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You can understand the unwavering faith from RAM's long-term investors. The spectacular returns, compounded, puts them ahead of the curve. Their financial Messiah is still held in good stead.
Before Ross Asset Management went into receivership this week, it was regarded as a prosperous fund in the hands of highly capable manager David Ross.
But some 20 years of reportedly high returns – more than 37% in the mid-1990s – came to an abrupt end on Friday November 2 when the Financial Markets Authority raided RAM's office and had its assets frozen.
The circumstances surrounding the situation remain murky.
Mr Ross is said to be sick in hospital, his staff have all resigned, the High Court is suppressing vital details, the FMA has said little and in the wings there are complaints to the Serious Fraud Office.
This means investors, some of whom have their entire fortunes with RAM, remain largely in the dark.
After NBR ONLINE's early revelations last week, more than 120 investors have left comments, pleading for answers.
What went wrong has yet to be spelled out and so far events have left investors with more questions than answers.
Before the raid
According to investors who in touch with NBR ONLINE, there were indications about a month ago things were not quite right.
One investor reported having trouble getting hold of anyone at the RAM office and the quarterly report was delivered late.
Another said they had spoken to Mr Ross a few days before the FMA raid, but others reported not having heard from him for some weeks.
The FMA confirmed it had started to receive complaints from investors in the days before the raid about not being able to get any money out.
FMA moves into action
Rumours started circulating early on Friday, November 2.
Investors knew something was wrong – RAM's central Wellington offices were closed and no one was answering the phone.
NBR ONLINE visited the office and confirmed the rumours. Neighbours reported seeing men in dark suits hanging around earlier in the day.
By mid-afternooon the FMA had confirmed it had taken control of the office and was making inquiries.
Almost immediately investors started coming forward, some alarmed and demanding answers, but many prepared to give Mr Ross a chance to explain himself.
"FMA looks like it has done the normal shoot, ready, now aim! There isn't a more thorough and investigative fund manager in the country," wrote one of the first commentors on NBR ONLINE's first story.
"I have been a client of David Ross for 18 year and spend many hours with him discussing investments and find him to be very astute and as honest as the day is long. I just ask people to give him the time to explain the facts of this case," wrote another.
The comments were largely sympathetic to Mr Ross, who has seemingly won the trust of many investors over a long period.
But many were also concerned, fearing the worst.
By Friday evening, the Wellington High Court had frozen RAM's assets and the FMA wanted a manager appointed.
The aftermath
Early reports Mr Ross was sick were confirmed by investors early this week.
He was admitted to hospital some time before the FMA raid, but the nature of his illness is unknown.
On Tuesday, a High Court hearing resulted in PwC receiver John Fisk being appointed to manager RAM's assets, with help from First NZ Capital.
It was revealed Mr Ross' companies hold some $439 million in funds on behalf of 900 investors.
FMA Queen's counsel Hugh Rennie says 27 investors wrote to the authority with concerns about not being able to access their investments.
Early inquiries identified assets in New Zealand, Australia, the UK and the USA.
While facts have slowly come to light, investors are no closer to knowing whether their investments can be recovered.
The High Court suppressed the reasons for its decision to freeze RAM's assets and the FMA is giving few details yet, saying it is "too early to make a statement".
Meanwhile, investor Bruce Tichbon set up a user group so investors can communicate with each other, an indication they are currently being kept in the dark by the investigators and receivers.
Mr Fisk and colleague David Bridgman are expected to report back to the High Court with their initial findings on Tuesday, but until then it is not expected investors will learn much more about the fate of their investments.
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5 Comments & Questions
I guess if you were one of the lucky ones who was getting 34% each year, you only needed to be "in" for 4 years and you are covered (tax taken and "whole" for capital), plus whatever you might get left with after PWC do their recovery. If you were getting 34% you sure wouldn't be thinking it was coming from government bonds. So.... da da! here's the other side of the high risk decision.
What went wrong has yet to be spelled out and so far events have left investors with more questions than answers.
Yes, it's very sad not least because this is not the high court's money, it's not the receivers money or Jon Fisk's money, it's not the FMA's, the SFO or the lawyers' money, or anyone elses. It's the investors' money and yet in this process they are the last to know anything or to find out what's going on with their own cash. It's as though they are just shoved to the curb and treated as mere annoyances cluttering up the way of the very fine and important work been done, and at great cost, too, by those listed above. Yet it's the investors' money. It appears as though they have been disenfranchised from their own property and assets and, that they should be sufficiently grateful about it, too. There is fundamentally something not right about that and this process.
If they bothered to follow some basic common sense checks, they would not be in the trouble they are now?
Why blame FMA etc. They have a job to do and this is to clean up yet another mess.
Next you will be blaming the police for investigating a crime?
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Softball Travels South to Face Ragin' Cajuns
- Details
- Source: SoonerSports.com
No. 19/13 Oklahoma takes part in its first true road series of the season, visiting No. 23/24 Louisiana-Lafayette. Friday's game can be seen on RaginCajuns.com, while Saturday's doubleheader will be shown on ESPN3.com. SERIES HISTORY: Oklahoma and Louisiana-Lafayette...Read more

subset: commoncrawl


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As the cultural and aesthetic renaissance of marijuana continues it can even be witnessed down to manicured fingernails. A new trend, dubbed "weedicures" by some, involves manicures containing actual cannabis.
Forbes reported last week that women are opting to have bits of pot embedded in their acrylic nails, that create a unique green and gold texture and tone drawing instant attention to the end of female fingers.
An exotic dancer called Kat told Forbes that after she saw a weedicure online, she asked her manicurist if she too could receive one, and the manicurist agreed – with the provision that Kat bring her own bud. Kat did so and for $45 received her weedicure that she happily described as looking like "kief" (consumable resin glands).
The popularity of weed-nails is on the rise with an increased online presence and they've even been spotted adorning attendees of the HIGH TIMES Cannabis Cup.
However, the legality of these pot-nails is in question. Would a weedicure subject the wearer to being arrested or ticketed for pot possession? Morgan Fox of Marijuana Policy Project opined to Forbes that women shouldn't worry in Washington and Colorado, although in some states – including California – such pot displays could result in a misdemeanor fine despite the fact that the cannabis is no longer safely consumable.


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Gonzalo Escobar
2010-11: Finished the year ranked 25th in the country in singles and 41st in doubles with Vitor Manzini ... had a 29-16 overall singles record ... was 16-10 in spring duals in singles, 13-8 at No. 1 and 3-2 at No. 2 ... was 23-13 overall in doubles ... 19-8 in doubles in the spring - 17-8 at No. 2 and 2-0 at No. 1 with Manzini ... finished the fall 12-5 in singles and 3-4 in doubles with Rafael Garcia and 1-1 with Manzini.
2009-10: Finished the season ranked 39th in the country in singles ... named All-Big 12 singles ... named second team Academic All-Big 12 ... finished the year with a record of 24-8 in singles and 21-10 in doubles (fall and spring combined) ... was 18-5 at No. 2 singles and was 17-8 in doubles, 16-8 at No. 2 and 1-0 at No. 1, with Andre Stabile in the spring ... competed in the NCAA Singles and Doubles Championships in singles, advanced to second round ... got his biggest win of his career as he upset No. 18 Ed Corrie of Texas and then beat No. 29 Andrei Daescu of Oklahoma both during Big 12 play ... finished the fall with a 5-2 singles record and a 4-2 doubles mark ... reached the doubles final of the Baylor Intercollegiate with teammate Andre Stabile ... also advanced to quarterfinals of the singles draw ... competed in the ITA Regionals, losing in the round of 16 in singles and the round of 32 in doubles.
2008-09: Might have been overlooked on having a successful rookie season due to success of fellow freshman Raony Carvalho ... ended the fall with a 5-4 singles record with three of the four losses coming against ranked opponents ... was Tech's lone player to advance to the third round of the A Draw at the Baylor HEB Invitational ... took No. 35 Christoph Muller of Rice to three sets in the second round of the ITA Regional Championships ... went 0-3 overall in doubles play, teaming with Gonzelez and Sinisa Markovic ... he and Christian Rojmar entered the season ranked No. 19 in the ITA preseason poll, but never played together in any tournament ... during the spring, played primarily the No. 3 (5-6) and 4 (5-2) singles positions ... went 2-2 in Big 12 play ... missed the Baylor and Nebraska matches after suffering a wrist injury ... went 2-3 at home, 4-1 on the road and 4-4 at neutral sites ... was 2-2 in conference matches... teamed with David Gonzalez to be the squad's most consistent duo, going 16-5 at the No. 3 position ... tandem ended the season winning its last 10 matches ... the duo was a perfect 4-0 in conference.
Before Tech: Ranked top five in Ecuador in juniors.
Personal: Born April 20, 1989, in Manta, Ecuador ... son of Gonzalo and Narcisa Escobar ... has a brother, Juan, and a sister, Maria Belen... enjoys playing soccer and hanging out with friends ... majoring in business.


