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Pronunciation: kurî
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Out of the blue: Book about 1968 tornado includes connections to Worthington
TRACY -- June 13, 1968. It's a date that has both haunted and fascinated Scott Thoma for most of his life.
Thoma was 9 years old that day when the first recorded F5 tornado in Minnesota history tore through his hometown of Tracy, killing nine people, injuring 125 others and destroying nearly one-fourth of the town's structures.
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Centre for Academic, Professional and Organisational Development (CAPOD)
CAPOD provides a comprehensive range of opportunities to support personal, professional and academic development for all staff and students; and to contribute to organisational effectiveness by promoting engagement with institutional values and priorities. CAPOD also provides a range of funding opportunities to help with your personal & professional development.
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Pineda watch • 11.23.12
Who knows what Michael Pineda is? He had one half of a good season with the Mariners and now he's coming off shoulder surgery.
But he's only going to be 24 in January and the 6-foot-7 righty did come with a price tag of Jesus Montero. It would be nice if he turned out to be something sooner or later in the Yankees' rotation and lived up to the potential he originally showed.
Pineda went 9-10 with a 3.74 ERA in 2011, but he was just 1-4 with a 5.12 ERA after the All-Star break that year. Then came the trade, the labrum tear and the operation May 1, forcing him to miss the entire season.
Here's what we heard the other day about his comeback:
He came to town within the last two weeks for a routine follow-up with Dr. Chris Ahmad, the Yankees' physician, and Dr. David Altchek, the Mets' physician who operated on Pineda. He threw at Yankee Stadium on flat ground, his program for about two months.
"He looked good," Brian Cashman said. "He's throwing on flat ground at 90 feet, so I don't want to get …
"All I can report is his arm was working very well, very healthy, very loose. He had zip on it. He's in great physical shape in terms of body weight.
"He's not going to be a choice in game action until probably sometime in May or June. Whether it's majors or minors, who's to say? We've got him to the side. … We certainly have high hopes for him, but in terms of planning and counting on him, it's in everybody's interest not to do that right now and just put together as deep and strong a staff as possible and be pleasantly surprised and appreciative if we can welcome him back to the fold at some point.
"But that's all for another day. He's got a lot more hurdles in the rehab process to clear."
In other news, ESPN on Thursday had the Red Sox agreeing with Jonny Gomes on a deal for two years and $10 million, contingent on a physical. The outfielder hit .262 with 18 homers and 47 RBI for the A's last season.
Beware of the Blue Jays • 11.21.12
The Blue Jays have been loading up for a serious run, bringing in Jose Reyes, Josh Johnson and Mark Buehrle, among others, from Miami and signing Melky Cabrera. They just hired John Gibbons for a managing sequel. Between the Jays, the Orioles and the Rays (and the Red Sox will presumably be more competitive), it should make for a great division race with the Yankees.
I asked Brian Cashman Tuesday night about the Blue Jays' offseason and the impact on the Yankees.
"Toronto has done a lot," Cashman said. "They've been very aggressive. I've been obviously associated with the Yankees since '86, so I know the sleeping giant that exists up there. It's a great baseball town. They've had a huge amount of success in the past. They're fighting from the development standpoint, from the trade standpoint, from the free-agent standpoint, to get back to that. And they've been doing it for quite some time.
"Last year wasn't a true reflection of how good they could have been because they got derailed with injuries and unexpected underperformance. That happens in the sport of baseball. So last year they were better than what they showed on the field, and I think their additions are certainly going to serve them extremely well.
"They've been on the map as far as we've been concerned. They've been one of the best teams in the game in the first half of every season the last few years. The second half, things have gone different for them. …
"It's just more competition. It's not surprising. You tip your cap to them. We recognize what's going on up there. But it doesn't change how we go about our business. We feel we know what we need to do and we're going to try to execute it, just like they're trying to do the same."
I think the kings of fourth place are going to be formidable throughout for a change, if they stay healthy. Like that Blue Jays lineup. The Yankees will surely do a few more things this offseason. Do you think they ultimately should fear Toronto?
The Nova mystery • 11.21.12
Ivan Nova obviously has ability, but as we saw in the second half, he misplaced it somewhere. He went 2-5 with a 7.05 ERA after the All-Star break, and finished 12-8 with a 5.02 ERA and a .288 opponents batting average. Plus, the Yankees didn't let him near the mound in the postseason.
I asked Brian Cashman during Tuesday night's conference call about his concern level about him going forward.
The GM didn't sound too worried.
"I feel really good about Nova," Cashman said. "He's a good young arm. His maiden voyage a year ago was terrific, and he finished strong. He won one of our two playoff wins the previous year. And then this year, sophomore growing pains or whatever you want to call it. But at the same time, his strikeout total soared and his walk total reduced. So it was an interesting year for him.
"The stuff is there. He's a good, young, under-control, not-even-arbitration-eligible starter with a boatload of experience, both positive and negative. I, without a doubt, consider Nova a rotation starter in the majors. It's just, where's he going to slot himself as we go into 2013? At the back end or toward the middle of the rotation.
"So that's how I look at Nova. The equipment is there. His determination is there. Like anything, you get on the right side of the mountain, when you've got the positive things rolling, with his ability, you can take off. If you get on the wrong side of the mountain, you have to struggle through it and fight through it. That's how he ended up in the end, where he was on the wrong side of the mountain, probably of confidence. But that's nothing I worry about with him. He's a very confident guy."
This is the link to my story today for The Journal News and LoHud.com about the positive move of re-signing Hiroki Kuroda and a quick summary of Tuesday's happenings. But I didn't have room for Cashman's take on the current rotation, minus Andy Pettitte, at least for the moment:
"On paper, we do have five starters. If you go through it, you've got CC, Kuroda, Hughes, Nova, Phelps, but we would certainly like to add to that and lengthen it and deepen it and strengthen it."
Your take?
Cashman relieved; Jeter projection • 11.20.12
Brian Cashman had a conference call tonight with reporters in conjunction with the re-signing of Hiroki Kuroda.
"It's a relief to know that Hiroki is back," Cashman said. "… It's a short-term deal that provides flexibility as we move forward and gives us an important, valuable arm to our rotation."
Cashman didn't have any update on Andy Pettitte's thinking as far as a return.
He did say: "The pitching is our priority and has been our priority. So we'll continue on those efforts."
Cashman did talk up Ivan Nova as a starter despite his second-half struggles. He said Michael Pineda looked good recently throwing on flat ground, but that the Yankees aren't ready to count on him yet for the rotation. He said the Yankees are still in talks with Mariano Rivera, and that he had no concerns over the closer's reconstructed knee. Cashman also had praise for the Blue Jays' big offseason. And here's Cashman's view on Derek Jeter's return following his broken ankle.
"He'll be our Opening Day starting shortstop," Cashman said.
Cashman on C.J. Wilson: "He's the most attractive candidate" • 11.04.11
Brian Cashman was just on the Dan Patrick Show, and he was asked whether C.J. Wilson is at the top of his offseason wish list.
"I'd say it's fair to say C.J. Wilson is probably the best pitcher on the marketplace right now since Sabathia's been taken out and retained here," Cashman said. "I don't think it's a stretch to tell anybody that he's the most attractive candidate."
Obviously, in a public interview like this, it's smart to take everything Cashman says with a grain of salt, but he's also usually one to hedge on everything. He's not necessarily a guy who makes declarative statements like that on a whim.
Cashman cautioned that putting Wilson at the top of the list is strictly because of performance and talent. It does not take into account the contract Wilson might be after.
"You have your priority list and how it looks," Cashman said. "But then it gets rearranged by cost analysis."
A few other highlights from Cashman's 10 minutes or so on the show:
• Patrick asked twice about Albert Pujols. "I think he would be on anybody's wish list," Cashman said. "In our circumstances, our roster, he doesn't fit… It's not an efficient way to try to allocate your resources."
• Cashman said he never heard from another team about becoming their general manager this offseason.
