effects of hoarding are tragic: animals wallow in their own waste, are denied food and water for long periods of time, do not get necessary veterinary care, are sometimes crammed into cages and do not receive walks or regular exercise, all of which results in tremendous suffering and death. Hoarding is cruel, painful, and abhorrent, but it doesn’t have anything to do with this issue. Rescue access laws are about leveling the playing field between large non-profit organizations like the ASPCA which enjoy unlimited power and discretion over a community’s homeless animals, and smaller ones which, while founded for the same purpose, are prevented from fulfilling their own missions by shelters which refuse to work collaboratively with them to save lives. Moreover, not only do the conditions which describe hoarders precisely describe conditions in many New York shelters which rescue groups want to deliver animals from, but using the animal hoarding card to defeat rescue access legislation is nothing more than ugly fear mongering. Hoarding is the result of mental illness and is not as common as many animal protection organizations would have us believe. Psychologists estimate that only 2% of the population suffers from hoarding, and of those, not all of them “collect” animals—many collect inanimate objects. By contrast, killing is endemic to animal shelters in the U.S. These are animals who have a 100% guarantee of being killed if rescue access isn’t mandated by law because rescue groups are only empowered to save those animals scheduled to be killed. So, there is a 100% chance the animal is killed vs. a slim possibility they’ll end up with a hoarder. Is it really a difficult decision? To suggest that we must protect animals from rescuers is also backward thinking. Shelter killing is the number one cause of death for healthy animals in the U.S. If we care about saving animals, we must save them FROM shelters by putting them in the hands of RESCUERS. Moreover, logic and fairness—both to rescuers and the animals—demand that altruistic people who devote their time and energy to helping the animals who end up in our nation’s shelters stop being equated with mentally ill people who cause them harm. Animal rescuers seek to deliver animals from the type of cruelty and abuse that characterizes not only the care or lack thereof given to animals by hoarders, but, in reality, by many of our shelters as well. Despite similar fear mongering over a decade ago by HSUS when Perry was working for them as California was the first state in the nation to consider such legislation, that provision has been an unqualified success, increasing the number of animals saved, without the downsides—including hoarding—which opponents claimed. Indeed, coupled with other modest shelter reforms, the number of dogs and cats killed in California shelters dropped from over 570,000 animals the year before the law was passed to roughly 328,000 the year after, a decline of almost 250,000 dogs and cats. And, the number of small animals saved, such as rabbits, also spiked according to an analysis by one of the largest law firms in the world. Indeed, that analysis not only concluded rescue rights in California have been incredibly successful, it concluded such laws were necessary in other states. In short, we have PROOF and experience that concerns about hoarding amount to nothing and that rescue access saves lives, facts which Perry and the ASPCA conveniently ignore. And yet despite the fact that killing in shelters is so common and hoarding so rare, nonetheless, the Kellner bill has significant protections against such an outcome, which were put in the bill in the hopes of convincing the ASPCA to support the bill. It excludes organizations with a volunteer, staff member, director, and/or officer who has a conviction for animal neglect, cruelty, and/or dog fighting, and suspends the organization while such charges are pending. In addition, it requires the rescue organization to be a not-for-profit organization, recognized under Internal Revenue Code Section 501(c)(3). As a result, they must register with the federal government, and with several state agencies, including the Attorney General’s Office. It provides a mechanism for inspection of the rescue organization. And, more importantly, nothing in it required shelters to work with specific rescue groups. They are free to work with other rescue organizations if they choose and they are also free to adopt the animals themselves. What they cannot do, what they should not be permitted to do, is to kill animals when those animals have a place to go. Perry’s final lie is to “apologize” for the “misunderstanding” and to urge animal lovers to work with the ASPCA to pass legislation to save more lives. But how is this possible when they are committed to defeating the existing bill which does just that? The Kellner bill is a strong, effective rescue access bill with safeguards to address all of their alleged concerns, and yet they refuse to support it, all the while arguing that we need to work together to come up with a bill that can pass, when, in truth they are the only thing standing in its way. Given how easily the ASPCA has defeated true rescue access laws in the past two years, and given how easily their Quick Kill bill passed the Agriculture Committee despite intense public opposition, how can Perry possibly claim that the Kellner Bill would be defeated even if the ASPCA threw their weight behind it? To state that the ASPCA wants to pass legislation “that will help animals” while refusing to not only support, but working to defeat the very legislation that does just that, is illogical and absurd. If that were true, the choice would be easy. They would support the Kellner bill. And so, Perry—who came to the regressive ASPCA by way of the equally regressive Humane Society of the United States—offers little more than Orwellian doublespeak at the behest of Sayres: “The bill we wrote is not our bill;” “The legislator we chose is not our legislator;” “We regret that the Kellner bill cannot pass because of our own opposition preventing it from passing.” Perry’s machinations to the contrary, the ASPCA’s Quick Kill bill is not good for animals, it is not good for animal lovers, it is not good for New York, and it is not a good precedent for the nation. For the first time anywhere in the U.S., legislation is being sought that would allow shelters to kill animals based on a perceived state of mind, eliminating fundamental protections animals entering shelters have had for decades. Although as anyone acquainted with the crisis of cruelty and uncaring that characterizes our nation’s dysfunctional animal sheltering system can attest, our shelters are already poorly run houses of horror where animals face a better chance of being killed than exiting alive. But at the very least, mandatory holding periods, when they are obeyed, allow people the opportunity to reclaim their missing animals, and they afford homeless animals a little time and space to be adopted. If the ASPCA has its way, and A05449 passes, New York shelters, which in theory exist to help homeless animals and reunite stray animals with their families, will become nothing more than dog and cat slaughterhouses. And if the law then catches on with regressive organizations in other states who introduce similar legislation which comes with the blessing of the powerful and influential ASPCA, the body count could be astronomical. And for what purpose? Not because of a glaring deficiency in New York law regarding holding periods that the ASPCA was honestly and responsibly trying to amend so that the needs of animals in that state could be better served, but rather, as a spiteful vendetta of one hateful, heartless man: Ed Sayres of the ASPCA—a man who has proved himself willing to sacrifice tens of thousands of animals to his own blind ambition. And a man who has surrounded himself with sycophants and “yes men” willing to do his bidding despite the body count. What You Can Do: If—and ONLY if—you are a New York Resident, please contact NYS Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver and ask him not to allow this bill to reach the Assembly floor. There is text provided for you, but as always adding your own heartfelt and polite message is always more effective: http://bit.ly/AEHufj For those outside of New York who want to register your voice, there are three things you can and should do:

Rangel's Removal from Ways and Means Chairmanship Sparks Black Conservative Response Washington, D.C.: Members of the Project 21 black leadership network are commenting on the announcement by Representative Charles Rangel (D-NY) that he will at least temporarily step down from his chairmanship of the House Ways and Means Committee. Bishop Council Nedd II: "If even just for now, Rangel stepping aside will help restore some public confidence in the idea that Congress can police itself. The question remains why it took so long to do the right thing. Rangel should actually resign from Congress entirely. It's been clear thus far that he hasn't had an appreciation of the gravity of his situation, and stepping back from it all is likely the only way he can truly realize the magnitude of the mess he's placed himself and his colleagues." (Bishop Council Nedd II is the bishop of the Chesapeake and the Northeast for the Episcopal Missionary Church and a member of the national advisory council of the Project 21 black leadership network. Nedd is the author of the New Visions Commentary "Rangel Ethics Mess Feels Like History Repeating Itself," which can be found at http://www.nationalcenter.org/P21NVNeddRangel91008.html) Deneen Borelli: "Because of the serious allegations surrounding Rangel's unethical behavior, the question of whether or not he should step down has gone on far too long. Unfortunately, elected officials such as Charlie Rangel have operated under a sense of entitlement and represented their interests and not those of their constituents. During his reign, Rangel has profited while his constituents in Harlem, NY have suffered." (Deneen Borelli is a full-time fellow with the Project 21 black leadership network.) R. Dozier Gray: "What does Charlie Rangel need to do to incur the wrath of Speaker Pelosi? Rob a bank? Hold Barbara Streisand for ransom? Pelosi assumed her leadership position saying she would clean up the ethical mess in Congress, but she's been remarkably lenient on Rangel. And it's not just him. There are a number of ethical lapses that seem to be brushed under the rug. This is hypocritical." (R. Dozier Gray is a member of the national advisory council of the Project 21 black leadership network.) The House Committee on Official Standards recently completed a report that found Rangel had improperly accepted trips to the Caribbean in 2007 and 2008. Information about Rangel's trips was provided to the committee by the National Legal and Policy Center. Up until the announcement, Rangel was publicly steadfast in his intention to remain in his leadership post and appeared to have the support of Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA). As chairman of the Ways and Means Committee, he exerts vast control on the writing of the nation's tax laws. Rangel stands accused of several other ethical infractions including unreported rental income from a vacation home, an undervalued property in his wife's name and potential abuses of his authority related to fundraising, earmarks and gifts. Rangel was elected to House in 1970, replacing Adam Clayton Powell. Powell had similarly faced ethical problems during his congressional tenure, including questionable travel to Florida. Powell was stripped of his committee chairmanship, expelled from Congress and eventually defeated by Rangel. Project 21, a leading voice of black conservatives since 1992, is sponsored by The National Center for Public Policy Research (www.nationalcenter.org).

View the original article at: http://www.nationalenquirer.com/celebrity/mariah-carey-lip-synch-furor Swift backlash as MARIAH CAREY appeared to be lip synching on the American Idol finale. Mimi took the stage and wowed the live audience with a medley of her most famous hits including Hero, Make it Happen, My All, Vision of Love, We Belong Together and her new single Beautiful, but her spot-on performance was quickly questioned, RadarOnline reported. Twitter lit up with criticism, claiming that Mariah wasn’t actually singing live and was lip synching her way through the songs. “I’m pretty sure @mariahcarey performing #Beautiful on #Idol was lip syncing ooo haha the international diva????????” was one slam against Mariah, with thousands of other Twit wits. Mariah killed the hub-bub PDQ, defending her perf, saying she sang live. “No, she did not lip-sync! She sang 3x and even sang additional songs for fans in between (ads),” her rep said.

With the announcement that all 8 of our eligible free agents filed as soon as the FA filing period opened (as reported by Adam Kilgore), its time to talk about what the team could or should do with each of the 8 players. Here’s a quick table showing our 8 free agents, their latest contract and their pay for 2011. |Player||Current or 2011 Contract||2011 Salary| |Gomes, Jonny||2yr/$2.55M (10-11)||$1,750,000| |Rodriguez, Ivan||2 yr/$6M (10-11)||$3,000,000| |Wang, Chien-Ming||1 yr/$1M plus bonuses||$1,000,000| So, what should the team do with these guys? In order (alphabetically): - Rick Ankiel could be an interesting decision for this team. His 2011 line was bad (.239/.296/.363), and he really wasn’t any better down the stretch than he was at the beginning of the season. Ankiel tempts and entices you with periodic flashes of power but generally had really poor batting stats. On the plus side, he’s a lefty in a Right-handed heavy lineup. He also plays a fantastic Center Field (11.6 uzr/150 on the year in center) and has one of the best outfield arms in the game. All this screams 4th outfielder at best, and Ankiel may struggle to match his $1.5M salary in 2012. The Nats may view him as a decent 4th outfielder option, but may not be willing to guarantee him money. I’m guessing he goes elsewhere looking for a starting job or a guaranteed major league contract. - Todd Coffey, by the end of the season, seemed to be a reliable right handed option out of the bullpen for this team. He had a 3.62 era on the season and a decent whip of 1.2. His splits on the year show a different story; he was lights out in May, god-awful in June and July before regaining his consistency in the end of the season. For me, he’s a replace-able asset that should be available in spades on the FA market or from within the farm system. I’m guessing the team rolls the dice on another one of the middle-relief right handers on the market. Had Cole Kimball not gone down with injury, the question would be completely moot for 2012. - Alex Cora probably will find work on a minor league free agent deal somewhere for 2012; he has that “backup middle infielder” skill set that gives him a good shot of finding work in 2012 despite his horrible batting line in 2011 (a 51 ops+ hitting .224 in 156 ABs for the Nats). For the Nats, we saw that up and coming prospect Steve Lombardozzi can play both 2nd and SS in a backup role in September and I’m guessing we use a combination of him and Brian Bixler off the bench in 2012 as cheaper alternatives to the FAs Cora and Jerry Hairston that the team used in 2011. - Jonny Gomes was acquired mid-season in a questionable trade that sent blocked 1B prospect Bill Rhinehart and blogger favorite Christopher Manno to the Reds. At first glance the trade seemed to be about acquiring the compensation pick that Gomes would fetch (who at the time had type-B FA status). After listening to management interviews though the trade seemed to be more about Johnson replacing the impotent Matt Stairs as his primary pinch hitter on the bench. It became clear that Gomes’ skills not only were not worth the 1.75M contract he was on, but that he was barely worth a 25-man roster spot. Gomes hit .204 for the team in the 2nd half, mostly as a right-handed power option off the bench and lost his type-B status by years end. Despite clearly being a good teammate and free-spirit in the clubhouse, Gomes seems destined for a non-guaranteed contract elsewhere for 2012. - Livan Hernandez is hitting the FA market despite being our opening day starter and perhaps the most iconic player of this team’s tenure in Washington (with apologies to Ryan Zimmerman, of course). Hernandez just finished a very up-and-down season, culminating with his being “shut-down” in September (ostensibly to allow rookies to play, but it may have also been somewhat of a mercy-killing after a slew of abysmal performances). One need only look at his 2011 splits to see the problem with Livan: when he won he was very, very good (8-0, 1.26era in his 8 victories). But when he lost he gave the offensively-meager team almost no chance to win (a 6.05 ERA in 13 losses) and was nearly as bad in his 8 no-decisions (5.93 era). I’m sorry, but when you make 29 starts and have an era in the 6’s for 21 of them, you no longer merit a starting spot. The team will swallow its heart and allow Livan to leave in free agency. Just a couple months ago I was advocating to keep him, thinking he’d be a great backup plan and a good influence on the pitching corps. Those points both may be true, but his declining performance coupled with his extraordinarily long warm-up routine pretty much precludes effective use out of the bullpen (where guys need to be warm in 10-15 pitches). I’ll bet Livan finds a 5th starter job somewhere though; perhaps a sentimental return to Florida, a stop-gap one-year contract for the pitching-poor Mets, or elsewhere. - Laynce Nix was hot in Spring Training, and equally as hot in April and May, but tailed off badly and ended the year with a relatively MLB-average 103 ops+ and a slash line of .250/.299/.451. He did have 16 homers in just 351 plate appearances, nearly a 30homer pace for a full season. Of course, he’d never get a full season of At bats since his lefty-righty splits are so bad (.263 versus .111 … he was 3 for 27 against lefties this year with 4 walks). What should the team do? Nix could be a nice part of a platoon in right field with a good right-handed hitter like Chris Marrero … except we’re pretty sure that we’d take a severe dip in defense if we did such a thing. Of course, nobody told the Cardinals they couldn’t put Lance Berkman in the outfield, and he promptly put in a -14.4 uzr/150 rating in right while bashing his way to a .547 slugging percentage and a 166 ops+. Not that Nix is capable of Berkman’s level of productivity, but I still think he could have value as a 4th out-fielder/Davey Johnson prototypical power guy off the bench. Not to mention a lefty on a team whose primary power guys (Werth, Zimmerman and Morse) are all righty. I predict he resigns on a one year deal. - Ivan Rodriguez really wants to get to 3,000 hits, but man he looked old this year. He only managed 27 hits in 124 at bats while ceding the starting job to the more capable Wilson Ramos. Clearly Pudge isn’t coming back to the Nats; the better question is whether there’s a backup job for him anywhere in the league. Probably so, but he’ll struggle to ever reach 3,000. - Chien-Ming Wang, as we already know, is negotiating to stay with the team. And despite this blogger’s opinion that the team erred in setting up Wang’s 2011 contract, it seems like he probably is coming back. I’m guessing he signs a moderate 2-year deal with somewhere in the range of $6-8M in guaranteed money. So, in the end I’m guessing we re-sign one (and perhaps two) of our 8 free agents. This means we’ll be somewhat active on the FA market looking to back-fill some of the positions these guys filled this year. But not totally so; players coming back from injury and players rising from the minor league ranks are expected to take the place of players that we had to buy on the FA market in the past. That’s great news for the team in general; lowered payroll and further proof that our farm system is developing real talent.

Full Spectrum Lighting Larry Weber, Naturallighting.com Copyright© 2002-2004 All life on our planet has adapted to and is nourished by light from the sun and sky, a critical balance of visible color and invisible ultraviolet wavelengths. Over the ages, virtually every living thing developed with the help of Nature's Full Spectrum. Today most people don't get enough sunlight because they spend so much time indoors, and most lack the understanding of lighting and that there is significant difference is type, and quality of lighting available. Most lighting in homes, schools, offices, factories, stores, is so bad that many health disorders can be traced to the lack of natural lighting. Natural sunlight and various forms of light therapy can help reestablish the body's natural rhythm (circadian rhythm - the body's inner clock) which controls timing of sleep, hormone production, body temperature, and other biological functions. Disturbances in this rhythm can lead to health problems such as depression (SAD - Seasonal Affective Disorder) and sleep disorders. Light therapy and the use of natural full spectrum lighting are becoming an integral treatment for many related health conditions. How Light Therapy Works - As light enters the eyes, millions of light and color sensitive cells called photoreceptors convert the light into electrical impulses. These impulses travel along the optic nerve to the brain where they tripper the hypothalamus gland to send chemical messengers called neurotransmitters to regulate the automatic functions of body. The hypothalamus is part of the endocrine system whose secretions govern most bodily functions - blood pressure, body temperature, breathing, digestion, sexual function, moods, immune system, aging process, and circadian rhythm. Full spectrum lighting (containing all wavelengths) sparks the delicate impulses that regulate these functions and maintain health. The Importance of Natural Sunlight - According to numerous studies, poor light poses a serious threat to health. Many firmly believe that the best light for maintaining health must contain the full wavelength spectrum found in natural sunlight. Most artificial (incandescent and standard fluorescent) lighting lacks the complete balanced spectrum of sunlight. The lack of the full spectrum interferes with the body's optimal absorption of nutrients, a condition known as "malillumination". Windows, windshields, eyeglasses, smog, and suntan lotions all filter out parts of the light spectrum and contribute to the problem. Most offices, even those with uncovered windows and the lights on, have a light level of only 500 lux (the international unit illumination) as compared to outdoor light, which has about 50,000 lux, or about 100 times more. Light levels for night shift workers are usually about 50 lux. We spend about 90% of our lives indoors, under inadequate lighting conditions, which can cause or worsen a range of health problems, including depression, heart disease, hypertension, depression, insomnia, premenstrual syndrome, migraines, and carbohydrate cravings, associated with metabolic imbalances. A ten-year epidemiological study conducted at johns Hopkins University Medical School in Baltimore, Maryland, showed that exposure to full spectrum light (including the ultraviolet frequency) is positively) related to the prevention of breast, colon, and rectal cancers. In Russia, a full spectrum lighting system was installed in factories where colds and sore throats had become commonplace among workers. This lowered the bacterial contamination of the air by 40 to 70 percent. Workers who did not receive the full spectrum light were absent twice as many days as those who did. Recent tests in classrooms, two using standard fluorescent lighting and two using full spectrum lights, indicated conclusively that students exposed to the full spectrum lighting had a marked diminishment of hyperactivity, less absenteeism, and higher academic achievement. SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder): Full spectrum light and bright light are effective treatments for Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). The symptoms of SAD are depression, excess sleeping and eating, withdrawn feeling, lowered sex drive, etc. Melatonin levels are found to be very high in-patients with SAD. Daily exposure to sunlight or full spectrum light has been known to eliminate SAD symptoms. UV or Not to UV: That is the question: The term "ultraviolet" causes most people to think of harmful rays, cancer, cataracts, aging, and wrinkles. From sunglasses to suntan lotion, most of the UV is blocked or filtered out. Blocking all of the UV rays may severely weaken the body's defenses. There are strong indications that UV light through the eyes stimulates the immune system. Moderation is the key. There is no question that large amounts of UV are harmful, however, in trace amounts, it is very beneficial. Sunlight contains large amounts of UV in various wavelengths. Each wavelength is responsible for various things, such as tanning response in humans, activate synthesis of Vitamin D, and absorption of calcium and other minerals. Sun therapy was very popular in Europe at the turn of the century, and until the late 1930's. It was known as heliotherapy, named after the Greek God of the sun - Helios. By mid 1930's, sunbathing and UV therapy was most effective treatments for many infectious diseases such as: lupus, eczema, acne, herpes, rheumatoid arthritis, gout, cystics, anemia, colitis, kidney problems, etc. Then in 1938, penicillin was discovered, and world turned to pharmaceuticals, and drugs became big business. Sun therapy was then regarded as medical quackery. There is another side to the healing with light - and most do not know the tremendous health benefits from UV. UV light activates the synthesis of Vitamin D, which is a prerequisite for absorption of calcium and other minerals. UV light can lower blood pressure; can increase efficiency of the heart, can improve EKG readings and blood profiles; can reduce cholesterol; can increase the level of sex hormones (Vita-Lite has a balanced UV, and is used extensively for enhancing the mating and reproduction of indoor pet and animals); UV activates an important skin hormone - solitrol (works with Melatonin to generate changes in mood, circadian rhythms, and seasonal reproduction.). There hundreds of medical studies completed on the health benefits of ultraviolet light, however, prevailing medical establishments continue to maintain that UV is dangerous to our health. It is agreed that too much UV is harmful, however, a basic amount is needed to support life and the immune system, just like any other vital nutrient. Today we spend most of our time indoors, and under artificial lighting. Most indoors lighting (homes, offices, and factories) has inadequate brightness and lacks the spectral components of sunlight. Additionally, most light bulbs give off a gross distortion of the visible light spectrum, emitting strong peaks of light energy in the yellow, red and infrared portions of the spectrum. That is why most lighting in homes and offices, etc. looks yellowish and dingy. Natural Full Spectrum Fluorescent lights have the proven capability to: Blend with natural light from windows and skylights; Reveal detail and colors accurately. Improve seeability; Help improve the performance and productivity of people; Excellent for Pet and Plant lighting. Simulation of natural light means that environments lit with natural full spectrum fluorescent light bulbs can blend perfectly with the natural light from windows and skylights. The eye does not have to adapt to a new spectrum, color temperature or color rendition when one goes from outdoors or a naturally lighted environment to an indoor environment lighted with Vita-Lite. Interior colors are true and details are rendered accurately. Natural light energizes the environment for people. They generally feel better, are more alert, see better and perform better. In a survey conducted to determine the impact of full spectrum lighting in the workplace it was found that: People felt more relaxed and less fatigued with full spectrum lighting than Cool White, with higher eye comfort; The subjects perceived full spectrum lighting as significantly more pleasant, natural, bright and stimulating; Additionally, they rated their seeing tasks as more distinct under full spectrum lighting, and their work tasks as easier and more satisfying. Not all "Full Spectrum" light bulbs are true Full Spectrum - noon daylight bulbs. Light bulbs are rated by 1) Lumen Output; CRI (Color Rendering Index); and Color Temperature (Kelvin Degrees). These ratings are required to determine the type of light the bulb is emitting. Natural light has a unique spectrum, which includes a balance of UV and visible color regions. This spectrum balance of UV and Visible light is necessary for lamps to be called "Full Spectrum". Therefore, if the spectrum from light bulbs closely matches this balanced spectrum of natural noon-day light, such bulbs can accurately and legitimately be described as Full Spectrum. Otherwise, the output of bulbs that does not meet this definition cannot and should not be described as Full Spectrum. Most so-called "Full Spectrum" incandescent bulbs and neodymium) are not true "Full Spectrum" and do not match high quality full spectrum fluorescent light bulbs. Spectral output analysis clearly shows that these types of bulbs do not meet Full Spectrum requirements. These type bulbs have a rare earth element (neodymium) in the glass that reduces the amount of yellow energy from an incandescent filament, thus producing a unique color-rendering lamp. Several of the so-called "Full Spectrum" incandescent manufacturers do not list ratings for Color Temperature, CRI, Lumens, on their "Full Spectrum" incandescent bulbs. Most incandescent and other "Full Spectrum" bulbs have various color tones (pink, purple, etc.). Our products are the highest quality true full spectrum products available. All our products are rated with a Color Temp. (K), (CRI), and Lumen Output varies, depending on bulb. There is no guessing to the Lumen Level, CRI, and Color Temperature (K). Furthermore, the spectral analysis closely matches noonday sunlight and a balanced UV, which incandescent bulbs do not have. Naturallighting.com specializes in natural full spectrum lighting. Other products include our exclusive Ergonomic Desk Lamps, Ultra Compact SunPro and Vita-Lite Spiral Bulbs, Ultra-Lite, Powr-Tek, Natural Light, etc. Naturallighting.com was chosen as "the best retail site" for full spectrum lighting by Glen Hauge - The Master Handy Man, Full-Spectrum bulbs that emulate sunlight are worth the extra cost (Detroit News, De).

low carb eating for a healthy weight View Single Post View Public Profile Send a private message to wild~hair Find More Posts by wild~hair Join Date: Nov 2004 Thursday, March 17, 2011 at 11:33PM That documentary looks an awful lot like the book I'm reading: In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan.

