text:
Permanent URL to this publication: http://dx.doi.org/10.5167/uzh-44184
Nijmeijer, J S; et al; Steinhausen, H C (2010). Identifying loci for the overlap between attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and autism spectrum disorder using a genome-wide QTL linkage approach. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 49(7):675-685.
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OBJECTIVE: The genetic basis for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) symptoms in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) was addressed using a genome-wide linkage approach.
METHOD: Participants of the International Multi-Center ADHD Genetics study comprising 1,143 probands with ADHD and 1,453 siblings were analyzed. The total and subscale scores of the Social Communication Questionnaire (SCQ) were used as quantitative traits for multipoint regression-based linkage analyses on 5,407 autosomal single-nucleotide polymorphisms applying MERLIN-regress software, both without and with inclusion of ADHD symptom scores as covariates.
RESULTS: The analyses without ADHD symptom scores as covariates resulted in three suggestive linkage signals, i.e., on chromosomes 15q24, 16p13, and 18p11. Inclusion of ADHD symptom scores as covariates resulted in additional suggestive loci on chromosomes 7q36 and 12q24, whereas the LOD score of the locus on chromosome 15q decreased below the threshold for suggestive linkage. The loci on 7q, 16p, and 18p were found for the SCQ restricted and repetitive subscale, that on 15q was found for the SCQ communication subscale, and that on 12q for the SCQ total score.
CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that QTLs identified in this study are ASD specific, although the 15q QTL potentially has pleiotropic effects for ADHD and ASD. This study confirms that genetic factors influence ASD traits along a continuum of severity, as loci potentially underlying ASD symptoms in children with ADHD were identified even though subjects with autism had been excluded from the IMAGE sample, and supports the hypothesis that differential genetic factors underlie the three ASD dimensions.
22 citations in Web of Science®
30 citations in Scopus®
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|Journal Article, refereed, original work
|Communities & Collections:
|04 Faculty of Medicine > Center for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
|Dewey Decimal Classification:
|610 Medicine & health
|July 2010
|Deposited On:
|01 Feb 2011 14:27
|Last Modified:
|05 Apr 2016 14:41
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I am planing to sell a 3rd generation Glock 23 w/ OEM night sights. Gun has about 500rds through it; used for daily carry for about 6 months, then I acquired a G30 - the G23 has been taking up room in the gunvault ever since. Original Glock case, manual, warranty card, speed loader, brush, cleaning rod, two 13rnd magazines and 100rnds of Federal's Classic .40S&W 180grn Hi-Shock JHP will be sold with the gun. Will $500 be a fair asking price for this sale? Sale will be "face-to-face" (local sale only) through local PD weapons registrar's office - too expensive to sell out of my jurisdiction due to transfer fees going in excess of $100. Average local price for this exact gun (new in a box) starts at $750 - should I go up on the asking price, say to $600?
Also have Safariland's 328 holster, 079 magazine pouch, L830 belt (30" - I've put a few pounds and can't use it any more), one G22 15rnd magazine, two OEM Glock +2 magazine extensions w/inserts and five .40S&W Pachymar dummy rounds. Items in this paragraph might be sold as a combo with the gun or individually - prefer to get rid of them all at once though. Will $150 be a fair asking price for all the goddies as a bundle? Would consider mailing to CONUS if anyone is interested in these items.
Any comments appreciated - working on some pictures.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Rush Limbaugh goes over the moon with new conspiracy
Right-wing radio kingpin Rush Limbaugh must think he's locked in a dead-eye game of one-upsmanship with Glenn Beck for the crown of crazy.
In a stunning, breathless rant during Thursday's show, Limbaugh claimed NASA's mission in search of water on the moon is really a trial run for the 30,000-pound "Massive Ordnance Penetrator" bomb being developed by the Department of Defense.
And this, coming from a man who feels those who question the official theory of the 9/11 attacks are "kooks" in need of "rehab."
Then again, he would know a thing or two about rehab.
But this diatribe is enough to leave the most jaded, conspiracy-hardened David Icke fan with glazed-over, reptilian eyes.
Responding to one of his callers who suggested that bombing the moon may be viewed as an "aggressive" act by creatures potentially living there, Rush agreed and took the notion 10 steps further, half-way attacking President Obama in the process.
The following is a transcript, copy + pasted directly from Limbaugh's Web site (yes, even that image), with my emphasis added.
CALLER: Hey, I want to comment something we don't hear much about. We're getting ready to bomb the moon, and what kind of message does that send not only to the world but to the universe if there is life out there, such — such aggressive action? It's really surprising to me. You know, we don't know actually what is living on the moon.
RUSH: Let me give you the details of this. I actually think what this is is a test of the new weapon that… (laughing) I think it's a test of the new weapon that we learned about yesterday, the Massive Ordnance Penetrator, the MOP. This is a… (interruption) I don't know, seems like a lot of military weapons sound like tools in a porno movie. Massive Ordnance Penetrator." What it is is a bunker-busting bomb. It's supposedly being developed to be able to take out Iranian nuke sites 200 feet below ground, and the Pentagon's working on it and getting ready to deploy it on the B-2 bomber, which is the stealth bomber. So maybe this is a test run for the MOP, the Massive Ordnance Penetrator. We are going to bomb the moon. NASA, Friday, tomorrow, we're going to bomb the moon, no preconditions, no negotiations!
What did the moon do to us? Is somebody up there on the moon doing things that only Obama knows about? We're going to bomb the moon. You know why? The stated reason for bombing the moon near the South Pole of the moon, is they want to find out if in the explosion, the plume, if there's water. It's an unending quest for life. 'Cause we're all gonna die, you know. Leafy green vegetables, yesterday, were reported to be the number one cause of death now from Center for Science in the Public Interest so we're all going to have to go somewhere eventually. And maybe the moon's a rest stop on the way to Alpha Centauri. (interruption) Yeah. You would think that Obama would try sanctions first to see if the moon would give us the water.
We have the vanity that makes us believe that improving our standard of living typified by the kind of cars we drive can destroy our climate, and thus, our ability to live. We are so vain, we actually think we have this ability, this power. At the same time, we have this massive inferiority complex. "There have to be other people out there! There have to be other life forms," and naturally, if there are, they are all 25 billion times as smart as we are — and that's why we must find them! "Because they have learned how to have peace forever: No war, no bombs, no sickness, no pestilence, no insects, no cockroaches. They are smarter, wherever they are, than we are, and yet we have such vanity that we can destroy our own planet, and we are in the process so we have to find somewhere else to go, someday, and the moon is an inviting target. It's relatively close. But the guy's right. If there are smarter people than us out there — and, of course, goes without saying they would have to be — and they have brought peace throughout the universe except for earth and we're bombing the moon, this could set up a retaliatory attack! You know, wait 'til the meteorites organize when they hear about this, folks.
RUSH: Steppenwolf: "Rock me, baby. Rock me, baby. All night long." Well, the moon is not going to be pristine, but I really think we ought to drop the MOP on Iran and see if there's any water underneath there. If we want to find water, let's drop the MOP on Iran.
Dizzy yet? Let's bring this space case back to Earth with a few facts on the very legitimate NASA mission and the DoD's horrifically large bomb.
NASA is not dropping the "Massive Ordinance Penetrator" on the moon. It is smacking our celestial neighbor with a spent rocket weighing some 2.2 TONS, carrying the destructive force equivalent that of 1.5 TONS of dynamite. The spectacular affair is expected to displace some 350 TONS of moon junk and should be visible to pretty much anyone on Earth equipped with a basic telescope.
The massive plume of rock and soil will be examined by scientists in hopes of proving that water exists on the moon. The mission should provide definitive answers to questions raised by India's groundbreaking lunar swat last month, which revealed that frozen H20 is indeed present.
This is hardly a trial-run for an unprovoked attack on Iran. It's more like every nerd's dream come true … Short of, say, getting laid on the flight deck of the USS Enterprise.
Furthermore, the "Massive Ordinance Penetrator" is much bigger than what NASA is about to drop on our cheesy green friend. The MOP, clocking in at 30,000-pounds, will be the largest bomb America has ever used, if we ever get around to doing such a horrid thing. It does not, however, even hold a candle to the "Divine Strake" bomb — a 700 TON behemoth of heavy ammonium nitrate fuel oil emulsion strapped to a 300-pound C4 charge — which was almost detonated on American soil by the Bush administration. It would have been the largest controlled detonation in military history.
Sadly, we cannot all be as insightful as el Rushbo. When that advanced alien race finally gets around to launching its own brand of shock and awe on planet Earth, let us not forget to cry out in despair and humiliation at how wrong we were for not listening to the warnings of such a wide — I mean, wise — man.
For now, and for posterity's sake, let's just listen to our C.S. Lewis, Jr. records and get ready to blow up the moon … In a manner of speaking.
(Unfamiliar with C.S. Lewis, Jr.? Watch this …)
Called-Out Comments All comments
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Rush Limbaugh (and his ratings) feed on publicity. Every time you give him publicity over tripe such as this, you are putting money in his pocket and lengthening his radio stint.
Please, for the sake of humanity, treat Rush as you would the trolls:
Don't feed the trolls.
[...] Voice of America - I'm Shirley Griffith – Sep 29, 2009 NASA's Moon Mineralogy Mapper provided the most recent evidence. It was one of eleven scientific devices carried by the Chandrayaan-One spacecraft of the … NASA satellite to intentionally slam into moon Arizona Republic Impact on moon might not be out of sight The Durango Herald 'Chandrayaan-2 will try to get details about water on moon' Times of India Economic Times – Xinhua all 161 news articles » Email this story True/Slant [...]
[...] Rush Limbaugh's NASA Conspiracy – In a breathless rant during Thursday's show, Limbaugh claimed NASA's mission in search of water on the moon is really a trial run for the 30,000-pound "Massive Ordnance Penetrator" bomb being developed by the Department of Defense. [...]
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text:
6 May 15:39 2011
Error with export=yes
Aditya Mahajan <adityam <at> umich.edu>
Hi, The following gives an error: \setupbackend[export=yes] \starttext test \stoptext ! LuaTeX error ...minimals/texmf-context/tex/context/base/util-prs.lua:125: bad argument #2 to 'lpegmatch' (string expected, got boolean). system > tex > error on line 0 in file : LuaTeX error ... <empty file> <*> ./test ? Any ideas on how to fix this? Also, I looked at back-exp.mkiv and it appears that xhtml export is possible. If so, what is the command to enable it. (I am guessing \setupexport[export=yes, xhtml=yes] but cannot test it due to the above error). Aditya ___________________________________________________________________________________ If your question is of interest to others as well, please add an entry to the Wiki!(Continue reading)


