text:
Sequoia High girls' basketball coach Steve Picchi considers himself one of the luckiest people on earth.
In his seventh year as a teacher and coach at the school, Picchi sits in the new gymnasium on campus and marvels at his good fortune.
"This is a great place to work," he said. "Sequoia is a phenomenal place for kids. They have a caring staff, caring faculty and administration and a caring community. I feel like I have been blessed."
Picchi, age 54, has been considering his future and is leaning toward giving up his coaching job to spend time with his family and pursue other opportunities.
"It's a possibility," Picchi said of stepping away from a game he has been involved with at some level for the past 35 years. "I reserve the right to change my mind."
He points to players like seniors Alana Woo, Natalie Harden and Sydney Albin as reasons to stay.
"They prolonged my coaching career," he said. "I was ready to step down after their freshmen year. They are such great kids though, hard working, competitive, responsible and receptive."
Woo, Sequoia's point guard, was the PAL Ocean Division Player of the Year last season.
The Cherokees are playing in the PAL Bay Division this season and were on a three-game winning streak until losing to Mills, 36-28, on Wednesday night.
It's an accomplishment for Sequoia to qualify for the Central Coast Section, something it has done the past two years and is seeking to do again. He wouldn't trade the experience for anything.
It might have been a different story 25 years ago, when Picchi led Burlingame High to the 1988 state Division III championship. The Panthers compiled a 36-2 record, a 30-game winning streak and remain the only CCS public school girls basketball team ever to capture a California Interscholastic Federation title.
Burlingame is hosting a 25-year reunion for the team on Feb. 12. Picchi won't be there. He'll be on the bench, coaching his Cherokees.
Picchi went on to coach at Santa Clara University, College of Notre Dame, returned to Burlingame,then taught at San Lorenzo and coached boys basketball at Arroyo High. He was also an assistant at Chabot College before coming to Sequoia.
Picchi knew he wanted to coach basketball when he was an eighth-grader at St. Catherine's in Burlingame. He was helping coach a fifth-grade team at Washington.
When he was a junior at Burlingame, Picchi was hired by Mike Ciardella and Ray Wagner of the Burlingame Recreation Department to coach elementary school basketball.
"Little did I realize it at the time it would become my career," Picchi said. "After the first week I told my dad I knew what I wanted to be when I grew up."
A chance meeting with then College of San Mateo coach Tom Martinez in 1983 changed Picchi's outlook on coaching.
Woodside's Wendy Brown was a force back then. A terrific athlete who won the state track title for the Wildcats by herself in 1984.
Martinez, famous for helping to develop Tom Brady into one of the greatest NFL quarterbacks ever, came to a game between his Panthers and host Mills High. Picchi turned to him and asked for advice on defending Brown.
"Three hours later, in the parking lot at Mills High, he described his defense and the next day we beat Woodside," Picchi said. "He took me under his wing long before Tom Brady."
Martinez coached, and was considered a guru, in football, women's basketball and softball. He passed away leaving a long list of devoted coaches and athletes.
"I saw a lot of similarities between Steve Picchi and Tom Martinez," Hillsdale High Athletic Director Brad Zucker said. "They both thought for themselves and stayed away from cliches. Martinez told us to always be able to answer 'Why?' That's how I see Steve."
Zucker, age 38, was Burlingame's frosh-soph girls basketball coach while Picchi coached the varsity.
"At the time I was going to every coaching clinic I could," Zucker said. "We became friends and he became the best mentor I've had in coaching. He was able to simply things and was the best I've seen at getting kids to do exactly what he wanted them to do. He's also one of most competitive."
Zucker has coached football and basketball at Hillsdale and attended UCLA, where he met and spoke with coaches like Jim Harrick and Steve Lavin. He also worked with Jim Harbaugh when he was at Stanford.
Zucker has some perspective.
"It's so clear he cares about kids," Zucker said of Picchi. "I won't be surprised if he was back and helping someone soon."
For now, Picchi is enjoying life with his two daughters, Amber and Christina, ages 16 and 14.
Amber is a star volleyball player at Castro Valley and plays club volleyball. Picchi and Christina are always in the stands, cheering her on.
"I am so throughly enjoying watching Amber compete at a high level," Picchi said. "It's a great family situation. It's as good as it gets."
Picchi still coordinates basketball camps with the Burlingame Rec Center a couple of weeks a year, teaching volleyball to girls.
"I just need a change of pace," Picchi said of his possible departure. "I plan to teach here until I'm through teaching. I just want time to look at different possibilities."
Just be careful when asking him a question. You just might spend three hours in the Sequoia High parking lot.
What are your thoughts about Steve? Please share them in the comments.


text:
I switched to a Samsung Galaxy S4 yesterday, after owning 3 generations of iPhones for several years. I've been pleasantly surprised at how much more I like this smart phone than my iPhone.
Better is of course relative, but I've been impressed with the larger and brighter screen, expandable memory options, far better camera (records in HD, and both front and rear cameras can record at the same time) and numerous configuration options.
AT&T also has a $200 iphone trade-in program, which made it an even swap for the 16-GB Samsung! Saved me the time and hassle of placing an ad on craigslist, and paid for the new phone in one shot.
Loving my Samsung. Not missing my iPhone. Lots of new things to learn (and to blog about along the way), but I like what I see so far.
Videos taken from your iphone or ipad are imported into iPhoto when you sync your device to iTunes, but it's not very clear how to get those videos out of iPhoto. You can't use the Share -- Email option, because iPhoto only lets you share photos via email.
To share videos over email, export the video as if it were a photo, and iPhoto will convert it to a Quicktime movie format that you can attach to an email or upload to YouTube.
First, sync your iphone or ipad with iTunes, so that your photos and videos are in iPhoto. Open iPhoto and find the video you want to export.
Click the File -- Export menu option and then press the Export button.
It seems like every app I install has the need to notify me about something every day, and those alerts are always popping up on my iphone. Even when it's just in lock mode, I get scrolling reminders that someone has snap-chatted me, or connected to me on LinkedIn, or that it's time to try my luck again at the Zynga poker tables.
Fortunately you can turn off these pesky notifications, by following these easy steps:
First, go into Settings on your iphone and tap "Notifications".
Each app that can post alerts to your phone will be listed here. You'll need to tap each app, and set the Alert Style to "None", and View in Lock Screen to "Off".
Unfortunately there's no global or "Select All" setting, so you'll have to do this for each app that's listed.
Question: I have an older iPhone 3G and my contract with AT&T is up this month. I'm going to buy a new iPhone 4S for myself but is there a way to convert the 3G into a pre-paid iPhone? That'd be ideal for my high school daughter because she'd have a preset limit that she can pay for herself. Is this possible?
Answer: The iPhone 3G or 3GS uses regular-sized sim cards that you can find in pay-as-you-go phones, like AT&T's GoPhone.
In fact, you can convert your iPhone to a pre-paid phone plan by simply buying a cheap $25 or $30 GoPhone, taking out it's sim card and swapping it into the iPhone.
Once you have the GoPhone sim card in the iPhone you can use it just like any other prepaid phone and make all the calls you want.
Question: I downloaded the iOS 5.0 software for my iPhone, and ended up loosing all my pictures on my camera roll. For some reason they didn't copy over after the upgrade and sync was finished. Did I miss a step somewhere?
Answer: Be sure you sync your iPhone before doing the iOS 5.0 upgrade, so that your camera roll photos will all be in iTunes. Then when you upgrade, they should still be on your phone or at least saved on your computer.
Be sure you properly configure your photo syncing settings in iTunes, to make sure all of your photos are transferred to your computer when you sync your iphone!
To do this, connect your iPhone to your computer using your usb cable, select the phone in iTunes and then click the "Photos" tab.
Check the option to sync all photos (with iPhoto for the Mac in this case).
You can also transfer your camera roll photos using Window's built-in photo importer using the steps described here: http://www.rickysays.com/copy-iphone-pictures-to-windows

subset: commoncrawl


text:
DrizzleStik Flex Golf Bag UmbrellaItem Number: 11487410
Price: $19.99
Free Shipping on Golf Equipment, Apparel and Footwear!! No Minimum Purchase! (See Promotion Details)
Product Information
Customer Reviews
When the rain hits, don't be left on the course scrambling to keep your clubs dry, protect them with the DrizzleStik® Flex Golf Bag Umbrella. This handy accessory provides exceptional club protection in windy and rainy conditions. Its flexible bending head allows for easy club access, while an inner liner keeps precious clubs from getting scratched. Don't let wet weather spoil your round, keep playing with the DrizzleStik Golf Bag Umbrella.
- Flexible bending head
- Golf grip shaft
- Manufacturer lifetime warranty
- Wind-proof, 54" extended length
- 36" collapsed length
- Fits two wide on a golf cart
- Bag not included
- DrizzleStik
For additional information relating to the Manufacturer's Warranty, please contact 513-227-5786.
Country of Origin: China


text:
Longview police have made another arrest on Thursday in the case of an aggravated robbery that occurred late Monday night in Longview.
Police arrested Robert Acles in connection with the robbery.
Police say a man was killed late Monday at a Longview apartment complex while trying to burglarize an apartment when he was shot by the occupant.
Police arrested another suspect on December 18.
Shots were fired sometime Monday night at the Towne Oaks Apartments in the 2500 block of Eastman Road in northeast Longview, according to police.
When police arrived, one of the two people found inside the apartment had died, according to Police spokesperson Kristie Bryan.
Bryan says that the man who was killed, 17-year-old, Noah Wood, was attempting to burglarize the home when he was shot and killed by the occupant of the apartment.
Copyright 2012 KLTV. All rights reserved.
322 Shipyard Boulevard
Wilmington, NC 28412
Main Phone Number: (910) 791-8070
Newsroom: (910) 791-6681
For News related items
E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com
For non-news related material
E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com
FCC Public File
EEO Report
Closed Captioning


text:
Albany Police have one man in custody in the shooting death of an ASU student.
Twenty-six year old Stephen Lewis was picked up late last night.
He's charged with murder in the shooting death of 20-year old Bruce Mullen.
Mullen was gunned down in a breezeway at Hidden Oaks Apartments near Mock Road Wednesday night.
Mullen, who was from Macon, was a junior at Albany State. He was not enrolled in classes this semester.
Police are still looking for 22-year old Joshua Johns.
Johns is 5'3" and weighs about 130 pounds. His nickname is "Lil Flick."
Johns was just released from jail May 27th on several charges including Burglary, Trespass, and Probation Violation.
If you have any information that may lead to his arrest, call Albany Police at: (229)431-3288, (229) 431-2100 or you can remain anonymous by calling Call Stoppers at: 436-TIPS (8477).
P.O. Box 3130
Albany, GA 31706
(229) 446-1010
FCC Public File
(229) 446-4005
EEO Report
Closed Captioning


text:
Track finishes up season with strong meet at Radford
April 26, 2014
Radford, VA-The Salem College track & field team concluded their season with a strong performance at the 2014 Radford Invitational. Heather Huffman (Winston-Salem, NC) had two record-breaking performances in the 100 and 200 meter races. Three seniors also ran in their final collegiate meets.
Huffman broke her own record in both events, and she finished in the top 9 in both races against mainly NCAA DI competition. She ran a 12.66 in the 100 meter race and finished in 7th.
Natali Olveda (Salinas, CA), Courtney Hedgecock (San Diego, CA), and Michelle Lawler (Gibsonville, NC) all competed in their last meets. Olveda ran a 22:00.56 5,000 meter run. Lawler ran 1:07 in the 400 and Hedgecock ran 5:40 in the 1500 meter race.
Stephanie Verdi (High Point, NC) won the 5000 meter run in 20:07.31. Victoria Chaffers (Deltona, FL) was the top finished for Salem in the 800 meter run in 2:40.


