text:
Didier Drogba took only three weeks to make his mark in China and at Shanghai Shenhua.
This newfound form is doing a lot of good for Shenhua, who are moving just a little further away from the red zone in the Chinese Super League after largely dominating Hangzhou Greentown (5-1), on Saturday in the 20th week.
Leading the attack alongside Nicolas Anelka, Didier Drogba scored a brace in the third match in his new colours.
Up until now, the captain of the Ivoirian national selection has only managed an assist in his first match, a draw against the leader Guangzhou R&F (1-1), but he went further this time in his attempts to send Shenhua to the top of the Chinese championship.
After being led following a Feng Gang goal (1-0, 7th), Shanghai Shenhua came back into the game thanks to Didier Drogba's equalizer. The former Chelsea striker benefitted from a superb pass from Lireno and set the record straight in the ninth minute, 1-1.
The Ivoirian, who is already very involved in the life of the team, signed his second goal of the evening and the third for the locals at the end of the evening; one of his characteristically powerful goals (84th), when his team was already in the lead (2-1) thanks to a goal by Feng Renliang (34th).
In the dying minutes of the clash, Shenhua added two more goals, signed by Giovanny Moreno (4-1, 87th) and Joël Griffiths (5-1, 91st), both thanks to assists by French striker, Nicolas Anelka.
With this success Shenhua, who have not lost in over five matches, climb into ninth position with 24 points. Coach Sergio Batista's men should in all likelihood continue their ascension in the league standings, if the Drogba-Anelka duo maintain their efficiency and their complementarity.
On 11 August Shanghai will head to seventh-placed Tianjin Teda, before hosting Dalian Shide (8th) and Shandong Luneng (12th) in their next three championship fixtures.
Following his first brace, Drogba knows what is expected of him and cannot afford to disappoint; something his club fans let him know about when they gave him a long standing ovation after his two goals.
Having signed up at Shenhua on a two and a half year contract on a weekly salary of 254.000 Euros, Drogba's new life in China has now truly begun.


text:
COSTA MESA – Just a week after policies, politics and parents led to a suspension of games and practices for the Newport Beach Little League program, another pair of local Little League teams reminded us why we play ball.
It was Saturday night, under the lights on Field No. 2 at TeWinkle Park, where two baseball teams who have never met before challenged each other and the 150 bundled-up spectators to remember why we love this splendid game.
The game featured the visiting District 62 Challenger Senior Division team of Orange County players, ages 12 to 22, with special needs, developmental and physical disabilities. They took on the hosting Costa Mesa American Little League team of 10- to 12-year-old boys who understood just how special this game was.
Rarely, if ever, do Little League teams from these separate divisions play each other, according to District 62 Challenger Division president Krissy Land and Costa Mesa American Little League president Todd Cowley.
"But we thought this was something fun that we thought the kids would enjoy doing together beneath the lights," said Cowley, who has scheduled two more games with Challenger opponents this season.
"Everybody loves baseball, right?"
Before this night, ability had kept these players apart.
Challenger teams play an adaptive game with fewer rules, more hand-holding buddies on the base paths, more forgiving pitchers and no strikes, no outs or no scorekeepers.
Participation is the only victory that counts.
To understand why this is true, you should know how some of the Challenger players and their families practiced all their lives to take their at-bats, run the bases and come home in triumph on Saturday night.
One Challenger infielder with Down syndrome spent three weeks learning how to grip a bat and a full season of swinging himself into knots before making contact for the most memorable bunt his parents ever witnessed.
On Saturday night, Ian Deyden of Huntington Beach smacked a lead-off single.
Another Challenger outfielder with autism used to be so uncomfortable running that he could only shuffle his sneakered feet along the white chalk base paths; he covered his ears while he moved.
On this night, he slid home, got up, dusted himself off and twirled his way back to a dugout of applause.
The Challenger catcher was born with severe scoliosis and spent the first four years of his life in a halo orthopedic cast to straighten his spine. He was 5 years old before he took his first step and needed 10 back surgeries before he could run without pain.
"I'll hurt tomorrow," said Cole Sarver, 20, laughing. "Right now, I'm playing my favorite sport."
On Saturday night, Cole was the 4-foot-6 survivor, strapping his legs inside red shin guards, fastening a chest protector around his hips, pulling his mask over his face and crouching behind home plate.
His lungs, he said, can handle only 32 percent capacity of normal lungs. But that didn't keep him from sprinting to chase down every ball and seeking to chest bump players on the opposing team when they scored.
The boys on the Costa Mesa American team couldn't be expected to know the hardship stories of the visitors on this night. It took some trust and some faith that competitive, entirely healthy 10- to 12-year-old boys would be sensitive to their challenged challengers.
But baseball, in its simplest, most inclusive and most beautiful form, brought them together for a game in which everyone won.
Costa Mesa American utility player Zach Mascarenas, 10, of Huntington Beach, came into the game knowing he wanted to play ball rather than play hard. During his first at-bat, he thought of his sister, Hope, 4, who has Down syndrome and watched from her stroller parked near the stands beside his dugout.
"My sister is so loving and really enjoys just being out with other kids," Zach said. "When I saw the other team, I hoped that she could play baseball like them some day."
The goal was to have fun, which everyone – even those parents clutching cellphone cameras, and applauding spectators – had through three innings of everybody-plays baseball.
Costa Mesa American leadoff hitter Terry Cowley, 12, ripped a line drive toward center field and dashed two steps before hitting the brakes in shock.
Challenger shortstop Michael Meer leaped, snagged the rocket for the out and then – we don't see this on TV – danced, complete with pelvic gyrations and fist pumps. A dance party broke out in the Challenger infield.
At this moment, a stunned Costa Mesa American slugger Mark Blanco turned to his teammates in the dugout and said, "These guys are for real!"
We could see how real the love for baseball was when Challenger slugger Christian Palmer of Westminster arrived 30 minutes before the 7 p.m. start and immediately positioned himself in the on-deck circle, bat in hand, helmet on. He couldn't wait to play.
The always-smiling, always fist bumping Christian tailed his manager to make sure his teammates were penciled properly on the line-up card. He was first on the third-base line, cap over heart, for the national anthem. He even jumped when "the rockets' red glare, the bombs bursting in air" crackled over the field's speakers.
The excitement overtook him so much that when his name was announced to bat cleanup he couldn't be found. Then he appeared, calling for a bat, having just raced back from the restroom. He knocked three runners home with a bases-clearing fly to center.
"I love this game," he said. "But I had to go to the bathroom."
Everyone waited while nature called. Even the fun-loving volunteer umpiring crew and volunteer announcer, Gary March, got into the action.
Noticing that Costa Mesa American catcher Jacob Schultz had the ball at the plate and was ready to put the tag on incoming Challenger player Elim Feliciano of Santa Ana, umpire Barry Silverman asked Jacob if he could see the ball.
Silverman then took the ball and tossed it toward first, allowing Elim to cross safely. While Elim threw his hands toward the lights in celebration, March announced, "An error has been charged to the catcher."
A breathless, scrambling Jacob lifted his mask, stood at the plate and started laughing. He high fived the next runner who scored. When Jacob rounded the bases during the next inning, he engaged the defense in run downs, taking steps forward and back for 30-second sessions of monkey-in-the-middle and tag.
"I had never played with Challenger teams before, but this made me really happy," said Jacob, 11, of Costa Mesa. "I can see how happy they get playing. They practice hard. They all try. They've got baseball dreams too."
In the end, the teams lined up to shake hands. But rather than just trading handshakes, many players stopped to introduce themselves. Some even hugged. And parents cried.
It was a night when nobody cared about how many home runs anyone hit or outs anyone made or who beat whom.
Sure, baseball had brought these players to the same field. But the game gave them something greater: friendship.
This is truly why we play ball.
Contact the writer: email@example.com

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Egyptians are preparing to head to the polls in their first free presidential election, 15 months after ousting Hosni Mubarak in the Arab Spring uprising.
Fifty million people can vote, and security is likely to be tight.
The Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, which assumed presidential powers in February 2011, has promised a fair poll followed by civilian rule.
The election pits Islamists against secularists, and revolutionaries against Mubarak-era ministers.
The frontrunners are Ahmed Shafiq, a former commander of the air force and briefly prime minister during February 2011 protests, Amr Moussa, who has served as foreign minister and head of the Arab League, Mohammed Mursi, who heads Muslim Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party and Abdul Moneim Aboul Fotouh, an independent Islamist candidate.
The four men generally regarded as the front-runners are all either Islamists or former ministers who served in the old regime.
A run-off vote is scheduled for 16 and 17 June if there is no outright winner.


text:
CVS deals 9/1: Puffs (FREE!), soup, laundry, shaving gel!
Posted August 31, 2013
Updated September 1, 2013
CVS has some good buys starting Sunday, 9/1 on Puff tissues (FREE!), Coke products, Campbell's soup, Xtra laundry detergent, and more! It's a small ad this week, but I will still be heading in to score the free Puffs and .50 Campbell's soup.
Be sure to check your e-mail for a possible 25% off shopping pass good through 9/1. The 25% off is only valid on regularly priced items. You can print the coupon or have it send to your card.
The CVS coupon policy can be found on their website at cvs.com
Reminder: Check your CVS coupons from the coupon kiosks for the last couple weeks to see if you have any to go with the deals below.
These deals are valid from 9/1 – 9/7.
20% off shopping pass in the ad this week. Not valid on sale items. The coupon is only on ads that were in teh paper. I do not think they will be on the ads in the stores. You can also save an additrional 10% off CVS branded items (non sale items) with the coupon in the ad. Coupon vaid through 9/7/13.
Campbell's chicken noodle or tomato soup, 10.75
Sale: $1.00
Coupon: .50/1 CVS coupon from the in-store coupon kiosk, $1/5 printable coupon from campbellskitchen.com
Total for 1 can with CVS coupon = .50
Total for 5 cans with .50 CVS coupon and $1/5 manufacturer's coupon = .70 each
Bumble Bee solid white tuna, 5 – 6 oz, in water or oil, .98, limit 10
Coke products, 2 ltr, BOGO, limit 4
Kellogg's cereal including Frosted Mini Wheats, Crispix, Crunchy Nut
Sale: $2.00
Coupons: $1/2 coupons from 7/28 or 8/4 RP, $1/3 coupon from Kelloggs.com
Total after $1/2 coupon = $1.50 each
Kellogg's FiberPlus or Nutrigrain bars, $2 - $1/2 FiberPlus coupon from 8/4 RP or $1/3 Nutrigrain coupon from 8/4 RP
CVS water, 24 pack bottles, $2.22, limit 3
Red Baron pizza, 12", $2.99
Folger's instant coffee, 8 oz., BOGO
Puffs tissues, various, .88 - $1 coupon for any participating P&G product from the in-store coupon kiosk = FREE!, limit 1 coupon offer
Dawn dish liquid, 9 oz., .88
Xtra liquid laundry detergent, 30 loads, $1.49
Edge, Skintinate or Schick shave gel
Extrabucks: $2 Extrabucks, limit 1
Coupon: BOGO Edge coupon from Smart Shopper coupons above or $1/2 Edge or Skintimate coupon from 7/28 SS or $1 coupons from http://thecouponbook.extrasforme.com/
Tampax Radiant tampons, Always Radiant or Inifnity, or liners or Pearl tampons, $3.79 - $1 coupon kiosk coupon for any 1 participating P&G item and $1 coupons from 9/1 PG = $1.79 after both coupons
Advil film coated, 20 count, $3.99 - $1 Extrabucks reward AND $1 coupon from 8/25 RP = $1.99 after reward
$4 Extrabucks reward when you spend $8 on Conair or Scunci hair products, limit 1
CVS multiple vitamins, and select other vitamins, BOGO
CVS AA or AAA batteries, BOGO, limit 4
CVS diapers or training pants jumbo pack, 2 for $10


