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Week 3 looks just as promising with nine divisional clashes on tap including both prime time games. The Dolphins host the Bills on ESPN Sunday Night and then Oakland travels to Denver for some key Monday Night Football action. Here are the picks.
Jacksonville Jaguars (+7.5) at Indianapolis Colts (-7.5) Two teams seemingly headed in opposite directions. The Colts are the talk of the town after dismantling the Titans last week. Tony Dungy has made tremendous progress in shedding this teamÃÆââÃâìâÃââs soft reputation and bringing a physical hard-nosed style to Indianapolis. The Jaguars meanwhile are off to an 0-2 start after losing at home last week to the Bills and cannot afford to fall three games behind the front running Colts. I donÃÆââÃâìâÃâât like using the must-win term this early in the season but if Jacksonville is going to contend in the AFC South this season this is definitely a must-win game. Last week I failed miserably in making the Jaguars my upset pick of the week. IÃÆââÃâìâÃââm giving them one more shot. If they let me down again, IÃÆââÃâìâÃââm done with them. This is the PYPER UPSET PICK OF THE WEEK. Take the Jags for $50. Jaguars 24 ÃÆââÃâìâÃâ¬ÃÅ Colts 23
Kansas City Chiefs (-8) at Houston Texans (+8) Has any team looked more impressive than the Chiefs during the first two weeks of the season? They can run, they can pass, they play special teams, and they even seem to play some good defense. Has Coach Vermeil transformed this team into his Rams squad that won Super Bowl XXXIV? The only negative thing I can say about the Chiefs at this point is that we still donÃÆââÃâìâÃâât know how they play on the road. The league is full of home-field warriors but to be a truly great teamÃÆââÃâìÃâæ.You have to be able to win on the road. The Texans would seem to be overmatched in this game but they have played well two games into this young season. Their lopsided loss last week was much closer than the final score indicated. IÃÆââÃâìâÃââm Leaving this one alone. Chiefs 27 ÃÆââÃâìâÃâ¬ÃÅ Texans 13
Minnesota Vikings (-3.5) at Detroit Lions (+3.5) The Vikings are another one of the NFLÃÆââÃâìâÃââs surprise teams. This is a big game for themÃÆââÃâìÃâæOn the road versus a division rival. If theyÃÆââÃâìâÃââre serious about challenging the Packers for the NFC North title then they need to win games like this. Still, something makes me uncomfortable here so IÃÆââÃâìâÃââm leaving it alone. Vikings 21 ÃÆââÃâìâÃâ¬ÃÅ Lions 16
New Orleans Saints (+4.5) at Tennessee Titans (-4.5) This is an intriguing matchup. IÃÆââÃâìâÃââm surprised to see the Saints getting so many points. I thought about making this my upset pick of the week but the problem isÃÆââÃâìÃâæI donÃÆââÃâìâÃâât think itÃÆââÃâìâÃââs an upset. The Saints are an underrated team still a few weeks away from getting the kind of respect they deserve. Meanwhile the Titans are overrated. Teams that lack depth end up lacking wins. This is the PYPER PICK OF THE WEEK. Take the Saints for $250. Saints 34 ÃÆââÃâìâÃâ¬ÃÅ Titans 17
New York Jets (+6.5) at New England Patriots (-6.5) This is a key matchup between AFC East rivals. The Jets are still searching for their first win after losing to the Dolphins at home last week. Despite the loss, there actually were a couple of positives that emerged. Testeverdee finally had a good game. His 373 yards passing proved that he might have a little gas left in the old tank after all. The other positive was Santana Moss who had a career game with 5 catches for 144 yards and a touchdown. Meanwhile in New England, the Patriots are coming off an impressive outing at Philadelphia where they completely stifled Donavan McNabb and the Eagles offense. It was a tremendous confidence builder for a team trying to put the Milloy fiasco behind them. The Jets have won five in a row at Foxboro dating all the way back to the ÃÆââÃâìâÃââ98 season. ItÃÆââÃâìâÃââs time for that streak to come to an end. Take the Patriots for $100. Patriots 23 ÃÆââÃâìâÃâ¬ÃÅ Jets 13
Pittsburgh Steelers (-4.5) at Cincinnati Bengals (+4.5) So much for all that ÃÆââÃâìÃâ¦ÃâPittsburghÃÆÃ¢à ¢ÃâìâÃââs finally found a QB they can loveÃÆââÃâì? B.S. This team needs to rediscover their running game. TheyÃÆââÃâìâÃââve become way too imbalanced for my liking. Cincinnati meanwhile, had the Raiders beat out in Oakland before giving it away at the end. IÃÆââÃâìâÃââm going with the upset here. Take the Bengals for $25. Bengals 26 ÃÆââÃâìâÃâ¬ÃÅ Steelers 24
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (-4) at Atlanta Falcons (+4) Welcome to the PYPER LOCK OF THE WEEK. The Falcons donÃÆââÃâìâÃâât match up well here. Not with Michael Vick in the lineup and certainly not without him. Throw in the fact that theyÃÆââÃâìâÃââll be going up against a very angry Tampa Bay team coming off a surprising overtime loss last week and this has all the makings of a route. I donÃÆââÃâìâÃâât envy Doug Johnson this week. Take the Bucs minus the points for $250. Bucs 27 ÃÆââÃâìâÃâ¬ÃÅ Falcons 3
Green Bay Packers (-8) at Arizona Cardinals (+8) YawnÃÆââÃâìÃâæÃÆââÃâ ìÃâæWill the Cardinals win a game this season? Maybe but not this one. ItÃÆââÃâìâÃââs hard to believe that after all these years making the big bucks that Emmit Smith would be so needy for coin that heÃÆââÃâìâÃââd choose to play for the Cardinals. People donÃÆââÃâìâÃâât choose to play for Arizona, they get sentenced there, like criminals in jail. What a sad way to end an otherwise great career. ThatÃÆââÃâìâÃââs what you get for being a greedy bastaud. Packers 34 ÃÆââÃâìâÃâ¬ÃÅ Cardinals 13
New York Giants (+2.5) at Washington Redskins (-2.5) The New York air waves have been full of second guessers this week after the Giants managed to blow a 3 point lead to the Cowboys with 11 seconds remaining on the clock Monday Night. Many people are second guessing FasselÃÆââÃâìâÃââs decision to not run out the clock before kicking what should have been the winning field goal. Others, such as myself, blame the loss on the decision to squib kick the kickoff. What is the benefit of the squib kick? It would possibly make sense if the clock started running as soon as the kicker kicked the ball. Then the squib kick could be used to help run out the clock. But the clock doesnÃÆââÃâìâÃâât start until someone on the receiving team touches the ball. There was another game last week where a bad squib kick could have cost a team a win. In the Rams/49ers game the 49ers did a squib kick after knotting up the score with seconds remaining. The squib kick accidentally bounced off one of the Rams players and the 49ers luckily recovered it around their own 30 yard line. But what if the Rams had recovered it instead? They would have been in field goal range as a direct result of a squib kick gone bad. They very well could have lost the game right then and there. Squib kicks are like the prevent defense. Neither one of them makes any sense and both can effectively turn wins into losses. Oh yeah, the Giants/Redskins game. IÃÆââÃâìâÃââve never been convinced that the Giants are for real and last week didnÃÆââÃâìâÃâât do anything to change that. The Redskins still havenÃÆââÃâìâÃâât beaten anybody worthwhile but I like what IÃÆââÃâìâÃââve seen from them. Ramsey looks good. Coles looks great. Take the Skins for $25. Redskins 26 ÃÆââÃâìâÃâ¬ÃÅ Giants 20
Saint Louis Rams (+3) at Seattle Seahawks (-3) This is a huge game in the NFC West. ItÃÆââÃâìâÃââs an opportunity for the Seahawks to establish themselves as the team to beat in this division. A win here will send a loud statement throughout the league that the Seahawks are for real. They are for real but IÃÆââÃâìâÃââm guessing this will be the Marshall Faulk show. Take the Rams for $25. Rams 27 ÃÆââÃâìâÃâ¬ÃÅ Seahawks 23
Baltimore Ravens (-1) at San Diego Chargers (+1) The Chargers have been my biggest flop so far this season. In my NFL Preview I had this team winning the AFC West and making it all the way to the AFC Championship Game. This team has not looked like a Marty Schottenheimer coached team. TheyÃÆââÃâìâÃââve been terrible. If theyÃÆââÃâìâÃââre going to turn things around and save their season, then they need to start this week versus the Ravens. I hate saying it but this is a must-win game for the Chargers. ItÃÆââÃâìâÃââs time for Jamal Lewis and the rest of the Ravens to come back down to Earth. Give me San Diego for $25 and if they donÃÆââÃâìâÃâât come through for me this week IÃÆââÃâìâÃââm done with them. Chargers 26 ÃÆââÃâìâÃâ¬ÃÅ Ravens 16
Cleveland Browns (+7) at San Francisco 49ers (-7) ItÃÆââÃâìâÃââs Butch Davis versus the man he replaced at the University of Miami in an epic battle between ex-Hurricanes head coaches. As a Hurricanes fan I liked Butch Davis. Erickson...? Not so much. ItÃÆââÃâìâÃââs only a matter of time before Erickson turns this 49ers team into an 8-8 also ran. IÃÆââÃâìâÃââm guessing itÃÆââÃâìâÃââll be sooner rather than later. Still, they should beat this Cleveland team. Keep your money in your pockets though. 49ers 24 ÃÆââÃâìâÃâ¬ÃÅ Browns 19
Buffalo Bills (+3) at Miami Dolphins (-3) I canÃÆââÃâìâÃâât wait to see what happens in this game. Nobody has looked more impressive than the Buffalo Bills. TheyÃÆââÃâìâÃââve looked almost unbeatable in routing the Patriots and Jaguars. Last week I made a comment that the Bills were a poorly coached team that will ultimately beat themselves if allowed to do so. What I should have said is that the Bills are a poorly coached team that will ultimately beat themselves in a close game if allowed to do so. Whether itÃÆââÃâìâÃââs punting from their opponents 32 yard line, going for it on 4th and inches with the punting team on the field, or the numerous mental lapses resulting in offsides, encroachment, or neutral zone infractionsÃÆââÃâìÃâæ..The Bills are guilty. The Dolphins meanwhile have a score to settle after getting swept by the Bills last season. TheyÃÆââÃâìâÃââre also in danger of falling to 0-2 at home. When is the last time thatÃÆââÃâìâÃââs happened? IÃÆââÃâìâÃââm not putting any money on this game because I can see it going both ways. HereÃÆââÃâìâÃââs the prediction though. Dolphins 23 ÃÆââÃâìâÃâ¬ÃÅ Bills 17
Oakland Raiders (+5) at Denver Broncos (-5) The Broncos are 2-0 but IÃÆââÃâìâÃââm still not convinced, especially if PlummerÃÆââÃâìâÃââs going to play with a bum shoulder. It appears that age has finally caught up with the Raiders. They should have lost to the Bengals last week but lucked out when Kitna gift-wrapped the game for them. If the Raiders are done then the Broncos will cover, if theyÃÆââÃâìâÃââre not then they should win this game. Time will tell. Keep your money in your pockets. Raiders 23 ÃÆââÃâìâÃâ¬ÃÅ Broncos 20
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Rachel Uchitel arrives from New York at the Los Angeles International Airport in Los Angeles, Calif., on Sunday, Nov. 29, 2009. The National Enquirer published a story alleging that golfer Tiger Woods, who was involved in a car accident near his home on Friday, had been seeing the New York night club hostess, and that they recently were together in Melbourne, where Woods competed in the Australian Masters. Uchitel denied having an affair with Woods when contacted by the Associated Press. (AP Photo/David Zentz)
Jamie Jungers has been linked to Tiger Woods. This is a picture from her MySpace.com page
Cori Rist is being linked to Tiger Woods. This picture of Rist appeared on bigpicture.com.
Mindy Lawton is a 34-year-old waitress from Orlando and has been linked to Tiger Woods
This undated publicity photo provided by VH1 shows Jaimee Grubbs on VH1's reality series, "Tool Academy". Us Weekly magazine, which hits newsstands Wednesday Dec. 2, 2009, features a cover story alleging that Grubbs, a Los Angeles cocktail waitress, had a 31-month affair with Tiger Woods and that the proof was in 300 text messages. (AP Photo/VH1)
Kalika Moquin is featured in Jack Colton's Web site as one of the most influential people in Las Vegas. She is linked to having an affair with Tiger Woods.
Holly Sampson, a 36-year-old porn star, has been linked to Tiger Woods.
Tiger Woods and wife Elin. (AP)
Jaimee Grubbs appeared on VH1's show Tool Academy and is now linked to having an affair with Tiger Woods
Tiger Woods with his daughter, Sam, and wife Elin are seen before the start of a NCAA college football game between Stanford and California in Stanford, Calif., on Nov. 21, 2009. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez, File)
Jamie Jungers has been linked to Tiger Woods