text:
Deconstructing 'Myths About Suicide'
Hear this
This text will be replaced
Explore this
Reported by
There are many myths about suicide: that it's an act of selfishness, that it's cowardly, that it's just a cry for help.
Psychologist Thomas Joiner has studied suicide his entire professional life — and says much of what we assume about suicide is wrong. In Myths About Suicide, Joiner explains why we have so many misconceptions about this heart-wrenching facet of human behavior.
With better understanding, Joiner says, we can do a better job of preventing suicide — and supporting those it leaves behind.
Copyright 2014 NPR. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.
Missing some content? Check the source: NPR
Copyright(c) 2014, NPR


text: A three-month debate over creating a new administrative job to split duties as assistant principal and school activity director led to the C-FC School Board authorizing the position at a recent meeting. But talks about how the position is structured were likely to continue as school board members weigh in on job description duties. The AD job services would include supervision of all sports and co-curricular programs, including fine arts, music, drama and FFA and FBLA chapters. It would involve all activity scheduling and arrangements and supervision of program advisors and coaches and enforcement of student codes. Terms of employment would include a 12-month contract with salary, benefits and conditions of employment yet to be determined.


text:
Child pornography charges can be brought against you for the production, advertisement or possession and any form of pornography involving minors. These are felony charges which carry severe penalties. Using or promoting the use of children in pornography, even with no intent to distribute it, is punishable by life in prison and a fine of up to $100,000. Advertising child porn can result in 15 years in prison and fines up to $15,000. Possessing child pornography can carry fines up to $5,000. A first offense can result in a prison sentence of up to 6 years, while subsequent offenses can increase the sentence up to life imprisonment. It is thus vital you obtain the help of a skilled
Las Vegas criminal defense attorney if you are facing any of these charges or are under investigation in relation to child pornography.
At Okabe & Haushalter, we will aggressively defend your rights throughout every phase and aspect of your case. Our firm will take immediate action to investigate the facts of the case and pursue potential evidence in order to build a strong defense strategy. We will review the evidence of the prosecution as to its validity, admissibility and potential impact on how we address your defense.
There are certain defenses which may be built on in the attempt to protect your freedom. Firstly, a lack of intent undermines child pornography charges. For example, you may have received child pornography without having ordered or requested it. Or you genuinely did not know minors were involved in your projects. There is also the question of the material itself and whether it in fact has literary, artistic, political, or scientific value, rather than comprising pornography. These factors may help you escape prosecution or conviction.
for help attempting to avoid the severe penalties of a child pornography conviction.


text:
Videos > Ash Hollywood > Tart Ash Hollywood gets tongued by Lexi Belle
Brazzers Network At Brazzers we believe in offering exclusive downloadable and streamable adult HD videos!! With over 900 girls and daily updates, you will never be left short of huge rib balloons, bouncy butts and hot pussy! Cum check it out for yourself!!
Featured Pornstars:
- Ash Hollywood
- Lexi Belle


text:
Welcome to another great week of fabulous giveaways!
If you're a blogger, use this space to help spread the word about the giveaways you are hosting by linking them up in the linky below. While you're here, lend some support to your fellow bloggers who have linked up and enter a giveaway or two. Who knows, you just may end up winning some really cool stuff!
Here are the specifics on how our Tuesday Giveaway Linkup works: add the direct link to your giveaway below; do not leave links to your blog's main page, social media accounts, or affiliate links. This space is open to blog giveaway promotion only.
If you are not a blogger, browse the giveaways that have been linked up below and start entering. Have fun!
Our Current Giveaways
Bibetts Rainbow Ring Sling Baby Carrier
open to US
ends November 20th
Züpers Leggings & $50 Amazon Gift Card
open to US
ends November 20th
Any Smartphone or Tablet (up to $800)
open to US
ends November 21st
Erin Pelicano Jewelry $45 Gift Code
open to US
ends November 25th
$1,000 Visa or Amazon Gift Card (winner's choice)
open worldwide
ends November 29th
$500 Sears Gift Card
open to US
ends December 2nd


text:
Dimitrick Antawn "Panky" Mims, 36, of Moss Point was arrested Tuesday and charged with one count possession of crack cocaine, according to Jackson County Sheriff's Department.
Read more on our Moss Point Community site...
Copyright 2013 WLOX. All rights reserved.
208 DeBuys Road
Biloxi, MS 39531
(228) 896-1313
FCC Public File
EEO Report
Closed Captioning


text:
Anschutz made $249 million dollar offer for 49% of the Chargers
Looks like some of the particulars of AEG's planned LA stadium have come out. Apparently they made an offer to Dean for 49% of the team at a lowball price of $249 mil. The team turned them down, and the low price is likely what soured the league on the AEG plan. Nevermind that AEG tried to justify it by allowing the team to play at $1.8 billion Farmers Field which AEG would be footing the bill for. Also AEG wanted right of first refusal on the Bolts if the Spanos family ever sold.


text:
eTeam Jobs in Bayonne
Currently, there are no eTeam jobs available in Bayonne, New Jersey. You may wish to explore jobs in nearby locations on the eTeam jobs in New Jersey page or view related jobs below.
Description: •This is a Managerial/ Sourcer position. Qualified Candidate must be able to Hire W2 resources for In-house and client based projects. •Must have hands on experience in hiring of OPT, CPT, L2, TN, EAD, Green Card and US Citizens candidates on W2 basis. •Must have extensive knowledge with Visa Filling. •Must be able to lead a small team(offshore). •Explaining and Negotiation about...
Didn't find the right job at eTeam in Bayonne, New Jersey?
We'll keep looking and send you new jobs that match this search.
Upload your resume and let employers find you!
It's that simple!
Popular Articles
Best-Paying Work-from-Home Jobs
It's easier than ever to work from home. Of course, not every job is a mobile job, and some companies aren't interested in having their employees work from home.
2013 Marketing Jobs Outlook
The US may be facing another year of anemic hiring overall, but that won't be the case in the high-orbit world of multichannel, digital media marketing.
2013 Engineering Jobs Outlook
Engineers will find job opportunities in select disciplines in 2013, with candidates who are all-around, client-oriented businesspeople in demand.
Best-Paying Jobs by Major
What could you earn with a particular four-year degree? Find out by checking out this list of the top-paying jobs for 20 of the most common majors.
Eight High-Paying, Secure Jobs
Want to earn a good salary and enjoy a measure of job security as well? Check out these well-paying jobs on tap for fast growth in the coming years.


text:
Public Art Fund (Venue Partner)
City Hall Park
Flavorpill is now a social platform, where you can find not only editor picks but also see what your friends are doing. This site, archive.flavorpill.com, will no longer be updated... Welcome to the future!
This event has passed.
Common Ground, Public Art Fund
May 25, 2012 – Nov 30, 2012
Public Art Fund (Venue Partner)
City Hall Park
Directions: 4, 5, 6, J, M, Z to Brooklyn Bridge-City Hall A, C, E to Chambers Street R, W to City Hall 2, 3 to Park Place
From the monuments of ancient Egypt to the Statue of Liberty, public art has traditionally been a means to represent a society's beliefs, values, and ideals. However, in our own diverse culture, today we value art most highly as the expression of a unique individual vision. Common Ground brings together the work of ten international artists, each with a strikingly original artistic voice and a strong engagement with our contemporary culture. Several works in the exhibition create a dialogue with the history of art, finding new metaphors in traditional forms. For example, there is a recurring interest in the classical statue and the use of stone-carved text. In Common Ground, the civic monument, once dominated by heroic representations of men, is reinvented through the use of abstraction, irony, and satire. Some of the works reflect on the public role of the artist, implying both the transience of life and the desire for timelessness in art. The exhibition also explores the notion of "common" space through language, objects, and performance. Together, all of the very different works in Common Ground remind us that contemporary art offers us both opportunities for personal reflection and shared moments of collective expression. To see more info and artists feautured, click here.


text:
Edward J. Markey's aggressiveness in fighting terrorism has made Massachusetts safer — particularly his diehard efforts to safeguard transportation, including the LNG deliveries that still come through Boston Harbor. He has, at many junctures, gone beyond merely voting for protective measures to crafting his own bills, including a landmark measure to screen air cargo. Still, his votes against the creation of the Department of Homeland Security and reauthorization of the Patriot Act are legitimate subjects of debate on the campaign trail.
By contrast, the commemorative resolution for the victims of 9/11 that congressional Republicans put forward in 2006 was a bit of a ruse. Under the guise of honoring the victims, the proclamation heaped praise on the Patriot Act and immigration restrictions. An earlier version defended the war in Iraq. Because the resolution had no actual effect, most Democrats simply gritted their teeth and voted yes, realizing that their no votes might some day be portrayed on the campaign trail as callousness toward the victims. Markey was one of 22 members who refused to go with the flow; later, he voted for resolutions in support of the 9/11 victims that were devoid of the controversial language.