text:
Test could help prevent vision loss from macular degeneration
Posted February 19, 2013
Chapel Hill, N.C. — Fifteen million people in the United States suffer from macular degeneration, the leading cause of blindness. But researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill say they have a test that can predict when a person will begin to lose their sight.
Two and a half years ago, C.A. Smith of New Bern learned that he had the dry form of macular degeneration in both eyes.
"In my right eye, I'm 20/30 and I'm able to drive, play golf – do most of the things I like to do," he said.
But now the 73-year-old's left eye has the telltale signs of the "wet" form of the disease - where a vessel burst and leaked blood under the surface of the retina.
"That blood is causing permanent damage to the neurons of the retina," said Dr. Sai Chavala, UNC opthamologist/retina specialists. In other words, the retina is dying.
Chavala said Smith is among the 20 percent of macular degeneration patients who develop the wet form. Chavala led a pilot study using a blood test to predict when high-risk patients might convert from dry to wet.
UNC researchers develop blindness test
"So if we could prevent the blood from actually occurring in the eye, we might be able to preserve vision," Chavala said.
The test measures a rare stem cell called a progenitor cell in the blood, which turns out to be a barometer for macular degeneration activity. The success of the small pilot study at UNC will move on eventually to a multicenter trial.
Smith already receives periodic vitamin injections in his right eye in hopes of preventing progression of the disease. No drug has been developed as a preventative treatment, but having a reliable predictive test is key.
"First we have to be able to predict, and then we can prevent," Chavala said.
Smith said he is glad to be doing something to preserve the vision in his right eye, but he wishes he discovered the problem in his other eye sooner.
"If you let it go too long, you end up with a left eye like I have," he said.


text:
Watch This Guy Propose To His Girlfriend While Skydiving [VIDEO]
A man named Robin Pietschmann proposed to his girlfriend Ashley on September 8 in a pretty unique way…while skydiving! (cue Tom Petty's "Free Fallin"). Since she couldn't hear him, he did it by revealing pre-written messages on his arms. He had the ring tethered to his shirt so he wouldn't lose it. Check out the YouTube video:
Subscribe to The Moose 95.1 FM on


text:
This star rating is the opinion of the property owner only. A Self-Rated hotel has not been assessed by the AA or Visit Britain, whose official star ratings we use across LateRooms.com.
Hotel France Albion2 Self rated
11 RUE NOTRE DAME DE LORETTE, Paris, 75009
Price FromView Rooms
This hotel doesn't have any reviews yet.
About the hotel
The fully air-conditioned Hotel France Albion offers 34 customised rooms and suite and a daylight conference room. This outstanding two-star hotel is located between Rue Saint Lazare and the famous Rue des Martyrs, which marks the boundary of the district known as "La Nouvelle Athènes".
Facilities Show/hide
- Main
- Air conditioning in rooms, 24 Hour Reception, Cots available, Smoking allowed in bedrooms, Safety Deposit Box, Hairdryer in each room, Telephone In Each Room, Limited Hours Room Service, Concierge, Wake Up Call Available, Pets Allowed, Lift to all floors, Public Air Conditioning
- Parking
- Airport Shuttle
- Business
- Wi-Fi Available, Meeting Facilities, In-room Broadband, In-room Modem Hook up, Wi-Fi Available In Public Areas, Wi-Fi Available In Rooms, Business Centre, Secretary Service
- In Room Entertainment
- TV, Satellite TV
- Accessibility
- Disabled Access Public Areas, Disabled toilets on ground floor, Wheelchair Access, Wheelchair Access To Reception, Wheelchair Access To Bar, Wheelchair Access To Conference Rooms
- Dining
- Bar
- Leisure
- [Channels] News, [Channels] Movies (Free), [Channels] Foreign (European), [Channels] Foreign (Other), [Channels] Music, [Channels] Childrens
Can't find the facilities you're looking for?
- Call us on 0333 300 1007 and we'll help find the perfect hotel for you
- Call
Useful Info Show/hide
- From 14:00 hours
- By 12:00 hours
- Up to 12 years old
- The price shown is based on the occupancy and dates you have searched for. Prices and availability are subject to change based on the arrival date, number of nights and occupancy searched for. All prices are inclusive of all local taxes.
- Pets are allowed
Customer Reviews
Our reviews are from genuine LateRooms.com customers. We verify that the customer has stayed before leaving a review.
No reviews yet


text:
As individuals, Americans are generous, often donating in response to crises abroad even while struggling to make ends meet at home. We tend to assume that our government's foreign aid is similarly altruistic. But is it?
October 16 is World Food Day, a good time to examine this assumption about U.S. food aid and begin to press for some much-needed improvements.
Meet Khalida Mahmoud, a 29-year-old woman whose farming family was driven into worsening poverty, after U.S. food aid poured into her home region of eastern Sudan. That's not how food aid is supposed to work, but just look at the policy: your tax dollars are used to buy grain from U.S. factory farms, the same giant corporations that already receive $26 billion in tax subsidies. Then the grain is transported halfway around the world, using thousands of gallons of fossil fuel and releasing tons of harmful carbon emissions into the atmosphere. The transport typically takes months while hungry people grow more desperate.
Once the food finally arrives, it floods agricultural markets, destabilizing fragile local economies. Small farmers are the first to go bankrupt. Most of them are women like Khalida, who work small plots of land hoping to sell enough at market to buy cooking oil, flour, a bar of soap and a pair of shoes so a child can stay in school.
These women are more than the backbones of their families: they grow most of Africa's food. Unlike giant grain corporations, these women farm without fossil fuels and harmful chemicals. Their sustainable agriculture practices are critical to meeting the twin challenges of feeding people and protecting the planet. Khalida and millions of other small-scale women farmers are the people we want to support with our food aid programs. Instead, the policy undermines the livelihoods of those who hold the key to long-term food security in Africa.
Fortunately, there is a straightforward solution: the U.S. should buy food aid crops directly from local farmers in Africa. When the U.N. World Food Program did this, they were able to obtain 75 percent more corn to feed hungry families than when they purchased grain from factory farms in the U.S. Buying specifically from women farmers has an enormous added benefit. Studies consistently show that when poor women gain access to money, they use it to provide food, healthcare and education for their children.
Now is the perfect time to push for this innovative solution and Sudan is the best place to start. Here are three reasons why:
First, this fall, Congress will reform the 1961 U.S. Foreign Assistance Act, which governs how food aid is purchased and administered. The new policy should recognize that even widespread hunger is invariably a localized crisis and that food aid crops should be purchased directly from women farmers in the regions targeted to receive assistance.
Second, for the first time ever, women farmers in Sudan have organized a union, enabling them to produce enough grains to provide at least a modest portion of the region's food aid. Sudan's Women Farmers Union is supported by MADRE, an international women's human rights organization, in partnership with a Sudanese group called Zenab for Women in Development.
Finally, in less than 100 days, Sudan will face a referendum that is likely to split the country in two, a potentially destabilizing vote that may lead to renewed violence, forced displacement and worsening hunger and poverty for thousands of families. At a time of impending crisis for Sudan, we can call for an improved U.S. food aid policy committed to buying local, sustainably grown crops from small-holder women farmers, giving them the resources they need to hold their communities together.
Susskind is the policy and communications director of MADRE: Rights, Resources and Results for Women Worldwide.
©2010 Community News Group
By submitting this comment, you agree to the following terms:
You agree that you, and not CaribbeanLifeNews.com or its affiliates, are fully responsible for the content that you post. You agree not to post any abusive, obscene, vulgar, slanderous, hateful, threatening or sexually-oriented material or any material that may violate applicable law; doing so may lead to the removal of your post and to your being permanently banned from posting to the site. You grant to CaribbeanLifeNews.com the royalty-free, irrevocable, perpetual and fully sublicensable license to use, reproduce, modify, adapt, publish, translate, create derivative works from, distribute, perform and display such content in whole or in part world-wide and to incorporate it in other works in any form, media or technology now known or later developed.


text:
Bucs sign seventh-round pick
The Bucs sealed their first rookie deal today when seventh-round running back Cory Boyd agreed to a contract.
Boyd's addition came at the expense of center John Rochford, a rookie free agent out of Miami who was released to make room on the roster.
Boyd, a 6-1, 213-pound prospect from South Carolina, will compete in a crowded backfield for a backup spot or, more realistically, a spot on the practice squad. The Bucs presumably will keep Earnest Graham, Warrick Dunn and Michael Bennett at tailback, then will likely retain a pair of fullbacks: B.J. Askew and another to be determined.


