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While defining the SF50 Vision personal jet program as the company's top priority, Cirrus president and CEO Brent Wouters yesterday told order holders that he did not know when the $1.72 million jet would enter service, based on the current funding levels.
AINalerts » January 28, 2010
Although pre-owned business aircraft sales are nowhere near the peaks of 18 months ago, the inventory of used aircraft is beginning to recede, according to statistics released by industry data provider Amstat.
In its latest Business Jet Update, UBS reports that last month's business jet activity was up approximately 5 percent over December 2008, marking the first year-over-year increase since mid-2007. With a seasonal adjustment, December's bizjet usage represents an approximately 3-percent increase from the previous month, and is now 22 percent above the low set last March.
Textron, the parent company of Cessna Aircraft and Bell Helicopter, announced fourth-quarter 2009 and end-of-year numbers this morning and the news was somber. Cessna's revenues for the fourth quarter 2009 dropped $642 million compared with the same period in 2008. Profits decreased $170 million and the order backlog fell 29 percent from the previous quarter, to $4.9 billion, primarily the result of cancellations.
In a conference call with analysts yesterday, General Dynamics president and CEO Jay Johnson summarized full-year and fourth-quarter results for the defense and aerospace manufacturing conglomerate. Overall, sales climbed 9.2 percent over 2008, to nearly $32 billion, "driven entirely by our defense businesses," he said. This growth was offset by a 6.2-percent decline in aerospace revenue during 2009 versus 2008.

subset: commoncrawl


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Wes McNair has been a friend to this magazine for nearly two decades, and was most recently our honored guest at the Aiken Taylor events honoring his mentor, Donald Hall. And now we've just heard that Governor LePage of Maine has appointed McNair to be Maine's Poet Laureate—an honor befitting this true poet of place. As Hall says, "Wes McNair is a New England poet, preserving the speech and character of a region intimately known. Because he is a true poet, his New England is unlimited." Apparently, McNair is not taking this laureateship lightly: "Our state needs something more than a ceremonial spokesman for poetry and literature. I will be an engaged and active laureate. At a time in our politics when the value of art itself seems to be in play, I intend to play harder." Through a long teaching career at Colby-Sawyer College, Colby College (who now has his papers), and the University of Maine at Farmington, where he started and directed the creative writing program, McNair has had a profound effect on countless readers and writers. He will continue this outreach as poet laureate, "by putting poetry directly into the laps and laptops of readers everywhere around us . . . we'll remind our fellow Mainers that poetry is not only for the special days of weddings, funerals, and commencements, but for every day of our lives." Given his recent invitation to read at the Library of Congress, it appears McNair's laureateship has already produced positive results. Click here to read his acceptance speech and more of his "itinerary" as the new conductor of the poetry train. Wesley McNair's new and selected, Lovers of the Lost, was published last year by David R. Godine publishers, and we are lucky to have some of his poetry in our current summer issue.
And just as a postscript, we'd like to remind our readers that around this time last year, another longtime contributor (and advisory editor), David Mason, was named Poet Laureate of Colorado. Maybe we should get a map for the office and start putting in thumbtacks!


text: I've collected a number of Cubs and Lugnuts bobbleheads over the years. Some look very much like the player. Some, not so much. And some are, well, bizarre. So how good are you at identifying bobbleheads? Below are 8 from my collection All are either current or former Cubs, or Cub farmhands. They are easier at the start and get progressively harder. #8 will require some real intuitive deduction. GOOD LUCK!


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Photos of the collapse
While NorthRonces.com rushed out with digital camera in hand, due to technical difficulties the photos are still inside the camera. Luckily the Torontoist has linked to a number of shots of the poor old thing just before she was cut up and scooped into a bin.
[NB: By "cut up" I refer to the fact that the owners had the large "R" from the centre of the marquee, as well as the two neon "Revue" signs from either side, cut out of the wreckage and set aside for possible future restoration. Hopefully, these pieces will serve in the reconstruction of the marquee as a whole.]


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Town Square
Streetwise: What does 2012 have in store?
Original post made on Jan 5, 2012
Read the full story here Web Link posted Thursday, January 5, 2012, 12:17 PM
on Jan 5, 2012 at 12:55 pm
Seeing the GOP clowns at the Iowa caucus, I am looking forward to a second Obama term ... Yeah!
on Jan 7, 2012 at 12:32 pm
Warrantless wiretaps continue
Guantanamo not shut down
Voted to allow indefinite detainment of U.S. citizens without trial
No leadership on climate change
Runaway pentagon spending
Bank bailouts, yet not a single banker charged in the financial meltdown
Overruled the EPA to raise ozone levels to 0.075 ppm (higher than Bush) which should result in 12,000 additional U.S. deaths annually
Undermined the solvency of Social Security Trust Fund by passing payroll tax cuts
Heath care reform that grants yet another costly entitlement but does nothing to reduce health care costs and is opposed by 60% of Americans
Extended the Bush tax cuts for the richest 0.01% of Americans
Rejected his own bi-partisan budget committee recommendations to restore fiscal sanity and offered no plan of his own
More than twice the number of immigrant deportations as Bush
Umm....yeah, what's not to like about Obama?
on Jan 7, 2012 at 4:33 pm
What's not to like about Obama?..... EVERYTHING!!!! The man is a socialist/communist who is taking our freedoms! He has outspent every president before him! Nothing he has done has been good for our country but everything he has done has been BAD for our country! He will stop at nothing until our once wonderful country has been destroyed! Another term with Obama mean the total destruction of this great country!


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"Northwest Montana Air Support"
The executive board of Flathead Emergency Aviation Resources is proud to announce the public launch of a new public safety organization based in the Flathead Valley. Flathead Emergency Aviation Resources (F.E.A.R) is a non-profit, volunteer organization which provides air support to emergency service providers in the greater northwest region of Montana. We provide trained and qualified pilots and crew members specific to the type of flight operations we are requested to conduct. The aircraft we fly, which include helicopters and airplanes, are either owned by members or leased on an hourly basis.
The primary purpose of our organization and the air support we provide is to save time and lives. We recognize that saving time and lives provides a life-changing benefit to our community, but also has a profound impact on law enforcement professionals, public safety volunteers, and public funding sources. The benefits of aviation fit naturally with emergency response. Reducing exposure equates to less risk for victims and rescuers, and saving time means less impact on budgets or time spent away from loved ones. Our overhead visibility increases probability of detection while assuring those on the ground that help is on the way.
Sheriff's offices in Montana have been using government, chartered, and medical aircraft for many years to support law enforcement and/or search and rescue operations. Utilization has been limited by cost and availability and, for the same reason, has rarely been included in the planning phase for natural disasters, tactical operations, or search and rescue incidents. Since 2008, F.E.A.R has been informally changing this perception by sharing the skills, experience, and resources required to conduct aerial public safety operations.
Aircraft ownership and the associated training, maintenance, and storage are expensive – especially specific to emergency operations. We believe the expense is worth the benefit, and we are certain there are community members willing to share the expenses our aircraft owners, pilots, and crew have been incurring. F.E.A.R is an approved 501c3 tax-exempt organization with a vision for the future. We are proud to partner with our fellow emergency responders in serving our friends and neighbors with new technology and resources. Our members and supporters choose to embrace the fear any of us could experience, directly or indirectly, when tragedy strikes by expediting the response of personnel and equipment.


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I've heard the single game general tickets go on sale this Thursday, so before I buy, just wondering where the real fans are planning on sitting?
Lets take over this shit and dominate the Miami fish!
We need to show London the best fans in the world are in town and create the best atmosphere the NFL UK has seen.
Also, but perhaps to soon , but where's everyone planning on staying for the weekend?
Any rumours whos travelling across the pond ?