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Thief River Falls, MN - Thief River Falls-based Arctic Cat reports record sales for its fiscal first quarter with snowmobiles leading the way.
But CEO Christopher Twomey says higher sales were not enough to overcome unfavorable Canadian currency. Sales of ATVs and side-by-sides were lower, a planned decrease to reduce dealer inventories ahead of the company's ATV dealer show in September.
Twomey said he expects this to be a challenging year, especially in the first half of 2015.
Snow Prediction


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by C.J. Bowles
Husky men's basketball head coach Lorenzo Romar says it best: "[Bobby Jones is] the model of the type of player that we want here at the University of Washington, in terms of his unselfish team attitude, mental toughness and his academic standing."
Roughly midway through the 2003-04 Washington men's basketball season, the 6-foot-6 Jones has more than backed up Romar's preseason comments, leading the team in scoring at 12.3 points per game, and in rebounds per game at 6.2. According to Jones, however, his tenacity and unselfishness is simply the product of a system - a street system.
Growing up in Compton, Calif., of which he says, "the stereotype is what it should be," Jones' tougher-than-nails attitude served him both on and off the basketball court. Over the past two decades, Compton's reputation has been one of fear and intimidation, home to some of the most powerful and dangerous gangs in the nation. Jones has taken his childhood experiences and transferred them to the basketball court, where he plays the game with an intensity and aggression few can match.
"That's what made me who I was back home," he says. "That's what I was known for, but when I came here I had to prove myself all over again. Now people are just starting to get to know what kind of player I am."
When Jones steps off the hardwood, however, it's a different story.
"Off the court I'm pretty shy, only talking to people I know," he says. "I'm not very outgoing, but on the court you can't tell that, I look like a lunatic out there. It shows how much I love this game."
Jones' love for basketball was discovered early in life, the product of yet another system - this time, a family one.
"I started playing when I was six years old, and my parents made a court in the backyard for me," Jones says. "They always wanted me to play sports and they had an idea I was going to be tall, so they figured I might as well use my height to my advantage."
Jones also ran track as a youth, even winning a national age-group title while in elementary school, but soon found he his enjoyment of track and field paled in comparison to his passion for basketball, and dropped the sport as he prepared to enter high school.
With Jones' focus fully on basketball, his skills began developing, and so did his body. As Jones grew taller his stat line grew longer, leading to a junior season at Dominguez High School in which Jones averaged 16 points, five rebounds, three assists, and three steals per game. Dominguez, which featured not only Jones but also eventual No. 2 NBA pick Tyson Chandler, captured its third-straight CIF Division-III title that season, but Jones was still unsatisfied.
Following the season, Jones transferred to Long Beach Poly High School, and promptly led the Jackrabbits to a 30-4 record by averaging 19 points and nine rebounds per game. As the hardware began to roll in, scouts took notice, and Jones quickly narrowed his options. Colleges from the ACC and Big East highlighted the list; Washington failed to register even a blip on Jones' radar.
Late in the signing period, Jones was informed by his father informed him that former Pepperdine coach Lorenzo Romar was accepting the head coaching job at Washington, and suggested that his son may want to check out the UW before making his decision.
"I talked to coach Romar and he invited me up for a visit," Jones recalls. "I came up here and really liked it. I didn't really want to stay in California for college, but I wanted to be on the West Coast. No other school offered me that except Washington, so I signed the next day."
Just like that, Romar had his first recruit as the Huskies' head coach, and Jones had a new home.
Jones' first year at UW saw the California earn 15 starts, mostly on the strength of his energized efforts on the defensive end of the floor, a contrast to a team comprised mostly of quick scorers.
"When it comes to motivation, I think a steal or a block is as good as a dunk," Jones says of his passion for defense. "Defense gives us opportunities on offense."
When the dust settled following the up and down, 10-17 season, Jones found himself with five double-doubles and 12 blocks, ninth most ever among UW freshmen.
Now, nearly halfway through his sophomore campaign, Jones is starting to assume a different role for the Dawgs, the role of a leader.
"I want to be someone who leads by example," he says. "I just try to rub some of my intensity off on my teammates. I like to do the little things."
So far Jones is doing more leading than he set out to do. While leading the team in scoring and rebounding, he has scored in double digits in all but two games thus far, including a career-high 19 points in a crucial Husky win at San Diego State.
While Jones worked hard this summer, especially on his jump shot, he credits his teammates for most of his success.
"I definitely worked on my shot this summer, but we have so many good players penetrating on the team, that if you're in the right spot at the right time, you should definitely get a shot," he says.
Jones is also teaching the mostly Seattle-based Huskies an important lesson - don't mess with a man from Compton, especially one with a reputation for intensity.
In the waning moments of Washington's Pac-10 home opener vs. USC, the Trojans held an 86-80 lead and were heading for a comfortable win when, with less than 10 seconds remaining, Trojans guard Errick Craven decided to punctuate the win with a one-handed breakaway jam.
He never made it to the rim.
While most players waited casually for the buzzer to sound, Jones flew down the court and swatted the ball out of Craven's hands, refusing to allow the Trojan to further embarrass the Huskies on their own home court. For Jones' hard-nosed effort, he received an intentional foul, but his message to opponents was clear - there's no such thing as an easy basket.
"When we play USC and UCLA, that's bragging rights when I go back home," Jones says. "I'm from that area, so I want to leave a message to those teams. I never start anything, but if someone is nagging or trying to start something, I'm not going to back down. I'm never going to start something, but I'm definitely going to finish it."
It is not Jones' intent to come off as a dirty player; he simply wants it to be known how much he loves the game.
"When I play basketball I just play the game, I don't think about it too much," he says. "I just get lost in the game."
With two and a half years of Husky hoops left for Jones, there's plenty of time to prove to coach Romar and Husky fans just how much of a model UW player he can be.


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It should come as no surprise to anyone that the image of the Catholic Church has changed in the past decade. Stories of bad priests are in large supply, rampant corruption in the hierarchy, you name it. Where that leaves the good priests is hard to say, and that assumes there are any left.
"Calvary" is a strange, even perplexing examination of one such priest facing his final days on earth. Not anything caused by sickness or some unforeseen event, but in a promise from one of his parishioners. Brendan Gleeson stars as Father James, a tired and all too human priest in a small town in Ireland. In his small town he's given one week to get his affairs in order before he's killed by one of the many victims of the church's foul history. He's given the role of representation for the church as an entity, rather than being deserving of such a fate as a man. The movie follows him as he attempts to help his daughter and the other townsfolk in what little time he has left, facing their dismissal of him and all that he represents. In doing so, we are given a unique examination of the fall of the church's image in the eyes of world.
The town in which Father James lives and works is populated not by characters, but by metaphorical representations. There's a rich, despondent former executive banker, an atheistic doctor, a bar owner being persecuted by the banks, a cheating housewife, an immigrant minority, an imprisoned killer, and a few others on the fringe. This presents an odd and even play-esque atmosphere, where the human character of Father James is forced to confront all aspects of society and represent a system that he doesn't feel he's adequate to represent. In fact, he appears to be the only true human in the town, aside from his troubled visiting daughter. With her he bonds over their past and her uncertain future.
The movie plays out as a series of conversations and episodes as he moves from day to day, dealing with every side of society. This is not something people generally welcome, as they seem to go out of their way to challenge him and rile him up. It shows a stance of the declining church as something that not only doesn't bother people, but pleases some. During a scene in which the church is burned down, not only does no one seem bothered by the act of arson, but no one even bothers to mention it until the building is well engulfed in flames and past the point of salvaging.
Brendan Gleeson gives a strong and character driven performance as the priest, showing traces of his humanity that can't help but break through his tough demeanor. He's experienced tragedy, lived through a lot of pain, and does as much as he's able despite how heavily the world weighs down on him. People shun and mistrust him as they do the church as an institution. A father is thrown into a rage when he finds Father James innocently walking alongside his daughter on his way to the beach. Taking on the sins of the church is a lot for one man, and it's in this that the movie becomes vague and ambiguous.
On the one hand, Father James is a highly sympathetic and developed character. The rest of the townspeople are not. They merely represent their class as they expect him to. In one conversation with the doctor (Aiden Gillen), he actually says what he is as a character, referencing his role and that of the priest's. For me, I wonder as to how writer/director John Michael McDonagh feels about the fall of the church (at least in the public eye). Does he lament its downfall, join the apathetic view of his characters, or is he more detached from it as the priest seems to be. Father James has a strong personal faith, but when it comes to the crimes of the church he is silent. It's the one area the movie doesn't tread when it comes to his views, and when the question is finally asked of him, it's too late.
"Calvary" is a very interesting and thought-provoking movie. It carries a lot of weighty themes and attempts to balance them in a staged and stylish way. While not necessarily going to provide you with answers or anything concrete, it's certain to prompt discussion.


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April 3, 2012
By Scott Gierman
MURRAY, Ky. – In an afternoon full of ugly baseball, SIU took control late in the game to defeat Murray State 13-10 Tuesday afternoon at Reagan Field. Southern Illinois' offense was helped out by a season-high 14 walks and made its seven hits count.
"It wasn't pretty, but we kept battling and found a way to win in the end," SIU Coach Ken Henderson said. "Every time they would score, we found a way, and then we had a couple huge hits late in the game."
Southern Illinois (16-13) took an 11-10 lead in the top of the eighth inning on Brock Harding's sacrifice fly to left field to score Chris Serritella. Donny Duschinsky had scored the tying run earlier in the inning on Jordan Sivertsen's bases loaded fielder's choice. Sivertsen matched a career high with six RBI in the game. Duschinsky then added insurance with a two-run double in the ninth.
It was SIU's second comeback of the game. Murray State (14-16) had built its lead to 6-0 with a three-run rally in the first inning and then another three-run rally in the third. SIU did not have its first hit until the fourth inning.
SIU grabbed its first lead of the game in the sixth inning when Sivertsen capped a four-run inning with his second home run of the day. It was a three-run homer and gave the Salukis a 9-8 lead.
"We had a couple huge hits late in the game," Henderson said. "Jordan Sivertsen has six RBI. That's huge and probably the key to the game because he got us back and gave us the lead."
Tyler Dray took the win for SIU. He walked three batters and allowed two runs to surrender the lead in the seventh inning then stayed in to toss a scoreless eighth. Dray improved his record to 2-1. Todd Eaton earned his sixth save of the season and gave the Salukis a tame ending to a wild day with a hitless ninth inning.
Murray State's Tim Vonder Haar was saddled with the loss. He faced three batters in the eighth inning, and all three of them reached base.
Each team used six pitchers and combined to issue 20 walks.
"Everybody was struggling a little bit," Henderson said of the pitching in the game. "Guys who normally throw a lot of strikes just didn't look comfortable."
The Salukis got their first run on the board in the fourth inning thanks to five walks in the inning. All three runs scored on a bases loaded walk to cut the deficit to 6-3. However SIU left the bases loaded with the go-ahead run at the plate.
Southern creeped to within a run with Sivertsen's first home run, a two-run shot in the top of the fifth. That cut the Breds' lead to 6-5.
Southern Illinois starter Pete Slavonic lasted just one inning. Murray State struck for three runs off five hits in the bottom of the first. Four of the first five batters recorded a hit against Slavonic. Despite an error in the inning, all three runs were earned.
SIU will return home for a three-game conference series against Evansville beginning Friday at 3 p.m.


