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|Expand. Photo by Kyla
Meditation to Strengthen Your Core
Imagine a starlike point of light in the center of a disc positioned horizontally one foot beneath your feet. This star point glows with a brilliant golden light.
Imagine also a starlike point of light in the center of a similar disc positioned horizontally three feet above your head. This star point also glows with a brilliant, pale golden light, a light that hints at rainbow irridescence.
On an inbreath, see both starlike points brighten and send a stream of light, one from above, one from below, to meet in your chest at the level of your thymus gland, the 8th chakra known also as the high heart.
As these streams of light converge there, see a third starlike point at the high heart begin to brighten. It is brilliant silver with a blue blush.
Breathe in for a few breaths, and allow this light to continue to brighten, and then, on an outbreath, see that palest silver blue light emerge to form a cylinder around your body, filling in the space between the two discs. These discs and the cylinder are about four feet in diameter, a comfortable space around your entire body.
On each inbreath, the light brightens. On each outbreath, the cylinder becomes more solid, and it spins counterclockwise.
On another outbreath, see a stream of light descending down from your lower disc, all the way into the brilliant core of the Earth, where there is a gate to the Heart of the Universe.
On an inbreath, see that stream of light return upward to you, an everflowing stream now, filling your cylinder with even stronger light, of a pale silver color.
On an outbreath allow that stream to emerge from the top of your head and stream forth into the Heart of the Universe in the depths of space.
Allow this stream of light to circle around and return to the Earthcore, then up through your body, then back out to the Heart of the Universe. Breathe with this macrocosmic orbit for as long as it feels right to you.
Notice now that your spinal column, your central energetic core, is becoming brighter and brighter. It begins to sparkle, taking on a diamond irridescence. With each breath, as this light continues to fill your body at all levels, your central column becomes stronger and stronger. Your seven bodily chakras are filling with this light, their colors becoming infused with the opalescence of radiance. Their balance, degree of openness, and alignment are all adjusted to an optimum setting, as you continue to breathe with this current of light.
When you wish to strengthen this current, you simply inhale while imagining light continuing to flow into your body from the star in the disc below your feet and from the star in the disc above your head, simultaneously. Hold the breath at the top of the inhale to pump this further.
On an outbreath, if you choose, you can spin your field wider, and clear out any debris or residue from tiredness, illness, or field reversals you may have encountered. Ask that these be removed through an exit portal in a location you have specified. Remember to close the portal when the debris has been removed.
Continue to breathe with this current for as long as you wish. There is no wrong way to do this. The more you do it, the stronger your light will become. The more you do it, the more this set of frequencies will become yours, and will work subtly to repair damage to your energy bodies.
Do not worry if you can't imagine or see the colors or shapes as described. Simply intend for them to be there.
Be strengthened and at peace.
I offer this freely to you. Please feel free to share it. If you find it useful and supportive, please consider making a donation to support this blog. Scroll down to the dark green area to find the donation button. I hope to create more texts such as this and offer them in podcast format also. If you have any questions about this process please feel free to contact me directly.


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Elise Amendola, Associated Press
WIMBLEDON, England — Playing Olympic tennis twice a day proved too much for Venus Williams, and her workload at Wimbledon will now be a lot lighter.
Williams squandered a lead in each set Wednesday and lost her third-round match to No. 7-seeded Angelique Kerber of Germany, 7-6 (5), 7-6 (5).
Seeking a record fourth gold medal in Olympic tennis, Williams still has a shot with sister Serena in doubles. They play in the quarterfinals Thursday.
Venus looked sharp in the first two rounds of singles this week, as if rejuvenated by the Wimbledon setting, where she has won five of her seven Grand Slam titles. But she was diagnosed last year with an autoimmune disease that causes fatigue, and she looked weary against Kerber.
In the first set Williams failed to convert three set points, then blew a 5-1 lead in the tiebreaker. She was up 3-1 in the second set, but Kerber again charged back.
"I made a few errors and she hit a few winners, and things can go quickly in tennis," Williams said.
Kerber, a semifinalist at Wimbledon last month and at the U.S. Open last year, is ranked a career-high No. 7. She advanced to the quarterfinals against top-seeded Victoria Azarenka of Belarus.
"She had a lot of answers," Williams said. "She's having a great year, and I have to give her credit for playing well."
Like Williams, Roger Federer is also down to one shot at a medal. He advanced to the quarterfinals in singles but lost with Swiss teammate Stanislas Wawrinka in doubles.
Earlier Wednesday, Serena Williams hit 12 aces and repeatedly rocketed her groundstrokes past No. 13-seeded Vera Zvonareva to win 6-1, 6-0. Swinging lustily with almost every shot, No. 4-seeded Serena hit 32 winners to three for the Russian, who also lost when they met in the 2010 Wimbledon final.
The younger Williams swept the final 10 games and was done in only 51 minutes.
"I was just playing unbelievable," Williams said. "I was nervous going into the match and I didn't speak to anyone and I had a bad practice. I had no idea I would play like this."
No. 2 Novak Djokovic hit 16 aces and came from behind to beat Lleyton Hewitt of Australia 4-6, 7-5, 6-1. Djokovic next plays No. 5 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga of France, who beat Feliciano Lopez of Spain less than 24 hours after winning a 48-game third set.
No. 3 Andy Murray of Britain rallied past Marcos Baghdatis of Cyprus 4-6, 6-1, 6-4. American John Isner, seeded No. 10, beat No. 7 Janko Tipsarevic of Serbia 7-5, 7-6 (14) and will face Federer on Thursday.
Four-time Grand Slam champion Kim Clijsters, playing in her first Olympics weeks before she retires, beat former No. 1 Ana Ivanovic of Serbia. Her opponent Thursday will be first-time Olympian Maria Sharapova, who rallied past No. 15-seeded Sabine Lisicki of Germany, 6-7 (8), 6-4, 6-3.
Azarenka eliminated No. 16 Nadia Petrova of Russia.
Hewitt and Samantha Stosur won the first Olympic mixed doubles match since 1924. The U.S. team of Mike Bryan and Lisa Raymond later won their opening match.
Kerber played boldly at key moments, and the left-hander saved three set points serving at 4-5 in the first set. Williams again seemed on the verge of winning the set at 5-1 in the tiebreaker, but she then lost six consecutive points, the last when she sailed an easy forehand long.
Williams looked to the sky in disbelief as she walked to her chair. Once she sat down, she hung her head and squeezed her forehead as if trying to erase the memory of what had just happened.
- With 1-0 loss to Colombia, US finishes 4th in...
- Ipsen, Hixon get Olympic 3-meter spots,...
- National champion Sam Mikulak leads US men's...
- Past few days 'difficult' for former...
- Defending champ Serena Williams at Wimbledon...
- Chile wins 2nd straight Copa America title as...
- Messi's retirement from Argentina could hurt...
- Most common names of NBA players this season
- Kalani Sitake on BYU-Utah rivalry: 'I... 81
- Sitake not intimidated by BYU's arduous... 59
- Morning links: Colin Cowherd compares... 59
- Dick Harmon: 1996 Cotton Bowl champion... 50
- Morning Links: BYU basketball fans... 44
- Sitake making transition from longtime... 20
- Utes have a lot of depth on the... 18
- Utah football: Williams, McCormick... 16

subset: commoncrawl


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All branches of Marin County Free Library will be closed on Monday, July 4 for Independence Day.
For Immediate Release
April 29, 2013
Marin County Library Foundation votes to donate $40,000 to fund Literacy programs
San Rafael, CA –
The Marin County Library Foundation voted to donate $40,000 to two Marin County Library programs that promote Literacy in Marin County.
The F.L.A.G.ship program (Families Learning and Growing) offers education and health workshops to adults and their children from birth to 5 years old. Storytimes, songs, games, puppets, crafts, and other kindergarten-readiness activities are presented to children in under-served and remote communities aboard the F.L.A.G.ship bus.
West Marin Literacy Services offers small classes and one-on-one tutoring in the communities of Tomales, Point Reyes, Inverness, Bolinas, and San Geronimo to adults who wish to improve their ability to read, write, and speak English.
Both programs rely largely upon grant funding and donations and are very grateful to the Foundation for this generous gift. First Five and the Parent Services Project through the PreK-3 Initiative from Marin Community Foundation also provide funding.
For more information about the Library Foundation and Literacy Services visit marincounty.org