• Is is better to build a team specifically for the postseason? "I think the (regular season) long haul is a true reflection of what your team is," Cashman said. "Our team, I don't think, played up to its maximum potential in October, for that one week."
• Despite the Phillies being knocked out this postseason, Cashman said his basic philosophy hasn't changed. "I still think pitching is the key to the kingdom," he said. "I think that's the recipe you have to strive for. It doesn't mean an automatic. Nothing does. But I think that's the right way to go."
• Cashman said bringing back CC Sabathia "was not a layup" and there were some nervous moments. "That's never a fun process," Cashman said. "But the resolution we're really happy with, and we know he is."
• Funny question from Patrick: Does Cashman believe his time with the Yankees will end when he retires or gets fired? "I would say that normally you get fired," Cashman said, laughing. "I think it's a healthy way to look at it. I think at some point, they usually tell you to go."
Random bit of information: Cashman said he could most easily impress Patrick by showing him the Yankees conference room. It was built for draft preparation, and the walls are magnetic so that the Yankees can easily make lists and move names around. Right now, those walls are used to rank free agents by position. During the season, it has every team's roster.
Cashman said there are five TVs — including one massive big screen — so the executives can watch five games at once, or they can pull up computer information on any of the screens. Cashman said his son plays X-box in there.
"That's the wow room," Cashman said. "When people come here, they're going to get blown away by that."
Associated Press photo
Cashman fighting homelessness with Solidarity Sleepout • 11.02.11
Yesterday's Brian Cashman conference call didn't start with discussion of his contract, or discussion of CC Sabathia's contract. It started with Cashman discussing his upcoming Solidarity Sleepout with Covenant House. Cashman is on the board of direction for the foundation which works to fight homelessness among young people.
"I've had a chance to meet some pretty inspiring kids who are fighting for, obviously, a lot," Cashman said. "They're fighting homelessness. They've obviously had a curveball thrown their way, in many cases not by their own fault… Nobody is obviously trying to compare one night of sleeping in the streets to what a homeless child goes through, but the effort here is to try to raise up to a half million dollars to benefit the programs as we move forward."
It sounds like a pretty powerful event with some pretty powerful people in the New York area. Here's the bulk of a press release with details of the event.
New York – On November 17th at 6 pm, the 21st Anniversary Covenant House Candlelight Vigil in Times Square, sponsored by Aviva USA life and annuity company, will feature the first-ever Covenant House CEO Solidarity Sleepout, with over 40 influential leaders sleeping outside in the shadow of the Covenant House New York Crisis Shelter in solidarity with homeless youth.
"On November 17th and 18th, we are going to transform Times Square and our crisis shelter into centers of hope and solidarity for homeless youth," says Covenant House President Kevin Ryan. "Natalie Grant will light up Times Square with her inspirational performance. And after the vigil, we will march back to our crisis shelter with 300 of our homeless kids and an incredible group of CEOs and business leaders will sleep in cardboard boxes outside our crisis shelter."
"These are leaders who have selflessly decided they want to walk in our kids' shoes, and experience, if only for one night, some of what our kids go through," said Ryan. "We will sleep out to show our support and to raise awareness that thousands of young people are struggling to survive every night on our streets."
The vigil will also feature homeless youth from Covenant House, who will share stories of their journey through homelessness to independence. Following the Vigil, Covenant House will host the CEO Solidarity Sleepout on the concrete near the shelter at 460 West 41st St. with high-ranking executives hoping to improve this corner of the world, including Philip Andryc of Berens Capital Management; Brian Cashman of the New York Yankees; Bill Donahoe of Allegiance Retail Services/Foodtown; Gary Dubois of Crum & Forster/Seneca; Dave Eklund of Aeolus Reinsurance; Tom Glocer of Thomson Reuters; Jeff Kaplan of Deerfield Management; Geraldine Laybourne, co-founder of the Oxygen Network and chairman of Alloy Entertainment; Julio Alfonso Portalatin of Chartis Growth Economies; George P. Reeth of Companion Property and Casualty; Adam Silver of the NBA; and Strauss Zelnick of Zelnick Media.
Associated Press photo
Pregame notes: There's thumb-thing about Alex • 08.24.11
Alex Rodriguez used two terms yesterday to describe the status of his sprained thumb. He said he thought it was a "one-day injury" and a "day-to-day" one.
At the time I considered them the same thing. How wrong I was. A-Rod is out of the lineup again today, making the thumb at least a two-day injury.
"Give him today and we'll see how it is tomorrow," Joe Girardi said.
He felt well enough to field ground balls and do team toss. That means he'll at least have a glove on, which he said is the most painful part. Girardi said there was a chance, though it sounded slim, that if he feels so pain-free during those drills that he begs back into the lineup, he'd get the green light. But with the manager tending toward caution I think it's unlikely.
Rodriguez was seen with a giant wrap on his left hand yesterday in the dugout, but Girardi said that looked scarier than it was.
"That's Geno," Girardi said of trainer Gene Monahan. "These are old-school medicines that Geno puts on people."
Rodriguez suffered the injury backhanding a ball on Sunday.
• Brian Cashman said the current roster is likely going to be the one you see down the stretch and in the playoffs. He doesn't see the club making any deals.
"I'm going to continue to scan everything, but no, I'm not optimistic that we're going to do anything," he said. "I think this is most likely what we've got."
• Trevor Cahill, tonight's Oakland starting pitcher, has not been bad this season. His 4.17 ERA is just a bit above average. But the Yankees have absolutely destroyed him. He's 0-2 with a 14.54 ERA in two starts against them this year, and 0-4 with a 13.50 in four career starts.
"This is a young man that has good stuff but we seem to be able to make him work," Girardi said. "We got some fortunate hits off him last time. We got some walks that hurt him."
• Today is Brett Gardner's 28th birthday. I asked him if he ever feels like he's getting old or worries what age will eventually do to his legs, which are essentially his livelihood.
"Some days you feel young and some days you feel old," he said. "Sometimes you get tired but for the most part, knock on wood, this season I've been healthy and I've felt really really good. Age is just a number."
He leads the team with 36 stolen bases. He is the first Yankee since Alfonso Soriano in 2001-03 to steal 30 bags in consecutive seasons.
Cashman: Waiver deals unlikely for Yankees • 08.13.11
The waiver-deal deadline is Aug. 31. But Brian Cashman, who stood pat at the July 31 nonwaiver trade deadline, isn't counting on outside help coming now for the Yankees, either.
"I think … what you see is what you're going to get," Cashman said. "It doesn't guarantee that there won't be some changes. I highly doubt it. It's not likely you're going to see anything between now and Aug. 31 because of the waivers, guys not clearing."
Maybe they will look in-house and see if Manuel Banuelos can help out of the bullpen before the season is out since they already have too many starters right now. Or maybe they can give him a taste of things here. The 20-year-old lefty is 0-1 with a 3.24 ERA in three starts since being promoted to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. He took the loss at Syracuse Friday, allowing three runs, six hits and four walks and striking out three over 5 2/3. He left trailing 3-1 and the final was 7-4.
And what about Jesus Montero? The 21-year-old righty-hitting catcher is batting .283 with 13 homers and 55 RBI in 96 games. He went 2 for 5 with a solo homer Friday. He's at .289 with three homers and five RBI over his last 10 games.
Yankees postgame: No deal • 07.31.11
Brian Cashman said he called around, that the goal is always to improve the pitching. But he didn't find what he was looking for at the right price. So the rotation remains as is. The Yankees didn't make a move before the nonwaiver trade deadline at 4 today.
"I just feel like we're a lot deeper," Cashman said. "I'm willing, by the position I've taken in the last three weeks, to rely on that than go out and pay an enormous price on something that I'm not certain what it's going to provide. …
"We have one of the premier rosters in the game right now."
Freddy Garcia and Bartolo Colon have combined for 18 wins. Cashman also praised the improvement in A.J. Burnett and talked about Phil Hughes just having to find the consistency. But most of all, he talked about the organizational pitching depth.
