text:
|Seahawks Roll Again In Women's Tennis
WILMINGTON, North Carolina – The UNCW women's tennis team won its second straight match without losing a point to christen the spring season after blanking Western Carolina, 7-0, on Friday at the UNCW courts.
The Seahawks improved to 2-0 with the triumph, while the Catamounts, out of the Southern Conference, dropped to 0-2.
"I'm very pleased with the way we competed and executed after a long layoff from competition," said second-year Head Coach Evan Clark. "We are excited for what's ahead and looking forward to playing Furman this weekend."
Playing for the first time since a 7-0 win over Mercer on Jan. 26, the Seahawks swept all three matches in doubles to claim the early point. Angie Sekely and Alyssa Ritchie breezed past Erin Maguire and Megan McLinden, 8-0, at No. 1 doubles to get off the court first and Olga Blank and Christine Kharkevitch wrapped up the point by trimming Stacia Kissell and Shannon Bettiol, 8-5.
In singles, UNCW continued to roll and didn't surrender a set in taking all five singles pairings. The Catamounts did not enter at player at the No. 6 position.
With the score 2-0 following the default at No. 6, Sekely thumped Kissell, 6-2, 6-2, at the top of the lineup to raise the lead to 3-0 and Ritchie dominated Bettiol, 6-2, 6-1, at No. 2 to clinch the match.
Kharkevitch, Cameron and Hamilton Lovett tacked on three more wins at No. 3, No. 4 and No. 5 singles to close out the match.
Clark's team begins a three-match road trip on Sunday with a Noon match at Furman.


text:
10 minutes prep time 50 minutes total time | serves 4
- 2 lbs plum tomatoes, halved lengthwise and then halved crosswise
- 2 cans Eden Organic black beans, drained
- 1 medium onion, halved and slivered
- 6 garlic cloves, quartered
- 2 tbsp Eden Selected extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 tsp Eden Sea Salt
- 3/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1 package Eden Organic Flax Rice Spirals
- 1/2 cup Eden Organic Spicy Pumpkin Seeds
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley, minced
- Preheat oven to 400°
- On a baking sheet,combine tomatoes, beans, onion, garlic, olive oil, pepper flakes, salt, and pepper. toss to coat.
- Bake until softened, approximately 30 to 40 minutes, tossing halfway through.
- Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and return to pot.
- Toss with baked tomato mixture and season with salt and pepper.
- Divide between 4 bowls and sprinkle with pumpkin seeds and parsley.
More from Farm to Table
Shining the Light on Local Food
Read more
Lantern restaurant has garnered high praise for its passionate marriage of Asian cuisine with local North Carolina ingredients.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
New Jersey Medicare Advantage Plans
The plans below offer Medicare Advantage coverage to New Jersey residents. Medicare Advantage plans, also known as Medicare Part C, are alternatives to original Medicare. These plans help cover the costs of services provided by hospitals, doctors, lab tests and some preventive screenings.
If you want drug coverage plus Medicare Advantage, see Medicare Advantage Plus Prescription Drug Plans below. Note even if a plan's monthly premium is $0, you would still pay the equivalent of the original Medicare premium just to have medical coverage. Not all plans shown here will be available to you; enter your zip code to see plans in your area.
You can read about whether Medicare Advantage is right for you. If you only want plans with drug coverage, browse Prescription Drug (Part D) Plans.
Medicare Advantage Plus
Prescription Drug Plans
Medicare Advantage
Prescription Drug
(Part D) Plans
Showing 1-9 of 9 Plans
Geisinger Gold Reserve 100 (MSA)Geisinger Gold | Medical Savings Account
Get Help Finding the Right Plan for You
Call a Licensed eHealth Agent
Mon - Fri 8am - 8pm ET, Sat & Sun 9am - 6pm ET


text:
Hey Smackers!
Everybody ready for UPROAR? I know I am it's seems to be coming up fast for me! I can't wait it's the day after my anniversary! SWEET!!! It is the best anniversary present ever!! Godsmack is my ALL TIME favorite band. Their music has helped me through a lot over the years. A 9yr abusive relationship prior to my husband the death of my mom last year. I keep thinking about what Sully said at his solo show here at the Riviera Theater in May, he asked us to explain to him how music has made a difference in your life and how it has affected you. I so tried to get picked to talk to him. The people chosen didn't even come close to answering the question right. Well maybe 1 but that was it. My answer is: Godsmacks music has passion it has real life in it. It changed how I look at things. When I first heard them back in 98' I just knew there was something special there it was like he was singing about my life. I started to understand why I didn't need that abuser in my life. Then I went to my 1st show 3 days after 9/11 and Sully came out there was a moment of silence for the victims and then he announced how all the proceeds of the show from merch to tixs would be given to the victims families. I was awed. That is so amazing. How can you not like these guys. I had party passes and got to meet them afterward and what a bunch of humble and sweet guys. We had access to the drinks in the tent and they came around and talked with us and signed our stuff. I was so shy when it came time to meet Sully. But he was as sweet and nice as can be. My 1st meet and greet and definitely one I WILL NEVER FORGET!! That is why I keep going to Godsmack shows and being a loyal fan. Thanks for reading and Thank You Godsmack for making MY dream come true. SMACKETTE FOR LIFE!!!!!!
Humble... yes.
And how music affects our lives, any artist really, songs smack people at some point. To shed a tear, to smile for a memory, to laugh for joy.
And GS, no other band gets the crowd going, when you leave, you love them more. You thought you already loved them enough but when you leave, it's love them more! I too had a fabulous experience with Sully's Avalon and a GS show M&G, a down to earth great bunch of guys.
have an amazing time, happy anniversary too :)


text:
Welcome to Official Website of Indian Powerlifting Federation
Indian Power lifting Federation was founded in 1975 and Indian Power lifting Federation is a member of the International Power lifting Federation (IPF), the governing body of Power lifting internationally. The IPF is comprised of member federations from 100+ countries on six continents.
Distinct from weightlifting, a sport made up of two lifts: the Snatch and the Clean-and-Jerk, where the weight is lifted above the head, power lifting comprises three lifts: the Squat, Bench Press and Dead lift. Power lifting competitions may be comprised of one, two or all three of the lifting disciplines.
Indian Powerlifting federation is Organized for local and regional events where power lifters can compete in hopes of qualifying for the national level events. Indian Power lifting sanctions several National Championships in all age groups, giving athletes a chance to see how they fare against competitors across the country. Top competitors are selected by Indian Power lifting Federation to compete in seven IPF world championships- the World Men's and Women's Power lifting Championships, World Junior and Sub-Junior Power lifting Championships, World Master's Power lifting Championships, the World Bench Press Championships, and World Master's Bench Press Championships, Asian Championships & Also Commonwealth Power lifting Championship.
Indian Power lifting Federation has representative in 24 states Federation & Four Regional Federation Members.(North , South, East & West) . We have Also member Several Govt. Sports Dept. Such as BSNL Sports & Culture Board, Coal India Sports Board, Railways Sports Promotion Board etc. etc. Each state Federation & All Others sports Board member are responsible for overseeing the development and implementation of Power lifting's local competitions, state & Regional championships, state records. Indian Power lifting operates as a non-profit organization. An Executive Committee, headed by the President, is responsible for the operations of the organization. The Executive Committee acts.
- Download Programme Schedule for Sub-Jr. NL Champ-2014 at Coimbatore-2014
- Qtrly.-activities-report-2014-of-IPF
- INVITATION-CUM-CIRCULAR: Junior & Master National (M & W) Powerlifting Championship-2014 at HIMACHAL PRADESH
- INVITATION-CUM-CIRCULAR – Sub-Junior National (Boys & Girls) Powerlifting (Equipped & Unequipped) Championships-2014 at Coimbatore during 2nd to 6th June, 2014
- INVITATION-CUM-CIRCULAR – West Zone (M & W) Powerlifting & Bench Championship-2014 at Sri Ganganagr, Rajasthan during 20th to 22nd June, 2014


text:
PhilippinesOTAKU & FUJOSHI • Loves V-Kei & J-Rock • Novice Cosplayer • Loves to draw, play BL Game, and read BL manga and fanfictons • Civil Engineering Student Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/zelnegiltemedtarlled22 Twitter: http://twitter.com/diarycchin Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/user/amulet22cross Ask.fm: http://ask.fm/diarycchin Tumblr: http://tumblr.com/blog/diarycchin
BrazilPage on Facebook::: https://www.facebook.com/pages/J-Felype-Cosplay/227953160615663 Twitter::: JhonyKun00 Deviantart::: JhonyKun00
BrazilI'm new on cosplay world. I hope you enjoy my cosplays, I'll improve and do much more! =)
HondurasBienvenid@ al perfil.♡ Un placer. ♥ Estoy en el cosplay cerca de 6 años, y he diseñado/hecho trajes originales desde hace 8 años. Me encanta apoyar al cosplay, y con todo gusto te apoyaré (compartiendo tu trabajo en mi foro y radio). A mi me agradan los cosplays sencillos, y aquellos con mucha dificultad. (~●●)~ -- I am a Honduran cosplayer! I love Manga & Cosplay Welcome to my profile.~ (づ ̄ ³ ̄)づ -- ◊ Facebook: Kaititania Cosplay ◊ Deviantart: Kail33na
BrazilHey guys! Just a cosplayer from Brazil, I like anime, mangas, tv-series, ball jointed dolls and cosplay of course ^^ Friends are very wellcome! :) All my best to you all!
BrazilHey there! My name is Karina, I'm a brazilian cosplayer for about 6 years. Unfortunately I don't always make photoshoots, most of my pictures are taken at the conventions, so I'm sorry about the bad quality T-T And hey, I'm only here for the fun! xD
BrazilI thank all the favorites!Kisses =* ♥ Cosplay Page: https://www.facebook.com/Ginkid02.0 DeviantART: http://ginkid.deviantart.com/ Tumblr 4Cosplay: http://ginkidcrap.tumblr.com/
BrazilI'm a Brazilian cosplayer since 2009, hope you enjoy my work =^.^= DeviantART: http://amandacosplay.deviantart.com/ Instagram: http://instagram.com/amanda.cosplay
BrazilI think it's about time to blow this thing Get everyone and there stuff together, Okay, 3..2..1..Let's JAM!
BrazilHello =^.^= http://luciisakura.deviantart.com/ https://www.facebook.com/lucimara.batista.9 :)
BrazilHello! I will post a list of my next cosplays! Kuchiki Rukia (Bleach) Hyuuga Hinata (shippuden version) Mio Akiyama (K-ON) Rei Miyamoto and Saya Takage (HSOTD) Loxar Juvia (Fairy Tail) (Last Version) Terra (Teen Titans) Katniss Everdreen (The hunger Games) Lala (Love to Ru) Motoko (Love Hina) Nymph (Sora no otoshimono) Sakura card captors Yuna (Final Fantasy) Astrid (How to Train Your Dragon) ... I have more projects ...
BrazilHi! I'm a cosplayer for seven years now and counting! Quite far from a pro, hahaha, but I do my best, and hope to get better at cosplaying my fav characters :) (which, by the way, are the ones people rarely recognize, hahahah) I'm from Brazil, and my friends know me as Mitz-chan or Lil. I'd love to make new friends, feel free to contact me through facebook or DeviantArt :) My DA: http://mitz-chan.deviantart.com/
Brazil- 22 anos (em breve 23) - Comprometida - Cosplayer iniciante - Professora de Português/Literatura. Tayná ao seu dispor! õ> ~~~~~~ - 22 years old (soon 23) - In a relationship - Beginner Cosplayer - Portuguese/Literature teacher Tayná at your service õ>
BrazilHiiii! My name is Jaqueline Rando and I am a cosplayer from Brazil. I'm still ''young'' in this world, I started in 2009. I have many plans for this year and I hope I finish them all soon. Welcome and enjoy! Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/jaquelinerandocosplay http://jaquelinerando.deviantart.com/


