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Wolfe's ''The Far and the Near'' starts out with a description of a little town, which contains a small cottage on its outskirts. The cottage appears clean and comfortable. Every day, just after two o'clock in the afternoon, an express train passes by the house. For more than twenty years, the train engineer blows his whistle, prompting a woman inside the house to come out on her porch and wave to him. Over this time, the woman's little girl grows up, and she joins her mother in waving to the engineer. The engineer grows old during this time and sees a lot of tragedy during his service for the railroad, including four fatal accidents on the tracks in front of him. Throughout all of this tragedy, however, he remains focused on the vision of the cottage and the two women, an image that he thinks is beautiful and unchangeable. He has a father's love towards the two women and, after so many thousands of trips past their cottage, feels that he knows the women's lives completely.
As a result, he resolves to visit the women on the day he retires, to tell them what a profound effect they have had on his life. When that day comes, he walks from the train station into the small town. As he walks through the town, he is unsure of his decision, because the town seems so unfamiliar— much different from how it has looked from his train cab. When he gets to the women's cottage, he is even more unsure, but he decides to go through with it. When he...
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Understanding that the Mets will be working on a vastly reduced budget from what were accustomed to, it seems that we'll be heading for a second straight relatively quiet offseason. The farm system has improved substantially in the last year but could still use some more top shelf talent. Our bullpen was atrocious and there are a few question marks in our rotation. Jose Reyes is free to leave if he so chooses, and resigning him will likely prevent us from addressing the other needs with impact talent. The Jason Bay vest watch is also set to begin this season, so that situation could use some addressing. Sandy did a nice job in 2011 in building for the future while still putting a fun to watch team on the field and I have no doubt that the same can be done in 2012.
Arbitration decisions:
Before I get to the major questions of the offseason, I want to figure out what to do with our arbitration eligible players. Out of our 5 players, I'm going to tender contracts to 3 of them and allow the other 2 to test the free agent waters. Angel Pagan is a no-brainer to me. Assuming he makes about 4.5 million in arbitration he'd be close to market value even if he repeats his poor performance from this season. He's also got 5+ WAR upside, so the potential for enormous surplus value is certainly there. Pagan should have a spot on this roster, and given a solid year he could easily net us draft pick compensation as a free agent in 2013. You just can't go wrong with that on a one year deal.
Mike Pelfrey was a bit tougher decision. Assuming he'd make about 5 million in arbitration means he'll likely be worth somewhere in the vicinity of his contract. He's got very limited upside, but he's also as close to a sure thing as you can get to stay healthy for an entire season. I'd hang on to big Pelf this year as I just don't think there are many great options in this free agent market. I'd rather give Pelf a shot to establish a little more trade value, possibly netting us some mid-level prospects around the deadline if we're ready to push him out of the rotation. Five million is reasonable for a guy capable of giving us a 2-3 WAR season with almost no injury risk (as far as pitchers go). Manny Acosta also did enough to warrant a tender in my eyes, and I'd expect him to recieve about 750,000 for his work this season. Even if he implodes, there isn't much risk here.
Ronny Paulino was an adequate backup, but there are several guys I just like more than him on the market. Assuming he was in line for about 1.5 million, I'm going to let him go and sign a different catcher. Taylor Bucholtz was good when he played, but his depression/anxiety issues scare me enough that I'm going to pass on him. I would offer him a minor league deal however, and I don't really think he'll get a major league offer. Whether or not he enjoyed it enough here to stay I just can't say, but since there aren't many bullpens as poor as ours I'd assume he feels his best chance at returning to the majors would be here. Welcome to Buffalo Taylor...
That's going to leave us with 77.65 million dollars already committed to the 2012 payroll after arbitration decisions. Using 110 million as our budget maximum we now have 32.35 million dollars to spend. That could go a long way, but the first question is a big one.
What do we do about the Jose Reyes situation:
The biggest question surrounding the Mets this offseason will definitely be about how far to go to resign Jose Reyes. Finding a shortstop of his caliber will be nearly impossible, and as a homegrown Met he certainly has additional value to the fanbase. I think he'd probably be signable at between 6/115-6/120, something that the Mets could afford this offseason if they so choose. That would likely leave us with only about 10 million dollars left to spend this offseason, and with such limited funds to spend we really need to be getting quite a bit more than market value out of players if we wish to bridge the gap between ourselves and the legitimate contending clubs. Signing Reyes for 2012 would likely mean we'll be hovering around .500 again unless we get significant bounce backs from Johan Santana (quite possible) and Jason Bay (less likely).
