text:
Facebook Awarded $711 In Anti-Spam Case
A California court has awarded Facebook $711 million in damages in an anti-spam case against Internet marketer Sanford Wallace.
The social networking site had sued Wallace for accessing users' accounts without their consent, and for sending fraudulent posts and messages.
"Today, a San Jose, Calif. court awarded Facebook $711 million in damages against Sanford Wallace, one of the spammers who accessed people's accounts without their permission and sent phony Wall posts and messages," wrote Sam O'Rourke, associate general counsel for Facebook, in a posting on the company's blog on Thursday.
The court also referred Wallace to the U.S. Attorney's office for prosecution for criminal contempt of court.
Wallace, who some call the "Spam King" and "Spamford" and is at the head of a firm that sent 30 million daily junk e-mails during the 1990s, could face jail time if convicted of the charges.
In May of last year, social networking site MySpace received a $230 million judgment over spam sent to its members after a federal judge in Los Angeles ruled against Wallace and his partner, Walter Rines. As with the Facebook case, that suit was also brought under the CAN-SPAM federal anti-spam law.
Also, Wallace was fined $4 million in 2006 when the Federal Trade Commission charged him of leading an operation that infected computers with "spyware" that generated a series of pop-up ads.
"While we don't expect to receive the vast majority of the award, we hope that this will act as a continued deterrent against these criminals," wrote O'Rourke.
"This is another important victory in our fight against spam."
Facebook said the ruling is the second-largest anti-spam award in history. Last November, the company was awarded an $873 million judgment against Adam Guerbuez and his business, Atlantis Blue Capital, who had sent a barrage of sexually explicit spam messages to Facebook users.
On the Net:


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- Index
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Hockey Today April 26
Hockey Today April 26
Saturday's Playoff Sheet
By Judd Hall
If Thursday night's play is any indication, then we're going to be in for a hell of a Saturday of playoff hockey.
Philly backers got to tear their tickets up with tears welling in their eyes after falling in overtime to the Habs.
Then the Avalanche saw Jose Theodore into…well…Jose Theodore right there on the ice at Detroit earlier this week.
Are we going to see the 'dogs come through before heading home?
Colorado Avalanche at Detroit Red Wings
Colorado sure looked like it was still riding a high when it took a 1-0 lead over the Red Wings in the series opener. Then the wheels suddenly fell off the Avalanche wagon as Theodore gave up four soft goals on the first 16 shots he faced.
Enter Peter Budaj who helped the Avs hold tough by snaring all 20 shots on goal. Budaj's netminding allowed John-Michael Liles and Milan Hejduk to score a pair of lamp lighters that pulled Colorado within one.
Detroit surged out to a quick lead thanks to Johan Franzen lighting the lamp for the third and fourth time of the postseason. Henrik Zetterberg also put in his first goal since Game 1 against the Predators on April 10.
The Wings are listed as $2.00 home favorites (risk $200 to win $100). That number is high, but justified when you take into account that they're 13-2 SU since March 1 at Joe Louis Arena.
Instead, give Colorado a hard look on the puck line at minus-180. The Avs are listed 7-2 when they're an underdog, but keep the closing margin at just one goal in their past nine road contests. It's a little more than most bettors would like, but it's a better risk than taking them on the money line as a $1.70 'dog.
This match will be on NBC starting at 3:00 pm EDT.
Philadelphia Flyers at Montreal Canadiens
The Flyers appeared to be the fresher of the two squads at the Bell Centre on Thursday, jumping out to a quick 2-0 lead after the first period. That lead was largely in part to Montreal goaltender Carey Price looking every bit the 20-year old he is on the ice.
Unfortunately for Philadelphia, it fell prey to its usual issues of Martin Biron giving up bad goals and the defense looking soft. No play typified this more than when Alex Kovalev scored the game-tying power play goal with 29 seconds remaining in regulation.
This is a perfect spot for an 'over' play given the recent history for both clubs. Montreal has seen the 'over' go 3-0-1 in its last four games, while the Flyers have seen it go 4-2 in their past six playoff matches.
If you really want to back Philly as a $1.50 road underdog, I'll give you a little ray of hope as to why they can win. Les Habitants has gone just 13-10 in their next home contest after winning the last time in the Bell Centre. Those aren't exactly Earth shattering numbers to keep you away from the Flyers…Besides, Philadelphia beat the Capitals in Game 2 of the first round after collapsing in the openers.
The puck will drop in this fixture at 7:00 pm EDT on Versus.
Re: Hockey Today April 26
Avs' Wolski out, Forsberg questionable, Theodore probable
April 25, 2008
DETROIT (AP) -Colorado Avalanche forward Wojtek Wolski will not play in Game 2 against the Detroit Red Wings and likely will miss the rest of the second-round series because of an upper-body injury.
Wolski was hurt in Detroit's 4-3 win Thursday night.
Star forward Peter Forsberg, who was scratched from the series opener with a groin injury, is questionable for Game 2.
Avalanche coach Joel Quenneville expects Jose Theodore to play Saturday after being pulled and sent to the hotel during Game 1 because he was sick.
Re: Hockey Today April 26
Saturday, April 26
COLORADO (48-32-0-9, 105 pts.) at DETROIT (59-23-0-7, 125 pts.)
Top Trends for this game.
COLORADO is 27-22 ATS (+52.4 Units) in road games second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
COLORADO is 45-38 ATS (+83.5 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
Head-to-Head Series History
DETROIT is 11-2 (+8.1 Units) against the spread versus COLORADO over the last 3 seasons
DETROIT is 11-2-0 straight up against COLORADO over the last 3 seasons
7 of 13 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+0.4 Units)
PHILADELPHIA (46-32-0-12, 104 pts.) at MONTREAL (52-27-0-11, 115 pts.)
Top Trends for this game.
PHILADELPHIA is 30-69 ATS (+110.9 Units) revenging a loss versus opponent over the last 2 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 11-5 ATS (+17.1 Units) in road games after allowing 4 goals or more this season.
MONTREAL is 22-32 ATS (-16.1 Units) on Saturday games over the last 2 seasons.
Head-to-Head Series History
MONTREAL is 11-2 (+9.6 Units) against the spread versus PHILADELPHIA over the last 3 seasons
MONTREAL is 11-2-0 straight up against PHILADELPHIA over the last 3 seasons
5 of 10 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=-0.3 Units, Under=-0.7 Units)
Re: Hockey Today April 26
Saturday, April 26th
Second Round
Game Two
Detroit Leads, 1-0
Colorado at Detroit, 3:05 ET
11-18 SU when playing only their 2nd game in 5 days
13-19 SU as an underdog
19-3 SU off BB home games
26-4 SU at home after covering 3 of their last 4
Second Round
Game Two
Montreal Leads, 1-0
Philadelphia at Montreal, 7:05 ET
11-5 SU on road allowing 4+ goals
16-7 SU after losing 2 of their last 3
3-8 SU at home off home win scoring 4+ goals
5-13 SU after a close win by 1 goal
Re: Hockey Today April 26
NHL Trend Sheet
3:00 PM COLORADO vs. DETROIT
Colorado is 9-4 SU in its last 13 games
Colorado is 3-6 SU in its last 9 games on the road
Detroit is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games when playing at home against Colorado
Detroit is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Colorado
7:00 PM PHILADELPHIA vs. MONTREAL
Philadelphia is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games when playing on the road against Montreal
Philadelphia is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing Montreal
Montreal is 12-4 SU in its last 16 games
Montreal is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games at home
- Index
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- » Hockey Today April 26
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News in brief
Published at 07:36, Wednesday, 30 July 2014
TINDERBOX Tynedale is at high risk of wildfire breaking out due to the continued hot and dry weather.
Firefighters in Northumberland are asking everyone to take extra care, for although some are started deliberately, most wildfires are caused by carelessness.
People are being asked not to throw cigarette ends out of the car and not to have bonfires or barbecues in the open countryside.
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Israeli actors excused from performing in West Bank theater
Three Israeli stage actors have been excused from performing in a play staged at a cultural center in the West Bank settlement of Ariel. More ▸
Three Israeli stage actors have been excused from performing in a play staged at a cultural center in the West Bank settlement of Ariel. More ▸
Over the course of his 90-minute one-man show, Avi Hofmann never reveals why he feels the need to remind his audience that he's still Jewish. It's hard to imagine how anyone could forget. More ▸
The New York Daily News reports that Blythe Danner and Sarah Jessica Parker will play mother and daughter in "Commons of Pensacola," written by film and TV actress Amanda Peet. In this comedy, Danner–not technically a Jew but wife of the late, Jewish Bruce Paltrow and mother of Gwyneth–flees her fancy life in New York… More ▸
The new musical film "Les Misérables," which just ended a relatively successful first weekend in the box office ($28 million). The film, which is based on Victor Hugo's famous book and has already been adapted to a popular musical, received generally good reviews from critics, but one very vocal negative review from Adam Lambert. Lambert, a musician, musical… More ▸
The 27-year-old successful actress and model Scarlett Johansson is going back to New York theater in January in the Broadway revival of Tennessee Williams' "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof." Johansson will be Maggie the Cat, and will star next to Benjamin Walker. "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" tells the story of Maggie, who… More ▸
"The Sixth Coffin" had been scheduled to premiere at Budapest's renowned and city-funded New Theatre. More ▸
A play about Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach's "lonely and conflicted" life as an Orthodox rabbi, rock star and spiritual shepherd could soon be heading to Broadway. More ▸
Poor Stephen Schwartz. Did no one tell him that 1971 was four decades ago, and that people have moved on from Bible-thumping musical numbers? Apparently not, since he's finding out the hard way. After a long break in its Broadway run (the last original showing was on September 4th, 1977) Schwartz's "Godspell" returns to a… More ▸
Jesse Eisenberg may be best known for his acting prowess but he can now add "playwright" to his resume. His first play, Asuncion, is premiering at the Cherry Lane Theater after going through a successful, positively reviewed week of preview performances. In it he plays Edgar, a young student consumed by white guilt, opposite The… More ▸
Remembering Alaska artist Alfred Skondovitch and actress Helen Beverley. More ▸
Also From 70 Faces Media


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Michael Essien had mixed emotions after making his debut for AC Milan.
The Ghana international played his first match for the Rossoneri last weekend as the San Siro outfit lost 3-1 to Napoli.
"I'm very happy to have played 90 minutes against Napoli," the former Chelsea midfielder told Milan Channel.
"I hadn't played a full match for a long time, but unfortunately the result wasn't positive. We have to keep on playing together and then things will only get better.
"I think that I improved throughout the course of the game. I kept on feeling better as the match progressed and that was important for me.
"The more I play the better it will be. I tried to score but unfortunately it didn't go in.
"This is a very difficult season for Milan, but we have to stay united. We all have to give a little bit extra and help each other out. We are Milan and we have to do better."