text:
ABOUT THE Compact Mirrors
This product belongs to: Compact Mirrors , Purse Mirrors Ships In: 5 - 10 business days (pending credit, art, and proof approval) Material: Plastic Dimensions: 2.2 in. W X 2.2 in. H X 2.2 in. D Imprint Area: 1.8 in. W X 1.8 in. H Decoration Method: Silkscreen Weight: 0.05lb.
This handy compact mirror is ideal for urgent facial touch-up needs.
- Measures 2.25" in diameter
- Made of plastic
- Lightweight and portable
- First color run charge is FREE
No minimum for blank items.
When resorting to promotional items, pens, mugs, and shirts are always the first options. They are packed with appeal and functionality which makes them a hit to the customers. But because they are becoming more common nowadays, it might be a better strategy if you resort to something new. Something that is equally unique and useful. So pump up your marketing campaign with items that will fit this description. Something like these 2.25" custom round compact mirrors. They are useful in a sense that everybody is conscious when it comes to their facial recognition. Because when someone opens up these compact mirrors to check his or her face, they will also see whatever it is imprinted on the surface. So make sure to occupy the customizable space of each compact mirror that measures 1.8"W x 1.8"H for your branding specifics because most likely your logo and brand name will be prominently seen and remembered. In addition, the 2.25" custom round compact mirrors are available in a variety of distinct colors that is always essential for your branding style. Just pick the one that will best suit your entire marketing campaign.
Sign up today and get these FREE:
Were you able to find what you were searching for?
Zero Risk ShoppingLowest Price Guarantee
If you find a lower price, we'll give you $50 off on your next order. 100% Satisfaction Guarantee If you're not happy with your order, it's FREE. On-time Shipment Guarantee If your order does not ship on time, it's FREE.
Frequently Asked Questions about this Product
Q: What is your Lowest Price Guarantee and how does it work? A: We guarantee that the item you are purchasing has the lowest price in the US. Be the first to find and report to firstname.lastname@example.com an advertised price that is lower than what you find on our site for the same product in a given Q: Why do minimum quantities differ from product to product? A: Minimum quantity requirements vary from manufacturer to manufacturer. In cases where a manufacturer's minimum order requirement exceeds your requested quantity, a Branders.com Specialist will assist you. Call us at 1-877-272-6337. Q: How accurate are the colors I see on screen? A: The Design Studio provides best color accuracy for most monitors and color printers using factory default settings. This may vary slightly depending on the quality or age of your monitor.
Write in your question about this product:
AVAILABLE COLORS FOR YOUR CUSTOM Compact Mirrors WITH LOGO
Translucent Green
Translucent Blue
Translucent Pink
Translucent Red
CUSTOMER REVIEWS FOR THIS PROMOTIONAL Compact Mirrors
10 reviews
The entire experience was positive. We were impressed with the quality of the imprint. We liked the value of the compact. You were within our budget.
Could probably do more if price was improved especially S&H charges.
Write a review:Rate this product:
OUR NEWEST Compact Mirrors FOR YOUR ADVERTISING NEEDS
MORE UPSCALE PERSONALIZED Compact Mirrors
LOWER PRICED BULK Compact Mirrors
PRINTED Compact Mirrors WITH LOWER MINIMUMS
CUSTOMIZED Compact Mirrors WITH FAST TURN AROUND


text:
Some information is missing or invalid below.
Learn more.
With this Travelpro Maxlite 2 upright, you'll be on the road again.
Product Features:
- Lined interior keeps your clothing neat.
- Tie-down straps and interior pockets keep you organized.
- Front pocket gives you space for small items.
- Built-in ticket pocket safely stores your boarding pass.
- Reinforced corners minimize wear and tear.
- Polyester construction provides durability.
Product Details:
- 25"H x 18 1/2"W x 11 1/2"D
- Weight: 7.98 lbs
- Zippered closures
- Polyester
- Manufacturer's lifetime limited warranty
Model Numbers:
- Black: 401112501
- Ocean blue: 401112502
Sponsored Links
The links below are ads provided by the Google AdWords™ program. Outside companies pay to advertise via these links when specific phrases and words are searched. These ads are provided by Google and are labeled as sponsored links. Clicking on these links will open a new tab displaying that respective company's own website. The website you link to is not affiliated with or sponsored by Kohls.com


text:
SPRINGFIELD, Mass., Sept. 4, 2005 -- Springfield College senior forward Sarah Brooker (Auburn, Maine) scored two goals to lead the Pride to a 3-0 victory over Western New England College and capture the 2005 Zenaty Invitational championship in field hockey today on Benedum Field.
The Pride (2-0) controlled the ball for most of the first half and took a 1-0 lead into halftime on Brooker's first goal with 4:21 to play. With 25:07 to go in the second half, junior midfielder Amy Drake (Bellingham, Mass.) tallied the game's second goal to give the Pride a two-goal lead. Brooker added her second goal of the contest with 17:51 left on the clock. The Pride kept the Golden Bears (2-1) scoreless throughout the remainder of the game for the 3-0 victory.
Pride sophomore goalkeeper Emma Kaplan (Ridgefield, Conn.) tallied one save, while WNEC senior goalkeeper Jillian Brown recorded 11 saves in the loss.
The Pride defeated Eastern Conn. in Saturday's match-up while the Golden Bears defeated Endicott to advance to today's championship game. The Pride captured its second-straight Zenaty Invitational Championship with the victory and ninth-consecutive season-opening tournament hosted by Springfield College.
The Most Valuable Player of the tournament was awarded to SC junior forward Janna Prachniak (Lincoln, R.I.). Prachniak tallied an assist in the championship game against WNEC. The All-Tournament team consisted of Eastern Conn. senior Erika Profenno, Endicott senior Ashley Wallace, WNEC sophomore Amy Cunningham, and Pride senior Amber Paradee (Sheldon, Vt.).
SC travels to Keene State on Wednesday, September 7, at 7:00 pm.Consolation Game: Endicott 3, Eastern Connecticut 0
Endicott College junior forward Lindsay Fallon led the way scoring two goals as the Gulls defeated Eastern Connecticut State University, 3-0, in the consolation game of the Zenaty Invitational.
With Endicott leading 1-0 for most of the match, Fallon put the game out of reach, netting her first goal in the 63rd minute of action (62: 41) and her second score in the 68th minute (67:49).
Sophomore midfielder Ashley Meunier scored the first goal of the game for the Gulls, which move to 1-1 on the season. Senior Ashley Wallace and junior Lyndsay Woods each picked up an assist in the win.


