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Partner: UNT Libraries
Department: School of Visual Arts
Decade: 2000-2009
Abstract Moments of Art Found in the Ordinary
Date: December 2002
Creator: Kraft, Stuart
Description: This paper is an experiment using digital video to locate and identify the abstract in everyday life and nature. The abstract moment occurs when the image that is captured by video loses its connection with the original context, allowing the images to be viewed in an entirely new way. The abstract moment is initiated by a transformative instant, that instant in which perception is altered and the viewer sees the intended content of composition of light and sound. The project contains four digital videos that record the artist's progress and interests.
Contributing Partner: UNT Libraries
Activating Space within the Object and the Site
Date: May 2001
Creator: Provence, Dana Noel
Description: I look at the world as a sculptor, examining physical constructs and implied meanings. My current research developed from my earlier studies of "containment" or, more specifically, "encapsulation," creating visual, often physical, boundaries around selected content. Encapsulation confers a more active role than "containment", a process rather than a result. This idea speaks to the issues of form, and asks the viewer to question the outside "shape of the form" in relation to the inside shape and content. My work focuses on exposed interior spaces and forms, allowing the viewer to enter the space physically as well as mentally and psychologically. Built in a large enough scale, the viewer could actually become the content. The sculpture's interpretation revolves around the seen as well as the unseen. I built this duality into my work by using transparent and opaque materials. I also implemented small diameter stainless steel rod along with the transparent and opaque vinyl to reduce forms to their respective shapes and volumes. This approach allowed me to clean the "slate" of an object's collective meaning and context, adapting it to the intent of my work.
Contributing Partner: UNT Libraries
Art Criticism and the Gendering of Lee Bontecou's Art, ca. 1959 - 1964
Date: December 2005
Creator: Estrada-Berg, Victoria
Description: This thesis identifies and analyzes gendering in the art writing devoted to Lee Bontecou's metal and canvas sculptures made from the 1959 - 1964. Through a careful reading of reviews and articles written about Bontecou's constructions, this thesis reconstructs the context of the art world in the United States at mid-century and investigates how cultural expectations regarding gender directed the reception of Bontecou's art, beginning in 1959 and continuing through mid-1960s. Incorporating a description of the contemporaneous cultural context with description of the constructions and an analysis of examples of primary writing, the thesis chronologically follows the evolution of a tendency in art writing to associate gender-specific motivation and interpretation to one recurring feature of Bontecou's works.
Contributing Partner: UNT Libraries
Art Museum Resources and Teacher Use.
Date: May 2006
Creator: Eggemeyer, Valerie
Description: I proposed that both Bruner's (1963) idea of the spiral curriculum and Yenawine's (1992) theories of teaching for visual literacy in the museum set the stage for significant learning for students when used together. If school teachers lay a foundation of knowledge about a museum object, especially through museum resources, then the student may transform and apply this 'prior knowledge' (explicit memories from the classroom) while on the museum visit tour. When docents utilize Yenawine's (1992) methods toward the goal of visual literacy, the semantic knowledge of the classroom is then fused with museum learning, building stronger memories and facilitating deeper understanding as students learn about museum objects. This research explored the correlation of these two theories in a qualitative manner based on observations of actual museum visit preparation in classrooms in Casper, Wyoming, and how it related to a museum tour at the Nicolaysen Art Museum and Discovery Center. The research revealed that conditions do exist within the community that would facilitate Bruner's (1963) idea of a learning spiral, yet not in the manner envisioned. The observed conditions toward a spiral was accomplished through the participant teachers relating the museum exhibit to their operational curriculum in a variety of ...
Contributing Partner: UNT Libraries
Art or Craft?
Date: May 2004
Creator: Snelson, Jason
Description: I chose to exhibit sculpture and classical style vessels together to encourage discussion about whether ceramics should be considered a fine art medium. I was interested in experimenting with different forms and textures in order to see which combination would captivate the viewing audience the longest. I found that massive textural sculptural forms held the attention of the viewer more so than did the classical smooth surfaced vessels.
Contributing Partner: UNT Libraries
Beads on a String: Extended Portraits
Date: December 2004
Creator: Kolčavová, Gabriela
Description: When I was first introduced to photography, I was mainly drawn to landscape imagery. I enjoyed being a solitary spectator. Over time, inclusions of figurative elements became more and more apparent in my work. I purposefully began to incorporate a figure into my landscapes, ascribing to it a certain nostalgia and a sense of isolation I was experiencing on many levels at that time. Before long, I felt disconnected from these images because of their ambiguity and generalization. I found myself craving more content and personal commitment in my photography. At the end 2003, I started experimenting with a 4" x 5" format camera, which forced me, to some extent, to change my way of photographing and seeing. That is how the beginning of this new body of work was born. I was accustomed to shooting with a 35 mm camera, which allowed me to be spontaneous, quick and immediate. I permanently switched to a large format. I could see myself benefiting from this change. I lost some of the spontaneity that a 35 mm format offers but I gained the beauty of working with larger negatives and the endless possibilities of view camera movements. Thanks to this technical transformation, ...
Contributing Partner: UNT Libraries
The Categorization and Use of Three Dimensional Computer Generated Special Effects in Film
Date: May 2000
Creator: Johnson, Charlie
Description: There has been a growing trend in the film industry in the use of three dimensional computer generated images (3D CGI) for special effects. With the popularity of this relatively new medium comes the need for new terminology. This exploration developed a general system of classification for 3D CGI effects for use in film. This system was based on a study of various writings about the significant films, which employ 3D CGI effects. A three-group system of classification system was developed. The three-group system was composed of the Elements Group, Level of Reality Group, and the Kind Group. These terms were developed to aid in the day-to-day production of 3D CGI special effects in the future.
Contributing Partner: UNT Libraries
Ceramics Without Clay: An Exploration into Potential
Date: May 2001
Creator: Hart, Christopher David
Description: Investigating the behavior, function and appearance of ceramic materials has proven an enduring point of interest throughout my education. In learning about the vast range of the earth-yielded materials and their physical manifestations in states ranging from wet to dry to fired, I have found myself excited and challenged to seek out ways to expand their presentation. My attention has been repeatedly drawn to the class of ceramic materials that frequently get classified as "glaze ingredients." Understanding the structural and visual qualities of these minerals and compounds was an interest whether I was making tableware, tiles, or sculpture. For the purposes of this paper, I propose to deal expressly with the physical art-making considerations of material and process as they relate to my work in ceramics. By directing my focus as such, I hope to center my work on a concern that became evident to the art world upon the display of Marcel Duchamp's Fountain: material equals content.
Contributing Partner: UNT Libraries
Colorful Diary
Date: May 2004
Creator: Wang, Nanfei
Description: Chapter I describes how my works are grounded in a Chinese point of view, based on sociological and anthropological approaches as defined in my work. The questions in my Statement of Problem deal with how I use "imbalance" in my works, yet still find a way to make acceptable compositions to better tell my stories. I relate how my work constitutes a positive act or event in an evolving world culture. Chapter II discusses the work I focused around the questions posed in Chapter I. Chapter III expresses my conclusion about my work and my goals for the future.
Contributing Partner: UNT Libraries
A Comparison of Texas Pre-service Teacher Education Programs in Art and the 1999 National Art Education Association's Standards for Art Teacher Preparation
Date: May 2002
Creator: Breitenstein, Gary
Description: Texas programs in pre-service art teacher preparation vary little. Since 1970, the National Art Education Association (NAEA) has created voluntary standards in hopes of decreasing variability among programs. In 1999, the NAEA published Standards for Art Teacher Preparation, outlining 20 content areas that art pre-service programs should provide their students. To obtain information on the implementation and the extent to which these 20 standards are being implemented, a questionnaire was sent to all programs in Texas. The 20 standards were the dependent variable for the study. The four independent variables used in this ex post facto study were: the size of the institution where the program exists; the number of full-time art faculty; the number of full-time art education faculty; and, the number of undergraduate art education students who graduated last year. The 20 standards or provisions were scored on a Lickert scale with six options: zero (not taught) to five (comprehensively taught). The response size (N = 23) was 47% of the state's 49 approved programs. The results from the survey suggest no significant difference among programs. However, the results showed a significant difference in the number of provisions taught between programs with no art educators and those with ...
Contributing Partner: UNT Libraries


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HDH is proud of it's affiliation with Santa Rosa Junior College nursing program. Nursing students learn direct patient care skills and managing healthcare in a rural setting at HDH.
Additionally, Radiology Technologist students from SRJC experience a rotation at HDH and learn the art of radiology diagnostics for patients at the hospital. Their rotation includes CT scan technology, MRI, fluoroscopy, ultrasound, digital mammography, dexascan, and surgical imaging with the fluoroscan.

subset: commoncrawl


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When David Spivey installed a hidden camera to find out who was stealing money from his truck, he never guessed the culprit would be his personal trainer. But that turned out to be the case, according to KLTV.
Spivey was shocked to find Reginald Wilson, his fitness trainer at the Woodcreek Athletic Club, opening the truck doors while he was inside training. "I mean it just goes to show you, you can't trust anybody," Spivey said.
The East Texas man's video shows Wilson entering the truck with empty hands. He then opens a compartment and removes something before leaving.
"It's pretty self explanatory; my hand went in empty and came out with green stuff," he said.
Spivey gave the video to Tyler police, who arrested Wilson soon afterwards. Wilson also worked as a peace officer for the Whitehouse Police Department, which has since fired him.