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The reason I ask is that I recently attended the LA Photo Show and the SanDisk rep there told me that swapping memory cards between different cameras is a very bad idea. He told me that the reason is because it will lead to disc corruption and dramatically reduces the life of the memory card.
Previously, I have done this (swapping between devices) many times, always formatting the SDXC card, after placing it in the new camera, just as a precaution. My experience comes from way back when I used to format my 1/4" floppy discs when using them in a different PC, as a way of making me feel that the disc is going to read/write ok, if the format worked smoothly. I realize that I should probably just accept the SanDisk product reps advice, but I was wondering if there are any studies or documentation to support this? I have Googled it and can't really find anything substantial. Most cameras create their own folders with different names, but these files are created automatically on a newly formatted card when the camera is turned on for the first time, after the formatting. I have several large and expensive Pro Extreme SD memory cards and several digital cameras (Canon T3i, Canon 5DM3, etc), so this concerns me.
The reason I ask is that I recently attended the LA Photo Show and the SanDisk rep there told me that swapping memory cards between different cameras is a very bad idea. He told me that the reason is because it will lead to disc corruption and dramatically reduces the life of the memory card.
With most cameras, not much actually changes on the memory card, when being formatted, other than the pointer to the file being erased. On the other hand, some cameras like the Canon 5D Mark III, allow for a low level formatting option, which should help a lot. The answer is that lots of people swap memory cards all the time and don't have problems, but they could happen due to file corruption in some rare cases. I think that if your camera allows for low level formatting, you should be ok, otherwise its better to be safe than sorry and not swap them.
It is okay to do this. The advice you were given is superstition that doesn't have any technical basis. (Cynically, the memory card manufacturer's representative may just have wanted to sell you more cards, and to propagate a story which could lead to more sales if widely believed.)
This is slightly related to What is the right way to format a SD Card for use in camera? — another place where people often warn not to do something which is probably no big deal.
The filesystem used in almost all cameras is FAT, which is relatively simple and well-understood because it is so old and used pretty much everywhere. Every embedded operating system which might be used in a camera will have this tested and retested and proven by experience. There may be remaining driver bugs, and it's conceivable that some interaction between bugs could cause problems, but most such bugs are really worked out by now, and the interaction seems quite unlikely. And especially if you reformat in the new camera each time... really, there's very little mechanism for anything to go wrong.


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Name of the offer: ActoPlusMet Printable Coupon 2012 Offer
Description: Reusable Coupon Card: Patient responsible for the first $20. Coupon only good for patients with copays greater than $20.
Details: Patient Pays 1st $20
Other coupons related to: Diabetes
Read information about Actoplus Met below to learn about its common uses. If you have questions about this medicine, please consult with your doctor or pharmacist and be sure to inform them of all the medications you are currently taking.
- Use this medicine as directed by your doctor. Check the label on the medicine for exact dosing instructions.
- This medicine comes with an extra patient information sheet called a Medication Guide. Read it carefully. Read it again each time you get this medicine refilled.
- Take this medicine by mouth with the evening meal, unless your doctor tells you otherwise.
- Swallow this medicine whole. Do not break, crush, or chew before swallowing.
- Take this medicine on a regular schedule to get the most benefit from it. Taking this medicine at the same times each day will help you remember to take it.
- Continue to take this medicine even if you feel well. Do not miss any doses.
- If you miss a dose of this medicine, skip the missed dose and go back to your regular dosing schedule. Do not take 2 doses at once.
- Ask your health care provider any questions you may have about how to use this medicine.
- All medicines may cause side effects, but many people have no, or minor, side effects.
- Cold-like symptoms; diarrhea; headache; indigestion; mild weight gain; nausea; stomach upset.
- Severe allergic reactions (rash; hives; itching; difficulty breathing; tightness in the chest; swelling of the mouth, face, lips, or tongue); blurred vision or other vision changes; bone pain; chest pain or discomfort; dark urine; difficult or painful urination; dizziness or light-headedness; fainting; fast or difficult breathing; feeling of being unusually cold; general feeling of being unwell; muscle pain or weakness; pale stools; persistent loss of appetite; severe or persistent headache, nausea, or vomiting; shortness of breath; slow or irregular heartbeat; sudden, unexplained weight gain; swelling of the hands, ankles, or feet; unusual stomach pain or discomfort; unusual drowsiness; unusual tiredness or weakness; yellowing of the eyes or skin.
- This is not a complete list of all side effects that may occur. If you have questions about side effects, contact your health care provider. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088. You may also report side effects at http://www.fda.gov/medwatch


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Thank you for buying a ticket for a Floyd Dryden student (me) to go to the Pillars of America lunch. Martin Buser is a very amazing guy. I enjoyed his talking and learned a lot, too. The food was great, delicious and yummy. Thank you again for buying the ticket.
Misha Culver
Eighth grader, Floyd Dryden Middle School
Juneau Empire © 2016. All Rights Reserved. Terms of Service | Privacy Policy / About Our Ads


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SAO PAULO (AP) — Workers renovating one of the stadiums for the 2014 World Cup have ended a strike to demand higher wages and improved conditions.
The World Cup organizing committee Saturday says in a statement that an agreement was reached Friday night and that the workers are expected to return to their jobs on Monday.
About 160 of the nearly 400 workers helping upgrade the Mineirao Stadium in Belo Horizonte stopped working last Wednesday. The agreement includes a four percent wage hike, a health plan and more overtime pay.
Belo Horizonte is one of the cities vying to host the opening match. Others include the nation's capital, Brasilia, and Sao Paulo, South America's biggest city.


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Bob Costas is still struggling with pink eye and the sportscaster won't be coming to work to broadcast the Winter Games highlights. The man who is working double, Matt Lauer, is expected to be sitting behind the sports desk on Thursday night once again. According to NBC Olympics on Thursday, the decision to bench Bob Costas was made only a short time ago and there is no doubt everyone is bummed that Bob Costas won't be in the building
Viewers will agree Bob Costas is the best when it comes to talking about the Olympics. While there is no disrespect intended to Matt Lauer, it just seems that Costas knows the facts and figures by heart and he really gets into the games. Lauer's good too, but he's just not as excited as Costas.
Hopefully Bob Costas will find his way back to the NBC Olympics sports desk real soon. People are longing for his presence and some might even suggest that's why they show up to watch the coverage in the first place. While eye infections are serious, there is hope that the star is resting up comfortably and getting ready for a weekend debut. The Olympics are over two weeks long so Costas has plenty of sports stories to cover, just as long as his eyes will have it.
Get well soon Bob Costas!


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Businesses today move faster than ever, including small businesses. Those with access to real-time data are better positioned to respond to changes as they occur. At the same time, data is complex, and who has time to pour over page after page of numbers or row after row of spreadsheet data? How do you make sense of it quickly so that you can indeed respond? With data visualizations.
Data visualization tools display real-time data in a highly visual manner. Not only can you see your data presented visually in appealing, easy-to-understand charts, graphs, gauges, and meters, most data visualization tools allow you to drill in and explore the data even further.
Choosing the right data visualization tool is imperative. Don't be fooled into choosing the prettiest data visualization tool on the market as it's easy to be swayed by so-called bells and whistles. Think about what each tool offers your business and how it could be used to its fullest advantage. While you're at it, think about the data you will be analyzing. Does the data visualization tool make sense for your specific data type and needs? One of the most important choices at this point is to choose a data visualization tool that offers your business rich multi-dimensional charting. InetSoft, a developer of data visualization tools, defines multi-dimensional charting as follows:
"Multi-dimensional charting is the ability to depict more than two dimensions on a graph by simultaneously representing points through various shapes, sizes, or colors. This enables users to create 3D, 4D, or even 5D charts."
Another consideration when selecting a data visualization tool involves usability. For example, if a tool is too complicated to use, no one in your business will use it. On the other hand, if it's easy to use and delivers valuable insights in real-time, it has a much better chance of becoming the go-to tool for growing your business.
Businesses of all sizes, including small businesses, can benefit from data visualization. Why struggle to understand huge spreadsheets when you can quickly visualize that same data with multi-dimensional charts, interactive graphs, and drag-and-drop dashboards?
Works Cited:
- SASCom Magazine, "5 tips to help SMBs get visual with data," - https://www.sas.com/en_us/news/sascom/2014q1/help-smbs-get-visual-with-data.html
- InetSoft, "Enterprise Data Visualization Tools & Software," - http://www.inetsoft.com/solutions/data_visualization/


