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A Few Random (Musical) Notes — Brandon Crawford
There's a lot to catch up on. Let's start with music.
During batting practice last week in San Diego, the Padres – or at least whoever's in charge of pregame music – had a little fun. The first day of the series, as soon as their own BP ended, the edgy, rappy music stopped. Suddenly, when we took the field, it was all boy bands, '90s pop, teeny-bopper pop.
I was smiling because it seemed like they were trying to mess with us. I was standing out at short stop and thinking, "They don't know what they did. They're locking me in.'' They don't know that we like this stuff. Or at least I do. I hit a home run that night.
The second day of BP, it was all Enya. If you haven't heard her, the songs are like massage music — for batting practice, it was kind of rough. The third day, they played stuff like "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun'' and "It's Raining Men'' –kind of girl-power music.
So did we return the favor when they played in SF this week? No, because to be honest I don't think the music has anything to do with how you play during the game. BUT . . . if I were going to mess with them . . . since it seems they don't like that '90s pop, I'd probably throw on the Sneaky Awesome playlist we listen to every day. Except it really wouldn't be messing with them because they'd realize they actually like it.
Now that we're two months into the season, every now and then I run out of ideas of what to play in the clubhouse. So I'll ask around. Bum and Belt are never afraid to give me a song. Belt's tastes are all over the place. He's like me in that way. He'll go from "I Knew You Were Trouble'' by Taylor Swift to a punk-rock-scream song by System of a Down to rapper Rick Ross to Luke Bryan.
Bum's been surprising. He's requested Rihanna and "Sugar'' by Robin Schulz. He's liked the Drake song I've put on recently. Not what you'd expect from "Fire on the Mountain'' Bum.
I have other random things to share, which I will. But I'm going to post this and finish the rest in a little while.
By the way, pretty good week so far all around, isn't it? Happy flight to Denver yesterday.
Picking the Oscars . . . Brandon Belt
So I'm making my first stab at video blogging. This video is pretty rough, I admit it. We overloaded the iPhone so had to stop in the middle, delete a bunch of stuff to free up storage and start up again. We'll get better.
This is shot this afternoon (Saturday) in the dugout after practice.
It's great to be back on the field with all the guys. And sorry, Crawford, for posting on the same day . . . But I had to get my picks out before the Oscars tomorrow.
Thanks for watching. Really, this will get better.
By the way, think it's time to update our photos over there on the right side? [Updated: DONE…take a look.]
Itching to Play — Brandon Belt
It's really disappointing to be out of the lineup right when the season gets started. I won't be out for long, but missing any time at all is so frustrating because all you're thinking during the off-season and especially spring training is, "How do I get ready for Opening Day and the new season? What can I do to get better?'' You can't wait to get back out there.
I still got butterflies on Opening Day down here in Arizona. I imagine I'll feel them again for the home opener on Monday. Maybe you think at this point in our lives, playing in the Major Leagues, we'd get kind of jaded to it all. But you don't. It's still a huge deal. You've been waiting four-and-a-half months. You're so raring to go and so excited that you have to learn how to calm yourself down and clear everything out of your head.
You do that by going back to basics. As a little kid you're always told to keep your eye on the ball, and that's basically what it is. When you have a lot of stuff cluttering your mind, that's when you get yourself in trouble. You need to go out there and be free and easy both mechanically and mentally. It's something I really worked on this spring.
One thing that really helps: Having a seven-month-old baby. You cannot be in a bad mood around that kid. It's awesome. He's just loves being alive every day. He's a lot like me as a kid. You might not know it now, but I was kind of goofy growing up. You can ask some of the guys I played with in the minors. I was goofy. And Haylee's just like me. So we expect Greyson to be the same way.
I have faith that this little setback is just that. It's no fun watching a game from the dugout when all you've been thinking about is being on that field. I'm feeling good and know I'll be back in the lineup very, very soon. No movie reviews until then!
Part 2: Brandon & Brandon In Conversation
In the clubhouse. The topic: TV binge watching.
Belt: You ever seen Walking Dead?
Crawford: You've asked me that, like, a hundred times.
Belt: I ask everybody so I don't know who I asked.
Crawford: You've told me to watch that already. But I probably won't.
Belt: It's not really about zombies. Once you get into it, it's the drama about them staying alive. The zombies are always going to be a part of it but it's kind of like an outside thing.
Crawford: Is it like Zombieland?
Belt. No.
Crawford: Then I'm not watching it.
Belt: I liked Zombieland, too. Everything was about the zombies in Zombieland. You seen Orange is the New Black?
Crawford: I'm on Season 1.
Belt: At first, I was thinking, I don't get this show. Then I really liked it.
Crawford: The first episode I watched, I thought, Oh, this could be pretty interesting.
Belt: (laughs)
Crawford: Gross. I watched a few more episodes and watched all of them. Way better than zombies.
Belt: I'm telling you, I was totally opposed to watching Walking Dead, too. Everybody was telling me about it. They couldn't shut up about it. So I watched two or three episodes and I couldn't stop. I love binge-watching. I love it to death. I hate it when it's over.
Crawford: I know.I want to watch, like, three episodes in a row. But I find that I'm much more tired at night now than I was in the past. Nine o'clock comes around, I'm ready to go to bed. Unfortunately the girls aren't ready.
Belt: This off season (the first with a baby), we were in bed every night at 8. I didn't go to sleep but we were in bed watching TV. Just enjoying the entertainment. It's so great.
Crawford: Jalynne and I will watch Breaking Bad if we're actually both awake and the girls are asleep. We're on Season 2. It's kind of our new "together'' show because at the end of last year we finished three shows all around the same time: Always Sunny in Philadelphia, How I Met Your Mother and Dexter.
Belt: I started watching Dexter all over again. I think it's a genius show — about a serial killer who kills serial killers! What can get better than that?
Crawford: I think it's interesting how many shows nowadays have, like, the main character doing bad things but in a good way. Like you're rooting for the bad guy, kind of.
Belt: The lesser of two evils.
Crawford: He can't help himself from killing so he kills bad people.
Belt: Right, without his code he would be a straight-up serial killer. He's just lucky he got that code when he was young.
Crawford: Breaking Bad, he's producing meth to make money for his family. Which, I feel like he has a good amount of money already in Season 2, so he could have stopped.
Belt: All I'm watching right now is Walking Dead so I can't binge.
Crawford: You're caught up?
Belt: Yeah. It sucks.
Crawford: When I was down in the Dominican (rookie league), they showed Law and Order, CSI and Lost. One episode a week. They had it on repeat. So for week a straight they had one show on reruns. and the next week they'd do another episode.
Belt: Man, that'd really suck.
OK, now that we re-read this, it is totally boring. It was an experiment. Doesn't work. But thanks for reading it if you got this far! We probably won't have another blog post until we get to San Francisco. See you there.
In Conversation: Brandon & Brandon
Today's post is an actual combo Brandon & Brandon blog. We decided to turn on the tape recorder and share with you a conversation between the two of us in the clubhouse. (Saves us from writing anything.) We flipped a coin to see who'd transcribe the tape. We won't say who lost, but the tape was subsequently fobbed off on a Giants' staffer who volunteered to do it, mostly to stop a particular someone's whining and pleading for best two-out-of-three.
Belt: It would have been awesome to be in the lineup today with Will Ferrell playing, wouldn't it? (Neither Brandon was in the lineup and didn't make the trip to Glendale for the game.)
Crawford: Would it have been cool to see him? Yeah. But it's a road game. I'm not disappointed not to go.
Belt: I don't know if we'd get to talk to him that much, anyway.
Crawford: What would you have said?
Belt: I'd give him some tips on how to be funny. How to act little bit. Nothing as far as baseball goes, I don't think.
Crawford: What's your favorite Will Ferrell movie?
Belt: Just your normal ones. Old School. Step-Brothers. Talladega Nights. A lot of people like Elf.
Crawford: Anchorman's a classic.
Belt. Anchorman! Yes! That's up there at the top. But Stepbrothers is probably my favorite. It's so stupid, but it's hilarious.
Crawford: Step Brothers is all right. Not the best.
Belt: Step Brothers is one of those movies I can watch over and over. Like Tombstone. SuperBad.
Crawford: Elf is better than Step Brothers.
Belt. No, it's not!
Crawford: Stranger than Fiction?
Belt: That's the one I was trying to think of. It's terrible!
Crawford: It's better than Step Brothers.
Belt: No, it isn't! Step Brothers is hilarious.
Crawford: Are we going to stay catch partners? (They were catch partners Wednesday when Crawford played in the field for the first time this spring. Last year Crawford's catch partner was Pablo.)
Belt: I can't remember who mine was last season. Hicks, before he left. I don't know what I did after that. I had a concussion for a while. I don't remember a lot.
Crawford: You threw with Joe (Panik).
Belt: That might be right. I can't remember.
Crawford: I think he's playing catch with McGehee. Probably so you wouldn't ask him again.
Belt: You know I'm really tired right now, and I slept late today. Is that weird? I am like extremely dead.
Crawford: Did you have cherry juice?
Belt: I should have.
Crawford: I don't believe it wakes you up. For me, it makes me more tired.
Belt: It's got like 64 cherries in it, and it's gross. But it's supposed to give you energy. I didn't drink it today. I need a Red Bull right now. I haven't had a Red Bull in like six days.
Crawford: There are a bunch of sugar-free ones in the kitchen that are terrible for you.
Belt: it's the sugar ones that are bad for you.
Crawford: I thought you were on a nutrition kick.
Belt: So I can't have Red Bull? Why not?
Crawford: It's bad for you.
Belt: What are the long-term effects of Red Bull?
Crawford: I don't know.
Belt: Exactly! So you can't say anything bad about it.
Crawford: You might develop super powers.
Belt: Yeah! I could!
Crawford: You might actually get wings.
Belt: I could get in the hot tub and spill it and go back in time. It's possible.
Crawford: Where'd you go?
Belt: I like today. I wouldn't go anywhere.
Crawford: Go to the future.
Belt: Yeah, I'd go to the future. Go a hundred years into the future and see where we are.
Crawford: Where WE are?
Belt: No — well, we might be alive because they might have the technology by then to bring you back to life.
Crawford: Or maybe the Red Bull will keep you living that long.
Belt: Maybe if I drink Red Bull my whole life I'll be a thousand years old.
Crawford: Good point.
Tomorrow in Part II: Binge TV.
Seriously? Two Grand Slams in 1 Year?
I know you all are happy with MadBum for the grand slam today. I'm mad at him. I have two grand slams in my whole life. He has two this year! I'm never going to hear the end of it.
My two grand slams: One in Triple A, and one in high school. The one in high school was against Will Alvis. That's Will Alvis. A-L-V-I-S. He's one of my buddies now. I want to make sure everybody knows I hit a grand slam off him.
This win against the Diamondbacks was a great way to go into the break. Great offense, great defense, great pitching. As Bochy has said, we've been a Tale of Two Teams. But we can't change that. Now we have to use this game as kind of a springboard into morphing back into the team we know we really are.
I was scratched from the lineup right before the game. I tweaked my back in batting practice and started spasming. It's nothing new. It happens about twice a year. It almost happens in spring training because I'm not used to playing. That's probably the reason it happened today, too. My body is not all the way back from my time off with the thumb injury.
I did treatment in the training room all afternoon, but nothing helped. I'm about to get on a plane back home to Texas tonight, so I'll take a pain reliever. I'll rest it over the next few days of the All-Star break, and it'll be fine.
Haylee and I plan on setting up the baby's room while we're home. We've shipped a crib we bought here and a bunch of great stuff people gave Haylee at her baby shower a couple weeks ago. Those baby showers are pretty awesome. I'm not sure we have to buy anything!
The rest of the time at home we'll hang out with family and friends and take it easy. We'll have people over for a cook-out Tuesday and watch the All-Star Game. To be honest, I don't know if I'd watch the game if my friends weren't coming over. It might be nice to get away from baseball altogether for a couple days. But we'll have a good time.
No movie reviews today. I drove to the theater Thursday night to see the new Planet of the Apes movie, but when I got there I was so tired I turned around and went home. I drove there again yesterday and when I pulled up, I said, "Nah.'' Too many people, for one thing, and I just didn't have the energy. I think I'm just not used to playing yet.
I'm empathizing a little more with Haylee and her tiredness being pregnant. If this keeps up, I'll have to add another grade to my movie rating system: BA — Brandon Asleep.
Here are a few answers to your questions:
Yes, I read all the comments. I like reading them. I appreciate all the advice and suggestions and funny replies. Sorry I don't answer all of them.
We don't prank new players when they arrive. We wait until the end of the season. That way we can include the September call-ups. It's not that bad: Mostly you just have to dress up in ridiculous outfits. The photos will be all over the internet, so you'll get to see what we do. ICYMI, here's a photo of me and Crawford in 2011.
No, I don't like True Lies because of the hotel dance scene. But it's pretty comical. It's Jamie Lee Curtis stripping for her husband but she doesn't know it's her husband.
We did not name Lilly after the Pink Martini song. I've never heard it. I will try to check it out sometime soon.
That's it! If I don't get out of here right now, I'm going to miss my flight. Talk to you after the break!
A Bucket by the Bed – Brandon Belt
I was home sick today with a stomach virus. It came on all of a sudden last night and I've been sleeping on and off most of the day. Not fun. But I thought I'd get a post out while I can.
On Monday a lot of reporters asked me about Barry Bonds because I guess he mentioned me by name at his press conference. I haven't talked to him yet. I just introduced myself at the batting cage. I'm shy by nature so I'm not going to go up to him and start asking questions right away. I listened to him talk to other guys during BP and picked up a few things. Nothing too specific.
But I'll definitely talk to him. You're always figuring out some kinks during spring training, so that's what I'd want to talk to him about. And I'd like to talk to him about how he minimized the down times so you get out of them more quickly. I know I can overthink things. The biggest part of the game sometimes is just getting out of your own way.
Sometimes it just comes so naturally. He talked to a few people today. You kind of listen to him talking to other guys and pick up on stuff for yourself. There was nothing too specific.