text:
Independent Massachusetts restaurants and grocery stores enjoy the convenience and quality of Agar Supply Food service. Agarsupply.com is the Web site of New England's largest independent wholesale distributor providing fresh and frozen food products to restaurants and grocery stores in New Hampshire, Vermont, Rhode Island, Maine, Connecticut, and Massachusetts. Agar Supply's clients insist on the highest quality foods to give them an edge and to please their customers. Agar Supply may be able to provide you with unique New England foods. Call our helpful, professional sales team and give your customers a taste of New England.
Food Service Companies NY
Bozzuto's Inc.
Bozzutos is a leading total service wholesale distributor of food and household products to retailers in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Maryland. Bozzuto's offers a full line of grocery and perishable products including produce, meat, seafood, frozen, deli, dairy, bakery and floral items. The company has invested in improved technology for their transportation and warehouse areas.
Bozzuto's Inc.
275 Schoolhouse Road,
Cheshire, CT 06410-1241
Phone: 203-272-3511
White Rose
White Rose Food is the only major wholesaler in the New York market to supply three major product lines (grocery, frozen food and dairy) from its own distribution centers. White Rose provides its retailers with the opportunity to offer consumers a full line of quality private label products with a high degree of market recognition. You can view the private catalog by log in in on their website (registration required). To complement the company's grocery, frozen food and dairy lines, White Rose has entered into arrangements to provide its retailers with their other product needs, including meat, fish, produce, health & beauty care products, general merchandise, store equipment and supplies.
123 Frost Street
Westbury, NY 11590
Tel: (516) 876-4400
Food Authority
Food Authority is a New York food service provider that is HACCP-compliant & FDA-inspected providing a line of value-added pre-cut fruits and vegetables as well as numerous kinds of cut cheeses. Serving all of Nassau County, Western Suffolk
County, New York City, Brooklyn, Queens and the Bronx. Food products they distribute including juices, canned & fresh Dessert Mixes, gelatins, puddings, mousse, water, imported & domestic sauces, gravies, sodas, spices, coffees & teas. They also sell dessert toppings, dry crackers & biscuits, baking supplies, flours & sugars, cookies & cakes, dry & frozen rices, grains & beans, nuts & salty snacks, soups, pickles, olives & capers, jams, canned tomatoes, plums, cereals and cheeses.
3400 Lawson Blvd
Oceanside, NY
21st Century Supply
21st Century leverages its long-term relationships with major manufacturers to deliver value-added, further-processed food items or fresh cuts. Their warehouse and distribution network assists with efficient, on-time deliveries of brands such as Wampler and Plantation. They specialize in servicing the Corrections industry.
21st Century Supply
New York
(718) 617-6938 • Fax (718) 617-6979
Finding a reliable restaurant supply wholesaler your home state is not an easy task. We hope our restaurant supply guide can help you find what you're looking for. If you're interested trying a new foodservice wholesaler with unique brands, consider Agar Supply. New England seafoods, meats, and other foods may offer a unique break from the ordinary for your customers. See also, food companies in Massachusetts, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania.


