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The white wines that are made in Central Italy are not flashy or famous, but they can certainly be delicious. This area is known for making clean, light, white wines that are refreshing.
You will not find many famous grapes grown in this region, but you will find some great values.
Italian white wines can be very frustrating and confusing. They do not make many wines from grapes that most people are familiar with. However, some of the local grapes that are used can make wines that are elegant, refreshing, and fun.
A lot of the really great white wines from Central Italy are going to be simple and light. They do not have a ton of strong fruit flavors, but can often produce subtly beautiful flavors of tart stone fruits, white flowers, and often almonds.
Keep your eyes open for the underrated wines of Verdicchio di Matelica or Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi.
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Christine Havens shares Wilfred Wong's pho recipe and the wine to pair with it.

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I like to tinker so my system is in a constant state of "not done yet", but the truth is it will never be done, I just add to it as I have the time, change things, etc. Everybody has hobbies, and one of my hobbies is my boat's computer system.
Originally Posted by
Now that's what I'm talking about! I'm really intrigued by these itx setups, i've done an ac itx box before, but i'm intimidated by running wiring to support it.
It's easy, all you need is the right dc-to-dc power supply and then it is a two wire (positive and ground) hookup to your electrical system.
What nano itx board are you using?
You'll want to use a Via board.
Via website
Here is one of the low power pico-ITX boards showing the bottom with the memory card slot (the white thing), vga port (bottom), ethernet (beside vga), and the IDE hard drive connector (left). It also has ATA drive connectors, of course. This is the same board I use, but I'd have to look up the model number for you if you want it, EPIA-(something or other). Just search on nano ITX because there are only like 3 models, and one of those is the fanless version which is the one that I don't have (but would like!).
What kind of dc dc power supply did you use?
Do a search on Car PC or Car Computer and you'll get leads, there are a few sites out there selling power supplies for these things. Here is one such site.
The power supplies are all used the same way - they give you the connectors on one side to hook to the board, and then on the other side you just wire it into your 12vdc system, simple as that! The most complicated thing you'll probably have to do is decide what fuse protection you want for the power supply.
Here is a good list of power supplies from the above site -
. The one I use is similar to the M2-ATX-HV, except has a lot less power available, but it looks a lot like that. Again I could look it up if you really care, but they all work basically the same, it just has an ATX connector from the power supply over to the main board and the board itself as a small conversion cable that takes the ATX connector and converts it into a much smaller connector that connects to the actual ITX board. The power supply also gives you your hard drive power connections.
What hard/soft-ware do you use to run your sensors?
Well, now we get into the complicated bit, because I have all kinds of things wired up. Most of the simple sensors go through a DIY PIC board that passes information to the processor via serial. Most of the devices that are hooked up serial go through a USB to serial conversion device and end up being USB at the processor. Some of the devices are one-wire devices that also end up being serial which is then converted to USB. Software is all custom but relies on underlying open source code when available.
What do you mean by radios?
AIS radio is serial with external antenna, Icom is hooked up via a CI-V which is also a serial connection w/ a cable going to the radio, weather satellite receiver is wired up via some hardware I built and audio to a USB audio device, NavTex receiver is serial, etc, it depends on the radio how it is hooked up. Any radio that has its own processor for decoding the signal is a serial connection, and any radio that has to be decoded via the sound card is hooked up to a USB sound device.
Sounds like you have the optimum setup for running off battery. For the time being I'm resigned to the fact that I have shore power every night, so I'm thinking about getting a beefy laptop like this beast:
Newegg.com - TOSHIBA Qosmio X505-Q850 NoteBook Intel Core i7 720QM 18.4" 6GB Memory DDR3 1066 320GB HDD + 64GB SSD HDD BD Combo NVIDIA GeForce GTS 250M - Laptops / Notebooks
and calling it a day.
I'm still interested in a 12v only system that could serve as low wattage entertainment and as a monitor to show me that it hasn't burned sank or exploded over the internet to me while i'm away.
I'm doing some of this too, I can hook pretty much any sensor (analog or digital) up to the processor via my DIY PIC processor board, and that is expandable, but mostly I use the ITX board as a data logger for things like weather information (anemometer, temperature, humidity, etc ..).
Do you know a place to find 12v monitors?
I just went to a place that sells a lot of monitors, a big computer store, and started looking at them all until I found one that had a round connector plugged into it instead of an A/C power cord.
Once you find that, then all you need to know is what voltage it is, and that is written on the A/C brick that they sell with it, then you replace that with a dc-to-dc power supply that can provide enough amps to run it, which is easy and available at any radio shack.
The easy way to do all of this is to buy a netbook for 300$us, get a screwdriver, and take the screen out. Then mount the screen somewhere, mount the rest of the computer near the screen (the cables will be short), then wire the thing into your 12vdc system and attach an external keyboard, mouse, etc, to it. Then get yourself a serial to USB conversion device and start wiring stuff up to it. You can even get devices that allow you to hook digital and analog sensors up, converting the signals to serial, and then it all becomes a software problem ...
What are you pretending not to know ?
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This illustrated guide explains how to achieve a poised and effective riding position which will enhance performance and enable the rider to remain constantly in balance whether walking, trotting or cantering. It describes how to correct upper body alignment and improve leg positions, how to sit centrally on the seat bones and eliminate crooked posture, how to distribute your weight evenly, how to develop a sensitive rein contact, and how to avoid tension and fear while in the saddle.
Publisher: Kenilworth Press (October 03, 1998)
Format: EPUB
Page count: 24 pages
File size: 3.1 MB
Protection: DRM
Language: English


text:
Frontier Communications Announces Upsize And Amendment To Tender Offers To Include 8.250% Senior Notes Due 2017
Frontier Communications Corporation (NASDAQ: FTR) today announced an amendment to the terms of its previously announced cash tender offers to purchase any and all of its outstanding 6.625% Senior Notes due 2015 (the "March 2015 Notes") and any and all of its outstanding 7.875% Senior Notes due 2015 (the "April 2015 Notes"). The Company has added a new tender offer to purchase up to $225.0 million aggregate principal amount (the "Modified Dutch Auction Cap") of its 8.250% Senior Notes due 2017 (the "2017 Notes" and, together with the March 2015 Notes and the April 2015 Notes, the "Notes") and upsized the aggregate principal amount of notes to be purchased in such tenders offers to $899.8 million. The tender offers for each series of the Notes are referred to herein as the "Offers". This press release restates the terms of the Offers in their entirety and supersedes the Company's previous press release relating to the Offers issued yesterday.
Pursuant to the terms of the Offers, as amended, the Company is seeking to purchase up to $899.8 million aggregate principal amount of senior notes, consisting of any and all of its outstanding March 2015 Notes, any and all of its outstanding April 2015 Notes and an aggregate principal amount up to the Modified Dutch Auction Cap of its 2017 Notes on the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in the Offer to Purchase, dated the date hereof (as it may be amended or supplemented from time to time, the "Offer to Purchase"), and the related Letter of Transmittal (as it may be amended or supplemented from time to time, the "Letter of Transmittal"). The Offers are scheduled to expire at 9:00 a.m., New York City Time, on April 24, 2013, unless extended or terminated (such time and date, as the same may be extended, the "Expiration Date"), and are expected to be funded with the net proceeds of a concurrent debt offering of $750.0 million together with cash on hand.
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text:
Reddit :)
Nice box :)
Reddit :)
Nice box :)
Ah ok, that makes sense :)
Yeah, I keep on hearing bad things about Ivy League schools for some reason. I have no idea what they are. Can anybody give me a filler?
lol those are all the IV and well known especially w/ MIT for engineering. There's ITT or something like that in India... people that apply there say they use harvard and the other IV as backups. But yeah ITT is really hard from what I heard from my friends w/ 1 getting into Upenn already with the rest waiting for the results in march/april/may. Wouldn't be surprised if they also made the big ones.
Good luck Hybrid!
I doubt I'll get into any of these schools. MIT is my goal right now but I'm pretty doubtful that I'll make it.
Have faith, get in the paper
I've never even heard bad things about them..
Conductivity just might make a difference.
For example, imagine how low latency could be if we used silver instead of gold for interconnects (well, we'd have to deal with some other problems then).
Crap, might miss school again tomorrow because of this obnoxious cold and I have an essay tomorrow which I don't want to have to make up.
Gives me more time to try to design an acrylic computer case which I will just eventually give up on.
They're fine, I have a few friends at harvard, princeton, and MIT. Its just incredibly competitive and stressful at times, but they all seem to be doing fine seem to be enjoying their school life quite a bit.
Oh God, mfw:
I was listening to Aphex Twin's Richard D James Album, the track Logan Rock Witch to be exact.
Then, suddenly I heard "I want your soul... I will eat your soul...".
I recognized the track Come To Daddy, and I was like "WTF?! it's not on this album so it shouldn't play... Fu,ck! I don't even have it on my phone!!!"
I checked, Logan Rock Witch should still be playing...
Turns out, for some reason a different player opened in the background and played not the original song, but the cover by The Dillinger Escape Plan I had on my phone but forgot about.
But hell, was it creepy...
Come To Daddy music video, if anyone doesn't know it and is curious:
I don't even remember where I got them from. -_-
I like them though. Especially the live one. I've been REALLY liking live recordings recently and that one has some good ones imo
Electric Angel is AWESOME on that one.
we prefer the term 'get'
We don't want mod hammer