While a shortstop of Reyes ilk is nearly irreplaceable, we do have a perfectly capable youngster who is probably ready to step in and produce 2-3 WAR at the age of 22. Ruben Tejada may not ever produce the same type of 5-6 win seasons that Reyes has done, but he's a near sure thing to produce tens of millions of dollars of surplus value for the next 3-4 seasons. That's something we're far less likely to be getting from Jose Reyes when making in the vicinity of 20 million per year. From a purely economical standpoint I think it makes far more sense to spend 20 million on guys who will likely produce market value in positions where we can't get surplus value form internal options than positions where we can.
Because of this I'm going to let Jose Reyes leave (and I'm probably going to cry), taking the two draft picks as compensation for the best shortstop in the history of the franchise and planning to bust slot with both. While I believe that Reyes will be worth every penny of his deal, I feel that we're still a year or two away from reasonably challenging and I'd rather have as few big money contracts on the book at that time as possible. Assuming we're in position to challenge for the wild card in either 2013 (optimistic) or 2014 (much more probable, especially if some prospects pan out), we'll still likely have a league average player already in place at short making the minimum or in his first year of arb. Maybe I'm just a bigger believer in Tejada than most, but I think we're in a better position to lose our starting SS than just about any other team in the majors at the moment. So we still have 32.35 million dollars to spend at this point, but now we have another pretty big question to answer:
What to do with David Wright?
Many people are under the assumption that allowing Reyes to walk means we should go full demolition and trade David Wright as well. While it does bring into question his future, I don't believe we need to trade him unless we get absolutely blown away with a deal. If David is traded this season he's basically a one year rental for the recieving team. If we pick up his option next year his status is basically the same. Unless he's hurt or declines into worthlessness he's not going to lose any real trade value by keeping him this season. It will be good for the fans, and frankly we just don't need the free payroll now that we've let Jose walk. My plan will involve playing out 2012 and then re-assessing Mr. Wright.
Can we unload either of the albatrosses?
We have two multi-year big money contracts left. If we find a Vernon Wells type taker for either of them I pull the trigger in a heartbeat, but I just can't see that happening. Realistically, Johan is near unmovable at this point. Maybe he'll reacquire some value with a strong year this season, but even if he is abysmal it's hard to picture his value dropping. Much like Beltran last year it makes sense to keep him and hope for the best.
Jason Bay may actually be movable. About a week ago my AAOP involved swapping Bay for John Lackey in a crap for poop swap. While Lackey had an extra year, the Bay vest watch scares the hell out of me. That probably got shot to hell when Lackey went under the knife though. Maybe this is a trade to revisit in 2013, but for this winter it's dead. Since I just don't see any other reasonable bad contract swaps that I believe an opposing GM might actually do (and wouldn't make our situation worse), I'm afraid we're stuck with Jason Bay. I'd like to make sure we do what we can to limit his PA's to under 500 just to make 2014 a little less stressful, but if he has to play everyday this season so be it. Unless he returns to his 2009 form we really shouldn't have a hard time replacing him next offseason and relegating him to the bench.
The trade that might get me lynched...
As a team going in to 2012 with an expectation of mediocrity, it would make some sense to listen to offers on some of our older players signed to reasonable deals that likely won't figure into our plans when the rebuild is over. Unfortunately we only have one of those whose value is more than marginal...AA favorite RA Dickey. He's essentially signed for two years at well under market value, durable, and a front half of the rotation starter for virtually any team in baseball. There's not a single team out there that couldn't use him if they plan on contending, and luckily for us the Reds have budget constraints and a gaping need for exactly that type of player. Because of that, I'm going to send Dickey to the Reds in exchange for AAA catcher Yasmani Grandal (our Dickey for their Grandal...hehe) and AAA reliever Brad Boxberger.
Grandal should be pretty well known to most here. He's a switch hitting catcher with good plate discipline and power who's iffy on the defensive side of the ball. He was a popular pick during the 2009 draft among the community here, and he's since shown he's probably capable of sticking. Unfortunately for him, he's not the Reds best catching prospect and therefore potential tradebait in their search for starting pitching. Boxberger has a good stuff and strikes out a ton. If he can limit the walks some he's got incredible potential. The Reds seem to view him as a reliever, but he's had some success as a starter after he was first drafted. He'd be another high upside arm to add to the system, and we can never have enough of those. With Dickey's 4.75 million now off the books we're looking at 37.1 million dollars to spend.