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Ellsbury back to leadoff, Youk scratched
Outfielder at No. 1 after first baseman's weight-lifting injury
CHICAGO -- With Jacoby Ellsbury swinging a hot bat again, it had become an almost daily question to manager Terry Francona: When will Ellsbury reclaim the leadoff spot?
As it turns out, Francona proved prophetic with the way he answered Saturday's pregame inquiry.
"Sometimes those decisions -- somebody pulls a hammy, and all of a sudden, a decision gets made," the manager had said.
And a day later? Francona had Ellsbury penciled into the seventh spot in the order. But two hours before Sunday's game started, Kevin Youkilis was scratched with an impingement of his left shoulder.
Francona than reshuffled his lineup, with Ellsbury leading off for the first time since July 25, J.D. Drew moving into the cleanup spot for the first time this season, and Sean Casey filling in for Youkilis at first base and batting seventh.
The Red Sox hope Youkilis can return to the lineup on Monday night, when the White Sox send left-hander John Danks to the mound.
Youkilis suffered the injury three or four days ago lifting weights.
"He's got, just a little impingement. He did it lifting," Francona said. "He felt it for the last three or four days. With the lefty going tomorrow, I think we get him out of there today and get him back in tomorrow. He swung the bat good last night. It's just bothering him a little bit."
The timing was opportune for Ellsbury to go back to the top. In his previous three games, he had gone 8-for-12 with two homers.
Drew led off the first five games of this road trip, but Francona said all along that was just a temporary thing until Ellsbury could regain his groove.
Ian Browne is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


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Where: Saranac Lake Free Library, Saranac Lake, NY
Saranac Lake Free Library109 Main Street, Saranac Lake, NY
Phone: (518) 891-4190
Website: http://www.saranaclakelibrary.org/
Burdette Parks and fellow travelers will present a slide show and talk about their trip in Peru from Lima to Machu Picchu. The program is free and open to the public.
For more info:
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com


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Girls' Shoes: 10 Totally In-Style Looks for Her Feet
See what girls' shoes she'll be begging for this year. Keep her feet looking picture perfect in these great girls' shoes. The hottest kids' shoes this year include knee-high boots, glitzy loafers, classic tennies and more.
Shoes for Boys: Stylish Boys' Shoes
Uggs for Girls and Boys: Kids' Shoes by Uggs
If you think Uggs come in only 1 design, then you should read on because Uggs offer lots of fashionable looks. Their traditional boot might have been last year's biggest must-have, but the quality and practicality of their products make Uggs a fashion staple.
The Best Toddler Shoes: Innovative Shoes for Preschoolers
The best toddler shoes are flexible, comfortable, provide excellent support, are well constructed and are cute to boot. That's a lot to ask for in a little toddler shoe, but I've found 6 awesome pairs of kids' shoes for toddlers that you have to see.
Uggs and Ugg Inspired Kids' Boots: Shearling Boots for Kids-The Look for Less
Fun Kids' Rain Boots for Girls and Boys
Perfect for puddling jumping, kids' rain boots keep litle feet dry in style. This year, kids' rain boots are more popular than ever and come in an array of fun colors and designs that kids and parents adore. So go ahead, tuck their jeans into their rain boots and let them puddle-jump all the way to school.


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Senior Loan Team Raises $1 Billion in 30 Days
Over the past 30 days, the Senior Loan Team has booked 3 transactions that raised over $1 billion in new assets.
• $150 million investment by ING Life of Japan into the ING (L) Flex – Senior Loans SICAV
• $475 million closed-end fund in Canada, the largest such offering this year and the largest ever by our partner, Connor, Clark & Lunn Capital Markets, Inc.
• $409 million CLO underwritten by Credit Suisse
At the end of May, ING Life of Japan invested $150 million in the ING (L) Flex - Senior Loans Luxembourg SICAV. This was the first investment in a newly created Yen-hedged share class. The fund now offers hedged share classes in 5 different currencies in addition to shares in its Euro base currency. Those additional classes are denominated in: USD, YEN, GBP, NOK and SGD. "We are very gratified by the confidence that our affiliate, ING Life of Japan, has shown in our team and our strategy" said Jeff Bakalar, Group Head of the Senior Loan Group. "We are looking forward to building on this success to raise more assets from Asia and Japan in particular."
On June 17, 2011, ING Floating Rate Senior Loan Fund became the newest listed closed-end fund on the Toronto Stock Exchange. Trading under the symbols ISL-U and ISL-UN, the fund raised over $300 million in equity capital and will be leveraged up to a total of approximately $475 million. As noted above, this was the largest closed-end fund placement in Canada so far this year. "This fund marks our team's first foray into Canada, and we are delighted to have partnered with Connor, Clark & Lunn to provide Canadian investors a fund with the performance and diversification benefits of the senior loan asset class," said Dan Norman, Group Head of the Senior Loan Group. "This will be our second listed closed-end fund, along with Prime Rate Trust."
Finally, on June 22, 2011, the Senior Loan team launched its latest CLO named ING IM CLO 2011-1, Ltd. With a total capital raise of $407 million, this is the ninth CLO managed by the Senior Loans team, making it one of the largest and most successful CLO managers in the country. ING partnered with Credit Suisse to bring this transaction to market, and achieved a very favorable placement, with AAA spreads, for example, at only L+125, one of the most efficient placements in the market today.
"The reopening of channels like closed-end funds and CLOs, together with continued emphasis on institutional and retail funds, gives ING a diversified base for our senior loan business leading toward the IPO" said Mark Weber, Executive Vice President and Head of Investment Solutions for IIM. "The ING Senior Loan Team has developed a broad range of senior loan products for institutional and retail investors, and enjoys an enviable market position that will benefit ING now and in the future."


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Noticing some fair-haired children in the slave market one morning, Pope Gregory, the memorable pope, said (in Latin), "What are those?" and on being told that they were Angels, made the memorable joke — "Non Angli, sed Angeli" ("not Angels, but Anglicans") and commanded one of his saints called St Augustine to go and convert the rest.
W.C. Sellar and R.J. Yeatman, 1066 and All That (1930)
The Durham Herald-Sun reports on celebrations of a local woman who has been made a saint by the Episcopal Church.
Is that right? Do Episcopalians have their own saints?
No they do not. While the events recounted in the story are correct, the reporter has muddled her terminology, using Catholic language to describe a Protestant phenomenon.
The lede sentence of the story entitled "Pauli Murray celebrated as saint at annual service" states:
The Rev. Pauli Murray, the Durham-raised woman who went on to become the first African-American female Episcopal priest and was made a saint by The Episcopal Church in 2012, was celebrated July 1 at an annual service held at St. Titus' Episcopal Church in Durham.
The article recounts the sermon given at the service. The details of her life show Murray to have been an exemplary, worthy individual — perhaps even a saint in colloquial language. But the article asserts that she was not that sort of saint but an individual "made a saint" by the Episcopal Church in 2012.
I understand what the reporter is trying to say, but her infelicitous language will confuse all but the most devoted Anglican observer. The Episcopal Church has no power to make her, or anyone a saint. Nor do the Catholics or Orthodox "make" saints — they recognize them, canonize them, but God alone makes them.
Is Pauli Murray a saint? Yes and No.
She is a hero of the church who in 2012 was added to the sanctoral calendar of the Episcopal Church and whose day of commemoration is July 1. The church's sanctoral calendar in the beginning of the Book of Common Prayer lists the feast days and commemorations of the saints and heroes of the church — but notice only some individuals are called saints: Mary, Joseph, Peter, Paul, Matthias, Bartholomew, Matthew, Michael, Luke, James, Simon, Jude, Andrew, Thomas, Stephen and John.
All others are identified by titles such as priest, missionary or theologian. The only people called saints are New Testament figures. Episcopal Churches are often named after saints from the post-Biblical age (St. Augustine and so forth), and those individuals identified by the universal church as saints are often called saints. But Anglicans have not created their own saints since the Reformation, with but one local and much disputed exception: King Charles I (St. Charles the Martyr).
What is the difference between a hero of the church and a saint? The answer is theological. Blame Calvin for this. The lyrics of the hymn "I Sing a Song of the Saints of God" spells out the Episcopal/Reformed view. Thus, worshippers sing:


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Promsvyazbank ('PSB'), one of Russia's largest privately owned banks, today announced the completion of the sale of 14.37% of PSB's ordinary share capital by Commerzbank Auslandsbanken Holding AG (Germany) to the Bank's majority shareholder, Promsvyaz Capital B.V. The transaction was closed on 18 June, 2012 and has already been approved by regulatory authorities.
The sale of shares by the subsidiary of German banking group, Commerzbank AG, will result in PSB Capital B.V.'s share of the bank's equity capital increasing to 88.25%. The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development's 11.75% stake in the bank will remain unchanged.
Commerzbank has been a core shareholder in PSB since 2006. In January 2012, it announced its intention to exercise a previously agreed put option with Promsvyaz Capital B.V.
Commenting on the announcement, Artem Konstandian, President of PSB, said, 'We have enjoyed a solid and mutually beneficial partnership with Commerzbank since it first invested in our bank in 2006. Since then we have grown strongly, increasing total assets almost threefold to $17.5 billion by the end of 2011. Our branch network has risen from 186 points of sale in 2006 to 290 now. And total net loans to customers rose from $4.4 billion at the end of 2006 to over $12.3 billion at the end of 2011.
'While Commerzbank is no longer a shareholder, we will continue to maintain our strong relationship with them.Ó
PSB's majority shareholder, Promsvyaz Capital B.V., is a diversified conglomerate with investments in various sectors of the Russian economy. Founded in 1992, the Group operates as a private equity fund investing in financial services, media, system integration and real estate.
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has been a shareholder in PSB since 2010. EBRD is an international financial institution that supports projects in 29 countries from central Europe to central Asia. The Bank invests mainly in private enterprises, provides project financing for banks and corporate, both new ventures and existing companies. It also works with publicly-owned companies to support privatization, restructuring of state-owned firms and improvement of municipal services. EBRD is owned by 63 countries and two intergovernmental institutions.


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Without a doubt CRM systems improve a company's customer services levels and generally contribute to improving time management, profitability and how successful a business is. However, if you have had CRM software installed on your company computers for a while, then there is a good possibility that you and your employees are not using the best CRM practices. This in turn means that your CRM system is being under utilized and not working to its full potential. The following is a list of the top 7 best CRM practices for 2013 to make sure that your company starts the New Year as it means to go on.
- The main thing you need to get the best CRM is up-to-date data. It is widely believed that data deteriorates at a rate of 25% each year, which means that if you do not regularly clear out old information then it will be clogging your CRM system and affecting your reports. Divide your customer base between yourself and your employees and have a really good clear out of old information and data.
- Even with a well working CRM system many companies are still relying on other programs to create reports. This is definitely not one of the best CRM practices. CRM systems use every scrap of data to create in-depth reports, so make sure that the reports your company are using are those you create through your CRM system.
- Talk to the people that use your CRM system on a regular basis and find out what is working and what is not. Ensure that people are comfortable with using the system and arrange refresher training for anyone who needs it so that they all carry out the best CRM practices.
- Social networking is a big part of peoples everyday lives whether for personal or business reasons. Use your CRM systems to follow your clients on the various social networks to understand them better and see if you can find a way to use what you find out to sell better.
- Despite having CRM systems in place, many companies still waste money will bulk mail shots. One of the best CRM practices to stick to is to allow it to generate marketing related reports and arrange targeted marketing campaigns. This will not only save your company money and time, it will improve the success rate of your promotions as you will be targeting people who are more likely to buy what you are selling.
- It is very easy to forget the sheer amount of tasks that a good CRM system can do for you. Look again at what your software is capable of and automate any tedious repetitive tasks that your employees have to carry out. This will free up their time, which can be used on tasks that are more profitable.
Identify any employees who are not using the CRM system and ask them why. Even if their job means that they do not have to use the system, there may be functions that may help them in their tasks. It is also among the best CRM practices to have every member of staff able to work your CRM system in case they need to help out in another department or want to apply for promotion.
George Davidson have a lot of experience using the best CRM (Melhor CRM is the term in Portuguese) systems and he is happy to share his knowledge with you.
Follow Us


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Erie police Tuesday are investigating a couple of bank robberies, that happened within moments of each other in the afternoon.
The first one happened around 3:18 Tuesday afternoon at the PNC Bank in the 1900 block of East 38th Street. They're looking for a white man, dressed in all black and wearing a ski mask, who held up the bank. Witnesses near the scene say they saw a man fitting that description take off on foot and then get into a car.
Now eight minutes later, at 3:26 PM, police got a call about the First Niagara Bank in the 700 block of East Avenue. Its about 30 blocks away from the first robbery.
In that reported holdup, a Hispanic male, wearing a green goodie and a mohawk hat, got away with an undisclosed amount of cash. He was last seen heading south on East Avenue. Police say there was a gun at this scene.
Right now, they are investigating the possibility that these are related, right now, they cannot confirm that. They are investigating surveillance video and they tell us they are hopeful they can catch these suspects.
We will of course bring you the latest on this developing story as the details do come in.


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May 2, 2003
Robins Air Force Base- Hug, kisses and warm embraces at Robins Air Force Base as members of the 116th Air Control Wing came home.
Dorene McElwain and her children almost couldn't stand the excitement as her husband, Major Darryl McElwain's plane arrived. When McElwain and his fellow airmen walked off the plane, his family's wishes came true.
After a few embraces, Major McElwain received the kiss he's missed for the last four months. McElwain says he's proud his mission is completed, and now he has one main goal.
He adds, "I just want to leave and get off the base and go home." Nikki Smith and her newly born son, Jett, rushed to greet the man in their lives, Second Lt. Eric Smith.
Nikki says, " I didn't think he would be home so soon." This is the first time Eric has seen son. Eric Smith adds, "It's been tough, but it's probably been tougher on them."
All of these families say they have something to grateful for the ones close to their hearts stepped in harm's way and lived to experience a homecoming they will never forget.
The 116th Air Control Wing maintained aircraft used in Operation Iraqi Freedom. They also used high tech radar systems to guide ground troops as they pushed forward during the war.
Posted at 10:00PM by email@example.com
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Bellator 97 fight videos – Ben Askren vs Andrey Koreshkov bout took place on 07/31/2013 in the Santa Ana Star Center, Rio Rancho, New Mexico, United States.
I had just woken up, and that fight made me fall asleep again.
Not a whole lot different than what GSP does……except GSP would still be on top of him right now.
I have to say… Ben is an awesome grappler.
That was not even close. He did finish.
Gsp is way more exciting,you are blind buddy. Ben is boring. I can't wait til he fights someone decent,he will get destroyed. Best fighter in the world? Yea right. Arrogant douche
While the sub attempts seemed half commited and more so keeping his prioirty on position if Koreshkov escapes, I dont even think GSP would have gone for subs at all. esp not a guillotine where he has to give up bottom like Askren did in round 1.
This was my first time seeing a Bellator fight; I conclude that Bellator is the WNBA of MMA.
The fight should have been titled:
High School Wrestler vs. Kid who is tough when he's surrounded by his friends but turtles up when it's one on one.
Does Asscram train ground and pound with Pee Wee Herman? The only thing his punches may have done was pop some zits on Andy's face.
I think this fight would be better posted on a gay website (if not already).
Now can someone tell me how to get the last 20 minutes of my life back?
Got no time to watch boring turd!!! just commenting because his lame ass sucks! zzzzzzzzzz………….
@JSAMUI -This was the first Bellator fight you've seen? You're not qualified to even give an opinion. You watched 1 fight out of the hundreds and now you know all about it. Way to discredit any statement you've made.
I'm not a fan of wrestlers that don't have submission skills like Askren, however last night was far from lay n pray. Ben continued to transition, but he really needs to work on subs. He wasn't even putting the guillotine on correctly.
askren is the man, he would wreck gsp easily
OK…so he did finish this one…but Ben Askren is the Jon Fitch of Bellator. A good wrestler who wins fights and puts fans to sleep in the process.
This one was a snoozer.
Poor Russian announcers desperately waiting for anything to get excited about.
Can Askern finish anyone? He totally dominated the guy but showed no ground and pound and didn't go for subs. It was all hold the guy down and pitty pat him.
Damn wrestlers.
@ Marvelous – Wreck GSP in what exactly? Knitting? Pilates?
are you guys blind? askren went for multiple subs in the first round, he pulled guard and went for sub like 1:45 into fight. at least askren moves and advances position unlike fitch/gsp. also askren can finish unlike gsp.
4th round finish guys tko. 2 in a row!
jdogg- askren can take punch, gsp doesnt hit hard. askren out-wrestle gsp all day. usa > canada
Im sorry but this guy would never last in the UFC. HE IS BORING AS HELL. Cant believe some of you morons are putting him in the same sentence as the UFC. Ridiculous.
Yeah but the difference is GSP is not fighting nobodies in Bellator…
He finished his last two opponents…
Put GSP against nobodies like Koreshkov and he will finish them too.
Askren was the cat and koreshkov was the mouse… If you're going to fight Askren best to brush up on some takedown defense.
perfect way of screwing up a fight. how can this guy have any pride of a win like this? god it was boring. his little punches couldn't hurt a fly lol he literally won by grabbing the guy the whole time.
I bet if Dana even hears Ben's name he would be like.. Uh? Ben Who? What does he do?.. Who is that?
Hi Licks, thanks for the comment. Please don't get too riled up about people's opinions. I just think that if Askren represents the top of his division, then it's a pretty sad situation for Bellator. You're right though, I should watch more fighters from this league. But I think we can all agree that the best talent is in the UFC. By the way, I'm glad to see you agree that Askren is not very impressive as a Champion and has a lot of work to do.
Take it EZ bro!!!