text:
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Exploration of Sculpture
Access: Use of this item is restricted to the UNT Community.
Date: December 1999
Creator: Coldewey, Charles
Description: The images that I sculpt deal with reflections of human traits. Wood lends itself to this endeavor, offering minimal resistance to manipulation. Keeping the origin and qualities of the material while manipulating it into another object is a statement within itself. Letting the wood do what it does naturally keeps the viewer in touch with the fact it is still just an object of nature. Wood does not make itself any less real because of the relationship of the sculpture to it as wood.
Contributing Partner: UNT Libraries


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Flexi-Van executive says "misplaced" chassis have aggravated congestion.
Icelandic liner carrier says change will mean less transshipment, more frequent sailings.
Move comes as ILWU, PMA talks enter 10th month.
On-time performance is being hampered by congestion at West Coast ports.
DHS funding crisis means the agency will have to focus resources on border security, cargo clearance
The revised agreement would allow collaboration on congestion, transportation infrastructure needs and pollution mitigation.


text: On Tue, Jan 06, 2004 at 07:27:35AM +1100, Thomas Sutton (thsutton at utas.edu.au) wrote: > You'd also need to include the dead and pretend languages that people > are likely to use. There is a repository of word lists at Cambridge as I recall. I downloaded them a couple years back so I don't remember off the top of my head. I'm sure some google will do the trick. -- I think, therefore, ken_i_m Chief Gadgeteer, Elegant Innovations Founder, Bozeman Linux Users Group (406) 581-0495


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if you have other beer buddies, can you ask them for their spent grains please?? Thanks
Thanks a ton.... I really want as much as I can get as its good stuff for pigs!!!! sue
Sue, not sure what other animals you have but my chicken go crazy over the spent grains. They will scratch for days to get every last bit. For anyone else looking for a way to get rid of spent grains, get yourself a few chickens. They dispose of your grains and you get eggs and meat. You can reduce the cost of your brewing by the money saved not buying factory produced eggs at the store...and buy more grain!
When people ask what animals I have, I now answer "I have everything except goats". So I have chickens and ducks as well as pigs and sheep AND HORSES. The trouble with horses they only have 1 stomach. so... I got some spent grain yesterday WOW WHAT A SMELL. it was amazing and the amount I got will feed for maybe a day! Anyone have some to get rid of? 5 pigs is killing me!!!!
did you make your beer yesterday? got some spent grains?? sue
I work weekends so no. But I should have some soon. No where near 50lbs though.
when you make make some beer can you save it for me and when you have 50lbs I pick up???? or you and your buddies??? Let me know. I realize its sort of amazing smelling...
So is there anyway to save them?


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The Bright Light Pillow is the perfect pillow for kids who don't want to go to bed and fun for older kids. This Pink Beating Heart Pillow glows a red color that kids are sure to love. It is ultra-soft, offers soothing light and shuts off after 15 minutes. Get the pillow that glows and kids are sure to love with the Pink Beating Heart Bright Light Pillow


text:
Sinus Rejuvenation Oil
Our powerful blend of organic essential oils helps fight infections and drain mucous. Lasts over 2 months.
- Great for chronic sinus conditions
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- Used over time, our sinus oil can help rejuvenate your sinuses
- 5 mL bottle of pure essential oils, no carrier oil
Contains Green myrtle, Inula graveolens, Rosemary verbenone, Eucalyptus dives, Peppermint and Spike lavender
Not for use in a neti pot!
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Sinus Oil did not agree with me....
Posted by John on 11th Aug 2014
I've been using OTC junk to open my sinuses so I can breathe, especially at 3 in the morning. Doctors told me to get off the stuff. I found this rejuvenation oil on your website and decided to give it a try based on customer reviews.
Unfortunately it gave me instant headaches and at one point I almost felt like a bout of nausea was imminent. So I didn't get a chance to find out if the oil would really work.
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I have been using this oil for a couple of years and love it...It refresh the sinus and prevent them from many ailments...
Great Products!
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I recently purchased the infused nasal rinse for colds and sinus infections as I'm dealing with a sinus infection at the moment. Wow! Great relief and the sinus oil after has a definite healing affect. Great products and I'm a very happy customer. I used to buy this company's products at Whole Food but they didn't have your product so I ordered online. I heard that other customers had requested your products as well but couldn't find them. So glad I saved the old label from my Whole Food purchase. :-)
Moving to the Southwest?...Buy a case!
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Did just that recently and my sinuses went crazy! Love this stuff...It really has repaired my sinus dryness...and I'm able to sleep again! I'm not through with my first bottle and I've already ordered my second... don't want to be with out it! THANK YOU!!
Opening your sinuses
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This is a great oil I use daily to open up my sinuses and makes me feel good all over! Will be purchasing again!
A must have on my nighstand!
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This is my third bottle of Baraka sinus oil and I love this product! I suffer from chronic sinus congestion, and sometimes the sensation of not being able to breathe brings on anxiety. When this happens I just do a neti pot rinse, and apply the sinus oil and voila- I can breathe and I can relax. Thank you for such an outstanding product.
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The Baraka sinus products are the best that I have used. From the time time that I used them I could tell a difference in my sinuses. I have been telling everyone about the product.
The BEST sinus relief EVER!
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I bought this for my 10 year old daughter who has Down's Syndrome. She suffers from chronic sinusitis and has been on antibiotics over and over. For the last 5 weeks, nothing has resolved her issue and I was despirate. After 2 days of using the sinus oil, she can breath without issue and no longer had any sinus drainage. She hates medication, but now asks for her "breath medicine." This product has saved us both. Thank you!
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Sinus Rejuventaion Oil & Dry Nose Oil
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These two oils have been a wonder for me. Before using these oils I had cronic sinus infections. I was introduced to the oil on a trip to Peru a number of years ago. I live in Arizona so it is dry and they are a wonder. I could not have healthy sinuses without these oils.
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5 Value headphones don't really get better than thisShinyDavid | 30/01/2010 | See all ShinyDavid's reviews (1)Got these to replace a knackered gaming headset that I never used the microphone for. Those cost about twice as much as I paid for these, and they're at least comparable in sound quality, possibly better.Given that I am excessively sensitive to sound due to Asperger Syndrome, it was essential that these blocked out background noise well so that I was not unduly perturbed in noisy environments. They have helped me get through long workdays in an open-plan office and crowded Tube interchanges, probably better than my previous pair.Obviously as I wear them for literally hours on end I can judge their comfort better than most - it's not perfect, sometimes I have to slip them off my ears for a few seconds, but they're certainly not painful and I'm still happily using them eight hours a day, five days a week, without any problems in durability.The long cord is a bit fiddly as others have said but they come with a belt strap to wrap them around - although personally I actually find that more fiddly yet, so don't use it anymore. Your mileage may vary.Ultimately, though, these headphones are worth substantially more than you're paying for them (I paid eighteen quid - they're twenty-five quid at the time of writing and I'd still call that cheap). How can you argue with that?
4 Excellent Sound Qualityduderrino | 27/06/2008 | See all duderrino's reviews (6)I bought these headphones to use with my laptop and it is the business. The sound quality is brillaint. I especially like how it cancels out any exterior noise.so if you have the headphones on you will not hear someone talking, unless they are shouting, which i though ws brilliant feature.
3 Pretty Goodlamba105 | 16/06/2008 | See all lamba105's reviews (2)I have had these for almost 2 weeks now and have been using them quite frequently.My first impression of this, is that it is smaller than I expect it to be and they don't quite cover all the way around your ear (so be warned if you are looking for big over-the-ear headphones).The sound of these are pretty good - I use them for my ipod and computer and I am satisfied with the sound quality and bass.The sound-isolating is not great, it doesn't block out very much background noise - unless you have the volume on loud...Overall at this price, these are of great value and they do look good, so its pretty good.Hope you have found this useful!!
3 Good sound but....Baneat | 22/09/2008 | See all Baneat's reviews (2)The bass on these things are way too heavy most of the time. But that's not the true problem. It's just how immobile, ridiculous looking and uncomfortable they are. Your ears will either not get full surrounded or get so hot an irritated after 10 minutes that you need breaks during listening. Other headphones i've tried don't have this irritating quality, and for £15 you can do way better on play.com.
5 HOW DO I GIVE 6 STARS?threesixtyreviewer | 19/12/2010 | See all threesixtyreviewer's reviews (2)Add to basket and buy- stop searching!!!!I was looking for some comfortable headphones firstly for long periods of use that block out background noise and deliver good strong bass. Having tried the 201's i thought i'd buy next ones up in price. I cannot explain how extremely happy i am with these. My sony mdr xd200's allthough were ok i found very 'creaky' (plastic/cheap) . These sit snug and songs from all genres come to life more so and i'm hearing lyrics and small effects i've never previously heard! So if you don't fancy playing 200 pound and fancy putting battery's in your headphones (which i have used) - buy these!!!!!!!!