The signings
With 37.1 million dollars to spend, it's very possible we could put together a team that could compete for the wild card this season. It's probably still a long shot, but we're going to focus on achieving that goal by predominantly targeting players with the ability to produce surplus value. There will be a lot of question marks, but the ones that perform above expectation should either net good returns at the deadline (if we are well out) or provide compensatory picks after the season (if we are in it). I'm going to focus on short term deals, therefore freeing up payroll again for next year when we may have some help from the farm (and might even be able to move the Canadian Baycon).
My first signing will be Kelly Johnson for 2 years at 8.5 million for year 1 and 6.5 million for year 2. While Daniel Murphy is capable of manning the position, I like his ability to back up the infield corners and provide cover for a number of areas. Johnson would probably provide surplus value at that amount, and in all likelihood fetch a compensatory pick or two if he stays here for 2 full years (the deal is front loaded to increase the odds we offer him arbitration). If we fall well out of the race, we'll likely get a good return on a trade should we so choose. He also provides the ability to play an above average corner outfield should Baywatch reveal Jason is playing too much for the vest. We now have 28.6 million left to spend
Signing number 2 will be Grady Sizemore at 1 year for 8 million dollars with a club option for an additional year at 12 million (I'm assuming his option is declined as it appears it will be). It's probably an overpay, but if he simply plays everyday there's little chance he won't be worth that much money. A healthy Sizemore would fetch a mammoth return at the deadline, especially with a reasonable option attached. Having a second year of team control ensures we can get value from him if he has a tremendous season. I'd be all for playing both he and Pagan together, giving us 2/3 of a solid defensive outfield. This also gives us a pefect excuse to limit Bay's PA's...Duda is clearly the better player right now and should at worst be platooning if Sizemore is healthy. If Grady gives us nothing, at least we can cut our losses after the season. Our funds are down to 20.6 million.
Signing number 3 would be Ryan Doumit for 1 year at 3 million. Doumit is a good hitter for a catcher who can also play the corners of the outfield. With Grandal starting the season at AAA Buffalo Doumit and Thole will be competing for the starting spot. If Grandal forces his way on to the team, we now have a backup outfielder who can act as a third catcher. He's not a bad player to have, and his bat is probably good enough that he'll be at least a type B with an average season. We're down to 17.6 million to spend.
I'll next add another Indians player who's option I believe will be declined, Fausto Carmona at 1 year for 5 million. Carmona is a slightly better Mike Pelfrey. He induces grounders, is not an injury risk (for a pitcher), doesn't walk a ridiculous amount of batters, and doesn't really strike out anyone. This is the one deal without as much upside, but he'd durable and capable of producing 2-3 WAR with a decent defense behind him. If he has a good first half he'll probably have some trade value, if not it's no big loss. We're down to 12.6 million left.
Now we're going to turn to the bullpen. My first addition is going to be Jon Broxton at 1 year for 2.5 million. The upside is obvious, and at worst it's 2.5 million in the toilet. Next is Hong-Chih Kuo at 1 year and 1 million. If he pitches, that will likely be a steal. Joe Nathan is going to be my safe player. I'm going to give him 3 million dollars and see what we have. Finally I'm going to sign Juan Cruz for 750,000. All of these guys are high strikeout pitchers that can probably establish decent value at the trade deadline. All four could potentially net at least one draft pick after the season. Those 4 cost another 7.25 million, dropping our available funds to 5.15 million.
I want to provide some backup for Ruben Tejada, and the perception that we may have a starting gig available should give us bargaining power. I'm going to sign Alex Gonzalez away from the Braves for 1 year at 2.5 million dollars. He's not as good as Ruben, but you could definitely do worse for a backup middle infielder. At least the guy can adequately field SS and has a little power. That leaves us 2.65 million.
I'm going to take that 2.65 million and spend it on more pitching. Rich Harden is the target at 1 year and 2.5 million. He's the ultimate risk/reward pitcher, but we have Chris Schwinden and Dillon Gee in AAA as fallbacks if he breaks down early with Matt Harvey or Mejia if the breakdown takes a while. If he somehow stays healthy we have an incredible trade chip.
Minor League deals
Who knows who will actually sign minor league deals with us, but I'd extend offers to the following guys just for poops and giggles.
Chris Young
Taylor Bucholtz
Guilermo Mota (just kidding)
Most of those guys probably won't be worth anything, but there's really no risk involved.
