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Excellent Pictures!!! Magnificent!!!
I love Mr. Edwards!! God Bless to you and your new wife. You have my vote anytime.
He is not a drug user. Keep your nasty comments to yourself.
DONCOS- Zurik does not use mascara. His eyebrows are REAL!!! TV makes everyone look different. He is a very handsome man on camera and off camera. What does his look have to do with his reporting ablilties? Get a Life.
The New Orleans Centre mall stores and the food court were accommodating before Katrina so why can't we have them again? The mall served office and medical workers. The fans were only on home game football Sundays. Even when the Hornets had home games, the mall would be closed or closing by 7:p.m. New Orleans needs decent department stores to keep some of the money where it belongs---HERE.
We really need to have some major department stores here in New Orleans for the citzens that do not have transportation to get to the outskirts of Metairie and Kenner. Thus,all sales taxes are going elswhere. I hope the mall along with the eateries can be allowed again. The regular working people could use some additional eating places.
The emails are now removed from the website
Some of the emails are already posted on TW's organization's website
The City needs someplace close to buy quality clothing and not have to drive all the way out to Kenner to shop at the malls. We need to keep the taxes here.
It seems as though everyone in government are crooks. Is there anyone out there you guys trust?
Don't worry about where the Mayor is. Just worry about you and your family getting out safe if we have to leave. That's the problem, everyone is so quick to point out who's doing what. Take care of your own business because nobody else will. They will only talk bad about you.
Do you honestly care about the poor and elderly? Stop tripping and let the U.S.government handle their business. They will decide who did what regardless of who is doing "side investigations". The media only wants to sell newspapers, Cerasoli wants to start doing his job but the government will handle it. After all, is was government money.
This is to MINDS:
You don't know what you are talking about and you certainly don't know anything about Moses-Fields. Even if she is embarassed about everthing,she does not have to show it or say it. The media wants everyone to believe that everyone is a thief regardless of who they are. As far as the Mayor, ever since he said "Chocolate City" everybody wants him out of office. If you don't like it here in Chocolate City, move the hell away.
If your in a public place and don't want to see a picture of Jesus displayed, just look the other way. It is not there to impose religious beliefs on anyone. Everyone can say they don't want to see pictures of Jesus. One thing you can best bet on - you can't get past nor can you get around Jesus. He is present everywhere. Everyone will have to stand before Him one day then you will have to look at Him.
The ACLU always wants to sue for everything. They got what they wanted, money and the removal of Jesus. Eventually, Jesus will remove the ACLU.
Yes!! He should be released. The murderers, drug dealers and armed robbers get less of a sentence for the horrific crimes they commit. Edwards is getting older. If he ran for any office again, he would definitely have my vote. I don't care what anybody on this forum has to say about him. The only differnece between him and all of the previous goverors - he got caught, the others did not.
Power to Governor Edwards!!!!!!!
time2purge -YOU NEED TO STOP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I sure hope it's you!!!!
What wonderful souls to go through so much to give the organ! What we don't realize is that in the end and we have to stand in front of the BIG MAN to be held accountable, He will not give out extra points for being a certain religion or a certain race. What matters in the end is that you cared about your fellow brothers and sisters in their time of need and despair. That you gave from your heart, not even expecting a Thank you for your efforts. Many people attend church faithfully every Sunday, Saturday and some everyday but after church is over, they do not apply the GOSPEL in their everyday living.WAKE UP EVERYBODY!


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It was not that long ago that I had an email exchange with Rae of Forays In The Kitchen regarding coffee and its effects on endurance athletes. In the exchange I learned that drinking caffeinated coffee 1 hour prior to a workout of 1 hour or longer is a good thing as it takes this long for the caffeine jolt to kick. It is with this thought process that I get up at 3am and drink 4 oz of coffee along with 4 – 8 oz of water and a 100-150 calorie breakfast (usually a slice of whole wheat toast with 1/2 tablespoon almond butter and 1/2 small banana sliced on top.) I then fall asleep for 4o to 45 minutes and hit my workout by 5am feeling energized.
After my workout I come home and have decaf at this point and for the rest of the day. In our discussion I learned that decaf is fine to have when not working out because of it's lack of fat deposits. I happen to love the taste of coffee and so drinking decaf is easy for me and I know I don't need any jolt that the caffeine provides. I also learned that coffee is not a dehydrator (as is common belief) so drinking it through out the day is fine. I typically have that 4 oz early, then 8 oz after my workout and another 8 oz of decaf around 2pm. This afternoon cup is part of a habit that I formed prior to becoming an endurance athlete and drinking caffeinated coffee throughout the day.
In the Cook Train Eat Race Gazette that I started recently, came across an article titled: Coffee Pros and Cons. The article is written by JP on Healthy Fellow and helped to shed some light in a different direction on coffee and its 'pros and cons.'
Here is an excerpt from the article:
One of the most the positive aspects of coffee consumption is its apparent effect on those at risk for diabetes or already dealing with the disease. Diabetes is one the leading causes of health care complications and spending. Figures from the 2007 Diabetes Fact Sheet indicate that over 23.6 million adults and children have diabetes in the United States alone. An additional 57 million are regarded as "pre-diabetic". The cost of treating diagnosed cases of diabetes is in the neighborhood of $174,000,000,000 a year. Therefore, the potential impact that the humble coffee bean can have on diabetes incidence and progression needs to be carefully considered. (1)
There are more facts and figures in the article and if you are truly interested in this topic I suggest that you read JPs post. It is enlightening and informative. As a matter of fact JP is planning on doing a series on coffee and it is one that I will be following closely.
If that weren't enough about coffee for you, just under JPs article in the Cook Train Eat Race Gazette was an article titled: Got a craving for fast food? Skip the coffee, study suggests. The first paragraph of the article grabbed me and forced me to read the rest even though I do not eat fast food at all. The first paragraph states:
Researcher Marie-Soleil Beaudoin has discovered not only that a healthy person's blood sugar levels spike after eating a high-fat meal, but that the spike doubles after having both a fatty meal and caffeinated coffee — jumping to levels similar to those of people at risk for diabetes.
That says a lot and the article goes on to clarify the study. Now the study and its findings are above my head but just reading that a fatty meal and caffeinated coffee could spike your blood sugar levels is enough for me to tell family and friends that the Egg McMuffin and Coffee is a bad idea.
If you are are dietitian and would be willing to shed some light on this second article it would be greatly appreciated.

subset: commoncrawl


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Dec. 19, 2013
ATHENS, Ga.--With over 4,000 Athens-area students, teachers and staff in attendance, the Georgia men's basketball team picked up its fourth win in a row, beating Gardner Webb 58-49 Thursday afternoon at Stegeman Coliseum.
Georgia (5-4) was led by Juwan Parker who had a career-high 12 points and nine rebounds. Marcus Thornton also contributed 11 points and seven rebounds.
"I thought both teams had a tough time with the morning start," said head coach Mark Fox. "I thought our team had a little zombie look to them--couldn't even pass and catch it cleanly to start the game. Nemi [Djurisic] gave us a nice lift offensively in the first half. We just never quite found a rhythm--give their defense credit for that too. But our defensive rebounding was something that we've been focusing on, and it was key this afternoon to winning the game."
After a slow start offensively, Georgia closed the first half on a 7-0 run to take a 21-12 halftime lead. Djurisic came off the bench to lead Georgia with eight points in the half.
In the second half, the Runnin' Bulldogs (6-7) slowly cut into the Georgia lead, shrinking it to just one with 6:30 left in the game, but Kenny Gaines made a bucket plus a free throw which catapulted Georgia on a 7-0 run to regain a 45-37 advantage securing its fifth win of the season.
The Bulldogs limited Gardner-Webb to its lowest point output of the season and just 31 percent shooting from the field
Naji Hibbert and Tyler Strange led Gardner-Webb with 14 and 10 points, respectively.
Georgia will return to action on Saturday with a 2 p.m. tipoff against Western Carolina (6-7). The game will be televised on CSS. For ticket information, go to Georgiadogs.com.
Georgia vs. Gardner Webb Notes
Worth Noting....
Georgia's starting lineup was Marcus Thornton (34th career start), Juwan Parker (1st), Taylor Echols (1st), Kenny Gaines (9th) and Donte' Williams (67th).
Both Taylor Echols and Juwan Parker made their first career starts. On Saturday, Echols scored nine points in 23 minutes, both career highs.
Charles Mann returned after missing last game because of an injury. He had eight points and six rebounds in 32 minutes.
Donte' Williams hit his first career three-pointer early in the first half. He had one prior attempt (Temple, 11/22/13).
Even with the new rules which have led to an increase in fouls, only one free-throw was shot in the first half, by Georgia.
In the Mark Fox era, Georgia is undefeated when holding its opponent to fewer than 50 points.
Georgia remains undefeated when out-rebounding its opponent.
Juwan Parker set a career-high with 12 points (11 vs. Chattanooga, 12/2/13) and nine rebounds (6 vs. Ga. Tech, Davidson)
Marcus Thornton had a career-high four blocks (3 vs. Kentucky, 3/1/12)
The Series: Georgia improves to 3-0 in its series with Gardner-Webb.
Next Up: The Bulldogs have a day off before returning to action on Saturday against Western Carolina at 2 p.m. Georgia leads the all-time series with the Catamounts 5-0, including most recently an 89-65 win in 2005.