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We all heard Pelosi blame Bush for high gas prices, now here is Debbie Wasserman Schultz back in 2005 blaming Bush as well… where is her big mouth running down obama for high gas prices.
I am astounded at the lies that obama and his democratic regime are coming out with concerning the high rise in gas prices… even the media is taking part telling Americans nothing but blatant lies.
They want us to believe there is a sudden high demand on oil and gas and that is the reason gas has shot up so high…
When Bush was president and gas prices went up it became an attack and the cornerstone of Obama's 2008 campaign ad.
He is living it up, making fun of the Republicans and saying "Republicans have one answer to the oil pinch: drill."
And of Course we have the Media singing his tune and praises….
When gas went up last year, obama started flip flopping and saying drill…now he says drilling won't fix the problem…I guess Steven Chu, chewed him out because he said drill last year…..
Wake up America, what else can obama say or do, he has no choice but to make fun of the Republicans, he has to attack them because he does not have any record of sound policy to stand on. He wants higher gas prices, he said he wanted it, and his partner Secretary of Energy Chu said he wanted higher gas prices too…
Finally, they have accomplished at least one thing that he promised and that is higher gas prices…so what else do you think he is going to do but attack the Republicans because we all know this is obama's and his party's fault…
Energy Secretary Chu has promised to force people to accept very expensive, very inefficient, green energy. Steve Chu said, "Somehow we have to figure out how to boost the price of gasoline to the levels of Europe." Europe pays about 8 to 10 bucks a gallon for gas… obama and chu want this!!!
Obama and Chu have now dismissed the construction of several new clean-burning coal-fired plants, and the EPA is now shutting down existing electric-generating plants. If you think Obama is a man who doesn't know what he is doing in this instance, think again. He is manufacturing an electrical energy crisis that can only be solved by green energy.
This is where your high gas prices are coming from…Energy Secretary Steven Chu visited Solyndra with obama and we know what a fiasco Solyndra turned out to be, while taking millions of taxpayer money with it…
Watching obama attack the Republicans in this election year, brings back memories of Alkinsky's rules for radicals….obama is using them to the hilt…
Number 12 seems to be his favorite:
RULE 12: Pick the target, freeze it, personalize it, and polarize it." Cut off the support network and isolate the target from sympathy. Go after people and not institutions; people hurt faster than institutions. (This is cruel, but very effective. Direct, personalized criticism and ridicule works.)
He works Number 10 pretty good too
RULE 10: "If you push a negative hard enough, it will push through and become a positive."
His whole democrat party wears this one out.
Deborah Wasserman Schultz comes to mind, along with Pelosi and Waters…
RULE 8: "Keep the pressure on. Never let up." Keep trying new things to keep the opposition off balance. As the opposition masters one approach, hit them from the flank with something new. (Attack, attack, attack from all sides, never giving the reeling organization a chance to rest, regroup, recover and re-strategize.)
One more favorite that obama uses is number 1 because we all know how he loves to spend money…and he will use anyone that he can…
RULE 1: "Power is not only what you have, but what the enemy thinks you have." Power is derived from 2 main sources – money and people.
Obama is in full-fledged campaign mode, if he were serious about lowering gas prices, he would not have someone like Chu who is advocating for high gas prices, as Secretary of Energy….Think about it America….
Any Vote for anyone on the left, from the President down, means a vote to destroy our Great Nation!!!!


text:
I am running Windows 7 Ultimate and I have mapped a network share to a drive letter. The first time that I open the share, I am prompted for login credentials as expected. I do not select the "Remember my credentials" checkbox and can login successfully, but every time that I re-open the share during the session, I do not need to re-enter my credentials.
Is there any way to force a credential check every time that I re-open the share? I do not want to perform a reboot every time that I want to "re-lock" the share.


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After years of speculation and hope, Pokemon Ruby and Pokemon Sapphire will finally be getting remakes on the Nintendo 3DS.
Nintendo announced today that the games, which released back in 2003, would be getting new additions in the form of Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire. The games are set for a worldwide release come November 2014.
The announcement revealed very little other than the box art, names and release date. However one interesting choice of words was that the trailer did say "Explore a dramatic new world." This very well could mean that the game isn't exactly a remake and may actually build upon some of the aspects of Hoenn in a whole new way.
Whether a remake or a new sequel of sorts, it was only a matter of time before we got sent back to Hoenn. As of now the only way to get many Generation III Pokemon was by transferring from a Game Boy Advance to a DS, then a DS to a 3DS. This will certainly make the tedious process of completing the Pokedex a much easier task.
Little else is known about the game as of now, but there will certainly be more information to come as we get closer to the release date.


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Dale Lennon
April 17, 2013
By Jordan Johnson
CARBONDALE, Ill. - The Saluki Football team will play its annual Spring Game on Friday at 7 p.m. at Saluki Stadium, marking the 15th and final team session of the spring season. Head coach Dale Lennon met with the media after the team's practice on Wednesday morning.
Q: "Pretty exciting week for you guys, you know it's the Busch Stadium announcement and then obviously the Spring Game Friday, what's that like for this team?"
A: "There's a lot of things going on this last week. We had the announcement at Busch Stadium, we have a women's clinic coming up and then the spring game, so it's just an exciting time of the year. I think for the football team, the players like having all the interest in the program and hopefully with the spring game we get a chance to show a little bit of who we are."
Q: "What kind of scenario should we expect to see on Friday night offensively and defensively?"
A: "Right now, we are just going to go normal game format. We are going to have defense vs. the offense, it's not going to be a true maroon vs. white. We are just not deep enough to have two separate teams, so it will be scrimmage format but we will be responding according to what is happening on the field."
Q: "The first scrimmage the defense dominated and last week the offense more so. Do you expect to see more balance on Friday night?"
A: "Well, as a head coach I really do hope that it's good give and take, both teams play well, they execute their assignments. You don't want to have a lot of broken plays, so if it's a good give and take I'm going to be happy with the outcome, and then the main thing is to just keep everyone healthy, you just don't want to put anyone at risk here especially at the very end."
Q: "Where do you think each unit has made the most strides this spring so far?"
A: "I think offensively we've really shown a lot of improvement since our first scrimmage. That's normal and I think most programs in the country would probably say that. Defensively, I like where we are at with the comfort of the defense. I think we have good execution when we call the defense, the players are comfortable with the schemes, but both sides have shown steady progress."
Q: "What's been key to the offensive line's improvement this spring?"
A: "I think they've had a very good attitude. Our depth, we are really only two-deep, so a lot of the players are getting a lot of reps and that's how you get better. I think coach O'Boyle has kind of brought in a tough-guy mentality where they're getting after it."
Q: "Have you seen some good give and take this week?"
A: "Monday was a non-padded practice so we backed off a little more with the Monday practice. Today, Wednesday, we really got after it, wanting this to be as much of a work day as any day and today was a good practice."
Q: "You don't have as many returning starters on defense but you have a lot of veteran players. Have you seen that experience rub off on the new guys a lot?"
A: "Returning starters, that's more of a media phrase, because we play so many guys on defense. If you look at the three guys that are starting on the defensive line, they played a lot of football last year, they're getting a lot of reps, our linebackers that are stepping up now at the number one spot, they played a lot of football last year for us. I think our secondary is very experienced, so it doesn't feel like we have an inexperienced defense. We have guys that have played the game, they know what the expectations, are and I think that that has carried over to the type of attitude that they bring to the field."
Q: "How have you seen some of the new guys step up, Tay (Willis) is the perfect example on Saturday?"
A: "I like the transfers that have joined us here in January. They are definitely competitors. I think they will be able to make a positive impact within the program and each one will kind of have their own role as far as how they will contribute. At the same time it's nice to see their hunger. They really want to prove what they're capable of doing and they're all good football players."
Q: "What do you look for out of the secondary?"
A: "Secondary is just being able to make plays in space, open field tackling, making a play on a ball carrier, just their overall instinctive ability as much as anything else. I think that's the key to being a good defensive back is great instincts."
Q: "Who won't be playing on Friday. I saw Terrell (Wilson) on crutches with the Achilles heel and is there anybody else that will not be playing?"
A: "Right now, probably on defense Boo Rogers I don't think will be playing. Actually Ryan Campbell hurt his knee, Victor Burnett still coming back off of his knee, after that everyone is pretty good. On offense, Rick Hicks will not play, P.J. Ellis will not play, Nate Haremza and Ethan Wirth, both those guys will not play, I think that's about it."
Q: "Are you not going live with the quarterbacks Friday night?"
A: "Right now probably not, we will meet as a staff. I like going live but the quarterback coach doesn't, so it's his job to keep them healthy."


