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The Virginian-Pilot
A state so right (but so wrong on transportation)
By Kenneth C. Alexander
June 10, 2012
Virginia often seems to be the most distinguished state in the country. Our colleges and universities are consistently ranked among the nation's finest, not just in athletics but in academics as well.
According to Forbes Magazine, the top three wealthiest localities in America (and four of the top 10) are in Virginia. Every year we rank No. 1 or 2 as the best state to do business. Our gross state product is more than $423 billion.
If Virginia were a country, the International Monetary Fund would rank us among the world's top 30 economies.
In the midst of worldwide financial turbulence, Virginia has maintained an AAA bond rating.
However, in spite of doing many things right, Virginia consistently gets one important thing wrong – transportation. Worse, Hampton Roads bears the brunt of this unending error.
During the most recent session of the General Assembly, I was proud to be at the forefront of the fight to redefine the way we fund and prioritize transportation initiatives. For too long our critical needs have been ignored, and this year the attention we received was cleverly cloaked in the form of a public-private partnership that has the potential to cost many area households at least $1,000 a year in additional transportation expenses.
Why should we shoulder this burden alone?
Our transportation needs are critical to the economic success of the entire state. We are home to the world's largest shipyard and most efficient coal-loading facilities, which export more than 65 million tons of coal every year. Hampton Roads plays a vital role in global security as home to the world's largest concentration of military bases and facilities. In total, our economic output is nearly one-fifth of Virginia's entire economy. We deserve better.
In order for Virginia to maintain its status, real and equitable solutions for transportation are required right here. Secretary of Transportation Sean Connaughton predicts that in five to six years there will be zero funding for new projects, yet the McDonnell administration has promoted only burdensome public-private partnerships as a solution.
From this past session, it is clear that we cannot rely on Richmond to devise a proper solution. In my conversations with voters and business leaders, and correspondence sent to my office, it is clear that consensus is developing around comprehensive and fair solutions to funding transportation.
Recently, the Hampton Roads Transportation Planning Organization developed a formula to generate funds for a $1 billion project accommodating 50,000 daily users. It included either a $4.30 toll; a 9.6-cent regional gas-tax increase; or a 0.5 percent increase in the regional sales tax. Or, as an alternative, a combination of a $1.45 toll, 3-cent regional gas tax hike and 0.2 percent regional sales tax increase.
Why must we pay for a public good on a regional level when it provides significant benefit to the entire state? The state gas tax, the primary source for transportation funding, has not been raised in 25 years and is by far the lowest among neighboring states.
Transportation analysts have ranked traffic and infrastructure in Hampton Roads among the worst in the country.
In Norfolk, U.S. 58 through the Midtown Tunnel has been recognized as the most heavily traveled two-lane road east of the Mississippi. Newsweek magazine deemed westbound Interstate 64 from Tidewater Drive to the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel one of the worst rush-hour commutes in America. The Texas Transportation Institute concluded that we live in the 10th most congested large urban area, and that frequent gridlock results in the yearly loss of 34 hours in traffic and nine gallons of gas.
This is a far cry from the acclaim we normally hear, but it is the reality of our daily experience. Every Virginian must realize her/his stake in solving regional transportation crises. As we have not maintained investment in our statewide transportation network for more than a generation, improvements to roads connecting our major cities and counties – highways like U.S. 460 and 58 – are showing the effects..
When our transportation network experiences real decay, when firms find it too onerous to do business here, when people find the quality of life to be less than hospitable, how distinguished will Virginia be?
Kenneth C. Alexander, a Norfolk Democrat in the Virginia House of Delegates, was recently appointed to the Virginia Joint Commission on Transportation Accountability.
Democrat Rises in GOP-led House
The Virginian-Pilot
When Republican House Speaker Bill Howell was re-nominated at the start of this year's General Assembly session, Del. Kenny Alexander was called on to second the motion.
And when committee assignments were made, Alexander received a coveted seat on the powerful Rules panel that Howell chairs.
Those developments – minor tremors in Richmond, where every political turn causes chatter – signify the rise of Alexander, a Norfolk Democrat.
In the eight years since he came to the legislature in 2002, turnover and a knack for avoiding pitfalls have enabled Alexander to advance from back-bencher to influential member of the minority party.
"He's moving up because he's a reasonable force, a moderate force," said Del. John Cosgrove, R-Chesapeake. "And he's not one who will scream from a partisan standpoint."
Alexander, 43, credits seniority as much as temperament for his ascent.
"Being partisan, you can't get anything accomplished," he said during a recent chat in the House of Delegates chamber. "Things here are about governance, and my position allows me to be at the table, lobbying for public policy that will benefit my district."
But accepting a chair also comes with some hard choices.
In the first controversial vote of his short tenure on the Rules Committee, Alexander voted with Republicans earlier this month to send an income-tax bill to the House floor – a move that forced Democrats to vote on the tax increase proposal floated by former Gov. Timothy M. Kaine.
The bill was defeated, 97-0, with one abstention.
When asked why he placed Alexander on Rules, Howell said it was an acknowledgement of his status as chairman of the Legislative Black Caucus.
"He's a very capable member and he brings a lot to the committee," Howell said.
Alexander makes no apologies about his committee vote, because he opposed the income tax surcharge outright.
Taking such stands, Alexander added, has always been his approach. He cites as examples his public advocacy for a 1 percent sales-tax increase to pay for transportation fixes and his rejection of per-diem pay when the legislature goes into overtime.
To date, the Norfolk native has had a workmanlike career in the General Assembly.
His key policy accomplishments have come in the human-services sector – he's successfully sponsored bills to strengthen child care regulations and to ensure that people released from state hospitals or prisons are issued legal identification.
Tall and sturdy, Alexander is a garrulous sort whose words tend to spill out of his mouth faster as each sentence progresses.
Often clad in dark, crisply pressed suits, the married father of two sons runs a mortuary business in Norfolk founded by his family. And like many businessmen, he isn't shy about a little self-promotion.
"I was a working man back in the '90s," he said, pointing to news clippings on his Web site that chronicle his career path from civic activist to state lawmaker.
That work continues today, with Alexander leading a growing cadre of African American legislators in Richmond poised to flex their new muscle.
With all that responsibility, Alexander said his focus is on his House seat. He denied speculation that he's thinking about running for state Senate in the near term.
That doesn't mean, however, that he's without future ambitions.
Although Alexander declines to talk about it publicly, people close to him say he's mulling a run for governor in a few years.
Pilot writer Alicia P.Q. Wittmeyer contributed to this article.
Back to basics for grandparents
The Virginian-Pilot
In many cases, they've already been parents once.
They're grandparents, uncles and aunts raising their grandchildren, nieces and nephews – senior citizens stepping in because the parents can't or won't.
It's often a "tough, tough, tough" job, a 74-year-old Portsmouth widow raising three grandchildren told staff writer Nicole Morgan.
There's all the parental issues, plus more. There is the matter of finances, especially for those on a fixed income, the enduring mysteries of adolescent behavior, and, in some cases, the tangled emotions of a relative incarcerated or mired in drug addiction.
Add to that the uncertainty about finding help and getting it.
It's good news then that the Rev. Clifford Barnett, pastor of Portsmouth's Brighton Rock AME Zion Church, and the Norfolk Department of Human Services, working with the state, are reaching out to help.
They've scheduled meetings this month in Portsmouth and Norfolk to help people find financial, legal and education resources and network with others similarly situated.
Consider the need: In Virginia, some 107, 602 children – 6.2 percent of the state's youngsters — live in grandparent-headed homes, according to a 2005 AARP study. Additionally, 31,076 children live with other relatives.
"There's just been a influx of grandparents, aunts and uncles taking care of children," says Del. Kenneth Alexander of Norfolk. He cites myriad reasons, among them crack addiction, teenage pregnancies, even multiple overseas military deployments.
Alexander was instrumental in getting the House of Delegates to pass legislation, sponsored by Sen. Yvonne B. Miller, that requires social service boards to seek out "kinship foster care" before putting kids in foster care. Relatives selected are now eligible for payments normally provided foster care providers.
The town hall meetings, Alexander said, are vital to getting word out about assistance available to grandparents and others. Sometime next month, officials will huddle to discuss their findings. All this, we hope, will lead to greater awareness about what sort of assistance is available to help grandparents and others do such important work for the second time.
Read editorials and articles regarding Kenneth Alexander


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Increasing The Independence and
Self-Sufficiency of Individuals with Autism
Autism Transition -
Autism Transition, new within Autism Services offers the next step for individuals interested in more vocational opportunities and independence while still maintaining consistency and structure to ensure individuals achieve success.
- This program is a highly structured and individualized program allowing opportunities to address specific skills including:
Functional Life Skills – communication, self-care, social skills, cooking, money skills, fitness, recreation and leisure, self-advocacy.
- Vocational Skills – production/subcontract work, recycling, janitorial, shredding, mailings, greeting card company, button company
- Community Integration
Contact Information
For more information regarding the Autism Services program please contact the Operations Supervisor, James Marshall at 708-730-6213 or email@example.com. For intake information please contact Lynn King, Consumer Support Services Coordinator at 708-730-6352 or email@example.com.

subset: commoncrawl


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Now that he's been proven to have lied to Congress about having been briefed on the criminal conspiracy known as Operation Fast & Furious, our illustrious Attorney General has come up with a new excuse: He says that he never actualy read the weekly memos that were sent to his office beginning last summer.
In a letter to Congress, Attorney General Eric Holder has gone on the record with the most details yet about what he and other Justice Department officials knew about ATF's Fast and Furious operation, even though memos surfaced earlier this week showing multiple briefing memos mentioning Fast and Furious were sent to him as early as July of last year.
Holder says that his testimony to Congress, stating he first heard of Fast and Furious earlier this year, "was truthful and accurate… I have no recollection of knowing about Fast and Furious prior to the public controversy about it."
In his letter, Holder also criticized the House Committee investigating Fast and Furious, saying he cannot sit idly by "as law enforcement and government employees who devote their lives to protecting our citizens be considered 'accessories to murder'."
Holder maintains he didn't know about the controversial gunwalking tactics used in the case.
The Attorney General says that while he was sent received memos on Fast and Furious, they are "actually provided to and reviewed by members of my staff and the staff of the Office of the Deputy Attorney General."
As CBS News has reported, the Deputy Attorney General during Fast and Furious, Gary Grindler is now Holder's Chief of Staff. Documents provided to Congress indicate Grindler received a detailed briefing on Fast and Furious in March of 2010 and made handwritten notes on briefing materials.
Leave it to Holder to come up with a defense even more pathetic than "It depends on the meaning of 'is'."