subset: commoncrawl


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Kyle Andrews
"I have been very pleased with PDF Annotator. I thought it was a bit expensive at $50, but it has already paid for itself in saved color printer charges for 3 manuscripts that I have marked up and emailed to authors."
Pete Riley
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HUDSONVILLE, Mich. (WZZM) - It's a new school year and a great opportunity for a fresh start in the type of foods you send with your children to school.
Harvest Health Foods in Hudsonville gives us a look at alternative meals and snacks to give your children, with fewer dyes, artificial sweeteners, and unhealthy additives. It is also important for you to take note of your school's policies when packing a lunch, because it may no longer allow for foods such as peanuts.
For a full spread of meal and snack examples, click the above video link.


text: [ Governor Mitt Romney's Staff Pull April Fools Day Prank [VIDEO] By Brian Scott April 2, 2012 Republican presidential contender Mitt Romney may have forgotten that Sunday was April Fools' Day. His staff did not. They took Romney to a room he thought was packed with supporters gathered for a pancake brunch... Read More|Comment Category: National News, Politics Tags: april fools, Mitt Romney Send to a friend! Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Pin it! Reddit This! Share on Tumblr!


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The oil and milk make the crust seem too wet but it bakes up nice.
YIELD: 8 slices
IngredientsRhubarb Mixture:
4 Cups 1-in slices rhubarb
1/3 Cup Flour
1 2/3 Cups Sugar
Pinch of Salt
1 tsp salt
2 C Flour
3 TBS Sugar
2/3 C Vegtable Oil
3 TBS Milk
Preparation1. Combine the rhubarb mixture and let stand at least 15 min.
2. Blend salt, flour and sugar in pie pan. Stir together oil and milk; quickly add to blour mixture and combine using hands or fork.
3. Pat half of the crust mixture in the pie pan and up the sides. Fill the crust with the rhubarb mixture.
4. Crumble the rest of the pie crust on top.
5. Bake at 400 for 40 min. Cover with tin foil if pie crust begins to burn.


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Colleges >> Browse Articles >> Choosing a College
Colleges >> Browse Articles >> Choosing a Major
Colleges >> Browse Articles >> College Visits
Colleges >> Browse Articles >> Decisions
Colleges >> Browse Articles >> Recommendations
Best Scholarships from America's 10 Best Colleges
Spoiler alert: Three colleges came in tied at number seven and two tied at number five, omitting eighth and ninth place!
September 10, 2013
How do you classify the college experience? It's not easy but, apparently, is possible. Keep in mind that experts urge students to take all college rankings with a grain of salt – because not everyone is the same person, so the "best" fit for an individual will naturally differ.
It's still fun to see who made the list, though! In addition to the list, Fastweb also researched the scholarships at each of the universities within the top ten to help you see what's available in terms of financial support.
Many of the top schools merely have financial aid programs based on need or merit alone, but we've included all of the information available to help you make an informed decision on your college options.
Rankings were based on a variety of factors – academic value, location, campus life, available financial aid and mission are among the factors taken into account. (You can see all of the criteria here.)
According to U.S. News & World Report, the following are the top ten best colleges within the United States.
(Spoiler alert: Three colleges came in tied at number seven and two tied at number five, omitting eighth and ninth place!)
10. California Institute of Technology
Check out California Institute of Technology's Stamps Foundation Scholarship.
7. University of Pennsylvania; Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Duke University
University of Pennsylvania's scholarships as well as Massachusetts Institute of Technology scholarships are need based.
Check out Duke University's University Scholars Program.
5. University of Chicago; Stanford University
University of Chicago offers the UChicago Charter School Scholarship, Odyssey Scholarship and Merit Scholarship.
Stanford University offers financial need scholarships as well as other types of scholarships.
All Columbia University scholarships are need based.
All Yale University scholarships are need based.
All Harvard University scholarships are need-based.
Check out Princeton University's Endowed Undergraduate Scholarships and the William G. Bowen Merit Fellowship.
Do these rankings affect your college choices? How much weight does it hold on your decision making process?