What's for dinner? View Single Post View Public Profile Send a private message to jeepcurlygurl Find More Posts by jeepcurlygurl Join Date: May 2005 Sunday, October 28, 2012 at 05:59PM Halloween Parade party last night so suppler was a boat load of finger foods and appetizers. I love meals like that. Tonight I made buffalo chicken, romaine sauteed with lots of garlic and hot pepper flakes, and cucumber salad. In Western PA Found NC in 2004. CG since 2-05, going grey since 9-05. 3B with some 3A. Hair texture-medium/fine, porosity-normal except for the ends which are porous, elasticity-normal. Suave & VO5 cond, LA Looks Sport Gel, oils, honey, vinegar. password jeepy **updated March 2015**

- Stacey Hill Feb 14, 2011 - Excellent Service. I have natural hair and Stylist, Stacy Hill, completed a flat twist and it was beautiful. She was able to tell me what type of hair texture that I had and recommended product what would work on my hair. Also, for each product that she put on my hair she explained really well. I would recommend Stacy to other customers!!!!! She takes her time and provides the personal attention that a sylist should. Thanks.

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A watercolor painting shows a depiction of the flotillamen and Marines under the command of Commodore Joshua Barney during Battle of Bladensburg, a last ditch effort by U.S. military to forestall the burning of Washington D.C. Courtesy Naval History and Heritage Command Navy Art) By Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Tim Comerford, Naval History and Heritage Command Communication and Outreach Division When British Army Maj. Gen. Robert Ross marched through American defenses toward Washington, D.C., he certainly didn’t expect the battle’s last stand to come from Sailors and Marines. But as his Army finally overpowered that small contingent of 400 flotilla men 200 years ago during the Battle of Bladensburg, it was no surprise to Ross he would find the valiant defenders under the command of a Sailor, Commodore Joshua Barney. The British went on to burn government buildings of the nation’s capital later that afternoon, an embarrassing moment in the young nation’s history. Ross had little time to enjoy his victories Aug. 24, 1814. By the time Ross’ exploits were being celebrated in his homeland of Ireland a few weeks later, the American militia had redeemed themselves during the Battle of Baltimore where the British general was killed. Timing is everything The United States declared war on Great Britain in 1812 when its former mother country refused to quit unlawfully stopping, boarding and impressing American merchantmen into their service due to Great Britain’s ongoing battle with France. In the United States, most of the battles were north along the borders of Canada. But that changed in April 1814. The defeat of France’s Napoleon Bonaparte allowed the British to concentrate on one battle front: America. The Americans made the choice to burn Washington D.C. easy for the British since most of the American militia had gone north. Before British troops set fire to the White House, the Capitol Building and occupied the Washington Navy Yard, they had met with little resistance from the American people. “Early in the war, around February of 1813, British Rear Adm. George Cockburn and his squadron were assigned to the Chesapeake,” said Christine F. Hughes, historian for the Naval History and Heritage Command. “The thought was to wreak havoc through psychological warfare to hurt the public and get at the James Madison administration. They did this by going up and down the Chesapeake Bay where there were some very wealth plantations and raiding. They took away tobacco, cattle, flour – anything they could take away easily and then they would burn what was left. He found it was easy, there was very little resistance to the raids.” They kept at it through spring and summer of 1813 and started again in spring of 1814. “The administration, even after seeing this debacle take place, had very limited funds,” she said. “They had to weigh what to do. They were getting reports up and down the coast from governors in every state asking for help. But they didn’t have it. The Secretary of the Navy at the time, Wayne Jones, had to report back, ‘Sorry, we are stretched too thin.’ So the coastline was left undefended.” Why was it so easy? Because of a government divided. “The war was divided amongst geographic lines and a lot of people were against it starting and against it when the war was going on,” Hughes said. “There were still contingents of federalists that were opposed.” Also faulty thinking where strategy was concerned. “The American strategic view of the war was to attack the British through Canada,” she said. “So we put all of our military in the north.” It was that thinking that ultimately led to the last ditch effort to save the nation’s capital, which was the Battle of Bladensburg. Everyone thought the British would hit Baltimore, which at the time was the more affluent, strategically important and larger city. Washington’s population was just around 7,000 at the time, compared to nearly 50,000 for Baltimore. But there was a very important dissenting opinion. “Amongst Madison’s administration, the president was the one who stood out as thinking that the British would come to Washington,” the historian stated. Apparently the British sided with Madison. The British felt the American people would lose morale if they realized their government could not even protect itself. “We had militia but often they were poorly trained and only brought up for emergencies and there were not enough people to defend the long coastline,” Hughes said. It didn’t help with Great Britain’s appointment of Vice Adm. Sir Alexander Cochrane as the new commander of the North American Station in March 1814. “He has a decided dislike for the American people, being a veteran of the American Revolution where his brother was killed. His orders were rather vague; to wreak havoc but not to go too far inland. The British were not intent on conquering us, just to have a better say in negotiations at the peace table. When he arrived, his second in command, Cockburn was very much in favor of going all the way to Washington D.C. He had seen how easy it would be.” Cochrane and British Army Maj. Gen. Robert Ross had to be convinced, so Cockburn took them out on one of his typical raiding expeditions on Aug. 4, showing how easy it was to take what they wanted from a plantation along the shores of Maryland. During that time, Commodore Joshua Barney, an American Revolution veteran and privateer, had used his flotilla of ships, mostly small barges and gunboats nicknamed the “Mosquito Fleet,” to keep the British busy. While not a great threat to the British ships, they kept the British on their toes. After a few clashes and a narrow escape, the British eventually penned the commodore in. “When it became evident that he could do no more with his fleet, the Secretary of the Navy recalled him to Washington and he was told to destroy the fleet,” Hughes said. In the meantime, militias were scurrying to find out what the British were doing next. “When the Americans finally decide the British are going to attack Washington from the north, they decide to try and meet them at Bladensburg,” Hughes said. With all of the militia stationed in the district off to Bladensburg, Barney and his Sailors and Marines were ordered to burn the last bridge into the city. But waiting was not Barney’s strong suit. “Barney was a man of action,” she said. “If there was a fight, he wanted to be there. He said, ‘you don’t need myself and 400 flotillamen and Marines to burn a bridge.’ He convinced the cabinet and the president to let him go.” And so Barney and his men, with what artillery they could find and despite their exhaustion, trotted about six miles to join the fight, arriving last. It was a battle even the British didn’t expect to win, as penned by British Lt. George R. Gleig of the 8th Regiment. The British had taken severe losses trying to storm the defenses of the Americans, who had suffered far fewer casualties. But as the British continued to push through, they were surprised to see the American defense crumble. “….had they (American militia) conducted themselves with coolness and resolution, it is not conceivable how the day could have been won,” Gleig wrote of the battle. “But the fact is, that with the exception of a party of sailors from the gunboats under the command of Commodore Barney, no troops could behave worse than they did. The skirmishers were driven in as soon as attacked, the first line gave way without offering the slightest resistance, and the left of the main body was broken within half an hour after it was seriously engaged. Of the sailors however, it would be injustice not to speak in the terms of which their conduct merits.” And Barney himself didn’t expect to see wave after wave of American militia running from the fight to what was later snidely referred to as the Bladensburg Races. “The enemy who had been kept in check by our fire for nearly half an hour now began to out flank us on the right, our guns were turned that way, he pushed up the Hill, about 2 or 300 towards the Corps of Americans station’d as above described, who, to my great mortification made no resistance,” Barney wrote in a letter explaining his actions to the Secretary of the Navy. Yet Barney and his men stood their ground. With the ammunition wagons gone amid the general panic of retreat, there was nothing left but close-combat with the enemy. Many of Barney’s men were killed or wounded, with Barney taking a shot to his thigh after his horse was shot out beneath him. He continued fighting until he was so weak from loss of blood he could no longer stand. Overpowered, Barney ordered his men to retreat and for his officers to leave him. WASHINGTON (Aug. 19, 2014) – The swords of U.S. Navy Commodore Joshua Barney and British Maj. Gen. Robert Ross are exhibited as part of the National Museum of the United States Navy’s new War of 1812 exhibit, “1814: From Defeat to Victory” The museum is located on the Washington Navy Yard. The exhibit’s grand opening is set for Aug. 24, the 200th anniversary of the burning of Washington D.C. and the Navy Yard. (U.S. Navy Photograph by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Tim Comerford / Released) A few minutes later, Barney faced his British foes, Gen. Ross and Adm. Cockburn. Barney’s surrender was polite, according to “Memoirs of Commodore Barney” by his daughter-in-law Mary Barney (Boston, 1832). “I am very glad to see you, Commodore,” said Gen. Ross. To which Barney replied: “I am sorry, I cannot return to you the compliment, General.” Ross then turned to the Admiral and remarked: “I told you it was the flotilla men.” To which Adm. Cockburn agreed: “Yes, you were right, though I could not believe you – they have given us the only real fighting we have had.” The two British commanders, out of respect for Barney’s efforts, “paroled” him by refusing to take him prisoner. After being treated by a British surgeon, the commanders made arrangements to take Barney to Bladensburg as requested. Barney would remark later British Capt. John Wainwright’s care of him was like that of a brother. Since the bullet could not be removed, Barney never quite recovered from the wound he received at Bladensburg. Four years later, while traveling with his family to retire on property he purchased in Kentucky, Barney contracted an infection and died in Pittsburgh. A tragic end to someone who was the best of what the U.S. Navy and America represents.

, January 2013 …if anyone’s music deserves to be flagged afresh until the unique talent of its composer is widely recognised, it is Coates’s. There has almost certainly been no greater female symphonist than she—a fact acknowledged by American opinion-guru Kyle Gann in his notes. There are few males that could rival her in symphonic writing for total originality or, indeed, masculine muscle. Her string quartets represent a parallel body of works, the unique character and expressive power of which has seldom been matched. As Skærved says in his note on Coates’s music in 8.559666: “Once the floodgates are open, its extraordinary beauty is irresistible.” It is not a beauty that all listeners will acknowledge, certainly not on the strength of a single audition. To appreciate fully the complexity, intensity and profundity of these works, concentrated and repeated listening is a prerequisite. For newcomers, it is ironically the Sonata for Solo Violin and the Lyric Suite for piano trio that provide the easiest point of entry. In the former can be felt the presence of Johann Sebastian Bach, whom Coates has previously cited as her greatest influence. Despite a few unusual sound effects, this is attractive, lyrical writing. There are more odd sounds in the seven-movement Lyric Suite—the pianist must play both the outside and inside the piano—and dissonance, yet predecessors like Charles Ives, and certainly Henry Cowell, would feel at home in this world. Spanning more than forty years, the nine String Quartets heard here are considerably more challenging, although not in a Sixties-Penderecki way. The First and Second are only a few minutes in length, and, despite their origin in the heyday of modernism are relatively accessible. The Third and Fourth are only a little longer and thus fairly easy to negotiate, although by this time Coates’s unique style is prominent. Dense, multi-minute, often palindromic glissandos and scordaturas—with performers often retuning whilst playing—are trademarks not only of Coates’s quartets, but of the symphonies too. Other unusual effects do recall Penderecki, but with Coates they are more subtly employed, in a musical language that has been called ‘post-minimalist’. In every case the result is a soundscape of startling, unsettling intensity of colour and texture. Their eerie, fifth-dimension nature has even led to movements from two of Coates’s works being used by Naxos on their pair of ‘Music for the Zombie Apocalypse’ digital albums (9.00117, 9.00148). Half the Kreutzer Quartet’s personnel changed between the second and third volumes, with Gordon McKay and Bridget Carey making way for Mihailo Trandafilovski and Morgan Goff respectively. Yet whoever the instrumentalists, their concentration, commitment and technique are extraordinary in what on the page appears extremely daunting music. Sound quality is very good… Kyle Gann has written insightful and detailed booklets notes for all three volumes. Coates is indeed one of the most important and prolific female composers of the 20th and 21st centuries, and Naxos deserve plaudits once again for having the nerve to bring her works to the attention of a wider public. © 2013 MusicWeb International Read complete review

Boost From Barton And Blazers Bench Helps Propel Portland Past San Antonio, Forcing A Game 5 By KEVIN HUDSON Sometimes a coach will pull aside a player before a game and let them know what he expects from them that night, what their role will be, and what he needs them to focus on. But this is decidedly not the case for Will Barton, who said he is never sure how much or when he will play, just that he needs to be ready. “Coach just always tells me stay ready and he likes what I’ve been doing the whole year,” Barton said. “He tells me ‘I never know how much I’m going to play you or when you’re going to play but just be ready.’ … That’s what I try to do.” Sometimes it’s a veteran player who pulls a bench player aside before a game to fill them in on their role for the evening, give them guidance, or maybe inspire them to play their best ball. But, again, not for Barton or Thomas Robinson, who turned in career performances Monday night without a single word of advice from a veteran like Wes Matthews. “Nope, and I’m not going to say anything to them before the next game,” Matthews said. “I got nothing to say to them. They know what they’ve got to do.” What Barton did Monday was lead the Portland reserves with career playoff highs of 17 points, six rebounds and two assists in The Trail Blazers’ 103-92 win over San Antonio. Barton’s performance, along with Thomas Robinson’s career playoff high nine points and five rebounds, marked the highest bench production of the series for the Blazers and helped propel Portland to its series-extending win. “They were the boost of the game. They were the change of the game,” said Wes Matthews in praise of Barton and Robinson’s performances. “They made big time plays. It just seemed like play after play they played at a high level and they played with confidence.” And if Stotts doesn’t try to inspire Barton with pre-game pep talks or prep him with strategy discussion, it’s because he trusts him to know what it is the team needs from him. “I trust him now, that’s why he’s out there,” Stotts said. Barton and Robinson were the first two reserves off the Blazers bench with 4:19 left in the first quarter and both made their presence felt immediately with Robinson emphatically blocking an Aron Baynes layup attempt in his first minute on the court and Barton’s running floater putting Portland in front 23-21 with 1:11 left in the quarter. The two played an identical 12:39 in the first half, nabbing two boards each with eight points for Barton and five for Robinson, on their way to career highs in playoff minutes as Robinson logged 24:13 and Barton 29:30, helping keep the Blazers starters better rested for the final stretch of the game. “(I liked) a little bit of everything but obviously his energy, his aggressiveness with the ball, he helped with the ball handling and he was relatively solid defensively, but for him to have 17 off the bench was big for us,” said Blazers coach Terry Stotts. “Because of those two guys we were able to keep the starters’ minutes at a decent number.” Like Barton, Robinson knows that his task is to stay ready should his number be called, without necessarily knowing exactly when it will be. “To be honest we had no clue that tonight was going to happen like that. One thing coach has been great with all year is preaching to stay ready, so we stay ready,” Robinson said. “Will came in and played amazing man. I did a solid job, I’m just trying to help, but Will was big.” But despite the big night and the big numbers, Barton insisted it was all about getting the win. “I’m always just focused on making winning plays,” he said. “I’m not really too concerned about my stats, not how many points I score and things like that, just trying to make winning plays to help our team get a victory.”

Player Appearance Request The Washington Wizards receive a significant number of requests each year for our players and coaches and they maintain an extremely tight schedule throughout the season with practices and games. While we recognize the importance of appearances at charitable and community functions, we only ask our players and coaches to attend team-organized events. Charitable Donation Requests As you can imagine The Washington Wizards are asked to support many worthwhile charitable causes and events each year. Our goal is to fulfill as many requests as possible, however due to the number of requests we receive, we simply are unable to accommodate them all with a donation. In order for your organization to be considered for a charitable donation, you must complete the online Washington Wizards Donation Request Form. You must also comply with the following guidelines: - Request MUST be submitted at least six (6) weeks prior to the date of your event. - Request may only be submitted online via our online Washington Wizards Donation Request Form. - Approved organizations may only receive one donation per calendar year. - Please do not send personal items to be autographed by Wizards players, coaches, or alumni. The Washington Wizards will not be held responsible for any lost or unreturned items. - The Washington Wizards are unable to donate to organizations outside of the Washington, DC Metropolitan Area (MD and VA). - All correspondence will be made via email, please do not call or email directly for status updates. - The Washington Wizards Community Relations department is unable to make monetary donations or provide sponsorships. - All request for memorabilia and promotional items are limited to auction and/or raffle activities designed to raise funds for registered charities, with preference given to those that serve youth where the funds go directly to those in need. - All requests are subject to approval by the Washington Wizards. After you submit your request online, you will receive a return e-mail with a username and password so that you may check the status of your request. Please keep in mind that submitting an online request does not guarantee your organization will receive a donation. Failure to follow these guidelines will result in denial Can I receive more than one item for my event? In order to fulfill as many request as possible, we will only provide one item per organization per calendar year. Can I receive tickets as a donation? Due to the limited number of tickets available, the Wizards are unable to donate game tickets to organizations for auctions or raffle items. Can I request what item I would like to receive for my event? No. The Wizards Community Relations department will determine what item will be donated to organizations. If I send an item (e.g. basketball, jersey, trading cards, poster, etc.) can you have a player / team autograph it? Unfortunately, we are unable to have such items signed. Should you chose to still send an item to be autographed, we cannot guarantee that your item will be returned and will not be responsible for lost items. I live outside of the Washington, DC Metropolitan Area (MD and VA). Will you still make a donation to my organization? Unfortunately, due to the high volume of request we receive, we will only make donations to organizations that are within 75 miles of Verizon Center. I received an item from the Wizards for my organizations event, but wish to exchange it for another item. Is that possible? No, we are not able to exchange items for other items.

Caron Butler Celebrates the Racine Community With A "Day of Service" “There is no better way to commemorate the honor that was given to me than to celebrate the community and the hard work of local social service agencies and community stakeholders. I grew up here, my family is here and through this Day of Service I hope to inspire everyone to get involved in this community," said Butler." United Way president Dave Maurer noted “Caron does a lot for others year round, that many people don’t hear about. His willingness to give of his time and his talent, as well as provide resources demonstrates what we mean when we ask people to ‘LIVE UNITED’. He is a sincere, thoughtful and generous man. We are delighted to be working with him on behalf of the Racine community.” Caron Butler Day of Service began 8:00 am at the Racine Family YMCA where Butler served breakfast and participated in activities with their Active Older Adult program. Butler followed with a meeting with Mayor John Dickert at 9:30 am at City Hall. From 10:30-11:30 am, Butler met with Barb Tylenda, Executive Director of the Healthcare Network, an organization the provides free medical and dental services for the uninsured, as well as individuals whose lives have been changed by the services provided by the organization. Butler met with members of the Racine Family YMCA’s Fatherhood Initiative for a working lunch at Spinnakers Restaurant. After lunch, Butler made visits to the local homeless shelter, HALO and the Racine County Food Bank to help volunteers sort food and clothing donations for distribution to those in need; and from there he toured Bethany Apartments and met with program participants to learn of their experiences. Butler then returned to Cops and Kids for the third consecutive year and hosted a reading timeout from 3:45-5:00 pm. Butler closed out the day with a networking event with some of Racine’s community leaders to discuss how they can all work together to achieve the common goal of improving the Racine community.

"But I've heard rumors McGee really has closer to a 10 foot wingpsan and he can dunk the ball from his knees." C'mon guy. Ya can't believe EVERYTHING you hear. © 2015 Sports Phenoms, Inc., All Rights Reserved This site has no affiliation with the National Basketball Association Website Design by SOF, Inc. -::- Website Development and Hosting by Cynaptic Ltd.

MANGUM, Okla. (AP) – A southwestern Oklahoma sheriff is dressing county inmates in hot pink jumpsuits as a deterrent to crime and to make them easier to spot. Greer County Sheriff Devin Huckabay says the new suits replace the faded and tattered orange jumpsuits worn until now. Huckabay says male inmates "don't like wearing them" and that the snazzy jumpsuits therefore are an incentive to not break the law and wind up in jail. He says the prisoners wearing pink are also "hard to miss" and so can be easily managed when working on community projects or being transferred. (COPYRIGHT 2010 BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.) KKCO firmly believes in freedom of speech for all and we are happy to provide this forum for the community to share opinions and facts. We ask that commenters keep it clean, keep it truthful, stay on topic and be responsible. Comments left here do not necessarily represent the viewpoint of KKCO 11News.powered by Disqus

A dying 7-month old Vallejo baby had a liver transplant Wednesday that could save her life. Makayla Faith Keltz suffers from a genetic malformation which caused her liver to fail, the Vallejo Times-Herald reported. With only a couple of months to live, the baby was so sick her skin turned yellow, according to her mother, Lauren Wilson. The baby's new liver came from a healthy 2-year-old boy who was killed in an accident four states away. The boy's parent chose to donate his liver. Makayla's procedure at Stanford's Lucille Packard Children's Hospital Wednesday morning was a success. "This is like a new birthday for her," Wilson told the newspaper. "I know it's a new beginning for her." The family is now struggling with the medical fees. "The medical bill, without the transplant or the special food, is $3.2 million," Wilson said. "But, I'm so relieved. This has been the hardest four months of my life." If you would like to contribute to Makayla's health care fund, you can call her mother, Lauren Wilson, at (707) 294-3177.

Authorities in South Texas have canceled an Amber Alert for three children who were allegedly taken from school by their grandmother on Thursday. Jose Olvera, Juan Garcia and Liza Garcia have been located and are safe. Police in Somerset, which is southwest of San Antonio, earlier said that school officials mistakenly released the children to their grandmother, Elida Leal, on Thursday afternoon. The three children are in Texas Child Protective Services custody, but the school called the grandmother to pick up the children when one or more of them became sick, investigators say. The school had not updated its emergency contact list.

At a time when much of the world is in some form of decline, Rio de Janeiro is the view looking forward; it feels like the capital of hope. The wave of change owes something to the booming Brazilian economy, something to the discovery of offshore oil, something to the energy brought to the city when it was chosen for the 2014 World Cup finals and the 2016 Olympics, and most of all to the dramatic reduction in crime. All of these changes are elaborately intertwined, each the condition of the others. Rio has not achieved the placidity of Zurich or Reykjavík, but just as every small joy feels like rapture after a depression, the improvement in Rio has an aura of fiesta, even of miracle, that those serene towns will never know. A great many cities sit beside the sea, but no other integrates the ocean as Rio does. You can imagine San Francisco positioned inland, or Miami when the sand washes away, but to imagine Rio without the waterfront is like imagining New York without tall buildings, Paris without bistros, L.A. without celebrities. The landscape has an almost Venetian urgency. “If you don’t go to the beach you don’t know anything that’s happening,” said the Rio- and New York–based artist Vik Muniz. “No matter if you have Twitter, or if you have a cell phone, you have to go to the beach, every day at four o’clock until sundown.” Beaches are inherently democratic institutions; when you’re in a bathing suit, there’s no way to show off anything much besides your body, your skill at volleyball, your aura of cool. It’s pointless being a snob in Rio. Rio’s topography has dictated another social anomaly. People of privilege live in the flat seaside areas in the Zona Sul, the southern district that encompasses the famous beaches of Copacabana, Ipanema, and Leblon. These neighborhoods are punctuated by abrupt hills, which have been settled by the poor over the past century or so. These steep favelas do not appear in detail on most maps of the city, and have historically had no utilities, no garbage collection, no closed sewers, and no police protection. The social distances in Rio outpace the geographic ones. Muniz said, “You’re sitting in St.-Tropez surrounded by Mogadishu.” Much of Brazilian culture originated in Rio’s favelas. Samba evolved here, and the new funk music, too. Many soccer stars came out of the favelas, and some of Brazil’s famous models were born there. Carnival in Rio depends on the “samba schools” of the favelas, which compete to put on the most glittering display. French aristocrats never say that France would be nothing without the slums of Paris, and most upper-class Italians are embarrassed by the Mafia; hip-hop culture notwithstanding, most Americans opt for the suburbs. But in Rio de Janeiro, those who have privilege admire those who don’t. You may or may not choose, as a tourist, to go up to the favelas, but if you love Rio, it’s for a paradigm that is contingent on them. Nowhere is this unusual arrangement more apparent than from the air. My husband and I went hang-gliding one morning from the Tijuca Forest, soaring above the snaking alleys of Vidigal on one side and luxury oceanfront hotels on the other. You know Rio a whole new way when you have looked at its skyscrapers from the sky they are scraping. A few days later, we took a helicopter ride over the city at sunset, observing the Olympic facilities under construction, noting how the favelas are distributed like chocolate chips in a cookie, rich and poor alike under the gaze of the towering Christ of Corcovado. Rio is smattered with 18th-century buildings in varying states of disrepair, scores of cakelike examples of the Belle Époque, and a profusion of exuberant Midcentury Modernist office towers and apartment buildings. Oscar Niemeyer is the architect of the most curvaceous—epitomized by his flying saucer of a museum across the bay in Niterói. These sinewy structures appear to exquisite advantage beside the black-and-white-patterned beachfront sidewalks by visionary landscape architect Roberto Burle Marx, who also designed the city’s best parks. Most cities obfuscate the nature they have usurped, but Rio looks as though it had been painted onto the underlying topography in order to nuance its sweeping undulations. We stayed in fine hotels; when we arrived at the Fasano with our two-year-old, a pillow embroidered with his name was waiting in the crib. I ate at chic restaurants such as Gero and Satyricon, and I hit the shops for trendy Rio brands such as Osklen. I heard some excellent Brazilian jazz; I took a half-day trip to see the golden lion tamarins in the Poço das Antas Biological Reserve. But for me, Rio at this moment is not about tourist attractions; it is about renaissance. As in Moscow at the end of communism, Johannesburg at the end of apartheid, and Beijing when China opened to capitalism, the sights are secondary to the electrifying current of transformation. Copyright © 2012 Amex

Grading a batch of freshman composition essays can leave a teacher feeling like an automaton, but does that mean a robot could take over the job? Researchers at the University of Akron in Ohio recently found that eight commercially available automated essay grading programs, plus one open-source solution from Carnegie Mellon University researchers, gave similar scores to papers as human graders. The researchers presented their results April 16 at the annual conference of the National Council on Measurement in Education. "The demonstration showed conclusively that automated essay scoring systems are fast, accurate and cost effective," Tom Vander Ark, one of the study's directors and CEO of digital learning consulting company Open Education Solutions, said in a statement. The promising results may mean more auto-grading in state standardized tests or in cash-strapped community colleges, which would not have to pay readers or use up instructor time in grading essays. The researchers collected 22,029 essays written by 7th-, 8th- and 10th-graders for several different state standardized tests. They included all types of essays, including narrative, persuasive and descriptive essays and responses to provided reading. The essays had already been graded by people, using whatever rubrics applied to the tests for which the essays were originally written. Robo-graders employ natural language processing, a computer science technique that Twitter-mining programs and other automated readers use. Like all natural language processing programs, the graders first analyze sample essays graded by expert humans to learn what good and bad essays look like. Then they apply those lessons to new essays. To test the automated readers, researchers gave essay-grading companies a sample set of essays, plus their human-given scores, to use to train their programs. Together, the eight commercial programs in the study provide 97 percent of the world's robo-essay-grading today. After the training period, the companies ran their programs on a new set of testing essays the researchers gave them. Researchers compared the automatically-generated scores with the human scores. A series of statistical tests found the automated scores were very close to human scores. "This demonstration of rapid and accurate automated essay scoring will encourage states to include more writing in their state assessments," said Barbara Chow of the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, which funded the study. The foundation is also sponsoring a contest that promises $100,000 to whoever can program the best essay-grading machine. Programmers need to submit by April 30. Preparing for essay tests will help students improve their critical thinking and communication skills, Chow said. Whether standardized assessments help anybody at all is under debate, however, so it's sure to be a point of contention if adding robo-graded essays will help. One major weakness in automated grading programs is that though they learn by example, a machine's version of learning by example is not quite the same as a person's. Machines see different things than people do. For example, because of the lack of program-readable paragraph tags in the essays entered in the study, the grading programs couldn't detect paragraph breaks, according to the University of Akron paper. Paragraph breaks are important to the effectiveness of an essay's structure and a human could easily see where paragraphs are. The same researchers have two more robo-grader assessments planned. One will test short-answer-grading programs and another will test programs for evaluating graphs, proofs and formulas on math tests. Extra credit: Les Perelman, director of a writing program at MIT, posted one automated grader's humorously flawed results to the comments section of an article at Inside Higher Ed. Be sure to read the program's glowing praise at the end of the essay. - 10 Gadgets for Back to School - Floating University Offers Ivy League Education for All - 10 Traits of Successful Innovators © 2012 InnovationNewsDaily.com. All rights reserved. More from InnovationNewsDaily.com.

