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Article content
New York Yankees slugger Alex Rodriguez on Friday abandoned a legal challenge to his record suspension for allegedly using performance-enhancing drugs, according to court filings.
In documents filed in Manhattan federal court, Rodriguez's lawyers informed the court that he had dropped two lawsuits against Major League Baseball (MLB), one challenging an arbitrator's decision to suspend him for the 2014 season and one accusing baseball investigators of unethical behavior.
The papers did not offer an explanation.
The filings likely mean that the Yankees third baseman will sit out the entire 2014 season.
Rodriguez's attorney, Joe Tacopina, told Reuters on Friday that Rodriguez would not attend Spring Training with the Yankees.
Tacopina declined further comment.
"The statements that were issued say everything that needs to be said," he said in an email.
The players' union, which Rodriguez also had targeted in court for failing to provide him adequate representation, issued a statement praising the slugger for doing "the right thing".
In one lawsuit, Rodriguez claimed that arbitrator Frederic Horowitz showed "blatant partiality" toward MLB when he suspended Rodriguez last month for 162 games, or the entire 2014 season, costing him $25 million in salary.
That suspension, the longest ban related to alleged doping in baseball history, was reduced from the 211 games the league had originally handed down.
Major League Baseball had accused Rodriguez of obtaining testosterone, insulin growth factor and human growth hormone from 2010 to 2012 from Anthony Bosch, the owner of a now-defunct Miami anti-aging clinic called Biogenesis.
Rodriguez had filed a separate lawsuit last year accusing MLB investigators of intimidating witnesses and buying evidence.
After Horowitz on Jan. 11 rejected the All-Star third baseman's appeal, a defiant Rodriguez said he would take the fight to clear his name all the way to federal court, saying "the deck has been stacked against me from day one".
A league statement on Friday said it had been informed that Rodriguez had "reached the prudent decision to end all of the litigation related to the Biogenesis matter".
MLB added: "We believe that Mr. Rodriguez's actions show his desire to return the focus to the play of our great game on the field and to all of the positive attributes and actions of his fellow Major League Players. We share that desire.
"Thirteen other players were suspended for their alleged ties to Biogenesis, with 12 agreeing to 50-game suspensions, and Milwaukee Brewers' slugger Ryan Braun, a former National League Most Valuable Player, accepting a 65-game ban.
Baseball's rules call for a 50-game ban for first-time offenders, but MLB lengthened Rodriguez's suspension for allegedly using drugs over several years and interfering with the investigation.
The 38-year-old Yankee, known as A-Rod, is fifth on baseball's all-time home run list with 654 and was once expected to challenge Barry Bonds' record of 762. Bonds has also repeatedly been linked to doping.
Yankees official said they "do not anticipate having a statement" in response to Friday's developments.
tap here to see other videos from our team.


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"Pretty Little Liars" spinoff is a go
ABC Family is banking big on its biggest hit "Pretty Little Liars," green-lighting it for another season and approving a spinoff.
The network announced Tuesday it renewed the series starring Lucy Hale and Ashley Benson for a fifth season.
The new show "Ravenswood" will follow five strangers whose lives become intertwined by a deadly curse that has plagued their town for generations.
"Pretty Little Liars" is about teens in the fictional town of Rosewood, Penn., whose best friend was murdered. Since her death they've been continuously harassed via text and pranks by a mysterious figure known as "A." It's based on the best-selling book series by Sara Shepard.
"Ravenswood" is slated to premiere in October.
"Pretty Little Liars" returns for season four in June. According to Deadline, some of the new spinoff characters are expected to appear in a "Pretty Little Liars" Halloween special.

subset: commoncrawl


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That's pretty astute. Luckily it's not universal. I have visited and been to communities that have found various ways (not some patented(TM) way) of solving it. And it's different for every community. You just have to travel enough out of the normal zone to find the threshold of the global insanity. It's like swiss cheese.aa5 wrote:I am honestly not sure how to stop this. It seems societies come out of a disastrous period, and have visionary people rise up and build new institutions in society, and go so far, then those founders die and careerists take over and the descent begins.
However, I think as you scale up this problem beyond Dunbar's number to the size of massive corporations, incorporated townships, nations and continents, you increasingly find the need for heroic levels of vision in the visionary people. And human weakness begins to take over at that point.
The most amazing and successful and self-sustaining communities I have seen have avoided the taint and evil of celebrity, which seems to be one of the main foods of parasites and what you call careerists.


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***Significant Winter Storm brings widespread snow and strong winds through Saturday. See http://t.co/mKjhzL6C for http://t.co/CSvazDrc— NWS Grand Junction (@NWSGJT) January 11, 2013
From The Durango Herald (Dale Rodebaugh):
Forecasters at the National Weather Service in Grand Junction put the possibility of snow Friday at 80 percent and 50 percent Friday night, with 1 to 2 inches of new snow possible. The chance for snow on Saturday tapers off quickly…
Snow accumulation on Lizard Head Pass on Colorado Highway 145 south of Telluride is expected to be 3 to 5 inches, Shanks said…
The state's water-supply outlook for this month, prepared by the National Resources Conservation Service, shows the Animas, San Juan, Dolores and San Miguel basins, which began December with a snowpack 37 percent of normal, bounced back with the help of several late-month storms. The late-month storms brought December's precipitation to 105 percent of average for the month.
The accumulation brought the region's four basins back to 70 percent of normal on Jan. 1.
Reservoir storage in the four basins stood at 106 percent of normal at the end of May, but fell to 66 percent of average on Dec. 31. Total current reservoir storage in the region is 248,000 acre-feet, compared with 400,000 acre-feet at the same time last year…
The state as a whole fared slightly better than Southwest Colorado. The collective snowpack on Jan. 1 stood at 91 percent of the same date in 2012. The Jan. 1, 2013, level replaced last year as the fourth lowest in the last 32 years.
From The Crested Butte News (Alissa Johnson):
According to Griffith, the [cloud-seeding] program started in the middle of November this year but didn't begin seeding until December. So far, six storms have been seeded. The burners' yellow flames, including one that can be seen near Three Rivers Resort in Almont, burn a mixture of sodium and silver iodide into the lower layers of clouds. That silver iodide can cause water droplets to turn to snow at warmer temperatures than they otherwise would.
[North American Weather Consultants] estimates that they boost winter storms by about 10 percent to 15 percent. Last August, prior to the program's permit renewal, Griffith reminded the Gunnison County commissioners that while effective, cloud seeding is not a silver bullet that can reverse drought conditions like the county saw last year.
"If you're going to have 50 percent of snowfall naturally, and you get a 10 percent increase from cloud seeding, that would still result in a snowpack 55 percent of average," Griffith explained. "There's still a drought—it's just going to be a little less dry than it would be naturally."
The total cost of the program is right around $95,000 per year, and NAWC estimates that produces additional water to the tune of about $1 per acre-foot. Matching funds from the state bolster local contributions to reach the full amount.
From the Glenwood Springs Post Independent (Heather McGregor):
Remote snowpack telemetry sites in the upper Fryingpan basin and on Independence Pass show the worst readings. Nast Lake, at 8,700 feet in the upper Fryingpan, has just 11 inches of snow holding 1.1 inches of water, just 30 percent of normal for Jan. 9. The Kiln telemetry site, also in the Fryingpan basin, at 9,600 feet has 16 inches of snow holding 2.5 inches of water, just 42 percent of normal. And the Independence Pass telemetry site at 10,600 feet has all of 19 inches of snow holding 3.2 inches of water, just 39 percent of normal. The deepest snow in the whole Roaring Fork River basin is at Schofield Pass above Marble. Even there, the remote telemetry equipment recorded 39 inches of snow holding 10.3 inches of water, 66 percent of average…
"Last December, the soil moisture was in good shape, and everything was above average because we were coming off a good year," Nielson said. "This year, it's much below average, below 50 percent of normal in a lot of areas, because we are coming off a really dry year…
Snowstorms that swept across the state in December pushed Colorado's snowpack up from very low levels, said Phyllis Ann Philipps, state conservationist for the U.S. Natural Resources Conservation Service.