text:
Grace M. Crawford (nee Grainer), age 99, of Bay Village passed away December 1, 2012. Beloved wife of the late Hugh; loving mother of Dianne and Robert (the late Kathleen); cherished grandmother of Brittany Crawford and Christopher (Kristen) Crawford; great-grandmother of Christopher Crawford; sister of the late Virginia Gierok, Geraldine Hunt, Eugene, Russell, Gene, Emmett, Jack and Francis Grainer. Grace was the secretary in Garfield Hts. for 5 mayors. She was the president of the Portage County Democratic Women and the Cuyahoga Mayor's Association. Also a member of numerous organizations in Cleveland and Kent. VISITATION Tuesday from 4-8 PM in the Chapel at Sunset Memorial Park, 6245 Columbia Rd. North Olmsted. MASS of CHRISTIAN BURIAL Wednesday, December 5, 2012 at St. Raphael Parish, 525 Dover Center Rd., Bay Village, OH 44140 at 10 AM. Contributions suggested to the Malachi House,
2810 Clinton Ave. Cleveland, OH 44113.
(Dostal Bokas Funeral Service, 440-779-0450, RC 12-4-12)


text:
We make it easy to get the money you need..
We've all experienced those times when we could really use our paycheck a few days or weeks early. Even if you are a meticulous financial planner, life can still throw surprises at you that leave you scrambling for cash on occasion. Rather than endure the stressful experience of holding creditors at bay until you are paid next, you can get money in advance and pay your bills on time. These services basically bring your paycheck to you early to help you make ends meet when you're short on cash. Salary loans can help anyone who has to fill a short-term gap in cash flow. They are an easy, convenient solution to urgent expenses.
We are a free matching service that helps connect our visitors with lenders that offer funds upfront. We are not an actual lender, and we do not have a investment in which company you select. Thus, you can believe and trust our information to be objective and accurate. We will help match you with a provider that can offer the best borrowing options for you. These are fairly small, short-term loans that are secured against your next check. They are a more convenient and less time-consuming alternative to traditional borrowing. They are very accessible and can give you just enough cash to see you through until your next check arrives. Here are some of the benefits of our lenders' services (will vary accordingly):
Attend to your expenses by signing up now for the relief you need. All you need to do is take a few minutes to provide us with some simple, basic contact information on our simple, online sign-up form. Once we have your form, we will put you in touch with a provider that can offer low-cost borrowing options. You can then apply for assistance on the company's website or ask any questions you may have. Sign up today and stop worrying about your financial situation!


text:
Recently added item(s)
Close X
You have no items in your shopping cart.
Out of stock online
A beautifully high gloss candle holder will be your coffee tables best asset
Be the first to review this product
Only registered users can write reviews. Please, log in or register
Follow us
We accept the following credit cards:


text:
You already see it in the opening credits every week, but wouldn't Game of Thrones: A Pop-Up Guide to Westeros look great on your coffee table when you have guests over on Sunday?
Written by Robert Glen Fogarty
Our resident "Bob" (pictured here through the lens of photographer Jason DeFillippo) is in love with a woman who talks to animals. He has a fondness for belting out songs about seafaring and whiskey (arguably inappropriate in most social situations). He's arm-wrestled robots and won. He was born in a lighthouse on the storm-tossed shores of an island that has since been washed away and forgotten, so he's technically a citizen of nowhere. He's never killed in anger. He once underwent therapy for having an alien in his face, but he assures us that he's now feeling "much better." Fogarty also claims that he was once marooned along a tiny archipelago and survived for months using only his wits and a machete, but we find that a little hard to believe.


text:
Search Forums
scope search
Title, Post, and Replies
Title Only
Title and Post
filter search
All Forums
Welcome to Saxophone.org!
Saxophone.org Announcements
Member's Announcements
General Discussions
Vintage Saxophones
Jazz Saxophone
Legit Saxophone
High School Saxophone
Sax Repair
Sax Equipment
Tips for better searching
by solemn78 (1 post)
6 years ago
Our animal rescue was just donated two saxophones to help raise funds for our nonprofit. One is a simple newer student's instrument, the other reads Anborg Italy (possibly 'Amborg' - it's in hard-to-read cursive), and it came in an old, velvet-lined case. I've only found information about Anborg trumpets and french horns online, can you help me determine what the value might be of this saxophone, and the best place to sell it to help raise money for homeless pets? Thank you! Jackie
Reply To Post [Report Abuse]
No replies yet. Be the first!


text:
Blake Thomas was walking down the hall recently at Westlake (Ohio) St. Ignatius when his coach just happened to mention that Boston College offered. It was a big offer for the 6-foot-4, 240-pound t...
Premium Content
Subscribe today to read the full article and get everything Rivals has to offer.
- Member-only message boards
- Exclusive highlights and recruiting interviews
- Exclusive coverage of Rivals Camp Series
- Breaking recruiting news


text:
Twisting Oliver: Identifying potentially undervalued pitchers
Any good projection system requires some sort of map to help you navigate its many twists and turns.
Last week, I made a somewhat ham-handed attempt at providing some directions for identifying undervalued batters. As I discovered, though, finding your way around is a bit more like following a pirate's treasure map than it is like downloading directions from MapQuest. The directions aren't always clear and sometimes you need to get a little creative. Unfortunately, sometimes that leads you down paths you never really meant to explore.
With that in mind, I'm overhauling my approach. Instead of using Average Draft Position as an indicator of other's expectations, I'm using other projection systems. I'm also scrapping the way I ranked players, and going with something that's a little more straightforward.
For each of the pitchers I highlight in this article, I have used two ranking systems. The first takes a pitcher's average projected rank in ERA, WHIP and strikeouts (the three 5×5 categories that Oliver projects) and orders them based on their collective average rank in those categories. That will be referred to as 5×3 from here on out. The other one does the same thing with rate stats K:BB, HR/9, ERA and WHIP, and then attempts to measure the impact of those by including a pitcher's rank in projected innings pitched. I'll call that one Rates+. Both of those rankings will be in parenthesis next to the pitcher's name. I then did the same thing using the projections at Fangraphs (Marcel, CHONE, ZiPS and Fans) and took the average of those.
And just so I'm clear, the rankings to which I refer are mine, and are not literally the product of Oliver (which I had no part in creating). Our projection system does not attempt to rank players overall, but by downloading the spreadsheets and devising your own formulas, it certainly facilitates your ability to do so.
I apologize for taking so much time to explain myself, but I just wanted you to understand what I mean when I say things like "Oliver is probably going to end up proposing to Colby Lewis."
Since we're finally on the subject, I may as well start with Oliver's projections of Mr. Lewis.
Colby Lewis (6, 5×3; 5, Rates+)
If you're like the millions of others who don't follow the performances of major leaguers who move to Japan, you probably had forgotten about the man slated as the No. 3 starter for the Rangers. In two seasons there, Lewis led the league in strikeouts twice, compiling 369, while walking just 46 and registering an ERA of 2.86. For those of you who forgot your calculators, that's a K:BB of 8.02 against competition generally considered to be the rough equivalent of Triple-A. Those are the kind of numbers that make Oliver drool. Oliver projects top 10 finishes in ERA, WHIP and K:BB, putting him in the top six in both my ranking systems. CHONE puts him in the top 25, but the other projections barely even consider him draftable (and Fans doesn't even provide a projection). I grabbed him in the final round of both the drafts I did last weekend, which seems pretty standard. If Lewis comes even close to meeting his projected line of 3.09 ERA, 1.09 WHIP and 165 strikeouts, he'll be a steal even if you draft him in the teens.
Jake Peavy (9, 5×3; 17, Rates+)
Coming after Lewis, this may be a bit of a letdown. Obviously, you know all about the former Padres aces. But after a move from pitching in the most pitcher-friendly park in the more pitcher-friendly league and into one of the more hitter-friendly parks, it's understandable that his stock has taken a bit of a hit. Oliver doesn't seem worried. His cumulative rankings in the other four projections are 33 and 37, respectively. Oliver projects an ERA of 3.37 (16th best), a WHIP of 1.21 (24th) and 169 Ks (31st). His projected HR/9 rate is .85 (141st), but that's actually lower than his career mark of .90. There's no reason you should be shy about taking him in the 10th or 11th round, or about where he's currently going in Yahoo drafts.
Stephen Strasburg (12, 5×3; 9, Rates+)
There's obviously some risk involved here, mainly because everyone knows about the No. 1 pick in last year's draft, and he has no professional track record, so his projections are entirely based on his performance against college batters. That said, Oliver is about as bullish as could be on the flame-throwing National Treasure. I rate Strasburg highly, despite the fact that he's only projected to toss 100 innings at the major league level this year. In that limited time, Oliver projects a 2.86 ERA (second), a 1.08 WHIP (second), 126 Ks, and a K:BB ratio of 4.50 (fourth). Of the four projection systems I used as points of comparison, only ZiPS bothers to project Strasburg. Although it suggests more innings pitched, it is far less optimistic, projecting a 4.18 ERA (190th), 1.32 WHIP (116th), 113 Ks and a K:BB ratio of 3.14 (33rd). Although his ADP is pretty low (179 in Yahoo), I seriously doubt you can get him that late. If you buy what Oliver is selling, making him a top-100 pick, especially if you're in a keeper league, isn't out of the question.
Ted Lilly (15, 5×3; 63, Rates+)
Certainly not as sexy or interesting as the other guys on this list, the Cubs lefty does provide the chance to get some value. An injury will likely cause him to miss at least a few starts at the beginning of the season, but that shouldn't keep him from hitting Oliver's projected 170 IP. My rankings love him in the standard roto stats, but dock him for projected deficiencies in IP and HR/9 (1.32, which is basically his career norm). Still, his projected 3.54 ERA (29th), 1.14 WHIP (eighth) and 3.26 K:BB (24th) are all solid. The other projections don't exactly hate him, either, and I give him cumulative rankings of 37 (5×3) and 80 (Rates+). You can probably snag him in the last few rounds of your draft (he's not going in the top 200 picks of the standard Yahoo draft), which makes him a pretty low risk.
Max Scherzer (24, 5×3; 30, Rates+)
The Tigers' newest starter has some similarities to Peavy (moving to a more difficult league) and Strasburg (he'll definitely be on other owners' radars), but Oliver doesn't seem to think there's much to be worried about. I rank him mainly on the strength of his strikeout numbers. Oliver projects 213 Ks (fourth) and a K/9 of 9.59. His projected ERA (3.79, 63rd) and WHIP (1.29, 69th) won't win those categories but shouldn't hurt you much either. His cumulative ranking in the other projections are 57th (5×3) and 65th (Rates+), in no small part because no one else is predicting Scherzer will toss a career-high 200 innings the way we do. There's no question drafting Scherzer has an element of risk attached to it, and I doubt he'll go outside the top 200 the way he is in Yahoo drafts. Still, there's no reason to believe he can't be a solid No. 3 fantasy starter if he can just build a little off last season (170.1 IP).
Mat Latos (31, 5×3; 28, Rates+)
Oliver seems to think Latos will emerge as the newest Padres ace sooner than later. Although he's projected to register just 130 IP, he earns his ranking largely on the strength of his ERA (3.48, 24th) and WHIP (1.24, 37th). His ranking isn't especially strong anywhere else, but we don't project any serious red flags, either. He ranks 142nd cumulatively in both of the rankings using the other projections, which generally project fewer IP and much less control. He's another guy who's probably worth the minimal risk that comes with late-round flyers.
Clay Buchholz (32, 5×3; 53, Rates+)
Three seasons after he burst onto the scene by throwing a no-hitter in his second major league start, Buchholz is finally expected to break camp as a member of the Red Sox rotation. Oliver seems to think he'll earn the right to stay there. Oliver projects a better ERA (3.54, 29th) and WHIP (1.28, 61st) than any of the other projections, better strikeout numbers (7.74 K/9) than all but Fans and a lower HR/9 (.90) than all but ZiPS. Based on his breaking camp with the big club, we may even be a bit conservative on IP (150), which could mean a strikeout total closer to 150 than the 129 Oliver currently projects. It's tough to say where someone like Buchholz will likely be drafted, but if the other owners in your league are using other projections (cumulatively 157 and 213, respectively) he may in fact be available in the last few rounds.
Rick Porcello (52, 5×3; 92, Rates+)
With Justin Verlander and now Scherzer, it's not too hard to forget about the Tigers' 21-year-old potential ace-in-the-making. Porcello didn't exactly blow anyone away last year, but he did make 31 starts and toss 170.2 innings as a 20-year-old, while maintaining an ERA under 4.00 (3.96). He never developed a strikeout pitch, though, and that's probably what's scaring most fantasy owners, as well as the projection systems. Oliver isn't as worried. If he can toss the 200 innings we project, Oliver projects a solid ERA (3.78, 61st) and WHIP (1.27, 54th) that should be enough to overcome his anemic strikeout numbers (4.82 K/9). If he manages to develop that elusive strikeout pitch, watch out.
Ian Kennedy (60, 5×3; 51, Rates+)
The one-time Yankees prospect looks like he'll join the Diamondbacks rotation to start the season. It's hard to tell whether the other projections knew this, but either way Oliver is much more optimistic than they are. Oliver's projected ERA (3.76, 58th) and WHIP (1.31, 100th) are way better than any of the others are predicting, sometimes by more than a run and in all cases, by more than .10 baserunners per inning. Combine those numbers with decent strikeout totals (7.59 K/9) and an ability to keep the ball in the park (.64 HR/9, 39th) and you have a legitimate young stud on your hands.
Other notable findings
This is where I got in a little bit of trouble last time, but I'll go ahead of give some of the pitchers Oliver is less optimistic about.
- Based on his projected ERA (3.84, 74th) and WHIP (1.29, 75th) that are both higher than the other projections, Cliff Lee could be less of a fantasy ace than many are counting on. Combined with his abdominal muscle injury, Lee could be headed for the dreaded "bust" label.
- Although Oliver is hardly alone in this, fantasy owners should be aware that Chris Carpenter is roundly being predicted to fall off somewhat dramatically in IP. Oliver projects solid numbers elsewhere (2.85 ERA, 1.09 WHIP), but his projected 150 IP is hardly befitting of someone who will almost certainly go within the first 50-60 picks.
- Oliver is also less-than-bullish on fellow Redbird Adam Wainwright. His projected ERA (3.64, 42nd) and WHIP (1.27, 55th) should be enough to worry owners, but Oliver also projects a somewhat significant drop in K/9 (7.37, down from 8.19 last year). Although the other projections are not all as skeptical of Wainwright's ability to build on last year, all of them are predicting varying levels of regression from his career year.
If there's one thing all the projections seem to agree on, it's that Tim Lincecum should once again be the best pitcher in baseball. Using my rankings, he was tops across the board with the one exception being CHONE's projections giving him a No. 3 5×3 ranking. Oliver projects a 2.86 ERA (second), 1.14 WHIP (ninth), 247 Ks (first) and a HR/9 of .47 (12th).
I realize I ignored relievers in this article, but frankly I just started to run out of space. I promise to address reliever projections in a later column. I'll leave you, though, with notes on Jonathon Broxton and Neftali Feliz.
- If there's one reliever who deserves to be picked in the early part of the draft, the projections all seem to agree it's Broxton. I know my rankings probably skew away from relievers (which is fine as far as I'm concerned), but that didn't keep the Dodgers closer from ranking in the top 32 in both ranking systems, in all five projections. He ranked as high as 11th (Oliver) in Rates+ and as high as 14th (ZiPS) in 5×3. The combination of his ability to strike out batters (11.19 K/9 in Oliver), limit baserunners (1.16 WHIP) and keep the ball in the park (.51) HR/9) is essentially unmatched among relievers.
- Feliz is less roundly admired, but even if he pitches out of the bullpen all year and only tosses the 70 innings Oliver projects, he'll still be a solid reliever. He's probably not going to get many saves, but you could do a lot worse than that combination of 3.35 ERA (15th), 1.23 WHIP (34th), 8.87 K/9 and .39 HR/9 (fourth).
Print This Post
Is this a joke, or did you write this article specifically for me. Really, at this point in the pre-season, we are all scanning articles looking for commentary on the guys we just drafted. My pitching staff is composed of Colby, Strassburg, Scherzer, Lilly and Latos. As I was scrolling down, I caught myself saying 'really?', followed by 'really?!', followed by 'no friggin way'.
Good thing it's no longer April Fool's. Well, that's nice to read. Hopefully you didn't have to reach too much on those guys. If not, should be interesting. I'd love to see what kind of offense you were able to build.
At least no one will accuse you of failing to be bold. Obviously, I think your pitching staff at least has a chance to be good and your infield looks very good.
For my money, Lewis is the most intriguing guy out there right now. Good luck and thanks.
I'm in three leagues and Buchholz was not drafted in any of them. Neither was Latos, Kennedy. Lilly is available in one because he'll miss some starts. Colby will be someone who won't even be streamed, like the rest of the Rangers pitchers, until he strings together some Ws