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Not long into the first act of Ed Sala's Bloody Murder (a deconstructed spoof of murder mysteries) the characters realize they are trapped in a Whodunnit narrative, doomed to participate in a ridiculous, disingenuous plot with lapses in logic, clichés and a derivative premise. The Wealthy Aunt, Playboy Nephew, Retired British Military Captain, Alcoholic Veteran Actor, Housekeeper, Foreign Countess, Ingénue, etc…..resolve to no longer do the author's bidding and take an oath, to refrain from committing any murders. Despite their good intentions the bodies continue to fall, glaring errors in judgment persist. The remaining guests of the estate surmise the writer is actually among them, as his novels are always written in the first person.
It is not unusual for playwrights and screenwriters to send up the sort of murder mystery made popular by Agatha Christie (Three Blind Mice, Ten Little Indians, Murder on the Orient Express) in which all the participants are confined indefinitely to a particular place (mansion, island, train) and therefore at the mercy of some cunning killer. Anthony Shaffer's Whodunnit?, Murder By Death, Clue, in one way or another they all honor and mock the familiar conventions we all know and recognize. Sala's Bloody Murder is somewhat different, in the sense that he steps outside the fourth wall, and continues to test that boundary. Even though the characters are determined to no longer participate in the charade, the device perpetually moves forward, dragging them in like a black hole. It's a tug-of-war. While they struggle to extricate themselves from their inane destiny, they can't seem to outwit their creator. Perhaps it's all a paradigm for mankind and our ability to shape our own future? Or rebel against God's plans at our own peril? What if our Creator is a cheap hack, or worse, an American? (Sala takes full advantage of the effete British and their legendary disdain for The Yanks.)
Ed Sala dissects the murder mystery for the purpose of exposing its weaknesses and incongruities. He rejects a device, but also cleaves to it. Consider by contrast, a play like Waiting for Godot, in which the characters predicate their existence on the appearance of a man who never shows up. Each day Godot sends notice he will arrive the next day without fail, but we start to wonder if this imminent event will ever materialize. The difference in Beckett's play is that none of the characters ever wakes up and says, "He's not coming." They continue to keep their lives in suspension till their expectations are (hopefully) fulfilled. In Bloody Murder, Sala breaks the spell. He challenges the genre to keep us guessing but then, keeps copping back to it. He exposes the man behind the curtain, but encourages us to root for him. While Beckett's device never eclipses the actual experience of the play, with Sala, it feels like he's keeping balls in the air to distract us. I'm not sure the components coalesce.
Bloody Murder is, nonetheless, a spirited romp with an engaging, effervescent cast. On the strength of their mischievousness and charm, they keep the material bouncy and amusing. There is a fair amount of double casting, and the giddy list of silly persona including : El Gato, Mr. Woo, Chief Inspector Frederick Phelps, an Irish Nun…keep the comedy octane high and light. It's a delightful evening of entertainment, filled with grand shenanigans and lots of verve.
Starring : Dale G. Gutt, Stan Kelly, Ashley Markgraf, Carol M. Rice, Danielle Shirar, Walt Threlkeld. Directed by Lindsey Humphries.
Rover Dramawerks presents Bloody Murder, playing October 24th-November 16th, 2013. Cox Building Playhouse, 1517 Avenue H, Plano, Texas 75074. 972-849-0358. www.RoverDramawerks.com.


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Sweet Cupcake Invitation DIY Printable for Baby Shower, Birth Announcement or Birthday Party 5x7 Card
Product Info
This cute little Sweet Cupcake themed invitation template can be used as birthday party invitations, thank you cards, rsvp cards, etc.,
The set comprises of 1 invitation template
Please mention the design number on the preview pictures with your order.
Formats: 300dpi JPG and 300 dpi transparent PNG files.
Size: 5 inches x 7 inches
The files are emailed in a zipped format for easy download.
How it works:
On selection of your favorite Blackleaf Studios Template design and purchase via PayPal - I'll send you a high resolution photo file via email and you can order any number of prints at the photo-lab of your choice.
Please read Blackleaf Studios Terms Of Use before purchase : http://www.etsy.com/shop/blackleafdesign/policy
Please click here to see my other products : http://www.blackleafdesign.etsy.com
All images copyrighted to Blackleaf Studios © 2011


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A Confederate Christmas puzzle
The Civil War Trust (www.civilwartrust.org) provides a lot of resources through their website, including themed crossword puzzles. Here's one about "Christmas in the Confederacy" (http://www.civilwar.org/education/contests-quizzes/crossword-puzzles/chr...) to offer a short respite from the hustle and bustle of the impending holidays. Don't forget that the Library has selected the Civil War as our theme for the system-wide One County Reads project next year.


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Mike Konczal proposes two steps to tackle the student loan crisis and invited feedback on the proposal. Before doing that, I think it's important to understand the nature of the crisis in order to produce useful solutions to it.
Total student loan debt in the United States is now around $1 trillion. The average balance is $25,000 but it's common for many students to have a lot more.
The high debt levels are particularly damaging given that it hits young people who have low incomes as they start their careers – if they're able to start their careers at all given the difficulty of this job market. Student loan debt is a big reason behind the boomerang children phenomenon of college graduates moving back home. It's also a huge drag on our economy, as young people are paying back debt that could and should otherwise be usefully spent to grow the economy. Young people should be among our most entrepreneurial people, full of innovative ideas based on the fact that they are closer to present day realities than older generations whose worldviews were formed in an era that has passed.
The immediate problem for most young people is that the repayments are not affordable. Why that is the case is extremely important. It's not because the interest rates are too high. It is because the principal is too high. In that sense the student loan crisis is not very different from the mortgage crisis.
As Konczal points out, however, there is a key difference – one can literally walk away from a mortgage by abandoning the house and letting the bank repossess it. The home is gone but so too is the unaffordable debt. Student loans, however, cannot be discharged in bankruptcy. It is literally a form of indentured servitude, as Konczal himself argued in 2009.
Walking away from a mortgage has seriously negative economic consequences on a macro level, however useful and smart a solution it is on the household level. That's why one common solution that progressives and many economic observers have called for is principal writedowns. Lowering interest rates won't solve the problem of negative equity. And getting out of a mortgage is as easy as putting the keys in the mail. So the principal, which is the core of the problem, has to be addressed.
Konczal's proposal today does not address this central problem. He suggests that we return to the 1989-era student loan rules that loans cannot be discharged through bankruptcy for the first 5 years of the loan, and that we find a way to use the discount window to allow borrowers to refinance their debts at low rates.
Neither solution will provide relief to the indentured. The problem isn't that the loans will be unaffordable in 5 years, it's that the repayments are unaffordable now. And the problem isn't that the interest rates are too high, it's that the principal levels are too high. Young people are struggling to make the monthly payment not because of high rates but because of high balances.
So any student loan reform proposal that does not include some form of principal writedowns is not likely to be very effective. Konczal is worried about "moral hazard" which, broadly speaking, is a worry we cannot afford to have in this economic crisis. The far greater problem is years of lost economic activity and job creation because people are struggling to pay debts rather than innovating in a Great Reset, and that an entire generation is going to lose wages, equity, and the possibility of career advancement because of their need to repay debts.
The cry among the Occupy protestors, echoing the silent screams of an entire generation, is "forgive student loans now." They have it right. They understand the problem is the principal balance itself. Let's tackle that instead.
The best solution is to simply forgive all existing student loan debt. I cannot imagine a more powerful economic stimulus than $1 trillion in debt forgiveness. It would liberate a generation and unleash their creative potential. Not only would they spend money now, helping the economy when it is wobbling between slow growth and recession, but they would be able to start new businesses and innovate new things that can be the basis of a longer term prosperity.
Forgiveness can take several forms. It could be an immediate elimination of the debt. Other, less effective but still potentially useful options include a universal deferment of 5 to 10 years or some kind of mass principal writedown. But why be half-assed about it? If we can free a generation and reboot the economy, we ought to do so.
Student loan forgiveness is only one piece of the puzzle. The underlying problem of skyrocketing college costs has to be addressed. Those costs are rising because of a bipartisan agreement to shift the costs of college from taxpayers (who are usually older) to middle-class parents and their children in school. Free or cheap public college was a key part of building the assets and earning power of the GI, the Silent, and the Boomer generations. We need to return to that model, as Konczal has also argued.
That model included student loans for certain kinds of degrees, though the balances were typically affordable. In a properly functioning social democracy, even medical and law school would be cheap or free. If loans are to be used, they should be used sparingly. Here is where Konczal's proposals of 5 years of nondischargeability and low rates would become useful – as part of making professional and graduate education more affordable. His proposals are far less useful for the current problem of young people becoming indentured to get their bachelor's degree.
I won't speculate why Konczal avoided the issue of principal and did not go down the path of forgiveness. He's a good guy and a solid progressive. My own belief is that as progressive policy wonks, we're best off figuring out how we achieve our big, even radical dreams. Occupy protestors want student loan forgiveness. OK then. Let's figure out what it takes to turn that into reality. In the meantime the government can and should allow anyone who wants to defer their payments for, say, 5 years to do so while we figure this out.
The only thing we have to lose is our indentures.


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Spotlight on People Helping People Blanket Drive's blanket distribution on November 30th.
Local Detroit community activist, Karen Cannady's has made a difference in the lives of many with her blanket drive. The People Helping People Blanket Drive was successful in collecting 200 blankets this year and this benefits many struggling Detroiters. Please click on the slideshow and featured video located to left of the article to see photographs documenting the event. The video is a follow-up version that has additional photos taken on the day of distribution.
The following is an open letter from Karen Cannady:
"I would like to thank everyone who donated to the blanket drive. It was an awesome experience . Thanks to all the volunteers that came down to help distribute the blankets. A special thanks to the GM working and management, Debbie Balge Kilyanek, Sue Nowak , and Tanya Britt for helping to bring the vision forward. Thank you Fedex workers bless you all!!!!!!"
Please click on the hyperlinks/highlighted words for addition to read more about Karen Cannady and the annual blanket drive.