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CALLING ALL WILDFLOWER LOVERS: The Fredericksburg Standard-Radio Post is inviting readers to join it in celebrating the 2014 wildflower season by sharing your best photos from this spring. Got a cute picture of a kid sniffing a buttercup or a photo of a cow grazing in an ocean of Indian Paintbrush or Texas Bluebonnets? Please email photos at their highest resolution possible and as separate .jpg attachments to: email@example.com or drop off a copy at the newspaper office, 712 West Main Street. Be sure to include your name, the names of anyone in the photo (left to right,) where the photo was taken, as well as your address and daytime phone number so we have a way to get in touch. Some of the photos shared with us will be featured online, while others will be selected for publication in a future issue. —Standard-Radio Post/Lisa Treiber-Walter
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Copyright © 2016, The Fredericksburg Standard/Radio Post.
The Fredericksburg Standard/Radio Post | P.O. Box 1639 | Fredericksburg, Tx 78624-4228 | 830-997-2155


text: The expander cone nut on my old Modolo quill stem was seized, and i couldn't remove it by hitting the head of the bolt with a hammer or mallet because it was deeply recessed and (horrors) it's made of aluminum. So, if I hammered on it with a drift pin, it would be ruined. So, I devised a tool made from a steel hex head bolt, by cutting off the head and cutting a slot in the end so that I could thread it into the expander nut with a long slotted screwdriver. I then hit the bolt with a steel drift pin and hammer, which dislodged the seized expander nut, allowing the stem to be removed. I did need to run a tap through the aluminum expander nut threads, which had gotten a bit boogered up during the hammering session. Just another one of those interesting problems one encounters working on vintage bikes.


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Katja's Trip Diary Day Three
We were on a good ski trip routine this morning.
Everyone got up early, and got ready for the day with one mission in mind: Get some skiing done! The three kids were excited for another day at ski school, and I was excited to test my limits on the mountain, alone. Same as yesterday – the kids barely said goodbye when I dropped them off at the ski school, they were ready to go.
I am letting you in on a secret; I am scared of heights. People find it ironic because I love to ski, and my husband is a helicopter pilot (and I am terrified of flying in a helicopter). But that's one of the reasons why skiing feels like such an accomplishment for me, because I am proud of myself just when I am able to make it up the ski lift, especially when I am able to sit on a ski lift alone with no bar down. It may seem like small thing for you, but to me – going up the mountain is already an accomplishment. When you think that just getting up can be an accomplishment and you can be proud of yourself (or your child) for making it that far – coming down is just the icing on the cake.
I am telling you this because today I was only able to ski for three hours, and after that my knees were hurting and muscles burning and I had to quit. I was afraid that if I keep pushing myself more, I would l get hurt. I was sad to stop skiing around noon, but then I thought about it – why beat myself for it. I DID ski, and I tested my limits, and succeeded!
I came back to the condo, took a long bath, and enjoyed some quiet time before picking up kids from ski school. They were excited about their day, and proudly showed their ski school booklets with the trails they had skied. We all were tired but happy.
We decided to stay in and relax, watching the Nickelodeon Kids's Choice Awards on TV. The kids had been talking about it for the entire week. It was great to spend time with my kids.
We are still trying to decide whether they all want to go to the ski school tomorrow or not. They love the school, but at the same time, we came here to spend time together, and we might just do that tomorrow instead.
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Hyundai Hope on Wheels presented a check to the GHS Children's Medical Center Tuesday. (WRDW-TV / Sept. 27, 2011)
Tuesday, Sept. 27, 2011
AUGUSTA, Ga. -- Representatives of Augusta area Hyundai dealers, Hyundai Hope on Wheels and Georgia Health Sciences University were on hand Tuesday for the presentation of a $100,000 check.
The award was given to GHSU to fund research on childhood cancer, specifically brain tumors. Augusta-area children affected by cancer were also on hand to place colorful hand prints on a canvas to mark their battles with the disease.
The presentation took place at the Georgia Health Sciences Children's Medical Center.
"This donation represents a critical pledge in our fight against pediatric brain cancer," said Dr. Theodore Johnson, a Children's Medical Center pediatric hematologist/oncologist, in a news release. "This is important because the more we understand about how these tumors quietly advance, the easier it will be to develop new medications and other therapies to defeat those mechanisms in children with brain tumors."
The center is one of 71 recipients of the Hope Grant Program, which is giving away $7.1 million in honor of National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month.
Have information or an opinion about this story? Click here to contact the newsroom.
Copyright WRDW-TV News 12. All rights reserved. This material may not be republished without express written permission.


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Requirements for Admission
Students are eligible to take EDUC 3320, Professional Development I, as soon as they have 60 earned hours. However, students must be admitted to the Teacher Education Program before they are allowed to take any other professional development courses.
The following is a summary of generic requirements and key points for admission. Please use the links to your left to find out information about specific program requirements and applications.
Applying to the Teacher Education Program
Generic Information
Key Points to Remember:
Applications are due by 5:00 pm on the due date, which is typically February 15, July 1, or October 15. Sometimes this date is postponed when classes start late. Please click on "Application Deadlines" to the left for specific dates.
Secondary/All-Level applications and requirements are different from Elementary applications and requirements. Submit completed applications to our office located in the Math Building, Suite 101.
You will need an advisor's signature on several items in your application. Be sure to MAKE AN APPOINTMENT well in advance of the due date.
The following is a summary of major requirements that must be completed by the end of application semester. In addition, elementary students are asked to have the GPA requirement met before applying. There may be additional requirements that are department specific.
- 4 English courses (12 hours) with a C or better (This will change to 9 hours Fall of 2016.)
- Speech with a B or better (COMM 1311, 1315, or 2302)
- PSYC 3303 or 2308 or CHFS 3300 with a C or better
- EDUC 3320 with a C or better
- Completion of at least 12 hours in Certification Area; 15 hours if Math or Science
- No grade lower than C in your Certification Area or in Professional Development
- GPA of at least 2.75 in each Certification Area Block, Professional Development, and on all coursework on Certificate Plan. In addition, an "Admission GPA" of 2.75 is required. The admission GPA is calculated first by using the overall GPA on the applicant's transcript at the end of the application semester. If the overall GPA is lower than a 2.75, it will be recalculated based on the applicant's last 60 hours of coursework. When calculating the Last 60 Hours GPA, full semesters must be used; therefore, the total hours may be in excess of 60. Either method of GPA calculation must meet the minimum 2.75 requirement for admission eligibility without exception. Calculators and instructions can be found on the Applications and Certificate Plans page.
- Passing score in WRITING, READING, and MATH from the Accuplacer, Asset, Compass or THEA. To check your test scores, send an email with your name and ID number to firstname.lastname@example.com Please note that ACT, SAT, TAKS, TAAS, or TSI Assessment scores are not accepted.
- All students must be screened by their departments.
- Each department may have additional requirements. For example, Interdisciplinary Studies students are also required to have a passing score in MATH 1314 or higher.
- Evidence of good moral character and the mental, emotional, and physical ability to function effectively in a classroom.
Important Contact Information:
Allison Andrews, Program Specialist, 254-968-9815, email@example.com
Dr. Holly Lamb, Certification Officer and Director of Teacher Education, 254-968-9817, firstname.lastname@example.com
If you are denied admission into the Teacher Education Program, you will need to reapply with new paperwork by the next due date.


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Oh, so you've stopped by my profile to have a gander, have you? Well, that's surprising. Didn't know my profile was interesting enough for you to click your little digital self all the way here. I thought my crappy username would have thrown you off. But here you are.
Nice to be read by you, m'dear.
I do digital art as a hobby, using Photoshop CS6 with my little bamboo tablet. Honestly, I just like drawing cartoons and trying to make zany designs. Cute and fun stuff. That, or just trying to make something pretty. I don't stick to one style much. Should I ever have the patience for animating, I would pursue it, but really am just honing my drawing skill until I feel rabid enough to try animate something.
Other than that, I haven't done much with my nineteen years. I just sort of sit around and read popular comics, sometimes books, cook stuff, listen to soundtracks, and watch tv. Mainly western animation.
But hey, thanks for stopping over, and having a read. I've got a tumblr too. I don't know what you want to do with my tumblr, but it's there.