text:
Like us to subscribe
The Los Angeles Dodgers introduced their new ownership group on Wednesday at Dodger Stadium, as Guggenheim Baseball Partners formally took over the franchise. New controlling partner Mark Walter said, "I viewed it as a once in a lifetime opportunity to own the most fantastic franchise in all of sports."
But many of the questions were about former owner Frank McCourt and his ongoing role in the land surrounding the stadium.
"Every aspect of the operation at Chavez Ravine that relates to baseball, parking and everything, is controlled and managed by us, and all of those revenues go to this organization," Walter said. "The former ownership does have an economic interest in a certain amount of the profits that might come from potential development in the future."
"We own it 100%. He doesn't get a dime from the parking," said Magic Johnson.
The group said the Dodgers have no plans to develop the land, though in the future that could change.
"If he's a part of future development so what? What's important is that there's new owners sitting here," said Johnson. "There's new direction, there's a new era, and we're moving this franchise forward."
Legendary Dodgers announcer Vin Scully emceed the event, and as someone who has been around since 1950 he had a message to the new ownership group.
"I am telling each and every one of you right now. This is the last new ownership press conference I will ever attend," Scully said.
For more news and information on the Dodgers, be sure to read True Blue LA.
According to a press release from the Los Angeles Dodgers, the sale of the team from Frank McCourt to Guggenheim Baseball Management LLC (GBM) is now completed for $2 billion. The Dodgers are now officially owned by Mark Walter, Magic Johnson and Stan Kasten.
The Dodgers said this about the sale.
"The Dodgers emerge from the Chapter 11 reorganization process having achieved its objective of maximizing the value of the Dodgers through a successful Plan of Reorganization, under which all claims will be paid. The Dodgers move forward with confidence - in a strong financial position; as a premier Major League Baseball franchise; and as an integral part of and representative of the Los Angeles community."
The sale overcame its biggest final hurdle when a Delaware Bankruptcy Court formally approved of the sale in mid-April.
The Dodgers are currently 16-7 and first in the NL West.
For more on the Dodgers, check out True Blue LA.
The Los Angeles Dodgers were sold for an insane amount of money last week. Whenever that much currency is exchanged in any transaction, there is always plenty of fine print that needs to be reviewed. According to this latest report from Sports Illustrated, Major League Baseball is growing concerned with a lack of concrete details that surround the $2 billion dollar purchase.
The group was expected to file a Purchase and Sale Agreement with MLB earlier this week, but postponed the filing for two days before submitting a short form agreement that lacked what MLB regards as most of the necessary details. Of particular interest to MLB is a breakdown of where the money is coming from to cover the $2.15 billion sale price and what role McCourt has in the ownership, control and profit-sharing of the Dodger Stadium parking lots.
Until MLB knows and reviews those details, according to sources, concern mounts about how the deal is financed and especially if McCourt stands to continue to profit from Dodger-related operations under the new ownership.
Some answers may be forthcoming as soon as Friday, when terms of the sale are expected to be filed in bankruptcy court. The court is expected to approve the sale on April 13 in advance of a final closing April 30, when McCourt must pay his wife, Jamie, $131 million as a condition of their divorce settlement.
Most believe that the details will get hammered out in the coming days and the deal will be finalized shortly after, but this is definitely something the MLB offices will be all over until then. This is simply too much money to just glance over and you can bet Bud Selig and Co. will want everything smoothed out before they sign off.
For more on the Dodgers, head on over to True Blue LA.
Yahoo! Sports' Steve Henson recently picked out some 2012 MLB Spring Training winners and some losers. While most in Los Angeles, or around the country would consider former Dodgers owner Frank McCourt one of the biggest losers, Henson considers him a winner, as long as you look at it from a business standpoint.
Many consider him the biggest loser in Los Angeles, but he's leaving town with his pockets stuffed with hundreds of millions of dollars after selling the Dodgers for $2.15 billion. McCourt and his ex-wife, Jamie, ransacked the team coffers, enjoyed the fruits of a bountiful farm system that provided cheap talent for years, then had their nefarious ways exposed in an ugly divorce.
McCourt was humiliated and is despised. All the other owners turned on him. Yet he more than quadrupled his 2004 purchase price, which from a strictly business point of view makes him the most successful owner in baseball history.
McCourt has now walked away with $2 billion of a group including Magic Johnson's money which is the most a major league team has ever been sold for. Businessmen from all across the country would pat McCourt on the back for the deal he made.
The question is how much the money matters to him compared to his reputation.
For more on the Dodgers, head to True Blue LA, and for more updates on the Dodgers' sale, follow SB Nation L.A.'s StoryStream.
With the news of the Magic Johnson-Stan Kasten group purchasing the Los Angeles Dodgers for a reported $2 billion comes a number of extracurricular repercussions, including having an affect on the valuation of other franchises around the league as well.
Adam Rubin of ESPN New York is reporting that the New York Mets could actually now be worth upwards of $1.1 billion after this Dodgers deal, only a week after Forbes gave them a price tag of around $719 million.
Spots Business consultant Marc Ganis with the commentary:
"Let me tell you, if the Dodgers are worth $2 billion, the Yankees are worth $3.5 to $4 billion," Ganis said. "The Red Sox are worth $2.5 billion. And the Mets go from being worth, say, in the low $1 (billion)s to the mid- to high-$1 (billion)s."
"This only relates to the top, top of the food chain," Ganis said. "It's really just the big-market clubs that have unique local broadcasting opportunities."
The Dodgers new TV deal is certainly factored into to the team's approximate value, but as Michigan sports management professor Rosentraub told ESPN Los Angeles' Arash Markazi, this deal wasn't necessarily based on on balance books, or even logic for that matter.
"It's the craziest deal ever; it makes no sense. That's why you saw so many groups drop out...Nobody came up with this number. Under the most favorable circumstance you broke (even at) $1.1 billion, with $1.4 billion getting crazy. Now you're up in the $2 billion range, which is over $800 million more than what pencils out for a profitable investment for a baseball team. If making money doesn't count, this is a great move. But now we're into buying art and I can't value art. I can just run the model numbers and this doesn't make sense."
By diving head first into this deal Magic Johnson and Co. have created great elation and expectations for the Dodgers and their fanbase, but also the skepticism that comes along with throwing billions of dollars at an entity coming out of bankruptcy. Only time will tell if this deal will be lucrative for the new owners in the long run.
For more on the Dodgers, head over to True Blue LA.
Now, you may be asking yourself just what the heck Randy Moss has anything to do with the Los Angeles Dodgers being sold? Three simple words.
That's right, as reported by the Los Angeles Times' Bill Shaikin, the reported $2 billion dollar deal to take over the Dodgers includes absolutely no financing, ergo, straight cash homie.
Source: #Dodgers deal is all cash, no financing. MLB review will be formality because of no debt added to team liabilities.— Bill Shaikin (@BillShaikin) March 28, 2012
After all the headaches that came along with Frank McCourt's tenure as team owner, it certainly will be a nice change of pace for MLB to know they have about as easy a $2 billion deal that you could possibly have. Magic Johnson, Stan Kasten and Co. are certainly putting smiles on league officials faces right now.
For more on the Dodgers sale and the boys in blue in general, make sure that you head over to True Blue LA, the most devout Dodgers blog anywhere to be found in civilization.
After months and month of negotiation, the Los Angeles Dodgers have finally been sold to a group led by L.A. Lakers Hall of Famer Magic Johnson and controlling partner Mark R. Walter. The deal is reportedly for $2 billion dollars, which would shatter any previous deals to acquire a professional sports franchise.
A messy divorce led owner Frank McCourt to look for a group of suitors to purchase his team. Attendance in Los Angeles was at an all-time low last season with the club struggling to stay competitive throughout the summer months.
Among the potential buyers were Mark Cuban and Joe Torre. Neither had comment on Tuesday evening.
Said McCourt, "This agreement with Guggenheim reflects both the strength and future potential of the Los Angeles Dodgers, and assures that the Dodgers will have new ownership with deep local roots, which bodes well for the Dodgers, its fans and the Los Angeles community. We are delighted that this group will continue the important work we have started in the community, fulfilling our commitment to building 50 Dream Fields and helping with the effort to cure cancer."
The new ownership group has very strong ties to the SoCal area, and this looks like a very successful purchase on paper. The Dodgers can now look forward to an expanded budget and the freedom to pursue trades and free agents for years to come, something they had been severely limited by with a sale pending of the organization.
"I am thrilled to be part of the historic Dodger franchise and intend to build on the fantastic foundation laid by Frank McCourt as we drive the Dodgers back to the front page of the sports section in our wonderful community of Los Angeles." said Johnson.
For more on the Dodgers, head over to True Blue LA.
Several sources are now reporting that the Dodgers have been sold to the Magic Johnson-led group for a staggering $2 billion.
The Dodgers have reached an agreement to be sold to Magic Johnson's bidding group, according to a baseball source. See dodgers.com.— Ken Gurnick (@kengurnick) March 28, 2012
Breaking from WSJ: Magic Johnson-led group buys LA Dodgers for $2 billion, shattering all previous prices paid for sports franchises.— Dennis K. Berman (@dkberman) March 28, 2012
As you can see, this price is significanly richer than any previous franchise transactions and will likely (or should, anyway) include Frank McCourt's parking lot revenue stream as well.
Major League Baseball owners had previously approved three groups for purchase bidding- 1) the group led by billionaires Steven Cohen and Patrick Soon-Shiong; (2) the group led by Magic Johnson and longtime baseball executive Stan Kasten; and (3) St. Louis Rams team owner Stan Kroenke. If these reports prove correct, it looks like Johnson's group was the winning bidder.
More to follow soon as details emerge.
For more discussion on the sale of the Dodgers and the state of the team in general, please head over to True Blue LA to make your voice heard.
There are three bidders remaining to become the new owners for the Dodgers. The remaining groups are: (1) the group led by billionaires Steven Cohen and Patrick Soon-Shiong; (2) the group led by Magic Johnson and longtime baseball executive Stan Kasten; and (3) St. Louis Rams team owner Stan Kroenke. Now they will be the last three standing to try and obtain ownership of the team.
Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times files this report.
MLB owners approve all 3 #Dodgers bid groups. Auction starts tomorrow.— Bill Shaikin (@BillShaikin) March 27, 2012
Final negotiations with Frank McCourt and investment bank representatives now will begin in earnest for the acution to take place. There could be new team owners for Los Angeles within the next week, ending this long and painful nightmare. Who will end up prevailing in the end?
For more discussion on the sale of the Dodgers and the state of the team in general, please head over to True Blue LA to make your voice heard.
Another day, another update in the saga of the court-ordered sale of the Los Angeles Dodgers. The list of potential buyers is down to the three finalists.
According to Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times, the list of bidders in the hunt was cut from five to three on Friday. The remaining groups are: the group led by billionaires Steven Cohen and Patrick Soon-Shiong, the group led by Magic Johnson and longtime baseball executive Stan Kasten and St. Louis Rams team owner Stan Kroenke.
MLB owners will vote on the three remaining bidders next week before final negotiations with Frank McCourt and investment bank representatives. It is possible that we will know the identity of the new team owners within the next week.
For more discussion on the sale of the Dodgers and the state of the team in general, please head over to True Blue LA to make your voice heard.
The sale of the Los Angeles Dodgers is scheduled to close by April 30, but we don't yet know exactly who the new owner will be. However, the process is ongoing and the field is down to a final quintet of ownership groups. The group led by Stanley Gold and the estate of Roy Disney was rejected by MLB last week, but a federal mediator reinstated the group on Monday, per Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times.
"The Gold/Disney bid had been rejected last week by a committee of Major League Baseball owners, amid concerns over the structure of an offer that included private equity financing to back the launch of a regional sports network," Shaikin wrote.
That puts back at five finalists to purchase the team from Frank McCourt, with the winning bid to be hopefully identified by the end of March. In addition to Gold/Disney, the other four groups still alive are Magic Johnson and Stan Kasten; Steve Cohen and Arn Tellem; Memphis Grizzlies owner Michael Heisley, and St. Louis Rams owner Stan Kroenke.
Shaikin also reported that all 30 MLB owners are expected to vote to approve these five ownership groups within the week. McCourt has final authority to pick from the pre-approved groups. The sale price is expected to be north of $1.6 billion, which would double the previous record for the sale price of a major league franchise.
For more discussion on the sale of the Dodgers and the state of the team in general, please head over to True Blue LA to make your voice heard.
The competition is still stiff among the groups vying to purchase the Los Angeles Dodgers from outgoing owner Frank McCourt. A new favorite among the bidders may have emerged on Sunday, after it was reported that Los Angeles' richest resident plans to align himself with one of the groups.
Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times reports that Patrick Soon-Shiong has joined the bidding group led by billionaire Steven Cohen. This might be the boost Cohen needed to make his interest more alluring (read: profitable) to McCourt.
If McCourt were to accept the Cohen bid, he would be rejecting one led by local icon Magic Johnson. Soon-Shiong has held several meetings with McCourt since the Dodgers were put up for sale in November, according to people familiar with the process.
Soon-Shiong had been widely expected to join the bid group led by Johnson, from whom he bought a minority share in the Lakers two years ago. Soon-Shiong's decision to join Cohen was confirmed Sunday by two people familiar with the sale process but not authorized to comment.
Soon-Shiong would be a minority owner if Cohen's group emerges as the winning bidders.
For more discussion on the sale of the Dodgers and the state of the team in general, please head over to True Blue LA to make your voice heard.
As the deadline nears for the Los Angeles Dodgers to be sold, USA Today is reporting that the ownership group of hedge-fund billionaire Steve Cohen and sports agent extraordinaire Arn Tellum have the strongest bid in on the team, and would like to hire Tony LaRussa to a major front office position.
Cohen's bid is said to be upwards of $1.6 billion with at least half of the sum to be paid in cash, which is likely a very large deal-sweetener along with having guys like La Russa and Tellum along for the ride. There now are four finalist left for the sale, including Magic Johnson's group, St. Louis Rams and Denver Nuggets owner Stan Kroenke's group, Memphis Grizzlies owner Michael Heisley's group and Ares Capital co-founder Tony Ressler's group, who is also a minority investor with the Milwaukee Brewers.
One of the recently eliminated groups consisted of former TV personality Larry King, who had this to say about Cohen and his chances:
"Hiring Tony La Russa would be a great start," King said. "After talking to Steve, my own hunch is that Tony La Russa would become club president..."I could see Steve (Cohen) starting his own network," King said. "Look at the (New York) Yankees. YES is worth more than the Yankees. He can do the same thing here with the Dodgers."
I'm sure Dodgers fans certainly wouldn't fight any of that.
For more discussion on the sale of the Dodgers and the state of the team in general, please head over to True Blue LA to get in on the action and get you voice heard.
The various prospective bidders for the Los Angeles Dodgers began meeting with Major League Baseball's ownership committee on Monday, and the candidates appear to be whittled down to either five or six groups according to reports. The group of Magic Johnson and Stan Kasten, and the group of Steve Cohen and Arn Tellem are supposedly the favorites.
The Johnson and Kasten group have submitted the highest bid at $1.6 billion per Mike Ozanian of Forbes. The group of Cohen and Tellem are believed to have submitted a bid of $1.4 billion, but has more cash in the deal, which could appeal to Frank McCourt, who has final say in this rather unusual process.
In a normal MLB team sale, the team would field bids and MLB would have final say, with the highest bidder not always winning. Under a deal between McCourt and MLB that was approved by the Delaware Bankruptcy Court, MLB gets to pre-approve from the list of bidders for the Dodgers, but McCourt has the final call, which shows just how badly commissioner Bud Selig wanted McCourt out of Dodgers ownership.
But McCourt might not necessarily be out, in a sense. Yes, he has to sell the team by April 30 per court order, at which time he is to pay ex-wife Jamie McCourt $131 million per their divorce settlement. But reportedly none of the remaining bids on the table include the parking lots at Dodger Stadium, meaning McCourt will continue to make money from the Dodgers based on current long term lease contracts signed between different entities currently under the McCourt ownership umbrella.
To discuss the Dodgers sale regarding various ownership groups, check out True Blue LA.
The Los Angeles Dodgers are still on the verge of trying to find a new ownership group. At this point, it's anyone's game. The most prominent name out there involves a former LA sporting great.
Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times files this report.
The remaining bidders proceed to a multi-layered review by Major League Baseball, including consideration by two committees of owners. Each bidder then will be subject to a vote of all owners, with three-fourths approval required.
If a bidder is not cleared to proceed to the ownership vote, McCourt can ask a court-appointed mediator to intervene. If a bidder is rejected in the ownership vote, McCourt has no recourse.
MLB is expected to inform McCourt which bidders have been approved in mid- to late-March. McCourt is then expected to hold a final round of bidding before selecting the winner.
Tony Jackson of ESPN Los Angeles does a good job talking about each of the bidders. Magic Johnson is of course the most prominent bidder, with most of his funding for the bid coming from Guggenheim Partners CEO Mark Walter. Stan Kroenke, owner of the St. Louis Rams, probably has the most experience in running a sports franchise. A bunch of other prominent LA names on the sporting scene are also involved in the bidding, and you'd figure any of them has as good a chance as anyone else.
Owner Frank McCourt is expected to sell the Dodgers for over a billion dollars at least, so you have to expect that the winning bidder will be flush with cash to try and keep the team in place.
To discuss the Dodgers sale regarding various ownership groups, check out True Blue LA.
The Los Angeles Dodgers are ready to move on from the Frank McCourt era. The sale of the Dodgers is going to hopefully purge the memories of the dirty ending to the last ownership, and move on quickly.
But it looks like it won't be easy to cut ties with him completely. Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times filed this report.
Rick Caruso and former Dodgers manager Joe Torre have withdrawn a joint bid to buy the Dodgers, three people familiar with the sale process said Thursday.
Caruso cited owner Frank McCourt's refusal to include the Dodger Stadium parking lots in the sale, according to the people, who declined to be identified because they were not authorized to discuss the sale process.
Caruso could reenter the bidding if McCourt were to agree to sell the parking lots, the people said. McCourt has told people he has at least one bid in which the buyer would let him retain ownership of the parking lots.
To discuss the sale of the Dodgers, best to go onto LA's SB Nation site, check out True Blue LA.
The Los Angeles Dodgers are moving closer to finding their future owner. Ronald Blum of AP has more on how things are progressing for the bidders of the Dodgers.
