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All right… just a couple quick items today but they're good ones!
First up, Disney has officially set the Who Framed Roger Rabbit?: 25th Anniversary Edition Blu-ray for release on 3/12 (SRP $26.50). Not only will you find the cover artwork below, the title is already up for pre-order on Amazon.com!
Also today, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has set Seven Psychopaths for release on Blu-ray and DVD on 1/29 (SRP $35.99 and $30.99). Extras will include 6 featurettes (Martin McDonagh's Seven Psychopaths, Colin Farrell is Marty, Woody Harrelson is Charlie, Crazy Locations, Seven Psychocats and Layers).
Sony has also set Smashed for Blu-ray and DVD release on 3/12 (SRP $35.99 and $30.99). Extras will include audio commentary with director James Ponsoldt and actress Mary Elizabeth Winstead, a "making of" featurette, footage of the Toronto Film Festival Red Carpet and Q&A and deleted scenes.
And Amazon.com is now taking pre-orders for Paul Thomas Anderson's The Master on Blu-ray and DVD from The Weinstein Company. Street date is TBA, but SRP is $39.99 and $29.99 respectively.
Here's a look at the Blu-ray cover artwork for Disney's Who Framed Roger Rabbit?: 25th Anniversary Edition, the Mulan: 2 Movie Collection and The Hunchback of Notre Dame: 2 Movie Collection (street date for all 3/12). All are now available for pre-order on Amazon by clicking on the covers…
Back tomorrow morning with more. Stay tuned…
- Bill Hunt


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Ga. — Matt Pope (2012, Science Hill HS, Tenn.) and Chase Mullins
(2012, Bourbon County HS, Ky.) have a lot in common. Both pitch for
the Huntington Hounds' travel team. Both are committed to Kentucky.
And both throw in the low-90s.
is one small difference, however. Pope—who stands 6-foot-7—is a
right-hander, while Mullins—at 6-foot-9—throws from the left
side. A team with two towering pitchers who throw in the low-90s
from each side might be unfair, but it's something opposing teams
at the PG/WWBA 18u National Championship will have to deal with.
ceilings are through the roof," Huntington's Head Coach, Caleb
Stewart, said. "If they figure it out, they're going to be very
good pitchers for a very, very long time."
in record-high heat on Saturday, Pope showcased his talents, striking
out six of the seven batters he retired. He threw 89-91 mph
consistently, peaking at 92. Pope also flashed an upper-70s slider
that he used as an out pitch.
usually not this hot in Tennessee," Pope said. "It takes some
getting used to, I guess. Normally I throw a pretty good bit before I
go out on the mound, but today I just took it slow and kept calm the
whole time."
Hounds jumped out to an early 1-0 lead in the first inning. They put
up a five-spot in the third, highlighted by a two-run double off the
bat of Mullins. Trey Salisbury (2012, Boyd County HS, Ky.) pitched
3.2 innings in relief, holding off a late-inning rally in route to a
6-5 win over Syracuse Sports Zone Chiefs.
win followed a 3-0 victory on Friday, in which Elijah Wellman (2013,
Spring Valley HS, W.Va.) tossed a complete game one-hit shutout.
the tournament's second day, the Hounds are tied atop the Pool H
standings with NBS 18s and Xcel Baseball 18U. Sam Lee (2013,
Montgomery County HS, Ky.) has been the leading offensive contributor
through two games, going 4-for-7 with a triple, three RBI and three
stolen bases.
is scheduled to start the Hounds' 4:30 game tomorrow against
Chattanooga Baseball Club 18U at Hamilton Crossing Park.
tough man, he's tough to hit," Coach Stewart said of Mullins.
"He's a competitor, he's got tons of heart and he loves this
game a lot. I'll tell you what—the kid can swing, too. He hits
doesn't shy away from the praise and attention. This is his fifth
PG event, including the 2011 National Showcase, and he's enjoyed
them all.
Perfect Game tournaments are a lot of fun," Mullins said. "They
bring in a lot of competition and the publicity from it is great.
It's a great environment and you get to play some good baseball.
And you get better when you come out here."
didn't start pitching seriously until eighth grade. Since then,
he's lit up radar guns across the country, topping out at 94 mph
this spring. He was drafted in the 24th round by the Texas
Rangers in the June draft, but intends to honor his commitment with
like Kentucky and Coach (Gary) Henderson, who is a great pitching
coach," Mullins said. "I think I'm going to get a lot better
and hopefully be a top three rounder out of college. I can get better
there, I can always get better."
is excited to think about what his future holds, and isn't shy to
dream big.
want to win a few SEC championships and a national championship,"
Mullins said. "I want to play on the USA Team, in the Cape Cod
League and make the All-Star team. And I want to get up to 100 mph
before I get done with college. I mean, if you don't set your goals
high, how are you going to finish anywhere near them?"
echoed Mullins' excitement.
like their school, the coaches and the facilities," Pope said of
Kentucky. "Everybody there is really nice; it just seemed like a
perfect fit for me."
was drafted in the 38th round by the Pirates earlier this
month, but plans on joining Mullins in Lexington. While he has
primarily pitched out of the bullpen, he's trying to build his
stamina as he works towards a starting role with the Wildcats. In the
meantime, he and his teammates are focused on one thing.
think we can go pretty far in this tournament," Pope said. "We've
got good players for sure."
Stewart agrees.
have some good hitters and a lot of good pitchers," he said.
"Hopefully we can compete. We'll try to go as far as we can.
We're trying to put the Hound on the mound. We're trying to get
into Jupiter; we want to go down to that tournament. But we also
understand we have to give them a reason to send us there, and that's
what we're here to do: To get the Hounds to the next level. It's
going to start right here with these players. We have a lot of D-I
guys and they play hard. I love them to death; they're a great team
to coach."

subset: commoncrawl


text:
275 Chestnut Street
Springfield, MA 01104
Cesar Carattini
Associate Executive Director of Teen & Outreach
E: firstname.lastname@example.com
Justin Leaphart
Downtown Outreach Director & Advocate
E: firstname.lastname@example.com
Tairy Feliciano
Downtown Outreach Director & Middle School Advocate
E: email@example.com
Monday-Friday 10am-6pm
Ages 12-19 years oldThe Springfield Outreach Center provides free nutritious snacks and a full dinner daily for all its participants.The Springfield Outreach Center also offers free limited transportation on a first come, first served basis (from a select group of schools throughout the Greater Springfield Area) to the Springfield Outreach Center in addition to free limited evening home transportation.For more information about transportation, which schools we serve, and whether you qualify, please call Springfield Outreach Center.
Achieve academically
Inspiring to attend college
Moving toward personal, family and community advancement
The objectives of Y-AIM are to increase the attendance rate for all students, increase the graduation rate for all students, and to develop youth education and employability skills. By achieving these objectives, students will show improvement in core subjects, pass MCAS Exams, increase performance and participation in PSAT, SAT and ACT exams, increase post-secondary options for high school graduates, and develop effective leadership skills for the future.
Y-AIM support services include, one-on-one tutoring, academic tutoring, outreach center credit recovery, report card incentive, college exploration tours, workforce readiness, skills explorations and job placement, life skills workshops, goal setting, problem solving/critical thinking, financial literacy, conflict resolution, and entrepreneurship.
This is a place where teens become leaders in their community! Leaders Club is designed to offer young adults the opportunity to develop leadership skills as they provide volunteer service within the YMCA and their community. Sessions and events are balanced with values discussions, peer relationship building, and programs targeted at managing all aspects of a young adult's daily life. Leaders Club members participate in several social outings, including leaders rally weekends that include hundreds of leaders from all over the Northeast region. This program is extremely hands-on and is managed by an elected executive board of peers and a YMCA advisor.
Our Youth In Government motto is "Democracy must be learned by each generation." Every person can make a difference. Youth In Government helps participants acquire skills that benefit them for the future.
As a YMCA program, Youth In Government focuses on the core values of caring, honesty, respect and responsibility. For the Y, strengthening the foundations of the community is our cause. Teens are encouraged to be active in their communities by fostering debate and problem-solving about local issues. We believe this program helps build informed, inspired, and service-oriented leaders for the future.
High school students in grades 9-12 and limited numbers of middle school students (middle school students serve as legislative pages) are encouraged to participate. Bi-weekly meetings are held locally for 60-90 minutes. All delegates participate in all-day state Pre-Legislative Conferences on three Saturdays over the course of the program year. The Model Government Conference is held in early Spring over three days in Boston. Officers attend leadership training before the conference. All participants are expected to complete any missed school work.
Be a part of the journalism world! Take filed trips to News, Radio and Television stations. Write News/Editorial articles and have them published in real newspapers.
Come and participate in activities and discussions revolving around female/male issues such as self-esteem, relationships, body changes, etc.
- Gymnasium
- Computer Lab/Conference Room
- Meeting Room
- Full Kitchen
- Art Lab
- Lounge/Game Room


text:
Government term
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 results.
The Wellbeing Budget focuses on ways to give Māori and Pacific peoples more scope to lift their own wellbeing. When Māori and Pacific peoples set their own wellbeing goals and aspirations and when we as a Government use our ability to change the system and help Māori and Pacific peoples achieve those aspirations – equality can start to be a reality.
The Government has today announced it is taking action on the long-term challenge of Māori reoffending rates and delivering on its target to reduce the prison population by 30 per cent, with the creation of a new Māori Pathway at Hawke's Bay Regional Prison and Northland Region Corrections Facility.


