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Table of Contents
1.The Spartan Mayor
2.The Girl Who Knows The Hearts of Dragons
3.Trust 4.Opelucid In Flames 5.How to Train Your Dragon-type
6.Agent Whitlea, Case Closed!
A/N:My first really serious Fanfic is this one. Iris is a pretty fun and interesting character with a nice design to me, so I just have had the strong urge to write a sort of story about her and her future. How she came to be and how things have been for her. It's a Fanfiction on Iris, the Gym Leader of White Version's Opelucid Gym and character from the BW & BW2 games. Some focus will also be on Drayden during parts of the story as he is connected to Iris. I'm still not really happy with this introduction chapter, I just look at it and think about all the things I think may have been badly done or attempted. But, I just went with this since I've been wanting to post this chapter for quite some time now, I'll try to do better in the future. As always any and all constructive criticism is appreciated, it can only make me better!
Oh, and if you wanna be on my mention list just ask.
Chapter 1 The Spartan Mayor
Unova's very own Opelucid City was certainly a site to behold. So modern, yet so old. The city was almost like a vintage wine, aged to perfection. The city of the old and the new, truly a nostalgic treasure for many. Life in Opelucid was always calm and yet so exciting. Many people traversed the city daily with the latest Castelia City designed cellphones and the most up to date computers. The roads and sidewalks held the most nature-efficient streetlights. People put nature and technology in high regard in Opelucid, appreciating the grace and life of nature and the convenience and helpfulness of technology was Opelucid's unofficial law by many. The city gave off a certain air about it, accustomed to itself and few other places in Unova. There was a certain man in particular who truly supported and worked hard toward Opelucid and what it is today.
"Hurry up!" a young man yelled as he carried a box.
"I'm just a girl, chill out!" the young lady said with a clear heavy animosity in her voice lugging the rather medium sized crate.
"We have other things to do you know," he said in a clear spiteful tone as the two kept walking. A small bump on the ground drew Ed's attention.
"Molly you dropped one."
"It's just one forget it," she said as the Pecha stayed on the ground rolling near a rough dark purple boot that looked as if it had been put through quite some use over the years.
"What a shame..." the man bent over picking up the pink fruit. "You two!" the man boomed in a gruff professional voice that sent shivers down Ed and Molly's spines. The man walked calmly over to the children. Ed kept a clear face and tried his best to not look nervous, even though it came off as clearly forced, a small bead of sweat leapt off Ed's head. As the man came toward the two, Ed stared at the man's face full of white crisp facial hair that almost completely covered the area around his mouth, his head had the same hair, and the rather aged yellow brownish eyes spelled clear annoyance being contained under a cap. The man's arms and muscles were rather big, truly a walking testament to all his hard work over the years. "You dropped something," he said as he pointed the Pecha at Molly.
"O-Oh, thank you sir," she said as she walked over as Drayden sat the Pecha on top of the crate of other Poison healing fruit.
"Children today truly don't realize what they have, where exactly did those Pecha Berries come from?" the man asked.
"Ordered them from manu-," Ed was cut off.
"No, they came from nature. Never take even the smallest thing for granted, even if it may be a small Pecha Berry. Nature works hard to give us all our food in a way, show the tiniest bit of respect," he answered back. "Good day," Drayden said walking away as the children relaxed themselves a bit.
"God that was stressful, I thought we were going to get chewed out or in trouble or something. Eh, Edmond?"
"I guess..." Ed answered.
Nature works hard to give us all our food... he replayed Drayden's words in his head.
"Let's go Molly," he said carrying their luggage down the sidewalk.
"Humph, children these days," Drayden said grunting as he walked through the city streets.
"Keeping Opelucid's youth in-line I see..." a rather elderly aged woman said as she walked near Drayden.
"I expect the best of Opelucid City, that includes the people Ms.Maryann."
"I expect nothing less from someone who has worked hard since childhood. Any challengers lately?" the woman said as she and Drayden walked toward a large building that gave off the shape of a reptilian creature, scale-like bricks shaped the surface of the establishment.
"Yes, quite a few. Not many have managed to show the same spirit and respect that I truly cherish, there have only been a choice few."
"Things really have changed since the day of your grandfather," Maryann said earnestly. "Take care," the woman walked away.
Drayden walked through the door of the Dragon shaped structure. The inside of the Gym gave off a thin air and vibe about it, and the field was worn away quite a bit. The area was rather large and opened with distinct Dragon crafted statues and patterns decorated all around. Drayden left the area walking to the end of the gym into a back room. Besides the weight set and barbells, it was a relatively normal office. He sat down staring at the pictures of his various family and friends, eying one picture in particular of a young brown haired boy holding a green Dragon, tusk protruding its jaws, and rather large innocent eyes. The same could be said for the young child.
With the construction of the Driftveil Gym finished, we hope to see a lot more activity in the city as well as tourism.
"Keep going!" a tenacious sixteen year-old said to a fourteen year-old adolescent huffing and puffing as sweat poured from his face. "You two have got to pick up the slack!" he said as he and a Flaaffy continued to physical push and rotate a rather large wheel with much might. Opposite the large electricity generating wheel was a small green Pokemon with a youthful Drayden. Deed always liked to have the radio on as he worked, his father's radio he borrowed occasionally.
Drayden breathed heavily as sweat popped from his forehead, his whole shirt nearly drenched in his own perspiration. "Continue forward Axew!" he encouraged his Pokemon alongside him and they both put much force and strength into their work.
"Okay that's just enough speed! Quickly Dray!" as he stopped pushing, he took a step back as did Drayden. "Thundershock!"
"Fwwwaff!" the pink and white sheep let loose a large circuit of electricity as it struck the wheel speeding it up even further until it was moving by itself.
"Now Dray! Get it right this time!" he lectured his younger sibling.
"Dragon Rage!" Drayden commanded as the Tusk Pokemon opened its mouth shooting a large flare of bluish fiery electricity toward the generator wheel, its rotation was sent into hyper drive as it moved alone.
"That's it!" Deed said relieved as the wheel finally was moving alone. The Flaaffy and Axew walked over giving each other a respective high five.
"Good work Dray," Deed said as he shook his brother's hand. Deed and Drayden always worked to support their family, doing their part always in an attempt to keep their family stable and healthy. "I'll go get our last assignment, just chill there," he said scampering off down the metal covered area, making sure not to get in the way of other workers and Pokemon.
"Only one job left today guys, then we can relax for a while," Drayden said in a glad tone as he listened in on the portable radio.
There is even a new Opelucid Gym construction plan in the making, bringing more tourism to Opelucid will only strengthen the future of the city and its development, Drayden's ears perked up.
How will that help anything? he thought.
"Dray! Get in gear! We're on the backyard chopping wood!" Deed snapped Drayden back into reality. "Hustle!" Deed said as Drayden followed him, Axew and Flaaffy following closely behind.
"So, Deed how is a gym going to help anything?" Drayden asked curiously.
"Well, for one with a Gym around the city. We'll get more visitors and tourist and that will make more money for our city. More money equals better living conditions," he answered his curious sibling as he eyed a rather large chested fatigued woman walking by.
"God, you're a perv at times," Drayden taunted his older brother.
"Wait?! You don't think I was looking do you?" Deed said guilty as he had been caught in the act once again.
"Forget it. What do Gyms do anyway?" he questioned Deed.
"Gyms are designed to test the strength of trainers, trainers who are strong and live in the city are the Gym Leaders. It takes a lot of skill, so I've heard." Deed answered clearly as they reached the backyard of the electricity generation factory. Drayden and Deed jogged over picking up the pic axes as Flaaffy and Axew sat cylinder shaped pieces of wood in front of their respective owners.
"1...2....3!" Deed and Drayden simultaneously sent the axes through the pieces of wood as they sliced cleanly in half. The two brotherly Pokemon gathered up the sliced pieces and threw them into a large green bin. Reloading the two young men with two new cylinder shaped wood pieces. "1...2...3," Deed counted down once more as they cut the wood pieces once more in that same process.
"70 pieces and we will have reached our quota," Drayden said gladly as he chopped the wood once more. "So Deed, you wanna go pick up some berries later?"
"I guess Dray, remember that we also have to go pick up our payments," Deed said as he cut the timber.
Drayden and Deed gradually finished cutting all the timber, finishing their work for the day. They went to see their boss in his office.
"Mr.Saint we've finished our task for the day," Deed said as he stood in the office in front of his and Drayden's employer. Sporting a big gut with suspenders and gray business pants as well as a cranium more naked than a Palpitoad's body.
"Nice job boys, nice job," he said as he counted bills of money into two separate piles. "You've done nicely for this being your first year Drayden, I'll throw a little extra your way for that," Mr.Saint said generously as he sealed the money into envelopes for the two boys.
"Thank you," they said as they both tentatively stretched out an arm and hand to retrieve the hard worked for currency.
"Don't spend it all in one place," Mr.Sant said as the boys bolted out of the office.
"So, let's hurry up and get home so we can go ahead and pay the bills and buy the food for the week."
These are what Drayden's childhood days typically consisted of, hard work and seldom time to play and lolly gag. But, work in an attempt to support his family and their future, especially alongside his closest brother in age. Truly a very disciplined life in comparison to the youth of Opelucid today.
A vicious scream ripped through Drayden's ears, he got up and dashed toward the outside. A rather large crowd had formed around what looked to be a very angry brown dog like Pokemon. Everyone watched insight as the Pokemon growled, looking as if it was going to tear them to shreds. Everyone was on high alert, all sweating bullets.
"Dammit! Don't agitate it anymore, it looks angry!" a young male yelled.
"Thank you captain obvious!" a female voice from the crowd screamed.
The large brown furry canine Pokemon growled as its fangs shook viciously the Pokemon came charging toward the crowd, the people panicked as the Pokemon barely missed them, hitting a light pole. The pole shuddered and shook as it began to gradually lean back and forth and soon gave way to gravity. A child looked on from the ground in utter shock as it was about to fall on her. This truly was a gruesome sight.
"Hellllp!" the girl yelled in fear, she was lucky to find a man had gotten in her way. The Spartan Mayor man handled the pole before it hit the child. Drayden struggled with the rather large object. The girl looked on in utter shock and bewilderment at the scene, her life could have potentially come to an end, but..he saved her. Her large petite brown youthful eyes shined with fear and gratitude, she was so shook up from the near death experience she couldn't stop herself from shivering which caused her long purple black locks to sway back and forth in the wind, still paralyzed her dark skin almost looked as if it would turn white like a ghost's body.
"Run damn child!" Drayden snapped the young girl back from under her terrified state, she found it within herself to jolt away from the scene. Drayden soon moved out of the way letting the pole fall to the ground.
The Pokemon barked now training its rage at Drayden, he pulled out a small Poke Ball. Slightly tapping the white button in the middle with his purple gloved finger and tossing it an array of white light spilled from the metallic red and white sphere as a rather large green and black Pokemon materialized from the ball.
The Pokemon glared angrily and clearly was ready to do combat. Its large axe shaped and fined tusk making it look threatening, with its long tail and bulging muscles in its body pumping. Its height truly being something threatening alongside its sharp claws and teeth and the very exterior, tone, and look of the Pokemon showed it truly had been put through slavery over the years.
"Our mayor's going to handle it!" a voice said from the crowd as everyone got a tad more calm from Drayden's presence. The little girl stared in anticipation of what would happen next.
"Laaaannnd!" the Pokemon barked as it charged in with its body glowing a purple and orange aura, truly intent on not just injuring but possibly killing Drayden and his Dragon-type.
"You've caused quite a lot of chaos, there's no point in showing any mercy. Haxorus, Dragon Claw!" The Pokemon in no time quickly delivered a violent bluish slash to the canine Pokemon as it hit the dirt, slightly bloody, silent. Everyone clapped in respect of Drayden and his Haxorus, Drayden calmly took out a Poke Ball dropping it onto the Stoutland's unconscious body.
Oog. Oog. Ogg. Bing, a small spring of sparkles emitted from the sphere. Drayden breathed a sigh of relief as the Pokemon was secured in the Poke ball.
"Does anyone know whom is responsible for this?!" Drayden boomed.
"'Scuse me, scuse me. Pardon me!" a teenage woman attempted to muscle her way through the crowd. "It's mine! Sir, please! I'm sorry," she said as tears ran down her face.
"Do you not realize that violent Pokemon should be kept in their Poke Balls? Your irresponsible behavior endangered the lives of many people today," Drayden lectured.
"Please sir, I'm sorry," the young woman pleaded once again with the Spartan Mayor. "Let me explain myself, Stoutland got away while I was training him! I just got him from my father as a gift!" she said hoping to win the Dragon specialist over."He really means a lot to me," she said with a crack in her voice as snot began to bubble from her nose slightly.
"If you don't have full control of it, keep it in a Poke Ball," he said bluntly to the young woman as he handed her the Pokeball. "You have no more excuses," he gave her the Poke Ball not in the mood to deal with any whiny teenagers.
"Thank you for understanding," she said as she walked away with the newly caught Stoutland, the large crowd slowly dispersed.
Who the hell gives a mere child such a strong and evolved Pokemon? he thought to himself as he walked away back into his gym. Sometimes I wonder how kids these days could be so reckless. If these are the future of Opelucid, what does that mean for my gym?
Yes, these were the typical days of Drayden. Keeping peace within Opelucid City, the city he thought of as a gem itself. He truly cared for the city and the people with in it, he could be blunt at times but he continued to work toward a better future for the city. But, he always had the thought of what would happen to his Pokemon Gym at the back of his head, what would happen when he had to retire? Who would take helm of the gym and in turn challenge the trainers of the future as well as the trainers of the day. Drayden was no where near ready to retire certainly, but this is the type of thing he always thought about. Is there one trainer or child who could show Drayden the bright future of Opelucid and Unova?
"That was so scary, Druddigon," a young female voice said vibrantly. "I didn't think I could move at all. I'm so thankful that man saved me though," she said smiling joyfully as the wind swept through her long purple locks, and bright eyes looked toward the sky. The tree's bark didn't bother her as the leaves provided a nice cushion for her, the forest was her hangout in a way, she had gotten used to the feel of it.
"Druddi?" the Pokemon answered back.
"Yeah and he had a really cute and strong Dragon Pokemon, just like you," she said blissfully. "I wish we could have met it," she said as her and the Pokemon looked toward the sky and the future.


