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Rabbis: Healing is possible for same-sex attractions
New coalition's statement suggests 'reinforcing natural gender-identity'
In a stunning formal statement that directly confronts Barack Obama's presidency-long campaign to promote and normalize homosexuality, a coalition of Orthodox rabbis and respected mental-health professionals says being "gay" is a behavior that can be changed and healed with therapy, if the person has the desire.
"The concept that G-d created a human being who is unable to find happiness in a loving relationship unless he violates a biblical prohibition is neither plausible nor acceptable," says the document, titled "Declaration on the Torah Approach to Homosexuality."
It states that same-sex attractions can be modified and "healed," and condemns the "propaganda blitz" that has been launched "to persuade the public about the legitimacy of homosexuality."
Read all about how homosxuality has invaded Main Street, in "The Marketing of Evil: How Radicals, Elitists, and Pseudo-Experts Sell Us Corruption Disguised as Freedom"
"The media is rife with negative labels implying that one is 'hateful' or 'homophobic' if they do not accept the homosexual lifestyle as legitimate. This political coercion has silenced many into acquiescence. Unfortunately this attitude has seeped into the Torah community and many have become confused or have accepted the media's portrayal of this issue," the statement says.
In fact, Obama, shortly after he took office in 2009, signed into law a "hate crimes" proposal that enhances penalties for crimes attributed to "hate" of homosexuality, providing special protections for "gays" that other victims of crime are not given.
"The Torah makes a clear statement that homosexuality is not an acceptable lifestyle or a genuine identity by severely prohibiting its conduct. Furthermore, the Torah, ever prescient about negative secular influences, warns us in Vayikra (Leviticus) 20:23 'Do not follow the traditions of the nations that I expel from before you…' Particularly the Torah writes this in regards to homosexuality and other forbidden sexual liaisons," the statement says.
The document has been signed by a coalition of dozens of Orthodox rabbis, community organizers, leaders and mental-health professionals. Among the signers who have chosen to go public with their endorsement of the position are psychologist and author Dr. Miriam Adaham of Jerusalem; Rabbi Simcha Feuerman, president of the International Network of Orthodox Mental Health Professions; Los Angeles psychiatrist and author Dr. Miriam Grossman; Dr. Joseph Gelbfish of Brooklyn, N.Y.; Rabbi Yaakov Salomon, psychotherapist and author; Rabbi Steven Pruzansky, a vice president of the Rabbinical Council of America and dozens more.
It contradicts a statement from 2010 signed by Orthodox rabbis who believed, "Jews with homosexual orientations or same sex-attractions should be welcomed as full members of the synagogue and school community. As appropriate with regard to gender and lineage, they should participate and count ritually, be eligible for ritual synagogue honors, and generally be treated in the same fashion and under the same halakhic and hashkafic framework as any other member of the synagogue they join."
The 2010 statement also rejected the idea of therapy to heal homosexuality, but the new declaration takes the opposite position.
"We emphatically reject the notion that a homosexually inclined person cannot overcome his or her inclination and desire. Behaviors are changeable. The Torah does not forbid something which is impossible to avoid. Abandoning people to lifelong loneliness and despair by denying all hope of overcoming and healing their same-sex attraction is heartlessly cruel. Such an attitude also violates the biblical prohibition in Vayikra (Leviticus) 19:14 'and you shall not place a stumbling block before the blind,'" it states.
The coalition of rabbis and others says that "political correctness nothwithstanding, the only Torah-approved course of action with regard to homosexuality is psychological therapy coupled with teshuva, or repentance."
The signers agree that same-sex attractions can be modified and healed.
The declaration was written by a 25-member committee made up of rabbis, parents, people undergoing therapy and "success stories" of those who have undergone therapy and today are living heterosexual lives with spouses and children, the group says..
It rejects efforts by "secularists and some in the religious community" to minimize or deny the possibility of change.
The treatment recommended in the statement is reparative or gender-affirming therapy, which the declaration defines as "reinforcing the natural gender-identity of the individual by helping him or her understand and repair the emotional wounds that led to its disorientation and weakening, thus enabling the resumption and completion of the individual's emotional development."
The purpose of the declaration is to help Jews who "have become confused on this issue and have become accepting of some false notions," such as the idea "that a person cannot control his 'nature' and, therefore, should accept his prohibited inclination as something natural and normal that does not need to be worked on and healed."
The members of the authoring committee are being kept anonymous, even though the signers of the declaration have gone public. But members of the committee said in a prepared statement that they have overcome same-sex attractions and, "We initiated this Torah Declaration because of the messages from the media and homosexual activists that are at best misleading and at worst outright untruths."
'Misusing compassion'
"Homosexual activists are misusing compassion to win over the public. Their primary message is that if we care about people we should just accept them as homosexual and not ask them to change. They have been reinforcing this message by asking self-identified homosexuals to constantly repeat the untruth that 'change is not possible' and that people are 'born this way'; that homosexuals have tried but 'couldn't change' and that if it was a choice 'they never would haven chosen this'. All they want is 'acceptance, happiness and love, just like everyone else,'" the group explains.
However, the members of the Jewish community write that the Torah "makes an unambiguous statement that homosexuality is not an acceptable lifestyle" and there is no genuine scientific evidence that homosexuality is genetic or biological.
It reports that the advance of the normalization of homosexuality is a genuine threat to religious freedom.
For example, in New York, where "same-sex marriage" recently has been legalized, synagogues are protected if they choose not to allow a homosexual wedding.
However, "If a religious person's profession is affiliated with a wedding hall, photography, musicians, caterers, etc. there is no legal protection for them to refuse to service a same-sex wedding. Additionally, if their business involves any city or state contracts or licenses, they will be revoked for refusing to service a same-sex wedding," the group warnes.
"We are just beginning to see the repercussions for people of faith on this issue. As this becomes the law of the land we will see an increase in the following types of headlines," the organization says.
It cites several instances from recent months, including when Peter Vidmar was forced out at the U.S. Olympics after reports said he supported initiatives against same-sex marriage, a Toronto broadcaster was fired for supporting traditional marriage, and a wedding photography company in New Mexico was fined for refusing to photograph a same-sex "marriage."
Even the American Psychological Association has backed down from its affirmation of a "gay gene," or some unavoidable reason for homosexual behavior.
The APA stated, as recently as this month, "there are no scientific findings that a person is born homosexual."
Spokeswoman Susan Rosenbluth, representing the signers of the new statement, told WND that it's reprehensible to tell a 16-year-old boy conflicted with same-sex attractions, "Sorry kid."
She told WND that there are a wide range of "natural tendencies" in the scope of human behavior that must be controlled – and changed if possible. She cited alcoholism or being overweight as similar behaviorial issues that require the help of others to change.
Other behaviors are similar, she noted.
'It takes a lot of work'
"It's not natural to play the violin. It doesn't come naturally. The same with overcoming a same-sex attraction. It takes a lot of work if you want to do it."
She said the Jewish law nowhere has to say that it's not kosher to eat mud, because no one is going to do that. But she said the Jewish statement addresses the same-sex issue, treating it like stealing, something to which people sometimes are inclined but still are not allowed.
Nor should people of faith ignore homosexuality issues, it says.
"Abandoning people to lifelong loneliness and despair by denying all hope of overcoming and healing their same-sex attraction is heartlessly cruel," the statement says.
It recommends "reparative or gender-affirming therapy." That is defined as "reinforcing the natural gender-identity of the individual by helping him or her understand and repair the emotional wounds that led to its disorientation and weakening, thus enabling the resumption and completion of the individual's emotional development."
And the necessary "teshuva" is the Torah requirement that people turn away "from any transgression or sin and return to G-d and one's spiritual essence."
Blaming Obama
It was just days ago that a former lesbian now running a specialized ministry said Obama is using his worldwide influence "and the financial power of the government" to promote homosexuality.
That's from Janet Boynes of Janet Boynes Ministries, which states up-front that its goal is to "minister to individuals who question their sexuality or who wish to leave homosexuality. JBM will seek to inform and challenge churches and society about the issues surrounding sexuality and teach how to minister to the homosexual community."
She told WND that many "young and naïve secularists" are busy following Obama's leading on his sexually permissive agenda, and the result of that will lead "to the demise of traditional values and families," she said.
The Obama agenda also "propagates the attack of Judeo-Christian beliefs on a global level."
But while other ministries are critical of Obama's pro-homosexual drive – he's put more homosexuals in positions of power than any other president, opened the U.S. military to open homosexuality and signed into law a "hate crimes" plan that provides special protections for homosexuals – Boynes goes one step further.
"The Bible says that the enemy comes to steal, kill and destroy (John 10:10)," she said. "It is his main objective to bring confusion and cause division within the church and he does this by altering God's truth in such a way that many Christians are deceived if they are not rooted and grounded in God's word."
WND recently reported on the policy of the Obama administration to be the new global sex cop and a recently signed executive order that some say is sure to promote "quotas" of LGBT hires for federal government jobs.
WND also reported on the push by various administration officials to normalize LGBT behavior, including the designation of "gender identity" as a protected status for federal jobs.
WND columnist Matt Barber wrote that liberals are "desperate" in their efforts "to dredge up some natural, biological rationalization – of which science has found none – to validate demonstrably unnatural behavior."
"That's why we see such visceral hatred on the left for the ex-gay community. From a political and legal standpoint, it's strategically critical that these same liberals undermine and marginalize the very real-life experiences of untold thousands of former homosexuals," he wrote. "This mean-spiritedness represents a profound lack of respect for other people's 'right to choose.' Their favorite dig is: 'You can't pray away the gay.' Once you've self-identified as – or been labeled – 'gay,' you're stuck with it, you see.
"Ironically, these same liberals will suggest with a straight face (no pun intended) that something that is innate – a person's biological sex – can change. If you're a man who, today, feels like a woman, why then, snippity-snip and voila! You're a woman," he said.
Peditricians' warning
WND reported earlier when a coalition of pediatricians warned educators not to promote being "gay."
The American College of Pediatricians, a nonprofit organization funded by members and donors, wrote to school superintendents saying, "It is not the school's role to diagnose and attempt to treat any student's medical condition, and certainly not a school's role to 'affirm' a student's perceived personal sexual orientation."
Further, schools can create a "life of unnecessary pain and suffering" for a child when they reinforce a behavior chosen out of a child's "confusion."
"Even when motivated by noble intentions, schools can ironically play a detrimental role if they reinforce this disorder," said the letter, signed by Dr. Tom Benton, the organization's president.
The group also has created a website called Facts About Youth as a resource for school officials to obtain the facts from a "non-political, non-religious channel."
"The only viable course of action that is consistent with the Torah is therapy and teshuvah," the new statement says. "There is no other practical, Torah-sanctioned solution for this issue.".
Related offers:
"Kinsey: Crimes & Consequences"
"Back Fired," by William J. Federer, shows how the faith that gave birth to tolerance is no longer tolerated!
"The Marketing of Evil: How Radicals, Elitists, and Pseudo-Experts Sell Us Corruption Disguised as Freedom"
"The Gay Agenda: It's Dividing the Family, the Church, and a Nation"
Sen. Tom Coburn's "Breach of Trust: How Washington Turns Outsiders into Insiders"
Previous stories:
Obama offers plan for U.S. to be global LGBT sex cop
Macy's clerk fired for booting man from women's dressing room
Bachmann: Legalizing bestiality 'abhorrent'
Pediatricians warn educators not to promote being 'gay'
'Gay' gene claim suddenly vanishes
'Gay' indoctrination in bull's-eye of new campaign
Ex-lesbian: Obama destroying traditional families
'Hate' laws could label 5-year-olds 'offenders'
'Czar' sees transgender school goals in reach
Obama czar's 'homo-genda' proposed for U.S. schools
Move to ban 'biology-based' restrooms going underground?
Attack on 'biology-based' restrooms sparks backlash
'Biology-based' restrooms called 'discrimination'
Storm brewing over 'biology-based' locker rooms
'Gay' plan for bathrooms called 'moral insanity'
City vote opens women's restroom doors to men