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World's Largest Rattlesnake Round-Up slithers into Sweetwater
■ Don't mis-s-s 55th Jaycees rattler roundup
With the Sweetwater Jaycees World's Largest Rattlesnake Round-Up just days away, no doubt Riley Sawyers had a multitude of details to which he could be attending.
But with the temperature on Monday flirting with the mid-80s and the sun out, he was doing what any self-respecting rattler hunter would be doing. In this case, the publicity director for the roundup was in Callahan County hunting for snakes.
"We've found a few," he said, meaning more than a few. "They're out sunning today."
The 55th annual event begins today and Sawyers, who has been involved with the event for 21 years, is always surprised at the popularity of it.
"It's a really amazing event," said Sawyers. "People are interested in rattlesnakes. I think that's what surprises me most."
The festivities begin Thursday at 4:30 p.m. with the Rattlesnake Review Parade that will begin downtown and end at the Nolan County Coliseum. Miss Snake Charmer will be crowned at 7 p.m.
The gates open from 8 a.m.-6 p.m. on both Friday and Saturday and from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. on Sunday. There will be a weigh-in for snakes each day from 7 a.m.-1 p.m. and hourly snake exhibits.
However, Sawyers pointed out that even if you have absolutely no interest in seeing rattlesnakes up close, much less go hunting for them, you will still find something you'll like at the event, which is sponsored by the Sweetwater Junior Chamber of Commerce.
For instance, there's a carnival for the kids, a sizable flea market both inside and outside the Nolan County Coliseum and barbecue cook-offs for people who may want to eat something besides rattlesnake.
However, the main attraction is the rattlesnake and the variety of events that will be available, such as the snake-handling demonstrations, the milking and, for the more adventurous, guided snake hunts. The forecast for the weekend calls for slightly cooler temperatures than Monday and there is a slight chance of rain for Saturday, but Sawyers is holding out hope for warm and sunny conditions to coax the rattlers out. Of course, as a West Texan he isn't about to turn down a chance for rain.
"If it rains, we'll gladly accept it," he said.
The rattlesnake roundup is not without its detractors, including those who say the event sponsors cruelty toward the animals and is contributing to a possible decline in the rattlesnake population in the area. Sawyers, who is featured on a show on Animal Planet called "Rattlesnake Republic," said he sees himself more as a conservationist.
"It's like any hunting," he said. "It's needed to control the population. It's more about conservation than it is extermination."
Incidentally, Sawyers said it has been his experience that women are by no means more squeamish than men when it comes to being around the rattlers.
"It's at least a 50-50 split," he said of the audience.
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THE 87th INFANTRY DIVISION LEGACY ASSOCIATION
October 30 - November 1, 2015 Nashville, TN
Online registration for the 2015 reunion is now
For information on hotel reservations and
other details, consult the document below:
Reunion Information
University Press and Dr.
Peter Schrijvers are proud to announce the publication,
on November 4, of THOSE WHO HOLD BASTOGNE, the first
complete history of the month-long battle for Bastogne in 1944-45
based on American, German, and Belgian sources.
Peter Schrijvers studied United States military and diplomatic
history at Ohio State University in Columbus, and is currently
a senior lecturer at the University of New South Wales in Sydney,
Australia. Schrijvers is the author of five previous books on
World War II. A native of Belgium, thoroughly acquainted with
the terrain and people of the Ardennes, he has spent several decades
researching the American, German, and Belgian dimensions of the
battle for Bastogne for this authoritative and harrowing work
on the biggest Battle of the Bulge.
In this dramatic account of the 194445 winter of war in Bastogne,
Dr. Schrijvers offers the first full story of the German assault
on the strategically located town. From the December stampede
of American and Panzer divisions racing to reach Bastogne first,
through the bloody eight-day siege from land and air, and through
three more weeks of unrelenting fighting even after the siege
was broken, events at Bastogne hastened the long-awaited end of
WWII. Schrijvers draws on diaries, memoirs, and other fresh sources
to illuminate the experiences not only of Bastognes 3,000 citizens
and their American defenders, but also of German soldiers and
commanders desperate for victory. The costs of war are here made
real, uncovered in the stories of those who perished and those
who emerged from battle to find the world forever changed.
The book can be pre-ordered now from Amazon.com,
as well as other online retailers.
Kranz's 87th albums
If you have photos that you'd like to share, please
Numerous 87th-related videos, many from past reunions, are now
available online. A link can can be found on the small navigation
menu at the top of each page on our web site.
Many thanks to Tim Higgins for making these available.
nice article on the U.S. Army's web site describes the presentation
of Staff Sergeant Curtis F. Shoup's Medal of Honor to the National
Infantry Museum, which occurred during our August reunion.
The 87th Infantry Division Legacy Association is now a 501(c)(3)
tax-exempt organization. Federal tax law provides tax benefits to
nonprofit organizations. As of September 15, 2010, the Internal
Revenue Service determined that the 87thIDLA is exempt from Federal
income tax under the Internal Revenue Code. In addition, the organization
is qualified to receive tax deductible bequests, devises, transfers
or gifts under section 2055, 2106 or 2522 of the Code and as such,
is classified as a public charity. This tax-exempt status represents
a significant milestone in the development and future activities
of the Legacy Association.
A copy of the IRS approval letter is available
Three well-known U.S. Army Signal Corps photos of the 87th
are now
available as "special edition" prints in our
photo galleries. These images make wonderful gifts, and are
available not only as high-quality prints, but can also be
ordered on other merchandise, such as a desk organizer or
keepsake box.
In the coming months, we'll be preparing additional Signal
Corps photos for printing as well.
Some time ago Chris Wulf, founder of HistoryDocumented.com,
informed me of an interview he had conducted with Bill Travis of
A video
of this interview is available on the HistoryDocumented web
site. It's over an hour long, and well worth your time!
The Mass
Surrender of German Troops to the
347th Infantry Regiment on May 6, 1945
By Tom Stafford, L-347
Jim Hennessey's
Scrapbook From WWII
By Jim Hennessey, E-345
87th Infantry Division Lost
1,310 Killed, 4,000 Wounded in WWII
By Mitchell Kaidy, D-345
Lester Atwell: Author of
World's First
Non-Fiction Novel About
Infantry at War
By Mitchell Kaidy, D-345
Call Him Lucky
By Wayne Luedke, 549-AAA
Book Review: Battle of the
By Mitchell Kaidy, D-345
Book Review: Soldiers to
By Mitchell Kaidy, D-345
Book Review: F Company,
347th Infantry Regiment 1942-45
By Mitchell Kaidy, D-345
Americans Used Weapons
of Past In Defeating
Germans and Winning World War II
By Mitchell Kaidy, D-345


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Sunday, September 13, 2009
© Copyright 2015 Gwinnett Daily Post
Five thousand pierogies! Five thousand! And they were all gone hours before Gwinnett's first Pierogi Festival was over.People came from all over to taste this Polish delicacy at St. Marguerite d'Youville Church in Lawrenceville. A young man standing in front of me said he'd travel any distance for a pierogi. "Where are you from?" I asked. "Brazil," he replied. Now I think he was just born in Brazil and didn't really fly up here for a pierogi, but Father Marek Ciesla, who organized the festival, said some people did put some miles behind them. His Superior, Father Pawel Bandurski, SChr, drove 12 hours from Chicago. This man is Provincial for North American Province of the Society of Christ Fathers, who serve Poles living outside the borders of Republic of Poland, and even he didn't get a pierogi. "We were hoping for 500 to 600 people," Ciesla said. "We were positively overwhelmed by the turnout. No one actually counted how many people were here, but some workers estimate 4,000 or more. "We were really happy people came, but were feeling broken hearted that they couldn't eat. But people were understanding. We even got e-mails saying, 'Thank you very much even if we didn't get food and we plan to come again next year.'" But no one has to wait until next year. "The goodness in those people brought out the goodness in us," Ciesla said. So starting Sept. 20, there will be a frozen pierogi bank at the church and also a list of ladies willing to make pierogies for anyone who missed out at the big event. Those wanting to place a special order can call 770-448-5222. Since I couldn't feed my face at the festival, I explored the displays to see if I could at least find some fodder for my column. I did. I discovered pierogies are not the only Polish offering in the community. Ten years ago, Polish-born pianist and music educator Dorota Lato and her husband, concert pianist Piotr Folkert, established the Atlanta Chopin Society, based in Johns Creek. Their intention was to promote awareness of this Polish musician, who has more "fan clubs" than any other classical composer. Once a year the society holds a competition for young pianists, and twice a year they sponsor a concert with a renowned pianist. After each concert, children are invited to submit essays for a contest explaining what the music meant to them. The next guest pianist will be Christopher O'Riley, who will perform at the Roswell Cultural Arts Center on Oct. 24. In February, for Chopin's 200th birthday celebration, Folkert will perform with the Johns Creek Chopin Symphony Orchestra, and I'm sure other surprises are being orchestrated. For more info, visit www.chopinatlanta.org. Pierogies and pianos pulling people together. But there's more to it than that. Priorities. "We enjoy these unifying experiences," Marek said, "but we are united first in prayer, then in service." Amen. Susan Larson is a Lilburn resident. E-mail her at email@example.com.
More like this story
- No one misses out at Gwinnett's first Pierogi Festival ( September 12, 2009 )
- Polish event shows pierogis bring people together ( August 23, 2009 )
- LARSON: 'Romance' springs forth with real Polish accent ( March 15, 2014 )
- Pierogi festival to feature more than tasty treats ( August 21, 2010 )
- LARSON: Chopin Society strikes chord with community ( February 26, 2010 )