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It's very nearly Thanksgiving, which means it might be a smidge early to talk about Christmas music, but this new album from Elizabeth Mitchell isn't teeming with your typical "Jingle Bells" repetition. It's a wonderful collection of holiday music performed with Mitchell's signature sparseness. Acoustic instruments, hand claps, and a community of skilled singers is always at…Continue
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Missouri may be fly-over country for folks on the coasts, but while we're all flying high in our planes, down on the ground, Kansas City boasts a remarkable music scene. It's been home to outlaw country band the Wilders for years, with their raucous attack at music which straddles a line between bluegrass and old-school honky tonk music. If you've ever caught the Wilders live,…Continue
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Portland-based singer-songwriter Ashleigh Flynn has been earning her way up the folk/roots/Americana totem pole for years, playing her heart out in cities around the country. Like many on the Portland scene, Flynn seems to pull from a bottomless source of inspiration - including bluegrass, country, and folk, but also indie rock and other styles - to fashion songs which are as heartfelt as they are both fun and…Continue
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subset: commoncrawl


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Credit: © AMNH/ R. Mickens
The first scientists who encountered the odd-looking platypus believed someone had sewn together the body of a beaver with a duck's bill as a joke. The animal appears to be an unlikely mix of the bill and webbed feet of a duck, a beaver-like tail and the fur of an otter. They are also one of the very few mammals to lay eggs.
Platypuses are amphibians native to freshwater lakes and streams in Eastern Australia and Tasmania. Males average 20 in (50 cm) and females are about 17 in (45 cm) long. Males are also very venomous having a spur on their hind foot that, when released, can kill a medium-sized dog and severely incapacitate a human.
These animals can swim well in water and are carnivorous bottom-feeders scooping up small crustaceans, larvae and worms from the floor. A platypus will store the food it scoops up in cheek pouches to consume on land. They do not have teeth, using bits of gravel to help crush their food.
Other facts about platypus
The platypus stores fat in its tail to help it survive when food is limited.
When on land, their webbing retracts and the claws are more pronounced. They walk awkwardly on their knuckles to protect the webbing.
Platypuses live in burrows they dig near the water's edge. Burrows can be very complex and up to 100 feet long.
A baby platypus is very small and helpless. They stay inside the burrow for nearly four months before they learn to swim.
Platypuses spend nearly 17 hours a day resting in their burrows.
A platypus bill is flexible and feels rubbery to the touch.
Platypuses have two layers of dense, thick fur that helps them stay warm underwater. Until the 1900s, the animals were often hunted for their fur.
When swimming, the platypus shuts its eyes and ears. They usually remain about two minutes underwater before they come up for air.
Platypuses are mainly active at night, using their electroreceptors on their sensitive bills to navigate. They also use the bills to turn up soil for food.
Other resources:
Australian Wildlife Rescue Magazine - Platypus
National Geographic - Platypus
Australian Museum of History - Platypus


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Two years ago when Chuck and Toni Johnson first met Tessa Effland, Chuck thought the personal trainer was annoying.
"She was this 'Peppy Polly,' bouncing around and talking about running," Johnson said. "I thought she was crazy and wanted nothing to do with her."
At the time, the Johnsons were at an informational meeting for a 2011 Capital City Half Marathon training group. Toni wanted to run. Chuck didn't. Tessa wanted to introduce them both to a healthier lifestyle.
Chuck, a retired Army infantryman, wanted to support his wife so he agreed to walk five miles of the 13.1-mile race and train in the group. He had no intention of listening to Effland.
For the first five weeks of training when Effland talked, Johnson, 46, put in his headphones.
Almost two years later, Chuck and Toni are among a growing crowd of Thurston County residents crediting Effland for changing their lives at her Fit Life Studio.
Effland started Fit Life 2.5 years ago in her 500-square-foot garage. Today she has nearly 500 members training with her in a 3,000-square-foot, two-story building on Tumwater Hill.
She won over Chuck five weeks into the 12-week running program. The workout was an 8-mile run and Chuck and Toni decided to walk. Chuck finished well before Toni, but after almost everybody else and noticed Effland waiting at the finish.
As they waited for Toni, Chuck and Effland had their first conversation. They talked about fitness and nutrition and, Effland said, "being healthy from the inside out."
It was then that Chuck's perception of Effland flipped.
"That's when I realized she was not the devil," Johnson said. "Not only was she pretty cool, but she knew what she was talking about. That's when I decided I was going to start listening to her and she motivated me to start doing more."
Chuck and Toni didn't end up walking the Capital City Half Marathon in 2011. They ran. They entered an 18.6-mile trail run a few months later. They entered mud runs and set a goal to run a marathon.
The name of Effland's studio seems to sum up her approach to fitness. Her goal isn't simply to help people drop a few pounds or slip into a smaller dress. She wants to help them live fit lives.
Her classes rarely use traditional exercise equipment. Instead it uses TRX suspension straps, kettle bells and circuit training.
"I'm very passionate about muscle confusion," Effland said.
In addition to the workouts, Effland, stresses nutrition. She shows her clients how to read labels, eat healthy and cut back on sugar and sodium.
It's hardly revolutionary. As Effland says, "It's stuff you can read in books, but nobody seems to be reading them."
She tells her clients to pay close attention to the lab work they get from their doctors. "That's your life clock," she said. "When the lab work comes back really good, that's more time on your life clock."
Despite having an exercise science degree from Western Washington University, Effland never thought of becoming a trainer. She coached soccer at Olympia and Capital high schools and basketball at Saint Martin's University.
"And I was just passionate about working out," she said.
Then one day while working out in a Thurston County gym, one of the participants mentioned she looked like a trainer. The comment sparked the idea that has grown into Fit Life.
As her studio has grown, Effland has hired three people to assist her and allow her to practice what she preaches: "a balanced life."
Even as her client base grows, Effland says she remains passionate about helping each client find success.
On her website, effland.wix.com/FitLifeStudio, she lists life coach among her titles. She and her staff meet with clients and try helping them identify patterns in their lives they need to break out of in order to be healthy.
"It's my job to believe in them until they believe in themselves," Effland said.
When clients miss sessions she notices. In fact, she calls them with dates and times for makeup workouts. Sometimes she even meets them for a workout.
"I've met people for some pretty intense workouts," she said. "Intense enough that they decide they'd rather be back at the studio."
Chuck says Effland has helped him and Toni "re-pattern" their lives. When they met Effland, Toni weighed 30 pounds more than she wanted and Chuck had gained 50 pounds after five years without exercise.
"I'd let my self go so far south I was in Antarctica," Chuck said. "She helped turn things around."
On Oct. 27, Chuck and Toni ran the Marine Corps Marathon in Washington D.C., something they once never dreamed they could do.
"Tessa motivated us without even realizing she was motivating us," Chuck said. "She is amazing."Craig Hill's fitness column runs Sundays. Submit questions and comments via firstname.lastname@example.com and twitter.com/AdventureGuys. Also get more fitness coverage at blog.thenewstribune.com/adventure and thenewstribune.com/fitness.