In the field, everything's going pretty well. But just like you're getting your rhythm back at the plate, you're doing the same in the field. Your body wants to speed up because it's feeling good. You're real strong from the off-season, so your body wants to do a lot more than it needs to. So you just have to slow yourself down. The more you slow yourself down, the easier the game is.
I work on specific things as they come up. For example, I made a bad throw to third in a game, so that's what I worked on yesterday. A lot of mishaps in the field just have to do with rushing. You usually have more time than you think. So if you just take your time you'll usually be OK.
Another thing I always work on in spring is scoops. A coach will throw a bunch of balls in the dirt and I practice handling every kind of bounce.
Getting a good jump on the ball is another thing I work on in the field. Sometimes you create bad hops for yourself by not getting a good jump.The truth is I'm feeling good in the field right now, but you're never satisfied.
Most days after practice I hang out with Haylee. Like last spring, we're sharing an apartment in North Phoenix with Charlie Culberson and his wife, Sarah, and their 18-month daughter Collins. Charlie's with the Rockies now, but we became good friends during the minor leagues with the Giants. We have a lot of fun with Collins. She runs around stealing your food and wanting a sip out of everybody's glass. She's a good baby.
You might have noticed I did pretty well on my Oscar picks. But did you know that Cleveland closer John Axford picked 18 for 18? How do you do that? (There are 24 categories but he didn't make picks for all of them.) Pretty amazing. That's my goal for next year.
So I've seen two movies since my last post.
300: Rise of an Empire – It's a sequel to "300,'' about the Spartans fighting the Persians in Ancient Greece, which I remember watching when I was in junior college. I thought this one was good but obviously it's not going to be as good as the first one. But it was entertaining. Haylee and I went to a 9 o'clock showing and she slept the whole time. She fell asleep in the previews and didn't wake up until the end.
Rating: Two stars.
Non-stop – Liam Neeson is an air marshal on a plane, and there's a terrorist on board. The terrorist is going to kill someone every 20 minutes unless they transfer money into his bank account. The terrorist is setting it up so it looks like the air marshal is the terrorist because the account is in his name. You don't know who the terrorist is until the end. The ending is kind of stupid. I kept waiting for something else to happen.
Rating: 1 1/2 stars.
It's a pretty bad time for movies right now. I'm not sure what I'll see next. I'm looking forward to "22 Jump Street''—the sequel to 21 Jump Street — coming out in June with Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum.
OK, got to get some more rest so I'm ready to go tomorrow. Keeping a bucket by the bed. The one essential for a stomach virus.
The Envelope Please . . . – Brandon Belt
(Sorry I didn't get this posted until today. Pretend it's still yesterday.)
I could talk about my two hits today in the first game of spring. That felt pretty good.
But because the Academy Awards are on Sunday, I thought I'd share my picks so you can win the pool at your Oscar party.
Best Actor: No question it's Matthew McConaughey. He was awesome in Dallas Buyers Club. It's the best performance of his career.
Best Actress: I'm picking Amy Adams because I think she's a really good actress but I wasn't blown away by her performance in American Hustle. And I didn't see Blue Jasmine or that Osage County movie because it looked stupid. And Sandra Bullock was being Sandra Bullock and I didn't really like Gravity. Getting lost in space is my biggest fear. I would never go into space. I think Bam-Bam's stupid if he does it. That fear comes just ahead of being burned alive. I heard it takes 15 minutes to burn alive. Actually I have to say I'm probably more afraid of a mid-airplane crash and plummeting out of the sky. So that's ahead of being burned alive. Lost in space, mid-air crash and being burned alive. That's my order.
Best Supporting Actor: Jared Leto. He was so good you completely believed his character. The best part of Dallas Buyers Club was the acting. I was hooked on all the characters the whole way through.
Best supporting baseball player: Adam Dunn, who plays the bartender when Matthew McConaughey meets Jared Leto. (I just read that he's actually going to the Academy Awards.)
Best Supporting Actress: Jennifer Lawrence. She's great.
Best Picture: My top three are Lone Survivor, Twelve Years a Slave and Dallas Buyers Club. It's really a toss-up, but I'm going with Twelve Years a Slave in part because I like historical movies.
I think I've told you before that during the season I am not a morning person. I have a reputation of being a grouch in the morning. So you might be surprised to know I was at the park for a yoga class at 6:15 a.m. on Tuesday. I had to get up at 5:30. The truth is that during spring training I become a morning person because all our games are during the day. I go to bed by about 10. Sometimes I have to force myself to go to bed that early, but I'm really working on getting better sleeping habits.
This is the first year we've had yoga classes. They're on Tuesdays and Fridays at 6:15 for any player or staffer who wants to come. Tuesday was my first class. There were probably a dozen of us there. I hope to get to the Friday class, too. My lower body is not the most flexible lower body on the team. So I'm hoping to loosen those muscles.
I did yoga once before, two years ago at a Giants conditioning camp in January. So I was a little familiar with it and did better than I thought I would. Hunter was behind me, so I couldn't see him. I'd say Gary Brown was the best of the guys I could see. But I held my poses a little longer than he did. So I'd have to say I dominated.
I don't get too deep into the mind-body part of yoga. I'm from East Texas. We don't do stuff like that.
I'm trying to eat better, too, this year. Mostly it's about having a good eating schedule – regular meals and snacks instead of hauling in the food in two meals. Instead of my energy going way up and plummeting, I'm hoping to be more even throughout the day.
And I'm cutting back on Red Bulls. I'm not giving them up altogether but I'm not going to drink them just out of habit. I'll have one only when I really need a boost. Like this morning. I woke up and didn't feel real great. So I had one. It was great. I love opening it up and smelling it. I get energy right away just from the smell.
Tomorrow we have a day off, which I'll spend with Haylee. Our wives stay at home all day waiting for us to get there. So if we have a little time to spend with them, that's what we're going to do.
Hope you got to see the highlight of today's game. Look for it on YouTube or somewhere if you haven't. Josh Reddick made maybe the best catch of the year. Maybe the best I've ever seen in person. Mike Morse – robbed twice. But it's good to get your bad luck out of the way now.
Hope to post again soon.
-Brandon B.
Does My Butt Look Big in this Dress? – Brandon Belt
I'm writing this – dictating actually – before the media show up to interview us, an annual thing the day before FanFest. But I flew into the Bay Area a few days early for two reasons: To find a house to rent in the East Bay for the season, and to shoot commercials for the Giants.
First, the house. Haylee and I lived in an apartment near the ballpark last year. We couldn't have our dog. It wasn't that dogs weren't allowed. But Lilly is awful. She has bad separation anxiety, and when we leave her alone she screams at the top of her lungs for about an hour straight. We can't share a wall with anybody when Lilly's with us, so she stayed with my parents. But in the offseason I had a midlife crisis about my dog. She's a mutt that, if I had to guess is a beagle/dachshund/rat terrier mix with kind of a squatty, feet-turned-out stance of a basset hound. I love my dog, and I realized if I kept leaving her in Texas during the season, I'd miss three-quarters of her life and that made me really sad. So we're going to find a house with a yard this season.
As for the commercials, I'm convinced the Giants sit in a room and say, "How can we humiliate these players when they get here?'' Or maybe just, "How can we humiliate Brandon?'' Then they come up with the worst things possible. I had to dress up like a giraffe. I had to dress up like a fan with a big mustache and look like a lumberjack. And I had to dress up like a Gamer Babe. I wore baseball pants under the dress but it was still very tight. Of course it showed my big butt. And the front part wasn't as loose as you'd want it to be. In the commercial I was sitting then standing and it's not like you have time to adjust yourself. I hope they have a good editor. At least I got to sit with a bunch of fans, who are in the commercials. That was the best part.
You will notice when you see me that I now have facial hair. I started growing it in November with my buddies back home. Mine got really thick and bushy – not like Sergio or Brian Wilson – but I got to the point where it was bothering me. So I trimmed it. And I cut my hair. It doesn't stick straight up any more. I'm going for the grown-up look.
I worked out hard during the off-season. Right now I'm as strong as I've ever been at this point in the year. I always want to do better than I did the previous year in all aspects of my game but also in weight-training. I'm definitely heavier – most of it's good weight but if you live in Texas, you know some of it's Mexican food. I got back into the batting cage after New Year's, working mostly off a tee. You're basically laying down a base for spring training so you feel ready to dive right in. This off-season seemed really long, and for the past few weeks I've really been feeling the itch to get back on the field.
The highlight of the off-season was moving into our house, which my dad has been renovating for us. We've been living with Haylee's parents, who are great, but it's really nice to have our own place.
I have a room above the garage that I guess you'd call a man cave. It has three televisions to watch all the football games, a pool table, a kitchenette and these really, really comfortable beanbag-type chairs called Lovesacs. I use to go into the Lovesac store and sit on the chairs and wish I had one. Now I have two.
I can't end this without a few quick movie reviews.
American Hustle: Haylee didn't like it a whole bunch. Not a lot of action going on. Not a lot to get your blood flowing. But I thought it had a good plot. Two-and-half stars (out of four).
Wolf of Wall Street: You can pretty much watch a porn movie and that's what you got. There was a good movie underneath it all but it was so over-the-top and explicit that the story was just lost. After a while you're like, "Move on, we get it.'' They could have cut out an hour of the movie and it would have been a lot better. One-and-a-half stars.
Anchorman II: I'd heard mixed reviews on it. I know people who did not like it at all and people who said it was OK for a sequel. I absolutely loved it. I laughed the entire time. I love every single one of those characters, especially Will Farrell and Paul Rudd. They're two of my favorite comedy actors. Three stars.
Captain Phillips: It was kind of long and there were times I got a little bored, but overall I liked it a lot. Two-and-a-half.
Ride Along: Kevin Hart plays the main character. It's a cop movie where this guy wants to marry the cop's sister. So the cop says you can ride a long with me and if I think you're worthy I'll give you my blessing. It was pretty good. Not the best movie, but you're entertained enough. Two stars.
Gravity: It was nice and short, maybe 90 minutes, and it keeps you on the edge of your seat the entire time. Three stars.
Twelve Years a Slave: Really, really good. I went to see it late at night by myself because Haylee didn't want to see it. It was my favorite movie of the off-season. Great story. You're rooting the whole time for the guy to get out of that situation he was in. It was pretty tough to watch at times, but that's what made it so good. You felt like you were there. Three-and-a-quarter stars.
Just to let you know, I hardly ever think a movie is four stars. Tombstone is definitely four stars. I'd say The Place Beyond the Pines is almost four stars. Also Macgruber gets almost four stars. I laugh my butt off every time I see it.
OK, off to catch up with the media. Hope you're coming out to the park for FanFest tomorrow. It's a really cool event for the players because we get to meet fans face-to-face.
I'll check in again during spring training. Thanks for reading.
-Brandon B.
On The Silver Screen – Brandon Belt
The good thing about the rainout in Cincinnati is that we got to come back to San Francisco earlier. Nothing like landing at SFO and riding the bus back to the ballpark after a miserable road trip. Haylee was still out of town visiting family back in Texas. And Bumgarner's wife, Ali, wasn't back yet either. So me and Bum had a date.
We took scooters down the Embarcadero to the Ferry Building. He hasn't gotten his scooter yet, so he rode Haylee's little baby-blue one. He looked cute. He's huge and the scooter is tiny. He had to hunch way over to reach the handlebars. We went to Gott's but the line was too long. So we went to a great Mexican place on Howard – and I can't remember the name! They're always so nice to us. I'll pass it along when I remember.
As usual, I saw a few movies on the road. There's a little movie group now, so I don't go alone as much. It's mostly Kontos, Javy, Hunter, Crawfordand me. When you're on the road, you can go a little stir crazy because it's just room/baseball field, room/baseball field. So you want to just get out of your room. If we have an off day, we'll plan what we're going to see. Otherwise, it's just whoever's around when you're thinking about going.
In Colorado on the off day, I went to see "This Is the End'' again with Crawford and Kontos. There's a part in there that might be the funniest movie scene ever, though it might just be funny to guys. I don't know. I can't really describe it tastefully. But it's between Danny McBride and James Franco. They're yelling back and forth at each other, and you literally start laughing at the beginning and it goes on for at least a minute and you're laughing so hard for at least a minute straight and it hurts. I laughed so hard I could barely breathe and tears were coming down my face and I almost fell on the floor. I'll say this: It's about what guys sometimes do when they're by themselves and the result of what happens when they do that. I'll leave it at that. It is just so original. I wish I could find it on YouTube and play it on a loop all day.
That scene is right up there with a scene in "Wanderlust'' with Paul Rudd and Jennifer Anniston. It's the one where Paul Rudd is talking to himself in the mirror. I pretty much consider those the funniest scenes of all time.
In Cincinnati I went with Kontos and Hunter to see a film of stand-up comic Kevin Hart. And on Thursday when I got home I saw "The Heat'' with Sandra Bullock and Melissa McCarthy. I think this is Melissa McCarthy's best movie. Better than Bridesmaids. Haylee got home Friday before our game, and she wasn't real happy when I picked her up at the airport and told her that I went to see it without her — even though she had told me it was okay. I think she was just grumpy about leaving her family and so it probably wasn't the best time to tell her I had seen the movie. She's fine now.
It was great to see Bum pitch so well yesterday and get us the win. Obviously we really needed it. It's not like we were in this dungeon of doom and we were never going to get out of it. But it's not been very fun the last few weeks. There's no doubt in this clubhouse, though, that we can win the World Series with this team. You realize you're going to have times when you're not playing well. Everything usually averages out — as bad as this is, we plan on having a run where we're just as good on the other side.
When you see a light at the end of the tunnel, like we did with our win yesterday, then things start to click. You don't know who it's going to be to get it going. Last year, somebody different stepped up every day. Yesterday it was Bum.
Who's it going to be today?
Thanks for reading!
-Brandon B.