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With school just around the corner for Antlers Public Schools, many exciting and some troubling things are starting to take place. A concern has been voiced about low participation numbers in regards to the Bearcat Football program this year and many are wondering if the program will proceed as normal.
In a meeting with Antlers Public Schools Superintendent Cary Ammons, he assured that the program will indeed continue this year as scheduled, but with lower than normal numbers.
ŌĆ£ItŌĆÖs concerning,ŌĆØ said Ammons, ŌĆ£that our numbers are down for participation. For a school our size we should have around 40 kids and right now are sitting between 15-18 but we anticipate that number going up. We are not far away from the 22 players we ended last season with.ŌĆØ
The numbers are there to start the season as planned but it maybe necessary to play in an iron man fashion (the same players being on both offense and defense for the entire game). On a bright note, the Bearcats will be sporting new football uniforms this year, as it was their turn in rotation.
ŌĆ£Injuries are the main concern when we have low participation numbers,ŌĆØ stated Ammons. ŌĆ£With kids having to play both ways it puts a lot of strain on their bodies and that increases the chances of them getting injured. If we have low numbers to start with and our players get hurt we might not have enough kids to finish out the season. We fully intend on starting our season as planned and right now we donŌĆÖt know how it will be handled if the numbers are not present to play, but as of right now, we are playing.ŌĆØ
Many have also wondered what will happen to the Pride of Antlers Marching Band if the football season becomes jeopardized. The Band is still rocking away. If the football season falls, the band will still compete in marching competitions and proudly represent Antlers Public Schools. The only thing that they wont get to do is march during half-time.
Other exciting events that have been taking place at Antlers Public School are new curtains and lighting in the Auditorium, new buses including a new handicap bus, changing bus numbers (drivers and routes will not be affected), they are looking at starting a 5th grade basketball program this year with 8-10 games, looking into purchasing a new roof for the middle school, have added new playground equipment and basketball goals and a new high school mobile computer lab made up of all laptops. A new flagpole has also been erected complements of Burrage Law Firm.
But the most exciting thing of all is that all students attending Antlers Public Schools will receive free breakfast and lunch for the entire year. Antlers Public School has enter into an agreement called, Provision II Pricing. This program is what allows ALL students to eat free. The program runs on a 5-year cycle with the first year being a pilot year.
ŌĆ£The key to make this work is 100% participation concerning the lunch forms. Antlers Public School must continue asking parents to fill out and sign the back of these lunch forms, whether you think you are eligible or not,ŌĆØ urged Ammons. ŌĆ£Every public school district asks for these forms to be filled out and signed. You may ask, ŌĆśWhy?ŌĆÖ ItŌĆÖs funding, money to the district to provide programs and personnel.ŌĆØ
ŌĆ£We want our kids to enjoy coming to school and that is what we are trying to do,ŌĆØ said Ammons. ŌĆ£Providing the best possible education is the most important thing we can do for our kids and our staff is dedicated and determine to do just that. Morale is up and we plan on keeping it that way. ŌĆØ


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This section contains 1,701 words
(approx. 5 pages at 400 words per page)
In chapter three, Lieutenant Joe Leaphorn, a veteran of the Navajo Tribal Police, receives a phone call from an old friend. Gallup FBI agent Jay Kennedy asks Leaphorn to assist in investigating a body found in the desert near train tracks.
The biggest mystery is how the body came to be beside the train tracks. Kennedy wants Leaphorn to search the surrounding desert for tracks or other signs. At the crime scene, Leaphorn finds the neatly arranged body of a white man wearing a dark gray suit, white shirt, tie and pointy shoes. His clothes are high quality but worn, as if they are decades old. The victim is about sixty years old and has no teeth or dentures in his mouth. The deputy found no identification on the body, but did find a cryptic note with references to Agnes Tsosie and the Yeibichai ceremony.
When Leaphorn...
(read more from the Chapters 3 and 4 Summary)
This section contains 1,701 words
(approx. 5 pages at 400 words per page)


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In a story he clearly worked hard to create, ace agenda-ist Geoffrey York in Johannesburg singles out Canada for not helping the UN peacekeeping force with helicopters. What about the US, UK, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Netherlands, Belgium, Sweden etc., etc., etc.? Then there's Portugal, eh? None of them seems to want to anwer the call either:
UN's plea for helicopters in Congo going unheard
Struggling to contain a horrifying epidemic of mass rapes and murders, United Nations peacekeepers in Congo say they desperately need one thing above all: helicopters. But more than 50 countries – including Canada – have failed to help…
The Foreign Affairs Department said in a statement Tuesday that Canada deplores the violence against civilians, particularly the ongoing sexual violence against women and children, and continues to strongly support efforts to strengthen the rule of law to promote accountability for such crimes.
Canada carefully considers any formal requests from the UN to provide support to specific peace operations on a case-by-case basis, it added. Unfortunately, Canada was not in a position to support this particular request due to other operational commitments, it said…
In 2008, the UN Security Council authorized an additional 18 helicopters to be deployed to Congo. More than 50 countries, including Canada, were contacted by senior UN officials to see whether they could provide helicopters, according to a UN official who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Only two countries – Bangladesh and Uruguay – answered the call. They provided three helicopters, leaving the UN with a shortfall of 15 aircraft. That shortfall will increase dramatically as one of the biggest contributors, India, has already withdrawn nine helicopters since June and is set to withdraw another 10 by early next year…
As for "other operational commitments" see Task Force SILVER DART, engaged in another mission mandated by the UN Security Council:
Why ain't that commitment to the UN good enough for Mr York? I mean the CF are pretty stretched, and the Air Force's support for the force in Afstan is getting rather more difficult (imagine how easy it would be also to support a few choppers in the heart of darkness).
Meanwhile the NY Times has aimed its Congo fire at the right target–the UN itself:
UN Peacekeeping: The Gray Lady's outrage


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|Teen Movie Night - "Books to the Big Screen"
Event Type: Teen Programs
Age Group(s): Teens Grades 7-12
Date: 10/5/2012
Start Time: 6:00 PM
End Time: 8:45 PM
Teen Movie Night will show "The Avengers" 2012 American superhero film based on the Marvel Comics superhero team of the same name. Sponsored by the Friends of IPPL.
Location: Meeting Room, 2nd Floor
Contact: Kids & Teens Ask Us Desk
Contact Number: 630/887-8760 ext 264
Link: Avengers Movie Trailer
Status: Closed
|Please Note


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Brian White and Christina King
BRISTOL — A Bristol man was hospitalized with serious injuries following a brutal Sunday assault in far northeast Sullivan County, while three of his four alleged attackers now face charges of attempted murder.
Two of the suspects were apprehended Tuesday night, while the other two — including the father of the victim's fiancee— remain at large.
A police report at the Sullivan County Sheriff's Office says the incident occurred at 809 Wyatt Hollow Road, the residence of both the victim and two of the suspects. At approximately 4:40 a.m., officers responding to the scene — east of South Holston Lake in the Cherokee National Forest — were flagged down by individuals in a vehicle.
More on the story is available from our partners at the Kingsport Times-News.comments powered by Disqus


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For Susan Cain, it's not a question of seeing people in black and white. It's seeing them as extroverts and introverts — and realizing that, even though introverts make up one-third to one-half of the population, society tends to undervalue them and to place a premium on extroverts, according to Cain, author of the bestselling book Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking.
In the world of work, that too often translates into a prejudice in favor of leaders who are bold and gregarious, and an overreliance on group brainstorming and other team-based activities. "All of you are spending way too much time in meetings and way too much time in the collaborative process," Cain said this morning during the opening general session of ASAE's 2013 Annual Meeting & Exposition at Atlanta's Georgia World Congress Center, "and not enough time in solitude."
Cain offered five tips for creating work environments — including meetings and conferences — that respect and value introverts, whom Cain noted aren't shy or antisocial but rather "feel at their most alive and their most energized when they're in environments that are less stimulating":
1. Rethink social interaction. For introverts, that means scheduling both solo time and more socially oriented "walkarounds" in the office, preparing thoughts and comments for meetings in advance, and sharing them early in the agenda. For extroverts, it's about having more social breaks and fewer formal meetings, engaging introverts one-on-one, and giving introverts dedicated prep time.
2. Rethink hiring and leadership. Cain, herself an introvert, is in the process of establishing a "quiet leadership" institute based on the principles and research discussed in Quiet. For her partner in the venture she's chosen a classic extrovert who formerly worked as a financial-services executive — so that the two of them can complement one another's strengths and weaknesses. "It is one of the great myths of leadership," Cain said, "that one great respected person should be able to do everything. That is ridiculous."
3. Rethink public speaking. Many people find the idea of speaking in public to be terrifying — especially introverts. Cain recommends they conquer that fear by starting small. In the year before Quiet was published, she embarked on "my year of speaking dangerously," talking to a series of groups in "small, manageable situations." Through the process of desensitization, she said, "eventually over time it gets better and better."
4. Rethink conferences like the ASAE Annual Meeting. How? By offering content that is interesting and easy to discuss early on, so attendees have something to talk about with one another right off the bat. And by giving attendees permission to take some time for themselves — back in their hotel rooms, or in specially designated "sanctuary" areas — since more than anything introverts need to be able to recharge.
5. Rethink diversity. The business world already appreciates the power of diversity when it comes to race, gender, and sexuality, because of everything people with those different characteristics bring to the workforce. "The exact same thing is true for personality types," Cain said. "The beauty of it is that none of this takes a lot of time or takes a lot of money."
Interesting, no? You can read Convene's in-depth interview with Cain here.


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Dog-Owned Life
Cohabiting with a canine in the Capital Region (and pet news from all over)
Monthly Archive for May, 2010
Rock for the Pits! (Update: Fire at venue)
UPDATE: Unfortunately, the Lark Tavern was the site of a serious fire May 6. I don't know if the event has been rescheduled at a new venue, but I will post the relevant info when I get it. A benefit concert for Out of the Pits takes place 9 p.m. Friday, May 14, at Tess' […] [Read More]
Troy city worker accused of animal abuse
Theodore R. Schultz, 57, a long-time worker for the Troy Department of Public Works, is accused of killing a four-week-old puppy by hitting it with a shovel. He was charged with a misdemeanor count of animal cruelty. Schultz was arrested Friday night after revealing he had struck the dog in the head and buried it […] [Read More]
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Welcome to the Faculty Services & Resources LibGuide. Use the links to the right to access library services for faculty. We have compiled resources that we think will be helpful for Merrimack faculty and course instructors. Access these resources using the tabs above.
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Gear Review
Clayton Murray
Amazing Jacket
I typically a skeptic with everything. And I read a few reviews on some other Castelli products that weren't all that great but I figured, This one looks good and the features are appealing so I'll give it a shot. I can honestly say, It was worth the money. Everything about it is quality, from the wind resistance, fleece lining, stitching, whatever...
I rode all last winter in temps as low as the 20's and my upper body was nice and comfy. I Can't say the same for my feet though but I'm working on that.
As for the sizing, I am not the smallest guy. I'm not fat either. I wear a size 40R formal suit and large T shirts so I bought a large Jacket and It fits like a riding jacket should, Like it was tailored for me. No extra fabric flapping in the wind but not so tight I can't move.
Bottom line, I would recommend this jacket to anyone.
Peter Hamm
Haha, with you on finding a solution to keeping the feet warm. And the hands. Have yet to find a solid pair of cold weather gloves. And winter cycling shoes are overpriced given the cost vs. performance. Let me know what you find that works for the extremities.
View More Details on Castelli Espresso Due Jacket


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From Latimes.com:
Right-hander Masahiro Tanaka might not be made available to major league teams this winter, the president of the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles told a Japanese sports newspaper.
Because of new rules that will be implemented, the most the Golden Eagles could receive in exchange for Tanaka's rights is $20 million. Before Major League Baseball and Nippon Professional Baseball started to discuss setting limits on how much MLB teams could bid for Japanese players, there was speculation the Golden Eagles could receive more than the $51.7 million the Nippon Ham Fighters received for the rights to Yu Darvish two years ago.