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December 1, 2011 | Photo Gallery
NAILS announces 2011 Readers' Choice Award winners and finalists.
September 15, 2011 | Photo Gallery
Every October businesses join in solidarity to fight breast cancer. By purchasing these passionately pink items, you too are joining in this solidarity as each company donates to organizations that work every day to end breast cancer and the struggles it can bring to women and families around the world.
December 3, 2010 | Photo Gallery
NAILS is pleased to announce the 2010 Readers' Choice Awards, a round-up of YOUR favorite products by category, covering everything from acrylic systems to ventilation units. Now in its seventh year, NAILS Readers' Choice Awards are selected exclusively by YOU, the readers of NAILS Magazine, from a list of nominees supplied directly by the manufacturers of the products themselves.
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Current & Past Credited Projects
Current & Past Credited Projects
"Blake is very talented and always a pro for imagery. I would recommend him to anyone who needs professional images for their business." -Amanda Lobo
Blake Rea is a film director and designer based in Charlotte, North Carolina. His fields of expertise include film direction, cinematography, film editing, color grading and branding as well as marketing consulting. Blake started his own business in 2008 in Charlotte. He has a true passion for creating videos with high quality images and narrative story telling techniques. In all his projects he is always creative, receptive to new ideas and passionate about what he is doing. Moreover Blake is competent at managing and delivering projects to specification, no matter how complex the projects are. He is experienced in working in production teams or working independently as a self-shooting video producer and editor.
"Blake is one of those managers who also naturally serves as an inspiring mentor for me and the people that works with him. With a background experience in video and design, Blake has video production skills and a unique capacity for creative services." -Giselle Lozanzo
As well as being a filmmaker in Charlotte and across the USA, Blake has gained filming experience throughout Europe. Along the way he has produced a fair bit of videos, being featured on HBO, Transworld Skateboarding, Keller Williams Realty, Vevo and featuring such talents as A-Trak, Flosstradamus, Dirty South, Paul Oakenfold, Green Lantern, R3hab, Bruce Leaf, Jason Wiggz and Dr R-Wonz. His key strengths are narrative film direction, cinematography, camera operation, film editing and live event videography.
"I never met a guy that was so well rounded in the industry. I was surprised by his abilities and passion to translate anything we can think of creatively, to the computer and currency. It made sense and when it makes cents it makes dollars! I will always be apart of the growth that has come!" -Bruce Leaf
Blake is highly-practised and skilled in Final Cut Pro X, DaVinci Resolve, Adobe After Effects, Adobe Creative Suite, Microsoft Office Products. He is experienced in working with a wide variety of cameras such as Blackmagic Cinema Cameras, shooting in 4k and 1080p raw. Moreover he uses Zeiss Compact Prime 2 lenses and equipment such as camera cranes, dolly systems, various screens (green/black/white screens).
"Blake has very creative thinking, expertise, and positive attitude. He is very talented and he is an expert in his area. Blake is very enthusiastic and passionate about work he does. All his excellent skills and qualifications make him a valuable contributor to any situation or team" -Iryna V Samaoilenko
From an early age, Blake Rea has always been deeply interested in videography and video production. He got his first VHS video camera at the age of 6 and started editing on tape decks and TVs until computer editing was standardized. He started using Final Cut Express on Power Mac Computers all the way up until Final Cut Pro X. Filming became a big part of his life. When not busy with producing videos Blake gains information about film studies, the art of cinema, camera technology and cinematography techniques. He received certifications in various fields of filmmaking such as Video Journalism Storytelling Techniques, Documentary Editing with Final Cut Pro X or Lighting Design For Video Production.
"I would like to say thank you to Blake Rea for doing such a fantastic job with our wedding photos. We were very happy with the way our photos turned out. Blake was very prompt, very professional and very artistic in his approach." -Courtney Sullivan


text:
Not exactlySubmitted by Guest1118 (not verified) on Thu, 11/22/2012 - 11:30am.
Submitted by GuestMan. (not verified) on Wed, 11/21/2012 - 2:49pm. did you expect from a bunch of republicans. They will look out for themselves and say to hell with everyone else. No, not exactly. The current board voted and 2; Ms. DeSheilds and Ms. Redenbaugh, are democrats. http://www.nhcs.net/board/ I don't agree with the raise either and they should have postponed voting on this until the new board was seated in January. »
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Women, Laws, Initiatives in the Muslim World
Attachment | Size |
PDF Document | 317.33 KB |
An action-oriented publication, this booklet examines some of the central themes which are integral to the status of women in Muslim societies: the multiple sources and forms of law; family, patriarchy, and laws; women and the culture of violence; nationalism, identity, and women; political and social dynamics of power. It also details a number of strategies, both successful and less successful, which have been used by women in Muslim societies to meet the challenges they face.
These strategies range from direct personal actions for change to international networking. The booklet draws upon discussions at the International meeting, Towards Beijing: Women, Law and Status in the Muslim World, the largest, and most diverse gathering of women from the Muslim world, organized by the Women Living Under Muslim Laws network in December 1994.
Related Actions
- Saudi Arabia: Release Maysaa Alamoudi and Loujain Alhathloul
- On May 28, International Day of Action for Women's Health, Women's Rights Defenders Mobilize Worldwide Calling for the Inclusion of Women's Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights in the Post-2015 Development Agenda
- SIGN THE PETITION: President Hamid Karzai: We call on you not to sign the new Law on Criminal Procedures
- Egypt: Postpone the 15 December referendum on the draft Constitution!
- Universality Of Human Rights At Stake! Act Now To Oppose Russian Resolution On Traditional Values!
Relevant Resources
- WLUML Gazette, 14th Edition at the end of 2014
- Feminist Movement Builder's Dictionary
- Influences of Religious Fundamentalism on Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights of Women
- Violence against Women in the context of Political Transformations and Economic Crisis in the Euro-Mediterranean Region:
- Report of the Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences, Rashida Manjoo*