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Coevolution of Diet and Prey-Specific Venom Activity Supports the Role of Selection in Snake Venom Evolution
Axel Barlow, Catharine E. Pook, Robert A. Harrison and Wolfgang Wüster
Proceedings: Biological Sciences
Vol. 276, No. 1666 (Jul. 7, 2009), pp. 2443-2449
Published by: Royal Society
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/30244073
Page Count: 7
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The processes that drive the evolution of snake venom variability, particularly the role of diet, have been a topic of intense recent research interest. Here, we test whether extensive variation in venom composition in the medically important viper genus Echis is associated with shifts in diet. Examination of stomach and hindgut contents revealed extreme variation between the major clades of Echis in the proportion of arthropod prey consumed. The toxicity (median lethal dose, $LD_{50}$ ) of representative Echis venoms to a natural scorpion prey species was found to be strongly associated with the degree of arthropod feeding. Mapping the results onto a novel Echis phylogeny generated from nuclear and mitochondrial sequence data revealed two independent instances of coevolution of venom toxicity and diet. Unlike venom $LD_{50}$ , the speed with which venoms incapacitated and killed scorpions was not associated with the degree of arthropod feeding. The prey-specific venom toxicity of arthropod-feeding Echis may thus be adaptive primarily by reducing venom expenditure. Overall, our results provide strong evidence that variation in snake venom composition results from adaptive evolution driven by natural selection for different diets, and underscores the need for a multi-faceted, integrative approach to the study of the causes of venom evolution.
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Proceedings: Biological Sciences © 2009 Royal Society