Remaining bidders for the Los Angeles Dodgers have been told they will be scheduled for meetings with Major League Baseball's ownership committee early next month.
The exact date of each group's meeting has not been set yet, but the range of dates for the sessions has been given to the bidders, a person familiar with the process said Tuesday. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the parties have signed nondisclosure agreements.
This is the stage of the sale that makes it different from most MLB sales, as the MLB is pre-approving the bidders (that made it to the second round of bidding) rather than picking the winner at the end. McCourt gets the ultimate final say of who the owner will be, choosing from among the groups pre-approved at this step by the MLB.
There are eleven groups left up for bidding according to this LA Times article, with the likely favorites being the Magic / Stan Kasten and Joe Torre / Caruso groups. Each of these groups will pay MLB approximately $25,000 to run their background investigation.
There's a lot of negotiating left soon, but the long nightmare for Dodgers fans seems to be nearing an end.
To talk more about the Dodgers, head on over to True Blue LA.
According to the L.A. Times' Bill Shaikin, current owner of the Memphis Grizzlies Michael Heisley has thrown his hat into the ring as a potential buyer for the Los Angeles Dodgers franchise, and brings his billions of dollars along with him.
Heisley, 75, is now one of 11 possible groups that could take over the Dodgers by April 30, the deadline set forth by Major League Baseball in which the team must be sold my Frank McCourt. He'll be competing against ownership groups with the likes of Magic Johnson and Joe Torre.
Heisley purchased the then-Vancouver Grizzlies back in 2000, promising to do "everything in my power to make this franchise a success in Vancouver." He wound up moving the team to Memphis a year later.
Heisley has also considered bidding on the Chicago Cubs and Minnesota Vikings in the past according to one source.
Heisley's net worth was estimated at around $1.5 billion last September by Forbes Magazine. His Chicago based company controls over 30 businesses, largely based in construction and manufacturing, and He built his empire by buying and improving struggling companies.
For more on the Dodgers sale, make sure to follow this StoryStream. For more on the Dodgers, head over to True Blue LA.
The sale of the Los Angeles Dodgers has attracted some of the wealthiest people in Los Angeles and in the country, as well as several well-known figures in the sports world. One of the people who was part of the initial round of bidding, Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, dropped out after deciding the price for the team was too rich for his blood.
The price of the team is expected to top $1.5 billion, an exorbitant amount considering that Frank McCourt paid a reported $371 million for the team in 2004. Cuban on Monday, speaking with Access Hollywood, called the sale of the Dodgers "a media rights deal."
The driving force behind the escalating price of the team is their upcoming television rights deal. The Dodgers are under contract with Fox through 2013 in what is seen as a below market deal - roughly $38 million per year to televised two-thirds of the team's games - and a new television deal is expected to be valued as high as $4 billion over a 20-year period. The Angels signed a new 20-year, $3 billion deal with Fox Sports, giving them a revenue windfall that helped fund the Albert Pujols and C.J. Wilson signings, and the Dodgers' new deal is expected to eclipse that mark.
"The economics got so out of control because the Dodgers' TV deal's up for bid and so there's a lot of groups coming in going, 'This TV deal's worth so much money that we're gonna pay whatever it takes to get the Dodgers'," Cuban said on Monday. "And so they're buying the TV rights deal first and the team second."
For all news and information regarding the Dodgers, please visit True Blue LA.
Sunday, January 22 was the deadline to submit opening bids for the Los Angeles Dodgers franchise. Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times reported earlier this week that the Dodgers received over 10 opening bids.
That list of bidders included Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, a group including the family of the late Roy Disney, a group including former Los Angeles Lakers superstar Magic Johnson and a group including former Dodgers manager Joe Torre.
Shaikin reported on Friday that eight of those groups had advanced to the second round of bidding. A follow-up Twitter message on Friday revealed that two of the suitors who did not advance were Cuban and former sports agent Dennis Gilbert.
The franchise is projected to be sold at anywhere between $1 billion and $1.5 billion. If the groups including Disney, Torre and Johnson are among those that still remain in the mix, that makes three very strong, very deep ties to the area attempting to take over the Southern California institution. At this point, it is likely that Dodgers fans are of the opinion that any new owner would be a vast improvement over the Frank McCourt era.
For all news and information regarding the Dodgers, please visit True Blue LA.
As a new ownership group and the Los Angeles Dodgers continue to court amongst themselves, CBS Sports' Jon Heyman is reporting that Los Angeles billionaire Patrick Soon-Shiong will likely join the group of Magic Johnson and Stan Kasten as possible suitors for the Boys in Blue:
LA billionaire Patrick Soon-Shiong (who bought magic's 4.5% stake in lakers), will likely join johnson-kasten dodgers group— Jon Heyman (@JonHeymanCBS) January 25, 2012
They most definitely won't be alone at the negotiating table though, as upwards of 12 groups have come out of the woodwork as potential buyers of the Dodgers, including Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, sports ownership savant Stan Kroenke, former manager Joe Torre, and YES Network CEO Leo Hindery, just to name a few. This could get ugly.
I imagine the sale of the Los Angeles Dodgers going something along the line of an episode of 'Storage Wars.' A screaming frenzy of bidders, except billionaires will bid against millionaires and there will be a lot more zeros involved. Should be a good time.
For more on the Dodgers offseason, make sure to check out True Blue LA.
Former Los Angeles Dodgers manager Joe Torre liked the team so much, he has decided to try to buy them. Torre, who managed the Dodgers from 2008-2010, announced on Wednesday that he is teaming with billionaire developer Rick Caruso in a bid to purchase the Dodgers, who are currently in bankruptcy.
Bids are due from potential parties by January 23, and the team is to be sold by April 30 by agreement between Frank McCourt and Major League Baseball.
Be sure to read True Blue LA for local reaction to the potential Torre/Caruso bid to buy the Dodgers.
Torre resigned his position as an MLB executive in order to join forces with Caruso. "I have great confidence in Rick Caruso's unique qualifications and his ability to lead a successful bid for the Los Angeles Dodgers," Torre said in a statement on Wednesday. "In Rick I found a partner who understands consumers and fully appreciates that the Dodgers are a treasured LA institution. Since moving to Los Angeles, I have seen firsthand Rick's dedication to business and the people of Los Angeles. I am very excited about this new opportunity and also want to thank Commissioner Selig and Major League Baseball for providing me with invaluable baseball operations experience over the past 10 months."
Caruso is probably best known for developing The Grove at Farmers Market in Los Angeles, and was considered a potential candidate to run for Mayor of Los Angeles. Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times reported on the money source behind the Torre/Caruso team:
The banker in the Caruso/Torre group is Byron Trott of BDT Capital in Chicago, called by Warren Buffett "the only banker he trusts."
"The Dodgers are an iconic Los Angeles franchise, and I am thrilled to partner with Joe Torre, one of baseball's all-time greats, to launch a bid for this storied organization. Joe has a proven track record of fielding winning teams and I am looking forward to our group benefiting from his unique experience," Caruso said in a statement on Wednesday. "I am a lifelong Angeleno; I love this city and have dedicated my career to creating world-class destinations that support this community and foster great customer experiences. Joe and I believe in the Dodgers and Dodger fans and know that together we will foster a winning culture and deliver a premier, fan-focused baseball experience at Dodger Stadium."
According to the LA Times, former Los Angeles Lakers legend Magic Johnson will be in on the bidding for the Los Angeles Dodgers, along with a power packed investment group. Magic will be the public face the ownership group including Stan Kasten, the former president of the Atlanta Braves and Washington Nationals, along with Mark Walter, chief executive of Guggenheim Partners, a financial services firm with $125 billion in assets. The firm is headquartered in Chicago and New York, though they have an office in Los Angeles as well.
Johnson was asked why he chose Kasten and Walter as his partners:
"Both guys are about building a winner and making a difference in the L.A. community."
Theses three will have a lot of dough to throw at the Dodgers and have it lined up ready to go , putting them amongst the leaders in the clubhouse if you will because of it. Kasten has even been rumored to be Bud Selig's replacement as MLB Commissioner.
Other possible bidders include Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, Southland baseball executive Dennis Gilbert, LA developers Rick Caruso and Alan Casden as well as former Buffalo Sabres owner Tom Golisano.
For more on the Dodgers, head over toTrue Blue LA.
The Los Angeles Dodgers are for sale, there is one name that comes up most often from fans of the Los Angeles Dodgers when asked whom should replace Frank McCourt as owner of the team. Mark Cuban, currently the owner of the Dallas Mavericks of the NBA, said on Thursday he is interested in buying the Dodgers, per Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times:
The process could begin next week, when the investment bank handling the sale of the Dodgers is expected to provide prospective buyers with confidential financial data in a so-called "bid book." A party that receives a book is not obligated to bid.
"[I] will see a book," Cuban wrote in an email.
Cuban was part of a team that bid for the Texas Rangers in 2010, but lost out to the group led by Nolan Ryan.
In the 11 full seasons since Cuban bought the Dallas Mavericks in January 2000, Dallas has a .687 winning percentage, never winning fewer than 51 games in a season, including the NBA championship in June. In the 11 years prior to Cuban's ownership, Dallas had a .329 winning percentage and made the playoffs just once.
The sale of the Dodgers is expected to extend through spring training, which means they won't have a new owner in place in time to make any moves for 2012. Though the club did extend Matt Kemp for eight years and $160 million, the team is not likely to be significantly different in 2012 than the team that went 82-79 in 2011.
For more news and information on the Dodgers, be sure to read True Blue LA.
The bidders are lining up for their chance at buying the Los Angeles Dodgers and more and more big names are potentially entering the mix. The latest: former Dodgers manager, Joe Torre.
While nothing has been confirmed, a story out of the LA Times indicated Torre has considered joining LA real estate developer Rick Caruso in pursing the team. Now a member of Major League Baseball's front office, getting into an ownership role with the franchise could be very appealing to the 71-year old.
"There've been a number of people who've reached out and inquired, but I've made no alliance, no commitment, as of this minute," Torre told the New York Times.
Torre is obviously doing his part here to keep the rumors to a minimum, but this could become a compelling story should he decide to seriously pursue owning a portion of the Dodgers organization. With all of his ties and connections to the game, he, Caruso and whoever joins their team would have to be considered among the favorites to win the bidding.
For more on the Dodgers and the sale of the team, head on over to True Blue LA.
Judging by the prospective owners that have expressed interest in purchasing the Los Angeles Dodgers from Frank McCourt, it would seem like having Dodger ties is a prerequisite. Former owner Peter O'Malley wants in, as do former players Steve Garvey and Orel Hershiser. Now the architect of the 1988 World Series winning team, Fred Claire, wants to buy the Dodgers, too.
Claire was a guest on ESPN Radio 710 in Los Angeles, and noted that his group is still in search of a primary financier, but as Arash Markazi of ESPN Los Angeles noted, Claire thinks the group he has assembled so far is worthy:
"We will have to be pre-approved by Major League Baseball and I think the team we have assembled is one that will draw the favor of Major League Baseball," Claire said. "With my 30 years of experience with the Dodgers, Andy Dolich, a longtime sports executive in baseball and other sports and Ben Hwang, a very success business person at a young age, we will continue to add to that team."
Claire was with the Dodgers for 30 years, including the first 19 years in public relations and the last 11 as general manager. He was fired in 1998 by Fox in their first year of ownership of the Dodgers. He told Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times hhe just wants the Dodgers to be back in prominence. "My interest is to play whatever role is needed to get the Dodgers back to where they need to be -- on the field, in the community, and internationally," Claire said.
For more news and information on the Dodgers, be sure to read True Blue LA.
One of the negative side effects of the McCourt ownership that manifested itself in 2011 was reduced fan interest in the team, as the Los Angeles Dodgers sold under 3 million tickets for the first time in 11 years. Now that Frank McCourt has agreed to sell the Dodgers, one of the first concerns for a new owner will be to restore fan interest and excitement.
Having two franchise greats as front men probably won't hurt in that regard. Steve Garvey and Orel Hershiser are part of a group that wants to purchase the club, reported Ramona Shelburne of ESPN Los Angeles:
Garvey said his group needed to examine the Dodgers current financial situation before submitting an offer for the team.
"We feel we're capitalized to be in the game. We don't know what the final number will be," he said. "We have to be able to look at the books, look at future potential revenues and make a sound business decision. With that said, this is a baseball deal for us.
Garvey, who played for the Dodgers from 1969-1982, was a part of the community relations department for the Dodgers for 15 years before getting fired for his very public comments about his willingness to purchase the club and the state of current ownership.
Shelburne also reported that there are other former Dodgers in the investment group but have been quiet because of their current association with the team. Ron Cey and Lou Johnson are among other former Dodgers currently employed by the club in the community relations department.
For more news and information on the Dodgers, be sure to read True Blue LA.
The Los Angeles Dodgers are the hot new item for sale, and many new suitors are likely to come out of the woodwork. However, one of the suitors has a history with the club, a very storied one. Peter O'Malley, the longtime former owner and president of the Dodgers, has decided to throw his hat in the ring, per Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times:
"I am confident I can restore [the Dodgers] to respectability quicker, sooner and probably better than — or at least as well as — anyone else."
O'Malley, 73, called the revival of the Dodgers his top priority beyond his family and said he hoped to run the team for several years.
O'Malley is still immensely popular among Dodgers fans, a link back to the days of family ownership in sports. Before the 2010 season, there was an event with Joe Torre and Sandy Koufax at the Nokia Theater in Los Angeles. It was a wonderful and rare event simply because the very private Koufax opened up for 90 minutes. But one of the biggest cheers of the night was for O'Malley, who was sitting in the crowd and acknowledged on stage.
As far as money, Shaikin reports O'Malley has said he would have "no concerns about assembling a group that could pay the $1 billion or more that might be necessary to buy the Dodgers." It would be an interesting blast from the past, that's for sure. Whether or not O'Malley would be successful remains to be seen.
For more news and information on the Dodgers, be sure to read True Blue LA.
The Los Angeles Dodgers need new leaders at the top, and if Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa had his way, he'd get someone from inside the city to do it. Dan Weikel of the Los Angeles Times filed this report.
He called current owner Frank McCourt's decision to sell the Dodgers a "new chapter."
"I'm looking forward to local ownership," Villaraigosa said. "I want the owner to be from Los Angeles. I want someone who loves this town and believes in this city."
It's funny that Villaraigosa would stand so hard for someone from his city when one of the potential bidders is his former boss. From the same article, check out one bidder for the Dodgers.
Southern California businessmen Ron Burkle, Alec Gores and Alan Casden also could be bidders. Burkle and Gores have ties to professional sports, and Casden pursued the Dodgers before McCourt bough the team.
If the name doesn't sound familiar, let me refresh your memory.
He befriended a few Assembly speakers who came later, among them Antonio Villaraigosa, who worked for Burkle during his brief time out of office before becoming Los Angeles mayor.
For more on the Dodgers and their potential ownership sale, go to True Blue LA.
As the Los Angeles Dodgers will soon search for its next owner, maybe it won't be Fox after all. From Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times:
Confirmed: Fox not interested in buying #Dodgers at this time..
Once more for emphasis, from Jon Weisman of Variety:
Fox confirms that it is not going to pursue a purchase of the Dodgers.
Carry on then. Carry on.
For more news and information on the Dodgers, be sure to read True Blue LA.
Now that Frank McCourt has reached a settlement with Major League Baseball to sell the Los Angeles Dodgers, it is open season to find the potential bidders for the team. The team is expected to fetch somewhere in the $1 billion range, which is nearly two and a half times the amount paid by McCourt in 2004. One of the new bidders could be an old bidder, Fox, who owned the Dodgers from 1998-2004.
"If it comes down to paying $3 billion for telecast rights or $1 billion for the team, the math may mean you buy the team," a person familiar with Fox's thinking told Steven Church of Bloomberg News. Darren Rovell of CNBC also thinks Fox could, and should be in play:
The reason Fox sold the Dodgers is that they thought buying TV rights were a better financial move. They were reportedly losing tens of millions of dollars managing the team. But now, that just might be the cost of doing business in a marketplace that is much more competitive than it was just seven years ago.
Fox currently has a television contract with the Dodgers that runs through 2013, so a new TV deal is of paramount importance to any new owner. It is also why any media companies, such as Time Warner, that would bid on the Dodgers TV rights would also potentially be interested in purchasing the team as well.
For more news and information on the Dodgers, be sure to read True Blue LA.
Los Angeles Dodgers owner and chairman Frank McCourt is close to securing a bankruptcy settlement with MLB that will allow the Dodgers to be sold. According to Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times, Mark Cuban displayed interest in buying the Dodgers months ago and could be a factor moving forward.
Cuban reportedly offered to buy the Dodgers several months ago but was deterred by McCourt's asking price of over $1 billion. Cuban, owner of the NBA's Dallas Mavericks, has a passionate interest in sports and is constantly looking to extend his sports ventures further. The $1 billion price tag, however, kept Cuban at bay at the time.
Now that the Dodgers may be sold, Cuban could once again become the franchise's new owner. In Cuban's words, "At the right price, I'm interested."
A settlement with MLB would give McCourt some control over the sale of the Dodgers. The sale would likely include Dodgers Stadium and the parking lots around the venue.
As part of the new SB Nation launch, prior users will need to choose a permanent username, along with a new password.
Your username will be used to login to SB Nation going forward.
Please login to your Vox Media account. This account will be linked to your previously existing Eater account.
As part of the new SB Nation launch, prior MT authors will need to choose a new username and password.
Your username will be used to login to SB Nation going forward.
We'll email you a reset link.
If you signed up using a 3rd party account like Facebook or Twitter, please login with it instead.
You must be a member of SB Nation Los Angeles to participate.
We have our own Community Guidelines at SB Nation Los Angeles. You should read them.
You must be a member of SB Nation Los Angeles to participate.
We have our own Community Guidelines at SB Nation Los Angeles. You should read them.
Choose an available username to complete sign up.
In order to provide our users with a better overall experience, we ask for more information from Facebook when using it to login so that we can learn more about our audience and provide you with the best possible experience. We do not store specific user data and the sharing of it is not required to login with Facebook.