text:
By Scott Scanlon – Refresh Editor
Would you take a bullet for your child?
In John Rosemond's line of thinking, if you just said yes, that means your heart is in the right place when it comes to raising your child.
Now, if only your head could catch up.
Rosemond, 66, the comfortably old-school parenting columnist, brought his brand of advice Thursday night to a packed house at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in the Town of Tonawanda.
He looked audience members straight in their collective eyes and said, more than once, that 98 percent of them needed to shift their parenting styles.
Mothers, he said, set the bar too high when it comes to roles they desperately want to play for their children, creating a mountain of shifting responsibilities impossible to climb.
Too many fathers, he said, have been too absent for the last several decades when it comes to raising children in a way that makes the younger generation responsible citizens capable of helping America to symbolize the power in the Golden Rule: to love their neighbors as themselves.
"There isn't a man in America," he said, "who comes home and says, 'Honey, has the new Parents magazine come in yet?'"
Not that Rosemond loves the constant barrage of parenting tips that he believes adds to the perceived duties mothers, in particular, take on to prove to themselves, and others, that they can meet all the demands expected of them as parents in 2014.
He thinks parents willing to take a bullet for their children already have most of the ammunition they need.
"If you would take a bullet for your child, that all that's all that's important," Rosemond told the crowd. "You do not, under those circumstances, have to justify any decision you make to your child. None."
If a child demands answers, all you need tell them is, "I know what I'm doing. I don't need any help making this decision, and I don't care if you like it. I don't care how you feel. ... You'll get over it. I know something you don't know and I'm not even going to tell you what it is, because it will just be confusing. But I'm not confused about it at all. Someday, you'll be old enough to understand it. I'll tell you then.
"And then, walk off. It's calm, it's casual, and it involves this complete possession of your authority."
Rosemond drew laughter several times while bending down to address an invisible child and pleading with the child to clean up the toys in the living room so mommy could entertain a friend who was about to arrive.
We don't tell our children to do something in such cases, he said. We beg. We cajole. We bargain.
Then we surrender and clean up ourselves, and there are no consequences for the child because – wait for it – "that wouldn't be nice."
Rosemond, who lives in North Carolina, encouraged big discipline for what might seem, at first blush, a small indiscretion. He prescribed three weeks of 6:30 p.m. bedtimes – no exceptions – as a way to underline the expectation that children obey parental authority.
He stressed the idea of parental consistency. He talked about 1960s permissiveness, and how, in his mind, it has corroded the family dynamic and threatened the country. And he lamented the movement during the last generation for adults to do everything possible to boost the self-esteem of children.
He asked his audience two questions to underline the incongruity of it all:
No 1: True or false, high self-esteem is a good thing, and we should do everything we can to help our children acquire it?
Almost everyone in the audience raised his or her hand.
No 2: You're moving into a new house. If you had a choice, would you prefer living next to a person with high self-esteem or living next to a person who's humble and modest?
When Rosemond asked, "High self-esteem?" very few hands shot up.
"So," he said, to a great deal of laughter, "you want your children to have high self-esteem, but you don't want to live next door to them when they become adults."
The first question was answered from the head, he told those in the sanctuary. "The second question, you answered from the heart."
Parents know in their hearts that self-esteem is a "bogus idea," he said.
"You know that culture is built by people who possess humility. Humility is not shyness. Humility is not being a wallflower, being afraid to ask the girl to the dance. Humility is simply that as a human being, it's not about you. You are here to serve.
"What strengthens community? What strengthens culture?" he asked: people with high self-esteem who tend to want to be served, or the humble among us who want to serve?
"Act in front of your child like you know what your doing...," Rosemond advised. "It's calm, it's casual, it's unscripted. There's no formula. You just do it. You embrace the role. You embrace the responsibility, and you have a good time with it. This is culture building, this thing called parenting. It's not some sideshow.
"It's the main attraction."
Read more about Rosemond and this week's visit to the region next weekend in the Feb. 22 edition of WNY Refresh, including some of the other notable one-liners he shared. And read his latest Refresh column, which appears weekly in the Saturday section of The Buffalo News, here.
email: email@example.com
Twitter: @BNrefresh


text:
By SALLY SEXTON
After months of negotiations between Weatherford bus drivers and monitors and Durham School Services, employees from the Weatherford branch took matters into their own hands Tuesday night, with 95 percent of workers voting to authorize a strike.
With the approval, the Weatherford group, which voted to unionize itself last May, now has the option to go on strike at any time.
"All we're trying to do is address the inequities and to keep our good drivers. What we've asked for isn't horrendous, they're simple considerations," driver Peggy Linden said. "We have no interest in destroying Durham or their reputation — that would be counterproductive."
Contract negotiations between the two parties began in August, and a compromise looked promising, with Durham and Weatherford agreeing on about 45 of the 50 contract articles presented. But the discussions came to a stalemate when the topic of pay and days off were addressed, according to drivers.
"Anything to do with money, economics, guaranteed hours, that's all been like pulling teeth," Dan Linden said.
According to the Weatherford union's last proposal, drivers had asked for a tiered pay scale, based on years of service, starting out at $11.25 an hour for drivers and $9.45 an hour for monitors. Drivers had also requested two paid holidays for the first year of service and two additional holidays after two years of service, as well as one paid day off given for perfect attendance.
"The union demands of a 15 percent wage increase, plus additional enhancements, continue to be completely unrealistic and leave us disappointed with recent progress," Durham spokesperson Carina Noble said. "Durham School Services submitted its best and final offer to representatives from the Transport Workers Union on Feb. 11.
"This offer included an average wage increase of 2.5 percent for our employees, which is greater than that received by district employees."


text:
215 Main St, Northport, NY 11768
The Northport Historical Society has been collecting, preserving and telling the stories of the people of Northport…More since 1962, when a small group of civic-minded residents formed the group.
Since that time, the organization has played a vital role in the preservation and presentation of the community's historically rich heritage. And, with the generosity of the Cavagnaro family, the Society found a permanent home in 1974 and created the museum in the former 1914 Carnegie library, listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
The Society produces numerous, rotating exhibits on topics of local interest and in different media in conjunction with the permanent exhibit – an overview of the community's development from habitation by the Matinecock Indians to the present.
215 Main St, Northport, NY 11768
The Northport Historical Society aims to preserve information about Northport and its surrounding areas. Collecting…More information for more than 40 years, the society provides programs for schoolchildren and visitors who simply want to know what Northport was like long, long ago. The society also offers a self-guided walking tour of Northport's Main Street.


text:
Scientology: The Story
Going Clear: Scientology, Hollywood, and the Prison of Belief
Beyond Belief: My Secret Life Inside Scientology and My Harrowing Escape
Not to be read home alone on a stormy night: Going Clear, Lawrence Wright's scary book about Scientology and its influence, with its accounts of vindictive lawyers and apostate captives confined in the "Hole," a building that held dozens of people at a time. It's a true horror story, the most comprehensive among a number of books published on the subject in the past few years, many of them personal accounts by people who have managed to escape or were evicted from the clutches of a group they came to feel was destroying them.
Wright's report on the rich, aggressive organization (now we are supposed to say "new religious movement") infiltrating the government and intimidating judges seems even more immediate now that we've seen the giant Scientology ad at the 2013 Super Bowl, and the Scientology "advertorial" on the website of The Atlantic, before it was hastily taken down—both perhaps intended by the Church of Scientology as damage control ahead of the publication of Wright's evenhanded, chilling, and distinctly circumspect investigation. There is more damage as well in the latest survivor memoir among a gathering plethora, this one by Jenna Miscavige Hill, Scientology leader David Miscavige's niece, who was born into its peculiar, circumscribed world, to a family of Scientologist grandparents and parents on both sides.
Scientology, founded in California in the Fifties by science-fiction writer L. Ron Hubbard, was at its beginnings a straightforward method of psychological self-help. It claimed that a follower, by improving his mental health and communications skills, could become happier and more successful in life. The group was especially opposed to two fashions of the times, drugs and mainstream psychiatry, both of which, ironically enough, are sometimes prescribed for someone who succeeds in breaking away from a long involvement in a group that seems to have become domineering, secretive, and greedy to the point of erasing the good it was intended for.
The exact number of Scientologists today is a matter of conjecture, whether the twenty-five or thirty thousand officially registered or the eight million the Church claims. According to Wright, it has at least $1 billion in liquid assets (one knowledgeable former insider says $2 billion), and property estimated at about the same amount, making it among the richer world religions, its money gained from sales of its materials for self-help, from smart investing, and from contributions wrung from its followers. People guess that Tom Cruise, its most visible disciple, has given millions, as have others with names less well known.
Lawrence Wright, who won a Pulitzer Prize for his judicious and wary book about Islam, The Looming Tower: Al-Qaeda and the Road to 9/11 (2006), seems to have a particular ability to understand and explain issues related to religion, recovered memory, fanaticism, and deviance—and the nerve to withstand objections and threats. With this set of qualifications, he is able to put Scientology into its broadly American social setting. Reviewing Wright's book, which isn't being published in England because of libel laws, the Web version of the English newspaper The Guardian notes (rather woundingly) that
Scientology is a neat reflection of the worst aspects of American culture with its repulsive veneration of celebrity; its weird attitudes towards women, sex, healthcare and contraception; its promise of equality among its followers but actual crushing inequality…. It is, in its own dark way, the inevitable religion to emerge from 20th-century America.
Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard, born in 1911 in Nebraska, was more like Dale Carnegie and Norman Vincent Peale—gurus born in the late nineteenth century who were apostles of self-reliance and the evils of drugs—than like such mind-expansion seekers of the Sixties as Timothy Leary, Michael Murphy, or Ram Dass. The young Hubbard led a knockabout life of adventure, ambitious but failed projects, and a period in the Navy in World War II, hence the naval theme in the uniforms prescribed for his close lieutenants. He had talent as a writer, and evidently a good deal of personal charm.
In Wright's presentation, he began like one of those slick, often attractive, self-made characters of Fifties films, played by Jimmy Stewart, with a lot of incorrigible spirit, and, in the beginning anyhow, maybe a sincere wish to help mankind, along with making a name for himself and a buck. He developed as charismatic leaders do, into a character like the one reportedly based on Hubbard, played by Philip Seymour Hoffman in the recent Paul Thomas Anderson film The Master: sleazy, manipulative, cynical, and alcoholic.
A recent search of the archives of the Explorers Club in New York, an exclusive, serious century-old body with honorary members like Scott, Amundsen, Perry, and Byrd, turned up periodic communications from Hubbard, who, however much he may have been co-opted as a guru, continued to foster the Explorers Club's view of himself in the nineteenth-century tradition of gentleman scholars making scientific contributions from their vicarages. Though the rest of his life may have been spoiled by his own frailties, allowing followers and dependents to push him in directions of self-indulgence and infallibility he found hard to resist, he apparently needed to see himself as a serious thinker, and maybe even was one. Wright notes, "Hubbard's thought could be compared with that of other moral philosophers, such as Immanuel Kant and Søren Kierkegaard," though he tactfully doesn't venture what the exercise in comparison would lead us to conclude.
Hubbard's reported sayings and deeds could also suggest a tongue in cheek—people have attested that they witnessed a barroom bet he made with fellow sci-fi writer Robert Heinlein that he'd like to start a religion because that's where the money is. His personal trappings might come from a Busby Berkeley musical—he ran a corps of teenage girls, the "Commodore's Messengers Organization," that wore sailor hats, white hot pants, halters, and platform shoes. He's quoted as saying in one of his lectures that some people worried about the Prince of Darkness, adding "Who do you think I am? Bwahahahaha." Moral philosopher or charlatan, he ended his life in relative simplicity in a double-wide trailer, working to the last on his books, with millions in the bank.
From Wright's outline of the tenets of Scientology, or by dipping into Hubbard's 1950 book Dianetics itself, you find nothing particularly alarming or enlightening either:
A science of mind is a goal which has engrossed thousands of generations of man. Armies, dynasties and whole civilizations have perished for the lack of it. Rome went to dust for the want of it. China swims in blood for the need of it…. No quest has been more relentlessly pursued or has been more violent. No primitive tribe, no matter how ignorant, has failed to recognize the problem as a problem, nor has it failed to bring forth at least an attempted formulation.
The language is in the simple, genial, and tutelary tone of a person devising an ontology from scratch, with the help of Will and Ariel Durant and the entries for Newton, Buddha, and John Stuart Mill in an old edition of Encyclopaedia Britannica; he invents some new-age terms for familiar concepts—"the awareness of awareness unit" instead of "consciousness," and so on. Hubbard's words are taken by his followers as papally inerrant, and one of the complaints by some current Scientologists is that the present leadership is tampering with the sacred texts. Some fallen-away members call for a Reformation, along the lines of Martin Luther, to recover what they see as LRH's original vision, and expose the corruption that they feel has crept into the institution, as it has into other religious hierarchies.
The initial appeal and utility of Scientology seem mainly to be the speeded-up process of psychotherapy by which a follower or "preclear," "audited" by another, "trained" Scientologist, moves toward an eventual goal of becoming "clear" of hangups by digging up traumatic events in the past, abetted by holding a "cylindrical electrode" in each hand through which the preclear's reactions register on a meter (called an "E-meter"). In conventional terms, the patient or preclear is dredging up repressed memories ("engrams"), thereby being freed of their damaging effects, much as mainstream psychiatry tries to do. The Beat writer William S. Burroughs, an early enthusiast, described it in a letter to Allen Ginsberg: Scientologists "do the job without hypnosis or drugs, simply run the tape back and forth until the trauma is wiped off. It works. I have used the method—partially responsible for recent changes."
Though Wright gives a long description of Scientology's beliefs, it's still hard to get a sense of how "the method" really works. In a 1955 revision of his original Dianetics, Hubbard describes six main procedures to master in order to progress, and the one dramatized in Anderson's film resembles "8-C," the "Opening Procedure." Hubbard called it "one of the most effective and powerful processes ever developed" for self-understanding.
It begins with the auditor directing the "preclear" to look at something in a room, walk over to it, touch it, let go, step away, and then repeat this performance, along with certain verbal commands. This process seems to go on and on, but Hubbard explains that "the main error which is made in the Opening Procedure of 8-C is not to do it long enough. It takes," he said, "about fifteen hours…to bring a person into a completely relaxed and Self-Determined state of mind regarding orders."
I have noticed that Scientologists often seem to have a glazed look, as anyone would after fifteen hours of doing the simple repetitive act he describes; it's worth noting, too, that to pay an auditor to sit there for fifteen hours would cost a lot in the normal world of psychotherapy, so it's no wonder Scientology would have relied on unpaid, convinced believers as auditors.
Hubbardian techniques may work perfectly well. Modern life privileges fast therapies: aversion, "life coaching," primal screaming, rebirthing, pillow fights, fasting, high colonics—instead of the more leisurely and expensive divagations of traditional psychotherapy. All forms of therapy depend on the energy and belief of both client and therapist, qualities abundant in Hubbard and his followers.
As a person gets clear, he gets to be an OT (Operating Thetan), then an OT level II, III, and so on, moving over a "bridge" toward enlightenment. Thetans are what we are in essence, independent of our present bodies according to an elaborate sci-fi mythology of human origins. "I had always believed that I was a Thetan," Jenna Hill says; coming out of Scientology, it was a shock to her to realize maybe she was just a human being with only one life.
To climb up to the bridge in Scientology is expensive, perhaps in proportion to what the church thinks you can afford and find worth the expense. Some people go into bankruptcy to stay, some balk and leave, but Scientology is a moneymaking outfit, like Avon or Herbalife, getting revenue by giving each person a bonus for recruiting others to the sales force, so that besides conviction, there's a financial incentive to serve the group. Participants' earnings—"stats"—are expected to be always rising, or else they face punishment and demotion.
The Hollywood actor Jason Beghe estimates that he spent nearly $1 million on Scientology donations, material, and courses. One of Wright's principal informants, Paul Haggis, a successful and talented television and screen writer and director (Casino Royale, Crash), also spent a considerable fortune. Haggis was a Scientologist from 1975, when he was twenty-one, until 2009, thirty-four years later, when he'd become disillusioned, and was also successful and prosperous enough to withstand the pressure and bullying he knew he could expect to punish his defection.