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View the article online at http://citywire.co.uk/new-model-adviser/article/a637461
DWP: complex pensions put public off planning for retirement
by Alex Steger on Nov 27, 2012 at 08:03
Pensions are too complex with the majority of the public unconfident about saving for retirement, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has found.
The DWP's Attitudes to Pension survey 2012, which canvassed the views of 1,949 adults in the UK, showed knowledge of pensions and understanding of state pension rules had reduced since the last survey in 2009.
The research found that 60% of the public did not feel they knew enough about pensions to confidently decide how to save for retirement.
There was confusion over the state pension and particularly the state pension age with 60% of women expecting to reach the state retirement age sooner than they will, 38% of men also thought they would receive their state pension sooner than they will.
One in four men also thought they would not receive their state pension until they were 70 or 75.
The government acknowledged that rapid reform of pension rules was to blame for the public's declining understanding.
It said: 'Collectively self-assessed knowledge of pensions as a whole and state pension issues had reduced, which may be related to the ongoing and relatively rapid changes in pension policy.'
Pensions minister Steve Webb told the Daily Telegraph: 'Too many people are put off saving for their old age by a pensions system which is too complex and too few know clearly what they will get when they retire.'
25 comments so far. Why not have your say?
Nov 27, 2012 at 08:21
Strange analysis
Pensions are not trusted as they have consistently failed to live up to the promises. As long term plans they have suffered from short term political raids by the treasury
The greatest failures have been in state sponsored arrangements The state should keep out of areas where they have no demonstrable skills and they might copy Australia on ones that work (oops they just did that)report this
Nov 27, 2012 at 08:26
"Pensions minister Steve Webb told the Daily Telegraph: 'Too many people are put off saving for their old age by a pensions system which is too complex and too few know clearly what they will get when they retire.'"
And he never knew pensions before Simplification!!report this
Nov 27, 2012 at 08:28
I actually find the 60% confidence stat scary.report this
Nov 27, 2012 at 08:31
On what planet has Mr.Webb been living that he feels this to be a revelation? The fact is that pensions have suffered from decades of interference by all political parties and it is no wonder that consumers lose trust that the Government of the day will ever keep promises made by its predecessorsreport this
Nov 27, 2012 at 08:35
For the vast majority of consumers, pensions are not too complex, they are just perceived to be unaffordable! And this will continue for as long as people believe that the state will support them in retirement.
Unless you are a person looking to maximise contributions, where limit are a consideration, the majority of people only need to know that they get something of the taxman for every contribution they make and they will get a cash lump sum and income for life when they retire, simple!report this
Nov 27, 2012 at 08:36
I don't believe a survey of less than 2000 people is conclusive evidence; this 'research' is flimsy to say the least. I have dealt with pensions since 1974, and my experience leads me to a different conclusion; successive Governments have meddled with pensions legislation constantly in an attempt to curtail tax benefits and raid pension funds.I would rank Gordon Brown's raid on dividend tax reclaims, for example, right up there with Captain Bob's raid on the MGN pension fund. Because the goalposts are always moving, no wonder people don't understand pensions, let alone trust the Government not to steal their savings.report this
Nov 27, 2012 at 08:40
Put financial education on the school curricilum from an early age and actually TEACH people about financial matters. If parents and employers don't understand it how you can you expect the next generation to? Granted, there is a lack of desire and/or awareness to seek advice but how much of that is caused by a lack of basic understanding? The supposedly brightest students all go off to university with no concept of managing money and then spend a decade paying off debt which could be prevented. This could then spent boosting the economy as they may actually have enough spare income to spend on the high street or even......... save for their retirement!!!report this
Nov 27, 2012 at 08:49
So only one in four men were able to answer the question about when they will get their pension correctly, then. I cant see I'll get mine before 70, and if the DWP say otherwise, they are the ones who are wrong!report this
Nov 27, 2012 at 09:17
The man in the pub still thinks £30 per month will get them £18K p.a. when they retire. And when they realise it won't the man in the pub is rightfully upset. Pensions are not intrinsically complicated. The information that circulates needs to be revised. "Your pension should be worth the same as your house". In language that the man in the pub understands, (but does not like hearing).report this
Nov 27, 2012 at 09:24
Phe government have a responsibility to educate people in financial matters. Why don't they start public information films with shock tactics showing the massive reduction in income someone will face on state pension only. People use all sorts of bury your head in the sand excuses not to start a saving in a pension. Why is it compulsory to pay NI towards a state pension. Yet you can opt out of the NEST or an equivalent. Politicians are not advisers and meddle at the edges with ultimately the major concern being their political future .
Look at the cock up with drawdown income levels. Why can't they just do things quickly and in the same timescale as a business would do.
If the want to make pensions more attractive then allow tax free cash life events.
10% TFC when you buy your first property.
Same at first child.
Same when any child goes to university.
This would engage people at a younger age and get past the lack of long term planning.report this
Nov 27, 2012 at 09:24
Philip's right - I know mine has changed but haven't really bothered to work it out as its a safe bet it'll change again so I'm not worried just yet. Reasonable assumption it will be after 70 for me so I'll take more interest as, if and when I reach age 60.
The reality is for much of the public, as it stands, is that the State will not let you starve. You may not have much of an existence, but they won't let you starve.
Once again the Govt have stopped just short for me with NEST, saving should be compulsory IMO, that is the only way, and I believe it eventually will do. I have some sympathy for the generations who have to pay for today's retired through NI (originally intended to provide for your own retirement, afterwards you at least had SERPS) and also save for their own. if this eventually washes through it would be much easier to merge NI & income tax which has needed doing for years.report this
Nov 27, 2012 at 09:31
The mendacity of politicians never ceases to disgust me. Your party, Mr Webb, is supposedly in coalition with the Conservatives who promised in their pre-election manifesto to undo all the layers of needless and damaging complexity introduced by successive governments over the past 25 years, a promise about which they've precisely done NOTHING since taking office. In fact, they've only made things even worse by cutting both the LTA and the annual input allowance. Why aren't you calling on your government to honour its promise? Talking about the problem of unnecessary complexity but not actually doing anything about it is just pretending to be concerned.
And what about the even greater deterrent ~ the annuity rates trap ~ that you never mention? People may never have understood the ins and outs of pension planning, but what they DO understand is that being forced when they retire to part with 75% of their fund in return for a tax-assessable, non-increasing income of less than 5% p.a. is a CRAPPY deal. Their parents are telling them so. And you and your government are making not the slightest attempt to do anything about it, instead pressing ahead with forcing people to participate in a patently broken system by way of auto-enrolment workplace retirement savings schemes.
On top of that, we hear ignorant and blinkered people like Mick McAteer proclaiming that the root of all these problems is excessive charges. If the system was simpler, then perhaps the costs of advice could come down a bit.
These people need their heads knocked together.report this
Nov 27, 2012 at 09:35
Somebody said it above. Personal Finance needs to be a subject taught in school.
I had dinner with a teacher the other night and we had quite a lengthy discussion in DB vs DC schemes and the concept of public sector 'job for life' vs private sector perks.
By the end of the meal we both agreed that even that 15 minute conversation would have been infinitely more useful to both of us in deciding our careers after school than faffing around with humorous interview technique role plays.report this
Nov 27, 2012 at 09:39
People not knowing enough about pensions is not really the reason for pension apathy is it? I don't know much about medicine, but I still go to the doctor when I'm poorly,...
Pensions, like protection have to be sold, and that's why we have financial advisers, who luckily are incentivised to go out there and sell a pension, and as the consumer doesn't have to pay up front for the advice, they happily go ahead with the purchase,....
Oh wait, sorry,...report this
Nov 27, 2012 at 09:48
This picture of Steve Webb is getting a lot of use - I hope he owns the copyright!
The trouble with pensions is that nobody knows what to do. When you are expected to save for decades you must know at what age and which tax rates you can withdraw the money.
I think the ISA should now replace the pension with perhaps some matched funding or tax relief. Alternatively, as I have suggested previously, Steve Webb should look at the US 401k plans.report this
Nov 27, 2012 at 09:55
"................ the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has found. "
Doing very well paid research for the DWP must be like stealing from the blind. Everyone else could see this years ago,report this
Nov 27, 2012 at 10:08
Here we go again. Almost every contributer is ignoring the glaring truth.
The vast majority of the working population who are not high networth can not afford to put much if anything into a pension plan after paying off student loans, buying or renting a house, buying a car, bringing up children etc. etc. They have very little disposable income, are receiving little or no pay rises, redundancy, minimal hours work contracts, jobs being outsourced, working tax credits abolished, and inflation is higher than either of the official figures. Working life for the vast majority of the current generation of working age people has become hideous, that is unless you are above a certain level in the organisation you work for, are a career politician, a high profile sports person, a so called media celeb or you can get in at the top of a Quango like the FSA or MAS..report this
Nov 27, 2012 at 10:14
The debate above shows clearly why the public don't trust pensions as there are many inaccurate comments, politicised rants as well as some pedalling of unhelpful myths.
The surplus legislation introduced by Nigel Lawson was probably the start of the rot allowing companies to remove large amounts from well funded schemes by contribution holidays etc. This was compounded by the removal of ACT relief on dividends started by the Tories and finished by Gordon Brown.
Politicians are also culpable for not addressing longevity at a much earlier stage.
The Maxwell scandal in my view is largely a smoke screen. The great and the good got together and produced some pretty useless legislation which increase costs but did nothing that would have stopped Maxwell's criminality.
We have to remember that the Governments focus is to ensure that the entire population has sufficient income in retirement. Restrictions in the LTA and AA will have very little impact on Mr Average who is probably aiming to retire on an income of around £20k requiring a fund of around £533k. So don't be surprised if the LTA And AA reduce further.
As for Drawdown the combination of the new rules and QE have resulted in some unfortunate consequences perhaps we should be using Gilt yields!
Pensions are in fact relatively simple during your working life you save during retirement you spend those savings.
The problem is uncertainty, how long will I survive in retirement what will future economic conditions be?
While there are many arguments for and against annuities at least the give certainty at a time when it is most needed. A point that should never be overlooked. Drawdown is more remunerative for advisers but is it in the client's best interest?report this
Nov 27, 2012 at 10:44
"The research found that 60% of the public did not feel they knew enough about pensions to confidently decide how to save for retirement."
Oh joy - let's go round that old loop again.And after that the great and the good can pontificate on yet another new and innovative solution so the politico's can be seen to be "doing" something.report this
Nov 27, 2012 at 10:57
All valid comments.
I have always been amused by how the politicians tinker with and steal from pension provision (Mr Brown's 10% heist being one); it's always someone else's fault, and then they spend a fortune on some survey or other in order to evidence the blindingly obvious.
The essential problem is huge overspending on an ever more rapacious state. And that's our fault as a society right across the western world - we want ever increasing standards of living that we can't afford, and the politicians continue add-infinitum to grant it on the altar of getting themselves into power; we get the politicians we deserve, I'm afraid.
In Britain, we have perhaps more than any other country been guilty of using housing as an investment vehicle - and mostly, that has proved very successful for generations since the war, with incredible gains being realised in the main, whilst private pensions have languished very much as an also ran by comparison, is it any wonder people haven't bought into pensions?
But hang on; as we've seen housing become increasingly unaffordable, with an ever larger slice of income needed to fund mortgage repayments for the many, we have millions now left financialy on the ragged edge.
But if we stand back and take on the broader perspective, has this approach actually served our society well in reality? Large numbers of baby boomers would say, yes, but the gravy train has now stopped, and as a society, we have condemmed future generations to reap what we have sown.
So, what's the answer? If we want to maintain the status quo, there isn't one. But if w'ere prepared to bite the bullet, then we need to move to compulsion on retirementy saving.
When people start work, there should be 9% of income paid between employer and employee if starting at 16, 10% at 18, 11.5% at 21 and 12.5% at 23 and that rate should then continue for your working life. End of. House prices would start to fall (boo hiss!), making them gradually more affordable and other pricing efficiencies would also come into play duer to competition. Essentially, if we're all re-educated to the understanding that we simply have to pay our own wages in retirement first, then we will have a more stable, healthy and wealthy society in the future. There will be pain and it will take time, but the bare facts are there - we need a heavily simplified and radical re-think on retirement planning - and the brevity to follow it through.
I'll put my soap-box away now.report this
Nov 27, 2012 at 13:17
Pensions are perceived as complex partly because of the reams of paper we have to give people.
Finding any useful information is nigh on impossible and there is so much negativity in all the warnings that it would put off all but the most determined.
There should be education and it should be drummed into people that they should start saving into their pension plan as soon as they leave full time education.
I still grimace at the way Stakeholder was introduced and all but destroyed the pensions industry almost at a stroke because the survey told the powers that be that people didn't save because 'it cost too much' and some idiot decided this meant that charges were too high. AAAAAAAHHHHHHGGGGGreport this
Nov 27, 2012 at 13:33
Right on Jonathan!report this
Nov 27, 2012 at 13:48
Still leading the idiots' charge is Mick McAteer who, almost certainly, has never actually advised anyone on retirement funding or even bothered to find out just what's involved from those of us who do.
I for one have never met anyone who's been deterred from committing money to a pension plan because of charges. Back in the bad old days, a few may have grumbled about Capital Units, index-linked policy charges and early retirement penalties but none ever declared such factors to be ultimate deterrents. Both tax relief and annuity rates used to be significantly higher than they are now and pension funds were allowed to grow totally tax free.
It's ill-informed loudmouths such as McAteer, sounding off from behind the phoney respectability of a lectern, who almost certainly do a good deal more damage than good. If he had anything useful or constructive to contribute to the debate, he'd be talking about excessive complexity, the withdrawal of attractive supplements such as Contributions Insurance and Life Cover and the annuity trap. But, like some blinkered one-issue bull in a china shop, he's got hold of the idea that all the afflictions of the pensions industry stem from high charges and by golly, that's what he's going to shout from the rooftops, even if it means pulling down his trousers to do so.report this
Nov 27, 2012 at 19:55
That's the problem Ian Wells, my mate was slagging pensions off and said he'd wasted shedloads of money on them.
Anyway, I got authority on the policy and found that he started contributing in 1989 at £20 a month for 3 years and hasn't contributed since. His personal contributions are about £800 in his entire lifetime.
He then started investing in property and has accumulated several hundred thousand pounds worth of property that has cost him several hundred thousand pounds in mortgage payments, council taxes, repairs, decoration,furniture, refinancing packages and credit card accumulation when he couldn't get mortgages but for some strange reason believes he has made a massive profit.
He has all these assets and can barely get a round in in the boozer.
He can't sell the properties and hasn't had an offer on any of them and still wont believe it when I tell him that HMRC will tax the knackers off him on sale because none of these properties have ever been his own personal residence.
I shouldn't laugh, but I am going to.report this
Nov 29, 2012 at 10:00
JB. There's one in every pub!report this
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Kenneth N. Rawls, 43, Kokomo, died Saturday, May 4, 2013, from injuries sustained in a motorcycle accident. He was born July 16, 1969, in Kokomo, the son of Estle Scott and Evelyn (Winburn) Rawls. He was employed as a roofer.
Kenneth is survived by his mother, Evelyn, Kokomo; a son, Gary Rawls, Tennessee; a stepdaughter, Ashley Eller, Tennessee; a half brother, Micah Rawls, Kokomo; a sister, Debbie Chastain, Tennessee; two half sisters, Amber Rawls, Florida, and Sarah Rawls of Tennessee. He is also survived by two stepgrandchildren. Kenneth was preceded in death by his father, Estle Scott Rawls; a grandmother; and a brother, Scotty Rawls.
Funeral services will begin at 7 p.m. Thursday at Stout & Son Funeral Home, Russiaville Chapel, 200 E. Main St. Russiaville, with Pastor Mike Ennis officiating. Friends may call on the family from 5 p.m. until service time. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the family in care of Stout & Son Funeral Home to help with final expenses. Online condolences may be directed to www.stoutandson.com.
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The Town of Milton will be collecting yard waste the week of October 22 through October 26.
Questions about the pickup can be directed to the DPW Trash Line at 617-898-4900.
Below are some simple guidelines from the Milton DPW.
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- Leaf bags may be purchased at your local hardware and lawn care centers.
- Branches should be less than 4 inches in diameter.
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BRADENTON -- When anger drives a teen to put their finger on the trigger of a gun, they often feel there is no other option for venting their anger.
But 50 pastors and religious leaders meeting Monday at the Courtyard Marriott say they want to provide another option.
Pops Club, a group of men and women mentors willing to have their phone numbers printed on cards that would be handed out on the streets, is being formed, said The Rev. Cory Brinson of Spiritual House of Praise, which hosted the two-hour conference.
Mentors would have no names other than Pops, Brinson added.
A youth in trouble could call his Pops anytime, day or night, about a situation that seems to call for bullets, Brinson said.
I really think it will work, he said. We have an epidemic on our hands. We have to take action.
Pops Club comes 10 days after the worst mass shooting in Manatee County history, an attack at Club Elite in Palmetto that left two dead and 22 wounded.
Although an investigation into the shooting is continuing, there were no arrests Monday, said Lt. Scott Tyler of the Palmetto Police Department.
If word got out that one child avoided gun violence by making that call, others would want the card, Brinson said.
Cory Brinsons father, Elmore Brinson, 64, who has been a Manatee County Area Transit bus driver for 29 years, volunteered as the first Pops during Mondays conference.
The elder Brinson, who hopes more county men follow his lead, suggested the cards include the sentences: Where you at? and Im on the way. which will also be the first two things that Pops will be instructed to answer when his or her phone rings, Cory Brinson said.
I think that is what a child would want to hear most from Pops, Cory Brinson said.
Where you at? is a phrase that kids understand has more than one meaning, said Nadia Tina Harvey, a parent-student liaison at King Middle School.
The kids who commit these crimes are angry, Harvey added. They do not know any other way to get rid of that anger than to hurt someone. They have not been trained that you can talk to someone and resolve a conflict peacefully.
I think the idea is great, said Monique Hines, whose husband, Yantee Hines, is a youth pastor. This will offer kids something positive they can call upon.
Besides the Pops Club, the pastors decided that more prayer is needed everyday for children, families and law enforcement, Brinson said.
Anyone interested in being a Pops for at-risk youth is asked to call Elmore Brinson at (941) 722-9297.