text:
The Bizarre History of X-Ray Records and Early Music Piracy
The practice of printing music on x-ray sheets either started in Hungary or the Soviet Union, a matter of much debate. We wanted to find out more.
The practice of printing music on x-ray sheets either started in Hungary or the Soviet Union, a matter of much debate. We wanted to find out more.
Its design reminds me of the B-Wing but the gyroptère—or monocopter—is even weirder than the beloved starfighter from Star Wars.
A precursor to a proper piece of work published by Einstein and mathematician Willem de Sitter in 1932, this paper was a vital stepping-stone in his thinking.
Bacall was there at the dawn of radical, industry-reshaping technology, as she was the first actress to be projected using a new technique called CinemaScope.
Dinosaur 13 is a documentary that delves into the legal, scientific, cultural, and personal dramas that developed when a fossilised, almost fully intact, 65-million-year-old Tyrannosaurus Rex.
The story of the fireman's pole is one of innovation, but also one of tragedy.
Nail up your letterboxes.
Overestimating the Soviet's power meant that the US were convinced they'd be able to take out missile silos. Then came the arduous task of trying to hide them in idiotic places.
Fortunately, it didn't work.
This animated short by Nina Paley — in the tradition of the best Monty Python music skits — might not be an orthodox history lesson, but it's an accurate depiction of the horrible 6,000-year bloodshed in the region of Palestine, with dozens of tribes and nations fighting each other to claim ownership of that land.
It's not the messiah's mug.
It's like giant jigsaw, if the jigsaw was priceless and incredibly fragile.
This thing could shoot a barrage of flame up to 40 metres away.
The people at Found Footage have posted a clip from a '90s VHS on the art of cybersex. It is TERRIBLE.
We may be commemorating 100 years since Britain entered WWI, but the trenches live on in a quiet corner of Surrey.
The Man in the High Castle is going to be included in Amazon's latest set of TV pilots.