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Discover how to storyboard your elearning content and make course development more efficient.
Demonstrates the powerful screen recording capabilities of Camtasia Studio, including how to set up, record, edit, and share a professional looking screencast.
"The quality of the videos and teaching is excellent and rarely a week goes by when I do not sign in and learn something new." —Brian L.
more from our members »


text:
This came up here in one of many NeoWin discussions ( #741 ). I was pointing out there that Stardock owning a large stake in NeoWin may be less significant than Microsoft's 0% stake ( actually Stardock takes quite a beating from the MetroTards, so much that I can easily see them selling off their interest ).
I recently discovered that Stardock owns 40% of Neowin. You'd think they'd mention this each and every time Stardock is mentioned in an article but it never is (except in the comments section, which is how I found out about it).
Stardock involvement with Neowin FAQ
Because of the notable changes over there, some people like myself who were on NeoWin long ago believe they are now over-correcting by lurching to the other side after being burned by Microsoft ...
Cnet: Microsoft speaks, [Neowin] site goes dark ( CNet 2003-03-04 )
Which looks like a more significant influence than Stardock. But then again, it is entirely possible that neither of them have any effect, and it is merely Steven ( Neobond ) enjoying the MetroTard click-fest.
EDIT: typos
Edited by CharlotteTheHarlot, 22 February 2013 - 12:23 AM.


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TweakTown Awards
Spend a few minutes of your time to learn about our awards. For high resolution print versions, please contact us.
TweakTown Text Usage Terms: TweakTown is written as "TweakTown" with two capital T's.
Our Editor's Choice Award is reserved for products which are undoubtedly the best in their category - they have barely any flaws and cons, offer top notch performance, quality, features and the whole kitchen sink! If recommended our Editor's Choice, it more than likely means we use it!
Our Best Features Award is awarded to companies who produce a product or service which is great in terms of features that stand very far out from the competition. It may be the addition of super silent cooling, for instance. It's got that something extra going for it!
Our Best Overclocking Award is awarded only to products which are at the top of their class when it comes to overclockability. We're talking about super high attainable FSB results or processor operating clock speeds - it's only a product the real hard-core enthusiast would pick!
Our Best Performance Award is reserved only for products which offer the best in class performance of its kind. It's a product that will help you break 3DMark records and have your friends envying you fiercely at your local LAN party like never before!
Our Best Value Award is awarded to companies who managed to produce a product which offers incredible levels of value for money based on the street price and RRP. It may not have all the thrills as the ultra high-end version, but offers a lot in consideration of the asking price!
Our Recommended Game is awarded to games we review which totally impress us in many different aspects. If a game gets this gaming award, we play it and like it a lot.
Our Recommended Movie is awarded to only the best movies we review which are both must watch and must own.


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Empathy is an active response to the suffering of others.
In other words, choosing empathy is choosing to walk in someone else's shoes.
With that in mind, we'd like to introduce you to the iEmpathize team,
each of whom strive to walk in the shoes of others each day.
Brad Riley
Founder and President
Favorite Movie: Shawshank Redemption
Favorite Pastimes: Brad likes collecting old records and listening to them on his vintage console.
Terell McConnell – email@example.com
Office and Executive Administrator
Favorite Movie: Harry Potter (#5-7)
Little known fact: Terell is related to Johnny Appleseed (yes, he was a real person!)
Mike Smith – email@example.com
Operations and Development Director
Favorite Book: Good To Great, by Jim Collins
Favorite Pastimes: Mike loves to cross off completed tasks in his planner, read about the Old West, and spend as much time as he can with his family.
Mark Brende – email@example.com
Engagement Coordinator
Favorite Movie: Anne of Green Gables
Favorite Pastimes: Mark loves throwing any kind of ball or disc shaped object to his kids.
Candace Joice – email@example.com
Education Manager
Favorite Book: The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski
Favorite Pastime: Candace enjoys DIY home projects, reading, and performing in and attending the theatre.
Southern California Office
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Engagement Coordinator
Favorite Movie: Rocky
Little known fact: He can pop and tick (before break dancing came out), and would compete in some "one-on-one pop offs" in middle school. For a small fee, Guido will bust a move for social gatherings.
Mexico City Office
Paty Anaya – firstname.lastname@example.com
Mexico City Representative
iEmpathize has many collaborators and volunteers that dramatically strengthen our impact. We wish we could credit them on our team page but there would not be enough room! We are very grateful for all of you.
Tre' Cates
Chairman of the Board
Favorite Movie: Braveheart
Favorite Pastime: Running Ultras
Dan Fortune
Vice Chairman of the Board
Favorite book: Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell
Little know fact: Only person to ever lose their pilot qualification boxing at the AF Academy. Zigged when he should have zagged.
Cliff Stanton
Favorite Music: The Pixies, Smashing Pumpkins and The Decemberists take up ample space on my iPod.
Favorite Pastimes: Cliff greatly enjoy spending time outdoors, hiking, skiing or biking…and a good IPA when he's done.
Scott Howsare
Book: Jayber Crow by Wendell Berry
Favorite Pastimes: Having cigars with good friends