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A Business Model That Worked
Aslam and Slone's newly created Touchstone Communications recruited four Pakistanis who were dispatched to a San Antonio call center for training. The instructors were amazed by their rapid retention of whole new skill sets. "It was the first indication [the business model] would work," Slone recalls.
And, in the beginning, the model did work. The Pakistani business grew to 800 employees eventually generating revenue of $500,000 a month, Slone says. But roughly 90 percent of the company's work was for subprime mortgage lenders. In retrospect, Touchstone had put far too many eggs in the home-loan basket. As long as housing was booming, though, why argue with success?
In January 2007, a top client called NovaStar Financial, a subprime lender, offered to pay $1.5 million for a 30 percent stake in the venture, and promised even more call-center work. In anticipation of the new work, Touchstone snapped up $165,000 worth of computers from Aslam's family business. But then, Kansas City-based NovaStar became an early casualty of the industry's collapse. Overnight, most of Touchstone's contracts evaporated, just like the mist shrouding Islamabad's Margalla Hills. The company downsized rapidly to 200 workers.
It was not a good year for Pakistan in general. Musharraf triggered unrest when he sacked the chief justice for the second time for questioning his regime's legitimacy. The general-president declared a state of emergency. Still, Slone paid well-publicized calls on the increasingly unpopular military leader.
Slone hoped that a new contract with a non-mortgage lender—specifically, a Norwegian-owned, Pakistani cell-phone provider called Telenor—would save Touchstone. But the deal was sabotaged—by none other than Aslam, who candidly admitted his mischief.
Aslam's American dream
Aslam declined to comment for this story, but in a 2008 interview for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, he told me that Telenor's negotiator was a Touchstone employee who had been fired and was now "spinning" Slone along. "This was a very slick kid with a grudge," Aslam explained. Moreover, he said, "if Touchstone couldn't make money [selling calls] at $9 and $10 an hour [per worker] for U.S. companies, how could we make any [money] at $3.10 an hour [placing calls for] a Pakistani company?"
Slone insists the deal was real and could have been profitable at a far lower rate because the call centers were empty during the day and Telenor would pick up line costs.
Who was this investor called Aslam, who'd convinced Slone to travel halfway around the world to create a call center, then allegedly sabatoged the company he helped start?
Like Slone, Aslam had dramatically achieved his own version of the American Dream. The son of cotton gin owners in Pakistan's Punjab province, Aslam arrived in Texas at the age of 17 to study electrical engineering at the University of Houston. Instead of cracking the books, he says, he got bitten by the real estate bug.
Aslam dropped out his final year to buy up rental houses, whose prices would crash during the 1980s savings and loan crisis. He moved on to strip shopping centers, relocated to Fort Worth, and acquired what was the Color Tile building near Sundance Square. Now called the STS Tower, it was re-engineered to handle high-speed optic fiber lines for high-volume data storage centers.
Aslam was no passive investor. He took matters into his own hands, according to a lawsuit filed later by Slone against Aslam in a Texas state court. Flying to Islamabad, Aslam allegedly used his authority as a director of Touchstone's Pakistani subsidiary to sell the lease on one of its call center properties for about $163,686, then took possession of the company checkbook and wrote checks to his family's computer company for $338,830, the suit claims.
"I was forced to act unilaterally," Aslam told the Star-Telegram in 2008, insisting he had "acted in the best interests of Touchstone." He contends that the money was used to repay part of a $500,000 debt that had long been owed his family's computer business by Touchstone. Slone, who had invested $700,000 of his own money in the business, disagrees, contending the debt to Aslam's family firm had been reduced by then to just $50,000.
Besides his civil case against Aslam in a Texas Court, Slone also struck back in Pakistan by lodging a defamation case against Aslam. At issue is a "disinformation campaign" in the Pakistani media that claimed Slone had embezzled from Touchstone, using the proceeds to buy his Colleyville home and to pay for a chauffeured luxury car. Slone said he bought the house with his Associates deferred compensation and drives his own car, purchased with personal savings.
Aslam, furthermore, maintains that the men sent to occupy the call center were not rustic goat herders from his native village, as Slone claims, but actually the firm's own security guards. Slone calls this characterization absurd.
Back in Fort Worth, meanwhile, the judge ordered Aslam to surrender $338,000, which was then deposited in a court-controlled bank account. The legal case went to binding arbitration, was settled in Slone's favor, then was forwarded to a state court for confirmation. The arbitration finding, which eventually may be appealed, returns all the disputed money to Touchstone, plus interest and court fees.
Despite all he's been through, Slone insists he has no regrets about the foreign call center business—or about his foray into Pakistan. "I've met some great people there," he says.
And any obituary for Touchstone Communications would be premature, he adds. A revived U.S. bank sector has provided some business, such as processing 2,000 potential borrower leads a month, none of them subprime this time, Slone says. One contract has Touchstone scheduling appointments for a home security alarm installer. Another has it verifying insurance applications. Revenue now runs between $150,000 and $160,000 a month, Slone says, and there have been months this year that actually turned a profit. January, he adds, was the company's best month since 2007.
Even so, Slone is planning an exit strategy from Touchstone. Once he's cut free from the legal entanglements with Aslam, he says, "I'll be looking for a way for our [Pakistani] employees to buy the company—like an ESOP."
Looking back on it all, Slone is asked, what has the Pakistani experience taught him? His simple reply: "Vet your business partners."


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Minutemen Split At Saint Bonaventure
May 14, 2004
Game 1 Box Score
OLEAN, N.Y. - The University of Massachusetts baseball team (18-23, 9-11 Atlantic 10) split a doubleheader at Saint Bonaventure (24-19, 13-7 Atlantic 10) this afternoon winning the first game, 5-4, and losing the second, 4-2, in conference action at McGraw-Jennings Field.
In game one, UMass trailed 3-0 in the top of the fifth inning, but scored four runs, starting off with a single by junior centerfielder Derrick Durepo (Ware, Mass.). Following a ground out which moved Durepo to second, freshman catcher Michael Weiner (Easton, Conn.) singled to right field putting runners on the corners. Following a strikeout, senior second baseman Cullan Maumus (New Orleans, La.) two-out single to centerfield plating Durepo. Sophomore DH Frank Curreri (Weymouth, Mass.) followed with a double plating Weiner and Maumus. Senior third baseman Matt Reynolds (South Boston, Mass.) reached on an error, allowing Curreri to score, and putting UMass in the lead, 4-3.
The Minutemen added a run in the top of the seventh inning as freshman catcher Michael Weiner (Easton, Conn.) knocked the first home run of his collegiate career.
Senior starting pitcher Eric Chown (Fall River, Mass.) went the distance as he logged his eighth complete game of the year, allowing just two earned runs and fanning eight. The wire-to-wire victory raised his record to 6-4, and moved Chown into seventh place all-time on UMass' complete games list with 15. He shares that record with Travis Veracka who graduated from UMass in 2000, and also moved into a four-way tie for sixth place on UMass' single season complete games list with Jesse Santos, Peter Ferrari and Phil Tarpey. Additionally, the start marked Chown's school-record 58th pitching appearance. He also moved into third place all-time on UMass' innings pitched list, totaling 250.1 during his time wearing the Maroon & White.
Weiner's round-tripper later proved to be the game-winner as the Bonnies pushed a one-out run across in the bottom of the seventh. But a pair of strikeouts by Chown, both looking, ended the threat, and the game.
Also of note, Curreri's two-out, two-run double in the fifth inning extended his hit streak to a career-high and current team-high 11-games, and was his team-leading 16th two-bagger of the year. Additionally, Curreri now has 54 RBI on the year moving into sole possession of fifth-place on UMass' single season list.
In game two, senior shortstop Mike Athas (Holyoke, Mass.) led the Mintuemen with a pair of hits, including a one-out triple in the third innning. He later scored to cut the SBU lead, to 2-1. The remaining UMass run came in the sixth inning on a wild pitch, cutting the Bonnies lead to 4-2, but that would be it.
Sophomore righty Matt Torra (Pittsfield, Mass.) took the loss, but went the distance for his fourth complete game of the year. Additionally, Curreri extended his hitting streak to a career-high and current team-high 12 games with a one-out single in the sixth inning. He has now reached base in 37 of UMass' 41 games on the season, including each of the last 22 consecutive contests.
UMass baseball returns to action Saturday, May 15 with game three of the Atlantic 10 Conference series at Saint Bonaventure. First pitch in Olean, N.Y., is slated for 12:00 p.m.
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Cougars Open 2013 On the Road
Cougars Begin 2013 on the Road
USF returns to the hardwood this weekend after a three-week break for final exams and the holidays. USF opens 2013 at Upper Iowa on Friday evening (6 p.m.), and closes out the road trip with a 4 p.m. tilt at Winona State on Saturday.
This is the Cougars' 39th season as a varsity sport, the fifth with head coach Travis Traphagen at the helm.
Dish Network
The Cougars have handed out 10 or more assists in seven of nine games this season, highlighted by a 22-assist game vs. Nebraska Wesleyan, where USF made 29 field goals.
In the Month of January
The Cougars are 19-12 (.613) all-time in the month of January under Coach Traphagen.
Stronger Signal From Long Distance
USF opened the 2012-13 season colder than dry ice from beyond the arc, as the Cougars connected on just 44 of their first 170 three-point attempts (25.8%) in their first eight games. The Cougars finally found their shooting stroke on December 15, when they drained 13 of 21 (61.9%) three-point attempts in their last game of 2012, a 77-64 home win versus previously undefeated Minnesota State, Mankato.
By the Numbers
1 Laura Johnson's rank in the NSIC for minutes played per game (34.44)
3 Games in a row that the Cougars have had the same starting lineup, after
Coach Traphagen used six different starting lineups in the first six contests
5 USF's rank in the NSIC in turnover margin (+2.67)
8 Points Laura Johnson needs to reach the 750 point plateau
10 Laura Johnson's scoring rank in the NSIC (15.0)
12 USF's rank in the NSIC in 3-point FG% (29.8%)
13 Three-pointers made by USF versus MSU; the most since the Cougars' season-
opening victory over Nebraska Wesleyan, when they hit 14 treys
20 Points Alyssa Rushton scored against MSU, a new career-high
32 Where the Cougars rank nationally (out of 277 schools) in turnovers per game (15.3)
43 Laura Johnson's national rank in free throw percentage (89.2%)
51.5 Percent of last season's rebounding that has returned for 2012-13
56.3 Percent of last season's scoring that is back on the court for the Cougars in 2012-13
58.8 Percent of last season's steals that are back in 2012-13
68 Number of games that Laura Johnson has started in a row; she has started every
game of her Cougar career
Where the Cougars Rank Nationally (out of 277 NCAA D-II schools)
145th in scoring offense...137th in scoring defense...142nd in scoring margin... 219th in field goal percentage...108th in field goal percentage defense...91st in free throw percentage (70.9)...146th in rebounding margin...65th in three-point field goals per game (6.3)...155th in three-point field goal percentage...143rd in win-lost percentage...185th in assists per game...71st blocked shots per game (3.6)...125th steals per game...32nd turnovers per game (15.3)...186th personal fouls per game...99th assist-to-turnover ratio (0.8)...89th turnover margin (2.67)...160th three-point field goal percentage.
Coach Trap vs. the Hawkeye State
The Cougars are 17-17 (.500) against Iowa-based schools since Coach Traphagen took the helm at the beginning of the 2008-09 season. The majority of those contests were against a quartet of former GPAC rivals; Morningside College, Briar Cliff, Dordt College and Northwestern College. The Cougars went 1-0 against the Hawkeye State last season, posting a 10-point victory at Upper Iowa on Nov. 22.
What the Peacocks Have Done
Upper Iowa completed one of the most intriguing non-conference slates in the NSIC. The Peacocks opened the season with a 75-67 win against Ashford University before dropping back-to-back contests to a pair of NCAA D-I squads, Northern Iowa and Drake University. After posting a thrilling 82-77 overtime win at home versus William Jewell College, the Peacocks were caged by Wisconsin-Parkside but bounced back with a 65-57 victory against Grand View University. The Peacocks then traveled north to the Last Frontier State, where they upended tournament host Alaska-Fairbanks but suffered defeats at the hands of Winona State and Anderson University (S.C.). UIU has struggled early in league play, dropping its first five NSIC contests. USF and Upper Iowa share no mutual non-conference opponents.
Upper Iowa ranks in the bottom third in the NSIC in most statistical categories. The Peacocks are 15th in the league in scoring offense, scoring defense, scoring margin, field goal percentage defense and three-point field goal percentage and are last in assists per game. The Peacocks are ranked 13th in field goal percentage at 37.2 percent. In contrast, the Cougars sit 15th as they are currently firing at a 36.4% clip. Upper Iowa is the league's sixth-best team from the charity stripe, at 73.3 percent.
The Upper Iowa Series
The Cougars and the Peacocks have met just once prior to Friday's matchup. USF scored an 80-54 victory against Concordia-St. Paul on Nov. 26, 1988.
Long Time, No See
Sioux Falls has not faced Winona State since the 1996-97 season, when they fell to the Warriors 72-64 on Nov. 23, 1996.
What the Warriors Have Done
Two Winona State players are currently scoring in double figures, led by Becca Friestleben's 18.8 points per game. Katie Wolff is chipping in 12.4 points, and the duo has combined for 78 three-pointers for the 9-3 Warriors. Winona State (9-3) boasts a team three-point field goal percentage of 42.5 percent. The Warriors ended 2012 on a very high note, blowing past then No. 12 Wayne State on Dec. 15 by a final score of 74-35. The victory was the Warriors' first over a ranked team since defeating No. 7 Wayne State on March 5, 2011 during the NSIC tournament. Friestleben leads the NSIC with 46 three-pointers and stands fourth nationally with 3.83 made per game. Friestleben has drained at least one shot from beyond the arc in every game this year.
Tops in the League
Winona State leads the NSIC in scoring defense, allowing just 51.1 points per game. Always a strong shooting squad, WSU leads the conference in 3-point field goal percentage (42.5%) and free throw percentage (82.5%). The team also leads the league in 3-pointers made per game, hitting 8.92 shots from behind the arc.
60 is the Magic Number
Winona State is 9-1 this season when holding its opponents to fewer than 60 points. Its only loss came against No. 6 Augustana, 56-47. Only two WSU opponents have scored more than 60 points this season. Winona State has held ten of its first 12 opponents to under 60 points on the season. Clarke scored just 28 points while Upper Iowa was able to net just 40 points while Anderson posted 45.
Rock Solid at the Stripe
WSU leads the country in free throw percentage, shooting 82.5 percent.The Warriors are also in the nation's top-10 in 3-point field goal percentage (3rd, 42.5 percent), 3-point¬ers made per game (7th, 8.9), fewest turnovers per game (3rd, 11.8), and assist-to-turnover ratio (7th, 1.28).