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"Today, in our field, there is so much talent and recognition that we are reaching a saturation point. An artist should no longer strive only for breathtaking craftsmanship; he should, instead, try to help us live better, either by dressing the wounds that are constantly being opened by society, or by offering solutions to get us out of the mess we're in…But it's going to be difficult and we have a lot of work to do." - Jean 'Moebius' Giraud
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
THANK YOU_commission
It's been a while since one of these.
It's because I'm tired. I'm typically drained towards the end of the year, but this year I am particularly so, but I hope you don't mind if I don't go into details. Let's just say that it's too much life stuff, too much doing the things that you don't really want to do, too many tough choices. You know what I'm talking about, yeah? Point being, I'm tired and I don't know how soon I won't be that way. So I think I will sleep for days and days and see if that helps. Heh.
Anyway, no more posts from me for a while. Though I think Jon will take up the guard and post in my stead - he seems to be doing a fine job while I was gone; even if in his douche-bagerry, he decided to post the ugly unfinished stuff. But I believe he does it because he knows what people like to see. And for that, I am truly grateful. I'm sure he'll update this once in a while. I will be back of course. I can't NOT draw and there's something about sharing it with like-minded people that really makes me happy.
And speaking of being grateful and happy, I'd like to thank you for taking the time to get to know me as much as you can though this little window. Thanks for coming in and sharing your inspiration with me and for saying such generous and humbling comments about my work. On more than one occasion I've been a bit distracted, but one kind word from you is all I needed to get me back to center. You are invaluable, you are amazing, and I cannot wait to see what you are capable of. I am humbled and grander to have had this experience.
I hope you have a great new year. It's a perfect time for a fresh start. I hope you finish what you begin and I hope you find everything you are looking for. As for me, it's time to sleep and not be so tired.
Well, no. It's 6:56AM in Los Angeles. I'm going to go run. Then...then I will sleep. Heh.
Thanks again. "You are so cool."
Monday, December 29, 2008
EXAMPLE OF MADNESS_update
Here's a perfect example of what I wrote about in that earlier post. This is a side by side comparison of a 'Watchmen' image Eric did as a 90 minute exercise. The one on the right in the one he's already posted. The one on the left is the one he finished but didn't make the cut. Here's why:
"The first one's already a pretty tough image to make out, yeah? It's a reflection of the main characters, in the blood that's oozing out of The Comedian's head... bits of his brain and whatever. Then there's the pattern of blood and the splatter and the arrangement of the characters... they're all upside-down and all over the place... and the abstract building window patterns behind them. It's WAY too much.90 minutes. Twice finished. And where was the first original when I found it? You guessed it. On the floor. Near the trash can.
It's just so f*cking annoying to sign my signature and realize I just wasted 90 minutes. Just genuinely annoying to think I didn't think about it enough and I got as far as putting my signature on it... and it SUUUUUUUCKSSS. With this one, I think the planning was either bad or just too ambitious. Or both. Whatever.
So I just redrew it. The second time is a bit simpler, but just slightly so. At least, by way of composition, all the heads of the characters sort of line up. You start from The Comedian's face and just move to the left through the reflection, starting with Rorschach's mask. I was also playing around with a narrative by having The Comedian's finger point to Ozymandias; the guy who killed him.
I dunno... it just feels better to me. It's still confusing as hell, but I think it's less noisy the second time around.
Like I said, it may have been too ambitious."
Friday, December 26, 2008
OUT OF TOWN_update
More work from Eric's portfolio, this time from our collaboration for Tori Amos' original graphic novel COMIC BOOK TATTOO.
Our contribution is entitled "Girl" based on Tori's song with the same title.
These pages were colored by the incomparable SASKIA GUTEKUNST, a phenomenal artist in her own right and who did us the grand favor of lending us her talents. We love you, Saskia.
Eric isn't going to be back until for a while. He's fine, by the way. Thanks to those of you who have written out of concern. He is as he puts it:
"There's too much noise in the office and in my head and I'm trying to get some thinking done."Which, knowing him, will probably take all of 2009. Enjoy your New Year's, everyone. Be safe and try not to be too hung over.
A CONVERSATION_update
Eric is out of town and has left the care and update of his blog to me.
And because I know how much he'd hate seeing this stuff up, I'm posting his unfinished work for all of you to see. Thank me later.
I've also included a small article/interview I've written for Eric's new book called 'PREMIER[e]', which will include many if not ALL of the images from his blog in it (you asked for it and now you've got it), a few sketches, and the introduction of our new company called LIGHTBOX. Yes, we know he's said he'd never release a sketchbook again , but wait until you see this thing. A "sketchbook" it definitely isn't. More details on that later, as well as previews of the book itself and what it's all about.
Until then, here are Eric's mistakes. Enjoy.
On any given day, in any given week, I can walk around Eric's work area in our office and I'll see the floor littered with abandoned commissions or discarded images for cover work or personal sketches or whatever else didn't look as good on paper as it did in his head. And on more than a few occasions I've watched him as he's outright just started over on a 90 minute exercise about eighty-seven minutes into it. He just starts over. It doesn't matter how close he is to finishing or how good it looks to everyone else, if he "...isn't in love with it" then it's not worth finishing off.
"What's the point of finishing a shit drawing!?, " he's said to me more than once. "I know that when I'm done with it, it'll be terrible and when I post it on the blog everyone will get to see it and confirm my thoughts about how atrocious it is. So why bother finishing it? I figured, if I don't finish it, then I'm almost cutting it off before it really gets a foot hold, you know? I don't legitimize it by putting a final line on it. And I don't care how far along I am: bad is bad. I'm just too retarded or too stubborn to realize *how* bad it is until I've spent way too much time on it."I've seen him do it. Most recently to a "Batman/Green Arrow" commission he just started which he was asked to do a year or two ago. Last weekend, I walked in and there were ten images strewn all over the place, all in different stages of completion. One of which he even started to ink. It was upsetting and laughable at the same time.
"They all sort of work. Green Arrow's face here and Bat's pose in that other one. They just...I dunno...they just don't matter to me. I'm not in love with them"I point out that he's drawn Batman before and asked him the difference between then and now. I also tell him to stop being such an art fag and just draw the image already. He laughs it off.
"Nah...I've drawn an *idea* of Batman before. Or I've drawn a Batman based on a conversation I had with Dustin (Nguyen) or I was trying to come up with an image that has a new approach to it. This thing...this is...it's dead like Elvis, that's what this is. It's got no juice to it. I'm trying to find something cool to draw, I'm trying to find something I can really salivate over and want to take head-on. I've got nothing. It's a f*cking guy with a Robin Hood feather with a boxing glove arrow and it's all I can do to not draw a picture of Batman kicking GA's ass for letting his sidekick Speedy do heroin. And it's not working, so before I waste on any more paper, I'm gonna stop and do something else."And before I could stop him, "RRRIIIIPPPP!" He tears them all into small quarters. I make a face like I just saw a man rip payments to my next credit card bill, but there's nothing I could do about it. He says it's bad mojo to have it lingering in the office. "Besides, " he mentions, "I don't want this shit to start piling up."
Of the few I've managed to salvage from the recycling bin, here are just a handful of attempts at the 'MySpace Dark Horse Presents' TPB cover Eric had done over and over again. I saw maybe five variations on this thing and there would have been a sixth if his deadlines didn't force him to finally settle on one That he ended up coloring. When I look at this rough compared to the finished version above I scratch my head. The changes are minuscule. His reason for starting over?
"It's too close to the top to accommodate for the logo, " he explains. "That's what they'll tell me."
"Move it in Photoshop, " I suggest.
"F*ck that," he laughs. "Why should I deal with Photoshop if re-drawing it is ten times as easy?"The thing is, it's not ten times easier. I know this man and the way he works. It's never like this. Especially if he knows it will see print. He'll find something that will need fixing. Move Conan further away. Or flop/reverse the monster and Captain Hammer. Or how many bullet hits should the monster have? Or change the perspective slightly so the image will be an upshot. And so on, and so on.
That said, as much attention to detail he puts into his drawings, as meticulous and ADD he can be, Eric doesn't seem to care and isn't too precious about his originals. The image above is evidence of this. I had accidentally stepped on it (that's my shoe's foot print circled in red in the upper left hand corner) and proceeded to apologize to him in a panic, only to have him explain it as, "...one of the retarded ones that makes Conan look like Richard Moll from Night Court." Thank god for Richard Moll, I guess.
It's a mystery to me how someone can be so exacting and analytical in one front, and be so careless and unscrupulous in another. There are no special acid free storage boxes or vacuum sealed containers that hold his collection. Whereas I would make sure to set aside these originals, successful or not, he'd rather just toss it aside and start on the new one. As a matter of fact, you could easy mistake an unfinished, abandoned image with one that he's done and happy with. They all somehow end up in the same place: the office floor.
"There's a method to my madness, Jon," he explains. "The ones I wanna keep are closer to those portfolio sleeve thingees you made me get. The ones I don't care for are sort of closer to the trash bin."Well, he's right. Being his close friend and the closest thing he's got to an official 'art dealer' I suggested that he invest in these protective Mylar sleeves to use for when he sends out originals to the people who commission him. In the past, it was six sheets of cut-up FedEx boxes taped together, with the original image sandwiched in the middle. And that's all there was! That goes via USPS Priority Mail to its new owner. So, I guess I am a bit off. He *does* care. As long as it's not something he's going to keep for himself.
Andre Szymanowicz was the recipient of the final version of this image, but before the finished version that Eric posted on his blog, there was the version I've posted above. I asked him what was wrong with it.
"Sometimes I draw something and think, 'Okay....that's how that's supposed to be drawn. It's straightforward, it's obvious and it's exactly what everyone expects. That's really lame. Now how would *I* draw it?' Then I start over again.""Isn't how you drew it...um...how YOU would draw it?" I asked slightly confused.
"Well, yes. And no. There's the version that I will draw because I know I need to get it out of my system. Like I said, it's really obvious and it's really just by the book. There are lines that I draw in the first version that make me think, 'Oh, right...yeeah, that makes sense why I drew that line that way.' But then I realize I don't care for that way, the regular way, too often. So I'll mess up that line just so it's different, so it's not so conventional. I mean, everyone can do that, do the obvious thing. You screw things up and suddenly it's alive again."With this image, Eric says he was trying to work out a scene that had a narrative hearkening to the one in the actual movie, AKIRA. "Why abandon this image? Was this what you call an 'obvious' approach?"
"No. I don't think that was the reason why I didn't finish this one. I think it was because it had too many elements, man. Too many elements, too many things for the eye to get lost in and not enough resting places, you know? The idea is okay. The composition worked and it sort of had this little story within a story. But the moment I inked that kid's hand in the foreground, I knew this was lame. I should have thought it out better and rather than draw it again (apparently, Eric had drawn this thing four times before he got to inking this one), I abandoned it and approached something else from a different perspective."
I don't know exactly what this image was for. I've searched for it on his blog a couple of times, but I haven't found the one he's posted as his final piece. I do know that there are two of these in Eric's portfolio, a.k.a. : the floor next to the supply closet, one that's completely inked (which I'm assuming as the one he liked best), and this one. I'm going to tell you based on my own personal preferences, that I like this one better. There's something about the girl on this image that makes her more...warm and more appealing to me than the 'finished' version.
"Go f*ck yourself, Jon." he says.Classy as always.
And finally, there's this one entitled "Waterlily". This one is all done. It's all penciled and ready to go, ready to be inked. It's also very surprising because if you know anything about the way Eric works, he never pencils this tightly. Most of the work is done by that brush pen, so to see an image from him that looks like he's going to leave it as-is in blue pencil rather than put an ink line on top of it is different. And yes, it's sometimes off-putting. It's like the version of his work that's trying to be fancy instead of the utilitarian version of itself that it is now. It's like Jordan wearing #45; it's just not right. So I had to ask, "What was wrong with it?"
"It was too close to the top of the sheet of paper."
Seriously. That was his reason. And I guess he just wouldn't stand for it.
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
BABY BLUE BOX & WHITE RIBBON_sketch
Sunday, December 21, 2008
LEFT. RIGHT._sketch
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Thursday, December 11, 2008
TIED. TIDE? TIED._sketch
Saturday, December 06, 2008
"TWO HE+ARTHOLDS, BOTH ALIKE..."_sketch
"...in dignity, in fair Verona, where we lay our scene. From ancient grudge break into new mutiny, where civil blood makes civil hands unclean."
Wednesday, December 03, 2008
"P" IS FOR..._sketch
"P" is for "PHUNNY": Make them laugh first thing in the morning - even if you have to spell 'funny' incorrectly.
"P" is for "PATIENCE": The closer to infinite amounts you have, the better of you'll be.
"P" is for "PROTECT": Sometimes you have to protect them from themselves.
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Eight Things About Courage that You Nearly Forgot.
"What makes the muskrat guard his musk? From early dawn to early dusk?"
I don't think of myself as a courageous person. Some days I feel like I'm bailing out the Titanic with a thimble. I forget how much I have, all the time. I forget that courage isn't some giant muscle you are born with that makes you feel ten-feet-tall and able to conquer the world. Courage is a muscle you build every time you use it.
1. "Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen." ~ Winston Churchill
Courage isn't always doing; it's also in not-doing. It isn't being a big loud bully and making everything go your way or storming the castle walls. Sometimes it takes more courage to sit and wait.
2. "It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are." ~ e.e. cummings
We say this so much it's become a cliche. It's the truth. When we let go of all those ideas of who we're supposed to be or what we ought to have or do, and live genuinely: that's courage.
3. "You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face." ~ Eleanor Roosevelt
Courage isn't a one shot deal where you go through some big bad thing and then you're all set. It's each and every time, being present with what scares you, facing it honestly and not looking away.
4. "Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgement that something else is more important than fear." ~ Ambrose Redmoon.
When what we want is stronger than that pull of fear, that's where courage comes. When we can say, I'm scared shitless, but I must do this—that's courage.
5. "Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one's courage." ~ Anais Nin
It would be easy to live small. It would be easy to go along and just accept what comes instead of believing we can create change in our lives, in the world. Courage is a door to a larger world.
6. "Courage isn't having the strength to go on. It is going on when you don't have strength." ~ Napoleon Bonaparte
Strength isn't something we are born with. Strength is something we build. And when we think there is nothing left and we aren't strong enough—but we push on—that's courage.
7. "Courage doesn't always roar. Sometimes courage is the little voice at the end of the day that says I'll try again tomorrow. " ~ Mary Ann Radmacher.
Courage isn't that giant lion that comes roaring through. Courage is quiet. Courage is consistent. Courage is continuing, even when it seems like you can't possibly succeed. Courage is when you keep going.
8. "Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage." ~ Lao Tzu
You don't have to be courageous to love. It's the opposite. All of the back and forth we do about love—Does he love me as much? Will she love me if she really gets to know me? Will it last? None of it's important. None of it matters. To create courage in your heart, to feel love, you have to give it. If we allow ourselves to deeply, unselfishly, unconditionally love, we create the courage we thought we needed to do it in the first place.
If you feel afraid, be encouraged. Keep at it. Love. And start again tomorrow.
Like I'm not spiritual, I just practice being a good person on Facebook.
Incorrect source, offensive, or found a typo? Email us (please put title in subject bar of email so we'll be able to fix). Or do you want to write for Elephant?
{Waylon H. Lewis C Enterprises 2015: Use Rights in perpetuity. Ownership remains with author.}
14 Responses to "Eight Things About Courage that You Nearly Forgot."
This is amazing, thank you Kate
I had a lion tatooed on my ankle, knowing my Leo lover had cheated on me. Months later, i broke up with him. I now say it stands for courage. But I am never sure I actually have it! Alexa M.
For me, No. 4 and No. 8 especially resonate. No surprise that Lao Tzu (8) would resonate. Now I'll have to go google Ambrose Redmoon (4).
These are all good, but I especially like 5 & 7. Thanks for sharing these reminders!
[…] If we stick our heads above the crowd, someone's bound to throw a tomato. Remember that we have the choice to be surrounded by people who have the qualities we admire: optimistic, positive, peaceful and encouraging people. And whatever you do, don't stop believing! […]
[…] Courage comes in facing what makes us want to run or scream. Strength comes when we get up. Intimacy pushes past all boundaries as people merge and blend. Being vulnerable asks that we risk our hearts. […]
[…] Once upon a time, I thrived on change. […]
[…] Eight Things About Courage that You Nearly Forgot. (elephantjournal.com) […]
[…] Eight Things About Courage that You Nearly Forgot. (elephantjournal.com) […]
[…] interesting. I wanted to be cool. To me, that's what style is. It's individuality, personality, confidence, and the ability to express who you […]
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[…] weeks where I could not smile. […]
Carelessness is not courage. Caution is not cowardly. Love this article. Ever read the Teh of Piglet? Touches on this subject a lot. No matter how meek, small and mild-mannered one may seem, courage runs just as deeply as within those that seem sassy and brassy, like Tigger.