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Eclipse IDE
1478 Solutions and counting.
Includes the HTML, CSS, and JSON Editors, and JavaScript Development Tools from the Eclipse Web Tools Platform project, aimed at supporting client-side web development and node.js applications. Als...
The Eclipse Embedded CDT (C/C++ Development Tools, formerly GNU MCU/ARM Eclipse) is an open source project that includes a family of Eclipse plug-ins and tools for multi-platform embedded ARM ...
Vertigo Dsl Plugin.
Enables syntax highlighting for ksp files.
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The Teamscale Integration for Eclipse allows for seamless browsing of quality defects found by the Teamscale software‐quality analysis server. Teamscale analyzes your source code incrementally with...
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CodeMR Summary
CodeMR is a multi-language (Java and C++) software quality and static code analysis tool.
You can measure your software metrics and high-level quality attribu...
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With Xtext you can easily create your own programming languages and domain-specific languages (DSLs). The framework supports the development of language infrastructures including compilers and inte...
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It leverages Java's typesystem and reuses its syntax as far as possible, but cuts down the amount of boilerplate you ha...
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Showing the Windows Explorer Context Menu in Eclipse
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Reverse engineer your database structure into java JPA classes. Create Java classes, or an Xcore or Ecore representation of your exisiting database. g9 Database Model Import is a free g9 Eclipse pl...
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SQL DAL Maker is a generator of DTO and DAO classes to access relational databases. Target programming languages: PHP, Java, C++, Python, Ruby. To generate the class, you declare it in XML meta-pro...
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vmlens, testing multi-threaded applications on the JVM made easy. Simply running your tests with multiple threads does not work. Bugs depend on a specific thread interleaving, which is often imposs...
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Design and Verification Tools (DVT) is an integrated development environment (IDE) for the design and verification engineers working with SystemVerilog, Verilog, VHDL, e, UPF, CPF, SLN, PSS, SDL. I...
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Blush Pink Personalized Wedding Thank You Cards, Newlywed Wedding Thank You, Bridal Shower, Wedding Cards, Pink Wedding - Alyse
$ 18.50
Each set includes:
• QUANTITY: 10 cards & envelopes
• SIZE: 4x5"
• PRINTING: Digital, flat printing
• PAPER: 100lb cover stock in your choice ow white, ivory, light gray or kraft
• ENVELOPES: 80lb (white, ivory, kraft, london fog), or 90lb (turtle dove, warmed white) envelopes
• PACKAGING: Each stack is wrapped with a hand sewn lace wrapper and tucked into a keepsake kraft box with clear slide on cover
Cards are folded with blank interiors, small logo printed on the back.
The card pictured here uses the following colors:
Card - White
Envelope - Warmed White
To order:
Select your card color, envelope color and return address options and add to your cart. In the notes box as you check out, please leave your custom name/monogram/address text.
Proofs will be emailed to you for approval within 1 business day. Most orders ship within 2-3 days of proof approval. Orders over 100 cards may take up to 2 weeks.
Large Order Discounts
Are you ordering more than 10 boxes of the same stationery set? Please contact me for a special discount coupon code. Discount does not apply if you are ordering multiple colors, styles or for different people. Sets must be identical.
Printing Upgrades
If you'd like a more high end design, I offer the following specialty printing options:
- digital white ink on dark papers
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Pricing varies by print type, number of colors used (1 or 2 colors) and quantity. Please contact me for a custom quote. Production times for specialty printing will be 2-3 weeks.


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A delegate to the Democratic National Convention, Julia Rodriguez, openly threatened to kill Mitt Romney.
A week before the Nov. 6 presidential election, MoveOn.org and Michael Moore produced a video of senior citizens in Rosebud Nursing Home, in which a 97-year-old woman vowed: "We'll burn this motherfucker down" if Romney's elected.
That video was followed by a murderous "Get Out the Vote" adreleased by a Democrat activist website, RepublicanZombieDefense.com, in which Obama supporters use garden shears, chainsaws, machine guns, and grenades to maim, behead, and explode Romney supporters who are portrayed as brain-dead zombies.
Even after they "won" the 2012 presidential election, Demonrats are still seething with murderous rage.
The latest threat of violence from the Left is from Mike Malloy, the host of what he calls a "Progressive" radio show that airs 9-mid ET, Mon-Fri.
On his show of November 26, 2012, Malloy threatened to behead Tea Partiers. This is what he said:
"These Teabag bastards. I just wish they'd all go away, or in Passover, I just wish there was an angel of the lord that would pass over and, instead of killing the first born in all the households of Egypt, just wipe off all the teabaggers. You know, the terrible swift sword. Just shwoosht, shwoosht, shwoosht, lob their heads off!"
H/t Brian Malloney, The Radio Equalizer and the Patriot Action Network


text: Rio Laundry Trough with MDF Cabinet (45 litre) $440.00 - Rio Laundry Trough with MDF Cabinet (45 litre) quantity + Add to cart Company: BEST BM Add to wishlist Compare SKU: BRC-T45 Category: LAUNDRY CABINET/THROUGH Description Reviews (0) Description Capasity 45 Litre Thickness 0.8 mm Stainless Steel Grade 304 Reviews There are no reviews yet. Be the first to review "Rio Laundry Trough with MDF Cabinet (45 litre)" Cancel replyYour email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *Your rating * Rate… Perfect Good Average Not that bad Very poor Your review *Name * Email * Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Terms And conditions Handling time on most products are 2-4 days and generally arrive into our Melbourne warehouse within that time frame and we will dispatch it once it is received Custom made products generally take 2-3 weeks to arrive into our warehouse and you will be advised of ETA on these items No responsibility accepted for breakage in transit for Vic rural or Interstate deliveries – we will inspect products and ensure packaging is more than adequate prior to dispatch Free Deliveries for Melbourne Metro Area only for all items for above $450 orders (conditions apply) Free Deliveries on small items Nationally over $450 Victorian Rural and Interstate deliveries to Local Depot only for bulky items- Vanity, Bathtub, Shower Screens, & other large & bulky items weight more than 40 kg Related products Laundry Sink 586*456*230mm $249.00 Add to cart Compare Add to wishlist Laundry Top $345.00 Add to cart Compare Add to wishlist Double Laundry Sink $380.00 Add to cart Compare Add to wishlist Laundry Tub 450*550mm (35L) $265.00 Add to cart Compare Add to wishlist


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The Full Cover glass screen protector is the perfect accessory to protect your Oppo Reno 4Z from minor bumps and scratches.This protective film made of tempered glass adheres perfectly to the display of your smartphone while leaving apertures free for the camera, sensors and microphone.The black silicone edges and rounded corners allow this screen protector to adhere perfectly to your device. The screen will thus be protected from impacts and dust infiltration, without losing the touch functions of the screen.The application of this glass screen protector is very simple: use the two cloths included in the package (one wet and the other dry) to clean and dry the screen. Then just attach the protective film to your smartphone paying close attention to the corners.
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Efforts continue to battle Greene County mine fire
Consol Energy says workers safely got out of Blacksville mine in Wayne Township
Consol Energy crews were continuing to fight a fire in an underground coal mine that straddles the West Virginia-Pennsylvania border.
Smoke began pouring from a shaft at the Blacksville No. 2 mine in Wayne Township, Greene County, Pa., on Tuesday afternoon.
More than 120 day-shift workers got out safely, and Consol spokeswoman Lynn Seay says none will return to work until the mine is considered safe.
Federal Mine Safety Health Administration officials say more than 250,000 gallons of water had been pumped into the mine through a bore hole drilled on Wednesday, and four more holes were being drilled at a rate of 87 feet per hour.
The holes are 1,000 to 1,200 feet deep to reach the mine.
The mine employs more than 500 workers and produces coal for power plants.