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Snow falling in parts of East Tennessee
Taken just inside the park today and it is 3 exposures compressed into one so it is edited. Its called high dynamic range photography. Enjoy.
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Adrenergic Uptake Inhibitors
Nocturnal Enuresis - Article
ABSTRACT: Nocturnal enuresis is a common problem that can be troubling for children and their families. Recent studies indicate that nocturnal enuresis is best regarded as a group of conditions with different etiologies. A genetic component is likely in many affected children. Research also indicates the possibility of two subtypes of patients with nocturnal enuresis: those with a functional bladder disorder and those with a maturational delay in nocturnal arginine vasopressin secretion. The evaluation of nocturnal enuresis requires a thorough history, a complete physical examination, and urinalysis. Treatment options include nonpharmacologic and pharmacologic measures. Continence training should be incorporated into the treatment regimen. Use of a bed-wetting alarm has the highest cure rate and the lowest relapse rate; however, some families may have difficulty with this treatment approach. Desmopressin and imipramine are the primary medications used to treat nocturnal enuresis, but both are associated with relatively high relapse rates.
Selecting Medications for the Treatment of Urinary Incontinence - Article
ABSTRACT: In response to the growing population of older patients with incontinence, pharmaceutical companies are developing new drugs to treat the condition. Before prescribing medications for incontinence, however, physicians should determine the nature and cause of the patient's incontinence. The evaluation should rule out reversible conditions, conditions requiring special evaluation, and overflow bladder. The best treatment for urge incontinence is behavior therapy in the form of pelvic floor muscle exercises. Medications, used as an adjunct to behavior therapy, can provide additional benefit. Many therapies are available for patients with stress incontinence, including pelvic floor muscle exercise, surgery, intravaginal support devices, pessaries, peri-urethral injections, magnetic chairs, and intraurethral inserts. No medication has been approved for the treatment of stress incontinence, although medications are under development.
Diagnosis and Management of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder in Adults - Article
ABSTRACT: Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in childhood can persist into adulthood in at least 30 percent of patients, with 3 to 4 percent of adults meeting the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th ed., diagnostic criteria. A number of conditions, such as thyroid disease, mood disorders, and substance use disorders, have symptoms similar to those of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and should be considered in the differential diagnosis. Steroids, antihistamines, anticonvulsants, caffeine, and nicotine also can have adverse effects that mimic attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder symptoms. Proper diagnosis and treatment can improve daily functioning. Diagnosis relies on a thorough clinical history, supported by a number of rating scales that take five to 20 minutes to complete, depending on the scale. Clinical guidelines recommend stimulants and the nonstimulant atomoxetine as first-line treatments, followed by antidepressants. Cognitive behavior therapy has also been shown to be helpful as adjunctive treatment with medication. For adults with coexisting depression, the combination of an antidepressant and stimulants has been shown to be safe and effective. To monitor for misuse or diversion of stimulants, family physicians should consider using a controlled substances agreement and random urine drug screening in addition to regular follow-up visits.
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text:
The Valley of the Shadow
Editor's Note: On Saturday, January 29, Gil Schamess died at his home at the age of 34, just six months after learning he had metastatic liver cancer. Before his death, Gil and Lisa wrote a column for Beliefnet on their struggle to live with his illness. With this column, Lisa begins the story of her new life with their 15-month-old daughter, Mona.
A few nights after Gil's diagnosis last summer, we lay in the dark discussing entropy. We pondered whether chaos, which slows down when it meets resistance, could be directed away from a vulnerable place. The cancer was still only a spattering of X-rayed shadows on Gil's liver and lungs. What cosmic force might disperse them, we wondered, when medicine offered so little hope? Talk had served us well in the past, bridged the bright space between our separate selves by day and the dark space between our bodies at night, mended our differences, tickled our ribs. Now we were desperately trying to talk chaos away from our bed.
More from Beliefnet


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I dragged my attention away from the cowboy, turning to the sound of my name. Climbing out of the passenger side of the truck was a woman. A blond woman. A beautiful blond woman.
Reality slapped me in the face. Of course a guy that hot wasn't single. They probably had six kids at home. What twilight zone did I think I was in?
At least that would make things easier. For a moment there I'd had trouble breathing.
"Yes," I said, trying not to let my shoulders slump as my heart rate returned to normal. "I'm Cassie Bishop."
"I'm Genevieve Haywood, marketing manager here a Black Willow Ranch." She lifted a hand to shield her eyes from the bright sun. "I'm the one who arranged this whole thing. I've been exchanging emails with your boss for months."
Her voice had a gentle lilt that reminded me a bit of Bethany's southern drawl. As she rounded the front of the battered truck, I tried not to envy her petite curves and infectious smile. Wearing skinny jeans tucked into knee-high boots and a three-quarter sleeve denim jacket layered over a maroon tank, she would fit in on a Hollywood movie set as easily as she seemed to belong in the wilds of Texas.
In my black jeans, black tee, black cardigan, and black boots I must have looked like a walking poster for New York City style. I didn't fit in anywhere else.
Which only made what I was about to do even more ridiculous.
"Mr. Gorman told me all about you," she continued.
I was sure he hadn't told her everything.
She hooked her arm around the cowboy's bicep.
"And this is Ty," she said, beaming with pride as she leaned playfully into his side. "Your future TV star—"
Was he blushing under that Yankees cap?
"—and my big brother."
"What?" I snapped before I could stop myself.
Eddie snorted.
I cut him a sharp glare and he pretended not to notice.
His little sister. That explained the adoring look and—now that I thought about it—the family resemblance. I won't lie—my heart rate sped right back up.
And my long-neglected girly side was especially glad I'd taken those precious seconds to swipe some color onto my face.
"Nice to meet you Genevieve," I said, ignoring my suddenly out-of-control hormones. I even managed to look right into the cowboy's bright blue eyes as I nodded at him. "Ty. I'm the field producer for Try It On."
I couldn't seem to tear my gaze away from those baby blues. It didn't help that he stepped forward and held out his hand.
"A pleasure," he said, his voice deep and smooth. "I look forward to working with you, Cassie."
My knees might have buckled a little as he said my name.
Get a grip! Seriously, this job was too important to get all melty inside over the super-hot star of the show. I should have been focusing on how great he would look on camera. Our target demographic—female viewers ages twenty-five to forty-five—were going to go nuts over his full lips and sculpted features. Heck, I was smack dab in the middle of that demographic and I could barely think straight. He would make the show an instant hit.
As long as I didn't screw it up first.
I boldly took his offered hand.
It was just as rough and warm and hard-working as I'd thought. The heat from his touch shot straight down my spine. All the way to my red-polished toes. (Pedicures were pretty much my only concession to conventional girliness.)
I yanked my hand away before the sensation completely dissolved my judgment.
"And this is Eddie—" I stammered, pointing at the big guy. "Cameraman."
"Just pretend I'm not here," he grumbled.
I shot him a sarcastic grin. "I try and I try."
"Don't piss off the guy with the camera." He tapped at the device he kept practically glued to his shoulder. "I can make ten on-air pounds look like twenty."
Eddie might be a grouch, but he was great at his job and I actually understood his humor. We were a good team. When Gorman asked who I wanted filming at my side, Eddie was my first choice. Without hesitation.
"Well it sure is a pleasure to have y'all here at the ranch," Genevieve said, ignoring—or oblivious to—our exchange. "Are we just waiting for the, um… cowgirl in training?"
My spine stiffened.
"If we are, we'll be waiting a long time," I muttered.
"I beg your pardon?" Genevieve asked with puzzled smile.
"Actually, no." This was ridiculous. The fear of losing my career must have been affecting the decision-making parts of my brain. Normal, rational Cassie could never do something so insane. I shook my head, regretting my words even as I said them. "There's been a change of plans."
I sensed Eddie turn the camera on me. Clever bastard knew what I was going to do.
I forced a tight smile.
"I will be playing the part of cowgirl wannabe."
Eddie coughed.
Ty's eyebrows lifted beneath his Yankees brim.
Genevieve clapped her hands together and bounded toward me. "That's wonderful!"
I might have jerked away as she wrapped her arms around me, engulfing me in a tight hug, but she didn't seem to notice. My pleading look in Eddie's direction went unnoticed—or ignored.
"This is going to be so much fun," she squealed in my ear.
"Come on, Cassie Bishop," Ty said. "Let's go meet your horse."
"Horse?" I choked.
What had I done?
And another song recommendation from Andy. This time it's Cowboy Take Me Away by the Dixie Chicks. Oh yes please...
Tune in tomorrow for the next installment.


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January 12, 2012
U.S. Raises Hopes in Hunt for Rebel Warlord
Horand Knaup, Der Spiegel
AP Photo
His troops murder, rape and force children to become killers. For decades, rebel leader Joseph Kony has savagely terrorized the jungles of Central Africa and evaded all his would-be captors. Many are hoping that bringing 100 US military advisers into the fight will finally end it.
TAGGED: United States, Congo, Uganda, Central African Republic, Joseph Kony, Lord's Resistance Army, Yoweri Museveni, International Criminal Court, President , leader , Florence Ameny, self-appointed general


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Amphy is an Ampharos who lives in Olivine City that serves as a light source for the Glitter Lighthouse. It appears to be Jasmine's and she cares for it at the top of the lighthouse.
In the anime
Amphy is in the anime. It was named "Sparkle".
In the games
In Generation II and IV, you have to heal Amphy. This requires a Secret Potion (from Cianwood City).
|This article is an anime stub.
Please help the Pokémon Wiki by expanding it.