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A perfect storm is developing in front of our eyes:
1. U. S. Debt.
2. How banks are affected by housing and credit problems.
4. The condition of banks and the Federal Reserve's response.
5. The financial endgame.
The unfolding bank solvency crisis and the attempts to prevent a systemic collapse have accelerated the debasement of the dollar. When everyone begins realizing that paper money is limitless, the dollar will descend rapidly. Current fears of "deflation" will vanish. In addition, tapped out U.S. consumers will no longer be purchasing trillions worth of exports. That will eliminate the incentive for our trade partners to continue supporting the dollar. When substantial foreign investment starts to flee our currency for safety elsewhere, the Federal Reserve will be forced to monetize the U.S. debt instead of selling treasury bonds.
At that point the currency printing presses will be running full speed. It will be the beginning of a U.S. hyperinflation. Nobody can predict when it will happen. Since most financial activity is electronic, when the unraveling begins it will progress very rapidly. The timing of the fall does not matter, however, if you are prepared.
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Enabling Improved Performance from MEMS Chemical Microsensors
Phillip H. Rogers, Steve Semancik
The work to be discussed involves efforts in three areas that were motivated by the desire to enhance the measurement capabilities of MEMS-based chemical microsensors. Devices fabricated using a NIST design and wafer runs at MIT-Lincoln Labs have been utilized in studies to improve sensor stability and the repeatability of analyte recognition. A temperature feedback routine developed for more reliable temperature programmed operation has been shown to improve discrimination and recognition of test analytes. Further improvements in performance and in the understanding of transduction pathways have been achieved through a new method for processing raw temperature programmed sensing signal. Additionally, improvements in microsensor design have been made in the way of designing, modeling and fabrication of single-layer silicon nitride membrane deposited Pt heater and Pt electrode microsensor chemical sensing elements. These devices are predicted to have improved temperature uniformity across the sensing film and minimal optical interferences from contaminants that can be left behind due to multi-layer fabrication.


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This was indeed really good news!
BTW: Here is the press release of the Ombudsman http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=EO/10/17 and here is the case on the Ombudsman's website: http://www.ombudsman.europa.eu/cases/draftrecommendation.faces/en/4810/html.bookmark
Ronny, TI EU (http://europeblog.transparency.org)
It has been scandalous how the drug companies have got away with dismissing very distressing side effects and it would be wonderful if this also applied to SSRIs.
The Wall Street Journal's Brussels blog is produced by the Brussels bureau of The Wall Street Journal and Dow Jones Newswires. The bureau has been headed since 2009 by Stephen Fidler, who was previously a correspondent and editor for the Financial Times and Reuters. Also posting regularly: Matthew Dalton, Viktoria Dendrinou, Tom Fairless, Naftali Bendavid, Laurence Norman, Gabriele Steinhauser and Valentina Pop.