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Amanda Peet, Shepard Fairey and Jason Reitman were among those gathered at Sony Pictures Studios lot on Saturday in support the Library Foundation of Los Angeles.Read more
Director/star Aselton reveals what she cut from the film's Sundance debut and her high and lowlights of filming the girl-centric thriller.Read more
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Country singer Justin Moore will be performing on the season finale of the reality singing competition "The Voice" on May 20. He is signed to the record label, Valory Music Company, which is a part of the Big Machine Label Group.
This past April, Moore was crowned "New Artist of the Year" by the Academy of Country Music (ACM).
He will be singing his current radio single "Lettin' The Night Roll," which is a track from his latest studio album "Off The Beaten Path," which debuted at the top of the Billboard Hot Country Albums charts. His latest sits at No. 9 on the Billboard Hot Country Airplay charts, for the week of May 24.
Moore will also join fellow country singers and label-mates Brantley Gilbert and Thomas Rhett on "Small Town Throwdown" and will be featured on "Nashville Outlaws: A Tribute to Motley Crue," which will be released this summer.
For more information on country music star Justin Moore, visit his official website.


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Skydiving.com now has a network skydiving location serving Montrose and Susquehanna County in Pennsylvania. Call Skydiving.com at 1-800-617-7948 for details, free information and specials on skydiving in Montrose, PA today!
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Skip to comments.DNC steps in to silence lawsuit over Obama birth certificate
Posted on 10/04/2008 9:16:33 AM PDT by Amityschild
The man suing Sen. Barack Obama and the Democratic National Committee for proof of Obama's American citizenship is outraged that his own party rather than just providing the birth certificate he seeks would step in to silence him by filing a motion to dismiss his lawsuit.
As WND reported, prominent Pennsylvania Democrat and attorney Philip J. Berg filed suit in U.S. District Court two months ago claiming Obama is not a natural-born U.S. citizen and therefore not eligible to be elected president. Berg has since challenged Obama publicly that if the candidate will simply produce authorized proof of citizenship, he'll drop the suit.
Berg told WND the longer the DNC tries to ignore his lawsuit or make it go away instead of just providing the documents the more convinced he is that his accusations are correct.
(Excerpt) Read more at worldnetdaily.com ...
If Berg can back up his claims with hard facts, why not put a TV ad out,buy a full-page ad in the paper,scream it from the rooftops? Something's not right here,no matter how you look at it.
The truth is the truth
Since when did the Dems let a little thing like the TRUTH get in their way?
Nobody is tasked with that. There is no law requiring the candidates to show any documentation to any federal, state, or local agency.
> If Obama is elected and not a citizen then Biden would be President...
Somehow, I think I would prefer Biden to Obama. Some choice, an idiot or something that is pure evil.
and Rossi gave up as I recall...
Not at all, i have heard rush, sean, laura & tgo all reference them as a source.
You may well be right. Maybe that's the most likely explanation of this affair. However, that does not give him the right to fake documents, or withholding relevant documentation. Whatever would the leftist MSM have said if Nixon had erased his middle name? Oh...they even made a film about it, didn't they?
There is a third conclusion: he doesn't do it because he doesn't have to.
I hope this guy doesn't give up hope.
If your amazing tale comes to pass then Biden would be the president and would appoint a vice-president with the approval of both houses of Congress.
I think you have nailed it.
Mohammed is likely part of his birth name.
someone went to Kenya and is looking for that BC..in fact, it was in Corsi's book.
Are you saying a President has to be a natural born American citizen, but he doesn't have to prove it? Oh, please don't tell us that the citizenship qualification is only based on an honor system.
Good thought, but means nothing. If Obama is President the first thing the RATS and he will do is issue an executive order exempting him that the President does not have to be a US Citizen. Nothing will challenge the Communist Party (formally known as Democrats). Obama will finish converting America.
Taking a chance that the judge will not order him to do so.
OTOH look at the election financing scandal of Mrs Clinton. What ever happened to that one? Did the media cover it? Where is Doug?
I just moved to Oregon from Ohio, and to get my Oregon driver's license, I had to prove my identity by showing a official copy of my birth certificate, among other things.
One would think that a little bit more scrutiny would be required in order to determine basic eligibility to be President.
The Senate isn't tied. And besides, the Senate casting the vote would be the one sworn in a few weeks before inauguration day. If polls hold true there will be more Democrats in it then than there are now.
The electoral college votes AFTER the election, and it's decision is reviewable by SCOTUS.
Line 3 (Citizenship) Indonesia
Line 4 (Religion) Islam
The Constitution? when was the last time most courts followed that though? back before the switch in time that saved nine I suppose.... another socialist democrat screwing up the court system even then
besides... the Left loves their "selected not elected" BS.... I can only imagine the backlash if it was true Obama isn't naturally born and gets thrown out
***Would Biden assume the presidency, I dont know Constitutional law.***
Don't worry, Obama doesn't either.
And with the war on terror...it is essential our president is thoroughly vetted in the interests of the US.
"Why not just produce the birth certificate? Wouldnt that be waaaay cheaper?"
Yes, which means there really might be something to this. There is no other remotely reasonable reason for them to sandbag and obsfucate on this way.
Pretty much, yeah. What proof did Bush or Kerry or Gore or any prior president provide?
Oh, please dont tell us that the citizenship qualification is only based on an honor system.
Again, pretty much, yeah. There is nothing in the law requiring a candidate present his or her credentials to any agency prior to running.
OK, maybe that is it...
Obama knows the certificate posted on his website is a forgery. That's why he doesn't simply point to it and end the law suit. I think posting a forged certificate constitutes a fraud. So who will prosecute him for it?
Why no viral video on this topic?
That will be the united State's new Black Friday.
That is another whole new legal question in itself, because then the Hussein-boy is the one who selected Biden without have any authority to do so???
Motion after motion after motion has been filed by David Kendall. We are hoping to finally get people under oath in 2009.
Should be easy to provide the birth certificate ?
Unless it is from Kenya...?
No Clinton would be President because she came in 2nd in the Dem primary...
The DNC and CAIR getting involved means he was not born in the USA. They are concerned. They would be ignoring this and hoping it would fade away if it was not serious. Mr. Berg is a real patriot.
Hawaii can print off a real copy if it exists. Obama has provided crude forgeries of HI birth certificates.
I hope Mr. Berg can get to the truth fast but we must donate and volunteer to help McCain-PALIN.
GOP get Sarah & Todd to WS, MN and MI. McCain is +1 or tied in MN and WS. Sarah can win all three states plus Iowa, lock down Ohio and win PA.
Donate and volunteer for McCain-Palin folks. If you have a few bucks donate to Mr. Berg too.
This is beyond ridiculous. Why won't Barack Hussein Obama show that he has the simple prerequisites to serve as President of the United States?
Now that he has admitted that he was a Kenyan citizen, I think it is clear that he must clarify his U.S. citizenship status. He must now provide his hospital birth records, his birth certificate, and paperwork about his sojourn in Indonesia showing his exact visa or citizenship status there.
Instead, he ups the ante by now involving the DNC and a lawyer most prominent for his work for CAIR?
Why won't Senator Obama simply show that he is even eligible to serve as our president? It is only 30 days to the election; early voting and absentee voting have already started.
Simply show the American people that he is even eligible to serve. It's not as if this is a difficult task. If Mr. Obama cannot even do such a simple act for his fellow Americans, how can he ask us to trust him to do far more arduous tasks as president of our nation?
Prior to running, you are correct. HOWEVER, before the Chief Justice of the SCOTUS can administer the oath of office, there must be some evidence required, musn't there? How else do you comply with the Constitution?
Thanks for the response. I really was wondering.
It sounds like a candidate does not have to PROVE citizenship. However, if someone else proves he is NOT a natural born citizen, does that count for disqualification?
Also, per your thoughts, what standard of proof would it take someone else to prove his is not a natural born citizen to the point of disqualifying him for the Presidency?
McCain plans fiercer strategy against Obama
"We're going to get a little tougher," a senior Republican operative said, indicating that a fresh batch of television ads is coming. "We've got to question this guy's associations. Very soon...."
Is that really true? Even in the case of a fraudulent campaign? I would think the both of them would be kicked out...and perhaps another election? Just allowing Biden to be pres doesnt sound right in that circumstance.
In fact, if your attorney fails to make the motion, you should probably sue him or her for malpractice.
That this is allowed to happen, along with all the other strong armed un-American situations lately, like a firmly biased MSM, passage of a crippling bailout, an open border policy, intent to give amnesty to illegals is proof to me that we are no longer a law abiding Republic.
The Communist Party, misnomered the Democrat Party, has taken us over. It must be a done deal. Where is the Republican Party in all of this mess? Gone with the wind!
I'm not a lawyer but have a question.
If he is elected (God forbid) and then it is found out he is not eligible, what happens then?
Good idea. No one has been paid off in HI - yet.
Obama provided a recent copy from HI that was a crude fraud. See YouTube for an analysis where a recent copy from a Hawaii born citizen provided their copy versus the creude fake Obama's campaign provided. Obama's is a fake.
Bout time some one else picked this up.
If Berg can back up his claims with hard facts, why not put a TV ad out,buy a full-page ad in the paper,scream it from the rooftops? Somethings not right here,no matter how you look at it.
Not everyone has deep pockets FRiend.
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Weather Report: Palladium
Weather Report
Heavy Weather (Columbia)
Joe Zawinul (keyboards), Wayne Shorter (tenor sax), Jaco Pastorius (electric bass),
Alex Acuna (drums), Manola Badrena (congas, percussion).
Composed by Wayne Shorter.
Recorded: December 1976-February 1977
Rating: 97/100 (learn more)
Wayne Shorter has said he composed this song in honor of the Latin music he heard growing up as a child. He captures the energy and spark often heard in Latin music, especially at the end of the track. Zawinul plays some tasty synth lines at the end while Jaco thumps and pops like no one else could. Jaco's tone on this track is splendid and laid the foundation for all of the other bassists who bit his style. It's a shame Shorter didn't get to compose more for the band because his gift of melody is unlike anyone else's in jazz. This song is a testament to Weather Report's strengths, as they play circles around every other fusion band from this period. The band's innovative qualities ensure that their music will continue to be heard by generations of listeners. Weather Report pushed the envelope of jazz.
Reviewer: Jared Pauley
Tags: 1970s jazz · fusion
Comments are closed.