text:
Kashmir Hill, Forbes Staff
Welcome to The Not-So Private Parts where technology & privacy collide
Updated: December 18.
China has sent the Bitcoin rollercoaster into dip mode. Its price has dropped $400 since Monday in response to news that China's ban on real world use, announced earlier this month, is going to make it difficult to get money in and out of Bitcoin in the country. In a media grapevine that started with a report from Coindesk, Bloomberg reported that China Business News reported that Zhou Jinhuang, deputy director of payment clearance at the People's Bank of China, told third party payment providers that they can no longer work with Bitcoin exchanges. That puts a huge bottleneck on getting one's yuan into and out of the digital currency, rendering it useless there for most legitimate (and illegitimate uses).
The writing was on the wall when China made its pronouncement earlier this month about not wanting financial institutions to deal with Bitcoin. However, Bitcoin exchanges thought they might evade the ban because of a Chinese wall (heh) between their Bitcoin holdings and their clients' real-world dollars. The third-party-payment processers held the yuan and the exchanges held the Bitcoin, and the two were not mixed. But it seems that the Chinese government doesn't buy that Bitcoin regulation workaround as payment processors are abandoning exchanges in droves. Moving forward, that means that people in China can own and trade Bitcoin, but that they'll only be able to buy and sell it for yuan on a small scale by meeting up with people for one-on-one exchanges.
BTC China, the world's largest exchange over the last month, is still seeing the most trading in Bitcoin in the last 24 hours, but its market share has fallen considerably. Sources say that most exchanges in China are no longer accepting RMB deposits and only allowing users to make withdrawals, meaning people can only sell, not buy, Bitcoin. The price has, as one would expect in that situation, been in freefall, settling around $550 Wednesday morning.
"It is really difficult to tell how funding and withdrawing on exchanges will work after Chinese New Year," says Zennon Kapron of financial advisory firm Kapronasia Shanghai. The Chinese New Year is January 31, 2014, a deadline reportedly given in closed-door meetings between Chinese regulators and the payment processors that have been working with Bitcoin exchanges. "What is also confusing is that the regulators have said that exchanges can exist, yet they are cutting off the means for exchange funding and withdrawing, so they are sending very mixed signals. I believe we will see some additional comments from regulators by the end of the year."
The world's largest exchange BTC China tells Coindesk that two payment processors have abandoned it in the last week. Its customers can now only withdraw money, though CEO Bobby Lee says he is trying to find a payment processor who will work with them. "I can't predict the future. But for now we're going to try one more time, to see," Lee tells Coindesk.
The Chinese press say the crackdown was inspired by a Hong Kong Bitcoin exchange that went belly up taking its investors' millions with it. Other analysts think it's because China likes its tight controls on its currency and sees Bitcoin as a way for people to move their money out of RMB.
Either way, this shows that a country can effectively kill Bitcoin within its borders. Bitcoin may be a stateless currency free of any country's control, but it still needs an official nod from the powers that be to facilitate widespread use.
It's China's loss, says Adam Pasick at Quartz. "By shunning bitcoin, China, home to innovative e-commerce companies like Alibaba and an underdeveloped consumer banking sector, may be passing up the chance to leapfrog the rest of the world by fostering the growth of bitcoin-esque digital currencies and the secure, efficient payments that they may enable," he writes.
China is still letting people play with Bitcoin in its country, but by cutting off ways to turn it into real money, it will turn it into the digital Monopoly money that skeptics scoff at. That said, the funny money is still worth over $600 USD.
You're very loose with the definition of a crash, Ms. Hill. Where you see a crash, I see a stellar buying opportunity.
The spin in this Forbes article evidently rotates around the interests of Big Banking.
After I posted my comment, I regretted it. I was too harsh, and too personal in my reaction to your article. I hold myself to a higher standard than that and I apologize.
I looked for a way to delete my comment, but I could not find one. If you want to delete my comment, you have my blessing.
For every action there is a reaction. I guess you just see it as cup half empty. 3 months ago it was 140 today is 700. What 20% loss?
It's only a crash on the daily chart. If you look at the quarter, it's still up considerably over 200%.
David, with all due respect, I had the pleasure of meeting Ms Hill in person the other week, and can assure you she is far removed from your archetypal proponent of big-banking. Her background stems from online security and privacy. Her interest in Bitcoin is sincere. Further, Kashmir is one of the few journalists that has taken the time to gain a solid grounding in the subject. With that in mind it's worth also noting that Bitcoin is still a hot topic in Chinese media, openly discussed, Chinese media is state run, and if Bitcoin was truly being outlawed in China, the first place it would disappear from would be Chinese media…
Too bad for China, instead of letting everyone enjoy the investment opportunity, now only the rich and those in power (with bank accounts abroad) will enjoy it. Its all about keeping the power within.
Regardless of what everyone is saying about Bitcoin, it will succeed, it just has some hurdles on its way but it will win over banks simply because it is much better. Did electricity win over candle light? train over wild west horse carriage?
Nothing will stop it, even banks putting obstacles, people will always want it, because its the only transferable liquid asset, whose value will only rise as no more than a complete set of 21m bitcoins can ever exist.
Bitcoin is iron, bitcoin is power to the people, bitcoin is all about the individuals, not about financial conglomerates. People would always accept it, even for hand to hand cash. In 1 year you can go to china and pay off our trip by selling Bitcoins to Chinese people everywhere you go in China, starting with Taxi drivers. I can hear everyone shouting "Have Bitcoins, sir? I want to buy, sir?"
Ya, right, it's still up 200% from just a month ago.
Wait, don't buy it, try to catch it for $50 a piece on the next crash. Good luck!
I wish I had got even more involved with BC just after the silk road "crash" that is the last "crash" that brought BC down to a level that really made it invest-able IMO
All news that originates from china must be observed carefully. The most recent news about the regulatory update is sketchy at best. Either way bitcoin does as it has in the past massive drop that builds into a massive rise.


