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As the weather gets warmer and the days grow longer, it's only natural to want to spend as much time outdoors as possible. Your urban backyard can become the haven you escape to at the end of a long workday or your favorite place to entertain guests. Turning a ho-hum backyard into one that's inviting, fun and relaxing doesn't have to cause you to go broke. These money-saving tips can help you create an outdoor living space that allows you to dine, socialize and relax in the backyard of your dreams by taking full advantage of sales, discounts, coupons and smart shopping.
Flexible Outdoor Seating
Patio dining sets can serve as comfortable seating areas before, during and after you eat. Take the time to shop around so you can find a patio set that provides you with flexible seating that functions both around and away from the table. Look for seasonal sales at home and garden stores or watch for gently used patio sets on Craigslist or at neighborhood garage sales. Your patio furnishings don't have to match to make your seating area look inviting and stylish. In fact, incorporating different colors, styles and textures lends well to the visual interest of your backyard and can reflect the fun atmosphere you're working hard to create.
Create Atmosphere on the Cheap
Ambiance and atmosphere are created by the addition of patio and garden decor and lighting. Rather than spend hundreds of dollars on expensive patio lighting, you can create lighting that gives your patio or garden a magical, romantic kind of feel. Purchase white Italian lights at your local party store or online at a discount craft site and hang them over your patio to create a warm and inviting atmosphere all summer long. If you have small trees in your backyard or large potted trees near your patio you can string lights on them as well to create a soft, warm glow throughout the yard.
Divide Your Space for Maximum Enjoyment
Whether your backyard is large or small, dividing the space into different areas encourages your guests to mingle and have fun while spending time in your yard. Even a small, room-sized space can be divided into an eating area and a table game area. Later, after everyone's finished dining, store chairs away and use your tabletop as an open bar and the rest of the area for dancing. Connect your MP3 player or smartphone to a speaker system purchased at an overstock discount to provide you with inexpensive audio entertainment.
Backyard Entertainment
Thrift stores, such as Goodwill, can be an effective way to save money on backyard entertainment. Find favorite games from your childhood or discontinued yard games from local department stores. Games and activities don't have to be expensive for your guests to have fun while playing with them.
Plan for Success
The updates and improvements you make to your backyard can be an investment that provides you with the return of years of fun and relaxation with family and friends. Take time to plan out your renovations ahead of time so you aren't caught off-guard by high-priced backyard furnishings, decor or entertainment. Planning ahead allows you to take full advantage of sales, store closings and seasonal discounts. When you make your backyard improvement decisions before it's time to make the updates you provide yourself with the luxury of time and allow yourself to shop around, look for coupons and look for the best deals possible to help you achieve the backyard of your dreams.
Ashley Spade is a law student who lives in Chicago. When she isn't finding ways to have fun on a graduate student budget (aka nonexistent), she enjoys training for triathlons, home improvement/DIY projects, and hanging out with her sidekick Sir Winston Pugsalot, a mischievous pug. Follow her adventures on Twitter: @ashspade
Cash Back Resources
Additional Home Resources


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Coca Cola Special Edition Bottles - are the high point of any bottle collection. The newest Aluminum Coke bottles are classic contour shape with modern images and designs. Gold, Silver, and Red bottles are made from an actual 8 oz glass contour bottle finished in mirror smooth with plating or glazing. Crystal bottles are made from solid 24% lead crystal. Coke bottles are considered "rare" when they are not publicly available, corporate bottles with limited availability to a small group or come in a limited edition tube, box or with a tag. Add to your bottle collection with these rare soft drink editions.
Singapore Snowflake Aluminum Coca-Cola Bottle 250 ml
Coca-Cola Holiday Polar Bears Aluminum Bottle 2016 8.5 Oz
Diet Coke Aluminum Test Bottle (Full)
Sprite Lemon Lime Aluminum Test Bottle (Full)
Green CB Soda Straight Sided Coca-Cola Bottle St Louis Circa 1920
Green Coca-Cola Soda Water Bottle 1923 with Stars
Cub Foods 25th Anniversary Premium Coca-Cola Bottle 1968-1993
Coca-Cola Enterprises NY President's Club 1999 Coca-Cola Bottle
France JC de Castelbajac Wrapped Diet Coke For Lovers Bottles 2001
Coca-Cola Fridge Pack 2002 Employees Coca-Cola Bottle
Harrison High School Fund Raising Coca-Cola Bottle 1992

subset: commoncrawl


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Cape Town - A brazen robbery in Hout Bay's business district ended in a gunfight when police chased the robbers to the leafy suburb of Constantia.
Evergreen Lane roared with the sound of chainsaws on Monday afternoon as gardeners toppled a tree inside a manicured green lawn.
Two women walked a trio of dogs - straining against their leashes - through the neighbourhood.
Just a day earlier, the cul-de-sac had been the site of an intense showdown between cops and criminals.
Police spokesman Warrant Officer Derek van der Merwe told the Cape Argus the chase had begun in Hout Bay when police responded to a pair of business robberies in the coastal area on Sunday night.
They were on the lookout for a car linked to the crimes, which they spotted travelling down Constantia Nek at about 7pm.
"They then gave chase," said Van der Merwe.
The car chase took them through 11km of winding roads, all the way through to Constantia, where the robbers found themselves trapped in Evergreen Lane - which on its one side is an abrupt dead end.
It was then that the four men inside jumped from the vehicle and fled. Reportedly two ran towards the robots on Constantia Main Road, the other in directions the police could not make out.
While police insist there was no gunfight, residents clearly heard a shootout at about 7.30pm.
"I heard this crack of gunfire - it was sporadic. And then there was something else, a helicopter or plane and some sirens," said one resident walking down the road.
"It was over very quickly."
Another resident had been startled when she heard sirens approaching the road, followed by shouting and then some gunshots.
"It was very loud, but I didn't see what happened."
However, there were no injuries. Van der Merwe said two men were arrested during the chase. They were found with stolen property and a firearm.
According to residents, the other two men managed to get back into the car and speed off. But they were later intercepted elsewhere in the neighbourhood.
"An undisclosed amount of money was found in their possession," said Van der Merwe.
The group will appear in the Wynberg Magistrate's Court on Wednesday. A case of robbery with aggravating circumstances is being investigated.
- Cape Argus


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- Date: November 22, 2013 PIO Number: 13-11-19
The Broward Sheriff's Office Citizens Academy offers residents the opportunity to experience their local law enforcement agency through engaging, hands-on-learning. Enrollment is now open for the new 13-week session beginning January 8, 2014.
6:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m., January 8 - April 2, 2014
Broward Citizens Academy
Public Safety Building
2601 West Broward Blvd., Fort Lauderdale
The Broward Sheriff's Office Citizens Academy is an orientation course into the field of law enforcement and public safety. The academy is free of charge and is held on 13 consecutive Wednesday evenings from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. starting January 8, 2014 at the Public Safety Building, 2601 West Broward Boulevard, Fort Lauderdale.
The course takes place in the classroom and in the field and offers firsthand experience directly from certified agency instructors. During the 13-week period, students will be able to do a four-hour, ride-along assignment with Broward Sheriff's Office deputies in the districts and shifts of their choice.
Participants will learn about the BSO Criminal Investigations Division, Aviation Unit, Gang Unit, Bomb Squad, Forensic Artist Unit, DUI Unit and Internal Affairs. Students will also be able to watch a K-9 demonstration, see a display of BSO Fire/Rescue vehicles and Bomb Squad equipment, view equipment used by the BSO SWAT Team and visit the firearms range to take part in weapons simulator training. Tours of BSO's 911 Communications Center, the BSO Crime Lab and a BSO jail facility are also included.
For further information, contact Special Projects Coordinator Cheryl Vara at (954) 321-5076.
To apply online visit: http://www.sheriff.bso/about_bso/community/ca.cfm
THIS REPORT BY: Gina Carter/PIO 11/22/2013 15:30
Posted At: 11/22/2013 03:30 PM
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Average Customer Rating
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(1 of 1 customers found this review helpful)
By EntourageFan88
from Mississauga, Ontario, Canada
Purchase Reason
The poster is of my favorite show Entourage. All my favorite characters are on it. The color is beautiful.
Bottom Line Yes, I would recommend this to a friend
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Nice Poster
By Brian
from Pittsburgh
Poster is great size and has a nice glossy finish
"Got exactly what I wanted!!"
By Entourage Fan
from Los Angeles
Very happy with the poster. I am hanging it in my office. :0)
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On Wed, Aug 26, 2009 at 4:40 AM, Heikki Linnakangas<heikki(dot)linnakangas(at)enterprisedb(dot)com> wrote: >> Is this currently possible, or do I have to send a full file-level backup to >> sync the ex-master server with the new master? > > That should work. (Note that you do need to restore the ex-master from > the old base backup; you can't just copy recovery.conf to the old > master's data directory.) I'm relying on an rsync for the data directories after the recovery to bring up the ex-master. This works fine, but I'd rather be able to simply rely on wall shipping to keep them synced without the extra backup procedures. Thanks for looking into this. Is this the type of fix that would make it into the next 8.4.x release? -jim
Next: From: Tom Lane Date: 2009-08-26 14:42:46 Subject: Re: BUG #5011: Standby recovery unable to follow timeline change Previous: From: Tom Lane Date: 2009-08-26 13:57:33 Subject: Re: BUG #5008: Server Startup Problem - When server is configured for SSL


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River Song is a fictional character played by Alex Kingston in the British science-fiction series Doctor Who. The character was created by Doctor Who writer and eventual executive producer Steven Moffat. Following the character's initial appearance, then-executive producer Russell T Davies described her as one of the most important characters and vital to the Doctor's life.
by sathvi
Please leave a comment on River Song (Doctor Who)