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The University of Houston Law Center announced today that it will offer its alumni free, unlimited access to the nation's largest web-based continuing education and professional development service. The complimentary program for 2012 is made possible through a partnership between Thomson Reuters West LegalEdcenter, the law school and the UH Law Foundation.
"We are pleased to be the first law school in the country to offer this opportunity to our alumni," said UH Law Center Dean Raymond T. Nimmer. "This program underscores the Law Center's continuing commitment to the ongoing success of our graduates."
"West LegalEdcenter is excited to join with the University of Houston Law Center in providing timely, quality continuing education for its alumni by offering the most comprehensive and relevant courses and support for those from large law firms to corporations to solo practitioners," said Lee Ann Enquist, vice president, Professional Development, Thomson Reuters.
The service for all practicing attorneys will enable users to take courses which fulfill Texas continuing legal education (CLE) requirements and feature such benefits as:
- Access to more than 6,000 continuing legal education programs including substantive law and practice skills programs from more than 50 leading CLE providers such as the American Law Institute – American Bar Association (ALI-ABA), and the American Bar Association (ABA).
- Unlimited access to CLE programs 24 hours a day, seven days a week
- CLE's provided directly to users from any location with an Internet connection including iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad
- Toll-free technical support available 24 hours a day, seven days a week
- Monthly alerts regarding online CLE programs tailored to attorneys' area of practice and state of admission
UH Law Center alumni may go to http://www.law.uh.edu/alumni/ and click on the UHLC West LegalEdcenter tab to register.
For more information: Contact Carrie Anna Criado, 713‐743‐2184, email@example.com; or John T. Kling, 713‐743‐8298, email@example.com.
About the University of Houston Law Center
The University of Houston Law Center is the leading law school in the nation's fifth‐largest legal market. Founded in 1947, it is a top‐tier institution awarding Doctor of Jurisprudence (J.D.) and Master of Laws (LL.M.) degrees. The Law Center is fully accredited by the American Bar Association and is a member of the American Association of Law Schools.
About the University of Houston
The University of Houston is a Carnegie-designated Tier One public research university recognized by The Princeton Review as one of the nation's best colleges for undergraduate education. UH serves the globally competitive Houston and Gulf Coast Region by providing world-class faculty, experiential learning and strategic industry partnerships. Located in the nation's fourth-largest city, UH serves more than 39,500 students in the most ethnically and culturally diverse region in the country.


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Just how special are special dividends?
Companies are rushing special payments to shareholders to take advantage of lower dividend tax rates before they go up Jan. 1. But investors should beware: Not all special payments are created equal.
Some companies are borrowing a lot of money to make the payments. At others, the payments amount to corporate self-help, rewarding large shareholders who also sit on the board.
In addition to those companies, dozens have decided to move dividends that were scheduled for January into December - a no-brainer when you consider the tax advantage, says Howard Silverblatt, senior index analyst at S&P Dow Jones Indexes.
"Pay me in January or pay me in December: It makes no difference to the company," Silverblatt says. "As a shareholder, if you pay me in January, you'd better have a good explanation for that."
That's because a January payment may nearly triple the tax rate that the highest earners must pay on dividends - to 43.4 percent from 15 percent, the rate in place since 2003.
If decade-old tax cuts are allowed to expire at the end of this year, dividends will be taxed like ordinary income, and the top rate for ordinnary income will rise to 39.6 percent from 35 percent.
High earners will pay an additional 3.8 percent to offset the cost of President Barack Obama's health care overhaul.
Obama and Republicans in Congress are fighting over whether the top rate for ordinary income should increase. Republicans would prefer that the dividend tax remain at 15 percent but have not taken a hard line on it publicly.
Between Nov. 1 and Dec. 5, 349 companies moved up their dividends or paid special dividends, according to Silverblatt. That is higher than the 314 irregular dividends paid last year in all of November and December. Silverblatt expects the pace of early dividends to pick up if Washington keeps dawdling.
Many companies go beyond moving up ordinary payments. They are declaring special, one-time dividends to take advantage of the lower tax rate while it lasts. Those special dividends can dramatically alter a company's finances.
Normally, when a board declares a special dividend, it's a sign of financial strength, experts say. That confidence can attract investors and boost the company's stock price.
But these are not normal times. With so many companies declaring special dividends, professional traders have a warning for everyday investors.
"If they really thought this was the right plan, they would have done it already," says Peter Tchir, who runs the hedge fund TF Market Advisors. He believes that some companies are not considering the long-term costs of their decisions.
"People should scour these companies and see if they're doing some damage to themselves on the credit side," he says.
Many of the special dividends, it turns out, are not drawn from the proverbial mountain of cash that companies have been sitting on since the onset of the Great Recession.
Costco last month declared a special dividend of $7 per share, or about $3 billion. To pay for it, the company borrowed $3.5 billion. That caused Fitch, a rating agency, to downgrade Costco, though its rating remains relatively high. Costco declined to comment.
Brown-Forman Corp., which makes Jack Daniels and other liquors, will pay for its $4 per share special dividend with a combination of cash and debt, executives said on a conference call with financial analysts. That amounts to $853.2 million. Brown-Forman did not respond to a request for comment.
The move was prudent, Chief Financial Officer Donald Berg said, because "we have a proven track record as strong stewards of capital."
"Our recent dividend announcement reinforces our position as a company focused on delivering superior risk-adjusted returns for all of our shareholders," Berg said on the call.
For some companies, the special dividend appears to be a statement of opposition to possible tax increases.
"FOREGONE TAX RATES STIMULATE SHAREHOLDER PAYBACK," blares the headline to a press release from National Beverage Corp., the company behind Faygo and Shasta soft drinks. "`Patriotism' - If Only We Could Bottle It!" the release concludes.
Later, when National Beverage set the size of its special dividend at $2.55 per share, totaling, $118.1 million, it reassured investors that there would be no cash crunch. The decision was based in part on "a commitment by our largest shareholder to make available additional equity should the occasion develop," chairman and CEO Nick Caporella said in the announcement.
Caporella was referring to himself. He owns 74 percent of the company's outstanding shares, either directly or through a company he controls. For him, the special dividend was worth $87.3 million before taxes.
Under the current tax rate, he will pay about $13.1 million on the dividend. By taking money out of the company early, Caporella saved for himself as much as $24.5 million that might have gone to the government. National Beverage declined to comment.
Tom Pemberton, of Pemberton Financial Planning, says it's not unusual for companies to pay questionable special dividends to satisfy big shareholders - especially when they sit on the board.
"If I'm a large stockholder, I'm going to say, `Hey, let's go ahead and have a special dividend,'" he says. He says ordinary investors shouldn't "buy the stock or not buy the stock because of the special dividend."
The market is rife with examples. The board of Opt-Sciences Corp., which makes special coatings for glass used in cockpits, declared a special dividend of 65 cents per share "to secure for the shareholders the benefits of the soon to be expiring current dividend tax treatment," president and CEO Anderson McCabe said in the announcement. The family of one director, Arthur Kania, controls nearly 66 percent of the company's stock.
Decisions like that are more common at small companies with relatively few shareholders, experts say. But big players sometimes get in on the act.
Oracle yanked into December a dividend of 18 cents per share, to replace the dividends it would have paid over the next three quarters. In the announcement, the company noted that "Oracle's CEO and largest stockholder did not participate in the deliberation or the vote on this matter" - a reference to billionaire CEO Larry Ellison, who owns about 23 percent of the company's stock. Oracle declined to comment.
Higher dividend taxes are likely, but they're not inevitable. Until lawmakers and President Obama have a deal, at least in theory, everything is on the table.
But the debate so far has focused on tax rates for the wealthy, with little noise about dividend rates. That's why so many companies have concluded that dividend rates are likely to rise next year.
By issuing special dividends, companies are making boasts of financial strength, Silverblatt says, and those companies must be able to stand behind them.
"It's a leap of faith to put out a large special dividend," he says, "especially when there's so much uncertainty out there."
Daniel Wagner can be reached at https://www.twitter.com/wagnerreports .


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Get answers to questions about the standards of the Church. Choose a topic above to see more.
How does service draw me closer to Christ?
"True disciples of Jesus Christ desire to serve those around them. The Savior said, 'By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another' (John 13:35). . . . As you strive to serve others, look to the Savior as your example. Even though He came to earth as the Son of God, He humbly served all those around Him. He declared, 'I am among you as he that serveth' (Luke 22:27)" (True to the Faith, 161).Close
How can I know what to do to serve others?
"The Savior invites you to give of yourself in the service of others. Your opportunities to do so are limitless. Each day, look for ways to gladden hearts, to say kind words, to perform labors for others that they cannot do for themselves, to share the gospel. Be receptive to the whisperings of the Spirit, prompting you to serve. You will find that the true key to happiness is to labor for the happiness of others" (True to the Faith, 162).Close
How does service bless my life and those whom I serve?
"As you devote yourself to serving others, you will draw closer to Heavenly Father. Your heart will be filled with love. You will learn that service and sacrifice are ways to overcome selfishness. You will enjoy happiness that comes only from giving service to God and others. Your capacities will increase, and you will be an instrument in God's hands to bless the lives of His children." (For the Strength of Youth, 33).Close
Why should I serve?
"When you were baptized, you covenanted to take the name of Jesus Christ upon yourself. The prophet Alma explained this covenant to a group of new converts who wanted to be baptized. He observed that their desire to 'come into the fold of God' included a willingness to give meaningful service—to 'bear one another's burdens, that they may be light,' to 'mourn with those that mourn,' and to 'comfort those that stand in need of comfort' (Mosiah 18:8–9)" (True to the Faith, 161).Close


text:
Ruby Pilven
21 cm H x 9 cm diam
In stock
Open Daily:
10 am – 5 pm (Free Entry)
Closed Christmas Day and Boxing Day
Free Guided
11.30am daily
Street Address:
40 Lydiard St North,Ballarat VIC 3350
Telephone: 03 5320 5858
Fax: 03 5320 5791
Start typing and press Enter to search
The Art Gallery of Ballarat has closed in line with Stage Government measures to reduce the spread of COVID-19.
The City of Ballarat is in Caretaker Period from 12pm on Tuesday 22 September until 6pm on Saturday 24 October. To comply with the City of Ballarat's Election Period Policy and the Local Government Act 2020, the Art Gallery of Ballarat's social media, marketing and communications activity will be limited and community engagement including comments will be restricted. For more information, please visit the City of Ballarat website