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Posts tagged tricks
How to manage the battery and increase backup of laptops- tips & tricks for new laptop owners3
www.techstore.co.in brings to you for the first time, a detailed guide on usage of battery which will enhance the backup as well as increase the durability. …
Video Rating: 5 / 5
120%+ SUPER BATTERY LIFE! Buy a Durable Laptop Battery at LaptopBatteryLife.com
Sony Vaio Laptop Battery Tricks1
120%+ SUPER BATTERY LIFE! Buy a Durable Laptop Battery at LaptopBatteryLife.com
Samsung Galaxy Note 2 Tips & Tricks (Episode 4: Get Better Battery Life, Best Charging Practices)25
Do you know if you're doing the best charge on your Samsung Galaxy Note 2 battery? There are better ways to charge a battery so that you get the longest battery life when you are away from home. I also discuss recommended practices to follow so that your battery stays healthy and charging at full capacity throughout the life of the device. Disclaimer: Galaxy Note 2 Tips & Tricks is a fan inspired video series and has no affiliations with the Samsung Group.
120%+ SUPER BATTERY LIFE! Buy a Durable Laptop Battery at LaptopBatteryLife.com
using laptop battery's Tips and Tricks0
by Uwe Hermann
using laptop battery's Tips and Tricks
Laptops are by definition, portable computers. In order to secure this portability, the laptop battery is crucial. Unfortunately, most laptop batteries die young, sometimes even in the first year of life.
The "Memory Effect" of a laptop battery
"Memory Effect" is a condition of reduced battery performance, or failure, due to a battery only using those cells that are fully discharged and charged on a regular basis. If on a regular basis a NiCd or NiMH battery is only partially discharged before being recharged, it "forgets" that it has usable capacity to further discharge all the way down. The result is loss of performance and shorter battery life because the battery is using less than its true full capacity.
NiMH batteries, while considerably better than their NiCd counterparts, are prone to developing "memory effect." However, proper care and conditioning over the life of a NiMH battery will significantly reduce the potential negative impacts.
Li-ion batteries do not develop the "memory effect". Nevertheless, there are a few laptop battery tips that you should follow, in order to maintain it fully operational as long as possible.
What to do with the battery when using the laptop as a desktop?
If this is your case, it's better not to keep the battery in place for a long time, as the laptop will then discharge the battery over time. Don't store the laptop battery for long periods either. Use it at least once in 3-4 weeks.
Tips for extending you laptop battery's life
Everyone wants longer battery life, within reason there are some tricks to help get the most out of your laptop's battery. For instance, make sure that you disable wireless networking when not using it, as it consumes power on continuously searching for wireless networks available (it does increase the usage time with only a few minutes, but at the end of the day, all these small things add up). It might die too soon anyway, but at least you will know that you did your best to keep it as long as possible. You can use additional devices for extending a laptop battery life. For instance, Electrovaya PowerPad is a device that can extend your battery duration up to 16 hours of use without recharging.
All tips and tricks on using less power while operating on battery are good to be known and applied if they fit your needs.
One more thing: when you buy a laptop, always ask for info on its battery type, characteristics and warranty period. Some shops give only 6 months warranty for the laptop battery, but this is written so small in the contract that you see only that the laptop has one year warranty (this happened to my laptop battery, which died in the 7th month of its life, too late to be replaced on warranty
www.mc207lla.net Inheriting technology and design features from the MacBook Pro line, the new MC207LL/A has been updated with a durable polycarbonate unibody design featuring a brilliant LED-backlit display, a glass Multi-Touch trackpad and Apple's innovative built-in battery for up to seven hours of battery life. Measuring just 1.08 inches thin and weighing 4.7 pounds, the sleek new MC207LL/A cuts a slim profile on any desk (or in any backpack or briefcase). And it comes with everything you need for email, calendar, contacts, browsing the Internet, and more–all a part of the pre-installed Mac OS X Snow Leopard operating system.
UNBEATABLE 50% OFF DISCOUNT! Buy Best Laptop Battery on www.LaptopBatteryLife.com
Nokia N900 Tips 'N Tricks – HD25
Nokia N900 Tips 'N Tricks – HD ——————————————– A few tricks and some useful apps which will surely help you guys out a great deal:) Some of the things that are covered in this video: How to download/install wallpaper image sets Tethering Free up RootFs Change LED Patterns etc! If you like the video then please Rate, Comment & Subscribe! Thanks! IMPORTANT ========== To get these apps and more you will have to have the repository extras-devel, to do this go to the applications manager, then create the catalog with the following information: Catalogue name: Extras-Devel Web address: repository.maemo.org Distribution: fremantle Components: free non-free Catalog name: extras-testing Web address: repository.maemo.org Distribution: fremantle Components: free non-free *Important: Using test apps can damage your device or even break it. These apps will have bugs and won't all be perfect and safe to use. So use at your OWN risk!*
Video Rating: 4 / 5
UNBEATABLE 50% OFF MSRP DISCOUNT! Buy Replacement Laptop Batteries on www.LaptopBatteryLife.com
Calling all laptop owners. Here's some tips and tricks to keep your laptop battery healthy30
davindageek.weebly.com Ok I'm here to clear up a few things that some people think they know about laptops and who don't have all of the correct facts down about their battery. I'll also give you tips on keeping your battery from dying out so fast and making it last longer.
Video Rating: 4 / 5


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- Binoculars
- Spotting Scopes
- Tripods & Mounts
- Monoculars & More
- Hot Deals
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Surrounding you with the radiant details essential for discovery, the Atlas Optics Radian features all the desired optical features needed to deliver impressive light transmission and color resolution. The wide field of view will impress you with edge-to-edge sharpness found in more expensive binoculars. Eagle Optics sweetens this already great value by providing the Eagle Optics Platinum Protection unlimited, unconditional lifetime warranty for the Atlas Optics Radian.
|Fully Multi-coated Lenses
|Increase light transmission with multiple anti-reflective coatings on all air-to-glass surfaces.
|Phase Correction
|Enhances resolution and contrast through roof prisms.
|BaK-4 Prisms
|Optimize light transmission.
|Roof Prisms
|Appreciated for a streamlined shape and durability.
|Polycarbonate Body
|Is lightweight.
|Rubber Armoring
|Provides a secure, non-slip grip.
|Adjustable Eyecups
|Twist up and down for comfortable viewing with or without eyeglasses.
|Center Focus Wheel
|Adjusts both binocular barrels at the same time.
|Right Eye Diopter
|Adjusts for differences in a user's eyes. Located by the right eyepiece.
|Tripod Adaptable
|Can be mounted using standard ¼-inch threading. Adapter sold separately.
|Optics are sealed with O-rings to prevent moisture, dust, and debris from getting inside the binocular.
|Barrels are filled with nitrogen gas to inhibit internal fogging.
|Objective Lens Diameter
|42 mm
|Field of View
|375 feet/1000 yards
|Eye Relief
|17.5 mm
|Close Focus
|6.5 feet
|23.0 ounces
|Dimensions (HxW)
|5.4 x 5.0 inches
Total Reviews: 99
Average Rating:
Atlas Optics 8x42 Binocular - 10/14/2014
by David B. from St Louis MO
Sturdy Optics - 08/29/2014
by David F from Washington
Exactly What I Wanted from a Pair of Binoculars - 08/26/2014
by Austin from New York State
Great binoculars - 08/26/2014
by Mimi from West Coast
Excellent - 06/27/2014
by Elle from United States
Backyard Birder - 06/25/2014
by S Hinojosa from Texas
Great binocular for the price. - 06/11/2014
by Mark S. from Dubuque, IA
First Timer - 03/05/2014
by Vicki from Ohio
Great but heavy - 03/04/2014
by Mdonohue from Oregon
Excellent quality and value - 02/25/2014
by Lisa from Boise Idaho
No complaints - 02/08/2014
by Benjamin V. from United States
My new binocs - 02/01/2014
by Donna r. from California
Great quality, great value - 01/23/2014
by Kyle from NH
What a deal - 01/21/2014
by Peter A. from Orem, Utah
Great bargain - 01/13/2014
by Steve V. from United States
Couldn't be happier! - 01/11/2014
by Robert C. from Tempe AZ
fabulous! - 01/10/2014
by Emily F. from philomath, oregon
A Very Happy Camper - 01/10/2014
by B Ford from San Antonio Tx
Atlas 8x43 Binocular - 01/08/2014
by Roger V. from The Villages, Fl
Good binocs - 01/07/2014
by Tonya G. from Mason City
Impressive binoculars - 01/05/2014
by V P from USA
Novice Sees Light - 01/03/2014
by roger h. from western mass
Great value for gift; Would have kept them. - 01/02/2014
by Roz K. from San Francisco
Atlas Radian 8x42 - 01/02/2014
by LARRY from Tennessee
The Amazon River Never Looked so Beautiful - 12/27/2013
by Jerry S. from Boston, MA
Incredible Value - 12/06/2013
by John K. from Hayward, Wi.
Good binoculars for birding - 11/23/2013
by Bill K. from Daytona Beach
atlas optics radian 8x42 binoculars - 05/01/2013
by gary o. from lutz,fla
Atlas Optics radian 8x42 Binocular - 04/24/2013
by Jane B. from Chicago
Great Buy - 04/04/2013
by Mitchell S. from Monroe, WA


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With stars shining bright, trees that twinkle, and hearts so light… happy holidays to you and yours, with love from Free People! (…) Read more
Tagged: twinkle lights
Happy Holidays!Dec 24, 2013
DIY Lace Twinkle LightsNov 26, 2013
Twinkle lights can bring an immediate sense of warmth and joy to a room like no other. (…) Read more