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First of all, Cooley's a terrific acoustic guitar player - and most of the music on here is finger-picked. In addition to the overall high level of the playing on this record, there is some really pretty, almost delicate playing on some of the songs - check out the intro to "Loaded Gun In The Closet".
Second of all, he's (as you already know if you're familiar with the Truckers) a very entertaining country vocalist. Examples on this disc abound - "Marry Me", "Three Dimes Down" (including a detour where Cooley has a little fun with that song's similarity to the Bob Seger standard "Rock And Roll Never Forgets") and a cover of "Behind Closed Doors", just to name a few.
But third, and to me a reason I'd keep coming back to this record, Cooley's a pretty engaging guy. Funny, bright and quick on his feet, he peppers the concert with well-placed commentary as well as responses to audience shout-outs. Describing his trepidation at facing an audience alone, with nothing between him and them but an acoustic guitar and a mike: "When you don't do it normally, it's terrifying. I try to relax, but I'll probably never be able to sit down in a chair on stage as easily as I sit down on a toilet behind a closed door. That's the goal—somewhere in between," he deadpans. "I set the bar high."
The songs that make up The Fool On Every Corner were recorded by longtime Drive-By Truckers' producer David Barbe during a three-show run last March, beginning with a two-night stand at The Earl in Atlanta and closing at The Melting Point in Athens. In addition to the songs mentioned above and some DBT favorites like "Carl Perkins' Cadillac", there's a new song: "Drinking Coke and Eating Ice".
Self-deprecating, talented and funny, Cooley has added a very enjoyable chapter to the growing legend of the Drive-By Truckers... he'll be on tour, solo acoustic, in 2013. I'd recommend catching him if you get the chance.


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"Blacc Hollywood" will likely not be able to break the 100k mark in sales opening week.
Wiz Khalifa's new album Blacc Hollywood just hit the stores and the net yesterday, and today the first week sales projections have arrived.Â
Blacc Hollywood is not looking like it'll be able to break the 100k mark, if these projections hold true. HDD reports that Wiz's new LP is projected to move 70,000 - 80,000 opening week. That's about half of what his last album, 2012's O.N.I.F.C. managed to do (148,000 opening week). O.N.I.F.C. was itself a drop down from Rolling Papers, which moved 197,000 copies opening week.
What did you guys think of the new album? Did it live up to expectations or disappoint? Peep our review of the album here.
Check back in next week to find out how many copies Blacc Hollywood sold opening week.


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Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 Recipes + Chatting with Food Stylist Susan Spungen
Did you see all the cute food characters in Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2?? Like the slider spiders and hippopotatomus? Well, if you want to recreate those to impress people (or kids), here are some recipes from food stylist Susan Spungen:


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Ghost Town CEO Steve Shiver threatened to sue Maggie Valley Alderman Colin Edwards during a town meeting this week.
Edwards attempted to speak out against Shiver's request for a $200,000 loan from the town. But Shiver objected and refused to let Edwards finish speaking.
"I raise my objections," Shiver said, cutting Edwards off. "Gentlemen, lady, I mean no disrespect but there are serious issues of conflict we have raised through our attorneys. I think in the next few weeks you will see some legal action."
Edwards is part owner of Caroline-A-Contracting company, which built a retaining wall at Ghost Town. Edwards' company filed a lien against Ghost Town after it failed to pay its full bill. Ghost Town in turn contested the claim, saying the retaining wall cracked. Edwards said the crack is due to a leaking water line in the hillside. Shiver claims it's due to faulty work.
Shiver asked the town to bar Edwards from voting on the loan and from participating in any discussion on Ghost Town. However, while Edwards and Shiver may not get along, Edwards does not meet the litmus test for a financial conflict of interest that would bar him from voting. The only reason Edwards could be legally barred from voting is if he stands to gain financially from his vote, which he doesn't, according to state statutes and Town Attorney Chuck Dickson.
Shiver claims that Edwards cannot render an impartial vote on anything pertaining to Ghost Town, however, and if he does so, Ghost Town will be denied its right to equal protection under the Fourteenth Amendment of the Constitution.
Edwards said he intends to vote, however, and will vote "no" to the loan.
"They are just bullying, and I don't bully real good at all," Edwards said. "I am an elected official for Maggie Valley. I will vote and they can charge me if they want."
Before Shiver cut Edwards off at the meeting, Edwards questioned the validity of Shiver's claims that the park's roller coaster was on track to pass inspections and open for the season. Edwards said he called the state's chief amusement ride inspector before the meeting and learned that Ghost Town has not yet requested an official inspection.
Shiver said he would "not tolerate nor allow phone calls" by Edwards to the state amusement ride division. Shiver suggested Edwards was trying to sabotage Ghost Town by calling the state.
The Smoky Mountain News had called the same state ride inspector earlier in the day and was given the same information as Edwards — that Ghost Town has not yet made a formal request for ride inspections, for either the chairlift or the roller coaster. The information is public record and can be requested by anyone.
That said, there have been lots of verbal communication, emails and progress updates on the rides, according to Jonathan Brooks, Elevator & Amusement Device Bureau Chief with the state.
"I know they are working very diligently to put something together for us to come up and start inspecting. I know they are making headway," Brooks said. There is still a big checklist for the roller coaster before it's ready, however, Brooks said.


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Zosia Mamet could have spent her hiatus from "Girls," shooting a movie, racking up guest spots on TV or doing commercials. Something lucrative that would have helped push her rising star farther into the stratosphere.
But Mamet, whose father David Mamet lobbed lit sticks of dynamite at American theater more than three decades ago with his profane portraits of battered male egos in dramas like "American Buffalo" and "Glengarry Glen Ross," decided that the time was right to make her own mark on stage. Theatergoers will find out next Thursday if another Mamet is ready to take her place in the theatrical firmament when 24-year-old Zosia debuts as a member of the cast of "Really Really."
"It's something I grew up loving out of the womb," Mamet told TheWrap. "I think a theater is one of the most magical places on earth."
Mamet was in one of those magical places recently, albeit one that has been made to look like a tattered dorm room replete with empty beer bottles, discussing gluten-free diets with the rest of the play's cast of twenty-somethings. Yes, the press was on hand, so all of the actors were necessarily on good behavior. But Mamet's body language, the way she patted a castmember on the arm or draped herself on a piece of furniture made her appear perfectly at ease blending into the youthful ensemble.
Her's is the biggest name in the play, which will run at the 200-seat Lucille Lortel Theatre in Greenwich Village until early March and co-stars Matt Lauria of "Friday Night Lights" and "Parenthood." However, her work as the virginal and bubbly Shoshanna Shapiro on Lena Dunham's much buzzed about HBO show didn't guarantee her a spot in "Really Really." Mamet had to fight for the role of a college student who exploits sexual politics after a boozy party.
David Cromer, who oversaw a critically acclaimed off-Broadway revival of "Our Town" in 2009, confessed that he was not certain Mamet was right for the part until he witnessed her determination to persuade him otherwise.
"She wanted the part, she worked really really hard to get it and she earned it," Cromer said. "I think she's exciting on 'Girls,' but I didn't watch her and immediately think, 'Oh she should play this.'"
Yet after she read for the role, he became convinced that there was a brutal and calculating underside to Mamet's wide-eyed exterior on the show.
"She is completely idiosyncratic," Cromer said. "She seems like a lost, beautiful, sad wounded little girl, and she also can turn on a dime into this very steely, very confidant, very fierce, very tough, very together person. We've got to be able to watch her in scenes and think that poor little girl and then watch her in other scenes and go wow, wow, who is that?"
The character may be more duplicitous than the one Mamet is currently playing on television, but the play is also steeped in generational drift and the diminished opportunities that have greeted recent college graduates in the wake of the economic collapse. Playwright Paul Downs Colaizzo, who is 27, said he was very eager to capture how his contemporaries were promised everything and offered nothing.
"It was very much write what you know," he said. "It was very much the fear that I had for my friends and myself after we were suddenly deemed the lost generation and the idea that some people will not take that lying down. I wanted to examine the lengths they will go to protect their future."
For her part, Mamet welcomes the opportunity to once again dramatize the experience of twenty-somethings, particularly as "Really Really" is hitting many of the same notes as her TV show but in a different key. After all, the stakes for Mamet's character this time are much higher than whether or not Shoshanna will go all the way with a guy.
"I feel lucky to make something about that period of someone's life that is so unabashedly real," Mamet said. "The lighthearted moments of 'Girls' are really not speckled throughout and that to me is just super exciting, to be able to delve into the darkness that you are greeted with in your early 20s and the fear and what that makes you do, the places that you can potentially go with that."
It is also a play written, performed and speaking to a demographic that is different from typical theater audiences, which often skew older. Colaizzo and Mamet, however, argue that could change if there are more plays like "Really Really" that try to capture the often painful transition into full-blown adulthood.
"I think every artistic realm needs to take a look at itself right now and the way that it's doing things," Mamet said, "because I think the times are a changing, and we have to change with them."