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Roger Knox is proof that country music knows no geographical or cultural boundaries. The Australian aboriginal country music artist is about to receive American attention.
"My music is basically country with an influence of aboriginal spirituality," he says in a Skype interview from Australia. "I use all these (aboriginal instruments such as didgeridoos) but I still play country music. I may not sing about trains and sheep and cattle, but I still play country music."
His current project, "Stranger in My Land," came out last week on local label Bloodshot Records. Knox, 64, performs a collection of songs written by aboriginal artists, many of whom worked in obscurity. The album includes guest appearances by a passel of alternative music stars, including Kelly Hogan, Bonnie "Prince" Billy, Dave Alvin, the Mekons' Jon Langford and Sally Timms, the Sadies, the Pine Valley Cosmonauts and Andre Williams.
The late country legend Charlie Louvin guests on the song "Ticket to Nowhere," a performance believed to be Louvin's final recorded performance before his death at the age of 85.
At the center of the recordings are Knox's warm, crooning vocals. The music is frequently upbeat and the lyrics often sharply political in tone. The lyrics are sprinkled with references to kangaroos and pelicans and detail the struggles of Australia's indigenous aboriginal population.
"The white man took this country from me/He's been fightin' for it ever since," Knox sings on Dougie Young's "The Land Where the Crow Flies Backwards," a song that sounds like swampy country-rock a la Jerry Reed.
There's an infectious, rocking beat on Vic Simms' "Stranger in My Country." Knox splits the vocals with Andre Williams and Langford: "This land is like a store-bought pie and lots of people come/All to get themselves a slice and I can't get a crumb."
How did an artist from the land down under end up on a Chicago insurgent country label? The project was spearheaded by Bloodshot artist Langford, the Chicago-based musician and visual artist who also illustrated the extensive booklet that accompanies Knox's CD.
Langford first read about Knox in "Buried Country," a book by Aussie author Clinton Walker that chronicled the country's aboriginal country artists. When Langford visited Australia several years ago, Walker played a number of the recordings for him.
"A lot of it was field recordings," Langford says. "It was a very deep-rooted scene of aboriginal people going back to the '40s playing country and western music. It kind of blew my mind. For selfish reasons I'm a great believer in country music being an inclusive art form. (The recordings) really struck a chord in me, that black people in Australia would use basically a white American music form as a way of telling their stories."
Langford went to the Australian city of Tamworth during the city's annual country music festival. He heard Knox was performing nearby at the aboriginal community center. He went, got up onstage and played a couple of Knox's songs.
"Roger was quite shocked," Langford says. "He got up onstage with me and told everyone in the audience he'd never heard a white fellow singing his songs before."
Knox echoes Langford's memory. "This white person came up and performed one of my songs, 'Streets of Tamworth,'" he recalls. "That really amazed me. He was coming to our little part of the town, through the streets, through the main area, to come to us and perform. That really made us all feel good. I went up to Jon straight away."
A friendship was born. In time, Langford suggested they do an album. The material was culled from the work of earlier generations of aboriginal artists. Some of them were friends and peers of Knox, others were singer-songwriters who preceded him.
"Stranger in My Land" is a collection of country numbers with an activist edge. Knox performs an old school country recitation on the prison song "Warrior in Chains." "Streets of Tamworth" references a "didgeridoo droning in the night." Songs such as "Took the Children Away," "Brisbane Blacks" and "Wayward Dreams" illustrate the trials and tribulations of the aboriginal people.
"I grew up on a mission, which is like a reservation where the Native Americans live," Knox says, recalling his childhood. "We were under the system, we had a manager who looked out for us. He ran the place and told us what to do and made the decisions for us. We weren't allowed to come and go without reporting to this manager."
The first music Knox heard growing up was gospel music, courtesy of his grandmother who taught Sunday school. Later, his older brothers and relatives who had gone to seek work outside the aboriginal community returned with various country songs. One of the major artists they covered was Slim Dusty, a long-running and popular Australian country artist who often celebrated the rugged bush lifestyle in song.
"Slim Dusty was talking about the land that we lived in," says Knox. "He was talking about the sheep and cattle and drovers."
Knox left the community at 17. He originally intended to pursue rugby and boxing until he went to Tamworth with a cousin and got his first taste of singing onstage. Inspired by the audience reaction, he became a singer. In time it was the music of aboriginal artists that resonated most deeply with Knox. He saw his own experience reflected in their songs.
He met activist aboriginal musicians such as Harry Williams. "It opened my heart and mind because I knew what he was singing about," Knox says. "We talked about the missions and how we were under the control of the government. ... We sang about it, our struggle and our survival."
For Knox, country music, with its themes of dislocation, heartache and human truths, has been the perfect vehicle for his songs. "We have many countries within a country here," he says. "Country music is a good way of talking about it, telling the stories."


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Chael Sonnen will be keeping plenty busy leading up to his light heavyweight title shot this spring.
The two-time middleweight title challenger, who just wrapped a coaching stint on Season 17 of "The Ultimate Fighter," which begins airing next week, now will add another broadcast notch to his resume.
Sonnen, a frequent guest on FUEL TV's "UFC Tonight," as well as UFC pre- and post-fight shows on the cable network, will join the UFC's official news magazine-style show as a full-time member starting Jan. 29.
The news was announced on Tuesday night's episode of the show, with Sonnen joining the program via Skype. FUEL TV's official website then rolled out banner announcements proclaiming "Chael is coming," along with a video preview.
Chael Sonnen (27-12-1 MMA, 6-5 UFC) on April 27 challenges light heavyweight champion Jon Jones (17-1 MMA, 11-1 UFC) for his title at UFC 159 in Newark, N.J. The two coached opposite each other on "TUF 17," which has its season premiere next Tuesday and will run each Tuesday after that into April on FX, leading up to the TUF 17 Finale, then the Jones-Sonnen fight on pay-per-view.
Sonnen, of course, is coming off a middleweight title loss to champ Anderson Silva this past July in their rematch. In October, he announced he would be going up to light heavyweight and a fight with Forrest Griffin was booked for UFC 155. But then Sonnen was plucked from that fight for the coaching gig on TUF 17, and the title shot against Jones that followed.
Jones and Sonnen have history in that Sonnen stepped up for a fight with Jones at UFC 151 that would have saved the card, but Jones declined to take the fight on eight days' notice when Dan Henderson had pulled out with a knee injury. That card was canceled, but it ignited the feud between the two that is expected to play out on "The Ultimate Fighter."
"UFC Tonight" airs Tuesdays at 10 p.m. ET and had been hosted by Todd Harris along with analyst Kenny Florian in the Los Angeles studio. Karyn Bryant often filled in in the lead role, and the show also features Leeann Tweeden and Ariel Helwani. But the new duo at the "UFC Tonight" desk in two weeks appears to be Sonnen and Florian.


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Still it would be nice to try Google+ and then form an opinion. Does anyone already have an account there?-sciagent (June 29, 2011, 04:24 PM)
my profile has Atheist status. Facebook uses tag feature for location/religion/hobbies, so you can insert any custom <religion><random word> on profile fields. I guess you never filled your profile on facebook. -mahesh2k (June 29, 2011, 10:21 AM)
Waiting for an invite myself, if they also give me some to share I will post here first.-rgdot (June 29, 2011, 06:42 PM)
Although I'm more hermit than social guy, the only time Facebook makes the news is when it gets people into trouble (much like Twitter). And without the filters and categories that Google+ project is introducing here, Facebook is too often used against you. For example, divorce lawyers mine your Facebook page to use it against you -- "You friended Becky, you bastard!" Or employers use it to find out that you're not a god-believer... oh wait, Facebook has NO option for telling the world you're an atheist! But if you're a tongue-speaking snake handler, you're covered. With this Google+ project, you could conceivably let only those you want know what you want them to know or see. Much safer.-zridling (June 28, 2011, 11:35 PM)
Anyways, G+ sounds interesting. I'd trust Google more than FB, simply because Google has been around long enough to handle user data properly and are competent in what they do. That, and Google already has a moderately large amount of information about me. Not that I'm overly interesting anyways.-wreckedcarzz (June 29, 2011, 07:59 PM)
Already invited? We've temporarily exceeded our capacity. Please try again soon.
Larry Page also has a single public post, but Sergey Brin has yet to publicly announce himself on Google+.
Odd. I'll try again with the email. That at least should have gone through.- Oshyan-JavaJones (June 30, 2011, 03:01 AM)
Page created in 0.028 seconds with 72 queries.


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Apex Legends Game On Pixel Fleece Blanket
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cedwardrox wrote:I think the seeker was following Wanda because she needed help with her host and thought she could help since she had the same problem. I think she could have been a little nicer about it, but that seems rather impossible.
I totally agree with you she probably wanted to get ideas of how to endure having Lacey in her head
what a nightmare that might have been, she talks too much


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Famous Movie Brides 2011-06-21 03:45:18
25 of Our Fab Favorite Movie Brides!
25 of Our Fab Favorite Movie Brides!
With wedding season, our mind naturally gravitates toward beautiful, iconic, and celebrity brides to inspire gorgeous gowns — incidentally so many of those come from some of our favorite films. From old favorites like Marilyn Monroe's How to Marry a Millionaire to more of our recent must-see brides, like Sarah Jessica Parker in Sex and the City, we've pulled together a well-rounded crew of some of our absolute favorite film brides. Click through for all 25 of the standouts — then tell us your favorites in comments!


