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I am a fan of my team and you root for yours, but we all love our Football and are united in our frustration that there may be no season. We look for answers for what is going on with the Lockout and CBA, but all we seem to get is a fog of PR and spin. This is my attempt to get beneath that PR spin and examine all of the factors that have brought us to this point. This is a long post because there are many complex factors involved, so grab a cold frosty one, sit down, and let's cut thru the fog.
However, before we attempt to analyze this situation we must have the correct mindset. It is not just a simple case of Billionaires fighting Millionaires. While Football is just an entertaining game to us which we want to enjoy once again, to the players it is their job. It is what puts food on the table and takes care of their family. For every "live high on the hog", headline grabbing millionaire player, there are 10 like Jets' guard Matt Slauson, who moved his family in with his parents in order to save money during the lockout. This was a job that they worked and trained for years to get, and they are the best of the best at what they do (no matter how much of a bum we think they are). They get hurt, give them a shot of a pain killer and send them back on the field, it was recently revealed that wide receiver Jerricho Cotchery played the whole 2010 season with a herniated disk in his back. For them, at any time their dream come true, can turn into a nightmare of pain, disability, and despair. Their average playing life is less then five years because their physical deterioration catches up to them. Some may be famous and self-centered prima-donnas, but for the vast majority, we will never hear their names. They are not just "Millionaire Playboys", on the whole, they are average people who just happen to have a difficult but very well paying job, and are doing what they can to protect it. Now put yourself in their place.
I would tell you to put yourself in the owners place, for I am sure they have real problems and concerns since the owners talk about them all the time. But I can not know for sure what these are, because the same owners are doing their best to hide any real evidence or proof of them. However, unlike the characterization, all the owners are not "Billionaires", there are many nice middle-class people in Green Bay, a small city of 120 thousand people which has had a non-profit, community-owned team since the 1920's. It is the only exception to the 1960 rule in the NFL Constitution that required the teams to be a closely held, for profit private organization.Yet, it makes no business sense for the owners to have rules to prevent each other from becoming a public corporation, even if they want to do so. This could allow them to raise money for new stadiums the old fashion way, selling stocks and bonds. The owner would not even have to give up control, they could choose to offer 49%, or less, of the corporation to the public. This behavior of the NFL owners is unlike most business owners who consider their IPO (Initial Public Offering) their big payday, their chance to "cash out." All the owners would have to do is open the books, for the public investors to see what the numbers are. Instead of buying a players' Jersey to show your support, you could buy some shares and say it really is your team. While the owners attitude under normal business circumstances makes no sense, it is the owners choice, their decision, their business and their profit or loss. They must have their reasons.
The first thing that should be kept in mind that this is a Lockout in which the owners are asking the players to reduce conditions (benefits) that the players already have; not a Strike based on the players asking for more benefits. The players have said many times they are willing to work under the present contract, which has been in effect since 1993, and been extended five times. However, the owners don't want that, they will not allow the players to return to work until there is a new agreement with the Union. That is why there can be no season with "replacement players" as there was in the football Strike of 1987.
The owners are asking for "Give Backs" in the contract as far as the percentage of NFL revenue they share with the Players Association (NFLPA). This would directly impact the income of the players as a group, and therefore indirectly impact the possible income of players as individuals. It would seem that it is only fair and reasonable that the owners would justify their demands, with something more then words, before the players gave up the right to something they already had. Particularly since it appears the owners are doing better financially then they have ever done before. The present salary cap system was accepted by the employees (Players) in exchange for their giving up the right to unlimited free agency.
First organized in 1956, the NFLPA was not recognized by the owners. Finally In 1968, the NFLPA won recognition from the owners and started to negotiate its first collective bargaining contract. On July 3, 1968, after talks with the owners stalled, the NFLPA voted to strike, and the owners countered by declaring a lockout. But on July 14, the owners relented and the brief strike was over. However, the concessions the Players received were small. The owners compromised by agreeing to contribute about $1.5 million to the pension fund, but maintained minimum salaries of $9,000 for rookies, $10,000 for veterans and $50 per exhibition game.
After they lost their strike in 1987 the Players Association dissolved as a union; and under federal labor law, the players gained standing to file class-action lawsuits against their employers. In 1988, a federal judge ruled that the NFL's unilateral rules limiting free agency did, in fact, impose unlawful restriction on the players' rights to sell their labor to the highest bidder. Unlimited free agency meant, at the end of each players' contract, they would be an unrestricted free agent with no limit, or rules, on what any owner could offer to pay him. This is similar to what exists in Baseball. However, because of the uncertainty of the on-going court cases, both sides decided to compromise and come to an agreement. Therefore, the Players Association again certified itself as a union, and entered into negotiations with the NFL.
In 1993 the NFL and the Players Association, on behalf of the players agreed to the CBA. The players gave up their right to unlimited free agency in exchange for a set percentage of the NFL's revenue which is defined by the Cap. The owners, in exchange, now knew that the free market competition for players services would be limited and governed by certain rules. In addition, the owners received the assurance that the total of players salaries would never be above a certain percentage of their revenues, as defined by the Cap. This was a significant accommodation on the part of the players to the owners. In the eyes of the union, the percentage of NFL revenue reflected in the Cap was bought and paid for already by the Players, in their loss of unlimited free agency. This is the heart and soul belief of the NFLPA and unless there is an extraordinary situation, it is non-negotiable. Since it was founded in 1956, The NFLPA's goal was winning 55 percent of league revenues for players, and it took a victory in court, and the loss of that victory through a negotiated compromise, to finally enable it to do so.
In any case, if your boss came to you and told you, and your fellow workers, that you were going to take a pay cut, wouldn't you ask: Why? Is it because the owner wants to buy a new Caribbean villa, or put this eight year old son on the payroll, or is the business really going broke? In the words of President Reagan, you should trust, but verify. And wouldn't you be upset if the only answer your boss gave you was "because I am your boss and it is my business, and you are too dumb to understand why anyway." You would do everything you could to prevent the pay cut, including taking legal action, and going to court. This is why there is the controversy over "opening the books," and why a perceived lack of respect and progress caused the Union to decertify.
As an aside, in regards to looking into the owner's books: When I was a young man, I was involved in the computer revolution. I made a great deal of money, so I became a chapter S small business corporation. I bought a fancy new sport car, which I called a business expense; put my "girlfriend" on the payroll for "services rendered"; took a lot of "business" trips to luxury resorts to attend so called business meetings or conferences; took friends to football games using my season tickets to improve our business relationship – you get the idea. At the time, they were all 100% tax deducible as a business expense, and who was to say they were not. Every year I would attach a short summary of my books to my tax statement and the government never challenged me, because there were no details. I could do this because no one was watching me, and I was only judge if these expenditures improved my business prospects. I was not a public company so there was no one who was micro-managing my affairs. Nobody knew what I was doing, and if they did they were butting into my business, which they had no right to do.
There is a general misunderstanding about that this Lockout is all about at its core. This can be explained by employee relationship (the players) to the owners which exists on two different levels.
The first level is the group relationship as a whole. This was represented by the Union in the past, and is now represented by the Players Association. The Association differs from the Union, in that legally it can not speak in any BINDING way for the players. Legally (under National Labor Relations Law) the players have no longer certified the Union to act in their behalf, this was the decertification. The former Union is now only an association, (like the National Association of Manufacturers, or Chamber of Commerce) which can advise on common interests, but can not enter into an agreement that binds all of its members. Since the NLRB (National Labor Relations Board) only governs Employer/Union relationships, its rules governing Fair Practices are no longer in effect. Each player now can act on their own, acting in their own interest. To protect their interests when they feel they are being impinged upon, like any American, they go to court. A Judge in the legal/litigation will make a decision if any rights were violated, and make the rules that govern the enforcement of his decision. This is a much more uncertain situation for all involved.
Under these circumstances, the best result is that the Lockout is ended, and under the supervision of the judge, the representatives (Lawyers) for each side will work out something agreeable to both sides. On the other hand, the worse case would be the Judge will render a decision which is binding on both parties, and this would be the precedent for years of appeals and litigation. In the pass the players have almost always prevailed in the anti-trust cases in court. However, a Union can not go to court, and as long as there is a union a player can not go to court individually. They are bound by the collective bargaining process between the employer and the union, no matter how long that may take. In collective bargaining, the only factor that rules is which side can take the economic pain longer, in court there is the unknown "wild card" of what is the law. It is no longer just a war of attrition, and may in fact, be ended earlier. That is why the owners are fighting the union's decertification. (This may be a first, an employer wanting a Union to stick around, I have never heard of this before.)