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Free when you join the email list:
The UPPERCASE Surface Pattern Design Guide
100 portfolios from designers around the world.
Expert advice about showing at SURTEX from show organizers as well as Lilla Rogers and Elizabeth Olwen.
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How to live a life full of pattern with Lotta Jansdotter.
Behind the scenes at digital fabric printer Spoonflower.
BONUS content about how our cover designer Jan Avellana is realizing a dream of her own fabric collection with Windham Fabrics.
UPPERCASE is a print magazine and always will be.
To promote the amazing talent of our readers and to provide valuable industry advice to those hoping to break into a career in surface pattern design, we've made this digital edition of our Surface Pattern Design Guide available as a free download. Just sign up for our email list for access to the guide!


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June 5, 2012
By James L. Gattuso
Over the past several years, U.S. businesses and the American economy have faced an unprecedented surge of new regulations, ranging from new health care mandates and environmental rules to Dodd–Frank financial industry controls to "net neutrality" rules on communications providers.[1] Now Congress is considering imposing yet another new set of burdens on American enterprise.
Under legislation now pending in the Senate, S. 2105—sponsored by Senators Joe Lieberman (I–CT) and Susan Collins (R–ME)—an unspecified number of U.S. industries would be required to comply with government-crafted cybersecurity "performance requirements." The cost of this new mandate is unknown but is likely to be large in terms of direct compliance and lost innovation and growth in the affected industries. Cybersecurity is important, and threats to security are real, but Congress should carefully consider whether more regulatory mandates provide an effective solution.
Putting Government in Charge of Cybersecurity
Few doubt that cybersecurity (the protection of a computer system from unauthorized access or attack) is a serious issue. With threats ranging from individual hackers to state-sponsored espionage to terrorists, preserving cybersecurity is a constant—and constantly changing—challenge. Recognizing the harm that cyberattacks can do to their bottom lines, private-sector enterprises under threat have long made cybersecurity a priority. The government, of course, has a fundamental role in protecting security, but there is little evidence that it special knowledge or capability to address the threats. In fact, in the management of its own computer systems, the government has been no better—and arguably worse—than the private sector.[2]
Despite this, the proposed Cybersecurity Act of 2012 could effectively put the federal government—specifically the Department of Homeland Security (DHS)—in charge of U.S. cybersecurity efforts. Under the legislation, the DHS Secretary is required to identify "critical infrastructure" vulnerable to cyber threats (a decision to be made with the "input" of the infrastructure's owners). These would be "critical" assets and systems for which damage could cause "mass casualties," "mass evacuations," or "catastrophic damage to the economy."
At first glance, this wording seems narrow, limiting the "critical infrastructure" designation to a few key facilities and systems,[3] but the language is actually much broader and more ambiguous. "Mass causalities," for instance, specifically includes events with an "extraordinary" number of fatalities, but how many fatalities are "ordinary"? Are five deaths ordinary? Are 10 extraordinary?[4]
Similarly, "catastrophic damage to the economy" includes "failure or substantial disruption" of "a U.S.financial market" or "transportation system." Does that include the disruption of any exchange, no matter how small? The failure of a single derivatives exchange? Is every transportation system covered? If a municipal bus system could be closed for a week, does that qualify the system as "critical infrastructure" even if other modes of transportation are still available?
Past practice indicates that DHS would interpret this language to include a large array of industries. In fact, under an existing presidential directive, DHS is already required to designate "critical infrastructure" and has identified no fewer than18 market sectors that, in its view, meet the requirements.[5]
Performance Requirements
Once its assets are designated as "critical infrastructure," a firm would be subject to DHS-written "performance requirements" that would require it to remedy any perceived risks or other cybersecurity shortcomings identified by DHS. Owners would also be required to come up with plans to "enhance" the security of their operations. The specifics of the plans are largely left to the private owners to decide, but the owners would be required to justify their plans periodically to the regulators' satisfaction. In reviewing their plans, infrastructure owners would be required to use "third-party assessors" who in turn would be registered and approved by DHS.
No Cost Estimates
Neither the costs nor the benefits of these new rules have been estimated. In March, Senators Ron Johnson of Wisconsin (R) and John McCain of Arizona (R) asked Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, a strong proponent of the pending legislation, for a cost-benefit analysis of the proposed rules. Her two-paragraph answer included no cost estimates and only illustrative estimates of the benefits. She cited a figure of $28 billion to $340 billion in current annual costs to the economy from cyberattacks and a seemingly random estimate that a shutdown of the electrical grid in a major city would cost the economy $1 billion per day.[6]
There was no estimate of the total potential threat, no estimate of the extent to which the legislation would reduce the threat, and not even a guess about the cost of complying with the new regulations.
Admittedly, estimates of the effects may be difficult to calculate, and many of the benefits and costs may be non-quantifiable. Yet it is striking that there has been so little effort to analyze the proposal. This is even more startling given the fact that much of S. 2105 depends upon DHS analyses and judgments similar to a formal regulatory impact analysis, which is routinely required from agencies before new rules are adopted.
Section 102, for instance, requires DHS, within 90 days after passage of the bill, to conduct a top-level assessment of security threats, including the extent of possible harm to health and safety as well as the effect on the economy. Section 103 requires DHS to prioritize threats by sector, and Section 104(g) requires DHS to take into account available resources. Such analysis is essential; regulators cannot make informed choices without it. Congress should insist on obtaining it before—rather than after—enacting the new mandates into law.
With or without such a formal analysis, policymakers should view proposed mandates with a skeptical eye. No matter how carefully regulations are designed, regulators cannot have the knowledge necessary to craft solutions for every network (even with the required "input" of the owners), and they are subject to political pressures that can distort the process.
Ultimately, the cost of an overly restrictive regulatory plan may be a reduction in security. The more that firms are required to follow government-mandated plans and priorities, the less flexibility and innovation they can bring to solving the unique security problems they each face. In effect, by mandating cybersecurity measures, the U.S.may end up hobbling its strongest weapons in the war against cyber threats.
Wrong Regulations Would Hurt Security
Imposing new federal regulations on American enterprise not only is a costly way to ensure cybersecurity, but also, by blunting private-sector innovation and flexibility, could be counterproductive to those efforts. Before imposing any cybersecurity mandates on the private sector, policymakers must ensure that they do not impose excessive burdens and that they will strengthen efforts to ensure security in cyberspace.
James L. Gattuso is Senior Research Fellow in Regulatory Policy in the Thomas A. Roe Institute for Economic Policy Studies at The Heritage Foundation.
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[1]See James L. Gattuso and Diane Katz, "Red Tape Rising: Obama-Era Regulation at the Three-Year Mark," Heritage Foundation Backgrounder No. 2663, March 13, 2012, http://www.heritage.org/research/reports/2012/03/red-tape-rising-obama-era-regulation-at-the-three-year-mark.
[2]See Paul R. Rosenzweig, "The Alarming Trend of Cybersecurity Breaches and Failures in the U.S. Government," Heritage Foundation Backgrounder No. 2695, May 24, 2012, http://www.heritage.org/research/reports/2012/05/the-alarming-trend-of-cybersecurity-breaches-and-failures-in-the-us-government.
[3]The legislation specifically exempts commercial information technology products, including hardware or software, and information technology products or services if the designation is based solely on a finding that it is being used or can be used in a critical infrastructure. More generally, it exempts systems or assets based "solely on the First Amendment." The extent of these exemptions is unclear. For instance, is broadcasting "solely" based on the First Amendment?
[4]See also Paul Rosenzweig, "Senate Cybersecurity Bill: Not Ready for Prime Time," Heritage Foundation Backgrounder No. 2661, March 7, 2012, http://www.heritage.org/research/reports/2012/03/senate-cybersecurity-bill-not-ready-for-prime-time.
[5]See U.S. Department of Homeland Security, "Sector-Specific Plans," http://www.dhs.gov/files/programs/gc_1179866197607.shtm (accessed June 5, 2012).
[6]Janet Napolitano, "Response to Questions and Requests from Senator McCain and Senator Johnson as Outlined in Their March 22 Letter."
James L. Gattuso
Senior Research Fellow in Regulatory Policy
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Financial Aid
If you are applying for financial aid, the deadline is December 15. The following materials should also be included with the admissions materials you send to the Program in Comparative Literature:
- An addition to your "Statement of Purpose" on a separate sheet, indicating your prior teaching experience and abilities, and your qualifications for specific teaching positions. This is a separate sheet detailing teaching experience (and, where appropriate, dates of residency abroad).
Types of Financial Aid:
University Preemptive Fellowships are prestigious awards offered by the Graduate School to attract top quality graduate students to The University of Texas. Graduate Advisers identify and nominate eligible applicants. Applicants who satisfy certain criteria may be offered fellowship support immediately without waiting for a committee decision. These fellowships are not available to students who are currently or were previously enrolled in the Graduate School program at UT Austin; however, UT Austin undergraduates who meet the criteria are eligible. The size of the stipend is at the discretion of the Graduate Adviser.University Continuing Fellowships are University Fellowships awarded to advanced students, usually to those who are conducting research on or writing their dissertations. Students nominated for Continuing Fellowships become eligible for seven other fellowship competitions: University Tuition Fellowships, Cullen Trust Student Endowment Fellowships, Hemphill-Gilmore Fellowships, A.D.Hutchison Student Endowment Fellowships, William S. Livingston Graduate Fellowship, and W. Gordon Whaley Fellowship.
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The current stipend amount for a nine-month, half-time TA appointment (20 hours per week of grading, tutoring, or conducting review/discussion sessions) can be found here. Please note the rate of pay is slightly higher for students with a M.A. TAs must pay their own tuition and fees, but may do so at the rate for Texas residents; they are also eligible for the U.T. health insurance premium sharing benefit. A waiver of tuition is not included with the stipend but tuition assistance is offered. For more information, please visit http://www.utexas.edu/ogs/employment/tuition. TAs must register for a minimum of nine hours during each long semester; employing departments require registration in a pedagogy course (398T) for one semester as part of their employment contracts.
During the 2014-2015 academic year, the College of Liberal Arts TA Taskforce created the Teaching Assistant Job Duties document. It is meant to improve communication between TAs and instructors and enhance the success of our TAs and students by generating conversation and clarifying expectations. Graduate students, graduate coordinators, and graduate advisors in the College had input into the content. It also offers an idea of the array of possible duties expected of students who are funded through TAships.
Assistant Instructorships: The current stipend amount for AIs can be found here. To qualify for the stipend, a student must hold an M.A. or the equivalent and have appropriate teaching experience. Normally, duties include instructional responsibility for three or four courses per academic year. AIs must pay their own tuition and fees, but may do so at the rate for Texas residents; they are also eligible for the U.T. health insurance premium sharing benefit. A waiver of tuition is not included with the stipend but tuition assistance is offered. For more information, please visit http://www.utexas.edu/ogs/employment/tuition/. AIs must register for a minimum of nine hours during each long semester; employing departments require registration in a pedagogy course (398T) for one semester as part of their employment contracts.
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For additional financial aid information, visit the Office of Student Financial Services Web Site. A full list of fellowships, both internal and external, can be found here.