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Tooele, Utah --- (KSL News) Graduation day Thursday proved bittersweet for one Utah mom who has been in a fight to get her son awarded with an honorary diploma following the teen's accidental death.
Nanci McConnell said her son Matthew had good grades and was on track to graduate from Stansbury High School prior to the ice fishing accident that took his life in February.
"We had no doubt that he would complete the last two terms," she said in a room at the Huntsman Center, across from where other Stansbury seniors collected their diplomas.
The 17-year-old McConnell was discovered alongside his father, Steven, in an ice hut at Flaming Gorge. Investigators at the time said the two died of carbon monoxide poisoning.
McConnell said since that time, Stansbury High School has retired her son's baseball jersey number and planted a tree in his honor, but Tooele County School District administrators have refused to issue her son an honorary diploma.
"I don't think it's right for any family to have to go through this," Matthew's brother Michael McConnell said.
A moment of silence recognized Matthew at Thursday night's graduation ceremony, along with fellow senior Jesse Horowitz, who was killed in a stabbing attack.
In a written statement, Tooele County School District Superintendent Scott Rogers said the Board of Education "will be considering future guidelines to outline standards and practices regarding student memorials."
"What we do for one, we should do for all," Rogers said in the statement. "Much effort has already been taken by individual schools to honor these students."
Read More: http://bit.ly/1k7C9KV
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So Damn Much Money by Robert G. Kaiser
Lobbyists and Tigers and Bears—Oh My
So Damn Much Money:
The Triumph of Lobbying and the Corrosion of American Government
by Robert G. Kaiser
Knopf. 416 pp. $27.95
A sage politician by the name of Jesse Unruh once observed that "money is the mother's milk of politics." Robert G. Kaiser believes the nation's capital is drowning in it. His book, So Damn Much Money: the Triumph of Lobbying and the Corrosion of American Government, is an account of how Washington politics has changed since the 1970's as seen through the lens of one of the largest and most successful lobbying firms, Cassidy & Associates. It is not, he says, "a pretty tale."
According to Kaiser, a veteran reporter and editor at the Washington Post, excess money and a "new class" of lobbyists have together caused "ethical rot in the nation's capital" and are the source of a litany of government's failings. The need to raise vast sums of campaign contributions dissuades talented citizens from running for office, forces those who do to avoid discussing real problems on the stump, and diverts their attention from such problems once elected. Money has obliterated the distinction between electioneering and governing; turned campaigns into a blood-sport of negative advertisements that alienate voters; and destroyed public trust in government. Finally, the explosion of "earmarks"—congressional appropriations for specific projects that are the particular province of lobbying efforts—has undermined the public interest.
To make this sweeping case, Kaiser traces the life of Gerald S.J. Cassidy and the lobbying firm he co-founded. A tough Irish kid from Queens, Cassidy earned his spurs in government first on Senator George McGovern's "hunger" committee (the Select Committee on Nutrition and Human Needs) and then on his 1972 presidential campaign. In 1975, Cassidy and Kenneth Schlossberg founded Schlossberg, Cassidy & Associates. They linked supplicants for government assistance to powerful members of Congress and strategically placed bureaucrats. The business model was, according to Kaiser, "to put a toll booth on a very lucrative highway."
Given Schlossberg's and Cassidy's backgrounds and connections, their early clients consisted of food producers that wanted to participate in the federally funded school-lunch program and other initiatives. But the real breakthrough came with Tufts University. Using connections with the Massachusetts congressional delegation, including then-speaker of the House Tip O'Neil, the firm successfully lobbied for an earmark through which Congress funded the building and development of a $30 million nutrition-research center at Tufts. Colleges, universities, and hospitals seeking such earmarks for infrastructure and other projects soon became the outfit's staple clients, and it was not long before the firm had enlisted a long list of corporate clients as well.
Kaiser details how Cassidy & Associates (Schlossberg was eventually forced out) identified and solicited clients; hired ex-members of Congress or congressional staffers with connections on Capitol Hill; made lavish campaign contributions to certain legislators; and briefly brought on board the notorious Jack Abramoff shortly before his fall into disgrace and eventual conviction on the charge of fraud. Kaiser also recounts some of the firm's greatest successes: preventing Congress from defunding the Sea Wolf submarine (a massive arms purchase) and influencing U.S.-China relations by helping to arrange for Taiwan's president to speak at Cornell University.
In Kaiser's telling, five things account for the success of Cassidy & Associates. First, members of Congress are always eager to "bring home the bacon" to please the voters that elect them. Second, legislators became dependent on lobbyists to help them raise campaign cash. Third, the size of the earmarks, at least initially, was quite large, which meant that clients were willing to pay big retainer fees. Fourth, the increased size and scope of American government led to a proliferation of groups seeking to protect or advance their interests in Washington. Finally, Cassidy himself proved to be a hard-charging operator willing to go the extra mile for his clients.
Kaiser finds both the way Cassidy became wealthy and the extent of his wealth deplorable. But in fact, the salary Cassidy has paid himself for most of his career is around what some university presidents make and well below that of what many business executives or corporate lawyers earn. Nor does Kaiser show that the benefits secured by Cassidy's clients are all that remarkable. The number of earmarks has indeed grown—in 2005 there were 13,492 earmarks costing nearly $19 billion—but the price tag remains less than one percent of the federal budget. Reform requiring greater transparency in the earmarking process is probably sufficient to limit what is actually a rather small problem.
Lobbyists and the interests they represent do not exercise nearly as much influence as Kaiser suggests. Hiring the right lobbyist can get an institution access to powerful politicians. Yet there are so many groups in Washington that many of those who engage lobbyists are simply trying to figure out what is going on. It may also be the case that the multiplicity of interests exerts conflicting pressures on members of Congress such that they cancel one another out, leaving legislators freer than they have ever been to vote on the basis of their own convictions. Nor does Kaiser prove that political outcomes are consistently biased in one direction, say, in favor of business. Many kinds of groups have found avenues for getting their way in Washington, sometimes at the expense of business, as is the case with the lobbying by environmentalists.
As for the cost of running for office, it has indeed gone up sharply and the number of political-action committees (PAC's) that help fund campaigns has grown. Yet neither of these developments is particularly insidious. Campaigns need more money not because they use it to buy off voters but because television advertising has become so costly. Kaiser does not like the fact that many political ads are negative in tone, but the evidence is ambiguous on their effect. The presumption that attack advertising has driven voters into a state of apathy is belied by the results of the three most recent national elections, in which turnout numbers successively reached new heights. In any case, a cursory glance at the historical record reveals that American campaigns have always been rough-and-tumble. In 1800, one Federalist said that if Thomas Jefferson won the election, "murder, robbery, rape, adultery, and incest will be openly taught and practiced . . . and the nation [made] black with crimes." In the 1864 campaign, Lincoln was called a buffoon, a monster, and a butcher.
Rather than being nefarious, PAC's came into existence after Congress first began to regulate campaign financing in 1974. These organizations made the system more transparent and they are strictly limited in the amount that they can give to a candidate in any election cycle. Nor is there any systematic evidence that PAC contributions affect how members of Congress act. On most issues, the voting records of elected representatives are most clearly explained by the character of their district and their own ideological proclivities. In any case, most of the money for congressional campaigns still comes from individual donors. The total spending on races for federal office in 2004 was roughly $4 billion. That figure appears shockingly large, but not when one considers that Walmart spent the same sum on advertising during the same period. Is $4 or $5 billion really too much for candidates and political parties to spend in an effort to inform and mobilize 220 million potential voters for democratic elections in which politicians are being engaged to manage a $3 trillion federal government that is part of a $14 trillion economy?
After 350 pages of grumbling and finger-pointing, Kaiser skips any discussion of serious reform options and instead makes a half-hearted plea for public financing of campaigns. Such a goal is politically unrealistic; by huge margins, voters oppose being taxed for this purpose. It also would represent a threat to free speech, among dozens of other unintended consequences. It is far more likely that we will, rather, muddle through with the current system, and make adjustments at the margins that are just as liable to make things worse as improve them. Efforts to rid the system of its Gerry Cassidys are more likely to produce other Gerry Cassidys who are richer, more powerful, and less ethical. No matter; the republic will endure.