The final offer from the owners was given to the Union six hours before the CBA expired. In some ways there was an improvement in the owners offer, such as the diminished insistence on the 18 game schedule next year, but in other more important aspects to the Union it was a step backwards. It was one step forward, one step back. Overall, the Union felt no progress was being made in negotiations, they were a sham before an inevitable lockout by the owners. The negotiations were just delaying the inevitable, and that was an advantage for the owners. The feeling that the Lockout was inevitable was based on the documents made public after Federal Judge David Doty's ruling on the television rights contracts (the Lockout insurance), and the NFL's appeal of "American Needle vs. the NFL" to the Supreme Court. In this case the NFL argued that it, along with its 32 teams, were a "single entity" and therefore immune to the Sherman Antitrust Act when they act jointly in a business effort. Which, in broad effect, would end the ability of a player to be a free agent. The NFL lost the case 9-0, although the court limited the effects of its decision.
When the Union felt that there is no chance for compromise on the owners part, or even their part, they felt they had no other option then go to court. The members of the Players Association would feel no major pain until the start of the season, when they would miss their first check. If this whole negotiation was a sham, maybe going to court will bring this whole thing to a head and force an agreement on both sides before the start of the season. Remember there is no sure thing in court, so both sides will have pressure on them to reach an agreement, like a "Plea Bargain". Negotiations between the parties occur all the time within the legal context. However, if the players waited until the CBA officially expired and an impasse was declared, they would have to wait 6 months before any player could go to court. That would mean we, the fans, would have to wait another 6 months before the courts could even start to end this situation. For sure, there would be no football this season. Therefore, the sooner this situation was brought to a court for resolution, the better.
However, once an unofficial agreement in principle is reached, the Union will be re-certified by the players. Then the Union on behalf of the players (employees) will formally accept the agreement. The the relationship between the employees and employers (owners) will now be governed by the agreement (CBA) under the NLRB rules of behavior. The Union's role is to set up the basic floor level that affected all of the players, all of its members, from the rookie fourth string lineman to the star like Revis, or Brady, this is the CBA. This floor governs the pay of 90% of the players.
However, there is also a second coexistent level of the players relationship to the owners, it is that of independent contractors, who individually sell their services to the owner. This "independent contractor" type of relationship exists in many Craft type of Unions (AFL) such as the Screen Actors Guild whose "stars" abide by the same rules and pay dues, as does the nameless "movie extra", but they make much more money because of their additional individual bargaining power. To that extent this other employee relationship, that of the independent contractor is completely separate from the Union; however it is build on the CBA foundational floor. The CBA can be considered as a common clauses in all the employment contracts of the players.
In theory the independent contractor status exists for all players, but in reality it does not, the rookie fourth string lineman is too easy to replace. He has no bargaining power other then that found in the group. Generally, the rookie fourth string lineman, relationship to the employer is solely governed by the CBA. They are not able to get for themselves benefits above and beyond those found in the CBA. But the star player, by virtual of his being a star, has more bargaining power, which he can use to get conditions above and beyond the average player. He is the exceptional employee who can go into his employer's office and demand more money, or else he will go to work for the employer's competitor. Under the anti-trust laws, all the employers in an industry can not work together (in collusion) to prevent that from happening.
When you join a union, you certify that it can act on your behalf in certain things, but only in certain things. In the players case, it can act on your behalf to set up a minimum salary for all its members. It can act on behalf of all its members to set up a minimum pool of money for the members of each team or even a maximum pool (the cap) for all the players as a group. But no player gives the Union the right to set up an maximum for any individual player. Each player reserves that right as an individual, and can not be forced to give up that right, since that is in fact a restraint of trade, and is illegal under the law. However, when they join the union they can agree to be voluntarily regulated by certain rules that restrict their ability to seek a new employer who pays more, this is a part of the CBA.
It must always be remembered, the role of a Union is to protect the average worker. The exceptional worker can always take care of themselves. But sometimes he will make sacrifices, so that the average worker benefits. This is the most important strength of a union. That is why the lead plaintiffs in the anti-trust case against the owners include Star quarterbacks Tom Brady of the New England Patriots, Peyton Manning of the Indianapolis Colts and Drew Brees of the New Orleans Saints.
The owners want to shrink, in effect, that common money pool available to all the players in the future. This will most effect the average player. A star player like Revis or Brady will always have the right to hold out - refuse to play - for any team. They will always have the ability to receive top dollars. This lockout is not about Billionaires vs Millionaires, but rather Billionaires vs the great mass of players who make just over the minimums under the CBA. Some players will always be millionaires, and will not be effected, no matter what the new CBA is. But the average player and fourth string lineman will be.
But why did the owners terminate the contract a year early, bringing on this whole mess. It is not that the owners broke the contract, they oped out as they had the right to do under the CBA, but why did they do so? It is all about the money that will be paid in the new contract between the NFL and the TV networks. The TV networks need to know their budgets before they make their commitment for the pilots of new shows. Therefore they want to know what they will paying for the NFL rights as soon as possible. However if the deal is done while the current CBA is in effect, the expected players share will be known. The owners did not want that to happen. The NFL will be too successful to make arguments for economic relief. They would rather negotiate while the real numbers are unknown.
The TV trade newspaper "The Hollywood Reporter" reports that TV industry analysts expect the NFL will attain its next set of TV agreements for the period beginning in 2014 right after it signs a new collective bargaining agreement with the players association. They estimated that the new long-term NFL rights agreements with ESPN, CBS, Fox and NBC could add $46 billion in additional sports commitments for the TV industry, more then an additional 4.5 Billion per year above what they presently pay. Sports Business Daily reported that ESPN alone would pay $1.8 billion to 1.9 billion annually, up from $1.1 billion, for a new contract. According to the Players Association when they rejected owners proposal, they stated "Your proposal also would have given the owners 100% of all revenues above the low projections, including the first year of new TV contracts in 2014. Your offer did NOT meet the players halfway when it would have given 100% of the additional revenues to the owners." In two years, there would be no question about what kind of money they were talking about, it would no longer be a low projection by the owner, the numbers would be known.
The NFL salary cap, prior to the present CBA extension was based on a percentage of "Defined Gross Revenue" (DGR). This was the revenue shared by the 32 NFL teams. The biggest pieces of DGR were the multibillion dollar television contracts. The DGR also included ticket sales and team and NFL branded merchandise sales. What DGR didn't include was local revenue, which includes local sponsorships like stadium naming rights and radio broadcasts. However, those local revenue streams are now included into the common and salary cap pool, called "Total Revenue."
This was done at the last extension of the CBA at the suggestion of the owners in order to resolve a conflict between the large market owners and the small market owners. The teams in New York, for example, received much more local revenue then the team in Kansas City. Since the pool of money was larger the Union was willing to take a smaller percentage of it, because the actual dollars the players received was increased. However, it must be remembered the pool to be shared was expanded at the owners request, not to satisfy a Union demand. Currently, the players take home approximately 55% share of Total Revenue. The share was higher – in the low to mid 60's – when using the DGR system prior to the 2006 CBA, but even with a lower percentage, it results in an increased salary cap due to the larger starting revenue pool.
The owners argue they need to reduce the Cap share of the players because many new stadiums need to be built, and they are no longer getting help from the state. While I don't know how many stadiums "need" to be built, since many average Jet and Giant fans report very little difference in their actual experience of games as compared between the old and new stadiums. However, it is true, the cost of building a new stadium for the owners is going up, as municipalities no longer fund them. Yet, the owners already have sources of revenue, much of which is not shared with the players, that can be used to offset this lost. Some examples:
1) The naming rights to their new stadiums. Among others, Reliant Energy paid the Houston Texans 400 million dollars for those rights for 32 years, Fed Ex is paying the Washington Redskins 200 million for the rights for the 27 years. Not a bad start for paying off a new stadium, however since 2006 it has been a part of the Cap.
2) The newer stadiums have large club box seats and private suites, which are leased to corporations for thousands and 10's of thousands of dollars. The money, in excess to the price of a normal seat, is not shared with either the players or other owners. It is imperative to distinguish between "ticket revenue" from luxury boxes, which is "subject to gate receipt sharing among NFL teams and the players," and non-ticket luxury box revenue, which is not subject to revenue sharing. The fancier, more expensive the box, the lower the proportion that needs to be shared. Thus the owners have a big incentive to get a new stadium with fewer normal seats and more corporate seats. The owners will be getting a lot more money from these seats as this report suggests: "Cowboys Stadium has about 320 suites, and now the Dallas Cowboys have gone to court to force 10 luxury suite holders to honor their 20-year leases. The leaseholders put down deposits of $15,000 to $210,000, but stopped paying. Under the terms of the agreement, if a payment is missed, the entire balance becomes due. In the case of the current lawsuits, $82.3 million is at stake." Assuming this is a representative sample, the Cowboys could expect more then 2.6 Billion dollars over the next 20 years from just those 320 suites. This alone would pay the total cost of the construction of the stadium, with a billion dollars left over.