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Pietersen v Afridi Who will be the biggest hitter when England take on Pakistan in the NatWest ODIs this summer?
Middlesex stay in race Tom Smith and David Warner led Middlesex Panthers to a crushing eight-wicket win over Hampshire Royals.
Swann eyes wicket landmark Spinner chats about 100 Test wickets, Pakistan and how he isn't missing Bresnan
View from the Middle - June 2010 The latest across cricket in England and Wales with ECB's quarterly review of the game - for June 2010
Jack rewarded for Manuel labour Worcestershire batsman discusses life with Royals and his U19 call up
Mango Moments - Week 6 Vote for your favourite Mango Moments clip of the week from Friends Provident t20 and win some great prizes
3rd NatWest Series ODI - Edgbaston - Bangladesh Innings Bangladesh needed 348 runs to not only win at Edgbaston, but to win the Series, but England were quick to take wickets and Bangladesh finished on 203
3rd NatWest Series ODI - Edgbaston - England Innings Bangladesh won the toss and put England into bat, a bad start spurred England on to go and set Bangladesh a score of 347 - 7
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Salon Touch Screen Cash Register
Posted on October 16th, 2009 1 comment
Who could ever imagine the sales volume the corner dollar store can achieve. For most store owners it's a nice surprise how a little promoting leads to higher sales levels.
With your fast-increasing sales comes the responsibility to correctly manage that checkout area of your store. There'll be a bent for muddle and goods that wasn't acquired to build up. There will be an unacceptably high buildup of cash in your registers. Since the litter buildup is terribly obvious, most of your workers will work to confirm it is addressed.
Goods will be returned to its legitimate location, trash will be disposed of, and other items will be sorted suitably. But what about all of the money in the used cash registers? How is that best handled? Definitely it's not to leave it in the money register till store closing. In this post I present money register management is imperative when you own a buck store. If you have a greenback store there's a need to be sure you have sound money handling practices. Buyers must receive the right change every time. Assistants must have only controlled access to the cash within their registers.
All of the workers must not ever be in a position to access a money register. As money builds up, it has got to be managed. The best risk associated with permitting giant sums of money to build up in your store money registers is theft. A money register overflowing with bills is sort of a flashing neon sign advertising it is the right time for a theft.
An overflowing money register is also a signal to some staff the time is right for taking just a bit cash.
After all ; you have so much and they work so hard. Giant amounts of money will also make some workers really frightened. That nervousness can simply compare to money register blunders which is the very last thing you would like when you own a dollar store. Never permit unwarranted amounts of money to build up in the cash registers of your store. Since this will turn into a daily problem, schedule continual money pick-ups from all registers.
Most banks are prepared to provide additional money bags for their higher volume purchasers. Use an empty money bag to gather all money bills in denominations of $20 and higher. Pick up Visa card invoices and checks at the same time. Also pick up excess change from each money register. Dedicate a different money bag for each money register and keep the money separated to permit correct balancing of each register at the end of the day. If you're the owner of a buck store one of the investments you must make is a quality safe.
Have the safe bolted to a concrete floor or hidden old cash register with antique cash register 32 key to store your money. Instantly lock all the money bags into that safe. Match suitable bags end of shift cash for each money register to finish the daily books following closure for that day. As sales keep growing add a second money pick-up to the method. Add even more pick-ups if needed in the holiday season.
Other similar blogs:
Circuit Boards For A Royal Alpha 580 Cash Register
Circuit boards for A royal alpha 580 cash register. NEW Free Electronic Cash Register Program. Preview: RETAIL: The Casio TE 1500 is a stylish and functional electronic cash register (ECR) developed specifically for the retail environment.
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A high-tech salon touch screen cash register that has a talking function, a play scanner, cool sounds and reads barcodes, working calculator function, working microphone paging system. Includes play bills, coins and credit cards.
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An unusual article caught my eye this morning. It's below the fold on the front page of The Wall Street Journal. It's about the length of cash register receipts. It's nice to know I'm ahead of the curve occasionally.
Your POS System Is More Than an Expensive Cash Register
whether a full-service restaurant and bar or a delivery-only pizzeria, is they buy an expensive s fef ystem, but then don't use any of the time-saving and valuable reporting features. Instead, they use it like an expensive cash register.
Cash Register
Fred Seibert posted a photo: Cash Register. From Eric Robles's Fanboy and Chum Chum, premiering on Nickelodeon in November 2009.General a royal alpha 580 cash register, business, circuit boards for, dollar store, money, salon touch screen cash register, systems new orleans
One Response to "Salon Touch Screen Cash Register"
[...] example, the point of sale system with salon touch screen cash register can make more detailed reports, it improves the business' accuracy, and it can help the [...]
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text:
Live From Celebrity Summit: I'm Cruising Without Boozing (So I Tested 5 Mocktails Instead)
February 9, 2012 | By Shayne Rodriguez Thompson | 7 Comments
7 Responses to "Live From Celebrity Summit: I'm Cruising Without Boozing (So I Tested 5 Mocktails Instead)"
Bud Harlow
February 9th, 2012 @ 5:35 pm
Sounds great
February 9th, 2012 @ 6:04 pm
Some of the cold fruit soups we had in the MDR were pretty much like a booze-free cocktail. Yum!
Sonya Sherow
February 9th, 2012 @ 7:15 pm
Thank you! I don't drink for personal reasons, but your report makes me want to try the fruity drinks. Congratulations on to bundle of joy on the way.
Cheri Rogers
February 9th, 2012 @ 8:08 pm
I don't drink so I am definitely trying some of these.
Steve Graham
February 10th, 2012 @ 5:24 am
Sounds great with a splash of rum or vodka :-)
February 10th, 2012 @ 11:48 am
When I was pregnant while cruising, I also had a virgin strawberry daiquiri. Very good! I also had a bottle of alcohol free champagne delivered to the room for sail away. Would even bring a glass w/ me to karaoke. Tasty!
Jeffrey Davis
February 22nd, 2012 @ 12:22 am
Doesn't non-alcoholic beer and champaign have a small amount of alcohol, anyway?
Leave a Reply


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ProCard is located in the Denver West office complex in Lakewood,
CO, which is in the western outskirts of the Denver metropolitan
area. Our offices are easily reached from Denver International
Airport (DIA), by car or shuttle.
directions and map
Directions from Denver International Airport—Take
Pena Blvd. to I-70 Westbound. Go to Exit #263 - Denver West
Boulevard (approximately 32 miles). At the end of the exit
ramp, turn right onto Denver West Marriott Boulevard and
north to Denver West Parkway, which is the first cross street.
Turn left at Denver West Parkway and go west one block to
the 4-way stop sign, just past the Marriott Hotel. Make another
left turn at the stop sign, onto Denver West Drive. At the
stop sign at the bottom of the hill, turn right into the
parking area for Bldg. 26. ProCard's main reception area
is in Suite 300. Map...
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shuttle services
The Golden West Commuter (303.342.0300) provides service from
Denver International Airport to all hotels in the area. Golden
West Commuter is not a free service. Contact the company for
their latest rates and schedule. The shuttle schedule is listed
Every hour, 5:00 am until 3:00 pm
Every 30 minutes, 3:30 pm until 11:00 pm
Monday - Friday
Every 30 minutes, 5:00 am until 11:00 pm
Every hour, 5:00 am until 11:00 pm
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Nearby hotels
The closest hotel to ProCard is the Denver West Marriott (303.279.9100).
It is located directly across the street from our office building.
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text:
Louis C.K. and Lisa Lampanelli were also nominated.Read more
"Can't you reasonably assume a monkey owned by a millionaire is being treated ethically?"Read more
The awards show takes place May 30 at the Saban Theatre in Beverly Hills.Read more
Carl Reiner, Tom Arnold, Jay Mohr and Jaleel White make cameo appearances in this comic raunch-fest.Read more
Lawrence Kasdan will be honored at the eighth annual show, to be held Feb. 7.Read more
The actor-comedian's show premieres Jan. 2.Read more
What's hot in the world of fanboy entertainment,
from blockbuster films to the comic books that inspire them.
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text:
Cardinal Tangles With White in Spring Game
Stanford wraps up spring season with intrasquad scrimmage.
Mark Soltau: Ideal Settings, Results for Spring Game
Defense emerges with 40-34 win at Stanford Stadium
Hogan Continues to Learn on the Job
Quarterback has better grasp of the offense
Open Practice Report: Big Plays, Big Defense on Display for Cardinal
Hogan, Crower Impress; Gardner Leads Defense
Open Practice Report: Lueders Leads Defense; Hogan Efficient on Offense
Crowd-Pleasing Scrimmage Nets 77 Live Plays
2012 Season in Photos
2012 Season in Photos
No. 6 Stanford vs. Wisconsin (AP)
99th Annual Rose Bowl
No. 6 Stanford vs. Wisconsin (Rose Bowl)
Stanford football
Pac-12 Championship: Stanford vs. UCLA
Pac-12 Championship: Stanford vs. UCLA
Pac-12 Title: Stanford vs. UCLA (AP)
Pac-12 Title: Stanford vs. UCLA (AP)
4.10.13 - CBSSports.com
Q&A with Stanford QB Kevin Hogan
2012 (SOPHOMORE):First-year starting quarterback was the emerging offensive story for Stanford the second half of the season...started and won five games - against four ranked opponents in the regular season and against Wisconsin in a 20-14 Rose Bowl Game victory...passed for 1,096 yards on 71.7 percent completions (109 of 152) with nine touchdowns against three interceptions...was team's second-leading rusher with 263 yards and two scores at 4.8 yards per carry...ran for 54 yards on just seven carries (7.7 ypc) while completing 12 of 19 passes for 123 yards in the Rose Bowl Game victory over Wisconsin...earned Pac-12 Football Championship Game MVP honors throwing for 155 yards (1 TD) and rushing for 47 more (1 TD) against UCLA...tied the game vs. the Bruins with a third-and-15 toss for a 26-yard touchdown to Drew Terrell...with wins vs. No. 13 Oregon State, at No. 1 Oregon and at No. 15 UCLA, joined Josh Nunes as 2012 Stanford quarterbacks to begin their careers 3-0 in starts under center...threw for 160 yards and one touchdown on 15 of 22 passing at UCLA...led Stanford to a 17-14 overtime win at No. 1 Oregon, throwing for 211 yards and one score...rushed for 37 yards and a diving one-yard touchdown on eight carries against the Ducks...made first career start vs. Oregon State, leading the Cardinal to a 27-23 comeback win...was the first Stanford quarterback to make his starting debut against a ranked opponent since Tavita Pritchard's 24-23 win at No. 2/1 USC in 2007...finished 22 of 29 passing for 254 yards, three touchdowns and a pair of interceptions against the Beavers...rallied from 24-13 deficit vs. Oregon State with touchdown connections of 40 yards with Stepfan Taylor and 13 yards with Zach Ertz...took the Cardinal's offensive reins beginning the third offensive series at Colorado, leading Stanford to six consecutive scoring drives including five touchdowns...threw for 184 yards on 18 of 23 passing with two touchdowns at Colorado...rushed for a team-high 48 yards in Boulder including a career-long 27-yard scramble...first career pass attempt was a nine-yard touchdown strike to Levine Toilolo in the Big Game at Cal...season debut was a single play at Washington, a read-option carry for five yards...earned All-Pac-12 honorable mention...recipient of the team's Outstanding (Redshirt) Freshman Award.
2011 (FRESHMAN): Did not see action.
HIGH SCHOOL AND PERSONAL DATA:Graduated from Gonzaga College High School in Washington, D.C....played for head coach Aaron Brady...earned three varsity letters...SuperPrep All-American who was listed as the top high school player in Washington D.C....rated as the 13th-best overall quarterback prospect in the nation by Scout.com and 15th best pro-style by Rivals.com...passed for 1,820 yards and 14 touchdowns as a senior...also rushed for 366 yards and six touchdowns...finished his career with 4,762 passing yards and 37 touchdowns...two-time first team All-Washington Catholic Athletic Conference selection...earned D.C. Player of the Year honors as a senior...first team All-Met selection as a senior...DCSportsfan.com Offensive Player of the Year in 2010...named the outstanding high school player of the year for private schools as a senior by the Fairfax County Football Hall of Fame...selected to play in Chesapeake and USA Bowls...also named to the USA U-19 National Team...also lettered in basketball...enjoys reading and traveling...parents are Jerry and Donna Hogan...grandfather James M. O'Brien played football at Navy...uncles Coley O'Brien and Ivan Brown played football at Notre Dame...cousin Sean O'Brien played football at Arizona...has an older brother, Brian and older sister, Kelly...born in McLean, Virginia...full name is Kevin Michael Hogan.