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Just like a properly fit set of woods and irons, a ball that matches your needs and skill level can help you get the most out of your game. We've done the research (including player, robot and air-cannon testing) and determined the best balls available. Now it's your turn to find the one on our list that works for you.
The simplicity of a golf ball's outward appearance belies the subtlety and variety of its performance characteristics. It might be the least thoughtfully considered purchase, but it's probably the smartest -- and thriftiest -- way to improve your game.
That's what they're seeing at places like CompuGolf, a Dallas-based clubfitting center that is using air-cannon tests to create profiles of all golf balls to match the right ball to the right swing. "We've seen improvement of as much as 10 yards because of proper ball selection in our fitting sessions," says leading golf-biomechanics expert Ralph Mann, developer of SwingModel, the component-based fitting system used at CompuGolf. "It's a simple process of knowing what you have and what you need."
We were no less precise in our selection of the 28 balls on this year's Hot List. They comprise less than a third of the golf-ball market, and we believe the balls profiled on the following pages represent a group that will help the greatest number of golfers of all ability levels and budgetary needs.
We sought the input of golf retailers, scientists and especially our panel of 22 players during testing at Ginn Reunion Resort in Reunion, Fla. To prevent any bias, we blacked out the logos of every ball and numbered them so players wouldn't know which models they were hitting. (Pictured above are some of the balls we tested.)
We know that golf-ball fitting is an individualized process. That's why our Hot List isn't a simple ranking of how far each ball goes when hit by a robot. We believe each of these 28 balls is a superior product. But we don't think any one player could use any of these balls and play his or her best. That's why a serious equipment fitting always should include the ball. So read over these pages and get to work on improving your game in the least expensive way possible -- sound advice in any economy.


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BP Comment Quick Links
August 15, 2014
What You Need to Know
August 15, 2014
The Thursday Takeaway
Yesterday, we found out that the Missourian's assault on Pittsburgh two years ago was no fluke. Scherzer and the Pirates are simply a match made in strikeout heaven.
Gregory Polanco batted first and went down swinging. Travis Snider and Josh Harrison followed suit. And, as if striking out the side once weren't enough, Scherzer did it again the very next inning, catching Ike Davis looking before making Pedro Alvarez and Jordy Mercer look foolish to strand Starling Marte, who had doubled.
Scherzer might have racked up three more Ks in the third inning, but the catchers conspired to deny him the opportunity. Chris Stewart led off with a single, but after Michael Martinez took strike three, Alex Avila gunned down his counterpart attempting to steal. Polanco whiffed again to end the inning.
The 30-year-old Tiger picked up one more strikeout in the fourth and added two in the fifth, running his total to 11. That's nice and all, but it wasn't doing the home nine much good, because you can't win if you don't score.
Enter J.D. Martinez.
6 comments have been left for this article.
BP Comment Quick Links
With the play at that plate. I thought the catcher was not allowed to block the lane to the plate. Normally this involves impeding a slide, but 8 feet up the line shouldn't make a difference.
Aug 15, 2014 08:04 AM
Daniel Rathman
BP staff
I had that thought, too, and I believe the rule as worded would apply up the line. However, it also looks to me like Amarista veers from the dirt path before Pierzynski blocks it, and so the runner had created his own lane around where Pierzynski ended up. The other aspect is Pierzynski—likely by good fortune—doesn't fully block the lane until the ball comes into his possession.
Aug 15, 2014 08:36 AM
It also appears that Amarista left the base line to avoid the tag, since he completely missed the plate on his slide and had to go back to tag it.
Aug 15, 2014 09:58 AM
Is that really the best defensive play from yesterday?
Aug 15, 2014 10:21 AM
Daniel Rathman
BP staff
It wasn't a great batch, so I gave Hunter the nod for an impressive play by his standards in a key situation. If I remember correctly, Jake Marisnick was the runner-up for a play in the Astros-Red Sox game.
Aug 15, 2014 10:23 AM


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We're excited to launch the LEGOLAND Florida Countdown to Christmas Facebook Contest. Each week, for four (4) weeks, a different question will be asked on the LEGOLAND Florida Facebook page. This contest will have four (4) chances to win a weekly prize of a four (4) pack of 1-Day LEGOLAND Florida tickets.
Here's how it works:
Step 1: "Like" LEGOLAND Florida on Facebook
Step 2: Submit your answer for the weekly Countdown to Christmas question posted on the LEGOLAND Florida Facebook page for your chance to win the weekly prize.
Weekly winners will be randomly selected from all contestants with correct answers. For those questions that involve individual answers, entries will be judged based on creativity, originality, and composition. See below for the official contest rules.
The Merlin Entertainments Group Florida, LLC ("Merlin" and/or "Sponsor") Countdown to Christmas (the "Contest") is open to those legal residents of the U.S. residing in the 48 contiguous states (excluding Rhode Island), Alaska, Hawaii, and the District of Columbia who are 18 years or older. Individuals who are or were employees of Sponsor or its affiliates, manufacturers, sales representatives, subsidiaries or parent companies, advertising/sales promotion agencies, or judging organizations since January 1, 2012 and the immediate families of each are not eligible. Void where prohibited. Entry materials become the property of Sponsor and will not be acknowledged or returned.
Each weekly contest will begin at 9 am EST on Monday and end on the Thursday in the same week. Each week all entries must be received by 5pm EST on Thursday in order to be entered for judging. Winners will be decided and notified on Friday of the same week. The contest will run from December 2, 2013 to December 26, 2013.
The dates for each weekly contest are as follows:
Week 1: Dec 2 – Dec 5, 2013. Winner notified Dec 6, 2013Week 2: Dec 9 – Dec 12, 2013. Winner notified Dec 13, 2013Week 3: Dec 16 – Dec 19, 2013. Winner notified Dec 20, 2013Week 4: Dec 23 – Dec 26, 2013. Winner notified Dec 27, 2013
The following rules apply to each submission:
• If you are not currently a member of Facebook, sign up for a free Facebook account.
• Once a Facebook member, "Like" LEGOLAND Florida on Facebook.
• Entry must contain the correct answer for the current week's question.
Sponsor will not be responsible for incomplete, lost, late, post-due, misdirected, copied, transferred, illegible entries or for failure to receive entries due to transmission failures or technical failures of any kind, including, without limitation, malfunctioning of any network, hardware or software, whether originating with sender or Sponsor. In the event of a dispute, all online entries will be deemed to have been submitted by the owner of the email account from which they were sent. For these purposes, an email account holder shall mean the natural person assigned to such email account by the Internet access provider, online service provider or other organization responsible for assigning email addresses for the domain associated with such email account. You acknowledge that in posting your Entry it will be freely accessible to the public and you grant Sponsor the right to so display. Any questions regarding the number of entries submitted or the owner of an email account shall be determined by Sponsor in its sole discretion, and Sponsor reserves the right to disqualify any entries by persons determined to be tampering with or abusing any aspect of the Contest.
Prizes and Odds
One (1) Prize winner each week will be selected from among all eligible entries received during the Sweepstakes Period. The four (4) weekly winners will each receive four (4) 1-day LEGOLAND Florida tickets via email following the conclusion of the contest.
Odds of winning depend on the number of eligible entries received. Contest may be presented in multiple presentations and in other media, and the odds of winning may depend on the number of eligible participants who enter the Contest through such multiple presentations.
Sponsor reserves the right to substitute any prize for a prize of equal or greater value. Income and other taxes (if any) are the responsibility of the Winners. Each Winner should allow thirty (30) days from acceptance for delivery of any prize. All prizes are non-transferable and not redeemable for cash. The failure to accept any prize within thirty (30) days after notification shall result in the forfeiture of any prize awarded hereunder.
Winner Notification and Acceptance
The weekly winner shall be notified via Facebook on the Friday following of the week's contest. Return of prize notification as undeliverable may result in disqualification and an alternate winner may be selected. Winners may waive their right to receive prizes. Prizes are non-assignable and nontransferable. No substitutions allowed, except that prizes and individual components of prize packages are subject to availability and Sponsor reserves the right to substitute prizes of equal or greater value.
By participating, entrants agree to be bound by these Official Rules and the decisions of the judges. Sponsor reserves the right to disqualify persons found tampering with or otherwise abusing any aspect of this Contest as solely determined by Sponsor. In the event the Contest is compromised by a virus, non-authorized human intervention, tampering or other causes beyond the reasonable control of Sponsor which corrupts or impairs the administration, security, fairness or proper operation of the Contest, Sponsor reserves the right in its sole discretion to suspend, modify or terminate the Contest. Should the Contest be terminated prior to the stated expiration date, Sponsor reserves the right to award prizes based on the entries received before the termination date.
All federal, state and local laws apply. Void where prohibited. Sponsor is not responsible for any expenses incurred by participants in connection with participating in the Contest or claiming or using any prize awarded in the Contest. By agreeing to enter the Contest, each participant is bound by these Rules and Regulations. Any decisions related to the Contest, the Rules and Regulations, the operation of the Contest, and the qualifications and eligibility of any participant are at the sole discretion of Sponsor and are final. Each participant agrees to release and hold Sponsor, its employees, officers, directors, shareholders, agents, representatives, and its subsidiaries, parent companies or other affiliated companies harmless from any and all damages, losses, claims, and liabilities arising out of his or her participation in the Contest or resulting from accepting or claiming any prize awarded hereunder. Sponsor reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to terminate, suspend, or otherwise cancel the Contest at any time for any reason.
Each Winner will be required to complete an Affidavit of Eligibility and Liability/Publicity Release which must be returned within ten (10) days of date of postmark (except where prohibited by law). Failure to sign and return the affidavit or release within ten (10) days, or to comply with any term or condition of these Official Rules, may result in a winner's disqualification, the forfeiture of his or her interest in the prize, and the award of the prize to an alternate winner. Participation in the Contest constitutes permission (except where prohibited by law) to use each Winner's name, likeness, biographical information, photographs, and any statements or remarks made about winning or participating in the Contest for advertising and promotional purposes (in any medium) without additional compensation. Participants acknowledge and agree that Sponsor may share any and all information collected through the Contest from time to time with their subsidiaries, parent companies, or other affiliated companies. Sponsor may verify that the Winners are qualified.
Sponsor is not responsible for any (i) lost, late, damaged, misdirected, or illegible entries or any miscommunications, (ii) unsuccessful attempts to notify the Winners, (iii) unavailable or failed networks, servers, telephones, or other connections, or any interrupted, misrouted, or scrambled transmissions, (iv) failure of the Website, computer equipment, or software, (v) congestion on the Internet, or (vi) other errors or problems of any kind whether mechanical, human, electronic, or otherwise. Any attempt to deliberately damage the Website or to undermine the legitimate operation of the Contest may be a violation of criminal and civil laws, and should such an attempt be made, Sponsor reserves the right to seek remedies and damages to the fullest extent permitted by law, including, without limitation, criminal prosecution.
Rules and Winner List
To obtain a complete copy of the official Rules and Regulations or the names of the Winners send a self-addressed, stamped envelope to Countdown to Christmas Contest at LEGOLAND Florida, One LEGOLAND Way, Winter Haven, FL 33884. Please specify whether you want a copy of the Rules and Regulations or the names of the Winners.
Take a family vacation at LEGOLAND® Florida Resort, Florida's newest attraction, where everything was created for kids! Located at Winter Haven Florida, just 45 minutes from Orlando and Tampa, LEGOLAND® Florida is a 150-acre interactive Florida theme park and Florida water park, with more than 50 rides, shows and attractions, and dedicated to families with children between the ages of 2 and 12. Get more information on LEGOLAND® Florida theme park tickets or start planning your visit today! LEGOLAND® Florida offers astounding Orlando attractions:
The new LEGOLAND® Florida Hotel is now open and just steps away from the main entrance of LEGOLAND® Florida. Stay at our LEGO themed hotel, where kids are our main guests, and share unforgettable moments with all your family. Our hotel offers:
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Vintage Premier kit
Had these for a few years now, still not sure what model they are though.
They sound fantastic though!
Here's a pic, specs below.
Here's a crappy video of me drumming on them :)
Premier drums
22x14 Bass Drum
10x8 Rack Tom
14x12 Floor Tom
AD Drums snare 14x7
Zildjian A Custom hi-hats 14"
Zildjian A Custom Projection Crash 18"
Zildjian Z Custom Medium Crash 19"
Zildjian A Sweet Ride 21"
Zildjian Oriental China Trash 18"
Zildjian A Custom Splash 10"
DW 9000 hardware.
DW 5000 Bass drum pedal and hi-hat stand.
Evans Drum heads.
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Improving Early Warning Systems for Predicting Cyclones
Date Published: January 30, 2013
Comprehensive Weather Monitoring Using a dataTaker DT80
The extensive mining and port facilities situated in remote tropical northwest Australia means that it is essential that the most accurate weather data indicating cyclone formations is available to these vulnerable businesses. Therefore it's necessary for local facilities to regularly augment the governmental meteorological weather reports they rely on. Recently the management of a shipping company wanted their own environmental monitoring device to achieve this. Due to the extreme weather, a rugged solution was required and to accommodate its budget, the company requested a single solution which could connect with several weather station sensor types. This solution would also need to log nearly real-time data for periodic monitoring during the day and the ability to send its readings to a remote office location.
CAS DataLoggers provided the shipping company with a dataTaker DT80 Intelligent Universal Input Data Logger which was installed into a weatherproof Pelican enclosure chained to a pole adjacent to a weather station. The dataTaker DT80 is currently placed at the company's largest port facility, sampling at once a second, fast enough to accurately capture the data. Connected via ports in the case to a wide variety of meteorological sensors, the intelligent data logger measures the temperature, barometric pressure, humidity, and wind speed /direction from the station's anemometer.
Using its 5 to 15 universal analog sensor inputs, the data logger converts the sensors' analog signals into digital form and uses its own software to perform initial data manipulation. The system generates hourly and daily weather reports, and when cyclonic conditions form, the data logger creates a new report every 10 minutes. The DT80 then uses its FTP communications capability to push the data to the company's office server. In this way, the dataTaker remotely supplies all the environmental data, giving supervisors a complete picture of prevailing weather conditions.
The client's custom software performs complex weather analysis, while the dataTaker includes its own free graphical interface dEX software. This built-in software was designed to resemble Windows Explorer so users could easily perform setup and configuration. The dEX software was directly viewable from a web browser, either locally or remotely over the Internet, and users can access any of the logger's built-in communications ports to view dEX, including Ethernet, USB and RS-232.
The DT80 stored up to 10 million data points in its internal memory so that users could log as much or as little as needed using independent control of schedule size and mode, and could also choose to overwrite or stop logging once memory was full.
By using its own onsite reports in conjunction with the reports received from the Weather Bureau, the client confirms that they are amassing a high quality set of records from which to predict potentially dangerous cyclones. When a sudden cyclone does threaten the area, workers are immediately alerted and a well-rehearsed procedure is put into place. Conveyor belts and other vulnerable plant equipment is secured, all ships in port are sent out to sea and the work site is evacuated with only a skeleton force remaining at the facility to keep an eye on the cyclone's effect. This preparation helps to prevent potentially disastrous losses from destructive winds and related damage.
Now the company's new cyclone warning system helps them to head off significant losses due to otherwise-unheeded weather warnings. Their dataTaker DT80 captures and records all the different types of weather parameters by itself, removing the need to buy additional monitoring systems each with their own software and specifications. The system's large memory allowed extended logging periods, while the dataTaker's rugged construction stood up to field operations in these less-than-ideal weather conditions.
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text: http://forums.fedoraforum.org – On my aging laptop running F17, after a recent yum update, I found out that the (ATI HD 3650) no longer starts, and dies with a blank dark screen. After re-installing fglrx (and re-patching, because AMD no longer supports HD 3xxx series), I get a screen that's corrupt, and fails to load completely. the machine hangs and cannot be used. If I delete xorg.conf, I can get to the machine.. It loads "fbdev_drv".. The graphics are very sluggish and no OpenGL. With the xorg.conf intact (specifying to load fglrx) If I use the command line, I see that modprobe fglrx loads it fine (in (HowTos)