text:
Nevada ICC names Industry Person of the Year
Nick Moriarty, a fire protection engineer for JBA Consulting Engineers, was named as the 2011 Industry Person of the Year by the Southern Nevada International Code Council.
The Southern Nevada International Code Council (ICC) honored Nick Moriarty, fire protection manager at JBA Consulting Engineers, as the 2011 Industry Person of the Year. ICC works to increase the public awareness of safety in the built environment. Its board of directors granted the award to Moriarty for his outstanding contributions to the cause and chapter on Saturday, Jan. 14, 2012, during the 2012 Installation Banquet.
In 2011, Moriarty organized and facilitated the chapter's first high school internship and shadowing program. The curriculum offered students the chance to explore careers in engineering, architecture and building. Twelve local students learned the ins and outs of the construction, building and engineering industries and shadowed professionals from various Southern Nevada construction companies.
Moriarty serves as a mentor and coordinator for JBA's practice in fire protection engineering, electrical engineering, mechanical/plumbing engineering and technical services. He has worked on high-profile projects such as Harrah's Las Vegas, Fashion Show Mall, and Las Vegas City Hall. He also oversees the risk and assessment reports for the New Year's Eve fireworks display on the Las Vegas Strip.
Moriarty became a member of Southern Nevada ICC in 2009 and in 2011 served on both the membership services and public outreach committees. In December 2011, the Southern Nevada Chapter of the Society of Fire Protection Engineers elected Moriarty as its president.
- Edited by Chris Vavra, Consulting-Specifying Engineer, www.csemag.com
Log in or create an account to submit your comment for this article.
Case Study Database
Get more exposure for your case study by uploading it to the Control Engineering case study database, where end-users can identify relevant solutions and explore what the experts are doing to effectively implement a variety of technology and productivity related projects.
These case studies provide examples of how knowledgeable solution providers have used technology, processes and people to create effective and successful implementations in real-world situations. Case studies can be completed by filling out a simple online form where you can outline the project title, abstract, and full story in 1500 words or less; upload photos, videos and a logo.
Click here to visit the Case Study Database and upload your case study.


text:
Former NFL player and coach says he would have supported a gay player on any of his teams
UCLA's Andrew Abbott will play in the Collegiate Bowl The NFLPA will host its second annual Collegiate Bowl at the Home Depot Center in Los...
Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin Herm Edwards has complained that the Saints' search for an interim head coach has not included any black coaches. The NFL's "Rooney Rule" requires that a...
It's amazing to hear the comments that football analysts make about the guys in the NFL combine. It's like they suddenly have license to examine the bodies of these top-notch athletes, and boy do...
We'll email you a reset link.
If you signed up using a 3rd party account like Facebook or Twitter, please login with it instead.
You must be a member of Outsports to participate.
We have our own Community Guidelines at Outsports. You should read them.
You must be a member of Outsports to participate.
We have our own Community Guidelines at Outsports. You should read them.
Choose an available username to complete sign up.
In order to provide our users with a better overall experience, we ask for more information from Facebook when using it to login so that we can learn more about our audience and provide you with the best possible experience. We do not store specific user data and the sharing of it is not required to login with Facebook.


text:
Homepage > Auto & Hardware > Maintenance >
1200/1500 Watt Portable Gas Generator-CARB- Model #: 42431
A lightweight generator that you can count on when there's an emergency! Ideal for powering a small appliance or a couple of household items. The Champion Power Equipment 42431 gasoline powered portable generator is powered by an 80cc Champion single cylinder, 4-stroke OHV engine that produces 1200 running watts and 1500 starting watts. With a 1.2 gal. fuel tank this unit can run up to 10 hours at 50% load. Our OHV engine is equipped with a low oil shut-off sensor and is designed for long life and easy maintenance. This unit is ideal for camping trips, hunting, traveling, tailgating, and light jobs around the house. CARB approved for all 50 states.
Sorry, expedited shipping is not available.
There are no reviews for this product.Be the first to review this product!
Write a Review
You might also be interested in...


text:
|Sierra Leone (sɪˈɛərə lɪˈəʊnɪ, lɪˈəʊn)
|a republic in W Africa, on the Atlantic: became a British colony in 1808 and gained independence (within the Commonwealth) in 1961; declared a republic in 1971; became a one-party state in 1978; multiparty democracy restored in 1991 but military rule was imposed following a coup in 1992, which led to civil unrest; consists of coastal swamps rising to a plateau in the east. Official language: English. Religion: Muslim majority and animist. Currency: leone. Capital: Freetown. Pop: 5 169 000 (2004 est). Area: 71 740 sq km (27 699 sq miles)
Republic in western Africa, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the west, Guinea to the north and east, and Liberia to the south. Freetown is its capital and largest city.
Note: After the American Revolutionary War, attempts were made to settle freed slaves in Sierra Leone. Formerly a British protectorate, Sierra Leone became independent in 1961.


text:
Article IV: Elected Officials, Powers & Duties
Section 1. Elected Officials
The Elected Officials of the Association shall be a President, a Vice President and seven Governors. The term "Governor," as used in these bylaws, refers to the seven officers elected as Governors. The terms "Board," "Board of Governors" and "Board Members" refer to the body composed of seven Governors, the President and Vice President. Only the Elected Officials of the Association shall be permitted to vote in any matter to come before the Board.
Section 2. President
During such times as the Board is not in session, the President shall have general supervision over all the affairs of the Association.
The duties of the President shall include, but not be limited to the following:
a) To preside at all meetings of the Board of Governors of the Association.
b) To call meetings of the Board of Governors and preside thereat. The President shall have the power to determine whether a Board member's motions are to be considered in open or closed session, but not to limit which motions are placed on the agenda or presented to the Board as part of the agenda.
c) To appoint the National Coordinator and any necessary Regional Coordinators to foster communication between clubs and collectors, and to facilitate educational programs, benefits and services offered to clubs and individual collectors by the ANA. The President may delegate the appointment of the Regional Coordinators network to the National Coordinator.
d) To appoint all committees, designate the persons who shall chair the committees, determine the duties and scope of the committees, and remove any committee chairperson or member, with the exception of the Audit Committee, which shall be reserved to the Board of Governors.
e) To approve non-routine payments requested by the Executive Director or Controller in accordance with accounting procedures established for the Association staff and consistent with the approved budget. He or she may appoint the Vice President or other officers to perform all or a designated portion of this function.
f) To appoint all Officers and Special Officers of the Association, subject to the approval of the Board of Governors.
g) To require the Executive Director to render monthly reports.
h) To promptly inform all other Board members regarding the implementation of significant actions approved by the Board. This shall include developments affecting its status and operation.
i) The President shall have the responsibility to advise the Executive Director with respect to the interpretation, clarification and implementation of any policies, programs and projects approved by the Board, but the President shall have no authority to direct the Executive Director to deviate therefrom or to make any substantial modification thereof without Board approval.
j) The President, at his or her discretion, shall have the right, from time to time, to appoint as a Special Officer of the Association one or more individuals to serve during such President's term of office as Counselor to the President, such appointment in each case to be subject to the approval of a majority vote of the Board of Governors. Such individuals shall perform such tasks and responsibilities as may be assigned to them from time to time by the President.
Section 3. Vice President
The duties of the Vice President shall be:
a) Upon request, to assist the President in the discharge of his or her duties.
b) To act in the place of the President in case of his or her absence or disability.
c) To succeed to the position of the President in case of his or her death, incapacitation or resignation.
Section 4. Board of Governors- Powers & Authority
Subject to any limitations of the Federal Charter or these bylaws, all corporate powers shall be exercised by or be under the authority of the elected Board of Governors. The conduct of the business and affairs of the Association shall be controlled by the elected Board of Governors, and may be delegated by the Board to the Executive Director or such Officers as the Board deems appropriate to manage the affairs of the Association. Without limiting these general powers, it is expressly declared that the elected Board of Governors shall have all authority to:
a) Set policy for the Association.
b) Determine the time and place for holding conventions.
c) Prescribe the form of the official election ballots.
d) Rule on final disposition of any charges brought against a member.
e) Appoint the Executive Director, subject to such limitations as may appear in the bylaws, and to prescribe such powers and duties for the Executive Director as shall be consistent with the Federal Charter and the bylaws.
f) Prescribe such powers and duties for Elected Officials as shall be necessary and consistent with the Federal Charter and the bylaws.
g) Appoint such other discretionary or Special Officers as the Board deems appropriate.
h) Appoint the Audit Committee and its members.
i) Fix the compensation of the Executive Director, non-elected Officers and/or Special Officers.
j) Remove the Executive Director, any non-elected Officer and/or any Special Officer who does not or cannot meet the requirements of office or fails to perform the duties of his or her office.
k) Exercise all authority granted elsewhere in these bylaws and such other authority as shall be consistent with the management of a nonprofit 501(c)(3) association.
Section 5. Resignation or Removal of an Elected Official
Any Elected Official may resign from office at any time by giving written notice thereof to any other Elected Official of the Association; and that person receiving such notice shall forthwith notify all other members of the Board of Governors. The Board of Governors shall have the power to remove any elected Officer or Governor by an affirmative vote of two-thirds of the entire Board of Governors. Cause for removal exists (without limiting other causes for removal) whenever a Governor or elected Officer:
a) Fails to attend three consecutive regular meetings of the Board of Governors, unless excused for good cause by the President, notwithstanding that he or she otherwise qualifies for office;
b) Is convicted of a felony;
c) Has committed a material breach of his or her fiduciary duty;
d) Has committed any act or has engaged in conduct that is prejudicial to the welfare of the Association;
e) Ceases to be a Member in good standing of the Association while in office.
If the cause for removal is based on any of the foregoing reasons, or any other inappropriate conduct, before any removal can occur, such person shall be provided notice of the reasons for such proposed action, and he or she shall be entitled to respond thereto prior to any vote thereon. If removal is based on disability or inability to discharge the duties of office, the Board may act without the necessity of any prior notice.
Section 6. Executive Committee
There shall be a standing Executive Committee which shall consist of the President, Vice President, Executive Director, Immediate Past President and General Counsel. The President may convene the Executive Committee on matters of importance as the President deems appropriate. The Executive Committee shall consider and review any matter designated by the President and make recommendations to the Board as to any issue upon which the Executive Committee believes action should be implemented. The President may invite participation of such other persons, Officers or Governors where their participation would assist in the discussion and recommendation of the subject matter to be reviewed.
Section 7. Immediate Past President
The Immediate Past President, not otherwise an elected Governor, shall serve as an ex-officio, non-voting member of the Board of Governors. In the event that the Immediate Past President cannot or declines to so serve, the President and/or the Board may request that the next previous Past President, the Chair of the Advisory Council or such other person as is approved by the Board to attend Board meetings in this same capacity.