First there's Ivan Nova with nine wins and no spot. Then there's Adam Warren, the 23-year-old Triple-A righty. Cashman said he's "a legitimate starting choice for us right now." But they're highest on Manny Banuelos, who appears to be on the fast track. The 20-year-old lefty has earned a promotion from Double-A Trenton. He's scheduled to make his debut for Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Tuesday. Cashman didn't rule him out of the major-league picture for this season, either.
"He's obviously got ability that the whole industry has taken notice of," Cashman said.
Cashman also didn't rule out moves before the waiver-deal deadline Aug. 31.
"It doesn't mean we're done shopping or done looking," Cashman said. "But at the same time, I'm very comfortable with the decisions we made. I like our team. We'll continue to look for ways to make it better. I think we have some very talented young kids. They might come up here and it'll be interesting to see their attempt to make it better."
Brett Gardner, who had the decisive three-run triple in today's 4-2 win over the Orioles, didn't think a trade was necessary.
"Everybody has been playing pretty well," Gardner said. "You hear people talking — not players, teammates or coaches, but outside, media, things like that — about trying to get a pitcher. But I don't really see where we need one. Our guys have been throwing the ball great.
"Freddy and Bartolo were two great pickups in the offseason. Both those guys have been tremendous. I think we're right where we want to be at."
Mariano Rivera took the no-deal outcome as a positive.
"That gives the whole team confidence that the front office, the manager and everybody, has confidence in us," he said. "We have a great team, so we just have to go out there and fight."
*Derek Jeter's right middle finger took a beating in this series. He took a grounder off of it Saturday night. Then Jake Arrieta hit him on the knuckle with a third-inning 91 mph fastball in this finale. Jeter came out an inning later for a pinch hitter.
"I just have problems gripping, which can affect throwing and swinging, which is a problem when you're trying to play baseball." Jeter said.
X-rays were negative. He's day to day. He hopes to play tonight in Chicago. But Joe Girardi wasn't so sure.
"Could it be a day or two? I think it could be a possibility," Girardi said. "We'll see how he feels tomorrow."
*Freddy Garcia extended his career-high streak to 59 2-3 innings without allowing a homer, the longest streak now for starters in the majors. He also improved to 54-23 in day games, a .701 winning percentage, the best among active pitchers. Why's he so good on the day shift?
"Maybe because the players go out and they don't have no rest," Garcia said, smiling. "I don't know. I love to pitch day games. It's always been that way."
*Francisco Cervelli pinch hit for Jeter in the fourth and played two innings at second, his first time there in his career. His one chance resulted in a low throw to second, but he still got the force. Cano moved from DH to second in the seventh.
"(Girardi) told me to get ready and then I started putting my shin guards on and he said, 'You're going to play second base.' I said, 'Alright,' " Cervelli said. "I was surprised, but you just do it."
*The Yankees finished the homestand 7-3. They are 9-1 now vs. Baltimore.
Trade deadline dead ahead • 07.25.11
The nonwaiver trade deadline is set for 4 p.m. on Sunday, so you have to wonder what the Yankees are going to do. It's hard to envision Brian Cashman standing pat.
The Yankees are 59-40 and 5 1/2 up in the wild card. It's hard to envision them not making the postseason. But they probably could use some reinforcements for October, especially considering their 1-8 record against the Red Sox so far. They trail Boston by three games. They are also just 6-5 since the break.
"As we move toward the trade deadline, I don't get too caught up in publicly saying what I think we need or don't need because we have to win with the guys in the room," Joe Girardi said. "And that's what we've been doing. You can't say you wish you can go get this guy or that guy because it takes two teams to trade and a lot of times it doesn't happen."
It's hard to argue with the overall body of work Bartolo Colon and Freddy Garcia have provided this season. Phil Hughes does make you wonder sometimes, though, like he did with Friday's start. A.J. Burnett has generally kept the Yankees in games and probably should be better than just 8-8. Do they need to acquire another quality starter behind CC Sabathia even if the cost is tremendous? Do you want Ubaldo Jimenez or Wandy Rodriguez here?
And should they bring in another righty bat considering Andruw Jones is at just .218 and Jorge Posada is at .118 from the right side and .223 overall?
What do you think?


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SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (AP) - Opening statements have begun in a sex abuse lawsuit against the Boy Scouts of America that could bring years of so-called perversion files into the public eye.
LONDON (AP) - Male domination in the leadership of the Church of England ended Monday, as the 500-year-old institution consecrated its first female bishop.
CHICAGO (AP) - With virtually no hard proof that medical marijuana benefits sick children, and evidence that it may harm developing brains, the drug should only be used for severely ill kids who have no other treatment option, the nation's most influential pediatricians group says in a new policy.
WASHINGTON (AP) - A device, possibly an unmanned aerial drone, was found on the White House grounds during the middle of the night while President Barack Obama and the first lady were in India, but his spokesman said Monday that it posed no threat.
WASHINGTON (AP) - Republicans held a commanding edge in the House on Tuesday, on track to pad their majority at near historic levels after knocking out the last white Southern Democrats and claiming two seats in President Barack Obama's home state of Illinois.
NEW YORK (AP) - Stocks were mostly lower on Tuesday, led by a drop in energy stocks as the price of oil continued to fall. Investors were also disappointed by earnings outlooks from companies including Priceline and Michael Kors.
NEW YORK (AP) - Shy bladder sufferers want DirecTV to stop airing a television ad where a "painfully awkward" actor Rob Lowe says that he can't urinate in public.
BEIRUT (AP) - Islamic State militants tortured and abused Kurdish children captured earlier this year near the northern Syrian town of Kobani, beating them with hoses and electric cables, an international rights group said Tuesday.
WYANDOTTE, Mich. (AP) - A Detroit-area couple who met in a support group for weight loss surgery patients exchanged wedding vows after losing a collective 380 pounds.
NEW YORK (AP) - Sting, Idina Menzel and the cast of "Sesame Street" will be among the stars celebrating at Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.
NEW YORK (AP) - Thirteen years after the 9/11 terrorist attack, the resurrected World Trade Center has again opened for business - marking an emotional milestone for both New Yorkers and the nation.
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - Brittany Maynard stuck by her decision.
MOJAVE, Calif. (AP) - Federal accident investigators arrived Saturday to begin a probe into the cause of an accident that destroyed a prototype space tourism rocket ship during a test flight, killing one pilot and injuring another.
WASHINGTON (AP) - Most people in the United States are getting an extra hour of sleep this weekend, thanks to the annual shift back to standard time.
FORT KENT, Maine (AP) - A Maine judge gave nurse Kaci Hickox the OK to go wherever she pleases, handing state officials a defeat Friday in their bid to restrict her movements as a precaution against Ebola.
NEW YORK (AP) - The city has reached a $2.25 million settlement with the family of a mentally ill, homeless former U.S. Marine who died earlier this year in a 101-degree jail cell, the comptroller said Friday.
NEW YORK (AP) - Stocks rose across the globe Friday, capping off a seesaw month for investors, after the Bank of Japan unexpectedly announced new stimulus to boost the country's struggling economy. Japan's stock market jumped 4.8 percent to the highest level since 2007.
MILFORD, Pa. (AP) - Onlookers shouted "Are you sorry?" and "Why did you do it?" as state troopers led a suspect in a fatal police barracks ambush from his first court appearance following a seven-week manhunt.
NEW YORK (AP) - Solid quarterly results from a range of big companies helped send the stock market slightly higher Thursday. The standout was Visa, whose 10 percent jump helped tug the Dow Jones industrial average up nearly 200 points.


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["advantage","cloud","companies","concept","convenient","day","door","dvd","fees","forget","having","home","just","keyword","late","membership","movie","movies","online","releases","rent","rental","rentals","store","tag","text","time","times","word"]advantage cloud companies concept convenient day door dvd fees forget having home just keyword late membership movie movies online releases rent rental rentals store tag text time times word See all keywords
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Welcome to Summit Church! Wherever you might be spiritually, if you're in or around the Berwick ME/Somersworth NH area we're a church that's here to help you take your next step and move forward! We have messages that connect with your life and a come as you are philosophy, so come out and be a part of the action! Sunday mornings, 10:30, at 1 Sullivan Square in Berwick, ME (the big building in front of City Hall, just across the river from downtown Somersworth). See you at the Summit!