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New York school vice-principal dies from swine Flu
A New York assistant school principal has died from Swine Flu and city officials who closed additional schools on Sunday are being blamed for acting too late to close the school where he had worked. The critics said authorities did not close the school even though the virus had already been identified among some kids.
A spokesman for Flushing Hospital confirmed the death of Mitchell Wiener, 55, of intermediate school 238 in Queens. This is the fifth flu related death in the United States where cases of Swine Flu continue to escalate. (Read this as well : Two among eight dead in U.S. were school teachers.)
At the same time, The New York Daily News quoted the angry wife of the school principal saying authorities should have acted sooner to close the school where flu had already been identified.
The newspaper said when the principal tried to close the school authorities told him he was causing a panic.
Initially, the Centers for Disease Control ordered schools closed even if a single case of Swine Flu was identified. But Canadian officials advised schools to remain open even if there was a case of Swine Flu.
The CDC later revised its guidelines to suggest school closure would be left up to local authorities. The flip-flop by the CDC is also likely to come under attack.
There were 4714 cases of Swine Flu in the U.S. when the latest report was available. Updates are not issued on weekends.
On Friday, New York authorities closed three schools and on Sunday they ordered five more schools closed as more students became ill from suspected Swine Flu.


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Convention is the place to get the latest updates on Girl Scout programs and initiatives, and for sharing ideas with both old and new friends. But there is also an excellent array of pre-convention happenings that are not to be missed, so plan on arriving early!
Pre-convention events will be held on Tuesday, October 14 and Wednesday, October 15, before the official opening of convention on Thursday, October 16. You won't want to miss Girl Scout History Conference 2014, the pre-convention trips, the Girl Scout University sessions and workshops, or any of the valuable informal networking opportunities available to you prior to the start of the National Council Session.
Alumnae, volunteers, and Girl Scout council staff are all welcome to join the fun early and make the most out of your visit to Salt Lake.
©2014 Girl Scouts of the United States of America. All rights reserved.


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If youÆre having a Halloween party or decking out your home for trick or treaters, weÆre sure youÆll agree that Halloween decorations certainly arenÆt cheap. ThatÆs where Halloween Popcorn Balls come in ¢ these deliciously popped creations are a treat to nosh on, and by adding a dash of creativity, also make for much more affordable Halloween decorations! HereÆs some tips that our handy Halloween experts have conjured up:
Eyeball Garland
If your Halloween dķcor theme is a little more creeptastic than fairytale, stringing up ōeyeball garlandö is just the thing for you. Simply unwrap Halloween popcorn balls, and use red and black permanent markers to gently draw the look of a bloodshot eyeball on each popcorn ball. Carefully create a hole through the center of each popcorn ball, and run a string through each popcorn ball. Hang them throughout your home, and youÆll have ōall eyesö on you and your guests!
Candyland Creations
Candyland just so happens to be our favorite board game and one of our most loved party dķcor themes. Whip your Halloween dķcor into a Candyland theme by sticking long dowels into each Halloween popcorn ball to give the illusion that theyÆre lollipops. Then, use craft paints to carefully paint each Halloween ōlollipopö into swirling colors. Decorate your home with them, add some bright streamers, and youÆll be all Candyland-decked out!
Classically Halloween
Classic Halloween themes, like ghosts, spiders, and pumpkins, are the essence of a traditional Halloween theme. Use Halloween popcorn balls to create spiders nestling at the feet of your guests ¢ simply wrap black felt around a Halloween popcorn ball, and attach black dowel sticks or pipe cleaners to it as the spiderÆs eight legs. Wrap a piece of orange felt around a Halloween popcorn ball to make a pumpkin, and use permanent black marker to transform it into a jack-o-lantern. Let ghosts sway from your gently turning ceiling fans by placing a small white bag over each Halloween popcorn ball, and tighten the bag at the base of the Halloween popcorn ball to resemble the ghostÆs head. Then, simply attach to each ceiling fan blade with string, and put the fan on a very low setting to allow the ghosts to sway throughout the room.
Halloween Popcorn Balls are more than just a much-loved Halloween treat, theyÆre a more creative, affordable way to decorate for your Halloween party or trick or treaters! With just a dollop of ingķnue, Halloween candy becomes more than just delicious candy ¢ it becomes our Halloween dķcor.Ā


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This dress was purchased at a wedding boutique and I absolutely love it! It has a beautiful and delicate lace with a tulle overlay. It is simple, elegant, and classic with just enough detail. The corset back helps the dress form to any figure perfectly. The long train was my favorite and can be bustled to give the bride a nice silhouette.
- Alterations: The length was slightly altered and bustles were added. Bra cups were also added.
- Preservation Method: The dress was taken to the cleaners within a week after my wedding and is hung inside the original dress bag.
- Terms of Sale: All Sales Final
- Original Owner: Yes
- Has Original Receipt: Yes
- Location: los angeles, CA
- Will Ship to: Anywhere at Buyer Expense
- Payment Methods Accepted: Other
Please read our BUYER'S GUIDE before purchasing a dress online.