text:
The Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals held that a class seeking injunctive relief requiring that an insurer use a reasonable and uniform standard for reevaluating past hail damage was erroneously certified under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 23(b)(2).
After a hailstorm, thousands of homeowners filed claims with State Farm Fire and Casualty Co. for roof damage. Some of the claimants believed their compensation was inadequate and filed a class action, alleging the insurer breached their contracts and acted in bad faith because it didn't use a single, uniform test for assessing damage, resulting in conflicting assessments. They sought certification under Rule 23(b)(3) and Rule 23(b)(2).
The trial court denied Rule 23(b)(3) certification for monetary damages because the claims required individual determination of roof damage and underpayment. But it certified the 23(b)(2) injunctive relief class, which sought an order that State Farm reinspect the roofs using a uniform and objective standard.
Reversing certification on interlocutory appeal, the Seventh Circuit first held that the plaintiffs' only cognizable injury was underpayment of their claims, making this solely a damages action. Despite the plaintiffs' claims that State Farm had an independent duty to use a uniform standard, the insurer's only obligation was to compensate the insureds, regardless of the method used to assess claims, the court determined.
Further, the plaintiffs' claims that the duty of good faith required a uniform standard failed because to prove bad faith, the plaintiffs must first establish that their claims were wrongfully underpaid, which requires individualized proof.
Turning to the Rule 23(b)(2) certification, the court noted that the equitable relief must be appropriate respecting the class as a whole and must constitute final relief for the plaintiffs.
The court found that the class could not satisfy the test for equitable remedy. The plaintiffs didn't suffer irreparable harm because their injury was easily remedied by monetary damages. Also, the plaintiffs could not meet their burden of showing that the remedy was needed to balance the hardships between the parties. The injunction would require that State Farm perform an affirmative act, which would impose a significant and disproportionate burden on the defendant because it would have to reinspect about 7,000 roofs, even if the insured was fully compensated. Moreover, the court would essentially be writing an insurance-adjustment code to determine a "reasonable, uniform standard."
Injunctive relief would also not be final relief, the court ruled, because classwide reinspection would provide only evidentiary proof to be used in the insureds' individual claims for damages. It would shift the burden to prove the plaintiffs' claims by requiring State Farm to establish whether it underpaid the policyholders and by how much, the court noted. Injunctive relief would also not provide any prospective relief for the insureds because they were seeking only retrospective damages, which fall under Rule 23(b)(3). Thus, the plaintiffs were not entitled to certification under Rule 23(b)(2).
Citation: Kartman v. St. Farm Mut. Automobile Ins. Co., 2011 WL 488879 (7th Cir. Feb. 14, 2011).


text:
Amy H. Witryol, Lewiston resident and Democratic candidate for the 62nd state Senate district, speaks to a crowd of about 20 people outside North Tonawanda City Hall this afternoon.
NORTH TONAWANDA --The Democratic challenger running against Republican State Sen. George D. Maziarz continued her call for campaign finance reform during a campaign stop this afternoon.
Standing in front of North Tonawanda City Hall, Amy H. Witryol of Lewiston said she believes the state's campaign finance laws have so many loopholes and allow so much money into the system, the influence from ordinary voters is diminished.
"This, in my view, is one of the major causes of the problems in the state of New York," Witryol said in front of a crowd of about 20 people. "We have a system that's an obstacle to challengers to incumbents and to people who have different experiences and expertise to bring to the Legislature. And that's why I'm running -- to change that."
Witryol also took aim at money she said has been raised by Maziarz, a 15-year incumbent and Newfane resident who is a former North Tonawanda city clerk and a city native.
If elected, the former banking industry executive said the first piece of legislation she would introduce would be a bill that would return unspent campaign funds at the end of each election cycle to the district covered by that office.
The name of the bill: "You Can't Take It With You."
"Legislators can take all of the money they raised while in office and use it to make money when they leave office by lobbying with it," she said. "That's got to change."
Campaign finance reform has been the most pronounced message from Witryol's campaign in the race for the 62nd Senate District, which covers all of Niagara County, except for the City of Niagara Falls, as well as Orleans County and a section of western Monroe County.
According to the most recent filings with the state Board of Elections, Maziarz's campaign account has $698,971 on hand, while Witryol's campaign account has $8,919.
Speaking of campaign finance, here's a story from August by my colleague Thomas Prohaska about Maziarz's campaign coffers.
Here's a story from July when Witryol joined the race.


text:
More New and Used
from Private Sellers
Light and Shoot 50 Fashion Photosby Gatcum; Chris
Nonspecific Binding
Focal Press
List Price:
In Stock Usually Ships in 24 Hours
We're Sorry
Sold Out
We're Sorry
Not Available
Starting at $22.09
Questions About This Book?
Why should I rent this book?
Renting is easy, fast, and cheap! Renting from eCampus.com can save you hundreds of dollars compared to the cost of new or used books each semester. At the end of the semester, simply ship the book back to us with a free UPS shipping label! No need to worry about selling it back.
How do rental returns work?
Returning books is as easy as possible. As your rental due date approaches, we will email you several courtesy reminders. When you are ready to return, you can print a free UPS shipping label from our website at any time. Then, just return the book to your UPS driver or any staffed UPS location. You can even use the same box we shipped it in!
What version or edition is this?
This is the 1st edition with a publication date of 4/28/2011.
What is included with this book?
- The New copy of this book will include any supplemental materials advertised. Please check the title of the book to determine if it should include any CDs, lab manuals, study guides, etc.
- The Rental copy of this book is not guaranteed to include any supplemental materials. You may receive a brand new copy, but typically, only the book itself.
Learn from the Fashion Photographers that are working in the field day in and day out. With a focus on lighting, this takes 50 truly amazing fashion photos and tells you how each was created. First, you'll learn what the equipment "must-haves" are. Next, you'll learn how to integrate make-up and lighting. From there, you learn how to shoot for the three main outlets: catalog, editorial, or advertising. From beautiful photos and lighting diagrams at all angles to the thoughts behind the photos from the photographer to a snapshot that shows what camera, ISO, shutter speed etc. were used, you will actually have the tools to recreate the ambiance of that photo.*Lighting diagrams-which are in high demand-that show you not just one view, but three *A global assortment of fashion photographers that are at the top of their field that will walk you through their thought process and lighting choices *Lots of beautifully composed images that will make your jaw drop


text:
About the
General Assembly
#JFNAGA is a unique leadership retreat for Federation volunteer leaders and professionals and those involved in the business of Jewish philanthropy from across North America and around the world. It's our one opportunity in the year to be together as the continental community we strive to be.
On the banks of the Potomac River, just 25 minutes from downtown Washington, DC, and featuring sweeping views of our nation's capital as well as beautiful Old Town Alexandria, the GA will feature a combination of speakers ranging from top political figures to leading intellectuals and philanthropic visionaries. We will offer you new ways of thinking, a view of the incredible work of Federation and provide you with inspiration to bring back to your community.
The Jewish Federations of North America is committed to making the 2014 General Assembly accessible to the widest range of people possible and to ensuring everyone who attends has a rewarding and fulfilling experience. Individuals can indicate requirements for special assistance through the GA registration form.
About The Jewish Federations of North America
The Jewish Federations of North America represents 153 Jewish Federations and more than 300 Network communities, which raise and distribute more than $3 billion annually for social welfare, social services and educational needs. The Federation movement, collectively among the top 10 charities on the continent, protects and enhances the well-being of Jews worldwide through the values of tikkun olam (repairing the world), tzedakah (charity and social justice) and Torah (Jewish learning).


text:
Aayush Soni in The Caravan:
CB Devgun was a school student in Paharganj, Delhi, when he began to be fascinated by the sky. Although his science textbooks were bland, he found himself drawn to the sections on astronomy. Devgun also found encouragement from within his family. "My uncle was a senior scientist with the Chandigarh-based Central Scientific Instruments Organisation," Devgun recalled. "He gave me two telescope lenses—one, an eye piece, and the other an objective lens, the lens responsible for gathering light from the object." Using these lenses and some PVC pipes, the enterprising young Devgun put together his first telescope; through it, he gazed skywards and began to study the patterns of the stars.
Over the years, Devgun's passion for watching the sky grew stronger. In 1987, when he was in his twenties, Devgun decided to go further, and capture the images he saw—he bought a second-hand camera from Chandni Chowk, connected it to his homemade telescope and began to take pictures of the sky. It was his first step into the world of astrophotography.
Astrophotography can be divided into two broad categories: earth-and-sky and deep-sky photography. The former involves shooting celestial objects against a terrestrial backdrop—such as a monument or a mountain range—while the latter involves capturing star trails, clusters and galaxies. More:


text:
Posts Tagged 'plastic bag'
April 3, 2011
Plastic Challenge: Laura in Maine, Week 8
Plastic Trash Challenge
View Show Your Plastic Trash Challenge in a larger map
Do you know your plastic footprint? Join others from around the world. Collect your plastic waste (both recyclable and non) for one week or more. Then photograph, tally, and post it here.
What can we learn about our habits and lifestyles by examining our waste? And what changes can each of us make to leave the planet a little less trashy?
SUBSCRIBE by EMAIL
Choose which update you would like to subscribe to. Both "My Plastic-Free Life" newsletters contain updates from the challenge as well as the blog, forum, calendar, etc. The Plastic Challenge option only sends updates for this challenge page.
Powered by FeedBlitz
Tags: plastic bag, plastic challenge, plastic jar, plastic trash, plastic tube, plastic waste, Show Your Plastic Trash Challenge
| No Comments »