Words -- we use them all the time. With friends, with enemies, with friends who become enemies! How helpful might Scripture be in helping point us toward better use of our words, with anybody? More than you might think!
Starting Sunday, March 1, 10:30 am!


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My husband and I are from Cincinnati and love to vacation there and show our kids the city. We have stayed at this hotel twice and have not been disappointed. Yes, the place could use some updating. But for the convience of an apartment style hotel room in that location with a family. You can't beat it! The prices are great for the space, which gives us more money to do all the attractions the city has to offer. Who stays in their hotel room for their vacation anyways?! Many years ago this building used to be apartments. We will definately being staying next summer for another family vacation.
- Official Description (provided by the hotel):
- The Garfield Suites Hotel is one of Cincinnati's best hotels for leisure and business travelers alike, as well as for extended-stay guests. Rated the #1 Cincinnati hotel by TripAdvisor, The Garfield Suites Hotel is the only downtown Cincinnati hotel offering multiple room condo-suites compared to the standard hotel rooms that the national chains offer. If you want a lot of space and convenience at budget-friendly prices, The Garfield Suites Hotel is the best choice in downtown Cincinnati Ohio hotels. ... more less
- Reservation Options:
- TripAdvisor is proud to partner with Expedia, Hotels.com, Booking.com, Travelocity, TravelClick, BookIt.com, Hotwire, Priceline, Odigeo and Tingo so you can book your Garfield Suites Hotel reservations with confidence. We help millions of travelers each month to find the perfect hotel for both vacation and business trips, always with the best discounts and special offers.
- Also Known As:
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- Garfield Suites Hotel Cincinnati, Ohio


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My 1956 Nancy Ann "Little Debbie" Doll in her original dress, shoes, socks, and undies. She stands 10.5 inches tall, is a walker, and her hair is tied back in the ever popular style of the day, the pony tail. She is as close to mint as any doll ever could be that has been removed from a factory sealed box. Of my large doll collection, she is one of my absolute favorites. Maybe because the Nancy Ann Doll Company gave her the name, "Little Debbie". And in 1956, I was 5 years old, and had a little red pony tail just like her's.
I love dolls and this one is sooooooooooo cute!
Thanks so much, Misty!!!
– Deborah Lazarus
great shot :) xxx
Thanks, Denise!!! xxx
– Deborah Lazarus
A very welcome "blast from the past"! I am a few years older than you, Deborah, and the first dolls that I had were made of china and were very "cold", so I did not like them, preferring my cuddly toys. I made it clear to my mother (perhaps a little too clear in retrospect!) that I did not like them. Then one Christmas I was sent a doll called "Mary Ann", very similar to your "Little Debbie". I had several other presents and I remember my mother putting it in one of the drawers of her dressing table.
I was preoccupied with my other presents, so temporarily forgot about its existence. When I remembered and asked my mother for it,
I was not best pleased to be told that she had given it away, as I did not like dolls! Just my luck!
Wow!!! Too bad she gave it away!!! I think everyone has had a favorite toy that their mother gave away. Mine was a record player!! Wish I had that thing now!! Thanks for the comment!!
– Deborah Lazarus
Sorry about the rather odd layout of this comment. That's what comes of holding conversations with husbands, when you are trying to devote yourself to the serious business of nattering!
LOL I have one of those, too!!! I completely understand.
– Deborah Lazarus
Beautiful shot
– Deborah Lazarus
Great Shot Deborah.. very beautiful doll..
Thanks, Maggie!!!
– Deborah Lazarus
love her and your story, fantastic, thanks for sharing with us, peace and love linmarie
Thanks so much, linmarie!!!
– Deborah Lazarus
She's gorgeous, wonderful capture!!! ☺♥
Thanks so much, Evita!!!!
– Deborah Lazarus
#wonderful memories….the dools of the old time are more beautiful of that of today..
I agree, Anna!!! Thanks so much!!!
– Deborah Lazarus


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follow Dictionary.com
Know why cattywampus was trending last week?
by 1610s; perhaps from late 15c., from Latin exportare "to carry out, send away," from ex- "away" (see ex-) + portare "carry" (see port (n.1)). The sense of "send out (commodities) from one country to another" is first recorded in English 1660s. The noun is from 1680s.


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Maggie Smith
Downton Abbey Producer Discusses Decision to End the Series, What's in Store for Season 6
Originally posted 03/26/2015 02:00PM
After confirming on Thursday that Downton Abbey will conclude after its sixth season, executive producer Gareth Neame discussed the decision, admitting, "It's a very emotional day for all of the people involved in the show."
"The danger with this sort of thing is to let them go on forever," Neame told reporters during a conference call.
Neame stated repeatedly that ending the show was a joint decision between producers and cast. He also dismissed claims that creator Julian Fellowes solely forced the issue or that the show is shuttering under pressure from exiting cast members (particularly Golden Globe winner Maggie Smith), falling ratings or the show's networks (ITV in the U.K., PBS in the U.S.).
Maggie Smith May Not Be Leaving Downton Abbey
Originally posted 03/04/2015 09:25AM
The Dowager Countess of Grantham may not be leaving us after all.
While actress Maggie Smith, in a recent interview, made cryptic comments about the sixth season of Downton Abbey and appeared to hint at the show's end, her publicist is pushing back on that statement in what is certainly welcome news for devoted fans of the Masterpiece Theatre hit.
Maggie Smith on Those Downton Abbey Rumors: 'I Don't Know How It Could Go On'
Originally posted 03/02/2015 10:35AM
As season five of Downton Abbey came to a romantic end on Sunday (Carson proposed! Does Mary have a new love interest?) Maggie Smith fueled speculation that the show's next season could be its last.
Downton Abbey Finale Sneak Peek: Will a Shooting Trip Go Horribly Wrong?
Originally posted 02/27/2015 09:00AM
[BRIGHTCOVE "4080634843001" "" "" "auto"] Before Downton Abbey finishes its fifth season, many questions must be answered: Will Anna (Golden Globe winner Joanne Froggatt) remain in jail for the murder of her rapist? Will Mary (Michelle Dockery) officially settle on a suitor? And will Violet (Maggie Smith) please deliver a zing – or six – to lighten the mood?
In the midst of all those questions, an exclusive clip sees Lord Grantham (Hugh Bonneville), accompanied by Branson (Allen Leech) and Thomas (Rob James-Collier), heading for a sporting week with the judgmental Lord Sinderby (James Faulkner), aka Lady Rose's new father-in-law.
Judi Dench and Maggie Smith Get Kisses from the Royals!
Originally posted 02/17/2015 06:40PM
Acting royalty mingled with real-life royalty at a special film premiere in London Tuesday.
This Downton Abbey Cake Looks Exactly Like Maggie Smith – Creepy or Cool?
Originally posted 01/06/2015 09:30AM
Like a mini Madame Tussauds figure, but with batter!
Romance, Scandal and that Secret Baby: What to Look for in Downton Abbey's New Season
Originally posted 01/04/2015 03:35PM
No meth labs. No superheroes. No steamy sex scenes. So what exactly is it that's got me – an avowed avoider of most things period, British and cozy – hooked on Downton Abbey?
As Season 5 kicks off (on PBS at 9 p.m. Sunday), I think it's the show's sense of human decency – amid rapidly changing times and trying circumstances – showcasing the Granthams' (and most of their circle's) ability to maintain stiff upper lips along with soft hearts.
Season 5 is a quiet but pleasurable one – nothing truly major happens, and that's just fine. After the devastation of World War I and, closer to home, the sudden death of Lady Mary's husband Matthew Crawley back in Season 3, there's enough tragedy still reverberating. As the characters all consider the next steps in their lives, here are some highlights of the new season (mild spoiler warning):
George Clooney Takes Over Downton Abbey in Hilarious 9-Minute Video
Originally posted 12/19/2014 07:25PM
He's already Hollywood royalty, but now George Clooney has become an Earl – in the world of Downton Abbey, anyway.