3) The Personal Seat License (PSL) which is a one time payment of $5k, $10k, $15k to have the right (?) to pay another $60 - $150 per ticket per game. If you don't have a PSL, you can't buy your annual season ticket, no matter how many years you have had your tickets. This is not considered revenue, subject to sharing. According to reports the NY Giants stood to make some 340 million from the sale of their PSL's, that are sold for $5,000 to $20,000 per seat, depending upon seat location. The Jets will sell PSL's for their games in the same stadium, and presumably make the same amount. It is only after they have put this money in the bank, do the teams sell their Tickets for the games. Of course since everything is bigger in Texas, the Cowboys' PSL's range from $15,000 to $150,000. If you're building a billion dollar stadium, someone has to pay. In both cases the PSL's offset a substantial part of the cost of the new stadium.
4) Concession revenue, such as $5 Hot Dogs, $14 Deli Sandwiches, $8 Beers, are not shared with the players nor the other owners. In the past this revenue stream represented peanuts, but now with the growth of auxiliary services found in the new stadiums, it can be a very significant amount. The new stadiums now include restaurants, gift and clothing shops, and game arcades. The NFL is about tailgating, first paying 25 to thirty dollars for your parking spot in a enormous lot, and then partying with fellow fans. It is not about people wandering through an local area to spend money before and after a game. The owners don't want fans to spend their money anywhere except at team-licensed or owned facilities within or adjacent to the stadium.
The owners want customers, not fans. Customers can spend money for very expensive personnel seat licenses, club seats, luxury boxes and dine in expensive stadium eateries. Customers can also take off the cost of sports tickets as a business expense. This is why so many owners are pushing for very expensive luxurious new stadiums, not aimed at fans who can seldom afford the five to six hundred dollars, on average, for a family of four to attend a game. The stadiums must be big and luxurious, so that for the "Average Joe Fan" who attends one game, it is an event to be remembered. For their every game customers, their season ticket holder, it is a happening which is mostly a chance to social network.
I have tried to be fair and objective in my presentation, however it is difficult to be so, when you only have hard data from one side. The conclusions I can draw from the data that I have, would seem to indicate the NFL does not need the players help to keep it from going broke; or is it even necessary for the NFL's growth. Nor have the owners promised, for the good of the game, they would lower ticket prices with the money the players gave back. Absent data to the contrary, I have no other choice then to "side" with the players, otherwise I would be just lapsing into a subjective ideological position.
In Summary, given the history of the labor relationship between the NFLPA and the NFL, I can see why the percentage of the Cap is an non-negotiable item, absent a financial crisis on the part of the owners. It took the NFLPA thirty-five years to win it, and they are afraid that once it is reduced, they will be on the slippery slope, they will never get it back. Once it became evident that the owners were not going to move from their insistence that there be some lowering of the Cap, nor were they going to justify their stand in a meaningful way, it became in essence a non-negotiable item for the owners also. No matter how much farther negotiations continued in time, they were at an impasse. An impasse that could only be solved, through the courts. Was the decertification a sham? Yes it was, but it was a only a tactic to get this dispute quickly settled in the only way it could be, in court. When the Major item is non-negotiable for both sides, all the negotiations in the world are not going to bring an end to the dispute. The so call negotiations were a sham, which only delayed the possible start of our football season.
If you found this posting to be worthwhile, please recommend it. You have my permission to eMail or copy this to wherever you like.


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-Vancouver, Canada
-Cruise the Inside Passage
-Ketchikan, Alaska
-Juneau, Alaska
-Cruising Hubbard Glacier
-Sitka, Alaska
-Cruise the Outside Passage
-Victoria, Canada
-Astoria, Oregon
-Cruise the Pacific Ocean
-San Francisco, California
-Cruise the Coast of Mexico
-Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
-Puerto Chiapas, Mexico
-Puerto Quetzal, Guatemala
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-Cruise the Gulf of Panama
-Transit the Panama Canal
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-Cruise the Caribbean Sea
-George Town, Cayman Islands
-Cruise the Atlantic Ocean
-Miami, Florida
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-Charleston, South Carolina
-New York City, New York
-Newport, Rhode Island
-Boston, Massachusetts
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-Cruise the St. Lawrence River
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-Montréal, Canada
The 'City that Never Sleeps' beckons — renowned museums and sites galore by day; the glittering sophistication of clubs, theaters and restaurants by night. Explore Chinatown, Greenwich Village, the United Nations, Central Park's Museum Mile and Wall Street's towering steel and glass monuments to commerce, then hop into a cab for an afternoon of world-class shopping along Park and Fifth Avenues.
As shore excursions to be offered in this port are not yet confirmed, below is a list of those offered previously. We make every effort to have excursions finalized at least 240 days in advance of sailing, and often sooner, so please check back regularly.
Visit the former site of the World Trade Center and browse the poignant exhibits in the 9/11 Memorial and Museum that recount the terrorist attacks in 2001 and 1993.
After departing from the pier, you will travel along the west side of Manhattan and soon arrive at the 9/11 Memorial and Museum, a moving tribute to the nearly 3,000 people killed in the terror attacks of September 11, 2011. The site also honors the six people killed in the World Trade Center bombing in February 1993.
Upon entering the 9/11 Memorial Museum, you will spend nearly two hours browsing the exhibits at your own pace. The museum tells the story of 9/11 and the 1993 bombing through multimedia displays, narratives and a collection of artifacts that include photographs, personal effects and expressions of tribute and remembrance. Descending to the exhibition level, you will pass the historic Survivor Stairs, where hundreds escaped with their lives on 9/11. The iconic "Last Column" that survived the devastation is also on display.
At the conclusion of your self-guided tour, your guide will meet you at the escort and walk with you to the 9/11 Memorial, which features two reflecting pools that have thirty-foot waterfalls cascading down their sides. They sit within the footprints where the Twin Towers once stood. The names of the 2,982 people who died in the 2001 and 1993 attacks are inscribed into the bronze panels at the edge of the pools. You may also view the "Wall of Faces" that features portraits of the victims and honors those who died.
After spending a reflective hour or so at the Memorial, you will rejoin your coach and travel back to the pier.
Please note: This tour includes approximately 2 1/2 hours of moderate walking/standing that includes some cobblestone surfaces to negotiate. The sites are wheelchair accessible and therefore; this tour is available to wheelchair guests who have a collapsible wheelchair, are able to make their own way on and off the coach, and have an able-bodied companion to assist them. Those with mobility concerns are cautioned to carefully evaluate their personal level of stamina and ability. Weather appropriate clothing; sunglasses; and flat, comfortable walking shoes are recommended.
Terms & Conditions:
Free Unlimited Shore Excursions are for full fare guests only, capacity controlled and subject to availability. Requested excursions may not be available at time of booking. Supplement will apply on Regent Choice excursions (indicated by the above) and excludes Private Arrangements and all Adventures Ashore programs. In order to ensure quality guides and sufficient transportation, we must provide the tour operator with passenger counts at least 36 hours in advance. Therefore no refunds will be given within 36 hours of tour departure for cancellations or no-shows. Please pay special attention to scheduling and tour lengths when booking your shore excursions. In many cases, it is not possible to participate in more than one tour per day in a given port. Tour Departure times are subject to change so please reference your actual tour ticket for the correct departure time. Tours operate rain or shine. Minor children under 18 years of age must be accompanied by a an adult parent or guardian on all shore excursions. Tours require minimum participation levels to operate so please sign up as early as possible. Tours may be cancelled if minimum participation levels are not met. Prices, Itineraries and General Information shore excursion prices are subject to change to meet unexpected cost increases or currency fluctuations. Please consult the Destination Services Desk onboard for information. During local or national holidays, access to certain facilities (such as museums or archaeological sites) may be limited or denied. In such instances, adjustments will be made to minimize inconvenience to guests. Some tours have limited availability. Tours are generally available for reserving 180 days prior to the beginning of a cruise. Please sign up early to avoid disappointment. Regent Seven Seas Cruises reserves the right to require guests to complete a liability waiver for select shore excursions. For more information, please visit the Destination Services Desk onboard.
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Guild Artist Signature guitars pair the Guild name with some of the finest musicians associated with the ongoing Guild legacy. From time-honored Guild legends still going strong such as Richie Havens to contemporary masters such as Doyle Dykes, the character and build of these finely crafted instruments are as distinctive as the signatures that adorn them.
Dreadnought Cutaway | Artist Signature Models


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New York Architecture Images- Midtown
times square short history- Signage, Hookers, Rise and Fall
|A quick study of the east side block of Broadway between 44th and 45th St. shows the evolution of Times Square signs at their biggest and brightest. This block-long building originally housed the International Casino which opened in 1936 and closed in 1940. Its façade featured many extraordinary signs over the years including advertising for Wrigley's Gum, Bond Clothiers, Pepsi and Camel Cigarettes. Most recently, it has been transformed into a multi-store/multi-ad space dominated by the Toys 'R' Us store.
|Wrigley's Gum built its first block-long sign in 1917. In 1936, Wrigley's built the mind-boggling sign shown above. It was a block-long sign featuring over 1,000' of neon bubble-blowing angelfish, fighting fish, and other exotic tropical fish as well as the Wrigley's Spearman. The fish were 12'-43' long and eight stories tall. Unique neon colors were developed for specifically this sign. In 1942, this and all Times Square signs were turned off for World War II. Wrigley's has a contemporary sign just a block south of where this one was. For more, see these websites: 1 and 2.