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2012 Shazam FS Footwear (NEW) | Sombrio WEB SHOP | Canada + International
Has anyone wore these yet or seen them in person? I want to get some hightopped shoes for the summer to keep dirt/rocks out. These are a little cheaper than the 5.10 High Impacts so thought I'd ask. Don't want to spend that much dough when I could go a little more with a shoe that is proven.....
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No. 1 Seed Arizona (27-5, 15-3) at Pacific Life Pac-10 Tournament Championship
Date: Saturday, March 12, 2005
Time: 3:10 p.m. PST
Location: Staples Center (19,282), Los Angeles, Calif.
Radio: Wildcat Radio Network (Brian Jeffries/Ryan Hansen)
TV: CBS (Dick Enberg/Bob Wenzel)
Game Data: No. 1 seed Arizona (27-5, 15-3 Pac-10) advanced to the championship game of the 2005 Pacific Life Pac-10 Tournament Saturday and will face No. 2 seed Washington (26-5, 14-4 Pac-10) ... Arizona's 15 wins and four titles (1988-90, 2002) in this event are league bests ... Since the event was reborn in the Staples Center, UA is 6-2 in tournament action.
The Rankings: After winning its only game last week, Arizona rose to No. 8 in both the Associated Press Top 25 and to the ESPN/USA Today Coaches Polls. UA has been ranked in 302 consecutive AP polls released during the regular season only.
Last Time Out: Five Wildcats finished in double figures to lead a balanced offensive attack as Arizona claimed a 31-point win Friday over Oregon State. Channing Frye and Salim Stoudamire scored 17 points a piece to lead UA, as the squad shot 59.3 percent from the field (35-of-59) for the game. Arizona used a 12-0 run to open the second half and break open what was a tight game. The Wildcats shot 68.8 percent from the field (22-of-32) in the second half to post the largest winning margin in Pac-10 Tournament history.
Been Here Before: With the win Friday, Arizona advances to the Pac-10 Tournament championship game for the fifth time in the event's eight year history. The Wildcats are 4-0 in Pac-10 title games, claiming victories in 1988, 1989, 1990 and 2002.
Improving over Yesterday: The Cats' 90-59 win over Oregon State set a new tournament record for margin of victory. The 31-point win eclipsed the old record of 26, set by Arizona's 93-67 win over Oregon State in the 1988 championship game, which was played in Tucson. Incidentally, Arizona has defeated its two Pac-10 Tournament opponents by a combined 56 points.
Inching Closer: Senior Salim Stoudamire knocked down three treys Friday to move even closer to the Pac-10 career three-point field goals lead. The guard from Portland, Ore., enters Saturday's game just two treys shy of breaking the Pac-10 career record of 323, which is currently held by Arizona State's Stevin Smith. Incidentally, Stoudamire's three three-pointers Friday gave him 100 for the season, which makes him just the fourth Wildcat in history to break the century mark from behind the arc. He joins Steve Kerr (114, treys, 1987-88), Damon Stoudamire (112, 1994-95) and Jason Gardner (106, 2001-02) at the top of the UA single-season list.
Not a Donut but a Danish: Led by Channing Frye, Arizona's offensive attach has been anything by missing in the middle. The 6-foot-11 senior from Phoenix, Ariz., connected on 7-of-8 field goal attempts en route to 17 points, seven rebounds and two steals. In the two tournament games, Frye is shooting 17-of-19 (.895) from the floor and has tallied 39 points. Additionally, Frye has been red hot of late, as he has connected on 75.9 percent of his field goal attempts (44-of-58) over his last five games. The effort has raised his team-leading field goal percentage to 54.3 percent (195-of-359).
Not to be Outdone: Freshman Jawann McClellan has been nothing short of impressive in his first postseason appearances. The freshman from Houston equaled a career high for the second night in a row with six field goals as he knocked down 6-of-7 shots, including 2-of-3 from three-point range, to finish with 15 points. For the tournament, McClellan is shooting 80.0 percent from the field (12-of-15) and is averaging 14.5 points and 4.5 rebounds in 21.5 minutes played. Entering the tournament, McClellan was 5.0 points and 2.7 rebounds in 14 minutes per game.
On Target: Arizona blistered the nets with 59.3 percent shooting (35-of-59) Friday in defeating Oregon State. Included in the effort was 68.8 percent shooting (22-of-32) in the second half, which was a UA Pac-10 Tournament record for field goal percentage in the second half. At one point of the second half Friday, Arizona made 10-of-11 field goal attempts. For the tournament, Arizona is shooting a combined 58.7 percent (71-of-121) from the field.


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Eric Millerberg found guilty in abuse death of teenage baby sitter
OGDEN — It came down to two stories, a husband's and a wife's, in a trial over the death of 16-year-old Alexis Rasmussen.
Jurors believed the wife.
Following three days of testimony — half the time the trial was expected to take — the jury deliberated for less than 90 minutes Friday night before finding Eric Millerberg, 38, guilty of child abuse homicide in the teenager's death following a night of drugs, sex and alcohol when she was supposedly baby-sitting at the Millerbergs' North Ogden home on Sept. 10, 2011.
Millerberg was stone faced as the forewoman from the five-man, three-woman jury read the verdict, pausing between each count as sobs erupted from Alexis' family.
Millerberg was also found guilty of obstruction of justice, a second-degree felony, unlawful sexual conduct with a minor and abuse or desecration of a human body, third-degree felonies.
Alexis' mother, Dawn Miera, did not comment as family and friends left the courthouse, alternately weeping and celebrating. She will likely speak at Millerberg's sentencing on March 18.
Defense attorney Randall Marshall, who expressed his disappointment as he hurried from the courthouse, said he expects Millerberg will appeal the decision.
As he excused the jury, 2nd District Judge Scott M. Hadley thanked them for their prompt decision and their willingness to continue working into the evening.
"You can see it in your faces, the hard work you've done," Hadley said. "It's hard work and it's never pleasant, frankly, to judge another human being."
Much of the case against Millerberg came from his wife Dea's testimony, which Weber County Attorney Dee W. Smith called "specific and graphic" as she described her husband shooting Alexis up with methamphetamine and heroin, sex acts between the three of them and later driving around looking for a place to dump Alexis' body after attempts to resuscitate her failed.
"Normal people don't inject little girls with heroin and methamphetamine," Smith told the jurors during closing arguments.
Smith urged jurors to consider that the law defines child abuse as inflicting injuries that impair a child's health, and said that included preparing and administering narcotics to Alexis and her friend, Brenna Cain.
"That's child abuse, and the defendant committed it when he stuck that needle in (Alexis') neck," Smith said, calling the behaviors reckless and dangerous.
Cain testified that she and Alexis often secretly got drugs, alcohol and sex from the Millerbergs, and when Alexis disappeared, they were the first people she approached.
The Millerbergs told Cain — as well as police, family members and almost anyone who asked — that Alexis had left their house around 10 p.m. to go meet a friend at a nearby elementary school, though text messages to Alexis' mother placed her at the Millerberg home until at least 11:30 p.m.
At the time of the disappearance, Eric Millerberg attempted to shift responsibility from himself, saying it wasn't up to him to tell the 16-year-old she couldn't leave his house, Smith said.
It was Eric "Peanut" Smith, an inmate who met Eric Millerberg behind bars who eventually led police to Alexis' body 38 days after she was reported missing. Eric Millerberg had asked for Smith's help moving the body deeper into the trees, hoping snow would cover it before any hunters stumbled upon it.
Another friend and inmate testified that Eric Millerberg had come to him for help moving the body, but he refused.
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A collection of unique black & white images from some of the most visited cities in Europe.
An old-fashioned style in a modern world...
Visions of Europe - A Story in Black and White covers cities like Paris, Barcelona, Istanbul and many others!
40 pages of hi-quality street photography from a top photographer!
Calin-Andrei Stan is a photographer living in Romania. You can view some of his work on this photography portfolio. He writes about photography, technology, photo-gear and software. Calin works on digital and film and likes black&white photography most, but also captures light in colorful ways. More about Calin's work, on his website.
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For Sale: Hayabusa 300hp, Pro Built 1400cc, With 150hp
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Item is SOLD!!2002 ( bought new in 2005) Hyabusa, pro built 1400cc by "Best in Show Customs" in Detroit, 300 hp, 150hp automatic wet nitrous kit, air shifter with pump, shift light, custom brakes, custom wheels, custom swing arm, custom paint, embroidered seat, 2 battery conversion, bran new updated starter kit ($1500), much much more. Bike was entered in a top speed competition in Michigan, and won with a 236 mph pass. Bike only has 5000 miles on it. Bike was over $40k new. Beautiful bike, new baby, it's gotta go.
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ALERT! Check out our FACEBOOK PAGE for your chance to win a FREE TRASH BIN or JELLY CUPBOARD
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text:
Tragic news for music fans in Fresno this Easter weekend as country singer Kevin Sharp, best known for his hit "Nobody Knows," died Saturday evening at the age of 43.
As reported by such sources as E! Online, The music artist passed away due to ongoing complications from past stomach surgeries and digestive issues, according to his website, years after battling and defeating the rare bone cancer Ewing's sarcoma when he was still a teenager.
His battle with cancer led him to the Make-a-Wish Foundation, which arranged a meeting for him with music producer David Foster when, according to People, the organization learned Sharp was an aspiring musician, a meeting that later led to a record deal.
E! Online writes that, according to USA Today, Sharp wrote in a 2006 story for Guidepost magazine, "Four months into this new treatment, a woman I'd never seen before came to my bedside in the hospital. 'I'm from the Make-A-Wish foundation,' she said. 'We'd like to fulfill a wish of yours. Going somewhere you've never gone. Doing something you've never done. Or meeting someone special...you give me the name and we'll do everything possible to make it happen.'"
In the months after he met Foster, Sharp found out he had beaten cancer. He wrote, "If there is one thing that might be more shocking than hearing a death sentence, it's hearing that death sentence lifted. Finding your way back into life after being taken out of it for so long is harder than you might imagine."
Sharp's 1996 album, Measure of a Man, went gold. After which, Sharp went on to become a motivational speaker and still supported the Make-a-Wish Foundation.
Even though Sharp's health worsened in 2011, he still traveled around spreading a message of hope. As he told Phyllis Stark of Country Weekly magazine in a 2012 interview, "My life is performing and speaking, so not only does it keep a roof over my head, it keeps me going emotionally. If I didn't believe what I try to express and tell others, I wouldn't be here. Luckily, I believe in what I preach."
In honor of his memory, Sharp's website is asking that donations be made to local Make-A-Wish chapters.
Kevin Sharp will be deeply missed by his family, friends and fans.


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- Hairpiece: Comb
Fit for the ornate frame of an Old Master painting, raw brass leaves and petals punctuated by lustrous glass pearls bring a bit of high art to your locks. From Paris by Debra Moreland. 1.75"H, 6.25"W. Raw brass, glass pearls, 14k gold plated comb. Handmade in USA.
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There have been many poorly drawn up, wildly unimaginative plans designed by terrible coaches, short sighted military leaders and teenage pickup artists. None of them can even approach the convoluted strategies employed by video game villains. We asked you to show us what some of those schemes might have looked like on the drawing board. The winner is below, but first the runners up ...
16Entry by Joshua James
16Entry by Joshua James
by Joshua James
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Since around the mid-1980s, electronic dance music has enjoyed popularity in many nightclubs, and, as of 2006, is the predominant type of music played in discothèques as well as the rave scene. As such, the related term club music, while broadly referring to whatever music genres are currently in vogue and associated with nightclubs, has, for some, become synonymous with all electronic dance music, or just those genres — or some subset thereof — that are typically played at mainstream discothèques. Read more on Last.fm.
- Tiësto Zero 76
- Various Artists Would You Feel
- RiWe The Techno
- Foul-Up Fuckin' Society (Bootleg)
- Катя Чехова Версия 1.0 (Loggerhead remix)
- TheFUNKYpUnKpOpdUbMiXClub
- Sweet Sixty Nine To Rise Above It All (space club mix)
- Катя Чехова По проводам (Swanky Tunes Dub Mix)
- Louis la Roché Love
- DJ Leto DJ Leto In The Mix #10
Tagged: Trance Electronic Dance Techno Electronica
Various Artists
Tagged: Electronic Indie Mistagged Artist Jazz Rock
Tagged: Goa Trance Psytrance Goa Trance Electronic
Катя Чехова
Tagged: Russian House Dance Pop Female Vocalists
Sweet Sixty Nine
Tagged: Industrial Electronic Antipop Alternative Favorites
Катя Чехова
Tagged: Russian House Dance Pop Female Vocalists
Louis la Roché
Tagged: French House House Electronic Funky Disco
DJ Leto
Tagged: Happy Hardcore Hardcore Dj Tech Funk Lesser Known Yet Streamable Artists