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Was inspired by SRK, Hrithik's films: Chinese infiltrators tell Indian security
As security agencies probe the motive behind the infiltration of three Chinese Muslims through Sino-India border, the trio is singing a different tune. If the responses of the three persons to the interrogators are to be believed, it was the charm of Bollywood superstars Shah Rukh Khan and Hrithik Roshan that apparently drove them to India.
Leh: As security agencies probe the motive behind the infiltration of three Chinese Muslims through Sino-India border, the trio is singing a different tune. If the responses of the three persons to the interrogators are to be believed, it was the charm of Bollywood superstars Shah Rukh Khan and Hrithik Roshan that apparently drove them to India.
They were detained last month. The three -- Salamo, Abdul Khaliq and Adil Thorsong -- at present in the custody of security agencies at Margo post in North of Ladakh after being detained on June 12 had told their interrogators about their dreams to enter India and earn money as they were facing acute poverty in their region, official sources said.
According to the sources, there was incoherence in their statements except that they were mesmerised by the charm of Bollywood superstars -- Khan and Roshan. The three claimed that they were driven out by extreme poverty from home and wanted to come to India because they had seen it as a land of prosperity on the sliver screen, the sources said.
All the three claimed during their interrogation, which was done separately, that the movies of Khan and Roshan were a hit in their area --- Kargalilik of Xianjang province. The trio, who knew only two languages -- Yarkandi and Uyghur -- gave a different version about their family background and the way used by them to come into India.
The security agencies were still not convinced and their interrogation would continue, the sources said. The three men, aged between 18 and 23, one of whom is one-eyed, were nabbed inside Indian territory on June 12 near Sultanchku. They were at present in the custody at Murgo post where the interrogators were flown along with a translator.
It was also not clear from where they had come as the nearest habitation across the Line of Actual Control(LAC) was in North of Karakoram range. Authorities are working on the possibility that they could have entered through either Raki Nallah, Jeevan Nallah or North of Daulat Beig Oldie, where Indian and Chinese troops had a face-off for nearly 21 days from April 15 to May five.
The three men also could not give a clear description of the areas used by them to come to India. Besides this, apprehension was being expressed that the three could have been headed towards Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir which is barely 30 kms up North of the area where they were nabbed. The three men were carrying a big political map and two smaller versions of the document with Arabic and Yarkandi script on it.
Besides this, they were carrying improvised swords and knives, tinned food including egg powder (useful in higher region), Chinese currency of over 900 Yuan and Chinese leather jackets. The three claimed that the jackets, discarded by the Chinese troops, were picked enroute. Both summer and winter road connectivity to this post were cut off due to bad weather in Ladakh region this year and therefore, the security agencies airlifted the interrogators and the translators to the post where they were detained.
According to the laid down procedure along the LAC, the custody of any accused apprehended in the area has to be with the Indo-Tibetan Border Police and interrogation can be carried out by central security agencies.
Find latest and upcoming tech gadgets online on Tech2 Gadgets. Get technology news, gadgets reviews & ratings. Popular gadgets including laptop, tablet and mobile specifications, features, prices, comparison.
also read
Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh are integral parts of India, says MEA in response to China's comments
The comments by MEA spokesperson Anurag Srivastava came in response to China's contention that it "does not recognise" the UTs of Ladakh, as well as the state of Arunachal Pradesh
Ladakh stand-off: India, China hold 7th round of high-level military talks to finalise disengagement of troops at LAC
As per official sources, India will strongly oppose any demand by China for the withdrawal of Indian troops on the southern bank of the Pangong lake to kick-start the disengagement process
'There's free media here': MEA on Chinese embassy issuing guidelines to journalists for covering Taiwan's national day
Chinese Embassy had issued a letter to Indian journalists in the wake of advertisements issued by the Taiwan government in a couple of leading newspapers ahead of Taiwan's national day on 10 October


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Orion/Planning Meeting
Orion Planning Summit
Help chart the future of the Orion open source project. This meeting will bring together individuals and organizations that are interested in the future of the Orion open source project. We want to build a community of adopters and committers, so if you have a passion for better web tools, plan to attend.
Date and Location
March 17 (starting at 1pmPT) to March 18 (finish at 4pmPT)
3410 Hillview Avenue, Palo Alto, CA
Thursday, March 17, 1pm Start time
- Orion Overview
- What we learned and would like to see in Web tools - Ben Galbraith and Dion Almaer
- Participant Presentations - How would you like to use Orion? What are you Web tooling requirements?
- Orion Architecture - Simon Kagei
- Social hosting by SAP
Friday, March 18 8:30am
8:30am Breakfast Available 9:00am Start 4:00pm Finish
1. Deep Dives on Technical Areas (some suggestions but not inclusive) - Identify common workflows - Security issues - Mobile - Browser compatibility - Language Tools - Server implementations - Integration
2. Orion Project Proposal - John Arthorne - What is the project scope, what is out of bounds, interested parties
Work Areas
In no particular order. Please add new work areas you'd be willing to work on as appropriate.
|Work Area
|Boris Bokowski, Simon Kaegi
|Boris Bokowski, John Arthorne, Bernd Kolb
|John Arthorne, Simon Kaegi
|Code Editor
|Boris Bokowski
|Paul Beusterien, Eric Cloninger
We invite anyone who has a serious interest in Orion to attend this meeting. A goal of Orion is to develop a strong community of adopters and contributors, so if you have a passion for better web tools we want your participation.
If you do plan on attending you must register, we need this so that we can organize a big enough meeting room. Please add your name, affiliation, and why you are interested in attending.
- Ian Skerrett, Eclipse Foundation
- Mike Milinkovich, Eclipse Foundation
- Boris Bokowski, IBM, co-leading the Orion effort at IBM, with focus on the vision, the overall architecture and the client-side experience.
- Paul Beusterien, MDS, Contribute to Orion meeting the needs of mobile device developers
- Simon Kaegi, IBM, co-leading the Orion effort at IBM, with focus on project planning and component architecture details.
- John Arthorne, IBM, leading development of the Orion server
- John J. Barton, IBM, Firebug integration
- Eric Barroca, Nuxeo, investigating the use of Orion as a base for a "online dev environment" for Nuxeo's platform (as part as Nuxeo Studio)
- Jon Ferraiolo, IBM, potential technology adopter
- Kai Tödter, Siemens AG, investigating the potential of Orion for Siemens
- Bernd Kolb, SAP AG, investigating the potential of Orion for SAP
- Karsten Schmidt, SAP AG, investigating the potential of Orion for SAP
- Dave Johnson, Nitobi, investigating the potential of Orion for Nitobi / PhoneGap
- Susan McCourt, IBM, focusing on client-side development and UX
- Jochen Krause, EclipseSource, investigating the potential of Orion for EclipseSource; arriving Thursday afternoon
- Peter van der Linden, Motorola Mobility, alternate for Eric Cloniger
- John Thomas, RIM
- Padmashree B, SAP Labs India, investigating the potential of Orion for SAP
- Ben Galbraith, Set Direction, what we learned and what we would like to see in Web tools
- Dion Almaer, Set Direction, what we learned and what we would like to see in Web tools
- Gary Mazo, IBM, potential technology adoption
- Venkat Balabhadrapatruni, IBM, potential technology adoption
- Jas Sandhu, Microsoft Interoperability Strategy, exploring
- Peter Muessig, SAP AG, investigating the potential of Orion for SAP
- Kevin Dangoor, Mozilla, figuring out how the browser and its tools can work with Orion


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Geographic is very proud to announce four new songs from Eugene Kelly, a landmark release from the charismatic sometime stranger, being both the first music in his own name, and the first opportunity for 21st century people to roll up at a record shop, and say the hopeful words: 'I'll have the new Eugene ep, please.' The music they're about to find is closer to the innocent sound of The Vaselines than most of his 1990s output, albeit richly coloured by a reflective neo-folky quality, which for some may recall the optimistic sadness of Neil Young's On The Beach or Big Star's Third, and even some of the earlier Johnny Cash Columbia sides.
But this music is more importantly confirmation that Eugene is now making his most personal and best music in over a decade. Check out the gorgeous slurred sound of it all, from Older Faster (the highlight of his recent triumphant shows with Teenage Fanclub), through The Healing Power Of Firewalking (inspired by his participation in The Last Great Wilderness), through to the freefalling acoustic charms of Something Wrong and Blessed And Misplaced, which show that Eugene is always about 'the song'.
Kurt Cobain liked his songs so much he recorded three of them (Molly's Lips, Son Of A Gun and Jesus Doesn't Want me For A Sunbeam) for the legendary Nirvana Unplugged In New York set. Eugene has also written with Evan Dando, and with Norman Blake from Teenage Fanclub. He was a founder member of the incredible Scottish avant-folk pop group The Vaselines, whose original records, if you can find them, go for insane prices to Japanese and American collectors. The story of The Vaselines is of course that they only found their true audience after they'd split, when groups like Beat Happening, Mudhoney, Sonic Youth and Nirvana started citing them; maybe in the future some other hipsters will dig up nuggets from Eugene's subsequent groups, Captain America and Eugenius. But at the moment the main thing is not to let these beautiful new songs pass you by.