text:
Geographic Range
Grand Cayman rock iguanas, Cyclura nubila lewisi, are endemic to the Caribbean island of Grand Cayman. They were formerly widespread in dry and coastal habitats throughout the island, but due to severe habitat loss and predation, they are now found only in the High Rock-Battle Hill area to the east and south of the Queen's Highway. (Burton, 2004a; "ARKive Images of Life on Earth", 2011)
- Biogeographic Regions
- neotropical
- Other Geographic Terms
- island endemic
Grand Cayman rock iguanas are ground dwelling and may occupy a number of habitats including forest, grassland, and coastal regions, as well as human-modified habitats. They mainly occur in natural xerophytic shrubland and along the interfaces between farm clearings and canopy dry forest. Farms provide a variety of resources such as vegetation, fallen fruit, and nesting soil. (Burton, 2004a; Burton, 2009; Goodman, 2005)
Grand Cayman rock iguanas spend their nights in retreats such as caves and crevices found within eroded rock, usually heavily eroded limestone. Although iguanas preferentially select natural rock substrate for retreat, they also utilize artificial retreats such as piles of construction material and spaces under buildings. Whereas adults are primarily terrestrial, younger individuals tend to be more arboreal. Occasionally, Grand Cayman ground iguanas may retreat in tree hollows or exposed on tree limbs. (Blair, 1991; Burton, 2009; Goodman, 2007)
- Habitat Regions
- terrestrial
- Terrestrial Biomes
- savanna or grassland
- forest
- Aquatic Biomes
- coastal
Physical Description
Grand Cayman rock iguanas are among the largest lizards in the Western Hemisphere, weighing over 11 kg and measuring over 1.5 m from head to tail. Males are typically larger than females. Snout-vent length can measure as long as 51.5 cm in males and 41.5 cm in females, and the tail is of equal length. (Blair, 1991; "Blue Iguana Recovery Program, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands, British Indies", 2011)
Grand Cayman rock iguanas are characterized by even, stiff dorsal spines and a spineless dewlap. Their body is covered in scales, and some enlarged scales are present on the head region. Young iguanas have a gray base color with alternating dark gray and cream chevrons. As they mature, the juvenile pattern fades, and the hatchling base color is replaced by a blue-gray base complexion. Some dark chevrons are retained in adulthood. This blue-gray color is typical of ground iguanas when resting. However, ground iguanas are better known for the stunning shades of turquoise blue they take on during the mating season. For this reason, C. nubila lewisi is also known as the blue iguana. (Burton, 2004b; "ARKive Images of Life on Earth", 2011)
- Sexual Dimorphism
- male larger
- Range mass
- >11 (high) kg
- lb
- Range length
- >1.5 (high) mm
- in
Grand Cayman rock iguanas lay their eggs in a nest chamber that is dug about a foot below the surface of the soil. While in the nest, eggs take up moisture from the earth. They gradually fill out until they are tight and under slight pressure. On average, Cyclura eggs are among the largest of all lizards. Eggs hatch in 65 to 100 days depending on temperature. The process of hatching may take longer than 12 hours. Hatchlings cut through the leathery egg shell using a microscopic "egg tooth" on the tip of their jaw. (Burton, 2009)
The combined effort of many hatchlings is required to dig out of the nest chambers. Occasionally Ground Cayman rock iguanas do not emerge from the next chamber for as long as two weeks after hatching. Throughout this period, hatchlings survive off of the remaining egg yolk stored inside their abdomen. They can live off of yolk remains for weeks before needing to feed or drink. (Burton, 2009)
Young iguanas are independent after hatching. They tend to be arboreal and spend most of their young life in trees in order to avoid terrestrial predators. (Burton, 2009)
Grand Cayman rock iguanas are solitary except during the mating season. Mating is generally polygamous, but some individuals may also be promiscuous or monogamous. During the breeding season, the home range of a dominant male frequently overlaps that of one or more females. (Blair, 1991; Burton, 2009)
Throughout the breeding season, Grand Cayman rock iguanas take on an intense blue coloration. In the spring, hormones surge and males begin to reassert dominance. Males lose weight during this time, as they devote their energy to breeding and dominating other males. Males expand their territory range, attempting to monopolize as many female territories as possible. Males in overlapping territories challenge each other, and, in most cases, smaller iguanas flee from larger individuals. Physical contact and fighting is rare and is usually restricted to individuals of similiar size. Fights can be vicious and bloody. Toes, tail tips, crest spines, and chunks of skin may be torn off in combat. ("Blue Iguana Recovery Program, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands, British Indies", 2011)
By March, the abdomen of female Grand Cayman rock iguanas is swollen, as their eggs have formed inside them. They do not become receptive to breeding until late April. Females generally avoid males until they begin to mate in May, retreating into their rock holes whenever males are nearby. Gravid females reduce food intake about 2 weeks before oviposition, because their digestive tract is squeezed by the expanding mass of eggs. They also increase activity levels during this time. (Blair, 1991; Burton, 2009)
Copulation is preceded by a mating ritual. A male bobs its head then circles around behind a female. He grasps the nape of her neck and attempts to restrain her. The male maneuvers his tail under that of the female and positions himself for intromission. Copulation rarely lasts longer than 30 to 90 seconds, and a pair rarely mates more than once or twice per day. Mature pregnant females display a distended abdomen, and the outline of individual eggs may be seen. (Blair, 1991)
At the end of the receptive period, female Grand Cayman rock iguanas become intolerant of males and chase them out of their territories. Females become so aggressive, in fact, that a female can successfully scare off males much larger than herself. ("Blue Iguana Recovery Program, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands, British Indies", 2011)
- Mating System
- polygynous
The breeding season of Grand Cayman rock iguanas lasts 2 to 3 weeks between late May and mid June. Oviposition occurs approximately 40 days after fertilization, generally during the months of June and July. Females lay 1 to 22 eggs each year. Clutch size varies with age and size of females. Older, larger females are able to produce more eggs. Eggs are then incubated in the nest chamber that is dug about a foot below the surface of the soil. Incubation period ranges from 65 to 90 days. Temperature within the nest remains relatively constant at 30 to 33 degrees Celsius throughout this period. Grand Cayman rock iguanas usually begin breeding around 4 years of age in captivity. In the wild, they reach sexual maturity between 2 and 9 years of age. (Blair, 1991; "Blue Iguana Recovery Program, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands, British Indies", 2011; Burton, 2004a; Parr, 2010; "ARKive Images of Life on Earth", 2011)
- Key Reproductive Features
- seasonal breeding
- sexual
- fertilization
- oviparous
- Breeding interval
- Female Grand Cayman rock iguanas breed once yearly.
- Breeding season
- Copulation occurs from late May until mid June. Egg-laying occurs approximately 40 days later in the months of June and July.
- Range number of offspring
- 1 to 22
- Average gestation period
- 40 days
- Average time to independence
- 0 minutes
- Range age at sexual or reproductive maturity (female)
- 2 to 9 years
- Range age at sexual or reproductive maturity (male)
- 2 to 9 years
Female Grand Cayman rock iguanas often travel outside of their normal range to locate suitable nesting areas. Nest burrows are dug in sand or soil exposed to the sun. Several days before laying their eggs, females begin to dig in preparation for building their nests. It may take an entire afternoon to excavate a complete nest burrow. Female ground iguanas remain in nest burrows overnight to lay their eggs. While most emerge the following morning, some females remain underground for up to 2 days while laying their eggs. A female iguana fills the nest burrow with sand until a large mound is formed over the nesting site. She then scatters leaves over the area until the nest is completely disguised. When the nest is secure, she allows herself to feed again but remains close to the next. Females guard their next site for several weeks to prevent other iguanas from using the area for nesting and to protect from predators. Hatchlings are vulnerable to native snakes, such as Alsophis cantherigeruscaymanus, and suffer an extremely high mortality rate.
There is no direct parental investment of Grand Cayman rock iguanas after hatching. (Blair, 1991; "Blue Iguana Recovery Program, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands, British Indies", 2011; Burton, 2009; "ARKive Images of Life on Earth", 2011)
- Parental Investment
- no parental involvement
- female parental care
- female
- protecting
- female
- protecting
It is believed that Grand Cayman rock iguanas are among the longest lived species of lizard. In the wild, they are thought to reach ages of at least 25 to 40 years. However, rock iguanas can grow much older when kept in captivity. The longest living member of this species was a captive iguana known as "Godzilla" who survived to an estimated 69 years. It is doubtful, however, that wild iguanas can survive to this age, because Godzilla required extraordinary maintenance in the years before his death. (Adams, 2004; Blair, 1991)
- Range lifespan
Status: captivity
- 69 (high) years
- Range lifespan
- Typical lifespan
Status: wild
- 25 to 40 years
- Typical lifespan
Grand Cayman rock iguanas spend the majority of the daytime basking in the sun. They are mainly inactive with low to moderate alertness between morning emergence and evening retreat. During activity, iguanas primarily forage, travel, and inspect substrates, including retreats and feces. Iguanas are active for longer periods of time during the summer. Because they are ectothermic, the greater amount of sunlight and higher temperatures during the summer allows iguanas to maintain optimal body temperatures for a longer period each day. ("Blue Iguana Recovery Program, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands, British Indies", 2011; Goodman, 2007)
- Key Behaviors
- diurnal
- sedentary
- solitary
- territorial
- Range territory size
- 2428.1 to 5665.5 m^2
Home Range
Grand Cayman rock iguanas are solitary and primarily occupy regions of forest rock and forest soil. Iguanas may become aggressive at a very early age. Female iguanas establish and maintain a small, stable home range during the course of their lives. Females stay close to their retreats and occupy a small territory of about 0.6 acres. Their home range includes places to bask and feed and an area of soil deep enough to nest in. They defend their territory from other iguanas. Iguanas use head bobbing gestures to warn intruding iguanas and may even attack the intruder. In contrast with female iguanas, male ground iguanas occupy much larger territories, about 1.4 acres, and they tend to occupy larger territories as they grow. Males often have several sleeping holes scattered around their territories. ("Blue Iguana Recovery Program, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands, British Indies", 2011; Burton, 2004b; Burton, 2006; Goodman, 2005)
Communication and Perception
Grand Cayman rock iguanas use visual signals, such as head-bobbing, to communicate. They also communicate using pheromones, which are released from femoral pores located on the thighs of males. (Goodman, 2007; "ARKive Images of Life on Earth", 2011; Winker, 2007)
- Other Communication Modes
- pheromones
Food Habits
Grand Cayman rock iguanas are primarily herbivorous, consuming mostly plant matter from at least 45 plant species in 24 different families. Leaves and stems are consumed most frequently, while fruits, nuts, and flowers are consumed in smaller quantities. Carnivory makes up a small percentage of the diet. This includes predation of invertebrates such as insects, slugs, and moth larvae. Grand Cayman rock iguanas have also been observed ingesting small rocks, soil, feces, bits of shedding, and fungi. (Burton, 2009; Goodman, 2007; Parr, 2010; "ARKive Images of Life on Earth", 2011)
- Animal Foods
- insects
- Plant Foods
- leaves
- wood, bark, or stems
- seeds, grains, and nuts
- fruit
- flowers
- Other Foods
- fungus
- dung
Young Grand Cayman rock iguanas are heavily preyed upon by a variety invasive species, including feral cats, mongooses, dogs, rats, and pigs. Predation by feral exotics is regarded as one of the major threats to the species and is greatly responsible for the critical population decline. Rats can cause severe injury to hatchlings and may cause mortality. The primary native predator of hatchlings is Alsophis cantherigerus. Adult Grand Cayman rock iguanas have no natural predators, but they are threatened by roaming dogs. Adults are also trapped and killed by humans. Ground iguanas may use head bobbing to scare away predators. (Alberts, 2007; Burton, 2004a; Burton, 2009; "ARKive Images of Life on Earth", 2011)
- Known Predators
Ecosystem Roles
Grand Cayman rock iguanas are important seed dispersers of many native plants. (Burton, 2009)
- Ecosystem Impact
- disperses seeds
Economic Importance for Humans: Positive
Grand Cayman rock iguanas once served as a food item to the native people of the Grand Cayman. Currently, this species is a major attraction for ecotourists. Rock iguanas are occasionally illegally captured, sold, and kept as pets. (Blair, 1991; Burton, 2004a; "ARKive Images of Life on Earth", 2011)
- Positive Impacts
- pet trade
- food
- ecotourism
Economic Importance for Humans: Negative
Grand Cayman rock iguanas may feed on and disrupt agricultural crops. (Parr, 2010)
- Negative Impacts
- crop pest
Conservation Status
Cyclura nubila lewisi is one of the fastest disappearing and most critically endangered species on Earth. The decline of Grand Cayman rock iguanas likely began in pre-Colombian times when they were hunted for food by native Indians of the Arawak and Lucayan tribes. More severe decline began with European settlement of the Cayman Islands. As the human population increased, extensive habitat was cleared for agriculture as well as residential and commercial developments. Today, habitat loss is the main factor threatening extinction of Grand Cayman rock iguanas. Construction of vehicular roads resulted in further habitat destruction and has brought fast-moving traffic into remnant habitats. This occasionally results in vehicular deaths. (Blair, 1991; Burton, 2004a; "ARKive Images of Life on Earth", 2011)
Another major threat associated with European settlement was the introduction of invasive species to the island, such as cattle, goats, pigs, rats, cats and dogs. Grand Cayman rock iguanas face predation by or competition with these introduced animals. Less frequently, iguanas may be illegally trapped or shot at by farmers who perceive iguanas as a threat to their crops. (Blair, 1991; Burton, 2004a; Burton, 2009; "ARKive Images of Life on Earth", 2011)
The National Trust for the Cayman Islands established The Blue Iguana Recovery Programme in 1990. This conservation program incorporates research, habitat protection, captive breeding, reintroduction, and conservation education. Despite protection of 2000 acres of dry forests and mangrove wetlands within the Cayman Islands, suitable protected land for Grand Cayman rock iguanas is very scarce. ("Blue Iguana Recovery Program, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands, British Indies", 2011; Burton, 2004a)
The Blue Iguana Recovery Programme has been successfully breeding C. nubila lewisi in captivity since 1990. Members of this species are reared until they are 2 years old and released into the Queen Elizabeth II Botanic Park on Grand Cayman. These young iguanas help to supplement existing wild populations and also to establish new wild populations in protected areas. ("Blue Iguana Recovery Program, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands, British Indies", 2011; Burton, 2004a)
Grand Cayman rock iguanas are fully protected under local legislation and are considered critically endangered by the IUCN. It is illegal to kill, capture, or hold members of this species in captivity. Furthermore, international trade of this species is prohibited, as it is listed on Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). (Burton, 2004a; "ARKive Images of Life on Earth", 2011)
- IUCN Red List
Critically Endangered
More information
- US Federal List
- Endangered
- Appendix I
Laura Malmut (author), The College of New Jersey, Matthew Wund (editor), The College of New Jersey, Gail McCormick (editor), Animal Diversity Web Staff.
- Neotropical
living in the southern part of the New World. In other words, Central and South America.
- chemical
uses smells or other chemicals to communicate
- coastal
the nearshore aquatic habitats near a coast, or shoreline.
- diurnal
- active during the day, 2. lasting for one day.
- ecotourism
humans benefit economically by promoting tourism that focuses on the appreciation of natural areas or animals. Ecotourism implies that there are existing programs that profit from the appreciation of natural areas or animals.
- female parental care
parental care is carried out by females
- fertilization
union of egg and spermatozoan
- folivore
an animal that mainly eats leaves.
- food
A substance that provides both nutrients and energy to a living thing.
- forest
forest biomes are dominated by trees, otherwise forest biomes can vary widely in amount of precipitation and seasonality.
- frugivore
an animal that mainly eats fruit
- herbivore
An animal that eats mainly plants or parts of plants.
- island endemic
animals that live only on an island or set of islands.
- native range
the area in which the animal is naturally found, the region in which it is endemic.
- oviparous
reproduction in which eggs are released by the female; development of offspring occurs outside the mother's body.
- pet trade
the business of buying and selling animals for people to keep in their homes as pets.
- pheromones
chemicals released into air or water that are detected by and responded to by other animals of the same species
- polygynous
having more than one female as a mate at one time
- seasonal breeding
breeding is confined to a particular season
- sedentary
remains in the same area
- sexual
reproduction that includes combining the genetic contribution of two individuals, a male and a female
- solitary
lives alone
- terrestrial
Living on the ground.
- territorial
defends an area within the home range, occupied by a single animals or group of animals of the same species and held through overt defense, display, or advertisement
- tropical savanna and grassland
A terrestrial biome. Savannas are grasslands with scattered individual trees that do not form a closed canopy. Extensive savannas are found in parts of subtropical and tropical Africa and South America, and in Australia.
- savanna
A grassland with scattered trees or scattered clumps of trees, a type of community intermediate between grassland and forest. See also Tropical savanna and grassland biome.
- temperate grassland
A terrestrial biome found in temperate latitudes (>23.5° N or S latitude). Vegetation is made up mostly of grasses, the height and species diversity of which depend largely on the amount of moisture available. Fire and grazing are important in the long-term maintenance of grasslands.
- visual
uses sight to communicate
Wildscreen. 2011. "ARKive Images of Life on Earth" (On-line). Cayman Island blue iguana (Cyclura lewisi). Accessed February 28, 2011 at http://www.arkive.org/cayman-island-blue-iguana/cyclura-lewisi/#src=portletV3api.
Blue Iguana Recovery Program. 2011. "Blue Iguana Recovery Program, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands, British Indies" (On-line). Accessed March 06, 2011 at http://www.blueiguana.ky/.
Adams, C. 2004. Obituary. Iguana Specialist Group Newsletter, 7/1: 1-14. Accessed February 28, 2011 at http://www.iucn-isg.org/newsletters/pdf/ISG_News_7(1).pdf.
Alberts, A. 2007. Behavioral considerations of headstarting as a conservation strategy for endangered caribbean rock iguanas. Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 102: 380-391.
Blair, D. 1991. "West Indian Iguanas of the Genus Cyclura: Their Current Status in the Wild, Conservation Priorities and Efforts to Breed Them in Captivity" (On-line pdf). Accessed March 06, 2011 at http://www.vipersgarden.at/PDF/DB_Cyclura.pdf.
Burton, F. 2006. Blue Iguana Recovery Program. Iguana, 13/2: 116-118. Accessed March 24, 2011 at http://www.ircf.org/downloads/wwdigitalmembers/Iguana_13-2web.pdf.
Burton, F. 2005. Restoring a New Wild Population of Blue Iguanas (Cyclura lewisi) in the Salina Reserve, Grand Cayman. Iguana, 12/3: 166-174. Accessed March 24, 2011 at http://downloads.ircf.org/Iguana12_3%20Blues%20Restoring%20a%20wild%20population.pdf.
Burton, F. 2004. "Cyclura lewisi" (On-line). In: IUCN 2010. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2010.4. Accessed February 22, 2011 at http://www.iucnredlist.org/apps/redlist/details/44275/0.
Burton, F. 2004. Revision to Species of Cyclura nubila lewisi, the Grand Cayman Blue Iguana. Caribbean Journal of Science, 40/2: 198-203.
Burton, F. 2009. "Species Recovery Plan for the Grand Cayman Blue Iguana III, 2009-2011" (On-line pdf). Accessed February 28, 2011 at http://www.blueiguana.ky/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/blueig2009srp96ppi1.pdf.
Goodman, R. 2007. Activity patterns and foraging behavior of the endangered Grand Cayman blue iguana, Cyclura lewisi. Caribbean Journal of Science, 43/1: 73-86.
Goodman, R. 2005. Habitat use of the endangered iguana Cyclura lewisi in a human-modified landscape on grand cayman. Animal Conservation, 8: 397-405.
Parr, C. 2010. "Encyclopedia of Life" (On-line). Cyclura lewisi. Accessed February 22, 2011 at http://www.eol.org/pages/10461319.
Winker, C. 2007. "Iguanas get royal attention" (On-line). cayCompass.com The Islands' Complete News Service. Accessed February 28, 2011 at http://www.caycompass.com/cgi-bin/CFPnews.cgi?ID=1019861.