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All Comments (11)
girl in blue is amazing!
i wanna do that with my wife, any interested?
Die Frauen verstehen es perfekt, Männer glücklich zu machen. Heiratet mich!!!!!!!! ICH will auch glücklich werden!!!
Excellent .. I love two white gurls gettin DPed it's perfect just wish it was my BBC in those gurls 2
mail order brides are the best!
lena i am italian fuck you
nice necklace
always, Lisa, always^^
Damn, I wanna be fucked like that..any guys up for it?
oh wow.


text:
After a little bit of work, I discovered an experimental technique for generating Image Based Lighting with Element 3D!
So what is image Based Lighting? Basically is when you use an environment map (or HDRI) to simulate the lighting in a 3D scene without adding any individual lights. The specular highlights and overall illumination is generated from the environment automatically. This is a common technique for dedicated 3D programs for high-end Visual Effects work so they can match the practical lighting as accurately as possible.
This technique uses 2 additional copies of the Element 3D plug-in stacked on top of each other to generate the lighting but you can also add additional lights to your scene as well.
Watch Tutorial on Vimeo
Watch Tutorial on Youtube
Apologies for the raspy voice, getting over a lingering cold…
TIP: You can import the environment maps from Element too!
and if u did that model can u show us how ?
and awesome as always Anrew :)
thanks for it,
you are very creative
I'd like to buy the helicopter's 3D-Model and the texture. How's that possible?
Please answer to my question when you can,
Best Regards,
I think is a good idea also to replicate a Sun light direction (that you can see in you HDRI 360" photo) adding a further light (Parallel) or replacing the Ambient Light used in this tut. This is very helpful to CAST RIGHTLY SHADOWS on scene in relationship with a true sun position (in your HDRI scene, of course, when you HAVE a HDRI 360° pano taked in the same location (and in the same time) you filmed you video.
I'd like to know if we need a simple cylindric panoramic photo, or 360° pano equirectangular (Spherical) but, above all, always HDRI or you can generate Image Based Lighting also from a normal photo correctly esposed (but of course with a limitated dynami range)?
Many thanks for answer!
Is there any possibility of Unwrapping the materials using element. Just like 3Ds max. If there is any possibility just make a basic tut for that. Its my kind request.
First off I wanna say what you`re doing is great and I own most of your products,but I must ask where you get your 3d models like the helicopter and the jet?
fantastic, excel, Perfect, awesome, great
Your are my favorite teacher of after effects
thank you
appreciate for ur all works first.
here is a question. I double checked my OBJ file regarding to where object's pivots are in 3D program(MAX), but the each group objects in "element 3D" are not right on the spot for rotating. like propellers, tank head and so one. hope there is gona update more tutorials instructing object control in detail.
Fantastic plugin.
I tried to link the diffuse/specular layers to the element layer for matching animation of position and rotation of that layer. I used a pickwhip to link Particle Replicator>Position XY/Z for the lighting layers to the element layer and it works, but it doen't work for Rotation X/Y/Z.
I had to link those rotation parameters by pickwhip to a Null, instead, which works. Any idea how I can get the Particle Animator>Rotation X/Y/Z of the lighting layers to link to those of the element layer - and work? I am baffled.
I have challenge that is sort of related to this tut. I want to shoot a live action scene and composite 3d elements into the scene that reflects the actor. would it make sense to shoot a second angle from the perspective of the object? and can I make that into an environment. What would that look like?
this looks pretty good! But, to go to the next level. How can we assign this to a "video based lighting"? A guess it's a bit more tricky. But to do real animation, it will be necessary.
When will you be showing your favourite matte paintings from the challenge a few months ago?
Really keen to see them.
Could you make a Tutorial on creating own 360°-Background-Images? That would help me a lot to integrate Element into my own footage.
Is there a way to fill a mask with 3d objects with element 3d? The "Point Cloud" option only enables mask's outline to be covered with particles, but not the inside
Point cloud mode enable only points ( vertices ) And Hide the faces & lines of the object.
So there is no inside points, any of the model have.
And Where Do you download the Hdri Images Please Tell.
So Here Is What IT Looks Like. Well there is no word of perfect in anything. But I tried hard in this. Check this out please :] And comment
Your plugin is already amazing and still you are able to get it better and better ! I agree with Christiaan, now you know how to add IBL, i'm sure you can transform it to a new feature for your E3D plugin as a new tab : "IBL : on/off /advanced parameters".
If you go further, Maya and 3DSmax will be useless ! ;-)
Thanks for all Andrew !
now you've discovered this technique, you can surely implement it in the next version (or update) of Element 3D!
Other wished for element:
- Deform objects (bending or 3d points of model shatter)
- Shadow casting
- Image based lighting as shown but simpeler in plugin.
- blur-amount option for environnement picture inside of environment window in element or indisde of plugin (keyframeable)
- option that sees for example logos or texts of different masks in 1 layer as different parts that can be animated with the multi object option.
Thanks & Have a nice day!
I really don't have enough money for an Canon 5D Mark II, what can you tell me about Canon 550D (T2I) ?! Is a good camera for FullHD Movies?! You have other recommendations?
Thank you!
PS: Good job with everything you do, i'm visiting this site from your first tutorial...
BlesSings :)
thank you :)
Please Make a tutorial How to Animate a Moving Zet or something where the fire/flame should follow its back engine part like your Element Demo video zet ??
Cause when I tried to set these up like these
[ Trapcode particular connected with 2 emitters placed exact near engine where it should be & it parent with Single null 3D (container) ;
Null 3D (Container) >> effect - Separate XYZ Linked to element ]
Problem : When i animate X,Y,Z positions of element layer ; I think the null container should move as i parented its XYZ position with Element. That is the main problem ocuring.
I can see in effect panel - Null object's attribute are changing when i animate the element layer. But its not moving in preview comp an inch so i cannot animate emitters connected to it :( How to fix this problem.
Or can i send you the whole file you can solve this out Andrew please ??
we use other compositing softwares at work but I still love after effects and regularly visit your website just to have some good news about AE.
I am following you since creativecow.net days!. and one thing I want to say you care about after effects more than adobe do.
Behind the scenes
This December may be will get new Update from Most Popular Plugin From VCP Element As well as New Model Packs.
And One more thing Cant wait for new plugin Next year : Optical Flares 2 :D
U are awesome i wish i be like you :)
creative ......keep it up
aha, just when I thought, I'm good, I can take a frame of my movie and set it as the environment layer, I"m a bad ass, and then you give us this... I do wonder like the others, I like the process going on, tweaking this, mixing diff stuff; I have been layering elements, too, but so that I can get different pieces to animate independently of the entire model, in one instance, anyway. I put rotors on the halloween skull, flying skulls over kilimanjaro... had to be there. I wasn't, im just sayin.. asante sana awesome tutorial, door opener...
I know you're speaking about light effects, and so on... but how americans could be so inclined for fascination about weapons, and just say so naturally "sunset missile attack : very nice"... ahahaha !
After all, and why not, you could choose a complete different and no warlike object... but mainly it's always bullet, pistol, gun, helicopter, missile, etc... And it'll never stop to amaze me, lol !
Anyway, very good tips and tut', as usual !
Thank's Andrew.
I hope this message will not be deleted.
I think the missile attack object was used because of the specific shape that is hiding the closing points of the small "diffuse" and "specular" environment. Try to make the tutorial with the football helmet or with an apple from the Fresh Food pack. You will notice that the specular map and the diffuse one are closing somewhere on the object, giving a strange look. The missile has a conic top where those maps are closing, so it looks ok. Changing the values for diffuse and specular map width and height will help probably if you want to integrate a green apple, but also you will notice that in the end the apple looks like a metal apple. If you switch the blending modes and the opacity of the layers and you play with various settings, you will be able in the end to integrate other objects than the missile (let's say objects built from some other material than metal).
Can I ask what you are using to make your backgrounds? Photosynth or did you just pick those up somewhere?
God, you just showed me heaven!!
Thanks for that... I need to get Element ... but it's so expensive.. :/ Well for me atleast.
very useful nice
What a poor thing,please be Pitiful for us from China,Andrew~~
Hi everyone. Here it is. The free 3D model "HELICOPTER UH-60". It is almost the same as you see in this great tutorial. Go for it .. Cheers !
Tutorial making means he had to decide first and record it to have that perticullar day. What i guess he didnt do that this time :)
That what is common thing meaning of blogs.
(Please don't say there'll be a bunch of amazing stuff without being more specific. I'm starting to get really turned off by the whole hoo-have-we-got-something-[add overthetop superlatives]-for-you-but-we-can't-just-yet-tell-you-what-it-is-for-reasons-we-won't-explain-since-it-would-kill-the-buzz-we're-just-now-trying-to-build-up-with-exactly-our-secrecy Apple-marketing technique you see popping up everywhere right now, like I'm going to beg a company to take my money).
(But rereading my comment, I realise it could come across as overly negative towards VCP's introduction of products. It wasn't meant that way, I was actually speaking more generally. In contrast of all the brouhaha going on everywhere nowadays around new products, I was hoping VCP comes with straight answers).
Also, I forgot to say thank you for another great tutorial.
Where did you get the Helicopter Model, also the Jet Fighter Model?
very neat!
The only thing i´d really like to know is - how i could manage to build my own 360° environement maps based on videofootage or location photos.
Any ideas ??
Why is all my panoramic photos when put to element turn very low res even though they are high quality e.g. 5000 by 2000?
Great tutorial. Just one question. You kept replacing the background with those images but you didn't really touch on how that was set up so you can pan around. Were the images set to the new CS6 horizon thing (or whatever it's called)?
how to create this entviroment Pictures? In Photoshop?
Do you have some Tips?
thank you so much!
BTW's Andrew, when are you going to get back to normal AE tutorials !?
you're my idol!!
I´ll sit in prison for 10950 long days :)
but when comes metropolitan and industry and when comes the black hawk or the r18 jet from you demo reel??
Element 3D, commercial usage in Burning Pianos Teaser.
1. Logo
2. 3 action shots with crossbow bolt.
Please let me know of any improvements I can make!
But it is a bit liek "100 Signs at the highway that the highway is broken" instead of repair it :-) Hope that you can integrate it directly into Element3D :-)