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Oprah: I won't strip
Oprah Winfrey has joked The Butler director Lee Daniels wanted her to strip off for her role.
The American actress and talk show host stars as the wife of Forest Whitaker's titular character in director Lee Daniels' upcoming film The Butler.
In one scene, her character Gloria gets drunk and fools around with her neighbour, played by Terrence Howard.
Oprah joked Lee wanted her to take things a step further during the shoot.
"You know, he would have had me buck naked on that sofa if I had let him!" she laughed to Mail Online. "He did more screaming than I did - I'm not a screamer. If [Gloria's] going to roll around in bed in the middle of the afternoon, [then it would be] a lie, a fake thing."
Oprah feels she can relate to the story being told, which follows the events witnessed by an African-American man during his time as butler in the White House. She is amazed at how much has been accomplished by black people since the 1950s, when the movie is set.
"I think that every day, each of us is allowed to be judged by the content of their character," she continued. "Now we could buy the bus. I would not have been allowed to be Oprah Winfrey. 'How dare I!' I certainly wouldn't have been allowed to have owned my own television network."
The 59-year-old star was in London, UK, during the interview. With the capital's expensive shops and designer labels Oprah knows she is now in a fortunate place to be able to splash out.
"I don't think I'm going to have a problem buying a handbag in London," she mused.
© Cover Media


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Authorities investigate 2 shootings in Spring Lake
Posted September 20, 2016
Spring Lake, N.C. — The Cumberland County Sheriff's Office is investigating after two people were shot Tuesday morning in Spring Lake.
Authorities responded to a call of shots fired off of Pine Tree Lane at 12:36 a.m. and, while en route, learned that two people had been shot.
Marcus Ellison found with a single gunshot wound to the led at 1240 Sherrie Circle. He was taken to Cape Fear Valley Medical Center for treatment.
Armedariz Oliver Evans, 34, was found with multiple gunshot wounds to his leg, arm and neck on the porch of a home at 117 Spring Avenue Extension. Evans was taken to Cape Fear Valley Medical Center where he underwent surgery to stop the bleeding in his leg.
Authorities said neither man was able to provide a suspect description or possible motive for the shooting.
Anybody with information is asked to call the Cumberland County Sheriff's Office at 910-323-1500 or Crime Stoppers at 910-483-8477.


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Urban Planner: February 11, 2014
In today's Urban Planner: the history of black comedy, creating your own masterpiece, and Canadian dance's fresh blood.
- Comedy: Comedian Kenny Robinson wants to teach you about the side of black history that your school didn't tell you about. The Toronto Public Library presents his show, An Hysterical Look at Black History, which details the progression of black comedy, including the influence of Dick Gregory and David Chappelle. Toronto Public Library, College/Shaw Branch (766 College Street), 2 p.m., FREE. Details
- Talks: Have you already lost steam on that project you swore you'd start or finish in 2014? The Toronto Public Library's U Can: Create Your Masterpiece can help you get motivated again. This moderated discussion will cover how to accomplish goals, find opportunities, and dodge obstacles along the way. Bloor/Gladstone Branch, Toronto Public Library (1101 Bloor Street West), 6:30 p.m., FREE. Details
- Dance: The Chimera Project knows Canadian dance, and it's giving us a hint of what the future holds with Fresh Blood 2014. Fifteen emerging choreographers have been selected and given five minutes each to present their solo or group dance works. This year's roster features EmiMOTION, In'trinzik Dance Project, Sarain Carson-Fox, Social Growl Dance, and many more. Harbourfront Centre, Enwave Theatre (231 Queens Quay West), 8 p.m., $15-$25. Details
- Art: Virginia Woolf once remarked that "on or about December 1910, human character changed." Whether it actually did is debatable, but the curators of "The Great Upheaval: Masterpieces from the Guggenheim Collection 1910–1918" use that year to start their exhibition of works from a tumultuous decade of innovation in European fine art. Art Gallery of Ontario (317 Dundas Street West), all day, $16.50–$25 (includes general admission). Details
- Film: Jean-Luc Godard's effort to haul the cinema out of its infancy and into a kind of artistic maturity is the subject of TIFF Cinematheque's newest and fullest retrospective in some time, a two-season programme entitled Godard Forever, which is intended to span the length of the filmmaker's remarkable, varied career—from the jazz-infused improvisation of Breathless to the Marxist montage of recent work like Film Socialisme. The first half of that retrospective, a fifteen-film programme dedicated to what most consider Godard's golden age—the period from 1960's Breathless to 1967's apocalyptic, decade-capping Weekend—runs this season, highlighting the period in which Godard famously moulded existing genres like Hollywood gangster pictures and musicals into his own unique creations. TIFF Bell Lightbox (350 King Street West). Details
- Food: Time once again for the City of Toronto's annual cold-weather enticement to get people out to fine dining establishments, the Winterlicious Festival. Over 200 restaurants have signed up to offer lunch and dinner prix-fixe menus over the official two-week period (many of them continue the pricing for longer), and the City's also arranged for a number of different culinary events as well. For a full listing of the restaurants participating, visit the City's website. $15–$45. Details
- Fashion: Ichimaru—once one of Japan's most famous geishas—left the profession in the 1930s to pursue a career in entertainment. Never really leaving her past life, she became known for adorning herself in the traditional geisha garb when performing in concert or on television. "From Geisha to Diva: The Kimonos of Ichimaru" exhibits several decades' worth of outfits and personal effects, shedding light on the woman behind the makeup. Textile Museum of Canada (55 Centre Avenue), 11 a.m., $6-$15. Details
- Art: Those who work in the arts are well acquainted with the balancing act between creative work and life-sustaining day jobs. "Poetic Poverty; Experiments in Living" explores the notion of the starving artist, and why it's a life so many choose to lead. This two-week show features works by Erin Loree, Stella Cade, Kevin Columbus, and more. Creatures Creating (822 Dundas Street West), 12 p.m., FREE. Details
- Performing Arts: The Canadian Opera Company brings a tale of forbidden love to its stage with Verdi's A Masked Ball (Un Ballo in Maschera). Given an almost-modern treatment, the story has been transplanted to early 1960s America, where the romantic entanglements are played out against a background of Kennedy-era political tensions. Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts (145 Queen Street West), 7:30 p.m., $24-$332. Details
- Theatre: The word "idiot" was originally used in ancient Greece to describe a person unconcerned with public affairs like politics, but dedicated to following private pursuits. The setting of Robert E. Sherwood's 1936 romantic comedy Idiot's Delight, a failing luxury hotel in the Italian Alps called the Hotel Monte Gabriele, initially seems to be full of idiots: newlyweds on their honeymoon, a group of burlesque singers and their manager, a blissfully genial waiter, and a couple of ornery managers sour over the lack of business. And when a spark flies between a beautiful and mysterious Russian and a smooth-talking American showbusinessman, while the other guests dance, drink, eat, and sing, there's another piece of juicy plot that can be used to distract themselves, and the audience, from the war that's literally raging outside the hotel windows. Young Centre for the Performing Arts (50 Tank House Lane), 7:30 p.m., $29–$74. Details
- Theatre: Chances are, you have a couple of pictures on your phone that were taken for "someone special." But what if they got shared with the world? Nightwood Theatre's Free Outgoing focuses on the issues of sexuality and safety in our digital age. The play follows the plight of Deepa, a scholarly 15-year-old girl living in the conservative city of Chennai. When the sex video she makes with her boyfriend goes viral, she must deal with the fallout of becoming India's most watched teenager. Factory Theatre (125 Bathurst Street), 8 p.m., $25-$45. Details
- Dance: The producers of Riverdance have spawned yet another on-stage extravaganza. With a talented cast of 38, Heartbeat of Home is a high-energy show, combining Irish, Latin, and Afro-Cuban music and dance. Torontonians get the honour of seeing the production's North American debut—take it in before it's gone! Ed Mirvish Theatre (244 Victoria Avenue), 8 p.m., $35-$130. Details
- Theatre: German theatre has gone over really well in Toronto in recent years. Playwright Roland Schimmelpfennig's contribution to Volcano Theatre's Africa project was widely praised, and twinwerks//zwillingswerk's production of Felicia Zeller's Kaspar and the Sea of Houses earned the company an outstanding production award at the 2011 SummerWorks (and a trip back to 2012's festival). Now, Theatre Smash returns with Marius von Mayenburg's The Ugly One, a clever slice of absurdism that works well on several levels. There's light humour when the titular character discovers that everyone finds his face repugnant, and darker tones when his new, beautiful face becomes coveted obsessively by those around him. Tarragon Theatre (30 Bridgman Avenue), 8 p.m., $13–$53. Details
- Theatre: In Tarragon Theatre's current mainstage production, Flesh and Other Fragments of Love, there are both a marriage and a body on the rocks, and the prognosis isn't good for either of them. While the human figure appears pale, cold, and lifeless, the marriage is slightly more alive, and the play chronicles its last dying breaths. Surprisingly, though, the young female cadaver is by far the more interesting of the two. Tarragon Theatre (30 Bridgman Avenue), 8 p.m., $21–$53. Details
- Dance: Told through South American music and dance, Arrabal is the story of a young girl desperate to find out what happened to her father after the Argentine military made him disappear when she was just a baby. Her search leads her to the Tango clubs of Buenos Aires, where she discovers both the truth, and herself. Panasonic Theatre (651 Yonge Street), 8 p.m., $44-$84. Details
- Theatre: Even though Billy was born deaf, his family strived to raise him the same way they would have a hearing-able child. Tribes sees him learn what it is to hear and be heard when he meets Sylvia, a young woman who is gradually becoming deaf herself. Presented by A Theatrefront Production, Canadian Stage, and Theatre Aquarius, this emotional play stars Stephen Drabicki and Holly Lewis. Berkeley Street Theatre (26 Berkeley Street), 8 p.m., $22-$47. Details
Happening soon:
Urban Planner is Torontoist's guide to what's on in Toronto, published every weekday morning, and in a weekend edition Friday afternoons. If you have an event you'd like considered, email us with all the details (including images, if you've got any), ideally at least a week in advance.