text:
Reader comments are listed below. Comments are currently closed and new comments are no longer being accepted.
Sorry, I don't want to pay for older people's health care. I've got my own to worry about thanks.
And I know once I retire (I'm a younger worker) I won't have such a lavish free medical insurance plan the government is offering. It's just not economically feasible.
No, techincically it's a tax not a "contribution". Contribution, by definition, means a voluntary payment. SS is not voluntary.
MGBH78 wrote:June 25, 2009 16:58
Question: if they end retirement, does that mean I get to keep my contribution to social security?
Sorry , but I need to add some numbers in the picture. Do you know that around age 60 some 33% of the population will get cancer? Most of these people , just cannot work!!
I still do not see some common sense in the issue of retirement age. There are people at 70 , which are fit to work, with good health and good spirit.
Others , like my case (I am 68) , with heart problems and now battling a cancer , work is just out of question.
I did work until age 65 , but had to stop for health reasons.
Finally, what really has to go is the pay as you go pension system. In the old days , and still in China, you would save during your working life to have a confortable retirement, at the age you decide.Where is feedom in a system that mandates your retirement age, and apply stiff penalties if you want to retire earlier
I see my future. I will be working in a candy shop. Like the women of my grandmother's generation did. No one retired except of cours.
If I were making a case for idle folk looking for a pension to live off then I wouldn't have pointed out people doing extraordinary things. I would have made an argument for entitlement rather than excellence. My argument advocates older people who wish to continue their professional careers without bias especially when they are truly qualified.
Andover Chick -
Ignorance isn't bliss. This is an issue of sustainability, not a contest to see who can be the most uplifting.
People, like you, refuse to acknowledge the inability of the system to exist in its current form for any extended period of time. Keep thinking that you "deserve" a cush retirement and pension to live off, while never understanding the repercussions of such extravagances.
You can point out thousands of older workers doing absolutely spectacular things. At the same time, anyone else can come on here and point out an equal number of children that are doing equally as extraordinary things. Steve Jobs and Darra Torres don't make your case because anyone else can come up with the same argument for the other side.
Part time work is the key to fuller and more satisfying employment. An old person's ability (and desire) to work decreases gradually in their 60s and 70s. The government must seek to remove all forms of taxes and fees that are assessed per person, rather than per hour of work or dollar earned. This includes all costs associated with hiring or termination. The big one in America is health insurance -- When an employer has to pay health insurance for each worker, hiring one 40 hour a week employee may cost 20-40% less than hiring two 20 hour a week employees. Paying the full time worker overtime is cheaper than hiring new workers.
I hope to work less and less after the age of 60, but I do hope to continue to work. What a shame if tax laws and regulations make it nearly impossible to do so.
Awarding bigger pensions to those who defer it is of course an intelligent solution, and one that can save the government some money. Really, old age pensions were created to save old people from poverty, not to create gilded 20 year vacations for the middle class. I fail to see why it is in the people's interest to make old age pensions a universal benefit.
Nicely stated. I could not agree more.
To all those who wax poetic about the virtue of work, remember the old adage: "If work were so wonderful, why do you have to 'pay' anyone to get it done?" !!
Unfortunately, looks like more & more will 'die in harness'. Retirement is getting more elusive by-the-day..
Give me back the good ole days!
The inflexibility of the old in learning maybe restricted to the WWII generation currently in retirement. In that era they all worked for the same company for 30+ years with little change. But those of us below age 60 are accustomed to changing gigs every few years and coming upto speed on some new business or technology
Discrimination against the "older" is the BIGGEST problem and is so inaccurate. Most of the stereotypes are not even close to being true.
The best example is Dara Torres who snatched multi medals in Bejing at age 42. Steve Jobs is hardly a spring chicken yet still cranks out innovative products. In the comments below someone mentioned a radiologist working at age 75. Myself, I'm 48 and I play women's rugby and hockey. On national team testing I usually get the highest speed, strength, and endurance scores and I heal the quickest.
Is more a cultural problemas than only economic one.In other societies old people is respected and is a source of experience and a social capital for all.Here is a waste.Senecense is more corporal than mental.Think the bad
bussiness to retire all the "old" scientist at world universities.Is like lost millions of good neurones acchieved
by many US$ and going to home to see TV.Is a very bad business.
Western civilization has a wrong paradigma about old people
(discrimination) and produces a alien society with all his consecuences depresion,loneliness and suicide.The problem are not old people are the economic group who consider all life
as a great market and in this market oldest are bad customers.
Blixa Bargeld,
You are quite correct, saving 10% is not nearly enough as the national average of interest for savings accounts is around 2%. This rarely outpaces inflation. I guess what I meant to say was to invest your savings in to a diversified portfolio ensuring growth and security. If you don't think this is enough to comfortably retire, then I probably won't understand your definition of comfort.
Demography means we'll all have to work until we drop does it? Nothing to do with Gordon Brown stealing billions from pension funds, educated idiots in the city trashing the financial system, fund managers who are so useless even bankers refer to them as sheep. NO no its all the fault of demography.
AH so thats alright then. Nice to know noBODY is to blame then
This whole problem of pensions and aging is not about pensions and aging at all. It's all about employment and the jobs structure.
If there were enough jobs, and a bigger and better part-time job market, including a tax, social insurance and medical insurance system that does not penalise those who don't work full-time, the problem would be completely different (for young couples with children, too!). We could work as many hours, and for as many years, as our health, family circumstances and financial situation allow us.
Important note: we do NOT become less efficient overall as we age. What changes is our mix of skills. We have more maturity for decision-making, more intuition based on wider knowledge and experience, better skills at handling people, a wider perspective: these are the things that the old have always been valued for. On the other hand, we have less sheer energy, less adaptability, less speed, less muscular strengh. The trick is to separate the tasks that are best adapted to us, and build jobs around them. All society would benefit.
And yes, of course, once we have paid off our mortgages and finished paying for our kids' education, we can manage with far less money than before (as long as we have some decent medical coverage). But we do expect, and deserve, to be valued and respected.
The problem with working longer is that it compounds the problem: people who work stay fitter and saner so they die later.
Mike Arndt, what you don't get is arithmetic: saving 10% of your pay from early on is better than nothing, but barely enough for a comfortable normal retirement, let alone an early one.
Thank you Economist for putting this in perspective!!!
So, after a pricey college education and 40 year slog as a dignified professional, I get to work the counter at Burger King and its a "good thing" cause it gets me "out of the house"?? Standing in bread lines might also help get us out of the house, get some color in our cheeks - so that's good too, right?
Thanks for reminiscing on how mostly retirement was designed as a false hope beyond our deaths - that's quite cheerful. Mentioning Otto Von Bismark as the heralder of those party times was the topping. Gee, perhaps a flashback to Erich Ludenorff will also help us understand it's not all bad.
This is a complex topic.
My generation of physician compatriots may be an example...
Of the twelve former partners with whom I spent 30 years practicing radiology, ten are retired. One is back at work on a full-time, part-time basis due to a late in life divorce. One is working as a radiologist 1-2 days/week at the age of 75, and 1-2 days/week he buys/sells old cars, doing this because he is worried about dementia. One is a full time volunteer at a museium.
One has developed chronic detached retinas, is functionally blind and has moved to Hawaii so he can surf(leaving his wife at hoome). One (me) found a retirement job working for the US government. Two have found part-time radiology jobs working at home using internet connections for professional contact. Two are retired completely; one traveling, the other staying at home gardening and annoying his wife. The last guy has disappeared, refusing to have any contact with his former partners...
So after a formal retirement, 6/10 have returned to their profesional carriers. Only 2/10 have maintained "classical" retirements. 2/10 may be dealing with emotional problems... Only ONE returned to work because of financial concerns.
I'm not sure that you could reach any conclusions about our retirements other than at one time or other, we all thought we wanted it or were entitled to it.
I don't get it...
What happened to saving 10%, pay yourself first and live as if your gross pay was 10% less so you don't have to make excuses about saving.
I'm retiring in my late 50's no doubt, I'm 19 years old right now and have been saving since 10.
The promise of the industrial revolution was that nobody would have to work, and we could all live like kings. It is time we made unemployment the goal, not the problem! :)
Seriously, too many people worldwide don't have jobs, or both parents have to work to feed the family. It doesn't make economic sense to require people to work longer and longer to 'get by' - that is a sign of an inefficient economic model.
Historically, in the US each time the work week was shortened an economic boom followed. I'm sure that was also the case elsewhere. (The equilibrium just now is distorted by the tremendous gap across the world in relative wealth, which is lagging the rapid increase in the movement of economic goods.)
Let's do what we can to reduce the number of hours, days and years each person has to work as a wage slave. Perhaps we could each be drafted to work 'for the man' ten years, and then retire into a productive but relaxed and creative retirement, working on things that we want to do. Let the robots do the grunt work! :)
A few folks might want to continue to work in the system, but most would prefer to do other, generally productive things if they could live reasonably comfortably. This change could result in an historic increase in education, arts and crafts, beautification, environmental cleanup and other services to humanity and the earth, with volunteers to assist all over the world.
Certainly when I retire (if I can...) I will not stop being useful - I will just be able to contribute as I can and want, in the time and place of my choosing.
Will the last baby boomer to pass through their privileged era please turn out the lights and lock the door behind them?
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(P/V/G Composer Collection). The first definitive collection of Sondheim's songs, with selections from Anyone Can Whistle, Assassins, Company, Dick Tracy, Evening Primrose, Follies, The Frogs, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Into the Woods, A Little Night Music, Merrily We Roll Along, Pacific Overtures, Passion, Road Show, Saturday Night, Sunday in the Park with George, and Sweeney Todd. Includes detailed notes about the shows and films.
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A Kansas Air Ship
But no one in 1909 could have expected this giant insect, or rather, "A Kansas Air Ship," to reappear and loft a baby girl in an American flag-clad basket high above the plains. Imagined by Marion W. Bailey, a photographer based in Hutchinson, Kansas, this illustration was similar to other "exaggeration" or "tall-tale" post cards that proliferated across the region. The images of giant insects doing battle with humans provided both a thinly veiled analogy and some levity in dealing with disaster.