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Workshop Joins Tech Research with Business Leaders and Venture Capitalists, Oct. 6, 2008
By Thomas Guengerich
SOCORRO, N.M., Oct. 6, 2008 – Seven New Mexico Tech faculty members will present their innovative concepts to a panel of technology specialists, venture capitalists and marketing experts at 9 a.m. Friday, Oct. 10, in the Galena Room at Macey Center.
Dr. Peter Anselmo, chairman of the Department of Management at Tech, organized the Technology Workshop to bring Tech professors together with industry leaders.
"We're getting Tech researchers linked with the venture capital community," Anselmo said. "We have a campus full of brilliant scientists who are doing ground-breaking research and patent-worthy work. These innovative ideas can't grow in a vacuum. I want to help grease the tracks to bring some of these concepts to the market."
The seven presentations represent seven different departments on campus:
- David Burleigh, Materials Engineering
- Robert Bowman, Earth and Environmental Sciences, presented by Jaron Andrews
- Anders Jorgensen, Electrical Engineering
- Peng Zhang, Chemistry
- Ashok Ghosh, Mechanical Engineering
- Peter Anselmo, Management, presented by Delilah Vega-Walsh
- Snezna Rogelj, Biology
Each professor or graduate student will spend 10 minutes explaining their research, concept or invention to a panel of experts. The panel will then offer suggestions, opinions and feedback about commercializing the research.
The seven presentations represent a wide array of research – from cancer research to water filtration to protective helmets.
Peter Gerity, Vice President of Academic Affairs at Tech, said the workshop gives faculty members an opportunity to learn about licensing, marketing and opens the door to entrepreneurship.
"We have interesting technologies that need to be put in front of a wide audience," Gerity said. "Technology licensing is a contact sport and we need maximum visibility for new ideas."
While not all faculty members are willing to enter the competitive fray of marketing intellectual property, Gerity said the university must provide a forum for professors to explore commercial possibilities.
"The typical training we receive as academics does not convert automatically to the commercial world," he said. "That's a difficult step."
New Mexico Tech and faculty members have developed a number of marketable inventions over the years. The most notable – and most profitable – was the nicotine patch, developed by professor Dr. Frank Etscorn in the early 1980s. The patent on nicotine patch technology created a healthy revenue stream for the university for many years.
Now, New Mexico Tech has a variety of mechanisms for bringing intellectual property to market. State law allows the university to enter partnerships with private entities. The university also has land set aside west of the main campus that is dedicated to industry.
The panelists include business leaders with a range of expertise:
- Kevin Boberg, business professor at New Mexico State
- John J. Chavez, a business development leader and angel investor
- Lawrence Chavez of Flywheel Ventures of Albuquerque
- Bill Hartman of Flywheel Ventures
- Chris Haase of Shell International's innovation group, GameChanger
- Doug Lee of WESST Enterprise Center in Albuquerque
- Thomas Stevenson of the Verge Fund
Anselmo said he's assembled an excellent panel of business leaders with decades of experience in technology, investments and start-up companies.
"The panelists are sure to offer great feedback on how to market and commercialize our inventions and ideas," Anselmo said. "This is the first step in taking our intellectual resources to the next level."

subset: commoncrawl


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New Drugs in Development
I hate the term "salvage therapy." "Salvage" is raising a nuclear submarine from the icy depths of the Barents Sea. "Salvage" is picking through charred fuselage to look for Concorde flight recorders. "Salvage" is not, however, a term I'm particularly fond of when it comes to defining options for HIV-infected individuals in need of new therapies. We don't need salvaging. We need new drugs.
Yet, options for HIV-infected folks who have tried and failed existing HAART regimens leave a lot to be desired. This is particularly true when it comes to the protease inhibitors (PIs). There are five PIs currently available, all of which are hobbled by similar resistance mutations. HIV-positive folks who fail one of these drugs often have a difficult time keeping their viral load undetectable upon switching to another PI, even when the new drug is combined with new nucleoside analogues or, perhaps, a second protease inhibitor.
New protease inhibitors are desperately needed for patients who have failed one or more of the current PI options. Here's a look at one that was just approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and another that is furthest along in clinical trials:
Lopinavir (Kaletra; ABT-378/r)
In test tube studies, lopinavir -- which was awarded the brand name Kaletra by Abbott Laboratories -- is approximately 10 times more powerful than its predecessor, ritonavir (Norvir). When used with small amounts of ritonavir -- hence, the little "r" in its name (ABT-378/r) -- lopinavir's blood levels remain high for a long period of time. One Kaletra capsule contains 133 mg of lopinavir and 33 mg of ritonavir. The recommended daily dose is three capsules taken twice a day with food.
In terms of its resistance profile, lopinavir was specifically developed to be active against HIV strains carrying mutations at position V82 of the protease gene. This is a major mutation associated with resistance to ritonavir (Norvir), indinavir (Crixivan), and possibly saquinavir (Fortovase). Thus, lopinavir has at least one foot in the door when dealing with strains of HIV resistant to any of these three drugs. Unfortunately, the activity of lopinavir weakens a bit when going up against viruses containing mutations at positions M46 and I84. The former mutation can result from Crixivan therapy, whereas the latter mutation is caused by all currently approved PIs.
The true test of lopinavir is its activity in clinical trials. Results of three studies have been reported to date: one involving folks who have never taken a PI before, a second that enrolled patients who had failed only one PI in the past, and a third study involving patients who had failed more than one PI before enrolling in the study. Data from the third study were presented at the 13th International AIDS Conference in Durban.
A total of 57 patients were enrolled in the trial. On average, each patient had tried -- and failed -- three protease inhibitors in the past. In looking at some blood samples collected at the start of the trial, it appeared that most patients were already resistant to lopinavir before even starting therapy. However, this turned out not to be the case.
All patients were treated with one of two doses of lopinavir: 400 mg (with 100 mg ritonavir) or 533 mg (with 133 mg ritonavir), both taken twice daily. Lopinavir was combined with efavirenz (Sustiva) and two nucleoside analogues.
After six months of therapy, approximately 80% of patients receiving the lower-dose lopinavir regimen and 96% receiving the higher-dose lopinavir regimen had undetectable viral loads (<400 copies/mL). Good news . . . but wait a minute! All patients who enrolled in this study had never taken an NNRTI before and, thus, would definitely respond well to Sustiva. Yet according to Dr. Joseph Eron of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, who spoke recently with CRIA Update, there's more to this than meets the eye. Most patients in the study were not only resistant to many of the PIs currently available, but were also resistant to most of the nucleoside analogues currently on the market. Without the addition of lopinavir, Sustiva would have been nothing more than monotherapy. And, as we know from previous clinical studies, NNRTI monotherapy results in rapid resistance. So lopinavir worked well for folks with an extensive prior treatment history, regardless of the added benefit of an NNRTI.
Sadly, the side effects of lopinavir are similar to those being seen with other PIs: nausea and headache are chief complaints, along with increased liver enzymes and increased lipid (fat) levels in the blood.
Lopinavir was approved by the FDA in mid-September and is now available.
Like lopinavir, tipranavir has a great deal to offer folks at the end of their PI rope. Tipranavir represents a new class of protease inhibitors believed to have greater flexibility in binding with HIV protease enzymes resistant to current PIs. The compound was originally developed by Pharmacia & Upjohn and was recently sold to Boehringer Ingelheim, the manufacturers of nevirapine (Viramune).
Tipranavir is different from other PIs in a number of ways. All PIs now on pharmacy shelves inhibit the liver enzyme system known as P450. In other words, current PIs slow down the way in which the liver breaks down drugs in the bloodstream, allowing for the PIs to stay in the body for long periods of time. Tipranavir is different. This drug speeds up the liver enzyme system, requiring very high doses of tipranavir three times a day to keep adequate blood levels.
Nobody wants to take a lot of pills multiple times a day, regardless of how "unique" a drug's resistance profile is. To make the drug more user friendly, the people at Boehringer Ingelheim are working on a new formulation -- called a self-emulsifying drug-delivery system (SEDDS) -- to slow down the rate at which tipranavir is metabolized in the body. Like lopinavir, tipranavir will also need to be taken with low doses of ritonavir to block the P450 enzyme system. Using the SEDDS formulation, along with low doses of ritonavir, will permit much lower doses of tipranavir to be taken twice daily.
Unfortunately, not a whole lot of data have been produced by clinical trials involving patients resistant to current PIs. However, some interesting test tube study results have been reported over the past year. Dr. Brendan Larder, a researcher at Virco Laboratories, manufacturer of a phenotypic drug-resistance test, tested tipranavir against 107 different strains of HIV. Most of the strains studied were highly resistant to three or four of the PIs now available. According to Dr. Larder, only 3% of all the strains tested were highly resistant to tipranavir. Most strains -- 90% -- remained sensitive to tipranavir.
Of course, what happens in test tube studies rarely proves the effectiveness within the human body. Unfortunately, studies involving HIV-positive folks with multiple-PI resistance are not expected to begin until mid-2001 and it's unlikely that we'll see an expanded access program or approval until 2002 or 2003.
Both lopinavir and tipranavir are testaments to the hope that exists in the drug-development pipeline. We need these drugs and we need them studied in combination with each other. "Salvage" is not an option. New drugs -- studied together in people who need them most -- are.