The roster:
This all would leave us with a 25 man roster consiting of the following:
Starting lineup:
Ryan Doumit, Ike Davis, Kelly Johnson, Ruben Tejada, David Wright, Grady Sizemore, Angel Pagan, Lucas Duda
Josh Thole, Daniel Murphy, Nick Evans, Alex Gonzalez, Jason Bay
Johan Santana, Rich Harden, Jon Niese, Fausto Carmona, Mike Pelfrey
Tim Byrdak, Hong-Chih Kuo, Manny Acosta, Juan Cruz, Bobby Parnell, Jon Broxton, Joe Nathan
If you notice Mr. Carrasco missing, it's because I cut him to make roster spots to protect some of our prospects. Justin Turner unfortunately suffered the same fate. Pedro Beato is now hanging out in Buffalo in case of need, as are Dillon Gee, Chris Schwinden, and the ex-Reds prospects we traded for.
I don't like the idea of letting Jose Reyes walk, but Omar Minaya managed to do such a good job in alienating the fanbase that payroll appears to need to be slashed to the point where I just can't justify keeping him. As for the Dickey trade, it just sucks for us as Dickeymaniacs but should be good for the long term health of the team. The farm gets a lot better with these two moves, and this roster shouldn't be noticeably worse than it was last year. It also has the upside to give another couple of injections of talent into the system.
I have a feeling this isn't going to go over very well, so I'm off to find wherever it was that Nick Evans managed to hide during the Jerryball era in NY. At least there I'm sure to be safe from flying objects while this blows over.

subset: commoncrawl


text: Oscars Red Carpet Dress Pictures 2012 by Lauren Turner 2/26/12 7 Reactions 15 Shares Print 0 14 0 1 0 Previous Photo 1 of 186 View on One Page Next 1 Oscars Red Carpet Dress Pictures 2012 Read More Oscars Get a Personalized Celebrity & Entertainment Newsletter! Help us customize your newsletter by selecting your interests (optional): A Listers Young Hollywood TV Movies dandd 2 years jessica chastain's mc queen dress was wearing her dandd 2 years this was giuliana's best look ever! Lushmore 2 years Hate dresses with two kind of sholder straps Link Love Nicole Kidman gets candid about her personal life — Us Weekly Jon Voight is "very happy" about his new son-in-law, Brad Pitt — People Kendall Jenner denies texting at the VMAs — HuffPost Celebrity Selena Gomez lands in Canada with Justin Bieber — Lainey Gossip Alicia Silverstone's Lifetime-movie character has an awful wig — Dlisted Jennifer Aniston admits to drinking breast milk — ET Is this why Britney Spears and her boyfriend broke up? — Pink Is the New Blog Wentworth Miller looks as hot as ever — JustJared You must see Ed Sheeran as little orphan Annie — BuzzFeed Ice T's wife, Coco, hits the beach in a thong — The Superficial Kim Kardashian doesn't want to be Beyoncé's friend anymore — PopBytes Alessandra Ambrosio is red hot in Venice — Hollywood Tuna Latest


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Route Guide - iPhone / Android - Partners - Forum - Photos - Deals - What's New - School of Rock
Routes Sorted
L to R R to L Alpha
This is a fun top rope or highball boulder problem. The face of the boulder has several horizontal seams which provide adequate but small holds. The crux is halfway up and involves throwing for the biggest horizontal edge on the face. Avoid the left arete at the top to keep the difficulty consistent.
The route climbs the boulder to the left of Punkin Puss & Mushmouse and right of Windy Days. Descend by downclimbing the chimney to the right of Windy Days which is left of the top out. Ascend this same chimney to set up a top rope.
Two bolts on top for a top rope anchor. It might be possible to place small cams and nuts on lead but the gear does not look all that good. Probably best done on top rope.


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Home › Polo Shirts › Premium Polo Shirts › Russell › Russell Hard Wearing Poly/Cotton Polo
Suitable for 60°C domestic wash. Double ripple effect on collar and cuff. Durable fabric, suitable for hard-wearing environments. Side vents for ease of fit. 2 button angle edged placket with matching colour buttons. Reinforced shoulder seams.Also available in Kids' sizesSize Chest (to fit)XS - 34/36" S - 36/38" M - 38/40" L - 40/42" XL - 42/44" 2XL- 44/46" 3XL - 46/48" 4XL - 48/50" 5XL - 50/52" 6XL - 52/54" *5XL & 6XL only available in Bottle Green, Bright Royal, French Navy and WhiteFabric65% Polyester35% Ringspun cotton piqueWeightColours 215gsm, White 210gsm
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Please contact us for a more detailed sizing guide on this item
Second order of these polo shirts, had them embroidered and it was done very professionally, Hard Wearing and wash well just what I needed for the staff. Highly recommended.
Delivery is FREE for all orders over £100 net and just £4.95 for orders under £100 net. We use DPD as our preferred national courier.
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CINCINNATI (AP) -- First lady Michelle Obama is urging supporters to protect health care changes and other policies of her husband's presidency by working for his re-election.