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Red Head Cove couple sees bright future for gay community
RED HEAD COVE, NL — Brian Nolan and Shawn Hyde recently celebrated their new status as a married couple in Red Head Cove.
George and Geraldine Walker of Sydney Mines are shown on their wedding day. The couple will mark their 60th anniversary in September, however thanks to a contest won by their daughter, they will be celebrating the milestone on Saturday.
©Submitted photo/Joyce Walker-Haley
SYDNEY MINES, N.S. - Joyce Walker-Haley was on Catelli's website when she came upon a special contest and immediately thought of her parents.
The contest, hosted by the Montreal-based dry pasta company, was known as the Catelli Family Reunion, where participants had a chance to win $10,000 for a special family event.
As part of the contest, Walker-Haley was asked to write a short essay explaining why her family deserved the prize money.
She wrote that her parents, George and Geraldine Walker of Sydney Mines, would be celebrating their 60th anniversary this year.
"It's like you throw something down on paper and send it off and you never think of it again," said Walker-Haley when asked about the contest process.
Over the course of the next few weeks, Walker-Haley continued to receive emails updating her on the contest, but she never bothered looking at them in detail until she received an email from the company noting it was urgent.
"When I saw that email with urgent I immediately opened it and I was shocked to read that I had won the contest," she said.
Walker-Haley was one of three winners of the national contest, hosted by the company for Canada's 150th anniversary.
"It's a big moment because not everybody gets to have their 60th anniversary, so it was a great opportunity to get everybody together to have some fun," said Walker-Haley. "We believe in celebrating the little moments and the big moments."
Walker-Haley, who now lives in St. Stephen, N.B., said her parents, both in their 80s, didn't want her to spend the prize money on them, but the decision had already been made.
"My parents were sweet, they didn't want to accept that kind of money, they thought it could have been used elsewhere," she said. "It took them a little bit to grasp it."
Although the Walkers anniversary isn't officially until Sept. 2, the family will be using the prize money to host a special celebration on Saturday at the Northern Yacht Club in North Sydney.
An open house ceilidh will take place from 2-4 p.m. with light refreshments, followed by a special dinner for family and invited guests only featuring different types of pasta. The dinner, which will involve close to 70 people, will be catered by Chef Todd's Catering and co-hosted by Catelli chef Matt McKenzie.
"In the essay I had explained that in Cape Breton family gatherings and potluck dinners were what made summer great whenever we all got together and that Catelli had been part of our lives for a very long time," said Walker-Haley.
"Some of the most joyful events in our family didn't involve high heels and ball gowns, it was more just about a pair of flip-flops and some fiddle music," she said. "We will be celebrating the same way as usual, nothing fancy — the whole family is excited for this."
Walker-Haley said members of the community are welcome to attend the afternoon portion of the event, but notes that members of the Catelli crew will be filming the event and presenting it to the family at a later date.
George and Geraldine Walker anniversary celebration:
• When: Saturday
• Where: Northern Yacht Club, North Sydney
• Time: 2-4 p.m.
• Open to the general public
Twitter: @CBPost_Jeremy


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Go. Buy. Now. Before it's too late.
Thanks, Jeremy!
Go. Buy. Now. Before it's too late.
Thanks, Jeremy!
My Order was placed on the play store in canada on jan 30.
Still Pending ...
I cancelled my order
Just saw this, link doesn't go to phone, goes to play store front, am I too late!
My order from yesterday also went out today ))
Ordered the 16gb yesterday. Still not marked as shipped but I guess it will by tomorrow! I've been waiting for this phone since its release. Never was lucky enough to get one tough... :D Bye bye MyTouch 4G!
Ordered mine, appeared to go through painlessly (1-2 weeks for shipping) *crosses fingers*
I was this close to ordering one on eBay yesterday but decided to give it a couple more weeks.
I ordered mine late evening Tuesday the 29th (may have been after midnight). Because of the trouble people had back in December when they tried to order the phone with accessories I ordered a bumper as a separate order. Listed shipping as in 1-2 weeks for both orders. As of last night (Wed the 30th) there was no update. Clearly that was not correct (had to have shipped by then) because when I got home on the 31st it was here waiting for me (apparently delivered just after 2PM), and the site is finally updated. According to tracking info the bumper should be here tomorrow.
Google sucks at retail and really should just outsource this to someone who knows what the heck they are doing like Amazon.
So far I really like the phone... GORGEOUS screen, BLAZING FAST, not as heavy as I was expecting and the glass back does not feel like glass (as the iPhone 4/4s does), but neither does it feel like cheap plastic like most Samsung phones do. So far I am impressed.
I think this is a big fiasko phone, not for the quality, but for the limited stock.
4.2.2 will be out sooner than later. Sounds like its just going to address the Bluetooth issues.
It takes weeks (more likely months) for a production rom change to filter down to the unit you buy on the shelf. Otherwise, they have to stop the phone somewhere in the production chain between the loading of the rom and delivery to the customer. It is cost prohibitive to do that. It's easy enough for the consumer to update right after he opens the package.
I would be quite surprised if it did ship with 4.2.2, considering it has not been publicly released yet. And Google would be out of their minds if they waited to resume N4 sales until they could market it as shipping with a minor, incremental update.
I think they're really trying not to overwhelm average users with all the major updates. They seem to be doing the right thing, by establishing Jellybean as their signature Android version,and keeping a consistent look and feel in the interface. Any updates until the next Nexus is released, will be behind-the-scenes improvements, and small feature additions. They're smart to keep working on the masterpiece that is jellybean, smoothing out all the rough edges that remain, making it as good as possible before they consider pulling the rug out from underneath people by announcing a major update again.
Trying to order one but for some reason when I get to the checkout page, when the google wallet screen pops up the address field says select an address. only option I have there is to add an address. I am adding it but it comes back to the same screen. no address added :(.
every other google walled checkout page shows the correct checkout info and address and CC...
I tried 3 different browsers and 2 computers. same thing. even tried on my cellphone.
i clicked on proceed obviously... but I am not sure what the isue was. I got it solved. I went into my google wallet and I had like 20 addresses, all were the same. so I deleted them. deleted my payment info. added a new address, only one. and added a payment info. went back to the checkout page and was able to complete and select my address and payment. woot. ordered one 16gb :)
When I bought mine earlier today, once I got it in the cart, I was clicking on practically everything so fast so I could hurry up and get my order in before it sold out or something. Needless to say I wasnt paying much attention and almost ordered 2. I think I will order 2 for the next launch just incase they sell out and I can maybe get a decent RoI on one of them. Congrats though.
Thanks you got mine :)
I ordered mine yesterday at 11:30 AM PST and it shipped this morning at 1:30 AM PST cant wait haha
Got one off of swappa and running on T-Mobile's H+42 network. Crazy fast for a "3g" network.
Keep on trollin. You don't own sh1t lmao! Only poe boys that couldn't afford one say crap like that. 16 gb is fine if you aren't a 13 yr old tween with nothing but games on their phone, battery live is amazing with a custom kernel/rom and the phone is far from fragile if you have a case or bumper...which I just ordered. :D
Oh OK I'm trolling... Why the hell would I lie about owning one? Go see all my post in the Nexus 4 forums. I ordered the first day and have it it for months. Only a 13 year old needs more than 16gb? Really? Because I'm 27 and I need more than 16GB, actually more like 14GB of actually usable space. I'm just speaking the truth. The phone is overrated. What saves this phone is that its a Nexus, if it wasn't no one would give a shit for it.
No, you ARE trolling.
The average app is less than 12 mb. in size. Most people have less than 50 apps (outside of system apps). 16GB is more than enough unless you are a huge gamer. Then I can see your point. Between Google Music, Google Photos, Google Books, and YouTube, there is plenty of cloud based storage space to cover 99% of users' media needs.
What saves this phone is the elegant build quality, killer processor/RAM, and bleeding edge software, that saves users from the "when will my phone update" nonsense.
Agreed, if you don't like a phone comment on a review article, don't troll and bash a phone every time an article or poster mentions it. It's really sad and old.
Sales don't lie, this is a very popular phone.
All this time I call out politicians for lying to only find out I am a lying politician myself.
"Plenty of cloud based storage" doesn't work for virtually any user in Canada where the average data plan is 500mb per month (and sometimes less).
Here at least (I recognize that the US experience is different) local storage is far, far cheaper than the cost of additional data which is what makes the Nexus lines somewhat disappointing to me.
Damn I am jealous.
You do realize not everyone has unlimited data right? You are right about one thing though, I don't have many apps, I don't play many games nether. I'll tell you what I do have though, MUSIC. And while I am someone that has unlimited data, I still want to keep my music on my phone also.
And yes, this phone being a Nexus does save it. That goes with your comment about phone update nonsense. Like I said before, I like this phone, I obviously bought the phone because I like it, but it is overrated.
People like you are the same ones that were talking bad about Apple not having a SD slot, not having (Officially) LTE, and being fragile, now since its a Nexus you don't want to admit it.
Again, if this wasn't a Nexus, no one on these forums would be talking about it. Now as far as you other people saying im trolling or stop bashing the phone, it's an opinion and this is a forum. Get used to it.
Also, the price can't be beat.
Sorry, but this phone is simply not overrated. Tell me ONE phone that's even CLOSE to similarly specced and performs even NEARLY as well at that price-point, and I'll agree with you completely.
While I agree that the other commenter's post saying that only a 13-year-old needs more than 16GB was out of line, it is true that you don't really need that much storage space if you make use of Google services. Applications and pictures. Thats all that really takes up space - and you get TONS of space with Instant Upload. Then again, if have tons of music and you don't live in the US it is a bit more difficult with Google Music.
"What saves this phone is that its a Nexus" of course! That's why it works so well, and its the reason the phone even exists in the first place. We wouldn't have the same hardware design, specifications, or software if this was not a Nexus device.
Saying no-one would care for this phone if it wasn't a Nexus is correct, as the price would be much higher and the design would have suffered immensely by not having Google's skill in designing a great user-experience. Then again, it would still be a fairly good phone.
No other phone has this fast of an SoC, gets updates virtually-instantaneously, has 2GB of RAM, and this good of a display. Not even the SIII has a quad-core SoC with 2GB of RAM - only a single international variant and the one from Korea has both of these features. And that phone is OVER twice the price of the Nexus 4.
Ordered two...long wait but so wanted one. The other is a gift
Done. Ordered!!
Got mine! Well...the lady's. Boo.
The in stock / out of stock updates every other day are annoying. When I visit AC, I wanna read Android news, not check the damn status of the Nexus 4 availability.
Which is why we haven't done weekly updates or anything like <cough> others. It's back in stock for the first time in more than a month. That's news. Thank you, drive through. :p
Maybe your not interested in the Nexus 4, but with all the supply problems and so many people still waiting to get one, and the fact that's it's all Google. it's important for many of the readers, stop being a grouch.
Got mine!
Lets take bets: Higher/Lower than 48 hours in the store?!
Just ordered from Canada <3
@miss big feathers, why even say anything? Pussckake! And you betta not show your face round quincy eva!
Just ordered mine with a bumper. I mean for my wife ;)
bought hubby one without any problem this time around. An easy one-time, one-minute transaction. I had a hair-pulling, nail-biting time last go around but was lucky enough to snag one eventually. Sounds like Larry Page is serious about mitigating supply chain issues in future launches!
"Limit reached" on 16gb model. Looks like I got in just in time. 8gb still available at this moment.
Yeah, I see that now, reading is good :)
"Thank you for your previous order. You have reached the limit for this item."
After this long, I'll just wait for something else.
So this is the version without the glitters?
Got mine no sweat!
on ebay its too overpriced i guess
Ordered mine! No problems XD
Also have bumpers in stock.
Same price as before. Bumper ~$20 + shipping + tax = ~$28. Fought to try and get one before, but just picked one up without hassle.
does any1 knows ,,whats shipping charge for sanrafel,,
Shipping was $13.99 for me. In total for the 16gb model, it was $392 and some change
Send me your address, and I'd be happy to swing by and pick it up when it's delivered. When you get back to town, I'll bring it to you.
If you don't hear from me right away, no worries.
Just don't try to find me-
I'll find *you*.
I just ordered one! No problems at all placing the order. It does say that it ships in 1-2 weeks, which is fine since I can't activate it until March anyway.
Man this phone is so overrated..
Well, its unlocked and has a very low no-contract price. There is definitely better hardware out there, but you'll pay through the nose if you don't want a contract and it will probably be locked. Also, good luck getting even a single OS update on some of the flagship non-Nexus devices.
Yeah, carriers do take their sweet time with those, don't they? They do come eventually, though. I think most GS3 models are on Jelly Bean, and my EVO LTE got the update (4.1.1) within 6 months of Google releasing the code.
My point: you're exaggerating the situation. Flagships do get OS updates, just not as fast or as many as Nexus devices.
You are right about the naming (smart move by google).
It is true that some phones do get updated with the newer versions of Android OS but knowing which ones are going to get updated is the frustrating part. I am pretty sure people with Motorola phones aren't too thrilled over not getting updates after being told they were. Then HTC customer probably will never see anything higher than Ice Cream Sandwich (Rezound fans). If you don't have a S3 or Note 2 don't expect much from Samsung. And who knows about LG or Sony.
With Nexus you can be guaranteed for at least 18 months
I think the more important point is not reliably, I could deal with 6 months or 9 month delays, but the truth is quite a few so called flagship phones have been sold with the software already out of date, and you never really know if your going to get the next update when you buy the phone. Depends on carrier decisions, popularity of the phone etc, etc.
Samsung has gotten much better with updates, but leave samsung world and you never know if your going to get any major version updates.
Better hardware? I'm not so sure about that, depends on the person.
Just take out LTE and sd card lovers for a moment, for many like myself the omission of LTE was a godsend, no more absurdly short battery life, like I had Verizon LTE phones and SD cards aren't a priority for me anymore.
As for the rest of the Hardware,
Brillant Screen
2 GB of memeory
Quad Core
Very high build quality
Sexy looks
Honestly it's the best Android I've ever owned, when I was comparing the S3 to the Nexus their was no contest.
^this +1
Not really sure what's better right now. A few phones with better cameras but this one isn't horrible. One phone with a 1080p screen. Everything is pretty amazing on this device. Always gonna be better shit right around the corner, but none with the latest version of our favorite OS.
I shopped the market for unlocked phones @ $350 and you're next best device is the Galaxy S2 which I got for my mom instead of this because I couldn't wait any longer. But that phone more than meets her needs so it didn't make much difference. It's actually a really good phone still.
I think you mean the iPhone is over rated
I couldnt agree more. Wow.
Wait for it.....
After i bought one 16 GB device last year in December when the 2nd wave got out, i was tempted to get a couple of 8 GB devices to perform my experiments and got them yesterday with play store offering only 2 per account.
Check this post: http://vrishti.com/?p=33
Oh yes, sweet! My first comment ever on AC, I just wanted to let everyone know I ordered the Nexus 4, 16 GB. I received an error message the first time I clicked to finalize my order but it worked the second time around.