Bond Clothiers, dubbing itself the
"cathedral of clothing", moved in below the Wrigley's sign in 1940. The Bond
sign only lasted six years but was one of the greatest sign spectaculars
ever. It was designed by Douglas Leigh in 1948 and had nearly 2 miles of
neon. The sign had two 7-story tall nude figures, a man and a woman, as
bookends. When complaints were lodged by Astor Hotel guests across the
street about their indecency, gold neon robes were added.
Between the nude figures, there was a waterfall which was 27' high and 132' wide which recirculated 50,000 gallons of water. In winter, antifreeze was added to keep the water moving. Beneath the waterfall was a 278' zipper sign with scrolling messages. The Bond zipper was made up of over 20,000 light bulbs. Above the waterfall was a digital clock with the wording "Every Day 3,490 People Buy at Bond". The Bond signage went dark and dry in 1954.
The retail space below housed many businesses over the years, including a Loews movie theatre, the Roundabout Theatre, Whelan Drug, and Toffenetti's Restaurant. In the 1980s, the former casino space was used a disco and nightclub which claimed to be the world's largest (it could hold 1,800 people). At some point, this building that was referred to as the Bond Building became known as the Bow-Tie Building -- a reference to the shape created by the intersection of streets of Times Square. For more, see this website.
|In 1955, Pepsi took over the sign site and restarted the waterfall. It replaced the nudes with two 50' Pepsi bottles and the circular clock with a bottlecap. In 1960, the waterfall was stopped as it was deemed too expensive. Pepsi vacated the space in 1966 but I'm not sure what replaced it. In the 1980s, Camel took over the spot and put two giant cigarette packs where the Pepsi bottles were. After that, the façade became a mishmash of various signs.
|The Bow-Tie Building underwent such substantial renovation in 2001/2002 that its upper deck advertising façade is no longer recognizable as the previous home of Bond's or Pepsi. The building is currently occupied by Toys 'R' Us, the Swatch Watch Company, Foot Locker and nine billboards which include long-time advertisers Claiborne and Jockey International. The Toys 'R' Us interior features a 60' tall ferris wheel and a 20' tall animatronic dinosaur. Its four-story exterior signage system features 165 individual scrolling panels which can display up to eight different images each. The signs change every twenty minutes with different advertising and a "clear" which allows the spectator to see the store's interior. For more, see these websites: 1, 2, 3, and 4.
|One block
north of the Bow-Tie Building is the Bertelsmann Building. This is
Bertelsmann's U.S. headquarters (they are the third largest media company in
the world, owning BMG, Bantam, Random House, and Double Day). The building
was erected in 1990 with retail space featuring a Virgin Megastore (the
largest in the world), a Planet Hollywood restaurant, and a Sony fourplex
theater. For more, see these websites:
One block south of the Bow-Tie Building is 1500 Broadway which houses ABC Studios. The building was erected in 1972 and ABC Studios moved in in 1999. ABC's signage includes a giant video screen and news zipper. ABC pays over $7 million in rent a year for its location for Good Morning America (the competition for NBC's Today Show over at Rockefeller Center). ABC also uses its space as a newsroom and the headquarters for Dick Clark's New Year's Eve extravaganza. For more, see these websites: 1 and 2.
|The NASDAQ sign at 4 Times Square (the Condé Nast Building) was unveiled in 2000. NASDAQ's MarketSite Tower features an eight story (120' x 90') cylindrical sign. It is the largest sign in Times Square, as well as the most technologically advanced and the most expensive. It has a palette of over 16 million colors and over 8,000 panels which display ads and stock info. The 30 cutout windows allow light to enter the building. Plans are also in the works to add huge, new LumaSigns to the top of 4 Times Square. For more, see these websites: 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5.
Fleet Bank sign is just across 46th St. from
Howard Johnson's. It features a giant cash machine which dispenses cash
and a credit card. Its ATM screen is used for advertising.
The Hershey signs and retail store were built in 2002. Located in the Crowne Plaza Hotel building just north of Times Square proper, this is Hershey's first retail store outside its homebase of Hershey, PA. The 15-story (215' x 60') spectacular features chocolate bars, giant Hershey Kisses, a steaming cup of cocoa and smokestacks resembling those back at its manufacturing plant. For more, see this website.
|The Washington Mutual sign wraps around the building above the New York Sports Club just north of the Hershey signs. Washington Mutual is a mortgage lender and has another sign at 1 Times Square. This huge billboard features a 3-D cross-section of a house with furniture, a man on a recliner, and white picket fence. For more, see this website.
opposite ends of Times Square are two towers laden with signage like
electronic totem poles. The northern tower is known as 2 Times Square
which is most famous for its sorely missed Coca-Cola signs which were
there from 1920 until 1999. Coke's first 2 Times Square ad appeared in 1932.
From 1991-2002, Coke's fifth spectacular featured a 55 ton, 42' tall neon
bottle on ice with a moving cap and straw. The sign cost over $3 million.
Coke's latest sign will be unveiled July 1, 2004. At a cost of $6.5 million,
and weighing in at 30 tons, the sign will feature the latest technology. For
more, see these websites:
General Motors has been advertising Cadillacs at 2 Times Square since 1998. Its fourth and most recent spectacular was built in 2002 and features a giant, 2-story high front end of a Cadillac CTS. For more, see these websites: 1, 2, and 3.
Times Square is the southern tower
of Times Square where the crystal ball is dropped every New Year's Eve. The
25-story skyscraper was built in 1904 as the New York Times Tower. The
tradition of dropping a ball for public gatherings on New Year's began in
1907. The first zipper message sign was created here in 1928. In 1996, the
building was sold and marketed entirely as a sign tower. Today, 3 of the 4
sides of the building are completely covered with signs. For more, see these
The Budweiser sign, at 1 Times Square, features a 40' mechanical bottle of beer that tips to the side to reveal an advertising video screen.
The 1 Times Square Nissin Cup O' Noodles was created in 1996 and is an "oldie" by Times Square standards. The cup is 60' tall and continues the tradition of using steam in Times Square signs. The original steaming sign was the 1933 A&P coffee cup. It was followed by the Camel sign (1941-1966) which featured a cigarette smoking man who blew 10' smoke rings every four seconds. In the 1970s, the Presto iron and Right Guard deodorant can signs used steam. In 1992, there was another A&P coffee cup.
|The Planters Nuts sign is a recent addition to the side of the Marriott Marquis Hotel. It features a giant 3-D mechanical can which tips to pour out a handful of nuts. Planters' tradition of Times Square signage goes back to 1916. A giant neon bag of nuts was once located at 2 Times Square. Another sign featured a Mr. Peanut with a pouring, animated 22' long bag of neon nuts which tumbled towards pedestrians below.
Camel sign (gone)
Kleenex sign (gone)
Concorde sign (gone)
Artkraft Strauss
Times Square Live Webcam
Times Square Business Improvement District
various Times Square signs past & present: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8
Sincere thanks to www.agilitynut.com


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text:
Tuesday night in Miami, Adam Greenberg began and finished his unlikely comeback with one at-bat in the bottom of the sixth inning, and Greenberg struck out on three pitches (here's the video, via MLB.com). It was a tough assignment, as the man on the mound was R.A. Dickey, the National League's likely Cy Young Award winner. Before the game, Ozzie Guillen had suggested that Greenberg would merely pinch-hit, and Greenberg was replaced in the lineup by Scott Cousins in the seventh.
Last week, the Marlins announced that Greenberg would sign a one-game contract, on the heels of an online petition drive started by a Chicago Cubs fan. In 2005, Greenberg reached the majors with the Cubs, but was felled by a beaning on the first pitch he saw, and -- suffering ill effects -- never came close to reaching the majors again. From 2009 through '11, Greenberg played for the Bridgeport Bluefish in the independent Atlantic League. He hadn't played professionally this season, but did toil for Israel in the qualifying round of the World Baseball Classic.
Dickey, of course, is another unlikely major leaguer. Attempting to record his 21st victory and perhaps lock down the Cy Young Award, Dickey pitched well early on, but gave up solo homers to Gorkys Hernandez in the fourth inning and Rob Brantly in the fifth. And in the sixth, after striking out Greenberg, Dickey gave up three straight two-out hits and a third run, making the score 3-0. His ERA before the game was 2.69, second lowest in the league; after his six innings it was 2.73, still second lowest.