Sergei Supinsky / AFP/Getty Images February 20, 2014 Ten Years Later: Ukraine’s Orange Revolution Ukraine's last mass protest movement might have looked different from the ongoing riots in Kiev, but many of the players are the same. Transcript of this video Sorry, we do not have a transcript available for this video at this time.

About a hundred dogs and puppies now have a chance for a better life, thanks to a Long Island animal shelter. The dogs will be checked out medically, behaviorally and socially, and spayed or neutered. Most of the dogs will be available for adoption beginning this weekend. You can find out more about adopting the dogs and puppies by contacting North Shore Animal League America at 516-883-7575. The shelter is located at 25 Davis Avenue in Port Washington, Long Island.

Do you think Zynga chief executive Mark Pincus looked around and thought, "If LinkedIn can get a market valuation of $9 billion, I can double that!" If so, it would explain rumors that Zynga will file for its initial public offering this week. Along with LinkedIn, the Russian search giant was valued at $13 billion after its IPO, so pressure may be on Pincus to make a move before any tech bubble bursts. While there are several people who say we're not in a tech bubble, we can also say there were many who said the same thing before the real estate bubble burst and nearly crippled the nation. LinkedIn is now worth $9 billion, even though it only netted $3.4 million last year. Does that make much sense to you? It's even causing some Wall Street analysts to take a breather and try to figure out what's going on. Now Zynga, which is almost wholly dependent on Facebook, is now considered to be worth $10 billion after making a $400 million profit in 2010, according to AllThingsD. And its IPO could easily be double of the expected $10 billion. After all, its profits are 100 times larger than LinkedIn's. We think Pincus should unveil his IPO quickly before the popping sound.

Before midnight, police were called about a suicide at an apartment in 400 block of Sunnybrook Terrace. Once inside, officers noticed several suspicious items and called the bomb squad. The apartment building was evacuated as the pipe bombs were removed. The items were taken to a field at the Montgomery County Agricultural Park where a robot was used to help safely disrupt the devices. Officials have not released the name of the man found dead in the apartment. It is unclear if he is the one who made the pipe bombs.

A military graveyard is causing controversy in Virginia, and its not located in Arlington. A group is demanding better grave markers for more than 17,000 soldiers buried in Richmond that fought for the Confederacy during the Civil War. The group, the Sons of Confederate Veterans, wants federal funding to place individual, upright markers in the graveyard for dead soldiers, the Times-Dispatch reported. The graveyard is named Oakwood Cemetery, and is one of the largest for Confederate war dead. "You would not believe the people all across the country with ancestors out there who want this done," said F. Lee Hart III, a member of the Sons of Confederate Veteran's and the head of the group's committee to restore the cemetery. One of the group's supporters is U.S. Sen. Jim Webb, D-Va. He wrote a letter petitioning the Veterans Affairs to release money for the refurbishment. Currently, six by six inch marble blocks serve as the marker for 3 soldiers each. According to the Sons of the Confederacy, these blocks are in disrepair. "The stones are all damaged, a lot of them are illegible," Hart told the Times-Dispatch. "It's disgraceful." The VA estimated that the total cost of new, upright markers would be $3.2 million. The Sons of Confederate Veterans asked for ten new upright, granite markers last year from the VA, but were turned down. An agency official wrote such markers "would have an adverse effect on the historic setting and potentially archaelogical resources." But Hart has pointed out that the cemetery had originally been marked by Confederate women's group with upright grave markers made of wood, which eventually rotted. The month of April was marked as Civil War History Month by Gov. Bob McDonnell.

The 10-month investigation found that from 2004 to 2008 the D.C. Department of Health's HIV/AIDS Administration gave more than $25 million to nonprofits with questionable spending practices, few clients, poor recordkeeping and poor care. From 2004 to 2008, about $16 million a year was divided among 90 small nonprofit groups. More than 20 failed to file tax returns or secure a city business license, The Post found. Some groups submitted employee résumés and consulting contracts with false information, including fake addresses and credentials. Others had a history of financial problems or had spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on travel or executive pay. One Northeast nonprofit group paid its executive director $357,000 in salary and benefits at a time when it was cutting back services. The Post report mentions hundreds of thousands of dollars earmarked for a housing group with alleged ghost employees that left patients without power or food and a still unopened job training center promised by an organization started by an alleged drug kingpin, among other deficient agencies getting city funds. Things to consider the next time the city holds a public launch of an awareness campaign, prevention education or treatment plan.

Police are looking for a man who attacked two children in an elevator, stabbing a 6-year-old boy to death and critically injuring a 7-year-old girl, in what appeared to be a random attack days after he may have also brutally stabbed a teenager nearby. The suspect, who is still on the loose, attacked the children with a steak knife at around 6 p.m. Sunday in the building on Schenck Avenue in East New York, police said. They were both stabbed in the torso, and were believed to be on their way to get frozen treats. Police Commissioner Bill Bratton said Monday that the suspect was a husky man wearing a gray sweatshirt as he fled eastbound. There were no video cameras at the housing complex, he said. "There is a massive effort underway to find the perpetrator," Mayor de Blasio said. Police believe the suspect may be the same person who stabbed a teen to death a few blocks away on Friday night. Investigators are reviewing what Bratton said is grainy video of that stabbing. In the Sunday attack, the boy, identified as Prince Joshua Avitto, was found near the elevator and the girl was found just outside the building. Chicago Bulls forward Taj Gibson, who is from Brooklyn, on Monday tweeted about his heartbreak for the boy he called "my lil super man," and relatives confirmed Gibson has connections to the family. — Taj Gibson (@TajGibson22) June 2, 2014 The little boy, nicknamed PJ, was described by friends and relatives as "the sweetest of boys." "No parent should have to go through this. He killed my baby," his mother wailed as she fell into a friend's arms outside the hospital. The little girl, identified as Mikayla Capers, has a collapsed lung and is fighting for her life, her family said. On Monday morning, Prince's devastated father put on his son's backpack and retraced the steps his son would have walked to school. "I don't know why someone would do that to a 6-year-old boy," said Nicholas Avitto at a community vigil later in the evening. "My little son. My pride and joy. My life, my livelihood, my existence to live for is gone." Dozens of officers have been assigned to the corner of Schenck and Stanley avenues in one of New York's most violent neighborhoods as part of the investigation.

The first wave of showers has moved out of the area, but the chance for rain remains very high for the afternoon. The main risk for severe weather lies east of I-95 and onto the Eastern Shore, but there could still be a strong storm or two in and around the D.C. metro between 3 and 7 p.m., Storm Team4 meteorologist Chuck Bell said. A flash flood watch is in effect for parts of the region through the afternoon. The cold front that is causing all this will move through the area around sunset. Skies will clear out quickly behind the front as a big change moves into the area Tuesday night. Expect lower humidity after midnight, and great weather to finish out the rest of the work week. Get the latest weather from NBCWashington.com: - Severe Weather Alerts: click here - Interactive Radar: click here - Complete Weather Coverage: click here

Free audio stream, including stories that are padlocked on our site. Listen on any device, anywhere. Updated twice daily. The audio stream takes several seconds to start on Android devices.Launch Radio player BUSINESSDESK: Heritage Gold has moved to clarify its statement earlier this week about the prospects for the Talisman gold resource on the Coromandel Peninsula. The company put a net present value on the potential value of a mine at the site of A$150 million and described a 12 year project that was a “potentially very robust and highly profitable gold mine”, with “potential for a considerable increase in the geological resource” What the company did not make clear was that this was the outcome of a scoping study, and does not represent a proven resource under the industry standard VALMIN code used for judging resources’ known potential. It should have been noted that the values attributed to the project are not compliant with the VALMIN Code as they are based on conceptual resource estimates,” said managing director Peter Atkinson. “The values assumed in the report will be achieved only if the grade and tonnage assumptions are met through the planned work outlined in the Scoping Study Review.” Heritage Gold shares jumped on the news earlier this week, trading at 2.4 cents yesterday, the highest since early October.

Washington (Mo.) earns 30th win against Mount St. Joseph in first round ELMHURST, Ill. -- Washington (Mo.) picked up its 30th win of the season with a three-set victory against Mount St. Joseph in the opening round of the 2012 NCAA Division III Volleyball Championship on Friday. The Bears defeated Mount St. Joseph 25-21, 25-17, 25-13, and will take on Chicago on Saturday in the Regional semifinal. Washington and Chicago split a pair of matches during the regular season, with Chicago winning in five sets Oct. 13 and the Bears winning in four sets in the University Athletic Association (UAA) Championship semifinal Nov. 2. “Our play was not as smooth as we had hoped, but our serving was superlative and took Mount St. Joseph out of their offense a lot of the time,” head coach Rich Luenemann said. “It was a good start, 3-0 is always a good start.” Washington and Mount St. Joseph played closely in the opening set before junior defensive specialist Tanya Marvi served five consecutive points to give the Bears a 15-7 lead. The run also included three kills by senior outside hitter Drew Hargrave. The Lions battled back to cut the Washington-St. Louis lead to 21-20 before three consecutive kills by junior outside hitter Meghan Byrne, Hargrave and freshman setter Allison Zastrow made it 24-20. After a block by the Lions, Hargrave hammered her sixth kill of the set to give the Bears the 25-21 win. In the second set, the Bears jumped out to a 5-1 lead and stretched the advantage to six points (11-5) after a pair of kills by freshman middle hitter Jackie Nelligan and an ace serve by freshman right-side hitter Nkiru Udenze. Mount St. Joseph rallied within two points four more times in the set, but Byrne and Nelligan took over for the Bears down the stretch. They teamed up for a pair of blocks and Byrne pounded three kills late in the set, before Hargrave ended the second set with a kill to give the Bears a 25-17 win and a 2-0 advantage in the match. Mount St. Joseph took a 4-1 lead early in the third set before Washington U. strung together four points in a row, including a pair of kills by Byrne, to take an 8-6 lead. After a Mount St. Joseph kill made it 11-8 in favor of the Bears, Washington U. scored five points on Marvi's serves to stretch the lead to 16-8. The Bears maintained control the remainder of the match, and junior middle hitter Kaia Schwartz ended the match with a kill as Washington U. won the third set 25-13. Washington U. hit .333 in the match (44-12-96) while Mount St. Joseph finished with .078 hitting (28-21-90). Byrne and Hargrave each tallied 12 kills to lead the Bears offensively, while junior middle hitter Emily Tulloch added eight and Nelligan finished with six kills and four blocks. Zastrow recorded a career-high 37 assists and senior libero Kelly Pang led the Bears defensively with 13 digs. Udenze, Marvi and senior setter Marilee Fisher each added seven digs.

Do public schools in North Carolina’s wealthy counties enjoy a funding advantage over the state’s poorer counties? The conventional wisdom among education “advocates” says that schools in the state’s low-income areas are at a disadvantage because they are forced to cope with fewer resources due to lower funding levels relative to those schools in areas of greater wealth. A look at some relevant data, however, suggests otherwise. As the chart below shows, it is in fact the lower-income counties that receive higher levels of per pupil government funding. The chart plots North Carolina’s Local Education Agencies (LEAs) according to the cumulative, inflation-adjusted per pupil expenditures for a 13-year (1996-7 to 2008-9) time span with the 2009 per capita income for the county in which the LEA is located. As indicated by the trendline, it is clear that, on average, as the per capita income of residents in a county increases, the level of per pupil spending decreases. Furthermore, the school districts with the highest levels of per pupil spending are also concentrated in lower-income counties. Specifically, 14 of the 17 school districts above the $110 k line for total per pupil spending are located in counties with per capita incomes below the state average ($610/wk). The people of North Carolina deserve an honest debate about public education. Dispelling some of the faulty conventional wisdom is a good place to start. Per pupil expenditures represent the cumulative inflation-adjusted spending on each student for the thirteen year period from 1996-97 to 2008-09. Data obtained from “How Much Does it Cost to Educate a High School Graduate in Your County?,” by Bob Luebke of the Civitas Institute. The per student cost figures used in this study include local, state and federal support, but reflect normal operating expenses only. Figures do not include the costs of federal school lunch programs, capital expenses, debt service, equipment purchases, transportation costs or the costs of community service programs. Average per capita income per county was obtained from the Quarterly Census Employment and Wages dataset, Employment Security Commission of North Carolina. Available online at: http://esesc23.esc.state.nc.us/d4/QCEWSelection.aspx The four most extreme outliers were removed – two with extremely high per pupil funding in low income counties, and the two highest per capita income counties with relatively low per pupil funding – in order to make the chart more clear. The removal of these outliers had no significant impact of the dataset’s trendline.

Who Do You Think You Are? Nothing is more important than your identity; while most think “brand” starts with the logo, we believe that idea is dangerous. Your brand has nothing to do with an image, your brand is your employees, your customers, your products, and how they all work together. The image that people associate with your brand should remind people of your business and not vice versa. We will work closely with you and your team to strategically develop imagery which emphasizes your brand with solid and memorable iconography that reflects the type of company you are. Thank you for your interest, for more information on Logos & Branding please contact,

Orthodox in Communion with Rome, New Proofs of God's Existence, New Apparition, and much more! The Best in Catholic Blogging BY TITO EDWARDS | Posted 7/12/11 at 3:01 AM In Israel, Diggers Unearth the Bible’s Bad Guys - Associated Press Loving in the Truth Those Involved in the Gay Lifestyle - Father Roger J. Landry, Diocese of Fall River Orthodox in Communion with Rome. . .Something to Think About - NGChase, Ramblings of a Byzantine Catholic New Proofs for God’s Existence - Tom Hoopes, Catholic Vote J.T. Whatsitworth, It’s My music, and I want it Now!- Charles Culbreth, The Chant Café A New Apparition of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Africa? Or . . . Something Else? - Patrick Madrid Saint Maria Goretti, Virgin and Martyr - Catholic Lane For the latest round-up on the best punditry in the Catholic blogosphere go to ThePulp.it. Copyright © 2013 EWTN News, Inc. All rights reserved.

Conservation Showcase: 1953 25c PF Posted on 3/26/2012 A recent example from our conservation laboratory. Proper storage is imperative in keeping the coins in our collections pristine. Improper storage can lead to some downright ugly things happening to our treasured coins. Airtight holders, such as those offered by NGC, and proper storage conditions away from heat and humidity can keep our coins looking their best for years to come. This proof 1953 Washington Quarter had suffered through years of improper storage likely in poor holders and in less than ideal environmental concerns. Thick residues had formed over the surface of the coin causing details to be obscured. Oftentimes residues as opaque as on those on this coin can cause irreversible damage to the surfaces underneath. The conservators at NCS are faced with special challenges when removing heavy residues from proof coins. Care must be taken to not damage a coin while removing those unattractive residues that have a very real possibility of damaging the surface of a coin permanently. Luckily for this proof Quarter Dollar, the residues were only hiding the true beauty of the surfaces and had not done permanent damage. This coin was able to grade very well with NGC following the special work by NCS conservators. Return to the Articles List

Electronic Arts is set to axe between 500 and 600 jobs after announcing a $310 million loss in the financial quarter ending September 30th. Shares in the company have dropped nearly 20% as a result of the announcement. Recent reports have suggested that the gaming industry is stronger than ever, despite the current economic turmoil, with some analysts going so far as to suggest that the games industry is "recession proof." Speaking to Kotaku, EA spokesperson Mariam Sughayer said that as well as eliminating around 6% of their workforce, EA would also reduce hiring and close some open positions that they had planned for this fiscal year. According to the Associated Press, EA believes higher development and marketing costs are to blame, as well as delays to the latest Harry Potter game. They also said that the job cuts will span across "all functions and locations." Chief Executive of EA games, John Riccitiello, remained confident for the future: "Considering the slowdown at retail we've seen in October, we are cautious in the short term. Longer term, we are very bullish on the game sector overall and on EA in particular."

US-bound passengers will be required to prove that their mobile devices turn on, as the TSA increases airport security to deal with the 'credible threat' of a bomb disguised as a phone or tablet. The Ashley Madison hack: a confusing battle between good and evil ...of Lumia flagships, Windows milestones, and Samsung's reminder to RTFM One month on, what do you think of Windows 10 so far? Windows 10 Insider Preview build 10532 rolls out Samsung confirms devices it plans to upgrade to Android 6.0 Marshmallow Known issues with Windows 10 Insider build 10532 Holidaying? Business? There are many reasons to catch a flight, but in the Los Angeles area, a glitch on 30th April caused delays to hundreds of flights and raised questions about the computer system. AirCell has announced that it is partnering with Virgin America to offer Wi-Fi broadband Internet services on the airline's continental U.S. flights, enabling passengers to surf the Internet and check e-mail during flights in 2008.... Hundreds of domestic flights in Japan were cancelled or delayed on Sunday as a result of a glitch that hit data flowing between All Nippon Airways Company Limited's main reservations host computer and intermediate computers... Hundreds of British Airways customers have had their flights cancelled or delayed after a world-wide computer failure. Screens went blank at BA check-in desks across the globe as the company's computerised passenger and baggage handling... AIRLINE LUFTHANSA and plane maker Boeing are to introduce broadband Internet connectivity on flights tomorrow. The German airline said that the service – called Lufthansa Flynet – will be offered on an inaugural flight tomorrow...

Patient Advocates: The Coach in Your Corner for Taking on the Health Care System The doctor is recommending tests that do not seem necessary, the hospital charged you $20 for that Tylenol you took during your stay—and what can you do about it? Whether in the hospital or opening your bill afterward, it’s easy to feel helpless against the enormous health care industry. Luckily, there are passionate professionals whose job it is to help patients navigate the health care jungle. If you’re feeling overwhelmed or mistrustful, there may be an advocate who can help you. What are patient and medical billing advocates? Most health care advocates come in one of two forms: a patient advocate or a medical billing advocate. A patient advocate is there during your hospital stay or doctor’s visit to make sure medical professionals are acting in your best interest. This could be a spouse or family member who knows enough about health care to ask the right questions, or a professional who provides this service. Sometimes patient advocates are hospital staffers, and sometimes they are nurses or social workers or chaplains. Medical billing advocates are available, after you’ve received care, as experts to go over your medical charges and make sure they are fair. They can help you appeal to the hospital to lower your overall costs, and may also help to get more charges covered by your insurance company. In some cases, billing advocates find thousands of dollars in savings. What services do patient and medical billing advocates provide? A patient advocate is usually by your side to ask your doctors and other caregivers the right questions, take down information and make sure your wishes are carried out. It’s like having a spokesperson or a campaigner for you and your health. The best patient advocates are trustworthy, knowledgeable about health care, assertive and good verbal communicators. A billing advocate will start, naturally, with your bill, where they will look for errors such as duplicate charges, uncommonly high charges and charges for tests that were cancelled. After that, this advocate can help negotiate with caregivers and your insurer to help you further lower your costs. Why should I hire a patient or medical billing advocate? If you have a serious surgery planned, or are in poor health and visit doctors frequently, you may want a patient advocate in your corner. This might be a spouse or trusted friend, an acquaintance who knows the industry or a hired professional. If you are in good health but find yourself in a medical emergency and would like someone in your corner, ask the hospital staff if they have any advocates in-house. You can also hire an independent patient advocate who has only your interest in mind. On the other hand, if you have already received care and are now facing unmanageable medical costs, you may want to hire a billing advocate. This type of advocate will normally charge for their services, but may be able to save you thousands. Medical bills are the leading cause of bankruptcy in the U.S., and patients often have no idea what they’ll be hit with financially until the services have already been rendered. How much do patient and medical billing advocates cost? Patient advocates are often members of your family, nonprofit organizations or clergy, and may not charge you for their services. In most cases, however, there will be a fee associated with patient advocates, and it usually depends on the amount of time they spend with you and your doctor. Advocates on the hospital staff may have their charges built into your bill. For this reason, costs may vary from as little as $75 for a single doctor’s visit to a few thousand dollars for an extended hospital stay. Medical billing advocates usually have more concrete charges. Some charge hourly, at a rate of $100-$200. Others charge as a percentage of savings—usually 25%-35% of the price they got your total charges reduced by, but some charge as little as 15% of savings. Where can I find a patient or medical billing advocate? If you think you could use an expert in your corner, start with NerdWallet’s Ask An Advisor forum. While it’s an excellent place to find expert advice on your medical bills or health care questions, you can also use the tool to get in contact with any of our advisors about becoming your personal health care advocate. You can also find patient and medical billing advocates through the National Association of Healthcare Advocacy Consultants or the Alliance of Claims Assistance Professionals. Spouse as patient advocate image via Shutterstock.

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NetWellness is a global, community service providing quality, unbiased health information from our partner university faculty. NetWellness is commercial-free and does not accept advertising. Tuesday, September 1, 2015 Ear, Nose, and Throat Disorders I have a bump in my ear lobe I woke up and i felt a bump in my ear lobe. If i push on it or put pressure on it it hurts i dont have one on my other ear. Its not very noticable unless you feel my ear lobe You probably have an infected cyst of your ear lobe. You need to see an otolaryngologist; you may need antibiotics or surgical excision of the cyst. Ravi N Samy, MD, FACS Assistant Professor of Otolaryngology, Director of Skull Base Surgery Fellowship, Director of Adults Cochlear Implantation Program College of Medicine University of Cincinnati

Darkly Dreaming Dexter (Mystery)October 21 2005 at 1:04 PM |Jeff Lindsay (Login chapteraday)| Darkly Dreaming Dexter by Jeff Lindsay Buy book: $15.37 "Darkly Dreaming Dexter" is a new kind of mystery novel starring a lovable serial killer, one Dexter Morgan, who only kills bad people and who cringes at the sight of blood. |October 21 2005, 4:12 PM | The second book in this series was reviewed in the Globe last week and I ordered the first one from the library to see what it was like. I think this is the first title that we are getting so I will get a headstart before I get the book in hand. Horrible Dexter - |October 21 2005, 8:39 PM | What a gross and horrible, evil book, right from the beginning - have just read an excerpt from amazon and this is definitely not my type of book - I like a good mystery, but this seems to be evil incarnate - can't imagine how or why a person would write a book like this - everyone will, of course, have to judge for themselves, but it is beyond my tolerance level - no mysteries for me this week - at least not from the book club - It's a "mystery" alright! |October 24 2005, 2:58 AM | How can a killer be a "loveable" character? This is another attempt to slide into our notions of acceptable behaviour something that is NOT ACCEPTABLE. It is similar in concept to another author's "loveable" hired assasin series. (Lawrence Block) I agree with my "fellow" reader...no mystery for me from this book club. |October 24 2005, 6:12 AM | Barry Eisler's series about John Rain is another such. Dexter is waiting for me at the library but I am not expecting to love him. Re: It's a "mystery" alright! |October 26 2005, 3:08 AM | I have read the next book in this series and the way I look at this character is that Dexter is the person inside any one who has suffered at the hands of others be it incest, rape, child abuse. He is the hero in us who stops the pain and makes the bad guy suffer as we have suffered. I am not a big fan of vigalantism (sp) in the fact that quite often the wrong person is wrongly accused however keep in mind this is a fictional character and the character has done the appropriate research to ensure the proper person is indeed the guilty party. You are missing out on a great read if you dont at least read a few more pages as things become much clearer on day 3. |October 26 2005, 12:02 PM | I've only read the first two days, and I know I will read the book. It grabed me right from the start. I can't wait until tomorrow to read more. |October 27 2005, 12:23 PM | I enjoyed the way this book started. From the very beginning it had the suspense that you enjoy from a mystery book. I might have to go check it out from the library. |October 24 2005, 2:48 PM | This one had my interest from the book jacket. It does sound a little far reaching, a serial killer who's a cop. Whose whole family are cops. Whose cop dad encouraged him to only kill "bad guys". I might not end up reading it the whole thing but today's read wasn't bad. I understand why some would not like it, but I don't see the "evil" in the book. Screaming Scary Dexter |October 26 2005, 10:50 AM | Best portrail of a serial Killer yet. I found it very interesting and you don't know what Dexter will do next. How do you live life with out feeling human? Dexter is the ultimate anti-hero. 1. Darkly Dreaming Dexter - realy good 2. Dearly Devoted Dexter - OK I'v read both and can't wait for more Dexter! Finally something new in the mystery section. A dark mystery |October 28 2005, 11:58 AM | I think this dark mystery is well done. I plan to read the whole book. The contrast of the two sides of Dexter should make an interesting read. |November 4 2005, 6:04 AM | did some reading, disappointed, dumped dexter.