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Baby Falls Onto Train Tracks, Escapes Death [VIDEO]
A baby in stroller a fell onto train tracks in Philadelphia as an oncoming train was only moments away. Her mother rushed to rescue her as a train approached. As the mother of the 14-month old girl rushed to rescue her, bystanders alerted transport officials. The woman jumped down onto the tracks and lifted her daughter back up to the platform.


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I grew up around the Colorado Football program. For as long as I can remember, it has been an organization rich with tradition, pride, and excellence.
I will never forget pacing my living room as a ten year old on September 24th,1994, witnessing the nail-biting moment that we now all refer to today as the "Miracle In Michigan".
I was at Folsom Field in 1994 when CU hosted Iowa State: the day Rashaan Salaam rushed for over 2,000 yards that would eventually lead him to his Heisman Award later that same season. The image of that packed stadium, pulsing with energy as fans waved thousands of bright gold signs with 2,000 emblazoned in bold, black numbers will be forever ingrained in my memory.
I was on the sidelines in November, 2001 when the scoreboard reflected the 62-36 victory over Nebraska; overcome with emotion as fans and players alike rushed the field. To this day, a win has yet to feel as satisfying as it did that cold Friday night under the bright lights.
I went to every CU Bowl game from 1998-2004, and watched the Buffs win almost all of them.
I remember sitting in that team auditorium growing up, silent and wide-eyed as Coach McCartney, Coach Neuheisel, and eventually Coach Barnett lead the team in a speech and group prayer post-game, every game-win or lose, and always finishing by singing the fight song together as a team. Back then, the walls of the Dal Ward were covered with everything that made the program great: the "Wall of Big Wins", Coach McCartney's infamous quote, "The pride and tradition of the Colorado Buffaloes will not be entrusted to the timid or the weak" and the picture of Coach McMahon, which hung as a precious reminder and inspiration to all who knew him, of just how much courage and strength it took to battle cancer while leading a football team through a grueling yet winning season.
It was never a question that I would one day be a Colorado Buffalo myself; just to share that indescribable connection of being a part of a dynasty without ever taking a snap on that field. THOSE were traditions. THAT was Colorado Football. Sure, the culture and dynamics are bound to change a little each season with every new coach and athlete that leaves their individual mark on the program, but the foundation that this organization was built upon stayed the same, and that is why we were great. That was why I bled black and gold.
Those days, Colorado Football had a steady, strong heartbeat. Today, it barely has a pulse. The walls have been repainted; wise words that players used to abide by are now covered by a meaningless "scorecard", and pictures of former heroes and leaders of our once elite football program have been taken down from their rightful places throughout the office and team meeting rooms. "The Wall" boasts no victories of "big wins" over the last 4 seasons. Football, as CU fans had grown so accustomed to cherishing and supporting has ceased to exist in Boulder.
Dan Hawkins, although he acquired this program with the best of intentions, has led this team so far from the fundamentals it was built upon that it is longer recognizable. When one Buffalo strays from the herd, its chances of survival are slim to none; which is eerily prevalent as Dan Hawkins demonstrates on a much larger scale while he stampedes this team so far from its roots and tradition that it now faces unavoidable defeat. Instead of taking accountability for a losing season and letting us know how he intends to turn these losses around, he is holding press conferences and reading aloud letters from former Boise State players and friends about how he builds "great character" in young men, and all these losses can be accredited to nothing more than a bad hotel stay in an opposing team's home town.... and their loud fans. The fault is not with our talented young athletes, their character, or the team travel, rather with the lack of leadership of Dan Hawkins and his undeniable inability to comprehend how to not only recognize and harness those raw skills in each individual, but also motivate and inspire each individual, and ultimately convert that talent and drive to one cohesive success on the football field so their greater efforts comprise a team that is capable of excelling at the D-1 level. I'm not ignoring the success he had at Boise State, but this is Big 12 football; or at least it used to be.
It's time to reestablish the program that Boulder was always known for and get Colorado Football back to its traditions. Bring in Jon Embree as our head coach; a decision that should have originally been made when we interviewed him the first time after Gary Barnett left. Jon is a former Colorado Buffalo, both as a record-setting player and prestigious coach who still has successful players in the NFL today because of what he instilled in them while they took the field in Buffaloes jerseys as his players. He understands as well as anyone why that program produced such great athletes and successful young men because he lived it for so long and worked with only the best. It was coach Mac who saw something in Jon and brought him on staff; taught him the true meaning of what it was to be a part of Colorado Football, and how to mentor and coach young men to be their personal best, both on the field and off. Let's give all this fresh young talent at CU the chance they deserve at success; both in the college, and eventually, the pro levels. NFL Draft Day can be something Colorado fans can look forward to again. Right now we are robbing these athletes of the head coaching they deserve to have a winning program, and more importantly of the pride they should feel while donning a Colorado jersey because of what it used to mean to be called a Buffalo.
University of Colorado Alum
Class of 2005


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In this hilarious collection of observations, Cosby brings us more of his wonderful and wacky insights into the human condition that are sure to become classics. In the tradition of Fat Albert, I DIDN'T ASK TO BE BORN offers a host of new characters, including Peanut Armhouse and Old Mother Harold. Not since Mushmouth, Dumb Donald, Bucky and the Cosby Kids has there been such a memorable cast.
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Life Skills students have opportunity to succed at "Challenge Day"
OLATHE, Kan. - Some special needs students in Johnson County got the chance to have some hands on fun outside of the classroom on Thursday.
It was the second "Challenge Day" hosted by MidAmerica Nazarene University. The event brings life skills students from the Olathe School District to campus to enjoy some fun activities.
The games are similar to activities in the Special Olympics, and each station is manned by the MNU student. Many of the college students helping at the event are in the school's sports management program or in the adaptive physical education class.
The high school teachers who bring their students say this is a great opportunity for their kids to have fun with their fellow classmates from other schools. It also gives the students a chance to see each other succeed.