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March 31, 2012
Justice, Injustice, and Places of Meaning
As the students entered for the next session, I directed their attention to the board, where I had written "New Criticism," "New Historicism," and "Deconstruction," as well as the names of important theorists associated with these critical approaches to literature. In applying these critical theories to Gaines' novel, I explained, we would abandon neither feminist nor Marxist approaches, as the novel provides plenty of examples of extremely strong women and of economic inequities that reflect the Marxist critique of capitalism. But these additional critical tools, I assured the class, would enrich their understanding of Gaines' Lesson by complementing feminist and Marxist perspectives and by providing a fuller sketch of critical thought in the twentieth century. These varied perspectives, I said, would also help us to see the connections between our theme on "Marriage, Family, and the American Dream" and our theme on "Justice and Injustice."
Pointing to the Aristotelian communication triangle I had written on the board, I encouraged students to think of New Criticism as focused on the literary work itself, the center of that triangle. Often associated with its Southern practitioners, Cleanth Brooks and Robert Penn Warren, New Criticism, I explained, dominated American critical thought at mid-century for over three decades. Rejecting critical approaches unduly focused on the writer's intentions (one corner of Aristotle's triangle), the reader's responses (another corner), or literary history (another corner), the New Critics, I further explained, insisted on an "objective" reading of a work, a "close reading" that savors the ironies and ambiguities of a given poem or fiction but finds and defends the "organic" unity of its imagery and structure. We would practice this New Critical approach, I said, as they shared their thoughts on the study questions I provided.
Continuing my sketch of critical currents, I explained that by the 1980, influenced by French theorist Michel Foucault and his concern with the "discourse of an era," scholars such as Louis Althusser declared themselves New Historicists, critics who employed New Critical close-reading strategies but extended their analysis beyond the work itself to the cultural practices that shape a given work and define its "situatedness." To reinforce this dual focus of New Historicism, I pointed again to the triangle, to the work in the center and to the "situation" at the 'real-world' corner. We would practice New Historicism, I said, when we discuss the character Grant, who, like the author, grew up in a Louisiana share-cropping culture in the 1930s; who, like the author, attended elementary school in a one-room plantation church; who earned a university degree in California, just as the author did; who returned to Louisiana, just as the author did, because of the irresistible pull of this very real place he is "unable to leave" (102), and because of his outrage over the racial injustices that defined it in the 1940s, the historical setting of the novel, two decades before the emergence of Dr. King and the civil rights movement.
Concurrent with the New Historicists, I continued, the Deconstruction critics emerged, following the thought of Russian dialogic theorist Mikhail Bakhtin and French theorist Jacques Derrida. Also deploying New Critical close-reading strategies, these critics reached decidedly un-New Critical conclusions about literature, arguing that no work possesses unity, either as a free-standing work or as a reflection of its cultural situation. Instead, I explained, Deconstruction critics argue that every "text" contains a line of interpretation that undercuts another reading, so that no fixed meaning can ever be discovered. While New Critics talk about ambiguities worked out via art into a unified meaning, I clarified, Deconstruction critics argue that the flux of a text, like the flux of life, can never be fixed, never settled beyond dispute. We would see this flux, I said, in trying to assess Grant's teaching, his resistance to authority figures, and his relationship with Vivian.
A Lesson Before Dying
Having completed this description of critical trends and their relationship to Gaines' novel, I divided the students into three groups, assigned each group five of the study questions I had asked them to consider as they read, and then asked them to collaborate on answers, grounded in evidence from the novel, that they would share with the whole class. I explained that they had 20 minutes to do their work, after which each group would have 15 minutes to report their findings to the other two groups. Though the students had already experienced peer-response groups, they had never worked together on an interpretive problem. Nevertheless, the pressure of the time limit seemed to distract them from anxieties over this charge to construct meaning communally; as they got to work, I roved, listening to their tentative answers, watching them scramble for evidence.
After 20 minutes, I interrupted them, telling them that they need not worry if they had not finished their task, that we would go ahead and see what each group had discovered. I then called for a report from group one, reminding them that we wanted evidence, including page numbers, not just general answers, to the questions below:
1. How does the defense attorney's case affect your feelings for Jefferson (pages 7-8)?
2. How do you explain Grant's anger—as a black man and as a teacher—when Miss Emma's face (12) and Tante Lou's words (13-14) urge him to talk to Henri about visiting Jefferson?
3. How do Grant's feelings for Vivian and for the town (29) explain his reluctance to intervene in Jefferson's case?
4. Describe Grant's teaching and disciplining methods. Do they seem effective? Explain. How do Grant's situation and the students' lives influence and explain Grant's harshness (29)?
5. What similarity do you see between the attorney's defense of Jefferson (chapter 1) and the way Mr. Pichot and Sheriff Guidry treat Grant (chapter 6)?
Group one began by responding to #1 and #5 together, saying that they felt great sympathy for Jefferson and Grant. When I asked for their evidence, they referred to page eight, where Jefferson must endure the remarks of his attorney, who 'defends' him in front of the all-white jury by calling him a "hog," not a man, a beast capable in his panic of looting the liquor store cash drawer, but incapable of thought and therefore incapable of planning the murder of the store owner. They reported sympathy, too, for Grant, a black man with a university education, who must endure the arrogance of Sheriff Guidry and Henri Pichot, powerful white men who keep him waiting for hours when he comes to ask permission to visit Jefferson in jail. "But what difference do you see between Jefferson and Grant in the way they deal with the insults?" I asked. Laureta, a member of group one, quickly observed that Jefferson keeps his head down and remains silent, but Grant reports that he has waited "two-and-a-half hours" and offers no smile, knowing that the white men expect a smile and a "not long" in response to their question, "Been waiting long?" (47) "Did you notice Grant's verbs?" I asked her. Laureta then pointed to his saying "doesn't" instead of the ungrammatical "don't," revealing his defiance of these white men, who expect Grant to show his subservience by using dialect (48).
Some of this sympathy and admiration for Grant melted away, however, when the group responded to questions 2-4. They reported understanding Grant's anger when his Tante Lou demands that he visit Jefferson in jail, that he teach Jefferson to feel like a man, not a hog, before he dies in the electric chair, but they argued that Grant shows too little respect for Miss Emma, Jefferson's godmother, when he tells her that he can't make Jefferson a man, that he can only "keep others from ending up like this" (14). They also reported understanding why Grant would want to move with Vivian to someplace where he could feel alive, less stifled (29), but they had no respect at all for his use of foul language and his whining tone, especially when he says, "I'm supposed to make him a man. Who am I? God?" (31). They said, too, that they understood why Grant would be frustrated with his one-room school and inattentive students, but they roundly condemned Grant's cruelty to his students, releasing his own stress by shouting in their faces and hitting them with a ruler for lapses in concentration, for writing crooked sentences on the board and for playing with bugs (35-41).
Congratulating this group on their excellent work, I called on group two. Apologizing for coaxing the first group into answering their question on Grant's use of language to assert manhood, I asked for their comments on questions 7-10:
6. How does Grant use language to assert his manhood in chapter 6?
7. At the top of page 62, Grant compares the "old men" laborers to the student woodchoppers. What do his thoughts reveal about his goals as a teacher? Why had his former teacher urged Grant to "run"?
8. Why does Grant believe his aunt is "stripping" him of "everything you sent me to school for"?
9. Give two reasons why Grant tells Jefferson that he will "lie" to Emma about Jefferson's refusal to eat.
10. Why do Grant's memories of Joe Louis and the old men's talk of Jackie Robinson—both black sports heroes—make Grant think of Jefferson? What irony do you see in the achievement of these heroes?
This group commented first on #8-9, for their answers here, they said, return Grant to a more favorable light. To this point, they argued, Grant's visits to Jefferson have confirmed his reasons for resisting this seemingly impossible job of persuading Jefferson of his manhood. When I asked, "How so?" they pointed to Jefferson's sarcasm about his execution date, his eating from Emma's food bag on all fours, like a "hog"; then Arlind read Grant's passionate speech aloud:
Everything you sent me to school for, you're stripping me of it….The humiliation I had to go through, going into that man's kitchen. The hours I had to wait while they ate and drank and socialized before they would even see me. Now going up to that jail. To watch them put their dirty hands on that food. To search my body each time as if I'm some kind of criminal. Maybe today they'll want to look into mouth, or my nostrils, or make me strip. Anything to humiliate me. All the things you wanted me to escape by going to school. Years ago, Professor Antione told me that if I stayed here, they were going to break me down to the nigger I was born to be. But he didn't tell me that my aunt would help them do it. (79)
Gezim mentioned, too, that Grant really impressed him at the end of the next visit to the jail, when Grant tells the still-hostile Jefferson that he intends to lie to Emma about Jefferson's refusal to eat her pralines because telling the truth, he tells Jefferson, "would kill her"; he also tells Jefferson that he plans to return so that the "white man" can't "win" (84).
Everyone agreed that such language makes Grant seem much less whiny than he seemed at first, more combative, even daring. When I asked what they learned about Grant from his thoughts on the woodchoppers in #7 and the old men in #10, Dafina stressed Grant's compassion for his students, many of whom would end up as woodchoppers (61), and his compassion for Jefferson in that "depressing cell uptown" while the old men at the bar can only talk about their boxing hero Joe Louis and their baseball hero Jackie Robinson (90). Praising these insightful answers, I asked them to consider how Grant's compassion here would attract the interests of a New Historicist or Marxist critic, who would see Grant's thoughts as a commentary on the rural South in the 1940s, when most black children really had no access to the American Dream, a time when even black heroes like Robinson and Louis could stir hope but do nothing to change the everyday reality of the plantation. "And what might a Deconstruction critic want to point out about the Grant we have seen so far?" I asked. Blerta responded by describing the two narratives on Grant, the cruel, selfish whiner and the bold, compassionate man.
Finally, with little time remaining, we turned to the third group for their report on these questions:
11. How do you explain the tension and anger between Grant and his Aunt, and between Grant and Reverend Ambrose?
12. What does Grant mean when he says he is "unable to accept what used to be my life, unable to leave it"?
13. This novel on racism and injustice is also a love story. How does Grant's tenderness for Vivian affect your view of him? What effect might their love have on Grant's ability to "teach" Jefferson to be a man?
14. At the end of chapter 18, Grant wants to give up on Jefferson, but Vivian insists that "something is changing" (141). What evidence do you see in chapters 16-18 that suggests that Grant and Jefferson are both changing?
15. In chapter 19, why does Gaines provide so much detail about the Christmas party, the play, and Ambrose's prayer? What irony do you see in Grant's prominence at this event as the director of the children's play?
When I asked if they saw any irony in Grant's prominence in the town as Jefferson's teacher (#11) and as the director of the annual Christmas play (#15), Ragip said that Grant's apparent atheism makes him an outsider in a church-going community led by Reverend Ambrose, who humiliates Grant by praying publicly, before and after the play, for doubters like Grant who think they don't need God. When I asked if this tension between belief and doubt explains the quote in #12 about Grant being "unable to accept what used to by me life," Ragip agreed. "What about #13? Do you see the same Grant you saw earlier in his relationship with Vivian?" I asked. This question led to some blushing and looking down at desks, but Albana spoke up, saying she admired the tenderness she sees in Grant's love-making with Vivian (108-109). "And Vivian believes in God," Albana added, smiling; "Maybe she will change Grant's mind on that topic." "Do you see any irony in her dual roles as believer and as Grant's lover?" I asked. "Remember that Vivian's divorce has not been concluded yet, so this romantic scene also raises issues about adultery. Do any of you have concerns about her morality?" I prodded. Wisely, Albana said that "life gets complicated."
"Do you think that Vivian has a point that "something is changing" in Grant, particularly in his relationship with Jefferson?" I prompted. Gezim responded with Grant's comment that he "wasn't so angry anymore" (125), reflecting Vivian's influence; he also applauded Grant's defense of Vivian after Jefferson crudely insults her: "That lady you spoke of, boy, cares about you" (130). "Does this flash of anger in defense of the woman who keeps Grant "coming here" have any impact on Jefferson?" I asked. Several voices spoke up, citing the "tears in those big reddened eyes" (130), a major crack in Jefferson's wall of resistance.
With our time ending, I reminded the class that we would finish discussing Lesson next time and that they should write journal responses to two more of the remaining 13 study questions, all focusing on this transformation of Jefferson and Grant that we had already begun to see.