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Neither Dave Chappelle nor Flight of the Conchords has toured in recent years, but that will change later this summer when FunnyorDie.com's "Oddball Comedy & Curiosity Festival" hits the road for 13 dates over a five-weekend stretch — including a Sept. 13 stop at Fiddler's Green Amphitheatre.
But that's not all: other alt- and indie-comedy favorites, such as Demetri Martin, Longmont native (and former "Flight of the Conchords" co-star) Kristen Schaal, "Saturday Night Live" writer John Mulaney, Al Madrigal, Brody Stevens, Chris D'Elia, Hannibal Buress, Jim Jefferies and others will provide support at various dates across the festival's two stages.
UPDATE: According to a press release from Live Nation, Kristen Schaal, Al Madrigal, Brody Stevens, Chris D'Elia and Hannibal Buress will be performing at the tour's Colorado stop, in addition to co-headliners Dave Chappelle and Flight of the Conchords.
A package stand-up tour of this size is rare, if not unprecedented, so we'll be interested to see how it goes. Of course, FunnyOrDie is juicing the lineup with vendors, "street performers," psychics, freaks and more — proving that people still think stand-up seemingly needs to be marketed as a carnival sideshow for 20-something weirdos and hipsters, as opposed to an art form for the general public.
Whatever — we're still psyched for the lineup. Tickets, $24-$89.50, are on sale at 10 a.m. Friday, June 21 at livenation.com. Check out the full list of dates confirmed:
Fri 23-Aug Austin, Texas: austin360 Amphitheater
Sat 24-Aug Houston: Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
Sun 25-Aug Dallas: Gexa Energy Pavilion
Fri 30-Aug Pittsburgh: First Niagara Pavilion
Sat 31 Aug Tinley Park, Ill.: First Midwest Bank Amphitheater
Sun 1-Sep Detroit: DTE Energy Music Theatre
Fri 6-Sep Camden, N.J.: Susquehanna Bank Center
Sat 7-Sep Holmdel, N.J.: PNC Bank Arts Center
Sun 8-Sep Mansfield, Mass.: Comcast Center
Fri 13-Sep Denver: Fiddler's Green Amphitheatre
Sun 15-Sep Irvine, Calif.: Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre
Fri 20-Sep Mountain View, Calif.: Shoreline Amphitheater
Sun 22-Sep Phoenix: Desert Sky Pavilion
John Wenzel is an A&E reporter and the comedy critic for The Denver Post. Follow him @johntwenzel and @beardsandgum.


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CB Woodson, RB Grant questionable for Packers
Published: September 12th, 2008 | Tags: Charles Woodson, Green Bay Packers, Ryan Grant
Charles Woodson and Ryan Grant are listed as questionable for the Packers as they prepare to face the Lions. Woodson did not participate in practice this week because of a toe injury. Grant was limited in practice earlier this week because of a hamstring injury, but fully participated on Friday.
Injury report: Packers
Josh Sitton, G (knee)
Scott Wells, C (back)
Ryan Grant, RB (hamstring)
Ruvell Martin, WR (finger)
Charlie Peprah, S (hamstring)
Aaron Rouse, S (ankle)
Atari Bigby, S (biceps)
Brandon Chillar, LB (back)
Chad Clifton, T (knees)
Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila, DE (knee)
Brandon Jackson, RB (concussion)
James Jones, WR (knee)
Charles Woodson, CB (toe)
Injury report: Lions
Corey Smith, DE (hamstring)
Paris Lenon, LB (knee)
Ernie Sims, LB (ankle)
Drew Stanton, QB (thumb)


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Well Being
Be careful with grapefruit – blood clot
Not too many years ago, it was found that drinking grapefruit juice while taking certain medications could affect the medication, making it much stronger than it should be. Since then, there have been warnings to check with your pharmacist if you like to drink grapefruit juice. It's not that you can't have it, it's just that you shouldn't drink it within a certain time of having your meds.
Medications affected by grapefruit juice include medications to treat high cholesterol, such as simvastatin (Zocor), lovastatin (Mevacor), and atorvastatin (Lipitor); for seizures, carbamazepine (Carbatrol, Tegretol); blood pressure medications, felodipine (Plendil), nifedipine (Procardia), nimodipine (Nimotop), nisoldipine (Sular); and antidepressants, such as buspirone (BuSpar), sertraline (Zoloft) – to name a few.
Now, an interesting case came to light in the most recent issue of the journal The Lancet , which described a slightly overweight 42-year-old woman who went on the grapefruit diet for three days in a row. After going on a lengthy car trip, she developed a clot in her leg, which almost resulted in amputation.
While taking the patient's history, the doctors found that she was taking oral contraceptives (which can increase risk of clots) but the cause – according to doctors – may have been the grapefruit diet. According to this CTV article, Grapefruit diet nearly costs woman her leg , "Grapefruit can block the action of a key enzyme that normally breaks down the form of estrogen in her contraceptive. In some people, eating a lot of grapefruit can lead to a increase in drug concentration, increasing any side effects those drugs might cause — in this case, the clot risk posed by the birth control pills."
So, be careful. If you have any doubts, speak to your pharmacist or doctor. They're there to help you.
Images: Stock.xchng, iStock


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NewswireToday - /newswire/ -
Warren, NJ, United States, 2012/07/11 - Over the past 4 months BuyAmerican has partnered itself with over 80 different American manufacturers - BuyAmerican.com.
BuyAmerican.com a new online start up has announced that it has partnered with over 80 different American manufacturers. Maidens of Iron, Foxcreek Leather, Northstar leather, Tom Bihn, and My Info 911 are just a few of the companies who have joined BuyAmerican in the recent weeks. All of these companies make quality goods right here in America and are wonderfully supporting America's economic system. Anytime a company chooses to keep its manufacturing here in the United States dozens of jobs are created and America is stimulated.
When an American manufacturer hears about our site, they are often very excited to join. There has been a few small sites similar to ours but none with the freedom and easiness that we offer. No other site has the vast amount of quality American goods collected in one place like our company. We hope more people come to see the ease at which they can now buy American. said Managing Director Connor Gallic.
BuyAmerican.com is a website destination centered on promoting and selling products that are made in the USA. BuyAmerican.com, located in Warren, NJ, is owned by Made in the USA, LLC. You may reach the webmaster at support[.]buyamerican.com or call or visit the website.
Written by / Agency / Source: BuyAmerican
Availability: All Regions (Including Int'l)
Traffic Booster: [/] Quick Newswire Today Visibility Checker
Distribution / Indexing: [+]