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There was a time when most people connected with their elected officials over landline phones or by sending a letter through the postal service.
Oh, have times changed.
Enter the Digital Age when most Americans—especially those age 50 and younger—communicate mostly from home or work PCs or from hand-held wireless devices like cell phones, smart phones, laptops, or iPads. Able to reach almost anyone from almost anywhere at any time via text, e-mail, or video, these modern communicators expect instant access to most information online. And state legislatures, including the Kentucky General Assembly, are more than willing to accommodate them.
Want to follow the progress of any bill through the House and Senate? Contact your legislator by e-mail, or find his or her phone number or address, 24 hours a day? How about find maps of legislative districts throughout the state? You can do all of this online, every minute of every hour, via the website of the Kentucky General Assembly's administrative agency, the Legislative Research Commission (LRC), found at www.lrc.ky.gov.
You can also go online to connect with most state legislators or legislative caucuses (lawmakers grouped typically by party, region, or ideology) via social media sites, like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube or other sites. I have a personal Facebook page that I use to keep up with citizens here in the 97th District, including many of you.
It's all part of being a modern legislator.
What's more, every state legislature in the country today streams live audio or video of at least some of its proceedings via the Internet for access by more than 80 percent of Americans, according to an article in the May issue of State Legislatures magazine. Most folks access this information via broadband—a connection that provides fast, efficient Internet access to folks in even the most remote areas. Around 68 percent of Americans used broadband to connect to the Internet in 2010 and, although Kentucky is not at national levels, the number of Kentuckians using broadband is growing, enabling more and more Kentuckians of all ages to see how the state legislative branch works.
Through this kind of technology, Kentucky is one of 41 states that offers video webcasts of state legislative floor proceedings and one of about 31 states and the District of Columbia that offers live viewing of all or parts of our legislative committee hearings. Our webcasts are provided in cooperation with KET on its website, www.ket.org. KET also broadcasts, via webcast and on TV, a nightly news program that recaps daily action during legislative sessions.
For those who like to use "apps" on their phones or tablets, the LRC has a mobile app that is increasingly popular with lawmakers, legislative staff, and other regular followers of General Assembly action. At least half of all state legislatures are using these mobile apps or adapted websites to reach out to citizens.
I mentioned earlier about my Facebook page. While there is no Facebook or Twitter page for the Legislative Research Commission or the Kentucky General Assembly as a whole, many individual lawmakers and legislative caucuses have personal social media profiles, like I do, to connect with constituents. Nationally, a third of state legislators had Facebook profiles two years ago, according to the State Legislatures article. That number is probably higher today.
Look at these figures from the article:
• There are 108 state legislative party caucuses in 40 states with Facebook pages today
• 22 state legislative chambers or agencies (plus the U.S. Virgin Islands) in 15 states have Facebook pages
• 36 legislative party caucuses in 20 states connect via blogs
• Nine legislative chambers or agencies in eight states connect via blogs
• 101 legislative party caucuses in 37 states connect via Twitter
• 49 legislative chambers or agencies (plus the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico) in 26 states connect via Twitter. A growing number of caucuses and chambers or agencies are also using the social media site Google+, according to the article.
While state lawmakers and state legislatures enjoy being able to reach citizens wherever they are, perhaps the better story is the fact that citizens are reaching back. Social networks are, according to the article, "where about 40 percent of Americans have participated in some kind of civic or political activity," like posting political views, inviting people to act on a cause, following candidates, or joining political groups. In a society where political apathy has been the norm for decades, especially in voter turnout, it is good to see citizens speaking up and acting on what interests them.
See if you can get involved via social media on causes or civic questions that interest you. Exercise your voice for good government. And, of course, don't forget to vote.
Please share your ideas with me by e-mailing firstname.lastname@example.com. You can also send me a letter addressed to: Rep. Brent Yonts, Capitol Annex, Rm. 366 A, 702 Capital Ave., Frankfort KY 40601.