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Summary | Excerpt | Reading Guide | Reviews | Beyond the book | Readalikes | Genres & Themes | Author Bio
Introducing a major literary talent, The White Tiger offers a story of coruscating wit, blistering suspense, and questionable morality, told by the most volatile, captivating, and utterly inimitable narrator that this millennium has yet seen.
Balram Halwai is a complicated man. Servant. Philosopher. Entrepreneur. Murderer. Over the course of seven nights, by the scattered light of a preposterous chandelier, Balram tells us the terrible and transfixing story of how he came to be a success in life -- having nothing but his own wits to help him along.
Born in the dark heart of India, Balram gets a break when he is hired as a driver for his village's wealthiest man, two house Pomeranians (Puddles and Cuddles), and the rich man's (very unlucky) son. From behind the wheel of their Honda City car, Balram's new world is a revelation. While his peers flip through the pages of Murder Weekly ("Love -- Rape -- Revenge!"), barter for girls, drink liquor (Thunderbolt), and perpetuate the Great Rooster Coop of Indian society, Balram watches his employers bribe foreign ministers for tax breaks, barter for girls, drink liquor (single-malt whiskey), and play their own role in the Rooster Coop. Balram learns how to siphon gas, deal with corrupt mechanics, and refill and resell Johnnie Walker Black Label bottles (all but one). He also finds a way out of the Coop that no one else inside it can perceive.
Balram's eyes penetrate India as few outsiders can: the cockroaches and the call centers; the prostitutes and the worshippers; the ancient and Internet cultures; the water buffalo and, trapped in so many kinds of cages that escape is (almost) impossible, the white tiger. And with a charisma as undeniable as it is unexpected, Balram teaches us that religion doesn't create virtue, and money doesn't solve every problem -- but decency can still be found in a corrupt world, and you can get what you want out of life if you eavesdrop on the right conversations.
Sold in sixteen countries around the world, The White Tiger recalls The Death of Vishnu and Bangkok 8 in ambition, scope, and narrative genius, with a mischief and personality all its own. Amoral, irreverent, deeply endearing, and utterly contemporary, this novel is an international publishing sensation -- and a startling, provocative debut.
The First Night
For the Desk of:
His Excellency Wen Jiabao
The Premier's Office
Capital of the Freedom-loving Nation of China
From the Desk of:
"The White Tiger"
A Thinking Man
And an Entrepreneur
Living in the world's center of Technology and Outsourcing
Electronics City Phase 1 (just off Hosur Main Road)
Bangalore, India
Mr. Premier,
Neither you nor I speak English, but there are some things that can be said only in English.
My ex-employer the late Mr. Ashok's ex-wife, Pinky Madam, taught me one of these things; and at 11:32 p.m. today, which was about ten minutes ago, when the lady on All India Radio announced, "Premier Jiabao is coming to Bangalore next week," I said that thing at once.
In fact, each time when great men like you visit our country I say it. Not that I have anything against great men. In my way, sir, I consider myself one of your kind. But whenever I see our prime minister and his ...
Adiga's novel is hilarious and impolite, a fabulous counterpoint to some of the beautiful, lyrical Indian novels that have surfaced in the past decade. Adiga does not sugarcoat Balram's view of India, and the result is a true, unique view of a country we may have thought we understood.
(Reviewed by Sarah Sacha Dollacker).
Full Review (1462 words).
The Caste System
Without his violent act, Balram Halwai would have had trouble accessing upward social mobility because of the strict caste system in India. Many Westerners believe, because India is officially a democracy and the Indian constitution of 1949 banned it, that the caste system is a thing of the past, but in many aspects of Indian society, it is alive and well.
There are four castes or varnas:
Below these main castes, and traditionally excluded from larger society, is the group formerly called the Untouchables, now ...
If you liked The White Tiger, try these:
Profane, piercingly honest, and scathingly funny, Animal's People is the stunning tale of an unforgettable character: Animal, a young man whose back was twisted beyond repair in an industrial accident. It is a dark world, shot through with flashes of joy and lunacy.
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Yamaha, the Japanese manufacturer, began producing motorcycles in 1955, starting with small-displacement bikes and then a developing a strong line of powerful competition bikes. In 1994, Yamaha established the Star brand, a line of cruisers, specifically for the U.S. market. The Road Star cruisers were introduced in 2004; in 2007 the company made the Road Star and the Road Star Silverado, which also came in all-black versions, Road Star Midnight and Midnight Silverado. All were design carryovers.
Powered by air-cooled, 1854cc, 48-degree V-twin engines with an overhead cam and pushrod-activated valves, all of the Road Star models have Mikuni carburetors. Ignition is electric. The five-speed manual transmission, with overdrive, has a belt final drive. A heel-toe shifter is standard. An adjustable preload telescopic fork with 5.5 inches of travel provides the front suspension; the rear suspension is a twin-sided swing arm. The front brake is an 11.7-inch dual disc; the rear brake is a 12.6-inch disc.
These are big cruisers. The Road Star weighs 688 pounds dry, and the Silverado tops 721 pounds, with a wheelbase of 66.5 inches. The bikes are about eight feet long, with a turning radius of 10.5 feet. The two-piece seat on all models is a low 28 inches, with the upright rider position typical of cruisers. The instrumentation covers the basics plus a few extras: speedometer, odometer, clock, fuel gauge, and tachometer. Yamaha doesn't provide an estimate of gas mileage; the tank holds 4.5 gallons.
It comes with lockable under-seat storage, but a wide variety of saddlebags and tank bags are available, along with a huge selection of accessories to customize the bike and add bling. Yamahas are well known for being reliable, durable machines, and the Road Star offers great cruiser style, the latest technology, and a smooth ride as well.