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The rain sets the mood for Kochi artistes' creativity and opens myriad possibilities for their work
I wonder what the first rain on Earth felt like. When the skies parted and the waters fell forth, the leaves must have shivered as the first drops fell; the soil must have softened as the rains seeped through. When the world was first hushed into silence, but for the water's gushing, did it know that millennia later, the rains would reach into our collective conscious? We mark time by its coming and going; and our language makes metaphors of its many moods. As the land where the monsoon first meets India, here's a look at how Kerala's artistes have often made the season their muse.
"My strongest memory of the monsoon was as a child travelling by car to Chennai," says Kuchipudi dancer Anupama Mohan. Brought up in Andhra's Nellore, she had either seen it barely drizzle or blow down in cyclones, but on the road to Chennai a storm of massive proportions, uprooting trees and disrupting traffic, took place. "I remember being frightened, but excited by the adventure." Her choreography has often reflected these emotions through different representations of the rain. "Many of my pieces have incorporated the rain. From the thrill and chill of the first rain that paints a romantic mood, to the strength of heavy wind and thunder, each form can be depicted by the rhythm of our feet, the expressions of our body language," she says. At Anupama's every stay in Kochi, she's chosen rooms that always face the sea, just to watch the monsoon break over the city. "There's a pleasantness to the rain that aids my creativity," she says.
"I work best when it is wet, grey weather," says author Anita Nair unabashedly. "I can't stand the heat and sun. I'm the kind of person that takes off for a walk with an umbrella when it rains." Where the Rain is Born, an anthology of writings on Kerala that Anita edited, framed the State with its monsoon, for Kerala's rains are Anita's greatest association with it. She recalls summers almost 40 years ago where she'd leave the intense heat of Madras to wake up to Shoranur's showers.
In both her books set in Kerala, Mistress and Better Man, Anita writes evocatively of the rain, using it to aid narrative: "In the first, it often rains around the chief couple, insulating them within, cut away from the rest of the world, as a romance enhancer. In the second, the rain is a metaphor for just another irritant to the main character, who returns to his village for good on the very day that it pours. The emotions that the rain evokes in me are those that I extend to my writing too."
For Hindustani classical singer Ramesh Narayan, the rain has always meant sheer happiness. "My mind's creativity in composition increases when it rains. I sit by my open window and just sing," he says. As a student in Pune, Ramesh remembers practising malhar ragas with his guru , as it rained in the fauji mandir they frequented. "Just as in Kerala we see various kinds of rain, Hindustani classical music represents each kind with almost 50 different malhar ragas. It is in Pune that I learnt to sing the gaud malhar and the dhuliya malhar that invokes the dust, wind and power of the rain." One of his cherished performances of the malhar ragas was at a concert in Abu Dhabi where he sang the miyan malhar. "I told the audience that in this place without rain, I was only singing for their heart's content, but it did rain that day!"
Capturing the spirit of the rain has been photographer Joshy Manjummel's pet project every year. His shot of a man hidden by an umbrella, fishing in the rain at Kumbalangi won him the State Government Award in 2006. His dream is to someday shoot Wayanad and Munnar's strong deluges. "The rain has many faces," says Joshy, "Its approach and its first gentle fall have a light that make it easy to capture. Once the darkness and cold sets in, my mind loses its mood too." The images ingrained in him of the monsoon are from his ancestral home, the water dripping off the roof tiles and slipping down the trees. "There are limitations to still photography of the rain; moving images do it more justice."
Filmmaker Anil Radhakrishnan Menon prayed that it wouldn't rain on the days that he shot his debut film North 24 Kaatham in June-July 2013, through the heaviest rainfall that India had seen in two decades. Eighty per cent of it was shot outdoors, in the short interludes between downpours, mostly in natural light. "When the film was done, I realised that God gave me the rains for a reason. The film had this magical lighting of just going to rain throughout"— the presence of rain even in its absence.