text:
November 21, 2011 – Sr. Florestine Audette and Michael Lucarelli
// November 21st, 2011 // Sacred Treasures
Sr. Florestine Audette from Canada, talks about the life of St. Claudine Thevenet, foundress of the Religous Sisters of Jesus and Mary.
Michael Lucarelli is a well-known artist from Utah. He is a performer, composer and recorder of CD's as a classical guitarist.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download


text:
As an interdisciplinary initiative of the University of Maine System, CenTRO involves and coordinates the efforts of faculty across numerous disciplines on all campuses in the state. It has grown out of the increased recognition of the economic, social and environmental impact of tourism in Maine and the importance of recreation to the quality of life in Maine. The value of tourism to Maine has resulted in the need for addressing tourism's complicated issues such as market analysis and promotion, land-use planning, geographic distribution, public-private cooperation, coastal and inland resource development as well as the integration of tourism with other community development strategies.
CenTRO Vision
CenTRO Mission
CenTRO Goals


text:
The owners of a dog who's been missing since mid-November are hoping a Saucon Valley information blitz planned for Saturday will help bring her home.
"Ruby the Lost Greyhound" has become something of a local Facebook phenomenon since she disappeared from her East Tioga Street, Allentown home on Nov. 13.
Since then she's been sighted in the area of Stabler Arena in Lower Saucon Township, which is where she was last seen on Dec. 16.
Ruby, a former racing dog, has a scar on her face and weighs about 50 pounds. She is white with a cropped tail, without tags, and a reward is being offered for her return.
Anyone who spots Ruby is asked not to chase her.
Tips can be called in by dialing 484-788-8580.
On Saturday, according to the Facebook page established to help find Ruby, volunteers will meet at the Water Street Park (Hellertown) playground at 10am before fanning out to post flyers and canvass neighborhoods.


text:
Sorry that we're a little late in getting this up. Truth be told, I wasn't able to be in Spartanburg yesterday, neither were any of the editorial staff. Instead, I'm relying on the words of a friend of mine who makes the pilgrimage to SC every July with his son. I just got done speaking to him from Spartanburg, and this is more or less who he told me.
- Cam Newton is taking snaps with both the 1st and 2nd team WRs, but much of his work was with the second team on Saturday. It's clear though from the way the players are acting they believe he'll start.
- On Newton: He looks extremely crisp, and passing mechanics are light years ahead of what we saw at Auburn or during the combine. It's clear that work in Florida paid off.
- Hard to tell whether it's the DBs lacking, or the receivers shining... but the WR corps made the DBs look very mediocre on Saturday
- MVP of practice yesterday was Armanti Edwards, he looks like a new player. You have to take it with a grain of salt because this is still unpadded work, but his hands are greatly, greatly improved.
- David Gettis looks faster this year than he did this time in 2010. It was tough to tell who was faster, Gettis or Smitty.
- Steve Smith looked in his element, and his happiness is easily apparent. My friend doesn't believe Smith looks like a man who is being forced to be here.
- Players who signed new contracts couldn't practice yesterday... so unfortunately we didn't get to see the QBs working with Greg Olsen.
- He described the energy as 'different' to past camps. Rivera is giving the players a little more leeway to show their personalities, but he's definitely not letting it get out of control. The players seem looser, and like they're having more fun. There's also a focused confidence that is easily recognizable.


text:
Browse these popular wedding categories:
Sort by: Show per page
- 19 items
Silk Cherry Blossom Petal Toss(2)2214
as low as $13.27/bag of 125 petals
as low as $11.24/bag of 125 petals
Sort by: Show per page
- 19 items
Related Products
Retro Lanterns Plantable Favor Tag
Give your wedding guests their own seeds of love to plant when you attach these eco friendly tags to your ...
Personalized Metallic Paper Petal Cones
Walk down the aisle amid a shower of glorious rose petals when you give guests these personalized petal cones. Simply ...
Color Paper Round LED Battery Lantern
Now your wedding can be as luminous as you when you decorate with these chic paper LED lanterns. These festive ...


text:
Contact details
Parkland course with commanding views of Donegal. 17 bay driving range (floodlit). Professional ...
Read more
We are continually looking to improve the experience on our website.
Please take part in our short survey, so we can make ireland.com a better place for everyone.
Ireland.com uses cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue without changing your settings, we'll assume that you are happy to receive all cookies from Ireland.com.
If you're a visitor from the island of Ireland you may want to visit one of these sites… Otherwise proceed to Ireland.com


text:
At some point, people like Joe just need to denounce these people and disown them, not go "people who talk like this make me sad."
At some point, people like Joe just need to denounce these people and disown them, not go "people who talk like this make me sad."
You're also missing some of the historical contexts. Almost every religion at the time of Abraham demanded sacrifices of children. A number of them would require the sacrifice of the first born. The point of the Abraham and Isaac story was that it ended the sacrifice of children.
Jesus actually follows a similar vein: His death, among other things, marked the end of the need to perform animal sacrifices.
If you're defining kids to mean those who need to learn a lesson, then, by definition, everyone is a kid. The question, really is, who is actually going to learn the lesson, and from what Rahm said, Obama has definitely learned. Based on the vote in the house, the Republicans have not.
The problem is Department of Education is not a great fit for Bill. He's a business person that was willing to learn a little bit about programming, but he's not really been about innovating, just charging less than the other person until he wins. I'm not sure if I would pick a technology company head to run the DOEd, but I wouldn't pick him.
I believe we need to hold our leaders unaccountable, but if there is one thing Democrats do exactly opposite of the Republicans, is believe our job is to criticize every detail if it doesn't match exactly what we want. Thus, we end up with a bunch of single-issue voters and nothing gets done. While I believe in holding them to the fire to think bold, there needs to be some understanding about what can be accomplished versus what might be ideal.
Jackson was in the crowd.
Remember all of those stories about royalty dressing up as common people so they could walk the streets and find out what people were doing and saying. If you ever hear someone call themselves Barry Soetoro...
"and Virginia show now signs of wavering"
should that read
"and Virginia show no signs of wavering"?
the first amendment. She can spew that all she wants, and Biden and Obama have the right to call bullshit and stop listening to her.
This question is just a variation on "When did you stop beating your wife?" How would Biden answer it? Give the 2 hour lecture necessary to explain what Socialism is so that he can then point out to the interviewer that she doesn't even know what she's asking?
If she had asked "Why do you think that Obama's statement of wealth redistribution is good?" it would have been a fair question to answer, but not the one she asked.
Then you can't use the Berlin Wall either. The Soviets killed millions of people in Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union through starvation and shooting.
yeah, but that pi is way too big. It should only be 3.
I don't mean to imply that people will switch. His endorsement will make veterans more comfortable with Obama.
My dad does not in any way support the Iraq war. He has thought it was wrong to go in since day one. But he also does not deal in absolutes. No one is perfect, and no situation is every cut and dry.
Powell is a Vietnam veteran medal winner. My dad, who is also a Vietnam veteran, who is voting for Obama in major part because he doesn't want McCain anywhere near the White House, thinks that Powell's endorsement is a major coup for Obama. This will play well with other veterans.
"Different challenges require different strengths. Obama has demonstrated a calm, thoughtful leadership style that fits this time and this challenge well."
When is there ever a time when the president should not have a calm, thoughtful leadership style?


text:
Idiot box apocalypse: Arranged marriages on CBS?
Posted at 1:17 PM Feb 03, 2009By Sharon Steel
The show introduces four adults age approximately 25-45 who are anxious to get married but have been unsuccessful in their search for a mate. Their friends and family select a spouse for them, and the newly paired couple exchange marital vows. The series follows their marriages.It sounds horrifying, but like Mandi Bierly over at EW's Popwatch blog, I'm already absolutely committed to watching this show once it finally airs. I have to understand what kind of person acquiesces to the double whammy of pre-selected spouse and cameras following the whole debacle. But here's the rub. The age rage starts at a fresh-faced 25?! Yes, indeedy, if you're not hitched by then, you're an old maid! A crotchety bachelor! And clearly a failure at life. Um, no.
The rest of the details for the project, whose early working title is "Arranged Marriage," are being kept under wraps.
Isn't that a little young to firmly believe you don't have a chance in hell of finding love on your own without some producers doing it for you?
Also, dudes, c'mon! Look at these stats!
[Hollywood Reporter]


text:
Today the Steelers cut Hines Ward. I believe they were the team with the most salary cap problems. Big Ben also retooled his contract to give them money to get under the cap. Cutting Ward saves the Steelers some money, and will help them to keep their young WRs. Ward has said that he wanted to stay with the Steelers and was willing to take a pay cut to make that happen. I guess the Steelers were not interested in keeping him even at a cheaper rate. Maybe cutting Ward will lead to resigning him at that cheaper rate in the long run.
Of course this is not a Steelers blog, it is a New York Giants blog. The Giants are going to lose Mario Manningham. He will be able to make more money, and get more playing time with some other team. It looks like Manningham will be one of the top free agent WRs available, and the Giants do not have enough salary cap space to keep him.
Even without Manningham the Giants have a good WR group. The top 2 WRs in Nicks and Cruz are both great. After those 2 guys the WRs are very untested. Barden has looked good at times, but the Giants have not had him on the field or even the active roster for important games. JJ has interesting skills, but has played little. Cruz is young and only has 1 season (admittedly great) in the NFL. Even Nicks is a young guy though he is the most experienced WR on the team.
This brings me to Ward. He is at the end of his career. He might not have much left in the tank at this time. However, if he wants to play and is reasonable in his salary expectations he could be good for the Giants. They could use a solid 3rd or 4th WR that can be counted on to run good shorter routes and make catches. He also seems to be the kind of guy that would be willing to help teach younger players rather then being concerned about his stats. Having a high character guy that can help make the younger WRs better could be a great thing for the Giants, if he doesn't cost to much of course.
What do you all think?