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WWE News
– Yahoo! Sports has an article on John Cena granting his 300th wish through the Make-A-Wish foundation earlier this week. The piece notes that WWE had to rearrange Cena's entire schedule to make sure it happened and that Cena is determined to grant 1000 wishes. Click here to read the article in its entirety.
– One of the biggest stories we are currently following is the behind-the-scenes drama involving John Cena and CM Punk trying to nudge Randy Orton out of WWE. So far, their efforts have been unsuccessful with Vince McMahon planning to bring Orton back to the main event scene as soon as his suspension expires. According to a source with knowledge of McMahon's mindset, his reasoning is two fold. First, with the talent pool as thin as it is right now, McMahon feels it's worth taking the risk of getting behind Orton in a major way again even though he'll be terminated if there are any more Wellness issues. Second, even though Vince isn't normally concerned about TNA, his attitude is different now due to the litigation against WWE and the last thing he wants to do right now is hand TNA a top tier talent on a silver platter. The most interesting elements in all of this though are the political maneuvers that have been taking place with Cena and Punk. The two of them have become very close over the last year, with Punk feeling like Cena went out of his way to help make him and Cena feeling like Punk is a hard worker and a reliable guy who can help shoulder the burden of carrying the company. In addition to the mutual respect that has grown between Cena and Punk, both have a mutual dislike for Orton. The feeling is Orton is a prima donna who not only mistreats those beneath him, but is also erratic and unreliable. They both went to Vince to plead their case that Orton was not needed anymore and that Punk could carry the Smackdown brand and the two of them could carry the company. Ultimately Vince didn't go along with it but it did lead to Punk working Smackdown live events while Orton is out. We'll still be following the story as it's certainly interesting that while the plan is to bring Orton back, Cena and Punk have essentially formed an alliance and are actively seeking to push Orton out of the company. Given the added drama, McMahon has even more difficult ego juggling on his hands. While Vince views Orton as a bigger star than Punk, Cena is still the golden boy. Also, while Orton has a lot of enemies backstage and Cena is generally well-liked, a lot of guys view Punk as an opinionated jerk and don't like the idea of him gaining more stroke and influence due to his friendship with Cena.
– WWE issued the following press release today:
STAMFORD, Conn., Jun 25, 2012 (BUSINESS WIRE) — WWE and ION Television today announced a new weekly one-hour original series airing on Wednesday nights at 8/7C. WWE Main Event will debut on October 3, 2012, and feature WWE Superstars and Divas from the rosters of Monday Night Raw and Friday Night SmackDown. The new show will be available in 100 million U.S. television households on ION Television, a top-rated general entertainment network that features a broad mix of critically acclaimed series, movies and original programming.
"ION Television is delighted to begin a new partnership with such a successful and well-recognized franchise as WWE," said Brandon Burgess, CEO, ION Media Networks. "As a general entertainment network with a solid foundation, WWE Main Event is a great addition to our lineup that features something for everyone. We look forward to introducing our ION audience to all of the excitement and drama WWE has to offer as well as welcoming a passionate new fan base to the network."
"WWE looks forward to this new partnership with ION Television," said Vince McMahon, WWE Chairman and CEO. "We are excited about producing this new television show, WWE Main Event, and bringing our fans to ION Television every Wednesday."
WWE Main Event will feature in-ring action and fit seamlessly in storylines from Monday Night Raw and Friday Night SmackDown, making Wednesday night appointment viewing for fans. The new series will offer a big arena experience with live audiences like current WWE weekly programs.
– The official WWE website has announced that Charlie Sheen will act as the Celebrity Social Media Ambassador for the 1000th episode of Raw SuperShow. The website explains his role in the following excerpt:
During the three-hour milestone event July 23 at 8/7 CT on USA Network, the "winning" actor will entertain his 7.5 million Twitter followers and the WWE Universe all night long with his unique 140-character analysis of the action.
Sheen will be promoting his upcoming show, Anger Management, which premieres this Thursday on FX. Click here to view the full announcement.
– Kane, Big Show, Chris Jericho and John Cena have been announced as participants for the WWE Championship Money in the Bank ladder match at the pay-per-view next month. The criteria for participants is that only former WWE Champions are eligible for the bout.
– It was announced on tonight's Raw Supershow that Brock Lesnar will "respond" to Triple H's "challenge" for a match at SummerSlam on next week's show. As of this writing, Lesnar isn't advertised to appear live.
– Sycho Sid returned to WWE on tonight's Raw Supershow to squash Heath Slater. Sid's appearance was part of a reoccurring theme of bringing back past talent to celebrate the 1000th episode of Raw on July 23, 2012.
– CM Punk will defend the WWE Championship against Daniel Bryan at Money in the Bank next month.
– Next week's Super Smackdown Live is branded The Great American Bash. The show will take place next Tuesday from the American Bank Center in Corpus Christi, Texas. The Great American Bash was a pay-per-view name used by the NWA's Jim Crockett Promotions, World Championship Wrestling and of course WWE.
– Dot com has a video online with Sycho Sid discussing how good it felt to return to Raw. Sid called it the greatest moment of his whole life. You can watch the full video at this link.
– After Raw Supershow went off the air, John Cena "recovered" and beat Big Show & Tensai in a 2-on-1 handicap match. After the match, John Laurinaitis came out and hit Cena with a chair. Cena ended up giving him the Attitude Adjustment to end the taping.
– Randy Orton broke his silence on Twitter, answering followers about numerous issues.
One follower asked him if he was caught smoking weed in which Orton said, "I can neither confirm, nor deny." Another asked him about a report by a NEWZ site about John Cena wanting to get him fired and instead of responding to the claim, Orton took a crap on what he called the 'news' sites.
If you want to know what's going on behind-the-scenes regarding Orton, read this story.
Richard Reacts: Given the fact that 99% of wrestling websites are NEWZ websites with copy and pasted content posted over and over again, I really don't blame Orton for crapping on them. I don't care if it's a dig at WNW because anyone that reads WNW knows we are an entire different level than just about every other website out there. I post stories directly from backstage that prove to be true time and time again. I'll put the number of stories I've broken over the past 5 years up against any publication out there so it really doesn't bother me about any of the heat we may get. We know what we are doing but are only able to do it with your support and for that I say thank you.
– Chris Jericho posted the following on Twitter after Raw Supershow:
Awesome to be back on Raw! Great time working @JohnCena and the crowd was amazing!#byebyesuspension
— Chris Jericho (@IAmJericho) June 26, 2012
– I'm told there was heat on Alberto Del Rio after his "number one contender's match" against Dolph Ziggler on Raw Supershow. According to a source with knowledge of the situation, John Cena approached Del Rio backstage about not protecting Dolph towards the end of the match where Dolph landed on the back of his neck and shoulder on the apron. His beef was that Del Rio didn't protect the move or the fall that Dolph took. Accompanying Cena was a producer who sternly reminded Del Rio to protect guys on a roll to the outside. Apparently Del Rio brushed off the criticism and upset John even more for not giving him the respect he felt he deserved. I'm told Cena has already been vocal with how guys are acting like they are "too good" and being tough to deal with. My source added the ongoing problems in John's personal life are most-certainly keeping him a little more uptight as well. Another reason for Cena's vocal displeasure with Del Rio could also have something to do with the fiasco that went down last week with Del Rio threatening to walk. However, it's believed Cena will be having a conversation with the other producers and it's likely this will "go right to Vince McMahon." As for Ziggler, he was just sore afterwards and wasn't seriously injured but was examined by medical staff backstage. – WWE issued an apology today for a technical malfunction at USA Network's Master Control that interrupted the opening of this week's Raw Supershow by a 60-second local advertisement. They are offering the first three minutes of Raw on dot com. Below is the official statement:
Due to a technical malfunction at USA Network's Master Control, the opening of last night's Raw SuperShow was inadvertently interrupted by a 60-second local spot. On behalf of USA Network and those of us here at WWE, we apologize for this error. To watch the first three minutes of Raw now, uninterrupted, click here.
I have DirecTV and had no issues watching the broadcast. – Vickie Guerrero announced during this week's Smackdown taping that AJ will be the special guest referee when CM Punk faces Daniel Bryan for the WWE Championship at WWE Money in the Bank. Click here to view this week's Smackdown spoilers. – It was announced during this week's Smackdown taping that Theodore Long will be the Interim General Manager for next week's editions of Raw Supershow and Smackdown. – Justin Roberts was on vacation Monday night so Lilian Garcia filled in for him. Lilian made comment about the situation on Twitter at this link. (Thanks to WNW reader Logan Walker for sending this in.) – Brock Lesnar is officially advertised for the 1000th Raw on July 23, 2012. – Tammy "Sunny" Sytch claimed on Twitter that her boyfriend, Damien Darling, was recently contacted by WWE:
My sweet love got a call from the WWE today..fingers crossed everyone!!@DamienDarling — Tamara Sytch (@WWEHOFerSunny) June 26, 2012
– In a hilarious twist, I'm told a Linda McMahon for Senate campaign ad actually interrupted the opening moments of Raw Supershow for some viewers in Connecticut. Due to the fact the interruption was a local spot, it was different depending on the market. WWE issued an apology on Tuesday and offered the opening moments of Raw on dot com. – Insane Clown Posse has filmed a music video for the new lead single on their upcoming "Mighty Death Pop" album due out August 14th. The song, called "Chris Benoit," apparently deals with the loss of sanity and snapping in a moment of panic. You can read coverage by the Detroit Free Press at this link. – WWE has updated their key performance indicators with new data regarding pay-per-view buys. The most interesting number is Wrestlemania XXVIIIbuys which continue to drop. Originally projected at 1,300,000 buys, actual buys have now been adjusted to 1,150,000 buys. Below are the updated numbers:
- Elimination Chamber 2012 – 170,000 buys
- Wrestlemania XXVIII – 1,150,000 buys
- Extreme Rules 2012 – 250,000 buys
- Over the Limit 2012 – 150,000 buys
All numbers are projections and approximations but it gives you an idea of how the pay-per-views performed. – Below is what you won't see on this week's Smackdown:
- Triple H came out during one of the commercial breaks and gave David Otunga a pedigree.
- Jerry Lawler appeared at one point, hitting a top rope fist-drop on Jack Swagger.
- After the taping concluded, John Cena beat Big Show & Tensai in a dark match main event.
You can read full Smackdown taping results by Brooks Oglesby at this link. – Damien Sandow, Tyson Kidd, WWE United States Champion Santio Marella, WWE Intercontinental Champion Christian and Tensai all qualified for the World Heavyweight Championship Money in the Bank ladder match at this week's Smackdown taping. – WWE has video of Kofi Kingston's appearance on "Fact or Faked: Paranormal Files" Tuesday night on SyFy. You can watch the clip at this link. – Jim Ross has a new blog entry online that includes his thoughts on this week's Raw Supershow. Click here to read it. – The profile of John Laurinaitis has been removed from the Superstars listing on dot com but is still active at this link. (Thanks to WNW reader Logan Walker for sending this in.) – We received an unconfirmed tip that Damien Darling is in talks for a WWE dark match which goes along with what Tammy Sytch Tweeted. – Rey Mysterio's suspension is now over and he has been pushing for a match against Sin Cara at SummerSlam. One WWE source told me the company is in no hurry to rush Rey back and aren't really interested in a Cara/Mysterio program right now. I'm told the company wants to see how Sin Cara fairs on this go around and Vince McMahon figures he can bring Mysterio back at any point. The feeling is Mysterio's value to WWE will be hard to assess until they decide whether or not Cara is going to have legs. The reason Sin Cara has received so many changes in the first place is because he is Triple H's pet project and with him just returning, it's believed the company wants to give a chance before bringing Rey back. – The following article was written by The Associated Press:
HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — The professional wrestling company that Republican Senate candidate Linda McMahon once oversaw now wants a federal elections complaint filed by a Connecticut newspaper dismissed. The WWE, formerly known as World Wrestling Entertainment, said the complaint filed by the Journal Inquirer of Manchester "failed to provide a factual basis" for its accusation that the Stamford-based company illegally helped McMahon's campaign when it threatened a lawsuit against the newspaper. In a statement released Wednesday, WWE called the claim "absurd" and "an abuse of process." The Journal Inquirer filed its complaint with the Federal Elections Commission after a WWE official accused the newspaper of libel and threatened legal action if it didn't retract two opinion columns written by the managing editor, who asserted McMahon made her fortune from the pornography and violence business.
– Lilian Garcia, Natalya, Zack Ryder and injured Mark Henry all appeared as advertised on behalf of WWE on Wednesday night at the Brooklyn Cyclones Minor League Baseball game at MCU field. They hosted a be-A-Star anti-bullying rally where they interacted with fans that attended the game. Click here for a photo. – WWE had two clips featured on E!'s The Soup this week. – WWEhas announced the following news live events in Kansas:
- Kansas Expo Centre in Topeka, Kansas on September 29, 2012
- Intrust Bank Arena in Wichita, Kansas on September 30, 2012
With WWE pay-per-view buys down do you think WWE will either lower prices of their events or possibly have restaurants charge a cover fee for patrons to watch the shows? Answering the second part of this question first, restaurants such as Buffalo Wild Wings have to pay a significant fee to show WWE pay-per-views. Due to the fact they are a public place where the show will be seen on multiple screens, they have to pay significantly more than you or I would by watching at home. As for WWE lowering their pay-per-view prices, there has been talk about tweaking the pay-per-view model with the launch WWE Network but I haven't heard anything about reducing the cost of the pay-per-views. WWE is aware things need tweaked but given the fact Wrestlemania XXVIII set a buy record (even though it's been lowered), they know people will buy if there is enough interest. Why does WWE continue to push workers such as Tensai and Ryback when they are just getting mocked with "Albert" and "Goldberg" chants? Tensai's push has been scaled back significantly as WWE producers along with Vince McMahon recognized he didn't get over how they planned. Much of what you have seen with Big Show was originally slated for Tensai. WWE has not completely given up on him and are tweaking things in attempt to make the gimmick work. As for Ryback, the general feeling is not one of optimism but Vince McMahon is still high up on him. We'll see how it plays out but it's also important not to judge a gimmick too quickly. So many fans want to criticize a gimmick before it even gets a chance. There are a lot of gimmicks that started awful and turned out to be entertaining. Patience is key but there is a point when the plug needs to be pulled. What do you expect for the 1000th Raw in terms of returns and surprise appearances? The 1000th episode of WWE Raw is going to be loaded and will feature all WWE has not only to try and boost a huge rating but also create momentum for their permanent move to three hours. Some names already announced for the 1000th Raw that are not reoccurring on WWE television are Brock Lesnar and D-Generation X. Do you feel it's the right time for CM Punk to drop the WWE Championship or do you feel he needs to continue his long title reign? CM Punk is clearly established as a main event star in WWE and given his extended reign as WWE Champion, dropping the title would not hurt him. Is it time? This is a whole other question and I'm not sure I have a clear-cut answer. On one hand, Daniel Bryan is capable of carrying the title but on the other hand, I'd like to see Punk get a chance to headline a pay-per-view as WWE Champion, which is something that hasn't happened this year. – Some of the horrible lines from John Cena's in-ring promo with Chris Jericho on this week's Raw Supershow were removed from repeat airings. Cena's line where he told Jericho he was going to win "the whole fudgin' thing" in regards to the WWE Championship Money in the Bank Ladder Match along with his claim that the majority of WWE's audience is comprised of 9-year-olds were edited off. Below is an excerpt of the promo as recapped by Kendra Bunyon:
Cena says stop Big Show in the MITBLM and keep him from being Champ? They both know that everyone with the suitcase has always cashed it in to be the Champ. Cena knows it better than anyone, he's had that suitcase cashed in on him more than once! He figures it's time to be on the other side of the fence. He hasn't been Champ in over a year. Come to think of it, at MITB, he's out to win the whole fudgin' thing. Jericho says,"Fudgin'?" "It's a PG show, it's the best I could do," says Cena. "What are you, nine?" asks Jericho. Cena says,"Most of our viewers are about that age."
– Mick Foley has been pushing for a match at SummerSlam but has been getting the cold shoulder. From what I've been told, Foley would like to wrestle Dean Ambrose as a culmination of their online/viral feud that started over Wrestlemania XXVIII weekend earlier this year. Foley's biggest hurdle is Triple H. Hunter "has it out" for Foley and often shoots down ideas involving him, especially if he knows the hardcore legend is behind them. Regardless of strong opposition from Triple H, Foley's pitched program with Ambrose may still happen but it's not currently in the plans for SummerSlam. I'm told Hunter isn't big on the idea of Foley wrestling again. Foley had been scheduled for a while to return to TV at the end of June, so he ended up just being used as the interim GM, although originally Foley thought he'd be returning to kick off his program with Ambrose. As for Foley's reaction to being blackballed by Hunter, he's trying to "no sell" the whole situation and roll with the punches but he's very aware of what is going on. – WWE Studios will team with Troika Pictures to co-produce and co-finance the upcoming thriller, "The Hive," starring Halle Berry and Abigail Breslin. Principal photography is scheduled to begin on July 6th in Los Angeles. Click here for coverage by dot com. – Maxine has left WWE, I can now confirm. While she worked Monday's Divas Battle Royal, she was unhappy with her position in the company including but not limited to the structure of her contract. Maxine, whose real name is Karlee Perez, has been with WWE since 2009 when she signed a developmental contract.