text:
Paris Hilton To Make DJ Debut at Brazil Music Festival
Paris Hilton has taken her love of clubbing to a whole new level.
The heiress and former reality star is slated to make her debut as a deejay at the Pop Music Festival in Sao Paulo, Brazil on June 23.
Hilton announced the news on Tuesday, tweeting, "Yes! Getting behind the DJ booth with my own remixes in Brazil following @JLo at the Pop Music Festival!"
She added, "I am so excited to be a part of the Pop Music Festival to debut my DJ set! Love it!"
Hilton has become a strong presence in the Electronic Dance Music circuit recently, hitting up shows all around the world with DJ Afrojack.
Do you think she'll do a remix of "Stars Are Blind"?
Follow @GossipCop on Twitter!
Like us on Facebook!


text:
Shu Uemura Liquid Fabric
Shu Uemura Liquid Fabric is a mineral texture spray.
Guaranteed AuthenticGuaranteed Authentic
Folica is an authorized distributer of this product and guarantees its authenticity.Close
- Mineral texture spray invigorates and refines curls
- Provides weightless control and a natural touch
- Shapes supple texture with lasting body
- Helps protect hair from heat and external aggressors
Spray on damp hair and blow dry with a diffuser for dramatically defined curls and waves.
Aqua/Water, Glycerine, Alchol denate, PVP, PEG-8, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Potassium Dimethicone PEG-7 Panthenyl Phosphate, Methylparaben, Glyceryl Polyacrylate, PEG-40, Sea Water, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Benzophenone-4, Propylene Glycol, Parfum/Fragrance, Simmondsia Chinesis/ Jojoba Seed Oil, Methylisothiazolinone, Babusa Vulgaris Extract, Linalool. Limonene, Sorbitol, Camellia Sinensis/Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Crithmum Maritmum/Crithmum Maritmum Extract


text:
CSPI Survey Highlights
Americans Say "Beer Ads Foul Televised College Sports"
Americans strongly believe beer ads on televised sporting events undercut
the positive value of sports for youth. They believe beer companies
use sports to appeal to and reach underage youth.
of Americans say that showing beer ads on sporting events is inconsistent
with the positive role of sports for children.
of parents (71% of all adults) say that beer companies that advertise on
sporting events know their ads appeal to underage persons.
of parents (63% of all adults) agree that beer companies use sports to reach
and advertise to persons under the legal drinking age.
Most parents and other adults believe there are real and measurable adverse
consequences for young people from exposure to beer advertising on TV
sports. Americans say beer advertising on sporting events:
encourages underage persons to drink (57% all adults / 68% parents);
encourages viewers to drink more than they normally would (51% adults / 56%
tells teenagers it is okay for them to drink (51% adults / 53% parents);
increases the chances that teenagers will get into trouble with alcohol (53%
adults / 46% parents).
Three in four Americans express concern about underage and binge drinking on
college campuses and they think it is wrong for universities to make money
from beer advertising on college sports. Americans reject the NCAA's
acceptance of beer ads on college sports.
of Americans believe that airing beer commercials on college sports programs
is inconsistent with the mission of colleges and universities.
of Americans believe having beer commercials on college sports is
inconsistent with the efforts colleges make to discourage underage and
excessive drinking.
of parents (73% of adults) say it is wrong for colleges to take money from
beer companies that promote drinking while at the same time trying to
discourage underage and binge drinking among their students.
of Americans think beer advertising on college games is not in the best
interests of higher education.
Americans overwhelmingly support restrictions on alcohol advertising during
televised college sports.
of adults (72% of parents) support a ban on all alcohol ads on televised
college games.
of adults (72% of parents) support the elimination of alcohol ads at times
when large numbers of teenagers are watching.
of adults (78% of parents) support requiring prominent health warnings in
of adults (74% of parents) support requiring equal time for counter-ads
about the risks of underage and excessive drinking.
this Link to a Friend
Printable Version (PDF)
Campaign for Alcohol-Free Sports TV
Center for Science in the Public Interest
1220 L St. NW Suite 300 | Washington, D.C. 20009
Phone: (202) 777-8322 | Fax: (202) 265-4954
| Email: firstname.lastname@example.com


text:
Part 1: Description of Healing tools – Getting to know your spells
Before I describe how to heal, I need to introduce you to the spells and how they will work.
Single-target HOTS:
The primary tools of resto druids are our Heal over Time (HOT) spells. When your direct heals crit, they apply Living Seed to the target. Living Seed provides a buff on your target that will heal them for 50% of the crit amount the next time your target is hit.
- Lifebloom(instant) is your tank HOT. This only stacks once now. You can only have this on one person at a time. You can either refresh it directly by casting lifebloom or by casting any of your single-target direct heals. Now that it doesn't stack, allowing it to bloom will often be worthwhile to heal your tank.
- Rejuvenation(instant) is a primary healing spell for you as a raid heal. Rejuv works best on people who are likely to be taking damage over time to benefit from the most ticks. You should use this as your primary heal for sprinkling around on raid members instead of using single-target direct heals when there is a lot of people taking damage. Feel free to spam rejuv around the raid as much as your mana allows. This spell will last 15 seconds at level 100 (or 18 seconds with the Germination talent – the germination talent also allows two rejuvs to be on the same person).
Multi-target AOE heals:
We now have a fairly good set of abilities for AOE healing, with three main AOE healing spells. Note that there have been changes to all three of these abilities.
- Wild Growth(1.5 sec cast, 8 to 10 sec cooldown) is an AOE heal that costs a lot of mana. Use this when you have 3 or more wounded people who need immediate healing.
- Tranquility(channeled over 7 sec, 3 min cooldown) –When you channel this over time, everyone in your party/raid is healed for a generous amount. Use this as your emergency AOE heal, and try plan in advance which phases to use it (in most raid encounters, it's possible to plan ways to use it in heavy AOE phases).
- Wild Mushroom (instant, 30 second duration) – This provides a stationary ground-targeted HOT (ticks on 3 people at a time) and then goes away after the 30 second duration ends. As this is mana-expensive to move around, the preference is to target groups of people who will be relatively stationary for the full 30 seconds. Depending on glyphs, you either drop the shroom at the feet of your target, or target the ground directly using the targeting circle (depends entirely on your own preference). Wild Mushroom no longer has a bloom direct heal effect.
Single-target direct heals:
We have three single-target direct healing spells. Note that Nourish has been removed.
- Swiftmend(instant, 15 sec cooldown) puts a medium-size direct heal on a target effected by a rejuv/regrowth HOT. Swiftmend activates the harmony mastery; similar to the other direct heals. As a great single-target burst heal, to use on tanks or raid members that need a quick burst.
- Healing Touch(2.5 sec cast time, mana expensive). Heals for a large amount, with a high mana cost and a long cast time. You can use this to refresh Lifebloom on your target. Use this when you need a big heal on a tank or raid/party member and you want to conserve mana. You want to macro your Nature's Swiftness talent to this spell, since it is our largest direct healing spell.
- Regrowth This is a mana-expensive, fast heal. Use this when you get omen of clarity for mana-free casts (note that this is the only spell Omen of Clarity works with anymore). The glyph of regrowth takes away the HOT component and increases the crit chance to 100%, making it more reliable as a quick burst heal, especially in 5-man situations. In 20-man mythics, the long HOT component (allowing for swiftmending) may be a better option, especially if you take the rampant growth talent.
Go back to table of contents or Go to Healing part 2 (other spells, symbiosis, & mastery)