text:
By Jean Cole
A Cullman man charged with capital murder in the Sept. 29 shooting death of 26-year-old Brandon Hydrick of Athens has pleaded not guilty to the charge.
Joel Moyers, 52, appeared in court Tuesday with his attorneys, Dan Totten and Lucas Batey of Athens. However, Moyers did not speak during the proceeding.
Circuit Judge James Woodroof Jr. granted the defense more time to file additional motions and set a hearing for Feb. 19 on those motions. They needed more time, in part, while waiting for Limestone County District Attorney Brian Jones and Chief Deputy District Attorney Jim Ayers to decide whether to seek the death penalty in the case. The only other option in a capital murder case is life without chance of parole.
The decision by the DA's office will influence the defense's strategy, Jones told The News Courier after the hearing.
"They are trying to decide whether to have their client plead not guilty due to reason of mental defect," he said, adding that the prosecutors will decide whether to seek the death penalty after studying the evidence and the statute.
In the meantime, Moyers remains held without bail in the Limestone County Jail. He had been free on bail following his arrest. After a Limestone County grand jury upgraded his charge from murder to capital murder, which is murder in the commission of another felony, a judge denied him bail.
On the night of the shooting, Moyers told investigators he fired a warning shot after seeing a truck on Fennel Lane occupied by brothers Brandon and Ryan Hydrick, who had been at a nighttime outing and marshmallow roast with friends and got lost on the way home. Moyers, who was staying in a mobile home owned by his mother on Fennel Road, told officers he believed the Hydricks were would-be thieves. Investigators said Moyers fired into the tail of the truck not into the ground or into the air as he initially claimed.


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CORBIN — By John L. Ross / Staff Writer
The husband and wife team dubbed the "Bad Hair Bandit" was sentenced in federal court today. Judge Gregory Van Tatenhove sentenced Jason Fox to a 20-year sentence. His wife, Tasha Fox, received a 10-year sentence. Both Foxes are responsible for more than $80,000 in restitution.
For more on this story, see Friday's edition of the Times-Tribune.