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The single-player campaign storyline for one of 2010's best-selling PC games stands at the intersection between awful writing and awful social politics. It's a terrible story with terrible things to say that is stupid and offensive. Nobody really likes it, although in the testosterone-filled world of hardcore PC gaming, most people haven't taken too seriously just how sexist it is.
This isn't a secret — among the millions of Starcraft fans, the storyline of Starcraft 2 is widely mocked and insulted. It's bad even for video game stories (which are generally pretty bad) – and it's bad enough that it's high time people outside this niche gaming community saw exactly what sort of narrative is being foisted on gamers. Everyone deserves better – we can send a better message, and we can do it by writing a better story. It's an interesting, niche situation where making the story better would also make it more socially progressive (although this isn't always the case, or life in general would be a lot simpler).
Starcraft 2 is a tremendously popular multiplayer strategy game, the long-awaited sequel (13 years long-awaited) to the crown jewel of real-time strategy gaming, the game that became the de facto national sport of South Korea, with pro players earning six-figure salaries and multiple television channels showing professional matches all the time. And the single-player missions are generally well-designed and fun, anyway. So, people are still going to play it, even if the single-player storyline that frames the missions is awful. But there is definitely something to be learned from looking at how and why the story is so bad.
Warning – there will be spoilers throughout, along with a rundown of how to go about making a good Starcraft story, and how to expel nova pulses from your Xel'naga penis.
SPOILERS – Beginning at the End
The best way to get a sense might just be to watch the end cinematic, which is by far the worst part of the story, bringing together all the mistakes and missteps it has made along the way. (I'm curious what people's reactions to it are, with the rest of the game sight-unseen. Let me know in the comments.)
Okay, so what happened here?
The naked girl is Sarah Kerrigan – a main character in the original Starcraft and the central antihero/villain of the Brood War expansion. She is the ascendant ruler of the Zerg, a species of alien monsters that operate through a hive mind and sweep through the universe destroying civilizations, taking over planets, and subsuming the genetic material of other organisms in a quest for perfection. They are known to "infest" their enemies, exerting a sort of biological mind control on them while turning them into monsters. They're a lot like the bugs in Starship Troopers with a dash of the Borg or Species 8472 from Star Trek.
Sarah Kerrigan is a former human special ops solider (called a "ghost") with powerful psionic abilities who is left for dead in an act of betrayal by her commander and captured and infested by the Zerg. Once she becomes a Zerg/Human hybrid, a series of events unfolds wherein, rather than being rendered a zombie monster slave, she seizes control of the Zerg, becoming one of the most powerful individuals in the known universe. Here's the cinematic of her betrayal that they made for Starcraft 2, although the events it portrays actually took place during the original Starcraft. (It's a mark against Starcraft 2 that its coolest scenes have more to do with the storyline of the original than its own storyline.)
She is also the ex-girlfriend of one of the human heroes (the guy with the space helmet and the mustache in both videos), a space marine named Jim Raynor. A big part of the plot of Brood War (and really what makes Kerrigan's character interesting and notable), is that Raynor always holds out hope that this ruthless interplanetary tyrant who is killing people by the billions, deep down, still cares about him and wants to be his girlfriend. Of course, he is totally wrong, there are bigger things going on than their relationship, and he is continually disappointed by the fact that no, this woman does not exist as an erotic object, but is in fact a totally legit badass who is playing him like a fiddle because he is dumb and sexist and keeps underestimating her.
The Starcraft 2 betrayal cinematic really hammers in on the new, retconned, damsel-in-distress Kerrigan that has in Starcraft 2 replaced the one we know and love from Starcraft and Brood War. Look how helpless she is without the men in her life, despite her being a special-forces soldier with psionic powers and a personal cloaking device! The sequel is trying its best to recast Kerrigan as a vulnerable innocent the player needs to save, not a powerful rival or somebody you yourself would want to play as in the game (People really like playing as the Zerg – unlike, say, the pre-Voyager Borg, they're quite sympathetic among players and aren't always seen as villains. Starcraft 2 doesn't even have any missions where you get to play as Zerg, a major expected feature from players that Blizzard is holding back to push an expansion next year, for which it will charge the price of a full game, because they can.)
Granted, as a female villain, it's reasonable, at least at first, to claim that Infested Kerrigan, the self-styled "Queen of Blades" is herself a sexist type. She is, after all, out to kill and dominate humans, and the human soldiers in the game are often, but not exclusively, portrayed as male. And of course, we on Overthinking It are suspicious of female characters who are merely powerful or capable, without being interesting or fully realized. But if you follow the female character flowchart for Sarah Kerrigan, the Queen of Blades does well:
- Can she carry her own story? Yes. (It's called Brood War)
- Is she three-dimensional? Yes. (Although I tend to not think this is very important.)
- Does she represent an idea? No. (She's pretty complicated.)
- Does she have any flaws? Yes. (Oh yes.)
- Is she killed before the third act? No. (She hasn't died yet in the story.)
The result from the flowchart?
Prior to the release of Starcraft 2, Sarah Kerrigan had been voted in reader polls at places like IGN and GameSpot as among the top video game villains and the top female video game characters ever. She is powerful, intelligent and ruthless, sexual without being a sex object, part friend, part foe, part girl-next-door, part something else entirely. The site Tom's Game calls her one of the "most fascinatingly complex and memorable characters of all time."
Although the story wends through distractions and changes direction awkwardly, the ultimate goal of Starcraft 2: Wings of Liberty is to redomesticate Sarah Kerrigan — to reassemble an ancient patriarchial artifact, which looks like this and floats, erect, when powered up:
And subdue her, take away her power, and leave her helpless, naked and wanting to love you and be your girlfriend again.
If you'd like, go ahead and watch this clip of the final mission of the game — note how Kerrigan actually emerges from a vagina dentata, how she is impressed and sounds sexually excited by the prospect of this artifact, and how the artifact periodically erupts in a flash of energy that destroys all nearby enemies, but then needs to rest for a little while before it can stand up and erupt again.
I know in the past I have written on this site that one ought not to consider as a creator of art a singular element or an individual creative act as "sexist," because such labels depend on a full understanding of the real-world consequences of art, which artists can never achieve and should not aspire to. But under this same setup, we as critics are of course free to call it whatever we want, with the understanding that our terming an artistic piece as such is at least partially an act of our own creation and a collective act of the readership — one that is not justified out of the context of real-world, measured material consequence and never wholly found within the art object in isolation.
That all being said, sometimes a phallic symbol is really a phallic symbol, and somebody needs to call it out, because it's ridiculous.
Furthermore, somebody needs to call out that this whole gross and unnecessary humiliation of one of the coolest characters in the history of video games is misogynistic and disgusting — and that it's a really dumb goal to put at the end of a Starcraft game in the first place.
Let's go into why Starcraft even has a storyline, and what that storyline needs to accomplish.
How to Assemble a Starcraft Storyline
Starcraft is a multiplayer strategy game. Players choose one of three races —
- The Terrans, who are a bunch of human beings who went all Gilligan's Island a long time ago and developed their own civilization very far from home, but still appear to have watched Firefly, at least according to their music and character design. Terrans have stuff like tanks, soldiers and mech walkers – familiar sci-fi /military stuff.
- The Protoss (I'll get to why they haven't been mentioned yet), another alien race in this part of the universe — ten-foot-tall giants with long lifespans, psychic powers and advanced technology. They aim to produce smaller numbers of more expensive, more powerful stuff (like spaceships that shoot laser beams and units that teleport).
- The Zerg, the aforementioned low-tech alien hive mind. The Zerg hatch swarms of monsters in waves to overwhelm their opponents.
Then the players, either alone or in teams, battle against each other in various configurations over and over again. Terrans fight other Terrans. Zerg fight Protoss. Protoss fight a team of Terran and Zerg. People play as random or play favorite races to get good at over time.
When a game starts, each player has a single base and a bunch of workers, and build first the infrastructure and then the army to destroy the other players' bases, all while collecting resources and managing an economy and army simultaneously. A Starcraft 2 game lasts about a half an hour most of the time, give or take 20 minutes or so, and each game stands entirely on its own, start to finish, on a map that is developed for its strategic and tactical features and not usually because it is important to the story.
This three-race structure is the key selling point of Starcraft. Each race plays very differently from the other two – much more so in general than in other real-time strategy games – and Blizzard, the gaming company that makes it (A subsidiary of Activision that also makes Warcraft and World of Warcraft, thus the "craft" in the name), continually patches and updates the game to get it as balanced as possible across the three races.
So, what is the main reason to have a story at all? The story is tasked with putting the game in context — adding stakes to the matches, and making each match feel as if it exists in a fictional universe that has some general feel and internal logic.
Why are these races fighting, and why do they fight over and over again in different configurations?
The original Starcraft story and the Brood War expansion's story do great jobs of answering this question. The Starcraft 2 story bails on this hardcore. It tries to focus on the characters, but it doesn't do that well either, because the characters are very much informed by why these races are fighting each other over and over again in the first place.
The story of the original Starcraft is pretty complex, but it is built elegantly around the events on one planet, called Chau Sara.
- Chau Sara was a Terran colony that was invaded by the Zerg. So, the humans are fighting the Zerg. Great.
- While the Terrans were fighting aliens they had never seen before, a commander showed up like Paul Reiser in Aliens looking to protect some secret research installation and cover up the existence of the Zerg to support a corrupt and shady government. This is largely responsible for the planet not being adequately protected and eventually falling. So, the humans are fighting each other. Great.
- Meanwhile, the Protoss show up with a fleet of spaceships looking for the Zerg, because they are ancient enemies of the Zerg and hunt them down and exterminate them wherever they are. So the Protoss are fighting the Zerg. Great.
- The Protoss get an order to "purify" the planet, killing all life on its surface, including the humans who live there. The commander in charge of the fleet disagrees with the order. So the Protoss are fighting the Protoss. Great.
- But the Protoss decide to go ahead with the purification anyway, and zap the planet, killing all the humans and Zerg on it. The humans are caught totally off-guard and are furious. So the humans are fighting the Protoss. Great.
All the possible conflicts among the three races in the game are set up in this one event. The only one left out is the Zerg versus the Zerg. They save that for the Brood War expansion.
It's really elegant, especially because the different perspectives of the various players sets up the conflict in inevitable ways that don't paint anyone in particular (except the Zerg, but everybody likes the Zerg anyway) as the villain. So somebody who wants to play either Terran or Protoss gets reassurance from the story that there is some legitimacy to what at least some faction on their side is trying to accomplish.
The story then progresses through a series of complex crosses and double-crosses. The protagonist is nameless — the "player" is assumed to be a high-ranking commander of whatever race he or she is playing. It's an epic military story with a large cast.
The Starcraft 2 Story
The Starcraft 2 story starts with an analogous event – the Zerg invade a planet called Mar Sara, where Marshall Jim Raynor, a hero of the Zerg wars, lives a relatively quiet life of local law enforcement.
- The Zerg land on the planet and kill everybody. So the humans are fighting the Zerg. Great.
- The protagonist and his buddies are rescued from the planet by a spaceship that leads a rebel fleet aimed at overthrowing the Emperor of the humans. So the humans are fighting each other. Great.
Yeah, that's a lot fewer bullets. The formative events of the Starcraft 2 storyline, the ones that happen early and get everything going, don't involve the Protoss at all. They are later shoehorned in with a really thoroughly bullshit series of missions involving having to steal rare gas from holy temples and getting some memory crystal with a bunch of prophesies on it that are apropos of nothing and throw the narrative into crazytown for no reason.
The actual underlying story, which you only really piece together gradually through indirect sources and don't encounter in any major single events, works like this:
- The Dark Voice (a villain who isn't in the game and you never face from a race that isn't in the game) is the Big Bad.
- The Dark Voice is manipulating the Zerg to fight the Protoss so he can create super-powered hybrids (which you can't play as and only show up in a few missions and never in multiplayer) that will destroy the universe and rule over total darkness
- The Dark Voice does this by infiltrating the brain of the Zerg Overmind (a villain who isn't in the game, because he is already dead, and you never face him and can't play as him).
- The Zerg Overmind (which again, isn't in the game) tries to defy the Dark Voice (who again, isn't in the game) by infesting Sarah Kerrigan, who will have more free will than he does and will someday defeat the Dark Voice (which is a huge retcon and not something we've heard of before in the previous games)
- A Protoss guy sees in a vision a possible future where human beings kill Sarah Kerrigan, which prevents her from defeating the Dark Voice, letting him take over the universe.
- A shady human organization lets a former marine out of prison and gives him secret instructions to find and kill Sarah Kerrigan. One wonders how they could ever possibly expect him to succeed, since he is just one guy with a gun and a robot suit, and she has psychic powers and is the tyrant in charge of an alien empire of billions of giant monsters.
- The Protoss and the Zerg are fighting each other over a sacred planet where there is a prophesy ("Prophesy" is code in screenwriting for: "Our characters are about to do a bunch of stuff for no good reason.") that tells everybody about all this information. Sort of. It is never explained why the Zerg want it.
- The Prophesy is connected with a bunch of artifacts that are scattered around the galaxy. Everybody is trying to find them. It is never explained why they are doing this, since not everybody has the Prophesy, so not everybody could know why they are important. These things eventually make the magical penis that turns Sarah Kerrigan back into a submissive human lady.
- The artifacts were left by the Xel'naga, the progenitors of the Protoss and the Zerg (who again, aren't in the game, and you can't play as them in multiplayer).
Whew. Jeez louise.
Okay, so none of this really makes any sense, and all of it hinges on the actions of characters who aren't involved in the actual gameplay. So it's doing a really really bad job of explaining Why are these races fighting, and why do they fight over and over again in different configurations?
The story should focus on the races the player can actually play. It should focus on the things relevant to the multiplayer experience – that is its primary responsibility, and if this is done well, the single-player campaign loses nothing. The opportunity cost of keeping the backstory relevant to multiplayer is pretty much nil. And yet the backstory is pretty much totally irrelevant to multiplayer.
Instead, the writers decide to do what all sci-fi hacks do these days when their story is too goddamned complicated and they can't figure out how to fix it — they "focus on the characters."
Which is hogwash, because it's not like the first Starcraft game didn't have characters, or that they focus on the characters less before their own stories are bogged down by unresolved complexity, or that stories that have elegant, well-formulated plots communicate them all through impersonal voice-overs.
I have longstanding contempt for "character studies" as forms of dramatic literature. In case you're not familiar, the Random House Dictionary defines a character study as "a work of fiction in which the delineation of the central character's personality is more important than the plot."
I hate this kind of thinking – because it implies that knowing what happens to people and seeing them do stuff important to them detracts from understanding their personalities. I tend to think quite the opposite is true – that the more you learn about what people do and what they have been through the more you get to see their personalities in action, and the more you learn about what underpins the decisions they make and their priorities. I don't see "character personality" and "plot" as mutually exclusive – or even mutually discouraging – instead, to me, they've always seemed to emerge one from the other as characters make their way in whatever world they live in.
So, perhaps somewhat wisely, somebody early on in the writing of the Starcraft 2 story looked at or formulated the lore around the Dark Voice and the hybrids and all that and thought "Wow, this plot is really alienating and doesn't involve the player at all. We shouldn't focus on this – we should instead focus on events that involve the player. We should put the player in the shoes of one of the protagonists so the player can identify with what is going on." This is great, of course.
When they did, this they should have just ditched all that other nonsense and written a story where the things the protagonist does or experiences are the things that matter, and where the major events of the story explain why the Terrans, Protoss and Zerg are fighting each other and amonst themselves all the time in the fictional Koprulu sector. The story at least starts out trying to shot a ground-level view of an incomprehensibly large conflict, and that sort of difference in scope is sometimes cited to try to justify the unimportance of the player's actions to the world in which they take place, but even in the context of a grant intergalactic war, the disconnection between what a player in Starcraft 2 playing single-player or multiplayer ends of doing and the story that supposedly explains it is so huge that it's really offputting and self-destructive.
In the single player campaign, the player spends most of his time raising money to fund his army by doing odd jobs for random people or pursuing side quests. There are a bunch of characters who don't matter who offer credits in exchange for accomplishing specific tasks. When their tasks are done, they depart and they don't matter for the rest of the game. The player starts out fighting the Dominion and its Emperor Mengsk, but he gives that up and never goes back to it to go get his girlfriend back. So I guess it wasn't important. The player at the beginning of the game appears to have come to terms with losing Kerrigan, but by the end he's ranting and raving about it and has undone all his progress. So I guess nothing that happened before mattered.
Oh, and at the end of the story, the player shoots his best friend in the face to save the life of a genocidal tyrant who has killed billions of people. He does it with zero hesitation, despite continually agonizing throughout the course of the game about the difficulty of his relationship with his friend. And despite the fact that his friend's suit is rigged to kill him if he doesn't carry out his order, so it's not like it's exactly his fault. And despite the fact that his friend has a bulletproof visor that he chooses not to lower for some reason. And this all happens with people aiming guns at the floor of a cave which is full of rocks, so that it's almost guaranteed that one of them will be injured by a ricochet.
Here's the thing…
Because the characters in Starcraft 2 don't do things that matter to the story of Starcraft, the writers force the events to feel like they matter by mapping them to archetypal human conflicts.
- We start with a crazy explanation of a grand conflict that doesn't really matter.
- We then drop down to "focus on the characters" because we don't want to address the grand conflict.
- But then, in order to make the events feel like they matter and are resonant, we reach about for other grand conflicts instead, so we never really get to focus on the characters like we say we have wanted to.
In the absence of a better idea and a rush to fill a gap in the story we made ourselved by misidentifying the needs of the project, the grand conflict becomes the predictable old chestnut of binary gender roles. Instead of the Terrans and Zerg fighting each other, which, lest we forget, is a relationship rich with symbolism about the nature of life and authority, we decide instead to have the main point of the story being the necessity that men and women find each other and marry, that men take care of their wives, and that wives submit to their husbands.
It feels resonant. It feels romantic. It feels high-style. It feels like the kind of story people want to watch. It feels easy to do. I get the sense this sort of "sexisming up" of a story happens a lot, when people are tweaking collaborative projects to try to get them to feel right when everything is up shit creek because they've been poorly written from the get-go. People tack on the first thing that comes to mind that works, even if it's socially destructive, cliche and offensive.
But you know what else feels resonant, romantic, high-style and the kind of story people want to watch? The one that involves Terrans, Protoss and Zerg, the one that has the name that is on the cover of the box of the damned thing. The story of Starcraft. People around the world have been reenacting the story of Starcraft, every day, for hours, for 13 years! Clearly there is something there that people connect with, and the writers would be wise to figure out what that is rather then de-emphasizing it and replacing it with their own petty prejudices.
Look, if we wanted to be spending our time obsessing about sexual relationships and gender roles in our households, we wouldn't be playing Starcraft!
This may seem like an anti-nerd joke, and to a degree it is, but there's something important here, too. Fictions so often seem to overemphasize the importance of sex – like sex is the only thing people look for – the only thing worth looking for. Sex plots, love plots, plots about getting married get tacked on to so many projects in lazy ways because there is a lack of breadth in scope on the human experience – because the writers, editors or producers assume people are just that simple. Well, people are not.
Adding sex to a story in a lazy or contemptuous way more often than not leads to adding sexism, as the contempt for the subject matter translates into contempt for women and progressive gender identity in general.
Starcraft isn't about sex. It doesn't need to be about sex. And it certainly doesn't need to be about sex in a way that undoes so much of what it has already done to assert progressively the power inherent in all people that can be found in so many unexpected ways.
The saddest part of all of this is that after playing through the story, it seems for some reason the people who wrote it didn't think Starcraft was good enough. They didn't think Starcraft was worth it. Which makes them some of the only people familiar with the franchise who think it is that uninteresting. Too many people have put too much into this franchise for too long to let people who don't like it write its story, and gamers already deal with too much negative reinforcement around relationships and women to have it dominate a property where it contributes nothing and is not accomplishing a basic function.
Here's hoping Heart of the Swarm is better, and that in the next expansion we see a return to form from the Queen of Blades.