Why Downton Abbey's Maggie Smith Should Win an Emmy
Originally posted 08/22/2014 05:45PM
If there were an Emmy Award for scene stealing, Maggie Smith would win it every time.
Whether she's delivering lines with deadly precision or arching an eyebrow to withering effect, it's obvious why Dame Maggie has won a Golden Globe, two Screen Actors Guild awards and two Emmys for playing Lady Violet, the Dowager Countess, on Downton Abbey.
Smith, 79, nominated again this year as outstanding supporting actress in a drama series, is "the Queen of the Double Take," says costar Jim Carter, who is also nominated for an Emmy this year for playing Mr. Carson.
Emmy Nominations 2014: Read the Nominees' Best (and Funniest!) Reactions
Originally posted 07/10/2014 04:00PM
Now that the Emmy nominations are here, some of the day's deserving nominees are weighing in – many in wry fashion.
Top 5 Most Voted Stories
Angelina Jolie Makes Her First Post-Surgery Appearance with Shiloh and Zahara
World's Hottest Math Teacher: College Student Discovers His Lecturer Is Actually a Male Model
Arizona Mother of 7 Stabbed to Death By Husband in Front of Kids
Second Grader Sent Home from School for Honoring Brother with Military Haircut
Mom Claims Her Special Needs Son Was Forced to Remove Varsity Letter After a Parent Complained
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The leap second, deep space and how we keep time
Eliza Mills
Jan 23, 2015 How does the upcoming leap second impact NASA's space clocks?
Apple and Google's marriage of convenience
David Gura
Jan 23, 2015 The search business is huge, and it's kept mobile rivals together ... for now.
Tech IRL: Digital inheritance
Eliza Mills
Story By
Jan 12, 2015 What happens to someone's digital assets when they die?
Chronicling a CEO's 'fight to save Yahoo'
Kai Ryssdal
Interview by
Jan 6, 2015 Author Nicholas Carlson talks about his new book and the struggle to revitalize aging tech company Yahoo.
Tech IRL: The professional kitchen at home
Eliza Mills
Story By
Dec 15, 2014 Our kitchens are getting a whole lot tech-ier – and not just in restaurants.
Firefox says goodbye Google, hello Yahoo
David Weinberg
Nov 20, 2014 Mozilla switches the default search engine for Firefox from Google to Yahoo, aligning with a partner that agrees to follow its "do not track" ethos.
How the digital divide impacts inequality
Barbara Bogaev
Interview by
Oct 31, 2014 More than 30 million U.S. homes lack high-speed internet.
Is now make or break for Yahoo's Marissa Mayer?
Nancy Marshall-Genzer
Oct 21, 2014 Yahoo posts its earnings today. Is Marissa Mayer's strategy paying off?
Yahoo thinks disappearing images are here to stay
Kai Ryssdal
Oct 6, 2014 The struggling tech company could plug its Alibaba windfall into Snapchat.
Yahoo will make a lot of money off the Alibaba IPO
Mitchell Hartman
Sep 17, 2014 But how will they spend it?


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Diabetes During Pregnancy Risky for Mom, Baby
While there's been lots of focus on avoiding or managing type 2 diabetes, you don't hear as much about gestational diabetes, a type that occurs only during pregnancy. Yet if it's not treated, it can cause serious health problems for mother and child. The good news is that gestational diabetes can usually be managed so that mom can have a healthy pregnancy and baby can get a healthy start on life. Learn more about gestational diabetes.
Are You Ready If Measles Come to Town?
An outbreak of measles in California has spread to 7 other western states. It's now only a day's drive from Lewis and Clark County. Are you prepared if measles comes to your community? Now is a good time to make sure you and your family have been properly immunized!
Find out if you're protected here.
Read our news release.
CDC Measles Website
Aging Gracefully: Must We Accept a Bitter End?
We all know aging beats the alternative, but does it have to be a slippery slope to physical and mental disease? Can we control the quality of our "golden years?" The aging of our population has many ramifications for our society. Find out how, in the words of an English scientist, you can "die young as late as possible."
Healthy Habits to Combat Infectious Diseases
Healthy habits can help to protect all of us from getting germs or spreading germs at home, work, or school. Learn what you can do to combat the flu and other infectious diseases. Then share the information with others!
A Plan to Improve Health in Our Community
The Health Department and St. Peter's Hospital have teamed up to produce the 2013 Lewis and Clark County Health Improvement Plan. It identifies the most pressing health priorities in the county, as determined by community members representing a cross-section of local organizations, businesses, and government agencies. The plan also includes tips for how you can improve your own health during the next 3-5 years.
Read the news release.
Learn more about the planning process.
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A photographic exhibition exploring the struggles and achievements of the Karen community in Nhill.
Nhill is a small agricultural town in the semi-arid Wimmera region of central Victoria. It is a long way from the tropical Thai-Burma border where more than 140,000 refugees, many of them minority Karen people, live in UNHCR administered camps. Over the last four years a community of Karen refugees have settled in the township of Nhill, finding a welcoming home and new friends.
There are now around 120 Karen people living in Nhill. In recognition of the change in the community, local council staff interviewed Karen community members and the Wimmera Development Association engaged photographer Melissa Powel to document the new lives of Karen refugees and the relationships that have been formed with the established residents.
Seeking Refuge in Nhill explores the journey, settlement, struggles and achievements of the Karen Community in Nhill.
Produced and presented in partnership with the Victorian Multicultural Commission, Wimmera Development Association, Hindmarsh Shire Council, Melissa Powell Photography and Immigration Museum.
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text: Search results Listings are for East Coast. For local listings, Enter zip code or Sign in Go Display: All Results TV Shows Movies Actors Directors Only show HD Only show new episodes We found the following shows with actor/director: "Christine Roum" in the next 14 days. Castle Next episode: Get a Clue Wed 4/1 5:00 PM 27 TNT (Cbl) 1 hour TV-PG As Castle and Beckett investigate the ritualistic murder of a young woman, they find strange symbols in the victim's apartment; Castle struggles with Alexis' decision to move in with Pi. View in TV Listings 1-Click Record 1-Click Season Pass Record with options


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is Southern Maine for a NJ Garden Girl?
I love to play in the garden. I grow things that I can eat, like blueberries, srawberries, grapes, and tomatos. I also grow herbs. I'm in my early 40's and I just can't afford New Jersey anymore. Do you all think southern Maine would be good for me? Can I still grow my berries in Maine? I live by the shore now so I'd like to stay near the shore. Someone told me that Wells is nice. I have 3 kids in elementary school, so safety and good schools is important. I am in the health care industry so I think Wells is close to Portland for jobs. My joy in life is my garden. Will I still have that joy in Maine? Will my kids be safe and happy? Please anyone have an opinion? I am all out of ideas.
I think all of southern Maine is nice and one of the best places in the world to raise kids. I live in Saco and am still in the kid-raising mode, plus I have a large rose/perennial garden and a vegetable garden. I grow blueberries, strawberries, tomatoes, but not grapes because they attract Japanese beetles. Also a peach tree in the backyard. Along the coast we are moving toward being a zone 6 rather than 5.
So yes you can certainly garden here although your list of plants may be slightly shortened from NJ due to hardiness. I'm not sure how expensive it's gotten in NJ, but southern Maine, esp. coastal, is no bargain. In most areas home prices begin at $250,000 unless you want a fixer-upper. Now is a good time to buy, however, as there are a lot of homes sitting on the market that need to lower their prices to sell (my girlfriend does real eastate).
I moved here 10 years ago and haven't regretted it for a minute! Property values are less here that in NJ, education is very important for communities, and health care jobs are available everywhere, not just Portland. If you go up the coast past Portland, property will become less expensive, but those healthcare jobs are still available.
Kennebunk and Kennebunkport are both lovely towns, but totally packed in the summer. Neither are any more expensive than other s. Maine coastal towns if the property is far enough away from the coast or away from the historic picture-perfect neighborhoods in town.