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Such activities are allowed, with the right permits. But which permits are needed isn't always immediately clear
For some, a Sunday afternoon on North Lido Beach means the soft sounds of surf and a good book.
But last Sunday, a more boisterous group arrived with other plans: nearly 200 churchgoers staked out a section of the beach for a live band, a speaker system, tents, flags and several dozen public baptisms to be performed during the afternoon.
At least a few beach regulars, disturbed from their quiet routines, packed up and left. Susan Robinson, a Lido Key resident, was among them and wondered: Is this allowed? And if so, what are the rules?
Robinson had nothing against the church group, she said. But she had come to the beach to drink coffee and read the New York Times, and was unprepared for what happened next.
"I just wondered, how much is too much? And what are the governing principles around a group taking over a large stretch of public space?"
As Robinson learned, such activities are allowed, with the right permits. But which permits are needed isn't always immediately clear, either to event organizers or government officials.
The Church of Hope in Sarasota had obtained a permit from the Sarasota County Parks and Recreation Department to use part of the beach, and to bring small tents, tables for food and drink, and a small sound system. They followed up with several phone calls as they tried to be sure of complying with the rules, said Curt Preisser, a Sarasota County spokesman.
Lost in that arrangement, and not realized until later, was that a city sound ordinance applied to the event because it involved an amplified sound system. The group probably should have applied to the city for a waiver, said Toni Welicki, the special events permit coordinator. But news of the event didn't reach the city, and county officials did not question the organizers about those requirements.
It's not uncommon for churches to baptize their members in the Gulf of Mexico.
The First Hispanic Baptist Church of Sarasota has performed baptisms at Siesta Public Beach for years. Others have done the same at Lido Beach, though it's often a much more low-key affair.
The Church of Hope had never done this before, but often puts on large events.
In this case, organizers were navigating the rules and regulations for the first time, said Holly Young, one of the church pastors who organized the baptisms.
"We wanted to try something different," Young said. "Jesus did it in public, in the River Jordan. We can't quite get to the Jordan River, so we went to Lido Beach."
Young considered the day a great success, counting 175 participants, including 75 people baptized. Sixty of those had signed up beforehand, she said, and some passersby joined in spontaneously.
The church will likely repeat the event in the future, but hasn't set a date.
Robinson, the Sunday beachgoer, said she wasn't interested in complaining about the baptisms but wondered what spectacles she might find on Lido Beach in the future. With that in mind, she wrote to city and county officials to ask if some more regulations should be considered.
Robinson suggested a designated beach area for baptisms, weddings, funerals and the like, or a place where permits for such events might be posted publicly, so that she and others would know what to expect. She also suggested that a parks and recreation staffer might watch over these activities, and volunteered to sit on a committee to study the issue further.
The city and county have not formally considered the ideas. County officials said they would further question permit applicants in the future, directing large events to City Hall for permits.


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Market sell-offs are painful, and adding insult to injury is that their pain isn't distributed equally -- at all. Just ask shareholders of Pfizer
Bandages for your portfolio
Then there's the fate of fund investors versus folks whose portfolios include just individual picks. Even seemingly conservative plays can suffer protracted periods of decline: GE
It's even possible to make money during sell-offs. Take, for example, Yacktman (YACKX), one of the funds I recommended back when I was running point on the Fool's Champion Funds newsletter service. Between 2000 and 2002, that puppy racked up a gain in excess of 50% while the market was tanking to the tune of more than 37%.
And make no mistake: Funds -- at least the kind that we focus on -- can provide plenty of participation during bull runs, too, particularly when they're paired with stocks whose forward-looking earnings-growth prospects aren't even close to reflecting their value.
That's what we strive to do at the Fool's Ready-Made Millionaire, where the bedrock principle behind our compact, set-and-forget portfolio is this: A carefully vetted selection of Grade A mutual funds and deeply discounted stocks is the kind of lineup worth building your nest egg around.
Needle in the haystack
That said, when it comes to funds, of course, it pays to be a snob. The vast majority of 'em can't keep pace with a dirt cheap index tracker like SPDRs (SPY). But if you focus on certain key attributes, you can go a long way toward finding the needles in the fund industry's haystack.
No single metric is determinative, but cost is crucial because every basis point of expense represents a higher hurdle that money managers have to clear just to stay within spitting distance of their expense-free benchmark. And while it's an investor's after-tax return that ultimately matters most, getting attuned to tax efficiency is important when it comes to determining which kind of account (taxable or tax-favored) is the best holding pen for a pick. Managerial tenure is vital information, too: A fund can only be as strong as the honchos who are calling the shots now.
The Foolish bottom line
If you want to be a savvy investor -- not to mention a smiling one -- zeroing in on those three items can help narrow the universe of funds down to just those that are worth considering for your portfolio.
Which brings us back to where we began: Even investors of the stock-jock persuasion can benefit from a sneak peek at the fund industry's best and brightest. That's a precept we put into practice at Ready-Made Millionaire, which offers something of an investment two-for-one: We've cherry-picked the fund industry's brightest prospects for our members, rounded out our line up with four stocks and an ETF we think will outperform the market, and we've put these picks together in a carefully calibrated portfolio. It's been a tough market, to be sure, and our portfolio has taken its lumps as well. In our recently released quarterly report, though, we re-vetted and reaffirmed our original investment thesis for each selection, and here's the verdict: We think our portfolio is a veritable blue-light special.
RMM will open to new members early in the new year. In the meantime, we invite you to learn more about the service and grab a free copy of our The 11-Minute Millionaire special report by clicking right here. Read up, prep for the market's next upswing, and we'll see you in just a matter of days!
This article was originally published on July 31, 2007. It has been updated.
Shannon Zimmerman is the lead analyst for the Fool's Ready-Made Millionaire service. Pfizer and Wal-Mart are Motley Fool Inside Value recommendations. Pfizer is also an Income Investor choice. Yacktman is a Champion Funds pick. The Motley Fool owns shares of Pfizer and SPDRs. The Fool has a strict disclosure policy.


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This is not a book. It's just a journal of a bunch...
The Fighter74941824
- by Taylor Makenzie
- Rating:
- Published: 23 Apr 2014
- Updated: 9 Jan 2016
- Status: In Progress
Toni Medeiros was always a strong girl. She never liked to show her weaknesses and when she did it was only when she couldn't control herself. Toni used boxing as her way to let out all of the emotions that she felt inside... When she comes into money problems her life is put at risk and she refuses to ask for help, but when Louis finds out he's determined to help the girl he's slowly falling for...
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It is really surprising to see how fast our Mireck can move. One moment he joins a total stranger on a terrace, the next he is walking with her through the forest, blanket at hand. We think even your average gigolo can learn from him...
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18 U.S.C. Section 2257 Compliance Notice - http://www.imco.nl/2257/


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Ijen volcano in East Java contains the world's largest acidic volcanic crater lake, called Kawah Ijen, famous for its turquoise color. The active crater measuring 950×600 m is known for its rich sulphur deposits which are being quarried.
The volcano is one of several active stratovolcanoes constructed over the 20 km wide Ijen caldera, the largest caldera in Java.
Eruptions from Ijen are very hazardous because of the risk of the lake draining to form catastrophic lahars. Sulphur mine inside the crater of Ijen near the shore of Kawah Ijen
The Ijen volcano complex at the eastern end of Java consists of a group of small stratovolcanoes constructed within the large 20-km-wide Ijen (Kendeng) caldera. The north caldera wall forms a prominent arcuate ridge, but elsewhere the caldera rim is buried by post-caldera volcanoes, including Gunung Merapi stratovolcano, which forms the 2799 m high point of the Ijen complex. Immediately west of Gunung Merapi is the renowned historically active Kawah Ijen volcano, which contains a nearly 1-km-wide, turquoise-colored, acid crater lake. Picturesque Kawah Ijen is the world's largest highly acidic lake and is the site of a labor-intensive sulfur mining operation in which sulfur-laden baskets are hand-carried from the crater floor. Many other post-caldera cones and craters are located within the caldera or along its rim. The largest concentration of post-caldera cones forms an E-W-trending zone across the southern side of the caldera. Coffee plantations cover much of the Ijen caldera floor, and tourists are drawn to its waterfalls, hot springs, and dramatic volcanic scenery.


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A lonely, down-on-her-luck waitress, Molly (Alexis Bledel), meets a handsome, quirky jewelry store clerk, Gus (Zachary Levi), and thinks that maybe - finally -- she's met Mr. Right, in "Remember Sunday," a new Hallmark Hall of Fame presentation premiering SUNDAY, APRIL 21 (9:00-11:00 p.m., ET) on the ABC Television Network.
The more Molly gets to know Gus, the more she's intrigued by him. But she's also mystified and sometimes miffed. Gus is absent-minded and preoccupied. Is there already a girlfriend in his life? Is he harboring some big secret? In other words, Molly wonders, what's his problem? Well, Gus' "problem" is that three years ago he suffered a brain aneurysm. He'd been a brilliant young astrophysicist; now he's totally lost his short-term memory. Every day is a brand new day and his life starts anew. And every day when he sees Molly, he's unable to connect the dots and recognize how, exactly, she fits into his life. But there's something about this beautiful, sensitive, funny woman that makes Gus fall in love with her all over again - every day.
Alexis Bledel ("Gilmore Girls," "Mad Men") describes her character as "searching for her place in life. Nothing comes easy for Molly. She's barely scraping by financially. It seems highly unlikely she'll ever achieve her dream of opening up a flower shop. She's been in a series of lousy relationships." But Bledel adds, "in the face of all this bad-karma stuff, she's a very optimistic person. She has an innate sunniness about her."
According to Zachary Levi ("Chuck," "Thor: The Dark World"), from the moment Gus' alarm clock goes off, his life is choreographed by sticky notes "to remind him where he lives, who's who in his life and what he's supposed to be doing that day." Levi continues, "One of the interesting paradoxes of the story... is that I think we all, deep down, yearn to be with someone who essentially falls in love with us every day. That's what Gus offers Molly. Every time he sees her, he doesn't really remember her - but he falls in love with her all over again anyway! That's an amazing and powerful thing."
Jeff Bleckner directs "Remember Sunday," which was filmed on location in New Orleans. This is Bleckner's fourth Hallmark Hall of Fame project. The others are "The Russell Girl," "Loving Leah" and "Beyond the Blackboard." The teleplay is from Emmy Award ("Bill") and Academy Award ("Rain Man") winner Barry Morrow. The story is by Michael Kase, associate producer of "Transformers: Dark of the Moon," and co-producer of the upcoming Michael Bay feature, "Pain & Gain."
Christopher Morgan (Hallmark Hall of Fame's "The Makeover") is the film's producer; Brent Shields ("Firelight," "A Smile as Big as the Moon") is executive producer. Michael Kase, Joey Plager and George Zaloom are co-executive producers. "Remember Sunday" is from Hallmark Hall of Fame Productions. The film is broadcast in 720 Progressive (720P), ABC's selected HDTV format, with 5.1-channel surround sound. A TV parental guideline will be assigned closer to airdate.