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Tuesday Jun 02 2009
Artie Davis, 96, still making a difference
By: Karen Oosterman, Special to the Telegraph
A garden of friendship grows at the Folsom Senior and Arts Center at 48 Natoma St. Special friends are made and nurtured in a variety of programs and classes. The center offers a variety of programs from art to exercise, Wii video games, senior lunch and the ever-popular Friday Folsom Singers. Every Friday morning you will see Artie Davies, who turned 96 on May 7, enjoying music and laughter with her friends. The music is led by longtime friend Carolyn Uhouse and brings great joy to Artie, just like the garden she still tends. Artie Davies arrived to Mormon Island at the age of 8. After high school she married Bud Davies, who started a dairy on Mormon Island. Artie and Bud raised three children in Folsom and Artie even sold the most subscriptions to The Folsom Telegraph and won a 1952 Blue Chevy. Artie held the position of assistant city clerk and was elected to City Clerk of Folsom for 22 years before retiring in 1978. She was very active with the Folsom Historical Society along with many other civic organizations. Spend time at Davies Park in Folsom and you will see the contributions Bud and Artie made to our community. Our hats are off to Artie for helping to make Folsom a wonderful city to live and play. Stop by the center to meet Artie and join in on the fun. For more information about programs call 355-7285 or go to folsom.ca.us.