text:
Albert Grindle
The Gazette
SULLIVAN TWP. — Much like it always does, the Buckeye boys basketball team was shooting BBs.
More than usual failed to find their target Friday against Black River, but bench and board play were more than enough in a 69-37 Patriot Athletic Conference Stars Division victory.
"We're not a very physical team, but I thought we stepped to the plate," said center Jeff Miller, who had 11 points and 11 rebounds. "This is one of our more physical games, so I was proud from that aspect."
Missing a boatload of bunnies and layups they normally make, the Bucks (9-3, 6-2) overcame with a healthy 42-27 rebounding advantage and 33 points from backups Mike Bacho (10), John Tighe (career-high 7), Chris Vogt (6, 7 rebounds), Curtis Kinney (5, 4) and Jimmy Vealey, who netted the first five points of his career.
Miller, meanwhile, reached double-double status with 3:09 left in the third quarter before coach Matt Saunders sat his starters the rest of the night.
"We obviously had a size advantage against them," Saunders said. "On the offensive boards, I thought we did a good job. Defensively there were some stretches where we got lazy, and the foul line was an issue for us (10-of-21)."
After relying on a handful of putbacks to forge a 29-14 halftime lead, Buckeye scored 14 points in less than 4 minutes to open the second half. Miller was at the forefront and finished the third quarter with seven points, six rebounds and two blocks.
Maybe more important, the Bucks got back to their bread and butter of unselfish passing, as Bacho, Vealey, Miller and Matt Cox (7 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists) dropped dimes while helping Buckeye go up 51-25.
"I thought we played selfish in the first half," Saunders said. "Guys were worried about getting their own and that sort of thing instead of playing the way we've been playing, and that's typically with a ton of assists.
"The second half we did a much better job of distributing the ball and working for a shot."
Black River (0-12, 0-8) struggled with turnovers at the outset, but settled down to finish the game with 20. Its highlights were a 7-0 run to begin the fourth quarter and contested buzzer-beating 3-pointers by Zach Sword (game-high 12 points) and Tyler Potter (5, 7 rebounds).
Sophomore guard Anton Hsia (6 points, 9 rebounds) accounted for five of the team's 11 offensive rebounds, but he was the lone bright spot in that department.
The Pirates also shot just 4-of-24 in the first half when Sword and Potter's threes were factored out.
"It seems like when these guys want to, they turn it on," first-year Black River coach Cynthia Berry said. "I think last year is a mental barrier for us. These are boys who work hard and boys who are gutsy. They just choose not to be sometimes, and that's what's frustrating. It doesn't take skill to hit the floor or run the floor or sit down on defense."
|Inman rolled an ankle with 6:33 left in the second quarter. He returned, but played sparingly.
l Nathan Polidori scored 16 points as Buckeye's junior varsity won 75-45. Aaron Schmitz had 13 points for the Pirates.
Contact Albert Grindle at (330) 721-4043 or firstname.lastname@example.com.
Buckeye 69, Black River 37
Buckeye — Garrett Beck 4-0-8, Matt Cox 3-0-7, Jeff Miller 4-3-11, Ryan Grauel 3-0-7, Cory Inman 1-0-3, Mike Bacho 4-0-10, Chris Vogt 3-0-6, John Tighe 2-3-7, Nick Prest 0-0-0, Curtis Kinney 1-3-5, Jimmy Vealey 2-1-5. TOTALS: 27-10-69.
Black River — Stephen Zumack 2-0-4, Tyler Potter 2-0-5, Caleb Stiver 1-1-3, Anton Hsia 2-1-6, Zach Sword 5-1-12, Jerod England 1-2-4, Gabe Eaton 1-1-3, Brett Nagy 0-0-0, Allan Benson 0-0-0. TOTALS: 14-6-37.
3-point goals — Bacho 2, Grauel, Inman, Cox, Potter, Hsia, Sword. Rebounds — Buckeye 42 (Miller 11), Black River 27 (Hsia 9). Assists — Buckeye 18 (Inman, Cox 4), Black River 4 (Sword, Benson, Potter, Stiver). Records — Buckeye (9-3, 6-2), Black River (0-12, 0-8). Junior varsity — Buckeye 75, Black River 45.


text:
TV weather reporting has taken on an edge in the past few years. Channel 2 is the "Storm Tracker." Channel 5, "your severe weather channel." Channel 11 has a daily "Severe Weather Index."
It hasn't always been like this. Prior to 9/11 Americans were much less fearful. Now we have a "terror index" and heightened security measures that make us afraid to leave our homes, much less fly.
Some say this is government's way of controlling the population. Citizens controlled out of fear: fear of cameras at traffic lights, fear of an IRS audit, fear of those who are different.
More people now deadbolt their doors and have installed security cameras out of fear of others. Even churches that had no locks on their doors for decades are installing deadbolts and security systems.
Jesus came to demonstrate a better way to live. He showed how to "control" others out of love, not fear. Consider love as the opposite of fear. If everyone were to truly love others, what a different world it would be!
What if there was more "good" news for TV to report? Imagine a daily Love Index instead of a Terror Index.
But the Good News of the gospel is not politically "correct." Seems humanity has a long way to go.


text:
Who is Your Role Model?
Characteristics of a Role Model
Ask yourself this question: who is your role model and why? There are many "role models" for teen girls today, but what are some characteristics of a role model to consider?
There are many different role models in our culture. Some are famous like music rock stars, TV stars, models, etc. Some are not like parents, teachers, friends.
Who influences your life the most? Who is your role model?
I recently came across the blog of Katie Davis, a 20 year old girl who is making a difference in Uganda Africa. She is putting her faith to action and helping educate, feed and provide medical care for orphans. She not only has adopted 13 kids, but her organization also sponsors 400 others. Wow! She has been an inspiration to me and I've read her blog like a novel I couldn't put down!
I like this quote that Katie had on her blog, "The purpose of life is to discover your gift. The meaning of life is giving your gift away."
As I read her story of leaving her comfortable life in Brentwood, TN to do mission work in Africa when she was eighteen I couldn't help thinking of all of you...the teen girls that read this website. I couldn't help thinking of how Katie Davis is one girl, just like you, that is living her life as a positive role model for others.
I would encourage you to read her story at her blog here.
Katie with her children on baptism day
So What Are the Characteristics of a Role Model?
We could look in so many places to find the characteristics of a role model, but if you've been reading my website for long, you realize that I use the Bible as my main reference. You can read more about why I trust the Bible here.
So what does the Bible have to say about role models?
Paul says in I Corinthians 11:1, "Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ."
Ultimately, the best role models model Christ.
Sounds easy enough, but unfortunately not many people are truly living this out. Instead, in our self-centered society, it is so easy to give into lifting up ourselves to be worshiped. You can see it all around you. Pride instead of humility. Selfishness instead of generosity. Anger, bitterness and resentment instead of love.
To get to know more about Christ, read the four gospels in the Bible: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Or listen to them if you don't like reading. BibleGateway.com is a great online resource to use. As you read the story of Jesus' life over and over, asking for God's insight and wisdom, you will begin to notice characteristics and themes. Themes of humility, generosity, love.
What Kind of Role Model Will You Be?
Will you follow the current of our culture and be a role model that puts all the focus on yourself or will you model Christ in humility? Will you choose to selfishly spend your time, energy and money on yourself or will you be generous and help others? Will you respond in anger, resentment and bitterness or choose to love your enemies?
We are ALL role models whether we like it or not. To our younger siblings or kids in our neighborhood. To our families and friends.
What kind of role models will you choose and what kind of role model will you choose to be?
More Help for Teen Girls...Shelley has written a book specifically for teen girls...and this book could change your life or a teen girl you know...Find out more now!
Bring Shelley to speak to your group, church or school! Shelley's openness and vulnerability as she shares her own story of hope and healing will inspire and encourage you. Get started now!
Who Is Your Role Model?
We all have role models in our lives. Share with us who your role models are and how they have impacted your life. If your role model has a blog or website, share it with us too!
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MEAC Tennis Predictions: B-CU Women 2nd, Men 3rd
Courtesy: BCUathletics.com
Release: 01/09/2013
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - The Bethune-Cookman women's tennis team was predicted to finish second in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Southern Division and the men's team was picked to finish third, it was announced today.
Coming off a 20-7 season in 2012 - their best since a 22-4 mark in 2007 - the Lady Wildcats received a first-place vote in the poll of the conference's 26 coaches and sports information directors. South Carolina State, which won its eighth consecutive conference championship in 2012, was predicted to win the division, followed by B-CU, North Carolina Central, Florida A&M, Norfolk State, North Carolina A&T and Savannah State.
"It's going to be an interesting year," said B-CU Head Coach Tim Pleasant, "Everyone in the conference has gotten better, we could finish first or we could finish fourth. It's going to take a few matches to see what we have and that's why we're playing a lot of February and March matches. By conference time, we'll know what we have."
The B-CU men's team finished .500 (14-14) for the first time since 2009 and second since 2004. The Wildcats advanced to the MEAC tennis championship semifinals, falling to South Carolina State, who won its fifth consecutive title and eighth in the past nine years. South Carolina State was selected to win the division, followed by Florida A&M, B-CU, Norfolk State and North Carolina Central.
"South Carolina State will be the team to beat until they get beat," Pleasant said. "Our men's team is solid. We can compete with anybody, we need to grow in confidence."
The spring tennis schedule opens this month with the men travelling to the University of Florida on Jan. 19 and the women at UCF on Jan. 25.