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Spaghetti squash is a fun vegetable to play with because the finished product shreds apart like spaghetti noodles. I bought one at the store the other day and wanted to do something awesome with it.
I found the concept to do a spaghetti squash lasagna online and made my own version with what I had around, which is what you can do too.
Squash can either be cut in half and roasted (cut side down) at 375 for about 45 minutes, or simmered in a pot of hot water for 30. The second method is easier to cut but I like to whack into it with a sharp knife. Feels good.
This is a fun dish to make regardless of any food allergies, but it happens to be gluten free (if you don't top it with breadcrumbs) and could be dairy free if you substituted the ricotta for tofu ricotta.
This does not taste exactly like lasagna, but the flavors are reminiscent. It feels clean and light when you're eating it and is filling but not heavy. I am always so excited to eat it.
Spaghetti Squash Lasagna
Serves 4-6
Tomato Sauce
1 onion, chopped fine
2 celery, chopped fine
1 carrot, chopped fine
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup tomato paste
28 oz crushed tomatoes
pinch sugar
1 teaspoon each dried oregano and basil
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
salt and pepper
Place enough olive oil to coat a large 12″ saute pan or skillet over medium heat. Add onion, carrot, celery and saute until softened, about 6 minutes. Add tomato paste, garlic and chili flakes and cook for 1 minute. Add tomatoes, sugar, herbs, salt and pepper. Adjust heat to simmer and cook for 25 minutes.
Cheese Mixture
1/2 pound fresh ricotta
2 eggs
2 Tbs each fresh basil and parsley, chopped
salt and pepper
Whisk all ingredients together to blend. Set aside.
For Assembly:
1 large spaghetti squash, cooked with strands of squash removed from shell
Tomato Sauce
Cheese Mixture
1/3 cup pesto
1/4 cup breadcrumbs, optional
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
Preheat oven to 400. Ladle a thin layer of sauce into a casserole dish (I use 7×11 glass pyrex) to coat the bottom. Spread half of the spaghetti squash evenly over the sauce. Add half the tomato sauce then all of the cheese mixture. Add remaining spaghetti squash and tomato sauce. Top with 6 large spoonfuls of pesto, breadcrumbs, and parmesan cheese. Place on a foil lined rimmed baking sheet (to pick up any spills that may drip over) and bake for 30-35 minutes, until golden and bubbly. Rest for 5-10 minutes, cut into pieces, and serve.
8 Comments
templemavenDecember 4, 2011
OMG, This sounds so amazing that I feel like running out of my house right now. Running to the supermarket and buying all the ingredients and making it tonight!!! And the pictures are good enough to eat! Abby Mayou (Caryn's friend)
MollyJune 19, 2012
We had a spaghetti squash that needed a recipe, and some extra ricotta in the fridge, so I made this for dinner tonight. We topped it with a homemade pesto made from extra garlic scapes and basil from our farm share – delicious! Thanks for the inspiration to do something new with squash…
EmilyOctober 3, 2012
I can't wait to make this! It looks so yummy!
JessieOctober 3, 2012
Making it tonight for dinner! You should come over!!!
Jenny @ Ichigo ShortcakeOctober 6, 2012
I've had spaghetti squash once, it's so much fun and so totally delicious! Your photos are so lovely and this recipe sounds so good!
JessieOctober 15, 2012
Thank you Jenny! If you make it, let me know how it turns out!
JulieDecember 31, 2012
Could this be made ahead or doubled and frozen?
JessieDecember 31, 2012
Hi Julie,
This recipe can definitely be made ahead and refrigerated for a day or two then baked right before you need to serve. I would reserve adding the pesto and parmesan to the top until you are going to bake it. I haven't tried freezing this recipe though it would probably be fine for up to one month in the freezer, again not adding pesto or parm until time to bake. Hope that helps!


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The 71-year-old woman who was ejected from her vehicle Wednesday later died at the University of Maryland Shock Trauma Center, according to Salisbury police.
Evelyn Adams of Bishopville was severely injured at about 2:45 p.m. Wednesday when her 1998 Ford SUV collided with a 2006 Mercury sedan at the ...