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Maps & Trip Planning
- Visitors Guide
- E-Newsletter
- FAQs
- Finger Lakes on TripAdvisor
- Maps
Trip Ideas & Trails
- Finger Lakes Top Things to Do
- Deals & Packages
- Weather & Webcams
- Getting Here & Getting Around
Finger Lakes Area Maps
Sometimes a good map just wins out over a GPS. Whether you want to explore the Finger Lakes wineries by car, spend the day on a bicycle, take a hike in the woods or paddle on a kayak adventure, we have a map for that!
From Canadice to Canandaigua, from Victor to Geneva, or any place in between, we can help you find your bearings and direct you to where you want to go. We offer print maps at our office as well as various maps for driving, hiking, biking and paddling that can be downloaded on our website.
Ontario County Road Map
Drive the Finger Lakes! Ontario County features some of the most exciting views and attractions in the Finger Lakes Region. From unique museums and historic sites to world-class entertainment and family fun, the region has everything you're looking for in a great, driveable destination.
Driving Distances
The Finger Lakes Region is located within a five hour drive of most east coast metropolitan areas including New York City, Washington DC, Boston, Philadelphia, Toronto, Ottawa, Cleveland, and Hartford. This map will give you an idea of driving distances to Finger Lakes Visitors Connection, Canandaigua, 25 Gorham St., 14424. Download
Explore Ontario County - Hiking and Biking Maps
These maps will take you on an adventurous tour through Ontario County on over 250 miles of hiking, biking, and water trails. Come explore what we like to call Natures Health Club - your free health club accompanied by fantastic views and vistas! Follow the link below for a full trail listing and to plan your outdoor adventure with the very best of resources.
Canandaigua Wine Trail Map
This wine trail is a boutique collection of unique wineries on the western edge of the Finger Lakes Wine Region in New York. You'll find spectacular scenery, fine wines at five wineries and two wine centers, along with restaurants and custom brewcrafters, hotels and B & Bs, attractions, shopping and golf. The Canandaigua Wine Trail is small but mighty!


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The Luck of the Irish. A pleasant little comedy that rises above its title, with Cecil Kellaway, Anne Baxter, Tyrone Power (TIME, Oct. 4).
Rachel and the Stranger. Engaging comedy-drama about the frontier of the early 1800s, with Robert Mitchum, Loretta Young, William Holden (TIME, Sept. 27).
Sorry, Wrong Number. Inflated but fairly exciting thriller, with Barbara Stanwyck and Burt Lancaster (TIME, Sept. 20).
Rope. Alfred Hitchcock's blood-freezer about two bright young men who murder for fun, with John Ball, Farley Granger and James Stewart (TIME, Sept. 13).
The Loves of Carmen. It isn't art...


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The Chinese, who've been negotiating for a heck of a lot longer than the United States has been on the map, are fully aware of President Barack Obama's stunning political weakness at the end of his first year in office.
They also understand, as does Canada, the inconvenient truth that Bill Clinton and Al Gore did not even attempt to have the Kyoto Protocol ratified by the U.S. Senate - and there's no assurance this time either, as can be seen in the protracted debate over health care.
And, as the chief banker of the United States, they will understand that the mega-billions Hillary Clinton put on the table yesterday were pure fluff, intended primarily to divide the Group of 77 in advance of the President's arrival in Copenhagen.
In the circumstances, if you were negotiating for China and in Premier Wen Jiabao's shoes, would you make any important or irreversible concessions in Copenhagen?
Update The Washington Post has just posted on its website the results of its latest poll conducted jointly with ABC News:
"Most [of those surveyed]oppose a widely floated proposal in which the United States and other industrialized countries would contribute $10 billion a year to help developing countries pay for reducing the amount of greenhouse gases they release. Overall, 57 per cent of those polled oppose this idea; 39 per cent support it. Most Republicans (74 per cent) and independents (58 per cent) are against this proposal, while a small majority of Democrats (54 per cent) are supportive.
At the same time, there's growing negativity toward the president's handling of the broader global warming issue. Around the 100-day mark of Obama's presidency, 61 percent approved of the way he was dealing with the issue. Approval slumped to 54 per cent in June and to 45 per cent in the new poll.
The drop in Obama's ratings has been driven by a steep slump among political independents, who went from 62 per cent positive in April to 36 per cent now.
Scientists themselves also come in for more negative assessments in the poll, with four in 10 Americans now saying that they place little or no trust in what scientists have to say about the environment."
(Photo: The U.S. President speaks today in Copenhagen. Jewel Samad/AFP/Getty Images)


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Tue Jun 19, 2012, 04:58 PM
AsahinaKimi (20,776 posts)
The Rise of Asian Americans
Asian Americans are the highest-income, best-educated and fastest-growing racial group in the United States. They are more satisfied than the general public with their lives, finances and the direction of the country, and they place more value than other Americans do on marriage, parenthood, hard work and career success, according to a comprehensive new nationwide survey by the Pew Research Center.
A century ago, most Asian Americans were low-skilled, low-wage laborers crowded into ethnic enclaves and targets of official discrimination. Today they are the most likely of any major racial or ethnic group in America to live in mixed neighborhoods and to marry across racial lines. When newly minted medical school graduate Priscilla Chan married Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg last month, she joined the 37% of all recent Asian-American brides who wed a non-Asian groom.1
These milestones of economic success and social assimilation have come to a group that is still majority immigrant. Nearly three-quarters (74%) of Asian-American adults were born abroad; of these, about half say they speak English very well and half say they dont.
Asians recently passed Hispanics as the largest group of new immigrants to the United States. The educational credentials of these recent arrivals are striking. More than six-in-ten (61%) adults ages 25 to 64 who have come from Asia in recent years have at least a bachelors degree. This is double the share among recent non-Asian arrivals, and almost surely makes the recent Asian arrivals the most highly educated cohort of immigrants in U.S. history.
5 replies, 1964 views
Always highlight: 10 newest replies | Replies posted after I mark a forum
Replies to this discussion thread
|5 replies
The Rise of Asian Americans (Original post)
|Jun 2012
|Jun 2012
|Major Hogwash
|Jul 2012
|Jul 2012
|Major Hogwash
|Sep 2012
|Sep 2012
Response to AsahinaKimi (Original post)
Tue Jun 19, 2012, 09:27 PM
freshwest (53,661 posts)
1. Certainly matches what I've seen in my area.
Response to AsahinaKimi (Original post)
Wed Jul 18, 2012, 06:33 PM
Major Hogwash (17,656 posts)
2. I didn't know that.
That "Asians recently passed Hispanics as the largest group of new immigrants to the United States."
Hey, I noticed that you say that you are a Dean Democrat.
I'm not sure what you mean by that.
Did you get involved with talking about politics because of Dean?
Did you follow politics before Bush was put in the White House by the Supreme Court in 2000?
Response to Major Hogwash (Reply #2)
Wed Jul 18, 2012, 06:50 PM
AsahinaKimi (20,776 posts)
3. I call myself a Dean Democrat
Because I liked everything He said, and I became involved with his Campaign. I worked for the Dean Campaign in San Francisco, and was so disappointed when he dropped out. I did follow politics before Bush, but there were never any Democrats I was passionate about, to actually go out and volunteer for, until Howard Dean came along. Listening to his words, inspired me to go out and campaign for him. Go door to door, pass out flyers, and sign people up to vote.
Later I became an Obama supporter, though perhaps not as active as I had been for Howard Dean.
Response to AsahinaKimi (Reply #3)
Thu Sep 6, 2012, 07:54 PM
Major Hogwash (17,656 posts)
4. You're very kind, intelligent, nice, sophisticated, and friendly.
How old are you, anyway?
You get along with everyone, it seems, and have a great outlook on life.
Every time I see a post made by you in a thread in one of the other forums, your comments are positive, almost all of time.
Response to Major Hogwash (Reply #4)
Thu Sep 6, 2012, 11:18 PM
AsahinaKimi (20,776 posts)
5. Heh...
I always tell people I am over 21.
I suppose my posts are influenced by traditions taught to me by my Japanese father, and my mother who is Korean and Japanese. I grew up going to a school in San Francisco where no one group of people were dominate. We had Asians, Hispanics, Blacks, Whites, Native Americans, and people with cultures from all over the globe. We had people in our classrooms who were gay, straight, bi and even one who later became transsexual. I have always thought of San Francisco as a place that could mirror what America could be like, where everyone got along, could contribute and could celebrate their differences. We had great teachers, and we had great friends from all over the world. I guess I have been lucky, if not blessed to live in this wonderful place.