She raised money for President Barack Obama's Democratic campaign Thursday in a reception at a downtown Cincinnati hotel. Before heading to another fundraiser in Louisville, Ky., she toured some of the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center's exhibits about slavery and how runaway slaves reached freedom.
She says change is slow, but changes such as health care legislation have benefited millions of people. She says changes could "slip away" if supporters don't help the campaign.
Organizers said some 300 people were at the fundraiser. Tickets started at $250, ranging up to $10,000.
Republican presidential campaigns are in high gear in Ohio, which has a March 6 primary.


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Hang tight!
Recipe by NANCED35
"This is my mom's recipe. This squash casserole is filled with flavor and baked with a wonderful stuffing crust. If you like yellow summer squash, then you'll love this great recipe!"
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2 tablespoons
3 pounds
yellow squash, chopped
onions, chopped
1 cup
shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
1 cup
eggs, beaten
saltine crackers, crushed
1 (1 ounce) package
dry Ranch-style dressing mix
1 teaspoon
2 cups
dry bread stuffing mix
1/2 cup
melted butter
Very nice and tasty! Sure seems like alot of squash, but it cooks down nicely. I would definately recommend using a 9x13 pan as what I considered a "medium" baking dish wouldn't hold it. And I chopped my (2 kinds) of squash pretty small as someone recommended. My family all loved it and we aren't big squash eaters especially. Had wonderful flavor and texture, nice comfort food. Pretty easy to make too! I've saved it to my recipe box - it'll be one of my regulars, especially for a crowd!
The ranch and chedder add too much whang, doesn't leave much for the buttery flavor of squash. Too much bread for topping. From an avid squash over-planter.
120 Ratings
Let me say....AWESOME RECIPE...My boyfriend's mother had extra squash that people at church gave her and she gave me some. I just cut up 3-4 and used exact measurments, was not oily at all. I have made this 4 times already this summer, and close to one of the best recipes on this site!!!!!!!!
I would recommend insteads of just chopping the squash to FINELY chop the squash and also use herb stuffing mix. The recipe itself is great with a wonderful flavor but the squash needs to be finely chopped. This is from a person who does not like squash and my 4 yr old loved it.
My SIL made this recipe for our Thanksgiving meal. She altered the recipe to include Ritz crackers instead of saltine crackers. It gave it a richer taste and was absolutely to die for. A must have recipe for holiday meals.
Even my hubby (who says he doesn't like yellow squash) liked this one! I used "butter buds" instead of butter in the squash so I could add bacon with the other ingredients. I did use the butter in the topping though...a girl is only willing to sacrifice so much!
This is a great recipe. I took it to a Christmas party and everyone wanted the recipe.It makes alot. I also added extra cheese. and used green and yellow squash for color. Excellent and easy to make.
This is a great squash recipe. I just had to double the amount of cheese. I couldnt help myself. Great texture and flavor. This one is a real winner.
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
Super Squash
Serving Size: 1/12 of a recipe
Servings Per Recipe: 12
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 456
Calories from Fat: 279
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Article from
The Penske Page E-Newsletter
June 15, 2012
Garden Fresh: Three New Summer Salads
A fresh alternative on a hot day
If the thought of turning on your oven or hanging around a blazing grill in August makes you sweat, reach into your cool refrigerator instead. The following three new summer salads are easy to make if you have a couple of sharp knives. Be sure to clean all vegetables thoroughly before slicing and dicing.
Easy-to-eat chopped salad
Chopped salads combine many types of foods and vegetables into tiny, bite-sized pieces. Make the dressing first and then refrigerate to allow the flavors to blend. A delicious dressing that works well with a Greek or Italian chopped salad includes the following:
Minced garlic clove
Dijon mustard
Red wine vinegar
Extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Next, chop the following salad ingredients and toss them together, and combine with the chilled dressing before serving:
Romaine lettuce or other favorite
Drained can garbanzo beans (chickpeas)
Red bell pepper
Red onion
Fennel bulb
Crumbled feta cheese
Italian Genoa salami
Pitted Kalamata olives
A different pasta salad
Pasta adds heartiness to a garden fresh summer salad. Just use the same dressing ingredients as the chopped salad for this pasta salad variation:
Cook your favorite small pasta like bow-tie or ziti. While still warm, toss it with a couple of tablespoons of the dressing and set aside.
Place pieces of salad greens like romaine, radicchio or other leaf lettuce on a serving plate with sliced cucumbers (or any other fresh veggies you have on hand) and walnut pieces.