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TEMPE, Ariz.—The Arizona State sand volleyball team is set for the Pac-12 Invitational, April 19-20, hosted by USC at the Annenberg Community Beach House in Santa Monica, Calif.
Joining the Sun Devils (No. 5 seed) and USC (No. 1 seed) are Arizona (No. 3 seed), CSUB (No. 4 seed), Loyola Marymount (No. 2 seed), and Cal Poly (No. 6 seed).
In the team competition, which will take place on Friday, ASU will take on CSUB at 9 a.m. PT, and the winner will take on USC at 10 a.m. PT. In the lower half of the bracket, the winner of Arizona and Cal Poly's 8 a.m. PT match will face LMU at 11 a.m. PT.
Saturday's breakdown of the opening rounds of the individual pairs competition is as follows:
ASU 1 (Bianca Arellano & Bethany Jorgensen) vs. USC 4 OR Arizona 5
ASU 2 (Macey Gardney & Whitney Follette) vs. CSUB 3
ASU 3 (Jordy Checkal & Kizzy Willey) vs. Arizona 2
ASU 4 (BreElle Bailey & Genevieve Pirotte) vs. USC 5
ASU 5 (Nora Tuioti-Mariner & Andi Lowrance) vs. CSUB 4
Prior to the invitational, ASU will take on LMU in a dual match on Thursday, April 17 at 2 p.m. PT.
ASU sand volleyball opened its home slate, hosting Nebraska on March 26, at the PERA Club.
The match came down to the tiebreaker match on court one, but Nebraska held out for a narrow, 3-2 victory over ASU.
At No. 2, Macey Gardner and Whitney Follette defeated Amber Rolfzen and Kira Larson, 22-20, 21-18, while Nora Tuioti-Mariner and Andi Lowrance defeated Mary Pollmiller and Kelsey Fien, 21-19, 22-20, at No. 5.
Sand volleyball is contested with five pairings in the best of three sets, which are played to 21 points. The tiebreaker third set is played to 15.
The team win goes to the squad that secures three of the five wins throughout the match.
ASU's team pairings for the 2014 season will be:
1. Sophomore Bianca Arellano and senior Bethany Jorgensen (3-2)
2. Sophomores Macey Gardner and Whitney Follette (4-1)
3. Freshman Kizzy Willey and sophomore Jordy Checkal (3-2)
4. Freshmen Genevieve Pirotte and BreElle Bailey (2-3)
5. Sophomore Andi Lowrance and junior Nora Tuioti-Mariner (4-1)
The PERA Club, ASU's new home, is located three and a half miles north of the Tempe Campus on 1 East Continental Dr.
PERA, which stands for Project Employees Recreation Association is a private club for the employees and families of the Salt River Project.
The 83-acre club houses a social center, employee store, fitness center, swimming pool, game courts, and fields and offers children's programs, fitness classes, business meetings, sports leagues, and parties.
This season, indoor volleyball director of operations, Jackie Bunker, will serve as the sand assistant coach, joining head coach Jason Watson.
In the fall, the Sun Devils (19-14, 8-12 Pac-12) unseated the defending national champions en route to its second-consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance. ASU opened the season with a 12-1 record, sweeping each team they defeated. Battling through the Pac-12 Conference schedule, the Sun Devils rounded out their season in Hawaii, falling in a five-set thriller to BYU. Senior Stephanie Preach stepped into the record books, rounding out her career as the second-ever Sun Devil to reach the 2000-dig plateau. Macey Gardner was named to the Pac-12 All-Conference team, while BreElle Bailey was named to the All-Freshman Team. Caitlyn Francis earned First-Team All-Academic honors, while Shannan McCready was named to the second team, and Gardner and Whitney Follette each earned honorable mention nods.