subset: commoncrawl


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Any animals that aren't Pokemon yet?
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November 30th, 2012 (8:20 AM).
Mr Cat Dog
<insert witty eloquence here>
Join Date: Apr 2004
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If Girafarig and Zebstrika had a baby, it should so be a new Pokemon based on an
. It's one of my favourite animals, even though no one knows about it who hasn't played
Zoo Tycoon
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Member for: 1 year 11 months
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Hi my name is Samuel Pfleumer and I am a Switzerland based Photographer.
I love to take photographs and am here to learn from you.
Photography and editing are my biggest passion and my goal is to make it my main Job in the future.
All comments an critique are welcome


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Designed in the European style, the Devon-Aire® Dressage Coat allows freedom to move. This budget-friendly and flattering dressage coat has a four-button front and two front flap pockets.
The Horseware® Competition Coat combines all the athletic functionality of soft shell with a budget-friendly price. This easy-care show coat is water-resistant, fully lined and fashionably styled with the slightly shortened hemline of European tradition.
This R.J. Classics Girls' Essential Coat offers timeless style in subtle plaids. It's lightweight and washable, with beautiful drape and shape retention. Quality tailoring and R.J. Classics' signature fit allow the young rider to present a polished look.
Ideal for the young rider, the R.J. Basics Girls' Show Coat provides classic, show-ring polish at a friendly price. This girls' hunt coat is fully lined and constructed with an ageless 3-button front and double-vented back.
A wonderful addition to your show ensemble, the Devon-Aire® Nouvelle Stretch Show Coat offers a classic look, excellent stretch and a budget-friendly price. This show jacket is well tailored with rolled shoulders, a three-button front, notched lapels, flap pockets and a double-vented back.
Amazingly stylish and highly functional, this Arista® Printed Back Short Sleeve Show Shirt is perfect for show day and tempting to wear for schooling. Washable, wrinkle-resistant, colorfast fabric feels like cotton but provides odor control, moisture management and SPF 50 protection. Classic features let this shirt present a polished look under a show coat.
The Essex Classics Talent Yarn® Short Sleeve Competition Shirt keeps you looking and feeling in top form. This finely tailored ladies' show shirt offers all the performance benefits of high-tech fabric. It's breathable, thermo-regulating, moisture-wicking and UV-protective, and it stretches as you move for unrestricted freedom.
This R.J. Classics Essential Coat is a traditionally-styled, machine washable show coat. Made of a lightweight fabric for comfort, it has a classic three-button front, two front slant pockets, four-button vented sleeves and double-vented back panel.
The Devon-Aire® Signature Show Coat is designed to flatter your form with a slightly tapered waist with subtly textured micro-ribbed fabric. With classic hunt coat styling and a full lining, this coat has a water-repellent finish that lets you compete without concern over unexpected showers.
The Horseware® Platinum Ella Long Sleeve Competition Shirt delivers extra style and performance in a subtle waffle-weave technical fabric. This show shirt is antibacterial and moisture-wicking to help keep you feeling fresh. A front zipper is hidden under the covered placket to prevent unsightly gaps.
The Tailored Sportsman IceFil® Show Shirt keeps you cool in the ring as it wicks moisture and lowers your temperature by up to 5 degrees. This long sleeve show shirt has mesh under the arms for air circulation and a touch of stretch for freedom. Styled with a contrast lined quarter-length snap placket, woven snap collar and woven cuffs.
This Tailored Sportsman IceFil® Show Shirt keeps you cool in the saddle as it wicks moisture and lowers your temperature by up to 5 degrees. This long sleeve ladies' show shirt has mesh under the arms for air circulation and a touch of stretch for freedom. Styled with a contrast lined quarter-length snap placket, woven snap collar and woven cuffs.
This Essex Classics Men's Talent Yarn® Short Sleeve Show Shirt is easy and comfortable to wear. It's made of wickable, breathable performance fabric with a classic covered placket and button-down collar for the perfect show ring look. Cut for a trim fit, this pullover style show shirt lies smoothly under a jacket.
Freshly redesigned, the Kerrits® Competition Koat is a versatile and budget-friendly show coat option. It's made of Kerrits' easy-care, wrinkle-resistant Dynamic Extreme™ fabric with four-way stretch and styled to enhance the figure. This show coat has a classic 3-button front with a hidden zippered placket for a smooth look.
A floral pattern available only at Dover Saddlery lines the collar, placket and cuffs of this Essex Classics Talent Yarn® Long Sleeve Show Shirt. Beautifully tailored and timeless, this show ring classic offers the best fabric technologies to keep you cool and dry. Stretchable, breathable, moisture-wicking fabric protects against UV rays and resists bacteria.
The Horseware® Embellished Competition Jacket offers that special touch of bling to set your look apart from the rest. European-inspired and easy-care, it has a chic crystals at the collar, a single crystal button and a slightly shortened hem. Lightweight, water-resistant and stretchable, with full lining, 3-button front, zippered pockets and single back vent.
Beautifully tailored and timeless, this Essex Classics Talent Yarn® Bordeaux Print Long Sleeve Competition Shirt delivers the best fabric technologies to keep you cool and dry. Stretchable, breathable, moisture-wicking fabric protects against UV rays and resists bacteria.
The Essex Classics Men's Talent Yarn® Long Sleeve Show Shirt is comfortable and easy to wear in wickable, UV-protective performance fabric. This pullover style men's show shirt has a button-down collar and covered placket for that classic look. A trim fit lets it lie smoothly under your jacket. This shirt keeps you cool in hot weather and warm in cool weather.
The flattering and chic Asmar Noir Shirt Sleeve Show Shirt combines the best of show ring tradition, edgy style and athletic comfort. A classic white front and collar provide polish, while stretchy, breathable black mesh sides help keep you cool. And a black back panel provides a striking, slimming effect. Machine washable fabrics make this shirt even better!
With this Fior Da Liso Marcie Show Shirt, stripes debut in the show jumping and dressage arenas! This two-color ladies' show shirt offers a flattering fit and the ultimate comfort in fine jersey fabric. Beautifully made with a concealed button facing and double button collar.
The ece Short Sleeve Competition Shirt is made of fabric that keeps you dry in any temperature. Lightweight, breathable and moisture-wicking, this fashion-conscious show shirt is styled to lie smoothly under your show coat.


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Super Fiber from Country Life® might provide fiber to support digestive health. Psyllium is the husk of the seed of the Plantago plant and is a rich source of fiber. Fiber is a substance found in fruits' vegetables' and whole grains that is not digested by the body. It passes quickly through the digestive tract and is usually not broken down like other foods.
The psyllium seed husk provided by this supplement from Country Life® could help relieve constipation and indigestion. It might also support weight management and certain areas of intestinal health. The fiber content here could reduce the appetite' improve digestion' and cleanse the entire system. This could also help with other digestive problems.
The supplement also contains slippery elm bark' which contains chemicals that could soothe the digestive tract and throat. It could also produce a mucous secretion that might support the functioning of the stomach. Apple pectin powder is also a good source of fiber.
Dried prune fruit powder is rich in antioxidants and might also support healthy digestion.
The dried fig powder present in Super Fiber from Country Life® is naturally rich in antioxidants' phytonutrients' vitamins' and minerals to support health.
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). These products are not meant to diagnose' treat or cure any disease or medical condition. Please consult your doctor before starting any exercise or nutritional supplement program or before using these or any product during pregnancy or if you have a serious medical condition.
Serving Size: 1 rounded teaspoon (0.18 oz) (5g)
Servings Per Container: 45
Amount Per Serving % Daily Value
Calories 10
Total Carbohydrate 4 g <2 % *
Dietary Fiber 4 g 16 % *
Psyllium Seed Husk Fiber Powder 3.3 g **
Slippery Elm Bark Powder 125 mg **
Apple Pectin Powder 125 mg **
Dried Prune Fruit Powder 125 mg **
Dried Fig Fruit Powder 125 mg **
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2'000 calorie diet.
** Daily Value not established.
Other Ingredients: Cellulose' maltodextrin' guar gum' glycine' silica.
Certified Vegan. Certified Gluten Free.
Does Not Contain: Yeast' wheat' soy' gluten' milk' salt or artificial color.
Adults take one (1) rounded teaspoon (.18 oz.)(5 g) mixed thoroughly with one (1) cup (8 -10 fl. oz.) (237 mL- 295 mL) of liquid (juice' water' etc.).
This food should be eaten with at least a full glass of liquid. Eating this product without enough liquid may cause choking. Do not eat this product if you have difficulty in swallowing. This product is not recommended for long term daily usage. Do not exceed recommended dosage. Take other drugs one hour prior to consumption. As a reminder' discuss the supplements and medications that you take with your health care providers.
If you are pregnant or nursing' taking medication or planning a surgery' consult your doctor before using this product. Not for use by those with bowel obstruction. If any adverse reactions occur' stop taking the product and consult your doctor.
This food should be eaten with at least a full glass of liquid. Eating this product without enough liquid may cause choking. Do not eat this product if you have difficulty in swallowing. This product is not recommended for long term daily usage. Do not exceed recommended dosage. Take other drugs one hour prior to consumption. As a reminder' discuss the supplements and medications that you take with your health care providers.
California Prop 65 warning: This product contains lead' a chemical known to the State of California to cause birth defects or other reproductive harm.
Do not accept if seal is broken. Store between 59°-86° F. Keep out of the reach of children.
Allergy / Dietary Needs
- Artificial Color Free
- Gluten Free
- GMP Certification
- Kosher Product
- Milk Free
- Salt Free
- Soy Free
- Vegan Product
- Wheat Free
- Yeast Free
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If you are pregnant, nursing, taking any medications or have any medical condition, consult your doctor before use. Your healthcare professional is the best source for guidance before beginning an exercise or nutritional supplement program.