[“Global Spending Cap” refers to a limit Congress places on the amount of money the government is allowed to spend each year. It can be one cap affecting the overall amount, or it might refer to placing a cap on each part of federal spending (for instance, housing and defense).] Deficit reduction is an imperative! The federal government is spending roughly 40 percent more each year than it receives in revenue. Both spending and revenue changes need to be made in order to meet current and future needs. Every entity that gains profit (individually or corporately) shares the responsibility to support what we are committed to in the Constitution, what we are called to by faith, and what America values – allowing all members of our communities to live in human dignity. Many see global caps on spending as a simple way to reduce spending. However, proponents do not specify how the strands of the safety-net would be cut. A global cap freezes spending in every area, across the board, at a point in time. Current spending is at 24.7 percent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP). The global caps, as proposed in the Corker-McCaskill plan, would cap overall spending at 20.6 percent of GDP. In contrast, spending during the Reagan administration averaged 22% of GDP - at a time prior to facing these challenges: - Aging population – the percentage of Americans over the age of 65 will grow by more than half in the next 25 years - Two (or three) unpaid-for wars - Homeland Security - Ever-increasing interest on the debt - Ten years of reduced revenues due to the tax benefits provided in 2001 and 2003 - Decreased revenue due to the recession and high unemployment - Veterans returning with far greater health care needs than ever in our history, and in higher numbers. Proposals for global spending caps would, indeed, reduce spending. However, the question of “at what cost” must be addressed Impact of Capping Spending at 20% - 22% OF GDP To achieve the proposed levels (in the range of 20 to 22 percent of GDP), the safety-net would need to be shredded. Programs, which have already experienced cuts, would be far further slashed. Medicaid, Medicare and Social Security would become unrecognizable. - In order to not exceed these caps, Medicaid would have to be made into a block grant program, with $547 billion being cut from the program in the first nine years. States would be given tremendous discretion in determining who would receive assistance, and what would be covered. - Medicare would no longer be a guaranteed program for those who have paid into it throughout his/her lifetime. - Non-defense discretionary spending would be decimated to fit these caps. Successful programs such as LIHEAP, WIC and housing assistance programs would be nearly eliminated. - SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly known as food stamps), currently mandated to serve all eligible persons, is proposed to become a block grant program with limited funding. - Social Security would, for the first time, would face unprecedented cuts. - The House and Senate would be forced to take politically difficult votes to respond to national emergencies like natural disasters and recessions, which would turn crises into political theatre. A case in point is the disasters of late April in which tornadoes devastated many towns, killed over 300 members of those communities, and left tens of thousands without homes or infrastructure. The federal government is now determining how to best meet the needs of families and communities – to the cost of billions of dollars. These are responsibilities we all share. - Members of the House and the Senate Appropriations Committees will give up much of their power to determine how money will be spent. Mechanisms of Global Spending Caps The following enforcement mechanisms are anticipated if global spending caps are established: - If Congress fails to meet the annual cap, the Office of Management and Budget is authorized to make evenly distributed, simultaneous cuts throughout the federal budget to bring spending down to the pre-determined level. - It would take a supermajority (2/3 vote) of Senate and H

Date/Time: Mar 4 2013 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM Network Now’s networking events are free to members & first time guests; if you are not a member but are a familiar face at our networking events, we’d love for you to attend but request a $10 donation for our nonprofit partners. No stuffy events or business card pushing here. We are all about cool people, high energy, supportive friends & fun. Business is based on quality relationships and we have some pretty amazing people you’ll want to get to know. Join us to network with inspiring women business owners & nonprofit leaders. Your future referral partner, client or supportive friend will most likely be in the room waiting to meet you. Wine & cheese. Hosted by Donna Roggio at her salon RIAH Hair Studio. RIAH Hair Studio 3488 York Rd Furlong, PA Bookings are closed for this event.

- Made With 99.9% Pure Silver - High-Density Polysynthetic Silver Thermal Compound - Controlled Triple-Phase Viscosity - $11.99 11.99 - $7.99 – - Save: $4.00 (33%) - Free Shipping (restrictions apply) great taste 09/15/2013 This review is from: Arctic Silver 5 High-Density Polysynthetic Silver Thermal Compound AS5-3.5G this stuff is great i use it on everything waffle's donuts french fries T-bone steak door hinge's in place of motor oil and transmission fluid. I even heard it works as a heat transfer medium for cpu to H80i Being silver it goes with all my outfits the guy's at the hunting lodge were all jealous of my silver face camo. keeps cleaning my house washes the Jeep after mudding DON"T MIX WITH SUPER GLUE all you get are Silver nuggets it's heat transfer stuff what more do you want 11 people found this review helpful. Did you? Yes / No Thanks for the valuable feedback you provided!

Tired of waiting? Click here to disable ads! You are not logged in. If you sign up for an account, you can gain additional voting power over time, allowing your vote to have an even greater impact on submission scores! COLLEGE UNIVERSITY SEASON 2 DVD ON SALE!!! Thanks for all the great reviews!! Episode 8 is here and it's time for the ultimate fighting competition! This is a long ass episode (16 minutes) so sit tight... Everyone is gathering for a fight to the finish between the world's most washed up Action Stars! We've also got a special guest star, Cynthia Rothrock! The Queen of Martial Arts movies! Stay tuned and watch out for the release of KFK's Washed Up Fighting Extravaganza Game! Another special thanks to Johnie Tidwell at cartoonmogul.com OMG This was the best flash I've ever seen You auto-win just for having Sho-nuff from The Last Dragon. HAHAHA OMG I FELL OFF MY BED LAUGHING! Funny as, especially KFK when he thinks it's a International Pinyata contest and a Birthday party. "I'm starting to think this isn't a birthday party. I don't see any ballons, clowns or hookers, I'm usually fighting more people than I usually do at Birthday parties. If I don't see a pinyata, Karl's outta here" "Man, that is the most realistic pinyata I've ever seen" F*** this is funny! Dude man this is just 2 funny! one of my favorite films! Keep it up! U ROCK! This one gets a boost for violence, score. Prime replaces who? Julia Roberts brother or whatever! Hahahahha. He gets into the ring and just runs over eveyone!!! Thats just plain awesomeness. this was a kick ass submission because it was so funny A story about a dog! this art teacher is WHACK!!!! Meeting new people on the first day can be a real gamble. newgrounds.com — Your #1 online entertainment & artist community! All your base are belong to us.

Tired of waiting? Click here to disable ads! You are not logged in. If you sign up for an account, you can gain additional voting power over time, allowing your vote to have an even greater impact on submission scores! A night out on the town. Hope this gets into the 'noir' section :P fan of your work and this is very funny Casino night with sonic how ASWOME! I love the music I play the oldey games like sonic with my sis its soo awsome that u put that song in! I guess your luck ran out. lmao i loved it ... it was so funny Actually a good noir flick. And its funny while doing so. Great job, seriously going to recommend this to noir ahahha A story about a dog! this art teacher is WHACK!!!! Meeting new people on the first day can be a real gamble. newgrounds.com — Your #1 online entertainment & artist community! All your base are belong to us.

Tired of waiting? Click here to disable ads! You are not logged in. If you sign up for an account, you can gain additional voting power over time, allowing your vote to have an even greater impact on submission scores! Gooseman must enter the Lizard Vortex to escape certain, lizardly doom! MY EYES. I actualy stopped breathing for 5 minutes because this was so funny. now I have a headache, but it was worth it (dissolves into steaming pile of goo). death to the lizardmen You're one hell of a flash artist - I don't know where you get you get your inspiration from but it's awesome How can something become so awesome. I trully had the fuck yeaaaaaaahhhh moment at the ending. And DAT GUITAR SOLO. It makes my spleen tingle like a little 12 year old girl. I probably can make love to this flash, but Im planning too keep this little diamond for later uses. God made a lot of us.. But trully not everyone can be as epic as you are Chris. for i in range(awesome): you are awesome. WHAT THE FUCK i dont know where this guy is getting his weeb but god damnit i want some A story about a dog! this art teacher is WHACK!!!! Meeting new people on the first day can be a real gamble. newgrounds.com — Your #1 online entertainment & artist community! All your base are belong to us.

Tired of waiting? Click here to disable ads! You are not logged in. If you sign up for an account, you can gain additional voting power over time, allowing your vote to have an even greater impact on submission scores! This one is for everyone who hates that stingy merchant. Awesome. as a resident evil 4 fan, I must say, it gets annoying having to deal with the merchant. nice flash. that was exactly what i was thinking when i shot him its like wtf he has 100 guns Oh yeah, I really loved the way you portrayed my dislike on the merchant sometimes. Great job! ditto the guy below As with all VG merchants The majority of merchants in video games are annoying as heck... except maybe Soma Cruz's "merchant". :P And yes, sometimes you just want to pick up all their weapons. Which also brings up, why the hell are they in the middle of nowhere in heck? XD newgrounds.com — Your #1 online entertainment & artist community! All your base are belong to us.

Tired of waiting? Click here to disable ads! You are not logged in. If you sign up for an account, you can gain additional voting power over time, allowing your vote to have an even greater impact on submission scores! This is the sequel to Girl Gamer! Our longest video yet! We've upped our quality of animation. If you watched the last one, you can definitely tell a difference! Some girls are evil... The philosophy of Jean-Paul Sartre, for an online generation. GURLLL GAMERS!!! *rage* The last line got you full fives. I happen to be a guy, and I happen to just not give no uffs. People should do whatever they want in videogames, that's what they're for, anyways, right? I mean. It's a lot better to mow down 158 people with an AK-47 in a videogame than real life... right? XD That said, I don't really have an opinion on women who play as women vs women who play as men in games- just another personal preference thing, I guess. I do, however, find it INCREDIBLY annoying when my teammates stop communicating with me in a tactically-delicate situation just because a girl who is probably 12 years old anyways hops on the mic. It's just sad, really. Great flash, though! Friggin hilarious. Pretty accurate, too, psychologically. I like how the preppy-chick insults the actual gamergirl on her bra size when her boobs are smaller in reality. That's pretty accurate, too. XD A story about a dog! this art teacher is WHACK!!!! Meeting new people on the first day can be a real gamble. newgrounds.com — Your #1 online entertainment & artist community! All your base are belong to us.

Tickets go on sale for re-opening of Olympic Park’s ArcelorMittal Orbit 14:48 15 March 2014 Tickets have gone on sale offering the public a thrilling stellar view atop the Olympic Park’s ArcelorMittal Orbit ahead of it re-opening on April 5. The eye-catching twisted red steel metal structure soars to 114 metres or 376 feet and is Britain’s tallest public sculpture. From its dizzying heights, visitors can experience sensational breath-taking panoramic views. From two spacious viewing platforms at 76 metres (249 ft) and 80 metres (262 ft) visitors can take in a 360 degree of the Park as well as see 20 miles across London to the City to the west, Crystal Palace to the south and Alexandra Palace to the north. The sensational views include iconic buildings such as The Shard, Big Ben, The Gherkin, St Paul’s, Canary Wharf and Wembley Stadium, plus unrivalled views of the Olympic Park’s’ sporting venues including the Stadium, Copper Box Arena, Aquatics Centre and Lee Valley VeloPark. “The capital’s newest visitor attraction offers a totally new perspective of London and unequalled views of its newest must-see destination, the Olympic Park,” said spokeswoman, Victoria Coombes. The viewing galleries are accessed by two high speed lifts. After leisurely taking in the views, visitors are encouraged to walk down the 455 steps which spiral around the central column so they fully experience the constantly changing perspectives from every angle. The ArcelorMittal Orbit has full wheelchair access. Newly-installed and innovative digital telescopes enable guests to get a close up view. The distinctive Anish Kapoor designed concave mirrors will also be fun for all the family as they flip perspectives and turn the horizon on its head. The ArcelorMittal Orbit is located in the south of Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, which will also re-opens on April 5.. Visitors to the Park can enjoy beautiful parklands and waterways, world-class sporting venues, arts and events. At the base of the tower, the brand new EastTwenty Bar & Kitchen is open daily serving hot drinks, cakes, pastries, light lunches and snacks. Open daily 10am – 6pm (last entry 5pm). Tickets: children £7, adults £15, family £40 (two adults/two children) and concessions £12. Local residents enjoy £2 off standard ticket price*. Tickets available by telephone - 0333 800 8099 - or online www.arcelormittalorbit.com

Town Employment Opportunities The Town's current job openings appear below. If no positions are listed, there are no vacancies at the present time, and the Town is not accepting applications. Please note that the Town will accept applications only in response to a posted vacancy. No items are currently available. Town Application Form (downloadable) Email the Town Personnel Office It is the Town of Newington’s policy to aggressively scan all incoming email and attachments for viruses. Messages suspected of virus infection are quarantined, and delivery to the recipient is delayed or rejected. In the event you submit an employment application and/or resume by email, your email is subject to preventative antivirus measures and rejection. It is the obligation of the applicant to ensure an acceptable application is received by the Town within the timeframe indicated on the job posting. The Town of Newington assumes no responsibility for issues related to the electronic submission of employment applications.

People of Varanasi to decide fate of Kejriwal: Sisodia Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Manish Sisodia on Monday reiterated his party chief's stand that if the people of Varanasi gives permission for him (Arvind Kejriwal) to contest from that seat, then AAP will have no harm in naming Kejriwal as a candidate to take on Narendra Modi. "It is not a referendum. We will go amongst the people and seek their mood of approval. There is no harm in asking the voters before the elections happen there (Varanasi). If the people say that we should not contest from Varanasi we won't, however, if they tell us in affirmative to contest, then we will fight elections from there. Give us the opportunity to first conduct our proposed rally in Varanasi," Sisodia said. On Sunday, Kejriwal had said in a rally in Bengaluru that, he was ready to take the challenge from Varanasi as an AAP candidate and fight against Bharatiya Janata Party's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi should the people of Varanasi allows him to do so. (Posted on 17-03-2014) Free Yearly Horoscope: Select your zodiac sign

Delhi Metro sets highest ridership record The Delhi Metro Tuesday said it recorded the highest ridership of over 27 lakh commuters in a single day Aug 4, surpassing the previous record set July 21. The number of passengers travelling by the Metro Aug 4 was 27,05,807, breaking the record of July 21 when 26,84,132 commuters used Metro Rail services, said a statement from the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC). The highest ridership of 10,23,245 was witnessed on the Blue Line connecting Dwarka Sector 21 in west Delhi to Noida/Vaishali in neighbouring Uttar Pradesh. According to the DMRC, steps like increasing speed of trains and the number of coaches to six and eight on select routes along with the reduction in interval between two trains have led to the increase in ridership. (Posted on 05-08-2014) Free Yearly Horoscope: Select your zodiac sign

Kejriwal to L-G: 'Jan Lokpal Bill not unconstitutional' Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday wrote to Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung asserting that the Delhi Jan Lokpal Bill is not unconstitutional as noted by the Solicitor General of India Mohan Parasaran. In his letter he asked the Lieutenant Governor the reason behind seeking the opinion of the Solicitor General on the Bill, and said that it could have been discussed with him. "Even if you had to seek an opinion you could have discussed the matter with me and I would have shared the copy with you and explained the details. Instead the Solicitor General's opinion was given directly to the media. We handed over copy of Bill (Jan Lokpal) to you last evening. Then on which Bill did you seek LG's opinion?" he questioned. He further said that the bill was prepared after seeking opinion from every department of the government, and added that presenting the bill in the state legislature is not unconstitutional. Kejriwal noted that the Constitution allows the Delhi Assembly to legislate on all issues excluding three topics. He also claimed that the Union Home Ministry's order, instructing that legislation introduced in the Assembly should be first cleared by the Centre, is completely unconstitutional, and asked if every bill requires Centre's consent, then what is the use of holding elections in Delhi. "It is clear that this order of the Union Home Ministry is unconstitutional. The jurisdiction of the Delhi Assembly has been decided by the constitution. Can the Central government curb that jurisdiction by passing an order?" he asked. "If we have to seek approval of Central Government on every Bill, what is the use of holding elections in Delhi? This is a direct attack on the people of Delhi and the autonomy of the Delhi Assembly," he added. He further said that the Home Ministry and the Congress would put pressure on the Lieutenant Governor to disallow the Delhi Jan Lokpal to be introduced in the assembly. "I know you are under pressure from the Congress and the Ministry of Home Affairs. You will be pressurised to not allow the Delhi Jan Lokpal to be introduced in the assembly. Because they know that if this bill is passed many of them will go to jail. But you have to decide whether you can take the pressure or not," he added. Earlier in the day, the Solicitor General of India, Mohan Parasaran, said the Jan Lokpal Bill is unconstitutional, and insisted that it should get the approval of the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi, Najeeb Jung. The Delhi Government on February 3 cleared the final draft of the Jan Lokpal Bill, with the Chief Minister's office falling in its ambit. (Posted on 07-02-2014) Free Yearly Horoscope: Select your zodiac sign

Each client is assigned to a qualified professional counselor who will guide the client through an individualized treatment program. Together, they will work toward the recognition of the problems caused by chemical dependency—physical, emotional, social, mental and spiritual. Clients go to at least two individual counseling sessions per week where their individual issues are identified and addressed. The treatment process confronts issues with gentle, nurturing dignity. As people grow through recovery, a new freedom and joy—a “new life” - in living are experienced. The shame and guilt that had been so pervasive drop away and are replaced by inner peace and a desire to give to others. Relationships flourish. Sharing becomes a joy. Recovery becomes self-perpetuating and growth continues in directions unimagined. Sobriety is experienced as much or more than abstinence. This is the vision held out to those walking in a new-found strength in recovery at New Life Treatment Center. Components of the Treatment Program include: Dual diagnosis clients are accepted if mental health issues are being addressed independently and do not interfere with chemical dependency treatment goals. Every week, we open our facility to family members (ages 12 and up) to encourage them to participate in individual counseling, family groups, lectures, and videos. Public Assistance coverage is accepted, however, New Life Treatment Center is not a Medicare provider. Insurance coverage will be verified before admission. Follow-up care for New Life Treatment Center clients will be included at no extra charge. To seek help or make a referral, call New Life Treatment Center at 507-777-4321. Rules for acceptance and participation in our program are the same for everyone regardless of race, color, sex, handicap or national origin.

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As of Saturday, October 20, 2012 © Copyright 2015 Clayton News Daily Photo by Kathy Jefcoats Supporters of Clayton County sheriff's write-in candidate Garland Watkins gather Saturday at his campaign headquarters for a barbecue fundraiser. Voters will find a spot on the Nov. 6 ballot on which to write Watkins' name as their choice for sheriff. The name must be spelled correctly or it will be thrown out. Watkins, 50, is Clayton County sheriff's chief deputy with more than 25 years experience in law enforcement. JONESBORO Clayton County sheriff's write-in candidate Garland Watkins hosted a fundraising barbecue Saturday at his campaign headquarters in Jonesboro. Watkins, 50, is hoping to upset any chance former sheriff Victor Hill may have of getting back into office. Hill won a run-off in August but Watkins qualified as a write-in candidate and that option will be on the Nov. 6 ballot. Watkins, Clayton County sheriff's chief deputy, hosted the barbecue from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. at 8311 Tara Blvd. in Jonesboro. Supporters who turned out for Saturday's event included the family of slain Clayton County sheriff's Deputy Rick Daly. Daly, 55, was shot and killed in the line of duty July 20, 2011. His mother, Joyce Daly, and wife Cheryl Daly along with other relatives dropped by to wish Watkins success in his candidacy. Hill, 47, is under a 32-count felony indictment and is set to go to trial Nov. 26. He served one term as Clayton County sheriff during 2005-2008. Conviction of just one felony will bar Hill from ever taking elected office.

WKNR-AM 850's Keith Williams called it one of the toughest days he's ever had at the all-sports station. The general manager/vice president said the decision to fire Kenny Roda, T.J. Zuppe and Will Burge on Tuesday was "really difficult." He said the small proximity of the radio station at the Galleria means the staff becomes close-knit and almost family-oriented. "It's 4,000-square feet," Williams said. "Sometimes we're falling all over each other. WKNR released its Monday-through-Friday lineup: -- 6 to 9 a.m.: "Mike & Mike in the Morning" with Mike Golic and Mike Greenberg -- 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.: "The Really Big Show" with Tony Rizzo and Aaron Goldhammer -- 1 to 3 p.m.: "Cleveland Browns Daily" with Vic Carucci and Nathan Zegura -- 3 to 6 p.m.: "The Hooligans" with Bruce Hooley and Je'Rod Cherry -- 6 to 8 p.m.: "Munch on Sports" with Mark Bishop Also, the station has flip-flopped program managers. Jason Gibbs has shifted over to managing producer for the Browns. Mike Goldstein, previously in charge of Browns' programming, is now the station's new programming manager. "We're always looking to improve," Williams said. "We've flipped their roles." Williams said Gibbs will be traveling with the Browns and take an active role covering the team. "He's really excited about the opportunity," Williams said. Veteran broadcaster Greg Brinda was been dropped from The Hooligans and will replace Michael Reghi as host of the Indians and the Cavaliers postgame shows. WKNR has scrapped the "3-Deep" and "Cleveland Sports Night" lineups altogether. Burge was sent packing and Cherry will now team up with Hooley with The Hooligans, even though that name wasn't mentioned in the station's official news release. There's been no mention of Emmett Golden, who was a member of "3-Deep." Roda, who had been at the station 21 years, and Reghi joined forces on "Cleveland Sports Night." Reghi will continue to host the "Rob Chudzinski Show" and be involved in other Browns programming, but otherwise was grounded. The AM station will feature ESPN Radio in the evenings Bishop isn't on the air, something it was committed not to do two years ago. Suddenly things changed. Williams failed to answer the question why the talent was fired. Was the move financially driven after the station's major acquisition of the Browns' radio rights? "We don't comment on individual moves," he said. "We feel we have a very bright future."

Flames burn from a gas line explosion across Interstate 77 near Sissonville, W.Va., on Tuesday. Four homes went up in flames and collapsed in charred heaps Tuesday after a natural gas line exploded in an inferno that raged for at least an hour, melting guardrails and pavement on a swath of Interstate 77. Five other homes had extensive external damage, and several people were treated for smoke inhalation, but authorities said there were no fatalities and all residents had been accounted for. "We've been very fortunate," said Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin, who toured the damage, then briefed the media. "They were just lucky enough not to be home." ...

Homestead remained undefeated on a cold, rainy night, but coach Chad Zolman still had to give a bit of pep talk afterward. The Spartans' 20-7 home win Friday over winless Norwell had been much tougher than the players expected. It was more relief than excitement at game's end, as if they'd dodged an huge upset. Maybe they had. “It's a battle every time we play Norwell,” Zolman said. “I never feel like we're safe. It feels like a grind every year. They did a good job controlling the clock when they had the ball, taking possessions out of our hands. The weather kind of equalized things. But give credit to Norwell. They had a good game plan and we were glad to get out of here with a win.” Homestead exited with more than a hard-fought win, however. Combined with East Noble's 17-0 win over New Haven, the Spartans clinched at least a share of the Northeast Hoosier Conference title. Homestead (8-0, 6-0 NHC) can win it outright by beating New Haven next Friday. The Spartans will also find out who they play in the first round of the Class 5A playoffs when the pairings are released Sunday night. Zolman has been down this road before, making sure his team remains focused on the here and now while big games loom on the horizon. “We're still trying to improve,” Zolman said. “Each week, we have to get better. Offensively, we stubbed our toes (vs. Norwell) and that's not characteristics of us. We want to be playing our best football come tournament time. That's our whole goal. New Haven will be a good test for us, they're very good and that will get our minds into the tournament mentality.” Homestead scored on its first drive, with Matt Skowronek hitting Seth Coate on a three-yard pass. Kam Hladish added a 31-yard field goal in the second quarter. Norwell (0-8, 0-6 NHC) had a chance to score in the first half, with Piercen Harnish throwing a 41-yard completion to Nathan Shelton to set up first-and-goal inside the Homestead 10. But the Spartans defense tighted up, and Logan Ormsby intercepted a fourth-down pass to quell the scoring threat. “Ormsby made a good play on the ball,” Zolman said. “That was very big. That could have changed the whole tone of the game.” Homestead extended its lead to 17-0 in the third quarter, with Wyatt Butcher scoring on a 20-yard run. Norwell got on the board early in the fourth quarter, with a 55-yard double-reverse pass from Harnish to Cale Schumm setting up a subsequent touchdown pass from Harnish to William Gerber. Hladish, the Homestead backup kicker, nailed a 42-yarder late in the game for Homestead's last points. Homestead finished with 206 yards in total offense, including 119 yards rushing by Frank Martin, while Norwell had 196 yards in offense in one of its best performances of the year. Harnish was 7-of-11 passing for 119 yards and rushed for 59. The Knights were hurt by three turnovers.