I don't mind summer crowds. We get that down here on the Jersey Shore. I just want to feel safer. I want to know that my kids won't have to leave this state because of housing prices and taxes and crime. I just read Pequfrogs thread and there are a lot of nice people who helped him out and are helping me out. Thank you everyone!
Hello Nancy;
I am a former teacher and I would recommend you stay with your first choice of Wells rather that K'port. Wells is also closer to Portsmouth, Sanford and York which have good size hospitals. I was born in Queens and raised in NYC and Jersey. Mostly Northern Jersey, East Orange, Cedar Grove and Wayne.
My brother still live in NJ but he is down in Haddonfield now. He used to live in Fair Haven.
I also live in Saco, it is a very nice community and my neighborhood is just full of kids. If you are coming this way, let me know.
Have a great week. diene


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When you are on a sinking ship, what counts is not your money, nor position, but having bold leadership with a clear and workable solution. This was clearly demonstrated by a LaRouche PAC-endorsed candidate Diane Sare in a debate hosted by the Teaneck Democratic Party with her two other Democratic contenders on Sunday.
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Apr 10 - Homily: Overcoming the Weight of the World
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Uploaded by AirMaria on Apr 10, 2013
Homily #130410 ( 04min) - In today's Epistle, St John tell us that a living, working faith in Jesus Christ overcomes the world. Father call us to compare two images. The first is the statue in front of the Rockefeller Center of Hercules holding the world on his shoulders. The second is St. Francis embracing the crucified Christ with the world under his feet. Without Jesus, we are crushed with the weight of the world, but with Jesus we can overcome the world which wars against our souls. Ave Maria! Mass: Low Sunday - Ferial - Form:ĀEF, Quasi Modo Readings: 1st: 1jo 5:4-10 Gsp: joh 20:19-31 To Download Audio go to http://airmaria.com?p=34887
Religion Franciscan Spirituality Catholic Christian Homily Overcoming Rockefeller center World
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1 year ago
For a very common image of St. Francis, I couldn't find the image anywhere you spoke of. Will you tell me where I can see this image of St. Francis looking up to Jesus upon the cross, embracing him and himself standing with his foot on top of the world? It sounds like a beautiful picture of Jesus victory over the world and His living presence of victory in His people who know and love Him.
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A high-power pulsed laser source has a plurality of synchronized gain elements, such as optical fibers, wherein the radiation emitted by the gain elements is combined into an overlapping output beam having a predetermined temporal characteristic. The multi-element laser source can be injection-seeded by short pulses from a seed laser or can operate as a synchronized Q-switched source. The disclosed laser source is suitable for optical pumping of short wavelength plasma sources.
1. A device for producing a pulsed optical output beam from a pulsed optical seed beam, comprising:
a plurality of optically pumped gain elements;
a seed laser having a spectral bandwidth and a pulse duration and producing the pulsed optical seed beam;
at least one diffracting element that diffracts the pulsed optical seed beam to produce a plurality of diffracted seed beams having a spectral bandwidth smaller than the spectral bandwidth of the seed laser;
wherein the plurality of optically pumped gain elements receive and amplify the plurality of diffracted seed beams to produce amplified output beams having a pulse duration that is longer than the pulse duration of the pulsed seed beam.
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16. An optically pumped plasma source for generating electromagnetic radiation, comprising:
a plasma target; and
an optical pump producing a high-energy pulsed optical output beam which is intercepted by said target, the optical pump comprising:
a plurality of optically pumped gain elements;
a seed laser having a spectral bandwidth and producing a pulsed optical seed beam with a pulse duration;
a diffracting element that diffracts the pulsed optical seed beam to produce a plurality of diffracted seed beams having a smaller spectral bandwidth;
wherein the plurality of optically pumped gain elements receive and amplify the diffracted seed beams to produce an overlapping amplified output beam having a pulse duration that is longer than the pulse duration of the pulsed seed beam.
17. A multi-wavelength pulsed laser device comprising:
a free space external cavity comprising
a plurality of optically pumped gain elements disposed in said cavity, each gain element capable of emitting optical radiation at a specified wavelength;
a diffracting element intercepting and diffracting the emitted optical radiation to form an overlapping beam; and
a Q-switch disposed inside the external cavity and intercepting the overlapping beam,
wherein said Q-switch synchronizes said optical radiation emitted by the gain element to form the overlapping beam in form of a synchronized overlapping pulsed beam.
[0001] The invention relates to a high-power pulsed laser device, and more particularly to a laser device with a plurality of synchronized gain elements, in particular optical fibers, emitting an overlapping output beam suitable for optical pumping of short wavelength plasma sources.
[0002] Many applications require high-power lasers with a suitable pulse width and capable of a high repetition rate. For example, extreme ultraviolet (EUV) light sources operating around 130 Å are desirable for EUV micro-lithography applications in semiconductor manufacturing. Laser plasma sources employed in EUV lithography require drivers that deliver 1-2 J pulses with a pulse width of 3-4 ns and a repetition rate of 5-10 kHz that can be focused to a 100-200 μm diameter spot size. As another example, parallel florescence assays for high throughput drug screening, laser assisted desorption mass spectroscopy and high speed laser chemical vapor deposition require synchronized short high power pulse trains at high repetition rate. Other applications include metal cutting, and welding applications.
[0003] Most high power laser systems in use today to create plasmas for EUV generation are fabricated from rare-earth-doped crystals or glass rods/slabs, typically configured in a Master Oscillator Power Amplifier (MOPA) configuration. The gain elements of the MOPA's are typically optically pumped, e.g., end-pumped, by laser diodes. Most of these high power laser systems operate in pulsed output mode. A laser oscillator delivers a low-energy seed pulse of the correct pulse duration suitable for a particular application. The laser beam can then be expanded and amplified by additional optical amplifiers which can be multi-pass.
[0004] Recently, cladding-pumped high-power pulsed fiber lasers have been reported (Optoelectronics Research Center, University of Southampton, UK) which produce 7.7 mJ of pulsed optical energy at low repetition rates and 10 W of average optical output power at higher repetition rates. The fibers have a 60 μm diameter Yb-doped core and emit at a wavelength of 1080 nm. The pulse energy can be increased by enlarging the core diameter, albeit at the expense of diminished beam quality as a result of higher order modes and a more difficult thermal management.
[0005] The average output could also be increased by operating many fiber lasers in parallel and subsequently combining their output beams to generate an overlapping or coaxial output beam with an optical energy that is essentially equal to the sum of the optical energies of the output beams of the individual fiber lasers.
[0006] However, combining a plurality of laser beams into an overlapping output beam, in particular a high power beam having a spectral characteristic and pulse duration suitable for pumping Extreme Ultra-Violet (EUV) plasma sources, is difficult. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,192,062 describes a free space external cavity laser having a plurality of gain elements, which may be a semiconductor laser array or a fiber laser array. Each gain element produces an optical output beam with a distinct wavelength. The output beams are combined into a single overlapping beam by a dispersive element, for example a grating, containing the mixture of the wavelengths of the individual output beams with a total output energy substantially equal to the sum of the energies contained in the individual output beams. The overlapping beam disclosed in the U.S. Pat. No. 6,192,062 patent can be CW or pulsed.
[0007] Generation of pulses of short time duration using fiber lasers using Q-switching. Q-switched fiber lasers have been described, for example, by W. L. Barnes �Q-Switched Fiber Lasers� in Rare Earth doped Fiber Lasers and Amplifiers, M. J. F Digonnet, ed., Marcel Dekker, Inc., New York, pp. 375-391. The high gain of fiber lasers, which makes them advantageous CW sources, requires modulators for Q-switching with a very high extinction ratio. Methods for Q-switching include mechanical choppers, electro-optic and acousto-optic Q-switching, as well as passive Q-switching using saturable absorbers.
[0008] However, there is still a need for synchronizing the optical output of multiple gain elements to produce high-energy pulses with a suitable pulse duration, focusing and a high pulse repetition rate (greater than 1 kHz) suitable for optical pumping, in particular for pumping a plasma source emitting optical radiation in the Extended UV (EUV) wavelength range, for example at wavelengths of less than approximately 15 nm.