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|Half Baths
|Property type
|Minimum Stay
|7 nights
Casa Martia is located on the white sand beach just 3 miles north of Puerto Morelos, Mexico, halfway between Cancun and Playa del Carmen. A spacious, comfortable, and quiet private home with large pristine pool, surrounded by palm trees and tropical plants, Casa Martia is your perfect home for relaxing with friends and family. Explore nearby Puerto Morelos for shopping and dining. Playa del Carmen, Xcaret, Tulum, Xel Ha and glitzy Cancun are all an easy drive for day trips.
Special services for your comfort:: Our manager will meet your party at your car rental pick-up location at the airport, one trip included. Extra trips to airport $50 minimum charge. Reserve your car rental in advance on-line. Our Manager will assist you at the car rental office, then you can follow her to the house to get checked in, about a 15 minute drive.
Shopping service: Prior to your arrival, we will stock the kitchen according to a grocery list you provide; reimburse just the cost of the groceries upon arrival.
Local attractions: Riviera Maya attractions include the Mayan ruins of Tulum and Chichen Itza, the underground rivers and other features of Xcaret and Xel Ha. Check out golf courses, deep sea fishing and snorkeling trips. Cozumel is a ferry ride away from the dock in Playa del Carmen for an interesting day trip.
Puerto Morelos : The town of Puerto Morelos has a lovely town square, plenty of restaurants and shops to explore, as well as a great beach. Guided tours to are available for snorkeling and fishing out on the reef. Check out the fisherman's catch of the day at the local seafood market in the afternoons.
Our family had a terrific time at the Casa Martia. Having access to a private beach with all the amenities of a home was great. Martha picked us up from the airport and tidied up twice during our week long stay and Jose the caretaker was always nearby to watch over our the casa. A previous reviewer mentioned a theft but we felt very safe and agree with subsequent commenters that this was an anomaly. Also there's a hotel type safe in one of the bedrooms but we never used it. The local restaurant scene was very good and the little town of Puerto Morelos had everything we needed to restock during the week. A definite plus was that Martha will buy groceries before you arrive if you e-mail the owners a list. She's a great cook too so you should consider having her make you dinner (which will be waiting when you arrive). We took a trip to Cancun one evening for dinner and once to Playa del Carmen. Both were fun but it was good to get back to the peace and quiet of Casa Martia and Puerto Moreles. You can bike ride the beach road from Casa Martia easily to Puerto Moreles. They had several bikes there, two of which were brand new. Also, don't underestimate the little zoo that is right near the casa. It's quite impresssive. All in all, it was a great time and the owners of the property were very helpful in answering our questions before the trip.
I just wanted to thank you for sharing your lovely home with us. We had a wonderful family holiday. The kids absolutely loved the pool and the beach. They also really enjoyed playing in the fenced yard area. The adults loved the shady poolside lounge chairs. Alex and Jose were always very helpful. We had Alex's wife cook for us 4 nights and it was a real treat. We thoroughly enjoyed the authentic Mexican food.
This will be a holiday we will remember fondly!!
I just wanted to thank you for sharing your lovely home with us. We had a wonderful family holiday. The kids absolutely loved the pool and the beach. They also really enjoyed playing in the fenced yard area. The adults loved the shady poolside lounge chairs. Alex and Jose were always very helpful. We had Alex's wife cook for us 4 nights and it was a real treat. We thoroughly enjoyed the authentic Mexican food.
This will be a holiday we will remember fondly!!
We stayed at Casa Martia for 2 weeks in July/August 2014 and had the most wonderful time there.
The listing on the website is completely accurate in terms of what to expect in the house, and the location/setting was even more beautiful than we had hoped for.
The property was clean and well maintained, and the caretaker, Don José, does an excellent and unobtrusive job of making sure everything is tidied away outside at night, and reminding me to lock the car (!).
The owners provided excellent information before we finally booked, replying patiently to all my detailed questions.
The house is located midway between Cancun and Playa del Carmen, which for us was an ideal location, i.e. close enough to take advantage of all that these two towns offer, but quiet enough to feel like we were off the beaten track.
We had brunch nearly every day in nearby Puerto Morelos (10 mins drive), at La Pangea where the see breeze keeps you cool as you tuck into the best steak burrito ever. We had dinner also most nights in Puerto Morelos where there are numerous very reasonably priced eateries. We also ate in Playa del Carmen a couple of times which was touristy but loads of fun, and saved our appetites for a Churrasqueria meat dinner in Cancun one evening.
We visited Tulum (magic), Chichen Itza (spectacular), did an (unforgetable) beginners' dive "en famille" with the dive shop next to the house, swam in the cool fresh water Cenotes (dos Ojos was great - do the accompanied snorkel to the bat cave), and enjoyed the turquoise sea and powder white sands of Playa Delfines in Cancun.
All in all, one of the best family holidays ever - would recommend this to anyone who is looking to get away from it all, and relax in a sublime setting.
We had the best time at Casa Martia. For the first 2 days we had 8 people there. 3 were children ages 5-14. At the second day 1 person had to leave. The house was the perfect size. My girlfriend likes to cook and the kitchen and BBQ worked great. We only left the house a few times for sight seeing. And, there really was no reason to leave. Casa Martia offers everything. Jose and Marta do a great job of answering questions and providing help when needed. For us this was a once in a lifetime trip. We couldn't have chosen any better than Casa Martia.
A great house. Perfect for three couples or a large family. Spacious, very clean, large kitchen, nice pool only steps from the ocean, a dive shop very close by with reasonable rates for snorkeling and scuba diving. We would recommend renting a car. Unfortunately, the weather didn't cooperate during our stay, which is highly unusual for January. But, we took day trips to Tulum, Playa del Carmen and Puerto Morales, only a few miles away. Puerto Morales is a great town, wonderful restaurants, very safe, artsy with sidewalk cafes. They have a live-in caretaker (very friendly and helpful) that doesn't speak English except a few words; but somehow we were able to communicate. Alex and his daughters clean the house. Alex speaks excellent English. He met us at the house on our arrival and went to the store for us for breakfast items before we had time to shop. We also paid him $25 for a day trip with us and another $25 for he and his daughter to come cook the fish we caught. They prepared a wonderful Mexican/Mayan dinner. The house is a 30-minute ride from the airport. You could do it without a car, taxis are available. It's a great place to just hang out and relax. We would definitely come back here.
The Puerto Morelos area is a designated Eco-Park and is home to tropical birds and plants and exotic fish. Wild parrots are often seen around our property in the early morning, while pelicans and other sea birds hunt for fish along the shoreline. Iguanas and lizards can be seen sunning during the day, and songbirds nest in our trees and serenade us during the day. Walk past the pool and through the palm garden onto the beach for your morning walk or jog. Spend the morning walking the three miles into town along the beach, have lunch, and then taxi back home. Or use our bicycles for exploring along the beach road. Enjoy snorkeling, swimming, lounging, relaxing!
|Rate Period
|Weekend Night
Nov 15 - May 15
7 nights
off peak
May 15 - Nov 14
7 nights
The Christmas and New Years weeks have increased rates of $ 4400 each Holiday.
Christmas and New Years Rate is $4400 for up to six guests for seven nights.
25% in advance to hold a reservation, balance due 30 days before travel.
check or money order accepted.
Payment is usually accepted in the quoted currency (USD) unless the currency and the amount is specifically agreed in advance with the owner / advertiser.
Learn more about this vacation rental at the owner's website:


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hey do tourists still cross deosai by foot?
Hi All,
I am looking at doing the K2 Base Camp Trek, 20-21 days total. I am heading to Pakistan in third week of June and would like to start the trek some time after 20th June. If anyone is interested to join me and/or share the cost of porters, please let me know, if you would like to have a look for more details. Send me a message and I will give you further information, so we can catch up for a chat.
I would also love to hear from anyone who has just come off the track to hear their experience and what the conditions are like toward K2 BC.
Travelling from Islamabad to China
I am planing to travel from Islamabad to Urumqi via the KKH next week. I would like to know if any body has recently travelled the route and if so could share their experience with me. I will also have to budget so please share the current fares (buses & taxis), hotel accommodations, dining e.t.c costs or any recommended guide?
Dear all,
I am going to a solo bike tour. The plan in the enter Pakistan from China on G315, follow the Karakoram Highway to Gilgit and Islamabad and finally make it to India near Srinagar or Lahore.
What is safety situation in the region? Are the Pakistan-China and Pakistan-India borders open to tourists?
Thank you
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Lily Allen Blames EMI for Album Delay
British singer Lily Allen says her record label, EMI, is to blame for a delay in the release of her second album.
Writing in an undated entry for her Web site blog, Allen said the album had "been finished for a while now" and added that she didn't "really know what's going on with it."
Allen's first album, "Alright, Still," was released in 2006 and has sold more than 1.8 million copies in Britain, yielding hit singles including "Smile" and "LDN," the BBC reported. Allen apologized to fans awaiting her next effort.
"The record industry is a very political place at the moment," Allen wrote. "Lots of people have been fired or have taken redundancy recently as the company (EMI) was taken over. Many of these people were people assigned to my projects and now I don't quite know what's going on."
The BBC said nearly 2,000 jobs were cut after EMI was purchased by private equity firm Terra Firma for $6 billion last year.