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|Head Coach
In seven seasons at UMass Dartmouth, Head Coach Nicole (Castonguay) Maher has taken the Corsairs where they have never gone before. With six appearances in the Little East Conference post-season tournament, three Little East Conference championshipx and three NCAA Division III Championships appearances in the last four years, the Corsairs are looking to continue moving upward, and join the group of elite programs that annually contend for championship honors.
Last year, the Corsairs went 17-6, tying their record for most victories in a season and moved within five wins of giving Castonguay 100 victories during her career at UMass Dartmouth. The Corsairs have advanced tio post-season play in six of Maher's seven seasons.
In her first year, UMass Dartmouth posted 17 victories, the most in school history, while making their second consecutive LEC Tournament appearance. Two years later, UMD advanced to the semi-finals of the LEC Tournament. In 2009, the Corsairs took the next step, scoring the game-winning goal in sudden death overtime to defeat Keene State for the LEC title and advance to face Middlebury in the NCAAs. And in two of the past three seasons, UMD hosted and won all three of their games in the LEC Championships, advancing to the NCAA playoffs
Numerous times, Maher has been recognized by her peers. She hqs been named Little East Coach of the Year five times, including last season.
Team and individual success have gone hand in hand during Maher's tenure. In her first season, four Corsairs earned All-Conference honors, including the Offensive Player of the Year, Robin Dziedzic. Two Corsairs were honored the following season, and four more the following year, including Offensive Player of the Year Stephanie Kinchla. Three years ago, seven players earned LEC accolades, including Rookie of the Year Eleanor Taylor. In 2010, seven players were honored. Taylor was chosen LEC Offensive Player of the Year, while Becca Festinger participated in the National Field Hockey Coaches Association Division III Senior Game, which invited the top 38 seniors in the nation. Two seasons ago, five players earned All-Conference honors, while last year, eight players were honored. Taryn Cardiel was named Defensive Player of the Year, and Cory Connolly was named Rookie of the Year.
Regional and national honors have also been plentiful. After the 2012 season, Erica Allan and Taryn Cardiel received All-Region honors. Cory Connolly was named to the NCAA Division III All-Rookie Team, and Cardiel and Jenna Miedzionoski were chosen for the ECAC Division III new England All-Star Team.
In 2010, Festinger and Stephanie Kinchla were named New England Field Hockey Coaches Association West Region All-Stars, with Kinchla being honored for the third consecutive season. The Corsairs received a National Academic team Award from the NFHCA for having a team grade-point average above 3.00, while Festinger, Jacke Anderson, Kate Dorrance, Kellie Ann Finn and Michaela Johnston were named to the National Collegiate Academic Squad. Anderson was named second team Academic All-District as a member of the Capital One Copllege Sports Information Directors of America Academic At-Large Team. After the 2011 season, Eleanor Taylor and Taryn Cardiel received All-Region honors.
In 2010, Kinchla earned her second consecutive first team NEFHCA West Region All-Star honor. She was also named an Eastern College Athletic Conference Northeast Region first team All-Star. In 2008, Seana Golden was a first team NFHCA Region All-Star, and a third team All-American. In 2007, the Corsairs received a ZAG/NFHCA Division III National Academic Team Award, and in 2006, Dziedzic was a first team NFHCA Region All-Star, earned second team ECAC All-Star honors, and was a third team NFHCA All-American. Laurie David was named the Most Outstanding Player of the 2009 Little East Conference Tournament. In 2009, Jacke Anderson was named third team CoSIDA/ESPN the Magazine Academic All-District, and in 2008, Rebecca Stephens received second team Academic All-District honors.
A native of the South Coast, Maher was inducted into the Somerset (MA) High School Hall of Fame seven years ago in her first year of eligibility. She played field hockey at the University of Connecticut, where she enjoyed a stellar four-year career, capping it when she was named Big East Defensive Player of the Year and received All-America honors when her team went 23-1. A member of the All-Big East Team in both 1998 and in 1999, Maher also served as team captain in both seasons, and helped lead her team to three consecutive Big East championships as well as two consecutive trips to the NCAA Final Four. She holds the Big East records for most goals in a tournament game with three and most goals in a tournament with five. A 2000 graduate of Connecticut, she was a Big East Academic All-Star in each of her four seasons.
Maher began her collegiate coaching career as the head coach at Bridgewater State, leading the Bears to a 9-8 overall record and a 7-3 conference record in 2001. It marked Bridgewater's first finish above .500 in six seasons, and she was named Little East Conference Coach of the Year. She went on to Bryant, where she was an assistant coach for two seasons before joining the staff at UMass Dartmouth.


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Planning for a Stronger Alabama.
In response to the devastating tornadoes of April 2011, Alabama Governor Robert Bentley appointed 19 community, corporate and non-profit leaders from across the state to the Tornado Recovery Action Council of Alabama. The group conducted a comprehensive study of the storms and hosted seven community forums in devastated areas of the state. Research and citizen input was used to develop a report and 20 action-oriented recommendations to reduce damage and loss of life in future disasters.


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News Article
The success of Grimm seems to have aroused NBC's bloodlust. In addition to a second season of Grimm and series orders for Mockingbird Lane and Hannibal, the network has just put in an order for a 10-part Dracula miniseries.
Jonathan Rhys Meyers (The Tudors, Velvet Goldmine) stars as the eponymous vampire in a series that will be a US/UK co-production. According to Deadline.com, "Dracula arrives in London, posing as an American entrepreneur who maintains that he wants to bring modern science to Victorian society. In reality, he hopes to wreak revenge on the people who ruined his life centuries earlier but falls hopelessly in love with a woman who seems to be a reincarnation of his dead wife."
No airdate has been set, but my guess would be that Dracula won't see the light of day until the 2013-2014 TV season.


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It's winter once again and I find it tiresome that there are so many out-of-towners from Georgia, Arizona, Southern California, Texas and the like who are vacationing up here with rental cars and don't realize that you have to clean off the 2 to 6 inches of snow from your roof to avoid accidents in the great state of Mass!!
(adjusting glasses) ...oh wait....those are standard Massachusetts license plates...groan.
Neighbors, no one likes to clean the car off in the cold when you're on your way to get that 9 a.m. egg nog latte or you're late for work or you're trying to get to wherever you are going on a sunday morning. But please, if I have to avoid another minivan on the pike with snow flying off its roof, I'm gonna go CRAZY!
I already white-knuckled it from work Saturday night praying I wouldn't get into an accident from mother nature, not from my fellow drivers. Another online blog classifield these and other cars as having, "snow mohawks." Others I like to refer to them as having, "Shermans"...as in driving around in a Sherman tank, with snow cake on all round the vehicle, with just enough visability as peeking out of a visor slit.
The minivan with the snow flying off of it had escaped my middle finger when I passed it only because there were children in it. The (presumed) father was smiling away at the child in the back seat who was grabbing his headrest and they were having a grand old time with the father probably blissfully unaware of the snow machine on his roof. This begs the question: when you have kids, don't you want to avoid dodging snow drifts and chunks off of the roofs of the cars in front of you? So do other parents.
And please don't give me the "it's too high to get to"...if you can afford a nice $30,000+ SUV or van, then you can afford a 7 dollar telescopic snow broom/scraper...here, Ocean State is having a 25 percent off sale.
It's only December....we gotta more than a couple of months to go..stay safe people.


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With an enormous amount of filters, textures and useful editing tools, AFilter is a great option for iPhone photographers.
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Plaintiff says she reasonably expected privacy when she went to get her nose fixed. Instead, it was allegedly put online.
Accidentally deleted or formatted your camera's memory card? Restore and undelete all those photos with this tutorial for Mac or PC users.
Familiar with the Lytro camera that lets you refocus photos after they've been taken? Similar technology is coming to smartphones.
Long rumored as the Galaxy S5 Prime, the Samsung smartphone could debut within the coming weeks.
Mozilla and Facebook are joining forces in an unusual alliance to save bandwidth by reducing the size of image files on the Web.
Amazon's new visual recognition software lets you scan the things around you and gives you a list of actions to do next.
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A portrait of a bearded man has been revealed under an early blue period Picasso.
Something Wicket this way comes! Get an exclusive peek at illustrations from the third installment of Ian Doescher's best-selling Shakespeare "Star Wars" parody books.
A production photo of the chip announced last April reveals it's close to reality.


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I am pretty certain that there is nothing worse than losing your BBM contact list. Us BlackBerry addicts rely on it so much. Backing up your BlackBerry Messenger contacts is not something new, however I often see on Twitter and other places the frustration that some people have who manage to lose all their contacts for one reason or another. Many people back up all their information using the BlackBerry Desktop Software but I also know a lot of people that don't. If you were to damage your BlackBerry beyond repair and were lucky enough to get a replacement or new one straight away you can restore you BBM contacts within seconds if you know how.
You will see that you have a couple of options for backing up. You can do it locally, which will be to your device/MicroSD card, or remotely to an email address. Backing up to the memory card works just fine but if you lose your BlackBerry you will have lost the memory card too. The remote option is probably the safest bet as this will allow you restore your BBM contact list on a new BlackBerry as soon as you have that particular email account configured.
The process is so quick and easy that if you have not done it before chances are you will after seeing the video.
If you have any other 'How to videos' you would like us to cover please feel free to let us know in the comments section.
lengend Jul 14, 2012 at 3:22 pm
When I upgraded to the 9900 from my 9700 I didn't have to add anyone or anyone to accept my new pin. The old pin got switched for them automaticallly.
MaxPayne79 Jul 14, 2012 at 3:29 pm
if you do this too many times too quickly like say you're trying out various blackberries in the span of a month or so, you will eventually lose everything no matter which way u back it up. this happened to me twice so now everyone just texts me. it's much more reliable. and i find bbm completely irrelevant because of this and because of texting lol.
wxmancanada Jul 14, 2012 at 3:31 pm
This simply isn't true. I switch BlackBerrys every week or so, sometimes twice a week. I'm probably on my 80th PIN right now, same contact list. I back it up using the back up utility, and restore it on another device using BBM's "restore contacts" feature. Never once lost my contact list.
MaxPayne79 Jul 15, 2012 at 1:58 am
well it is true for me because I've lost it every time. backed it up two different way and it didn't help and thats why I've abandoned bbm because for me it's unreliable.
Rootbrian Jul 14, 2012 at 4:52 pm
And it works.
shabbs Jul 14, 2012 at 6:04 pm
Locally doesn't seem to do BBM Groups though, that only seems to come through via Remote Backup.
BB Adict Jul 14, 2012 at 9:36 pm
I am not even sure that backing up is even a necessity for me anymore. It is really easy to keep track of the 8 people that i have left as BBM contacts.
Drenis Jul 14, 2012 at 9:49 pm
How does one acquire one of those buttons?
Last time I backed up my contacts and switched from my 9700 to 9900, It could never restore my BBM groups. Still says waiting to join but nothing on the other end. Can't even remove it.
blackmoe Jul 15, 2012 at 8:46 pm
Blackberry Protect - set it to daily backups.
Jandhi Jul 16, 2012 at 2:21 am
I've been using Blackberry Protect for quite a while now, never really needed it until the other day. I was prompted to delete apps and/or languages I don't use (which seems to happen all the time, app storage gets eaten up until I reboot, but that's another thread). I don't know what I deleted that was attached to my contact list, but I almost passed out when I got a text after reboot and there was no name, just a number. Blackberry Protect saved the day!! Officially the most useful app I have!
smoothrunnings Jul 16, 2012 at 11:49 am
You might not be able to backup and restore your BBM settings if your device uses BES unless you restore the BBM contact settings before you activate your device with the BES server again. BES normally locks your BBM settings by default so you can't restore them through desktop manager after you have activated your device.
coolhead Jun 2, 2013 at 5:47 am
Hi, I had a problem with my sons phone which was replaced and when I tried to restore to the new phone all his bbm contacts disappeared and I couldn't get them back. I did two backups of the old phone. Is there any way to recover the contacts?
Clinto Jul 16, 2012 at 1:10 pm
What is this BBM you speak of?? :) I wish i had just one friend or family member that used a Blackberry so that i could BBM them... :( Perhaps BB10 will change all of that and people will come back to BB and BBM!