text:
This year I haven't done any Halloween nail art yet, because I was so occupied with makeup, but then Tara from The Beauty of Nail Polish asked me to do a collaboration post for Halloween with her and I couldn't say no to her, since we are true blogging soulmates. We decided to do something on a ghost theme. In October I haven't done much nail art, which is noticeable, because my manicure is far from perfect, but since I had a busy week I didn't want to complicate. I chose purple base, because I'm completely in love with Alessandro Purple Passion nail polish from Glam Rock collection, which is on my nails this whole week already.
The polishes I used for this nail art are: Alessandro Purple Passion, Catrice Lovely Lilac, Essence Black is Back, Essence Wild White Ways and Essence Love is in the Air. I didn't want to do only ghosts on my nails, so I did a scary house and a graveyard with ghosts. Everything I did is painted free-hand.
What do you think about this manicure? Also, don't forget to check out Tara's work, she will definitely impress you with her amazing manicure. Thank you for reading!


text:
be put through the wringer(redirected from were put through the wringer)
be put through the wringer
To be subjected to some ordeal, difficulty, trial, or punishment; to undergo an unpleasant experience. Between my mother's bout with cancer, Jenny losing her job, and the bank threatening to foreclose on the house, our family has really been put through the wringer this year. Jake wasn't a great fit for the military, and he was constantly being put through the wringer for disobedience.


text:
Beebo is a cat with facial hair that smokes!
Ego City
A kid named Johnny has to stop the destruction of his city.
Primal War
Giant beasts battle it out for supremecy!
Log in to save your medals! Don't have an account? Create one for free!
About damn time.
After a 3-5 year hiatus, this game series comes back with a blast. The physics are a bit different this time around, but that's to be expected. Water levels are an improvement and the stereo sound is powerful on headphones. Good job, all-around!
A few bugs.
I have a feeling that Spyro was an inspiration for this. Fancy Pants remind me so much of it. Great great. Can't wait to download on me Xbox. :D
Never thought the day would come....
Please take your time on this master piece in the making!
I loved it.
I've been following FPA since your first update video was posted. I love how smooth everything feels. The amount of animations you had to create to get everything as fluid as this build is astounds me. I only wanted to point out that if you press the "A" key to take out the pencil, FancyPants Man disappears. Keep up the awesome work! I cant wait to play this when it's officially released!


text: Hi firstly a brief car history. A4 B5 Avant 2.5 tdi 18" BBS REPS remapped, fmic coilovers,custom exhaust. Carbon roof etc.... Have been getting ABS light coming on intermitantly over a few weeks now , some times as soon as you fire up the engine, yet other times i can drive 10 miles before it rears its ugly head,sometimes it stays on untill ive comleted my journey,yet other times it just resets mid journey CONFUSED ive had a friends vagcom on and its put up the following codes. ABS=01203 Instrument panel electrical connections ? ABS=18256 check dtc memory of ecu ? also Engine code 18259 Data bus powertrain,missing message from brake control menu ? Any help or guidance from the Audi Gods.... would be a great help Cheers in advance Steveb5biker


text: Well, HELLO to everyone who's stopping by my wicked corner of the world, whether it's your first time or perhaps swinging back in to see what naughtiness I'm getting into today.Okay, let's face it. It's April 15th, Tax Day--so we all have MORE than a little reason for wanting to be naughty! After the bad…More


text:
To give a general introduction of the sassafras tree, one can say that it is a yellowwood tree belonging to the laurel tree family. They are known for their brittle wood, aromatic bark and leaves and numerous uses. These trees are abundantly found in the eastern regions of North America. Let us learn more about it from the paragraphs given below.
Sassafras trees (Sassafras albidum) are deciduous trees that shed their foliage at the end of each growing season. They come in three different species, out of which one is extinct today. Being a part of the laurel family means that these trees come with aromatic foliage. Crushing a twig or smelling a loosened bark with help you encounter the unique aroma of the sassafras. Though a fully grown tree has a typical height of around 35 to 50 feet, the tallest tree to be found on Earth is a whopping 76 feet in height with a dizzying trunk circumference of over 11 feet. As they suck from their roots, it is very common to see them growing together in close clusters.
The distinctness of the leaves make them one for the most easily identifiable trees in the world. The leaves are large and mitten shaped. The leaves can also be three lobed, that look something like an alien hand print. Though rare, some leaves are also oval shaped with no lobes. What is very interesting to note is that many trees have a combination of all three leave types on one tree itself. During autumn, leaves take the hues of yellow, red, orange and purple, giving the area with clusters of these trees a very beautiful, colorful look.
The bark is usually very thick and has hues that vary between shades of orange and brown. The bark is usually deeply furrowed and the wood is light and hard. Even the bark is very fragrant but its fragrant wood is better known for being easy to work on. The bark, just like its other fragrant parts, exudes a citrus scent.
The tree blooms tiny, yellow colored flowers each spring. The flowers are five petaled and have just one sex per tree, i.e. the male and female flowers bloom on separate trees. The fruits are small egg shaped berries that come in a blue-black coloring. The fruits ripen late in the summers and can be seen on long red stalks.
If you wish to learn how to grow sassafras, here's the deal. You will need a well drained area that gets a lot of sun. They do not grow well in damp, shady or water clogged conditions. Once you have found the perfect location, just find the perfect sapling, a tree that is fairly young. Planting the young tree with a ball and burlap technique and doing so in the spring gives your tree a fair chance of survival. Once your tree has survived the planting, your job is to just protect it. These trees are very vulnerable to problems caused due to wind and ice, though they are fantastically drought resistant. Growing them also requires constant mowing of the nearby land, to prevent unrestrained root spread.
Various parts of the tree have been put to various different uses over the years. Though sassafras tea has several health benefits and medicinal properties, commercial sale of the tea has been banned in the US since the 1970s. It is believes that the compound safrole, present in natural products is a carcinogen that increases the risks of cancer in users. The root was also used in household production of root beer, along with molasses and honey. It also yields oil and the aromatic properties of the tree provide various artificial flavoring products. Currently, there are numerous safrole free sassafras extracts available in the market and these are the popular ingredients in various recipes, like sassafras candy.
Essential oil can be produced through the steam distillation of the tree bark and roots. This oil was once the main ingredient of many perfumes and soaps. The citrus aroma of this oil also made it useful in aromatherapy treatments. The safrole found in sassafras is essential in the production of the contraband drug 'ecstasy'.
In the wild, sassafras forms the natural food of the white-tailed deer and other animals like rabbits, bears and beavers. Many small mammals and birds are also known to consume sassafras fruits.
This was all the information I had on this subject. What I love most about them, is their varied colors, colors that change in summer and autumn and colors that contrast each other, even on the same tree and in the same season. I hope you have got all the facts that you wanted from this article.