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May 3, 2016
A 29-year-old Moroccan man was arrested Friday in an FBI sting operation near the U.S. Capitol while planning to detonate what police said he thought were live explosives.
Amine El Khalifi of Alexandria, Va, was taken into custody with an inoperable gun and inert explosives given to him by the FBI, according to a counterterrorism official.
Justice Department spokesman Dean Boyd said the suspect was closely monitored by law enforcement, and the public was not in danger.
El Khalifi had been under investigation for about a year and had overstayed his visitor visa for years, according to the counterterrorism official and a government official briefed on the matter who spoke on a condition of anonymity because the investigation is ongoing.
The law enforcement official said El Khalifi changed his mind about his intended target several times but ultimately decided on the Capitol after canvassing the area a couple of times. He is not believed to be associated with al-Qaida.
Two people briefed on the matter told The Associated Press he was not arrested on the Capitol grounds, and the FBI has had him under surveillance around the clock for several weeks. They spoke on a condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly.
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Saturday's MLS Capsules
Games played Aug. 10, 2013
Originally published August 10, 2013 at 10:39 p.m., updated August 10, 2013 at 11:28 p.m.
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — Kei Kamara scored in each half, and Sporting Kansas City retook the Eastern Conference lead with a 3-0 victory over the short-handed New England Revolution on Saturday night.
Benny Feilhaber scored on a free kick in stoppage time for Sporting (11-7-6), which broke a two-match losing streak and moved ahead of New York by a point in the East standings.
Defender Kevin Alston made his first start since his leukemia diagnosis in early April for New England.
The Revolution (8-9-6) had to play a man down after forward Dmitry Imbongo elbowed Sporting's Uri Rosell in the throat in the 64th minute and was given his second yellow card, and went down to nine in the 86th when Andy Dorman was given a straight red for a hard foul on Kamara.
Soony Saad assisted on both of Kamara's headed goals, in the 27th and 50th minutes.
Jimmy Nielsen made four saves for his ninth shutout.
TORONTO (AP) — Mauro Rosales scored in the first half and Seattle hung on to beat Toronto.
The game was the Sounders debut for star American forward Clint Dempsey. He came in with 11 minutes remaining in the first half after starting forward Obafemi Martins was taken off following a tackle by Doneil Henry.
Dempsey, a former Fulham and Tottenham player, got his first touch a few minutes later in front of the Toronto goal, but defender Ashtone Morgan took him off the ball.
The other goal for the Sounders (10-7-4) came on an own goal by Henry.
Jonathan Osorio scored his fifth goal of the season early in the second half for Toronto (4-11-8).
VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — Camilo Sanvezzo and Kenny Miller scored second-half goals to lead Vancouver over San Jose.
Sanvezzo and Miller scored 14 minutes apart to help the Whitecaps (10-7-6) end a three-game winless skid.
Vancouver also put six points between the two clubs in the tight Western Conference. The Earthquakes (8-10-6) had their winning streak end at three games.
Whitecaps goalkeeper David Ousted recorded his first MLS shutout as he made his home debut since signing with Vancouver in June. It was Vancouver's fourth shutout of the season by three different goalkeepers.
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Federico Higuain converted a penalty kick and had his first goal from the run of play in more than five months to send Columbus past New York.
The Crew (7-11-5) stopped a three-game losing streak as Higuain scored in the 61st minute after Chad Marshall drew a foul during a free kick. Higuain improved to 2 of 3 from the spot against the Red Bulls (11-8-5) this season. He has seven goals.
The goal came shortly after the Crew's Matt Lampson made a fingertip save on Jonathan Steele. The second score in the 76th minute followed Lampson's diving stop of a Fabian Espindola header.
Higuain sealed New York's first loss in four games with a chip from 25 yards.
CHESTER, Pa. (AP) — Conor Casey scored his eighth and ninth goals of the season to lead Philadelphia over D.C. United.
Casey scored in the 35th minute, with Sebastien Le Toux picking up his league-best 11th assist, and in the 75th. He trails Jack McInerney by one goal for the team lead.
The Union (10-7-7) improved to 3-1-1 in their last five games. Philadelphia goalkeeper Zac MacMath earned his eighth shutout of the season.
D.C. United have dropped three of their last four and fell to a league-worst 3-16-4 overall and 0-8-3 on the road. They're the only club without at least one road victory.
BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. (AP) — Joel Lindpere and Dilly Duka scored first-half goals and Chicago held on for the victory over Montreal.
The win was the Fire's second straight and improved them to .500 this season (9-9-4), stretching an unbeaten streak to four games (3-0-1) in MLS competition. Coupled with New England's loss, Chicago climbed to sixth in the MLS' Eastern Conference.
The Impact (10-7-5) lost their second straight, and for the fourth time in the past eight matches, falling behind Philadelphia to fourth in the Eastern Conference.
The Impact's Felipe Martins cut the Chicago lead in half in the 57th minute, two minutes after entering the match.
SANDY, Utah (AP) — Alvaro Saborio continued his torrid scoring pace and Real Salt Lake's defense clamped down on Houston.
Saborio converted a penalty kick in the 37th minute for his fifth goal in three games and Nick Rimando recorded three saves for his seventh shutout of the season.
Real Salt Lake improved to 12-7-5, and its 41 points are tops in Major League Soccer.
Salt Lake used a 4-3-3 formation against the Dynamo (9-7-6), a departure from its typical 4-4-2 set. The result was a domination in possession — 64 percent in the first half — and its first victory in four matches.
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Sena SMH10R Review
Sena SMH10R, ultra thin, light weight motorcycle Bluetooth device. I have had the fortune of being able to test quite a few Motorcycle Bluetooth devices over the last several months. my favorite Bluetooth devices are made by Sena. Most recently Sena sent me their newest Bluetooth device the Sena SMH10R.
The Sena SMH10R is set up different than the last two Bluetooth devices that Sena has released. I have had access to the Sena SMH5 and the SMH10 for the last few months and they quickly became my favorite Bluetooth devices due to their ease of use and glove friendly design. What differentiates the SMH10R from the other two devices is the fantastic jog wheel available on the SMH5 and SMH10 is not on the SMH10R. The jog wheel was very glove friendly and made changing settings on the fly a very easy task. So, when I first got the SMH10R I had some reservations about it due to it's lack of a jog wheel.
I do find the ability to interact with the SMH5 and the SMH10 with gloves on to be easier than the SMH10R. The jog wheel is simply hard to beat with it's glove friendly design. However, I have found the SMH10R to be more glove friendly than other button based Bluetooth devices I have used. The SMH10R only has 3 buttons and they are separated by rubber ridges that make it easier to find the buttons with gloves on. Sena makes good use of three buttons to adjust a smart phone or communicate while rolling down the road.
**Check the latest prices on the Sena SMH10R**
In order to make the SMH10R so thin, Sena separated the battery and the control module. The control module is now just 1/2 inch thick. It looks very good on the side of the helmet if you are bothered by the look of traditional Bluetooth devices. The control module is connected by wires to the battery which can be attached to the back of the helmet. This set up does add a few more wires that need to be hidden and tucked inside the helmet liner but overall is not a big deal. One benefit of having the battery and the control module separated is the SMH10R battery is now replaceable should it ever fail to hold a charge.
A complete Sena SMH10R kit includes:
[list style="check" color="green"]
- The Sena SMH10R Bluetooth Low Profile module with flat cable connection harness.
- Two microphones, boom and thin wire, with modular dual-pin connectors.
- Large version dual speaker stereo headset with four-pin modular connector.
- An external battery module with two-pin modular connector.
- A 12V DC NA-style charger with mini-USB connector; USB charge/data cable, Type A to mini-USB connectors.
- Various shaped pads for mounting the modules, speakers and microphone.
Audio quality for the SMH10R is fantastic. The volume is loud enough to hear with ear plugs in while wearing a full face helmet. I do get some distortion from the speakers when set to their loudest levels but the loudest setting is not something I have needed. Pairing the device with my iPhone was painless and gives me access to music, GPS directions and streaming radio. I have used the device for the occasional phone call but talking on the phone is not something I do regularly while riding a motorcycle.
My personal nitpicks about the controls aside, the SMH10R from Sena is a great product. There are pros and cons when deciding between the SMH10 and the SMH10R. If ease of control is most important I recommend the SMH10. If looks, light weight and a more modular design is more important, you can't go wrong with the SMH10R. Kudos to Sena for making two great products that each feature a different strength. Sena let's you decide which Bluetooth device works best for you.
Sena SMH10R Specs