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EDITOR'S NOTE: This is the latest in a series of stories and opinion pieces previewing the upcoming Aspen Security Forum. Security Clearance is a media sponsor of the event which is taking place from July 17-20 in Aspen, Colorado. Follow the event on Twitter under @aspeninstitute and @natlsecuritycnn #AspenSecurity. John McLaughlin was a CIA officer for 32 years and served as deputy director and acting director from 2000-2004. He currently teaches at the Johns Hopkins University's School of Advanced International Studies and is a Non-Resident Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution.
From John McLaughlin, Special for CNN
Terrorism experts inside and outside the government have been caught up in a debate about how close we may be to defeating al Qaeda and associated groups. As events have demonstrated so vividly in recent years, we are living in an era of continuous surprise, making this one of those questions that cannot be answered with confidence.
What can be said with absolute confidence is that today's al Qaeda is fundamentally different from the one we knew for years. It has evolved from the hierarchical organization of September 2001 into what might be called a "network of networks."
Interconnected, loosely-structured organizations are run by a series of al Qaeda affiliates scattered across the arc of South Asia, the Middle East, and North Africa. Some declare fealty to Osama bin Laden's successor, Ayman al-Zawahiri, while others merely take inspiration from the legacy his organization represents.
All of these al Qaeda elements remain radical, anti-western, violent, and dangerous. But they are caught up in a debate over tactics, goals, and leadership that we always thought would come following bin Laden's death.
So this is a highly fluid moment of transition for international terrorism – when we can confidently discern trends but cannot predict end states with any assurance.
Three major trends stand out:
First, the battlefield is undergoing the most significant changes in a dozen years. With the U.S. withdrawal from Iraq complete and its exit from Afghanistan underway, terrorists who choose to operate there will have more freedom of maneuver - while we and others opposing them will have to do so more remotely and with less granular data.
Apace with this in Iraq, several factors - Shiite Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's authoritarianism; Sunni attraction to the plight of brethren in neighboring Syria, and the hardening commitment to autonomy among Kurds have created opportunities for al Qaeda and raised anew questions about the country's long-term cohesiveness.
It was once the "worst case" to suggest that Syria and Iraq could each come apart. But with sectarian violence raging in Syria and centrifugal pressures in Iraq, this is no longer so hard to imagine. In that case, the map of the Middle East would have to be withdrawn. And this would occur in circumstances brought about in part by terrorist groups who would then have the means to influence the outcome.
A second major trend opening up opportunities for terrorists is the increasing turmoil in governance across the arc of South Asia, the Middle East, and North Africa. Although many analysts two years ago saw the Arab Spring as a refutation of al Qaeda's violent ideology, it is hard to portray recent events as anything other than a new world of opportunities for radical Islamists.
Syria is Exhibit A. It has become the primary engine driving the movement. It is a magnet for foreign fighters, now about 7% to 10% of the rebel force. They come from as far away as Britain and Bangladesh, as near as Iraq and Jordan, and from across North Africa.
When eventually the Syrian fighting ends, many of these experienced jihadists will filter back to homelands that are themselves in turmoil. They will find ample opportunities in countries where leaders are seeking to establish stable government (Egypt); trying to supplant tribal differences with a semblance of central authority (Libya); managing protest in the midst of democratic transition (Tunisia); or simply trying to ride out the storm (Jordan, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Algeria).
All of these conditions are especially pronounced in North Africa where the weakness of governments combines with geography to create some of the world's least governed space.
Borders are hardly patrolled, governmental writ seldom extends beyond major urban centers, and the terrain is marked by long stretches of desert dotted with militant camps and centuries-old smuggling routes - now shared with terrorists and organized crime.
It is no accident that the two most significant terrorist attacks in the last six months occurred here: the assault on the U.S. base in Benghazi, Libya, and the attack on the In Amenas natural gas plant in Algeria.
Emblematic of the freedom that terrorists have here, the leader of the latter attack was able to use networks across the region to gather weapons and recruit fighters from Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Algeria, Nigeria, and Mauritania.
A third major trend has to do with the debate underway among terrorists over tactics, targets, and ways to correct past errors.
On targets, jihadists are now pulled in many directions. Many experts contend they are less capable of a major attack on the U.S. homeland. But given the steady stream of surprises they've sprung – ranging from the 2009 "underwear bomber" to the more recent idea of a surgically implanted explosive – it is hard to believe they've given up trying to surprise us with innovations designed to penetrate our defenses.
We especially should remain alert that some of the smaller groups could surprise us by pointing an attacker toward the United States, as Pakistan's Tehrik e Taliban did in preparing Faizal Shazad for his attempted bombing of Times Square in 2010.
At the same time, many of the groups are becoming intrigued by the possibility of scoring gains against regional governments that are now struggling to gain or keep their balance – opportunities that did not exist at the time of the 9/11 attacks.
Equally important, jihadists are now learning from their mistakes, especially the reasons for their past rejection by populations where they temporarily gained sway.
Documents from al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, discovered after French forces chased them from Mali, reveal awareness that they were too harsh on local inhabitants, especially women. They also recognized that they need to move more gradually and provide tangible services to populations – a practice that has contributed to the success of Hezbollah in Lebanon.
We are now seeing a similar awareness among jihadists in Syria, Tunisia, Libya, and Yemen. If these "lessons learned" take hold and spread, it will become harder to separate terrorists from populations and root them out.
Taken together, these three trends are a cautionary tale for those seeking to gauge the future of the terrorist threat.
Al Qaeda today may be weakened, but its wounds are far from fatal. It is at a moment of transition, immersed in circumstances that could sow confusion and division in the movement or, more likely, extend its life and impart new momentum.
So if we are ever tempted to lower our guard in debating whether and when this war might end, we should take heed of these trends and of the wisdom J. R. R. Tolkien has Eowyn speak in "Lord of the Rings": "It needs but one foe to breed a war, not two ..."
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I agree I think there tactics, goals, and leadership that we always thought would come following bin Laden's death are different. I think we will be fighting this war for a long time.
Try searching support forums for your laptop to see if other users have the same problem. To keep the laptop in a safe place, the provided backpack may well be of great use and, to avoid the laptop from being stolen, Kensington lock has been included as well.
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leader of a gang of terrorists killed http://aprosvet.blogspot.com/2013/09/V-Sirii-ubit-glava-terroristov.html
A long lasting global peace without terrorism, violence and discrimination is only achievable by a massive conversion of Muslims to Christianity...or to any other religion except Islam.
Invented by the CIA
managed by the CIA
that simple... dont complicate matters,
the eater class wont understand.
Agreed, those that think Im crazy please look into The Pentagon Papers, Operation Mockingbird, Nayirah and testimony, Gulf of Tonkin, Operation Northwoods. I could go on and on but that should give you an idea of what our little alphabet soup agencies like to do.
Save me from the Boogeymen terrorists. Take my freedom take my money for security and grow our government beyond control......cause I am an American and I am scared...everyone wants to kill us cause were free....SAAAVE ME from the Terrorists....ahhhhhhhhh I am so scared. I am a woosey American
CNN = fear Mongering. Fear Mongering = TERRORISM
ELIMINATING ISLAMIC CLERICS AND DEVOUT MUSLIMS, the world can lower 80% ALL terrorist attacks, violence and discrimination. That is what Mustafa Kemal (1881-1938 modern Turkey founder) did to transform Turkey into a secular state.
By Paying attention to these cold blooded killer Muslims Terroist we should kill them all without any mercy
I don't think you people at CNN get it,all these bogas wars on christians and children in other countries ,has brought the wrath of the LORD down on america,you've made a fortune,supporting these wars,IF you keep it up, the LORDS WRATH will come down on america and HE will destroy this country and every body in it ,AND THAT INCLUDES YOU,he has warned everyone NOT TO HARM HIS LITTLE ONES,DO americans think thats a joke? cause HE DOEN'T TELL JOKES,IF the LORD says I will destroy you if you don't stop,DO YOU WANT TO PLAY RUSSIAN ROULETTE WITH THAT????
I really think you are an idiot. Where was god at during the Holocaust.
how close we are defeating al Qaeda???? shouldn't we ask how close we are defeating Islam !!!
GEORGE,go back to the 1980's,WHO WAS al-queda ,THE US STATE DEPT., your talking about the us government here,DOD,they run AL-QUEDA and always have,its a bogas war to suck your pockets dry,and so far the american people have fallen for it ,hook ,line ,and sinker.....................
George, go hide in your closet if your that afraid of the "terrorists" The war on terror was created as a way to keep us perpetual war with no true enemy. It is used to bleed the taxpayers of money that flows to companies like Halliburton, Raytheon, Lockheed Martin and others. Then look who has their greedy little hands all over this money and you start seeing names like Dick Cheney, Michael Chertoff and other like minded slime. Some phrases people have forgotten about "We have nothing to fear except fear itself" and "give me liberty or give me death" The alphabet soup agencies cover for the corporations while the government strips us of our rights with things they ironically like to name "the patriot act" Stop being a naive flag waver. People pose a threat not religions and right now the threat is coming from within.
You have it right, in that Eisenhower kept reminding us to beware of the Military Industrial Complex. Our Foreign Policy is for perpetual war. If we wanted to we end this and be done with it. The defense contractors are pulling the purse strings.
The part on lessions learned Is telling. Translated to cartels in Mexico and the US allows us to see that once the cartels learn to deliver goods and services, the populations in which they are inbeded will ignore or protect them.
nuke all big nosed arab camel fornicators !
I didnt read your hole article but i have the anwere to this – sherbet ice cream sounds funny rt but thats the lead – sherbet haing cfc and bht from biological containers that mrsy thinks he ownes every bodies sherbet and girls modeling or eating it and thats there weapon of banking now your eating my lic sherbert ice cream from the confession of syrian missing or stolen biological containers -sounds inocent enogh rt but kidnapping grace park to a cop tv show to say ha therws what you cant have -her- and look shes eating sherbet -my sherbert and you cant have her because the world has to have your gov confesion from obam that ya ya thats rt you stole sherbert and shes the relgious commercial for all forgivness
Should we take you seriously when you can't spell answer right?
Can you put away your bong pipe and make some sense?
soon all the west is going to get killed and genocidedet then the Islamic world is going to repopulate the western world with its own people one nuke and USA Britain and Australia are dust in a sea of flames this article is written by a Irish potato farmer from Dublin.
Saeed you smell like crap man-just wanted to let you know.
It's obvious you have no concept of history of the rise of terrorism and anarchism throughout history. It's only the poor, the uneducated, the disenfranchised who have nothing to lose.....mostly it's those who have lost everything who strike out against the establishment, You will notice that many from Muslim dominated countries fall into these radical groups today. Using radical jihadist Muslim philosophy as a unifying force to justify their "revolution" many try to give credence to their antisocial behavior. History has shown that religion is a good catalyst in bringing the disenfranchised together. Today it's the radical Muslim....tomorrow, who knows?
The bin Ladens and Hitlers of the world are not the ones who are blowing themselves up or fighting Jihads across the Middle East and elsewhere. They are not the Saudi princes financing the Sunni uprisings in Syria and Iraq. It's those disenfranchised thousands who ignorantly follow the false teaching of these prophets of a radical philosophy .
Wake me up when that happens.
Towel Heads is what Towel Heads do.
And a racist peace of sh it is a racist peace of sh it.
Rioters (Pro-Trayvon rioters) are just that Pieces of chit.


