text:
STANFORD -- The black-and-white photo in Andrus Peat's locker serves as a daily reminder for Stanford's super-sized lineman.
The image shows his father as a Los Angeles Raiders guard from the early 1990s. Todd Peat played six seasons in the NFL, including three for Art Shell's Raiders. Andrus brought the photo to Stanford as a freshman last year, unbeknown to his dad.
"Just for motivation," said the second of seven children.
Peat will gaze at the photo Saturday before the fifth-ranked Cardinal opens the Pac-12 season against No. 23 Arizona State at Stanford Stadium.
Then the 6-foot-7, 300-pound sophomore tackle will try to protect quarterback Kevin Hogan's blind side against the Sun Devils' sophisticated blitzes. Peat has earned the key role because of his agility and speed as much as for his mansionlike girth.
After playing extensively last season, Peat has transformed into the kind of player advertised as one of the nation's top recruits from Corona del Sol High in Tempe, Ariz., just south of Arizona State's campus.
"We knew what he was going to be like," Hogan said of his enforcer. "He's a beast."
Peat is part of the next generation of Stanford linemen considered top NFL prospects. It wasn't long ago that David DeCastro (Pittsburgh Steelers) and Jonathan Martin (Miami Dolphins) were Cardinal understudies, too.
But coaches have been more effusive about Peat, whose older brother Todd is a defensive tackle for Eastern Arizona after transferring from Nebraska this year.
"This kid's ceiling could be in the stars somewhere," Cardinal line coach Mike Bloomgren said.
With a caveat.
Peat always had the size and talent, something his high school coach attributed to "good genes." But those natural attributes sometimes worked against the lineman because he didn't have to push himself too hard.
Peat quickly got the message at Stanford. After the 2012 season, he prepared to be a starter by following senior guard David Yankey to the weight room and film room. A wise move, considering Yankey is a preseason All-American who is regarded as one of the nation's top offensive linemen.
Coaches and teammates noticed the difference during spring drills. Peat did, too. He played faster and had command of the complicated playbook that has more than 300 plays.
"As a freshman, your head is spinning in this playbook," Yankey said.
Peat became fluent quickly although he didn't play tackle football until high school. It's the way Todd and Jana Peat planned it for their kids. They showed more appreciation for grades and citizenship than they did for athletic achievements.
"We always thought football and the other stuff would fall in place," said Todd Peat, who, after the NFL, was a church pastor and ran homes for the elderly before retiring.
It has for Andrus, one of seven Arizonans on the Cardinal roster.
Next up is Cassius Peat, a 6-4, 235-pound linebacker who will visit Stanford's campus this weekend.
The school has become the benchmark for Peat's younger siblings, but dad knows it won't be easy to get in.
Todd Peat keeps stressing academics. Andrus still is listening. But when he wants inspiration on the field, he turns to the photo.
"He has helped me become the football player I am today," Peat said.
Contact Elliott Almond at 408-920-5865. Follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/elliottalmond.


text:
Tonight, Martha Stewart made one of her always-entertaining talk show appearances when she visited Jimmy Fallon on Late Night. Stewart talked about her opulent Thanksgiving—white truffles!—before she and Fallon made insanely strong eggnog and crafted together. Highlights inside.
First, Stewart revealed that she was so sick of making turkeys on TV leading up to Thanksgiving that she forwent the traditional meal and instead opted for pasta with white truffles at the Four Seasons Restaurant:
Then, she and Fallon made some seriously strong eggnog:
And finally—naturally—some Christmas-related craft time:
Oh, Martha!