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A man was arrested Saturday afternoon after he allegedly shot his wife and daughter inside their Cobb County home.
Clarence Harold Washington, 43, of Austell, was charged with two counts of aggravated assault with intent to commit murder and two counts of aggravated battery, according to Cobb County police. Investigators are still trying to determine what prompted the afternoon shooting.
Around 3:50 p.m., officers responded to 4394 Stonecrest Drive in Austell after neighbors heard gunshots and at least one of them called 911 to report that a person had been shot, police said.
Officers and firefighters arrived at the home to find the woman and her daughter suffering from gunshot wounds, police spokesman Officer Mike Bowman said. He has not released their names or ages, but the two victims are the suspect's wife and daughter, according to media reports.
The woman and child were transported to the hospital where the juvenile underwent surgery, he said. The mother and daughter's conditions were not known late Saturday. Police also have not released any details on where on the body they were shot.
The suspect had fled the scene but was apprehended a short distance away by officers, Bowman said. Police have not said if they found the weapon used in the shooting and it was also unclear if police had any prior involvement with the family.
Washington was transported to the Cobb County jail where he remained Saturday night.
So far, police have not released any details on the circumstances surrounding the shooting. It's also unclear where in the home the woman and child were shot.
Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to call Cobb County police at (770) 499-3945.
Suggested Links
- Man charged in April murder; Female wanted in Family Dollar armed robbery caught
- Three men shot in barrage of gunfire in Atlanta; Men sought in April homicide
- Woman strangled, stabbed to death; Female robber escapes after fighting workers
- Update: Man, 37, shot to death in Duluth home invasion identified


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Chris Armstrong at Grateful to the Dead takes up Peter Leithart's book, Defending Constantine, and gets a few questions from an Anabaptist. Read the entire response for a glimpse of how an Anabaptist's view of Constantine might vary from that of, say, a theologian's. But for fun, here's a clip:
As for the dreaded "Constantinianism," I don't buy that it existed, at least in the form I understand has been described by Yoder. Leithart acknowledges that Yoder "provided the most sophisticated and systematic treatment" of this concept (that after Constantine came "a heretical mindset and set of habits that have distorted Christian faith since (at least) the fourth century"). But there was, I join Leithart in believing, no fourth-century "fall" of the church attributable to Constantine.
As Leithart puts it, "Far from representing a fall for the church, Constantine provides in many respects a model for Christian political practice. At the very least, his reign provides rich material for reflection on a whole series of perennial political-theological questions: about religious toleration and coercion, about the legitimacy of Christian involvement in political life, about a Christian ruler's relationship to the church, about how Christianity should influence civil law, about the propriety of violent coercion, about the legitimacy of empire."


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"Never Sleep Again: The Elm Street Legacy" releases to Blu-ray for the first time on Jan. 21.
The film:
"Never Sleep Again: The Elm Street Legacy" takes a look at the entire "Nightmare on Elm Street" franchise from the first film through 2003's "Freddy vs. Jason." And it's not geared in the direction of being strictly for fans of the 30-year-old series or fans of the horror genre in general. If you have any interest in film or filmmaking, this four-hour documentary is for you, too.
It's an honest look at the franchise, from the struggles experienced on the sets to the dismal box office and critical reception received by some of the entries. With the unfortunate exception of Johnny Depp; Patricia Arquette; and those who have passed, interviews are conducted with each and every person involved with making the film, including Robert Englund; Wes Craven; Heather Lagenkamp; and more. It takes a look at the special effects; the music; how Freddy Krueger became a pop culture icon and a household name; and how the series still resonates many years after its release. You won't even feel the four-hour runtime as you are watching this informative and intriguing documentary.
The Blu-ray:
Image Entertainment made sure that the Blu-ray picture and sound were perfect for the die-hard fans (also known as "Fred heads"), and for collectors. Despite some out-of-place edits, that might have been from the original DVD release, this is a nice transition. While some of the clips come from old newsreel or behind-the-scenes footage, and they can't overcome the graininess, the picture is still clear and the sound is perfect. There is also an optional audio commentary track with Andrew Kasch; Daniel Farrands; Thommy Hutson; and Buz Danger Wallick.
The special features:
The Blu-ray comes with a plethora of special features, which get their own disc. Nearly three hours of additional interview footage; revisitations of the set; and looks at how fans have come up with their own version of Freddy's glove are included.
The special features are:
Extended Interviews – Additional footage from interviews conducted with the cast and crew.
First Look: Heather Langenkamp's "I Am Nancy" – A trailer for a documentary showing how Freddy, the villain, has a dominate presence over Nancy, the heroine of the first film.
For the Love of the Glove – A look at die-hard "Nightmare" fans who have created their own website, or assist with one, that makes and sells merchandise from the film.
Fred Heads: The Ultimate Freddy Fans – A short documentary that looks at the ultimate fans of the franchise.
Horror's Hallowed Grounds: Return to Elm Street – Host Sean Clark revisits the "Elm Street" set, and some special guests make appearances throughout the episode.
Freddy vs. The Angry Video Game Nerd – Filmmaker James Rolfe looks back at the time he played the "Nightmare on Elm Street" game, and the video he created that dismembered it.
Expanding the Video Game Universe: Freddy in Comic Books and Novels – Interviews with authors of the novelization and comic book spinoffs that followed "A Nightmare on Elm Street."
The Music of the Nightmare: Conversations with Composers and Songwriter – Interviews with the composers of the franchise, and discussions about how some have tried to add his or her own touch to the series, even though it would alter the original score.
Elm Street's Poster Boy: The Art of Matthew Joseph Peak – The man who created the poster art for the series, excluding "Freddy's Dead," is interviewed.
A Nightmare on Elm Street in 10 Minutes – Cast members read their lines from the "Nightmare" screenplays.
Never Sleep Again: The Elm Street Legacy Teaser Trailer – a one-minute trailer for the documentary.
Movie: A
Picture/Sound: A-/A-
Special features: A


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Record warmth, heavy rain and an ice jam top the list of Michigan weather events on this day in history. From the National Weather Service archives here are the events that happened on March 30.
1922 - 1.76 inches of precipitation fell in Detroit. This is the maximum precipitation record for the month of March in Detroit.
1974 - A disturbance passing over southern Lower Michigan produces early morning rain showers with temperatures in the low 30s. During the evening hours, light snow showers fall from the clouds. Grand Rapids receives a record 1.21" of rain and Muskegon 1.07".
1977 - A tornado struck four miles north of Hart in Oceana County, injuring three people as it destroyed four trailers and damaged a business
1998 – Ahead of a strong disturbance, heavy thunderstorms and rain impact West Michigan. A strong south wind imports record warmth to the area. Grand Rapids and Lansing observe the warmest low temperature for the month of March with a reading of 65°. Air passing over the cooler water of Lake Michigan, keeps Muskegon cooler than inland cities but they still see a daily warm record with a low of 56°. Other daily record warm low include Alpena 45°, Flint 62°, and Houghton Lake 53°.
2004 - The Pine River near Rudyard in Chippewa County flooded due to an ice jam between Mackinac Trail and I-75. A river stage of 19.3 feet was observed at Mackinac Trail, which established a new flood of record. The old flood of record was 18.4 feet on March 30, 1986. The river submerged the Prairie Road bridge west of Rudyard, along with several other roads and yards in the vicinity. Flooding also occurred in the Pickford area, where the Munuscong River rose out of its banks.
2012 - 0.1" of snow fell in Flint giving the city a grand total of 0.9" for the month and making it the 4th lowest March snowfall total on record. No snow fell in Detroit that day, where the March total of 0.2" was the 5th lowest on record.


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Keyword Search
Dad Manual : How to be a great father
Our Price: $22.49Print this page || Email this page
The Dad Manual is aimed at fathers who want to involve their sons and daughters in a variety of projects and activities and also build them traditional play equipment - from go-karts to doll houses. Getting kids away from computer games and spending quality time with their families is recognized to be a good thing and this manual will give dads (and moms) plenty of inspiration to keep them entertained for hours - whether it's for a weekend, a long car journey or a wet holiday. There are projects for all ages of children, with guidance on duration and skills required for each project. Each subject is accompanied by clear color photographs or diagrams and written in a light-hearted, easy-to-read style.
Product DetailCover: Hardback
Pages:192 pages, 200 color illustrations
Book No: H4443
Book Size: 8.3 by 10.6 inches