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Jada Pinkett Smith
Jada Pinkett is married to Will Smith, the freshest prince of them all, not to mention she's also a pretty good actress, as seen in The Nutty Professor and Collateral. Either way you look at it, she's always in the spotlight.
AppealThroughout her career, Jada has maintained a sexy image, while remaining classy at all times. What is even more impressive is that she looks just as good, if not better, since she popped two hot buns out of the oven. Call it genetics, hard work, a personal trainer, whatever; she managed to pull it off. Mad respect where respect is due.
SuccessJada Pinkett Smith has starred in a slew of supporting roles on the big screen over the past several years. Some of her better-known roles to date were in films such as Menace II Society, Jason's Lyric, Set It Off, The Nutty Professor, and the final two Matrix movies. Not to mention that she also made a short but sweet appearance in Scream 2. The sad part about it is that she was the first female to bite the dust in the opening 10 minutes of the movie. You can't win 'em all.
As for fame, let's be honest. She made a name for herself by working her way up the ladder and scoring supporting roles in a variety of films, but her stardom was boosted up a notch or two when she tied the knot with Mr. Big Willie Style. Let's face it; if you hang with someone who boasts this kind of nickname, you're bound to get noticed, like it or not.
Jada Pinkett Smith BiographyJada Koren Pinkett was born in Baltimore, Maryland, on September 18, 1971. While studying music and dance during her upbringing, she attended Baltimore's School of Arts. Upon completion, she decided to further her studies at the North Carolina School of the Arts.
This step in her life was cut short after only a year, however, when she decided to speed up the process and take her chances by moving to Los Angeles. Her ultimate goal was to pursue a career in acting.
Once settled in Los Angeles, Jada began making contacts and frequented several Hollywood hotspots with the intentions of catching her first big break. This came about when she encountered Keenan Ivory Wayans, who at the time was doing well with his TV series, In Living Color. Although Keenan chose not to take Pinkett under his wing, he managed to help her along the way toward stardom by hooking her up with an agent.
jada pinkett in menace II society
Jada's first major role came in 1991 when she joined the cast of A Different World, as Lena James. From this point on, she took a huge leap in her career and starred in several minor roles in numerous big screen productions, the first of which was 1993's Menace II Society, in which she was praised for her dramatic performance.
Jada found herself starring in a variety of supporting roles over the next couple of years. She was cast alongside Keenan Ivory Wayans in the 1994 comedy A Low Down Dirty Shame, starred in the coming-of-age comedy The Inkwell, and got a taste of the horror-flick genre as well in 1995's Tales from the Crypt Presents: Demon Knight.
jada pinkett in nutty professor
Although her first lead role came about in 1994's Jason's Lyric, the big screen production that truly put her on the map was the 1996 remake of The Nutty Professor, starring Eddie Murphy. Jada's highly acclaimed supporting role was a turning point in her career, thus enabling her to land roles in other successful films, including Set It Off, Scream 2, Woo, and Bamboozled.
jada marries will smith
In 1997, Pinkett added another page to her Hollywood repertoire by marrying actor/rapper Will Smith. The two have come to be one of Hollywood's hottest and best-known couples in recent history.
Will and Jada, who first met in 1995 on the set of Smith's The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (she auditioned for the role of Will's girlfriend but was turned down), have since had two children together. Their son Jaden Christopher Syre Smith was born on July 8, 1998, and their second child, daughter Willow Camille Reign Smith, was born on October 31, 2000.
jada in matrix and collateral
Nowadays, Jada has been leading a pretty busy lifestyle by juggling motherhood, marriage and acting. She joined Will in 2001's Ali, and then reemerged in the spotlight with the role of Niobe in 2003's The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions. Jada appeared as Jamie Foxx's love interest in 2004's Collateral before lending her voice to "Gloria the Hippo" in 2005's animated feature, Madagascar.
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Sao Paulo, Jan 21 (IANS) Corinthians coach Tite singled out Chinese midfielder Chen Zhizhao for praise after the Brazilian club began its 2013 campaign with an unconvincing 1-1 draw against Paulista.
Making his first start since his February 2012 move from Shanghai Shenxin, Chen set up his team's only goal with a deft 58th-minute assist to teammate Giovanni Sunday, reports Xinhua.
"He played an important part by setting up the goal and also working hard defensively," Tite said after his team's debut in the 2013 Campeonato Paulista.
"We have to remain calm because he needs to keep working on protecting the ball but I am happy with his development and so is he."
The match was Corinthians' first since winning last month's FIFA Club World Cup in Japan with a 1-0 victory over Chelsea.
Palmeiras also began their Campeonato Paulista campaign on an unimpressive note with a 0-0 draw against Bragantino Sunday. In Rio de Janeiro's Campeonato Carioca, reigning Brazilian Serie A champions Fluminense defeated Nova Iguacu 2-0.


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Good news for some breast cancer patients
March 8, 2011
Removal of cancerous lymph nodes from the armpit may not be necessary in all breast cancer patients, according to a new study paid for by the National Cancer Institute. That's good news, especially since many patients develop complications after the lymph node removal, including infections and lymphedema, a potentially crippling, painful arm swelling.
For years, surgeons have been removing under arm lymph nodes, believing it prolongs lives by retarding the spread of cancer. The New York Times, February 8, 2011, reports that "Now, researchers report that for women who meet certain criteria – about 20 percent of patients, or 40,000 women a year in the United States ? taking out cancerous nodes has no advantage." In these women, lymph node removal is unnecessary because chemotherapy and radiation wiped out disease.
"This is such a radical change in thought that it's been hard for many people to get their heads around it," said Dr. Monica Morrow, chief of the breast service at Sloan-Kettering and an author of the study. Doctors and patients alike can accept more cancer treatment, but may feel afraid to do less.
Note that these study results will not apply to all women, but only to women who meet criteria used for the study: tumors were early, less than two inches across; biopsies of one or two armpit nodes found cancer, but the nodes were not large enough to be felt and the cancer had not spread anywhere else. Study subjects had lumpectomies; most had radiation to the entire breast and chemotherapy or hormone-blocking drugs, or both.
The study included 891 patients, median age mid-50s, who were followed for abut 6.3 years. After an initial node biopsy, the women were randomly assigned to have 10 or more additional nodes removed or to leave the nodes surgically untreated. In 27 percent of the women who had additional nodes removed, those nodes were cancerous. But over time, the two groups had no difference in survival: more than 90 percent survived at least five years. Recurrence rates in the armpit were also similar, less than 1 percent. Going forward, women, such as those in the study, will have one lymph node removed and then make a decision about more treatment.
If you desire breast reconstruction following surgery, there are different options available. Contact the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery to find a board-certified plastic surgeon in your area.
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Zaricke Jackson on May 30 laci512 on May 28 – 29 Stacey on Hello world! Teresa Ruether on Day 2: April 16 Kathy on Day 2: April 16
Final Video of our Trip
French Club trip to Lyon, France
June 1
May 31
Another great day. The weather was not cooperating, rain and cool, but the day was nice, We started at the museum of cinema seeing the first still camera and motion camera.
More later, late for dinner.
May 30
Today was a challenge. We walked 16k or about 10 miles up and down a mountain in au-Mont-d'Or. Walking was steep at times and rocky. At the top, we stopped for lunch under a tree and enjoyed a beautiful view. We were happy to survive the challenge set by the P.E. teachers.
I am sure everyone will go to bed early tonight, including me.
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May 28 – 29
May 28 – 29
It's the weekend. I can't wait to hear what everyone has done. Some were going shopping, getting together for a party, Precious was going to Paris all were excited for the weekend.
My weekend was spent in the French Alps. We started in Chamonix where we road a train up the mountain to a glacier cave; then to the small village of Thone and last to Annecy on a beautiful lake. There we walked through the open markets and around the crystal clear lake.
What a beautiful weekend. I hope you enjoy the pictures.
Posted in Uncategorized 1 Comment