[0009] The invention is directed to a high-power pulsed laser source, and more particularly to a laser source with a plurality of synchronized gain elements, in particular optical fibers, emitting an overlapping output beam suitable for optical pumping of short wavelength plasma sources.
[0010] According to one aspect of the invention, a device for producing a pulsed optical output beam from a pulsed optical seed beam includes a plurality of optically pumped gain elements; a seed laser having a spectral bandwidth and producing the pulsed optical seed beam; at least one diffracting element that diffracts the pulsed optical seed beam to produce a plurality of diffracted seed beams having a spectral bandwidth smaller than the spectral bandwidth of the seed laser; wherein the plurality of optically pumped gain elements receive and amplify the plurality of diffracted seed beams to produce amplified output beams having a duration that is longer than the duration of the pulsed seed beam.
[0011] According to another aspect of the invention, an optically pumped plasma source for generating electromagnetic radiation, which includes a plasma target; and an optical pump producing a high-energy pulsed optical output beam which is intercepted by the target. The optical pump for pumping the plasma target includes a plurality of optically pumped gain elements; a seed laser having a spectral bandwidth and producing a pulsed optical seed beam with a pulse duration; a diffracting element that diffracts the pulsed optical seed beam to produce a plurality of diffracted seed beams having a smaller spectral bandwidth; wherein the plurality of optically pumped gain elements receive and amplify the diffracted seed beams to produce an overlapping amplified output beam having a pulse duration that is longer than the pulse duration of the pulsed seed beam.
[0012] According to yet another aspect of the invention, a multi-wavelength pulsed laser device includes a free space external cavity; a plurality of optically pumped gain elements disposed in the cavity, each gain element capable of emitting optical radiation at a specified wavelength; a diffracting element intercepting and diffracting the emitted optical radiation to form an overlapping beam; and a Q-switch disposed inside the external cavity and intercepting the overlapping beam, wherein the Q-switch synchronizes the optical radiation emitted by the gain element to form the overlapping beam in form of a synchronized overlapping pulsed beam.
[0013] Embodiments of the invention may include one or more of the following features. The device may have a single diffractive element or two diffractive elements and an additional lens or lenses that collimates the amplified output beams and directs the collimated beams to a diffracting element to form the pulsed optical output beam. The pulsed optical output beam is an overlapping beam formed of the amplified output beams. The device can be a MOPA or an external cavity laser, whereby in the latter case, an external cavity mirror intercepts the overlapping beam. An optical switching element, such as a Pockels cell, adapted to switch between a substantially transparent state and a substantially opaque state and disposed so as to intercept the overlapping beam. If the device has an external cavity, the optical switching element can be disposed between the diffracting element and the external cavity mirror so as to intercept the pulsed optical output beam and switch the pulsed optical output beam between a first optical path for reflection by the external cavity mirror and a second path for transmission into free space.
[0014] The external cavity may include a second optical switching element adapted to switch between a substantially transparent state and a substantially opaque state, the second optical switching element configured to receive the an pulsed optical seed beam and switching the pulsed optical seed beam for transmission to the at least one diffracting element. The pulse duration of the pulsed optical seed beam the second optical switching element may be determined from the duration of an electric pulse pumping the laser or from the duration of an open-state of the second optical switching element. The pitch between the diffracted seed beams and the gain elements device can changed by a pitch transformer having a plurality of optical waveguides, each waveguide configured with two ends, with a spacing between first ends of the waveguides being smaller than a spacing between second ends of the waveguides, the first ends of the waveguides receiving the diffracted seed beams, which pass through the plurality of waveguides and exit the second ends of the waveguides to be received by the plurality of optically pumped gain elements. Alternatively or in addition, a relay lens configuration may be used to adapt the pitch of the fibers with that of the gain elements.
[0015] Further features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description of preferred embodiments and from the claims.
[0016] The following figures depict certain illustrative embodiments of the invention in which like reference numerals refer to like elements. These depicted embodiments are to be understood as illustrative of the invention and not as limiting in any way.
[0017]FIG. 1 shows an array of gain media in a common Q-switched external cavity;
[0018]FIG. 2 shows stretching synchronized by a picosecond injection laser;
[0019]FIG. 3 illustrates schematically the concept of pulse stretching with a dispersive element;
[0020]FIG. 4 is a different embodiment of an injection-seeded laser array with pulse stretching;
[0021]FIG. 5 shows a pitch transformer allowing a wider spacing between gain elements;
[0022]FIG. 6 shows schematically a plasma optically pumped with a pump source according to FIGS. 2 or 4; and
[0023]FIG. 7 shows schematically a MOPA array with a shaped seed pulse.
[0024] The system described herein is directed to arrays of gain elements located in an external cavity and capable of generating synchronized high energy optical pulses. In particular, the system described herein employs fiber gain media that are synchronized with a common seed laser pulse and can operate either as an optical amplifier or as a laser.
[0025] Referring first to FIG. 1, a laser system 10 includes an optical cavity formed by a semitransparent output coupling mirror 16 and the distal end faces of the gain elements 12, such as optical fibers. The gain elements 12 can be optical fibers and optically pumped by an external pump, for example, laser diodes 11. Optical beams emitted by the fibers 12 are collimated by a lens 13, with the collimated beams impinging on a dispersive element 14, such as a grating, that diffracts the collimated beams to form an overlapping, preferably coaxial beam 17. The overlapping beam 17 passes through a Q-switch 15 and the output coupling mirror 16. Each gain element 12 lases at a different wavelength within the gain curve of the gain medium, with the wavelength of the gain elements determined by their placement and the dispersive characteristic of the grating 14. As mentioned above, each gain element can provide high energy optical pulses with pulse energies of approximately 1 mJ per pulse having a duration of approximately 1-50 ns at a repetition rate of 1-10 kHz.
[0026] The short output pulses of the combined overlapping beam 17 can be produced by Q-switching in the following manner. The high finesse (Q) of the laser cavity is lowered while the gain elements 12 are being optically pumped by the pump sources 11. During this time, the population inversion in the gain medium increases since lasing oscillation are inhibited by the low Q of the cavity. The Q-switch 15 then rapidly restores the Q of the cavity, thereby quickly exhausting the population inversion and thus enabling lasing over a short period of time. This produces the Q-switched pulse. A long fiber (>1 meter) will generate a pulse with a duration greater than 20 nanoseconds. Shorter pulses may be obtained with very short cavity lengths or by placing a �pulse-shaping� optical switch outside of the cavity.
[0027] One type of Q-switch or �pulse-shaping� optical switch is, for example, a Pockels cell which can be made of various birefringent materials, depending on the desired wavelength range, such as BBO crystals (wavelength 200 nm to 1064 nm), KD*P crystals (wavelength 300 nm to 1064 nm), Lithium Niobate crystals cell for (wavelength 600 nm to 4500 nm) Q-Switching. BBO crystal Pockels cells have a low insertion loss, resonance free operation, and a high damage threshold so as to withstand average powers in excess of 20 KW/cm2 (CW).
[0028]FIG. 2 shows an embodiment of a pulsed MOPA-type coherent source 20 wherein a seed pulse produced by a seed laser 21 is amplified by traversing the gain medium 12 in a single pass. The seed laser 21 can be a pulsed diode laser or another multi-wavelength pulsed laser source with a spectral output that overlaps with the gain curve of the gain medium 12.