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Japan is one of the world's most Internet-savvy nations - except when it comes to politics.
Decades-old rules have effectively banned campaigning on the Web.
But this Sunday's general election is testing that restriction with some candidates blogging, tweeting and posting speeches on YouTube.
A 1950 law, aimed at keeping costs down and levelling the competition among candidates, limits a host of campaign activities, including TV time and the number and size of leaflets permitted. It doesn't mention the Internet, but the official interpretation is that the Web is off-limits.
In the run-up to one of the most hotly contested votes in years, however, many candidates are regularly updating their home pages and blogs to woo voters. To skirt the regulations, the parties and candidates avoided direct references to voting and addressed more general issues such as policies or events that they attended.
Many have become deft at trumpeting their cause or criticizing their opponents implicitly - highlighting the emergence of negative campaigning, rare in Japan until now.
In a cartoon on the official Web page of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, a noodle chef tries to please every customer until his bowl is an overflowing concoction of fish, fruit and ice cream.
The cook bears an uncanny resemblance to opposition leader Yukio Hatoyama and is meant to poke fun at the alleged indecisiveness of his party, the Democratic Party of Japan, which polls indicate is likely to win control of the powerful lower house of parliament, the chamber that picks the prime minister.
"No one finds happiness by accommodating," a male voice says at the end of the video, which has drawn more than 200,000 hits on YouTube.
Government official Masanobu Hara said the boundaries on what is allowed under the law for campaigning are very complex, and the Internet so far is not included.
"Internet use is now not permitted," he said in a recent interview. "That is the interpretation."
He declined to comment on individual cases in which parties and candidates appear to be increasingly skirting the law.
Experts say legal change is needed for Japan to fully catch up with other industrialized nations in Net campaign use.
Ken Takeuchi, president of Japan Internet News Co., which runs a Web page with information about the election, says candidates are testing the waters on Net use.
He argues that Internet campaigning is one of the most democratic and cost-effective ways to campaign.
"Everyone knows the rules are ridiculous," he said, adding that authorities are unlikely to do more than warn an exceptionally wayward candidate. "Key information about candidates isn't reaching voters the way it should."
Old-style candidates, who tend to get elected by a network of community lobbies, still rely mostly on riding around neighborhoods in trucks, begging for votes through blaring loudspeakers but doing little to communicate their policy views.
Masatoshi Onozuka, 37, a Democratic candidate in Saitama prefecture, north of Tokyo, is also using cyberspace to communicate his message, uploading stumping scenes of his pedaling around on a banner-decked bicycle.
"I am all for using the Internet in elections," he says, smiling on his Web page. "It's a way for people to gain more information, not just from the established media, to make decisions. It lies at the root of a democracy."


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London 2012 chief defends planned marathon change
London 2012 chairman Sebastian Coe defended plans to move the Olympic marathon route away from the main stadium and into the heart of the capital.
Marathon runners would avoid the streets approaching the stadium in Stratford, east London.
''This is not a beauty contest and it would be ludicrous to suggest that we are ashamed of the East End,'' Coe said Tuesday. ''We wouldn't have created an Olympic Games that in large part is delivered in the East End with all the legacies if that were the case.''
Instead, competitors are set to run near London landmarks including Buckingham Palace and the Houses of Parliament.
''This is a purely operational issue,'' Coe said. ''This has nothing to do with iconic landmarks, or with the East End of London or with broadcasting.
''It's about the staging across 16 days of effectively 52 individual world championships and trying to create the matrix that allows you to have a marathon at the same time as other events without cutting across the ability of the competitors and spectators to get there.''
Coe said the torch relay before the Olympics will go through east London.
''It should be a much more impactful moment than a small marathon field running through that borough,'' Coe said. ''The Olympic marathon is not like the London Marathon - the field is only about 100 runners.''
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From the Publisher"Dabydeen is a poet as well as a novelist, and his language transcends the discordant unwholesomeness of the England he describes. Such startling imagery gives Disappearance a perky beauty softening its stark message." —The Sunday Times
"His 'condition of England' novel is both provocative and accomplished." —The Times Literary Supplement


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The Mighty Miss Malone
by Christopher Paul Curtis
Intermediate, Middle School Lamb/Random 309 pp.
1/12 978-0-385-73491-2 $15.99
Library ed. 978-0-385-90487-2 $18.99
e-book ed. 978-0-375-89736-8 $10.99
To her father, twelve-year-old Deza Malone is "my Darling Daughter Deza," "that sassy, smart, beautiful, charming little girl…my Mighty Miss Malone." But it's 1936, and the Depression has hit Gary, Indiana, hard. The loving Malone family is desperately poor and withering away. Older brother Jimmie hasn't grown in three years, Mrs. Malone's clothes hang on her, and Deza's teeth are so bad it's as if she's rotting from the inside. In one poignant scene, Deza overhears her beloved father say to her mother, "I can't breathe out of my nose when I'm near Deza because of the smell of her teeth. How sick is that?" Mr. Malone lights out for Flint, Michigan, in search of work, planning to write when his family can join him. But when they don't hear, they journey to Flint in search of him. As incandescent and full of good cheer as Deza is (and as she was when introduced in Bud, Not Buddy, rev. 11/99, as the little girl who kissed Bud in a Hooverville camp), and as funny as the book's early scenes are, this is an angry novel, unflinching in its portrayal of poverty, with plenty of resonance with the fifteen million poor children in the United States today. There's certainly a measure of hope, hard won, by the end of the novel, but this is a depiction of a family and a nation that embody poet Robert Burns's lines, much repeated here: "the best-laid schemes of mice and men gang aft a-gley."
Review of The Mighty Miss Malone
The Mighty Miss Malone
Such an insightful review for a wonderful book!
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[…] Creech, Newbery Medalist for Walk Two Moons (1995) a) Shiloh by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor (1992) b) Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis (2000) c) Dicey's Song by Cynthia Voight […]


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MobiusArtistsGroup's Channel
videos of / by members of the Mobius Artists Group, an Experimental Artists collaborative: mobius.org
including videos of guest artists who performed at Mobius - 55 Norfolk St Cambridge MA USA
Shout Box
Check out the last music video I shot vimeo.com/60605193
5 new raw unedited video clips from Alisia Waller's performance in the window at mobius just uploaded!
2 new videos from the Oberon show just added to the MobiusArtistsGroup Vimeo channel (-:
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Cassie Cardelle may be loaded with all sorts of hidden talents, but the not hidden talents is where my focus lies today. Wow, this model knows how to wear a swimsuit or bikini or whatever you might call that bit of wardrobe you are quickly imagining Poseidon sending a rogue wave to remove for full visual wonderment mode.
Cassie is once more prancing hot hot little body across the beaches of Malibu for the checkered bottled water company. I'm pretty sure if you camped out on the beach there for the day you'd be witness to many of these lust inducing beach girl shoots. I know, because I often do that. Cassie Cardelle is the kind of girl that comes into your life and you simply never forget when you first met. Often because that awkward moment is described in detail in the restraining order. Those silly things. Enjoy.
Photo Credit: FameFlyNet


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Who's into her? She's a highly underrated artist in my opinion. She's a total chameleon, and she was doing the avant-garde thing with her hair, wardrobe and make-up even before Lady Gaga hit the scene. Her biggest hit was "Milkshake", but she's got lot of good songs. She's bigger in Europe than she is here in the States.
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Are you new to Microsoft Application Virtualization (aka SoftGrid) and looking for a quick and easy way to ramp up your skills? If so then these virtual labs are a great place to start. In as little as an hour or two you can use these to evaluate and test many of the features and concepts through a series of guided, hands-on exercises. Sure you can read the guides and manuals and all that stuff (you do read all those, right?) but if you're anything like me there's no substitute for getting your hands dirty. Plus a little practice now using these labs can save you a ton of time troubleshooting mistakes down the road. Check them out:
TechNet Virtual Lab: SoftGrid Application Virtualization- Sequencing (basics)
After completing this lab, you will be better able to publish an application in the SoftGrid environment, stream and test the application, and perform an active upgrade of the application.
For more information see http://msevents.microsoft.com/CUI/EventDetail.aspx?EventID=1032366074&culture=en-US
TechNet Virtual Lab: Microsoft SoftGrid Virtual Application Advanced Sequencing
In this lab, you will walk-through performing a Virtual File System (VFS) installation of an application as well as a sequencing of a web-based plug-in. Before working on this lab, you should be familiar with the basic concepts of the SoftGrid environment.
For more information see http://msevents.microsoft.com/CUI/EventDetail.aspx?EventID=1032345999&culture=en-US
TechNet Virtual Lab: Using Microsoft SoftGrid Sequencer to Package and Install an Application and Implement an Updated Package using Active Upgrade
After completion of this lab, you will be more familiar with performing a standard sequence of an application, publishing the application to test in the SoftGrid system, and also performing an active upgrade to the application. Before working on this lab, you should be familiar with the basic concepts of the SoftGrid environment.
For more information see http://msevents.microsoft.com/CUI/EventDetail.aspx?EventID=1032346000&culture=en-US
TechNet Virtual Lab: SoftGrid Application Virtualization- Publishing
For more information see http://msevents.microsoft.com/CUI/EventDetail.aspx?EventID=1032366076&culture=en-US
TechNet Virtual Lab: Microsoft SoftGrid General Troubleshooting
In this lab, you will learn how to troubleshoot sequenced applications using common utilities. After completing this lab you will be able to create a package troubleshooting environment, use File Monitor to repair a package that is missing file(s), and use Process Monitor to add registry keys.
For more information see http://msevents.microsoft.com/CUI/EventDetail.aspx?EventID=1032367800&culture=en-US
J.C. Hornbeck | Manageability Knowledge Engineer
Interesting point at blogs.technet.com
J.C. over on the SoftGrid Team blog posed a list of SoftGrid virtual labs. If you are new to the technology
The more partners I talk to the more they tell me that customers are showing hunger for information on