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Lathria: Meaning, Popularity, Origin of Baby Name Lathria
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Greek, Princess Lathria of Cleonae, daughter of Heraclide & Thersander King of Cleonae,twin sister to Princess Anaxandra, & married to twin king of Sparta; Eurysthenes.
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The headline to ESPN's article reads, "Trade allows Hornets, Rockets to keep up with West shakers" (http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=3256599 ).
The Hornets had a good thing going. Why would Bonzi Wells be added to any roster where there's a possibility for success? Well, according to Hornets general manager Jeff Bower (via ESPN article):
"We wanted to add a little bit of presence on our bench in the form of players who could give us some scoring punch," Hornets general manager Jeff Bower said. "This trade dramatically improves our team by giving us proven veteran scorers at the backup guard and swing positions."
I agree with Jeff Bower in terms of the "scoring punch." Bonzi will both score and throw some punches. Then I love the second half of the quote where he says "dramatically improves our team"... Bonzi wells 'dramatically' improving a team? Bowers is right to use the adjectives scoring, punch, and drama (from dramatically), but the word improve doesn't at all fit with Wells. Bonzi Wells will score, punch and add a lot of drama, but this guy is sour grapes for any team.
I feel bad for not only the Hornets, but the fans now also, that they have to put up with someone like Bonzi. I think Houston's Rick Adelman didn't tolerate Bonzi for a second, and thus shipped him out. This deal is a steal for the Rockets. If anything, it allows them to keep up with the "West shakers"... Houston possibly now has enough solid chemistry to make a run at the conference playoff finals, pending health.


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Karim El Defrawy, Gene Tsudik, "ALARM: Anonymous Location-Aided Routing in Suspicious MANETs," IEEE Transactions on Mobile Computing, vol. 10, no. 9, pp. 1345-1358, September, 2011.
@article{ 10.1109/TMC.2010.256,
author = {Karim El Defrawy and Gene Tsudik},
title = {ALARM: Anonymous Location-Aided Routing in Suspicious MANETs},
journal ={IEEE Transactions on Mobile Computing},
volume = {10},
number = {9},
issn = {1536-1233},
year = {2011},
pages = {1345-1358},
doi = {http://doi.ieeecomputersociety.org/10.1109/TMC.2010.256},
publisher = {IEEE Computer Society},
address = {Los Alamitos, CA, USA},
RefWorks Procite/RefMan/Endnote
JO - IEEE Transactions on Mobile Computing
TI - ALARM: Anonymous Location-Aided Routing in Suspicious MANETs
A1 - Karim El Defrawy,
A1 - Gene Tsudik,
KW - Privacy
KW - communication system security
KW - communication system routing
KW - mobile communication
KW - location-based communication
KW - military communication.
JA - IEEE Transactions on Mobile Computing
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Well, here we are again, patienly waiting and wanting for our beloved Capitals head office to play another round of "Let's Make a Deal" with the rest of the league. As much as we may respect, loathe, admire, or want to bodily injur GM GM due to his head-scratchers (to be read: Poti extension) and heart-warmers (Hendricks), George McPhee is indeed one of the most well regarded and heavily feared General Managers in the league.
However, as we have waited and watched for weeks as Brain Burke made a deal with the devil (Peter Chiarelli), Ray Shero do his best to offset the single most amazing and karmic injury-induced winter plunges a Team has experienced, we Washington fans have been waiting on pins and needles... and for what? Thus far, 2 more years for a 4th liner having a career year. Yippety-skippety.
So what are your predictions for the Monday, February 28th trade deadline? Are the Caps brass being patient predators circling around that amazing kill, or will we be much like last year the ugly girl who gets left behind at the prom? A fan poll and color commentary (yours) after the jump.
I would be remiss, however, not to mention Mr. McPhee's clairvoiyent Flash-Hannon trade that helped eventually spur a 0.2 Goals Allowed per Game reduction. However, in the words of the timeless and infinitely wise Janet Jackson, "what have you done for me lately?"
We all seem to have the sense that he's working something up his sleeve. He's gone on record, even in the midst of our 8-game losing streak, that our goaltending hasn't been a problem he's not moving our 22-year old netminders. And with Green returning and Hannon finally settling into form, our D has more or less sorted itself out for now.
So, doing a little group therapy we realize that Marcus Johansson was a NHL second-line center failure as predicted by those that witnessed his development best. And, my friends, when you're putting up 0.35 points per game when your own General Manager stated you were "ahead of Backstrom's [development]" at one point this season yet no where near his 0.84 points per game his freshman debut, that is in fact the definition of a failure. Especially when only 8, yest that's right, EIGHT of those 17 points have been assists. (I only didn't go after Perrault here because his fiesty 0.41 points per game are a tremendous improvement over last year's numbers and given he averages 2'05" less ice time per game than Marcus, he gets a pass.) This leaves us with the elephant in the room, the oft-discussed 2C position.
Like it or hate it the above aren't even third-liner numbers so we must logically turn our efforts towards who we would want to address that clear and immediate playoff need. Limiting our sample size to the slim pickings you find in the Eastern Conference, please weigh in on the poll below and tell us what you'd be willing to offer up (including MJ90 himself) to obtain said player.