text:
Contact Information
Donald Pair
Professor; Acting Head, Hanley Sustainability Institute; Associate Dean for Interdisciplinary Research and Experiential Initiatives
- Full-Time Faculty
Don Pair joined the Geology department in 1991. He teaches courses in environmental geology/policy, surface processes, field geology through the Colorado Field Camp, and helped develop the Dynamic Earth, the earth systems science course which is part of the Integrated Natural Science Sequence for B.A. students. He is currently the Acting Head of the Hanley Sustainability Institute and the Associate Dean for Interdisciplinary Research and Experiential Initiatives for the College of Arts and Sciences.
Faculty Perspective
My approach to undergraduate education involves integrating aspects of the research experience with the classroom. My research interests in glacial geology, geomorphology, and environmental policy have allowed me to take undergraduate researchers to locations such as the Adirondack Mountains and Finger Lakes of New York State, the glaciers of Iceland and the Canadian Rockies, and the rich glacial landscape of the mid-continent. My students have worked on projects ranging from surficial mapping, paleolandlside investigations, glacial landform process studies, to risk assessment studies.
- Ph.D., Syracuse University
Selected Publications
Pair, D.L., and Kappel, W.M. 2002. "Geomorphic studies of landslides in the Tully Valley, New York: Implications for Public Policy and Planning," Geomorphology, v. 47, p. 125-135.
Oberhaus, M., and Pair, D.L. 2001. "The adoption of the Holes Creek watershed: Building a partnership that promotes geoscience education." Geological Society of America, Abstracts with Programs, v. 33, p. 241.
Schoenenberger, K.R., Pair, D.L., and Lowell, T.V. 1999. "Web-based investigations of Icelandic glacial foreplains for students in introductory Earth Science labs," Geological Society of America, Abstracts with Programs, v. 31, p. 70.
Pair, D.L., and Pennock, N. 1999. "The Making of an Aquifer - One of the Miami Valley's Most Important Resources," Science Educators Conference of Ohio (SECO), February, 1999, Dayton OH.
Pair, D.L. 1997. "The Film, Channelized Drainage, or Sheetfloods beneath a portion the Laurentide Ice Sheet: An examination of glacial erosion forms," Northern New York State, USA, in Piotrowski, J.A. ed., Subglacial Processes, Sediments, and Landforms. Sedimentary Geology (Special Issue), v. 111, p. 199-215.


text:
FDA Votes To Change Labels On Testosterone Replacement Products
In a 20 to 1 vote, a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advisory board has decided to alter the labeling on all testosterone replacement products. Current labels were deemed misleading and the products are being misused by the public.
FDA Advisory Board Decision Concerning Testosterone
According to Medscape, the FDA advisory panel was made up of 21 people from the Bone, Reproductive, and Urologic Drugs Advisory Committee and the Drug Safety and Risk Management Advisory Committee.
The combined committes made their decision to change testosterone replacement product labels with the hope of reducing the use of these products for "age-related" hypogonadism. Furthermore, the committee decided that extensive research is needed to determine safety and benefits of said products. 16 voted to approve a study looking into particular aspects for safety purposes, especially cardiovascular disease.
Current Testosterone Labels & Concerns
The current labels have two claims.
First, that the testosterone replacement should be used by men to aid in the treatment of testicular damage resulting from chemotherapy or heavy metals, and congenital or acquired primary hypogonadism; including conditions such as cryptorchidism, Klinefelter's syndrome. This claim was supported by the board.
The second claim can be found on the products as "hypogonadotropic hypogonadism (congenital or acquired): Idiopathic gonadotropin or luteinizing-hormone–releasing (LHRH) deficiency or pituitary-hypothalamic injury from tumors, trauma, or radiation".
According to the board, the word "idiopathic" is suggesting to men that it helps to regulate low testosterone levels, or low T, due to aging.
From 2009 to 2013, there was a 65% increase in testosterone therapy. 70% of the prescriptions during this 5 year time span were given to men between the ages of 40 to 65.
21% of the men using the products were not tested for low T while 25% were not tested prior to starting treatment.
About 50% of men on testosterone therapy were diagnosed with hypogonadism.
Dr. Hylton V. Joffe, director of the Division of Bone, Reproductive, and Urologic Products at the FDA, did state that the "benefit is unclear in men diagnosed with hypogonadism due to no apparent cause other than older age." Furthermore, that this was the reason the FDA was concerned that the labeling is not accurate.
In advertisments, the low T products are claiming to improve quality of life and sexual performance; this is speculated as a cause for the testosterone therapy increase, and all companys making this claim have been sent warning letters.
New Testosterone Product Labels
New labeling is still under discussion.
Recommendation of testosterone testing and proper diagnosis along with a list of symptoms is likely to be on the new label.
Testosterone replacement products will have more precise labeling.
$7.2 MillionExpenses: $24,838.25 | Attorneys Fees: $2,200,000.00 | Net to Client: $3,275,161.75 (Purchase of a Lifetime Annuity)
$4 MillionExpenses: $24,856.98 | Attorneys Fees: $1,600,000.00 | Net to Client: $2,375,143.02


text:
Gorge Artists Open Studio Tour
- When: Sunday, April 13, 2014, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Where: Columbia River Gorge Area
- Cost: Free
- Age limit: All ages
- Categories: Art: Fine Arts, Community
Comments are subject to moderator review and may not appear immediately on the site. A user's first several comments must be manually approved by a moderator.
Please read our commenting policy before posting.
Use the comment form below to begin a discussion about this content.


text:
Kitchen Tips - October 2008
Posted: Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Refreezing Tip
A frequently asked question is whether or not you can refreeze meat that has been thawed. According to the United States Department of Agriculture, food that has been properly thawed in the refrigerator is safe to refreeze in its raw state. Having said that, we need to caution that there is a reduction in quality due to moisture loss that results from the slow process of freezing that occurs in a home freezer. This causes large ice crystals to form which rupture the cell walls of the meat, permitting the release of juices during cooking. A second freeze-thaw cycle makes this problem worse, as the meat's liquid retaining capacity is further reduced, allowing even more moisture to escape from the meat as it cooks. So while it is perfectly safe to refreeze defrosted meat, we don't recommend it.
Grilling Tips
With grilling season still in full swing, we offer several tips for better grilling:
- Preheat the grill 15-25 min. before you start cooking to make sure it reaches the correct temperature.
- It is easier to remove debris from the grill grates while they are hot, so after preheating, use a long-handled wire grill brush to clean off charred debris from prior meals. Scrape again immediately after use.
- To prevent foods from sticking, oil the hot grill rack with a vegetable oil-soaked paper towel held with a long handled grill tongs. Do not use cooking spray on a hot grill.
- Use a separate platter for raw and cooked food.
- Never baste with the marinating liquid unless it boiled after the meat has been removed.
- The best way to test food for doneness is to check the internal temperature with an instant read thermometer.
- To test the grill temperature, place you open palm about 5" above the grill rack. The fire is high if you have to move your hand in 2 seconds, medium if you have to move your hand in 5 seconds and low if you have to move your hand in 10 seconds.
- Keep a squirt bottle of water near the grill to quickly douse flare-ups.
- Let cooked meats rest on a clean platter, tented with foil, for about 10 min. before carving so juices can redistribute evenly.
Tomato Tips
To easily seed a tomato, core the tomatoes and cut them into pieces. Spin the chopped tomatoes in the basket of a salad spinner until most of the seeds are released. Repeat the spinning process as necessary to remove excess seeds.


text:
High gas prices mean more headaches for retailers. Experts weigh in on the best ways to survive the market volatility. By Erin Rigik, Associate Editor. With gas prices skyrocketing, retailers are feeling the squeeze from every angle. But there are unique opportunities for savvy retailers to reduce fuel expenditures, which will afford them a better
Developing a Fuel Strategy Amid Soaring Costs
Jim Smith Resigns From FPMA
The Florida Petroleum Marketers and Convenience Store Association (FPMA) has accepted the resignation of its president and CEO, Jim Smith. Smith, a member of the FPMA Hall of Fame, was active in the association as both a marketer member and its chief executive for over 30 years. "Jim has been one of the strongest advocates
Boycotted Stations Want BP Help
As many Americans avoid BP stations in protest over the Gulf oil spill, BP-branded station owners are insisting BP do more to help them convince customers that such boycotts hurt independently owned businesses, not the British oil giant, the Associated Press reported. To win back customers, stations want BP to help in reducing the price


text:
Rollup Bundle
Rollup Bundle
Well Layered Organised (EPS), 30×70, CMYK , Print ready,Text/fonts/colors editable.
Whats you get in the main files
AI/Vector EPS , CMYK , Text/Font and Color editable, With 4 Colors- Hicolor, Reverse, Grayscale and B/W Logo. Used font included in help file (100% Free). If you like, please rate this…


text:
London (Oct. 19)
Lord Passfield, Secretary for the Dominions, is engaged on an examination of the Balfour Declaration in order to ascertain exactly what interpretation is to be put upon it, the diplomatic correspondent of the London "Daily Telegraph" learns. Questions on this subject are likely to be raised as soon as parliament meets and Lord Passfield desires to know exactly how far the country is committed by the Balfour Declaration, the correspondent declares.
The Parliamentary Commission of Inquiry will be concerned only with causes of the recent outbreak and not with questions of general policy.