text: The The Search for Steve Rogers! wiki last edited by catfightfan on 04/30/14 10:26PM View full history Nick Fury has some new recruits that need some breaking-in. Can Cap and Falc train the next generation of S.H.I.E.L.D. Agents? How will the veteran super heroes pass on the torch! Find out in this awesome new issue!


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WholeFoods Magazine SourceBook: The Natural Products Directory
Melville, NY—Premier Foods, one of the largest food producers in the United Kingdom, has sold several of its packaged grocery brands to The Hain Celestial Group, Inc. The brands acquired, all belonging to the Histon Sweet Spreads business, are home to such products as peanut butter, honey, jams, fruit, jelly, marmalade and chocolate. The Histon manufacturing facility in Cambridgeshire, UK was also included in the transaction.
New data paint a picture of non-GMO as a sales trend to stay on top of. Non-GMO Project Verified products have racked up $2.4 billion in sales in the last 52 weeks, for an increase of 66% over last year, according to SPINS. With California Prop 37 to label GMOs in the headlines and increased participation by retailers in Non-GMO Month in October, consumer awareness is at an all-time high.
The state of the environment concerns many people for selfish reasons. It's not just the environment's health that warrants attention, but also the way an unhealthy environment can affect our wellbeing. A new United Nations (UN) educational tool helps map out how climate change can and will impact human health. From flooding to malaria to scorching hot days, the effects are varied and dramatic.
Morristown, NJ--A big deal is in the works between Bayer HealthCare, based here, and Schiff Nutrition of Salt Lake City, UT, according to a joint press statement. Bayer is intending to purchase the large vitamin company for $1.2 billion by the end of the year.
Los Angeles, CA—According to a new poll out today (Oct. 25, 2012) in the Los Angeles Times, the Proposition 37 mandate to label genetically engineered foods faces a dead heat among California voters leading into Election Day.
Portland, OR—Lisa Sedlar has left her position as president and CEO of the successful New Seasons Market retail chain. Sedlar, who joined New Seasons in 2005 and led the chain in a strong period of growth, now plans to launch her own chain of healthy convenience stores that will sell fresh food, bakery items, deli/cheese products, locally sourced goods, grab-and-go items and other grocery products.
Washington, D.C.—Most Americans (68%) take dietary supplements and 85% are confident in their safety, quality and efficacy, according to the 2012 Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN) Consumer Survey on Dietary Supplements.
News and notes from industry suppliers.
Silver Spring, MD—In late January...
Ever notice how important historical movements sound...
Lawrence, KS and Oslo, Norway—...
all products


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Will rates go up, down or remain unchanged?Introduction Up 40% Down 5%Unchanged 55%Michael BeckerMortgage banker, Happy Mortgage, Lutherville, Md.The start of earnings season has provided a bounce to equities and the stock market. Treasury bonds have sold off resulting in higher yields and slightly higher mortgage rates. I think any optimism created by the second quarter earnings season will be tempered by weak or soft economic reports. Therefore, I see mortgage rates holding steady over the coming week.Derek EgebergCertified Mortgage Planning Specialist and branch manager, Academy Mortgage, Yuma, Ariz.If you watch bonds trade on a daily basis, this has been one of the more nerve-wracking weeks to forecast the markets movement forward.We've seen continued pressure from various sources. Again, see this as the glass is half full and realize rates under 5 percent will not last forever.David KuiperMortgage planner, First Place Bank, Holland, Mich.Mortgage interest rates continue to remain at all-time record low levels. Any good news that's being released (bad for rates) is being countered by negative news (good for rates), so rates should continue to hold at current levels for the near term.Mitch OhlbaumLoan officer, Bank of America, Los AngelesWhile the 10-year Treasury bounced slightly above the 3 percent critical mark, rates are holding steady. There is much news that will keep rates low through the end of the year.The comments from the last Federal Reserve meeting were released Wednesday. The Fed acknowledged the second half of 2010 likely will see slower growth than the first six months. That leaves the Fed wondering whether it should wait and see or look into its bag of tricks. Chairman Ben Bernanke will likely take the wait-and-see attitude.On the good side, we have the Big Three (JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America and Citi) posting earnings on Thursday. Everyone thinks that while it won't be a blockbuster, it will be some decent news and positive outlook.Jim SahngerMortgage consultant, Palm Beach Financial Network, Stuart, Fla.If I was commenting on the weather here, I would say fair to partly cloudy with occasional showers, but a great week to get a tan and head to the beach.Overall, rates will remain great. But some days will offer a little better pricing than others. Just as you wouldn't cancel a vacation because you see some clouds on the horizon, don't wait if you could benefit from a low rate.Chris SipeSenior loan officer, Embrace Home Loans, Frederick, Md.Rates have remained in a well-defined "channel" for the past two weeks, which has kept rates relatively unchanged. I expect this to continue in the near term. advertisementRelated Links:7 crucial facts about FHA loansNot easy to claim abandoned home next doorMortgage rates tie record lowRelated Articles:Fixed-rate loan or ARM?Sell or rent current home?Get low mortgage rates
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Mortgage rates fell today. Do the math to see if a refinance is worth the cost.
... Read more


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Encore® Azaleas are the world's best-selling reblooming azalea with rich, colorful blooms in spring, summer and fall. Encore® Azaleas have 29 varieties to choose from - unlike any other azalea in the world.
Encore Azaleas are available in an array of pinkish hues, from bright hot pink to fun corals and soft, lighter shades. Find the right pink for your landscape.
Encore Azaleas with a purplish hue are a great alternative to pink and also compliment lighter corals and white Encore Azaleas, adding a rich burst of color to your landscape.
Encore Azaleas are available in an array of red hues, from blue reds to orange reds, the red Encore Azalea is a classic choice for the landscape.
Pure and peaceful white Encore Azaleas compliment any landscape and pair well with all other Encore Azalea varieties.
These dual tone Encore Azaleas offer interesting and unique detail on each petal and are available in an array of hues.