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Broadway-Bound ALLEGIANCE Ends Extended Run at the Old Globe Today, 10/28
The Old Globe's World Premiere of Allegiance – A New American Musical ends its extended run today, October 28.
The production, originally set to close on October 21, stars television and film icon George Takei, Tony Award-winning actress Lea Salonga and Broadway favorite Telly Leung. Allegiance features music and lyrics by Jay Kuo, book by Marc Acito, Kuo and Lorenzo Thione, direction by Stafford Arima, choreography by Andrew Palermo and music supervision, arrangements and orchestrations by Lynne Shankel.
Sixty years after the attack on Pearl Harbor, a chance meeting forces WWII veteran Sam Kimura to remember his family's relocation from their California farm to the Heart Mountain internment camp. As they struggle to adjust to their new home, Young Sam and his sister Kei find themselves torn between loyalty to their family and allegiance to their country. With its moving score, Allegiance – A New American Musical takes audiences on a journey into our nation's history through the eyes of one American family.
George Takei plays Sam Kimura, a former internee who revisits the ghosts of his past, and Ojii-san, the grandfather and pillar of strength of the Kimura family. Best known for portraying Mr. Sulu in the "Star Trek" series, Takei's acting career has spanned more than five decades with more than 40 feature films and hundreds of television roles to his credit. Takei and his family, along with 120,000 other Japanese Americans, were unjustly incarcerated behind the barbed-wire enclosures of United States internment camps at the outbreak of World War II. Takei spent part of his childhood at Camp Rohwer in Arkansas and at Camp Tule Lake in Northern California. Meeting George Takei and hearing his personal story inspired Allegiance creators Jay Kuo and Lorenzo Thione to bring the story of the Japanese American internment to the stage.
Lea Salonga appears as Kei Kimura, a young internee who falls in with a group of activists. Salonga originated the role of Kim in The West End and Broadway productions of Miss Saigon, winning the Tony and Olivier Awards, among others. She was the first Asian to play Eponine in Les Misérables on Broadway, returned to the show in 2007 as Fantine and reprised the role for the sold-out 25th anniversary concert in London. Salonga's feature film credits include the singing voice of Princess Jasmine in Aladdin and Fa Mulan in Mulan.
Telly Leung plays young Sammy Kimura, who is torn between fighting for his country and honoring his community – and his family. Leung most recently appeared in the Broadway revival of Godspell. His other Broadway credits include Flower Drum Song, Pacific Overtures and the final company of Rent. Leung also originated the role of Boq in the Chicago company of Wicked. His television and film credits include "Glee" (Wes, Dalton Academy Warblers) and Rent: Filmed Live on Broadway. His first solo CD, I'll Cover You, will be released in the fall.
The Cast also features Michael K. Lee (Frankie Suzuki), Paolo Montalban (Mike Masaoka), Paul Nakauchi (Tatsuo Kimura) and Allie Trimm (Hannah Campbell) with Katie Boren, Jon Jon Briones, Geno Carr, Karl Josef Co, Marc De La Cruz, MaryAnn Hu, Brandon Joel Maier, Kürt Norby, Ann Sanders, Jill Townsend, Kay Trinidad and Scott Watanabe (Ensemble) and Jennifer Hubilla and Conrad Ricamora (Swings).
The creative team includes Laura Bergquist (Music Direction), Donyale Werle (Scenic Design), Alejo Vietti (Costume Design), Howell Binkley (Lighting Design), Jonathan Deans (Sound Design), Darrel Maloney (Projection Design), Jan Gist (Dialect Coach) Telsey + Company (Casting) and Anjee Nero (Stage Manager).
Allegiance – A New American Musical is supported in part through gifts from Production Sponsors Conrad Prebys and Debbie Turner, Mary Beth Adderley and Elizabeth and Ryan Williams, The Family of Elaine Lipinsky and HME.
The Old Globe is presenting a variety of supplemental seminars and exhibits during the run of Allegiance that explore the history and significance of the Japanese American internment.
Marc Acito (Book) wrote the book and additional lyrics for the Globe's world premiere production of A Room with a View. Acito's play Birds of a Feather, which tells the true story of the nationwide controversy caused by gay penguins in the Central Park Zoo, won the Helen Hayes Award for Outstanding New Play or Musical for its world premiere at The Hub Theatre. Birds of a Feather will appear next at Diversionary Theatre. Acito will also return to the Hub to create a stage monologue adaptation of his first novel, How I Paid for College: A Novel of Sex, Theft, Friendship and Musical Theater, which won the Ken Kesey Award for Fiction, was Editors' Choice by The New York Times and was a Top Teen Pick by the American Library Association. Translated into five languages, it also inspired a sequel, Attack of the Theater People. A former professional opera singer, Acito regularly performs "singing commentaries" on National Public Radio's "All Things Considered" and has written about theater for The New York Times, Playbill and American Theatre.
Jay Kuo (Music, Lyrics and Book) marks his fourth musical with Allegiance. His composing career began at Stanford where he wrote and produced Upwardly Mobile, a coming of age story. Kuo's second musical comedy, Insignificant Others, played from 2006-2008 in San Francisco at the New Conservatory Theatre Center, Zeum and Theatre 39 and won the Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle Award for Best Original Script. His third work, Worlds Apart, about star-crossed lovers in the cultural divide, performed in concert at San Francisco's Magic Theatre in late 2006 and in New York City at New World Stages in 2008. Kuo has also been part of the producing teams of many Broadway shows and national tours with an emphasis on the use of social media.
Lorenzo Thione (Book) began working on Allegiance in 2008 alongside friend and composer Jay Kuo following an encounter with George Takei, whose experience in the internment camps inspired them to write a musical about this dark and mostly unknown chapter of American history. Thione is also a serial entrepreneur, theater producer and community activist and was the co-founder of Powerset, Inc., an internet search company that was acquired by Microsoft in 2008 and whose technology was subsequently re-launched as part of Bing. He is the co-founder, chairman and president of Artify It, an internet-based startup that is bringing high-quality contemporary art within the reach of everyone. Thione has also co-founded and helped grow StartOut, a national non-profit organization dedicated to fostering and developing the next generation of entrepreneurs and business leaders within the LGBT community. Thione serves on the board of trustees of StartOut and of several companies in the U.S. and abroad.
Stafford Arima (Director) previously directed Ace at the Globe. He was nominated for an Olivier Award for his direction of The West End premiere of Ragtime. He recently directed the first revival of the infamous Broadway musical Carrie (MCC Theater). His other work includes Altar Boyz (Outstanding Off Broadway Musical Outer Critics Circle Award and seven Drama Desk Award nominations), The Tin Pan Alley Rag (nominated for an Outer Critics Circle Award as Outstanding Off Broadway Musical, Roundabout Theatre Company), Jacques Brel Is Alive and Well and Living In Paris (Stratford Shakespeare Festival), Candide (San Francisco Symphony), The Secret Garden (World AIDS Day concert), Bright Lights, Big City (Prince Music Theater), A Tribute to Stephen Sondheim (Boston Pops), Guys and Dolls (Paper Mill Playhouse), Abyssinia (Goodspeed Musicals), Bowfire (PBS television special), The Princess and the Black-Eyed Pea (San Diego Repertory Theatre), Children's Letters to God (Off Broadway) and Marry Me a Little (Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park). His projects in development include A Separate Peace (based on John Knowles' novel) and Bare.
Andrew Palermo (Choreography) previously choreographed the Globe production of Ace. He is the Founding Artistic Director of dre.dance, an American contemporary dance company. In addition to concert dance, Palermo's stage direction and choreography credits include Kristin Chenoweth at Carnegie Hall, The Frank Loesser Songbook with New York Philharmonic (Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts), The Mikado (Carnegie Hall), Lyrics & Lyricists (92nd Street Y), The Aluminum Show (international tour), V-Day (Urban Stages), Journey to the West (37 Arts), Great Joy (New Amsterdam Theatre), Esther Demsack (Summer Play Festival/The Public Theater), DanceBreak 2011, Ace (Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis), Bright Lights, Big City (Prince Music Theater), Vices (Theatre Aspen), Elton John and Tim Rice's Aida (Music Theatre of Wichita), Man of La Mancha (Music Circus), For the Record: Paul Thomas Anderson (Rockwell: Table & Stage), The Two Gentlemen of Verona (University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music), Hairspray (American Musical and Dramatic Academy Los Angeles), She Loves Me (Westminster Choir College) and Hair and The Wild Party (Wichita State University). He is also working on the upcoming Off Broadway production of The Other Josh Cohen.
Lynne Shankel (Music Supervision, Arrangements and Orchestrations) has written orchestrations and arrangements for San Francisco Symphony featuring Bonnie Raitt, The Dallas Opera Orchestra featuring George Hearn and Tony Bennett's famed 80th birthday celebration at the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles. She was music director/arranger for the Broadway production of Cry-Baby as well as the resident music supervisor for the Tony Award-winning revival of Company, for which she conducted the Grammy Award-nominated cast album. She was music director/arranger for the Off Broadway hit Altar Boyz, for which she received a Drama Desk Award nomination for Outstanding Orchestrations. Shankel was music supervisor for the San Francisco premiere of The World of Nick Adams at (Davies Symphony Hall). Her other Broadway credits include Disney's Beauty and the Beast, You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown and The Lion King. Her Off Broadway credits include Vanities, Altar Boyz, The Thing About Men, Summer of '42 (music direction, vocal arrangements and orchestrations), The Cocoanuts and Milk and Honey. Shankel has worked regionally on Band Geeks! (Goodspeed Musicals), Pop! (Yale Repertory Theatre), Cry-Baby (La Jolla Playhouse), Party Come Here and The Opposite of Sex (Williamstown Theatre Festival), Vanities (Pasadena Playhouse, TheatreWorks), Princesses (The 5th Avenue Theatre, Goodspeed), Tom Jones (North Shore Music Theatre), Summer of '42 (Goodspeed, TheatreWorks), Twelfth Night (Long Wharf Theatre) and Rough Crossing and Camino Real (Hartford Stage). Her recordings include New York City Christmas (Sh-K-Boom Records), Betty Buckley: Heart to Heart (KO Records), Altar Boyz (Sh-K-Boom), Summer of '42 (Jay Records) and Lauren Kennedy: Here and Now (PS Classics).
The Old Globe is located in San Diego's Balboa Park at 1363 Old Globe Way. There are numerous free parking lots available throughout the park. Valet parking is also available ($10). For additional parking information visit www.BalboaPark.org.


text: Hi - I have a need to redirect requests made directly to the IP address of our server back to the official domain name of the server using a 301 redirect, but I'm not sure how to proceed. I've redirected other "vanity" domains easily, but this seems different. The problem is that GoogleBot for some reason accesses our server by IP directly, without specifying the Host: header and is counting it as two separate pages in it's database (which is a problem). So, I want any request made directly to the IP address without a Host: header to get redirected... To complicate things however, the server is part of a farm so I don't want it's individual hostname to be redirected, just if it's made to the IP. Is this possible?


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The latest legislation affecting student loan interest has been signed into law by President Obama in spite vocal disagreement from his protégé, Elizabeth Warren, and others. As someone who (dating myself) borrowed under the National Defense Education Act at a whopping 1 percent and paid $375 per semester for full-time tuition at a state university, it's really difficult to wrap my head around the cost of college today. Is there no solution to the skyrocketing costs?
Granted, the economy of yore was much different from what it is today, and there were semesters when I couldn't pull together the $375 and had to go to school part time or even not at all, just like students who can't afford the $5,000 to $15,000+ per semester price tags that are handed out today. But back then, a student who took a semester off could work at an odd job and save enough money to return the next semester on a pay-as-you-go system. I know, this falls into the same category of nostalgia as dress codes and dorm hours at school (hated both) and my 1968 Mustang convertible (loved it, of course). Each generation has its own sets of highs and lows. It just seems really sad that college, the place where you do most of your growing up, has to come with such a high price tag. And adding high interest rates (even though they're capped in this new legislation) makes it that much worse.


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Portland, Oregon (PRWEB) April 23, 2013
The A Position.com kicks off its spring golf season with a tropical flourish by sending five journalists to Maui from April 21-27 to sample the Magical Isle's world-class golf courses, beaches, hotels, cuisine, and more. Four writers and a videographer will create and broadcast daily original content via a collection of websites and social media that will be further disseminated by sponsor partners. The content will include short travelogues, videos, and reviews of courses, restaurants, and other attractions, as well as the observations of a team of seasoned golf enthusiasts.
This edition of Golf Road Warriors involves members of The A Position who have reported from previous trips to Myrtle Beach, Scottsdale, Reynold's Plantation, Palm Springs, Casa de Campo, and other locales.
Brian McCallen is a long-time golf travel writer whose credits include GOLF Magazine (where he was a Senior Editor for 16 years), Robb Report, Cigar Aficionado, Travel & Leisure, the Washington Post and many others top publications. McCallen is also the author of a number of books about the world's best golf destinations.
Manhattan-based writer Jim Frank has been a golf journalist and editor for more than 30 years, including stints as Executive Editor of GOLF Magazine from 1990-2003, and founder of Golf Connoisseur. Franks has edited and published countless articles in the best golf and travel publications and published several books.
Award-winning writer Tom Bedell is the only member of both the Golf Writers Association of America and the North American Guild of Beer Writers. His work has appeared in Travel & Leisure Golf, Celebrated Living, Lexus Magazine, and many other top publications.
Jeff Wallach, Executive Editor of the A Position, has published in The New York Times, Money Magazine, Outside, and other magazines and newspapers. The author of five books, he claims to have a pretty good short game for a journalist.
On Maui the writers will be videoed by Jamie McWilliams, whose extensive sports background has included producing, directing, and writing for NFL Films. McWilliams has worked as the videographer for a number of Golf Road Warriors adventures. He will document adventures at such great golf courses as Wailea Gold, Kapalua's Plantation Course, King Kamehameha Golf Club, and Kaanapali's Royal Course.
Check out the warriors' field reports at Golf Road Warriors.com and theAposition.com.
The A Position.com is a network of websites featuring the world's best golf and travel writers. The term "The A Position" refers to the best place a golfer can land his tee shot. On the web, it refers to the site readers will want to land on for great golf and travel journalism.
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You know what I love about sport? It doesn't discriminate. The barbell doesn't care if I'm gay or straight. It also doesn't care if I'm black, or if my mom and dad were Latino or Lithuanian. The barbell doesn't know that I'm a woman. A deadlift is a deadlift for me, or for a man or a child. The pavement doesn't rise or fall under my feet because I prayed to this god and not that one. Burpees are burpees for the young and the old. Bumpers don't give a damn where I live. Pain will come calling, no matter whether I have a lot or a little in my bank account.
And you know what I love about CrossFit? All CrossFit wants from me is effort and a desire to get better. The minutes and seconds tick off the clock at the same pace if I vote conservative, libertarian, liberal, or not at all. "Time!" is pronounced differently as a word in English or Russian or French, but it has the same meaning: your workout is finished. Sweat angels darken every mat.
In a world that tries to remind us of the differences between people, CrossFit reminds us that, fundamentally, we are all the same. In order to maintain our health, all humans need functional movement. And so here we have training centered on the concept that everyone needs these basic movements. And, in that CrossFit workout, we can make modifications for the differences between individual human beings while at the same time acknowledging our sameness. That's a beautiful concept, simply and elegantly rendered. In our rush to improve, it's something we rush by, but it deserves attention, and it deserves applause.
Thank you, CrossFit. In a world that often seems to be trying to tell me that I don't belong, you tell me that I do.