[0029] System 20, being implemented as a MOPA, does not require an external cavity. The gain medium 12 can be a semiconductor, optical fibers or any other medium exhibiting optical gain. The exemplary fibers 12 are preferably end-pumped by diode lasers 11, with the pump light propagating in the fiber cladding. The short (ps) pulses emitted by the seed laser 21 have a wavelength within the gain curve of the MOPA gain medium 12. The beam emitted from the seed laser 21 strikes a first grating 24, where the beam is diffracted, with the diffracted beams being collimated by a lens 23 and impinging on the distal end faces (the end faces facing lens 23) of the MOPA fiber array 12. Each distal end face of the gain elements facing the lens 23 receives a diffracted beam of a particular wavelength, depending on the grating dispersion and the position of the gain elements. The respective seed laser wavelength is then amplified by each gain element and emitted on the proximate end face of the MOPA facing the diffractive element 14. The emitted beam is then collimated by the second lens 13 and combined through diffraction on the second diffractive element 14 to form an overlapping high power pulsed beam having all the wavelengths of the individual MOPA's. An optical isolator, such as a Faraday rotator, a dye cell, a Pockels cell 25 or another type of optical isolator, can be placed in the output beam 17 to prevent back-reflection of light into the gain elements, which could result in unwanted lasing in the absence of the seed pulses.
[0030] The purpose of the diffractive element 24 to couple the pulses from seed laser 21 into the gain elements 12 is two-fold. Firstly, each gain element amplifies a signal with a slightly different wavelength defined by the diffracted beams. The amplified beams can then be conveniently recombined with the second grating 14. Combining multiple lasers beams that have substantially the same wavelength requires complex reflective optics and can hence be expected to be more difficult and costly. Secondly, the grating 24 �stretches� the seed pulse by increasing its time duration, potentially by several orders of magnitude, over that of the seed beam. This aspect, which will now be explained with reference to FIG. 3, is of significance for effectively exciting a plasma for the generation of EUV light, for example, for fine-line lithography in semiconductor processing applications.
[0031] As seen in FIG. 3, the temporal characteristic of a pulsed laser beam 21 can be altered with a diffractive element 14. The input seed pulse from seed laser 21 has a temporal characteristic 31 with an effective pulse duration Δτs=2/Δνs, wherein Δνs, is the oscillating bandwidth of the pulse. The seed laser beam is diffracted by the diffractive element 14 and focused by lens 23 onto the gain elements 12. The focused beams have a narrower bandwidth Δνdiff than the bandwidth Δνs of the original seed beam, which corresponds to the fraction
[0032] of the oscillating bandwidth Δνs that is captured by each gain element 12. For example, if F has a value of 300, then a seed pulse width of 10 ps would produce a stretched seed pulse with a duration of 300*10 ps or 3 ns at each fiber input. The narrower bandwidth translates into a greater pulse width Δτdiff as shown schematically as curve 32 in FIG. 3.
[0033] In addition, conventional techniques may be used to flatten the intensity profile of the seed pulses across all fiber amplifiers. It is evident that a smaller or greater oscillating bandwidth can be selected from the total oscillating bandwidth of the seed laser by using a suitable grating and spacing of the gain elements, hence generating stretched pulses having various durations. The design and operation of an all-reflective on-axis pulse stretcher is described, for example, in P. S. Banks et al., �Novel all-reflective stretcher for chirped-pulse amplification of ultrashort pulses�, IEEE J. Quantum Electron., vol. 36, pp. 268-274, 2000.
[0034] An additional etalon can be placed between the seed pulse laser and grating to prevent non useful wavelengths from impinging on the gain elements. Since the energy of the seed pulse is divided between the fibers, each gain element of the MOPA must display significant gain, for example, a gain of 1000 or more, which is readily attainable with active optical fibers.
[0035]FIG. 4 shows a different embodiment implemented as a regenerative pulse stretching amplifier 40, also using a short injection seed pulse 41. Unlike the embodiment of FIG. 2, a single grating 14 is employed, with back-reflection of the amplified signal into the seed laser 41 prevented or at least attenuated by a beam splitter 45 a, for example, a polarization beam splitter or a Pockels cell. Also, unlike the embodiment of FIG. 2 wherein the MOPA amplifies the seed pulse in a single pass through the gain element without the need for an external cavity, the embodiment of FIG. 4 has an external laser cavity formed between the distal end mirrors (not shown) of the fiber gain array 12 located near the optical pumps 11 and high reflectivity mirror 46. The system of FIG. 4 employs a second polarizing beam splitter 45 b, such as a second Pockels cells 45 b, through which a linearly polarized cavity light beam 47 is deflected to a high reflectance mirror 46. After 5-10 cavity round trips, the state of the second Pockels cell 45 b is changed and the light circulating in the external cavity is switched out of the cavity, as indicated by arrow 17, and can be directed to a target (not shown). The regenerative amplifier configuration 40 uses the gain medium very efficiently via multiple cavity round trips of the seed pulse.
[0036] The fibers used for this laser may be single-mode or multimode fibers. Use of multimode fibers spoils the phase coherence of the individual fibers and prevents the amplified light from reforming a short pulse. In addition because only a portion of the input spectrum is used, this also helps to prevent reformation as a coherent short pulse. The design goal of the laser is to get the most energy out of each fiber for each pulse, in order to minimize the number of fibers used and maximize the total energy extracted. Also the fibers should be relatively small to minimize the intrinsic laser divergence, in order to generate a small focal spot on target. Thus fiber core diameters of 20-50 μm are preferable. The maximum energy extracted in a short pulse from a fiber is limited by the damage threshold of the core glass, which can be in excess of 10-20 MW/cm2.
[0037] The energy achievable with the proposed system will also depend on the number of gain elements that can be simultaneously pumped. In order to capture and spectrally separate the seed pulse for the individual gain elements, the cores of the fibers should be spaced as closely as possible.
[0038] Clad fibers are typically 200-300 μm in diameter. Aligning 250 fibers with the cladding intact would result in a linear array with a width of 5 cm. It may therefore be desirable to space the fiber cores more closely to improve the focusing, uniformity and hence the performance of the system. One possible way of decreasing the fiber spacing is to reduce the diameter of the cladding or to remove the cladding altogether. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 5, the fibers 12 could be connected to a pitch converter 50, for example, implemented as waveguides integrated on a common substrate 52. converter 50, for example, implemented as waveguides integrated on a common substrate 52. Yet another method can include relay optics to bring the beams close together. With any of these approaches, a fiber pitch at the input and output of the fibers of less than 100 μm for a 50 μm core maybe obtained.
[0039]FIG. 7 illustrates an exemplary system 70 for producing an optical high-power pulsed output beam wherein the gain elements 12 receive a shaped seed pulse from a Q-switched or cw multi-frequency fiber laser or diode laser. The correct pulse length can herein be defined by pulse-shaping with a Pockels cell placed, for example, between the seed laser 71 and the grating 24. The other elements are identical to and perform the same function as those depicted in system 20 of FIG. 2 and system 40 of FIG. 4.
[0040] Additional linear array external cavity lasers (not shown) could be stacked or combined in a manner known in the art, with the seed pulse injected simultaneously into all the arrays. In this way, systems with 1000 or more lasers could be built.
[0041] As shown in FIG. 6 and mentioned above, in a system 60, the output beam 17 of the aforedescribed laser source can be focused by a lens 65 to form a focused beam 66 impinging on a target 68, such as a Xenon gas jet, exiting from an orifice 69. The focused beam 66 then excites a plasma 67 that can generate EUV and/or soft x-rays in a wavelength range of 60-130 Å. EUV and soft x-ray radiation is useful for photolithography applications in semiconductor manufacturing.
[0042] The laser source can also be used to produce x-rays at a wavelength of around 10 Å. This source can also be used by itself as a time-locked source of long-wavelength, high-energy nanosecond pulses. Those skilled in the art will recognize that these pulses may be frequency-converted into the green, blue or ultraviolet regions of the spectrum for use with laser-assisted Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD) or to drive large arrays of fluorescence assays in high throughput drug screening applications. Other applications for this laser may be envisioned.
[0043] While the invention has been disclosed in connection with the preferred embodiments shown and described in detail, various modifications and improvements thereon will become readily apparent to those skilled in the art. For example, instead of using optical fibers as a gain medium, a gain medium may be fabricated on a planar surface as an array of optical waveguides, as is done in the fabrication of semiconductor waveguide amplifiers for communications systems. This fabrication method alleviates the requirement of handling multiple fibers. Accordingly, the spirit and scope of the present invention is to be limited only by the following claims.
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