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Clinton Sparks ft. Disco Fries & Pitbull – Watch You *future RADIO hit!August 18th, 2012 by Siegz | Electropop, Pop |
Grammy nominated singer/DJ/producer Clinton Sparks has found himself back to work once more with a familiar voice. While Sparks provides the majority of lyrical content on "Watch You", the multifaceted musician and taste-maker recruits Mr. 305 for a signature guest verse that's vintage Pitbull. Produced by Sparks and New York City electro/house duo Disco Fries, the single is a dizzying mix of up-tempo production that will likely find itself on Top-40 radio and in your head in the near future.
Stream and buy (iTunes) top-40 pop hit "Watch You".
Previous: Porter Robinson – Language (Clinton Sparks vocal edit bootleg)


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Wrap Bracelet
I recently purchased some supplies to make my own (in my new favorite colors) and finally had a chance to sit down with them over the weekend. I used a tutorial that I found on youtube and was pleasantly surprised when I finished this in just over an hour!
It was so fun and easy! There are more of these in my near future.
UPDATE: Here are some other bracelets I've made this week. I'm obsessed!! At the rate I'm making these, I may just need to have another giveaway soon.
Don't forget to check out my Panta giveaway! I'm so enjoying reading about all of your winter traditions! Thank you for sharing. I'll be picking winners this weekend.
12 comments
- Knickertwist said...
LOVE the colours. Looks fab :)
- December 6, 2011 at 9:51 AM
- kittykill said...
LOVE! The colors and style-you inspired me!
- December 6, 2011 at 10:14 AM
- ruby murray said...
Gorgeous, love it, it looks so well made too
- December 6, 2011 at 3:19 PM
- LimeRiot said...
Thank you all! I encourage you to try it. It's really easy and fun!
- December 6, 2011 at 5:07 PM
- Rachel said...
This would make a great Christmas gift for brother's girlfriend. Thanks for the link, Lime!
- December 6, 2011 at 11:09 PM
- Vic said...
Sweet! The colours are gorgeous.
(It WAS a kookaburra!)
- December 7, 2011 at 4:59 AM
- Brenda said...
M --- these are AWESOME! Can we have a craft night soon?!
- December 8, 2011 at 1:02 PM
- CraftyLikeLindy said...
I love these! I may have to give it a whirl...
- December 13, 2011 at 11:17 AM
- Neha said...
The colors on these bracelets are absolutely gorgeous!
Have you tried making these bracelets with linen cord instead of leather? Leather's a bit hard to come by where I'm from, and I'm curious to see how linen has worked out for you :)
- January 6, 2012 at 11:54 AM
Love it!
I was wondering; how big are the beads you used and what kind of thread/cord did you use?
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- April 13, 2013 at 10:56 PM


text:
HANG TIME HEADQUARTERS — No excuses in Washington this year.
That's what Wizards' owner Ted Leonsis has been preaching for months. Injuries will not be used an excuse for the Wizards not chasing a playoff berth in the Eastern Conference.
So, out goes injured center Emeka Okafor, who is out indefinitely after neck surgery, and in comes Marcin Gortat from Phoenix. It's a deal that bolsters the Wizards' frontcourt rotation and allows them to continue on with their plans to ride John Wall, Bradley Beal and a talented young core group into playoff contention this season.
It's the sort of aggressive, risky move you would expect from a team with playoff aspirations that they want to realize now rather than later. Leonsis planted the seed after last season, when injuries to Wall and others prevented the Wizards from taking off the way they expected.
When Wall signed his five-year, $80 million extension in August, it became a playoffs-or-else proposition in Washington. The injury to Okafor, as well Chris Singleton and rookie swingman Otto Porter Jr., took some of the steam out of the hype train. But the arrival of Gortat, a 7-footer who averaged 11.1 points and 8.5 rebounds last season in Phoenix, pumps some adrenaline back into things in Washington.
The deal, first reported by ESPN.com's Marc Stein, will also include the Wizards getting veteran guards Shannon Brown, Malcom Lee and Kendall Marshall, who was at one time expected to be the heir apparent to Steve Nash, for Okafor's expiring contract and a protected first-round pick in the 2014 Draft.
The Wizards are not expected to keep Brown, Lee or Marshall on their already stocked roster, waiving all three to get to the league-maximum 15-man group in time for the start of the regular season next week.
The Suns acquisition of both Goran Dragic and Eric Bledsoe in consecutive summers, however, pushed Marshall into the margins in a rebuilding process in Phoenix that has yet to find a true foundation.
With a new direction and a new boss, general manager Ryan McDonough, the Suns are essentially waiving the white flag in the Western Conference playoff hunt and plotting a course with assets, cap space and a robust crop of talent in the 2014 Draft pool. Contract extension talks with Bledsoe are reportedly ongoing, but he appears to be the only established player safe from the trade chatter. (There have been rumors for months about Dragic being dangled as trade bait for the right asset).
It's an interesting move by both parties, one that signals a definite shift in strategy by a Wizards team focused on the here and now and similarly deliberate move by a Suns team planning for the long-term future.
Randy Wittman and the Wizards have the big man they need to fill out that supporting cast around Wall and Beal. And Gortat gets his chance to prove he's not just a great backup (to Dwight Howard in Orlando) or a guy who can put up solid numbers on a struggling team.
The best part, though, is the Wizards are not just talking about doing whatever it takes to become a part of the Eastern Conference playoff picture, they are making the moves necessary to make sure those words have a chance to become a reality.
It's like the owner said, no excuses.


text:
Farmers work is never done
Posted by RuralRebel on 07/20/2013 in news
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text:
Davies to the rescue for Blues
Curtis Davies' equaliser early in the second half saw Birmingham avoid a third successive defeat and handed Michael Appleton a fourth draw in as many matches as Blackpool manager.
Having watched them battle back from behind in each of his first three games at the helm, Appleton was granted the unfamiliar pleasure of the Seasiders taking a 17th-minute lead courtesy of Tom Ince's fifth goal in six appearances.
Kevin Phillips had a close range effort ruled out for offside seven minutes later, while Birmingham offered virtually nothing by way of an attacking threat in the opening period.
Davies headed Blues level, as he had done in the second leg of their play-off semi-final defeat to Blackpool last term.
Birmingham forward Peter Lovenkrands came closest to finding a winner when he venomously tested the crossbar, but the clash finished 1-1 and Lee Clark's men remain 19th in the npower Championship table with two wins in their last 11 outings.
Blackpool are also struggling to recreate last season's form and sit three places and four points better off.
Appleton made two expected changes to his starting line-up, naming Tiago Gomes and Isaiah Osbourne in central midfield.
Gomes replaced Elliot Grandin after 29 minutes of Saturday's 2-2 draw against Watford, with Pool 2-0 down at the time.
Osbourne took Ludo Sylvestre's place at the interval and went on to net the last-minute equaliser.
Lovenkrands was another player rewarded for a goalscoring cameo at the weekend as he dislodged Nikola Zigic in the Birmingham attack.
Zigic joined Steven Caldwell and Chris Burke on the bench as Clark selected Pablo Ibanez and Paul Caddis in his back four.
Ex-Blues striker Phillips was looking to score against a former club for the second consecutive game and the 39-year-old was involved again when the hosts went in front.
Ibanez blocked Phillips' shot from Kirk Broadfoot's drilled right-wing cross before Ince collected the loose ball to calmly stroke home from 18 yards.
Having taken the lead slightly against the run of play, Blackpool looked to press home their advantage.
Nathan Delfouneso had Jack Butland at full stretch to tip over a dipping effort and Phillips converted from an offside position after Ince exchanged passes with Gomes to plant a shot onto the bar.
The pace of Ince and Delfouneso was causing Birmingham problems in wide areas, with Broadfoot supporting ably from right-back.
The former Rangers defender left Paul Robinson and referee Craig Pawson unimpressed when he took a 34th-minute tumble in the box.
Seasiders goalkeeper Matt Gilks enjoyed his first significant action of the half two minutes before the break when Jonathan Spector's overhit cross from the left forced him to tip over.
It was therefore unexpected when Gilks found himself picking the ball out of the net three minutes after the restart, Davies rising highest to convert Wade Elliot's inswinging corner.
An intricate move involving Gomes and Osbourne ended with Blackpool almost retaking the lead when Ibanez nervously stabbed a clearance against the outside of his own post.
But an even contest had developed and as the hour approached Lovenkrands slipped the attentions of the Seasiders backline to rattle the bar with Gilks beaten.
As the goalmouth action threatened to dry up Ince almost produced a moment of magic, arching a magnificent 25-yard effort just beyond the top corner.
Blackpool felt aggrieved not to be awarded a penalty in the closing stages when Birmingham substitute Burke appeared to pull Gomes back.
Source: DSG