Add more dressing and toss together. Use a vegetable peeler to shave thin slices of Parmesan cheese over the top and serve immediately.
Potato salad with a Southwest flair
Step out of your traditional potato salad box and add Southwest flavors. If you don't like hot peppers, simply reduce the amount to suit your personal taste.
Start by cooking small red potatoes and cutting them in quarters. After you've prepared the potatoes, combine them with these ingredients in a large bowl:
Several ears of fresh, raw corn kernels cooked in microwave
Finely chopped red onion, red bell pepper and fresh cilantro
Drained and rinsed can of black beans
Jalapeno pepper seeded and finely chopped
For the dressing: Mix together canned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, fresh lime juice, canola oil, salt and pepper. Drizzle over the potato mixture and toss gently. Cover and chill at least one hour or up to 24 hours. Serve on a bed of mixed greens or head lettuce.
Take advantage of fresh August produce to introduce your family to these three new summer salads.
Published by
Penske Chevrolet
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By Traci L. Moyer
The Herald Bulletin
---- —
ANDERSON — Lisa Singleton-Roberts grew up in the city and said it was a natural decision for her to move back and open a business in her hometown.
"I'm living my dream at age 48," Singleton-Roberts said.
That dream was to open Toscana Event Centre, 1314 Broadway, and offer a unique venue for parties in Anderson.
Singleton-Roberts, a certified wedding and event planner for about 10 years, said she was working in Noblesville when she decided to open her business.
"Like a lot of people, I lost my job," Singleton-Roberts said.
That crucial moment in her life spurred the idea of opening the Centre. She said within the next six months she plans to expand her business and open a bistro.
"I think if you have something of value in Anderson, people will come to it," Singleton-Roberts said.
In a way, that is already happening for Singleton-Roberts. On Sunday, the Centre will host a free Breaking Bad event that is open to the public. Singleton-Roberts said baldmove.com, a podcasting company out of the greater Indianapolis area, contacted her in September about holding a season finale event for the television program.
She said she is looking forward to Sunday's event, when more people will be able to see the renovations that have been made.
Singleton-Roberts said the architecture of her building creates a "homey" feeling and she has capitalized on that atmosphere with an Italian flair that has been well received. Singleton-Roberts admits she has never visited Toscana, but her family is planning to take her there for her 50th birthday.
"It has a neutral outdoorsy feeling," Singleton-Roberts said. "It doesn't feel commercial and bland. I want people to feel like they are hosting a party from their home. It doesn't feel sterile."
The building has been the site of several ventures, including a former fire station and private residences, she said. Singleton-Roberts has since converted the rooms into seating for about 150 people.
Since she has opened the Centre, Singleton-Roberts said that in addition to the baby showers and events that have been booked, she has had many visitors stop in to inquire about the Centre.
"I love it because people will come through and everyone has a story to share about when it was a detail shop or when it was a fire station or when someone lived here," she said. "It's neat the different memories people have of the building."
Like Traci L. Moyer on Facebook and follow her @moyyer on Twitter, or call 648-4250.
Free Breaking Bad party The Toscana Event Centre is hosting a free Breaking Bad party that is open to the public at 8 p.m. on Sunday. The finale episode of Breaking Bad will be aired live on a large screen and there will be a podcast hosted by baldmove.com with audience participation opportunities following the show. Breaking Bad themed items will be given away during the event, and beer, wine, soda and snacks will be available. For more information, visit http://www.facebook.com/baldmove/events.


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WashPost Music Critic Urges Readers to Check Out Rapper's Pro-Qadhafi Screed Against Reagan
In her May 22 "Singles File" -- described as "A weekly playlist for the listener with a one-track mind" -- Washington Post music critic Allison Stewart suggested readers might want to download the new single "Reagan" by rap artist Killer Mike.
"The Obama years haven't been fruitful ones for sociopolitically minded rappers, at least until now," Stewart gushed, noting that the Atlanta musician "dusts off some late '80s ghosts on this unblinking and brutal track from his newest [album] 'R.A.P. Music.'" But when you check out the lyrics of the track, and read his May 21 interview with HipHopDX.com, what really becomes clear is Killer Mike's "unblinking" apology for the late terror-sponsoring Libyan dictator Muammar Qadhafi.
Killer Mike slams Presidents Obama and Reagan for their respective military actions against the Qadhafi regime, explaining that as a "pan-Africanist," he believes Qadhafi benefited his nation economically. From the HipHopDX interview (emphasis mine):
HipHopDX: Let's kick things off by delving into the most talked-about track on R.A.P. Music, "Reagan."