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Forecast discussion: A severe storm that has brought snow, ice, and rain to much of the Southeast U.S. is beginning to work its way along the east coast. The primary low over western Florida is weakening, as a new low off the coast of North Carolina begins the process of becoming the stronger low for Thursday and Friday.
We have been talking about this system for Providence for the last few days. As of now, the National Weather Service has issued a Winter Storm Warning for all of Rhode Island, except Providence County. They are under a Winter Weather Advisory. The warnings are in effect from 7 a.m. Thursday until 7 a .m. Friday. For school cancellations, parking bans, and work closings, click here.
This storm will look and feel like the previous storm in the beginning. Snowfall should begin between 4 and 6 a.m. Thursday morning. Everyone will begin as snow, and it could become heavy at times. There is a small chance of seeing 1-2 inch per hour snowfall during the commute. As warmer air off the ocean moves over the state, the precipitation will begin to change over to different types. The south coast will mostly change to rain, while between Warwick and Providence the precipitation changes to sleet. By 1 p.m., everyone south and east of Providence will see a wintry mix or change to all rain. Also, as the afternoon progresses, winds will be increasing from the northeast. Gusts up to 50 mph are possible, so there may be scattered power outages. We will remain all rain until the late evening, as colder air returns over the state. The rain will change back to snow early Friday morning, before the start of the afternoon. Look at my slideshow photo for snowfall totals for Rhode Island.
Once we get past Friday afternoon, a new low pressure system will form over the New York-Pennsylvania border early Saturday morning. The low will actually move south of Southern New England, but we will see a few snow showers, starting early Saturday morning, and ending by the middle of the afternoon. Snowfall amounts will be a coating to an inch.
As we head into earl next week, high pressure will give us a reprieve from any precipitation. However, it will be very cold, as temperatures drop into the single digits once again Sunday night. We will see sunshine on Monday, with increasing clouds through the afternoon. A weak cold front will pass through the region, seeing snow showers Monday night, but changing to rain by Tuesday morning. We will also see temperatures be slightly above normal, as the jet stream shows a more zonal, or west to east, flow. We will see a slight thaw, as possible precipitation Wednesday evening will remain showers and light rain.
72 hour forecast:
Tonight: Cloudy skies with light snow falling by 4 a.m. We will see a low of 22.
Thursday: Light to moderate snow during the morning commute. Snow changes to sleet and then rain along the south coast up to Warwick by 10 a.m. This changeover occurs into Providence by 1 p.m. The area north and west of Providence will see a change by 4 p.m. We will see a high of 37 with winds increasing from the northeast at 19-24 mph with occasional gusts of 40 mph.
Thursday night: Windy with rain changing back to snow by 1 a.m. across the entire state. We will have a low of 31 with north-northwest winds of 20-25 mph with gusts of 40 mph.
Friday: Light snow and snow showers end by 11 a.m. or noon. Partly sunny skies expected the rest of the day. We will see a high of 39 with winds decreasing through the afternoon.
Friday night: Mostly cloudy with snow showers possible by 4 a.m. and a low of 25.
Saturday: Mostly cloudy with scattered snow showers ending by 2 p.m. We will see a high of 35.
Saturday night: Partly cloudy with a low of 14.
Extended Forecast:
Sunday: Mostly sunny. Highs 25-28, lows 8-11.
Monday: Partly to mostly sunny with possible light snow before midnight. Highs 28-31, lows 21-24.
Tuesday: Light snow/rain possible in the morning, ending in the mid-afternoon. Highs 40-43, lows 26-29.
Wednesday: Mostly sunny through the early afternoon, but turning cloudy with possible showers by the evening. Highs 40-43, lows 33-36.


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Kate Walsh
San Jose, California
"There was a chiropractor I had to stop going to because he would take away my pain and he was the most gorgeous man in the world."
- Kate Walsh, on doctors in real life.
Kate Walsh was well-known in Hollywood for her noteworthy supporting roles, but it wasn't until she landed the Dr. Addison Montgomery role on Grey's Anatomy and the popular spin off Private Practice that became more or less a household name.
Kate stands at a staggering 5 foot 10 inches, making her level of sexiness that much more fascinating. In fact, it was her height and mouthwatering physique that enthralled Japanese males and marketing heads to make her a pop icon in the Japanese modeling industry during the 1980s. Kate's unbelievably long legs are often hidden when she's on TV, but fortunately they come out to play on many Hollywood red carpets.
Since then, Kate has gone on to perform in an assortment of acting venues. She has been on ER, Law & Order, The Mike O'Malley Show, The Fugitive, and she had a breakthrough guest-appearance on The Drew Carey Show. After that, she played a major role beside Sandra Oh and Diane Lane in Under the Tuscan Sun (2003), and she also played a sexy waitress in the movie Bewitched (2005) starring Nicole Kidman and Will Ferrell.
Though Kate hasn't won any awards on her own, she is part of the reason that Grey's Anatomy has won the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Esemble in 2006 and 2007.
Kate Walsh BiographyOn October 13, 1967, Kate Walsh was born into a Catholic Irish-Italian family in San Jose, California. Kate Walsh spent a number of her formative years in Tucson, Arizona, where she attended Catalina High and went to the University of Arizona.
During the early '80s, Kate Walsh was a Japanese runway model. Japanese men and women were astounded by her size and height. Her voluptuous figure was the Japanese equivalent of our Tyra Banks, and they treated her as if she were a supermodel. Next, Kate Walsh went on to attend college at the University of Arizona where she became involved in regional theater, and an acting star was born.
kate walsh on erKate Walsh moved to Chicago and began working with the Piven Theatre Workshop. Her love for theater was present in her performances and in her drive. Her passion for plays and her performance on the National Public Radio production of Born Guilty won her much respect among fellow actors. After doing up the Chicago scene, Kate Walsh moved to New York City to do a number of off-Broadway plays.
Kate Walsh lived the life of a roaming actress for quite a while during her late-20s. Luckily for her, Kate Walsh's off-Broadway stint really stood well with television producers and she quickly became a guest actress on many sitcoms and TV dramas. One of her very first roles came in a 1994 episode of ER. Kate Walsh continued to tour the television circuit, appearing in Club Dead, Homicide, Swift Justice, and Law & Order. Kate Walsh may not have been starring in these shows, but her face was out there for everyone to see.
kate walsh on grey's anatomyKate Walsh finally found a home -- at least a temporary one -- on The Drew Carey Show. She played Drew's girlfriend, Nicki, in 21 episodes from 1997 to 2002 and she was well-liked by The Drew Carey Show audience. Her episodes were not continuous, and the very fact that they kept bringing her back was a testament to her ability to adapt to a spontaneous role and capture an audience.
In 2005, Kate Walsh took on the role of Dr. Sheppard's wife, Dr. Addison Montgomery-Sheppard on the hit television drama Grey's Anatomy. Her role was only supposed to be for a few episodes, but the sex-craved males just wouldn't let the sexy redheaded doctor slip through their fingers. ABC kept bringing Kate Walsh's character back until she was as much a part of the show as Katherine Heigl, Sandra Oh or anybody else on the program.
kate walsh in inside outSince her role on Grey's Anatomy, Kate Walsh has used her beauty and talents to do a multitude of other endeavors, including several movies, such as Kicking and Screaming (2005), Inside Out (2005), Bewitched (2005), and One Way to Valhalla (2006). Kate Walsh's ability to take on a simple role and make it her own is just amazing, and it will continue to serve her well as she moves on toward a movie career and into her rightful seat on her thrown as one of the sexiest women on prime time television.
kate walsh on private practiceIn fall 2007, Kate Walsh's popular character on Grey's Anatomy, Addison (who was only supposed to appear in five episodes) got her own primetime medical drama, Private Practice, about Addison moving across the country to start her life again.
Kate Walsh also appeared on the big screen, with roles in One Way to Valhalla (2008) and Legion (2008).


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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Monday, June 26, 1995
CONTACT: George Hacker 202/332-9110 x343
This advertising decline has been accompanied by a parallel, though more modest, reduction in both alcohol consumption and the incidence of several major alcohol-related social problems, from alcohol-related traffic fatalities to binge drinking by high school students.
"We've always known that advertising works," commented George Hacker, director of CSPI's Alcohol Policies Project and author of the study. "Now we see that not advertising pays dividends, too. Whether or not this 'double dip' is a direct case of cause and effect, common sense tells us that it's more than coincidence."
CSPI's new 24-page report, "Double Dip: The Simultaneous Decline of Alcohol Advertising and Alcohol Problems in the United States," reviews and summarizes a wide range of industry and government data for the period 1986-93.
Among the key findings:
Had ad spending remained at its 1986 level, Hacker noted, today we would be seeing nearly twice as many messages glorifying alcohol consumption.
On the media side of the equation, broadcasters bore the brunt of the advertising cuts but apparently suffered little economic damage, as broadcast advertising revenue soared from $30 billion to $40 billion (in actual dollars) over the same time period.
What's behind this dramatic decline in media advertising by the alcohol industry? CSPI's Hacker points to a constellation of factors: the advent of a national minimum legal drinking age of 21, eliminating millions of potential customers; a scarcity of advertising dollars due to widespread price discounting; diversion of advertising funds to "event" marketing such as sporting events and concert tours; concern over growing public criticism of alcohol advertising; and allocation of industry resources to finance the purchase of international alcoholic-beverage producers.
"Whatever the reasons," concludes Hacker, "this is a welcome trend."
Nonetheless, alcohol advertising remains pervasive and many of the industry's remaining ads continue to target young people and heavy drinkers. CSPI's report concludes by calling on the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to commence a comprehensive investigation of alcohol advertising and promotional practices, focusing in particular on the extent to which advertising encourages consumption among young people and heavy drinkers.
The report also calls on Congress to eliminate the tax deduction for alcohol advertising expenses; ban advertising directed at or reaching large numbers of young people or heavy drinkers; require specific warning messages on remaining alcohol advertising; and require broadcasters to balance alcohol ads with effective messages to promote abstinence among young people and oppose heavy drinking among adults.
Copies of "Double Dip: The Simultaneous Decline of Alcohol Advertising and Alcohol Problems in the United States" are available for $5 each by writing to CSPI - DD, 1875 Connecticut Avenue NW, Suite 300, Washington, DC 20005.
Based in Washington, D.C., the Center for Science in the Public Interest is a nonprofit, consumer-advocacy organization specializing in food, nutrition, and public-health issues. CSPI accepts no government or corporate funds. Its work is supported largely by the more than 750,000 subscribers to its Nutrition Action Healthletter.
# # #
To obtain a copy of the study, send your name, address, and telephone number to email@example.com. You will be billed $5.00 for each copy requested, plus $3.50 s/h.
To read the Executive Summary of the study, click here.