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August 2, 2014
A free event will be held this weekend to help families better understand agriculture and horticulture in central Wisconsin.
The 36th Annual Ag Day is sponsored by the Wisconsin Rapids FFA. The event will run from
10 a.m. to 2 p.m at Alexander Field in the airplane hanger on April 28.
Featured exhibits will include a children's workshop, a petting zoo, various agriculture displays, along with horse rides, hayrides, and tips and tricks from master gardeners.
Alexander Field is located at 3620 1st Street South in Wisconsin Rapids.
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Center for Teaching Excellence
Teaching that Shapes World Changers
Thursday, August 21, 2014
Hughes-Trigg lower level
8:30 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Experience SMU's tradition in kicking off the new academic year. The TES offers both returning colleagues and new faculty a worthwhile forum celebrating good teaching, sharing ways to improve it, and greeting colleagues from other disciplines. It's also an important part of the New Faculty Orientation program. Join your new colleagues in this celebration of teaching. This year's symposium combines inspiration and teaching tools you can use in the classroom and beyond. Learn more and register now
Friday, August 22, 2014
McCord Auditorium, Dallas Hall 306
12:45 p.m. sign in
The Annual TA Seminar addresses common issues and campus-wide concerns. It complements departmental training, and is required for all graduate TAs who have not yet attended the seminar. Learn more and register.
Jaime Clark-Soles, Perkins School of Theology
Michael Lattman, Dedman College
Miguel Quinones, Cox School of Business
Paige Ware, Simmons School of Education
Learn more about this prestigious award.
2014-15 Topics