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Michael Jackson's ex-wife Debbie Rowe has pretty much threatened the singer's onetime doctor Conrad Murray, after Murray trashed her during a rambling interview with the Daily Mail about Jackson.
I have a feeling it's not the first time a Michael Jackson fan had unpure thoughts about Conrad Murray.
In his interview, Murray said a number of strange things, including, "You want to know how close (Jackson and I) were? I held his penis every night to fit a catheter because he was incontinent at night. He wore dark trousers all the time because after he went to the toilet he would drip for hours."
I think that might just qualify as TMI.
Murray -- who served two years in prison after being convicted of manslaughter in connection with Jackson's death -- also said he still believes Jackson accidentally killed himself. "I believe he woke up, got hold of his own stash of Propofol and injected himself. He did it too quickly and went into cardiac arrest."
Murray also said Jackson's three children all have different fathers, and Jackson wasn't one of them. "Michael told me he never slept with Debbie Rowe," he said.
Murray also said Jackson joked that neither he nor Murray would want to sleep with Rowe.
As one can imagine, this didn't sit well with Rowe, the mother of Jackson two oldest kids, Prince and Paris.
Rowe told TMZ she's "disgusted" by Murray's comments and that, within 18 months, "A Jackson fan will shoot him dead, and I'd buy the bullet. I wouldn't shoot him but I'd buy the bullet ... a hollowpoint."
I can't be sure, but that sounds vaguely threatening.
"If I had a dog as ugly as him (Murray) I'd shave its (expletive), make it walk backwards and put a wig on it."
Responding to Murry's quote how neither Jackson nor Murray would want to sleep with her, she said, "It takes two to (expletive) and there's not enough alcohol in the world."
I don't think she likes him very much.
About Murray's assertion Jackson killed himself, Rowe told TMZ, "It's so disgusting he's trashing the dead. The jury sure didn't buy his story."
Murray also told the Daily Mail that Jackson told him he was sexually assaulted by one of his doctors while under sedation. He also said Jackson predicted he would die on Murray's watch, allegedly saying, "You know, for the rest of your life and my life our names will become inseparable. I am clairvoyant."
Contact Tony Hicks at Facebook.com/BayAreaNewsGroup.TonyHicks or Twitter.com/insertfoot.


text:
I have been using PMS for about a month now and really like it, it plays most all of my videos on all of my devices. The only thing that is driving me crazy is that I have to come back to my server to make sure the program is running...most times it is not. I have tried running it as a service but with no luck and trying to follow support on the forms is maddening at best. I am not asking for tech support here, just voicing support for a "run PMS as service" button or check box that works (right and easily)!
Thanks for creating a great program!


text:
Sarasota Police investigate homicide
Published: Wednesday, January 1, 2014 at 9:04 a.m.
Last Modified: Wednesday, January 1, 2014 at 7:53 p.m.
SARASOTA - Family members have identified the victim of an early morning homicide as Johnny Luna, but few details have been released as police investigate the homicide that occurred in the 2000 block of 4th Street in Sarasota.
Alicia Luna, the victim's sister, said she didn't know why her brother was killed, apparently outside his home.
"He was just walking from here to there," Luna told SNN, the Herald-Tribune's partner TV station. "That's all."
"Apparently somebody was waiting for him," said Fernando Espirza, the victim's uncle.
DEVELOPING: Sarasota Police are investigating a homicide in the 2000 block of 4th Street in Sarasota, near the intersection of East Avenue and 4th Street.
Police received a call about 4:30 a.m. today and discovered a male victim, who was pronounced dead at the scene.
Interviews are currently being conducted and suspect information is not being released at this time. The community is not in any danger.
East Avenue from Fruitville Road to 5th Street and 4th Street from Audubon Place to North Washington Blvd. (U.S. 301) are closed. Sarasota police have release few details so far, but a spokesperson said residents in the area are not in danger.
"This is all part of the investigation right now," said Genevieve Judge, a police spokesperson.
Check back at HeraldTribune.com for more on this developing story.
Reader comments posted to this article may be published in our print edition. All rights reserved. This copyrighted material may not be re-published without permission. Links are encouraged.