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Photo: Dr. Van Romero speaks to experts in Bahrain.
by George Zamora
BAHRAIN, May 14, 2004 – A team of experts from New Mexico Tech, Vanderbilt University, and the U.S. Department of Justice were in Bahrain last month sharing their knowledge and experience at a four-day conference on counter-terrorism preparedness and response.
Van Romero, New Mexico Tech vice president for research and economic development, Michael Hensley, program manager for the International Law Enforcement Academy (ILEA), and Dennis Hunter, associate director of safety and security at the university's Energetic Materials Research and Testing Center (EMRTC), were among the select group invited to make formal presentations at the Counter-Terrorism Senior Policy Workshop in Bahrain.
The April 24-27 workshop was attended by about 65 senior Bahraini policy makers, and was deemed "by all accounts a success" in a congratulatory telegram sent by the U.S. Embassy in Bahrain to the team of counter-terrorism experts.
"The caliber of experts provided for this conference was extraordinary," the telegram said. "The vast amount of knowledge and experience they brought to the workshop allowed the Bahrainis to ask all manner of questions and receive actionable information. More than one participant commented that all future counter-terrorism planning in Bahrain will be enhanced due to this workshop."
The day after the workshop was completed, the Bahraini government was prompted to hold an interagency meeting to begin implementing ideas garnered from the international seminar.
Bahrain is a small Middle Eastern nation, comprised of several islands in the Persian Gulf, which are located just east of Saudi Arabia. The country's economy is based largely on petroleum processing and shipping and international banking.


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I was thrilled to share Regina and Luke's Story in November during Diabetes Awareness Month, because our stories matter. As I wrote in the introduction to that post….
Our stories as mothers matter. It's in knowing each other's stories that we are moved to grace, empathy, and compassion in moments when we might otherwise be tempted to judge. When we share stories together, we open our hearts and we break down walls so that we can support one in another in this crazy thing called motherhood. Because as I've said before, mothering is hard, but it's a whole lot harder if we think we're doing this hard thing alone.
I look forward to highlighting stories from moms on a semi-regular basis. We all have a story. Maybe yours doesn't have a diagnosis to go with it, maybe it does. But they all matter.
February 28th is World Rare Disease Day, and I am thrilled to have a good friend sharing her and her daughter's story. I've known this mother since we were both pregnant with our first children who happened to be due the same month. We met on a mommy message board, but our friendship has reached far beyond a computer screen. She is a dedicated mother who loves fiercely, researches extensively, and now advocates proudly. This is her story.
I encourage you to check out details about World Rare Disease Day and join the Wear That You Care Campaign by wearing your favorite jeans on Friday.
As I write, I am watching Women's Figure Skating on the Olympics. Did you know that 1992 Olympic Gold Medalist, Kristi Yamaguchi, was born with clubbed feet? I didn't. Until 8 years ago, when my husband and I had our "routine" ultrasound for our first child, and we learned that she would be born with bilateral clubbed feet. After that ultrasound, we, along with our family, read as much as we could on the subject, including lists of famous people who had been born with the condition. Kristi (can I call her Kristi?) actually started ice skating as a form of physical therapy. And years later, those once-malformed feet carried her right to the top of the Olympic podium.
Over the next several months, we developed a plan. We met with the Chief of Orthopedic Surgery at our local Children's Hospital, and determined that he would be the doctor to care for her feet, using the method named after Dr. Ignacio Ponseti, a non-surgical method involving weekly casting, followed by use of corrective shoes connected to a brace. We would start her treatment about a week after her birth.
Childbirth went well. Aside from her feet, she was healthy, and she was beautiful. By the next day, however, the situation had changed. That afternoon, they came to us and informed us that they were having trouble keeping her temperature up, so they were going to put her in the warmer. By that night, they had taken her blood glucose levels, and she was at a 2. Anything less than 40 is considered hypoglycemic, and our sweet girl was a 2. They said they wanted to send her, by ambulance, to one of the two NICUs in the city. As it turned out, only one had room, so she was send to the NICU at the Women's Hospital. I was able to be discharged 36 hours after her birth, because the same doctor who had seen me that morning was still on-call, and could see that I was improving well enough to go with her. (I'm sure the fact that I would be at the Women's Hospital might have had something to do with this...)
Once in the NICU, she slowly started to make improvements with IV dextrose and the incubator, but she seemed to be hanging out just below the threshold that they prefer to reach for release. Five days later, on December 26th (yes, we spent Christmas in the NICU), we were finally able to take her home, but not before stopping at the Children's Hospital to get her first set of casts.
The next year passed mostly uneventfully. She had surgery at 6 weeks old to lengthen her Achilles tendons – the biggest step in correcting her feet. After that, it was 6 straight weeks of the same set of casts, then she was in her shoes/brace. And she had issues over Thanksgiving that eventually led to a diagnosis of infantile asthma, which was cold-induced. Any time she got a slight cold for the next 6-8 months or so, it developed into a full-blown asthma attack. She was hospitalized that May (just shy of 18 months old) when we couldn't get it under control at home, and we were sent home with a nebulizer. Finally, she started to turn it around, but she still had random "symptoms" that were enigmatic. She had no teeth until 15 months; her hair was very dry, brittle, and sparse; her toenails were pretty much non-existent; she was hypotonic (low muscle tone, unrelated – according to her orthopedist – to her being in casts and braces for her first 18 months...as a result, she didn't walk until she was about 2 ½); and she was falling off her growth curve. We saw a geneticist, a neurologist, an endocrinologist, and even a cardiologist, trying to figure out where the problems originated, but the results of her tests were inconclusive. We started early intervention to help with her hypotonia and gross motor skills, and she started to make improvements, but she was still far behind her peers.
For two years, we ran labs every 6 months or so for the geneticist, and each time, it was an ordeal. Many of her blood draws were lengthy and traumatic. She was a chubby baby, so her veins were very deep. We needed the IV team at the Children's Hospital every time, and they searched every vein possible – including in her head, and her feet (which she absolutely hated, because of everything she had been through with her feet). On more than one occasion, we had to leave without having completed the draw and return on another day to try again.
During that time, I became unsatisfied with her pediatrician, so I switched her to a group that was linked to the Children's Hospital. We loved these new doctors; they were so proactive! On her doctor's recommendation, we started seeing a nutritionist, because her weight was continuing to increase, while her height was now below 0% on the growth chart. Then, one day, I got a phone call from a friend who asked for prayers, as she was going in for labs the next day, due to some symptoms she was having, which she thought might indicate hypothyroidism. As she listed her symptoms for me, the wheels started turning in my head, and I got that feeling in the pit of my stomach that mothers get when they just know. I googled "hypothyroidism in toddlers", and our daughter had probably 7-8 of the 10 or so symptoms that were listed. That night, I told my husband that we needed to have our daughter checked again for hypothyroidism. (The last time she'd been checked, she was 14 months...her T4 was low, but her TSH was high, showing that, while her thyroid was slightly underperforming, her pituitary was pushing the thyroid-stimulating hormone to keep everything functioning.) We had already agreed not to do any more testing, but my gut just told me that we needed to do this one more test. If it showed up as nothing, great. But if we didn't do it, and found out later that we could have done something to help her, I would never forgive myself.
So, I made the appointment to see the endocrinologist again. As it turned out, they had wanted to see us for a follow-up a year after her first appointment, but because we were going through the transition with the pediatricians at that point, we never "got that memo". We got the labs done, and this time, her T4 was low, but her TSH was also low, indicating the primary problem was not with the thyroid, but with the pituitary gland. At this point, everything started to move very quickly. I can't give an exact timeline, because everything from that time kind of runs together in my memory. There were several more tests done, including multiple MRIs, x-rays to determine bone age, and a growth-hormone stimulation test – a blood test, which took about 3 hours.
The final result is that she was diagnosed at age 3 ½ with panhypopituitarism.
PAN = all
HYPO = deficient
PITUITARISM = dealing with the pituitary gland
Through an MRI, we learned that she has an ectopic (out-of-place) posterior pituitary gland, which is crowding her anterior gland. As a result, her anterior gland is shriveled, and not producing any of its hormones, including growth hormone; TSH, which helps regulate the thyroid; ACTH, which tells the adrenals to produce cortisol in times of physical stress; and, we assume, prolactin, LH, and FSH, which are considered "reproductive hormones" (she has not been tested for these hormones yet). Fortunately, there are replacement hormones for everything but prolactin. Just a few pills a day, and a shot of growth hormone at night, and her body functions (nearly) as well as yours or mine.
The most serious issue of her PHP is her secondary adrenal insufficiency. As I mentioned, our adrenal glands are responsible for producing extra cortisol in times of stress – severe vomiting; surgery; or emergencies, like seizures, loss of consciousness, or broken bones. They get that message from the pituitary gland. But our daughter's pituitary isn't sending that message, so her body can't fight these things on its own. In those cases, it is imperative that she receives a stress dose of oral hydrocortisone (she takes what's considered a "maintenance dose" daily), and in extreme emergencies, she needs either an intramuscular injection or an IV of corticosteroids. Without these measures, she could go into adrenal crisis, and could die.
A sobering thought.
When I think about the 3+ years she went undiagnosed, and all the traumas that occurred during that time - surgery at 6 weeks, several bouts with stomach viruses, MRIs requiring sedation, the hypoglycemia at birth - we could have lost her several times over. I am so thankful that God was watching out for her over those years, and that my friend – who, incidentally, does not have hypothyroidism – called me that day, and planted the seed that ultimately grew into her diagnosis.
Today, nearly 5 years later, she is a bright, happy, healthy first grader, with two younger (non-PHP) siblings. She loves to draw, names each of her stuffed animals, and plays soccer in a community league. We have only had one instance of illness when she needed her IM injection of solu-cortef. She still gets PT through the school, but she is making great strides (pun intended). To look at her, unless you noticed the MedicAlert bracelet she wears, you'd never know she is "sick". Ultimately, I am grateful for her diagnosis, because we no longer wonder why she had those earlier symptoms. Nearly all of them are attributed to her hormone deficiencies, and nearly all of them are completely gone at this point. I am grateful that her condition is treatable, because so many parents face much poorer odds for their own children. Also, I am grateful that we are not alone in this journey. I have "met" some wonderful parents (online) through an organization called The MAGIC Foundation, which is geared towards raising awareness about growth hormone deficiency and the conditions that cause it. I am looking forward to meeting several of these parents and their children – who are also affected by PHP – this summer at MAGIC's annual Children's Convention.
There are some questions that remain, not the least of which is whether or not she'll be able to have children of her own someday. But we're shelving those questions for tomorrow, and enjoying the beautiful girl God has blessed us with today.
Friday, February 28th is World Rare Disease Day. Panhypopituitarism is considered a rare disease, because fewer than 200,000 people are affected by it in the US. Please visit the following links for more information on how you can help spread awareness of PHP and other rare diseases.
Additionally, in many states, EMS do not carry those life-saving vials of solu-cortef in the ambulance, and they are not permitted to administer patient-carried medications. There is a petition on the whitehouse.gov website to work towards a national protocol for EMS to carry these inexpensive (and crucial) vials on-board. Please consider viewing/signing this petition at:


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Miami Dolphins
Stephen Ross says Tony Sparano damaged the Dolphins
The grudge Tony Sparano held after the Dolphins' surreptitious courting of Jim Harbaugh in early 2011 "damaged the whole organization," owner Stephen Ross said on Dan Le Batard's show on 790 The Ticket on Friday afternoon.
Appearing as a guest to talk about the future of Sun Life Stadium, Ross instead revisited the Dolphins' recent past.
He spoke in detail about the fractious relationship between Sparano and Ross and Jeff Ireland. Things, not surprisingly, went south once word leaked that the Dolphins owner flew to California's Bay Area to interview Harbaugh, even with Sparano still under contract.
Harbaugh ultimately took San Francisco's top job; Ross believes he was used by Harbaugh's camp for leverage purposes.
Even still, the damage with Sparano was irreparable. He was fired late the following season.
"He could never put it behind him," Ross said. "I don't think he was the right head coach for the Miami Dolphins. I didn't hire him. We're a much better organization today than then."
Among the other takeaways from Ross' revealing radio appearance:
• "This organization is functioning the best since the [Don
days, [because] I picked the head coach with Jeff Ireland. People see this organization is really on the uptick."
• On Ireland: "People wanted to blame our losing on somebody, and he was the easy person to blame it on. I believe in Jeff, and you're seeing today what Jeff Ireland can really do."
• Ross saidDion Jordan
reminded the front office ofJason Taylor
andDeMarcus Ware
• He said during his first year as owner, "Everybody had me walking on eggshells or we were going to loseBill Parcells
." He disagreed with Le Batard's assertion that Parcells is a fraud: "I have a lot of respect for the guy. I like the guy. He didn't stay with it for personal reasons."
Ross also said his sales pitch to Peyton Manning during free agency in early 2012 included a role with the Dolphins after he retired.
"I got to know Archie Manning," Ross said. "I tried every angle. You have to be tenacious. I thought we had a shot at him. We went up to Indianapolis. I then flew him from Indianapolis to North Carolina, to Duke, and he and I spent some time together.
"I know the reason why he made the decision. I made an offer I thought would get him there [with a post-playing career role that Ross did not specify on the radio]. He wrote me a letter: 'I would love to come with you, but I guess that would mean I have to play for you.' "
Ross said one of the main reasons Manning chose Denver was "his familiarity with the coaches and their [offensive] systems."
This And That
• When the Dolphins traded up for Jordan, who is a projected defensive end in a 4-3 defense, it raised some doubts aboutJared Odrick's
future with the team. However, the front office has told Odrick that his role will not change in 2013.
• The Raiders used the pick they got in the Jordan deal (42nd overall) on Florida State tackleMenelik Watson,
who had worked out with the Dolphins.
• Miami Hall of FamerLarry Little
announced the Dolphins' picks at Radio City Music Hall on Friday night.


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People experiencing hearing loss often wait years before getting hearing aids. But what impact does this delay have on cognition?
A new study to learn whether hearing aids can reduce the risk of dementia associated with hearing loss will be conducted by Dr. Amyn M. Amlani (https://faculty.unt.edu/editprofile.php?pid=1144&onlyview=1), University of North Texas associate professor in the Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences (http://speechandhearing.unt.edu/). The project received a grant award of $121,700 from Unitron (http://www.unitronhearing.com/content/unitron/splash.html), a consumer healthcare company specializing in hearing aids and research related to hearing loss.
Amlani will assess whether amplified sound from hearing aids can provide sufficient stimulation to restore loss in cognition, potentially decreasing the rate of cognitive decline and reducing the risk of cognitive decline in listeners with hearing loss. He will investigate why people wait, to what degree this delay impacts cognition, and what amount of time with amplification results in a reduction in cognition decline -- from moderate to severe dementia.
Patients diagnosed with hearing disorders wait an average of five to seven years before adopting amplification devices, according to statistics.
Patients attribute the delay in getting amplification devices to various reasons, including perceived stigmatization, a lack of direct access to hearing healthcare, and a perceived lack of value towards the benefits of amplification.
The project, Hearing Aids and Dementia, builds on the research of author Frank R. Lin (http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/otolaryngology/our_team/faculty/lin_frank.html) of Johns Hopkins Medicine and Lin's colleagues, whose studies find that lack of auditory stimulation is a primary, contributing factor for cognitive decline.
"The good news is that there are potential opportunities to slow down this degenerative disease in the form of hearing aids and personal sound amplification devices," Amlani said. "We believe the use of these devices affords listeners the opportunity to improve their quality of life and general well-being."
Hearing Aids and Dementia will evaluate three groups of 12 qualifying participants, ages 50 to 90. Participants in one control group will exhibit hearing loss but no dementia, and participants exhibiting moderate degrees of dementia and hearing loss will be recruited for the other two experimental groups.
Over six months, the study participants will complete standardized tests to measure their memory function; speech and recognition performance; verbal, visual and concentration skills; and other conditions.
All participants will be fitted with traditional, behind-the-ear hearing aids, which they may keep after the study. One group of listeners with hearing loss and dementia will wait to receive hearing aids three months after the project begins. The delay will allow researchers to view changes in cognitive performance for those without and with amplification. In addition, the participants' significant others and family members will complete surveys about their observations of the participants' performance with hearing aids.
TNS 18DejucosGrace-131123-30FurigayJane-4559767 30FurigayJane
© 2013 Targeted News Service
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Open-Cell Foam Rods
by FloraCraft
These good quality Styrofoam rods are great for arts, crafts, and decorating. Sizes listed are approximate.
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I could not find these any where else. An excellent base for a sculpture I am working one, and very reasonable in price.
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Buy the Best Diadora Tennis Shoes for Women at Tennis Express
Founded in 1948 by Marcello Danieli, Diadora was originally founded to create mountain climbing boots. The brand expanded as people began to realize the effort and time put into each shoe. In the mid-'70s, the brand expanded into the sports category through soccer. Currently, we carry only the best Diadora shoes on the market. Known for their large toe boxes and enhanced breathability, these shoes are gaining popularity quickly. No matter the color of your league gear or your school colors, Diadora shoes come in many hues and combinations for your game. Technologies put into a pair to enhance your play include those like Duratech 5000, C.C.B Double Action Plus, and Unitongue. This brand is not currently worn by any tour players, but more discerning tennis players have already jumped on the Diadora band wagon.


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Skyline Releases Cross Country Report #6
- Melissa Bonilla and Sean Tiernan named Runners of the Week, Marjorie Diemicke Rookie of the Week, Sean Daly and Tim Flynn named to Honor Roll
Clifton Park, N.Y. - The Skyline Conference released the sixth Cross Country report for the 2009 season this afternoon, including Player of the Week, Rookie of the Week, Honor Roll and Conference statistics.
Freshman Melissa Bonilla (Massapequa Park, N.Y./Farmingdale) was named Skyline Conference Runner of the Week for the women. She ran a personal-best time of 21:00 on the 5K course at the NJIT Highlander Invitational. Bonilla finished in 10th place out of 75 runners, first among Skyline competition.
Sophomore Sean Tiernan (Staten Island, N.Y./Tottenville) was named Skyline Runner of the Week for the men. Tiernan recorded a personal-best time of 27:00, earning him a fourth place finish out of 121 competitors at the NJIT Highlander Invitational. He led Farmingdale State to an impressive second place finish out of 14 teams.
Freshman Marjorie Diemicke (North Massapequa, N.Y./Plainedge) was named Rookie of the Week for the women. Diemicke finished in 32nd place with a time of 23:15, the second fastest on the team. She ran the 5K course in a personal-best time.
Sophomore Sean Daly (Lindenhurst, N.Y./Lindenhurst) was named to the Skyline Conference Honor Roll after finishing in fifth place at the Highlander Invitational. Daly completed the 8K course in a personal-best 27:07, only seven seconds behind teammate Sean Tiernan.
Junior Tim Flynn (Smithtown, N.Y./St. Anthony's) was named to the Honor Roll after a 10th place finish on the 8K course at the Highlander Invitational. Flynn ran a personal-best 27:52, helping the Rams to their second place finish.
To view the full report, click HERE.