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- Tell us what's going on in Grand Rapids
- Grand Rapids Town Talk
A Healthy Urban Ecology by KerryEcology 10:21 AM Bubba Watson announces he'll paint over... by meseeya 9:12 AM Check These Out! by andrea_murphy 9:23 AM• More
Tributes now museum pieces
GRAND RAPIDS -- Agnes Koker perused a pair of glass display cases Wednesday in the lobby of the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum, filled with items left at the Pearl Street entrance in homage to the late leader.
In one case were Boy Scout patches, children's drawings, rosaries and handwritten notes. In the other: American flags, wax birthday candles arranged as 1913 and 2006 -- the years of Ford's life -- and a handful of what likely were the hundreds of candles that burned throughout the eight days of mourning that preceded Ford's burial on Jan. 3.
"Some of those mementos can move you to tears," said Koker, of Jenison, to her friend, Mary Theodore, of Grandville.
Museum Curator Don Holloway wants to preserve as many of the makeshift memorial items as he can.
Work began Wednesday on the task of cataloging what Holloway estimates are more than 1,000 pieces that will become part of the museum's permanent collection. He said there are enough items to be numbered, photographed and described in writing to provide one museum employee and two interns with a summer's worth of work.
The process is modeled after the collection of memorial items left outside the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library & Museum after his death in 2004.
Starting on Dec. 27 -- the day after Ford died -- museum officials began taking photographs of the memorial every day so it could later be determined when each item was left and where it was located in the memorial.
"When we accept something into the collection, we make a commitment to care for it," Holloway said. "These will be cared for just as much as something that was handed to President Ford himself by Leonid Brezhnev or any number of heads of state.
"This represents a very personal making that was composed by the people of Grand Rapids, not the museum, as an expression of their feelings for Ford."
There are golf balls, baseballs and footballs; an empty turpentine can from the family's Ford Paint and Varnish Co.; and even a lone downhill ski, signed: "Thanks for such a great run, from Vail, Co. and Boyne Mountain."
The Kuipers family of Holland left a pair of wooden shoes. Kylea and Justice Nummer taped a note to a purple stuffed bunny that read "Rest in peace."
Ten-year-old Erik Bean of Muskegon left a message for Betty Ford: "I'm sorry your husband died. It sounded like he was a very nice man," began his letter on bright yellow paper.
The Turnquist family of Comstock Park -- Doug, Anne and their children, Matthew and Andrea -- left an American flag, a note and a Ford vehicle key from 17-year-old Matthew's key collection.
Andrea Turnquist said the family was moved to leave something to show their sympathy and "because it was our chance of a lifetime to be a small part of history."
Also included in the memorial was a sealed envelope addressed to President Ford, his wife and family, which bore the return address of Kent County Circuit Judge Kathleen Feeney.
"I find it very hard to put into words why I did what I did," she said.
"I never met the man, but just watching the coverage and being so moved, and waiting in line at 3 a.m. to pay my respects. ... All the lawyers who are sworn in in Grand Rapids sign the same book Gerald R. Ford signed when he became an attorney. I never met the man, but I felt somehow connected and wanted to thank him and his family in a personal way."


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Lillian Taiz: We urge the CSU Trustees to adopt the more inclusive and transparent process like the one being undertaken by the Community College System.
California's Struggle to Save Higher Education Continues
Ensure Stimulus Funds Reach the CSU System
The faculty in the California State University are deeply concerned about the rapid decline in the ability of our nation's largest four-year university system to deliver higher education to all eligible students. Our public university system is staggering from deep cuts to state funding already made this year, last year, and earlier this decade. Now […]


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Sonor Force 3007...looking for drum head recommendations
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Junior Member
Join Date: Feb 2013
Posts: 7
Sonor Force 3007...looking for drum head recommendations
I have been reading this forum off and on for a few years now. I finally decided to register to use the forum.
I am looking for some drum head recommendations. About two years ago, I purchased a Sonor Force 3007 kit. At that time, I really had nowhere to set it up, however...the deal on the kit was too good to pass up at the time. So...I bought it knowing that it was going to have to sit in the boxes and that I was going to have to wait for the right time to finally set it up.
More recently, my son has started taking drum lessons. He had a Ludwig Junior 5-piece set that I bought him and he showed enough interest that I feel that he will stick with it. I ran across a very good deal on a now discontinued Sonor Force 5-piece set, so I bought it for him and sold the Ludwig Junior set that he had to offset some of the cost of the new set.
I replaced all the heads on his 507 kit (with the exception of the bass drum...still using the stock Remo/Sonor head, which sounds fine) with Evans G2 clear heads on all toms and a Evans G2 coated white on the snare. They sound pretty good to me, however...the toms still need to be tweaked a bit as far as tuning is concerned. This is the first time that I have purchased Evans heads...always used Remo heads in the past. It seems that Evans is the new standard of what most people use.
So...in wanting to finally get my 3007 kit out of the box and set up so that I can help my son with practicing and get back into playing myself after a few years of not playing, I am trying to figure out what the best head option(s) would be for my kit. The 3007 shells (I believe) are 9-ply maple. The shells on the 507 kit are 9-ply basswood. I did read a post online where someone stated that regardless of what heads are used on the 3007 kits, they will still sound great because of how well the shells are constructed.
I was considering the Evans G2 clear or Remo pinstripe clears for the toms, an Evans G2 coated white or Remo Ambassador coated white for the snare with an Evans Hazy 300 on the snare side, and a Remo Powerstroke 3 clear on the bass drum...leaving all resonant heads stock (at least for now).
I would greatly appreciate any recommendations from anyone that has had any experience with these kits and what heads they are using...both batter and resonant.
Thank You!
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Nationals sign Rick Ankiel to one-year deal
The Nationals have signed outfielder Rick Ankiel to a one-year contract with a base salary of $1.5 million, with performance bonuses worth an additional $1.25 million. News of the deal, which is contingent on Ankiel passing a physical, was first reported by Jon Heyman of Sports Illustrated and confirmed by Bill Ladson of MLB.com.
Ankiel, a former pitcher who turned into an outfielder, played 74 of a possible 162 games in 2010. He began the season with the Kansas City Royals before being traded to the Atlanta Braves along with Royals teammate Kyle Farnsworth in a trade deadline-day deal for Gregor Blanco, Jesse Chavez, and minor leaguer Tim Collins.
All told, Ankiel posted the following numbers in his so-called "slash stats" (batting average/on-base percentage/slugging percentage/OPS): .232/.321/.389/.710. He also hit six home runs and drove in 24 runs in his 2010 season.
The 31-year-old Ankiel is expected to compete for a starting spot in left field with Roger Bernadina. Ankiel began his career as a pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals, but experienced long-lasting bouts with wildness, most infamously in Game 2 of the 2000 National League Championship Series against the New York Mets, in which Ankiel lasted two-thirds of an inning while walking three Mets and throwing two wild pitches. After an aborted comeback as a pitcher in 2004 for St. Louis, Ankiel became an outfielder and had some success for St. Louis, hitting 25 home runs in 2008 before signing with the Royals after the 2009 season.


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Wednesday, 28 December 2011 16:02
We don't have the number but it appears to be up as there were about 4.47 million viewers, give or take 10,000 for the show. The prior two weeks hovered at the 4.3 million level. The most notable thing is for the first time in several weeks, the second hour beat the first hour.


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The Envison Home Cookware Guards prevent pots, pans, bakers, and serving bowls from scratching and chipping when stored nested together. The unique shape and non-slip backing provide ideal coverage when stacking items for storage.
�Protect your pots and pans from scratching and marring
�Use between serving bowls to prevent chips and scratches
�Prevent glass bowls and bakeware from "locking" together
�Non-slip texture helps keep items from shifting when stored
�Flexible polyester cushion protects inside and out
�Asterisk design provides complete coverage with versatility
�Contains (2) 16" diameter and (1) 20" diameter cookware guards


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- Willamette
- Athletics
- News Archive
- 2004
- November
- Women's Basketball May Surprise NWC With New-Look
Women's Basketball | Wednesday, November 17, 2004
Women's Basketball May Surprise NWC With New-Look
Bearcat fans won't see many familiar faces this season. What they will see, according to third year Head Coach Tom Steers is a young, athletic and aggressive team that looks to rebound after a sub-par season last year.
No seniors play on this year's team as the Bearcats graduated the likes of Simmie and Jammie Muth, Abbie Unick, Sarah O'Brien and Deanna Lund. Instead, Steers will feature a Division I transfer student at the post, a pair of community college transfers and a whole bunch of sophomore and freshmen.
Four juniors — including co-captains Vanessa Wyffels and Jennifer Bell — will leads the team. Sophomore returnees Kari Woody, Brianne King, Ashley Mollet and Lisa Tollenaar will battle for playing time against five sophomores and nine freshmen.
"It's going to be a growing experience for these players this season. But what they lack in experience, they'll make up in athleticism, much better shooting and a lot of hard work," said Steers. The Bearcats begin this season with nine very tough pre-conference games that Steers hopes will teach his young team how to compete in the always-tough Northwest Conference.
Post Vanessa Wyffels (JR, Post, Portland OR) is the Bearcats' top addition. Wyffels, a transfer student from DI Wagner College, shot an astounding .657 last season while averaging 12.3 points and 6.4 boards per game.
Bell, transfers in from Lane Community College and Bearcat volleyball player Roni Schneider makes her debut from Chemeketa Community College.
"If these kids battle as hard as we did last season, and if they learn to play defense as hard as we did last season, their athleticism and enthusiasm is going to make for a very exciting season," said Steers.
The women's basketball team travels to Lewis and Clark for the Bon Appetit Tournament, Saturday, November 20. The Bearcats tipoff their season opener against Menlo College at 1:00pm.
Position by position breakdown:
Point Guard: Three players will share the point guard position this season. While all young, the tandem will allow Steers to give different looks to the defenses they will face. Freshman Laura Payne is one of the Bearcats' better shooters… Freshman Carrie Magnuson is quick and athletic and should be able to get into the paint. Roni Schneider is the best passer and defender of the three.
Shooting Guard: Jennifer Bell, a transfer from Lane CC, is the Bearcats' best shooter. Chosen as a team captain, she is a scorer and an aggressive defender. Brianne King returns for her sophomore season as a solid shooter who brings athleticism to the 2 spot. Ashley Mollett, another returnee from last season, is the Bearcats' most improved player, especially in her ball-handling and rebounding. Rebekah Wells is another athletic freshman who surprises her coaches every day with her ability to create plays.
Small Forward: Expect to see different players start at small forward. Sophomore Kari Woody shoots and rebounds well, and brings some experience to the front line. Freshman Julia Short is the Bearcats' most versatile player and can do everything from posting up in the 4 spot to playing point guard. Caitlin Andrus and Beth Hickman are a pair of transfer students who can play both the 2 and 3 spots. Neither played last season and will battle for minutes later in the season as they get back into playing shape.
Power Forward: Tracie Nygaard, Sara Clawson and Lisa Tollenaar will all get minutes at power forward. Nygaard is a hard-worker who is getting better every day. Clawson is a great defender who has the knack for making big plays at crunch time. Tollenaar has solid fundamentals inside and will be one of the Bearcats' top rebounders.
Post: Vanessa Wyffels will get most of the minutes inside. She's a great shooter and has a strong feel for the game. She can shoot the 3-ball, post up, and play defense and passes well. "She's very resourceful under the basket," says Steers.