Jailed Cleveland rapist takes his own life - From: AAP - September 04, 2013 THE death of the former US bus driver jailed for life for kidnapping and raping three young women he held as sex slaves for a decade has been met by surprise, relief and jeers. Ariel Castro was found hanged in "an apparent case of suicide" in his closely monitored cell, authorities say. His death has brought an abrupt and dramatic ending to a sordid case that shocked America and the world with its revelations of systematic depravity and brutality. JoEllen Smith, spokeswoman for the Ohio prisons department, said that Castro was found hanging in a cell in which he was alone on Tuesday night in a prison in the town of Orient. "It does appear to be an apparent case of suicide," Smith said early on Wednesday, declining to give further details. But Cleveland TV station WOIO said he had not been on suicide watch. It said he had been at the Orient prison only for about 30 days. He was sentenced in August. Officials tried in vain to resuscitate the 53-year-old, according to an earlier statement from the Ohio Department of Corrections. "He was housed in protective custody which means he was in a cell by himself and rounds are required every 30 minutes at staggered intervals. Upon finding inmate Castro, prison medical staff began performing life-saving measures," the statement by Smith said. Castro, it said, was pronounced dead at 10.52pm (1352 AEST Wednesday) after he had been found hanging in his cell at 9.20pm at the Correctional Reception Center in Orient. "A thorough review of this incident is under way," the statement said. Blogs posted in the main Cleveland newspaper, The Plain Dealer, were merciless. "Adios diablo, may you burn for 1,000 years, just like you were sentenced," one said, alluding to his jail term of life plus 1000 years. "Why no picture of him hanging? Now THAT would be justice," said another. "Must have used his clothing?" mused yet another. Castro's crimes - keeping the three young women in what came to be known as a house of horrors and raping and otherwise brutalising them for around a decade - disgusted the country and led to an outpouring of national pity for the three victims: Amanda Berry, now 27; Gina DeJesus, 23; and Michelle Knight, 32. They were abducted separately between 2002 and 2004. A cousin of Castro, Maria Castro Montes, told CNN that perhaps there was some good to come from the death of Castro. Maybe now, she said, the victims can truly can get on with their lives and not deal with periodic new details leaking about their respective nightmares. "Maybe this is for the best," Montes said. "Maybe this is the only way he will be out of the spotlight." She added of the women he tormented: "They would never find peace if he were still in prison." Montes said she found it "hard to believe he had the courage to take his own life". The woman ranged in age from 14 to 20 when Castro took them off the street in a working-class neighbourhood of Cleveland, under the pretext he was offering them a ride in his car. They escaped on May 6 when Berry managed to break open part of the front door and call out to a neighbour for help. Her frantic telephone call later to emergency rescue services was played and replayed over the media in the days after the three women escaped. At the trial, as Castro - a pudgy, balding man in wire rim glasses - sat in a bright orange prison jumpsuit, it emerged that they were brutalised, sometimes chained up and kept in abysmal conditions. Berry had a daughter fathered by Castro. The white dilapidated house where they were tormented was demolished a few days after Castro was sentenced. At his sentencing hearing August 1, Castro had insisted he was not evil but rather addicted to sex. "I'm not a monster. I'm sick," he pleaded. Despite having pleaded guilty to 977 charges related to his victims' brutal decade-long ordeal, including many rapes and the murder of a foetus through beating its mother, Castro said he was not a violent man. He pleaded guilty after prosecutors agreed not to seek the death penalty. Castro said he had himself been sexually abused as a child and had grown up obsessed with sex, addicted to pornography and a compulsive masturbator. He said he had not plotted the three kidnaps, but had acted on impulse. "I am not a monster. I am a normal person. I am just sick. I have an addiction just like an alcoholic has an addiction," he said. A tearful Michelle Knight, who was kidnapped at the age of 20, said in emotional testimony before the court that death would have been "so much easier" for her tormenter. "I spent 11 years in hell, and now your hell is just beginning," Knight told Castro. * Readers seeking support and information about suicide prevention can contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Suicide Call Back Service 1300 659 467.

“Incorporating environment, population, and health is a timely issue. Unless we focus on integrated approaches, our Ethiopian Millennium Development Goals cannot be achieved,” says Negash Teklu, executive director of the Consortium for Integration of Population, Health, and Environment (CIPHE) , in this short video. I interviewed Teklu and three other members of CIPHE in Yirgalem, Ethiopia, where they spoke of the importance of PHE integration; why it is vital to involve the community in development projects; and practical steps for implementing integration at the grassroots level. Everyone agrees that Ethiopia faces serious challenges. Much of the economy is based on agriculture, but drought is all too common, and the land is exacerbated by continual overuse. High rates of population growth coupled with limited resources and uncertain crop yields leaves many people vulnerable to hunger and malnutrition. In addition, the country’s health system struggles to provide comprehensive care. To combat these interconnected problems, the members of CIPHE truly believe that an integrated PHE approach that uses multi-sectoral interventions will best serve the needs of their fellow Ethiopians. “If we follow the integrated PHE approach, economically we can be beneficial,” Mogues Worku of LEM Ethiopia told me. “We can share a lot of resources among the different sectoral organizations. At the same time with limited resources we can attain our goal by integrating the different sectoral offices and organizations, even at the grassroots level.” This video will be the first of many on population, health, and environment problems and solutions in Ethiopia. Subscribe to our ECSP YouTube channel or the New Security Beat blog to see the latest videos.

These days, certain San Francisco cafes are offering "artisanal toast": Lathered with yummy stuff like almond butter or apricot marmalade, it tastes good ... and costs about $4. But what screams "waste of money" actually has an inspiring story behind it, writes John Gravois at Pacific Standard. Enter Giulietta Carrelli, a slight, gregarious 34-year-old who's covered in tattoos and runs a San Francisco cafe called the Trouble Coffee & Coconut Club, an "impressively odd" place with a menu of whole Thai coconuts, fresh-squeezed grapefruit juice (a nod to the fact you can survive on the two, which Carrelli says she did for years), and toast. She also has a schizoaffective disorder—part schizophrenia, part bipolarity—that afflicts her with debilitating psychotic episodes lasting days, weeks, and even months. To help ground her, she opened Trouble a few years back with $1,000 in borrowed money. Now her cafe, her clientele, and her 14 employees all keep her tethered to reality. "I own Trouble Coffee so that people recognize my face—so they can help me," she says. She still has episodes, but fights through them and gets proper treatment. Aptly, she calls her drip coffee "guts"; espresso is "honor"; and artisanal toast, her invention, is "comfort." So why toast (in her case, a simple variety that covers locally made white bread with butter, cinnamon, and sugar)? "We never had pie" growing up in an Italian immigrant family, she says. "Our American comfort food was cinnamon toast." Click for the full article—or a VentureBeat piece that blames artisanal toast on "techsters."

A new chapter unfolds in the growing sexual harassment controversy surrounding Herman Cain with Politico now reporting Cain himself led the charge against such behavior when he headed the National Restaurant Association, after first having issues with a new law changing the landscape regarding workplace behavior. In the aftermath of the 1991 Supreme Court confirmation hearings for Clarence Thomas in which sexual harassment charges against him by Anita Hill came to light, Politico reports Cain, then CEO of Godfather's Pizza, saw problems with alterations made to federal law in the wake of those hearings. "This bill opens the door for opportunists who will use the legislation to make some money. I'm certainly for civil rights but I don't know if this bill is fair because of what we'll have to spend to defend ourselves in unwarranted cases," Cain commented to the Nation's Restaurant News when he headed the pizza giant. Employment Law Group sexual harassment attorney David Scher told Politico that Hill's charges resulted in a "heightened awareness" of sexual harassment. Scher adds the restaurant industry "faced the worst of it." According to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the number of sexual harassment claims in the industry rose from 961 in fiscal 1992 to 1,581 in fiscal 1996. The caseload remained above 1,200 a year until 2000. After Cain took the reins at the NRA, the report points out the association came out with a video to outline sexual harassment laws to its members and the association's Educational Foundation started offering a training program for its member restaurants. As it has also come to light, It is during his time as head of the association that Cain himself was hit with sexual harassment allegations which the report emphasizes led to at least two settlements with employees, including one for about $45,000 and another for over $30,000. © 2015 Newsmax. All rights reserved.

Amnesty International has called for a full-scale "impartial investigation" into the shooting death of an unarmed black teenager in Ferguson, Missouri, by a white police officer. The human rights groups said it had taken "unprecedented" action following the shooting of 18-year-old Michael Brown by sending a team of 13 people to the troubled St. Louis suburb last week to conduct preliminary inquiries, according to BuzzFeed The delegation, which included community trainers, researchers, and human rights observers, reported back to Amnesty International, which has since released three recommendations The group said that "a prompt, thorough, independent, and impartial investigation into the shooting of Brown must take place. Brown's family must be kept informed throughout the investigation. "Under international law, police officers suspected of having committed unlawful acts must be held to account through effective investigation, and where warranted, prosecuted." Amnesty International, according to BuzzFeed, also recommended that "all police departments involved in policing the ongoing protests in Ferguson in response to Brown's death must act in accordance with international human rights standards. "Any human rights abuses in connection with the policing of protests must be independently and impartially investigated, and those responsible held accountable." Amnesty International also said "a thorough review of all trainings, policies, and procedures with regards to the use of force and the policing of protests should be undertaken." Jasmine Heiss, a member of the Ferguson delegation, said the "cross-functional team" was an "unprecedented" step by Amnesty International USA, although she noted that the group's inquiries were hampered by police. She told BuzzFeed that due to access restrictions placed on her group by police "it was very difficult to see anything once the curfew went into effect" after midnight. The delegation was unable to discern whether police had taken proper and proportional action during the clashes with protesters, Heiss said, while calling the problem typical of "the overall lack of transparency in this investigation." For the past several years, Amnesty International USA has focused on the use of excessive force by police in the U.S., following its Rights for All efforts in the late 1990s, which centered on investigations into the Los Angeles and Chicago police departments. Heiss said that the group had also called for a swift and impartial investigation after the killing of Trayvon Martin in Florida, with the main emphasis on "transparency" and keeping the family informed about the probe. © 2015 Newsmax. All rights reserved.

The Treasury Department was thorough and fair in picking firms to invest bailout money, a new watchdog report says. Treasury prevented possible conflicts of interest and safeguarded taxpayer dollars by using outside experts and careful record keeping, according to the report, issued Thursday by the special inspector general for the bailout fund. The public-private investment funds include private investments and matching funds from the $700 billion financial bailout. They buy the mortgage investments that were at the root of the financial crisis. They aimed to boost demand for those securities, which clogged bank balance sheets in the months after the financial system teetered in September 2008. In the report, the Special Inspector General for the Troubled Asset Relief Program, Neil Barofsky, identifies some missteps by Treasury. He says some applicants suffered because Treasury failed to explain crucial program changes. And the report notes that three huge fund managers helped design the program then were allowed to apply. They could have gamed the process to improve their own chances. But the report is far less critical than many of Barofsky's earlier audits. He has blasted Treasury for excessive secrecy and a soft-touch approach to negotiating with banks. By contrast, Thursday's report merely says the problems left Treasury's actions "vulnerable to criticism." Treasury spokesman Mark Paustenbach said the report shows that taxpayers will likely turn a profit on the fund program. He said the initiative helped get credit flowing at a critical time. © Copyright 2015 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Florida: 5 Things To Know For May 29 Your daily look at news, upcoming events and the stories that will be talked about today. GOV SCOTT TO SUE US VETERANS HOSPITALS Gov. Rick Scott says he plans to sue the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs because it won't let state hospital officials inspect federal medical care facilities in Florida. He made the announcement Wednesday, though the lawsuit had not yet been filed. FLORIDA COURT VOIDS EX-FBI AGENT'S MURDER CONVICTION A divided Florida appeals court on Wednesday tossed the murder conviction and lengthy prison sentence for a former FBI agent in the decades-old mob-style killing of a gambling executive. The 3rd District Court of Appeal ruled 2-1 that former agent John Connelly was improperly convicted for his role in the 1982 slaying of World Jai-Alai President John Callahan. TRIAL UNDERWAY OF MAN ACCUSED OF PLOTTING ATTACK Opening statements were given in the trial of a man accused of plotting a terrorist attack in Tampa. The trial of 27-year-old Sami Osmakac began in federal court in Tampa on Wednesday. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sara Sweeney said Osmakac planned to wreak havoc in Tampa by blowing up a car bomb outside an Irish pub and then using grenades and an AK-47 to take hostages at the Seminole Hard Rock Casino and demand the release of Muslim prisoners. NO BOND FOR WOMAN CHARGED IN DEATH OF GIRL A woman accused of killing a 2-year-old girl in her bathtub and attempting to fatally drug a 10-year-old boy will be held without bond. A judge made the ruling on Wednesday in West Palm Beach. Kimberly Lucas was the longtime partner of the children's biological mother. SWAYZE'S WIDOW WEDS 5 YEARS AFTER ACTOR'S DEATH The widow of Patrick Swayze has remarried five years after his death. Lisa Niemi Swayze confirmed her marriage Sunday on Twitter. She wrote "How often does lighting strike twice?" and said it was "an incredible, wonderful, joyous day." A marriage record filed with Palm Beach County shows the groom is Albert Deprisco. The couple lives in Boca Raton.

Sheriff Apologizes For Teen's Wrongful Arrest GREEN COVE SPRINGS, Fla. (AP) A sheriff in northeast Florida is publicly apologizing to a teen who spent 35 days in jail after an arrest mix-up. Authorities say a deputy's failure to confirm his suspect's identity with a photo led to the arrest of the wrong high school student. The teen was charged as an adult in a sexual battery case. The mistake was not discovered until he received court documents detailing the charge. Clay County Sheriff Rick Beseler said Tuesday that the deputy has a good track record but took short-cuts in the investigation last year. The deputy was suspended and transferred to patrol. Beseler told The Florida Times-Union that he will "seek to make things right" for the teen. The teen has told the sheriff's office that he intends to sue. Source: Associated Press

By David Ruben April 22, 2013 How the war between good & evil is waged in the battlefield of the mind While the constant ebb and flow of our attention is manipulated, the architects of tomorrow are reconstructing the foundations of our human existence. Have you ever heard the word *Transhuman? It is a term that refers to an intermediary form between the natural human and the posthuman. The etymology of the term "transhuman" goes back to philosopher F. M. Esfandiary who, while teaching new concepts of the human at New School University in 1966, introduced it as shorthand for "transitional human." Calling transhumans the "earliest manifestation of new evolutionary beings," FM argued that signs of transhumanity included protheses, plastic surgery, intensive use of telecommunications, a cosmopolitan outlook and a globetrotting lifestyle, androgyny, mediated reproduction (such as in vitro fertilization), absence of religious beliefs, and a rejection of traditional family values. The term 'transhumanism' was coined by biologist Julian Huxley in 1957 who defined it as "man remaining man, but transcending himself, by realizing new possibilities of and for his human nature." Transhumanism, however, was given its modern definition and characterization by philosopher Dr. Max More: "Transhumanism is a class of philosophies that seek to guide us towards a posthuman condition. Transhumanism differs from humanism in recognizing and anticipating the radical alterations in the nature and possibilities of our lives resulting from various sciences and technologies […]." Dr. Anders Sandberg has described modern transhumanism as "the philosophy that we can and should develop to higher levels, physically, mentally and socially using rational methods," while Dr. Robin Hanson as "the idea that new technologies are likely to change the world so much in the next century or two that our descendants will in many ways no longer be 'human'." Summarizing transhumanist literature, transhumanism is as follows: Advocacy of improvement to the human condition through enhancement technologies, such as eliminating aging and expanding intellectual, physical or physiological capacities. Transhumanists generally support emerging technologies, including many that are controversial, such as nanotechnology, biotechnology, information technology, and cognitive science; as well as hypothetical future technologies such as artificial intelligence, mind uploading and cryonics. Since some observers believe the pace of technological development is steadily increasing, many transhumanist thinkers speculate that the next 50 years will yield remarkable and radical technological advancements. Transhumanism maintains that this is desirable and that humans can and should become more than human through the application of technological innovations such as genetic engineering, molecular nanotechnology, neuropharmaceuticals, prosthetic enhancements, and mind-machine interfaces. Derived in part from the philosophical traditions of secular humanism, transhumanism asserts that humans should be viewed as the "center" of the moral universe, and that there are no 'supernatural' forces that guide humanity. Currents within transhumanism Anarcho-transhumanism. A political philosophy synthesizing anarchism and transhumanism. • Cosmism. A moral philosophy based upon the belief that artificially intelligent life and its colonization of space is possible and desirable, advocating deliberate action to ensure its development. • Democratic transhumanism. A political philosophy synthesizing liberal democracy, social democracy and transhumanism. • Extropianism. A strand of transhumanism characterized by a set of principles regarding extropy. A political philosophy synthesizing moderate libertarianism and transhumanism. • Hedonistic imperative. A moral philosophy based upon the belief in the necessity of using technology to eliminate suffering in all sentient life. • Posthumanism. A philosophy that seeks to transcend the principles of Renaissance humanism to correspond more closely to the 21st century's ideas of scientific knowledge. • Prometheism. A religious philosophy synthesizing cosmotheism and transhumanism. • Singularitarianism. A moral philosophy based upon the belief that a technological singularity is possible, advocating deliberate action to effect and ensure its safety. • Transhumanist socialism. A political philosophy synthesizing socialism and transhumanism. The Posthuman Manifesto: General Statements To understand how the world is changing is to change the world It is now clear that humans are no longer the most important things in the universe. This is something the humanists have yet to accept. 2. All technological progress of human society is geared towards the transformation of the human species as we currently know it. 3. In the posthuman era many beliefs become redundant — not least the belief in human beings. 4. Human beings, like gods, only exist inasmuch as we believe them to exist. 5. The future never arrives. 6. All humans are not born equal, but it is too dangerous not to pretend that they are. 7. In the posthuman era, machines will no longer be machines. 8. It is a deficiency of humans that they require others to tell them what they already know. It is only then they will believe it. 9. Posthumanists do not fall into the trap of imagining a society where everything works well. Economic and political theories are as futile as long-range weather predictions. 10. Surf or die. You can’t control a wave, but you can ride it. 11. We now realise that human knowledge, creativity and intelligence are ultimately limited. 12. Complex machines are an emerging form of life. 13. A complex machine is a machine whose workings we do not fully understand or control. 14. As computers develop to be more like humans, so humans develop to like computers more. 15. If we can think of machines then machines can think; if we can think of machines that think, then machines can think of us. This story was published in The Australian, April 07, 2005 Sony patents 'real life Matrix': The Japanese entertainment giant Sony has patented an idea for transmitting data directly into the brain, with the goal of enabling a person to see movies and play video games in which they smell, taste and perhaps even feel things, it was reported today. The patent - based only on a theory, not on any invention - marks the first step towards a "real-life Matrix," New Scientist says in next Saturday's issue. In the sci-fi film of that name, cyber-reality is projected into the brains of people via an electrode feed at the back of their necks. In Sony's patent, the technique would be entirely non-invasive - it would not use brain implants or other surgery to manipulate the brain. The patent has few details, describing only a device that would fire pulses of ultrasound at the head to modify the firing patterns of neurons in targeted parts of the brain. The aim, it says, is to create "sensory experiences" ranging from moving images to tastes and sounds. New Scientist said it was denied an interview with the inventor, who is based at a Sony office in San Diego, California. Sony Electronics spokeswoman Elizabeth Boukis said the work was a "prophetic invention" and no experiments at all had been done on it. "It was based on an inspiration that this may someday be the direction that technology will take us," she told New Scientist. And you thought it was only a movie! © 2013 David Ruben - All Rights Reserved David Ruben is Senior Executive Producer, and Team Leader at the creative boiler room for the Audio Taskforce at Talk Radio Network (the 2nd largest distributor of Talk programming in America). Over the past 4 years David has won 3 LA Comedy Awards in the voice/production category. David has produced some of the most successful nationally syndicated radio personalities such as Michael Savage, The Jerry Doyle Show and The Rusty Humphries Show to name just a few.

It is agent Peter Greenberg’s job to protect his client, to put the best spin possible, but in this case he really doesn’t know. Greenberg is only guessing when he says, “He is going to be good for next year. I don’t think that is a question.” Of course, it is a question. It’s one nobody really knows. Greenberg told Jeff Wilpon that Jose Reyes, who has a torn hamstring, should be working out in either December or January. But, is that with or without surgery? Nobody is saying. If Reyes’ injury is a new one sustained when he tried running this week, it’s more bad luck. Or is it? Had the Mets been proactive in their treatment, then this is more than bad luck. Perhaps, the weakened condition of Reyes’ tendon problem made the tear possible. One must consider all the possibilities. If, what happened was the worsening of the original condition, then this was poorly played. Come to think of it, it was poorly played all along. The perception was Reyes was dictating all the shots, and when does a patient do that? Yet, another Mets’ injury spins out of control. If the hamstring hasn’t healed by now, it won’t without surgery. And, once you go under the knife, everybody’s recovery time is different. So, Greenberg can’t say December. What if it is January of February? If that’s the case, there’s no way Reyes will be ready for spring training. And, what if Reyes injured himself to such a degree that the surgery doesn’t work? Or the surgery is more extensive than what is anticipated? All season there have been projections of Reyes’ return and none of them have been correct. Why should this time be any different? Nobody really knows. What we do know, is that this has been a mess.