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Chris Robshaw: inside the England Camp
It was a huge honour to be renamed England Captain for the upcoming 6 Nations and it's exciting to see the squad reassemble. It's early days in the camp but there's already a good vibe amongst the boys.
A few of the guys played last Sunday and there's always a couple of knocks and niggles, so the first Monday was spent with the medical team and nutritionists, followed by some weights in the afternoon to keep things ticking over. The rest of the first week up in Leeds largely focused on getting everyone gelling as a unit again, because we've been playing club rugby for the last two months, using different structures, lineout calls, moves, etc.
We finished with a training session on Friday at Headingley with 6,000 people from clubs, schools, colleges and universities coming to watch us and that meant a lot to the players, to have so many come out on a wintry day, and I'm glad we were able to say hello and sign a few things for them.
Looking around the squad, there are some exciting new faces. Joe Launchbury made a real mark during the QBE Internationals and it's brilliant that he's been called into the squad fulltime. Similarly, Mako Vunipola came off the bench in every game during the autumn and really imposed himself. His younger brother Billy is also with us; he carries hard, tackles hard and is a brilliant ball-carrier. It's great that these young guys can get exposure to that kind of rugby and make an impact at such a young age.
Credit also needs to go to Stuart Lancaster and the coaches. They've created a culture and atmosphere where players can come in and feel comfortable. It's nerve-wracking entering a new set-up but Stuart has created an environment where guys can come in, get on with their natural game and, most importantly, enjoy it.
Calcutta Countdown
Now that we've been together for a year, there is great unity in the squad. There's probably a bit more pressure than last year, when there were new coaches and new players, as we're coming off the back of that fantastic win against New Zealand and people will have a better idea of what to expect. We're very excited about hopefully backing-up what we achieved against the All Blacks and moving forward.
This week we're at Pennyhill Park as we build up to our first fixture on 2nd February. The Calcutta Cup (England v. Scotland) is always a momentous occasion and it's fantastic to be at home, with the 80,000-strong Twickenham crowd behind us. It will be hugely important to start the campaign with a solid performance and that support will spur us on immensely.
It'll be interesting to see what the new Scotland coaching set-up brings to the squad. We'll not concern ourselves too much with this though, rather remain focused on our own game and making sure we're delivering on the preparations we put in place during these two weeks.
Home and Away
It will undoubtedly be special to have three out of the five games at home but we've also got two hard away trips.
Both Dublin and Cardiff are iconic stadia and very challenging places to play at. The Irish will inevitably be as ferocious as they usually are. We had a great performance against them last year and they'll be trying to put that right. They're strong across the board but their back-row players in particular are always powerful - I'm relishing the challenge of coming up against them on their home turf.
Wales are the other away fixture and there's always a terrific atmosphere at the Millennium Stadium. Wales didn't perform well during their autumn series, so we'll need to be wary of a potential backlash. Even though they've been badly affected by injuries, they're going to be a very hard outfit to play against. You should never underestimate the defending Grand Slam champions!
Le Crunch-Match
France had an incredible autumn, looking really dangerous under new coach Philippe Saint-Andre. You have to be hugely mindful of Les Bleus, particularly in defence, as their counter attack is deadly and they can hurt you from anywhere. I think the bookies are putting France and England down as the tournament favourites but it's too early to know if that will be the big crunch game.
Showing 'We Mean Business'
We'll potentially have to learn from a few mistakes along the way but realising what works well for us will be key to consistently showing our opponents that we mean business. Most important will be to get our 6Nations campaign off to a good start and move on from there. We're all focused on backing up what we did in the autumn, setting a solid benchmark early and then continuing to build throughout.


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Ten Things You Can Do after You're Comfortable with Outlook 2013
View an unusual number of days.
When you're looking at your calendar, you can decide to see only three days or eight days (or, for that matter, any number between one and ten days). Hold down the Alt key and type the number of days you want to see. Press Alt+2 for two days, Alt+3 for three days, and so on. Pressing Alt+0 (zero) gives you ten days.


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In the fiscal year just completed, BMO Financial Group posted record net income of $4.2 billion and increased retained earnings by just under $1.7 billion. We paid common share dividends of $1.9 billion and repurchased $675 million of common stock, effectively returning over 60% of earnings to shareholders. And we contributed $1.7 billion in government levies and taxes.
We completed the final, most significant elements of the conversion and integration of our 2011 acquisition of Marshall & Ilsley, capturing cumulative annual run-rate expense savings approaching $400 million. And we positioned the bank for future growth in our four core customer segments: personal banking, commercial banking, capital markets and wealth management.
Most importantly, we made significant changes in the leadership structure of the bank to reduce layers of management and increase the proportion of our workforce in customer-facing roles. On November 1, 2013, most senior leaders in Canadian Personal and Commercial Banking assumed new roles designed to erase old boundaries and build customer loyalty. Our personal, commercial and wealth businesses throughout North America are now united under the leadership of Chief Operating Officer Frank Techar, who is overseeing a tightening of operating discipline and the acceleration of key priorities across the bank.
More broadly, we have initiated longer-term measures to increase our responsiveness to evolving customer behaviour in a world where digital media and electronic commerce compel all companies to respond. The ways that customers are purchasing and consuming our products and services are undergoing profound change. It's something all of us at BMO identify with – and we're investing in capabilities that recognize this shift.
All four operating businesses are moving into 2014 with clear momentum and a great deal of confidence in our continued strong performance. We're well positioned not only to meet expectations, but to anticipate and surpass them – which is why we've made this the central theme of our 196th annual report, a comprehensive review of the past year's achievements and the decisive steps we've taken to advance BMO's long-term strategy.
The world is far different from the one we faced a decade ago. What people expect from a bank – from any business – is rapidly changing. As customers increasingly rely on mobile communications and instant access to information, they assume an immediate response to their transactional needs is always within reach. And as we in turn work alongside them to help bring their financial goals within reach, they want to see regular confirmation of the value we add.
To deliver on these expectations, we're asking more of ourselves – and more of our bank.
There are big things going on in our industry.
To say the changes underway around us are profound isn't an overstatement.
Profit models are changing across our industry, redefining the drivers of success. Simultaneous shifts in consumer behaviour and levels of regulatory engagement call for a broad change agenda that speaks to both the growth of revenue and the management of expense. There is a premium on superb execution, on innovation and on agility in delivering strong, consolidated financial performance.
The pace of change is very rapid for us all.
We take pride in the quality of the products and services BMO offers to customers – they are the financial building blocks of peace of mind: the control of spending, the growth of savings, the prudent use of credit and wise investment. We also care greatly about the way in which customers experience our bank: responsiveness and attention are what build trust and confidence for all customer segments. But in an era of rapid social, technological and economic change, we remain intensely focused on the reason why our customers continue to look for our guidance and support in controlling their financial futures. This is something that goes far beyond convenience and product features. It is why our bankers are so committed to the work they do.
And we're all confident it can be done better.
We're confident in our ability to thrive in this period of rapid change, because we've been steadily deepening our long-standing focus on customers, building the capabilities that grow loyalty and advocacy.
The forces of change
Against the broader backdrop of change, our efforts going forward will be shaped by two significant forces:
- Customers' growing appetite for personalized service, in the moment. When someone has an experience that is simpler or perfectly tailored to their needs in one area of life, it influences their expectations in all other areas. In a modern world, customers' expectations of their bank are being revised daily.
- An unprecedented level of regulatory engagement. Around the globe, governments and supervisors are introducing rigorous reporting requirements against constantly evolving standards. To continue meeting them, we must securely analyze highly complex data in real time while simplifying the work of the bankers who are responsible for understanding it. As we maintain this balance, we're guided by a long-held belief that what matters more than any one rule is the larger reason behind it. Effective regulation ensures integrity and strengthens trust – principles that are vital to our success as a business and have been ingrained in our values for nearly 200 years.
In some ways these forces seem to operate in opposition to one another. But we have confidence in our ability to respond fully in each of the market segments we serve, and to resolve the natural tension between simplifying the lives of our customers and maintaining confidence in a financial system that thrives in dealing with complex assignments.
Intensifying our efforts
In our four principal business groups we are meeting the challenge of rising expectations. We know that in making processes more efficient or services more accessible, we create more opportunities for our employees to have meaningful conversations with customers about their financial goals, delivering the unique value that differentiates our bank from our competitors.
Personal and Commercial Banking finished the year with very good momentum, reflecting the competitiveness of BMO's position in the markets we serve. In Canada, where our commercial lending market share is close to 20%, we saw good balance growth: 12% in deposits and 11% in loans. In personal banking we again led the market with our emphasis on shorter-amortization, fixed-rate mortgages.
In the U.S., mid-market commercial lending continued to gain strength while initiatives targeted toward small business customers gained traction. In U.S. retail banking we are accelerating the move to digital fulfillment and sales while increasing the investment in technology that supports efficiency and growth.
BMO Capital Markets continued to demonstrate the simple truth that a quality book of business generates quality returns. We earned an 18.9% return on equity and were named Best Investment Bank in Canada by Global Finance magazine, and our strengthened U.S. business showed good growth and improving operating leverage.
Wealth Management at BMO is distinguished by a superior offering across multiple dimensions, from private banking and asset management to brokerage and insurance. Market momentum, growth created by changing demographics and disciplined investment all support the accelerating expansion of our wealth business.
Over the last decade, the bank has maintained strong momentum in the compound growth rate of both revenue and net income – 6% and 9%, respectively. With record reported results in 2013 and the highest Basel III common equity tier 1 ratio of the Canadian banks, BMO is well positioned to capitalize on the opportunities ahead. We are intensifying our pursuit of BMO's five strategic priorities by focusing specifically in these areas:
- Extending the digital experience across all channels. We're developing strategies to further integrate the bank's digital and physical channels – merging the online and mobile experience into our retail branch and ATM network. U.S. households actively using BMO mobile banking increased 60% in 2013.
- Simplifying and automating for greater efficiency. By exploring new ways to streamline processes, modernize platforms and embed cost controls, we're adding to the productivity and efficiency gains realized over the past two years.
- Leveraging data insights to serve customers better. By enhancing the bank's analytics capabilities, we're sharpening our understanding of what customers are looking for, how they want to do business with us and, most importantly, why they need our help. Deeper insights will make us even more effective in attracting new customers, assessing risk, and tailoring and cross-selling products and services.
- Continuing to build a strong, differentiated brand. As we extend a consistent identity and message throughout our expanded footprint, we reinforce existing relationships while fostering new ones. Across North America, millions of prospective customers are learning what BMO stands for – and why we stand out.
We're sharpening our understanding of what customers are looking for, how they want to do business with us and, most importantly, why they need our help.
In embracing a future where constructive change is certain, we also recognize what's not certain is how customers will respond to the contradictions of the coming decade. As people seek greater transparency and connectivity, their desire for security and privacy creates an opposite impulse. What we do know is that individuals and companies bring their business to our bank because of the trust built by our brand – our commitment to help them make better decisions with better information and have confidence in the decisions they make.
The power of expectations
The opportunity before us is to take everything BMO has been doing well, and do it better than ever. By ensuring the quality of what we provide, and by simplifying and accelerating how we deliver it, we can focus on why people choose to make us their financial partner. This is the next step in the realization of BMO's brand promise. As customers see that we're making their lives easier and helping them have confidence in their financial futures, we forge stronger, mutually rewarding relationships – which grow our customer base and increase market share. And as the value we deliver to customers continues to rise, the value we deliver to shareholders grows as well.
The new climate of heightened expectations is redefining incremental change. In banking, the impact promises to be dramatic, even disruptive – and, for those who are ready to take full advantage, highly rewarding. By embracing change, we can influence its pace and help guide its course. Rather than wait to see where the market is going, BMO will be ahead of it, leading through innovation, supported by unrivalled customer loyalty and grounded in a long history of trust – trust that we've earned by always living up to expectations.
William A. Downe
Chief Executive Officer, BMO Financial Group