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Bret pull the plug on Bath (From Evesham Journal)
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Bret pull the plug on Bath
12:06pm Tuesday 4th February 2014 in Sport
BRETFORTON boosted their West Clubs Women's Hockey League Premier Division '2A' campaign with a fine 3-0 win at City of Bath.
They are now two points clear in second spot after keeper Vicky Watkins and her defence proved defiant while Bret adjusted to a bouncy pitch.
The visitors started to find form with Hayley Whitehouse proving dangerous and she weaved through the defence to score the first goal.
Bath hit back on the counter-attack but were denied by the solid defending of Heather Carr, who made a superb goal-line stop and clearance.
Julie Hall made strong challenges and distributed well, Lisa Workman was tenacious and disciplined and Emma Lowe linked up well to work the ball past the persistent opposition.
Teri Brown and Tess Lewinton continued to put Bath under pressure.
Bret began the second-half with renewed vigour as Workman's shot was well saved and Brown buried the rebound.
Daisy Wheeler also ensured the clean sheet before Sarah Hall, who played valiantly through injury, found the goal with a trademark sweeping shot. Julie Hall and Carr were joint players-of-the-match.
Bret host bottom-of-the-table Cirencester on Saturday.


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Hotel Argentina Curtatone
|Self Classified
|Ratings explained
The Hotel is delighted to welcome its valued guests in bright, exquisitely furnished single, double and triple rooms, all equipped with private bath, telephone and colour TV.
Our staff is at your constant disposal to make your stay in Florence unforgettable.
Hotel Curtatone is located in a district that offers all kinds of services: walking along Via Nazionale you will find pizzerias, restaurants, clothing and accessory shops, Chinese restaurants, tattoo shops, even Mondo Albion, a real shoemaker's workshop, where it is possible to buy tailor-made shoes.
In the main streets of San Lorenzo, very close to Hotel Curtatone, you will find the famousclothes market ("mercatino" d'abbigliamento), open every day from 7 am to 7 pm.
In the same area, you will find the Mercato Centrale (Central Market), an impressive glass and green iron structure, where it is possible to buy typical Tuscan food at affordable prices.
A stay in Hotel Curtatone is ideal to fully enjoy all the beauties of Florence, using public transport only when you want to and avoiding exhausting walks to reach the most interesting monuments.
Our staff is at your constant disposal to provide any information; therefore, two pages of this web site are dedicated to useful links on guided city tours, itineraries of cultural and historical interest, restaurants, pizzerias, nightlife and everything you need to make your stay even more enjoyable.


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This is the kind of album that makes me wish Soundgarden was still around – about the only memory I had of them when they were still together (when I was still a kid) was the video for Black Hole Sun. Happens with a lot of bands with me, really; by the time I listen to their albums and appreciate their music, they've been well broken up.
Anyhow, although I only have this, Badmotorfinger, and Superunknown, this is by far my favorite, and probably still would be if I owned Ultramega OK and Louder Than Love. Took me a while to get used to it, but I find that the album has incredible diversity that just blows away the already considerable diversity present on its two predecessors – with a range from metal (or grunge, whatever you want to call Soundgarden) (Pretty Noose, Rhinosaur, possibly Blow Up The Outside World, and Never The Machine Forever), punk (Dusty, Ty Cobb, No Attention, Never Named), and psychedelic / Soundgarden's strange but great mix of metal and psychedilic / acoustic-tinged ballads (Zero Chance, Blow Up The Outside World, Burden In My Hand, Applebite, Tighter & Tighter, Switch Opens, Overfloater, An Unkind, Boot Camp). These are just general ideas of the kind of genres that Soundgarden touch upon here – it's tough to lump all these songs into one specific genre, it's more like a blending of a bunch of them on most of the songs.
Finally, if I had to pick a few of the songs on here to dissect, it'd be these:
Pretty Noose – the one I know that got radio play, since it had that familiar feeling when I first heard it. Catchy, yet abnormal, riff and great vocals by Chris Cornell; rhythm section keeps it together pretty well.
Burden In My Hand – on of the more radio-friendly songs on here, like Pretty Noose, but still certainly not a sell-out. Nice acoustic touch with Kim Thayil's guitar coming in after the first few minutes to add some diversity. Just plain good combination of acoustic and electric guitar, and it really shows me that Soundgarden knows there stuff; maybe it's just me, but I find it difficult for bands to get a good blend of both together and keep it interesting.
Tighter & Tighter – besides Burden In My Hand, this is the one that jumps out at me the most, I don't there's another song similar to it on the album. Matt Cameron starts it off loudly in sync with Kim Thayil's catchy guitar riff, a great way to get the listener's attention. Goes on in a psychedelic fashion (with Kim Thayil's guitar solo about 2/3 into the song interrupting the slow tempo) that's captivating and never boring, with the beginning riff slightly altered for the verses and Chris Cornell singing without going overboard. The tempo resumes slightly after Thayil's solo before errupting into another one as the tempo of the song picks up a lot until the end of the song (with Thayil, Cameron, and Cornell practically going crazy there at the end).
Boot Camp – probably my favorite song on here, and just so different than the other songs on here (although doesn't quite grab the listener the same was as Tighter & Tighter). Opens with light, psychedelic-sounding electric guitar until the vocals start – my favorite of Cornell's, as it fits the song just perfectly in how melodic it is. One of the lines: "There must be something else, there must be something good, far away, far away from here", would be a perfect description of where I'm at in life and how I feel about that. I find it oddly ironic that this song also serves as an almost biography of Soundgarden – in the underlying tone, one can literally feel the impending break-up of the band. Would be a perfect song for 2006 / 2007, with the state of an America still engaged in the Iraq War, too.
There's not really many songs on here that I don't like – can't say I care much for Never Named, and No Attention seems sort of bland with not as much interesting happening compared to the other songs.
Hope everyone that sees this enjoys this review – it's actually my first one on Amazon.


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To view anticipated financial aid in MaineStreet, go to Student Self-Service > Student Center. In the Finances section of Student Center, click on Account Inquiry. You will see a summary of your account, including outstanding charges and deposits, pending financial aid and the total amount you owe. Anticipated financial aid shows in the Pending Financial Aid column. This includes all grants and University scholarships and will only include Stafford Loans which have been accepted in MaineStreet and outside scholarships after the scholarship check has been received.
Please report any funds in Anticipated Resources that are not already included as anticipated financial aid. If you have a remaining balance due after anticipated financial aid has been applied, you must report Anticipated Resources or pay the remaining balance by the bill's due date in order to avoid a late payment fee. Outside scholarships or other outside assistance must also be reported to the Office of Student Financial Aid.


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Oakland Raiders
Mike Jenkins - CB
|5' 10"/ 198 lbs.
|Bradenton, FL
|South Florida
|Years played
|2008, 1st round, 25th pick by Cowboys
AFC West Spin cycle: Broncos stay in command
The Broncos are cruising, the Chargers fell in another mistake-laden loss, and the undermanned Raiders were crushed by the Ravens.
Ravens set club record with 55 points in blowout win
Joe Flacco threw for 341 yards and three touchdowns, and the Ravens set a club record for points in a 55-20 rout of the Raiders on Sunday.
Raiders D-line coach's son dies
The Raiders will be playing with heavy hearts Sunday after the tragic passing of Tyson Williams, son of defensive line coach Terrell Williams.
Raiders activate Bartell, release Lee
The Raiders have activated CB Ron Bartell from the injured reserve/designated for return list and cut CB Pat Lee.
Raiders feeling void at running back
Our sources expect the Raiders to make addressing the RB position a priority after the season.
First-time NFL head coaches impressing
The NFL's four rookie head coaches, including Tampa Bay's Greg Schiano, are proving they belong at the top of their profession.
Raiders activate LB Curry
The Raiders activated LB Aaron Curry on Tuesday and waived LB Vic So'oto.
AFC West Spin cycle: Broncos keep winning, Chiefs plummeting
Week Nine in the AFC West was a microcosm of what we've seen from the division most of the season, with the Broncos staying ahead of the pack.
Martin's record day leads Bucs past Raiders
Rookie Doug Martin rushed for a franchise-record 251 yards and four touchdowns and the Buccaneers held on to beat the Raiders 42-32 on Sunday.
Wednesday's 60-second rant: Dealing draft picks at deadline risky
The NFL's extended trade deadline looms, but teams like the Lions and GM Martin Mayhew should be leery of trading away draft picks for players.
AFC West Spin cycle: Broncos dominate, Raiders rising
The rest of the division should be worried after watching the Broncos dominate on Sunday night, routing the Saints 34-14.
Turnovers plague Chiefs again in loss to Raiders
Carson Palmer threw for 209 yards and two touchdowns, and the Raiders stuffed the struggling Chiefs 26-16 on Sunday.