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Total posts: 11
I'm not, Women have been dependant of me most of my life, I would love to date a woman that has her own money.
Total posts: 34
Well if u put it like that I will pay the bill and when you get curled up next to this 100 % male treat I tell u cum on with it my sweet midnight treat and stop trying too take my place at the dinner table. And when it's over you'll leave a tip on the night stand and it want be money it will say thanks babe I love u.
Total posts: 10
And I dig it a lot.
Total posts: 3
I had been in a relationship with a fairly wealthy woman, around 2 million, and I have to say that when you are in a relationship, at least to me, it still has to be about the couple regardless of anything else. I don't have anywhere near that kind of money, but can live well the way I am. ie: no money worries, sex life was incredible to say the least, but other issues crept in just like any other couple. All the money in the world, and the amazing physical relationship does not overcome teh typical things that can come between 2 people. In addition to all of that... I don't believe a big bank account means success. I have been very successful with my careers and she was actually intimidated by the tremendous successes that I had and what , where and with whom I had opportunity to be with while in those carreers. There has to be first, a physical attraction, and form then on..the normal things after that with commonalilty of interests......if you want more detail you can certainly contact me....
Ms. Bestbet that was for u.
Total posts: 54
I think people are just "insecure" with themselves more than ever now a days!
Total posts: 2971
I can't imagine being intimidated by anything: looks, money, intelligence, you name it. However that doesn't mean I will like you. To be more specific, if you are a sociopath, sucessful psychopath, or narcissistic queen I probably won't give you the time of the day, but it certainly isn't because of intimidation. I might not like your lifestyle either.. I am just not built to float around the ocean or fly around the world sipping on booze and looking pretty, but that isn't intimation either.. I like to accomplish good things every now and then, not just be useless. So the answer is: no.
Total posts: 1
Girl, I can see you with a Sagittarius. Don't worry about the money aspect. You need to find someone attractive, sweet, loyal and fun!
Seems like most millionaires are in Southern California.
Total posts: 132
Total posts: 323
Total posts: 6
Total posts: 2
Total posts: 9
Total posts: 89
The solution is simple- make it clear in initial points of contact that your financial advisor has "locked up" most of your Net Worth and has you on a budget.
Having worked 30 plus years in the securities industry I have seen some interesting corporate/personal structures that prevent someone from being able to make claim against your assets. You should put such structures in place now rather later and stick to keeping your assets separate.
I have found that I am somehow much less attractive when the fact that my Net Worth is impaired.
It is ugly- but the real world.
I'm not intimidated by a weathy woman or a beautiful woman. I think if you feel confident in youself it doesn't matter about the other person's weathy, beauty, etc. I find we all have our problems, insecurities, and foibles no matter what we have to offer. None of us are perfect. I figure wealthy or beautiful women are no different than other people once we look inside.
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The Lost and Damned/Features
From Grand Theft Wiki
< The Lost and Damned
Revision as of 06:52, 13 February 2009 by Faster by 1m (talk)
| This article concerns a future game or content that is unreleased.
Some details may be speculative, and may not turn out to be correct.
- New storyline featuring Johnny Klebitz and The Lost.
- New multiplayer modes
- More achievements
- More TV shows
- More songs for the already existing radio stations
- New weapons including a assult shotgun , a sawn off shotgun, a grenade launcher, automatic 9mm, pool stick and pipe bombs.
- New vehicles. Keeping with the biker theme, there will be a number of new choppers, including the return of the Angel motorcycle seen in the Vice City games and Liberty City Stories. Other new bikes will be the Lycan, Nightblade, Revenant, Hexer, Diabolus, Wolfsbane and Deamon. There will also be a number off new cars including the tow truck, slamvan and gang burrito.
- New radio stations including a metal station.


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Canmore Cave Tours
Join us on a tour of discovery to Rat's Nest Cave: a wild, undeveloped cave with no artificial lights, boardwalks or handrails under Grotto Mountain year round. Caving is physically challenging but NO EXPERIENCE is necessary. Reservations are required. Group minimum is 2, maximum is 8. Children should be age 10 or older.
We supply the caving equipment: helmet, headlamp, coveralls, harness, kneepads, gloves and backpacks. You bring your enthusiasm plus energy bar, water bottle, compact camera with flash, wear light hiking shoes and warm but not bulky clothes.
Address: #202 - 129 Bow Meadows Cresc Canmore, AB T1W 2WB
Phone: 403-678-8819
Fax: 403-678-6985
Website: www.canmorecavetours.com
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com


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Berlin Festival 2011
There were many, many complications on our way to Berlin Festival. We were disappointed a couple of times by the marketeers of the Festival and by how they treated us (and our winners). But I can't say we didn't have a good time: the acts were incredible, the sound was good (most of the time),


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As we approach The Bachelorette 2014 fantasy suite episode on Monday night (July 14), it seems like the perfect time to double down on Season 10 Bachelorette spoilers.
According to Reality Steve and his (usually) trusty website, attorney Andi Dorfman, 27, is indeed engaged to one of her final three; the only question now is, will it be Nick Viall, Josh Murray, or Chris Soules who sweeps this season's star off her feet?
If you don't want to know the outcome of this season's Bachelorette finale a few weeks early, turn back now! Maybe read an article about a different reality TV show instead.
Bachelorette 2014 Spoilers: Who Does Andi Pick on Season 10 Finale?
Last week, the hometown episode gave us a truly in-depth look into how well Andi and each of her final suitors seemed to gel. Mostly, we felt all the guys were a bit too confident in Andi's affections for them. Marcus Grodd was sent packing during that episode's rose ceremony, and according to the latest spoilers, Chris will get the boot before even getting to spend an overnight date with our bachelorette. (Did anyone really see Andi raising a brood of chitlins on that farm in Iowa? Not to mention, her mother-in-law in that case would have been quite the handful with anything more than a single glass of wine in her system. Thanks, but no thanks, apparently.)
In the end, it will be a face-off between Josh M. and Nick V. So, who will come out on top?
Reality Steve has predicted Josh will win Season 10, asking Bachelorette Andi for her hand in marriage during The Bachelorette finale on July 28. She reportedly says yes, and the pair are currently engaged.
As for Andi herself, she seemed excited when she tweeted the following on July 14, just before Monday's episode aired for east coast viewers: "Alright East Coast.... Ten minutes until we travel to the hot Dominican Republic with 3 hot guys!!! #TheBachelorette"
As we all know, Reality Steve has gotten a few Bachelor and Bachelorette spoilers wrong in the past. Tune in to ABC for the Bachelorette finale to see if he gets it right this time!
Suggested Links
- Bachelorette 2014 spoilers: Who does Andi Dorfman pick on Bachelorette finale?
- 'Real Housewives of Beverly Hills' season 4: Spoilers and gossip (Photo)
- Bachelorette spoilers 2014: Andi Dorfman gets another chance at made-for-TV love
- Kate Middleton bare bottom picture published in German tabloid Bild magazine


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College Hockey:Ballard Signs with Phoenix
PHOENIX — Minnesota defenseman Keith Ballard, a 2004 Hobey Baker Award finalist, signed today with the Phoenix Coyotes, foregoing his senior season.
According to his agent, former Minnesota skater Ben Hankinson, Ballard received a $1.2 million signing bonus, and the rookie maximum of $1.185 million per year for three years.
"Keith Ballard was arguably the best defensemen in NCAA hockey in 2003-04," said Phoenix general manager Mike Barnett. "He was a critical inclusion in our trade with Colorado late last season. … We look forward to watching Keith develop and contribute to winning in a Coyotes uniform."
As a junior, Ballard missed seven games early in the season with a knee injury, during which Minnesota went 1-5-1. But he came back to spark the two-time defending champions to a run to a WCHA tournament championship. Minnesota was knocked out of the NCAAs in the Midwest Regional final by Minnesota-Duluth. Ballard was a first-team All-American.
Ballard was orignially drafted in the first round, 11th overall, by Buffalo in 2002. His rights were dealt to Colorado, and then to Phoenix on March 9 in the trade that also brought defenseman Derek Morris to Phoenix for center Chris Gratton, defenseman Ossi Vaananen and a second-round draft pick in 2005.
The 5-foot-11 Ballard had 11 goals and 36 points last season in 37 games. He was on the U.S. team that recently won a bronze medal at the World Championships.
The following is a self-policing forum for discussing views on this story. Comments that are derogatory, make personal attacks, are abusive, or contain profanity or racism will be removed at our discretion. USCHO.com is not responsible for comments posted by users. Please report any inappropriate or offensive comments by clicking the "Flag" link next to that comment in order to alert the moderator.
Please also keep "woofing," taunting, and otherwise unsportsmanlike behavior to a minimum. Your posts will more than likely be deleted, and worse yet, you reflect badly on yourself, your favorite team and your conference.