text: MADSION The Lady Skyhawks of Scott posted a decent week of softball, winning three of four games. Starting their week off the Skyhawks traveled to take on the always tough Chapmanville Tigers. Scott and Chapmanville defenses both started the game shutting out each other for the first two innings. Early in the 3rd inning the Tigers scored four runs on some crafty offensive work from Chapmanvilles McCann and Thomas. The Skyhawks could answer that inning with a combined four runs of there own in the 4th and 5th inning. With a score of four runs apiece both teams fought for every inch the rest of the game, a minor slip in the defense and the opposing team would take the go ahead run. In the bottom of the extra 8th inning Chapmanville Lauren Shumate rounded the bases following an RBI single from Alyssa Bailey and scored the game winning run. Each teams accounted for 8 hits apiece. Chapmanvilles McCain went 3 for 4 at the plate, including three RBIs. Meanwhile the offensive performance for the Skyhawks came from Johnson who went 2-4 with an RBI.Scott turned right around the next day and traveled to Herbert Hoover to face the Huskies. The Skyhawks would once again be tangled in an extra inning ball game , as this contest stretched out to 9 innings of play. Playing in clutch situations is something Scott has became acquainted with many times, most of them Scott has came out on top. This time it would be the same story. In the bottom of the 9th inning Scotts Allyson Johnson doubled and drove in Ciera Bias and Hannah Griffith to take the walk off victory 6-3. Scotts Katrina Conley went 2-5 on the day tallying up two RBIs.Scott posted a doubled header sweep Friday evening as they defeated Shady Spring in both contest. In the first game the Skyhawks fell behind early and often but being aggressive late in the game, Scott squeezed out four runs in the late 6th inning. Scotts Ashley Johnson drove in Hannah Griffith and Allyson Johnson for the game winning RBIs. Griffith and Conley both went 2-3 at the plate for the Skyhawks.The second game of the double header would take a whole different turn. The Skyhawks won by the mercy rule defeating Shady Spring 12-2. Katie Tadlock lead the way with a double, triple and RBI. Abby Boyce also went 2-4 with a double. Saturdays match up with Class AA #4 Sissonville Indians would be the second game the Skyhawks woud lose this week. Scott jumped out early on the Indians, scoring two runs in the 1st inning. The Indians went on to score runs in the 3rd and 5th inning tying the game at two runs apiece. In the bottom of the 5th inning the Skyhawks took the go ahead run, but that would soon mean nothing as the Indians scored two runs in the top of the 6th inning to give themselves the 4-2 win and improve there record to 15-9.


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- Studio: Variance Films
- Release Date: Oct 21, 2011
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Oct 20, 2011Mr. Fall, a former scout for the Dallas Mavericks, founded the Seeds Academy to nurture his countrymen. His conviction, level gaze and firm eloquence instill pride, drive and determination in his players. Mr. Fall, a coach on the court and in life, is the real champion here.
Oct 18, 2011Four years, two continents, and a whole lot of culture shock in the making, Anne Buford's endearing and vibrantly photographed hoop-dreams doc follows a quartet of gifted West African teens from the SEEDS Academy (Sports for Education and Economic Development in Senegal) as they head to the U.S. on basketball scholarships.
Oct 16, 2011Hoop dreams die hard, and the stories in Elevate are both sobering and thrilling.
It's all presented with equal parts humor and sensitivity, though Buford doesn't much delve into the potential landmines here - racism, classism, exploitation - allowing the power of assimilation and opportunity to carry the day.
One of the many beautiful things about this affecting, informative doc is the opportunity it gives to see the American college sports world through different eyes.
Long on hopefulness but short on sobering realities, Elevate proves a compelling if superficial look at the arduous path traveled by Senegalese teens hoping to make it to America for a higher education and an NBA career.
Oct 18, 2011Elevate works as a sympathetic portrait of cultural adjustment (learning in a nonnative language, sticking to Muslim dietary restrictions), but never adequately addresses the problems of what's essentially a neocolonialist system designed to shape impoverished Africans into first-world profit-makers.
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LA Beer Week Kickoff Festival
- Food & Drink
- 700 Exposition Park Drive, Los Angeles, CA, 90037
Valentine's Day at Bar Pintxo
Bar Pintxo
Thursday, February 14, 2013 from 6:00 PM to 11:00 PM (PST)
Treat your Valentine to a true Spanish experience and very special evening with our 4 course prix fixe menu in our romantic dining room or outdoor heated patio. Cocktail specials & wine pairings available.
Bar Pintxo is an authentic Spanish tapas bar in Santa Monica providing a unique combination of outstanding food and drinks in a warm and inviting atmosphere. Our exclusively Spanish wine and beer list represents wines from every region in Spain, comprised of small and traditional family-owned wineries throughout the Spanish wine regions. Many are offered exclusively to Bar Pintxo, including an assortment of Temperinillo, Cava and Txakolina to enjoy with your meal, or for purchase.
We have created a sophisticated space with a relaxed and warm feel, an old world ambiance with modern touches that transports you to Spain when you walk through our door. Remember to check out our retail store, which offers Spanish Jamons, Cheese, Olives and other Spanish foods and wine, so you can create your own Spanish experience at home!
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Hey guys,
I was wondering if some of you know a tool similar to the one mentioned in the title: Simply a tool that TF (as well as GR, why not AD and so on) authors could use for marketing their items, by uploading them to various social networks at once.
Does sites like Creatica, Flickr, Dribble, Behance have an API for that at first place and will they allow it?
It's just an idea that I had today and wondering if someone already did something like that. Looking forward to hear your thoughts
Some music distributors offer simillar tool for labels – you can upload your stuff to YouTube, Soundcloud and so on.
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Recent securities fraud 50 times more costly than Bennett's pyramid scheme:
Wall Street's newest alleged con man, Bernard L. Madoff, has apparently eclipsed Syracuse scammer Patrick R. Bennett, by billions.
Madoff's securities fraud, exposed Dec. 11, was estimated at $50 billion worldwide.
Bennett's crime, exposed in 1996, totaled $1 billion swindled from 12,000 investors in and 10,000 creditors of his family's companies. At the time, prosecutors called it the biggest Ponzi scheme in American history.
Now, if proven, Bernie Madoff's scam would claim that dubious distinction. In fact, his alleged scam is being called the largest in the history of the world. Small investors, institutions, hedge funds, global banks and pension funds all fell victim.
Family matters
In Madoff's case, his own family turned in the 70-year-old former Nasdaq Stock Market chairman, to the Securities and Exchange Commission after he confessed his pyramid scheme to them. Through his investment firm, Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities LLC, he allegedly paid redemptions to previous investors in certain funds with the money he collected from new investors. Last week he finally admitted "it was all a big lie," according to the SEC.
In Bennett's case, his own family nearly went down with him after the Syracuse-based Bennett Funding Group was accused of selling investors leases for equipment that didn't exist and sometimes selling the same lease over and over again to different investors.
His father, E.T. "Bud" Bennett, faced federal charges. His wife, Gwen, was pressured to sell the family home. His brother, Michael, pleaded guilty to aiding the scam. A $600,000 yacht named after his mother, Kathleen Bennett, "The Lady Kathleen," was targeted for sale by the bankruptcy court.
Familiar holdings
The Bennetts' holdings included the Hotel Syracuse, the Quality Inn, a Maine shopping mall, office equipment, campgrounds, gambling barges, a casino and Vernon Downs Racetrack.
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So recently I've been playing some older games, not so old that they classify as properly retro which I personally define as at least two console generations behind and furthe. Rather, games that are only a few years old that have since been glossed over by all the shiny new games that have come out recently. I have decided to dub this Ante-Retro, (before retro) in a sense that these games are not retro quite yet. So what games did I personally miss out on and only recently spent some quality time with?
Firstly, Borderlands. I missed Borderlands when it first came out in 2009. I don't think I was as into RPGs as much as I am now but it's not really like Borderlands is a massively in-depth game. The most RPG it gets is comparing weapon statistics and class perks, something that is pretty commonplace in modern shooting games with the advent of levelling systems in multiplayer. The game is set on the world Pandora and as one of four 'Vault Hunters', it is your mission to find a mysterious alien vault and claim the loot inside. Pretty standard RPG fare.
Currently, I am twenty hours into the game and I'm having great fun. The game manages to meet both my RPG and FPS needs all with a good story and distinct art style. What makes the game so enjoyable however is the random loot system and the very tongue-in-cheek game design. If you haven't played it yet you really ought to try it out.
Next up is a not so glowing recommendation, Saints Row 2. As a game, Saints Row 2 is fantastic, it blends the style of Grand Theft Auto with an air of total absurdity that stops it from ever feeling tired and linear. What is really bad about this game, however, is the PC port. I picked it up on Steam ages ago in a sale for around £2 and being rather bored of Skyrim recently (don't worry it's only a phase), I decided to finally install it.
As some of you may know, it is infamous for being a terrible port. It is everything that a port should not be, and with good reason. Firstly, the game wouldn't even load, which I eventually learnt was because of a non-existent settings file. Yup, the game comes without a crucial file. No big deal, I managed to find the file online and it booted up fine.
Next, the first time you load the game it sets everything to low. I know graphics have come on by leaps and bounds since 2008 but seriously, it looks like a Playstation 2 game and a bad one at that.
The final nail in the coffin, however, is the absolutely god awful controls. Trying to drive any vehicle is like a Tron lightcycle because the turning is that sensitive. Still, I have thirteen hours clocked on it and I personally think that is a solid return on a £2 investment.
Finally, another game I have been playing quite a bit of with fellow staff member Alice; Guild Wars. We have been working through the campaigns in preparation of the sequel that still has no release date (which pains me). Technically, I have owned Guild Wars Prophecies and Factions since release but I never really played them. I was only 15 when Prophecies came out, an age where I was playing much more Counter-Strike than anyone should, ever.
I received Nightfall and Eye of the North for Christmas just recently so I've been really getting into those. The games still look fantastic and play well. There is also still a decent number of players milling around in the cities and outposts, which is damn respectable for a game of its age.
ArenaNet are also running the Hall of Monuments, which allows you to accrue points to unlock bonuses in Guild Wars 2. So if you used to play but have since stopped and you're thinking of grabbing the sequel then it would definitely be in your interest to come back for a bit. I should point out that this requires Eye of the North though, so if you have that and like free loot, come on in.
Unless you don't like free loot, in which case, what sort of a monster are you?