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Subpart D--Responsibilities of Sponsors and Investigators
(a) The sponsor shall monitor the progress of all investigations involving an exception from informed consent under 50.24 of this chapter. When the sponsor receives from the IRB information concerning the public disclosures required by 50.24(a)(7)(ii) and (a)(7)(iii) of this chapter, the sponsor promptly shall submit to the IND file and to Docket Number 95S-0158 in the Division of Dockets Management (HFA-305), Food and Drug Administration, 5630 Fishers Lane, rm. 1061, Rockville, MD 20852, copies of the information that was disclosed, identified by the IND number.
(b) The sponsor also shall monitor such investigations to identify when an IRB determines that it cannot approve the research because it does not meet the criteria in the exception in 50.24(a) of this chapter or because of other relevant ethical concerns. The sponsor promptly shall provide this information in writing to FDA, investigators who are asked to participate in this or a substantially equivalent clinical investigation, and other IRB's that are asked to review this or a substantially equivalent investigation.
[61 FR 51530, Oct. 2, 1996, as amended at 68 FR 24879, May 9, 2003]
Page Last Updated: 09/01/2014
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|6 reviews in total
Basically, if you saw and loved the first Robot Chicken: Star Wars special (or, for that matter, if you saw it and hated it), you'll know what you're in for with this second part. It just continues on with more parodies of more things that will be known to casual fans and the die-hards. Sometimes, in fact, I can't seem to remember what some segments are from what special, since if you watch the two 30-minute episodes back to back it makes it feel complete. Then again, there are a few truly memorable things about this one (I believe this one had Lando Calrissian's very badly times joke: "Who has two thumbs and betrayed his friends? This guy! Oh... too soon."), or the whole bit involving that black-ball probe droid or whatever it's called. But the best thing of all is a running "plot" with the bounty hunters ad Boba Fett, leading up to a hilarious display of masculine pathetic prowess as Fett tries to show off to another guy trapped with him in the Sarlac pit. If for nothing else, for anyone on a level of Star Wars fandom, the opening with the Ewoks is worth your time scanning around on Cartoon Network (or, for that matter, if and when they release Episode 2 on DVD). It's silly, stupid, sophomoric, and clever as all hell - like the show itself, if you're in the right mood and frame of mind for the sense of parody, it's bliss.
It may be just as random and scattershot as the first instalment of
Star Wars gaggery but this Robot Chicken extravaganza is also every bit
as funny and nigh-on essential viewing if you laughed at the content of
Episode I.
The voice cast is, once again, excellent with Seth Green, Ahmed Best, Rachael Leigh Cook, Breckin Meyer, Seth MacFarlane, Carrie Fisher (yes, Carrie Fisher), Donald Faison, Conan O'Brien and many more joining in with the fun.
But, as was the case last time, the real fun here is in watching out for every detail in the various sketches. For example, keep an eye on the sniggering characters in the background in the hilarious sketch showing Lando Calrissian's deal with Darth Vader getting worse and worse. And I'm almost embarrassed by how loudly I burst out laughing at the small skit featuring a potential song to help advertise Admiral Ackbar's line of food products. And let's not mention the whole "take your daughter to work day" sequence as I'll just start crying tears of laughter again.
In case you hadn't figured it out by now, I loved this one and loved the first one and am pretty sure that I already love Episode III, even though I've not even seen it yet. These little slices of comedy gold are THAT good.
More fast paced sketches with a longer running time. I was a bit more accustomed to the humour this time, making it a bit funnier than before. Best of all is hearing the original actors pop by for a few sketches, especially Ahmed Best as JarJar and Billy Dee Williams as Lando. Getting to see Bossk do some super cool bounty hunting was a highpoint. We also see some sea dragons hoping to find more than just sand on tatooine. Vader reenacts the destruction of Alderaan using a muffin to tease Leia. You must be a Star Wars fan to get these jokes as they are even more esoteric than the Family Guy spoofs. Clever, silly, and a lot of fun.
this second Parody of Star Wars is just as funny as the first one.the skits are again anywhere from a few seconds to a few minutes and are just as random as in the firs.the follow no pattern.once again taking bits from all(or most)of the Star Wars episodes.some of them are just ass ridiculously absurd,so much so you can't help laughing.i laughed myself silly on a number of occasions.this special is also,if memory serves around the 25 minute mark,so again they jam a lot of material into the running time.even though it's short,i'd purchase it on DVD and watch it over and over again,as well as the first parody.for me,Robot Chicken: Star Wars Episode II is a 10/10
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
There's much to see in the 25minute running time. Its an amalgam of
scenes from Empire Strikes Back and some bits of the new Star Wars
movies, all cleverly interwoven.
Shame its only 25minutes, but I suppose its better to have 25minutes of hits than an hour of hits interspersed with a lot of misses.
Favourite parts are the stupid running AT-AT's, Darth Vader and Landos "Pray I don't alter the deal further" sketch and Dr.Ball whos pretty much Dr.McCoy from Star Trek with a serious attitude problem, there's some proper and genuine laugh out aloud moments.
Damm these things must be fun to make
After watching the first Star Was parody thanks to the kindness of
someone lending it to me, it wasn't long after laughing myself silly
that I discovered that they had made a second one a few months ago.
After this it took me very little time in trying to borrow the second
one, which I did. The approach is the same as in the first Star Wars
special as sequences from the film are reimagined and minor characters
are taken on different threads. So we have an awkward dinner at Cloud
City, the adventures of black probe Dr Ball and several other examples.
The show moves very quickly with some of the sketches being blink and
miss it quick and, with this approach it must be said that it tends
towards being hit and miss.
Fortunately it will have many more hits than misses for those fans of this style of humour and Star Wars and the quality is surprisingly high yet again. To me it was not quite as hilarious as the first special but it is hard to complain when there are still so many hits. It hurts itself by making it all look so easy as well but it is not. I had never imagined mice driving the little Death Star robots but this is in one of the sketches; I use it as an example as it is relevant, funny and creative and the special is full of such moments. The voices involved are impressive and it helps the comedy to have them involved doing their characters. It is silly and funny but viewers who like any modern comedy that lives on references will find much to enjoy here.
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A delightfully addictive, fast-paced puzzle game for the whole family. Placed firmly in the boundary between puzzle and collapse games, Creativo Blox may very well be the next Tetris. Addictive game play, superb graphics, escalating difficulty and bonuses make this game a new favorite puzzle. You can play 2 different puzzle games in BlockOut, each with its own, unique style!
Keywords: Puzzle, Game, Arcade, Download
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Supported Languages: English
Additional Requirements: OpenGL compliant 3D video card
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Recover files, photos, videos and apps from Android phones.
Speaks out text messages and announces incoming caller names.
Get a high quality voice recorder and player on your Android device.
Myanmar App Store
Communicate with multiple persons through multi-channel ip server.
Get a simple digital amplifier on your Android device.
Get a customizable soundboard on your Android device.
Search the everything about Flash Player Androi KitKat and Online Video , Funny
Get a custom sampled synthesizer for your Android device.
Virtual Walkie Talkie


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40 Foods with Superpowers
By: Adam Baer
- Overview
- Alaskan King Crab
- Dried Plums
- Bok Choy
- Oysters
- Bananas
- Kiwis
- Broccoli
- Spinach
- Leeks
- Artichokes
- Tea/Green Tea
- Chili Peppers
- Ginger
- Blueberries
- Cinnamon
- Sweet Potatoes
- Tomatoes
- Figs
- Mushrooms
- Pomegranates
- Quinoa
- Grass-Fed Beef
- Nonfat Ricotta
- Tofu
- Lentils
- Eggs
- Greek-Style Yogurt
- Quorn
- Chocolate Milk
- Wild Salmon
- Pineapples
- Olive Oil
- Bing Cherries
- Dark Chocolate
- Turmeric
- Wild Fatty Fish
- Flaxseed
- Almonds
- Apples
- Whole Grains
More Food Lists
Bone Builder
Athletes and performers are familiar with the calming effect of bananas—a result of the fruit's high concentration of tryptophan, a building block of serotonin. But their real benefit comes from potassium, an electrolyte that helps prevent the loss of calcium from the body. "Bananas also bolster the nervous system, boost immune function, and help the body metabolize protein," says Bass. "One banana packs a day's worth of potassium, and its carbohydrate content speeds recovery after strenuous exercise."
MORE: The 8 Worst Hotel Breakfasts
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Rev. Jerry Beam
Rev. Zachary Beasley
Ms. Carol Albritton Beidenharn
Mr. Paul Benton
Rev. Warren Black
Mr. Bill Bynum
Mr. James A .Coggin
Mr. Will Flatt
Mr. Thomas Fowlkes
Mr. Mark Freeman
Rev. Lisa Garvin
Dr. Cris Glick
Mr. William F. Goodman III
Judge James E. Graves, Jr.
Mr. Maurice H. Hall Jr.
Ms. Monica Sethi Harrigill
Rev. Heather Hensarling
Mr. Richard G. Hickson
Mr. William R. James
Mr. Peder Johnson
Rev. Geoffrey Joyner
Mr. Charles R. Lathem
Mr. R. Eason Leake
Mr. John Lindsey
Mr. Paul McNeill
Mr. Vaughan W. McRae
Mr. Michael T. McRee
Mrs. Jean Medley
Mr. Richard Mills
Dr. Don Q. Mitchell
Mr. Cooper Morrison
Ms. Donna Ruth Roberts
Dr. Bobby Robbins
Mr. E. B. Robinson Jr.
Mrs. Toddy Sanders
Rev. Dr. Joey Shelton
Mr. Mike Sturdivant, Jr.
Bishop James E. Swanson, Sr.
Mr. Mack Varner
Mr. William G. Yates III
Mr. Robert H. Dunlap
Mr. Robert W. Pittman
Mrs. Ruth W. Watson
Mr. Gale L. Galloway
Mr. William Jeanes
Mr. Robert N. Leggett Jr.
Mr. J. Con Maloney Jr.
Jackson, MS
Mr. Nat S. Rogers
Mr. Rowan H. Taylor
Mr. John C. Vaughey
Mrs. Leila C. Wynn