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Citizen science online gaming: Work or play?" or "Some of the values in the design of web-based citizen science games: The case of Phylo (iSchools, 2013-02)This paper traces the rise of citizen science online gaming and situates citizen science games within larger debates about public culture, gaming culture, and information literacy. It argues that citizen science games are ...
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Sociomateriality of information standards in infrastructure: Structure, organization, and process constraints (iSchools, 2013-02)Research on technical details and justifications of specific information standardization schemes is well-established, and research on social construction of standards and the standardization process also has a strong ...
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Patient-provider communication and information access via online patient portal: Understanding user behaviors to improve healthcare and outcomes (iSchools, 2013-02)Patient-physician communication is moving online. While face-to-face communication remains critical, information technologies (e.g. SMS, email, e-visit system) have been used to serve additional communication channels ...
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Conceptualizing the information field: A multidimensional approach based on interdisciplinary theory (iSchools, 2013-02)The purpose of this paper is to explore the challenges of developing a shared conceptual framework for the Information Field, based on interdisciplinary theory.
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(iSchools, 2013-02)A current trend is to make museum collections widely accessible by digitising cultural heritage collections for the Internet. The present case study aims to add to previous studies by exploring what characterises online ...
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(iSchools, 2013-02)Entrepreneurs are important drivers of innovation. Their work is highly creative while also requiring a distinct paper trail for processes such as incorporation of a business, filing of patents, and management of shifting ...
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(iSchools, 2013-02)The Internet has permeated the economic, political, cultural and social domains of global society and transformed the way in which we present and transmit knowledge. The infrastructure underlying the Internet continues to ...
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Hello, Today I was taking pictures of the gardens (front and backyard). Since we started this project the backyard is constantly evolving. The feeling of creating an appealing garden is something hard to explain. Since I was very young I dreamed of having my own garden, a creation of my own effort and imagination. A […]
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Our Garden!
Posted by xlsus on May 20th, 2010