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Steven Gerrard believes Brendan Rodgers was the perfect young manager to take Liverpool forward - and admires the Northern Irishman's 'bottle' for stepping out of his comfort zone at Swansea.
Rodgers was acclaimed as one of the finest up and coming managers in the country after guiding Swansea into the Barclays Premier League in 2011.
A year later he had secured a mid-table finish despite limited resources - all while sticking to his brand of attacking, possession-based football.
All this prompted Liverpool owners John Henry and Tom Werner to make their move.
Gerrard thinks it was a fine appointment.
"Our fans demand that we are successful and that we win and if you are looking for a young manager out there who has everything going for him who can help us achieve that success I think you pick Brendan Rodgers," he told reporters.
"He gave up a top job in a comfortable situation at Swansea, where he'd done fantastically well, and had the bottle and the character to come and take this big job on.
"Now the responsibility and the pressure is shared with the likes of myself and Jamie (Carragher) because it is a tough club as well with the demands and expectations on a daily basis."
Tagged: Brendan Rodgers , Rodgers , gerrard , steven gerrard


text:
O'Hair-FCC Hoax:
The Depths Of
Religious Depravity
Sammi Ruth Fowler
From: "Sammi Ruth Fowler"
To: "Cliff Walker" <email@example.com>
Sent: Thursday, June 28, 2001 8:33 PM
Subject: Re: IMPORTANT PLEASE DO NOT DELETE W/OUT READING
Hi Cliff
I am enjoying your Print Edition a lot.
I got this today. What do you think of it? Isn't it a lot of clap-trap? Could be dangerous. I want to answer this guy who sent it to me. I know him personally.
SR Fowler
----- Original Message -----
Date: Wed, 27 Jun 2001 17:31:25 -0500
When Madeline O'Haire first started trying to take prayer out of the schools, I really didn't think our government would allow it such a thing. Look at where we are now. Please pray about the following email and respond the way God is leading you to respond. .net; email@example.com;
Touched by an Angel is one of my favorite shows.
THOUGH SHE'S DEAD AND HAS JUST BEEN LOCATED, AFTER FIVE YEARS, THIS woman CONTINUES TO HAUNT US FROM HER SHALLOW GRAVE. GET THIS:
CBS will be forced to discontinue "Touched by an Angel" for using the word God in every program. Madeline Murray O'Hare, an atheist, successfully managed to eliminate the use of Bible reading from public schools a few years ago.
Now her organization has been granted a Federal Hearing on the same subject by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in Washington, DC.
Their petition, number 2493, would ultimately pave the way to stop the reading of the gospel of our Lord and Savior, on the airwaves of America.
They got 287,000 signatures to back their stand! If this attempt is successful, all Sunday worship services being broadcast on the radio or by television will be stopped. This group is also campaigning to remove all Christmas programs and Christmas carols from public schools!!
You as a Christian can help! We are praying for at least 1 million signatures. This would defeat their effort and show that there are many Christians alive, well and concerned about our country. As Christians, we must unite on this. Please don't take this lightly.
We ignored this lady once and lost prayer in our schools and in offices across the nation.
Please stand up for your religious freedom and let your voice be heard. Together, we can make a difference in our country while creating an opportunity for the lost to know the Lord.
Please press "forward," delete only what is not needed, and forward this to everyone on your list. Now, please sign your name at the bottom.
You can add your name only after you have pressed the "forward" button.)
Don't delete anything, just go to the next number and type your name. Please do not sign jointly, such as Mr. & Mrs. Each person should sign his/her own name. Please e-mail this to everyone you know, and help us defeat this organization and keep the right of our freedom of religion.
When you get to 1000 please e mail back to Lisa Norman. Thank you!
From: "Positive Atheism" <firstname.lastname@example.com>
To: "Sammi Ruth Fowler"
Subject: Re: IMPORTANT PLEASE DO NOT DELETE W/OUT READING
Date: Thursday, June 28, 2001 9:41 PM
Our FAQ details the monumental amount of wasted time and money that the decades-long spread of this one falsehood has cost American taxpayers.
Neither Madalyn Murray O'Hair nor American Atheists has ever had anything to do with an unsuccessful petition filed on December 5, 1974, by Jeremy Lansman and Lorenzo Milam. The men were helping minority groups set up non-commercial FM stations, and were frustrated with the relative ease that religious groups have in setting up stations. Lansman and Milam, by the way, were described by Madalyn Murray O'Hair as "both religious young men." The petition (RM-2493) said, in part, "Request for 'Freeze' on all Applications by Religious 'Bible', 'Christian', and other Sectarian Schools, Colleges, and Institutes for Reserved Educational FM and TV Channels."
By summer, 1975, the FCC received half a million letters protesting O'Hair's non-existent petition. In April 1977, the Senate of Illinois, at the goading of Sen. LeRoy Lemke, passed a resolution condemning O'Hair for the petition. The largest number of letters registered in one day is 60,000, in 1980, prompting the FCC to ask the U.S. Congress for a appropriation of $250,000 to help cope with the flood. In total, over 20 million letters have been received by the FCC, denouncing Madalyn Murray O'Hair for something she never did."The important outcome of all this is that the religious community used those letters, which they had incited by a calculated lie, to bring pressure upon the FCC to permit them to have unlimited access to the media." The sad part is that the rest of us, the nonreligious, do not enjoy the advantages that these powerful religious groups have when it comes to obtaining and using Reserved Educational FM and TV Channels.
My response is that this serves only to show the depths of depravity to which the tribal totem loyalism of Fundamentalist Christianity inspires its adherents to sink. They not only willfully lie (even after most of the prominent Fundamentalist Christian leaders have asked them to stop telling this particular lie), but this also shows their sheer hatred in the gratuitous slander of a woman who has been dead for over five years, and of a people group who have done them no harm and who have done nothing, as a class, to deserve their vilification. (Do you know any of the 287,000 atheists who have, according to them, signed this petition? I don't!) On top of that, to send letters to the Federal Communications Commission in response to this lie continues to cost society tens of thousands of dollars each year: this, in my opinion, constitutes theft of public resources.
On a brighter note, O'Hair's work has become so important in our history that no matter how badly they misspell her name, everybody still knows who they're talking about!
I will post the signature portion of this petition below, unedited, because the names of those who would propagate falsehood such as this petition deserve to be displayed.
Cliff Walker
"Positive Atheism" Magazine
Five years of service to
people with no reason to believe
Signatures appearing on
this particular round of the
ongoing O'Hair-FCC madness:
> > -----Original Message -----
Material by Cliff Walker (including unsigned editorial commentary) is copyright ©1995-2006 by Cliff Walker. Each submission is copyrighted by its writer, who retains control of the work except that by submitting it to Positive Atheism, permission has been granted to use the material or an edited version: (1) on the Positive Atheism web site; (2) in Positive Atheism Magazine; (3) in subsequent works controlled by Cliff Walker or Positive Atheism Magazine (including published or posted compilations). Excerpts not exceeding 500 words are allowed provided the proper copyright notice is affixed. Other use requires permission; Positive Atheism will work to protect the rights of all who submit their writings to us.