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Hello All!
I've been lurking on this forum for over a year, but I am finally serious about buying a bike. I am 43 years old, 6'1" tall, and weighed 299 the last time I stepped on a scale (about two weeks ago). I've been on vacation for the last few days and I've been enjoying some great food, so I'm probably a little north of 300 lbs. right now.
I haven't been on a bike since I was about 14 years old, but my fiancée just bought a new bike and I'm looking forward to having an activity that we can do together and that will help me drop some weight & live a healthier lifestyle.
Of course, this wouldn't be a proper newbie/intro thread if I didn't ask for some input on a bike. I visited three LBS this past week and I really enjoyed talking with one of the guys at Cycles de Oro here in Greensboro, NC. They are a Giant and Specialized dealer and I just happen to be leaning toward the Giant Escape series of bikes. Does anyone have any opinions on the pros and cons of an Escape 2 or 3 for a Clyde my size? We have a lot of paved bike paths here in my area, and my research seems to point to the Escape series as a nice choice for a beginner that will be sticking to pavement (at least to begin with). I'm also open to any other bike suggestions you guys and gals may have.


text: NSF International offers standards development, testing, certification, auditing, inspection, consulting and training services tailored to your company's needs. Our scientists and public health and environment professionals support your industry requirements and organizational demands. We have you covered, from product certification, laboratory testing and standards development for the food, water and consumer products industries, to pharma, biotech and medical device training and consulting, to management systems certification and beyond.


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Cut Throat a cut above...
Here's ambition for you. Try living up to your tattoo.
Levar Williams sports the tat Cut Throat on his neck.
He's also in deep you-know-what, Orlando's Channel 6 reports.
Cops think he's connected to a recent Clermont home invasion that ended badly.
The homeowner got shot in the leg. Williams got arrested.


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Retailer of the Week
Michael Ordnung, owner of Laden 12 in Nürnberg
07 Dec. 2011
MICHAEL ORDNUNG, LADEN 12, NÜRNBERGLocated in the heart of Nürnberg/Germany, Laden 12 offers streetwear labels like Carhartt, Edwin, Boxfresh or Stüssy, footwear labels such as Onitsuka Tiger, Asics, or Sperry, as well as denim labels like Lee or Meltin'Pot. Here, owner Michael Ordnung talks about current bestsellers. By Lena Elster and Maria Hunstig
What are your current bestsellers?
For us, bestsellers are not always the brands that sell best and cause a sudden run, but labels which inspire us and customers in the long run.
There have been great changes in the field of menswear. Segments like action sports struggle and the trend goes to more formal and European collections.
This is why many might find it surprising, that Carhartt is a clear bestseller at Laden 12. It's because it doesn't have a fixed target group and it's a traditional workwear brand, a basic.
When it comes to footwear, Pointer, Sanders Footwear, Sebago, Shoo, Onitsuka Tiger, Asics, Sperry Top-Sider are our bestsellers.
In terms of clothing, it is Carhartt, Iriedaily, Wemoto but also Sixpack France, Homecore, Lee 101, Edwin, Qhuit, Imaginary Foundation, Mads Norgaard, Denim Demon and of course Il Busetto from Italy.
For women, the range is a bit less sporty and more feminine. Bestsellers here are Pointer, Felmini, Hub, Shoo, Keds, Crick it Hamburg, Sebago and Liebeskind Berlin in the footwear/accessories field. For apparel, Sessun works very well, also brands like Nümph, Kaffe, Obey or R95 show a continuously good performance.
Which denim labels perform best?
The denim sector is generally struggling. There are countless denim brands and their products resemble each other a lot. This is why we have always focussed on authentic labels which we wear ourselves and which have a certain stability within the market, often going hand in hand with a strong heritage. Our best-performing denim brands for men are Carhartt, Edwin, Lee, Lee 101 and Cheap Monday, for women they are Meltin'Pot, Herrlicher and Gang. Customers often show a strong brand loyalty in the denim sector, this is caused by the intricateness of a pair of jeans. One can easily try a new t-shirt and its look, cut and price can quickly be determined. With jeans, this is much more difficult. Questions about their fit and quality can't be detected within seconds.
There will always be hypes like in the case of Cheap Monday, when people do not ask questions but simply take the products home.
There have been a lot of changes regarding fits. Shapes for men's jeans have become much slimmer, though we still sell a lot of regular-cut denims.
And we experience great gender-wise differences in terms of washings: While men have always been purchasing many raw and Japanese denims with discreet washings and small details, women like it bold and light, maybe even destroyed. They are wearing straight fits or slight boot-cuts.
But since the chino boom, our denim section has been limited to the fundamentals.
Where do you buy your merchandise?
I actually do not want to talk much about this, it's my little secret. But I do my purchases on an international level. Trade shows are often not sufficient enough. They are often dull and get limited by the fair organizers to maximize commercial success. It is strange how smaller side events always develop next to the main trade shows after a while and there must be a reason for this. People often get their inspiration by other media these days and I get mine by other countries.
Laden 12 interior
What's the most important piece of clothing for summer 2012 and what is in the pipeline for winter 2012/13?
For me, there is no one most important garment, it's the whole outfit, the look that matters. Shoes are every important to me, trousers and then tops.
But if you ask me like that, chinos in good colors and cuts are a big topic, as well as in-between coats, which have often been presumed dead but now win importance due to the climate change. And precisely cut shirts, fashionable and dressed. Accessories like bags and small leather goods are crucial, too.
For summer, colored chinos will be a big thing and, for me personally, shoes by Elia Mauitzi. And I hope that boot-cuts will not be essential to women in winter 2012/13.
What are the most important trends/product groups?
I do not know much about trends. For me, a trend is, if five people go and buy something which no one else owns. If then, after two years, five million people buy something, it is not a trend anymore. That is why there are trend scouts. Companies such as adidas spend a lot of money on people who keep their eyes open for trends all over the world and then tell decision makers in the head office what they need in three years time. Look at snap caps: Once a hype, then everyone talked about it, and now the big players want to surf on the wave, too.
Do you like trying out new items or labels? Are you generally experimental?
There is always something, which no one knows or owns. A rebellion cannot be carried out in accordance with the rest because then, it wouldn't be a rebellion anymore.
The city where I work has everything and – as everywhere – plenty of that. So a shop like ours has to live from experiments, from trying, from discussing with the team or the distribution. Not from being cool, but from a feeling and an international point-of-view. I always ask myself if it was right to buy this and that. The merchandise is too far away to look at it if it is shipped from abroad. But if you then open the box, it's like being a child and overwhelming happiness comes up. That's what we live for and what we try to forward to our customers.
What does your shop have which others don't?
This is a hard question as I do not want to put myself above others or run down anybody. Therefore I go with a general phrase: A string puppet show lives from the puppets on the strings. If you lay them down, they always look very sad. If you lift them up and awaken them to live, it's amazing to watch them.
Textiles are dead and shoes are, too, and you need strings and a guiding hand to make them vivid.
What do you like about your town, the location?
Nürnberg has a great history and a strong architectural character. I am most happy about the numerous international visitors, tourists and many bright insiders from the well-known sports goods producers here. It's amazingly fun to interchange with Asians, Brits, Americans and locals. The city has a manageable size and can't be compared to Germany's real metropolitan cities. But there is great potential in this area, also caused by the catchment area around.
Laden 12 interior
How important is the interior, the atmosphere and the whole package?
The shop serves as a business card. It doesn't have to be designed by a fancy interior architect but it must be coherent. Atmosphere and a harmonious package are the key to success.
Although I would like to say that great shops with poor products do often not run as well as those which have grown with great products.
I have opted for a very special way. I continuously change things in the shop to always make sure it matches the products and therefore completes the statement of the whole sales area.
How is the buying behavior developing? Towards classics or the very special – what do people want?
This might be the key question for me. There will be a huge partition here. We live in a time, when customers scan a barcode with their smart phones in order to find out where and for how much they can purchase a product. Blogs, Internet and e-commerce cause a trend, everyone talks about. It is going to spread differently in the different classes of society.
People with money buy everywhere. A lot is purchased abroad and people fly to London for the weekend to go shopping and eat out.
The middle class is certainly focussing on quality, design and lifestyle, also without the price being of direct importance. But money is not spent without a point and priorities are set very consciously.
The third category is dominated by the cost-benefit analysis. Brands do not matter immediately and people buy garments because they simply need a new shirt or pants. This is where online shops are going to dominate the market in the future. It's a business of quantities.
Do you have plans for an online shop? Do you buy online yourself? Will there even be brick and mortar retail shops in the future?
I have planned that for a long time, but if we are going to do that, than only in a very minimalistic format with selected and limited items. I don't know at what point of time that is going to happen.
Me personally, I would never shop online. The honor of my job forbids me to! Buying batteries, rare aftershaves and music is okay, but never clothing. The memory of where I bought a garment always comes up again when I wear it.
I do even think that there is a huge chance for brick and mortar retail stores in the current time. But only if the concept is coherent. Retailers who only purchase what is currently hyped will have difficulties as the brands' life span becomes shorter and shorter. And after a while, their shops will always look like a department store. But shops which offer special qualities in terms of service and products and which show a durability in their workflows and do not go crazy, will always have great success.
Is there a role model for Laden 12? Any shop worldwide which inspires you?
When speaking of online shops, that's easy – for me, there is only Colette Paris. In terms of stationary retail, I am inspired by a Louis Vuitton monobrand store and by Manufactum in "5 Höfen" in Munich. Also Tate or Thomas I Punkt in Hamburg, Patrik Muff in Munich, Soho London, a surf store in Maui which always just opened if there were no waves, have been role models in my mind. I could name hundreds. Retail stores are cultural assets.
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