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Acoustic soul/blues singer Bhi Bhiman delivers a powerful song with excellent video.
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Unofficial DataVolley Stats - Official FIVB Stats
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (Nov. 2, 2010) - The U.S. Women's National Volleyball Team remains undefeated in four matches during the FIVB World Championship first round Pool C as it defeated Kazakhstan 25-17, 25-19, 25-19 on Tuesday evening at Matsumoto, Japan.
Team USA, the only undefeated team in Pool C with a 4-0 record and already assured a spot in the second round in Nagoya, concludes the first round versus NORCECA rival Cuba (2-2) on Nov. 3 at 6 p.m. Japan Time (2 a.m. Pacific Time). The Americans have already defeated Cuba, ranked sixth in the world, twice this season in as many meetings. Cuba is currently 2-2 in the group, having won its last two matches after losing its first two matches. Kazakhstan falls to 0-4 in the tournament.
The U.S. eased to a 25-17 victory in the opening set as it used a key 7-1 scoring run to overcome an early 5-4 deficit. The Americans broke a 4-all tie in the second set with four unanswered points and never allowed Kazakhstan closer than two points the rest of the set in a 25-19 victory. Team USA scored four straight points to take an 8-4 lead in the third set and rolled to a 19-11 advantage with five unanswered points before holding on for a 25-19 victory.
"I thought Kazakhstan served the ball quite strongly, so they caused us problems with their service," U.S. Women's National Team Head Coach Hugh McCutcheon (Christchurch, New Zealand) said. "They played hard throughout the match and I thought our athletes did as well. At key moments, we were one or two plays better. I'm happy with the win and now we can focus on the match tomorrow."
The U.S. had nine different players score a point in the match. Destinee Hooker (San Antonio, Texas) scored a match-high 15 points with 13 kills on 19 attacks and two blocks, while Logan Tom (Salt Lake City, Utah) added 13 points on 12 kills on 17 attacks and a block. Jordan Larson (Hooper, Neb.) contributed eight kills and a block for nine points. Foluke Akinradewo (Plantation, Fla.) chipped in six kills on eight swings and a block for seven points, while Heather Bown (Yorba Linda, Calif.) tallied five points on three kills, a block and an ace. Jennifer Tamas (Milpitas, Calif.), playing for the first time in the 2010 FIVB World Championship, scored two kills. Alisha Glass (Leland, Mich.) and Nancy Metcalf (Hull, Iowa) added a block apiece, while Megan Hodge (Durham, N.C.) rounded out the scoring with a kill.
"I thought Kazakhstan blocked us well tonight, so we had to make sure we used the whole court and try to broaden our offense a bit," said Tamas, the U.S. captain. "I'm looking forward to tomorrow's match, our last match in Matsumoto. We've enjoyed ourselves here and we are hoping to play well tomorrow."
Glass was credited with 34 running sets in helping the American offense to a 50.6 kill percent and .416 hitting efficiency. Stacy Sykora led the USA defense with 16 digs, while Tom added eight digs to go with 12 excellent service receptions on 16 attempts. Larson contributed a team-leading 15 excellent service receptions on 27 errorless attempts.
McCutcheon started Tom and Larson at outside hitter, Akinradewo and Bown at middle blocker, Hooker at opposite and Glass at setter. Sykora was the libero during the match. Lindsey Berg (Honolulu) and Hodge were double-subs in the first two sets. Tamas started the third set in place of Bown, who later came into the third set to give Akinradewo a rest. Metcalf was a reserve in the third set.
The U.S. offense held a 45-28 advantage in attack points. Despite having just one block through the first two sets, the Americans finished with a 7-6 edge in blocks. Team USA's service reception was clicking on all cylinders with 31 excellent receptions on 47 attempts for a 66.0 percent. The U.S. defense held Kazakhstan to a 33.3 kill percent and .179 hitting efficiency. Both teams recorded two aces in the match.
Kazakhstan was led by Sana Jarlagassova's 10 points, while Olga Drobyshevskaya added six points.
"I would say they are a brilliant team, but this time we could also see how other teams play and we recognize that we should learn more and train more for the next tournament," Kazakhstan Head Coach Nelli Chsherbakova said.
For complete coverage of the 2010 FIVB Women's World Championship, visit usavolleyball.org/events/3055.
Earlier today in Pool C, Germany downed Croatia 26-24, 25-18, 25-21 to improve to 3-1 in the group and Cuba beat Thailand 25-19, 29-27, 27-25 as both teams are now 2-2. Serbia topped Algeria 25-15, 25-12, 25-21, Poland handled Peru 25-10, 25-15, 25-16 and Japan swept Costa Rica 25-9, 25-13, 25-8 in Pool A at Tokyo. In Pool B at Hamamatsu, Brazil blanked Puerto Rico 25-20, 25-18, 25-20, Netherlands swept Kenya 25-8, 25-14, 25-11 and No. 38 Czech Republic rallied to upset No. 4 Italy 25-27, 27-29, 25-23, 25-22, 17-15. In Pool D at Osaka, Turkey rallied past Canada 19-25, 20-25, 25-14, 25-17, 15-8, Russia downed Korea 25-18, 25-17, 19-25, 25-22 in a battle of undefeated teams and China dominated Dominican Republic 25-12, 25-21, 25-14.
The FIVB World Championship first round has six teams in four pools playing a round-robin schedule with the top four teams in each pool advancing to the second round for crossover play. The U.S. is grouped in Pool C at Matsumoto with Cuba, Germany, Kazakhstan, Thailand and Croatia. In the second round, Pool C crosses over with Pool B (Brazil, Italy, Netherlands, Kenya, Puerto Rico and Czech Republic) to form Pool F in Nagoya. The semifinals and finals will be played in Tokyo on Nov. 13-14.
The U.S. scored the first two points of the opening set with kills from Larson and Hooker, only to have Kazakhstan rally to take a 3-2 advantage by scoring the next three points. Team USA regained the lead at 6-5 on a service and attack error by Kazakhstan, then Tom served an ace and Hooker hammered a kill for an 8-5 U.S. advantage at the first technical timeout. The Americans extended their lead to 11-6 with kills by Hooker, Larson and Tom on consecutive plays. Consecutive Kazakhstan errors pushed the U.S. lead to 13-7, then Bown crushed a kill and Kazakhstan committed a setting error to inch the lead to 15-8. Kazakhstan narrowed the deficit to 15-10 with consecutive points before Tom smashed a kill off the block to give the Americans a 16-10 lead at the second technical timeout. Out of the break, Kazakhstan hit wide to yield a 17-10 U.S. advantage. The American lead reached eight points at 19-11 with back-to-back kills from Akinradewo and Hooker. After Kazakhstan scored consecutive points, USA answered with back-to-back points of its own with kills from Hooker and Larson to put the score at 21-13. The U.S. ended the set with a Bown kill at 25-17. Hooker finished the set with a team-high six points as the Americans converted 15 of 26 attacks for 57.7 percent. Team USA benefited from nine Kazakhstan errors in the set.
The U.S. gained a two-point cushion in the second set with consecutive Tom kills and an Akinradewo block at 3-1. Kazakhstan came back to tie the set at 4-all, but it committed three consecutive errors followed by an Akinradewo kill to give the U.S. a four-point edge at 8-4. Kazakhstan closed to within two at 10-8 with consecutive points. Bown served an ace after a Tom kill to extend the USA lead to 13-9. Kazakhstan cut the deficit in half at 14-12 following a USA hitting error. Hooker and Bown put down consecutive kills to extend the USA lead back to four points at 17-13. Kazakhstan called a timeout down 21-16 after consecutive kills from Hooker and Akinradewo. Tom followed a Kazakhstan service error with a kill to yield a 23-17 American lead. Akinradewo ended the set with a kill at 25-19. Tom and Hooker each scored four points in the second set as the USA took advantage of five Kazakhstan service errors and nine total errors.
The U.S. earned the first two-point cushion of the third set with a Tom kill and Hooker block at 6-4. The Americans continued their scoring run into the first technical timeout with a Kazakhstan attack error and Hooker kill at 8-4. Tom hit a back-row kill between two Kazakhstan errors to increase the USA lead to 12-6. Kazakhstan scored three straight points capped by an ace to narrow the gap to three points at 14-11. However, Tom and Bown scored kills to stop the run and take the U.S. into the second technical timeout leading 16-11. Out of the break, Hooker scored a third and fourth straight USA point with a kill and block at 18-11. Larson added a fifth straight point with a kill at 19-11. Kazakhstan won two long rallies as part of a four-point scoring spurt to slice the deficit to 20-16. Tamas and Larson scored consecutive kills to give the U.S. a six-point cushion at 23-17 leading to Kazakhstan's final timeout. Kazakhstan notched consecutive points out of the timeout, but Larson gave the U.S. match point at 24-19. Larson ended the match with a back-row kill at 25-19. Tom and Larson scored a team-high six points apiece in the third set. The U.S. collected six blocks in the third set and held its errors to just four in the period.
U.S. Women's National Team Roster for FIVB World Championship# - Name (Pos, Ht, Hometown, College)1 - Ogonna Nnamani (OPP, 6-1, Bloomington, Ill., Stanford)2 - Alisha Glass (S, 6-0, Leland, Mich., Penn State)4 - Lindsey Berg (S, 5-8, Honolulu, Hawaii, Minnesota)5 - Stacy Sykora (L, 5-10, Burleson, Texas, Texas A&M)6 - Nicole Davis (L, 5-4, Stockton, Calif., Southern California)7 - Heather Bown (MB, 6-3, Yorba Linda, Calif., Hawaii)8 - Cynthia Barboza (OH, 6-0, Long Beach, Calif., Stanford)9 - Jennifer Tamas (MB, 6-4, Milpitas, Calif., Pacific)11 - Jordan Larson (OH, 6-2, Hooper, Neb., Nebraska)12 - Nancy Metcalf (OPP, 6-1, Hull, Iowa, Nebraska)15 - Logan Tom (OH, 6-1, Salt Lake City, Utah, Stanford)16 - Foluke Akinradewo (MB, 6-3, Plantation, Fla., Stanford)18 - Megan Hodge (OH, 6-3, Durham, N.C., Penn State)19 - Destinee Hooker (OPP, 6-4, San Antonio, Texas, Texas)
Head Coach: Hugh McCutcheon (Christchurch, New Zealand)Assistant Coach: Karch Kiraly (San Clemente, Calif.)Assistant Coach: Paula Weishoff (Irvine, Calif.)Technical Coordinator: Jamie Morrison (Dana Point, Calif.)Athletic Trainer/Medical Support: Jill Wosmek (Silver Lake, Minn.)Team Doctor: Dr. William BrinerTeam Manager: Ken Sullivan
FIVB World Championship First Round Pools with FIVB World Ranking(first three countries by seed, then next three based on drawing of lots)Pool A (Tokyo): Japan (5), Serbia (9), Poland (8), Peru (17), Algeria (14), Costa Rica (31)Pool B (Hamamatsu): Brazil (1), Italy (4), Netherlands (10), Kenya (35), Puerto Rico (13), Czech Republic (38)Pool C (Matsumoto): USA (2), Cuba (6), Germany (15), Kazakhstan (16), Thailand (12), Croatia (45)Pool D (Osaka): China (3), Russia (7), Korea (21), Dominican Republic (11), Turkey (22), Canada (24)
First Round Schedule
Pool A:Oct. 29: Peru def. Algeria 25-16, 25-12, 25-18Oct. 29: Serbia def. Costa Rica 25-15, 25-18, 25-14Oct. 29: Japan def. Poland 26-28, 21-25, 25-20, 25-23, 15-12Oct. 30: Costa Rica def. Algeria 25-18, 25-21, 25-10Oct. 30: Serbia def. Poland 19-25, 27-25, 26-24, 25-22Oct. 30: Japan def. Peru 25-15, 25-17, 22-25, 25-14Oct. 31: Serbia def. Peru 25-21, 16-25, 25-21, 25-18Oct. 31: Poland def. Costa Rica 25-14, 25-12, 25-15Oct. 31: Japan def. Algeria 25-18, 25-7, 25-14Nov. 2: Serbia def. Algeria 25-15, 25-12, 25-21Nov. 2: Poland def. Peru 25-10, 25-15, 25-16Nov. 2: Japan def. Costa Rica 25-9, 25-13, 25-8Nov. 3: Peru vs. Costa Rica, 12:30Nov. 3: Algeria vs. Poland, 15:00Nov. 3: Japan vs. Serbia, 18:00
Pool A Standings: 1. Japan (4-0, 1.448); 2. Serbia (4-0, 1.225); 3. Poland (2-2, 1.216); 4. Peru (1-3, .880); 5. Costa Rica (1-3, .704); 6. Algeria (0-4, .607)
Pool B:Oct. 29: Brazil def. Kenya 25-15, 25-16, 25-11Oct. 29: Netherlands def. Czech Republic 26-24, 25-20, 25-14Oct. 29: Italy def. Puerto Rico 25-20, 25-11, 25-18ct. 30: Brazil def. Czech Republic 22-25, 25-22, 23-25, 25-10, 15-9Oct. 30: Puerto Rico def. Kenya 25-20, 25-23, 25-19Oct. 30: Italy def. Netherlands 18-25, 25-21, 25-23, 26-28, 15-12Oct. 31: Czech Republic def. Puerto Rico 25-14, 25-14, 25-17Oct. 31: Italy def. Kenya 25-9, 25-7, 25-21Oct. 31: Brazil def. Netherlands 25-19, 25-18, 25-14Nov. 2: Brazil def. Puerto Rico 25-20, 25-18, 25-20Nov. 2: Netherlands def. Kenya 25-8, 25-14, 25-11Nov. 2: Czech Republic def. Italy 25-27, 27-29, 25-23, 25-22, 17-15Nov. 3: Puerto Rico vs. Netherlands, 13:00Nov. 3: Kenya vs. Czech Republic, 15:30Nov. 3: Italy vs. Brazil, 18:00
Pool B Standings: 1. Brazil (4-0, 1.329); 2. Italy (3-1, 1.194); 3. Netherlands (2-2, 1.131); 4. Czech Republic (2-2, 1.017); 5. Puerto Rico (1-3, 0.791); 6. Kenya (0-4, .580)
Pool C:Oct. 29: Germany def. Kazakhstan 25-21, 25-14, 25-16Oct. 29: USA def. Thailand 23-25, 25-17, 25-17, 25-21Oct. 29: Croatia def. Cuba 25-23, 34-32, 25-21Oct. 30: USA def. Croatia 25-16, 25-13, 25-23Oct. 30: Thailand def. Kazakhstan 25-16, 25-18, 20-25, 25-16Oct. 30: Germany def. Cuba 26-24, 25-17, 25-23Oct. 31: Cuba def. Kazakhstan 20-25, 25-15, 27-25, 23-25, 15-10Oct. 31: Thailand def. Croatia 25-15, 25-14, 25-17Oct. 31: USA def. Germany 25-23, 26-24, 25-17Nov. 2: Germany def. Croatia 26-24, 25-18, 25-21Nov. 2: Cuba def. Thailand 25-19, 29-27, 27-25Nov. 2: USA def. Kazakhstan 25-17, 25-19, 25-19Nov. 3: Kazakhstan vs. Croatia, 13:00Nov. 3: Germany vs. Thailand, 15:30Nov. 3: USA vs. Cuba, 18:00
Pool C Standings: 1. USA (4-0, 1.291); 2. Germany (3-1, 1.146); 3. Thailand (2-2, 1.070); 4. Cuba (2-2, 1.000); 5. Croatia (1-3, .811); 6. Kazakhstan (0-4, .792)
Pool D:Oct. 29: Russia def. Dominican Republic 21-25, 25-9, 25-17, 25-11Oct. 29: Korea def. Canada 25-19, 25-19, 25-14Oct. 29: Turkey def. China 19-25, 25-14, 25-20, 25-17Oct. 30: Russia def. Turkey 25-27, 25-22, 25-11, 25-17Oct. 30: Korea def. Dominican Republic 29-27, 25-23, 25-20Oct. 30: China def. Canada 25-16, 25-19, 25-10Oct. 31: Turkey def. Dominican Republic 25-20, 25-14, 23-25, 23-25, 17-15Oct. 31: Russia def. Canada 25-13, 25-16, 25-21Oct. 31: Korea def. China 25-22, 25-23, 25-23Nov. 2: Turkey def. Canada 19-25, 20-25, 25-14, 25-17, 15-8Nov. 2: Russia def. Korea 25-18, 25-17, 19-25, 25-22Nov. 2: China def. Dominican Republic 25-12, 25-21, 25-14Nov. 3: Canada vs. Dominican Republic, 13:00Nov. 3: Korea vs. Turkey, 15:30 Nov. 3: China vs. Russia, 18:00
Pool D Standings: 1. Russia (4-0, 1.347); 2. Korea (3-1, 1.095); 3. Turkey (3-1, 1.066); 4. China (2-2, 1.126); 5. Dominican Republic (0-4, .766); 6. Canada (0-4, 0.717)
Second Round (Nov. 6-10) - teams play opposite pool in crossoverPool E (Tokyo): 1A, 1D, 2A, 2D, 3A, 3D, 4A, 4DPool F (Nagoya): 1B, 1C, 2B, 2C, 3B, 3C, 4B, 4C
Semifinals and Finals (Nov. 13-14 in Tokyo)


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David van den Berg
David Van den Berg is an award-winning journalist who holds an MSJ from Northwestern. He is new to the Washington area, where he is a freelance contributer to several publications, including Reston Patch.
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