text:
Every Wednesday night from 5:45pm till 11:00pm, join the fun at Loafers Beach Club. It is $5 for Loafers members and only $8 for non members. Come straight from work...relax, dance, mingle, dance some more, eat dinner at 6:20pm, dance some more, mingle....
$2.50 Beer Special
$3.50 (Bartender Special)
Dinner around 6:20pm: Food is available only while it last or until 8pm so come early.
DJ will be spinning all your favorite tunes... Shag & West Coast Swing until 8:30pm and then it goes all WCS.
Meetup members, Log in
By clicking "Sign up" or "Sign up using Facebook", you confirm that you accept our Terms of Service & Privacy Policy


text:
We are giving away a pair of tickets to attend Tableau Vivant Burlesque on Friday, February 24, 2012 at the Bossanova Ballroom. To win, comment on this post why you'd like to attend. Winner will be drawn and emailed Friday, February 24.
FREE PORTLAND EVENTS: We give out 100s of $$$ in free tickets every week including to many of the top events venues in Portland. Join our email list if you like free stuff.
From our sponsors at Bossanova:
Tableau Vivant Living Art Burlesque
Friday, February 24
8 p.m. | 21 and over
$12 advance | $15 door
Bossanova Ballroom
722 E. Burnside Street
More Info: www.bossanovaballroom.com
In the 19th century, ¬Ëœtableaux vivants' or "poses plastiques", were an ever growing and enticingly popular form of erotic entertainment.
With performers and actors alike posing in the nude to recreate famous works of art for an audience. Flash forward to the year 2012 for Time Bomb Burlesque's first explosive show of the New Year!
Merging the erotic and titillating art forms of both burlesque and tableau vivant, Time Bomb Burlesque brings you TABLEAU VIVANT: living art burlesque! Hosted by Portland's own Dylan Hillerman ("Bikini Creature Beach Feature", "Dr. Goldfoot's Gold Shoe Review", "MASSACRE: Curves of the Damned", "Black Lodge Burlesque")
And produced by the lovely Lizzy O'Boom and Time Bomb Burlesque; the Bossanova Ballroom brings you a night of artistic measure! Featuring comedy, tableau, music and of course Stunning Burlesque performances by some of the area's beloved performers, including:
Holly Dai
Miss Kennedy
Sandria Dore'
Rendezvous Rye
Dee Dee Pepper
Mona De Plume
Bayou Bettie
Claire Voltaire
Stilletta Maraschino
Come join us in a night of Art, Beauty, Music and Burlesque! Drink and enjoy the rockin' tunes provided by the great DJ, Uncle Midnight (Ian ¬ËœPian' McWilliams)!


text:
Jim Carrey's take on Scrooge and several holiday films lead these movies that landed on DVD this week.
"A Christmas Carol" (Disney/Blu-ray, 2009, PG, two discs, $39.99). Robert Zemeckis, who gave us the "Back to the Future" films and "Who Framed Roger Rabbit," has lately been enamored with motion-capture animation and 3-D technology, as demonstrated by his films "The Polar Express" and "Beowulf." (He is currently working on a 3-D, motion-capture remake of "Yellow Submarine.")
This version of the oft-filmed Charles Dickens classic turns it into an action picture of sorts, led by Carrey's wild-eyed interpretation of Scrooge at various ages, and as the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future.
Good supporting cast helps (Bob Hoskins, Gary Oldman, Colin Firth, Robin Wright), but it's Carrey's show all the way, and there's no middle ground between those who love it and those who hate it.
Extras: widescreen, deleted scenes, featurettes, trailers; Blu-ray disc and DVD disc (also on four-disc Blu-ray with 3-D option, $49.99, and one-disc DVD, $29.99)
"Mrs. Miracle" (Sony, 2009, $20.95). This Hallmark Channel TV movie is a comedy-fantasy set during the holidays, with James Van Der Beek as a single father in desperate need of a housekeeper for his rambunctious 6-year-old twins.
Enter: Doris Roberts as a sort of fairy godmother "Supernanny," who also tries to fix up dad with a cute preschool teacher (Erin Karpluk). Cute Christmas-themed family film.
Extras: widescreen
"Lottery Ticket" (Warner/Blu-ray, 2010, PG-13, two discs, $35.99). Bow Wow (the rapper/actor's stage name) exhibits natural charm as a slacker in the projects who wins a $370 million lottery and finds himself with lots of new friends.
Predictable comedy tries too hard but is fitfully amusing. Ice Cube, who co-produced, has a pivotal supporting role, once again playing older.
Extras: widescreen, deleted scenes, featurettes, trailers; combo pack includes Blu-ray, DVD discs (also on DVD, $28.98)
"Vengeance" (IFC, 2009, $24.98). Respected action director Johnnie To is behind this stylized Chinese gangster movie, which owes something to early John Woo.
A chef (French pop star Johnny Hallyday) seeks revenge after a hit on family members, but everything is not as it seems. Uneven, but there are some interesting twists and turns, and some get-your-attention shoot-outs.
Extras: widescreen; in Chinese, French and English, with English subtitles; featurette, trailer
"Don't Look Back" (IFC, 2009, $24.98). A wife and mother who has successfully written nonfiction books, tries for a novel related to her childhood, which apparently unlocks hidden memories, illustrated with computer graphics.
Sophie Marceau and Monica Bellucci play the same character at different stages in his layered psychological mystery.
Extras: widescreen, in French with English subtitles, trailer
e-mail: email@example.com


text:
Beautiful Red Cross Standing Spray
The Beautiful Farewell Red Cross is a stunning floral arrangement that features deep red carnations carefully hand-arranged together to form the Red Cross symbol. Displayed on a wire easel and measuring approximately 18"H x 18"W, the display makes for a wonderful tribute showing the departed's devotion to the cause or commemorating how the Red Cross helped them in their time of need.
If you're sending someone flowers today, these beautiful flowers and sympathy flowers will be a wonderful showing of your respect for the deceased. This red carnations standing spray and standing spray red cross of funeral flowers will offer some comfort to the family in need.
Red Carnations
Cross Symbol Shaped
Wire Easel
Florist Arranged
Card Message Included
Related Products
Delivery Information
Same Day Flowers are delivered in the USA by a local florist partner. Send Flowers online or balloons today by placing the online order prior to 3pm in the delivery zip code. Or schedule a flower delivery for a future date easily at check-out. Cut-off times for gift delivery today may vary during peak holidays.
Delivery/Substitution Policy
Substitutions may be necessary to ensure your arrangement or specialty gift is delivered in a timely manner and depending on availability.
Substitution Policy
Substitutions may be necessary to ensure your arrangement is delivered in a timely manner. The utmost care and attention is given to your order to ensure that it is as similar as possible to the requested item.
• For green and blooming plants, similar plants may be substituted of equal or greater value.
• For one-of-a-kind plants, such as orchids, we will make every attempt to match the plant type, but may substitute with another color.
• If the plant container shown online is not available, a similar container will be used.
• In arrangements of assorted flowers, the colors shown online will be used if at all possible, even if this means substituting other kinds of flowers of equal or greater value.
• For one-of-a-kind flower arrangements, such as all roses or all lilies, we will make every attempt to match the flower type, but may substitute with another color.
• If the floral container shown online is not available, a similar container will be used.
Specialty Gifts
• Specialty gifts may be substituted with another specialty gift of equal or greater value and of similar theme and category.
Flowers Online
Send flowers is the best place to order flowers online. We sell only the highest quality flowers and pair them with cheap flower delivery to ensure you can purchase discount flowers at the best prices possible. Shop our flowers online or build balloon bouquets using our flower and balloon bouquet pairing options to send a flower bouquet or balloon delivery they won't soon forget!


text:
The Kardashians are invading your home!
On Monday, Kourtney Kardashian debuted her, Kim and Khloe's latest extension of their Kardashian Kollection for Sears: home decor!
"This home collection has been a long time in the making and my sisters and I are so thrilled to finally reveal what we've been working on," the 32-year-old pregnant E! star posted on her blog.
"This Desert Dreams bedding set is my absolute favorite," she gushed over the chocolate-colored animal pattern. "It has our signature leopard print pattern in the sheets and a luxurious silky brown comforter and pillows."
Home decor marks the fourth brand extension that the Kardashians have rolled out in Sears stores and on sears.com this year. In January, they debuted a denim line with styles cut for different body shapes and in March, they debuted both lingerie and swimwear.


text:
oh man
i want to go to the new orleans for a whole year
drink whiskey.
and learn to play banjo from a 90 year old black man sitting on his porch.
and ill play banjo like im bargaining with the devil for my soul.
ill play banjo for the crawfish until they dance.
ill play until my fingers start to bleed.
oh man.


text:
The corporate game of musical chairs is played with a vengeance at New York's ailing Fairbanks Whitney Corp.and the tune that calls the winner often sounds like a dirge. First there was Financier Leopold Silberstein, who began building the company in 1951 with grandiose plans for its future. Then there was Corporate Raider Alfons Landa, who after a proxy battle forced out Silberstein in 1958. Landa brought with him a former publicity man and legman for Drew Pearson named David Karr, who deftly worked his way into the president's chair when Landa vacated it in 1959. Karr then moved himself...
Management: Unmusical Chairs
Subscriber content preview. or Log-In
To continue reading: or Log-In


text:
Course details
A Comprehensive overview of safe operation, handling and storing of liquefied gas. The program covers all the saftey as pects of the A/M subjects you leave this course with areal understanding of operational saftey as pects.
About Egyptian Canadian Co. For Business Development
its a multidisciplinary, independent, privately owned consulting firm incorporated in Cairo-Egypt.
We_they started its activities with 100 years experience and established in the year 2000 for consulting and engineering field services.
our client in the industrial and petroleum sectors, in collaboration with our foreign associates, whom we represent in Egypt and the middle East.See all Egyptian Canadian Co. For Business Development courses


text:
Only six Nigerian universities are among the top 100 most popular in Africa, an international online universities and colleges (4International Colleges & Universities) ranking directory released early this month has said.
The ranking also listed universities in South Africa as the top 10 on the list. Other universities from Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Botswana, Ghana, Morocco and even Sudan lead the six Nigerian universities that made the lost.
The six Nigerian Universities that appear in the top 100 are the University of Ibadan at 32nd position, University of Ilorin 34th, University of Benin 40th, Obafemi Awolowo University Ife 44th, Ahmadu Bello University Zaria 62nd and University of Jos 70th position.
No Nigeria private university or college made the list.
4International Colleges and Universities is an international higher education search engine and directory reviewing accredited colleges and universities around the world.
The aim of the website is to provide an approximate popularity ranking of world universities and colleges based upon the popularity of their websites. It is intended to help international students and academic staff to understand how popular a specific University/College is in a foreign country.