text:
The News Courier
Approximately $530 million in federal funds has been approved to help survivors, businesses, communities and the state of Alabama rebuild safer and stronger following the historic outbreak of storms and tornadoes in the spring. The following is a statewide breakdown, by the numbers:
$175 million
Total federal disaster assistance provided to Alabamians in the form of disaster grants and low-interest loans.
More than $102.8 million
The amount of SBA disaster loan approvals for uninsured losses sustained by homeowners, renters and businesses of all sizes.
$72.8 million
Grants provided to help survivors find temporary housing, make basic repairs and replace essential personal property including more than $53.2 million provided for housing assistance and nearly $19.6 million distributed for other serious disaster-related needs.
More than $102 million
Local, state and federal funds necessary to complete more than 1,500 recovery projects and repair infrastructure through FEMA's cost-share Public Assistance program, including nearly $64.8 million for debris removal and emergency protective measures and nearly $38 million to repair or replace public roads, bridges, buildings, utilities and other facilities.
Nearly 88,000
Individuals and families who registered with FEMA for federal assistance.
The number of disaster recovery centers that served more than 34,000 people


text:
Why Choose Robotic Surgery at Saint Clare's?
Advanced Technology
At the Center for Robotic Surgery, Saint Clare's has deployed the latest in robotics for minimally invasive surgery with the $2 million da Vinci ® Si Dual Console Surgical System at Saint Clare's Hospital/Denville. This unique system, from the world's leading innovator of robotic surgery technology, couples advanced surgical instrumentation with 3-D visualization and ergonomic comfort and brings the future of surgery to Saint Clare's today. The new dual-control da Vinci Si Surgical System allows for greater collaboration for surgeons who perform robotic procedures and enhances teaching opportunities at Saint Clare's. Saint Clare's is the first New Jersey hospital to purchase this system with simulation technology, allowing physicians to refine their skills.
Cutting-edge Procedures
The da Vinci system enables surgeons to be more precise, advancing their technique and enhancing their capability to perform complex, minimally invasive surgery. Saint Clare's physicians perform a range of procedures including urologic, gynecologic, urogynecologic, gynecologic oncology, and general surgery, as well as a host of highly specialized procedures such as radical cystectomy, sacrocolpopexy, partial nephrectomy, myomectomy, and radical hysterectomy.
A Revolutionized Surgical Experience
Robotic surgery through the da Vinci system revolutionizes the surgical experience for patients. It is an effective, minimally invasive alternative to both open surgery and laparoscopy – providing the benefit of the control of open procedures with the minimal invasiveness of laparoscopy. With some of the major benefits to patients including a shorter hospital stay, less pain, less risk of infection, less blood loss, fewer transfusions, less scarring, faster recovery and a quicker return to daily activities, there's little wonder why physicians and patients are turning to robotic technology.


text:
Monday's Weekly Meeting at Thirsty Mad Cat!Organized by MONOTER
The Quiz is our Monday weekly event even if playing the Quiz is optional. If you don't feel like playing, come and share a drink :)
Winners of the quiz get a bottle of vodka iwth juice and for the 2nd place a round of shots!
If you are wondering who are the CSers ask to the bar staff, but you can just talk to someone, he or she'll usually be a CSer (at a certain time it is packed of CSers so just talk to someone randomly)
Even if the bar seems empty go inside and ask, at the end we're always 150 or more.
CS Paris has put together a weekly meet-up on Mondays nights for all it's Paris hosts, travelers, and their friends!
There will be cheap drinks, good food, and of course fabulous company.
Whether you're passing through Paris, just signed up to Couchsurfing, or are an old time CSer come join us for a night out on the town!
See you there!
EVERY monday from 8 pm
The quiz starts at around 9 pm
Thirsty Mad Cat (ex Lions Pub)!
120 rue Montmartre
- map: http://tinyurl.com/yz3s9lm
- 3d view of the place: http://tinyurl.com/ye95mof (the blue facade in the middle of the pic)
closest metro station : Bourse (line 3)
or Grands Boulevards (line 8 & 9)
or Etienne Marcel (line 4)
or even Chatelet Les Halles (RER A,B,D)
Stands ALL NIGHT
- Kronenbourg Pint is 4€
- Kilkenny & Guiness 5€
- ALL other Pints 4.50€
- all shots 2€
- the quizzmaster will get 2 free drinks and a Lions plate
- Nachos plate : 5 €
- Lions Plate (calamar, onion rings, chicken, french fries) : 10 €
PS: Since we are always a lot of people, remember to keep an eye on
your stuff during the quiz!
PS2: Thirsty Mad Cat (ex-Lions) changed its owner. Now the MINIMUM to pay with credit card is 17 euros (before it was 5), so please take this in consideration to come with cash :)


text:
2/27/2013 by Brian Barr
There are many misconceptions about what Agile means. Here are a few of the most common that I've heard:
Agile is a development methodology. Well, not really, but there are a group of methods that can all be considered Agile.
Agile is the same...
2/26/2013 by Marc Nazarian
One of the biggest challenges of a ScrumMaster is to conduct retrospectives.
Running one retrospective is easy: Every conscientious ScrumMaster most likely has read the retrospective bible, Agile Retrospectives: Making Good Teams Gr...
2/25/2013 by Amandeep Bhatia
For last few years, we've been using Agile methods such as Scrum and XP in our projects. As a team, we've gained a lot in terms of productivity, client involvement, frequent feedback, and many more benefits. But one most important change that I've...
2/22/2013 by Madhan Manivannan
"Build projects around motivated individuals. Give them the environment and support they need, and trust them to get the job done."
"The best architectures, requirements, and designs emerge from self-organizing teams."
These are the two Agile pr...
2/20/2013 by Jerry Rajamoney
When was the last time you wrote a code that was not protected with unit test/refactoring? When was the last time you fixed a bug reported in a legacy code base that was full of bad code? When was the last time you saw a class with m...
2/18/2013 by Dele Oluwole
During sprint planning in Scrum, the team can use poker cards as a unit of measure for estimating the overall size of a user story, feature, or even associated piece of work.This tool helps the team assign points, in a relaxed manner, to stories o...
2/15/2013 by Rajesh Pulaparambil
This is the one question Agile teams are always asking each other, and I see many questions in blogs related to it as well. How do we bid on a fixed-price project? It's a question I asked myself for a long time. Finally I've found a solution &mdas...
2/13/2013 by Glen Wang
Human beings have two basic kinds of capabilities. One is knowing, including learning, making decisions, and planning. Making decisions and planning are based on using past experience to judge the future. The other capability is doing, including e...
2/11/2013 by Jeff Meyer
When I first heard of the concept of Scrum nearly ten years ago, the role of the ScrumMaster seemed pretty easy to understand: a person who spent 50 percent of the time doing the same work as the team and 50 percent of the time enforcing the proce...
2/8/2013 by Kathryn Kuhn
I am blessed to live in Northern California, where our relentless commitment to preserving open space means that the San Francisco Bay Area boasts a wide variety of preserves with all levels of single track. Favorite trails reward mountain biker...
Transforming the world of work
Copyright ©2014 Scrum Alliance, Inc. – All rights reserved.


text:
Our specialists work in over 60 departments ranging from Antiquities to Contemporary Art. To learn more about our collecting categories, browse our departments to identify your area of interest and the team of specialists who can help answer your questions.
Browse our Specialist Directory for a quick view of department contacts.
Why should you sell your property at Christie's? Ask our loyal sellers and they'll say it's a combination of the following:
And don't forget the most important factor: our people. Our wealth of resources include:


text:
FAIRMONT — Photo of the week for Sunday, July 15, 2012.
This picture was taken by Kayla Pethtel on the walkway near PNC Park in Pittsburgh. A Canada goose tries to escape the waves from the Gateway Clipper Fleet tour boat. The bird eventually managed to take flight, leaving the Monongahela River safely. Photo of the Week submissions may be made by emailing them to Cliff Nichols, news editor, at email@example.com. Only email submissions will be considered. Please be sure to include a description of the photograph, including names and locations, and a way we can get in touch with you.