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Valparaiso University Social Work Department, a liberal arts based professional undergraduate social work program within the context of a church-related institution of higher education, prepares generalist social work practitioners for service in the world. Valparaiso University's mission as a community of learning dedicated to excellence and grounded in the Lutheran tradition of scholarship, freedom, and faith, prepares students to lead and serve in both church and society (VU Mission). Our Social Work Department mission grows out of this university mission in that we provide a rigorous and stimulating educational environment characterized by a dynamic interchange between faculty and students that promotes critical thinking, conscious use of self, and active engagement in the learning process. Our vision is to foster the creation of coherent and integrated educational learning experiences that utilize an active learner model, valuing different ways of knowing, aimed at preparing students for generalist social work practice that will: address the whole person in the context of their environment be informed by an ecological/systems and strengths perspective be actively involved in advocacy, empowerment, and social change serve vulnerable and oppressed people implement culturally sensitive practice strategies contribute meaningfully to society by valuing service, social and economic justice, the dignity and worth of each person, importance of human relationships, and integrity and competence in all areas of generalist practice.
Program Goal
The curriculum is designed and organized around one primary goal, namely to educate and prepare students for ethical, effective, and culturally competent generalist social work practice for service in the world.
Program Core Competencies
Program Core Competencies, adopted from CSWE foundational competencies, are covered in courses central to the foundation curriculum (CSWE, EPAS, 2008). These ten core competencies guide faculty as they prepare students to engage in the necessary knowledge, values, and skill development for ethical, effective and culturally competent entry-level generalist practice.
1. Professional Identity: Students will identify as professional social workers and conduct oneself accordingly.
2. Ethical Practice: Students will apply social work ethical principles to guide professional practice.
3. Critical Thinking: Students will apply critical thinking to inform and communicate professional judgments.
4. Diversity in Practice: Students will engage diversity and difference in practice.
5. Human Rights & Justice: Students will advance human rights and social and economic justice.
6. Research Based Practice: Students will engage in research-informed practice and practice-informed research.
7. Human Behavior: Students will apply knowledge of human behavior and the social environment.
8. Policy Practice: Students will engage in policy practice to advance social and economic well-being and to deliver effective social work services.
9. Practice Contexts: Students will respond to contexts that shape practice.
10. Engage, Assess, Intervene, Evaluate: Students will engage, assess, intervene, and evaluate with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities.


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2001: Started all 50 games in which he played as a junior: 46 at first base and four in left field...earned first-team All-Conference USA and second-team All-Louisiana recognition...despite missing 19 games due to a broken wrist suffered in the season opener, finished tied for third on the team in stolen bases (15), fourth in home runs (10), fifth in RBI (53) and seventh in hits (68) and total bases (108)...had 25 multiple-hit games and 14 multiple-RBI contests...tallied a team-best 18-game hitting streak from April 13 through May 13 when he hit .410 (32-for-78)...once fully recovered from the wrist injury, hit .346 the rest of the season...got off to a slow start in the C-USA Tournament, but turned it on in the final four outings when he hit .421 (8-for-19) with seven RBI...hit .364 (4-for-11) in the New Orleans Regional; drew three walks vs. Southern (May 25) but ripped Oklahoma State (May 26, 27) for two singles, a double and a home run, four RBI and three runs scored in the final two games...had three or more hits four times, including four-hit performances vs. Cincinnati (March 23), at Charlotte (April 7) and at Southern Miss (April 21)...tallied a season-high five RBI vs. Houston (April 14) and at Southern Miss (April 21)...had four multiple extra-base hit contests, including two-homer outings vs. Houston (April 14), at Southern Miss (April 21) and at Louisville (May 11)...off the diamond, earned C-USA Commissioner's Academic Honor Roll recognition.
2000: Started all 61 games as a sophomore: 39 at second base, 20 in left field, one in right and one at designated hitter...earned first-team All-Conference USA honors and second-team All-Louisiana recognition after leading the team in runs scored (69) and walks (51), ranking second in home runs (12), third in batting average (.338), slugging percentage (.573), total bases (125) and doubles (19), and ranking fifth in hits (76)...ranked second in C-USA in runs scored, fifth in slugging percentage and walks, sixth in total bases, tied for seventh in home runs and tied for eighth in doubles...had 18 multiple-hit games and 13 multiple-RBI contests...recorded a .901 slugging percentage and a .562 batting average against C-USA opponents...hit safely in 46 of 51 games, including a seven-game streak from Feb. 26 through March 8 when he hit .416 (10-for-24)...recorded a team-best 14-game hitting streak from April 21 through May 14 when he hit .423 (25-for-59)...had three or more hits nine times, including a 5-for-5 performance at UAB (April 14) when he had two home runs, a triple, four runs scored and tied a career-high with six RBI...earned C-USA Player of the Week honors on May 1 after going 10-for-21 with two home runs, two doubles, six runs scored and five RBI in five games...earned all-tournament honors at the Winn Dixie Showdown (Feb. 18-20) after hitting .500 (5-for-10) with a double, four walks, four runs scored and three RBI against Auburn, Alabama and UNO.
1999: Started all 65 games at second base as a true freshman...became the first player in Tulane history to earn National Freshman of the Year honors, earning the distinction from Baseball America, College Baseball Insider and Collegiate Baseball...earned first-team All-America recognition from College Baseball Insider and second-team All-America honors from Baseball America, Baseball Weekly, Collegiate Baseball and the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association...also earned first-team Freshman All-America honors from Collegiate Baseball, and garnered first-team All-Conference USA and C-USA Freshman of the Year and league All-Freshman Team recognition...ranked 13th among NCAA Division I players with 1.38 runs per game...led the team in hits (104), runs scored (90), doubles (22), triples (4) and total bases (194) while finishing second in batting average (.374) and slugging percentage (.698), and tied for third in home runs (20)...led C-USA in runs scored and total bases, second in hits and RBI, tied for third in home runs, fourth in slugging percentage and eighth in C-USA in batting average...led Tulane with 35 multiple-hit games and ranked third on the team with 19 multiple-RBI outings...hit safely in 55 of 66 games, including an 18-game hitting streak when he hit .407 (33-for-81) from April 23 through May 29, and a 12-game streak when he hit .523 (23-for-44) from Feb. 13 through March 2...had three or more hits on 12 occasions, including a season-high four hits at Charlotte (March 19) and vs. Southeastern Louisiana (April 20)...had at least four RBI seven times, including five-RBI showings vs. Cincinnati (March 28) and against the Bearcats in the C-USA Tournament (May 19), and a career-best six-RBI contest at Charlotte (March 21)...earned C-USA Player of the Week honors on March 29 after going 9-for-16 with three home runs, three doubles, nine RBI and seven runs scored in four games...fell a single shy of hitting for the cycle at Nicholls State (March 9) and posted four two-home run games...off the diamond, earned C-USA Commissioner's Academic Honor Roll recognition.
Summer Ball: Spent summer 2000 with the Falmouth Commodores of the Cape Cod League where he tallied 34 hits, ranked second on the squad with 11 doubles and finished fourth on the team with 18 RBI...earned a tryout with Team USA in 1999.
High School: Four-year starter at Brazoswood High for coach Bill Poland, seeing time at shortstop and third base...selected by the Cleveland Indians in the 34th round of the 1998 draft...earned All-District 24-5A and All-Brazoria County honors all four years...as a senior, hit .536, earning district and county MVP recognition and All-Greater Houston honors by the Houston Chronicle...hit .500 as a freshman and junior, belting three home runs both years...named District Newcomer of the Year as a freshman when he finished fourth in the Greater Houston Area in hitting...also lettered twice in football where he played quarterback, kicker and punter...off the diamond, was a member of the National Honor Society and National Spanish Honor Society.
Personal: Full name is James Lee Jurries...born April 13, 1979 in Freeport, Texas...son of Jimmy and Betty Jo Jurries...has one sister, Jobeth Williams...majoring in business.


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Kappa - The Party Starts July 11!
All Hail Kappa Men! We can't wait to have you back and celebrate your Reunion. Your weekend kicks off Friday, July 11, with a Kappa Welcome Party and the fun continues until Sunday morning. Many exciting activities are planned for your fraternity including:
Kappa Welcome Party at the Dark Horse Tavern
Kappa Golf Outing at Walden Oaks Country Club
Kappa Dinner in the Corey Union Function Room
Kappa Farewell Breakfast on the Parks Alumni House Kappa (1925-1991) Alumni Lawn
And so much more. See a complete list by visiting the Schedule of Events.
Reunion Gift
The Kappa committee asks the fraternity to consider a gift of $1,000 to help name the front lawn west at the Parks Alumni House. In addition, they would like to raise funds to establish a paid internship position for the Alumni Affairs Office. The minimum endowment level is $25,000 to create the position in perpetuity. If the minimum amount is not met, the money will be used to fund positions until exhausted. Their giving goal is $35,000.
To help in your fraternity's efforts, please visit the Reunion Giving page or call 866-OLD MAIN to make your gift. As the College continues to move boldly forward towards the future, your support is more important than ever.
Hospitality Suite
Hospitality suites are often listed as a top highlight of Reunion and are casual, fun gathering spots exclusive to the host group. The Kappa committee would like to host a suite at the Ramada Cortland, but needs your assistance in purchasing refreshments. All are welcome, even if staying at another hotel.
Checks should be made out to and mailed to: SUNY Cortland Alumni Association, P.O. Box 2000, Cortland, NY 13045. Please note funds go directly to the committee and are not donations to SUNY Cortland.
Lost Brothers
Make sure everyone gets a Reunion invitation. Help us find brothers with whom we have lost touch.


text: Hi, Is anyone aware of a simple, easy, small, and light C++ API for SSL? I am trying to integrate it in RealVNC. Since VNC is quite small in code size, I would like an SSL C++ API that is relatively small. Thanks, Greg. __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Tax Center - File online by April 15th http://taxes.yahoo.com/filing.html


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New Bestsellers Available Now [1]
[2] [3]Straight from the bestseller list to you the Clark County Public Library has the hottest Fiction and Non-Fiction titles available for check-out and reserve now. Visit our catalog [4] to begin your search for the perfect read today.
Looking for the latest Oprah's Book Club 2.0 [5] title? Check-out a copy of Ruby [6] at the library today and register online for the Book Club 2.0 [7].