|Looking south from the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir. 3:00 PM. Photo: JH.| |Wednesday, June 15, 2011. Yesterday in New York was overcast, cool, with temperatures in the 60s, and showers in the early evening. I started my rounds at the Upper East Side apartment of Karen Collins and Jesse Kornbluth (Headbutler.com) who were having a book party for Josh Ritter, the singer-songwriter-guitarist and now author of his first novel Bright’s Passage. Mr. Ritter, who was born and grew up in Idaho, was inspired to learn to play music as a kid listening to Bob Dylan’s “Girl From the North Country” on his parents’ copy of Nashville Skyline. He was also inspired to write fiction and Bright’s Passage is the first work he’s “wanted anyone to see.” Parties at the Kornbluths, aside from the camaraderie that goes with their hosting, are especially notable because of the beautiful Mrs. K’s excellent hors d’oeuvres (wrong word, right idea) which are always beyond compare (and that is no exaggeration, believe me). Frankly, because I had other places on my itinerary, I knew I wouldn’t have much time, but I stayed long enough to sample the fare, such as: Corndogs – Beyond; Coconut Shrimp – Beyond; little (teensy) salads served in pastry cups -- Beyond. A few of those and I had to get out of there, otherwise I would have just stayed and gnoshed all night. The Kornbluths live near Fifth Avenue in the 90s and I was heading from there down to the Sherry Netherland at 59th to another book party -- this one for Erica Jong. Fifth Avenue in the 70s through the 90s was closed off in the early evening because of a “museum walk” (from the Whitney to the Met to the Gugg to the Museum of the City of New York), so a few score of pedestrians could walk in the middle of road (rather than on the ample space of the sidewalks) that would ordinarily be used by thousands of cars and buses, and so we had to go east to go south to go west. The idea of closing off a large portion of Fifth Avenue roadway in the middle of the week during rush hour (and on a rainy day no less) in one of the busiest cities in the world is inconvenient. However, the people who dream up these things are busy proving something to themselves that may seem absurd at best (to be kind) to us citizens making our way, but nevertheless proves they can do any cockamamie thing they want, no matter what. Meanwhile. Erica’s book party was held in the apartment of friends high above the city, with spectacular views that yesterday were made more dramatic by the moisture gracing the roadways and the trees. The book, Sugar In My Bowl; Real Women Write About Real Sex, edited by Erica and with pieces by more than two dozen distinguished writers (many of them friends of Erica) including Gail Collins, Anne Roiphe, Susan Cheever, Daphne Merkin, Fay Weldon, Honor Moore, Liz Smith, and even Erica’s daughter, the novelist Molly Jong-Fast (whose contribution is entitled “They Had Sex So I Didn’t Have To”). “When it comes to sex, what do women want?” is the question posed on the book’s jacket flap, adding “In this eye-opening and courageous collection, Erica Jong reveals that every woman has her own answer.” |The view from the apartment of Erica Jong's hosts last night overlooking Fifth Avenue, Central Park and Central Park West. You can see the empty roadway created for the "Museum Walk" along Fifth Avenue in the rain.| |From Erica Jong’s book party, I got a cab at 59th and Fifth (regular traffic from the 70s, south) and went down to the Players Club on 16 Gramercy Park South where the Players Foundation for Theater Education was “celebrating The Stork Club” – the famous nightclub started by Sherman Billingsley in the late 1920s that was a destination for theatre and movie stars, celebrities, café society and their ilk right up through the early 1960s. Among those expected were some of the off-spring of the Stork’s stellar clientele, including Sherman Billingsley’s daughter Shermane, Maria Cooper Janis (daughter of Gary Cooper), Joan Benny (daughter of Jack Benny and Mary Livingston), Jane Lahr (daughter of the now immortal “Cowardly Lion” Bert Lahr), Marni Nixon, and cabaret entertainer Steve Ross. |The Players Club on Gramercy Park South, once the home in the 19th century of America's greatest Shakespearean actor of his age, Edwin Booth, who later turned it into a club for friends and interested patrons of the arts. Next door (on the right), is the National Arts Club which in the same age, was the home of Samuel Tilden, once governor of New York and the first to win the popular vote for the Presidency (in 1876) and lose the Electoral vote.| |Gramercy Park at this time of year is in its legendary glory, with its gated park square in full bloom and its many 19th century buildings reeking with history. The Players was originally the home of the great Shakespearean actor Edwin Booth – considered the greatest actor of his day. In 1888, Edwin Booth (who in 1869 also founded Booth’s Theater – originally at 23rd Street and Sixth Avenue) with fifteen others – including Mark Twain and General William Tecumseh Sherman – turned his residence into a club. Their objective: “The promotion of social intercourse between members of the dramatic profession and the kindred professions of literature, painting, architecture, sculpture and music, law and medicine and the patrons of the arts.” |The townhouse just a couple of doors east, originally the home of Mr. and Mrs. Stuyvesant Fish before they moved uptown in the early 20th century to 78th Street and Madison Avenue to a house designed by their Gramercy Park neighbor Stanford White, which is now being refurbished for occupany by Mayor Michael Bloomberg's private foundation.| |Among their many members was the architect Stanford White, who lived just a few steps across the park on 21st Street and the beginning of Lexington Avenue, and visited frequently.. Last night’s event was a big stroll down memory lane for a lot of those attending. When I first came to New York, fresh out of college in the early 1960s, I had the good luck to frequent the Stork Club which was then in its waning days but still drawing (although not as frequently) many of the longtime habitués of the club. At that time there were seven dailies in Manhattan and twice as many columnists covering the restaurant and nightclub scene and the Stork was still a stop for many of them – including Earl Wilson, Dorothy Kilgallen, Cholly Knickerbocker (being ghosted by Liz Smith), John McClain, Louis Sobel, Walter Winchell. |Sherman Billingsley's Stork Club on 3 East 53rd Streeet (just off Fifth Avenue), circa 1938.| |Billingsley entering his club to begin a night's business.||The bar just inside the entrance (and beyond the velvet rope) of the Stork Club, circa 1942.| |One of them, Jack O’Brian, who wrote a television column for Hearst’s afternoon daily the Journal-American and also had a daily talk show on WOR radio, would sometimes, with his beautiful young wife Von, invite a girl I knew and me to join them at the Stork on Friday nights. My friend was the step-daughter of a good friend of O’Brian’s, a man named Morton Downey, who was a very famous singer in America on radio throughout the 30s and 40s, and also a longtime friend of Sherman Billingsley. Morton Downey (whose son Sean later became a famous TV personality as Morton Downey Jr.) was also a very close friend of Joe Kennedy whose son John had recently been elected President. All this was heady stuff to this country boy from New England. With the O’Brians we’d go to the Stork about eight-thirty and be seated at Table 50 in the Cub Room – the VIP room just off the bar and away from the main clubroom where there was a live orchestra and dancing. Table 50 was the table right by the entrance to the VIP room. |The main clubroom of the Stork, which also featured a dance floor and bandstand, also circa 1942.| |The famous Stork Club ashtray, a much sought after memento found in many smart homes across America.| |The famous Cub Room. Table 50 is on the front left. Orson Welles is seated there (in profile and striped suit). Just beyond him, the woman with the bangs is the film star Margaret Sullavan. To the right of her, the man with the crewcut, in profile, is her husband the agent and producer Leland Hayward (parents of writer Brooke Hayward). At the table in the center, the grey haired man is the 9-times married Tommy Manville, a famous playboy (and Johns-Manville Asbesto heir). The man on the right at that table is Sherman Billingsley. The man in the dark suit at the table, right, front, is Morton Downey.| |Sometimes we’d be joined by two or three others including two young guys (although quite a bit older than us kids), one of whom was famous -- albeit even infamous -- Roy Cohn, because of the McCarthy hearings several years earlier; and one of whom I knew of only because his father had recently acquired the daily newspapers read back in my hometown – The Springfield Republican. His name was Si Newhouse. Sherman Billingsley would always join our table for a few minutes and sometimes longer. I was completely starstruck to be within such close proximity to this man who was a kind of folk-hero of the metropolis. Although he was a quiet-spoken man who looked like a well tailored banker from Greenwich, I later learned he cut his teeth as a club owner during the days of Prohibition where the Mob called the shots in the nightclub world. Mr. Billingsley – as we young ones called him – was a very pleasant and congenial host. |The Kennedy brothers, Ted, Jack and Bobby, at the Stork.| |The man who would become President and his bride.| |Ernest Hemingway, Sherman Billingsley , and John O'Hara in the Cub Room.| |Marilyn Monroe and Joe DiMaggio.| |The young Nancy and Frank Sinatra and their children Frank Jr. and Nancy Jr.| |A later Sinatra wife, Ava Gardner with her then husband, bandleader Artie Shaw.| |I once asked him if there were anyone who could be trouble for him in his club. He told me without hesitation that there were two: John O’Hara (whom I idolized as a novelist) and Frank Sinatra. Why them? “Because those two could get so drunk you never knew what they were gonna do or who they were gonna slug,” he answered. By then, the history of the Stork Club had begun to supersede its present, although there was still a lingering glamour of the earlier age before television changed the nighttime habits of Americans. |Mary Hemingway, Gary and Rocky Cooper, and Ernest Hemingway.| |Arlene Dahl, Rock Hudson, and Fernando Lamas (Dahl and Lamas were then married).| |Nancy and Ronald Reagan.| |Judy Garland and her then husband Vincent Minnelli.| |The teenage Elizabeth Taylor with her mother and father.| |Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz.| |The legendary Damon Runyon, Walter Winchell, and Sherman Billingsley.| |The very young marrieds, Lennie and Dominick Dunne.| |When we finished up on those nights around Table 50 in the Cub Room at the Stork, Jack and Von O’Brian always liked to stroll a few blocks north to another famous restaurant at 58th and Fifth called Reuben’s (where Bergdorf Mens is today) and have a cup of coffee and its famous sandwich named for it, or grab a cab over to Lindy’s on Broadway and 53rd and have some of their famous cheesecake. Delicious and still delicious to recall. All this from a trip last night down to the Players Club to celebrate the Stork. Today, as some New Yorkers still know, the Stork Club is a plot of land known as Paley Park, created by another former habitué of the club, William Paley, founder of CBS, who bought the property and turned it into a pocket park dedicated to his father Samuel Paley. |The Stork in the late 50s, only a few years from its final days.| |Paley Park, created by William Paley in memory of his father on the site where the Stork once played host to the worlds of fame and fortune.| Comments? Contact DPC here.

The business with the best customer service will have the best contact center. Customers should be able to contact the enterprise through an array of devices or methods and the call should be routed to the appropriate human or non-agent quickly. This reduces the time that customers must wait for the information. It prevents customer service agents spending time of customer needs that can be satisfied more quickly with a self-service option. The best contact centers utilize Customer Relationship management (CRM,) Intelligent Customer Routing (ICR,) multimedia customer input channels, and skills-based routing. ICR utilizes customer data to route communication more effectively. Customers will also realize that their individual needs are better met. In addition, by utilizing other SIP applications, all communication can be routed to a single contact center. In the past, enterprises had to open customer service branches in an array of locations. However, this increased production costs and didn’t necessarily improve customer service. The infrastructure, employees and technology needed to make a contact center function outweighed benefits to customer relations. However, with SIP, calls from one part of the world can be routed to another; multimedia communication can be utilized to reduce communication costs. Geography no longer affects customer service. Inefficiencies in communication have been reduced, decreasing response time and cost. SIP creates one standard interface with which all communication can be effectively managed and organized through. SIP can create additional endpoints, facilitate routing, and allow for trunking services. SIP increases the interoperability of the different devices and methods customers may use to contact enterprises and increases the flexibility in how enterprises respond.

⊗ close menu A profile of Norman McLaren’s main collaborator, animator Evelyn Lambart, who worked as his assistant for several years and co-directed six of his films, including the celebrated Begone Dull Care. Evelyn Lambart by Éric Barbeau, National Film Board of Canada Video player width : by (( height )) Reset Discuss this film Please sign in to add your comment Not a member ? Click here

» 2011 NFL Draft prospects » Former player Natrone Means NFL Draft prospects will visit with pediatric patients in the Kravis Children's Hospital at The Mount Sinai Medical Center. Players and the patients will meet in 'The Zone,' a state-of-the-art therapeutic play and educational environment for children and families funded by Troy Aikman, Garth Brooks and others in the Kravis Children's Hospital. Children will have a chance to interview the future NFL standouts in the KidsZone/TV studios. Thursday, April 28, 11:00 AM 'The Zone' at the Kravis Children's Hospital The Mount Sinai Medical Center 1184 Fifth Avenue (at 99th St), 1st Floor, New York, NY Clare Graff, NFL, 212-450-2435 firstname.lastname@example.org Mount Sinai Press Office, 212-241-9200 * If you plan to attend this event, please RSVP to email@example.com. **Please note that this a b-roll opportunity only. Draft prospects will be available to the media for interviews at Chelsea Waterside Park on Wednesday, April 27 from 10:45-11:15 AM.

Chinese Qing Dynasty (artist)| Covered Box for Seal Paste, Kangxi period, 1662/1722 porcelain with peachbloom glaze overall: 3.5 x 7.2 cm (1 3/8 x 2 13/16 in.) Not on View Object 7 of 24 Marsden J. Perry [1850-1935], Providence, Rhode Island. J. Pierpont Morgan [1837-1913], New York. (Duveen Brothers, New York); sold 1915 to Peter A. B. Widener, Elkins Park, Pennsylvania; inheritance from Estate of Peter A. B. Widener by gift through power of appointment of Joseph E. Widener, Elkins Park; gift 1942 to NGA. - Duveen Brothers, Inc. - Morgan, Sr., J. Pierpont - Perry, Marsden J. - Widener, Joseph E. - Widener, Peter Arrell Brown |«||back to gallery||»||continue tour|

Concord, NH–Marilinda Garcia, Republican candidate for New Hampshire’s Second Congressional District, released the following statement in response to Ann Kuster’s abuse of her franking privileges. “Ann Kuster’s consistent use of taxpayer-funded mail— the so-called Franking privilege—to promote her reelection is not only a waste of tax dollars, it is an unethical abuse of her position,” said Garcia. “No wonder the people of New Hampshire have lost faith in her. Through these actions, Ann Kuster exemplifies what Americans dislike about U.S. Congress. New Hampshire deserves better than a leader who raises taxes on the middle class and then uses those tax dollars for self-promotion. If Ann Kuster wants to convince New Hampshire voters to re-elect her, maybe she can dip into her special-interest funded $1.5 million campaign warchest instead of soaking the taxpayers struggling under her economy.”

"Ryan will not be available [Monday or Tuesday, at the Florida Panthers]," Ottawa coach Paul MacLean said. "He has re-aggravated something and right now we are going to keep him out for two games and evaluate him when we get home and make any more determinations after that." Stepping into Ryan's spot will be forward Mark Stone, called up from the American Hockey League on Saturday. The Lightning head into the game in an enviable position: Everyone on their roster is healthy. "It's good," Lightning coach Jon Cooper said. "It's much better than not being healthy, that's for sure. The one big key is that Steven Stamkos is getting better with each game so that helps, and we're finding a little bit of consistency in our lines and we're getting production from some of the guys who have sat out a little bit and now are back in. Everyone's chipping in." One player that will get an opportunity to make a contribution against Ottawa is rookie forward Nikita Kucherov. A healthy scratch for five consecutive games, Kucherov got the word he is in the lineup from Cooper at the morning skate. Sitting out is a part of Kucherov's development, Cooper said, and the coach remains optimistic about his long-term prospects. "He's 20 years old, so he has taken a huge step just to play as many games as he has," Cooper said. "He is learning about the NHL. Kucherov didn't have the luxury of playing in the AHL for two or three years; he played 15 games in the AHL. So he's still learning. Everything he is doing is two thumbs up from me. "I'm really happy with where he has been and I'm really happy with what's going on, and he will be a really good player in this League." Here are the projected lineups for the Senators and Lightning: Injured: Bobby Ryan (lower body)