text:
By CEDRIQUE FLEMMING
Special Writer
PARK HILL — The Keys boys grinded out a 54-51 overtime victory over Vinita in the semifinals of the Cougar Invitational Thursday night at Cougar Fieldhouse.
Keys was led by guard Trevor Eubanks who, despite turning the ball over nine times and making just 5-of-14 shot attempts, found a way down the stretch to make the plays necessary to pull out the victory. Eubanks finished with 18 points.
"It's so nice to have more than one go-to guy when you need a score," Keys coach Duane Jones said. "Trevor had to force the ball some in overtime because he really didn't receive much help, but our defense really stepped up when we needed it and he led us to the win."
The Cougars built an early 16-8 advantage thanks in large part to Payton Ragsdale. The forward scored the first 14 points of the game for the home team and finished with 23 overall. He had poured in 19 by intermission but was forced to miss most of the second half due to foul trouble.
"Payton had several offensive rebounds early, and he got us the lead with an impressive first half," Jones said. "I was real proud of how our kids responded when he picked up his fourth foul midway through the third quarter."
Ragsdale had to sit and watch his team pull out the victory from the sidelines after fouling out with 1:41 to play in the fourth quarter. He played only eight minutes of the second half but finished 11 of 13 from the field.
Rasgdale's presence was a big reason the home team outrebounded the Hornets 23-5 in the first half, and Keys took a 32-24 lead into intermission.
Vinita shaved just one point off the deficit in the third quarter, but the visitors erupted for 19 fourth-quarter points to tie proceedings.
The comeback began with the home team holding a 41-34 advantage with 7:27 to play. An 8-1 run powered by Garret Maxey and Gage Bertram knotted the game at 42-42, and the two squads battled to a 51-51 standstill at the end of regulation.
Vinita did not score in overtime, going 0-for-5 from the field. The game was won on the foul line, as Eubanks made two and Tyler Blankenship made one for the three-point triumph.
Maxey led the Hornets with 18 points, six rebounds, five assists, and five steals. Bertram added 15 and Phillip Willis contributed 10 points, four steals and three boards.
Keys 45, Poteau 43 (girls)
The usual suspects were on display for the Keys girls as the Lady Cougars earned a 45-43 win over Poteau in the semifinals of the Cougar Invitational Thursday night at Cougar Fieldhouse.
Sydni Rainbolt put together another double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds, and Mylee Hewitt led all scorers with 19 points despite battling foul trouble.
Hewitt started the game slow, scoring just seven points on 2-of-6 shooting in the first half, but Rainbolt picked up her teammate with nine points and seven boards in the opening 16 minutes.
Hewitt came up big when it mattered though, as a 12-point second half and a plethora of clutch plays late was enough to give her team the win.
"Mylee had a hard time understanding what we were trying to do in the first half," Keys coach Mickey Duncan said. "She picked up two quick fouls and we really had to manage her minutes for the majority of the game. I knew she had to be on the floor for us late, so I had to keep taking her out on defense and I think that frustrated her."
Keys found itself leading 19-11 after the first quarter, but a 12-5 second quarter went in favor of the visitors as the Lady Cougars took a narrow 24-23 edge into halftime.
The home team maintained the one-point advantage heading into the fourth, but a quick 5-0 run to start the final frame gave Poteau a 37-33 edge with 6:19 to play. Rachel Lawrence cut the lead in half at 6:10, and Hewitt tied the game with a layup at 5:12.
Consecutive buckets from Kaitlan Standridge and Montana Roll gave the visitors another four-point lead with 3:48 to play, but back-to-back layups from Hewitt yet again tied the contest at 41-41 at the 1:23 mark.
Hewitt grabbed a huge rebound on Poteau's next possession, and she nailed the game-winning three-point basket from the corner with just 26 seconds to play.
"This is the fourth time we've been in this situation where it comes down to just managing one possession," Duncan said. "Mylee did a good job finishing the ball game when we needed her most. It's nice to have a senior step up and be a leader."
Roll led Poteau with 12 points, and Colleen Peterson added eight points and 13 rebounds for the visitors.


text:
i write a skate shoe review blog that reviews various skateboarding shoes based on comfort durability style price etc if your interested http://skateshoecentral.wordpress.com thanks also have a facebook page http://facebook.com/skateshoecentral
Online Golf Tee Times with Last Minute Tee Time Deals & Discounts
Cool Running is the complete online resource for runners.
Find your favorite campground from the best campgrounds listing!
What have you always wanted to do?


text:
Cut & Run Series Book Three: Sequel to Sticks & Stones
Special Agents Ty Grady and Zane Garrett are back on the job, settled into a personal and professional relationship built on fierce protectiveness and blistering passion. Now they're assigned to impersonate two members of an international smuggling ring—an out-and-proud married couple—on a Christmas cruise in the Caribbean. As their boss says, surely they'd rather kiss each other than be shot at, and he has no idea how right he is. Portraying the wealthy criminals requires a particular change in attitude from Ty and Zane while dealing with the frustrating waiting game that is their assignment. As it begins to affect how they treat each other in private, they realize there's more to being partners than watching each other's backs, and when the case takes an unexpected turn and threatens Ty's life, he and Zane will have to navigate seas of white lies and stormy secrets, including some of their own.
©2010 Madeleine Urban, Abigail Roux (P)2011 Madeleine Urban, Abigail Roux
"Worth the wait..."
I've always considered F&C to be the weakest in the C&R series. My personal favorite is the book that follows, Divide & Conquer. Still, I've been impatiently awaiting the audio version. And it is definitely worth the wait! Since Sawyer Allerde is no longer available to read, I'm happy with the choice of Sean Crisden. He reads for Mary Calmes and I've always loved him with her lighter, 'perfect' protagonists. F&C can't have been the easiest book to narrate. There are accents flying everywhere, even Italian text, and worse the authors never pre-warn when Ty's accents, in particular, gets switched. Sean Crisden, bless him, is horrible with accents. Every time he did the British accent I had a flashback to a Georgette Heyer novel. While he lost points for the accents, he gained points for tackling these accents. Sean Crisden's version of Ty, in general, is softer, more emotional, than the Ty of C&R and S&S. I'm curious to hear his interpretation of Ty in D&C and hope that he does get to read it. At this rate though, my three favorite M/M narrators will end up reading all my favorite M/M romance novels.
"The Book: LOVE The Narrator: NOT AT ALL"
I really don't care for Crisden's performances. Don't get me wrong, he has a nice speaking voice - but he doesn't have much range/variety, and that Fozzy bear voice needs to be dropped altogether.
The narrator of the first 2 books in the series (Cut & Run, Sticks & Stones) did a GREAT job creating Ty, Zane and the other characters. I agree with Jennfer & L. - this new narrator is pretty bad. He has three voices - regular, deep, and Fozzy bear from the Muppets. (Another listener made the Fozzy bear comment regarding a different book narrated by Crisden-I have to agree.) Also, there were a few times in the book where word emphasis in a sentence was totally off. I wonder if Crisden LISTENED to the first two audiobooks. It wouldn't have helped him with his voice limitations, but it would have given him a better feel for how the books flow.
"I miss the original narrator"
I love this story and was excited to final have it on audiobook. I know that San Crisden is a very popular M/M narrator, but he isn't my favorite and I missed the narrator from the first 2 stories.
Absolutely. I have already listened to it twice. I love the story of Ty & Zane. This is a progression of the other books. By being undercover as a married gay couple they get an idea what it would be like to actually be married.
Any book in this series. I have another favorite series "In Death" by J.D. Robb. I wouldn't miss ANY book in either of these series because the authors in both series have made the characters very real-life real!
Sean Crisden has never disappointed me. This was just as good a narration as any other books he has done.
Be careful what you agree to, it might be something you can't life without!
"Strength and courage, truth and honsety"
I would recommend this to friends as long as I knew they loved Gay Romance as well as a little action.
Since I first listened to Cut and Run I was hooked. Ty and Zane face life but the same way we all do, not head on but the hard way. They have each other and that is the best place to start.
The deveoplement of the relationship between them is perfect. We all make mistakes, it's how those we love react, Ty has become Zane's strength, while Zane is Ty's calming balance.Ty knows he loves Zane, Zane is commited to Ty but affraid of what that means and the tanggles that it will bring.
From the very beginning it was Ty, I love the cheeky fun loving side.
Zane in this book faces some of his most deep seated fears. And for me he was the most memorable. Ty holds his place in the world well, a strength and power that can be so easily over looked simply because he dosen't push it inot your face. Zane is a support Ty has realised he would be lost without. Like all things we need a rock and center in our lives.
"If you like an okay sequel..."
I would recommend the series to a friend for sure. I think the story is entertaining enough to keep people that can tolerate reading about 2 gay guys having sex, for a few minutes, would enjoy the rest of the book.
This one is in a class of it's own in my knowledge of books. It had a slight James Bond feel to it because of all the secret identity story-line.
Oh MAN, I laughed out loud so many times at the BAD accents! Ty was supposed to be impersonating a British accent and the poor reader sounded like a male Scarlett O'Hara. Which is pretty funny since Vivian Leigh was English. Another funny character voice was for the McCoy character. I kept picturing Oscar the Grouch while listening to the poor guy performing those parts of the book.
This cruise will leave you hungry... for more Ty and Zane!
Wait for it to go on sale or if you have some credits to burn.
"Another good read"
Probably not becuase the narrator was not as believable as in previous books.
Please change back to the narrator that performed the previous books in hte series.
"The New Narrator Gives a New Voice"
Yes, because I enjoy the story and the series, as a whole. Fantastic books, I say!
The previous books in the series, Cut & Run and Sticks & Stones. Also great books.
His reading gave a fresh take on characters we've grown to love; while he didn't nail every character, he did make the two main characters seem sexier.
I like to sleep to audiobooks, which really makes this question moot. It is wonderful to listen to in that regard.
I am a huge fan of Abigail Roux & Madeleine Urban's Cut & Run series, and greatly look forward to Divide & Conquer coming out in audiobook form.
"Poor choice of voice talent"
I have the first 2 audio books in this series. They switched to this voice talent for this book. He is terrible. He makes the two MCs sound like cartoon characters. FBI agents that sound like Yogi Bear. Terrible.
If you liked the first 2 audiobooks then do not buy this one. it ruins the series.
"Keep the series going"
I love Zane and Ty antics! You cannot get two better written charcters out there!
This is a new reader then the two previous books and I did enjoy him more. He had a lighter tone and I feel it went well with the story. I think I just still need to get used to him though.
While this is probably my least favorite book in the series and I did fast forward through a couple parts it still needs to be read or listened to. There are several important pieces that you need later in the book.
Book 3 & still riveted with these Guys. My only problem with this book is the narrator. He sounded like Sylvester Stalone & I found that a little distracting.
"Fast Paced & Fun"
If your a fan of the Cut &Run series this is book is a must. The story picks up after the events of Sticks and Stones and finds our favourite FBI agents undercover again. This story has a mystery element to it the same as the rest of the series but is more about the development of the relationship between the two main characters. This story had me laughing out loud at times and wanting to scream in frustration at others. It was sweet with just enough tension to keep me reading a 5 star story at its best
"So good"
I have had so much fun listening to Ty Grady and Zane Garrett and the adventures and dangers that they fall into without meaning to. i would recommend this book to everyone who have read about Ty and Zane and liked it, or if you like romance, danger, and fun, it's best to listen to the other ones first that come before this one, but you could listen to this one without listening to the other ones and still get who they are and why they are the way they are.
There are no listener reviews for this title yet.
Report Inappropriate Content
If you find this review inappropriate and think it should be removed from our site, let us know. This report will be reviewed by Audible and we will take appropriate action.