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Posted October 8, 2013 and updated on May 27, 2016
Much Ado About Nothing
The most recent home video release of this movie is October 8, 2013. Here are some details…
Home Video Notes: Much Ado About Nothing
Release Date: 8 October 2013
Much Ado About Nothing releases to home video (Blu-ray/DVD/Ultraviolet Digital Copy) with the following extras:
- Featurette: Much Ado About Making Nothing
- Featurette: Bus Ado About Nothing
- Audio commentary with screenwriter/director Joss Whedon and cast.
- Music Video: Sigh No More
Related home video titles:
Director Joss Whedon also worked on the movie Marvel's The Avengers. The modern movie The Artist uses black and white photography as well. Other Shakespeare adaptations include Gnomeo & Juliet and Romeo & Juliet, 10 Things I Hate About You (Taming of the Shrew) and She's the Man (Twelfth Night).


text: Stuck in this kind of silly problem, I accidentally uninstalled this widget in my phone and now I want to know how would I be able to recover it back, thats what I want to know? I am not even able to find it in the ovi store and hence I am seeking some help from you guys, if I would be able to install the widget or not? If you all have any attachment for the facebook widget then please do forward this to me that would be better.


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Friendly & attentive staff
In the UK we are used to a kettle in the room to make tea or coffee once or twice a day.
Cordial staff, very relaxing ambiance, good breakfast. Even when arriving late, there was possible to get some bun and drink. Close to the subway.
Hard to find the place, poor reception (only via intercom) with nobody to welcome you in or point you to your room.
Staff were very helpful and friendly. Pleasant location which was convenient for my visit.
The room was small and basic, and didn't relate to the room rate. I stayed in a similar size room at the Scandic Continental - Central Stockholm the following night and paid only 2/3 of the price at the Bla Blom.
The staff was not exactly serviceminded or very friendly. They honestly seemed very tired of working, don't know if it was an end-of-the-season syndrome or what.
receptionist very helpful, easy parking , good breakfast , clean room and shower room
far out of the city centre, car required to get around
Nicely remodeled and styled rooms. Front desk was very helpful and friendly
Walls are a little thin.
Close to the airport
Small rooms
In nature, easy to reach from Stockholm by public transport. Nice location, excellent breakfast. Lot of green, clean and quiet. 500 meters from a lake.
The dinner at the restaurant is very expensive, e.g. 1 soup=200 SEK. Menu a la carte for 1 person around 500 SEK ,not including wine.This is X2 the price at a similar 4* hotel restaurant in Stockholm! Having no other option to eat around, someone could have a real financial problem. Also, no real explanations in english on site. And, last but not least, very dissapointing that the water in the lake is dirty and almost no life in it and surrounding...but a lot of flies.
I slept well and that was the purpose with my stay at the hotel.
No problems at all.
The staff was exceptionally helpful. The location is less than 50 meters from the T-bahn. There are grocery stores, restaurants, a fitness center, and a park all within a couple of blocks.
The low priced rooms on the top floor are attic type rooms and a bit less stand up room than expected.
It is a friendly and welcoming hotel
No complaints, they were great
I very much liked the relaxed atmotphaere - the very helpfull people in the reception and the nice way the hotel was furnished and decorated. The price was very reasonable. Further I liked that it was close to city centre and the congress - I will definitely choose this hotel for a family trip to Stockholm
I prefer rooms with at least small carpets at the floor - but was not a big problem
Gym was great as was the times it was open
Breakfast was good, efficient.
Staff was very efficient and lobby was very nice
Only one negative for the hotel is the location from the train station. i walked and it about 10 -15 minute walk; this is the only negative. Neighborhood is nice but not very touristy
The location of this hotel is ideal if you want to get most out of your Stockholm trip. Most of the places to see are within the walk distance.
The Parking is quite expensive. However it is possible to park the outside the hotel for less. My advice is not to bring the car to Stockholm.
Very friendly Staff
I appreciated how easy it was to get to downtown Stockholm. I thought it would be really out of the way but it's right on the T-bana, so it was completely accessible. The desk staff were friendly, and it was good to have free internet access. Also, I took a very long walk all around the lake one morning of my stay, and I appreciated having that access to nature.
Breakfast in the basement is just a bit dreary and dark. The food was fine, but it would have been nice to have some natural light. And the corners of the breakfast level room weren't well cleaned.
Here's why:
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We aggregate tons of data for you
Our service lets you quickly and easily compare results from hundreds of travel sites at once. In this sense, KAYAK is a search engine and we don't guarantee prices we find.
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Prices on airline seats, hotel rooms and car rentals can change frequently. Several people may also be trying to buy the same travel option simultaneously. As a result, you may find on occasion that certain prices are no longer available.
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KAYAK is part of The Priceline Group, the world leader in online travel & related services.


text:
Listed here are the soccer tournaments in Idaho that use this website for referee registration. Select the radio button next to the tournament you'd like to register for and then click the "Go to Registration Form" buttom to complete your online registration.
Please make sure you read and understand the Agreement section of the form as well as how the assignor treats blocks in Arbiter Sports, i.e. blocks are ignored for tournament purposes.
There are no tournaments availabe for signup at this time. Please check back later.


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WEATHER BLOG: Cooler Conditions On TapShowers, or even a period of steadier rain will move through the area this evening as a cold front presses its way through.
WEATHER BLOG: Still Above AverageThe current surface map shows high pressure to our north, and a boundary that previously slipped through that has stalled to our south near the NC/VA border.
WEATHER BLOG: Mild November TempsDespite clouds, it has been another nice and mild afternoon for late November. A cold front slowly sagging south will change that for tomorrow.
WEATHER BLOG: Above Average TempsWe'll continue to see clouds streaming in across the area tonight with moisture coming northward from an area of low pressure that is moving through the Gulf Coast states.
WEATHER BLOG: Dry, But CoolWe will remain dry, but cool as we head into the overnight hours tonight. Lows will bottom out in the upper 30s for most areas.
WEATHER BLOG: Chilliest Air Of The SeasonGet ready for the chillest air of the season so far... it moves in this weekend. A big, strong area of high pressure in the northern plains will move southeastward and build into the region over the next couple of days.
WEATHER BLOG: Another Beautiful DayA look at the surface map this afternoon shows weak high pressure holding on across the region with a weak cold front stretched from southern Ontario south into Ohio.
WEATHER BLOG: Beautiful Weather ContinuesHigh pressure will begin to drift to the mid-Atlantic coast tomorrow and then gradually shift offshore Friday and Saturday.
WEATHER BLOG: Another Hot OneToday has been another hot one with temperatures in the 90s. Temps will back off somewhat during the remainder of the week, but humidity levels will remain high.
WEATHER BLOG: Some SunWith some sun at times this afternoon, temps will end up a bit warmer than yesterday.
WEATHER BLOG: Stay Safe In Hot WeatherA heat advisory is in effect for the region until 8PM today.
WEATHER BLOG: Warm Weekend!While radar is quiet for now, a few new showers and t-storms could pop-up over the next several hours inside of this oppressive airmass.