text: st.joseph of church View full-size image < previous next > Is this photo a winner? "Church meeting every Sunday" - ROCCO WONG (Aug 25, 2011) Share this photo on: Twitter Facebook Pinterest Similar Photos: religious | church | meeting | sunday | st. joseph church Feeling inspired? Visit the CustomInk Design Lab to start your own group order. Design Your Own


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Sawyer Permethrin Repellent
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Coulston Odorless Duranon Tick Repellent. Doesn't just repel insects, it actually kills over 55 different varieties.
Ticks, mosquitoes, chiggers, mites and much more. You've got an effective, deadly defense against them all. Odorless when dry. During the drying process it tightly bonds with the fibers of the treated garment. It will not stain or damage clothing, fabrics, plastics, finished surfaces, or any of your outdoor gear. Aerosol applications can last up to six weeks and through several washings. 6-oz. aerosol.
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Sawyer Permethrin Repellent is rated out of 5 by 2.Rated 5 out of 5 by DEVEN G from Kills spiders, but not further tested.Date published: 2014-05-16Rated 5 out of 5 by JOSEPH from Great stuff! Works better than expected.Date published: 2014-04-27
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Pronouncing The AlphabetA B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z The alphabet is the set of 26 letters (from A to Z) that we use to represent English in writing. It is important to understand that the letters of the alphabet do NOT always represent the same sounds of English. This section is about pronunciation. And these pages are about pronunciation of the letters of the alphabet. In our Writing section you can see more about writing the letters of the alphabet. On the following pages, we will look at:
The English word "alphabet" comes from the first two letters of the Greek alphabet: alpha, beta |


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715 East 36th Avenue
Some errands can be accomplished on foot.
A few nearby public transportation options.
Flat as a pancake, excellent bike lanes.
Score Details
715 East 36th Avenue has a Walk Score of 52 out of 100. This location is Somewhat Walkable so some errands can be accomplished on foot.
This location is in the Southeast neighborhood in Eugene. Nearby parks include Tugman City Park, Milton City Park and Kincaid City Park.
Nearby schools include Parker Elementary School, Camas Ridge Community Elementary School and Opportunity Center.
The closest grocery stores are Dari Mart, Vishnu India Imports and Sunrise Asian Food Market.
Nearby coffee shops include Hideaway Bakery, Starbucks and 16 Tons Cafe. Nearby restaurants include Chef's Kitchen, Mazzi's and The Old Pad.
715 East 36th Avenue is near Tugman City Park, Shadow Wood City Park and Wayne Morse Park.
There are excellent bike lanes and the terrain is flat as a pancake. 715 East 36th Avenue is a Biker's Paradise, daily errands can be accomplished on a bike.
Explore how far you can travel by car, bus, bike and foot from 715 East 36th Avenue.
715 East 36th Avenue has some transit which means a few nearby public transportation options.
Bus lines:
28 Hilyard
0.1 mi
24 Donald
0.4 mi
715 East 36th Avenue is in the Southeast neighborhood. Southeast is the 18th most walkable neighborhood in Eugene with a neighborhood Walk Score of 27.


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Cool that you capped a few flags, but your 10-20 something is just feeding the other team scorestreaks, and that can lose you a match very quickly.
You failed to hold the flags. That's why you lost, and that's why you were able to get 7 caps in the first place instead of 4.
I had 11 Caps (9 B flag Caps) and 20 defends. The other members on my team had 2 caps each (neutral caps). I went 50-10ish. We won, but thank about how I felt regarding my teammates lol.


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If a puppy lives at a breeder who has had parvo deaths in ...
Resolved Question:
If a puppy lives at a breeder who has had parvo deaths in her other dogs contagious one month later or dangerous to a 5 month old puppy at my house that has had vaccines. The puppy at the breeder will have had at least three sets of vaccines by the time we get her. Also is our two year old dog at any risk?
7 years ago.
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Vet Tech Amy
replied 7 years ago.
To clarify....
Your first question is "is it safe to adopt a puppy who is 5 months old and had 3 sets of vaccines but comes from a house where parvo positive dogs are?"
And second is "do I have to worry about your fully vaccinated 2 year old dog contracting parvo?"
Ask Your Own Dog Question
replied 7 years ago.
we have a 14 week old puppy who will have three sets of vaccines by the 20th of dec. and we have a two year old who is fully vaccinated and had abooster last feb. The dog that we are supposed to get is 9 weeks with two vaccination due for third next week or so. We are not suppossed to get her until sometime in january. Her litter was fine but another litter at the same kennel lost 4 puppies to parvo, they were under six weeks and had not been vaccinated. This all occurred the week before thanksgiving and the different litters were put in different buildings immediately. They have follwed all procedures and the pups from the litter ours is from have still tested negative and no symptoms. they live in a different state and were going to bring her to us , but I can pretty much call the shots on when to bring her. We really want her but do not want to risk our other babies health, please help with opinion
Vet Tech Amy
replied 7 years ago.
Thanks for the additional information,
Unless your 2 year old has an underlying auto-immune disorder it is HIGHLY unlikely that he would be at risk even if around a parvo positive dog. So no problems there.
As for the 14 week old, if he has has 2 DHPP vaccines (distemper hepatitis parainfluenza and parvo) after 12 weeks of age, he too will be fine. Vaccines can be given as soon as 14 days after a previous vaccine. The fact that he will have 3 sets is promising, but a complete set would ensure no problems arise.
If the kennel is truly a well kept, clean kennel with washable floors etc, it is not likely that the puppy would have been contaminated with proper handling/sanitation. That being said, I would request proof of vaccines (stickers or boxes from the vaccine itself) and make sure that he looks bright, alert,responsive and has nice pink gums with puppy breath. Foul breath (metallic) could be a sign of a problem- including parvo.
FYI- parvo is highly contagious if in contact with vomit or diarrhea from an infected dog. Parvo can live outside the body for 1 year in the ground. Unless the puppy is parvo positive or covered in feces or vomit, it is unlikely that he will bring it to your home.
Nevertheless, I do not see any reason why if your dog receives another vaccine between now and then, why you should not adopt the puppy. Once he receives the vaccine, I would allow the breeder to bring the new puppy to you.
Hope that helps. Please let me know if you need additional information.
Best wishes and good luck with your new little one,
Ask Your Own Dog Question
replied 7 years ago.
how many vaccines in the full set I have heard conflicting info
Vet Tech Amy
replied 7 years ago.
Technically 4 sets given at 6, 9, 12, and 15 weeks of age. Some people start early and give an extra parvo vaccine at the end- especially in parvo prone breeds such as Rottweilers.
However, 2 DHPP vaccines given at or after 12 weeks of age is all that is needed. For example, if you adopted a 12 week old puppy from the shelter with no history of vaccines, we would give 1 DHPP at 12 weeks and a second at 15 weeks and he would be considered fully vaccinated until he is a year old. However, dogs begin to lose their immunity from antibodies when they are young so they need to be protected the entire time, to have the first vaccines no later than 6 weeks of age to not have a gap in protection.
It is confusing and different people go by slightly different schedules but this is a basic protocol that works.
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Granted, the public's standards for propriety weren't as strong in the Old West as they are today...unless you count New Jersey. But even still, you've got to imagine that a few brows would be raised through the dusty saloons if Seth MacFarlane were to mosey about town with Amanda Seyfried on his arm. But actor/director/upcoming Oscar host MacFarlane is shirking either society's norms, and bringing aboard young Seyfried as a romantic interest for his character in the developing comedy Western A Million Ways to Die in the West.
RELATED: Seth MacFarlane Follows 'Ted' with 'Blazing Saddles'-Style Western Comedy
The Hollywood Reporter reports that 27-year-old actress is in talks to join the Family Guy creator's new feature film, playing the woman that leaves the cowardly MacFarlane after he backs out of one of them duels the time period was so lousy with. The previously cast Charlize Theron will play the sharp-shooting wife of an outlaw who helps MacFarlane's trembling farmer win back the love of his life.
RELATED: Charlize Theron in Seth MacFarlane's Western: Is the Genre Really Making a Comeback?
A Million Ways to Die, a movie whose spirit is described to be reminiscent of Blazing Saddles, will be the director's follow-up feature to the 2012 hit Ted.
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Comments about Wilmington Products San Diego Padres Home Field Advantage Tapestry:
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How to Transfer Your Facebook Friends to Google+ (And Vice Versa) Why Google+ won't hurt Facebook, but Skype will hate it. Google launched its much awaited and highly anticipated social networking platform today to a limited number of users.
Dubbed Google+ (Plus), the service may take its cue from social networking giant Facebook, but in the end it is about the harsh reality of Google saving and enhancing its core franchise — Google Search. It is search (and, by extension, advertising) that made Google a company that has run afoul of the Federal Trade Commission because of its huge size and influence. At the time of Google's founding, search was broadly defined as a sifting through a directory of websites. Instant Photo Uploads from Android is Google Plus's Killer Feature. There's a lot to like about Google Plus, the new social network from everyone's favorite search engine: the design, the thoughtfully created and easy-to-use privacy settings (Circles), the built in mobile chatting (Huddles) and video chatting (Hangouts) features, the smart news reader (Sparks), and more.
But if Google Plus had one "killer" feature, it would definitely be the instant photo uploads from Android. Why is this? Because it's the one feature that will actually encourage adoption. Réseau social : Google+ marche sur les plates-bandes de Facebook.