text:
Springfield police are asking for the public's help in a rash of break-ins in the neighborhood near Bay Street and Roosevelt Avenue.
Police are searching for the person who broke into a Haskin Street home on Christmas Eve and stole an Xbox, laptop and several other items.
Images of the suspect were captured on a home surveillance system.
The break-ins are mostly occurring at dusk and police say the person in the photos may be responsible for all of them.
They are asking people in that neighborhood to stay alert and keep an eye out for suspicious people.
Copyright 2014 WSHM (Meredith Corporation). All rights reserved.
208 DeBuys Road
Biloxi, MS 39531
(228) 896-1313
FCC Public File
EEO Report
Closed Captioning


text:
Please share our letter to Harry Reid to let him know how you think!
Harry Reid has forgotten what the framers of the Constitution had in mind. He has become so enamored with his power that for him, the means justifies the end.
Harry Reid is an idiot who has forgotten that We the People elected him. I don't know what state he is from but I am truly sorry for that state. I'm sure they are embarrassed to the hilt! I am certainly ashamed that he is even a congressman! I would call him a congresschicken! It's about time Americans Stopped the CRAP in DC! Get Ready Harry!!!
Delivered by FeedBurner
I AM THE TEA PARTY! @IamTheTeaParty
Powered by WordPress
Max Magazine Theme was created by


text:
Definition: 'Ara'
AraType: Symbol
1. Symbol for arabinose, or its mono- or diradical.
The information shown above for Ara is provided by Stedman's.
* Stedman's, part of Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, provide a comprehensive line of health-science publications for healthcare professionals and medical students.
Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2006 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. All rights reserved.


text:
The endorsement comes as Democrats Obama, Sen. Hillary Clinton and former Sen. John Edwards race to shore up support in advance of California's Feb. 5 primary. The Obama campaign also opened a campaign office on East Santa Clara Street in San Jose Monday.
Many national polls show Obama gaining ground on Clinton, who is well known in California. Both candidates are counting on women voters, who make up 58 percent of likely Democratic voters, to give them an edge in the Golden State.
"This year, above all, we need inspiration," said Lofgren in a prepared statement released this afternoon. "We need a candidate and president who will summon us to unity, who will allow us to believe that America is a country whose ideals and principles matter and a country whose exceptional history can once again serve as a beacon of hope for the world."
Lofgren said that her adult children, Sheila and John, urged her to support Obama.
"Their reaction to Barack Obama reminds me so very much of the reaction young people of the same age had to Bobby Kennedy during his run for President," Lofgren said. "Bobby Kennedy's opponents weren't bad or incompetent people. But they lacked the inspiration that the times required. So it is today."
"Sen. Clinton and I are both baby boomers. We've both got plenty left to contribute to our country in the United States Congress. But I'm happy now to share the limelight with the next generation. I'm glad that someone with Barack Obama's intelligence, leadership and character can be our next President. It's time for a change."
Contact Dana Hull at email@example.com or (408) 920-2706.


text: KHQ.COM - Power is restored in the area of Indiana & Monroe after witnesses say they heard some sort of explosion shortly before 5 p.m. Traffic lights suddenly stopped during the rush hour commute, no accidents have been reported. It's believed that a transformer blew in the area but we have yet to confirm that information. Look for updates here on KHQ.Com, KHQ, Facebook and our Twitter news feed.


text:
PRA: OFT fuel report missed 'prime opportunity'
The Petrol Retailers Association, that represents independent forecourt retailers in the UK, has criticised the Office of Fair Trading's decision to not proceed with a full market study into the UK retail fuels sector.
This was a prime opportunity, supported by considerable new information from our retailers, to tackle market manipulation of UK wholesale prices and retail prices by the big players.
The establishment has once again turned a blind eye to the need for a full Market Study which would have unmasked the market manipulators, provided proper transparency and helped our economic recovery.
– PRA Chairman Brian Madderson
How can the OFT, supported by Government, try and tell motorists and businesses that the market is working in the consumer's interests?


text:
Not a media trend, nor PC bullshit: female heroes and same-sex relationship options in gaming
"Of all the things you could talk to the developers about, of the sequel to possibly one of the most amazing RPG's created, and you chose gender equality? Not to downplay gender equality but, Penny Arcade, I am dissapoint. Fracking politics is infecting everything."
The above comment was posted to our story about Torment: Tides of Numenera, and I typed out a long response before deciding to simply write a longer article.
Why should gender equality and same-sex couples be an issue in role-playing games? That's actually a really good, and important question. This is an important subject, and worth exploring, especially when the developer brings up the issue of gender equality and how it fits into the game's world.
The whole thing really struck home to me because when I play a game, with rare exceptions, the hero looks like me. I'm a straight white guy. Video games are usually made for me, and demographically I'm guessing they feel like they're made for you as well. The problem is I've talked to so many people who tell me that they've played little to no games where the hero looks like them. When it happens, it's remarkable.
Gaming enjoys a diverse group of players in terms of gender, ethnicity, and sexual orientation, but we have heroes who are predominantly white, male, and straight. I don't see any problem with asking, since the idea of social norms changing over time was brought up, about the appearance of same-sex relationships in the game.
This isn't a "media trend," it's part of the reality that the world is changing, and same gender marriages, relationships, and families aren't rare, hidden, or anything to be ashamed of. Seeing that reality reflected in our games is a good thing, and self-funded indie games, especially role-playing games, are in a unique position to provide that sort of content for a very large population that isn't being served by most games.
Imagine growing up and only playing games where you see same-gender relationships. Nothing else. You would long for a game that reflected your own desires, reality, and experiences. I always think it's amusing when people say we beat this drum too hard, or that they're tired of this "politically correct bullshit." It usually tells me that there's a guy on the other end of the comments who doesn't really understand, or empathize with, what this situation is like for so many gamers. They don't see a problem, because they're taken care of. Games are aimed at them. The problem is how many people we leave out, and that doesn't have to be the case in games, especially in games like Torment.
There is another aspect to this discussion that's just as important, but we're actually working on a longer story about it soon, so I'll leave it be for now. I think it's shameful how behind video games are in this area, however. I miss the days when fantasy and science fiction pushed social boundaries, and instead we're faced with a video game industry that actively pushes developers to remove female heroes. Even Bioshock Infinite pushed Elizabeth, arguably the most interesting character in the game, to the back of the box. The front features, to the shock of no one, a white guy with a gun.
But this homogeny is why it was such a big deal when that modded version of Donkey Kong was created to allow the guy's daughter to play the hero. Because we so rarely see games where little girls get to play as someone who looks like them, and then do heroic things.
Creating reactive games that allow you to be male, female, straight, or gay is a good step to making games more welcoming to a larger audience, and being socially responsible. It doesn't even have to impact your game; if you don't want to see that content, don't go looking for it.
On the other hand, if you're worried that a man or a woman of the same gender might speak or interact with you with romantic intentions in a game's world, I can't stress this enough, and I hope you take it in the proper spirit: Get the fuck over yourself. If you're worried about unwanted sexual attention in your video games, ask some women how they feel in comic book stores, video game stores, or even just random bars. What you're scared of encountering in your entertainment is the daily reality of many, many people. If you're gay or transgender you can add the fear for your physical safety into those social interactions. If those interactions are something you only have to worry about in a video game, you have little to nothing to complain about.
The reason you've seen this issue pop up again and again is that games are getting better, and they're doing a better job of exploring more subjects. As that happens, it's natural to remark upon, and criticize, the industry's lack of care and outright hostility towards female players and characters, and LGBT issues.
This is a natural, and healthy, thing to write about and discuss, and that conversation will only get louder. If it bothers you, don't click on these articles. If you think it's not a problem, try to see things from the point of view of those who understand why it's a problem. And this is a problem, no matter how many people try to dismiss it by calling it politics. It's not. It's not even fairness. It's merely asking games to mirror the reality of people who play them, and to represent our world, with all its beautiful and messy diversity and the full spectrum of sexual orientations.


text:
Saying Goodbye to 2013: I'm Not Really Sad to See You Go!
"It's the emptiest and yet the fullest of all human messages: 'Good-bye."
― Kurt Vonnegut, Bluebeard
Living is a form of not being sure, not knowing what's next or how. The moment you know how, you begin to die a little. The artist never entirely knows. We guess. We may be wrong, but we take leap after leap in the dark.
-Agnes de Mille
Once every year
We look back. We look forward.
Ask, how did we do?
-New Year Haiku, Written by me
I love writing Haiku's. At a recent High School Girl's Retreat, we spent time writing haiku's about light and darkness. The small poems left a big impression on my heart. I'll be sharing those over the next few weeks.
I'll be honest (and I never want to be anything else with you), I'm not sad to say goodbye to 2013. Without a doubt, it was quite possibly one of the hardest years of my life (and I've had some hard ones, as I'm sure you have, too). I haven't written about a lot of it, because I just couldn't find the words or the energy to process the shadowy corners of my heart. One thing is certain: I made it through the valley and am now able to see the deep life lessons God had for me. Oh, I didn't have a clue at the time, because the dark was so dark, but now, as the light of hindsight begins to glow, I am seeing and hearing from God. He had work to do in my heart and in my life and for that, I am grateful. So, as I bid that deep, dark valley adieu, I am not sad. I am open and eager and expectant for 2014′s work to begin.
But, today, on the very first day of 2014, let me encourage you to take just a few minutes to haiku about your desires for this brand new year.
I'll get us started:
A clean slate awaits.
What will be written on it?
My heart seeks fresh starts.
-January 1, 2014
Goodbye to harsh winds
that tussled my heart and soul.
Leaving me breathless.
-An Ode to a Deep Valley
Hello soft breezes
that revive, renew, restore.
Leaving me hopeful.
-An Ode to Revival
Okay, grab a pen and paper. Please share your insightful haiku's with us. They are a powerful way of reflecting and envisioning. I am ready and waiting!
And remember, this is a no-judgement zone. I feel so much better after writing these little poetic messages. I bet you will, too!
4 Responses to "Saying Goodbye to 2013: I'm Not Really Sad to See You Go!"
Mildred Schoedler
Yes, you are REMARKABLE, with a Capital "R". How could any Mother Be more PROUD of a daughter than I am of you, and so much LOVE To go with it. Oh happy day for me to have you!!!!
Sent from my iPad
Oh sweet Momma!
Thank you for believing in me. We're saying goodbye to 2013 and
HELLO 2014! It's gonna be good. Make sure to write your HAIKU and share it
here! We are all waiting to read it.
2014 is here
Less fear, more faith
Less frantic, more fun
Less fuss, more love
Less laws, rules, "have to", more choose to
Jody, this is so insightful, so intentional.
I am writing this one in my journal for 2014.
Yes, Lord, lead us to the freedom that you gave your life for us to have.
Why do we become so entangled with fear, frantic, fuss?
Help us.
More, Jody, more! Thank you for sharing your heart with us.