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ICT policy
Internet: APC sees progress in the full recognition of the freedom of association and assembly
"As an international network and non-profit organisation that believes the internet is a global public good, we would like to extend our congratulation to the Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association for this work," said APC in reference to a landmark report discussed at the UN in May 2012.
New report: "Mobile Southeast Asia 2012: Crossroads of Innovation"
Southeast Asia has been a trade hub for thousands of years and is a digital crossroads for internet and mobile innovation now as well, according to the new report by Mobilemonday, "Mobile SouthEast Asia 2012: Crossroads of Innoivation," available online
Nancy Hafkin: 30 years of building Africa's networks
After more than 30 years of working to promote information and communications technology in Africa, Nancy Hafkin was inducted into the Internet Wall of Fame. In an interview with APCNews, she shares the history of her work and that of communications technology in Africa, her interest in Africa, obstacles and achievements.
Bytes for All calls for civil society participation in drafting cyber crime legislation in Pakistan
The Government of Pakistan is working to revive and restructure the cyber crime law, which lapsed in 2009. Stakeholders who are being consulted are corporations such as telecom operators, ISPs, and governmental organisations. However, no representative civil society organisation holds an opinion even though it is a globally accepted norm that governments use a multi-stakeholder process to ensure active participation by civil society.
Malaysia: Bad laws won't stop cyber crime
The recent amendments to the Malaysian Evidence Act, passed without debate at Parliament on May 19 2012, clearly signal the government's intention to increase censorship on the internet.
The Internet and Human Rights: a new frontier?
The Internet can strengthen human rights through the enhancement of the realization of freedom of expression, allowing people to receive information and seek to impart it as required in article 19 of the Universal Declaration on Human Rights.
Surveilling CISPA
I wrote a story about surveillance efforts by the UK authorities lately. It seems that snooping communications (emails, text messaging, etc) is in vogue.
ICT Policy in Africa and the Internet and Human Rights
In this post, I am going to address two main issues: the need and role of ICT policy in Africa, and the relationship between Internet and human rights. The landscape of ICTs probably is the fastest growing sector ever experienced with any medium or any transformative technology.
Which way African ICT Policy? Turn right, human right
"He is as useless as a dog" this was part of a Facebook post by a young Kenyan photographer on the wall of a Kenyan politician, Mr. Lewis Nguyai. The Facebook post has since led to the photographer's arrest and may ultimately result in a defamation suit. Kenya's National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC) which was set up after the post election violence in 2008 to "promote equality of opportunity, good relations, harmony and peaceful coexistence between persons of different ethnic and racial backgrounds in Kenya" claims that they received 60 complaints in February 2012 regarding defamatory comments made about individuals on social media web sites. In most countries defamation is entrenched in local laws and mostly predicated on Article 11 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which guarantees legal protection against "attacks upon … honour and reputation".
ICT Policy Interventions to Promote Digital Participation in Africa
Information Communication Technologies (ICT's) are increasingly used by government agencies across the African continent with a view to making their service offerings more widely accessible. E-governance is widely considered a powerful and effective tool in the fight against corruption which it achieves by increasing transparency, efficiency and greater accountability of Government officials.


text:
- Differential Diagnosis
- Diseases
- Drugs
- More
- Try building your search one term at a time, and be as specific as you can! Search term example: "chronic cough".
- Do not enter multiple findings such as "anemia, chronic cough, weight loss, vomiting" all at the same time.
- After selecting your term from the search results a list of possible diagnoses will be generated. If the list is too long, you will be able to narrow it down by entering additional terms.
- Do not enter values such as "heart rhythm 110" or "sodium 125", instead use "tachycardia" or "hyponatremia".
Sign-in (or register) to check out the new features we've just launched!
Differential Diagnosis For UGI/Duodenum mass/intrinsic
Available only to registered users.
- Suggest
- 16 possible diagnoses found
- Infected organ, Abscesses
- Phlegmon duodenum/diverticulitis
- Neoplastic Disorders
- Metastatic malignancy (cancer)
- Neoplasms/tumors
- Lymphomas
- Carcinoid syndrome/Carcinoid metastatic
- Carcinoid tumor
- Carcinoma, duodenum
- Duodenal spindle cell/sarcoma
- Intestinal/gut lymphoma
- Congenital, Developmental Disorders
- Pancreas, annular
- Ectopic pancreas/congenital
- Anatomic, Foreign Body, Structural Disorders
- Gallstone ileus
- Duodenal hematoma
- Foreign body gut
- Reference to Organ System
- Duodenal ulcer
- Peptic ulcer disease
- Synonyms
- Duodenum mass/Intrinsic, Upper gastrointestinal tract X-ray abnormal, Upper GI tract X-ray abnormal, X-ray of upper GI tract abnormal, X-ray upper gastrointestinal tract abnormal
- External Links Related to UGI/Duodenum mass/intrinsic
- Wikipedia
- Merck
- Images
- PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
- NGC (National Guideline Clearinghouse)
- Medscape (eMedicine)
- Harrison's Online (accessmedicine)
- NEJM (The New England Journal of Medicine)


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Vacant position at Churches of Christ Care · Posted January 17 · Full-Time
This job ad has expired. Please note that the information below is for reference only.
Churches of Christ Care is currently seeking a leader in clinical/hospitality care to fill the challenging and rewarding role of Hotel Services Manager and join our Residential Aged Care team, based in Melbourne.
This newly created position will be responsible for the management and operational performance for all hospitality services (catering, cleaning and laundry) across all Residential Aged Care facilities in Victoria region for both, in house and outsourced services. The Hotel Services Manager will have an integral role in the implementation of strategic corporate initiatives for all aspects of the hospitality services.
To succeed in this permanent full-time role you will need:
Benefits include industry competitive remuneration with salary packaging benefits that substantially increase take-home pay, five weeks annual leave, professional development opportunities for advancement within the organisation, and a supportive and family friendly working environment. This is an excellent opportunity to join a well-established, not-for-profit organisation.
Visit our website for a copy of the position outcomes statement. Applicants must address the key selection criteria in their application.
For further information or to apply, please contact Andrew Venosta, Area Manager – Residential Aged Care Victoria, on 0409 124 898 or via email firstname.lastname@example.com.
Applications close: Monday 28 January 2013 (COB)


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Determine your eligibility – Work in Canada
If you need a work permit to work temporarily in Canada, you must make sure you are eligible to receive one. This will depend on a few things, including where you plan to apply for your work permit.
Eligibility requirements
No matter where you apply, you must:
- prove to an officer that you will leave Canada when your work permit expires,
- show that you have enough money to take care of yourself and your family members during your stay in Canada and to return home,
- obey the law and have no record of criminal activity (we may ask you to give us a police clearance certificate),
- not be a danger to Canada's security,
- be in good health and have a medical exam, if needed,
- not plan to work for an employer listed with the status "ineligible" on the list of employers who failed to comply with the conditions,
- not plan to work for an employer who, on a regular basis, offers striptease, erotic dance, escort services or erotic massages,
- not have worked in Canada for one or more periods that total four years after April 1, 2011 (with some exceptions), and
- give the officer any other documents they ask for to prove you can enter the country.
If you apply from outside Canada
Anyone may apply for a work permit before they enter Canada. In some cases, you must apply to a visa office outside Canada. This is usually true if you need a visa to enter Canada or if you need to have a medical exam before you come here.
To apply for a work permit from outside Canada, see the Instruction Guide to find out what documents you need.
If you apply from inside Canada
You can only apply for a work permit from inside Canada if you:
- are currently in Canada and have a valid study or work permit, or your spouse or parents have a study or work permit,
- have graduated from a program at a
- Canadian university,
- community college,
- publicly funded trade/technical school, or
- other eligible school.
- have a temporary resident permit that is valid for six months or more, or
- are in Canada because you have already applied for permanent residence from inside Canada (you will have to pass certain stages in the main application process to be eligible for a work permit).
See the Instruction Guide to find out what documents you need.
If you apply as you enter Canada
You can ask to be allowed to work in Canada as you enter Canada but only if:
- you are from a visa exempt country,
- you already hold a valid medical certificate, if you need it for your job, or are from a designated country, and either
- you have proof your employer has received a positive Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA), if needed, or
- you have the offer of employment number your employer received when they submitted an offer of employment through the Employer Portal, if you do not need an LMIA and will be working for a specific employer.
Note: If your job requires an LMIA, you can apply for a work permit as you enter Canada, as long as your employer has approval to hire you through an LMIA before you enter the country. (This does not apply to live-in caregivers and seasonal agricultural workers.)
Also in this topic
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Slices of green tomato are cooked in a creamy mornay sauce with a crisp panko crust in this unconventional green tomato gratin.
With the weather up in the high 80's here in in Manhattan over the weekend, it really feels like we've skipped past spring and have headed straight into summer. This is quite unfortunate as these fleeting days between winter and summer are a rare respite from the otherwise atrocious weather we get here.
To reassure my senses that the withering heat of summer is still a few weeks off, I picked up some springy green tomatoes at the farmers market. If you haven't guessed by now, I have a penchant for unripe fruits and veggies, as evidenced here, here, and here, and love green tomatoes something fierce.
Many would regard unripe fruit and veggies as a result of corporate farms that are more interested in things like shelf-life and yield rather than trivialities like flavour and texture. Maybe I'm just weird (this is a well established fact), but I like to look at pre-maturely picked fruit a fun challenge. Green tomatoes are commonly fried and eaten in southern cooking, so this wasn't too much of a stretch for me.
A gratin is a French casserole, traditionally involving potatoes layered with either a béchamel or mornay sauce and baked until bubbly with a golden crust on top. They're rich, creamy and can be quite heavy. Inspired by my bag of gorgeous green tomatoes, I decided to apply the technique to my firm verdant jewels of spring.
The result was like a more refined version of fried green tomatoes with a country gravy. With a cheesy mornay sauce bubbling up between layers of tart green tomatoes, and a crisp panko crust, it's pure artery clogging heaven on a plate. I used this as a side for dinner, but I can't stop thinking about how awesome it would be on a bed of home fries with a poached egg on top.
This riff on the classic gratin also got me thinking about other possibilities. What about a green peach "gratin" made with slices of unripe peaches and crème anglaise topped with buttered cinnamon sugar bread crumbs? Okay, so maybe the crème anglaise would curdle, but it could be thickened with a roux rather than yolks for this purpose.
For breadcrumb topping
For mornay
- Put the oven rack in the middle position and preheat to 450 degrees F.
- Mix all the ingredients for the breadcrumb topping together and set aside.
- To make the mornay, put the butter and shallots in a small saucepan and saute over medium heat until the shallots are very fragrant. Add the flour and stir for about 1 minute. Whisk in the cream then add the cheese, salt and nutmeg. Continue whisking until the mornay thickens, then take it off the heat.
- Dip the slices of green tomato into the mornay and arrange in a small oven-safe casserole dish. Spread any remaining sauce on top of the green tomatoes. Sprinkle the breadcrumb topping evenly on top then place the dish in the oven.
- Bake for 10-15 minutes or until the sauce is bubbling and the breadcrumbs are golden brown.