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They paved paradise and put up a parking lot. The trend of diminishing green space is pretty well summarized in the song "Big Yellow Taxi," by Joni Mitchell and later the Counting Crows. Luckily for us though, there is a newer trend of taking back some of those parking spaces and converting them into open space and parks—parklets.
The term parklet was coined in San Francisco in 2005 by ReBar, an art studio, when they created the first two hour parklet. Since then, parklets have been one of the ways cities are increasing public open space—either temporarily or more long term. To create a parklet, cities convert on-street parking spots into public spaces for people to read, eat lunch or socialize. Some even include items like exercise balls and swings for people to enjoy a little bit of physical activity. They are often privately designed and funded by local businesses, but use public spaces to operate.
At the NLC Conference last month, we met with Seattle's Department of Transportation who launched a pilot parklet program in August of 2013 that aims to create new public spaces while ensuring the flow of traffic and parking are maintained. The first installation, Montana Bar parklet, was privately funded by Montana Bar and is open for use by customers of the bar and the public in general. Seattle has more parklets in the works and will evaluate the success of the program to determine whether or not to launch a permanent program. Seattle takes much of its inspiration from San Francisco which launched their parklet program in 2009 and now has nearly 40 public parklets.
Parklets are starting to spread across the U.S. and even around the world. Huntsville, Alabama brought "unexpected fun" to the city when it launched a temporary, three day parklet program and Raleigh, North Carolina is vying for a few of their own to help boost downtown businesses. While not all cities have received the ROI they expected from the parklets, they are still interested in reevaluating and trying again.
Park and recreation agencies interested in starting a parklet program should look to partner with their department of transportation and local businesses to get one off the ground. Seattle has put together a good how-to resource that could be a great starting place for other cities ready and willing to bring some green space back to the city. Another great first start is to look at participating in Park(ing) Day—an annual event where metered parking spots are transformed into parklets.
One thing is for sure, as you look for ways to live the Three Pillars – conservation, social equity, and health and wellness, parklets and the creative use of non-traditional open space may just be a great solution to innovatively serving your community and leading them to improved quality of life.
Written by: Kellie May, Senior Program Manager, NRPA and Sage Learn.
Do you think parklets are viable solutions to providing unique open space opportunities in communities and cities? Could parklets be implemented in your community? If you have started a parklet program, what has been successful for you? What are some key learnings? Share in the comments below or tweet at us @NRPA_News!


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Home of the Advanced Genius Theory, a celebration of the least-celebrated work by the most-celebrated minds in pop culture.
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Why Eric Clapton Is Like Keanu Reeves in The Matrix
I want to like Eric Clapton, I really do. He seems to be the ideal candidate for Advancement—aging rock'n'roller, sold out by doing beer commercial, participated in a Cream reunion—but I think he's just authentically terrible. I know that some people, people I respect, revere him, but I find his style of guitar playing incredibly boring. And his songwriting is truly dreadful. The obvious examples are "Tears From Heaven" and "You Look Wonderful Tonight," neither of which I can sit through from beginning to end. Don't even get me started with his idiotic nickname, Slow Hand. I think the biggest reason I can't get on board with him is that he is so devoted to the blues, which I also really can't stand. (Again, my fault.) I say he's devoted because he says it, not because there is much evidence that it's true, at least post-Unplugged. That aside, the kind of blues he worships is particularly irritating to me. If there is anything more predictable, it's straightforward electric Buddy Guy-style blues, especially played by a chinless, wife-stealing British white guy. At the very least he could have emulated Robert Johnson, whose style was genuinely strange. Of course, Johnson is the most Overt of all possible blues influences.
As usual, I'm perfectly willing to accept the fact that I'm probably the idiot here. Clapton was in the Yardbirds, a decent band, but he quit them for his Overt love of the blues. Pretty tedious, but at least there was a principle involved that he could later betray. Cream was in fact a pretty good betrayal of those principles, and they rocked pretty hard at that. If there were an argument to be made inside my head for the Advancement of Eric Clapton, it would have to be his involvement with Cream. It was one project that he didn't ruin by his presence, kind of like how people loved The Matrix because Keanu Reeves wasn't all that terrible in it. Clapton, then, was the Reeves to Ginger Baker and Jack Bruce's Lawrance Fishburne and Carrie-Ann Moss. Just as Reeves was needed in The Matrix to play a character in permanent "whoa!" mode, Clapton was necessary to keep Cream grounded. Without his wah-wah solos, "Tales of Brave Ulysses" could have wound up sounding ridiculous, and that's a possibility I'd prefer not to contemplate.
Everything after Cream has been awful as far as I can tell. There wasn't even a "Dream of the Blue Turtles" for me to look to as proof that he could achieve something as a solo artist. Even still, I'm leaving the door open for someone to prove me wrong about him. It's possible that, like Sting, he is just beyond my comprehension. He could have lapped boring into being interesting. I do find it somewhat compelling that he has gone preppy in the last few years, wearing khakis and short-sleeve cotton shirts on stage instead of the suits he wore there for a while. He's chosen a look that reminds me of what a retired man who has given up suits would wear to a nice restaurant. It's strange, yes, but not Advanced. If he shows up in leathers for the next Cream reunion, then I'll be ready to change my mind.
10 comments:
- totaji said...
His adult-conteporary blues makes Yanni and Michael Bolton sound edgy. I've never been a fan.
As usual, I'm perfectly willing to accept the fact that I'm probably the idiot here.
At least you have had some level of self-examination. It's about the only thing you have accurate in the article. You whiny idiots don't recognize talent or dedication where you see it.
Where is your talent? Where is your $500 million fortune like Clapton has earned from people putting their money where their mouth is and enjoying his work? They all must be wrong and you must be right.
Quit looking and dwelling on people and things you don't like or can't compete with. It's all whining and there is too much of it already.
- Unknown said...
Anonymous: you should read a bit more of my work and you'll realize that I don't dwell on things I don't like. I also don't equate fortunes with artistic success, though I also don't discount popularity.
- Hornacek For Two said...
He's always seemed to lack authenticity. He's never compelled me. He was a great role player in CREAM, but never captured me by himself. Different strokes, I guess.
Anonymous clearly has not read your book, nor has he (or she) have a clear understanding of Advancement. I would guess he (or she) is a HUGE Clapton fan, which jades the thought process.
Money and where he puts it are not really in question here (although if he were to fund a saturday morning kids cartoon with dragons and compse some music for it, I would definitely feel aome thought toward advancement would be warranted).
What Anonymous needs to understand is that you aren't destroying the guy for his talent....only speculating on why he has not achieved Advancenment. My advice.....reead the book, and learn what is meant by "Advancement," and then realize that while J.H. has never been a big fan of Clapton, he usually doesn't let that sway him away as to whether he is advanced or not.
- nexxus-six said...
Clapton's finest hour was when Cream recorded White Room.....since then he has been a non-entity.......
- Tim said...
For laughs, here' my theory on Eric Clapton:
It's true. Clapton's dull. And has been most of his career(Cream was ok).
Don't really dig Clapton either. I love blues. But listening to Clapton makes puts me to sleep...his music just doesn't impress me. Yeah he's done a lot of great stuff and gained fame...so what. In his day it was a lot easier to be famous as a guitar player cause there just wasn't many out there on the whole blues/space rock wagon. What am I suppose to show appreciation to Clapton because everyone else does? No, he's...well...boring. The only songs I've listened to all the way through of Clapton's is While my guitar gently weeps and white room...
You forgot Blind Faith and Derek & the Dominos, dumbass. You're all ignorant fat bitches to find Clapton's playing boring. You know what actually IS boring? Post-Barrett Pink Floyd, and yet all we ever hear about is how innovative the Dark Side of the Moon was. I'm not a fan of Clapton's solo material either (not that I've given it much of a chance. Then again, neither have you, most-likely). Just face the facts that you don't really have reason to judge Clapton's playing, as you probably don't like listening to anything out of your comfort zone: the same three shitty songs by Grand Funk Dildo or one of those shitty bands. Eric Clapton may be a wimpy little cuck, but he's likely a better guitarist than you, shitbird. Peace.