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Palermo's specializes in custom cakes, unique works of art for every occasion. Our specialty is custom cakes crafted individually for any occasion.
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Ham, Swiss, Romaine Lettuce & Plum Tomatoes on Ciabatta with Horseradish Honey Mustard & Mayo


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text: Study Suggests That Interferons Did Not Reduce MS Progression July 17, 2012 In a study looking at more than 2,000 people enrolled in MS clinics in British Columbia, there was no reduction in MS progression in people treated with interferon beta compared to untreated controls. This study did not address the value of interferon beta in reducing MS relapses and the development of lesions (tissue damage) or improving quality of life in people with MS. While the results are at variance with other recent research and need to be confirmed, this carefully conducted study presents some evidence that there is an unmet need for treatments that reduce the likelihood of MS progression. Research also is needed to find more comprehensive and better tools to measure the effectiveness of MS treatments. Afsaneh Shirani, MD, Helen Tremlett, PhD, and colleagues (University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada) report the findings in the Journal of the American Medical Association (2012;308(3):247-256). This study was supported by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the National MS Society, the MS Society of Canada and others. Background: Multiple sclerosis involves immune system attacks against the brain and spinal cord. Several treatments, called disease-modifying therapies (DMDs), are available that can reduce the inflammation associated with the immune attack and reduce disease activity, such as relapses and the development of new lesions. The effect of these therapies on damage to nerve fibers is not well understood, and it is controversial to what extent they reduce the progression of MS, which is associated with nerve fiber damage. Data on MS progression comes largely from what is reported from relatively short-term clinical trials. Some of the difficulties involved in answering this question using traditional, randomized clinical trials include the fact that it would take a long time to observe effects on progression, and that the conditions of a trial do not necessarily reflect the 'real world' of treatment and how it might affect disease progression. The study: The investigators collected information from the British Columbia MS database, which captures about 80% of all people with MS in British Columbia and links the four MS clinics in that province. They observed people with relapsing MS who had registered with a clinic between April 1985 and December 2004 and who were eligible for interferon beta treatment. Within this group, they compared 868 people who were treated with interferon beta, 829 people who were not treated, and 959 historical controls (people who were untreated before approval of interferons for MS). The main outcome measure was time to a confirmed and sustained EDSS (a scale used to measure MS-related disability) score of 6. This score indicates "intermittent or unilateral constant assistance (cane, crutch, brace) required to walk about 100 meters with or without resting." The results indicated that those treated with interferon were just as likely to progress to an EDSS of 6 as those who were not treated. The lack of difference among patients persisted whether the controls were contemporary or historical, or whether an EDSS of 4 rather than 6 was considered. However, the authors point out that this study is not capable of discerning a subgroup of patients who might indeed experience reduced progression through interferon use. Comment: In an accompanying editorial, Tobias Derfuss, MD, and Ludwig Kappos, MD (University Hospital, Basel, Switzerland) point out that the comparison groups used in this study might have tended to underestimate a possible long-term benefit of treatment. They also comment that although this study was methodologically sound, it is subject to the inherent challenges of an "observational" study. In this type of study, researchers infer their conclusions based on observing treated versus untreated patients, as opposed to a randomized, placebo-controlled trial, where the researchers assign patients to either active treatment or a placebo. The results are not likely to stop the debate over the long-term effectiveness of DMDs, including interferons, on MS progression. Recently, Italian researchers using novel study design found that MS treatments were associated with a reduction in MS progression. (Read more.) The Canadian study's findings on longer-term benefits of interferons do not negate their proven value for reducing MS relapses, which have been linked to long-term progression, and the development of lesions (tissue damage). Important research is underway to help determine which people may respond best to interferons; success would help guide treatment decisions by people with MS and their health care providers, and pave the way for personalized medicine in multiple sclerosis. Research also is underway to address the need to find more comprehensive and better tools to measure the effectiveness of MS treatments. Novel imaging technology and refined clinical measures may help to capture the full spectrum of MS-related damage, and may improve our understanding of how both currently approved and experimental therapies affect MS progression. Read more about MS treatment. Read more about efforts to stop MS in its tracks and to restore function to people with MS.


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Hello EastCC,
I had one of your customers email me today from Australia wanting to know more information about the INFINITY V3 he had the pleasure to demo this week. So I gave him my cell# and we talked for 20 minutes about the INFINITY kite and the OXYGEN light wind board and what Epic is all about. He said he was very impressed with the INFINITY V3 and had a great time in (10 to 13 knots) but was using a very small board. So make sure he gets the chance to demo the OXYGEN (135X47cm) light wind Twin Tip board. He also wanted me to know that you are doing an amazing job with the EPIC brand. So once again keep on doing what you are doing.
Great job.


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SILVER SPRING, MD -- Motionsoft, a club management solutions provider based in Silver Spring, MD, has acquired Baltimore-based Conexion and Conexion Tan, companies that specialize in club management software, accounts receivables and financial services programs.
The acquisition more than doubles Motionsoft's annual operating revenues, according to a press release, while expanding the company's client base to more than 1,500 health and fitness clubs, hospital and corporate wellness centers, university-based facilities and tanning salons worldwide.
"The combination of Motionsoft and Conexion provides us greater access to industry know-how and capital funds which, in turn, solidifies our promise to deliver premium club management solutions—from software, financial services, and beyond," Al Noshirvani, Motionsoft's CEO, said in a statement. "Clients will continue to find Motionsoft an organization that develops tailored solutions able to meet specific client requirements allowing for greater flexibility and control of their businesses."
Noshirvani will continue to serve as Motionsoft CEO, while Conexion CEO Benson Fine will be appointed Motionsoft's Chairman of the Board. The rest of the management team of the combined organization, which will market under the Motionsoft brand, includes senior managers and executives from both companies.
"Like Conexion, Motionsoft has served the health and wellness industry for over 25 years," Fine said in a statement. "Our companies are synergistic. Our management teams, products and services offerings, and commitment to excellent service make this pairing particularly advantageous to our clients and the entire industry."
Pete Moore, principal and head of the Active Lifestyle & Wellness group at Sagent Advisors Inc., a New York-based investment banking firm, says the merger should set off further acquisitions and partnerships in the technology sector of the health club industry.
"Consolidation, inevitably, will create more powerful players who will be capable of providing the resources, capital and innovation to advance our industry," Moore says. "Bottom line, enhanced technologies will lead to our collective success, and larger software providers will make this happen more quickly."
Terms of the deal were not disclosed.