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Jlern Design : Plymouth Meeting, PA
November 2002 – Present
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I have taken on a range of freelance projects for clients across the country. Each project has been worked on by myself only. Projects involve working on a personal level with clients to develop a creative strategy and taking the desired direction all the way to completion.
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August 1999 – May 2003
Bachelor of fine arts in visual communications / may 2003
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London / summer 2002
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Apple's announcement of Mountain Lion included many promised new features, including a stronger focus on the Mac App Store than ever before. Two significant new features, iCloud document syncing and Notification Center, are only accessible to App Store apps, and the new Gatekeeper security tool will include a setting to lock a Mac down so it can only run software purchased from the App Store.
All this has (probably inevitably) got people wondering if this is the first step towards a version of OS X that will only run programs from the App Store — a world where indie developers who cannot or will not use the App Store as their distribution platform will be frozen out altogether.
I think that's an unlikely end state (making my headline fully Betteridge compliant), and so do some prominent indie developers, but I also think the issue is worth examining.
A brief recap of the App Store
When Apple added the App Store to iOS in 2008, it was a revolution in more ways than one. For the first time, we had a major general-purpose computing platform where software developers could not freely distribute their work to a wide audience; a platform where users could only purchase and download approved programs from a central, controlling authority. This wasn't a new idea — gaming consoles have been using this "walled garden" model since the earliest Atari and Mattel consoles — but it's the first time it had been applied to a device that some might consider a successor to the personal computer. So powerful and successful was this idea that we had to invent neologisms — "jailbreak", "sideload" — to describe processes that we had taken utterly for granted for the first thirty-five years of personal computing.
Now, I'm not suggesting that the App Store is bad. Although it undeniably introduces new restrictions on how we use our expensive devices, the upside is a frictionless user experience for discovering, installing, upgrading, and uninstalling apps that had never been seen before outside of console gaming. Coupled with Apple's economically viable micropayments infrastructure, this spawned a sprawling "appconomy." Hundreds of millions of users spending billions of dollars on apps from millions of developers; a fluid, dynamic software market the like of which the world has never seen the like of which.
Back to the Mac
In early 2011, Apple brought some of these principles to the Mac with the release of the Mac App Store. Like its iOS ancestor, this also promoted app discovery and management — but with one key difference: it's not the only game in town. OS X on the Mac still has its traditional ability to download and install software from… well, anywhere. The Mac App Store also brought some restrictions to what an App Store-purchased app could do, but nothing too onerous. At the same time, it offered access to Apple's payment processing engine, meaning indie devs could spend less time looking after financial transactions and more time cranking out great code (at the cost of the familiar 30% "rake" of Apple fees). Everybody wins.
Many developers found that their users quickly moved to accept and then prefer the Mac App Store. Reports of great success with their early releases were plentiful. For example, graphics manipulation program Pixelmator grossed $1 million in 20 days after announcing it would be an App Store exclusive. The authors of the Sparrow email client were very happy with the App Store. Other success stories abounded.
Confined to the sandpit
For the best part of a year, everything was happy in App Store land… but as of March this year, Apple was going to require all App Store apps to run in a "sandbox" (although this deadline was recently extended to June). This means, amongst other limitations, that each app's access to the underlying system is sharply curtailed, to the point where an app can only read and write to approved directories within the user's home folder — and it requires explicit permission to do even that. An app has to specify which "entitlements" it needs (specific system permissions and capabilities) to get its work done; Ars Technica's book-length Lion review by John Siracusa has a great sandboxing section examining how this is managed.
This set of restrictions affects many existing apps for the worse. Craig Hockenberry of the Iconfactory reported that the company successfully ported xScope (after having problems with a bug relating to symlinks in home directories). He noted, however, that some apps would never be effective in a sandbox; the example was Panic's Transmit, an FTP client, which requires wide filesystem access and probably couldn't be meaningfully ported to the App Store under the sandboxing rules.
Hockenberry also told me that two other pieces of popular Iconfactory software, CandyBar and IconBuilder, could never work with sandboxing. The former modifies system files and the latter is a Photoshop plug-in.
Some developers, seeing the sandbox writing on the wall, are being forced into difficult decisions regarding their App Store offerings. Manton Reece of Riverfold Software has announced that his ClipStart video library tool will be withdrawn from the App Store altogether because of incompatibility with sandboxing.
This is particularly troublesome for users who have already bought the App Store version of his app; Reece cannot easily identify them to give them an upgrade to a non-App Store version, nor can he offer them new versions of the app within the App Store's framework. To his enormous credit, Reece is willing to "honor Mac App Store receipt files" — presumably via a tiresome manual process — and provide extra serial numbers for customers migrating to new computers.
For similar reasons, and with similar problems for users, Atlassian Software's SourceTree is also leaving the App Store.
Even apps that don't seem to require system-wide file access can fall foul of sandboxing. Any sandboxed app can open any file anywhere on the system via the File > Open menu, because the sandbox presents the standard OS X dialog window to the user with special elevated permissions. But Gus Mueller of Flying Meat, father of the image editor Acorn, tweeted "just discovered you can't use AppleScript to tell (sandboxed) Acorn to open an image it hasn't opened already."
All this has provoked some understandable bad feelings. As Red Sweater Software's Daniel Jakult forcefully put it, "Shame on you, Apple. Your developers shed blood, sweat, and tears to succeed on the Mac App Store. Now you drop them with misguided policy." Jakult elaborated on his position in a blog post where he outlined the changes he'd like to see made to sandboxing to make it more workable for everyone.
Mountain Lion
Mountain Lion, the next version of OS X, will add further fuel to the fire. It adds a new security system, Gatekeeper. On its highest setting this will only allow programs downloaded from the App Store to run. This isn't the default, however; on the out-of-the-box medium setting, the Mac will run apps from the App Store and those digitally signed by a process carried out between the dev and Apple.
This process doesn't cost the devs anything (beyond their existing $99 annual developer membership fee) and doesn't restrict what the app can do. It is designed to offer a halfway house solution between the locked down App Store and the anything-goes wild blue Internet. After all, Apple might not have a malware problem today, but that could change in the future. Finally, Gatekeeper's lowest setting allows all apps to run unfettered — just like all previous versions of OS X.
It's possible that Apple planned this split approach all along — although if so, it was rather mean-spirited to not start off requiring sandboxing for all App Store apps. Yanking the rug out under existing apps isn't good for developers or users. It seems more likely to me that these changes are the result of a genuine strategy shift within Apple, or possibly the sandboxing/entitlements infrastructure was simply not fully baked enough in 10.7 Lion to permit most apps to work with it effectively (including those using Apple's own AppleScript interapplication framework).
Still, after a somewhat winding road, we're arriving at a good place with Mountain Lion. Users who don't adjust the default setting will be able to run apps from the App Store and elsewhere with a degree of malware protection, and devs can distribute apps that fit the App Store's slightly simplistic model there whilst also distributing signed apps via other channels. Great, right? Well, I still see a few problems with this.
Mixed feelings about the App Store
Firstly, as it stands, every third-party app on your Mac today won't run on Mountain Lion, as they are not digitally signed. This means if you upgrade you're going to be plagued with "this app is not trusted" messages (you can enable Gatekeeper on OS X 10.7 to get a taste of how annoying this is). If you have a lot of apps — particularly older apps that might not ever receive digitally signed updated versions — this might become the Mac equivalent of Vista's hated User Account Control prompt. If so, many existing users might end up turning Gatekeeper off altogether, rather defeating the point.
The second problem is the ongoing FUD being generated around the Mac App Store as a result of the ongoing painful process of enforcing sandboxing. Apple has twice extended the deadline to switch it on — it was originally last November. In the mean time, I and other Mac users I've spoken to have found ourselves holding off on App Store purchases, or actively sought out non-App Store versions of apps, to avoid getting into a state where we have a licence for an app that is removed from the store.
The third issue is commercial pressure. What if, in the future, users come to view programs not on the App Store with disdain for missing features or even outright suspicion at a perception of lower software quality? So far I don't think this has happened, but it's a possibility in the future. If sales outside the App Store begin to drop, devs will come under a covert pressure to move to distributing their wares via Apple. They might then face an unpalatable choice between dwindling sales or neutering their programs to comply with sandboxing.
App Store only APIs
With Gatekeeper and app signing, Apple seems to be proposing a three-tier system — App Store apps in the first tier, digitally signed apps in the second, other apps in the third. In theory, apps in tier two and three are equal, but the ones in the App Store are limited by the sandboxing requirements.
It's not that simple, however. A subtlety arises from the existence of features that are only accessible to the App Store apps. Two big new parts of Mountain Lion — iCloud document syncing and Notification Center — are described as being only useable to App Store programs. This widens the gap between the first and second tiers, particularly if the hunches of a few developers I spoke with are right and Apple continues to make marquee OS X features App Store-exclusive.
Now to be fair to Apple, there is a big mitigating factor, because both of these services use server-side resources Apple has to maintain with no direct income. iCloud, for one, clearly relies on cloud storage to work and cloud storage doesn't come cheap.
Notification Center is more puzzling. At first, I thought it worked primarily like Growl — in other words, it was a way for an app already running on my Mac to bring something to my attention. Fellow TUAW writer Chris Rawson and Iconfactory's Craig Hockenberry told me I was wrong, so I dug deeper and talked to a few developers. Anand Lal Shimpi's investigation showed that, in the current developer beta, Mountain Lion has two types of notifications — local ones, that can be sent by any app, and server-side push notifications, which can only be associated with App Store programs.
Jonathan George, CEO of Boxcar, told me that for his company the push notifications are far preferable, even on OS X. On iOS, any app that wants to notify the user arbitrarily (except Apple's apps like Calendar and Mail, which can use private APIs) needs server-based push notifications as a workaround for the lack of always-on backgrounding.
It initially seemed to me that this is less important for OS X. Consider my Twitter client, which is always running on my Mac. It's checking every few minutes for new messages and can send a ping to Notification Center without any external servers. This, however, can take a few minutes — a server-side push is realtime, or at least, really really fast. This is clearly better for some types of apps than local-based notifications coming from a polling loop.
So what about App Store-only?
To come back to the question I opened this piece with: could/would Apple mandate, in a future release of OS X, that the App Store would be the only game in town for getting software onto the Mac?
Well, perhaps "could" is the wrong word. Apple certainly could, but I think we're a long way away from a world where most users would approve — and for those who are comfortable with it, they'll be able to switch Gatekeeper into full-on paranoia mode and achieve the same end.
Furthermore, if Apple was planning it for the future, I don't think we'd have seen Gatekeeper's middle setting introduced at all. The mere existence of this feature underscores that Apple is serious about giving users some extra malware protection via code signing without mandating the App Store. Indeed, Panic's Cabel Sasser asked an Apple representative about this when he was briefed on Mountain Lion and he reported that "for what it's worth, they told me point blank that they value independent apps and do not want them gone."
This code signing option is not only a technical solution, but also grants indie devs working outside the App Store a veneer of respectability that might help make some less experienced users more comfortable doing business with them.
There's also the question of professional-level software. It seems rather unlikely that the Adobes, Avids and Microsofts of this world would be happy to hand 30% of the sales of high end programs like Creative Suite or Office to Apple, as would be required if these apps were put in the App Store. Do those companies need OS X more than Apple needs them? It's debatable, but it's a game of chicken Apple would perhaps be wiser to stay away from. It's not dissimilar to the row about in-app purchases under iOS and apps like Kindle, and Apple lost that one.
A tale of two app stores
I think Apple, in simultaneously watering down the existing App Store via sandboxing and giving a non-App Store mechanism for developers to bless apps, has created a segmented market. It seems to me we're going to end up with the App Store populated by smaller apps from smaller developers (who will find the support of Apple's payment processing infrastructure compelling) and larger but relatively simple apps for which sandboxing doesn't chafe too much.
Meanwhile, we will hopefully still see a vibrant indie dev scene outside of the App Store. Indeed, by enforcing sandboxing, Apple might have just given the alternative channels a lifesaving boost… but by locking key OS X features up to only be accessible to App Store software, it's simultaneously making it harder for non-MAS indie devs to compete. It's too early to tell which of these factors will come to dominate over the others.
This is assuming, of course, that Apple sticks by its guns. The slipping schedule for essential sandboxing suggests Apple is perhaps a bit uncertain or conflicted about the way forward here and maybe we will see sandboxing significantly relaxed or expanded before it becomes mandatory.
I'll end with one piece of wild speculation, because I'm a blogger and because I'm under my House of Crackpot Theories quota for this month.
If an existing sort-of-an-app-store service like MacUpdate took Apple's digital signing certificate and ran with it, it's not impossible we could see an Unofficial App Store emerge. One which requires digital signing of all the apps, and offers developers a payment processing and download hosting service, but does not require sandboxing or unpredictable app approval processes. I think Apple's sandboxing policy may create a gap in the market by wilfully narrowing the scope of the App Store. I don't know if that gap is big enough for someone to wedge an entire new product into, but I'd throw money at anyone who's willing to try.
The author would like to thank everyone who helped compile the information in this article: Jonathan George, Craig Hockenberry, Chris Rawson, Erica Sadun, Anand Lal Shimpi, Fraser Speirs, Steve Troughton-Smith, and the other devs I spoke with off the record.
Does Gatekeeper point the way to an App Store-only OS X? originally appeared on TUAW – The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 23 Feb 2012 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.