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No Doubt's "Settle Down" Video Teaser
No Doubt has released a teaser for the music video for "Settle Down," the first single off Push and Shove, the group's first studio album in more than a decade.
The clip features Gwen Stefani and her bandmates hugging, dancing and playing amid colorful lights.
Both the single and full music video premiere on July 16.
On Friday, Lady Gaga tweeted, "Is anyone else freaking out about No Doubt putting out a new album. I can't wait!"
Are you also excited?
Check out the sneak peek below!
Follow @GossipCop on Twitter!
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Ashley Greene on Her 'Twilight' Character
Ashley Greene shares her feelings on the end of the Twilight Saga and why she relates to her character Alice Cullen. "She's been amazing, I had no complaints. One to play a vampire is very cool, to play someone that is that optimistic and cheery and positive all of the time is awesome. I feel through out the course of the saga I've had the ability to show her sassy side and kind of her more animalistic side and every kind of flip inside of her. My favorite character to date that I've played" added Ashley.


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Definition of pyrexia of unknown origin
Pyrexia of unknown origin (PUO) is a term which could be applied in many situations, the current definition however is as follows (1-3):
- Fever of 38.3°C (101°F) or more.
- Lasting for at least three weeks.
- For which no cause can be identified after three days of investigation in hospital or after three or more outpatient visits.
This classification indirectly comes from an article written in 1961 by Petersdorf and Beeson, it has been revised to keep up with current medical practice.
Due to the nature of the disease, HIV associated PUO is usually considered separately.
Other types of PUO are Nosocomial (Developed in hospital) and Neutropenic (Immune Deficient).
Important features of the history and examination
It is especially important in cases of PUO to take a full and comprehensive history to aid diagnosis. In PUO due to the fact attempts at finding the cause have already been made and failed, it is especially important to be broad and thorough in history taking. It is important to stress to the patient that all symptoms present, transient and past may be relevant. It is only by taking this thorough history and by performing a thorough examination that it will be possible to narrow your diagnostic focus to the relevant area. History is often worth repeating several times if diagnosis remains elusive. It is important to document all symptoms and signs as relevant, as multiple clinicians are often involved. The important areas to remember are:
- Co-morbid conditions as these may pre-dispose to particular causes.
- Previously treated conditions particularly those which may re-occur such as TB.
- History of fever, particularly onset, pattern and severity. This may suggest particular diseases, e.g. the pattern of fever may be characteristic in Malaria
- Thorough surgical history including past complications, this may show increased likelihood of an intra-abdominal abscess or PID. It may be due to a recognised complication of a previous surgery or in the case of surgery overseas due to improperly sterilised conditions.
- Travel history which countries they have visited and where previously resident. Particularly possible exposure while travelling, e.g. swimming in open water, and vaccination and anti-malarial compliance, as this may point to specific pathogens, such as ticks or other vector.
- Sexual history and practice.
- Drug use, increases the likelihood of specific diseases such as infective endocarditis.
- Animal exposure, may suggest a zoonosis such as dog exposure may lead to hydatid disease (echinococcosis).
- Occupation and Hobbies, these may expose patients to toxins or infections, for example leptospirosis is common in windsurfers.
- Unusual dietary habits e.g. rare or undercooked meats, shellfish, well water or soft cheeses. This also helps to establish who else may have become exposed to any possible food borne diarrhoea etc.
- Allergy history this is significant especially if to antimicrobials, whilst noting how this manifests is equally important.
- Changes in Medication, as many may cause a fever themselves.
- Systematic enquiry is particularly important in cases of PUO, note all symptoms including those no longer present.
The examination of a patient with PUO is a comprehensive examination of all systems, similar to most patients. A patient with PUO however should be re-examined at least once a day. A full thorough examination of all the systems is important because in cases of PUO one of the reasons a diagnosis may not have been made is because common signs were either missed or absent and uncommon signs not specifically looked for. The examination of a patient with PUO should include:
- Full Respiratory examination
- Full Cardiovascular examination
- Full Abdominal/Gastro-intestinal examination
- Full Neurological examination
- Full Musculo-Skeletal examination
- Full ENT examination
- Full Dermatalogical examination
- Full Lymphatic examination
- Full Urogenital examination
- Fundoscopy
All of these systems are important to examine thoroughly as signs may be more subtle, and as the locus of the problem is unknown it is important to assume that it may be in any or indeed every system.
The areas to look out for in particular are:
- Detailed temperature chart to exclude factitious fever.
- Skin changes; Rashes.
- Abdominal tenderness.
- New or altered cardiac murmurs.
- New or altered arthritis.
- Tenderness over the temporal artery.
Common causes of PUO (8)
Infection (~30%):
- Abdominal abscess - swinging fever, abdominal mass
- Extra pulmonary/disseminated TB
- Infective Endocarditis - heart murmur, splinter haemorrhages, more common in intra-venous drug users.
- Osteoarticular infections - pain, redness and swelling, may be in atypical joints.
- Typhoid/enteric fevers - travel particularly to developing areas, diarrhoea and relative bradycardia.
- Endemic mycosis
- EBV infection - tonsilar enlargement, cervical lymphadenopathy and hepatosplenomegaly
- CMV infection - as above
- Brucellosis - travel to affected areas, exposure to animals or work in food preparation and ingestion of unpasteurised dairy or raw meats
- Leishmaniasis - travel and exposure to insect bite (sand-fly), skin lesions, hepatosplenomegaly and pancytopaenia.
- Prostatitis - urinary symptoms, lower back pain, recent UTI or STI, catheterisation
- Malaria - Travel and exposure to insect bite (mosquito), recurring or intermittent fever, chills and rigors
- Rickettsial infections - travel and exposure to insect bite (lice, fleas or tic), skin lesions or GI changes
- Dental abscess - swelling or pain
- Chronic sinusitis - tenderness on palpation of sinuses, mucosal inflammation.
Miscellaneous (~20%)
- Drug fever - recent change in medication
- Factitious fever
- Mediterranean familial fever - at risk ethnic group, recurring periodic fever, usually begins when young
- Deep vein thrombosis/Pulmonary embolism
- Hyperthyroidism
Neoplasm (20%):
- Lymphoma - weight loss, night sweats, anorexia, fatigue and lymphadenopathy
- Hepatoma - hepatitis or alcoholism history, pruritus, jaundice, RUQ pain
- Hepatic metastasis
- Renal cell carcinoma - fatigue, weight loss, hypertension, may present only with fever
- Leukaemia - bruising, fatigue, lymphadenopathy, hepatosplenomegaly, night sweats and weight loss
- Colon cancer - weight loss, altered bowel habit, anaemia, mass
- Pancreatic cancer - radiating abdominal pain/back pain, jaundice, acute pancreatitis, weight loss
Connective tissue disorders (~15%)
- Systemic lupus erythematosus - many and varied, see other article
- Adult onset Still's disease - arthralgia, 'salmon pink rash' and lymphadenopathy
- Autoimmune hepatitis - fatigue, myalgia, nausea and mild pruritus
- Systemic vasculitis - purpura, ulcers, signs of organ ischaemia
- Mixed connective tissue disease - Raynaud's, lethargy, polyarthritis and vasculitic rash
- Polymyalgia rheumatica - age > 50, shoulder or pelvic girdle pain, morning stiffness
- Inflammatory bowel disease - diarrhoea, mouth ulcers, abdominal pain, anaemia
- Sarcoidosis - night sweats, malaise, weight loss, usually lung involvement
- Kikuchi's disease - lymphadenopathy, rash and headache
Idiopathic (~15%)
Important investigations
The investigation of the patient with PUO should, like all cases, be driven by the findings in the history and examination. Testing should be done for diseases which the patient is at higher risk of having or has been exposed to.
There is no gold standard list of minimum investigation; however the following have been widely considered recommendable (8):
- Full Blood Count - look for signs of infection, and any anaemia that may affect management
- Urea & Electrolyte's - look for disturbances of the urinary tract or kidneys, which may be the result of disease or merely affect management
- Creatinine
- Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate / C-Reactive Protein - elevated suggests infection or other inflammatory cause, e.g. auto-immune
- Liver Function Test's - may suggest liver disease or just affect management plan
- Urinalysis
- Blood cultures x 3 - show bacteraemia, but contaminants may obscure accurate interpretation
- Anti-Nuclear Antibody test, Antineutrophilic cytoplasmic antibody, Rheumatoid factor - All highly suggestive of auto-immune conditions
- Chest X-ray - may show disease of the chest e.g. pneumonia or TB
- Abdominal ultrasound or contrast CT - Shows abdominal pathology such as abscess or diverticula
Any lesions which are identified should be immediately biopsied to obtain culture samples to aid in the diagnosis of diseases such as TB.
If these tests fail to provide diagnostic clues then more specialist testing is required, such as echocardiography, serological tests (cryoglobulins, complement levels), positron emission tomography and further microbiological tests.
Causes of pyrexia of unknown origin
There are many causes of pyrexia of unknown origin. They are generally grouped into four main categories
- Infection (~15-30%)
- Neoplasia (~10-30%)
- Connective tissue disease (~33-40%)
- Miscellaneous (~20-30%)
Recent studies have shown in the developed world that cases of PUO due to infective and neoplastic causes are falling due to better culturing and imaging techniques. This does not however hold true in the less developed world.
Children and younger adults are more likely to suffer from infectious diseases, in particular viral infections. Whereas older adults are more likely to suffer more specific infectious diseases such as TB, intra-abdominal abscesses and infective endocarditis or non-infectious diseases such as neoplasms and polymyalgia.
It has been extensively proven that PUO is more often due to atypical presentation of a common disease than an uncommon or exotic disease (6,7).
Management and prognosis of patients with Pyrexia of unknown origin
Management of pyrexia is usually focused on correcting the cause. For some patients however a definite cause is never found. In these cases when the patient is systemically well, a wait and see approach is often taken. During this time it is important to keep repeating the history and examination, and where appropriate investigations. It is often the case that cases of pyrexia of unknown origin in which no diagnosis can be made resolve spontaneously over time (9).
The mortality rate of PUO is roughly 30-40%, which is usually attributed to malignancy in older patients. Mortality rates among the idiopathic are usually low.
If no diagnosis can be made and the patient is unstable or neutropenic then it is appropriate to start antibiotic therapy. If the cause is suspected to be TB then tuberculosis medication should be given. Rifampicin may suppress fever regardless of cause. Empirical steroid treatment should be avoided.
Important points to remember
- Fever of over 38.3 degrees, undiagnosed after at least 3 weeks or 3 outpatient appointments.
- History and Examination needs to be broad and repeated.
- More likely to be a common disease presenting atypically.
- Treat based on suspicion if the patient is systemically unwell.
- Petersdorf RG. Fever of unknown origin. An old friend revisited. Arch Intern Med 1992;152:21-2.
- Knockaert DC, Vanderschueren S, Blockmans D. Fever of unknown origin in adults: 40 years on. J Intern Med 2003;253:263-75.
- Durack DT, Street AC. Fever of unknown origin—reexamined and redefined. Curr Clin Top Inf Dis 1991;11:35-51.
- Efstathiou SP, Pefanis AV, Tsiakou AG, Skeva II, Tsioulos DI, Achimastos AD, Mountokalakis TD. Fever of unknown origin: discrimination between infectious and non-infectious causes. Eur J Intern Med 2010;21:137-43.
- Hot A, Jaisson I, Girard C, French M, Durand DV, Rousset H, et al. Yield of bone marrow examination in diagnosing the source of fever of unknown origin. Arch Intern Med 2009;169:2018-23.
- Arnow PM, Flaherty JP. Fever of unknown origin. Lancet 1997;350:575-80.
- Bleeker-Rover CP, Vos FJ, de Kleijn EM, Mudde AH, Dofferhof TS, Richter C, et al. A prospective multicenter study on fever of unknown origin: the yield of a structured diagnostic protocol. Medicine 2007;86:26-38.
- BMJ 2010;341:c5470.
- Knockaert DC, Dujardin KS, Bobbaers HJ. Long-term follow-up of patients with undiagnosed fever of unknown origin. Arch Intern Med 1996;156:618-20.