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Lisa Petrie
Lisa Petrie is a writer and specialist in marketing and public relations for arts and education organizations. She earned a DMA in flute performance from SUNY, Stony Brook, and is the mother of two musical kids. Lisa was the Content Manager for the Kids and Families section of San Francisco Classical Voice during 2011.
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Chinese AcrobaticsSeptember 26, 2013
As one of the traditional art forms, Chinese acrobatic show has long been popular among the Chinese people for more than 2,000 years. As early as the Warring States (476B.C.-221B.C.), there appeared rudiments of acrobatics. By the time of Han Dynasty, Chinese acrobatic show further developed both in content and form and there appeared superb performances with music accompaniment on the stage, such as pole climbing, role walking, and five tables, etc. In Tang Dynasty, the number of acrobats greatly increased and their performing skills gained much improvement. In Dunhuang Mural Paintings, there are images of Chinese acrobatic show. The ancient acrobatics came from peoples daily life and labor. Tools like tridents and wicker and utilities like tables, chairs and bowl were widely used in performances. At festivals, people often performed flying trident, balance on chair, jar tricks, hoop diving, lion dance at the market places or in the street. In the long course of development, Chinese acrobatic show has formed its own style. For example, it pays much attention to the training of actors waist, leg and head skills.
The balance and stability are paid much attention while pulling off dangerous stunts in Chinese acrobatic show. The modern acrobatics aim at creating graceful stage images, harmonious musical accompaniment, and good supporting effects, props and lighting. In the past 50 years, many Chinese acrobatic troupes have visited more than one hundred countries and regions around the world and won dozens of prizes in the International acrobatic festivals and championships. As a metropolis, Shanghai is an ideal place to enjoy Chinese acrobatic show. Shanghai Acrobatic Troupe boasts as China's top performance troupe. It is famous for its excellent skills, dare-devil performance and the harmonious combination of various kinds of performing arts. So do not miss the chance to watch the Chinese acrobatic show while you are in Shanghai. It will be worth your while and blow your mind!


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Atlanta, GA (AP) - Governor-elect Nathan Deal has added a gala at
Phillips Arena in downtown Atlanta and a prayer service to his list
of inaugural events.
The Deal team announced Friday that Jan. 10, the day of his
inauguration, will start with a prayer service at 9 a.m. at Mount
Paran Church of God in Atlanta.
The inauguration ceremony at the state Capitol is set for 2
p.m., followed by an invitation-only gala at 7:30 p.m. The gala
will feature Georgia musical acts, though no names were given.
The celebration will start Jan. 8 with a day of service
featuring 17 volunteer opportunities throughout the state.
Inauguration spokesman Harris Blackwood says all events are
being paid for with private money.
(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)


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|Wayne Parr
|Singkam Bandith
|Bob Bryk
|Brian Betterton
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|See also: Enchanter, ex-Moltens Lore
|Steve Zimmerman
|Drums (1995-?)
|See also: Enemy Remains, ex-Misfit, ex-Fates Warning, ex-Eleventh Hour
|Added by: Stormrider
|Modified by: klausader
|Added on: 2002-08-29 19:23:51
|Last modified on: 2014-10-26 03:20:26


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Ok, so I got a good light, I got my batteries, and chargers etc.
Now, how to do I start a routine to know when I should recharge or otherwise keep batteries "ready to go" when I am not actually draining them very often through usage.
What's the "shelf life" for a "AA" battery's charge?


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Title companies, however, must sit and wait, laying off staff and tightening budgets until the market improves.
When Realtors make a deal, the title companies guarantee the title of the property is free and clear for the buyer and ensure the lender is in the first lien position for the property.
"When they're busy, we're busy. When they're slow, we're slow," explained Michael Young, an escrow officer with Equity Title Agency.
As a form of insurance, title experts are severely limited in what marketing they can do by law. In times like now, there's little they can do to be proactive and are forced to hunker down and wait for things to pick up.
Allan Spriggs, Summit County Recorder, said requests for transaction recordings has dropped 30 percent since a peak about four years ago. Some in the industry think this year might be down as much as 50 percent from last for smaller title companies.
Young said he's seeing everyone from Realtors to mortgage experts trying to be creative. People who've been in the business awhile expect occasional downturns like this one.
"I don't know any title companies that will go out of business," he said. "But I also don't know one that hasn't tightened its belt and maybe laid some people off."
Les England, office manager for Founders Title Company, said the restrictions on marketing are a non-issue right now.
"There's no market to market to," he joked.
Realtors have told him to expect a slow market for the next 12 to 18 months. He said people like him who've been around for a couple decades just accept that in busy times you work a little harder and in lean times you relax a bit.
His office is still getting enough work to keep most employees busy, but has had to let a good person go recently and sees other offices doing the same.
Lois Hall, office manager for First American Title Insurance Agency, described her situation as a mirror of what's going on with Realtors and lenders. In that role, she said the best thing a title company can do is to be as supportive as possible.
"It's not like we can go out and change the market, but we need to be available and accessible to our clients to make sure we're a good support for them in closing real estate transactions," she said.
Luckily for her, she scaled back her staff last year when the real estate market entered a slump. She hasn't had to lay anyone off, but said her staff has become expert multi-taskers with everyone learning to do everything.
Hall thinks the silver lining in the current economy is that investors may tire of stock market swings and turn to real estate again.
Marc Brostrom with InWest Title Services said he sees his purpose right now as to prepare for that recovery and be ready for it.
He's addressing the local lay-offs as a plus by trying to hire the most qualified and improve his own team.
Brostrom also said they're rolling out new software and email programs.
There's been a negative habit of companies not balancing priorities, he said. They will attract new business and then quit courting clients while they handle the work load, then market again when they run out of jobs. He sees the current situation as an opportunity to remedy that problem and guarantee a steady work flow when boom times return.


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Home > Browse > Title > Your civil rights: a handbook for trade union members and organizers.
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NRC: Post Fukushima evaluation shows US fuel pools safe
BRATTLEBORO The Nuclear Regulatory Commission said Monday that spent fuel pools like the one at the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant can withstand severe earthquakes without breaching.
The draft report from the NRCs Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research is one of the post-Fukushima evaluations the NRC has ordered for the American nuclear industry.
It will be used to help inform a future commission decision on whether spent fuel should be moved into dry cask storage more quickly, said Neil Sheehan, a spokesman for the NRCs Region 1 office.
Sheehan said that the study put the odds of a serious accident resulting from an earthquake at one in 10 million.
In March 2011, the spent fuel pools at several nuclear power plants in Japan survived a major earthquake, but it was the resulting tsunami that created the havoc and near disaster, including the all-important loss of off-site electric power.
Our detailed analysis showed that even a very strong earthquake has a low probability of damaging the pool studied to the point of losing water, said Brian Sheron, director of the NRCs Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research, via a prepared statement.
According to Sherons summary, the study including both a full spent fuel pool, as is the case at Vermont Yankee, and another with less fuel and more spacing.
Vermont Yankees spent fuel pool has been full for several years, with Entergy Nuclear now transferring the oldest fuel in the spent fuel pool into concrete and steel casks, for storage on site.
Even nuclear critics believe that the so-called dry cask storage is safer than the used fuel kept in a giant, water-filled tank.
But two prominent nuclear critics in Vermont both said the report ignored the obvious.
The NRC is basically saying that the accident at Fukushima did not and cannot happen and should be excluded from any rational discussion. It was the likelihood of a fuel pool breach in Daiichi Unit 4 that caused the U.S. to withdraw all U.S. nationals out to 50 miles, said Arnie Gundersen, a nuclear engineer with the Burlington consulting group Fairewinds Associates.
The Daiichi 4 pool was damaged, and later repaired. It was a very close call, he said.
Sooner or later, in any foolproof system, the fools are going to exceed the proofs, he added.
Raymond Shadis, senior technical advisor for the New England Coalition, an anti-nuclear group, said the NRC report should also evaluate truck bomb blast wave, or aircraft impact.
He said that the NRCs own structural consultant, Robert P. Kennedy, said in another report that the bottom of the Vermont Yankee spent fuel pool could drop out, leaving 2 million pounds of spent fuel with no shielding.
It would instantly become the worlds largest outdoor sterilizer, with a range of over half a mile, Shadis said.
A seismic event may not be the most likely threat to Yankees spent fuel pool, Shadis noted.
He said by the NRCs own technical calculations, that a spent fuel cask drop from just four feet above the pool bottom would result in the cask going right through it, effectively punching a hole the diameter of the cask about 11 feet.
Try replenishing that coolant loss with a fire hose, he said.
About five years ago, when Entergy Nuclear was first shifting spent fuel into the concrete casks, there was a near miss, when the brakes on the crane lifting the loaded cask almost didnt stop.
I would suggest that playing the probabilities card should be way low on NRCs game plan, he added.
The NRC is seeking public comment on its spent fuel pool study. The public and interested groups can comment on the study using Docket ID NRC-2013-0136 on the regulations.gov website, and for 30 days following the publication of a notice in the Federal Register, expected shortly.
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TALLAHASSEE (AP) -- Someone who bought a Fantasy 5 game ticket in Lake Worth can collect $251,095.35 for the only winning ticket of the drawing, the Florida Lottery said Sunday.
The 278 tickets matching 4-of-5 numbers will collect $145.50 each.
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All wheel drive vehicles may develop a groaning type noise from the steering rack when centering the steering wheel after turning right at slow speeds, most noticeable when driven from a cold start. Our technicians tell us a revised steering rack is available to correct this concern.
7 people reported this problem