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My journey in KKK was awesome: Pooja Gor
Actress Pooja Gor, who has been eliminated from Khatron Ke Khiladi (KKK) season 5, said her journey in the popular TV show was 'awesome'.
Pooja is the first contestant to get eliminated from the show this season.
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(Posted on 01-04-2014)
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Do Credit Ratings Still Matter?
Follow @jbrezlowJune 25, 2012, 11:25 am ET
In the four years since the banking crisis began, a familiar pattern has emerged regarding the nation's credit ratings agencies: One will issue a downgrade, and the market generally reacts with a collective shrug of the shoulders.
Watch Money, Power & Wall Street, FRONTLINE's investigation into the inside story of the global financial crisis..
When Standards & Poor's decided last summer to downgrade the U.S., investors responded by purchasing even more U.S. debt. The same was true for U.K. debt in February after Moody's Investors Service issued a "negative" outlook for the nation. And on Friday, one day after Moody's downgraded 15 of the world's largest banks, investors responded by sending up shares of the affected firms.
To some degree, the muted response can be explained by the the ratings agencies being seen as lagging indicators. Their analysts work with the same data as the rest of the market, so by the time a downgrade is announced, investors have already priced in the decision.
Another issue is the credibility of the rating firms, which remains badly bruised following their role in the financial crisis. Though they're supposed to protect investors by gauging risk in the marketplace, during the housing boom, for example, the three major firms — Fitch Ratings, Moody's and Standard & Poor's — awarded their highest ratings to billions of dollars worth of assets that would later be deemed worthless.
Today, that means the firms are much more sensitive to being seen as playing catch up, said Morris Goldstein, a senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics.
"Since they've been accused of being so late in the past … they try and make sure that they're not going to be late in the future," Goldstein said. "So if they see things weakening at major financial institutions, knock them down. They see debt problems in the U.S., they drop the credit rating."
Nonetheless, that lingering skepticism is worrying, says Dennis Kelleher, the president and CEO of the Wall Street watchdog firm Better Markets. If anything, last week's downgrade should have been read as a warning that even the biggest banks in the country are just "marginally solvent." Instead, he said, the market is ignoring the announcement and "counting on the Fed bailing every one out again."
The Dodd-Frank financial overhaul expanded oversight of ratings firms by establishing an Office of Credit Ratings within the Securities and Exchange Commission. The new office will centralize oversight of the firms and issue annual reports on their performance.
Still, regulators continue to struggle with implementing several major components of reform, including breaking the compensation model that allows companies to pay the very firms that are rating them.
Take Morgan Stanley, for example, which in February was warned by Moody's that it was in danger of receiving a three-notch downgrade by the firm. Bank officials responded by meeting with Moody's analysts to convince them that their assessment of Morgan Stanley was too pessimistic, The New York Times reported.
"These meetings often resembled a monologue with Morgan Stanley talking and Moody's listening," one anonymous attendee told The Times.
On Thursday, when Moody's listed Morgan Stanley among the banks it was downgrading, it only cut the firm's rating by two notches.
"That raises the whole question which is how much did Morgan Stanley beat up the raters so that they didn't go down three notches," Kelleher said.
A separate issue facing regulators is removing barriers to entry into the marketplace for other ratings firms. One relative newcomer, Kroll Bond Ratings Agency Inc., has been seeking to compete with the three dominant firms by offering clients what it describes as a more forensic approach to ratings. The challenge for upstarts like Kroll, however, is that many regulatory filings and investment contracts require a rating from one of the three major firms.
Nonetheless, increased competition may be an antidote to the industry's compensation model, according to at least one recent study that found that companies are more favorably rated when fewer analysts are studying them.
In the meantime, the SEC continues to study seven alternative models proposed by the Government Accountability Office to correct the compensation structure of the ratings industry to avoid conflicts of interest. One plan under review is a random selection model, whereby issuers would continue to pay for ratings, but rather than pay the credit agencies directly, they pay a government board which would then randomly assign the rating to Fitch, Moody's or S&P.
Breaking the current model is key, say critics like Kelleher.
"If you're in the business of making money and how you make your money is by the number of people who hire you to rate their securities — and of course they want their securities rated as high as possible — it's just almost impossible to ask an organization under those circumstances to act against its own economic interest and do the right," Kelleher said.
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The Probation Department's mission is to protect community safety, reduce crime and assist victims, through offender accountability and rehabilitation. The Department has developed a wide variety of community outreach prevention programs to strengthen families, suppress gang activity, and address alcohol and drug abuse to reduce criminal activity. These programs, created in collaboration with the courts, law enforcement, health agencies, schools, social service agencies, and other community-based organizations are located throughout San Diego County.
Administrative Facts for Fiscal Year 2008/09
- The department consists of 1,025 sworn and 279 non-sworn staff, which is divided into five divisions: Administration, Support Staff, Juvenile Field Services, Adult Field Services, and Institutions
- The chief probation officer, three deputy chief probation officers, probation services manager, and 13 directors administer a budget of $176 million.
- Staff is located in 17 main facilities and many more are out stationed at community-based organizations and law enforcement outlets.
Juvenile Supervision Facts for Fiscal Year 2008/09
- Field officers supervise 4,784 youth in the community, 140 of which attend school at a Probation-run facility. The department supervises an average of 360 juvenile gang members and 125 juvenile sex offenders.
- Probation officers executed 7,279 4th waiver searches on juveniles.
- Probation staff made a total of 92,462 in person contacts with juvenile probationers.
- The Community Assessment Teams case managed 2,715 clients and served a total of 7,834. Of the 2,025 case managed clients who exited the program during the fiscal year, only 1.1% was convicted of a new crime.
- Intake and Investigations officers processed 5,087 felony referrals and 4,077 misdemeanor referrals from law enforcement.
- Officers contacted 4,054 victims to inform them of their rights and collect a victim impact statement.
- Home supervision officers made 85,266 contacts on 4,661 cases.
- 70.8% of juveniles terminating from probation during the fiscal year had no new law violations during their time on probation.
Adult Supervision Facts for Fiscal Year 2008/09
- Adult Field Services supervises 17,486 adults in the community of which more than a third (5,389) are between 18-25 years old.
- Investigations officers completed 11,035 pre-sentence investigations, 1,470 post sentence reports, and 1,058 expungements.
- Probation officers supervising adults executed 13,759 4th waiver searches.
- Probation staff made a total of 131,328 in person contacts with adult probationers.
- Officers contacted 8,328 victims to inform them of their rights to restitution and take a victim impact statement.
- 8,769 Work Project public service workers completed 410,072 community service hours.
- Six court officers provided 12,480 hours of court service.
- The adult gang unit intensively supervises 430 gang members.
- There are 440 registered sex offenders on probation.
- 66.3% of adults terminating from probation during the fiscal year had no new law violations during their time on probation.
Institutions Facts for Fiscal Year 2008/09
- Kearny Mesa Juvenile Detention Facility (KMJDF) and East Mesa Juvenile Detention Facility (EMJDF) booked a combined 5,225 males and 1,357 females into custody.
- KMJDF housed an average of 272 youth and EMJDF housed an average of 234 youth per day.
- The average length of stay at KMJDF was 16 days.
- The average length of stay at EMJDF was 30 days.
- It costs $237.64 per day to house detainees at KMJDF.
- Parents are billed $31 per day for each youth held at either KMJDF or EMJDF.
- 756 boys successfully completed the Juvenile Ranch Facility program.
- 326 boys successfully completed the Camp Barrett program.
- 151 girls successfully completed the Girl's Rehabilitation Facility program.


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- Photo: NI-WagnerAZ/X172 of 13
You Don't Dress With the Lohan: Behold the new "artistic adviser" for French fashion house Ungaro. What can we expect from Lindsay Lohan in her new role (as someone with a job)? Well, she says she wants to take the brand to "a younger place," which is funny considering that her nylon knee-highs take her to a place where "Matlock" is blaring and the Polident is flowing freely. At least the rest of LiLo's outfit doesn't make her look like she's stealing hard candies from Sophia Petrillo at the Shady Pines retirement home, although it still deserves to be put out to pasture. Appropriate accessorizing might have helped here. Her sternum-exposing, tuchus-grazing mini-tunic could use some cutting-edge trimmings like, say, a shirt, or pants, while her combat boots are crying out for a few kicky white flag accents, because any semblance of style has unconditionally surrendered. As for the band around Lindsay's head, it's either protecting a serious head wound (that would explain a lot) or it's holding together the plastic hair the paycheck-needing actress thriftily plucked from little sister Ali's Bratz doll collection.
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Lenovo ThinkPad W510 Specifications and Video Review
March 19, 2010
After we discussed earlier about where you can download Lenovo ThinkPad W510 Hardware Maintenance Manual.Now that will be discussed more deeply about the Lenovo ThinkPad W510 specifications are accompanied by a video review.So it would be to deepen your knowledge about the Lenovo ThinkPad W510 Notebook.
Lenovo ThinkPad W510 Specifications:
* 15.6-inch multi-touch FHD (1920 x 1080) LED Backlit 95% Gamut (matte finish)
* Windows 7 Professional (64bit)
* Intel Core i7-920XM (2GHz, 8MB Cache)
* 500GB Seagate 7200.4 HDD (7200rpm)
* Intel 6300 802.11AGN, Bluetooth, Gobi 2000 WWAN
* NVIDIA Quadro FX 880M with 1GB DDR3
* 94Wh 9-cell, 135W 20V AC adapter
* Dimensions: 14.68" x 9.65" x 1.35-1.57"
* Weight: 7.2 pounds
* Retail Price: $2,059 Starting (Exact configuration price unavailable)
Lenovo ThinkPad W510 Video Review :
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Browse/Search Log Home Floor Plans
Our customers have told us that floor plans and designs are very important in the planning process. As a result, Katahdin has developed a comprehensive search guide to help you find the plans for your dream home.
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As of Saturday, February 2, 2013
© Copyright 2015 Gwinnett Daily Post
DACULA -- Hebron Christian Academy boys' basketball team has been on a roller coaster ride this season with injuries and sickness, but the Lions sure found the ride a fun one on Saturday night in a 52-40 win over Providence Christian Academy in Region 8B-A hoops action.
Hebron (8-14, 5-6) was deadlocked with Providence at 22-22 midway through the third quarter, but the Lions closed out the period with an 11-4 run to go ahead 33-26 heading to the fourth.
Hebron didn't let up in the final eight minutes as the Lions pushed the advantage out to 14 at 42-28 with 3:40 remaining and finished up the 12-point win, thanks to some aggressive defense that forced numerous Storm turnovers.
"I'm a little overcome with emotion because nobody except the 11 men in that locker room and our coaches know what we've been through this year," said Hebron head coach Will Cantrell. "Injuries, sickness and other things. But we've stuck together and I've never had a team that lays it on the line like those guys. The record doesn't reflect it, but we bring that kind of effort and tonight we just put the ball in the hole when it mattered."
Hebron never trailed in the game as the Lions led 10-6 at the end of the first quarter and 20-13 at the half.
But it looked like Providence (10-11, 8-3) would settle in and overtake Hebron as the Storm went on a 9-2 spurt to start the third quarter.
However, Hebron remained steady after the Providence run and held the Storm to just four more points in the final 4:37 of the third quarter to take the seven-point lead into the fourth quarter.
Noah Herrin led the way for Hebron with 17 points, including eight of nine from the free throw line.
Cory Johnson and Derek Vandiver each added nine points while Tyler Matthews and Ryan Thomas had eight each for the balanced Hebron attack.
Vandiver, Matthews and Thomas each hit a pair of three-pointers for the Lions.
Steven Kleinschmidt led Providence with 13 points and Duncan Gotfredson had nine, including two three-pointers, for the Storm.
In the girls' game, Providence and Hebron went toe-to-toe for three quarters before the Storm pulled out a 48-41 win.
Tied at 37-37 after three quarters, Providence (15-6, 11-1) held Hebron to just four points in the final eight minutes to gain some breathing room and eventually get the seven-point win.
In fact, neither team scored until the 3:17 mark of the fourth quarter when Providence's Jessie Kowalewicz hit a free throw to break the 37-all tie.
Providence added four more free throws to take a 42-37 lead before Hebron got a pair of free throws from Jozie Lewis with 1:27 remaining to cut the Storm lead to a one-possession game at 42-39.
But Providence hit six more free throws in the final 1:21 to take the win and set up a showdown at George Walton Academy on Tuesday in a battle for first place in the subregion.
Kowalewicz led all scorers in the game with 24 points. The senior point guard also connected on 15 of 21 from the free throw line -- 9-for-13 in the fourth quarter alone.
Allie Petmecky added 10 points for the Storm.
Hannah Lentz led Hebron (10-12, 6-6) with 17 points, including a trio of three-pointers.
Amber Skidael added 13 points for the Lions.
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- Hebron boys open region basketball tourney with win ( February 16, 2014 )