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by Vicki S. Davey, M.A., M.Ed.
I think the only way a teen can safely get through the challenging years of adolescence is by the grace of God, and with a good support system. We, as counselors and family therapists, can team up with parents to be part of that support system and also offer support to them in getting through this difficult time with their teens. We can help parents understand why their children are behaving in such contrasting ways -- from the sweet children they were as they were growing up to the "crazy" adolescent they became just a minute ago. Radical mood swings, the struggle for independence, and peer pressure can turn our teenagers into people their own parents don't know or recognize -- and this can be a hurtful and confusing time for everyone.
It is physiologically harder for adolescents to make responsible decisions because not only are their bodies changing, but their brains are actually changing too -- neuro-connections are being refined along with a rapid growth of myelin (Feldman, R. 2011, p.358). Pairing those changes with flaring hormones makes it even harder for teens to reason and make responsible choices when something enticing comes along -- especially when you throw in lack of impulse control that is inherent to teenagers in general.
Adolescents cannot see beyond the immediate desire to be popular, to have fun, and to live in the moment. The future doesn't mean a lot when you're having fun, and choices can be very challenging for a teen who knows what is right, but has that other part tugging on them – that part we call desire. Trying to sort out who they are socially, dealing with peer pressure, and choices they face each day, makes teens completely vulnerable at this time in their lives. Wanting to fit in and be popular is such a draw for kids at this crucial time that turning down an adventure with their peers could be a deal-breaker – in their minds anyway. Everyone has an inherent wish to fit in and be popular, and sometimes that can throw everything else out the window when it comes to the values their parents have (hopefully) raised them with (Feldman, R. 2011).
Raging hormones, the desire for autonomy, the pull of peer pressure, and the joy of being a kid, along with the adrenaline rush of doing something risky can be the perfect recipe for disaster at this developmental stage of life. Additionally, if an adolescent has a genetic predisposition for addiction, their challenges will be far greater. Research demonstrates that as adolescents are trying to establish their personal and social identities through reference groups, teens with a strong foundation of faith, a belief system, or positive (and supervised) club/team connections are less likely to be drawn into conformity through peer pressure, and are in a much better place to make decisions as far as cliques and crowds go (Feldman, R. 2011, pp.364-65, 395, 400).
I have worked with adolescents from all walks of life and unique situations -- children of divorce or diverse family make-up; those battling eating disorders, self-injurious behaviors, and negative self-images; those who are bullied, or who are the bully; Christians, Jews, Muslims, and atheists; school drop-outs or hard-working students on the path to college; and, those who have been in and out of the juvenile system or jail, living in therapeutic or correctional situations, or even kids who are living on the streets. As their teacher, counselor, or case manager, the one common denominator in their lives that has been obvious to me is that they all yearn to be accepted and loved. What we can do for them is to let them know that we won't judge them, that we are there for them and accept them for who they are and where they are in their life, and that we will listen and offer support when they are ready to accept it (Feldman, R. 2011, pp. 328-329, 332-338, 356-358, 373).
Rebelliousness is another inherent trait during the adolescent stage of life, and although it is a challenge for us to deal with (as the parents and authority figures who are being rebelled against), it is actually a "good" thing because it demonstrates that your children are developing their own identity. I will address this issue further, along with tips for healthy communication, building respect, and setting boundaries and expectations with your kids in upcoming articles.
If you are a parent who is concerned about your teenager, "tween" or pre-teen, you are not alone. There are a lot of resources available to you through community centers, churches, temples or synagogues, YMCAs, Boys & Girls Clubs, Outreach programs, and through your local schools. For more serious situations, you may need to consider residential treatment programs or camps that focus on the specific issues your child or children are experiencing.
Don't be afraid or embarrassed to reach out and ask for support or help – there are trained professionals waiting for you to walk through their doors so they can get started helping you and your children through this difficult time in your lives.
Please feel free to write and ask me questions, offer comments, and provide feedback. If you have trouble finding a program, be sure to reach out and I will do my best to help you find a connection.
I'd like to give special thanks to my consultants and mentors, Liv Pertzoff, LICSW, and Deborah Pinkston, Ph.D.
Thanks for reading.
Feldman, R.S. (2011). Development across the lifespan. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey. Prentice Hall.


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Apr 15, 2011 11:55 AM
When we were little we always hoped for a stuffed bunny in our Easter basket. We don't even get baskets anymore, but if we did, we'd hope for this Swarovski Hare ($60). This shimmery serene little buddy would be perfect on our desk or proudly displayed on a dresser. You know, just in case anyone's here looking for an Easter gift...
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As one of the original developers of the now ubiquitous Ableton Live software, Robert Henke has established himself as something of a producer's producer. Not only are his studio efforts - recorded under the revered Monolake monikier - impeccably executed, masterfully EQed and buffed to a lustrous sheen, his approach to performance and command of the software as an honest to goodness instrument is second to none. When we caught wind of this special edition of the Bunker featuring a set by Henke in surround sound alongside Scion, DJ Pete and René Löwe – which is to say the classic Chain Reaction roster – we simply couldn't resist.
Despite a last minute venue change that left the Bunker crew scrambling to secure a new location, the evening started off smoothly. The sound system was perfectly tuned and the vibe was relaxed and positive right from the outset. Even the crowd seemed pumped, which if you've ever spent much time going out in NYC, is indeed a true rarity.
Ken Meier, a local Brooklyn stalwart with affiliations to Fear of Music, started the evening off, plunging things into the deep end right from the beginning. He delivered a deftly mixed blend of shadowy techno that gracefully arced from slightly chilled to immersive and upbeat over the course of his set. It was an ideal warm up for Scion, who brought to bear their signature dub techno sound, all oozing bass, rolling echoes and shimmering reverb anchored by a stoic 4/4 pulse. It was hardly the sort of 'hands in the air' fare one might expect from one of the most respected outfits operating in techno today, but it was tastefully understated and expertly structured, locking the dance floor in from the start. The only quibble we had with their performance was its brevity; they could have played for 5 hours and nobody would have minded a bit.
As Scion brought the fader down on their last selection to rapturous applause, Henke and his accompanying visualist, Tarrik Barri, took their positions behind the mountain of laptops and gear that had been sitting patiently in the middle of the dance floor. The set started off in decidedly abstract territory, cycling through a selection of broken rhythms and chirping atmospherics before settling into a real groove; but once things warmed up, there was no denying that Henke's primary intention was to bulldoze the dance floor.
For the next 90 minutes or so, the room was a mass of movement as he doused us with wave after wave of unrelenting techno. There were bits of rhythms and melodies peppered throughout the set that could be identified as having been lifted from Henke's studio recordings, but Henke managed to achieve a loose, off the cuff sort of feel, lending the performance an improvisatory air. Paired with Barri's visuals, which echoed the imaginary shapes and futuristic urban landscapes that grace the covers of many of Henke's releases, this became less a mere dance party and more an immersive multimedia experience.
It was a bit of a disappointment to learn that the cops were on their way as Monolake's set drew to a close, but it almost seemed to be for the best. Sure, DJ Pete's set was cut short and René Löwe never even got to play, but after the masterful display put on by Scion on Monolake few in the room really had much left in them. We stumbled back out into the Brooklyn streets, minds blown and ears muddled. While there was no denying that Henke had lived up to his reputation, he also managed to reaffirm that there is, in fact, still life left in techno. Indeed, from where we stood, the genre seemed just as vibrant and fertile as ever.


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Nucor Corporation (NYSE:NUE) shares edged higher on Tuesday even as the company gave downbeat guidance for the first quarter. In fact, Nucor was not the only steel stock that posted gains on Tuesday. Shares of AK Steel (NYSE:AKS), and United States Steel (NYSE:X) also rose sharply after reports that the world's largest steelmaker, ArcelorMittal (NYSE:MT), was raising the price of its hot rolled coil.
The steel rally
Steel stocks had rallied in the second half of 2013 amid hopes that the downturn in the industry was about to end in the wake of an improving economic environment in the U.S. But 2014 has been a disappointing year for steel stocks so far, with shares AK Steel, United States Steel and Nucor down sharply for the year. On Tuesday, though, steel stocks were boosted by reports that ArcelorMittal had raised the price of its hot rolled coil to $33 per hundredweight ($660 per ton).
AK Steel, which earlier this week completed a new $1.1 billion credit facility, was the best performer. The stock gained 6.54% to finish at $6.52. However, it is still down more than 20% for the year. United States Steel shares finished 5.42% higher at $25.50. Nucor shares edged higher, but the gains were limited as investors weighed the price increase against the company's disappointing guidance.
Nucor's disappointing guidance
Nucor said on Tuesday that it expects first-quarter earnings to come in below its earlier forecast. The company expects earnings per share to be between $0.30 and $0.35, compared to fourth-quarter 2013 EPS of $0.53.
Nucor said that the larger factor impacting its first-quarter earnings was the extremely cold weather in the U.S. Indeed, cold weather has been the main reason behind a slowdown in economic activity in January and February. The construction market, a key end market for steelmakers, has been one of the areas of the economy affected by the cold weather. This was highlighted by January's construction spending data, which showed an increase of just 0.1%. Spending on nonresidential projects slipped 0.2%. This was, however, offset by a 1.1% increase in spending on residential projects. But, the residential construction market itself has been weak recently, as highlighted by the housing starts data for February.
According to figures released by the Commerce Department on Tuesday, housing starts slipped 0.2% to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 907,000 units in February. This was after an 11.2% decline in January. Apart from the cold weather, the housing market seems to have been affected by a rise in mortgage rates. But, a slowdown in residential construction activity shouldn't bother Nucor and other steelmakers too much. In fact, the building permits data, which is forward looking, showed a 7.7% increase for the month of February. The data suggests that residential construction activity could pick up going forward and much of the slowdown was mainly due to the cold weather and not high mortgage rates. Nucor, meanwhile, noted that it continues to see small but noticeable improvements in the nonresidential construction markets.
The big worry for steelmakers
While the cold weather has been the larger factor impacting Nucor's first-quarter earnings, the company should be more worried about cheap imports from China. As I have noted in a previous article, U.S. steel imports could surge as Chinese policymakers' efforts to cool down the country's property market will lead to a supply glut in the country's struggling steel sector.
The impact of rising imports has been highlighted by Nucor's first-quarter earnings guidance. Apart from the cold weather, the company blamed the weak guidance on imports. The company said that import levels have continued to negatively impact pricing and margins at its bar and steel mills. Chinese steel has been trading at a significant discount to the U.S. A slowdown in China has pushed prices down even more. According to the China Iron and Steel Association (CISA), steel prices in the country fell to their lowest level in more than eight years in mid-March.
Given this scenario, the U.S. market could be flooded with cheap Chinese steel. Indeed, a surge in steel imports remains the major worry for U.S. steelmakers.
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Varun Chandan Arora has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends Nucor. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.