Killer Mike: "Reagan," I knew it. Why do you people only like me angry? [Laughs]
DX: [Laughs] "Ronald Reagan was a actor, not at all a factor / Just an employee of the country's real masters / Just like the Bush's, Clinton and Obama / Just another talking-head telling lies on teleprompters / If you don't believe the theory, then argue with this logic: Why did Reagan and Obama both go after Gadhafi?" Was the Gaddafi connection the only thing that led you to tie Ronald Reagan and Barack Obama together or are there other areas where you see a comparison?
Killer Mike: I didn't tie Ronald Reagan and Barack Obama together; Barack Obama tied him and Ronald Reagan together. Barack Obama compares himself to Reagan.
In fact, everybody running for President this year, with the exception of Ron Paul, has compared themselves to Ronald Reagan. And I can't even be a 100% on the Ron Paul thing, because he may have done it before too.
So that's not me [comparing Obama to Reagan], that's just me saying "I agree." [Laughs]
DX: The Gadhafi connection, can you elaborate a little bit on what you were saying there about them both going after Gaddafi?
Killer Mike: Both times we went after Gadhafi in a very illegal way. [In 1986] Ronald Reagan killed his adopted daughter with a bombing. That is – first of all, let's admit to something, Libya is a sovereign nation. That's just what it is, it's a sovereign nation. To go into a sovereign nation, or endorse or back going in to assassinate the leader of a sovereign nation, is wrong. It's reprehensible.
Now, as an American on some level I benefit from that so I'm not gonna trip. But, as a Pan-Africanist, as a truth-teller, I have to say it's wrong, because it is. Gadhafi – speaking from the Black experience, from an African-American male and a person who's a member of the African Diaspora - was an African leader that had been good to his country, financially. He was an African leader that had been good to other African countries. He was a leader that supported dual citizenship for African-Americans. He was a leader that was willing to have a United States of Africa, in which all of the resources of Africa would be for Africans. He wanted to change the monetary system from accepting U.S. dollars to gold for Libyan oil and the next thing you know we were killing him.
Despite all his bluster about Obama, Killer Mike also made clear in the same interview that he considers any African-American voter who votes against Obama's reelection to be a "race traitor," although he believes staying at home and not voting would be an acceptable protest of Obama not being radical enough (emphasis mine):
DX: I don't wanna stay harping on you calling out Obama but I just have to ask, what happened to the guy who was declaring it an act of racial treason to vote for anybody other than Obama on "Pressure"? ["Ask your Uncle Thomas how he choose master over Obama."]
Killer Mike: Oh, if you don't vote for Obama this time you're a fuckin' race traitor.
That's what happened to that guy. He's still there. [But] I am able to see things in a duality. I just told you that as a Pan-Africanist we took a great loss in losing Gadhafi. [But] as an American, my gas is always gonna be below $5 [and that benefits me]. And no one is gonna be able to get a foothold on North African and East African oil because America now has bases in Libya, the Eastern coast of Africa – under the guise of keeping it protected from pirates – and we're in friendly countries like Saudi Arabia. I understand strategically what's going on and I don't object to that.
As an African-American male, and an African-American father, I understand the importance of imagery in the African-American community. … My people are a people of imagery. It's almost like Joseph Campbell and his analogies in terms of human beings needing a God in The Masks of God. Where you need a hero, you need God, you need villains. African-Americans have these needs, and I understand our mentality. We have the mentality of wanting to see our goodness on a stage. And Barack Obama represents that, in terms of an African-American man that carries himself in a dignified way, as an African-American man that doesn't appear quote-unquote to be a sellout in terms of culturally who he is. He's married to a beautiful Black woman. He has some beautiful Black kids. Eat that Black food, say that Black shit, I need that President because I need my sons and my daughters to understand there's no limitations on where we can go. So as an African-American dad I need that.
Now, as an African-American business owner, and as an African-American citizen of these United States, he has supported some shit that doesn't benefit me, and I have to then address him like I would the 43 other guys that were in front of him, that weren't a member of the African-American male fraternity. I have to judge him on those standards.
So I still think if you don't vote for Barack Obama and you're an African-American, especially an African-American man, you're a fool. Because, his image can help you, in your household, it can help you in the real world and you can profit from it. [But] I'm saying that you also should be demanding of him an African-American jobs program by saying we're not gonna go vote. If you don't do something that is a jobs program immediately in this country we're not gonna fuckin' vote. We also should be doing that, but we should be voting for him.
So it's not like I jumped off the Obama bandwagon. I'm still firmly on the train in the first class. But, I am still saying if you don't have ice for my fuckin' Coca-Cola, I'm fin to nut up. And by "nut up" I mean I will threaten to not vote for you.