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Explore the Entrepreneurship.org Resource Center to find resources. Designed with entrepreneurs in mind, our resource center allows you to find materials to grow great ideas.
Something extraordinary happened in Kansas City last Thursday. For the second year in a row, some of Kansas City's largest organizations participated in a reverse pitch. KCNext, the host and organizer, brought in a capacity crowd of over 200 entrepreneurs and other Global Entrepreneurship Week event participants. There were 65 events in Kansas City spread across a week and a half. But this event was different. This one was special.
These 5 corporations--Sprint, DST Systems, H&R Block, the Kansas City Chiefs, and the University of Missouri, Kansas City--pitched some of their company's current needs, and KCNext provided an online platform to reach out to and contact these corporations with solutions from the community.
The surprising thing is not so much that these organizations have needs--all companies do. Nor do they lack resources or smart, innovative people--they have access to extraordinary amounts of capital and have some of the best talent in the world. What's so amazing about this event is that these companies engaged with the community in a way that most large organizations around the world aren't. They stood on a stage, gave a presentation, and took questions! They gave access to areas not normally seen by even some in their own organizations. And then, they listened.
Oh, and they did this two years in a row - another critical point. This isn't a one-and-done event where these organizations got to have a nice press release and never touch this audience again. They engaged because they want to be in the community. This is corporate citizenship at it's best. It is authentic, it is transparent, and it is a new intersection of capital and innovation.
The issues these companies brought up weren't revolutionary. All were about better engaging their customers, adding new, parallel product offerings to their current portfolio and becoming stickier with their existing customers. Isn't this the story of all startups as well?
These large organizations are looking for ways to use new and evolving technology to disrupt the existing way of doing business, same as entrepreneurs.
These 5 organizations contributed to the on-going rise of entrepreneurial engagement in this country. They help Kansas City continue to grow as a leader in this area. They offered the attendees a glimpse of the struggles all businesses face as they grow. The scale may be different, but the needs are the same, regardless of size. Management and leadership guru Peter Drucker stated that, "The purpose of business is to create and keep a customer." These companies engaged the entrepreneurs and continue to live this out, at scale, seeking input from startups. If this kind of mentality were applied by more corporations, imagine the innovation and growth that could be created worldwide.
A robust online curriculum for entrepreneurs.
Explore Founders School >
A network of U.S. cities facilitating a weekly entrepreneur education program. Go to 1 Million Cups >
Whether you are starting or growing a company, FastTrac will help you live your dream at each stage.
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Information in the game database is updated periodically. Below, you'll find that information compiled as pertains to Bonsai Entertainment Corp.. The company may be involved as a publisher, developer or both.
Game Boy
Casper [1996]
Elmo in Grouchland [October, 1999]
Sesame Street: The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland [October, 1999]
Sesame Street: Elmo's 123s [March, 1999]
Sesame Street: Elmo's ABCs [March, 1999]
Sesame Street Sports [November 15, 2001]
There are numerous companies in the industry, and their names change like the weather. The information above is not particular about the finer details. Acquisitions are common, so companies with no recent listings may still be developing games under a new name. For example, DMA Design currently has a Rockstar name. Do you know of a title that is not listed above but should be? Be sure and let a staff member know. You can contact staff if you click here.
Policies/Ethics | Contact | Advertise | Sponsor Guide | Links


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Judy Moody and the Not Bummer Summer Movie Reviews
Judy Moody and the Not Bummer Summer
Release Date: Jun 10, 2011
Genre: Comedy
Rating: (PG)
User reviews on Judy Moody and the Not Bummer Summer
This is a film for tweens directed by John Schultz and stars Jordana Beatty, Heather Graham and Parris Mosteller. It was probably not the worst thing I have seen in the theaters lately but it is definitely in that category. The storyline is old and unoriginal, the jokes were borderline stupid and only funny for very very young children and the acting, well i do not know if i can call that acting. If you are an adult and you are taking your kids to see this film(i do not know why you would want to do that) I suggest taking your Ipod and a pillow with you, at least you can catch up on your sleep. Overall, I do not recommend seeing this film in the theater.
I can not even tell you how much I hated this film. i had to take my niece to see this and I will never ever do that again. This film is only for 5 year-olds and nobody above that age. I mean, do the makers of the film don't know that the children come to see these kind of films with adults accompanying them. They obviously know that but they definitely do not care. Visually the film is made to be nauseating and annoying and I seriously had a hard time not leaving. There is absolutely no moral lessons in this mess of the film and i think it just makes kids a little bit dumber. Overall, I beg you not to take your kids to this film.
The film is called Judy Moody and the Not Bummer Summer. Unfortunately, watching it is a bummer. In what passes for live action children's films these days, we get a lot of screaming, overly "hip" kids, toilet humor, some crazy running around, and more screaming. It's summer vacation, and Judy has set up a contest where points are given away for doing fun things. Unfortunately, her friends are going to circus camp and Borneo, so she's going to have to do a lot to make up for staying home. Unfortunately for us, we're in the theater watching this and not at circus camp or in Borneo. We're forced to watch Judy, her aunt Opal (Heather Graham, the only thing I enjoyed looking at onscreen), and her brother Stink run around this overly busy live action cartoon, where everyone speaks like no one you've ever heard of and the fast paced camera and cutting attempt to fool you into thinking this is fun. It's not fun. In fact, it gave me a headache. The young actors are absolutely obnoxious, and it's saying something that the best performance in the film comes from the guy that played Urkel. It's an annoying film that will only be enjoyed if you're in its target demographic.
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She kept the community abreast of events when she worked for KURY Radio and later when she was the publicist for the Port of Brookings Harbor, not to mention a volunteer who helped organize many fundraisers including for the Brookings-Harbor High School Booster Club, Rotary Club of Brookings and Brookings-Harbor Chamber of Commerce.
Soon after leaving the port, she went into business on her own. But it didn't take long before she had to shut down New2U Resale and Gifts because she was diagnosed with breast cancer on Sept. 12. And she was now faced with a bad situation: No income, no health insurance.
Now the community is paying Phillips back by helping her with her medical bills she has incurred since undergoing treatment every Wednesday after having both breasts removed at Bay Area Hospital in Coos Bay.
One fundraiser took place on Nov. 12 and raised $5,800, said Jan Fox, event organizer.
"The outpouring of support for this courageous woman has touched all our hearts," Fox said in an email.
Now a second one is planned from 2 to 5 p.m. Saturday, March 30, at 101 Bar and Grill, 98141 W. Benham Lane, Harbor.
It will be a chili and corn bread feed prepared by Dori Blodgett, a champion chili chef. The cost for the food is $5. The event, for people 21 and older, will include entertainment by The Spence Brothers, raffles and a no-host bar with proceeds going toward the cause.
As for what will be raffled, the list has become plentiful and keeps growing. As of Monday there were more than 100 items, many worth more than $100.
Tickets for restaurant, hair, nails, tanning and miscellaneous gift certificates will be $1 each or six for $5. Specialty gifts and tickets for two grand prize couple's getaway weekends in Brookings and Gold Beach are $3 each or two for $5.
"The response has been overwhelming," said Fox, who is getting help organizing the event from other volunteers. Of those, two have been working beyond the call of duty.
"Janiene Parmerlee and Barbi Slater have been pounding the streets for weeks distributing fliers and getting all of these amazing gifts for the raffle," Fox wrote in an email.
Mike Noonan, Austin Tidwell, Kristi Daniels, Dan Daniels, Bruce Ellis, Al Usinger and Bill Cochran have also helped in addition to Fox, Parmerlee, Slater and Blodgett.
In fact, because of the donations, which have come from Brookings-Harbor, Crescent City and Gold Beach, organizers created a big raffle prize.
"Donations have been so unbelievable, we decided to do a grand prize drawing," Fox said. "It will be a couple's weekend package to Gold Beach."
Fox became involved with raising funds to help pay Phillips' medical expenses because she is well known in the community.
"When I first learned about it, I decided I had to do something," Fox said.
She immediately went to the Brookings Elks and got them involved, then she got others involved, bringing about a successful fundraiser in November. When she began organizing the second benefit, the fundraising took on a life of its own.
"The community has been wonderful in its giving — that's Brookings for you." said Phillips, who has experienced fundraising in the community first-hand.
Fox said she is aware that there are many who need financial help when undergoing treatment for cancer.
"I don't want to take money from anyone else," Fox said. "But Debby has been involved all these years and it's time to 'pay it forward.'"