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Kermit J. Clark
Kermit J. Clark, 58, of Granville, passed away following a courageous battle with cancer on Wednesday, January 20, 2016 at his home surrounded by family. Funeral services will take place at 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, January 26, 2016 at the First Baptist Church in Le Mars. Rev. Jon Meredith will officiate. Burial will follow at Calvary Cemetery in Le Mars. Visitation will begin at 3:00 p.m. on Monday, January 25, 2016 at the Mauer – Johnson Funeral Home in Le Mars. The family will be present from 5-8 p.m. with a prayer service at 7:00 p.m. There will also be one hour of visitation at the church prior to the funeral service on Tuesday. Expressions of sympathy may be directed through http://www.mauerjohnsonfh.com


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: [Developing]
Pokémon Apex Version
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January 28th, 2013 (11:34 AM).
Veteran Gamer (Sort Of)
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: Scotland
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Latest | 0.56a | 28/01/13:
First Video Upload!
I have completely remade the Professor scene at the start of the game. A video of this has been uploaded on my personal YouTube and you can watch it
. The new version of the game will not be uploaded here yet as it is very buggy at the moment but you should check back every so often for news on a new release.
Also, I would like to ask that you please pass on news of this game as it isn't doing well in terms of publicity. Thanks in advance.
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Poet Mary Kinzie: 2008 O.B. Hardison, Jr. Poetry Prize Winner Reads Her Work
* Additional fees apply. No coupon or promo codes necessary to enjoy the displayed discount price.
The last date listed for Poet Mary Kinzie was Friday October 17, 2008 / 7:30pm.
Currently at Folger Theatre
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Preceding the poetry reading is a free seminar at 5pm.
Mary Kinzie, recipient of the 2008 O.B. Hardison, Jr. Poetry Prize, reads from her body of work.
The prize is given in memory of former Folger Shakespeare Library Director O. B. Hardison, Jr., who founded the Folger Poetry series. The $10,000 prize honors a poet whose art and teaching demonstrate great imagination and daring.
Kinzie is the author of seven poetry collections, including the new collection of poems and lyrical essays, California Sorrow. She has written two volumes of critical essays, The Cure of Poetry in an Age of Prose and The Judge Is Fury, as well as A Poet's Guide to Poetry, a critical handbook on poetry and prosody. A recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship in Poetry, Kinzie is a professor at Northwestern University where, since 1979, she has served as head of the creative writing program.
About the Ticket Supplier: Folger Theatre
Home to the world's largest Shakespeare collection, Folger Shakespeare Library is a world-class center for scholarship, learning, culture, and the arts.
The Folger's Elizabethan Theatre, modeled after the innyard theatres popular in Shakespeare's day, hosts more than 40,000 audience members each year. It presents a full calendar of performances and programs, from the Helen Hayes Award-winning Folger Theatre productions and Folger Poetry readings to early music concerts by the Folger Consort and family activitie.
The Folger Shakespeare Library, located on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, is home to the world's largest and finest collection of Shakespeare materials and to major collections of other rare Renaissance books, manuscripts, and works of art.


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Trailer blaze called suspicious
ORANGE Vermont State Police say a camping trailer fire Sunday in Orange is considered suspicious.
The Barre Town Fire Department was called to an unoccupied camping trailer engulfed in flames Sunday morning on Bennetts Mill Road, according to state police.
The fire was put out that evening, and nobody was injured. State police say the trailer, owned by Gordon Kidder, 67, of Orange, was valued at around $1,000.
The Vermont State Police Fire Investigation Unit and an investigator with the Division of Fire Safety went to the scene to investigate.
State police say the fire investigation team has deemed the cause of the fire undetermined but suspicious.
Anyone with information is asked to contact state police at 748-3111 or the arson tip line at 800-32-ARSON.MORE IN This Just InWESTMINSTER Vermont State Police say a passenger has died in an off-road vehicle crash in... Full StoryPOMFRET More than 1,000 trees and shrubs have been planted along three rivers in New Hampshire... Full StoryWATERBURY Vermont State Police are investigating a weekend burglary at the Snowfire Auto... Full Story
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With enterprise communications platforms evolving from traditional telephone switches into packet-based systems that bring together many forms of messaging, Siemens Information and Communication Networks Monday is set to unveil the second generation of its OpenScape software.
Siemens has fleshed out the software, HiPath OpenScape 2.0, with greater scalability and a tool kit that will let third parties do more with OpenScape, including developing new applications. The update also can work more closely with familiar Microsoft applications such as Outlook.
OpenScape provides an enterprise communications portal that shows which employees are reachable and on what medium, as well as easy methods for sending and retrieving messages and starting conferences and collaboration sessions. It is designed to boost productivity by eliminating "phone tag" and other time-consuming communications chores.
"It's really important for people not to have to chase each other and leave messages in four places before we connect," said Gene Rodgers, president and chief executive officer of Star Information Technology, a consulting and systems integration company that is based in Medfield, Mass., and sends consultants and sales representatives all over the U.S. Star uses OpenScape internally and has been a beta tester of OpenScape 2.0.
The best addition to OpenScape in its new version is the software development toolkit, which allowed Star to fully integrate the Siemens software with Microsoft's SharePoint portal software, Rodgers said. Previously, employees had been able to use only about three-quarters of OpenScape's features through SharePoint, according to Christian Manasseh, a technology architect at Star who was in charge of the integration. With the new kit, Star has been able to integrate all the features employees need to use, he said.
This type of software, as well as the market for it, is still in its infancy, according to industry analysts. The move from traditional circuit-based to packet-based infrastructures is a major shift, they said.
"This is the beginning of what will be a large number of value-added applications that extend your traditional telephony environment," said Gartner analyst Jeffrey Snyder. "IP telephony is not just a replacement for your (private branch exchange)."
OpenScape 2.0 can support as many as 2,000 users per processor (specified as at least a 2 GHz Pentium 4 that can access 2G bytes of RAM), up from 500 in the previous version. In addition to running it on multiple-processor servers, users now can group together multiple servers to support more users. In addition, a processor can now support as many as 5,000 formal and informal workgroups among those 2,000 users, said Gary Paris, vice president of HiPath solutions for Siemens.
The voice portal feature, through which users can sign in to teleconferences, retrieve messages and access online information, now supports natural-language commands, according to Tim Miller, technical evangelist at Siemens ICN. That means users can give commands in their own words rather than in set phrases, he said.
In addition, the company has made enhancements to presence, collaboration and mobility features, Paris said.
* Presence awareness, previously limited to devices enabled with Session Initiation Protocol, has been extended to any device. For example, users who go on the road and are reachable only by cell phone can have their profiles on the OpenScape portal automatically changed to show this.
* Enhanced text-to-speech capability allows users on the road to access their calendars and task lists by phone. In fact, companies that build applications with the development toolkit can make any HTML or XML content available to employees or customers via voice, Paris said.
* For external participants who do not have access to OpenScape but need to participate in a conference call, they can call the person who invited them to the conference call. Then they can follow a prompt on that person's OpenScape voice mail greeting to enter the call, Miller said.
* From OpenScape, users can now enter Microsoft's Live Meeting service with one click. In addition, users can call in to OpenScape and use a voice-activated system to reach any contact listed in a Microsoft Outlook directory, instead of just contacts who are OpenScape users.
* All the components of OpenScape can now reside on the same server.
The new single-server option matters to customers because it could save them a lot of money, according to analyst Brian Riggs of Current Analysis, in Sterling, Va.
"When you start adding servers, the price for this sort of platform skyrockets," Riggs said.
However, despite the technology having great potential, the market for it is still unproven, he said.
"What I'd really like to see from Siemens ... is a demonstrated demand from enterprises for this sort of solution," Riggs said. More than 100 companies are using OpenScape, according to Paris. The first version of the product began shipping last October.
OpenScape 2.0 is set to ship in early August. Pricing is now modular, at $125 for the core presence technology, with voice portal features available for an additional $100 per user and collaboration features for $25 more. Siemens ICN will add three languages - French, Italian, Castilian Spanish and Brazilian Portuguese - to the current offerings of English and German, Paris said. Individual users can select the language for their own portals, he said.
Learn more about this topicSiemens' software integrates communications apps
Network World Convergence Newsletter, 04/09/03