|VLista on NIFTY| Join the Vlista Yahoo Group to be notified when new stories and chapters are posted. Cameron - Chapter 7 In the library, actually doing homework during study hall on Thursday, Cameron looked up and smiled seeing Cole sitting down across from him. God he’s sexy, he thought as he filled with the warmth that always consumed him when he was in Cole’s presence. Cole looked at him, his big green eyes very serious. “I heard about your dad. How’s he doing?” Cameron shrugged not wanting to think about it, something he had been trying to do for two days since he’d seen his father in the Intensive Care Unit of the hospital. “They don’t really know anything yet.” Cole looked down at his hands and nodded, sensing Cameron didn’t want to talk about it. Something he understood all too well. “I think I changed my mind about the color.” “Of the house.” “OH,” Cameron nodded understanding hitting him. “What color you thinking now?” “Well I was thinking a kinda medium color green. Not real dark but dark enough so it covers the gray good.” Able to picture that, and picture it looking nice Cameron nodded. “Well we’ll just have to take the paint back we got then we can start soon as we get back to your house.” Cole grinned. “I already did that.” “So you were beyond the thinking point?” Cameron asked grinning himself. Chuckling he nodded. “Yeah I was trying to break it to you gently. I didn’t want you to feel bad. Cause I know we agreed on the last color.” Thinking that was about the sweetest thing ever, Cameron smiled at him. “I don’t feel bad. It’s your house. You’re the one that has to live there.” God he just wanted to hug him! “How’s life going with Mr. Harris?” Cameron shrugged again. He didn’t really want to complain about the man that was taking him in but felt the need to get a few things off his chest and since Cole asked… “I don’t know. I feel kinda like I’ve lost control of my own life. Like I haven’t got a say in anything anymore. It seems like the only things I ever say to that man are ‘yes sir.’ It’s starting to make me a little sick.” “Yeah he sure is a bossy guy. I don’t think I could handle living with him.” “He’s not all bad.” Cameron added starting to feel guilty. “I’m just not used to it I guess.” Cole looked confused. “Used to it?” “Someone telling me what to do.” “Oh, wasn’t your father strict?” Cameron shook his head. “No, he just left me alone.” “Really? I figured he was since he kicked you out in all.” Uncomfortable with the conversation Cameron fidgeted in his chair scratching at an imaginary itch on his leg. “No, I lived my life he lived his. I got kicked out because my life was interfering with his too much.” His eyes widened as he said that, he hadn’t realized he had come to that conclusion, but apparently he had since now it was out it made perfect sense to him. “So his fathering skills left little to be desired?” Cameron looked at him and half smiled. “Yeah, I guess you could say that.” He watched the other boy nod hoping the conversation would end there. “You want to spend the night Friday night?” SHIT do I ever!! He knew Mr. Harris too well though. “I don’t think I’m going to be allowed to do that.” “Geez man, it’s been two weeks how in hell long you grounded for?” “I think until I’m eighteen.” Cameron laughed a bitter laugh. He looked at Cole his heart melting at the pouty look on his face. “Can you ask though? Maybe that stick fell out of his butt.” Cameron nodded he wanted to spend the night sooo bad he would definitely ask. “Just don’t get your hopes up.” He said aloud something he kept on repeating to himself. Mr. Harris was barely in the door that evening when Cameron walked up to him. “Can I ask you a question sir?” He asked as the man kicked off his shoes. “It’s not Saturday night Cameron.” “I know sir, but what I have to ask you takes place before Saturday so I need to ask you now.” He didn’t miss the annoyed look on the man’s face as he nodded and led him down the hall. Cameron followed begrudgingly, hating that a simple question had to be made into an official affair. Once they were both seated in the official chairs in the man’s office Cameron started to chicken out. “Well?” Mr. Harris prodded his voice portraying he had very little patience making him even more scared, sure the man was so annoyed now he would never get a yes in answer to his question. Knowing silence would only piss Ken Harris off more Cameron took a deep breath and spit it out. “Am I still grounded?” Ken’s eyes narrowed as he looked over the boy. “Why?” Wringing his hands together he answered. “I want to spend the night at Cole’s on Friday….so we can get an earlier start.” Yeah that may help a little. “I highly doubt if you spent the night you’d start any earlier then seven like last week. And yes, you are still grounded so you can’t spend the night.” Before he could even say another word Mr. Harris stood up and walked out of the office leaving Cameron sitting there, a little stunned, a little sad, and definitely a little pissed. He wanted to chase after the asshole and give him a piece of his mind for passing him off so quickly. For just thinking he was all knowing in his opinion of them starting early. Where in hell did he get off thinking he knew everything? He felt like he was five years old for Christ’s sake. Did he really have to ask permission to go to a friend’s house? He didn’t see Kyle asking for permission for every little thing. Of course Kyle was their real kid. They loved Kyle. They didn’t love him. They were only putting up with him cause they knew he didn’t have any other place else to go. Not the mention the fact that Kyle was nothing less then an angel. That he wouldn’t know how to do anything wrong even if he wanted to. He supposed that could happen if parents actually loved their kids enough to teach them right from wrong. Cameron had been good though. For two whole weeks, he had done everything that was asked of him. Every chore, every rule, he hadn’t had sex, hadn’t done drugs, had done his homework. He even got an A on his history test the day before. Mr. Harris knew that too. He had asked Cameron how he did. Then he didn’t seem to care at all when Cameron had proudly told him he’d gotten an A. It had made him feel ashamed for thinking it was such a big deal in the first place. Obviously it wasn’t. He jumped as he heard Mr. Harris’s voice. “You going to come eat, or sick there and sulk all night?” He literally had to bite his tongue not to tell the man to fuck off again. He stood up and faced him. “I think I’ll go to my room without dinner instead.” He said sarcastically. “Perhaps that will teach to ask for such silly things in the future.” He felt a tiny bit of satisfaction as Mr. Harris’s eyes turned hard yet nothing came out of his mouth. Seeing he wasn’t going to get yelled at or anything, he brushed past him and walked up the stairs to his room. He gently closed the door fighting the urge to slam it, and then flopped down on the bed cursing The Harris’s, his mother, his father everyone who he felt was responsible for his current living situation. His week got even worse Friday evening. The night he should have been staying at Cole’s. Mr. Harris called him into his office just after dinner. Even though Cameron had no desire to talk to the man he followed along obediently and sat in the chair he was beginning to hate. “Your stepmother’s funeral is tomorrow. We’ll all be going.” Cameron’s mouth fell open “What?” he asked in total shock. “It’s a matter of respect Cameron; I don’t want any argument on this.” “They all hate me. Are you kidding? They’re not gonna want me there. They’re going to assume I’m being disrespectful because that’s just the ass they all think I am.” Mr. Harris waved his hand looking exasperated at Cameron’s attitude. “What are you talking about? Who hates you?” “Her family!” he snapped just as exasperated. “Why do you say that?” “Because it’s true.” “Why do you think that then?” Cameron let out a long sigh and sat back a little in the leather chair getting ready to divulge any information that may save him from going to the funeral. “They used to come and visit. Not all at once, except on Holidays, then the whole damn flock showed up.” “I can do without the swearing.” Rolling his eyes Cameron took a deep breath, certainly irritated. “I could tell by the way they looked at me. How they hardly ever talked to me. How they talked about me like I wasn’t even there. They called me the ‘boy’ they said it like they were talking about some deadly disease or something.” He stopped to take another breath a little surprised how fast the words were pouring out. “I overheard them more then once comforting her because she had to put up with me. That it was too bad I was there otherwise she’d have the perfect marriage. How they should just ship me off to military school or something.” He gripped the armrests of the chair so hard it hurt. “When they did decide they were going to talk to me, it was to ask me what in hel…. heck my problem was. To give me the third degree about how I could be such a loser.” “I think your being a little over dramatic Cameron.” Mr. Harris cut in. Cameron’s thoughts froze on his tongue as anger surged through him. He couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Here he was pouring his heart out and the jerk off thought he was lying? He made an instant pact with himself never to tell the man anything again. It was more then apparent he didn’t care. That he did not even trust him enough to believe what he was saying. He was so distraught over what had just happened he lost all rational thinking and closed himself off. He wasn’t going to let the man hurt him again. “I’m supposed to be at the Parker’s tomorrow.” He uttered blankly. “You can go after the funeral. We’ll be home by noon.” “Can I call him and tell him I’ll be late?” he asked not looking up from the floor. “Do you have the number?” Mr. Harris shook his head. “I don’t either. You’ll just have to explain it when you get there at noon. We can drop you off after the funeral.” Oh how generous. Cameron thought bitterly. Save me a whole one-minute walk. He was too angry and upset to think of asking for a phone book. He stood up figuring the conversation was over. “We understand each other then?” Mr. Harris asked as Cameron turned to leave the room. Cameron half turned back but didn’t look at the man. “I understand you now sir.” Not waiting for any response he turned back around and left the room. He walked up the stairs and into his bedroom the only place he seemed to want to be after each wonderful episode in the man’s office. He sat on the edge of his bed, propped his elbows up on his thighs, and buried his face in his hands. He didn’t know what he was more upset about. Having to go to the funeral, or the way Mr. Harris had just dismissed all he had said. He wasn’t a whiner, and he certainly was not a drama queen. He never would have said anything at all if he weren’t trying to save himself from going, but that didn’t mean he made any of it up. Even though he knew everything he had said was true, he still felt like an idiot. Mr. Harris seemed to have a way to always make him feel stupid. He remembered the day Mr. Harris picked him up from the police station. How elated and happy he had been that he didn’t have to go to foster care. He remembered the man’s words. ‘There’s many ways one can fulfill them-selves. He wondered if Mr. Harris’s way was to look down on other people, and make them feel inferior to him; inferior to most people. Cameron certainly didn’t feel very fulfilled. He had more self esteem when he lived with his father. His father just ignored him. He didn’t pick apart what he did, or call him a liar, he just never talked. He doubted if he lived in a foster home that he would have had to go see his father, or have to go to the stupid funeral. He had just about made up his mind to find a phonebook and call child welfare himself when someone knocked on his door. He pulled his head out of his hands and looked at the door. He didn’t want to say come in. He expected it to be Mr. Harris and the last thing he wanted to do was invite the man on in. Despite his lack of communication though, the door opened. He was relieved when he saw Kyle, not his father, walk into the room. “Dad says you’re mad.” “Wow isn’t he smart.” Cameron snapped even more pissed the man obviously reported his behavior to his entire perfect little family. Kyle walked over and sat down on the end of the bed. “Is it because you don’t want to go to the funeral?” He wiped his hand down his face trying to calm down. The last thing he wanted to do was piss Kyle off. He felt Kyle was the only one in the world that he could count on right then. “Partly.” “What’s the other part?” Cameron shook his head. “It’s not important.” Kyle turned to face him, but didn’t speak until Cameron looked up at him wondering what all the silence was about. “Obviously it is or you wouldn’t be upset.” “Maybe I’m just being dramatic.” “Ohhh,” Cameron watched as his friends filled with understanding. “He pulled the old ‘you’re just being dramatic’ trick on you huh?” “Yeah he says that to me all the time. It’s no big deal Cameron he just likes to say it. Makes him feel in control, or something I guess.” His mind stuck on one part of what Kyle had said he repeated it. “He does it to you all the time?” “Yeah I think it must come with the cop training.” Cameron nodded, he couldn’t believe it, but that one sentence made him feel a lot better. Somehow it was nice to know he wasn’t the only one Mr. Harris said that to. That it wasn’t him just being singled out to feel stupid. Perhaps the man hadn’t meant that at all. Maybe that was just his way of communication; and though Cameron thought it sucked, it still felt good to know that he wasn’t just being picked on. “I tried to talk him out of making you go to that funeral Cameron, I really did.” “Thanks man, I appreciate it.” Kyle nodded feeling bad that his friend still had to go. “I remember stories you told me about that family. But just so’s you know I’ll be there right by your side all day. You won’t be alone with them this time. You’ll have me and the whole family with you.” Cameron smiled at him getting just another reminder of why Kyle was such a good friend. He didn’t know how the kid could turn out so nice when his father was such a pompous ass. He wasn’t about to question it though, he liked Kyle just the way he was. “You aren’t going to leave are you?” Still looking at him Cameron smiled a little wider. “Well I was thinking about it. But I think I’ve calmed down now. And I do like living with you so I guess I can put up with your dad.” Kyle leaned over and gave him a quick hug. “Good cause I like living with you too.” He let go of him then stood up. “My dad’s not really a total jerk. He just comes across that way sometimes. He does really care about you, and he wants you to be happy.” Cameron looked up at him nodded though he didn’t really believe it. He got up at seven the next morning and went directly to the bathroom. He had to piss like a racehorse, since he hadn’t dared leave his room again the night before to go before he fell asleep. Once he’d relieved himself he returned to his room just long enough to pick out some clothes. He had never been to a funeral but knew enough about them that black was the proper color to wear. He really didn’t care about having correct etiquette he just didn’t want to stand out anymore then he possibly had to. Though he knew just by being there, he would stand out plenty to his step mother’s loved ones. Once he had picked out a pair of black pants and a dark green button up shirt he returned to the bathroom and took a long hot shower. Letting the hot water wash over him hoping it would wash some of the tension and worry down the drain. He spent an extra five minutes in the shower, but even with the extra five minutes he still felt like crap when he got out. He thought of just pretending to be real sick, but he had a good idea Mr. Harris wouldn’t believe him even if he was throwing up all over the place. He pulled on his clothes and wiped the steam off the mirror. He sighed at his reflection. His dark hair stuck up in disarray from his quick towel dry. He hated his eyes; he wished they were half as beautiful as Cole’s brilliant green eyes. His were grayish and not one bit brilliant at all. They had no shine to them, not like Cole’s did. He ran a comb through his hair so it wasn’t quite such a mess. He could really use a hair cut. He wondered how he would be able to get one only being allowed to keep a twenty dollar a week allowance, and not wanting to ask the Harris’s if they would let him get one. After leaving the bathroom he went to the top of the stairs and took a deep breath. He didn’t want to face Mr. Harris. He knew the man would be sitting at the dining room table and reading his precious paper, which meant there was no avoiding him. But he had to show he was up and ready. Had to show what a responsible young man he was. He rolled his eyes at his own thoughts as he took off down over the stairs walking a bit slower then usual. Like every other Saturday morning that he had been there, Mr. Harris was at the table, his face behind the paper, while Mrs. Harris was at the stove cooking a hearty breakfast for her family. He walked into the room trying to make as little sound as possible; trying to delay the inevitable. It wasn’t until he sat down in the chair that had been dubbed as his that he was noticed. “Morning hon,” Mrs. Harris said cheerfully from the stove. “Omelets this morning, what do you want in yours?” Cameron looked wearily over at the paper Mr. Harris was hiding behind then back at Mrs. Harris. “Uh cheese and onion please.” He said nervously watching the paper out of the corner of his eyes hoping it wouldn’t lower and the man’s beady little eyes would start staring over at him. The ten minutes he sat there waiting for his breakfast were very tense. Mr. Harris never said a word to him, but the not knowing, and the dreading nearly made Cameron break into a sweat. He wasn’t ready to talk to the man, and he certainly did not want the man talking to him. Honestly he thought he would never be ready to talk to the man again. He always walked away feeling stupid; and despite what Kyle had said the night before, he got the feeling that Mr. Harris enjoyed making people feel that way. He was not going to add to the man’s joy anymore, that he was sure of. After he finished eating he rinsed off his plate, put it in the dishwasher, and then headed up the stairs to brush his teeth. He then went to his room and sat on his bed for about forty five minutes dreading the morning to come and picturing himself at Cole’s that afternoon, the morning already over. He sat there until Kyle poked his head in the room. “We’re going now. You ready?” Cameron nodded and shakily stood up. “Ready as I’ll ever be.” He followed his friend down the stairs to where the rest of the Harris family was waiting. Mr. Harris looked at up at him immediately like it was the first time they had been in the same room that morning. His stomach clenched as the man’s eyes narrowed. “Don’t you have a tie son?” Looking at Kyle then back to Mr. Harris and seeing they both had ties on he shook his head. He saw the father look to his son. “Get him a tie.” Kyle took Cameron by the elbow and led him back up the stairs and into his room. Cameron stood near the bed biting his tongue so he wouldn’t go spouting off, while Kyle went through one of his bureau drawers. A minute later Kyle turned back around with a simple black tie in his hand and handed it off to Cameron who looked down at it. “I don’t know how to tie a tie Kyle.” He admitted feeling pretty dumb. “Oh sorry.” Kyle said as walked up to him and within seconds Cameron had a perfectly tied tie around his neck, and they were headed back down the stairs. At ten minutes to nine the clan pulled into a small churches parking lot. Though the church was small, its good-sized parking lot was full and Cameron wondered idly how so many people would fit inside. As they got out of the car he had to smile at Mrs. Harris as she made sure everyone’s tie was straight, and her daughter’s dress was just perfectly hanging around her. She acted almost like the event was a place to showcase her family; she had always been like that as long as he had known her though. Everything always had to be just so. They all walked together to the church, Cameron was a bit amazed despite his churning stomach once they stepped inside. The inside of the church did not look like it could possibly fit inside the building from what he had seen on the outside. He felt like he may have walked into Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory or something; because nothing appeared to be what it really was.. The pews were full, he didn’t see any that the whole family would fit into. Mr. & Mrs. Harris found a place for themselves and the twins, while Kyle and Cameron stood fending for themselves to find a seat. On the far side of the 2nd to last row they managed to find a seat they could both fit into. Cameron was relieved that Kyle was keeping his promise to stick by his side. He did not see anyone he recognized this far back in the church; but when he looked up to the front he saw the weeping members of the family that used to come and visit. The ones that he knew all hated him. He was glad to see them all way up there, he felt somewhat safe in the back of the room. If he was lucky, none of them would even notice he was there at all. An hour later he was sweating, his tie was driving him crazy, and his ass hurt from sitting on the hard pew. He never thought funerals would be so long. It seemed like everyone had to get up and do some long, tear-filled speech. He hadn’t remembered how they were all so long-winded until he saw them all again. He thought about his father and what he would have said if he had been able to come, or even if he would have said anything at all. He figured if it was him, and he had lost his entire family, he would not be able to contain his emotions enough to get up and speak in front of a room full of people. His father had never been too good with words in the first place, not even with the part of the family he liked. During some of the speeches he felt a little guilty for not being more upset then he was about her death. The truth was he just wanted the funeral over with. He had hardly known the woman and though he was a little sad, like he would be if a classmate that he hardly knew died, he felt nothing more. He let out a long slow breath as the service ended and he watched people walking up to the front where a closed casket was covered with a large bouquet of yellow flowers. He looked to Mr. Harris was sitting with his wife and two younger kids and hoped beyond hope that the man wouldn’t make him walk up there. About half the people had left the room before he finally saw Mr. Harris stand up. He watched the man’s eyes scan the rows behind him before his eyes fell on Cameron and Kyle. Cameron wanted to shrink down under the pew sure that the man would make him go up to the casket. His whole body relaxed considerably as the man nodded to them then pointed out the back before heading off that way with his family. He and Kyle stood up simultaneously, made their way through the crowd into the lobby area of the church, where they met up with the rest of the Harris family. They all headed for the door Cameron feeling great relief that this was almost over. He shivered as he heard a loud wailing beside him and wanted to hurry his step, but was stopped by a hand on his arm. The hand connected to the wailing woman she walked around in front of him tears streaming down her face. Cameron cringed when he saw it was his stepmother’s sister. “IT’S YOUR FAULT!” she screamed in his face. “I HOPE YOU AND YOUR FATHER ROT IN HELL!” She shoved him backwards and Mr. Harris stepped in and put his arms around the woman trying to soothe her while Cameron regained his footing. Cameron felt Kyle’s hand on his back as he looked at the woman and Mr. Harris. “Go out to the car guys.” Mr. Harris said his arms still around the woman. “I’ll be out in a minute.” More then happy to oblige Cameron skirted around the woman as he was walking away he heard her still screaming. “YOUR FATHER’S A MURDERER! HE KILLED MY SISTER!” Cameron didn’t stop walking until he reached the car then waited impatiently for Mrs. Harris to unlock it just wanting to get inside and out of everyone’s staring eyes. Once they were in the car, Kyle put his hand on his knee. “You okay?” Cameron only nodded though he wasn’t certain he was. He didn’t ever like being screamed at, let alone by a crazed woman in front of a crowd of people that already hated him. He also felt mad at the woman. His father hadn’t murdered her sister. It was an accident. He didn’t know how she could feel that way. Didn’t she understand that accidents happened? How could she stand there and call him a murderer? His father may not be the greatest guy in the world, but he certainly shouldn’t be being called a murderer in front of hundreds of people. He pictured his father as he had last seen him, lying unconscious and helpless in a hospital bed. His heart panged with pity at him not even being able to even defend himself. He knew his father would be devastated whenever he found out that he had lost his whole family; and he knew the fact he was being blamed for their deaths would devastate him even more. It wasn’t fair. It felt like they had sat there in the car forever when Mr. Harris finally got in behind the steering wheel. “Poor lady.” He said clucking his tongue and shaking his head. Cameron’s eyes widened. ‘Poor lady?’ What the fuck? Did that man have to always see things the opposite way as he did? Could he just not see simple reason at all? Or did he just always know exactly how to piss Cameron off the most? He sat fuming while Mr. Harris went on and on about the loss the poor woman suffered, all the way to Cole’s house. By the time the van stopped he got out and slammed the door without saying a word to anyone. Which didn’t seem to matter; since the man didn’t seem to care he was in the car in the first place. He watched the van pull away just wanting to throw something at it, he was so mad. After the van slowed, and pulled into the Harris driveway he turned and looked at Cole’s house. Cole was making his way down a ladder, a small part of the front of the house already painted. He walked up the driveway as Cole descended the ladder. “Where you been?” Cole asked, his handsome face speckled with paint, as he walked up to him, a paintbrush still in his hand. “I had to go to a fucking funeral.” Cole nodded looking Cameron over. “Yeah I thought you were a little dressed up for painting.” Cameron looked down at himself, “Oh fuck.” “I forgot my change of clothes in the van.” “Oh well that’s okay you can wear something of mine. It should fit.” Cameron nodded, but didn’t anything. “You okay?” Cole asked studying his downcast face. “Nah, I’m pissed.” He spouted off before he could even think of just keeping it to himself. Cole put his hand up on Cameron’s shoulder then ran it down to his bicep where he wrapped his fingers around it and led Cameron up the stairs to the porch where his mother was sitting in her wheel chair. He led him over to a porch swing and Cameron sat down. “I’ll get you something to drink, I need one anyways. Do you like lemonade?” “Is it spiked?” Cole chuckled. “No, I’m sorry. Gram wasn’t a drinker.” “Lemonade is good, thanks.” Cole nodded and walked into the house. Cameron sat on the porch swing, letting the cool late April breeze wash over him, calming his anger some. He could not believe how badly he was feeling for his father. He honestly did not think he would care that much. He wasn’t even feeling upset that he was caring at this point. He felt like his father needed someone to stick up for him, to at least be by his side. He knew his father did not have any close family. He had pretty much alienated them like he had alienated Cameron. Maybe now that he had no one else he would like him again. Maybe he could have his father back. He shook his head, even if he could have him back, why would he want him? The man all but abandoned him. He certainly never cared about Cameron’s needs after his first wife left. Why should Cameron care about him? He just had to get these thoughts out of his head. He was relieved to see Cole coming back out of the house with two tall glasses of lemonade. If anyone could get his mind away from these crazy thoughts it was Cole. Besides he had forgotten today was ‘try to be more then friends with Cole day!’ He honestly didn’t give a crap about Mr. Harris’s feelings about fags anymore. Cole walked over to the swing, handed him a glass of lemonade, and then sat down beside him taking a long sip. Cameron inhaled deeply as Cole’s scent filled his nostrils. He smelt clean, but with an arousing scent of musky sweat mixed in, obviously from his morning of painting. “I’m real sorry I’m late. I would have called, but I didn’t have your number. I gotta get that from you today before I go….if it’s okay. That way if my schedule gets fucked up again I can at least call you.” “Sure no problem.” Cole sat back and took another long drink. “I take it you didn’t want to go to that funeral today?” Cameron shook his head as he stared at the ice he was swirling around in his glass. “Mr. Harris is at it again?” He laughed bitterly as he nodded. “I’m really starting to hate that man.” “Well like I said, I don’t know how you can live with him in the first place.” “If it wasn’t for Kyle being there I don’t think I would still be there.” He looked over at Cole’s mom he was staring out at the roadway. “Does she know you’re gay?” He asked quietly. “Yeah, I imagine so. If she understands when I talk to her and I like to think she does, then she knows.” “So you told her then? Since the accident? She didn’t know before?” Cole looked over at his mother and shook his head. “I wasn’t even sure before. I mean I knew I was always looking twice at other boys and no matter how many of my friends pointed out some girl I just never saw the big deal. They never attracted me like the guys did. But I couldn’t put what I was feeling into words. Let alone one word.” He paused and looked at Cameron. “It’s kinda a scary word you know? Gay?” Cameron nodded, loving to hear Cole talk. “I’m not so scared of it anymore, but back then I sure was.” He nodded over to his mother. “My parents were great though. I don’t think either of them would have cared much. I never heard them badmouthing anyone.” Cameron watched as he stared at his mom while a small smile formed on his lips. “And when I did tell her she didn’t get mad. In fact she didn’t say a word.” Narrowing his eyes in confusion Cameron looked at Cole as Cole looked back at him, a small chuckle coming out of his mouth. “I know, I have a sick sense of humor, but if I don’t crack jokes now and then I’d just be sad all the time, and I don’t want that.” He looked briefly back at his mother then back at Cameron. “Can I ask you a question?” “Where’s your mom?” “I haven’t got any idea.” He took a long drink of lemonade not sure if he should say more or not. By the time he lowered his glass he decided Cole was being so open he should try to be to. “She left when I was like five.” “Just walked out?” He nodded again looking down at Cole’s hand that had landed on his knee. ‘God that’s a nice hand’ he thought, as he sighed, a deep sigh of contentment. He looked back up at Cole as Cole slowly withdrew his hand his eyes widened in surprise. “What?” he asked nervously. “I thought you just wanted to be friends?” Cameron looked at him like he had two heads. How in hell could he figure me out from just that? “Huh?” was all he managed to get out of his mouth. Cole’s eyes narrowed and locked into Cameron’s. “Don’t play dumb, I know what I see.” “What did you see?” he asked flustered, and not realizing that he was denying his feelings. “I saw your reaction when I touched you. I felt it.” “Felt what?” He looked down at himself to check sure he hadn’t gotten hard. “What are you flamboyant or something?” Cole shook his head and half laughed. “What?” “You know those people that can sense things.” His eyes narrowed as Cole laughed even harder. “What’s so funny?” he asked almost laughing himself as Cole’s laughed harder and harder. It took him nearly a full minute to answer. “Clairvoyant, NOT flamboyant.” He said between laughs. “And no I’m not flamboyant or clairvoyant!” Though he felt like a big idiot he laughed a little along with Cole. “So what’s this charge you are talking about?” he asked once Cole had recomposed himself. Cole shook his head. “I don’t know how to explain it, but I’m right aren’t I? You don’t want to be just friends do you?” Feeling so put on the spot Cameron almost said no, this wasn’t the romantic event he pictured happening when he revealed his feelings to Cole. But the last fifteen minutes of conversation had only made his feelings stronger and he couldn’t bring himself to deny them. He couldn’t miss out on a chance to see what could happen. Cole sat there staring from him to the ground back to him until Cameron just couldn’t take it anymore. “Aren’t you gonna say anything?” Cole only held up his hand opting for a moment to stare at the ground. Cameron waited again, refusing to run away in shame. Needing to have some kind of response to what he had just admitted. “You really hurt me Cameron. That first night, well not the first night, but the next day I saw you, and you didn’t even know who I was.” He finally said. “I know Cole, and I’m sorry. I don’t even drink anymore.” Cole looked at him and nodded his eyes squinting against the sun that was shining brightly behind Cameron. “But what about after you leave the Harris’s? The only reason you aren’t drinking now is because you are staying there.” He nodded that being a fair point. “I kinda like sobriety. I mean if I actually had a problem or needed the alcohol; don’t you think I’d have found a way to have some, even though I’m staying there?” “You wanted alcohol today.” Damnit, another good point! “I was joking mostly. I’d had a bad morning. I was lightening my own mood.” “But if I’d had it would you have wanted some?” “I don’t know. Maybe at that second, but I don’t anymore.” Cole sighed, as he sat back so his back was against the back of the swing, he stretched his long legs out in front of him and crossed them at the ankles. “I’m not a goodie-goodie Cameron. I don’t hate someone that drinks. Just your drinking was a direct result of me getting my feelings hurt. Maybe I’m a pansy, I don’t know; but I don’t like being hurt.” Cameron nodded discovering Cole sure could make a person feel guilty, as his gut was twisting in remorse. “I really am sorry.” Cole started talking again like he didn’t even hear it. “I do like you. I have since I first saw you. Course that was lust, I didn’t even know you. But you definitely have the look I am looking for. And the last couple weekends we’ve spent together I’ve had a great time. In fact, I lay in bed every night telling myself not to fall too hard for you, that was partly because I didn’t think you wanted more, and partly because I don’t want to get hurt again.” He stopped talking for a moment then turned and looked at Cameron again dead in the eye. “I know you can’t promise you would never hurt me and I don’t expect you to tell me that. But if we do this, we gotta take it slow Cameron.” He nodded excitement rumbling in his gut. Taking it slow was certainly fine with him. He just wanted more then what they had now. He wanted Cole, and for more then just sex. Hearing a car pull into the driveway he turned and swore under his breath seeing it was Mr. Harris. He’d hoped since they’d gone to the funeral that morning that the man wouldn’t be doing his visit. Apparently God’s work didn’t stop for anything. His enjoyment about Cole subsided as anger burned inside him while he watched the man get out of his car, his eyes on Cameron the whole time he made his way up onto the porch where he stood and looked over at the two of them on the bench. “I thought you were coming here to work?” “We are sir,” Cole spoke up. “I just needed a break.” Mr. Harris didn’t acknowledge Cole at all as he looked Cameron up and down. “You haven’t even changed you clothes, you’ve been here an hour.” “I forget them in your car.” “He’s gonna borrow mine,” Cole stood up, not looking at Mr. Harris. “Come on Cameron, let’s go get you those clothes.” Glad to be able to reach the porch Cameron got up and gratefully followed Cole inside. They walked up the stairs just inside the door and down a short hallway before turning into Cole’s bedroom Not having been in there before Cameron took a quick look around while Cole went to his bureau drawers. There was a double bed with a white bedspread on it. One that looked like it had been there since Cole’s grandmother owned the place; it wasn’t in bad shape, just old fashioned. The floor was hard wood, though mostly covered in a gray area rug. The only things he really saw in the room that made it look like a teenager’s room was a stereo on a desk with a few stacks of CD’s, and a few posters that he grinned at. “You have hot guy posters on your walls?” Cole turned away from the dresser some clothes in his arms and grinned. “Ya, why not?” Cameron shrugged, “I don’t know, I guess I just never seen it before.” Cole dropped the clothes on the edge of his bed and walked up to Cameron. “Does it make you jealous?” He grinned and shook his head. “No, I think I can handle it.” Cole smiled at him then took another step closer and wrapped his arms tightly around Cameron holding him tightly. “I’m so glad you changed your mind about the friend’s thing.” Cameron put his arms around Cole, inhaling his wonderful scent. “I thought you felt the same way.” “I was lying.” Cameron chuckled at his bluntness as he rubbed his hand up and down Cole’s back, absolutely loving the feeling of him in his arms. It ended far too soon as Cole pulled back a little. “You better get changed so Mr. Harris doesn’t strain his ass muscle with all that clenching.” He leaned forward and gave Cameron a much too quick peck on the lips, then turned and left the room. Cameron stood looking at the door Cole had just passed through and put a finger to his smiling, glistening lips. He sighed a sigh of complete contentment; feeling happier then he could ever remember feeling before. He couldn’t wait for his next chance to hold Cole in his arms. Copyright © 2001-2006 Vance Lister, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Remember the Oregon Ducks Rose Bowl helmet, the superlatively reflective lid created by Newberg, Oregon-based Hydro Graphics, Inc? Well it would appear that they’re pretty in demand now among college football programs looking to create a special edition chrome dome. Here, check out what, according to the company’s Facebook page, is the new ‘HydroChrome’ Syracuse helmet which features an all-orange build with that über-reflective finish. (No school logos added yet, though that would surely happen later.) I’ll label this as rumor at the moment, but I don’t see any reason to think it’s less than genuine. Stay tuned for updates regarding college football uniforms overall, as well as Syracuse specifically. Update: I meant to mention, and it’s since been all-but-confirmed, that these are expected to be part of a special one-off uniform for the Cuse/USC game.

Using unique agreements with generic drugmakers, Johnson & Johnson’s Tibotec Pharmaceuticals plans to speed up the delivery of its new HIV medicine to parts of the world ravaged by the disease. Tibotec’s licensing agreements spell out how three generic drugmakers will be permitted to manufacture and distribute lower-priced versions of rilpivirine, Tibotec’s new HIV treatment. While other major drugmakers have crafted collaborations to provide medicines to developing countries where HIV is prevalent, Tibotec has taken a different approach, starting with the fact the drug at the heart of the agreements is still being reviewed by federal regulators. The idea behind Tibotec’s agreements with Matrix Laboratories and Hetero Drugs, both of India, and South Africa-based Aspen Pharmacare is to get a head start on regulatory approvals and manufacturing in hopes of making the new drug accessible to patients sooner. "Most of the people affected by the disease live in the countries covered by these agreements," said Jeff Sturchio, chief executive officer of the Global Health Council, an alliance of public health organizations working on global health concerns such as HIV. "The collaborations could cut years off the lag time it takes for medicines to get to developing countries," Sturchio said. "That could have a tremendous impact." To understand why drugmakers such as Tibotec are targeting specific parts of the world, consider the prevalence of HIV in sub-Saharan Africa—namely Ethiopia, Nigeria, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe. In 2009, the number of people living with HIV in sub-Saharan Africa reached 22.5 million, or 68 percent of the total number of people living with HIV around the world, according to the latest global report from UNAIDS, the Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS. While the number of new HIV infections is declining, according to statistics collected by UNAIDS, the estimated 1.3 million people who died of HIV-related illnesses in sub-Saharan Africa that year represented 72 percent of the world’s 1.8 million deaths attributed to HIV. Tibotec’s rilpivirine is an antiretroviral drug that treats HIV by inhibiting reverse transcriptase, an enzyme that retroviruses need to reproduce. Federal regulators are reviewing the company’s application to begin marketing the drug. A decision is expected this year, said Karen Manson, a company spokeswoman. In its agreements, Tibotec provides the generic drugmakers with the technical information to manufacture rilpivirine. The individual companies will be responsible for getting regulatory approval and obtaining pre-qualification status from the World Health Organization for generic versions of Tibotec’s drug. Manson said the pre-qualification from the WHO allows the generic drugmakers to begin selling medicines to public health agencies, even if approval from individual government regulators is still pending. In return for licensing rights to make the drug, the generic companies will pay Tibotec royalties ranging from 2 percent to 5 percent. Tibotec is part of Titusville-based Janssen Pharmaceutica, and Janssen is a subsidiary of health care giant Johnson & Johnson, which has its global headquarters in New Brunswick. Will Stephens, vice president of global access and partnerships for Janssen global services, said the company has concentrated on licensing collaborations with generic drugmakers as a strategy for getting new medicines to patients in specific economically challenged markets. "We want to expand access to the drug as quickly as we can where Johnson & Johnson doesn’t have reach in terms of logistics and manufacturing capability and doing it at a price that’s more affordable," Stephens said. One of the companies, Aspen Pharmacare, is licensed to distribute the HIV drug throughout sub-Saharan Africa and South Africa. Two of the companies, Hetero Drugs and Matrix Laboratories, will have the ability to sell the medicine in India and parts of sub-Saharan Africa. In its 2010 global report, UNAIDS noted that expanded access to medicines is making a difference. The availability of antiretroviral drugs contributed to a 19 percent decrease in deaths among all people living with HIV between 2004 and 2009, according to the report. And in 2009 alone, 1.2 million people received HIV antiretroviral drugs for the first time—a 30 percent increase over 2008, the report stated. The major drugmakers are relying more frequently on their generic counterparts to help provide that access, said Sturchio of the Global Health Council. Tibotec has added another dimension, he said, by addressing the lag-time issue, which is commonplace in many of the African nations. "There are notorious examples," he said, "where it has taken years before a drug is available in developing countries" after it has been approved by U.S. regulators. Stephens said the agreements have the potential to shorten the process of getting a more affordable medicine to HIV patients by at least 18 months. "Historically, we’ve taken a year after launch (of a new drug) just to get these negotiations started," Stephens said. "In our view, that’s a significant amount of time." Susan Todd: (973) 392-4125 or firstname.lastname@example.org

PENNSAUKEN TWP. — A boy in Camden was embroiled in a fight one day as 11-year-old Hakim Buckhannon eyed his bicycle. While the child scrapped on the mean city’s asphalt, Buckhannon seized the opportunity and the bike. Soon he was caught, and he ended up in front of a family court judge to answer for his theft. Countless stories in Camden and other cities begin much the same — and end in tragedy. But if Camden County police and other officials have their way, Buckhannon’s tale will take a far different turn. Buckhannon was among 12 Camden youths who have graduated from the most recent Multi-Agency Life Line (MALL) class. An awards ceremony and dinner were held Thursday night at The Pub on Kaighns Avenue in Pennsauken. The Pub provided the space and food for free. The MALL program, started in 1999, aims to keep first-time juvenile offenders from spiraling into a life of crime by instilling discipline, ethics and citizenship. It’s funded by the city of Camden through state and federal grants. The young offenders can be referred to the program by judges, among others, or they can volunteer to join. Those who graduate have the charges against them downgraded or dropped. After dinner Thursday night, Buckhannon spoke of what the program has done for him. “I learned not to disrespect others, not to disrespect my mom,” he said. “I learned to do my homework, to respect my family and my peers.” And the MALL hasn’t been his only influence. Buckhannon is a student at Yorkship Family School, a pre-k through seventh grade school on Collings Avenue. There, he said now-retired principal Maxine Campbell and vice principal Cheryl Shelton have helped him as well. “I didn’t want her to retire,” he said of Campbell. “Sometimes, when I needed to calm down, she’d help me... She reminded me of my grandmom.” Buckhannon said he wants to grow up to be a basketball player. But not just on city courts. He wants to go all the way to the NBA, specifically to Sacramento, to play for the Kings, he said. Another one of Thursday night’s MALL graduates, Montika Houston, has more immediate plans. Houston, a 14-year-old high school freshman, said she wants to return in April to help out with the next MALL class. She was introduced to the program, she said, after getting into fights. The MALL taught her to avoid violence, Houston explained. “It helped me control my anger,” she said. When asked what new wisdom she’d pass to others, Houston said “That they should control themselves more so they don’t get into this predicament.” During the graduation ceremony, Houston read what each classmate, including her, wrote of how the MALL helped them. “Without a second chance, I would be in Lakeland (the juvenile detention center in Blackwood),” she wrote. Lt. Anthony Carmichael oversees the Camden County Police Departments Youth Services Division, under which the MALL operates. Carmichael said the 12-week class includes workshops on topics like anger management, peer pressure and conflict resolution. The youths are also taught discipline, respect for their parents, for authorities and others, even basic chores. Every three to four weeks, if the pupils do well, they take a trip — perhaps to the Funplex, a museum, the Franklin Institute, Carmichael said. Organizers try to have about 15 kids in each class. After a class graduates, the overseers take two weeks to prepare for the next. Kids who have committed fourth-degree or other less serious offenses are considered for the program, Carmichael said. Violent offenses, with the exception of perhaps tussles with peers, generally disqualify a child from the MALL, he explained. A fight might bring an evaluation of a possible MALL candidate to see if he or she would be deemed fit for the class. The MALL was founded by retired Camden Police Capt. Raymond Massi, now a Law Enforcement Coordinator for the U.S. Attorney’s Office New Jersey District. Police Sgt. William Reed runs the program’s day-to-day operations, including transporting kids to the class, Carmichael said. Marva Coleman, a retired Captain at the Camden County Juvenile Detention Center, is the program’s coordinator. Massi and Coleman made remarks at Thursday night’s event, at which the graduates received citations from the New Jersey Senate and Assembly. Other speakers included Superior Court of Camden County Family Division Presiding Judge Charles W. Dortch Jr., state Assemblyman Angel Fuentes (D, 5th District, Camden) and Camden County Police Chief J. Scott Thomson.