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Andrew Hogle joined the waiting list for Denver Broncos season tickets back when John Elway was still in the early stages of his Hall of Fame career.
More than two decades later, after missing calls from the team on two previous occasions, Hogle finally scored the tickets three years ago.
But it is this season, not his first year as a season-ticket holder, that has the lifelong Broncos fan as excited as he has been about the team since the days of No. 7.
"I would say probably going back to the Elway days, this is the most anticipated season," Hogle said. "The Jay Cutler era, we were good, but there wasn't really an expectation that we could go all the way at some point."
The mile-high expectations for the Broncos stretch beyond die-hard fans, seeping into the psyche of the city and region. With football pundits placing the team among the favorites to reach the Super Bowl, business owners say they can't recall the last time the atmosphere has been this frenzied heading into a season.
Preseason business — yes, preseason — increased by about 40 percent for area sports bars.
Fulfillment of the epic hype and promise rests squarely on the shoulders of one man: Peyton Manning.
"You take him off of this team, and I don't know how we win three or four games," Hogle said. "It's so dependent on one player, it's kind of scary."
Manning is under pressure to perform after the Broncos signed the former Indianapolis Colts star to a five-year, $96 million contract and traded last year's starter, Tim Tebow, to the New York Jets.
The Broncos open the season on national television Sunday night against the Pittsburgh Steelers, whom the Tebow-led Broncos miraculously beat in the playoffs last season.
Ticket-resale site StubHub said demand for Broncos tickets has increased by three times compared with last year and that the Steelers game is the most in-demand ticket among NFL matchups this weekend.
"I see us going 13-3 ... and maybe 11-5 (at worst)," said Mike Fabrizio, whose family has owned season tickets for 17 years.
Since taking over the tickets from his parents a few years ago, the University of Colorado Denver student has typically resold almost the entire batch of games.
But that will change this year.
"Since we are on top, I definitely plan on going to at least three or four games, when usually I go to one or two," Fabrizio said.
Dan Hendrickson, a season-ticket holder for five years, doesn't bother predicting the Broncos' regular-season record, jumping right to the postseason.
"I would think they're probably going to make the playoffs and possibly the Super Bowl," he said.
Hendrickson, who operates a cellphone-repair shop in Castle Rock, said Manning should be used to shouldering the load.
"He basically carried Indianapolis," he said. "That team went almost oh-for-nothing ... when he left."
With Manning sidelined all of last year because of a neck injury, the Colts stumbled to a 2-14 record and missed the playoffs for the first time since the 2001 season.
Manning brushes off the idea that he has added pressure to perform this year.
"I don't really carry that burden," he said last week. "I know how hard I've worked to get back to this position, how much time I've put into rehabbing, how much time I continue to put in and how hard I've worked to get comfortable in this system. That's really all I know I can do, and I'm going to play as hard as I can."
"I understand that Denver Broncos football fans expect a lot out of their team, and that's the type of environment you want to play in," Manning added. "But I'm also a realist. It's a 16-game season, and there is a chance we could lose a few games this year."
Even before he plays a regular-season game in a Broncos uniform, Manning has already made an impact off the field.
Much to the delight of area retailers, Manning has the top-selling jersey in the league, according to Fanatics.com. The online retailer said Denver is the No. 4 city for buying NFL gear and the Broncos are the sixth-best-selling team.
The Broncos franchise is valued at just more than $1.1 billion, an increase of 8 percent from a year ago, which is slightly higher than the league-average increase of 7 percent, according to Forbes magazine.
The magazine focused on Manning in the short profile that accompanied the team valuation.
"Expectations have been ramped up with Manning on board, as the Broncos are now one of the favorites to reach the Super Bowl," the article states.
TV ratings increased 30 percent last year amid Tebowmania. In anticipation of Manning magic, the NFL scheduled the Broncos for five nationally televised games.
"The preseason was a lot bigger than normal," said Kyle Hesseltine, general manager of the Sports Column Bar and Grill in downtown Denver, which saw its business nearly double during the first preseason game. "I can't even tell you how long it's been since we've had this kind of hype."
Season-ticket holders are also reaping the economic benefits of Manning. They say they've been able to resell tickets to most games for two to four times face value.
That's a far cry from a year ago, when Broncos attendance often included thousands of no-shows and tickets were sold for less than face value.
Hogle said he struggled in the first year to unload tickets to games he couldn't attend.
"I figured it's always been a good investment to own Broncos season tickets and you can sell a few of them to pay for the rest of the season. That was not my experience. I wound up eating a couple of the games," he said. "I remember going to the Chargers game by myself, and I literally could not hand the ticket to anybody else.
"Now with Manning, it's back to what I expected it was going to be — where tickets are hard to come by and everybody wants them and it feels more like you have an asset."
Staff writer Lindsay H. Jones contributed to this report.
Andy Vuong : 303-954-1209, email@example.com or fb.com/byandyvuong


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Cheap Home Decor: Crafting with Paper
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Bow Holder Frame
By: I Heart Naptime
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It's easy to misplace bows and hair clips. A Bow Holder Frame is a great option if you want to keep all of your accessories in one place. This is a cute and girly upcycled idea from Jamielyn Nye that little girls will love.
- Large frame
- Spray paint
- Cotton Batting
- Scissors
- Fabric
- Hot Glue gun
- Ribbon
- Velcro dots
- Ric rac
- Find a large frame and remove the picture and cardboard. Keep the cardboard. That will be your backing. Then give the frame a few coats of spray paint.
- Next you will need to find some cotton batting that will cover the entire cardboard. I think I doubled the batting if I remember right. Then you will fold the batting over the cardboard and hot glue it down. Trim off any excess batting to remove bulk.
- Next you will need to buy enough fabric to cover the entire board.
- You will begin by folding the fabric over the cardboard and hot gluing it down.
- When you get to the corners, make a diagonal cut.
- Then fold in the other side and glue. Once your fabric is all glued down you'll need to start gathering some ribbon.
- Measure and cut your ribbon accordingly and then glue on the back side of the cardboard.
- I placed velcro dots on the ric rac to hang my velcro flowers. I make most of my flowers and place a velcro dot on the back of them, so I can interchange them.
- I also found this at goodwill for a dollar and thought it would be perfect to hang headbands. All I did was spray paint it blue and then distressed the edges a little. I've also seen these at crafts stores for 3 or 4 bucks. So with a coupon only 2 bucks. Not bad!
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Jul 12, 2013
This is one of the smartest, cutest, easiest things to make for my little granddaughter! I sure never would of thought of anything for her bows - she has lots of them. She'll love putting them on here for a fact. Wonderful! Thank you!
- WAS THIS HELPFUL? YesNo
crafty sis
Mar 18, 2013
Its so cute!
- WAS THIS HELPFUL? YesNo
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Doody's Review ServiceReviewer: Vincent F Carr, DO, MSA, FACC, FACP (Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences)
Description: This is billed as a "last minute clerkship and board review...written by medical students who aced the USMLE Step 2." Using a question and answer format, it has many things going for it, but it impressed me as a list of terms and facts to remember, without the supporting clinical relevance or associated physiology.
Purpose: The author recognizes the limitations, calling the book a "high-yield resource, to endorse the rapid recall of the essentials."
Audience: Although directed at those preparing for the USMLE, it does have value for those who would like to refresh their memory of common terms, associations, and eponyms. While I commend the authors for their work, I am concerned about who is mentoring them in their efforts or, stated differently, while this approach appeared to work for them, the practice of memorizing sterile lists for the purpose of taking tests may be shortsighted.
Features: The question and answer format is a reasonable approach to studying for exams. The index is comprehensive and helpful, but the black-and-white pictures do not show the intended lesions well, and the one algorithm is not consistent with the format of the book.
Assessment: This book does have the limited utility of presenting facts for memorization for the USMLE, but it is not as helpful for those who need to understand the physiology before memorizing simple facts.