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Cute Brown Rabbitt Looking For A New Home
I have had my rabbit, Bun-Bun, for a while now and she is a great friendly bunny. I am unable to care for her at this time because of family issues. I would really like to know that she goes to a great friendly home. She is friendly and once she is used to you she can be ...
Aug 29 -
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teacup Potbelly pigs Extra small size for sale
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Potbelly Pig babies for sale
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cute baby veiled chameleons
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Female babys sugar glider
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Red earred, Yellow earred Sliders and a Cooter Turtle
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1yr old Veiled Chameleon for Adoption in Tomball, TX
I have decided to find a new home for my friend Randall (named after Randall from Monsters Inc, because he changes cool colors when he climbs down to eat and looks like him). He is a little over a year old. We got him last July when he was about 1 1/2in he is now about 14 ...
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Hermanns Tortoise
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Red Eye Tree Frogs
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Red and Yellow Uromastyx
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Frilled Dragon
I have 2 baby Frilled Dragons for sale one is about 5-6 inches the other is 8 inches head to tail. They are eating well on medium crickets, small Dubia roaches, and small mealworms. They are super tame and really cool pets. These guys are featured in the movie Jurassic Park. ...
Englsh Spot Rabbit mix. Bunny
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female Llama
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PET PIGS tiny loving socialized vetted litter trained hypoallergenic
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Aug 20 -


text: COEUR D'ALENE, Idaho (AP) - A homeless man who was convicted of stabbing another man at a northern Idaho transient camp has been sentenced to up to 20 years in prison. The Coeur d'Alene Press (http://bit.ly/WeVERo ) reports 56-year-old James Kountz was convicted last year of stabbing 43-year-old James Hoglen during an argument at a camp in Coeur d'Alene last June. Hoglen sustained a cut near his eye and three torso injuries but survived the stabbing. First District Judge Benjamin Simpson in Kootenai County sentenced Kountz to 20 years in prison last week, but said he would be eligible for parole after four years.(Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)


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Dennis Tarwood of SBNation Arizona recently extended the staff of PtR an invitation to chime in on the topic of whether we considered the Phoenix Suns rivals or not. I was happy to oblige (as was our own Tim C.) and my two cents' worth is after the jump. Dennis' entire piece, which examines the all of Arizona's professional franchises, is here.
Which weighs more: 4 rings or none?
What do Spurs fans think of San Antonio's rivalry with the Phoenix Suns? Well, I think the first, and easiest, answer is: not much.
Until this past May, that is.
If we're having this conversation in 2009, then there's not really much to talk about. The Spurs had won four meetings in a row, including the exceptionally sweet (or bitter, depending on your allegiance) 2007 clash that included Nash's bloody nose in Game 1, Manu's bloody eye in Game 3, and then the infamous semi-benchclearing Horry hip-check in Game 4. Then came 2008's first round. By the time the dust had cleared after Game 1, Finley's three had tied it in regulation, Duncan had dropped his only 3 pointer of the season to send it to double-overtime, and Manu had levitated to drop in the game winner. From that point on, the Suns fought with each other for the rest of the series, and no one had any energy left to take on San Antonio. After that, whenever Spurs-Suns was mentioned, a definite scent of pwnage would waft through the discussion.
By late 2008, the average Suns fan was so snakebit, that Roger Mason's game winning 3 pointer in the Christmas Game caused not one, but two fans on the baseline to put their hands on their heads in defeat: one before the shot even went in, and the other who followed up his cranium clasping by launching himself to the floor in despair.
With this kind of dynamic in place, it's understandable that Spurs fans traveling to Phoenix for a Spurs-Suns matchup, took pleasure in wearing Spurs jerseys (especially Bowen ones) confident that they wouldn't have to eat crow on the way back to their cars.
But then came 2010's sweep. And now the all-time playoff series stands at 6-4 Spurs, which doesn't look all that dominating, and brings up some interesting facts and stats. In the last 18 years, the two teams have met in the playoffs more often than they haven't. (That seems weird, doesn't it?) None of the 10 series has ever gone to a seventh game. The only year that San Antonio didn't beat Phoenix while on their way to a title, was the strike shortened 1999 season. (Actually, that's not an interesting fact at all, but just a obvious ploy to squeeze in a mention of the Spurs' four championships. Shame on me.) Phoenix owns the only sweeps in the series; the first meeting in '92 and the most recent brooming in May. (See, I'm an equal opportunity stat picker.)
Man, nothing's more embarrassing for a team than being swept -- except maybe being nearly outscored (24-20) by Goran Dragic alone, in the fourth quarter of a must-win game 3 at home. Seriously, did he drop 20 points in just a shade over 7 minutes??? I don't even know how many question marks that's worth, so I stopped at three, but you can consider that a repeating three, if you'd like -- I know I do.
So I guess the last 4 months and 6 days haven't done much more than take the edge off the pain of those four losses. And this is where it would probably be appropriate for me to talk about how motivated Spurs fans are to seek revenge for being ousted, but with all of the changes to Phoenix's roster, including the departure of A'm'a'r'e', it just doesn't feel like the same team any more. Most Spurs fans harbor at least a grudging respect for Nash, at most an outright bromance. Grant Hill is almost universally liked, Hedo's an ex-Spur, Robin Lopez is talented if bland. Richardson, Frye, Dudley, Childress -- there's just not really all that much inspiration to get fired up over. Even Dragic, who should probably get temperatures rising at least a little bit, just seems to induce incredulity as much as anything else.
So, what does PtR think of the rivalry? Speaking for myself, I'd have to say I'm thinking that it sure is great that a new season is about to begin, so we can forget about last year's hiccup, and get back to the way things ought to be: great defense, timely baskets, and the Suns going home early. The 2011 playoffs can't get here soon enough.