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If you're just starting your content marketing journey, or you need some content marketing inspiration, it's time to brush up on the basic steps for achieving content marketing success. Contrary to popular belief, content marketing is not just setting goals, creating content, and then distributing it. Those three steps are a part of a whole process. So, what does it take to be a content marketing professional? Read further and learn how you can become one in 10 easy steps.
Step 1
Know Your Goals
Before you begin your content marketing journey, create a list of what your business wants to achieve. The customer lifecycle is very much like the content funnel:
- Generating awareness (promotion)
- Acquisition through education (your content)
- Engagement and conversation (feedback)
- Conversion (download or sign-up)
- Retention and support (follow-up)
- Loyalty (word-of-mouth promotion)
It is how you communicate, educate, and attract customers not by selling but by engaging and providing content that with its value entices people to convert.
Step 2
Have The Soul Of An Editor
Great content marketers can spot typos and grammatical errors from a mile away. But that's not all they do. Being an editor means that you know the audience you're talking to.
As a content marketer you have to understand your target. That you have to keep in mind:
- Tone of voice
- Topic relevance
- Content that compels people to convert and share
- Address the reader and their possible success
Step 3
Be Ready For Extensive Research
Preparing content requires thorough research. Don't be afraid to share case studies based on statistics and analytics your company collected. Insights and stats sourced from the finest in your industry will be reliable and more interesting to your readers than guesses.
Provide content with reviews, projections, and new industry solutions. Create content based on information that will change the way your customer works.
Step 4
Learn About SEO & Influencer Marketing
Content that excels and reaches the right people, must work hand in hand with the right keywords and targeting:
- Write targeted meta descriptions and meta tags
- Use proper headings and subheadings
- Optimize images used in text
- Make use of internal and external links
Foster relationships with influencers in your industry and cooperate with them to generate awareness and increase demand. Influencer marketing enables your content to reach a broader audience and to build trust as people are more inclined to rely on the word of influencers.
Step 5
Understand The Magic Of Social Media
Content distribution and engagement travels through social media. In the words of Jay Baer:
The goals of content marketing are consumption, then behavior.
The goals of social media are participation, then behavior.
Social media allows for paid promotion and targeting of lookalike audiences - which aids in distributing your content to those that have not yet converted.
Step 6
Partner Up With Other Platforms
Expand your promotion to platforms that will help you reach broader audiences, use marketing automation to help in the promotion process, and find content marketing platforms that will help your team poleim yoeir work.
For promotion use platforms like Insightpool or Buzzsumo.
To help you reach broader audiences use email marketing like GetResponse and social media listening channels like Mention.
Keep tabs on your plan, work flow, and distribution through platforms like CoSchedule.
Step 7
Create A Plan For Thought Leadership
Content distribution grows your company's brand and thought leadership value. Share insights that your company has to offer using different media such as:
- Guides
- Whitepapers
- Podcasts
- Webinars
Establishing your thought leadership will bring in more valuable and loyal customers that are more likely to become your brands affiliates and evangelists. This step takes a big part in word of mouth promotion.
Step 8
Becom A Great Storyteller
In the words of Andrew Davis "stop creating campaigns and start making a commitment to tell a valuable story", in four points:
- Build suspense
- Foster aspiration
- Drive empathy
- Harness emotion
With all the promotion, social media listening, and engagement from your customers - learn to hear their voice and answer their needs in a way that they can connect with. As a content marketer it is your job to bring out the human in your brand's voice.
Step 9
Generate Loyalty Through Your Content
If you follow all the previous steps correctly, you will see that people are eager to reach out to brands that offer content that resonates with them.
- Give out special content pieces to those that are your advocates
- Create master class webinars
- Offer a guest post opportunity to those that reviewed your product well
- Give out social media shout outs
Step 10
Draw Conclusion With Analitycs
Review your data, compare it to your KPI's, and draw conclusions:
- Engagement numbers (social media, email, blog)
- Webinar sign-ups
- Follow-ups after receiving content pieces
- CTR and conversion rates
Looking at your results in comparison to the campaign you will be able to see what worked, what didn't, and what can essentially be improved. Understanding the 10 steps and seeing their results will help to start a new 10 step cycle with an improved strategy.
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- Michael Chadala
- Business Development Manager
- +1 650 288 0667
- email@example.com
- Maggie Kaszkur
- Business Development Executive
- +44 203 598 43 32
- maggy@getresponse .com


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Division of Astronomical Sciences
Mid-Scale Innovations Program
|Richard E. Barvainis
|(703) 292-4891
PROGRAM GUIDELINESSolicitation 17-592
Important Information for Proposers
A revised version of the NSF Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG) (NSF 19-1), is effective for proposals submitted, or due, on or after February 25, 2019. Please be advised that, depending on the specified due date, the guidelines contained in NSF 19-1 may apply to proposals submitted in response to this funding opportunity.
A vigorous Mid-Scale Innovations Program (MSIP) was recommended by the 2010 Astronomy and Astrophysics Decadal Survey, citing "many highly promising projects for achieving diverse and timely science." As described in this solicitation, the Division of Astronomical Sciences has established a mid-scale program to support a variety of astronomical activities within a cost range up to $30M. This program will be formally divided into four subcategories: 1) limited term, self-contained science projects; 2) longer term mid-scale facilities; 3) development investments for future mid-scale and large-scale projects; and 4) community open access capabilities. The MSIP will emphasize both strong scientific merit and a well-developed plan for student training and involvement of a diverse workforce in instrumentation, facility development, or data management.
What Has Been Funded (Recent Awards Made Through This Program, with Abstracts)
Map of Recent Awards Made Through This Program


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Silver detail Dining table £943
- Payments & Security
- Delivery and Returns
We Style Homes uses Paypal, which is one of the most secure payment platforms in the world. We Style Homes have successfully completed their verification system and identity check.
When using PayPal if the item that you've bought online doesn't arrive, or doesn't match the seller's description, Paypals Buyer Protection will reimburse you for the full amount of the item.
We Style Homes is a family run business and are happy to talk to you over the phone if you have any questions before or after you place an order.
We Style Homes do not want customers paying more for their purchases on delivery. We have decided to offer all of our products with Free Delivery, however if outside of UK we have to add a fee.
We aim to have your products delivered to you within the reasonable time frame of between 1-4weeks but more often than not, we deliver much quicker.
However, we have many products on our website and although many items are in stock, we also place stock on back order with our suppliers and manufacturers.
Delays in this instance will be fully communicated and if you require a more specific time frame, please feel free to contact us before placing your order. For larger heavier items, customer assistance may be required to help the driver and delivery is strictly to ground floor only for insurance purposes.
We ask that when receiving a delivery to sign and write 'reserved unchecked' in the rare event of damage.


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This pattern now comes with an A0 Print Shop Version so that you don't have to print and piece your pattern together at home! Simply download the A0 version and take it with you on a USB to have printed at your local print shop. Due to the multiple bust cup sizes, each cup size bodice is laid on it's own page within the file.
You will need a software program that reads pdf's like Adobe Reader (which is free to download) – if you're using a Mac, please do not print the pattern from Preview, it will not print to scale or with all borders.
This pattern can be printed in both A4 and US Letter paper.
Please note – all PDF patterns are for personal home use only. They are not for commercial or manufacturing purposes. Thanks!
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You will receive an email as soon as your order has finished processing (please be patient, this can take a few minutes!) with links to download all of your products.
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Canon EOS Rebel T3i
The Canon T3i is a beginner-friendly DSLR featuring a swiveling 3.0-inch LCD, 1080 HD video recording and a 63-zone metering system.
- Articulating monitor
- Good video quality
- Excellent images
- Slow AF in video/Live View
- Low battery life in Live View
- No video continuous AF
Quick Take
The Canon T3i offers a 3.0-inch articulating LCD, good 1080 HD video recording and all of the excellent image quality we saw in the very similar EOS 60D.
Read Our Full Review: Canon EOS Rebel T3i Review