Thursday's 60-second rant: McFadden will decide Raiders' fate
Darren McFadden has the power to decide whether the Raiders remain in the muck or make a move above the mediocrity in the AFC.
Report: Jones-Drew sprained foot, won't need surgery
Jaguars RB Maurice Jones-Drew has a sprained foot and won't need surgery, but will miss a few games, according to a published report.
AFC West Spin cycle: Raiders regress and still win
With the rest of the division's teams on bye, the Raiders represented the AFC West with an ugly win over the shorthanded Jaguars.
Jenkins has been fined $7,875 for pushing Pierre Garcon to the ground well after the Washington receiver crossed the goal line on a 59-yard touchdown last week.||||||| The former first-round pick has seen limited playing time as the third cornerback behind Brandon Carr and Morris Claiborne. He figures to be on the field more with nickel cornerback Orlando Scandrick injured. Jenkins missed training camp and the season opener after offseason shoulder surgery, and complained about not getting a new contract. He's in the final year of his rookie deal.
When asked of his chances of playing in the opener, Jenkins said he didn't know.||||||| Jenkins passed his physical last week and was eligible to return to practice Saturday. But he missed that day because of migraine headaches. The former Pro Bowler missed all offseason work and training camp because of reconstructive shoulder surgery after last season.
Jenkins still hasn't been cleared to practice with his surgically repaired right shoulder.||||||| Coach Jason Garrett said Tuesday that Jenkins will continue his rehab and then see Dr. James Andrews for another checkup in "a couple more weeks." Jenkins was in Florida on Monday to follow-up with Andrews, who performed the surgery soon after last season.
Cornerback Mike Jenkins is back at Valley Ranch with the rest of his Dallas Cowboys teammates. After skipping voluntary workouts this offseason, Jenkins rejoined the team Tuesday for the start of a mandatory veteran minicamp. The three-day session is the last for the Cowboys until reporting to training camp in California in late July.||||||| Jenkins had previously remained home in Florida while rehabilitating from shoulder surgery. Even though he was at the minicamp, he was unable to do much because of the injury. Jenkins is going into the final year of his contract after the Cowboys added two prominent cornerbacks this offseason - free agent Brandon Carr and LSU All-American cornerback Morris Claiborne with the sixth overall draft pick.
Jenkins has returned to practice after leaving practice Wednesday with a knee injury.||||||| Jenkins warmed up with the full squad and appeared to be fine.


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Felix Hernandez has reportedly signed a new contract for seven years and $175 million, buying out the last two years of his current deal. I'll start by placating the old-school grumblers and the new-school kids.
For the old-school grumblers: Can you believe someone is getting that much money to play a game? Do you know how much Tom Seaver made in his career? Just under $6 million. And Hernandez is getting how much? Grumble grumble grumble.
For the new-school kids: That money was just going to go to Nintendo if it didn't go to Felix Hernandez, and they would have used it to design a controller that lets you run video games with your tongue, while being too family-friendly to explore all of the possibilities. So, like, whatever. Good for Felix.
Everyone in between: Sweet dancin' Clampett, that's a lot of money.
I mean, just a ton of money. And it's for a long, long time. When you start thinking about the nature of pitching, and what generally happens to pitchers over time, it's hard to be optimistic about any long-term deal for a pitcher. The sage advice and dire warnings of one Rob Neyer come to mind:
Whoever pays Félix Hernández will probably -- not certainly, but probably -- wind up paying all that money not for what Hernández will do, but rather what he's done already.
That's not being cynical. That's not being a grumpy Gus. That's just how it is. Go through a list of pitchers who have had an ERA under 3.00 over consecutive seasons, and notice the ones who didn't make it to 30. Brandon Webb never threw a pitch in the majors after turning 30, to give but one timely example.
But pitchers will still get these contracts because, well, someone's going to pay that much. Teams spend what they think they can afford on payroll, and they spend to improve their team. Getting new pitchers is a way to improve a team. The logical conclusion: teams will still keep taking the risk. It's not like the Dodgers are naïve about Zack Greinke's potential to bust, just as the Giants might have been a little nervous that Barry Zito wasn't really the super-ace they were hoping for.
The Felix Hernandez contract falls in a separate category. It carries the same risk as the Greinke or Zito contract, but it fills a void that was also fraught with peril, which is the risk that Felix would leave and be successful elsewhere. If the Dodgers didn't sign Greinke, they would still have about seven viable starting-pitcher candidates. Business would go on as usual. If the Giants didn't sign Zito, they wouldn't get the bunt heard 'round the world, but obviously no one would have known that. The Giants would have patched the rotation in a different way, and no one would be the wiser.
Imagine, then, if Felix Hernandez pitched the second half of his career with the Angels, and pitched it well. Just like Steve Carlton with the Phillies, or Seaver with the Reds, suddenly a star player becomes the property of two different team histories. It wouldn't just be a bummer for Mariners fans. It would be a public-relations disaster, season after season, with implicit and explicit messages sent to Mariners fans with every new Felix success.
"We didn't have the money, so we might not have it the next time we have a pitcher like Felix."
"We didn't think keeping Felix Hernandez was important."
"We didn't think Felix would keep being good, and we're probably not going to take that chance on any homegrown fan-favorite if they're that expensive."
Hernandez would be a walking anti-marketing campaign. And it's not like the money saved on not extending Hernandez would be magically applied to the payroll in exactly the right way, with $5 million going to the first baseman they needed, $6 million going to a bargain starting pitcher, et cetera. The Mariners would still be spending that money, and they would still be taking risks with it. They would be different risks, but the money would still be invested in baseball players, which are risky investments by definition, except they wouldn't have the buffer of the money going to a franchise icon.
The Dodgers would have paid Hernandez not for what he will do, but rather what he's done already. The Yankees would have paid Hernandez not for what he will do, but rather what he's done already. The Mariners are paying Hernandez because it's a part of the unspoken contract between a mid-to-large-market team and its fans -- If you love a player, if you consider a player an integral part of the franchise's history, we will keep that player.
And Mariners fans are kind of nutty for Felix Hernandez:
Right now, he is the Mariners, just as he was two years ago, and just as he could be two years from now. Letting him slip away and star somewhere else would have been devastating. Now, I'm not smart or learned enough to know exactly how many dollars that public-relations devastation would cost. It's not $175 million worth of devastation, that's for sure. But it could very well be worth the difference between what a team should feel comfortable with when it comes to committing to a pitcher, and the contract that Felix eventually secured.
All pitchers are risky. All baseball players are risky. Felix Hernandez is risky. Watching him do his thing until he's 40 with another team would be gross. And discouraging. And even costly. So the Mariners took the risk. They didn't have much of a choice, and Mariners fans are pretty danged glad about that.


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User Reviews & Ratings - Seroquel Oral
Read user comments about the side effects, benefits, and effectiveness of Seroquel Oral.
Overall User Ratings2314 Total User Reviews
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Reviewer: irational, 45-54 Male on Treatment for less than 1 month (Patient)
Ease of Use
This drug caused all sorts of issues. Caused a stroke. Lost all feeling in the mouth and left side of my face and body. Short term memory has been shot since taking this medication.
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Reviewer: MissPriss, 55-64 Female on Treatment for 2 to less than 5 years (Patient)
Ease of Use
I have been taking 400 mg. of this medication at night for 5 years. Helps really well with insomnia and ruminating of the mind, but I have no quality of life and have suicidal thoughts when even the smallest of things doesn't go well. I have gained a large amount of weight as well. My husband tells me he misses the "real me" and wants "me" back. I forgot to bring my medi ... Show Full Comment
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Reviewer: Noe, 35-44 Female on Treatment for less than 1 month (Patient)
Ease of Use
I have been on this medication only for a month but feel it is working the only thing I am scared of is that I feel I will and am gaining weight.
found this review helpful.
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Reviewer: 55-64 Female on Treatment for 5 to less than 10 years (Patient)
Ease of Use
Although it helps with my depression I have gained over 50lbs. My appetite is out of control. I always have a headache in the mornings. My doctor is slowly taking me off it. Recently I started having hallucinations and they have really scared me, another reason he said it was time to get off of it. Hopefully with a new med it will help my bipolar and weight issues.
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Reviewer: jess, 19-24 Female on Treatment for 6 months to less than 1 year (Patient)
Ease of Use
I started my journey with Seroquel 200mg and Lamictal 25mg after a year long battle of emotional problems, depression, anxiety and suicidal thoughts without the help of medications. Immediately after I took my prescribed meds back in Oct 2013, they stopped my suicidal thoughts and overactive thoughts, just at the right time before I decide to do anything rash. My Seroquel doses was altered, at var ... Show Full Comment
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If you like real pre-GM Saabs, you will love this 1993 Saab 900S 2-door hatchback. It is a one-owner car with just under 70,000... More
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Cougar men stop Salt Lake
CASPER, Wyo. The Western Nebraska Community College men's basketball team picked up a big road win over Salt Lake Community College 82-76 in the Reigon 18/9 Showcase on Saturday night at Casper College.