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Comic relief: Voice of Cavs keeps 'em laughing
You've probably heard Mac McDonald's sports commentary on AM 1070. What you might not realize is that despite his constant presence there, he doesn't work for WINA. He's actually an employee of the UVA athletic department that has designated WINA and 3WV to broadcast UVA sports content.
McDonald's job is to do the carrying.
"I'm on the outside looking in," he says. "I'm just talent leased by the University."
They seem to need him for more than just his sports insight, however. "I'm kind of the comic relief guy," he jokes.
"I literally have one of the greatest jobs in the world," McDonald says. Since he's getting paid for the same sports play-by-play that most people would do quite passionately for free, few would argue with that assessment.
It comes at a price, though. "It's a 4:30am alarm everyday," he laments. "It sucks."
And because McDonald also records short spots to be played on other stations in the region, sometimes he rises even earlier.
"Because I try to be timely, I might wait for a women's game the night before to be over," he says. "Then I'll go in to the station at 4:30 and be recording a spot by 5am so other stations can have it by 5:30."
Rising before the crack of dawn can become a constant ritual for some sports.
"I had three days off in seven months during the basketball and football seasons," he says. That's a whole lotta yappin'.
McDonald is also the voice– and, well, mascot– of the Mac McDonald Invitational, an annual charity golf tournament at Birdwood on April 25.
"I thought it was kind of a joke at first," he says, recalling his surprise at being asked to lend his name to the event. But he agreed, and five years later the tournament is still going strong.
"We did $25,000 the first year," he says, "and this year we're on track to do $100,000."
The associated auction is expected to bring in a large portion of the goal with items like an electric violin from Boyd Tinsley and a weekend in LA with Howie Long on the set of a Fox Sports NFL Sunday pre-game show.
All the proceeds benefit the UVA Children's Hospital.
McDonald is happy to help. "They have to raise 94 percent of their budget," he says, "because they get only 6 percent from the state."
The night before the tournament, McDonald helps host another fundraising event, whose attendees honor the Children's Hospital patient who has made the most striking recovery of the year. The gravity of the event is tempered by a healthy dose of idiocy– it's called the "Bad Pants Bash."
"Guys wear tuxedo jackets and shirts and then wear the dumbest pants they can find," McDonald explains.
Looks like he's right about the comic relief.
Age: 51
Why here? It may be the best place to live in the country.
What's worst about living here? Parking– almost everywhere
Favorite hangout? My sunroom, and any 19th hole
Most overrated virtue: My legs
People would be surprised to know?: In 34 years, I've missed only one broadcast assignment, and that was due to my father's death.
What would you change about yourself? I'd love to have hair.
Proudest accomplishment? Dropped 50 pounds in 1986
People find most annoying about you? I think my jokes are hilarious, but I'm not sure others do.
Whom do you admire? My wife and daughter, for living with me
Favorite book: Good Walk Spoiled, John Feinstein
Subject that causes you to rant: Power loss during a little wind and rain
Biggest 21st century thrill: The success of my charity golf tournament and singing with the Houserockers
Biggest 21st century creep-out: My golf swing
What do you drive? The Brown Auto Group's "Mac Drive of the Month." Thanks, Kenny!
In your car CD player right now: John Lee Hooker's Forever Gold
Next journey: Still have not seen the Grand Canyon or the baseball Hall of Fame
Most trouble you've ever been in: Lied to my mom and dad
Regret: Not seeing my dad right before he died.
Favorite comfort food: Breyer's Cookie Dough ice cream
Always in your refrigerator? Beer, wine, and onions
Must-see TV: The Masters, every year!
Favorite cartoon: Yosemite Sam and Foghorn/Leghorn
Describe a perfect day: Golf with friends, then cooking dinner for my family
Walter Mitty fantasy: Playing Pebble Beach with Clint Eastwood and Joe Pesci
Who'd play you in the movie? I would. No one else would understand the part.
Most embarrassing moment: Getting an eraser stuck in my nose in the third grade
Best advice you ever got: My mom and dad told me to follow my dream.
Favorite bumper sticker? Can't repeat it, but it was about women's rugby.
Mac McDonald


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Peer-Reviewed Publications
Found 2 resultsTitle
Filters: Author is Gullan, Rebecca Lakin [Clear All Filters]
The Preventing Relational Aggression in Schools Everyday Program: A Preliminary Evaluation of Acceptability and Impact." School Psych Rev. 2010;39(4):569-587."
An initial evaluation of a culturally adapted social problem-solving and relational aggression prevention program for urban African-American relationally aggressive girls." J Prev Interv Community. 2009;37(4):260-74."


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Department of Justice
For Immediate Release
Six Charged in Racketeering Conspiracy Case Involving Nine Murders
Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces the unsealing of a twenty-eight count second superseding indictment charging Nathaniel Harris (23, Bradenton), Napoleon Harris (29, Bradenton), Charlie L. Green (27, Bradenton), Jerry W. Green, Jr. (31, Bradenton), Corey Deonta Harris (23, St. Petersburg), and Deonte Jamal Martin (28, Bradenton) for their roles in a racketeering conspiracy involving murder, attempted murder, kidnapping, robbery, and drug trafficking. Seven of the offenses carry a maximum penalty of death.
A confidential "TIP LINE" has been established for anyone with information regarding any homicides, robberies, narcotics and/or violent criminal acts conducted by these individuals or their associates. Anyone with information relevant to this case is encouraged to call 1-888-ATF-TIPS (1-888-283-8477).
According to court documents, the six individuals were part of an ongoing criminal enterprise. Between April 2007 and August 2013, nine individuals were shot and killed, as a result of the enterprise's criminal activity. Among those murdered were Christopher Jenkins, Demetrious Cunningham, Calvin Barnes, Ceola Lazier, Carlos Jurado, Brenton Coleman, Joseph Evans, Rodney D. Lamb, and Erika Williams. The murder of Brenton Coleman took place in the vicinity of the 13th Avenue Recreation Center, commonly referred to as the "Dream Center," and was witnessed by a crowd of young children attending youth football practice.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed a violation of the federal criminal laws, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), the State Attorney's Office (12th Judicial Circuit Court), the Manatee County Sheriff's Office, the Bradenton Police Department, the Palmetto Police Department, the Sarasota Police Department, and the St. Petersburg Police Department. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Walter E. Furr, III, Christopher F. Murray, and Trial Attorney Laura Gwinn of the Department of Justice's Organized Crime and Gang Section.


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The FCC is the Federal Communications Commission and they regulate national and international communications in the United States. The FCC was created by the Communications Act of 1934 to ensure that the communications market remains competitive and to handle communications regulation along with a variety of other tasks. The FCC is an independent government agency, overseen by Congress.
Do you know what roaming is? Anytime you travel abroad, your phone connects to a network in the country you are visiting. This is "roaming". When you make a call while roaming, you incur charges that are much higher than your local charges.
The limitation with circuit-switched technology is that it requires a significant amount of bandwidth for each call, and it only supports limited types of calls (i.e. telephone to telephone/fax/modem). The hardware needed to run traditional circuit-switched networks is very expensive. The higher cost of the hardware and the inefficiencies of using dedicated bandwidth for individual calls has caused many telephone companies to use parts of the Internet to connect PSTN calls. You may have already received or made calls using VoIP technology without knowing it.
Are you feeling down with the budding distance that has suddenly grown between you and your loved one, as they're away from you due to the warrants of work or perhaps while studying abroad?
A VoIP call is just an exchange of data between IP address — and IP addresses don't have a specific physical location attached to them. So, even if you do call 911 from your VoIP phone, the emergency operator will have no idea where you are or how to contact you.
With the competition in the VoIP marketplace, one of the best ways to attract new customers is with new, high-quality features. That's the motivation behind the development of
It never hurts to have more resources. That's why we recommend you check out the VoIP Phone Service Guide.
It's a little more focused than TheDigest.com, sticking to just VoIP services, thank you very much. That said, it has:
President Obama, Senator Scott Brown of Massachusetts and countless other 2010 candidates used social media such as tweeter and facebook to reach their potential voters. They used twitter to gather crowds at local events and facebook to build their community of supporters.
Over 15 Million customers will get money back from Verizon! This report seems farfetched, so we dug into the evidence. Our story comes from two reliable sources, an October 3rd, 2010 Verizon Press Release, and an October 3rd, 2010 FCC Press Release.
Virtual telephone numbers are secondary numbers associated with the primary numbers provided through a hosted PBX system. Virtual phone numbers do not cost as much as the conventional numbers and is sure to improve your communication system.
Need to know more? In addition to being cheaper than traditional phone service, business VoIP means:
And, once again, the most important reason to switch to Business VoIP:
Learn more about Business VoIP
Posted on: Jun 4, 2015
Last year, Alan Masarek made news as he left Google to become Vonage's new CEO.
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There's a lot to take advantage of when it comes to business VoIP.
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Advanced CallTower Unified Communication Technology provides modern offices and all affiliated locations with highest levels of quality telecommuni
Here are some of the biggest customer FAQ's when they switch to VoIP.
See all the questions on the FAQ's page here.
There are lots of great benefits associated with VoIP, but first and foremost, VoIP is much cheaper than other phone service options. Customers have reported savings of up to 90% every month with the top residential and business VoIP providers.
How Does VoIP work? VoIP uses an Internet connection in place of old analog copper telephone wires. This makes the process of sending phone calls much cheaper and easier with VoIP, which results in a cheaper VoIP service.
VoIP services are extremely cheap, around $20/month on average for a hosted PBX solution for a business, and around $7/month for a residential VoIP solution. And because VoIP is a hosted solution, customers can also save a lot on costs of maintenance and repair.
VoIP works with IP phones, and with old phones with ATAs (analog telephone adapters). There are lots of options in VoIP hardware and customers can keep old systems or buy new ones as appropriate.
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The Digest Today Let's face it, there are endless amounts of information on the Internet covering every aspect of the Telecommunications Industry. So much in fact, it can be outright discouraging trying to determine the most suitable long distance carrier or how VOIP might really benefit your home...Read More »