Does any sandwich say "Jersey'' more than the Taylor ham sandwich? I'm sorry, pork roll sandwich, because any true Jerseyan knows all Taylor ham is pork roll but not all pork roll is Taylor ham. "Trenton Makes the World Takes'' is no longer true, but the state capital is still the pork roll center of the universe, with Taylor Provisions (makers of Taylor ham/Trenton Pork Roll) and Case Pork Roll both headquartered there. Taylor Provisions was founded in 1939, with John Taylor's Original Taylor Pork Roll dating to 1856. Case's Pork Roll, which bills itself as "the original Jersey ham,'' can be traced to George Washington Case, who started selling hickory-smoked pork roll at his Belle Mead farm in 1870. There are other pork roll suppliers, including Thuman's (Jersey Made) and Loeffler's (Mercer Meats). Good luck finding pork roll, generally sold in 1, 3 and 6-pound tubes, outside New Jersey and eastern Pennsylvania. But enough already with the history, it's time to chow down. We visited eight diners, luncheonettes and delis around the state, from Linden and Roselle to Boonton and Fredon, ordering two pork roll sandwiches at each, one with ham, egg and cheese, the other with the basic ingredients plus bacon or other meat. "You have blown my mind,'' Don Silsby said as he followed our journey on Twitter via @NJ_Munchmobile. "I am in Florida, so the pork roll pickings are mighty slim down here.'' The day's best pork roll sandwich, in fact, came as a tip via Twitter while the Big Dog was on the road. "I saw towns and sights in NJ that I had never visited or seen since arriving here in 1979,'' said Muncher Art Lee. Join the Munchmobile, see the world. Or at least this savory sliver of it. WHITE ROSE DINER, LINDEN Sequestered in an industrial stretch of Linden, this classic 60s diner - American flags snapping in the breeze, menu items written on blue and orange construction paper taped to the walls - is owned by Rich Belfer, who acquired it from original owner Jack Hemming 22 years ago. The facade says White Rose System, but it's now known as the White Rose Diner. Belfer uses Goodie pork roll (made by Taylor Provisions), with each thin-sliced piece cut in a v-shape for uniform cooking. Strangest pork roll sandwich ever ordered here? One with tuna fish. Sacrilege! Rosa Koval called the pork roll sandwich "fabulous,'' with a "nice, soft'' roll, "gooey cheese'' and the eggs "cooked to perfection.'' Gesumaria rated it "very good,'' although she thought the pork roll "could have been a little crispier.'' Lee, meanwhile, found it "a bit salty for my taste.'' WHITE ROSE SYSTEM, ROSELLE It's the War between the Roses! This is another classic diner, 40 years in its present location; before that, it was in Woodbridge under a different name, according to co-owner George Koumoulos. You can get burgers, gyros, chicken, grilled chicken, even "The Original Philly Cheese steak,'' but we maintained focus and ordered our two pork roll sandwiches. They were a step down from the White Rose in Linden; Gesumaria found them "just ok . ..seemed to be lacking something.'' Lee called the pork roll, egg and cheese "tasty,'' while Koval liked the roll but not much else. "The cheese was not melted and there wasn't much taste to the egg.'' BAGEL CHATEAU, WESTFIELD The best-selling breakfast sandwich at this popular bagel shop? The Taylor ham, egg and cheese, and in this case the name is appropriate, since it's from Taylor Provisions. Bagel Chateau goes through about 100 pounds of Taylor ham a week, according to owner Scott Zilberberg. On a typical Sunday, the shop sells 500 dozen bagels, so it was only appropriate we ordered a Taylor ham on a bagel. There's not as much meat as either White Rose, but the bagel/ham/cheese combination made the Munchers merry. ''One look at it and it makes your mouth water,'' Koval cooed. "Thin slices of pork roll grilled just right, fluffy eggs and gooey cheese.'' Gesumaria admired the "crispy thin cut'' ham, while Lee called the sandwich "a nice variation'' on the usual Taylor ham on a roll. ROCK DELI, BRIDGEWATER They really load on the meat in your pork roll sandwich at this strip mall deli, where you can get breakfast, subs, burgers, salads and more. "It was almost too much pork roll, and it was cut a little thick for me,'' Gesumaria noted. Lee, succinct as ever, said he "enjoyed'' the sandwich at the Rock Deli. Koval gave it an "ok'' rating; her favorite part was the "crispy'' bacon. OLDE TOWNE DELI, BOONTON A Twitter tip made for a last-second change of itinerary, and the Big Dog found itself parked outside this small, spartan deli, founded 45 years ago as the Quick Stop. Owner John Leone uses Thuman's Jersey Made pork roll, which he finds less greasy than Taylor ham. The week before, the staff had made a 12-inch-long pork roll egg and cheese sandwich with fried potatoes on top for a customer. Leone goes through about 125 pounds of pork roll a week. We could see why. "By far the day's best,'' Koval announced. "Crusty soft roll with no seeds, tasty pork roll grilled just right, delicious crispy bacon, perfect eggs and gooey cheese.'' Gesumaria said the ham was "cooked perfect,'' with the "fresh'' roll "holding it all together.'' Olde Towne Deli doesn't look like much inside or out. But they made a darned good pork roll sandwich. FREDON DELI, FREDON It didn't take a day and a half to reach Fredon; it just seemed that way. After a scenic, meandering journey, we parked outside this deli/country store, located next to Kathy's Restaurant and Fredon Dairy; all are run by Chris Kaltsas and his wife, Kathy. "Great and tasty (Taylor ham) sandwich,'' Jarvis Knapp had e-mailed. "You won't be We weren't. The egg on the sandwich at the Fredon Deli was the freshest all day, and the ham the least greasy. Jersey Made pork roll is used. "The rolls were nice and soft, more like a big hamburger bun than Kaiser roll,'' Koval noted. Gesumaria liked the egg, but thought there was too much cheese. Here, as at every stop, we ordered a second pork roll sandwich with another meat. Scrapple? Why not? Both Koval and Gesumaria sounded as if they would never eat it again, but Lee was a fan. "I happen to like Scrapple,'' confessed Lee, who first tried it while at State College decades ago. CROSSROADS DINER, WHITE The Crossroads, at the intersection of routes 46 and 519, is another vintage Jersey diner, with swivel stools, stainless steel, pale green booths and jukeboxes (everything from Elton John and Tom Petty to Adam Ant and George Strait). Pork roll of choice here: Case. This was the day's biggest pork roll sandwich, the ham and cheese safe and sound in a sturdy roll. Gesumaria found the pork roll, egg and cheese 'boring,'' while Koval thought the ham was sliced too thick and was "not grilled enough.'' Lee, though, rated this the day's best pork roll sandwich with bacon. "Stood out from the rest,'' he added. We left behind one of the knives in the Official Munchmobile Set of Knives, and when I called later that day a waitress said she'd leave it on the pie case. Sure enough, that's where it was when I picked it up a week later. CLARK WHITE DIAMOND, CLARK This legendary hangout, just off the Parkway, is colorfully decorated with retro advertising signs, like Pop's Greasy Spoon ("it ain't healthy, but it sure tastes good'') and Kist Kola ("the drink that refreshes millions''). But ketchup on eggs? If you don't want the red stuff on your Taylor ham sandwich, you'd better let them know beforehand. The sandwich, in any event, was a disappointment. Gesumaria made note of the "small amount'' of ham and "not much cheese.'' "I tasted more bread than anything else,'' she added. Koval, who lives nearby, had always thought "they had one of the best pork roll sandwiches here.'' "But having been on the Munchmobile I now know better,'' she added. As usual, we call them like we see them, especially when it comes to New Jersey's "official'' state sandwich. We loved the classic diner vibe of the White Rose in Linden and Crossroads Diner in White, the super-fresh eggs on the pork roll sandwich at the Fredon Deli, and the Taylor ham on a bagel at the Bagel Chateau in Westfield. But one stop won out by the thinnest of margins. Top Dog honors this week go to the Olde Towne Deli in Boonton. WHERE WE MUNCHED BAGEL CHATEAU, 223 South Ave. East, Westfield; (908) 232-1921. Hours: 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. seven days a week. Web site: bagelchateau.com. CLARK WHITE DIAMOND, 1207 Raritan Road, Clark; (732) 574-8053. Hours: Open 24 hours seven days a week. CROSSROADS DINER, 436 Rt. 46, White; (908) 475-2577. Hours: 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday; 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday. FREDON DELI, 428 Route 94, Fredon; (973) 300-2411. Hours: 5 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday; 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday. Web site: fredondeli.com. OLDE TOWNE DELI, 205 Main St., Boonton; (973) 334-4145. Hours: 5:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday; 5:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday; 6:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday. ROCK DELI, 568-B Union Ave., Bridgewater; (732) 356-8899. Hours: 5 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday; 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday. Web site: rockdelinj.com. WHITE ROSE DINER, 1301 E. Elizabeth Ave., Linden; (908) 486-9651. Hours: 5 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday; 5 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday. Web site: whiterosediner.com. WHITE ROSE SYSTEM, 201 E. 1st Ave., Roselle; (908) 241-9639. Hours: Open 24 hours seven days a week. TELL US WHERE TO GO Tomorrow, the Big Dog will not go far, but this could be the summer's most challenging trip. We'll spend the day in Newark's Ironbound - breakfast, lunch, dinner and beyond. As usual, we're looking for lesser-known or newer spots, not the same old same old. Where should we go? Call the Munchmobile Hotline at (973) 392-1765 or email email@example.com. Each week, we give out a special limited-edition Munchmobile t-shirt to the first two people who answer our trivia question correctly. Last week's question: At what Munch stop this year can you find Chocolate Souffles Pile-on? The answer: Fink's BBQ Smokehouse, Dumont. The winners: Brenda Thomas and Jeff Barnes. This week's question: What's a Fat Darrell? Call the Munchmobile Hotline. FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM AND TWITTER You can get inside info on every trip, and see trip photos not available anywhere else, on Twitter and Instagram. Follow us at @NJ_Munchmobile and check out instagram.com/themunchmobile.

And then there were 47. After weeks of laughing — and cringing — at unfunny comedians and out-of-tune singers, the “America’s Got Talent” field has been widdled down to the well, most talented. On tonight's episode, the judges picked 47 acts to go through to next week’s live shows at Radio City Music Hall. A 48th act will be picked by viewers from contestants who performed on the “Today” show. Once again, this episode of “America’s Got Talent” was broken down into several categories. Tonight, the categories were kid’s variety, music groups, variety, male singers, dance groups and acrobats. The stand-out in this category continues to be 9-year-old whiz kid and piano player Adrian Romoff, who’s the only act viewers will see again. Romoff wowed the judges with his piano playing and wit but he might need to change-up his act a bit to be a serious contender in the later rounds. The music group category was a tough category purely because no one gave a really poor performance. But that doesn’t mean there weren’t plenty of so-so acts in the bunch. Both Beach Avenue and brothers Kieran and Finian Makepeace decided to perform original music with mixed results. While neither of the original songs blew me away, I would have taken Beach Avenue over the Makepeace brothers, who we’ll see again in Radio City. The standout act in this group was Jonah Smith, who somehow qualifies as a “music group” because he has a backing band. After having to find a new drummer at the last minute, Smith performed a great version of Clapton’s “Can’t find my way home.” Although Smith’s fate wasn’t revealed at the end of the show, he confirmed to Syracuse.com that he’ll be in Radio City next week. Another family act, the 12-member Willis clan gave an uninspiring performance of “Fireflies” by Owl City but they’ll be in the next round as well. The Sons of Serendip and acoustic trio Livy, Matt and Sammy both gave memorable performances and we’ll see them next week too. This was pretty much the worst category of the night with the judges only sending through Flight Crew JumpRope. But the variety acts didn’t exactly make it tough for the judges to decide as group after group messed up vital parts of their act. First, bow-and-arrow master Bob Markworth missed both of his targets. Then, Mudslinger the pig was unable to correctly add two and three. And Dustin’s Dojo, who made it this far because of judge Howard Stern’s golden buzzer, didn’t do anything to convince the other judges they deserved a second chance. With so many good performances from male singers in the first round of auditions, we were bound to see a few shaky performances here. After good initial auditions, Frank Dimitri, Sal Gonvalez and Justin Rhodes all delivered forgettable performances and were sent home. Of the three, Rhodes was probably the most controversial elimination and I would have chosen him over Jaycob Curlee, who the judges ultimately sent through. The bright spot of the category was Paul Ieti, a 21-year-old soldier who sang “Bless the Broken Road.” His performance was good enough for the judges to send him through to Radio City immediately. Another performer who delivered was 22-year-old construction worker Miguel Dakota. Dakota actually has stage presence so I’d like to see him in front of an audience again. The judges didn’t like the song Dakota picked (Kanye West’s “Heartless”) but sent him through anyway. Neither of the two groups who advanced out of this category gave standout performances, but they did just enough to make it through. Baila Conmigo, a group of rapid salsa dancers, feared that a small mistake by one of their dancers would doom their chances only to have the judges call them back immediately and send them through. The Jasmine Flowers dance group also made it through despite the judges’ concerns that their use of fans made their act too predictable. The acrobat category was filled with hit and miss acts, with some performers excelling and others making costly mistakes. The Xpogo stunt team attempted to take their act to the next level by lighting their pogo sticks on fire only to see the fire go out. And acrobatic couple Richard and Ashlee had a brief brush with disaster when Richard almost dropped Ashlee. But the category was saved by a solid performance from Acro Army and by hand-balancer Christian Stoinev, who incorporated his adorable dog “Scooby” into his act. After several rewinds and a few Google searches, here’s my preliminary list of the acts who’ll be in Radio City next week. I wasn’t able to catch all 47 acts (if they did in fact show all 47 decisions) so I’ll update this once NBC releases the full list. Who’s missing from the list? Let me know in the comments. UPDATE: Here's the full list from NBC.com: The Top 47 Acts 1. Dance act Blue Journey 2. Magicians David and Leeman 3. Acrobat Jonatan Riquelme 4. Comedian Dan Naturman 5. The Hart Dance Team 6. Card-throwing triplets Dom the Bom’s Triple Threat 7. Rock ‘n’ roll cellists Emil and Dariel 8. Singing group Acte II 9. Singer Mara Justine 10. Salsa dancers John and Andrew 11. Singer Paul Ieti 12. Salsa dance group Baila Conmigo 13. Singer Miguel Dakota 14. Singer Jaycob Curlee 15. Singer Julia Goodwin 16. Singer Quintavious Johnson 17. Piano player Adrian Romoff 18. Wild West performer Loop Rawlins 19. Strongman J.D. Anderson 20. Rollerblade dancer Juan Carlos 21. Acrobat Christian Stoinev 22. Flight Crew JumpRope 23. Music group the Willis clan 24. Comedian Darik Santos 25. Comedian Wendy Liebman 26. Magician Mat Franco 27. Dance group Jasmine Flowers 28. Dance group Dragon House "The Agents" 29. Tap dancers Sean and Luke 30. Singer Kelli Glover 31. Singer Emily West 32. Singer Anna Clendening 33. Music group Sons of Serendip 34. Singers Kieran and Finian Makepeace 35. Acoustic trio Livy, Matt and Sammy 36. Acrobat group AcroArmy 37. Mystifier Mike Super 38. Singer Jonah Smith 39. Aerialists Valo & Bobby 40. Aerial Animation 41. Hand balancer Andrey Moraru 42. One Voice Children’s Choir 43. Dance group Bad Boys of Ballet 44. Mothmen Dance 45. Magician Smoothini 46. Contortionist Nina Burri 47. Extreme Dance Company

A little less than six hours away, Liberty State Park attendees are beginning to set up camp for the fireworks. Queens resident Valerie Flores and her nine-person crew arrived at 3 p.m. with their tent and barbecue in hand, looking for the perfect spot to watch the fireworks. "We're grilling steak, fish, salmon, kabobs, the works," Flores said. A little further down the park, another Queens resident said he is grilling "steak, burger, hot dogs: all the American food." Felix Diaz and his friends and family had chips and snacks piled high in one corner of their cabana, with a clear view of the Statue of Liberty. "I'm excited for the fireworks," he said, with extra emphasis on the fireworks. Liberty State Park is hosting Jersey City's Freedom and Fireworks Festival, with the main attraction starting a full half hour before Manhattan begins their show. The State Park Police told The Jersey Journal that the wind, not the rain, might push back fireworks. If the wind clocks in over 20 mph, one officer said, the show could be delayed.

Seventy-five people tried out on Saturday. Sixteen acts made the cut. Here are the singers, dancers and yes--whistlers--who will compete in the third annual Morristown's Got Talent! show, on March 3 at the Community Theatre. They were chosen by members of the Morris Educational Foundation, which organizes the contest as a fund-raiser for the Morris School District. Ben Bailey of The Discovery Channel's Cash Cab will be the emcee. THE 2010 LINEUP FOR 'MORRISTOWN'S GOT TALENT!' • NINA RANGEL - SINGING (Think of Me - Phantom of the Opera) • RON JERVIS - SINGING WITH ACOUSTIC GUITAR (Give Me One Reason - Tracy Chapman) • CHRIS PYO - FIDDLER (Millionaires Hoedown by H. Clevanoff) • ANN URBANOWICZ - SINGER (Beauty and the Beast) • KATHERINE MERWIN AND JULIA CIPRIANI - SINGING (Tonight - West Side Story) • BOOM TO KEY TAP - MUSIC AND DANCE (Composition #1 - Original Piece) • LAURA BIANCO - SINGING (Ain't No Sunshine) • EVAN MEGARO - PIANO (Sonatine) • JOE SODANO - WHISTLING ( Can Can) • DANE GLYNN - SINGING (Believe - Josh Groban) • THE SUMMIT - BAND (Every Color, Every Day and Why Wonder Why - 2 original songs) • INA JORGE - SINGING (I Look to You) • DANNY DONES - SINGING WITH PIANO ( The Scientist) • AMBIKA SHARMA - INDIAN DANCE • DEVON COLQUHOUN - SINGING ( Love Story by Taylor Swift) • THE McGUIRE SISTERS - SINGING (Cry) FROM THE 2010 AUDITIONS FOR 'MORRISTOWN'S GOT TALENT!' : |Morristown Talent tryouts 2010|

In addition to the normal Salem County Courthouse security responsibilities, the following represents some of the activities conducted by Salem County Sheriff’s Officers during that period from the Sheriff’s Law Enforcement Division: • Adult inmate transports: 739 • Juvenile inmate transports: 93 • Extraditions: 11 • Warrant arrests: 249 • Other criminal arrests: 46 • Civil process/documents served: 210 • Community/School Programs: 27 • K-9 calls for service: 139 • Motor vehicle summonses : 75 The following statistics from the Sheriff’s Office Correctional Facility include: • Monthly average adult inmate population : 307 (includes federal inmates and female inmates from Gloucester County). • Inmate work details: 2,135 hours of inmate labor dedicated toward helping county municipalities and non-profit agencies and the removal of 1.4 tons of trash and debris from roadways within Salem County.

A tornado warning has been issued for Gloucester County, Camden County and Salem County until 2:30 p.m.. -- Authorities have confirmed a tornado sighting in the Pennsville area. The cell is headed NE. Take appropriate precautions. -- Destructive hail and "straight-line" winds will accompany the storm The safest place to be in the event of a tornado is in a basement, underneath a workbench or piece of sturdy furniture. If there is no basement, head to the lowest floor of the building, and go to an interior hallway or closet, using pillows and blankets to shield yourself. Remember to stay away from windows. Evacuate mobile homes and vehicles and find substantial shelter. If none is available, lie flat in a ditch. Gloucester County and Salem County are also under a flash flood warning until 4:15 p.m. Flooding is either imminent or occurring, and those around streams and creeks are advised to take immediate precautions for life and property. Do not attempt to cross swiftly moving waters or waters of unknown depth by foot or automobile. A severe thunderstorm watch is in effect until 7 p.m. for Atlantic County, Burlington County, Camden County, Cumberland County, Gloucester County and Salem County. In addition to large hail and damaging winds, continuous cloud-to-ground lightning will occur with this storm. Remember to stay indoors. If you can hear thunder, you are close enough to be struck by lightning.

NJDOT announces efforts to protect Route 5 from falling rocks (Trenton) - The New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) today announced the start of a project to prevent rocks and other debris from falling on a 0.3 mile stretch of Route 5 in Edgewater and Fort Lee, Bergen County. Starting around 11 p.m. tonight, NJDOT’s contractor, Merco Inc., will detour all truck traffic on Route 5 westbound as construction begins on a $3.8 million project to remove and stabilize loose rock along Route 5 westbound between the Fort Lee Pump Station and Undercliff Avenue. The existing roadside rock outcrops consist of loose rock that has the potential to fall onto the Route 5 mainline roadway. Beginning on Monday, July 11, Route 5 westbound will be closed and detoured to all traffic daily, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., for construction activities. Route 5 eastbound will remain open throughout the early stages of construction. • Truck and off-peak traffic headed for Route 5 westbound will be detoured to CR 505 (River Road) north to Bruce Reynolds Boulevard west in Fort Lee to Martha Washington Way south to Route 67 (Palisades Avenue) south to the convergence with Route 5. Further on into construction, a 28-day complete closure of this portion of Route 5 is planned during rock scaling operations, for safety reasons. NJDOT will provide advance notification for this long-term closure. The westbound side of Route 5, near its eastern terminus, is bordered by a steep rock cliff. Recent rock fall incidents have occurred along the cliff resulting in complete closures of the roadway. Stabilization measures, including scaling of loose rock, installation of shotcrete mortar, wire netting, and rock dowels and the removal of vegetation, will help stabilize the rock slope and lessen the potential hazards of falling rock. Public Information Centers were held in January 2010 and 2011 to keep the local communities involved and informed of the project and the resulting impacts to traffic. Variable Message Signs will be used to inform motorists of traffic pattern changes during construction. NJDOT provides emergency roadway information, construction schedule updates and real time traffic information and images at www.511nj.org

Hurricane Sandy - Help & Services Available FEMA and Small Business Assistance Atlantic, Bergen, Cape May, Essex, Hudson, Middlesex, Monmouth, Ocean, and Union County residents and businesses affected by the storm must register with FEMA in order to receive assistance. The Federal Small Business Association may be able to assist those with businesses in the affected areas. Instantly donate $10 to the American Red Cross by texting "REDCROSS" to 90999. Donate online here. For non-cash donations, visit Jersey Shore Hurricane News for the most up-to-date drop-off locations. Help is needed in the Northern and Coastal parts of the state to sort donations and dispense meals, flashlights, and toiletries. Jersey Shore Hurricane News has the most up-to-date information about where manpower is most needed, as well as information about gas stations. The Red Cross also has a mobile app you can use to find blood donation sites. Access it here to find out where to donate blood. None at this time.