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As North Alabama braces for brutally cold temperatures, the southern half of the state is under a winter storm warning.
Monday afternoon, Governor Robert Bentley declared a state of emergency, and the Alabama Department of Transportation is making preparations to position equipment needed to help keep roads in that area as safe and passable as possible.
In North Alabama, the threat of snow and ice is not as strong, but the bitter cold will be a problem. For the first time, warming centers are opening in Huntsville.
The Grateful Life Church on Oakwood Avenue has cleared out its sanctuary to make room for cots, tables, and chairs. Hot meals will be served, and the church van is available to give people rides.
For more information, you can email the Grateful Life Church. Along with Grateful Life, Operation Stand Down also has a warming center in Huntsville at 4000 Marie Street. Both centers are open through Thursday night.
For information on other warming centers across North Alabama, click here.
Remember, when breaking news happens, we break it first online, by email, and by text. If you want to receive our breaking news alerts by text, pull out your phone right now and text NEWS to 44848. Message and data rates may apply. You can text STOP at any time to cancel your subscription, text HELP for more information, or call 877-571-0774 for support.
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Fatoumata Diawara was a formidable stage presence, exuding warmth and charisma this past Sunday night in New York. A rising star from Mali, she shimmered on stage in an orange and yellow outfit. Her music combines the Wassoulou sound from Southwestern Mali with rock and funk. Wassoulou is characterized by strong female singers who sing with passion, often about women's issues and by traditional instruments such as the kamalen n'goni (a six-stringed harp). She introduced one song, "Bissa", as about arranged marriages and implied that women have the right to chose who they marry: "As African women, we want to be free."
Fatoumata is unafraid to speak about the issues that matter to her. As the set progressed, she opened up and the audience got to see her dancing. With unbounded athleticism, she spun in circles several times during one number, responding with an electric energy to the lead guitar as it rocked out. She hypnotized the audience with the flash of her red and yellow scarf, and her ecstatic dance.
Fatoumata was just one of a group of powerful women performers who graced the GlobalFEST stage this year, including Martha Redbone and Christine Salem. All hold in common a unique musical voice and a fearless stage presence. GlobalFEST is a festival that brings together twelve groups from around the world for one night in New York. Broad in scope, this year's GlobalFEST attracted artists representing diverse musical genres from the funk-infused flamenco of Spain to the Maloya, a traditional music which I will get back to in a moment.
Now in its tenth year, it has the power to attract both avid music fans and those with vested interests in the world music business. GlobalFEST's co-producers Shanta Thake, Bill Bragin, and Isabel Soffer are known in the industry to have their ears close to what is current and vital in world music. Many of the acts who have previously performed at GlobalFEST have gone on to become stars, Daby Touré and Sara Tavares, to name just two.
When I asked Shanta Thake about GlobalFEST's purpose, she said, "It's an opportunity to show presenters the energy that an audience can bring to a specific artist, which gives them an idea of how a show may go over in their towns. It presents a broad range of musicians who may be superstars in their home countries, such as Kailash Kher in India, but unknown beyond them. In 2012, GlobalFEST incorporated as a non-profit organization. This means we can provide long-term support to new musicians in the field, for example, by connecting them to agents or, through our Touring Fund, with financial assistance to play in States beyond New York. GlobalFEST is also about inspiring cultural dialogue and sparking interest in an audience to learn about different cultures."
In a more intimate setting, Christine Salem, from Réunion Island (in the Indian ocean near Madagascar), made her New York City debut. Christine is one of a few female musicians who performs in a genre called Maloya, sometimes used as a form of social protest. It is a percussive music, which emanated from the slaves of Réunion, and was formerly banned on the island.
Christine is a small, thin figure, yet her vocal was forceful and determined. I was reminded of Nina Simone. She sang in Creole, Malagasy, Comoran, and Swahili. Three other percussionists provided eager vocal and rhythmic responses to her performance. The drums included the doum doum (a bass-sounding drum) to Christine's favorite, the kayanm, made out of sugar cane flower and its stems, which makes a versatile and textured percussive sound. At times the rhythms were so fast that it was hard to differentiate them. The bass drums struck by mallets shuddered the floor boards. The music works well even without melodic instruments, because Christine's voice is so heartfelt and entrancing.
With the atmosphere of support and the platform that GlobalFEST provides newcomers, there is no stopping these women. Once women were a delicate, invisible backdrop to male voices in world music; now they are singing on their own terms and making unique sounds.


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1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons fresh oregano, chopped, or 3/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 large eggplant, about 1 1/2 pounds, trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 pound spinach, stemmed and torn into bite-sized pieces
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded, and diced
1 tomato, seeded and diced
1/2 red onion, diced
2 tablespoons black Greek olives, pitted and chopped
2 tablespoons crumbled feta cheese
Preheat the oven to 450�F. Lightly coat a baking sheet with cooking spray.
To make the vinaigrette, whisk the vinegar, lemon juice, oregano, salt, and black pepper in a small bowl. Slowly add the olive oil. Set aside.
Spread the eggplant cubes in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet and spray with cooking spray. Roast 10 minutes, turn the cubes, and roast another 10 minutes. Set aside to cool.
Combine the spinach, cucumber, tomato, onion, and cooled eggplant in a large bowl. Pour in the vinaigrette and mix well.
Divide among individual plates. Sprinkle with the olives and feta. Serve immediately.
Calories: 88 cal
Total fat: 5g
Saturated fat: 1g
Monounsaturated fat: 3g
Cholesterol: 2mg
Sodium: 245mg
Carbohydrate: 9g
Fiber: 3g
Protein: 3g


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Phosphatidylserine is unique in the nutrient kingdom. According to Parris Kidd, Ph.D., Author of Natures Brain Booster, Phosphatidylserine (PS) is more concentrated in the brain than in any other tissue of the body. He goes on to say, The findings from controlled clinical trials suggest that when the dietary intake of Phosphatidylserine is doubled or better still, quadrupled, by taking it as a dietary supplement, a majority of individuals derive measurable brain benefits. The modest supply of Phosphatidylserine coming from the modern diet simply may not be adequate to support optimal brain function.
Suggested Use As a dietary supplement Take one (1) gelcap with meals (3 per day) - Or as directed by your healthcare professional.
Other Ingredients: Gelatin, glycerin, purified water. Contains soy.
Warnings: Keep out of reach of children. As with all dietary supplements, consult your healthcare professional before use. See product label for more information.