text:
|Air Inlet Size:
|1/4 in.
|Depth of Drive:
|Dry Fire Lockout:
|Fastener Capacity:
|Fastener Collation:
|Fastener Gauge:
|Fastener Type:
|Brad Nails
|Firing Modes:
|Sequential Actuation
|Fitting Type:
|Jam Clearance:
|Magazine Angle:
|Magazine Type:
|Side Loading
|Max. Fastener Length:
|2 in.
|Min. Fastener Length:
|5/8 in.
|Operating Pressure - PSI:
|70 - 120
|Tip Style:
Do you have questions about this product?
Get answers from real customers and in-house experts with AnswerBox.
Q:Is this electric or pneumatic? Do they make electric nail guns?
3 answers
A:It is pneumatic. And yes they do make electric guns. The one shown is awesome.
A:It is pneumatic.
Q:Want one with battery , needs no air tank. An how does the battery ones work.
1 answer
A:the tool that you would need is the Dewalt DC608K 18V XRP Cordless 18-Gauge 5/8 in. - 2 in. Brad Nailer Kit.The function of the tool does not change from an air powered unit.
Q:how much does it weigh?
2 answers
A:The tool weighs 2.6 pounds.
A:The tool weighs 2.6 pounds.
Q:in regard to the DWFP12231 18-ga Brad Nailer: what is its air requirement? How much volume at what PSI?
1 answer
A:The operating pressure is 70-120 PSI.
Three-Year Limited Warranty. DEWALT will repair, without charge, any defects due to faulty materials or workmanship for three years from the date of purchase. This warranty does not cover part failure due to normal wear or tool abuse. For further detail of warranty coverage and warranty repair information, visit www.dewalt.com or call 1-800-4-DEWALT (1-800-433-9258). This warranty does not apply to accessories or damage caused where repairs have been made or attempted by others. This warranty gives you specific legal rights and you may have other rights which vary in certain states or provinces.
One-Year Free Service Contract. DEWALT will maintain the tool and replace worn parts caused by normal use, for free, any time during the first year after purchase.
90-Day Money Back Guarantee. If you are not completely satisfied with the performance of your DEWALT Power Tool, Laser, or Nailer for any reason, you can return it within 90 days from the date of purchase with a receipt for a full refund - no questions asked.


text:
Daniel Greenfield: Let's have a government sale
The federal government may have run up a 16.75 trillion dollar debt, but it also has some mighty appealing assets.
Post a comment
You must sign in before you can post comments. If you are experiencing issues with your account please e-mail firstname.lastname@example.com.


text:
This recipe for creative play and storytelling fun is brought to you by Melissa & Doug, written by our Blog Ambassador Valerie Deneen.
Enjoy making lovely memories with your kids!
Know what's better than a cooking show on TV? A cooking show in your own living room . . . with PUPPETS!!
Using puppets is a fantastic way to encourage imagination and storytelling skills while having lots of fun! My girls adore their chef puppet (Chef Alfredo "Al" Dente), so they were very excited to have Chef Alfredo (yours truly hiding behind the sofa) teach them the proper way to make a great tasting pizza!
First, they spread out the dough, and added tomato sauce (made from the freshest ingredients, of course).
Then, it was time to add the cheese. Clara helped Chef Alfredo count the number of pizza slices as he went along. Bellissimo!
Next, he added the toppings! Chef Alfredo used plenty of tasty and fresh vegetables on his pizza.
Finally, the taste test! It started out quite nicely. Chef Alfredo took a few tiny bites, and then. . . .
..he quickly devoured the entire pizza!!!
Mmmm . . . Delicioso!!
It didn't take long for the girls to have puppet cooking shows on their own. Chef Alfredo went on to tape several more episodes including ravioli, lasagna, and even spaghetti with lots of silly giggles along the way!
Have fun!!
Valerie Deneen is the author of Inner Child Fun, where she inspires parents to spend more quality time with their kids, and less money doing it. Inner Child Fun celebrates simple pleasures for all ages—with more than 1,000 frugal and creative projects sure to bring out the "kid" in you too! Follow Valerie on Twitter or say "Hi" on Facebook.