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There are many ideas about integrating art into the community. One idea is public art. Arlington County, Virginia provides an aggressive campaign for the arts that includes public art, and providing spaces and galleries in which local artists may produce and exhibit their work. It is all part of an overall strategy to leverage artists and creative professionals to enhance the quality of life and value in the community.
"The term public art properly refers to works of art in any media that have been planned and executed with the specific intention of being sited or staged in the physical public domain, usually outside and accessible to all. The term is especially significant within the art world, amongst curators, commissioning bodies and practitioners of public art, to whom it signifies a particular working practice, often with implications of site specificity, community involvement and collaboration. The term is sometimes also applied to include any art which is exhibited in a public space including publicly accessible buildings."
Today's story at the top of the New Year is about "community-sourced art," emphasizing that the initiative has long standing roots in Arlington, Virginia. Arlington Arts Center (AAC) has been engaged for 40 years.
Laura Roulet is the independent curator for the 40th anniversary celebration exhibit.
"Laura Roulet is an art historian and independent curator with over 10 years of experience in the DC area. She has worked with museums and galleries including the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, the Art Museum of the Americas, Hillyer Art Space, DC Art Center and Artisphere."
Via AAC
AAC provided a robust description of the current exhibitions that surely entice art enthusiasts to visit the gallery and to share in the celebration of this wonderful community asset.
"CSA: Forty Years of Community Sourced Art Opens Jan. 22
Arlington, VA - To kick off a year-long 40th anniversary celebration, Arlington Arts Center will
unveil CSA: Forty Years of Community-Sourced Art on January 22. Curated by Laura Roulet, the exhibition celebrates 40 years of AAC's role as incubator of regional talent, both artistic and curatorial.
Featuring artists whose careers were launched at AAC, either through the residency program or exhibitions, CSA highlights veterans Ken Ashton, Martha Jackson-Jarvis, Soledad Salamé, Erik Thor Sandberg, and Foon Sham, alongside the more recent arrivals Tariq Tucker, J.J. McCracken, Nikki Painter, Alex Podesta, and Dane Winkler.
CSA includes site-specific outdoor sculpture, indoor installations, and new work in materials ranging from dry sod to a historic oak tree from the University of Maryland's College Park campus.
The outdoor public art works are designed to expose the inner workings of AAC while highlighting past and future talent supported by the arts center. Through CSA, Roulet highlights AAC's long standing support of regional arts by inviting these local luminaries to participate in the exhibition.
Roulet comments: "Without organizations like Arlington Arts Center, which provides studios, exhibition space, classes, and professional development, this region would not have the critical mass of artists choosing to stay and build their careers here. It takes a substructure to build a vibrant art community."
Artists included in the exhibition: Ken Ashton, Martha Jackson Jarvis, J.J. McCracken, Nikki Painter, Alex Podesta, Soledad Salamé, Erik Thor Sandberg, Foon Sham, Tariq Tucker, and Dane Winkler. The opening reception for CSA is Saturday, January 25 from 6 pm to 9 pm. The exhibition runs through April 13, 2014.
Alex Podesta, Self-Portrait as Bunnies (The Scientists), 2011. various materials. 108in x 32in x 36in
ADDITIONAL EXHIBITIONS: AAC will present two additional shows in conjunction with CSA: Forty Years of Community Sourced Art. In the Wyatt Gallery, Here and Now highlights the work of Arlington Art Center's twelve resident artists. The exhibition shows the diversity of artistic production taking place in AAC's studio spaces today. Artists included are: Si Jae Byun, Michele Colburn, Lee Gainer, Roxana Geffen, Hedieh Javanshir Ilchi, Becca Kallem, Bridget Sue Lambert, Pam Rogers, Rachel Schmidt, Katie Lynch Thibault, Jessica Van Brakle, and Alice Whealin.
In the Jenkin's Community Gallery, Arlington Arts Center: Building History features a timeline of the historic Maury School now home for nearly 40 years to Arlington Arts Center. The exhibition includes historic photographs and ephemera related to the building's rich architectural and social history. Originally the Clarendon Elementary School, the building was constructed in 1910 to serve the growing Clarendon neighborhood. The school was renamed in 1944 to honor Matthew Fontaine Maury (1806-1873), a naval officer, geographer, and oceanographer. The school closed in 1975 and the Arlington Arts Center moved there in 1976. The Maury School is a designated Arlington County Landmark and is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
About Arlington Arts Center:
AAC's exhibitions and their attendant lectures, workshops, and panel discussions offer opportunities for dialogue, and ultimately serve to illustrate the value of contemporary art-specifically, what it is, how it works, and why it matters in our daily lives. Established in 1974, Arlington Arts Center (AAC) is a nonprofit contemporary visual arts center dedicated to presenting and supporting new work by regional artists. Through exhibitions, educational programs, and subsidized studio spaces, AAC serves as a bridge between artists and the community. AAC is housed in the historic Maury School, and boasts nine exhibition spaces, working studios for thirteen artists, and two classrooms. At 17,000 square feet, AAC is one of the largest non-federal venues for contemporary art in the Washington metropolitan area. For more information, visit www.arlingtonartscenter.org or call 703.248.6800."


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What makes a stock certificate valuable
as a collectible?
By Laura
Bruce Bankrate.com
Signature: Signatures
of famous people -- often, captains of industry -- will greatly
enhance a certificate's value.
Historical significance:
Industries and companies that have greatly influenced our past,
such as railroad, automobile and oil companies.
Condition: Certificates
in good condition cost more but are a better investment and will
be much easier to sell later. Nevertheless, a certificate that isn't
in top condition but is signed by Abraham Lincoln will still be
extremely valuable if it's one of a kind.
Rarity: The major factors
influencing rarity are: number issued, market interest, age and
redemption (the number that have survived exchange or repayment.)
Decorative quality: In
an effort to save money, many companies issue rather plain certificates
these days. Over the last few years the premium on very decorative
pieces has risen sharply. A document with an elaborate, beautifully
drawn vignette will be worth a lot more than a plainer certificate.
Age: The age of a particular
certificate is the cornerstone to value assessment. Great age adds
historical interest and often indicates rarity. Moreover, older
art work is generally much more intricate. In today's market there
is a definite value line separating documents issued prior to 1900
from those that are more recent.
Source: Stock Search
-- Posted: Oct. 30, 2001
certificates -- cash them or collect them
* Mortgage rate may include points. See rate tables
for details. Click
here. * To see the definition of overnight averages click
Bankrate.com ®,
Copyright © 2016
Bankrate, Inc., All Rights Reserved,
Terms of Use.


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This is from Woll's "Functions of Several Variables," but there's no proof.
If $g$ is of class $C^k$ ($k \ge 2$) on a convex open set $U$ about $p$ in $\mathbb{R}^d$, then for each $q \in U$,
$ g(q) = g(p) + \sum_{i=1}^d \frac{\partial g}{\partial r_i} \bigg|_p (r_i(q) - r_i(p)) + \sum_{i,j} (r_i(q) - r_i(p)) (r_j(q) - r_j(p)) \int_0^1 (1-t) \frac{\partial^2g}{\partial r_i \partial r_j} \bigg|_{p + t(q - p)} dt. $
It looks like Taylor's or mean value theorem. I especially don't understand the integral part.


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President Peres begins state visit in Latvia and Lithuania 30 July 2013
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President Peres begins state visit in Latvia and Lithuania 30 July 2013
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President Peres begins state visit in Latvia
President Peres begins state visit in Latvia and Lithuania
President Peres will discuss central political issues with his hosts, including the sanctions against Iran, the involvement of the EU in promoting the peace process and the EU's decision to prohibit economic activity beyond the Green Line.
President Peres with Latvia President Andris Berzinns (Photo: GPO/Moshe Milner)
(Communicated by the President's Office)
The President of the State of Israel, Shimon Peres, landed for a state visit in Latvia and Lithuania, the country currently holding the position of president of the European Union. When he disembarked from the plane in Latvia, President Peres said: "I arrived on a state visit to two EU member states. Lithuania is the current president of the European Union, and Latvia will be the President in a year. We will have another round of political talks focused on topics including the addition of Hezbollah to the list of terrorist organizations, the boycott of Israeli products beyond the Green Line, and other important issues. This is a visit to nations with a history that contains 300 years of hospitality, and on the other hand, the horrific Holocaust that destroyed an entire community. I will say Kaddish full of respect and reverence to the large community of those annihilated. We will remember the past, but we will turn our eyes to the future. I hope that we will find a common language and reach mutual understandings on current issues."
During the visit, President Peres will hold a round of intense diplomatic meetings with senior officials in Latvia, and on Wednesday he will hold a meeting with the President of Lithuania, who currently serves as president of the EU. President Peres will hold meetings with the presidents and the prime ministers of the two states, the heads of parliament, and senior ministers to discuss central political issues, the most important of which include sanctions against Iran, the involvement of the EU in promoting the peace process between the Israelis and the Palestinians and the EU's decision to prohibit economic activity beyond the Green Line.
President Peres will also take advantage of the opportunity to thank officials in Lithuania and Latvia for the EU's decision to add the Hezbollah military wing to its list of terrorist organizations.
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