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Looking for a GOOD Mp3 Player for listening to Trance and Dubstep Songs
Hello everyone. I figure this forum would have the best answers to my questions. I'm looking to buy a new MP3 Player as I am tired of using my Mytouch 4G as a Mp3 player. I'm into Trance and Dubstep and I would like to know what's good in selections on a GOOD Mp3 player that has great sound quality and great bass? I'm told Cowons are good and Also Sonys are good.
Though I truly would like a MP3 player that would bring out the beats that would make your head bop to. I know headphones will also help. I'm looking for something with features but easy to use also. A equalizer and sound engine is good also. I'm trying to narrow down my choices with the help of you guys. Any suggestions? Thanks.
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You'll have to tell us first what you don't like about the iPod touch. Actually surpassing its output quality will be your first problem. Your second will be deciding where you want to sacrifice.
The age-old good choice is the Sansa Clip. You can rockbox it for great EQ and gapless playback, and its output is overall very good (some leanness in the stereo image, which is more compressed than the iPod touch). Apart from that, you will be hard pressed to get a good system. Even the Clip has more background noise than it should.
Sony's have more and simply don't have good outputs in comparison to the clip or the iPod to sustain heavy loads from dub step and trance with earphones in. Cowons are getting better. They used to have pretty poor outputs, but now have outputs as good as the Sony machines do. Their EQ system is quite decent as well.
Or, if you just want to spend a few bucks, get eQU for your iPod touch and enjoy a pretty good parametric equaliser. Better yet, Equaliser. Both can be had for 4-5$. And, with EQ heavily engaged, you'll be able to get the iPod touch's output to engage 2nd and 3rd order distortion to sound more like a Sony MP3 player.
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News about Boston Post Canes for towns in Rhode Island (RI)
Barrington received a cane, but it has gone missing. (via Sandra Matuschka, April 2003)
Bristol received a cane, but it has gone missing. (via Sandra Matuschka, April 2003)
Charlestown continues the tradition. Charlestown also has a Boston Post Cane. It is currently sitting in the Town Clerk's office.
May 14, 2012: Edna Mashi, age 99, was presented a replica of Charlestown's cane. (via David Mashi, Edna's son — who remembers seeing the actual cane being awarded to one of his neighbors.)
Oct 2002: The last time they tried to "give the cane" and actively sought the oldest resident, there were no takers. That was several years ago. They may try again. (via Jodi P. LaCroix, Charlestown Town Clerk)
The Town of Coventry Rhode Island has a cane. It hasnt been given out since the 1990's. It is currently mounted in the Town Hall along with a plaque of some of the recipients.
Cumberland's cane is on display in the Cumberland Public Library. It is not known if they continue the tradition.
Mar 2015: The town's cane is in the public library (via email from Celeste Dyer)
East Greenwich
East Greenwich's original Boston Post Cane is in a case for safekeeping in the clerk's office at Town Hall. Recipients of the cane receive a replica. The tradition was resurrected in 2004 when the Town Clerk found the cane in a poster tube.
October 2013: Claire Sharpe, age 103, has received East Greenwich's cane. Claire Sharpe was born in Providence on April 1, 1910. For 65 years, she lived in Cranston where she raised her family before moving with her daughter to E. Greenwich in 1980. She worked for the Imperial Printing & Finishing Company and the Paramount Line. Her final employment was with the Rhode Island Hospital School of Nursing. Mrs. Sharpe was a loyal member of St. Paul's Church for 70 years and a current member of Our Lady of Mercy parish for 33 years. For many years, Claire was a volunteer who taught religious education in both parishes. She also was a leader in the Camp Fire Girls and a volunteer at St. Joseph's Hospital. At the age of 80, Claire became a Eucharistic minister at Our Lady of Mercy parish. ? Claire has been blessed over the years with a loving family. She is the mother of three daughters; Roberta (Warwick), Kathleen with whom she lives, Paula (Chicago) and two grandchildren. She is the widow of Howard F. Sharpe. ?(from the proclamation awarding the cane to Claire via Leigh Botello, East Greenwich Town Clerk)
Dec 2012: Dorothy May, 104, died in December 2012 after holding the cane for three years.
Selma S. Larson, the oldest town resident at 97 in 1982, gave up the cane when she moved from East Greenwich, according to the official roll of recipients maintained by the Town Clerk's office. It was returned to the town in October 1983 and then apparently stored away.
Benjamin Crompton, 95, received the cane from the East Greenwich Town Council on Oct. 28, 1909. On his death more than three years later, the cane was presented to Caleb Vaughn, 96, on Jan. 30, 1913. Then the cane disappeared until 1940 and was not presented again until it was handed to Peter Zubee, 89, on June 26, 1941. He held the cane for nearly seven years.
The condition that only men could receive the cane was rescinded in 1930, and women became eligible to receive it. The first woman in East Greenwich to receive the cane was Amanda Bergstrom, 95, on March 21, 1952. The next man to receive it after five consecutive female cane holders was Dr. Joseph Ladd, 95, on March 30, 1972. Ladd was the first superintendent of the former Joseph Ladd School in Exeter.
When Ladd died in 1972, the cane returned to the town's oldest women. Annie Loomis received the cane on Oct. 18, 1974 and held it until her death in 1981 when the cane was presented to Larson.
(East Greenwich history via article in Independent Newspapers, April 2013)
The Town of Exeter continues the tradition of transmitting the Boston Cane to its oldest resident. Recipients receive a replica. The original is housed in a glass case in Council Chambers.
Jul 2015: Exeter's most recent recipient is Alyce Schartner, born May 12, 1915. (via email from Lynn Hawkins, Town Clerk)
The Town of Foster continues the tradition. The cane itself has been retired to a display case in Town Hall. Recipients of the cane receive a plaque. (via Carol Lyons, Planning Clerk, Town of Foster and email from Raymond Wolf)
Glocester has found the history back to 1982 when the cane was actively given out. They currently have a volunteer researching old records searching for earlier receipients. Since 1982 there have been 7 recipient of the cane, the most recent held the cane since 1994. As she has recently died, Glocester will be seeking a new recipient in January 2003. The Town Clerk made a velvet sleeve with gold cord ties and keeps the cane in the vault. They almost lost the cane when giving it to a family. They are researching manufacturing copies of the cane to give out in lieu of the original. (via Jean Fecteau, Town Clerk, Oct 2002)
Hopkinton continues the tradition. Hopkinton has their original cane, but after the original got lost from 2009 to 2012 (it was discovered in a vault in the town hall), Hopkinton decided to hold on to the original and gives out a replica.
August 2013: Hopkinton recently presented its cane to 96 year-old Cecile O'Keefe during a Town Council meeting. (article in Wicked Local Watertown via Stephen Hoffman)
Jamestown received a cane, but it has gone missing. (via Sandra Matuschka, April 2003)
Little Compton
Dorothy T. Almy received Little Compton's cane on December 8, 2005. (via Laurie Pratt, Dorothy is Laurie's great aunt) Dorothy passed away on December 3, 2008, 10 days prior to her 103rd birthday.
As of November 2004, the current holder of the Little Compton cane is Grace Case, 100, of Adamsville.(source) Anne M. Sylvia, 99, became the 26th resident of Little Compton to receive the Boston Post Cane. (via Sandra Matuschka, April 2003)
Middletown has their cane and continues the tradition. (via Sandra Matuschka, April 2003)
June 2012: Narragansett's cane has been found! It was found in a home and the town is trying to get ownership of the cane. (via Dean Hoxsie, Acting Town Manager).
New Shoreham
New Shoreham (on Block Island) continues the tradition and has a record of 19 receipients since 1909. (via email from Fiona Fitzpatrick, New Shoreham Town Clerk – May 2005)
Nov 2013: Arthur "Bo" Rose was awarded New Shoreham's cane on his 92nd birthday, Nov. 16, 2013.
September 1, 2010: New Shoreham, RI's Boston Post Cane will be awarded to Walter Gasner, the 24th recipient on record. Dr. Gasner is 98. (via email from Fiona Fitzpatrick, Town Clerk)
Portsmouth has their cane and continues the tradition. (via Sandra Matuschka, April 2003)
January 2011: Henry Williams, holder of Portsmouth's cane, passed away at the age of 97 on January 22, 2011. (via email from Stephen Hoffman)
April 2009: Henry Williams, age 95, has become Portsmouth's 20th recipient of the Boston Post Cane. Mr. Williams attributes his longevity to his wonderful family. A World War II Navy veteran, Henry worked as a carpenter for local builders and the Portsmouth DPW. The Williams have two children, five grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren. [article] (via email from Marj)
Barbara Ramsbottom held Portsmouth's cane until September 2008 when she passed away at age 105.
Tiverton received a cane, but it has gone missing. (via Sandra Matuschka, April 2003)
Westport has their cane and continues the tradition. (via Sandra Matuschka, April 2003)