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I accept to way too abundant news. I feel if I don't, I'll absence the Second Coming, overextension Tsunami, in advancing meteor, ascent cook baptize from glaciers, a solar blaze that ability fry me, conflicting aggression or next alarm advance that has been promised for the accomplished four years. Aback I don't ambition to absence these things, I accept to way too abundant news.
Beause I accept to way too abundant news, I apperceive way too abundant about beheadinigs and ammo riddled bodies. I apperceive way too abundant about car bombs and physique locations lying around. A few canicule ago they begin a few dozen active in boxes in Iraq. This is no way to get advanced in war. I ambition I didn't apperceive about that, but I do. It makes me admiration area the blow of them went. I abandoned apperceive this being because I watch and accept to way too abundant news.
I apperceive too abounding abuse opinions about way too abundant stuff. I acclimated to accept to Limbaugh, but I don't anticipate he believes himself sometimes and O'Reilly is just way too angry, acute assed and repressed for my taste, but I apperceive about these guys, because I accept to way too abundant news. I did apprehend a few things…in the account about their claimed lives, and that was appealing air-conditioned to apperceive they aren't as angelic as they would accept me believe. I abstruse that on the the news. I accept to way too abundant you know. I accept to Air America. Now that's a appealing advisory agglomeration if anytime there was one. I like them. They alarm the hell out of me, but I like them. They say aggregate about government and this administering that all the added account I apprehend about them makes me think. They accomplish me feel that the thoughts I accept about about all the added account I apprehend about is at atomic normal. At atomic I don't feel so abandoned in my acknowledgment to all the account I apprehend way too abundant of.
I apperceive way too abundant about Politicians, abnormally Republican ones that adulation Jesus so much, some of them assume to adulation authoritative war added and added so he can acknowledgment or something it seems. They accomplish adulation too, but assume to generally get bent accomplishing it with the amiss bodies and even the amiss sex. Yikes, but honest, I apprehend it in the news. I apprehend Mrs. Bush confused out of the Whitehouse afresh because Mr. President was goofin about with…well, others. Wow, that's appealing abuse big news. Didn't see it on Fox or AOL though, so maybe it's not news, or maybe it is but not account for the masses, who knows? Some account tells me I will not see this account on the account because they will not accomplish it news, so I assumption we lose. Gosh, the account even tells me that this President ability not even be the absolute President and that so abounding bodies had their vote befuddled out, OK Democratic voters did. Now that would be depressing, but seems accurate to me. I apprehend it is true, from the news, twice!
Because of the news, I apperceive way too abundant about CEO's who yield way too abundant from anybody abroad to adorn themselves. I beggarly a LOT of them do. The account fills me in on how abundant Congressmen and Reps yield from the accessible till, but CEO's are accepting appealing abuse acceptable at it too. I see it in the news. Million dollar altogether parties, retirements that accomplish God anxious aback now he doesn't own all the beasts on a thousand hills afterwards all. That above CEO does! Or at atomic he can. Smirking chimps all, because they consistently assume so apologetic AFTER they get caught, and so abashed because they are soooooo innocent, but I just bet if no one noticed, they'd not be apologetic a bit and yield some more. But afresh at atomic later, we'd accept added news. I apprehend in the account area Enron just didn't duke out the ability they said they didn't have, but did and got big bucks from old bodies in California aggravating to accumulate balmy or cool…I overlook which. Fabricated me kinda mad. Those guys went to jail, but I achievement we don't apprehend in the account that their best friend, Mr. President, pardons them or something on his way out the door. I apprehend in the account he can do that. It apropos me because I aswell apprehend that if the President larboard Texas as Governor and was asked who would apple-pie up afterwards all the blow he did, he said it was not his problem. I achievement I don't apprehend he said that afresh if he leave appointment this time. I bet he does. I apprehend in the account already that bodies don't change abundant in their lives and what they were they still are for the a lot of part.
Why do I do this to myself…you know, account and alert to all the account and opinions about the account and the bodies in the account who accomplish the account and ambition the account never begin them? How abounding active in boxes do I absolutely ambition to apperceive about or squashed bodies in earthquakes? I accept to say, I am abashed that if I don't accumulate up with the news, I'll absence the absolutely big one, whatever that ability be. I approved already to not watch or accept to the account or the opinions the big boys accept about it, but it didn't work. I got abashed not alive what I was missing. I apprehend in the account already area they ambition us to be abashed about the account because abhorrence makes a acceptable agency in authoritative us and alteration all the rules so we don't accept the aforementioned freedoms we had afore they fabricated us afraid. Gosh, I can't win with this account thing! Now I even apprehend account about why the account is the way it is!
I apprehend already area what I anticipation was account was absolutely not. It was added like a government advertisement that was fabricated to attending like news. But they got caught. I saw that on the news.
Well, I assumption it's news, news, news, until we puke or at atomic until Jesus comes aback and shuts down the presses and makes us all go to the abbey of anyone else's best so we can be happy. I apprehend area afresh we'd accept to go by Bible rules and rock our alienated kids and women who were annoying and assessment to the called leaders of God. It would be like Jesus Land but for our own acceptable and gay bodies and whoremongers, but not WARmongers, (what's a monger?) would get collapsed and we could abandoned watch being like Oklahoma and Nemo finds Noah…and and and..oh never mind, I apprehend about the rapture in the account and I am acquisitive that at atomic that will get these bodies out of actuality so we can fix the being they broke. I'm alarming myself afresh with being I apprehend in the news. I'm breath harder again..I gotta yield a walk. Gosh, I achievement if I am destroyed up or bashed by some agitator while out walking, they at atomic get my name right. I apprehend on the account area they alloyed up two blow victims…doh…see what I mean!


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I seem to be spending a lot of time on Social Security lately, as a barrage of articles, op-eds, and blogs contend that the program is dramatically more generous than we thought and in much worse shape.
The most recent missile is Andrew Biggs' Wall Street Journal op-ed, "Liberals for Social Security Insolvency." Biggs notes that 75-year Social Security deficit projections by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) have nearly quadrupled between 2008 and 2014. He uses the CBO projections to argue that it is foolish to put forth proposals to expand the program.
The angle that I find the most disturbing is the suggestion that Social Security costs bounce around, that we don't really know what's going on, and that six years from now they could quadruple once again. Nothing could be further from the truth. The elements involved in these projections are changing at a glacial speed.
On the benefit side, most beneficiaries for the next 75 years are already born, and benefits relative to earnings are clearly defined. The only question is how long people will live. On the revenue side, the bulk of the money comes from the payroll tax on earnings, with a fraction from the taxation of Social Security benefits. To project revenues primarily involves projecting the size of labor force and how much workers will earn. Again, most of the labor force is already born, and fertility rates are fairly stable so new entrants can be projected relatively easily. Labor force participation rates change and some assumptions are required for earnings growth, but nothing here is particularly controversial.
The underlying stability of Social Security finances is evident in the estimates provided by the Social Security actuaries. In 2008, they projected a 75-year actuarial deficit of 1.7% of taxable payrolls. (The easiest way to think of the deficit is the required percentage-point increase in the payroll-tax rate to pay the current package of benefits for everyone who reaches retirement age in the next 75 years.) In 2014, the projected deficit was 2.88%. Yes, the deficit increased, but the increase was 70%, not a quadrupling of 400%.
And the actuaries provide an explanation for why the increase occurred--offering one expected reason, one unexpected reason, and an updating of assumptions. The expected reason is that with the passage of time the 75-year computation adds high-cost years. The unexpected reason is the financial crisis and ensuing prolonged recession, which dramatically reduced employment and tax revenue, and to a much lesser extent caused more people to claim disability benefits and to claim Social Security retirement benefits earlier. In addition, the actuaries updated their assumptions regarding life expectancy, average hours worked, and price inflation (see the table below).
Absent another financial crisis, all we should expect to see in the future is the steady annual (0.06% of payrolls) increase in cost due to extending the projection period, which will continue until the Baby Boom generation is fully retired, and then stop.
Such predictability is not true of the CBO numbers. That agency's deficit for 2008 was way below that of the Social Security actuaries and its 2014 deficit way above. It is bouncing around in inexplicable ways. While the CBO has been a great resource for budget debates, it has not been helpful when it comes to Social Security.
Also by Alicia H. Munnell:
Fed report: Few saving for retirement
The big hole in the Social Security report
Do police and firefighters die young?
Alicia H. Munnell is the director of the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College.


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Rihanna + Chris Brown Attend Jay-Z Concert Together
Rihanna and Chris Brown are at it again.
Just days after they were reportedly spotted making out in New York, ChRihanna were spotted together last night (Oct. 3) at the fifth of eight Jay-Z shows in Brooklyn. It's just another piece of evidence that the former couple is anything but former. They are seated next to one another, with Brown's arm around RiRi.
The photo was snapped by a RapRadar editor and shows the duo hanging out in the VIP section of the newly opened venue which RiRi is slated to play on her Diamonds tour.
There have been sightings. There have been tweets. There have been times when they were in the same place at the same time and it felt like way more than a coincidence. It's clearly the worst kept secret in pop music.
RiRi can't stay away from Breezy, admitting the depth of her love for him to Oprah, while he is rumored to be on the outs with his long suffering gal pal Karrueche Tran, who needs to just bail on that relationship because competing with RiRi is futile.
This rekindled romance has been going on for months now, and it's high time ChRihanna just come out of the closet and acknowledge it. It's painfully obvious that something is going on, so let's get it out and the open and be done with it. The world will keep spinning on its axis.
Watch the Rihanna 'We Found Love' Video