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Now that the trade has been finalized which sent Robin Lopez and Hakim Warrick to the New Orleans Hornets, and Wesley Johnson plus a conditional first round back pick to the Suns by way of Minnesota ... it is time to take a look at the newest member of Planet Orange.
Wesley Johnson is a 25 year old 6-foot-7, 215 pound SG/SF formerly of Iowa St./Syracuse, and fourth pick of the draft in 2010. Coming out of college he was regarded as one of the top talents in the draft, and one of the most NBA-ready players available. But after two very underwhelming seasons in Minnesota he has been maligned as one of the worst starting shooting guards in the league and was basically given up on by his former team in order to clear cap space ... So what went wrong?
Continue reading after the jump for possible answers to that question, and an in-depth look at the newest Phoenix Sun.
Going back to his college years, I was pretty familiar with Wesley Johnson when he played with Iowa St. and Syracuse. By the time he entered the draft, I saw him as a seasoned college player who was ready to step onto an NBA team as a small forward and contribute immediately. I loved his rebounding, his defense, his athleticism, and his accurate shooting from both inside and outside of the arc.
Did I believe he was deserving of the #4 pick overall when he was selected by the Minnesota Timberwolves in the 2012 draft? Absolutely.
Let's take a look at his stats from his three years in college:
As you can see, Johnson showed a nice progression over those three years, even with a move to Syracuse to play his final year in college in which he averaged 16.5 points and 8.5 rebounds per game. He showed the ability to be a game changer with his rare combination of length, athleticism, defense and a pure jump-shot.
But then contrast that to his stats in the two years he's played in the NBA with Minnesota:
What the heck happened?
That's the million dollar question. I certainly have my theories, but then again, I haven't watched Wes Johnson play that many games in Minnesota. So in order to gain a better perspective on Wes, I contacted Canis Hoopus writer Oceanary and asked him for his input about Johnson's past struggles, positives and possible future outlook. Here's what he had to say:
Wes is a difficult player to figure out.On one hand, he was drafted into a very difficult position, by a front office that honestly ... and frighteningly ... doesn't really know what it's doing. The Wolves had pinned two players to the draft board that year ... Wes Johnson and Derrick Favors ... and determined to take whichever one the Nets didn't.Spending his rookie year playing for Kurt Rambis did not help. Rambis was a very hands-off coach ... very 'Zen,' like the Zen master he apprenticed under in Los Angeles. He was given little instruction and little encouragement. Rambis just kind of threw him out there ... the way he did to all the players ... and then got upset when he didn't follow instructions he was never given in the first place.Playing in the faux-Triangle system (which we have affectionately nicknamed the 'Rambangle') was even more unhelpful. Wes was played out of position at shooting guard (to allow Love and Beasley to both start) and was told to basically camp on the three point line. And because we simultaneously lacked a respectable point guard and a playbook with any kind of real ball movement, most of the shots he took were contested.And then, of course, starting his sophomore season with no training camp was even more than less than unhelpful.
Oceanary seems to believe the cards were stacked against Wes from the beginning due to a combination of poor coaching, an unnatural position and the offensive system he had to play in. I couldn't agree with him more. I thought Minny rushed Wes into playing and then starting, especially when he wasn't playing his natural position of small forward. I was unaware of the dynamic created by former Timberwolves head coach Kurt Rambis, and the way in which he was asked to contribute which certainly could have stifled his development as well.
After seeing all of these issues together, is it any wonder he's had such a rough time finding his rhythm in his first two years after such a bumpy start? By the way, will the Suns see fit to move Johnson back to his natural small forward position after seeing how he struggled as a two guard? Let's hope so.
But that doesn't mean Wes is absolved from all blame either. There are still considerable flaws in his game that he needs to work on if he wants to succeed at this level. Oceanary continued:
On the other hand, Wes can be pretty passive on the court, hasn't been good at the things he was billed as being good at, and lacks a key fundamental skill.Wes cannot dribble. At all. To the point he barely has even straight line movement. This affects him in a number of ways, most noticeably in isolation situations. He has great quickness, but no first step because he lacks the ability to put the ball on the floor in a coordinated manner. He also has difficulty changing directions, both off the dribble and on basket cuts. And, as one would expect, he very rarely gets to the free throw line because of this. He averaged less than a single free throw in 24 minutes/game last year. Us Wolves fans were sure we had seen the NBA floor on ball handling in Corey Brewer, but Wes somehow managed to dig below it.He also ... well, let's put it this way. Since the start of David Kahn's reign, us Hoopusters have talked at great lengths about 'looks the part' versus 'is the part'. Kahn loves guys who 'look the part' ... long limbs, fast, athletic ... but often takes it at the cost of actual productive players. Jonny Flynn. Ryan Hollins. Darko. Wes is most definitely a guy who 'looks the part' ... he has 747 arms, drops from the ceiling, and shows perfect form on his jumpers. Unfortunately his athleticism doesn't get put to very good use, and his jump shots don't fall with any regularity. He was billed as three things as a rookie ... athletic, a good defender, and a lights-out shooter. As a pro? Athletic: check. Defense: not terrible. Shooting: ... not good. Wes shot 50% as a junior at Syracuse, but has yet to break 40% in the NBA, despite a shooting form that looks positively Durant-ish.
That's one part of Johnson's game I just can't figure out. He evolved into a very nice and efficient jump shooter in college, yet he's struggled to translate this aspect of his game to the NBA, despite having a very pretty and fundamentally sound shot. Maybe the system has something to do with it, making Johnson uncomfortable or unable to get open shots. Either way, I'm led to believe this is a very fixable issue and he can still improve his shooting ... especially if he has the opportunity to focus more on that part of his game.
As for the ball handling ... well, that's just something he's going to really have to improve upon if he wants to succeed in the NBA. Hopefully the Suns have coaches who are willing to work with him to improve his handle. As someone who has coached adolescent basketball players for many years, I can tell you the best way to improve one's dribble is simply to spend a lot of time doing various ball handling drills. It takes dedication and many hours of repetition, but it is something that players can improve exponentially in a relatively short amount of time if they're willing to put in the work.
So what about Wes's future? Well, my magic 8-ball seems stuck on "Reply hazy, try again." However, Oceanary had this to say:
I still have hope for Wes. I think a change of city and scenery ... especially away from our ultra-critical fan base ... will help him. I also think that a full training camp under a real coach can do him a lot of good. The tools are all there. He just hasn't used them right. The big question is will he ever learn to? Ideally he's a very natural fit for the Nash-system Suns (if that system will still exist) ... potentially a super-suped-up Jared Dudley. But he has a lot of work to do ... fundamentally and mentally ... to get to that level.
This could be a brand new start for Wes; a chance for him to get a fresh new start and finally live up to his billing as one of the top prospects in the country only a couple years ago. Or, it could be more of the same in which case the Suns will likely choose to let him walk, assuming they decline picking up the team option that comes due in October ... in which case he will be a restricted free agent at the end of the season.
This is the most likely course of action either way, due to the simple fact that the Suns will be unable to evaluate Wes in any live games before a decision must be made. If Wes turns it around and shows promise this year the Suns can simply extend him a qualifying offer and match anything else that comes his way. If not then they can simply renounce his rights and free up the cap space to sign other free agents next year.