text: Hi Ed, Ed Schofield wrote: > My branch also changes one aspect of the existing behaviour: the > todense() method now returns a dense (NumPy) matrix, rather than a dense > array. Converting to a dense array is now available under a toarray() > method (or .A attribute) instead. The rationale behind this change is > to emphasize that sparse matrices are closer to dense matrices than to > dense arrays in their attributes (e.g. .T for transpose) and behaviour > (e.g. * means inner product). I've also been careful to make > multiplication between sparse matrices and dense row or column vectors > (matrix objects with unit length or height) return matrices of the > correct dimensions, rather than arrays. Several unit tests relied on > the old behaviour, and I've changed these accordingly. Most of these > test changes are just simplifications -- for example > > assert_array_equal((a*c).todense(), a.todense() * c) > > instead of > > assert_array_equal((a*c).todense(), dot(a.todense(), c)) > -- but I'd appreciate some criticism and feedback on which behaviour > people prefer. well done! I think it's better your way - if a vector (i.e. 2D array) is put in, it is expected that a vector gous out as well. Do you also plan to add the c-based linked-list matrix as in PySparse (ll_mat.c there)? This could be even faster than using the Python lists (IMHO...). > These changes have highlighted a problem present in both the main trunk > and my branch: that multiplying a dense matrix 'a' by a sparse matrix > 'b' is not possible using the syntax 'a*b'. I'll follow this up with a > proposal to numpy-discussion on how we can solve this. I am very curious how to do this. Surely NumPy will have to be aware of existence of sparse matrix objects, right? r.


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No art money
|By Andy Balaskovitz
Lansing City Council looks like it will stop short of appropriating funding for public art … for nowIt appears the Lansing City Council will hold off on appropriating money for public art in the annual budget, opting for a less formal set of guidelines and procedures for installing works throughout the city.
In recent weeks, the Council's General Services Committee has been considering establishing an arts commission that, among other duties, would oversee budget dollars devoted to purchasing public art. Lansing is unlike most nearby municipalities by not having a process for commissioning public works. Some places, such as East Lansing, devote a portion of its annual budget toward purchasing public art.
Proponents say public art is crucial for making cities and towns unique, creating a "sense of place" and even serving as an economic driver.
Lansing City Councilwoman Jessica Yorko, who chairs General Services, said Monday that the committee is looking closely at DeWitt Township's "public art guidelines," a four-page document that states the township's goals, the art selection process and funding options. Since the policy was adopted in 2012, DeWitt Township has not set aside funding for buying public art. However, township Manager Rod Taylor said the township is considering setting aside an amount as a budget line item in the next fiscal year.
Known as a "percent for art," some communities require 1 percent of the costs of a Capital Improvement Project — such as installing sidewalks or upgrading infrastructure or facilities — go toward commissioning art at the site of the project. Yorko has been working with the Arts Council of Greater Lansing on a policy. In one draft, the Arts Council recommended 3 percent of money spent on Capital Improvement Projects go toward purchasing art at the project site, which equals about $325,000.
"I did not get the sense that there was a feeling of comfort for that concept in the committee," Yorko said. Adopting the DeWitt model, she added, would at least qualify the city for annual public-art grants issued by the Lansing Economic Area Partnership. "The other committee members (Carol Wood and Jody Washington) both indicated that they would feel comfortable with the DeWitt version.
"We decided to move forward quickly, swiftly with a resolution that establishes an internal policy, like what DeWitt has done, and then continue the conversation about other options for a commission, an advisory board, a percent set-aside or allocation from the budget," Yorko said.
DeWitt's policy states the purpose and goals for public art; allows the township supervisor to set up an ad-hoc committee to oversee the selection process — which comes in three phases — and issuing a Request for Proposals. "The Township will financially support the installation and maintenance of public art whenever possible within the constraints of the yearly budget," DeWitt's guidelines say.
Taylor could not specify how much has been spent from the township's general fund on installation and maintenance, though he said it was "minimal." The discussion about setting aside dollars will likely be revisited, he said: "To allocate limited tax dollars with no very specific defined project just didn't make sense for us today."
In the meantime, Yorko said the city will continue to try and fund public art through grants and donations. Like in DeWitt, a general fund set-aside will likely surface again.
"Honestly what I think the committee wants is to hear more from the public," Yorko said.


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REGARDLESS of its success, for several years the army saw the defence of the country's territorial integrity as its primary job and didn't see itself as the guardian of its 'ideology'.
Even then a succession of military leaders demonstrated so much commitment to safeguarding the country's at best loosely defined 'ideological frontiers' that they may have done so at the expense of the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the country.
Military ruler Gen Yahya Khan's information minister, the reputedly pro-Jamaat-i-Islami Gen (retd) Sher Ali Khan, invented the term 'ideology of Pakistan' ahead of the 1970 elections, thinking perhaps it would be the glue to hold the country together. We all know how miserably he failed.
However, even at this stage the culture within the army was unchanged where loyalty to unit and country remained the foremost concerns and not 'ideology' and where the officers' mess retained some of the best-stocked, mahogany-topped bars in the country, where officers and their families played tombola on weekends.
The atmosphere may have been elitist but was far less prone to divisive ideologies.
After seizing power, Gen Zia made no bones about his adherence to his own narrow version of religion to more or less the exclusion of all other brands. The rest of the general staff followed the leader as if on cue. Shalwar-kameez waistcoats replaced 'monkey jackets,' 'blue patrols' and lounge suits.
The Soviet army's march into neighbouring Afghanistan was a godsent for Zia. It enabled him, in partnership with the CIA, to father what would become an unstoppable monster. Yes, for what else would one call such an ideology? A hate-filled philosophy that makes Pakistani Muslims turn on one another with the sort of relish even the vilest of predators wouldn't reserve for the choicest of prey.
This ideology is tearing Pakistan apart. Official figures say the murderous campaign of the zealots has so far claimed the lives of more than 3,500 army and paramilitary soldiers and injured or maimed nearly 12,000 others. This is not counting the civilian casualties.
It was against this backdrop that last Sunday's newspapers carried army chief Gen Ashfaq Kayani's statement in which he delivered a 'reminder' at the Pakistan Military Academy, Kakul, not far from where US Navy SEALs killed Osama bin Laden in May 2011.
"Let me remind you that Pakistan was created in the name of Islam and Islam can never be taken out of Pakistan. However, Islam should always remain a unifying force. I assure you that regardless of the odds, the Pakistan Army will keep on doing its best towards our common dream for a truly Islamic Republic of Pakistan, as envisioned by the Quaid-i-Azam and Allama Iqbal."
Whilst the general hadn't, perhaps the military's media wing should have shared the background to his statement. It wasn't clear who, if anyone, was trying to "take Islam out of Pakistan". Ask anyone around you if they see Islam in danger of being taken out of Pakistan. You'll only hear one response: no.
Also, it would have been hugely beneficial to the young cadets and officers at the PMA had Gen Kayani defined a truly Islamic republic as "envisioned" by the Quaid and Iqbal and referred to the constitutional provision which made it incumbent on the army to strive towards realising the dream.
Frankly, an army chief who says his hand has been stayed by a lack of "national consensus" in imposing the writ of the Islamic Republic on large swathes of the country's land where its territorial integrity is in tatters, should have ideally refrained from making this statement.
He may not have realised it but his words could easily have been interpreted as further encouragement by militants who have said they'll attack and disrupt the election campaign of the political parties seen as 'secular'.
Dishonestly, some have described secular parties as 'godless' merely because these parties feel that given the dozens of schools of thought, with often widely differing interpretations of religious tenets, the use of religion in the affairs of the state can be, and is, divisive.
A tolerant state where all citizens enjoy equal rights, where bigotry has no room and where the role of the men in khaki is in line with the Quaid's wishes expressed in Quetta all those years ago would be closest to Jinnah's vision, Gen Kayani would agree. The definitive piece of writing on Iqbal's vision appeared in Thursday's Dawn penned by I.A. Rehman.
If the general has to be proactive, then wise counsel would have it that he move to ensure that there is a level playing field for all those participating in the May 11 elections regardless of whether they are closer ideologically to one state institution or another.
The inability of the multi-billion rupee intelligence juggernaut at his disposal as also the men under arms at his command to afford protection to several major political parties in the country is nothing that a professional soldier would be proud of.
The army's foreign detractors, particularly those in the West and in unfriendly or hostile countries such as India and Afghanistan, have long accused it of having an institutional bias in favour of militant Islam and against forces representing liberal thought in the country.
Instead of moving to dispel such impressions and clearly demonstrating his commitment to a tolerant, pluralistic, Pakistan, the general chooses to make a vague statement on "Islam being taken out of Pakistan".
Large chunks of the populace in Gen Kayani's, Nawaz Sharif's and Imran Khan's ideal Saudi Arabia and even in Iran agree on what Islam is and, therefore, while the two may be in a clash regionally, there is domestic peace as there is consensus within each on what constitutes Islam.
Pakistan is so, so different. Test my hypothesis. Just stop four, five people at random on a busy street and ask them what their belief is. I am not prescribing something I haven't tried. I learnt religion is best left to the individual. Call me godless if you will but please ponder if there is truth in what I say.
The writer is a former editor of Dawn.