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Wednesday, December 5, 2012
In Defense of the Lopez Deal
The thing about relievers is they are the most fungible assets a team has. A shutdown closer is a luxury for any team, and an unnecessary one for a rebuilding team. If the Astros can turn their closer into a young starting pitcher with upside, even one with question marks, I believe they have to do it. And I don't have any doubts that White has upside. His numbers were awful last year, but he was only 23 in Coors Field. His peripherals, if not his results, were better on the road. He has consistently dominated in the minors, and was a top 50 prospect as recently as 2011. Will he pan out? I have no idea, but he is in no way a lost cause.
Looking at this another way, the Astros traded 70 innings for 150 -180 innings. That has value, even if the quality of the pitching is not equivalent. In 2011, Wilton Lopez was very good, pitching 71 innings with a 2.79 era. He accumulated .5 WAR. In 2012, Alex White was horrible, pitching 98 innings with a 5.51 era. He accumulated .5 WAR. WAR is obviously not perfect, particularly when it comes to relievers, but it does demonstrate how much more valuable a starting pitcher is than a reliever. If we see even marginal improvement in White, combined with more innings, White can easily match the 1.4 WAR from Lopez's stellar 2012. (To put that in perspective, Bud Norris has 1.5 WAR last year. Can White match Norris' 2012? I sure hope so). None of this takes into account Lopez's health issues, which allegedly killed a previous deal, or the other Alex that came back in the deal.
At the end of the day, White might never live up to the high expectations he has had so recently, and this deal might be looked back on as an abject failure. But I still think that this is a deal that has to be made.
11 comments:
- Juvenile Court Clerk - Bryan Trostel said...
I agree. Having a good closer (if we can even call Lopez that, yet) is unnecessary right now. White is a young pitcher with upside, something you can never have enough of. Even if he turns out to be an average pitcher for 2-3 seasons it will be worth dealing Lopez, and that's not factoring in Wilton's elbow issues.
- December 5, 2012 at 9:38 AM
- Keith Ashcraft said...
Is there any word on what that failed trade was and how it might have affected this one?
- December 5, 2012 at 10:08 AM
- (Not Hank) Aaron said...
Keith, my understanding is that the Phillies were sending over Sebastian Valle, a Catcher and Tyler Cloyd, a pitcher, but balked at Lopez's elbow after the physical. I think Valle is a more highly regarded prospect now than White, but I'm not sure about that. I'd rather have White than Cloyd.
- December 5, 2012 at 10:56 AM
- cardsjason said...
I like the point you made about the value of innings pitched. Along with the fact that a shut down closer doesnt really fit into the Astros scheme of things, it makes a lot of sense. Houston is going to need as many SP who can eat innings as possible. Now if they could only pitch well to boot.
- December 5, 2012 at 1:53 PM
JA Happ pitched a lot of innings.
- December 5, 2012 at 5:55 PM
- cardsjason said...
The most innings Happ hasthrown in a season is just over 150 and that was only once.. Innings pitched is an important stat, especially when evaluating major league arms. It is silly to look at only one stat or only stats when judging any player. But his point is relevant.
- December 5, 2012 at 7:33 PM
where it depends also is on who we give up as the player to be named later.
- December 5, 2012 at 8:41 PM
- cardsjason said...
I've read PTBNL or cash. I agree though. K Law tweeted that it was a great deal for houston. Guess we will see.
- December 5, 2012 at 8:52 PM
- (Not Hank) Aaron said...
There is obviously a limit to the value of innings. Happ's numbers were never really good enough to provide any value. More innings of no value still equals no value. I'm assuming White can be better than Happ, but again, I don't really know.
- December 5, 2012 at 9:54 PM
I would contend that an inning eater (even one that statistically isn't very good) still has value on a rebuilding team. Players like Happ held a spot in the rotation and consistently went out and gave us 5 or 6 innings. Had he not been able to provide that for good chuncks of the season the Astros may have been forced into rushing the young arms and hurting their development.
I read a few articles last year about how the Orioles used their bullpen so that the less effective pitchers only pitched in those situations that they couldn't hurt the team (finishing out blowout losses to save other pitchers arms). There are 1458+ innings every season you need someone to pitch them for you.
- December 6, 2012 at 1:52 AM
"I think Valle is a more highly regarded prospect now than White, but I'm not sure about that."
You're right, but White is closer to being to major league ready(already being there). I'd compare Valle to Gillingham since they're both still prospects. Somebody asked John Sickels if he was going to do a writeup on White and he said White isn't a prospect any more(because he's advanced to the majors). In another post, Sickels said doesn't think White has the ace potential that he once thought he had but he could still be an effective major league #4/5 starter.
I'm pretty sure Valle is more highly regarded than Gillingham, but I'm not sure how White compares to Cloyd. Probably similar I'm guessing.
- December 6, 2012 at 7:04 AM


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Course Syllabi, Faculty Vitae, Instructor Evaluations and Textbooks
Would you like know what a course will be like before you register for it? The following links will give you insight about the courses and instructors you are considering.
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Hossa reflects on stellar career as he hits 1,000 gamesby Brian Hedger
The way he still plays, so dominating at times and always consistent, it's easy to forget that Marian Hossa is playing his 15th season in the National Hockey League.
Hossa, who turned 34 in January, is in the fourth year of a monster 12-year contract he signed with the Chicago Blackhawks prior to the 2009-10 season -- the year he and the Blackhawks finally won a Stanley Cup.
"When you look back, it looks like it [went fast]," Hossa said Friday night, after helping Chicago defeat the Columbus Blue Jackets 4-3 in overtime to stay unbeaten in regulation after 21 games. "So many years went by so quick. I remember as an 18-year old, jumping in this League [and] all of a sudden I'm 34 with 1,000 games coming up. The time flies."
It passed almost as fast as Hossa, who has burned many a defender during a career that's spanned five teams -- beginning with a seven-game debut in the 1997-98 season for the Ottawa Senators.
After spending parts of seven years in Ottawa, the team that took the Slovakian superstar with the 12th pick in the 1997 NHL Draft, Hossa played for the Atlanta Thrashers for three seasons followed by a pair of memorable one-year stints with the Pittsburgh Penguins and Detroit Red Wings prior to landing in the Windy City.
Along the journey, Hossa has achieved a number of individual accomplishments. He's scored 40 or more goals three times, racked up a 100-point season in 2007 with the Thrashers, scored 426 career goals to go with 495 assists for a 921 points, and finally won that Cup in 2010 with the Blackhawks.
That was Hossa's third-straight trip to the Stanley Cup Final, after failing to win hockey's most prized trophy the previous two years while playing for the Penguins (who lost to Detroit in 2008) then the Red Wings (who lost to Pittsburgh in 2009). Already in his fourth season with the Blackhawks, who are the top team in the NHL, Hossa said game No. 1,000 has given him reason to take a quick glance back at all that he's done so far.
"It's an honor for me to reach this milestone," Hossa said. "Over those years, when I think about it, I played with many great players and I'm just glad I'm making this milestone. Hopefully I've got a few more left."
Over the years, Hossa has teamed up with Alexei Yashin and Daniel Alfredsson in Ottawa, Peter Bondra and Ilya Kovalchuk in Atlanta, Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin in Pittsburgh, and Nicklas Lidstrom, Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg in Detroit. He now plays right wing on Chicago's top line with 24-year old superstar Jonathan Toews at center.
Toews may be the Blackhawks captain and unquestioned leader, but when he talks about Hossa he sounds like the fan he used to be as a teenager.
Chicago getting net resultsBy Brian Hedger - NHL.com Correspondent
The combined goaltending of Corey Crawford and Ray Emery is one of the biggest reasons the Chicago Blackhawks haven't lost in regulation, starting the season with 21 games with at least a point, the longest such stretch in NHL history.
"The years he's been here in Chicago, he's been an amazing guy to have [around]," Toews said. "I remember watching him play for the Ottawa Senators and [he was] one of my favorite players along with Martin Havlat. To have a chance to play with him now and to win a Stanley Cup with him and everything else in-between is pretty special."
That's coming from the guy who's become a superstar in his own right.
"As a young guy coming into the League, you're always excited to play against some of your childhood heroes," Toews said. "To share the locker room with a guy like Marian Hossa, who I watched for many years before I ever became a pro, is a huge honor and special thing."
Hossa's nine goals and eight assists this season rank him third on the Blackhawks in points (17), trailing Toews (18) and Patrick Kane (25). After an illegal hit by Raffi Torres during last spring's first-round Stanley Cup Playoff loss to the Phoenix Coyotes left him with a severe concussion, Hossa used the offseason and extended time during the lockout to heal.
The results thus far have been impressive.
"He's a tremendous player," Chicago coach Joel Quenneville said. "Overall … offensively and defensive positionally, he's exactly how you want [your] team to play."
And to think, the Detroit Red Wings had a chance keep Hossa as an unrestricted free agent following the 2008-09 season -- his lone year with Detroit, when he scored 40 goals and added 31 assists. At the time, Detroit had only so much room in salary-cap space to sign three star UFA players.
The Red Wings opted to sign Zetterberg and power forward Johan Franzen, both homegrown products of their system, which paved the way for Hossa to sign with the Blackhawks. Now, he'll pay his 1,000th game against Detroit.
"I knew they had to sign three big players … either me, [Zetterberg] or Franzen," Hossa said. "Obviously, [Zetterberg] was their No. 1 choice, and when they signed Franzen, I knew I probably wouldn't fit [under] their cap. So I knew I'd probably have to move somewhere else and Chicago was a great fit … lots of good young hockey players. So it worked out well."
The question now becomes: How much longer will Hossa play?
"As long as I can," he said. "Obviously, you never know what can happen [with injuries], so I go game-by-game and try to play my best. Hopefully I've still got a long eight years left. That's my goal."
If he reaches it, Hossa will be 42. If there's anybody who can be effective for that long of a career, it's probably Hossa, who prides himself on his physical conditioning. That much is obvious just by watching him continue to dominate on both sides of the puck.
"As a coach, he reinforces that team aspect game in [and] game out," Quenneville said. "He plays at a high pace [and] has the puck a lot. [He] sees plays and makes plays. He plays in all situations. He's exactly what you want in a top player."


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Hey, we'd be more than open to working with you guys to do an EB tie-in with our October show
Brendan, whether it's a formal EB convention or an informal EB gathering you can make that call. We have boots on
the ground in SF and can check out block discounts for hotel and restaurant cost breaks. We could have an EB booth
at the show for info and outreach.
It's always struck me as a natural for a joint venture, and your 10th anniversary would be a great time
to make it happen. Heck, you could make the case that the show's already a de facto gathering of EB folks
anyway. Certainly we could do something cool with this.


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TalkO'Clock Offers Wake-Up Calls From Strangers [VIDEO]
Social networking site TalkO'Clock is now offering up a service that allows strangers to provide wake-up calls for other strangers.
To get a wake-up call, simply log in, provide your phone number and the time you'd like to be woken up, and specify the gender of your wake-up caller. Volunteers then chose times they can provide wake-up calls, and TalkO'Clock will anonymously connect the parties when that time arrives.
If nobody claims your request, or your wake-up caller fails to pick up when summoned, TalkO'Clock promises a staff robot will perform the task. If there is a catch, it's that the wake-up caller can arise you in "any original way that they can think up," an open-ended specification that could be inviting to perverts and weirdos. But, hey, as long as they get you out of bed.
Learn more about the service below.
[via The Daily What]


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