Attached below is a media interview that Lon Babby and Lance Blanks participated in to answer questions about trading Robin Lopez and Hakim Warrick, along with acquiring Wesley Johnson. We've already covered the loss of Robin Lopez at length, but you may find the reasons they wanted to trade for Wes Johnson interesting. Fast forward to the five minute mark if you want to skip over the Warrick and Lopez talk and hear how excited Blanks is about the prospect of obtaining a talent like Wes, and how he believes the new and supportive environment will help him to make a fresh new start in Phoenix.
Babby and Blanks Media Conference Call
The bottom line is, Wesley Johnson will have the opportunity to make a clean break from his tarnished reputation in Minnesota and get a fresh start in the Valley of the Sun. With a new coaching staff, a reduced role, less expectations and hopefully a change in position, maybe Wesley can turn it all around and finally become the player so many thought he could be. Only time will tell.
News surrounding the Phoenix Suns has been hot and heavy these past few weeks, and Friday was no exception. Friday brought us changes in the Suns roster, front office and TV voices all in one day, while rumors continued of Suns coaching wanderlust and a future "star" player's interest.
Certainly, if you are a fan of change then this summer is your panacea.
Last year's opening night starting lineup will probably return only Marcin Gortat and Jared Dudley on opening night of the 2012-13 season. In-with-the-new includes Goran Dragic, Michael Beasley and Luis Scola to the starting unit.
Last year's backups on opening night will return only Shannon Brown, Sebastian Telfair and Markieff Morris, to be joined by Channing Frye, Kendall Marshall, Wes Johnson, P.J. Tucker and an as-yet-unnamed backup C.
Last year's all-too-often game-calling duo were Tom Leander and Scott Williams. Leander has now been re-focused on studio shows (pre, halftime and post) while Scott Williams has left the organization entirely. Next year's play-by-play man is Marv Albert's younger brother, Steve Albert who has a long career of announcing NBA and boxing. Joining him will be more of Eddie Johnson and a little of Ann Myers-Drysdale.
And in the Suns' front office, the curious hiring of Brad Casper - a very successful businessman who'd hardly ever even been to a Suns game - has been put out to pasture. Casper replaced Rick Welts after Welts moved to California to be closer to his partner, a "coming out" that was unprecedented in major mens' sports. Previously, Welts made a name for himself as the guy who started the Suns' annual outdoor preseason game in Indian Wells. Nine months later, Casper left to pursue other interests and the Suns promoted a guy who's been with the team for years: Jason Rowley.
And that's not all. Oh no, that is not all.
The coaching staff will change as well. Former lead assistant and big-man coach Bill Cartwright has left the organization. Guys like Mark West and Lindsey Hunter have joined the player-development ranks along with Corey Gaines, who right now is coaching the WNBA's Phoenix Mercury.
Defensive coordinator Elston Turner is one of four finalists for the Portland head coaching job, while player-development staffer Lindsey Hunter was a finalist for the Orlando job until they hired Jacque Vaughn. It's quite possible that Hunter will be snatched up for a full-time coaching position this summer, in either Portland or Orlando.
Phew, lots of change. Luckily for us, Sarver, Babby, Blanks, Treloar and Gentry remain entrenched in their positions, though the latter four's contracts are all up in a year.
Changes may not stop coming for a while.
The Suns' trade of Robin Lopez and Hakim Warrick was held up by a completely different reason than I had surmised. It would be easy to blame someone else for this, but I cannot. When I heard that the 3-team trade was being held up for issues of legality under the CBA, I combed the cbafaq.com for clues. There's actually a FAQ answer that deals specifically with "when a player cannot be traded".
Once I did the numbers and realized New Orleans is now "over the cap" after re-signing Eric Gordon using his Bird Rights, and after previously acquiring Ryan Anderson and Brad Miller, the article pretty much wrote itself. Teams "over the cap" have more restrictions than those under the cap. One of those restrictions is that once you receive a player in trade, you cannot re-trade that player along with any other players (aggregation) for two months. The Hornets were trying to send Brad Miller (just acquired 11 days before) along with Dyson in the deal.
Another trade limitation to teams over the cap is that they must send out somewhat similar salaries than they receive - within 150% plus $100,000. Without the ability to aggregate Miller's salary with another player, there appeared to be no way New Orleans could meet the salary-matching demand with the players they proposed.
Apparently, the latter rule applied to the Hornets, but not the former.
In the media conference call that took place after the trade was made final, Lon Babby clarified how the trade was legal.
Apparently, when it comes to "under the cap", "over the cap" and "over the apron", it's all about timing.
At the time New Orleans acquired Brad Miiler, they were "under the cap". This was before the Ryan Anderson and Eric Gordon signings. So, apparently, Brad Miller was able to be re-traded with other players immediately and any time thereafter. Once given, that ability to aggregate him with others is immutable, even if the team moves into another cap classification later.
When the trade went down, the Hornets were by that time "over the cap", so they had to meet the salary-matching rules. But that was easy as long as they could package Miller's $5.1 with another player.
Bingo, the trade was legal as soon as it was proposed.
These guys are smart, I tell ya.
The holdup, apparently, was the haggling over the first-round pick the Suns would receive from Minnesota. It's complicated and I'm sure it took a lot of negotiation to get it right.
Looks clean on the surface, like the Suns are going to pick real soon, but the way I read that tweet (and Babby's explanation on the conference call) was that Memphis' pick only come into play if Minnesota would otherwise be sending us theirs.
So root for Minnesota to play really well next season!
James Harden answers an obvious question with an obvious answer
The Suns' pursuit of Eric Gordon failed this summer, but that may just have been a trial run for next summer anyway. The Suns offered restricted free agent Gordon a max-level extension on July 3, 2012 and may do the same with either James Harden or Serge Ibaka in 2013.
Except that the Suns may have a lot more luck next year. New Orleans matched the Gordon offer because Gordon was their only star player and they were way under the salary cap at the time. NOLA had no choice, and no real reason to make one anyway.
Oklahoma City, on the other hand, has a HUGE choice to make. They already have Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook on max extensions, giving the latter player their one and only 5-year-extension contract. It would be impossible to sign both Harden and Ibaka to max extensions of their own.
Questions abound whether OKC can convince both Harden and Ibaka to take less than they can get (ie. MAX) on the open market before next summer to stay in OKC as the third and fourth fiddles. Both are eligible for contract extensions this fall, and both will probably say "no thanks" to anything less than the max (starting at no less than $13.7 million).
Harden, for his part, is taking this in stride. In the first of likely many questions about his future, he handled a query by the Republic's Dan Bickley last week just as expected.
"Yeah," he said about maybe signing with the Suns next summer. "Of course. I love it there. My mom lives there still. So that's definitely my second home as far as my comfort level and going to school there. But obviously, I'm with the Thunder right now and what we have is special."
That's Harden ratcheting up the pressure on OKC to pony up. Ibaka will likely do the same, and at least one of these guys will most certainly be traded by next July 1 before they can reach free agency. The Suns have 6 first-round draft picks in the next 3 years (10 overall), young players Marshall and Morris along with a plethora of tradeable contracts on short term.
The phone call I received from a member of the Phoenix Suns staff was quite unexpected. First impression - sales call. After some preliminary information about the event, I explicitly stated that I wasn't in a position to entertain purchasing a season ticket package (I was partly right on that first impression), but that I did write for Bright Side of the Sun under the umbrella of SB Nation and I might be interested in coming down to the arena to survey the event and possibly write a story about it. This is that story.