text:
back to Flash Reviews
Flash Review 3, 6-5: Avant-Garde-Arama
Crying Uncle for Jimmy at P.S. 122
By Paul Ben-Itzak
Copyright 2001 The Dance Insider
Back in San Francisco, back in the
day -- that's the '70s and '80s to you, bub! -- it wasn't ballet, or modern dance,
or the San Francisco Mime Troupe, or a movie, or even the Jefferson Starship that
was considered the perfect arts date. No, it was... the comedy club. Here comics
like Robin Williams and Dana Carvey, and earlier Jonathan Winters and a young
comedian named Woody Allen got their starts. Never mind that an unwitting audience
member might find self or date heckled by the talent; a night at the Other Cafe
was still considered less threatening than a night at the ballet, an entertainment
sure to please a boy and a girl. Not just because we all like to laugh, but because
the comic spoke directly to the audience, and also referenced the day's events.
There was a feeling that the performer was not an effete artiste, but a real person
who fought the same daily struggles, and read the same news, as we did. Of course,
you and I, Dance Insider, have no fear of dance, but for those still scared of
the serious arts, local producers have found a new weapon to lure them in: comedy.
This was in the house -- or basement -- over the weekend at P.S. 122 with Uncle
Jimmy's Avant-Garde-Arama, with an added fun for girls and boys guarantor: puppets!
Avant-Garde-Arama is kinda P.S. 122
to the nth degree. If this former school-house is the veritable "petri-dish of
downtown culture," as the Village Voice has dubbed it, Avant-Garde-Arama is a
petri-dish with curatorial caution thrown to the wind. Things may combust, and
they do! Uncle Jimmy's name -- with clown-like tuft on white-made up head, he
might be described as a warm-blooded puppet -- on the matinee ensures that at
the least, laughing out loud will take place, and if we weren't already assured
of that, Jimmy upped the anti this time around by adding the raucous band Coocoohandler
to his puppet posse of the bug-eyed Chuck-Bob, Grandpa, and other of the little
creatures created by the Elementals. (The tuft was because Jimmy had recently
returned from the future -- two months in the future, don'tchya know -- where,
he informed us, clowns were big, big, big!)
What impressed most in Saturday's
acts was the overall level of sophistication. All had one avant-garde element
in common: The most unexpected was just the starting point, and then they went
on to really surprise. Would you believe me if I told you the most heartbreaking
performance was the one that featured slowly psychologically discombobulating
puppets fashioned from foam rubber? As animated by Kevin Augustine/Lone Wolf Tribe,
the foam-imals in "Animal or Animal Dream" navigated through deaths of mothers
and industrial accidents, Augustine counseling them to deal with these tragedies.
I have seen the puppet future, and it is violently shaking foam rubber undergoing
Ken Butler strummed his violin bow
across increasingly smaller instruments made from found objects, ending with a
toothbrush. He didn't stop at the strumming, thrusting the toothbrush into his
mouth, where its sounds were also amplified, before concluding by playing his
own amplified head with his fist.
Saint Reverend Jen's greatest gift
was not her sense of humour nor any one joke -- I personally, being TV-less, wouldn't
have gotten the tele-tubbie humour of "Doodoo's Story: Behind the Hugs" -- but
how much she believed she was Doodoo, the tele-tubby you don't hear so much about.
When an incredulous audience member answered her call for questions by challenging
Reverend Jen to re-enact a tele-tubby skit, she invited him to join her.
Ayo Janeen Jackson had only one gimmick
-- a film Jackson in civilian clothes danced in her apartment as we watched the
glittered up live Jackson undulate to a trip-hoppy tune. But the simplicity of
this dance was a well-timed tonic amidst the more avant-garde surroundings.
One of the funnest features of comedy
routines is the audience interaction; you too, may be drafted to be a straight
man/woman! But Avant-Garde-Arama doesn't just want you as a foil; during intermission,
lead curator Salley May took sign-ups for "40-second Street," in which anyone
could sign up to give his/her best shot at 40 avant-garde seconds. I liked the
girls in matching school uniforms who recited an oath in unison, the guy ("Herman")
who held one foot behind him as he recited a later chapter of Melville's "Moby
Dick" that culminates in the launching of the harpoon; and Akim Funk Buddha, who
in a cameo used found props, his own street clothes, and a good dollop of aplomb
to make himself appear to be levitating.
Avant-Garde-Arama played just last
weekend, but this concept -- comedy tonight at the dance performance -- surfaces
again later this month, with yet another attractive incentive. On June 22 & 23
and June 29 & 30 at Gowanus Arts in Brooklyn, the Industrial Valley Celebrity
Hour is in the house. Produced by dance insiders Veronica Dittman and Faith Pilger,
the evenings feature Dittman and Pilger, Kristina Isabelle (first weekend only)
and Henry Faulkner. First weekend host is comic-musician Louis Schwadron, succeeded
by comic-opera singer Shelly Watson. And if this isn't enough, there's free food
and drinks too. Your $10 -- hey, you can barely buy a glass of champagne for that
price at Lincoln Center, and it doesn't include your performance ticket! -- goes
to the scholarship fund of Spoke the Hub. For more info, please call 718-857-5158.
Be 'dere!
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text:
Cardinal Tangles With White in Spring Game
Stanford wraps up spring season with intrasquad scrimmage.
Mark Soltau: Ideal Settings, Results for Spring Game
Defense emerges with 40-34 win at Stanford Stadium
Stanford Football Celebrates Read Across America Day with Local Schools
As part of the Read Across America program, members of the Stanford football team celebrated the birthday of Dr. Seuss on Friday with students from local elementary schools.
Cardinal Set to Begin Spring Practices
Center and left tackle highlight position battles; competition and development for 15 practices kicks off Feb. 25
Cardinal Opens Pac-12 Play With Marquee Matchup Against USC
Rematch of 2011 thriller televised live on national FOX broadcast.
AT STANFORD: Will provide depth at wide receiver.
2011 (SOPHOMORE): Did not see action.
2010 (FRESHMAN): Did not see action.
HIGH SCHOOL AND PERSONAL DATA: Graduated from Edison High School in Huntington Beach, Calif....played for head coach Dave White...three-year varsity letterwinner as a wide receiver and safety...two-time first team All-Sunset League selection...earned first team All-CIF Pac-5 Division honors as a senior...National Football Foundation/College Hall of Fame Scholar Athlete Award recipient...had 58 receptions for 879 yards and seven touchdowns as a senior...caught 88 passes for 1,360 yards and 12 touchdowns during his varsity career...also had six career interceptions...blocked three field goals as a senior...tied the school's single-game record with 13 receptions...also lettered in basketball...Character Coalition Award recipient in 2007 and '09...parents are Dean Trojan and Beth McCombs...has two younger brothers, Connor and Kyle and one younger sister, Katie...born in Mission Viejo, Calif....full name is Jeffrey Dean Trojan...majoring in human biology