The Cougars trailed 37-30 at halftime, but came out and exploded for 52 second half points while holding Salt Lake to 39 points for the win.
WNCC was paced by Willie Mangum with 32 points including six 3-pointers, while Charles Ward pitched in 23 points and three treys. The Cougars connected on 10 3-pointers all together. Trey Moore had the other 3-pointer.
Cody Johnson finished with a double-double for the Cougars with 12 points and 10 rebounds. Tahir Little led the team with nine assists.
WNCC, 2-3, will be back in action Tuesday when they host Western Wyoming at 7 p.m. The Cougar women will host Casper College at 5 p.m. on Tuesday.
Salt Lake CC 37 39 76
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text: 23 Oct 2013 THE FRESH FACE: EMILY RATAJKOWSKI Robin Thicke's "Blurred Lines" breakout star talks fashion memories and being on the very wet set of our Issue 3 cover story with Bruce Weber Photography Bruce Weber Above: Emily wears jumpsuit Boss, headpiece Anna KhouriMEMORY TRIP "Watching my mother get dressed and complimenting her on her "boops". I was too young to pronounce boots."FALL PICKS "Chanel over-the-knee boots!"DESIGN WITHIN REACH "Balenciaga because of Alexander Wang. Givenchy because of Riccardo Tisci. Spring/summer '14 blew me away."ROLE MODELS "Bianca Jagger and Patti Smith."ADVICE COLUMN "My agent, Natalie Smith, taught me the power of waiting and learning to say 'no' to certain projects. It's so important to value yourself as a model and wait for the best opportunities."CARINE'S CORNER "Shooting CR's cover with Bruce Weber was incredible. We spent several hours in the water and Bruce was right there with us. He made everyone feel so comfort and beautiful."TRICK QUESTION "My best beauty trick is using baby powder as a substitute for dry shampoo."CALIFORNIA LOVE "People always assume I'm foreign and are surprised to hear my California accent."GONE GIRL "It's a busy time right now, which I'm so grateful for. I'm currently shooting David Fincher's movie Gone Girl. This month was the debut of my CR Fashion Book cover, which was an honor to be a part of. And there's a few fashion/modeling projects in the works that I can't share just yet, but stay tuned."FUTURE PERFECT "In ten years, hopefully, I'll be doing a lot more of what I'm doing now—working on modeling, fashion, and acting projects that I'm passionate about. Eventually I'd also like to produce projects—photographers, films etc. I think that would be incredibly fulfilling." Facebook Twitter Pintrest


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Shady Sophistication: The Best Sunglasses for Your Face Shape
When it's beautiful outside, the last thing you want to do is be stuck under fluorescent mall lighting, trying on pair after pair of shades. With each one you pick up, it's like a slot machine of style guessing. You don't have time to waste. Los Angeles stylist Jen Pinkston is here to help a girl out!
While most accessories tend to be a one-size-fits-all situation, sunglasses are the opposite. How many times have you picked up a cute pair of shades, only to be less than thrilled with the way they fit your face when you looked in the mirror? Specific styles work better for different face shapes.
Here are some tricks and tips for finding the pair that's perfect for you!
If your face is heart-shaped -- think Bethenny, Reese Witherspoon and Taylor Swift -- keep frames slight and simple. Heart-shaped faces tend to have petite features that can be overpowered by large frames.
If your face is square -- think Michelle Williams and Jessica Chastain -- balance the strong lines and angles that characterize a square face with with the soft, round lines of your frames. Try any one of these:
If your face is oval -- think Beyoncé, Kristen Stewart and Jessica Alba -- go for larger frames to complement a longer face. It's all about creating balance! Try any one of these:
If your face is round -- think Elle Fanning and Kirsten Dunst -- you are in luck! Round faces tend to be really versatile. Have fun with a variety of different shapes and styles.


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NFL linebacker and Flint, Mich. native Chris Wilson will host his 3rd annual High School Football Combine on Saturday, June 15. The free event is from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. at Flint's Atwood Stadium (701 W. Third).Wilson will be joined by Pro Bowl linebacker Lorenzo Alexander as they help test teens in the vertical jump, broad jump, shuttle, bench press and 40-yard dash. Participants will also be weighed and measured. Lunch will be provided.For more information, log on to www.cswfaithfoundation.org.
KTTV FOX 111999 S. Bundy Dr.Los Angeles CA 90025Main: (310) 584-2000News Tips? (310) 584-2025


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Holiday Sandwich Wreath Recipe
This jolly sandwich wreath always disappears in a twinkling at parties! Best of all, I can put it together in no time using deli ham and chicken salads-or sometimes I make my own. Try decking it with "holly" fashioned from parsley and grape tomatoes.
- 1/4 cup butter, softened
- 20 slices snack rye bread
- 20 slices snack pumpernickel bread
- 1/2 pound deli ham salad
- 1/4 cup finely chopped celery
- 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 pound deli chicken salad
- 1/4 cup diced peeled apple
- 1 tablespoon sour cream
- Christmas bow, optional
- Spread butter over one side of each slice of bread. In a bowl, combine the ham salad ingredients. In another bowl, combine the chicken salad, apple and sour cream.
- Spread ham salad on half of the rye bread slices; top with remaining rye. Spread chicken salad on half of the pumpernickel bread slices; top with remaining pumpernickel. Arrange sandwiches in a circle on a serving plate. Decorate with a bow if desired. Yield: 20 sandwiches.
Originally published as Holiday Sandwich Wreath in Country Woman Christmas Annual 2004, p31
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Reviewed Dec. 21, 2012
Couldn't be easier unless one followed the recipe! W/o a list, I picked up tuna salad instead. The doctored chicken salad was delicious. In it I used a Gala apple; any firm apple should work. I brightened the tuna w/sandwich spread (the one w/pickles & pimiento.) The wreath was a snap to construct. I got good comments from those who tried it.
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About Hadoop®
Apache™ Hadoop® is an open source software project that enables the distributed processing of large data sets across clusters of commodity servers. It is designed to scale up from a single server to thousands of machines, with a very high degree of fault tolerance. Rather than relying on high-end hardware, the resiliency of these clusters comes from the software's ability to detect and handle failures at the application layer.
What is hadoop?
Hadoop is defined in 3 minutes with Rafael Coss, manager Big Data Enablement for IBM
Main subprojects
Apache Hadoop has two main subprojects:
- MapReduce - The framework that understands and assigns work to the nodes in a cluster.
- HDFS - A file system that spans all the nodes in a Hadoop cluster for data storage. It links together the file systems on many local nodes to make them into one big file system. HDFS assumes nodes will fail, so it achieves reliability by replicating data across multiple nodes
Hadoop is supplemented by an ecosystem of Apache projects, such as Pig, Hive and Zookeeper, that extend the value of Hadoop and improves its usability.
So what's the big deal?
Hadoop changes the economics and the dynamics of large scale computing. Its impact can be boiled down to four salient characteristics.
Hadoop enables a computing solution that is:
- Scalable– New nodes can be added as needed, and added without needing to change data formats, how data is loaded, how jobs are written, or the applications on top.
- Cost effective– Hadoop brings massively parallel computing to commodity servers. The result is a sizeable decrease in the cost per terabyte of storage, which in turn makes it affordable to model all your data.
- Flexible– Hadoop is schema-less, and can absorb any type of data, structured or not, from any number of sources. Data from multiple sources can be joined and aggregated in arbitrary ways enabling deeper analyses than any one system can provide.
- Fault tolerant– When you lose a node, the system redirects work to another location of the data and continues processing without missing a fright beat .
Think Hadoop is right for you?
Eighty percent of the world's data is unstructured, and most businesses don't even attempt to use this data to their advantage. Imagine if you could afford to keep all the data generated by your business? Imagine if you had a way to analyze that data?
IBM InfoSphere BigInsights brings the power of Hadoop to the enterprise. With built-in analytics, extensive integration capabilities and the reliability, security and support that you require, IBM can help put your big data to work for you.
InfoSphere BigInsights Quick Start Edition, the latest edition to the InfoSphere BigInsights family, is a free, downloadable, non-production version.
With InfoSphere BigInsights Quick Start, you get access to hands-on learning through a set of tutorials designed to guide you through your Hadoop experience. Plus, there is no data capacity or time limitation, so you can experiment with large data sets and explore different use cases, on your own timeframe.
Want to learn more on the use of Hadoop?