text:
Fiancée Of Motorcyclist Who Lost Leg In Crash Pleads For Driver To Turn Self In
Police say Jennifer Lee registered more than twice the legal limit for alcohol in her blood when she hit a motorcyclist earlier this summer.
But she was a no-show in court this week, and now a warrant is out for her arrest.
Before June 14, it seemed nothing could stop William Stanley.
"He's an on-the-go type person," said Stanley's fiancée, Melea Stonework. "He's always on the move, goes to the gym two times a day, runs the Hoover Dam stairs about 10 times."
After June 14, his life is very different.
Stanley, who goes by Skip, was riding his motorcycle down Cleveland Avenue when police say Lee's car pulled out in front of him.
The impact blew Stanley's bike apart and sent him flying some 60 feet.
When Stonework arrived at the hospital, she says he was almost unrecognizable.
"He had bleeding on the brain in three places, broken collar bone, nine broken ribs and his leg was mangled. It was bad," she said.
Despite several surgeries, his right leg could not be saved.
"He cried maybe the first week when he found out about his leg," says Stonework. "And after that, we just kept encouraging him and telling him, 'Skip, you will run again, you will work out again.'"
She says there are moments when he forgets what he's lost.
"Where if I'm in here and I'm lotioning his leg, he'll tell me, 'Get my other foot, too'. So I just do it. Like, 'Is that better skip?' He says, 'Yeah, that's better.'"
Stanley is currently being cared for at a Westerville nursing home.
Though he's made progress, his future is uncertain.
Adding to the difficulty of their struggle is the fact that it all could have been avoided.
To the driver responsible, they have this message:
"Get some help. Turn yourself in," says Stonework. "Do what you need to do. Look at this man. He deserves justice. He definitely deserves justice."
Investigators say Lee's blood alcohol content was .19.
She is charged with two counts of aggravated vehicular assault and two counts of drunken-driving.
A warrant is out for her arrest.
There is also an investigation into the police department's role just before the crash.
Lee's roommate had called Columbus police to her home, saying Lee was drunk and belligerent.
Officers responded to the scene and talked with Lee.
It was just a few minutes later that she collided with William Stanley.
There is an internal affairs investigation into how those officers handled Lee and whether they could have prevented her from getting behind the wheel.
That investigation is ongoing.
Watch 10TV News and refresh 10TV.com for more information.


text: I placed an order on ILFord Delta 100 and ILFord Pan F 50 and wondering how will it goes these films go with Atomal 49. Yeah, I have no experience on developers should have take Rodinal path. Nevertheless, I would like know you experience in this regard. Target shooting: Portraits with flash and landscapes.


text:
You're more than welcome to Edit the info or Upload a manga chapter for share. You can also keep track this manga by subscribe the RSS feed or Bookmark it.
|Yuuki Azusa
|Yuuki Azusa
|Fantasy, Shoujo
A legendary dragon once brought the land of Astoria to the brink of ruin. He was defeated by a man named Yurius, who was soon supposed to go to his princess and live happily ever after. However, with the last of his strength, the dragon placed a curse on Yurius: all his memories will be erased, and his body will turn back to a child. It is now the goal of a novelist, Elliot, to return Yurius to the courageous person he once was.


text:
Cross-Platform Advertising: Are All Exposures Equal?
July 22, 2009
David Kaplan, SVP, Research & Product Development, Nielsen IAG, shared insights based on Nielsen IAG's online advertising effectiveness measurement.
Restricted Content
Access to this content item is restricted to:
- ANA Corporate Marketer Members
Please login below or create an account.
You may already be a member. Find out if your company is already an ANA member.


text: The training center I go to with Meg and Gusto is having a match tomorrow at a canine event. I'm running both dogs then, so hopefully there will be video then - although if Gusto is a loon, that video may or may not be shared! It will be his first public appearance, and I expect hilarity to ensue. We were lucky enough to get to hold classes and run-thrus at the fairgrounds, so both kids got a taste of the venue Friday night. A few people had cameras and got some really great shots. Full disclosure: Meg has seen agility equipment 3 times since getting her PDCH in February. She's made it very clear that she is done practicing, and she's earned the right. But she still lights up at trials. I bought her a cheeseburger on the way to run thrus, and she was beyond pleased to run. Basically, anything the dog gives me at this point is a gift. Fuller disclosure: Gusto is Baby Dog. This was great for him, because he's had limited exposure to different training areas and equipment (well, this is the usual equipment he uses). He was a bit distracted, but far better than I expected! Anyway, the pictures. Meggles, being wild and happy! I love this! Talk about happily driving into her entry!


text:
"Overall, solid business model, but vicious, unprofessional company culture."
What do you like about working at GENEWIZ?
"Genewiz has an interesting business model and a growing portfolio of clients."
Do you have any tips for others interviewing with this company?
"If you are an experienced professional, strongly consider alternative routes if you value team-based work or a strong, collaborative company culture."
What don't you like about working at GENEWIZ?
"The company culture and mid-level management leave much to be directed. There is a self-perpetuating every-man-for-himself culture that ignores the value of teamwork, morale, and training to attract and retain talent."
What suggestions do you have for management?
"Management absolutely needs to improve the standards they put on themselves with regards to fostering a collaborate, positive working environment, and take off the blinders with regards to the terrible morale and culture that exists at the junior levels."
"Great company but not much room to advance without PhD."
Update your browser to have a more positive job search experience.Upgrade My Browser


text:
My grandfather died recently. Because I grew up in a single-parent home, Gramps was like my father. He loved animals and especially birds, but his most
treasured guests were finches. His backyard was a menagerie of birdhouses, bird feeders, and birdbaths. Sometimes squirrels climbed down on those feeders, so he built a few separate feeders to keep the squirrels happy too.
Gramps never recovered from knee surgery. After the operation he kept saying he could see "high mountains." His eyes were ablaze with delight. One of his favorite verses about the Creator was Psalm 50:11, which says, "I know every bird in the mountains, and the creatures of the field are mine." Twenty-four hours after surgery he slipped into eternity.
Grandpa was a pastor for more than sixty years. Because I had embraced the same vocation, he had commissioned me to conduct his funeral. While friends and family mourned, I pointed them to our hope of eternal life through faith in Jesus Christ. Yet I found no space where I could grieve my own loss. So I carried my pain back home.
As I sat in my office the next morning, the Holy Spirit brought to mind Psalm 34:18: "The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit." Yet I longed to
experience God's intimacy and comfort in some tangible way. I hoped He would choose some additional means to buoy my spirit and emotions. Broken, I closed the door, lay my head on the desk, and wept.
A gentle tapping interrupted my brief season of release. What should I see pecking on my office window but a little gray finch? To my knowledge no bird had been at that window in six years. It was clearly a divine moment, an awesome mystery. This tender visitation quickly ended as the bird flitted away. But something else remained: peace.
By faith in God's Word we know the Lord loves His children. The psalmist wrote, "Your love, O LORD, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies. Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains, your justice like the great deep.
O LORD, you preserve both man and beast. How priceless is your unfailing love! Both high and low among men find refuge in the shadow of your wings" (Ps. 36:5–7). Birds will not peck on every window, nor should biblical faith require or demand a sign (Matt. 12:38–39). But we can rejoice in the truth that Francis Schaeffer aptly communicated, "He is there and He is not silent," nor is He a
far-off God.
Les Cantrell (MA[BS], MA/CE, 1987) is senior pastor of First Baptist Church in McPherson, Kansas. Birds, a beagle, and a rabbit live in his backyard.


text:
EAST LA >> An estimated 80 residents were evacuated due to a gas leak Monday afternoon.
Deputy Kim Mannat said a work crew digging in the 300 block of Gerhart Avenue punctured or ruptured a gas line around 2:40 p.m.
The gas company, Los Angeles County firefighters and sheriff's deputies responded to the scene.
Gerhart Avenue between Pomona Boulevard and Beverly Boulevard was evacuated, according to Sgt. Raymond Lam of the sheriff's East LA station.
Residents were taken to Garfield High School at 5101 E. 6th St. in Los Angeles and the Red Cross was notified, he added.
Lam said the 6-inch gas line was capped at 8:30 p.m.
By 9 p.m., deputies said residents were allowed return to their homes.


text:
HCL In Canada
Organizations, including IT companies, in Canada are increasingly investing in new technologies. Their tech budgets are expected to grow this year, but more especially in 2015, where the highest growth will be in analytics, CRM, big data, Cloud computing, legacy modernization and ERP.
HCL, a well-known name among IT Companies in Canada, leverages a decade of global consulting expertise to create strong, enduring relationships with Canadian tech companies and enterprises, offering them transformational, cost-efficient, and profitable ways of doing business. Even before establishing a dedicated presence in Toronto in 2009, HCL was recognized as one of the major IT companies in Canada, as a valuable partner for Canadian corporations through its strategic alliance with the largest railway company in the country. Since then, HCL has led IT-enabled business transformations for many Fortune 500 and G2000 Canadian customers and Canadian tech companies, including a global automotive supplier, an energy distribution corporation, and one of the country's largest airlines. Our innovative joint venture with the electronics manufacturer Celestica, which provides a single point of contact from concept through manufacturing, has been held up as a model for original equipment manufacturers.
- HCL and its customer - Cummins Inc., received the prestigious '2014 Outsourcing Excellence Award' in the 'Best Long Term Relationship' category from leading Industry Group, The Outsourcing Center. Read more
- HCL is positioned as a 'Leader' in IDC's MarketScape for Worldwide Cloud Professional Services, 2014 Vendor Assessment. According to the report "HCL offers an enterprise-class cloud services delivery platform that covers the entire range of customer requirements from dedicated infrastructure stacks to hybrid cloud environments."
- HCL is ranked in the 'Leader' category in Global R&D Services by leading analyst firm Zinnov, in its 'Global Service Providers Ratings, 2014'.
- HCL is recognized as a Life Sciences IT Outsourcing 'Leader' and a 'Star Performer' by the leading advisory and research firm, Everest Group in its PEAK Matrix™ Assessment 2014 report on "IT Outsourcing in the Life Sciences Industry."
- HCL is recognized as a 'Leader' in the mobile services space by IDC, in its recent report titled, "IDC MarketScape: Worldwide Mobile Application Development, Testing, Management, and Infrastructure (mADTMI) Services 2014 Vendor Assessment." Read more
- HCL is positioned as a 'Leader' in The Forrester Wave™: North American Applications Outsourcing Services, Q1 2014 authored by William Martorelli, Forrester Research Inc.
- HCL is rated amongst the 'Top 20 Technology Employers' in North Carolina by Business North Carolina magazine.
Key Engagements
Direct Energy, a leading energy and energy services company in North America, reached an agreement with HCL to implement and manage its residential billing and customer care operations in the Alberta market. The underlying solution will leverage a variety of leading technologies, including multiple technologies from SAP. As a leader among software companies in Canada, HCL will provide infrastructure hosting, application management and business process services. Read moreReturn To Top