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At a recent Barron's Top Independent Advisors conference, an audience member rose to pose a question to me and my counterparts from other top custodians. "What are you doing to help advisors create a niche market with women?" he asked.
In a way, the question seemed irrelevant, a flashback to the 1970s and '80s. Yet the recurring statistics around how quickly widows fire advisors after their husbands die and surveys validating how poorly women in general are treated by so-called financial professionals make this a persistent issue even in 2012.
The question contained a nuance that I personally found most irritating: the reference to niche. How can a group that represents 51% of the U.S. population, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, be a niche? The U.K. Centre for Economic and Business Research found that in the U.K. there are more female millionaires between the ages of 25 and 44 than male millionaires. At some point in their lives, 80% of all women will take sole responsibility for household financial decisions, according to a June 2011 study by The Spectrem Group.
Further, women make up two-thirds of the U.S. workforce, and more than half of women with business-related degrees out-earn their husbands, according to Allianz's "Women, Money and Power" survey, a fact that shatters the image of women as secondary earners. Finally, the Center for Women's Business Research found in an October 2009 survey that the 8 million women-owned businesses in the U.S. have a combined GDP that exceeds that of the U.K., France and Italy.
The issue is not how to target or sell to women. The issue is that women investors want to be treated equally to their male counterparts.
It may surprise some advisors that women are just like people. They've accumulated their wealth through business ownership, high-paying jobs, inheritance, lottery tickets and yes, in many cases, divorce. More than half of all heterosexual marriages end in divorce, and many women fire their financial advisor within one year of this event. Advisors must recognize that their client couples comprise two individuals of equal importance; relationships must be cultivated with each, and often whatever the man thought made the advisor cool is not often shared by the woman.
According to a recent study sponsored by Pershing, "Women Are Not a Niche Market. They are a Significant Business Opportunity," equal treatment does not translate to identical treatment. Because women and men often have different life circumstances, different degrees of financial experience and a different approach to communication, advisors may have to modify their approach to building productive relationships. Get to know your clients beyond stereotypes, which may require ditching some bad habits. (For a copy of the study, e-mail me or go to Pershing.com/women.)
Not too long ago, my wife invited me along when she went to purchase a new car. The whole experience was filled with atrocities, especially for a luxury car dealership, but one in particular involved the interaction between the salesman (they called him a sales consultant) and my wife. As we entered the dealership, he approached us, looked at me and asked if he could help. I told him that Arlene would like to buy a new car. He looked back at me and asked me which model she was interested in.
Of course, I knew this was the moment he lost the sale, but we continued to humor him for a few more minutes. Arlene had prepared well for this purchase and knew exactly what she wanted but had some questions. We sat at the salesman's desk, and she began her inquiry. After each question, he'd smirk as if indulging her then look at me to respond as if we had some special male bond. It may have taken only three exchanges like this before I got the look from my wife that it was time to leave.
While you may attribute this behavior to a line of work that some regard as just a notch above a congressman, women report that they experience the same sort of treatment from financial advisors whether they are alone or meeting as a couple. Single women and married women tend to have the same point of view on this, though being labeled a secondary income earner or housewife adds acid to the mix.
Women as a group are less satisfied than men with the performance of their financial professionals. According to the 2011 Sullivan Investor Trust Study, women rated financial professionals lower in communication, management, service and product offering or investment choices. In general, women did not feel their advisor made them a smarter investor and indicated that their advisor generally failed to articulate the downside risk of investments.
In an interesting twist on this discussion, an article in the April 2012 issue of Forum, a Canadian trade publication for advisors, noted that if you really want to irritate a female advisor, ask her what she brings to the table as a result of her gender. Neither women advisors nor women clients want to be isolated in a pink bubble. The article says that while women advisors have been dismissed over the years because of traits regarded as feminine, ironically they may actually hold the exact skills required to be successful consultants to both sexes.
In other words, there is growing recognition that having an emotional quotient helps people read another person and shift the conversation based on reactions. As the role of a financial advisor has evolved from transactional to advisory, collaboration with clients is key. Working together depends on mutual respect, open communication and a willingness to listen, learn and teach.
The Forum article noted that while advisors recognize the need to be more relationship-oriented and holistic in their view of clients, there is also a general decline in empathy in our society. While this may reflect a generational shift, Scientific American points out the decline may relate to isolation caused by the rise in technology and decline in time spent reading literature.
Regardless of societal trends, the reality is that the advisory firm of the future must make changes in its approach to a population that is as diverse as the general population in terms of its values, sources of wealth and behaviors—a population that is growing in economic impact and influence. While women are not a niche, all advisors must implement tactics that view women as equals in the setting of goals and the design of plans.
The natural tendency to pander or talk down to them will cause women with money to go where they are respected. Further, the failure to recognize this powerful economic force will cause many advisory firms to miss an opportunity for growth among a new set of accumulators.
The concept of providing financial advice is not about marketing, sales or targeting, but the application of a respectful, interested and interesting approach to helping this constituency achieve their goals and manage their risks. The greatest indignity one can commit against another human being is to underestimate them, a condition that appears to be running rampant in the industry. To become a more relevant and effective advisor, give all clients equal respect, but recognize that how you listen, communicate, advise and manage each relationship may require muscles heretofore underdeveloped.


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SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) — Groupon Inc. shares plunged as much as 28% in after-hours trading Wednesday on reaction to the online daily deal company reporting a surprise loss and forecasting weaker-than-expected revenue in the current quarter.
The loss was far from the expectations of analysts surveyed by FactSet, who had forecast Groupon to earn 3 cents a share on revenue of almost $640 million.
On a conference call to discuss Groupon's results, Chief Executive Andrew Mason said, "It was continued volatility in our international business that drove the weaker than expected profitability in the quarter, including several We have much work to do."
The company has been working to become more of a provider of direct goods to customers, and trying to not rely so much on pushing out daily deal offerings via emails, and involving third-party retailers, similar to Amazon.com Inc.
Abe Garver, managing director with BG Strategic Advisors, said that Groupon is walking a fine line with its Groupon Goods business, in particular.
'"Under a best-case scenario, redirecting resources to Groupon Goods makes it a direct competitor of Amazon, eBay, Overstock and other Top 500 Internet retailers," Garver said. "The margins are thin and professional investors already have exposure to the sector."
Along those lines, Groupon's gross margins as a percentage of revenue fell to 55.7% in the fourth quarter, from 80.4% in the year-ago period. Revenue from direct sales rose to $225 million, from $13.7 million a year ago, but third-party sales declined by 13.7%, to $413 million.
Garver brought up one of the more infamous business decisions in history to describe his view of the Groupon Goods strategy. "To be candid, this continuing redirect reminds me of the New Coke debacle," referring to when Coca-Cola changed its long-time formula in 1985, resulting in a nationwide uproar. Coke soon went back to its original formula.
For its first quarter, Groupon forecast revenue between $560 million and $610 million, while analysts forecast sales of $646.8 million. Groupon's shares plunged 28% in after-hours trading following the release of its results.
Reaction to Groupon's loss erased any upbeat feelings about the company's growth in revenue, or in gross billings, which rose 24% from a year ago to $1.52 billion.


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Picnic Recipe: Roasted Pork Tenderloin Sandwich with Zesty Roasted Red Pepper Spread
Serves 8
Note: These are great made early in the day, so the flavors can meld and soak into the baguette.
1 pork tenderloin
1 tablespoon olive oil
Kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper
2 baguettes
12 ounces fresh mozzarella, sliced
1 cup arugula
Zesty red pepper spread:
4 ounces roasted red peppers, packed in water, drained
1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley leaves
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
3 cloves garlic
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a pan with foil. Lay the pork tenderloin on the foil. Drizzle with olive oil, then generously season with salt and pepper. Roast for 30 minutes, or until juices run clear.
2. Meanwhile, make the red pepper spread. In the bowl of a food processor, combine the red peppers, parsley, 2 tablespoons olive oil, red wine vinegar, garlic and a pinch of kosher salt. Pulse until the garlic is well chopped and the spread has a thick but uniform consistency. Use immediately or refrigerate in an airtight container up to 3 days.
3. Remove pork from oven; let rest 5 to 7 minutes before slicing thinly.
4. Cut each baguette in two; slice each piece horizontally. Evenly spread the roasted red pepper spread on each of the 8 baguette pieces. On the bottoms of the baguettes, evenly distribute the mozzarella, followed by the pork, then the arugula. Replace baguette tops; slice each sandwich in half again.
5. Serve immediately, or wrap in parchment paper and refrigerate for up to 24 hours.
(Recipe courtesy "Heather Christo's Generous Table," Kyle Books, 2013)