text:
Pandora's Box
Gone Too Far
Suzanne Brockmann
2003 reissue of 2004 release, Romantic Suspense
Ballantine, $6.99, 560 pages, Amazon ASIN 0345456939Part of a series
There is a staff review of this book as well
In Gone Too Far, Navy SEAL Sam Starett travels to Florida to get his estranged wife to sign divorce papers. When he discovers what is apparently her dead body on the floor of her home, he calls contacts Max Bhagat of the FBI - and ends up talking to Alyssa Locke, the woman he still loves and hasn't been able to forget. Alyssa comes to Florida, where they engage in a desparate search for Sam's daughter Haley. Through the course of their search they skirt the law and confront their passion for each other.
Blythe: Well, Linda, Gone Too Far is a book that is bound to generate all kinds of buzz. It's the long-awaited climax to the Sam and Alyssa story that has been a common thread throughout the five previous books, and it's Brockmann's hardcover debut as well. I know there are readers who thought this story (and this couple) had too much hype, and some felt manipulated because this particular much-awaited story was released in a more expensive, hardcover format. But here's my take on it: I absolutely loved this book. I felt that it lived up to my expectations, and Sam and Alyssa's story was exactly the sort of book I hoped it would be.
Linda: I don't think many people will be disappointed with Sam and Alyssa's story at all. I've been hooked on Sam and Alyssa ever since the chocolate topping scene in The Defiant Hero. The non-stop action in this book never over-shadows the love story and I also loved seeing Kelly and Tom used so effectively in this story. I only had one problem with this book and it isn't a major flaw.
Blythe: I too really took notice of Sam and Alyssa in The Defiant Hero and I know we mentioned them in our Pandora chat about the same book. I've had a bit of a dry spell with reading lately, and the day GTF arrived in the mail I was just finishing up The Eyre Affair (a book I also enjoyed.) I started GTF at midnight, and allowed myself to read until 4:30 am, even though I knew I had a real life, with kids to care for and a job that required me to work late the next day. I slept for 2 1/2 hours, got the kids to school, and went to the library to finish the book because I didn't want to hear the phone, the dog, or anything else that might distract me. After I finished the book, I was actually depressed that it was over... so depressed that I turned around and started over at the beginning again. I honestly can't remember ever doing that before.
Linda: I recently had a JAK that I reread as soon as I finished it, but it doesn't happen often. I got GTF at 4:30 on Thursday and finished it about 1:30 am - it would have taken less time but it was my turn to cook that night and since I am a houseguest I didn't think I could tell them to just order pizza, as I've been known to do with my kids.<g> I really loved it with the exception of one plot device that tended to pull me out of the story. I thought it could have been eliminated and never missed.
Blythe: What was the plot device? Whatever it was, I didn't notice it or wasn't bothered by it.
Linda: It was the letters and journal entries from Walter and Dot. The first letter simply appears with no real introduction and jarred me from the story. I liked the glimpses of Sam we got from his own reminiscences and his friend Noah and I think Walter and Dot's story could have easily been told through the two men's memories. The letters seemed like filler to me and I had to force myself to read them, when I really just wanted to get back to the story. The WWII reminiscences worked much better in The Defiant Hero, where they served the purpose of keeping the young kidnap victim calm. But, the letters were a small quibble on my part as I really loved the book. I liked Alyssa so much; she is amazingly strong and intelligent and never falls into TSTL territory like Meg did in TDH.
Blythe: I think that the WWII subplot (a common thread in all the books in this series) was probably the weakest one yet. I was mostly okay with that, since I really just wanted to hear about Sam and Alyssa anyway, with some Tom and Kelly thrown in for good measure. Those looking for some closure to Tom and Kelly's relationship will find it here, and I have to confess there is one scene between them that brought me to tears. But the WWII thing did seem a bit like an afterthought, and what's more, I thought it was a bit unrealistic. Any interracial couples at that time would have headed north (or risked worse than an injured leg). FWIW, I thought the WWII subplot was best handled in Out of Control, where the story is told in a book that several characters all happen to be reading at once.
But I lapped up Sam and Alyssa's story like a starving woman. We've really just seen glimpses of the two of them in the last two books, although we did see a whole lot of Sam's wife Mary Lou in Into the Night. Mary Lou is really explained and redeemed in that book, and she gets some closure here as well. But this is mostly about Sam, and I wouldn't have had it any other way. I have heard several people say that they didn't think Sam could be redeemed after Into the Night. I didn't think that myself, but then I like watching characters screw up big time and needing to find a way out of their stupid mistakes. And I have always loved Sam and his mouthy attitude, and I am also a major sucker for love triangle plots. I know that the way the conflict was dragged out over several books really annoyed some readers, but I really reveled in all that angst.
Linda: Well, I have only read The Defiant Hero in this series, but had heard that Into the Night had people really mad at Sam. I thought his explanation of how he screwed up made sense and as his past and his friendship with Noah are delineated I came to like him even more. This is truly a man who has risen above his origins, and in spite of his foul mouth, he is a real gem. When it comes to the "F" word, Sam is a virtuoso. I also liked the fact that Mary Lou wasn't demonized and also that she wasn't TSTL; her escape plan was ingenious.
I also liked Max and Gina a lot too - I love younger women/older men stories - since my hubby is 8 years older then me I guess that isn't surprising. There is just so much to like in this story and even though there are a lot of characters, Brockmann manages to keep track of all of them and they're all fully fleshed out. For what is essentially a love story, this book had me on the edge of my seat all night long. I think it should draw adventure readers to Brockmann. Also, Brockmann does male dialogue extremely well - these Navy SEALS really sounded like men!
Blythe: They do sound like men, and Sam's foul mouth seems very realistic and right for him - he wouldn't be Sam without it. Alyssa gets one of the best lines of the book when she tells Sam near the end that he is going to have to perform "an immediate f*ckectomy" before he spends more time with his daughter Haley. But not all Brockmann's SEALs talk like Sam. It's one of the running jokes that Muldoon (hero of Into the Night) rarely swears, even when the situation almost seems to demand it.
I think you are right that Sam's behavior is explained, and that it makes sense. But more than that, he's called on the carpet for it. He knows he hasn't been the best father, and he is actively trying to change that. Alyssa tells him what she thinks of his fathering skills in no uncertain terms as well. But this book isn't all sturm und drang, there's a lot of humor here as well. I admit to laughing out loud when Sam gets propositioned by his soon to be ex-mother-in-law, and I absolutely loved and adored his proposal to Alyssa, which happens at the heat of the moment and isn't quite what he'd planned.
Linda: I died laughing when Sam escaped from the hand cuffs and it finally dawns on Alyssa that he could have easily have gotten out of them the night they were cuffed together with the chocolate syrup. Really made me laugh. This is a great book and without the letters it would have been close to perfect for me. This one is definitely worth the hardcover price (and the rebate offered should sweeten the deal).
Blythe: I'd definitely agree with that. I know hardcovers can be a real hot button issue with some people, but I think of it as a promotion for the author and something to be celebrated in most cases. I don't buy many authors in hardcover, but I am willing to spend a little more money for an author who is an autobuy for me. When my husband was in grad school and money for books was a little harder to come by, I actually rejoiced when an author went hardcover, because that meant I could get the book for free at the library (my library had very few paperback romances). It helped that one of the librarians was a romance fan who knew which authors I liked and would put me on the hold list right away <g>. Anyway, Sam and Alyssa fans are definitely justified in spending the money for this one (or taking the time to get on that library waiting list.)
Linda: I think Brockmann deserves real kudos for this book. The expectations are high and with the added 'aggravation' factor of a later book in a series coming out in hardcover, this could have easily been a bust. Instead it's a wonderful book to read and I'm sure I'll reread it even though I'll be skipping those annoying letters <g>. I've been lucky lately; I've read several good books in a row, but I had to retreat to a 'comfort' book after this one. I couldn't bear the possibility of reading a bad book after such a wonderful one.
Blythe: Well, the book I read after GTF was Loving the Highlander, the subject of our last Pandora. It really wasn't a bad book, but I can't think of much that could have compared with GTF in my estimation. The only thing that would have really kept me on that kind of reader's high would be a new book from Diana Gabaldon or Elizabeth George. I'm slugging through another dud right now, but I am planning to read all of Mary Balogh's Bedwyn books after this, and I have high hopes for them.
Linda: I enjoyed A Summer to Remember and have the Bedwyn's up after I finish the new Amanda Quick, which is very good.
Blythe: Well, here's hoping we both enjoy the Balogh books as much as we enjoyed GTF. There are some changes at the end of GTF that make it a little bittersweet, but they make sense for the plot. While this may be the end of the major focus on Sam and Alyssa, I have a feeling they'll be popping up in the future. As far as I've heard, there's no word on who the next hero is, but there are still many stories to be told in the Troubleshooters series, including Max and Gina's. I am not the Max fan that some readers are; he pushes too many of my "get over yourself, buddy" buttons. But I'll still stick around for the rest of the series.
I forgot to add that I absolutely loved Whitney. She's a minor character, a teenage mother and a gun-toting sharpshooter, so it's funny that I should like her so much, as I am definitely no gun nut. But I hope she makes an appearance in future books as well.
Linda: The ending is a little bittersweet, but I also think it will open up a world of storylines for these wonderful characters. Brockmann has created people you really care about and I for one look forward to seeing them again. I loved Whitney too, even if her actions did provoke the exciting climax to Sam's story. In fact, GTF makes me want to go back and read the other books in this series and then reread GTF like you did. A book has to be pretty darn good to inspire a "series glom."
Blythe: And even though I have already read the book twice, I want to read it again. And you know I rarely re-read anything at all. However, I have four unread Brockmanns in my tbr pile, and I just might be tempted to treat myself to one of them soon.
Linda: LOL, I have four or five in my pile too. I have been reading some of her older books too and absolutely love one of her early Loveswepts, Stand-In Groom. The hero of that book was a chef, but he would have made a great SEAL.
Blythe: I haven't read that one yet, and I bet it's hard to find too. Well, happy reading and house selling. We'll be back next month to discuss a book by a new author, The Captain of All Pleasures by Kresley Cole.
Linda: Well, there is a reward for having your own on-line bookstore - I just raid my sale bins from time to time. By the time GTF hits the shelves I hope my odyssey of moving is over and we are happily settled in Nevada - one should always have a dream.
Blythe: I'll keep my fingers crossed for you. See you next month.
--Blythe Barnhill and Linda Hurst, for
-- Pandora's Box


text:
Feb 07th 2014
Kid-friendly: Register for City Sprouts Summer Camps
Registration for Wasatch Community Gardens' City Sprouts Summer Camps is now open. Read More
Registration for Wasatch Community Gardens' City Sprouts Summer Camps is now open. Read More
The third day of Salt Lake Magazine's 12 Days of Giveaways is: a custom made tin star table lamp from Retrospect Water & Light paired with homemade beehive candles and local honey from Red Butte Garden. Read More
Visit 13 of Salt Lakes's top attractions for one price with the Connect Pass. Read More
One of the unexpected pleasures of living amid breathtaking scenery is that it makes an awesome backdrop for concerts. Read More
Today to 3 p.m., the arboretum will be bestowing tree knowledge to guests with exploration stations around the gardens on leaves, rings, roots and seeds. They're also holding an Arbor Day tree giveaway. Read More
Need a little help picking your springtime palette? Look no further than Salt Lake City's Red Butte Garden. The blossoming hillside offers plenty of inspiration. Read More
Utah Kids Club offers families deals at local venues, and they have an exclusive offer for our readers. Read More