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Technique - Needlework & Plastic Canvas
These 3 whimsical critters will hold your note and a pencil for a quick reminder.Stitch up an adorable holder for your notes and pencils to stick on the fridge so you always have your reminders close at hand! The frog, worm and turtle are all made using 7-count plastic canvas and Needloft® plastic canvas craft yarn.
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p: 704-894-2361
Box 7141
Davidson, NC 28035
209 Ridge Road
Davidson, NC 28035
The Theatre Department is committed to one core value—our students' intellectual and artistic growth. We believe the theatre is a unique portal that can open the minds of our students to new ways of thinking. The theatre is a place where we can ponder our mortality and celebrate our humanity.
We serve you by teaching and creating theatre as a discipline in the context of a traditional liberal arts institution. You will learn how to think critically and creatively about an important body of material and how to give those thoughts scholarly and artistic expression. All Davidson majors are welcome to audition for our plays and partake in our classes.
The department steadfastly presents theatre that matters, that continues to resound beyond the performance night. We seek to nurture and develop audience sensibilities and critical skills within the campus community and to bring distinction to the college through the quality of its public programs.
Over the last decade, our productions have won several theatre awards from the Metrolina Theatre Association and Creative Loafing magazine. Should you enjoy the arts we hope you will attend our production season.
To support our work, we have two state-of-the-art facilities: Cunningham Theatre Center (renovated in 2008) and Duke Family Performance Hall (built in 2000). Productions are supported by our acting, directing, design, world theatre history, and contemporary drama classes.
Visit us on Facebook to find the latest production updates and to see the work of our students, professors, and theatre alumni.
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Anyway, so Beta. Warlocks have gotten a fair amount of changes but have yet to see a major second pass which means that a lot of what's already in can still change a lot, or even completely. Michael Gray covered basic changes in the patch notes some time back while Vims giggled over the new Level 80 ability Demonic Circle (I'll giggle about that some other time...). For today we're going to take a look at the new, juicy, and ridiculously bloated Affliction tree.
The Affliction tree is the red-headed stepchild of Warlockdom, with Destruction being the spec du jour for raids even if it was merely a mind-numbing spam of Shadow Bolts. I love Affliction -- despite fact that the other Warlock in the raid out-DPSes me with only one button. Spell Haste, a popular stat, doesn't benefit Affliction other than to reduce the Global Cooldown by a fraction. Did I say a fraction? I meant a hair. A flea's hair.
In an environment where raids stack Haste effects for DPS increases (i.e., Bloodlust / Heroism, Drums of Battle), Affliction gets left behind because our DoTs don't scale as well with it as, say, a fire Mage. It still helps, of course, as reduced GCDs allow more space to cast filler spells like *gasp* Shadow Bolt. But that's an entirely different argument altogether. The important question is, does Affliction get better in Wrath of the Lich King? Well, kind of. Not yet. We're almost there.
First of all, why is Improved Corruption still around? Isn't the fact that all Warlocks outside of 0/21/40 pick up 5/5 of this talent enough to indicate that this needed to be an instant cast spell from the get-go? One of the things that bloat the Affliction tree is the number of 5-point talents that seem almost mandatory. That means the Affliction tree is getting good, but it also means it's just too much to handle. Anyway, on with the show. Here are the new talents in Wrath...
Requires 5 points in Affliction
Increases the amount of attack power reduced by your Curse of Weakness by 20%, and reduces the amount of attack power granted by your Curse of Recklessness by 100%.
A talent to replace the weak Improved Curse of Weakness, this is good for utility Warlocks and the Curse of Weakness significantly reduces physical *cough* Rogue *cough* DPS. The added feature for Curse of Recklessness, which greatly helps those raids with a lot of melee, is a mere bonus.
Improved Fear
Requires 10 points in Affliction
When your Fear spell is resisted, your next Fear spell has a 100% chance of being instant cast. Lasts 10 sec.
Unfortunately, while this really is a PvP talent, targets become 'immune' to the fourth Fear once Diminishing Returns have been applied. This means that pretty much the only time you'll see this proc is against a Rogue with Cloak of Shadows. Not a terrible talent by any means, but not spectacularly useful, either. This might work better if it were an activated ability or procced off periodic damage similar to Nightfall.
Improved Felhunter
Requires 25 points in Affliction
Your Felhunter gains mana equal to 200% of the damage done by its Shadow Bite ability, and increases the effect of your Felhunter's Fel Intelligence by 2%.
I absolutely love the concept of certain pets being more specific to one tree, something Blizzard is pushing in Wrath. Felhunters, with the new Shadow Bite, is the Affliction Warlock's pet, while Imps, with Empowered Imp way deep into Destruction, is the Destro lock's pet. I love that. It's cool. On the other hand, even with this talent, it doesn't raise the new raid buff provided by the Felhunter, Fel Intelligence, anywhere near the level of Arcane Brilliance or Divine Spirit... a 10 / 20% increase would have been great. Although I've never quite ran my Felhunter out of mana, the mana gain works extremely well with the buffed Dark Pact.
Requires 30 points in Affliction
Your Corruption ticks have a 10% chance to increase your spell casting speed by 20% for 12 sec.
Corruption is an Affliction lock's bread and butter. I know I said spell haste doesn't scale as well for Affliction, but because this buff applies spell haste and reduces the GCD, Affliction's greatest nemesis, it's almost a no-brainer. Add to that the fact that you can cast faster Fears, Shadow Bolts, etc., and you've got a winning talent right there. The more targets with Corruption, the better the chances of proccing and keeping the buff up, too.
Requires 40 points in Affliction
Each time you deal damage with Corruption or Unstable Affliction, you have a chance equal to your spell critical strike chance to deal 100% additional damage.
Boom. With this one talent, DoTs suddenly scale with crit, and it's beautiful. Sure, it only affects Corruption and Unstable Affliction, but those two are Affliction's staple spells anyway. The great thing about this talent is that its crit coefficient is 100%, unlike most spells, which is 50%. The only problem is that the addition of Pandemic bloats Tier 9 of the tree like crazy.
Death's Embrace
Requires 40 points in Affliction
Increases the amount drained by your Drain Life by 30% while your health is at or below 20% health, and increases the critical strike chance of your Shadowbolt and Haunt spells by 15% when your target is at or below 20% health.
This talent was made slightly more useful by the arrival of Pandemic, but it seriously needs to work at 35% health, just like Dirty Deeds or the new Hammer of Wrath. 20% might be good for bosses, but is pretty useless for most mobs and enemy players. Conceptually, the talent is great but the numbers need to be tweaked somewhat. But hey, that's what Beta is for!
Everlasting Affliction
Requires 45 points in Affliction
Your Corruption, Siphon Life and Unstable Affliction spells gain an additional 5% of your bonus spell damage effects each time they inflict damage, and your Drain Life and Shadow Bolt spells have a 100% chance to reset the duration of your Corruption spell on the target.
Conceptually, it's great. A DoT that grows and grows and grows until your target is nothing but a bubbling pile of mush. In practice, it's not so great because it doesn't seem to be working as intended in Beta right now. If Blizzard actually gets it to work, this can be a phenomenally sick talent. I'm not too clear on how it works with the refresh, which should theoretically keep the stack (if it stacks, that is) growing, but the idea should be a permanent DoT that keeps on getting nastier.
Requires 50 points in Affliction
You send a ghostly soul into the target, dealing 645 to 754 Shadow damage and increasing all damage done by your damage-over-time effects on the target by 20% for 12 sec. When the Haunt spell ends or is dispelled, the soul returns to you, healing you for 20% of the damage it did to the target.
This spell was broken for the longest time in Beta, and when Blizzard finally got it to work, they nerfed it. It's an amazing spell, making DoTs extremely competitive and the initial damage can crit, which again gives more reason for Affliction Warlocks to pursue critical strike rating. If the healing coefficient stays at 20%, it should work off all the damage done to the target by the Warlock, and not just Haunt. Otherwise, it heals for a piddly what, 400 life? Either that or have the healing work off maybe 50% of the damage caused by Haunt.
Other changes and final thoughts
Affliction is shaping up to be a truly competitive tree for DPS, with a lot of synergy among the talents and a clearer focus on health regeneration and stacking effects. My biggest problem with Affliction right now, to be honest, is Unstable Affliction. Nerfed to a 15 second duration in the last build for no reason, it still boggles my mind why this 41-point talent has a casting time. Unstable Affliction seriously needs to be instant cast. The duration reduction was an unnecessary nerf, but if they're keeping it at 15 seconds, the spell needs to be revised as an instant.
Shadow Embrace was reworked (although the tooltip is bugged), with the max rank of the spell applying a buff that increases the Warlock's DoTs by 10% and gimping Heal-over-Time effects by 15%. The buff stacks twice for a total of 20% periodic damage increase and a 30% sort-of-Mortal Strike effect. It's so awesome now that it bloats the tree horribly. Whereas builds like SL/SL used to only take a mere point in this talent for the additional debuff, it's almost mandatory to get 5/5 to increase DPS and deal some PvP pain.
Affliction has always worked slowly and steadily, which gimped DPS for small, single target mobs like raid or instance trash, but the addition of a burst spell like Haunt works wonders. The spell haste from Eradication expands an Affliction lock's repertoire, too -- so much that one of my biggest problems right now is that there are just so many buttons to press. But that, my dear infernal friends, is a happy problem.


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Use a bigger fork. Eat Less.
The study, to be published in the upcoming print edition of the Journal of Consumer Research, contends that those who used a large fork ate less than people who used smaller utensils. The study was conducted in Italy by University of Utah researchers Arul Mishra, Himanshu Mishra, and Tamara M. Masters. The researchers used two ... Read More