When I was told the Suns were reaching out to fans that had attended games in the past (they are keeping tabs on us apparently), I was intrigued again. I hadn't attended a game last season. I had imposed an ascetic ban on all things NBA based on the selfish and puerile behavior both the owners and players displayed during the lockout. I had vowed not to spend a dollar on tickets, merchandise, etc. for the lockout shortened season. In a contradiction that hasn't evaded my notice, I'm kind of helping grow their brand by my participation in the BSotS forum, but I guess I have to pick my battles. I hoped my abstemious act would play a small role in a less than desirable bottom line for the league that might discourage such contemptible behavior in the future.
My boycott is up so I will be in attendance at some games this season. With the assurance that there would be no pressure to buy, and that I was welcome as a dilettante writer, I decided to attend the event. Here is a portion of the follow up email invitation I received:
Nice to speak with you today! I'm extremely excited that you will be able to join us for this VIP event. As I mentioned, you will get to hear Lon Babby our President of Basketball Operations talk about our free agency moves and outlook for the future as we continue our tradition as the 4th winningest team in the NBA. I've provided the details below. If you have any further questions, please let me know.
- Who: Jim Coughenour and Guest
- What: Basketball Operations Event with Lon Babby, President of Basketball Operations
- Where: US Airways Center, FlexPrint Club (Courtside)
- When: Wednesday, July 25 at 6pm
Please park in the attached US Airways Center garage off of 1st street between Jefferson and Jackson. Parking is complimentary. After you park, walk into the Casino Arizona Pavilion and check in at our registration table. Then walk down through the FlexPrint Club where we will have heavy appetizers, dessert, beer, and wine.
Upon arriving I received a folder with 6th Man and season ticket information (promotional material), a lanyard that identified me and was instructed to fill out an entry for a free raffle (this will have significance later). The attendees were then funneled downstairs from the main pavilion where appetizers and drinks were served. Despite fancying myself a bit of a gastronome, I did not partake of the panoply of savory foods that were made available. I didn't drink any of Sarver's free beer, either. I was there on a mission of discovery, and a full belly can lead to a slow wit. Plus, after all the buildup, I wanted my first official free meal from the Suns to be a sandwich; and alas there were none. There were, what appeared to be, Southwestern egg rolls and meatballs among the selection. Babby himself commented that the meatballs were delicious (and spicy). In retrospect, maybe I should have had one.
Now that the appetizers are out of the way, jump it for the main course.
The presentation began with a speech by Lon Babby. He summarized some of the activities of the team during the free agency period and spoke about the mission statement moving forward. He reiterated that the goal of the franchise was to compete for championships. He mentioned that he wouldn't have taken the job if he didn't feel he would be given the opportunity and afforded the necessary resources to do so. He did seem somewhat more gesticulative and animated at points during the speech than I've seen him in his public appearances I've watched. He drew unprompted (good natured) boos on one occasion (when referring to Mitch Kupchak and the Lakers calling about Nash) as well as genuine laughter (when referring to his initial reaction to the Lakers inquiry).
The first question posed to Babby was regarding who the backup center would be for the Suns this season with Lopez being traded to the Hornets. Babby responded that the trade was actually in jeopardy due to complications with the rules. He put the odds at 50/50, which was a stark contrast from the reports that had been swirling around from various media outlets professing that the consummation of the deal was basically a formality. Babby's prediction did seem somewhat prophetic/accurate in hindsight as the trade ended up taking two additional days to complete, apparently due to CBA rule obstacles.
After emailing news of the differing characterization of the pending trade to BSotS staff members, they relayed it on twitter:
Babby told meeting of Suns fans that Lopez trade is 50/50 due to rules complications.
— BrightSideoftheSun (@BrightSideSun) July 26, 2012
It was later confirmed by Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic:
Confirmed @BrightSideSun tweet that Babby told fans that Lopez trade chance is 50-50. An agreement remains. Obliging the rules is the issue.
— Paul Coro (@paulcoro) July 26, 2012
Breaking news courtesy of Bright Side of the Sun. Alex Laugan followed up on this the next morning with his compelling and informative piece outlining the possible obstacles in the 3 team trade and BSotS was the head of the snake in delivering the most up to date information on this topic.
Two other questions from the audience centered around acquiring a new superstar for the Suns after the evanescence of elite talent from the last era. Babby elicited laughter from the audience again when one of the questions asked about the possibility of trading for a 6'10" player from Florida who was a good rebounder, to which Babby retorted that Ryan Andersen had already been traded to the Hornets. A third inquired about how Babby sees the dynamic working between Dragic and Marshall moving forward (not this year, but two or three years down the road).
Then, I was given the opportunity to ask Lon Babby a question. Since I had just finished writing a post that raised many questions about the details surrounding Grant Hill's departure, it seemed only natural to propose a query pertaining to that. I asked a brilliantly crafted (and delivered) question encompassing many of the issues I raised in my story from Wednesday morning (Babby seemed very impressed) and I got more from his answer than I expected. For anyone not familiar with the story (and those who didn't click on the link right above this and read it - do it), my question to Babby was framed along these lines:
The Luis Scola amnesty waiver claim appears to be a win now move. Wouldn't Grant Hill have been able to provide many of the same attributes as Scola at a bargain price? You had stated previously that you would be extremely disappointed if Hill played somewhere else. Given the nature of your long standing relationship with Hill, how would you characterize the nature of his departure from the Phoenix Suns and do you think there is a chance he might return to Phoenix in some capacity at a point in the future?
Babby seemed rather restrained in his answer. I thought I sensed that he was somewhat conflicted over the situation (just my impression). He said that he was extremely disappointed (just as he stated he would be). He said that he would never consider saying anything derogatory about Hill or the circumstances surrounding the situation. He said that the Scola waiver claim was made after Hill and he had discussed his future, or lack thereof, with the team. Scola was (partly) acquired in an attempt to fill the vacuous void in team leadership that was created by the egress of the former team leaders. He said that it would be a great boon to the franchise if Hill chose to be affiliated with the Suns after his playing career, but that Hill was such a profoundly talented individual that it might be limiting for him to accept a role with the Suns when he was capable of such prodigious accomplishments.
After the Q & A session ended they took everybody out on the court and people were served cookies and coffee and given the opportunity to have a shoot around on the baskets. People that were interested were taken up to seats in the lower bowl and discussed ticket plan options. I spent most of this time talking with a sales manager, who was a recent transplant that had previously worked in the Kansas City Royals organization. He took me back to the Suns practice court and gave me a brief tour of the arena.
I also spoke with the person who invited me to the event. It appears she was also a tyro in the organization and informed me that the Suns have been adding staff in preparation to return to normal operating levels after the truncated season. It was a very low pressure atmosphere and the staff was very cordial and accommodating. It was nothing like the car dealership climate I had been chary of stumbling into. I thought that the event was a good way of reaching out to fans and giving them an inside look at things they normally aren't privy to. She said the organization planned on hosting more events like this in the future, so maybe next time your phone will ring.
One last thing. Right before they introduced Babby they held a raffle (I foreshadowed this earlier). I won an autographed Dudley jersey (he was on the screens in the flexprint room so I guess he's the de facto face of the franchise). An interestingly coincidental night where a BSotS staff member is randomly invited to a Suns event and breaks news on a trade while taking home a signed jersey (pictured below) he wins in a raffle. Not how I had envisioned my Wednesday night unfurling before I got that phone call on Monday.