- Ken Shepherd's blog
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Ken, thanks for reading this.
Submitted by UpNorth on Tue, 05/22/2012 - 6:25pm.
I tried, really. I. Just. Can't. Get. Through. It. I'm allergic to stupid, and I don't want to break out.
This PoS is crazy, just flat out crazy. But, so are the people who think that what he thinks is significant.
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Killer Mike appears to drift a bit to the right, ---
Submitted by matthewdean on Tue, 05/22/2012 - 6:44pm.
but always manages to correct course so that he is firmly back in the grasp of the "Black is Beautiful" mantra when it comes to Obama.
Pride is a good thing - when it is not willful; the wearing of blinders, however, is a credit to no one.
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Uh. News Flash.
Submitted by The Vet on Wed, 05/23/2012 - 12:28am.
Killer Mike: ~ [In 1986] Ronald Reagan killed his adopted daughter with a bombing. ~
Yahoo News: Gadhafi Adopted Daughter 'Killed' in 1986 Bombing Raid Very Much Alive
This is what happens when you rely on dictators for your news.
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Never Scared
Submitted by BigFletch on Wed, 05/23/2012 - 9:01am.
Damn, I was always a fan of the 2003 hit, "Never Scared."
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Killer Mike was 14 years old when Reagan's 2nd term ended.
Submitted by drsamherman on Wed, 05/23/2012 - 11:14am.
How in the world would that sewer rat know anything about Reagan?
He still had zits on his face and just started carrying a straight razor in his shoe when Reagan gave his goodbye speech.
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I love music,
Submitted by misterbee241 on Wed, 05/23/2012 - 12:15pm.
different kinds of music. But I don't listen to rap because it is not music. A monotonous vocal with a beat. No instruments involved. And no talent required.
If you're not getting flak, you're not over the target.
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Here's an antidote:
Submitted by SickofLibs on Wed, 05/23/2012 - 12:25pm.
When you're holding a hammer, everything looks like a nail.
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text:
Governor Nathan Deal wants more transparency and accountability in Georgia's complex laws dealing with seized drug money.On Friday, his Criminal Justice Reform Council will release four recommendations on how to make it happen.The council's report follows FOX 5 I-Team and a local newspaper's investigations that raised questions of how some prosecutors spent seized drug money.FOX 5 Senior I-team reporter Dale Russell got an exclusive look at what changes could be taking place and talked one-on-one with Gov. Deal.
Changes include establishing clear rules and how seized assets can be spent, annual reporting to the state on how much money is collected and what it is spent on and standardizing 34 separate forfeiture statues to speed up the process and protect innocent people who had property seized improperly. Governor Deal told us: "Put those specifics in place, so everybody knows what the rules are, then if somebody violates the rules, it's a whole lot easier to hold them accountable for that."
Thanks for contacting FOX 5. To reach our newsroom by phone, please call (404) 898-0100.


text: You're a budding entrepreneur quietly building a potential million-dollar business and working long hours in the basement or local coffee shop. Renting office space is expensive and simply not sustainable at the moment. That means you're alone, blocked out from the outside world. Your plans can't be shared, built upon and developed into even better… Read More


text:
LONDON (AP) -- News Corp. chief executive Rupert Murdoch gave staff at his scandal-hit tabloid The Sun new assurances over their future Friday in London crisis talks.
Staff said Murdoch had discussed plans to open a new Sunday tabloid and confirmed that workers currently suspended amid police inquiries into alleged wrongdoing would be allowed to return to their posts.
The newspaper's royal photographer Arthur Edwards posted a message to his Twitter account confirming "all suspensions at The Sun have been lifted."
Jim Munro, the tabloid's digital sports editor, wrote on Twitter that Murdoch had announced a new title, The Sun on Sunday, would launch "very soon."
Murdoch closed his flagship Sunday tabloid, the News of the World, in July amid outrage over phone hacking.


text:
Coors Light NHL Stadium Series
Wed Jan 29
- $$$
Photograph: Melynda Pilon/NHLI via Getty Images)
Time Out says
Posted: Mon Nov 25 2013
It's a matchup as old as time—nearly as old as Coors versus Bud, in fact. The grudge will be settled once and for all—er, until the next time they meet—when Metropolitan Division rivals the New York Rangers take on the New Jersey Devils in a rare outdoor game on Jan 26. Three days later, the Blueshirts will take on the New York Islanders from that big landmass to the east. Global warming makes alfresco hockey a dicier proposition than it once might have been, so enjoy it while you can.
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