text:
Weapons of Soulsteel
Liberty's Sacrament
- Artifact •••
- Soulsteel Daiklave
- Speed +3 Accuracy +3 Damage +5L Defense +2 Requires: Strength •• Commitment: 5
Liberty's Sacrament is a long, graceful weapon with elegant design. It's blade is a deep, beautiful black, and it sounds mournful when it is wielded, the air weeping as it is cut by the sweeping blows of the blade. The blade was crafted from black ore found on a lost island of the labyrinth, alloyed with the souls of seventy seven suicide victims, and quenched in the blood of seven orphans.
What resulted was a fine weapon, if not a masterpiece, but it serves its deathknight well enough. Its power comes not from its use in battle, but its ability to sever its victims from the ties of life.
Any time an opponent is successfully struck by the blade, the wielder may, if he chooses, spend a single mote. If he does so, the blade does no damage. Instead, the wielder rolls the damage value of the blade (5) plus his Essence. His target resists with Compassion + Conviction (representing his love of life and his determination). If the target wins, he feels a cold chill as the blade passes through him, but is otherwise unaffected. If he loses, however, the Abyssal may subtract a number of dots from the targets backgrounds equal to the number of net successes that he rolled.
This power can affect any background, and the loss should be displayed in subtle manner. If resources are lost, there should be a sudden disaster that deprives the target of some of his money. If his ally background is lowered, former friends lose interest in him, or suddenly become busy. Most such events like this should be minor, and only last for a few days.
At the end of a short span of time (this amount is up to the ST, and should never be shorter than two days, nor longer than a week, and dependent upon the "situation" the blade caused), the target rolls essence. If he succeeds, the background loss is "healed" and returned. The ally begins to miss his companion, and returns. There is a sudden upturn in fortunes that restores the target's wealth. If he fails, however, the background loss is permanent, and can only be regained through roleplaying. Solars are smiled upon by their god in this regard, and the damage of this blade seldom holds them for long. Solars DOUBLE their essence for the purpose of this roll.
Any background can be affected, but in most cases, only those that provide a continuing benefit can be harmed. This cannot lower a Lunar's heartsblood and make him "forget" some shapes. It can be used upon Leige, and the Deathlord will lose interest in his minion (though woe be unto the wielder of Liberty's Sacrament if this should be discovered), but it will not reduce the target's stats acquired from the freebie points granted by Liege. This power CAN affect Dragon Blooded Breeding, as the magic of the sword corrupts the blood of the Dragon Blooded.
In the end, of course, the ST is the final arbiter on what Liberty's Sacrament can and cannot affect, and how the effects take place.
Howler in Madness
- Artifact ••••
- Soulsteel Daiklave
- Speed +3 Accuracy +3 Damage +5L Defense +2 Requires: Strength •• Commitment 10
This blade appears strange to the eye. Though obviously a sword, it's organic hilt melds seemlessly with the hard, strange angles and planes of the blade that seem to twist the eye when gazed upon. The weapon, when unsheathed, whispers with voices of madness that scrap against the sanity of any mortal nearby.
The weapon was crafted of ore stolen from the nightmare of a Malfean, and fused with the souls of the insane. The secrets of its geometry were divined from the patterns of bird droppings and the hypnotic swirls of a whirlpool. The result was the Howler in Madness, a powerful weapon, but one its Deathlord creator is loath to use.
When unsheathed, the blade's whispers cause all mortals within 3 yards to lose 2 from all of their dicepools from the distracting whispers of the blade. But the whispers are heard the strongest in the mind of the wielder. With the force of a hammer, the blade assaults the psyche of the wielder, attempting to infect him with insanity. When the blade is first drawn, the wielder must roll willpower, difficulty 1. If he fails, he gains an "insanity" point, marked beneath his willpower, and he suffers a temporary derangement that lasts for the remainder of the scene. The derangement is up to the ST, but the most common is a berskerker frenzy. In this state, the wielder suffers no wound penalties, and cannot defend, only attack over and over again until he is slain or the haze of madness passes.
There is a power in insanity, and the wielder can unlock it to gain greater and greater power. When the blade is drawn, the wielder may increase his dex by up to four points. This dexterity bonus adds to anything that pertains in any way to combat: Attack dice pools, athletics, dodge, etc. But not dancing, or crafting. This bonus is not counted as natural, nor does it count against the dice cap limitation in any way. Each dot so gained increases the difficulty of the willpower roll by 1. Thus if the wielder adds 3 to his dex, his willpower roll is difficulty 4. If the wielder fails his willpower roll, he gains a number of "insanity points" equal to the amount he failed by (thus is it was difficulty 4, and the wielder rolled 2 successes, he gains 2 insanity points)
Insantiy has its costs, and when the wielder has more insanity points than his willpower, he loses all insanity points, one PERMANENT point of willpower, and gains a permanent derangement.
Frigid Bone Razor
- Artifact •••
- Soulsteel Daiklave
- Speed +3 Accuracy +3 Damage +5L Defense +2 Requires Strength •• Commitment: 8
This weapon is long, with a militant, effecient appearance. It lacks the lusterous apperance of other daiklaves, with a practicality of design that seems almost exaggerated. It has, however, an almost delicate appearance, with patterns of frost embedded on the smooth, black surface of the weapon. The air around the weapon seems to crackle with the chill of the deep north, and the blade draws the morbid gaze of any warrior.
The weapon was crafted from ore gathered from the blood stained stones of a battlefield, mixed with the souls of common soldiers, each of whom had tasted blood of their own, and strengthed with far norther feathersteel. The result is a weapon of dire wisdom, and frosty, strength sapping power.
When the blade is drawn, the strength of all mortals within ten yards is sapped by the chill aura of the blade, slowing their movements. All mortals within ten yards are at -3 to initiative.
Further, the blade tastes the soul of its victims, and steals battlefield wisdom, offering it to the wielder. For each enemy killed in battle, the blade adds 1 die to a pool. This pool cannot exceed the wielders Intellegence + Presence, and represents a tactical wisdom offered by the blade. The wielder may, as he wishes, use any number of dice from the pool for any combat, or mass combat, related roll, wether it be adding to an attack roll, or to a presence check for tactical awareness. Once a die has been used, it is gone until another foe has been slain.
All dice offered by the blade are gone at the end of the scene, snuffed out and consumed when the blade is resheathed.
You never cease to amaze, Mailanka. Nice work. I especially like the last one, the Frigid Bone Razor. Damn, that's cool. :) I think the Howler In Madness should consider your essence. A powerful exalt ought to be more resistant than a lesser one. Maybe factor in permanent essence to the difficulty or the dice roll? Maybe an exalt can ignore up to Perm-essence insanity points, allowing them to delay the process? Maybe you lose them at a rate of you perm essence/day of not using the blade? Essence-rich beings seem to be tougher against pretty much everything, much better at maintaining both physical and mental status. Just a thought :) -- DaveFayram
Weeeellll... perhaps. A willpower 10 Exalted already has a pretty solid advantage, and one could also point out that the great curse affects all Exalted irregardless of Essence (and wielding something stolen from the nightmare of a Malfean certainly must have SOME similarities to the effects of the Great Curse). In any case, the roll is pretty easy to pass, and very simply chosen, with little side effects (if you pass the check, you pay NOTHING for that +4 to dex), so it seems ok to me. But still, it might need some work.
I'm glad you liked the last one, though. I actually put the lost thought into it (the most into Howler). Just goes to show you that sometimes, simple is best. :) ~Mailanka
Wow. Your weapons are all very cool! Jade, Orichalcum and Soulsteel! I'm glad to see someone that has the same philosophy as I do about the nature of artifacts! -- JadeSerpent


text:
Fittingly Green: Armpocket For the iPhone
Since I recently got an iPhone, I was looking for a hands-free case to carry it in while I work out. When I found out this Sport 20 made by Armpocket ($30) was eco-friendly, made of bamboo and 100 percent recycled PET fabric (which is made from discarded plastic water bottles), I had to try it. This case instantly became my new favorite fitness accessory.
To find out the other reasons I love this case, and see some photos of it,
The see-through screen on the front of the case allows you to control the touch screen without having to take the iPhone out of the case. So convenient. The strap is padded so it's comfy and resists slipping, and the Velcro ensures a snug fit. Even when I run, it doesn't shake around. The best feature, though, is that not only does it have a pocket for your iPod or iPhone, but there's another separate pocket behind that — perfect for holding tissues, money, keys, your phone, and a snack. There's a hole on the bottom for headphones, but I just use the speaker on the iPhone. Since the case sits on my upper arm, I can hear my tunes, while still staying aware of noises around me. It makes me feel very safe, especially when trail running. Cases are available in threes sizes: Aero 10 ($23), Sport 20 ($30), and Xtreme 30 ($36). It's affordable, practical, and green. Love it.


text:
Strategic Plan 2018-2022
Bradley will complete its 5-year strategic plan at the end of the 2016-17 academic year. The campus community should be proud of Bradley's many significant accomplishments under the plan.
We are now in the early stages of developing our next strategic plan. In the spring of 2016, the University Senate recommended that Bradley engage a consultant to help guide the next strategic planning process, and the Board of Trustees accepted that recommendation. After a thoughtful process that included a strong recommendation from the University Strategic Planning Committee (USPC), the University hired Keeling and Associates to guide our planning. The firm has extensive experience conducting strategic planning consultations with top institutions across the country.
The process will be both transparent and inclusive. Keeling and Associates will seek input through meetings with various campus constituencies, including department chairs, faculty, staff, trustees, students, alumni, employer advisory boards and others. From those meetings, a small set of themes will emerge to guide our strategic plan. An open forum, tentatively scheduled for February, will allow nearly everyone an opportunity to share their views.
Our goal is to have the core strategic plan completed by the end of the 2016‑17 academic year. The USPC will then develop an implementation plan. In their four remaining visits to Bradley, Keeling and Associates will gather information about how the campus community views the institution and how we envision our future.
We are excited and hopeful about the opportunity to collaborate to make decisions about Bradley's future. We thank you for your willingness to weigh in on these decisions, and for your steadfast engagement with our beloved university.


text:
Your browser version is not supported. To get the best possible experience please upgrade to a newer version or use other web browser.
Make your banking transactions anytime and anywhere, from home, at work, while you are walking around town or on a lunch break, at home and abroad. With UniCredit Bank e-banking service, everything is much easier.
Exchange rates
Start Chat
Questions and Complaints


text:
Burmese Protestant - Wings Mug
Product Color:
Product information
Your own personalized Mug Burmese Protestant - Wings ensure that your morning coffee, or tee, or chocolate milk, tastes better. The ceramic ensure long durability and give your morning breakfast a sophisticated air, which will also keep your beverage hot longer.
No one can ruin your day after sipping from your favorite Burmese Protestant - Wings mug. And if you aren't a morning person, our 11oz Protestants In Burma
Sku: TZ0WH0000024300909090839IN0000000