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Bio-compatible equivalents of petrochemicals, they help reduce carbon footprint and are safer
LONDON, Nov. 29, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Registration, Evaluation, and Authorisation of Chemicals (REACH) regulations are playing a major role in driving the European oleochemicals market which has otherwise attained maturity. These regulations are encouraging customers to consider using sustainable and eco-friendly oleochemicals. Oleochemicals are bio-compatible equivalents of petrochemicals.
New analysis from Frost & Sullivan (http://chemicals.frost.com), Analysis of the European Oleochemicals Market, finds that the market earned revenues of $3.9 billion in 2011 that is projected to top $4.5 billion by 2018, corresponding to a CAGR of 1.9 percent (2011-2018).
"The need to replace petrochemical derivatives with natural alternatives is expected to keep growth rates positive throughout the forecast period," noted Frost & Sullivan Chemicals & Materials Senior Research Analyst Nandhini Rajagopal.
"Oleochemicals and their derivatives have gained significance because of their functional efficiency, performance, sustainability and biodegradability," commented Shomik Majumdar, Vice President, Chemicals.
Oleochemicals are helping customer product manufacturers adhere to REACH regulations and reduce their carbon footprint. In addition, these naturally sourced chemicals ensure a higher degree of product safety.
As a result, they are being increasingly preferred over petrochemicals for use in products like cosmetics and detergents. Their multiple benefits are also underlining their appeal to an expanding application base ranging from plastics and personal care to soaps and detergents, food, pharmaceuticals, coatings and rubber.
Overcapacity and fluctuating prices of common raw materials (like tallow, soybean oil, palm and palm kernel oil, coconut oil, and rapeseed oil), used in the manufacture of oleochemicals, are the two major challenges constraining market growth.
"Backward integration with plantation or agri-business groups and vertical integration in the value chain across customer product manufacturing companies will help to synergise oleochemical manufacturer's strengths, enabling them to overcome price fluctuations and remain stable," said Rajagopal. "Such alliances have been successful for the largest companies in the market, like Emery Oleochemicals group, and could be replicated by other participants."
If you are interested in more information on this study, please send an e-mail with your contact details to Chiara Carella, Corporate Communications, at email@example.com.
Analysis of the European Oleochemicals Market is part of the Chemicals & Materials Growth Partnership Service programme, which also includes research in the following markets: North American Oleochemicals Market, Southeast Asian Oleochemicals Market, APAC Green Surfactants Market and, Analysis of the Natural Fatty Alcohol Market. All research included in subscriptions provide detailed market opportunities and industry trends that have been evaluated following extensive interviews with market participants.
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Analysis of the European Oleochemicals Market
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NEW YORK, July 30 (UPI) -- It looks like former Rep. Anthony Weiner may have sexted himself right out of the race for New York City mayor, a polling director said.
Maurice Carroll, who heads the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute, said Weiner's admission of more Internet sexting dropped him from first to fourth place among Democratic primary contenders, NBC News reported.
A runoff between the top two candidates will be held if no candidate gets 50 percent of the vote in the Sept. 10 primary.
Despite calls for his withdrawal, Weiner refuses to leave the race even though only 16 percent of primary voters support him. City Council Speaker Christine Quinn leads the pack in the latest Quinnipiac poll.
Weiner said he wasn't concerned about his poll numbers following a Monday night candidates' forum.
"Doesn't change my life one bit," Weiner said. "I keep talking about things I'm talking about."
Former New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer, who resigned his post over a hooker scandal, said "correct" when an interviewer suggested Weiner should not be mayor, the New York Post reported Tuesday.
Spitzer, who is running for New York City comptroller, said he would fire any municipal employees who engaged in the same behavior as Weiner.
Unlike Weiner, Spitzer said his dalliances with high-priced hookers ended when he resigned as governor in 2008.
Attempts by Weiner and his campaign to compare his sexting scandal and his wife Huma Abedin's forgiveness to Bill and Hillary Clinton's scandal at the White House have fallen flat.
Friends of the former first couple told NBC News the Clintons are unhappy with the comparison, especially in light of Hillary's presidential ambitions.


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The gold in today's men's gymnastics all-around went to Japan's Kohei Uchimura, aka "Superman," as it was supposed to. Did that make it boring, like a murder mystery where you know the ending, or like a primetime broadcast of a swimming race whose results were published hours ago?
It did not. Uchimura had created a bit of drama by faltering in the preceding two competitions, so that he wasn't even competing in the top-seeded group this time. Despite those errors, though, everyone still believed that if he hit his routines, he would be unbeatable.
Aside from putting his hands down on a tumbling pass, Uchimura hit everything. The excitement in watching him, though, doesn't come from wondering if he'll win. It comes from watching someone at the top of his game do everything better than everyone else. Not only is he capable of incredibly high degrees of difficulty, but he performs his skills with perfect form and pure technique. When he tumbles or swings on the high bar, it never looks hard.
The real stakes for Uchimura were aesthetic and historical. His performance today confirmed his status as the best male gymnast of all time.
So for competitive drama, the place to look was the competition for silver and bronze. The standings reshuffled throughout the meet, among gymnasts from Russia, Japan, Ukraine, and Germany, and the results came down to the final few routines.
Going into the Olympics, Germany's all-around hopes had rested with Phillipp Boy. When Boy failed to qualify, the burden shifted to Fabian Hambuechen, who did remarkably well in preliminaries. But Hambuechen faltered early, and it was Marcel Nguyen who stayed on the events and hit 6-for-6 to win the silver, Germany's first medal in the men's Olympic all-around since 1936.
The bronze went to America's Danell Leyva, who'd been the top-scoring qualifier. Leyva and teammate John Orozco both quickly dug themselves into a hole with big mistakes on their pommel horse dismounts. But Leyva spent the rest of the meet clawing his way back into medal contention.
Fortunately for him, his night ended with his best and highest-scoring events—parallel bars, where he's the current world champion, and high bar, where he did well enough in preliminaries to qualify for the event final. With two big hits (and rhythmic clapping from his stepdad/coach Yin "@CoachYinsanity" Alvarez), Leyva completed his meet-long comeback and grabbed a medal and a bit of redemption for the U.S. men's gymnastics program.
For a handy master schedule of every Olympic event, click here.
Dvora Meyers is a freelance writer based in Brooklyn. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, Slate, Tablet and elsewhere. She writes about gymnastics and Judaism at Unorthodox Gymnastics, and she is the author of Heresy on the High Beam: Confessions of an Unbalanced Jewess. She blogs about woman-y stuff over at The Anti-Girlfriend.


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