Contact IBM
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- Email IBM
- Request a quote
Or call us at: 1-877-426-37741-877-426-3774
Priority code: Info Mgmt
Learn about InfoSphere BigInsights Quick Start Edition
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Hadoop in the cloud
Leverage big data analytics easily and cost-effectively with IBM InfoSphere BigInsights
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Business Case for Enterprise Big Data Deployments
Comparing Costs, Benefits and Risks for Use of IBM InfoSphere BigInsights and open source Apache Hadoop
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HSQL-on-Hadoop without compromise
How Big SQL 3.0 from IBM represents an important leap forward for speed, portability and robust functionality in SQL-on-Hadoop solutions
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Overcoming challenges for early Hadoop adopters
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Wheatley man wins BAFTA for his work on Gravity + Video (From thisisoxfordshire)
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Wheatley man wins BAFTA for his work on Gravity + Video
Updated 12:45pm Monday 17th February 2014 in News
A WHEATLEY man has won a BAFTA for his work on Gravity.
Niv Adiri is among a team from Studio 24 based at Pinewood Studios in Buckinghamshire who last night won the BAFTA for sound at the ceremony at the Royal Opera House in London.
He and the team are also up for an Oscar, in the same category, which is to be announced next month.
Mr Adiri said: "It was just amazing and such a great feeling. I was a bit nervous beforehand, I don't think you can't be.
"The Oscars are the next big one, but just because we've got the BAFTA recognition doesn't mean we will get that.
"I'm really looking forward to heading out there."


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The Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration announced this week the award of a cooperative agreement that accelerates the dual objectives of eliminating the use of proliferation-sensitive highly enriched uranium (HEU) in the production of medical isotopes and establishing reliable domestic supplies of Molybdenum-99 (Mo-99) to meet U.S. patient needs.
Mo-99 is used frequently in common medical diagnostic procedures. The cooperative agreement with NorthStar Medical Radioisotopes, LLC provides support toward NorthStar's Mo-99 production capability using neutron-capture technology, which it is pursuing in partnership with the University of Missouri Research Reactor.
"This cooperative agreement demonstrates that the government and commercial industry can work together to reduce the risk of nuclear proliferation while providing stability to an important part of the medical radioisotope market," said NNSA Deputy Administrator for Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation Anne Harrington.
"The development of commercial technologies to produce Mo-99 without the use of HEU will ensure that patients have access to the care they need while supporting global nuclear nonproliferation objectives."
Podcasts and webinars are among the new communications tools being rolled out by Los Alamos National Laboratory's Community Programs Office to reach a broader audience.
The first podcast discusses economic development and the Northern New Mexico 20/20 Campaign, a program spearheaded by the Regional Development Corporation of Española that recognizes high growth businesses in the region.
"We're thrilled to be able to better connect with more people in our community through the new podcasts, webinars and other social media venues we have planned," said Kurt Steinhaus, director of the laboratory's Community Programs Office.
Steinhaus interviewed Regional Development Corporation Executive Director Kathy Keith for the initial podcast. The podcast is available via iTunes and other online venues.
All of the podcasts will be archived at soundcloud.com/lanl-cpo/ and blogtalkradio.com/lanlcommunity.
The second podcast, currently in production, focuses on the work that United Way is doing in the community and features Craig Strong of United Way of Santa Fe County and Kristy Ortega of United Way of Northern New Mexico, as well as Los Alamos National Laboratory's 2014 Employee Giving Campaign, now under way.
A former Los Alamos National Laboratory nuclear physicist accused of communicating classified nuclear weapons data is trying to get new court-appointed defense lawyers and may seek to withdraw his guilty plea.
Pedro Leonardo Mascheroni and his wife were accused of offering to help develop a nuclear weapon for Venezuela through dealings with an undercover FBI agent posing as a representative of the Venezuelan government.
Mascheroni, 78, meanwhile, is back in jail under an order of federal district judge William P. Johnson.
More on this story in Thursday's Los Alamos Monitor.
LOS ALAMOS (AP) — Tucked away in one of northern New Mexico's pristine mountain canyons is an old log cabin that was the birthplace not of a famous person, but a top-secret mission that forever changed the world.
Pond Cabin, along with a nearby small and stark building where the second person died while developing the nuclear bomb, are among a number of structures scattered in and around the modern day Los Alamos National Laboratory that are being proposed as sites for a new national park commemorating the Manhattan Project.
It's an odd place for a national park, many admit. Besides the fact that some of the sites are behind the gates to what is supposed to be one of the most secure research facilities in the world, nuclear critics have called the plan an expensive glorification of an ugly chapter in history.
"It is a debasement of the national parks idea," anti-nuclear watchdog Los Alamos Study Group co-founder Greg Mello said when the Interior Department two years ago recommended creating national parks at Los Alamos; Hanford, Wash.; and Oak Ridge, Tenn.
He remains opposed to the plan, saying it will not provide a comprehensive picture of the Manhattan Project, and he notes that extensive interpretative museums concerning development of the nuclear bomb already exist.
Researchers at Los Alamos National Laboratory are investigating the complex relationships between the spread of the HIV virus in a population (epidemiology) and the actual, rapid evolution of the virus (phylogenetics) within each patient's body.
"We have developed novel ways of estimating epidemics dynamics such as who infected whom, and the true population incidence of infection versus mere diagnoses dates," said Thomas Leitner, principal investigator.
"Obviously, knowledge about these things is important for public health monitoring, decision making and intervention campaigns, and further to forensic investigations."
The team models the uninfected population using traditional differential equations on the computer; this is done for computational speed, because an agent-based component is much more demanding. Once a person is infected, he/she becomes an "agent" in computer modeling terms, and the model starts following their behavior individually, as well as the viral HIV evolution within the person.
Agent-based Modeling Clarifies Infection History
Los Alamos scientists have advanced a Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) technology that may provide a breakthrough for screening liquids at airport security. They've added low-power X-ray data to the mix, and as a result have unlocked a new detection technology. Funded in part by the Department of Homeland Security's Science and Technology Directorate, the new system is named MagRay.
The goal is to quickly and accurately distinguish between liquids that visually appear identical. For example, what appears to be a bottle of white wine could potentially be nitromethane, a liquid that could be used to make an explosive. Both are clear liquids, One would be perfectly safe on a commercial aircraft, the other would be strictly prohibited. How to tell them apart quickly without error at an airport security area is the focus of Michelle Espy, Larry Schultz and their team.
The Los Alamos National Laboratory is in the midst of its 2014 Employee Giving Campaign.
As of Tuesday, employees have pledged $1.2 million in this year's campaign. Los Alamos National Security, LLC, makes a pro-rated match up to $1 million. Last's year campaign raised $3.1 million (including the LANS match).
The lab's giving campaign coincides with the United Way of Northern New Mexico and United Way of Santa Fe County campaigns.
The lab just ended its food drive, which included a Bring a Turkey to Work Day on Tuesday.
The lab partners with
• San Martin de Porres Soup Kitchen-Española
• Taos Feeds Taos
• Wings for Hope-Santa Fe
• St Vincent de Paul, Abiquiu, San Juan, Chimayo, Española, Pojoaque
• Knights of Columbus, Arroyo Seco
• LA Cares-Los Alamos
• St. Elizabeth's Shelter-Española
• The Food Depot, Santa Fe.
The Los Alamos National Laboratory dedicated a bench and plaque at the Fuller Lodge Memorial Rose Garden Friday. The dedication is for fallen lab workers. Approximately 50 have died in accidents on lab property or in industrial or transportation accidents since 1943. About half of those fatalities occurred during the Manhattan Project.
Intelligent telescopes designed by Los Alamos National Laboratory got a front row seat recently for an unusual birth.
"Los Alamos' RAPTOR telescopes in New Mexico and Hawaii received a very bright cosmic birth announcement for a black hole on April 27," said astrophysicist Tom Vestrand, lead author of a paper appearing Nov. 21 in the journal Science that highlights the unusual event.
"This was the burst of the century," said Los Alamos co-author James Wren. "It's the biggest, brightest one to happen in at least 20 years, and maybe even longer than that."
The RAPTOR (RAPid Telescopes for Optical Response) system is a network of small robotic observatories that scan the skies for optical anomalies such as flashes emanating from a star in its death throes as it collapses and becomes a black hole — an object so dense that not even light can escape its gravity field. This birth announcement arrived from the constellation Leo in the form of an exceptionally bright flash of visible light that accompanied a powerful burst of cosmic gamma-ray emissions.
The progress in repackaging and shipping legacy waste has resulted in another record-setting year for the EM program at Los Alamos National Laboratory.
With less than eight months to go in an accelerated campaign to remove 3,706 cubic meters of transuranic (TRU) waste from Area G, the laboratory's waste management site, EM's TRU Waste Program surpassed its fiscal year 2013 goal of 2,600 cubic meters, removing 2,745 cubic meters and shipping twice as much waste in fiscal year 2013 as it did in fiscal year 2012.
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The Los Alamos Monitor is your source for local news, sports, events, and information in Los Alamos County and Los Alamos, NM, and the surrounding area.