text:
LEGO Shop Home Themes Friends LEGO® Friends Buildable Jewelry Box
LEGO® Friends Buildable Jewelry Box
- Item: 40114
- Limit: 5 ?
- Ages:6+
- VIP Points: 12
- Pieces:201
- Available Now
Have fun building and customizing the LEGO® Friends Buildable Jewelry Box with removable compartments, ring hooks and decorative elements!Price 17.99 CAD Sale Price 12.48 CAD
Build a wonderful LEGO® Friends Jewelry Box for all your favorite possessions!
Keep all your favorite jewelry stored neatly in this pretty LEGO® Friends Buildable Jewelry Box. The lid has hooks for you to hang your rings on, a small removable compartment for other items and a second removable compartment with a lid to keep all your smallest, most precious items safe. This wonderful set also comes with flower elements and a LEGO® Friends logo tile so you can create your very own design.
- Features ring hooks, 2 removable compartments (one with lid), decorative flower elements and a LEGO® Friends logo tile
- Hang your rings from the hooks
- Box has plenty of space for storing your favorite jewelry
- Use the flower elements to create your very own design
- Jewelry Box measures over 1" (5cm) high, 5" (13cm) wide and 3" (10cm) deep
- Makes a great gift for fans of LEGO® Friends sets
You May Also Like
- locale
- numRecs
- 5
- -inc-price
- true
- -inc-inventory
- true
- -rec-builder
- LEGO_rec_builder
- dataItems
- title_en-CA
- link_en-CA
- image_link_en-CA
- category_en-CA
- retail_price_en-CA
- sale_price_en-CA
- BV_rating_en-CA


text:
SAN FRANCISCO — Hunter Pence was preparing to sign a five-year, $90 million deal Sunday after passing a physical. Having locked up their right fielder, the Giants are ready to move on to their famous right-hander, Tim Lincecum.
Assistant general manager Bobby Evans said the Giants have already begun negotiations with Lincecum's agent, Rick Thurman. Thurman also represents Pence, making for an easy transition.
"Hopefully there's an opportunity to bring Timmy back in short order," Evans said. "That's our hope. We don't intend to wait. If Timmy is willing to work with us right now, we'd like to do that. That's the impression I'm getting, that they'd like to work with us."
Lincecum is headed for free agency for the first time and said Saturday that he was in no rush to sign a new deal.
"I'll make that decision when the time comes," Lincecum said.
Pence wanted to make the decision before the end of the season, allowing the Giants to announce the new deal before the final game. But Lincecum's situation will be more complicated. While there were obvious comps for Pence — including Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Andre Ethier — Lincecum is a unique case. He is a two-time Cy Young Award winner who is still adjusting to a new repertoire and preparation process, but the Giants have been pleased with Lincecum's performance this season. Manager Bruce Bochy said earlier this week that he believes Lincecum has pitched much better than his 4.37 ERA, an assertion backed up by advanced metrics.
Lincecum said the Pence deal would not alter his view on free agency.
"Most decisions people make at this point are personal decisions," he said. "I've still got to think about it. It's not a pressing thing for me."
For the Giants, it could be. They intend to add at least one more starter, regardless of Lincecum's decision, and also would like to sign a new left fielder and bolster the bench. There's only so much money to go around.
"Brian (Sabean) set our priorities from day one," Evans said. "Lincecum is next on our list."
For more on the Giants, see Alex Pavlovic's Giants Extra blog at blogs.mercurynews.com/Giants. Follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/AlexPavlovic.


text:
What a difference a year makes.
This time last year farmers were trying to decide if they were going to throw the dice and plant in ground that had little or no subsoil moisture.
This year some farmers had to wait to get into the field because it was so wet.
"As far as ground moisture, we're in a lot better shape than we was last year at this time, really, real good moisture to get off to a good start anyway."
Ronnie Hoelscher was planting corn the day we talked with him and he says weather and the commodity markets are the two big factors that determine the crop mix he plants every year.
"We've got quite a bit of wheat this year. You know it started out terribly dry in the fall so we was, they was predicting another bad drought again so we did switch to a few more acres of wheat and then we also have, we're going to plant quite a bit of cotton too."
Hoelscher now uses a 24 row planter that cuts the time it takes to plant by two thirds.
"The tractor we have has auto steer on it, so we just basically turn it around and get it pretty close in this direction and then we'll, I'll hit a resume button and then this is automatically line back up. It actually can buy you some time and you don't have to get in a, start planting just too terribly early, you know when things ain't just perfect conditions, that you can hold off knowing that you can plant that many acres in that short of a period of time. Me and my brother planted a little over 1700 acres in 3 days."
We asked about the time line on the corn crop.
"From the time we plant it 'til it's coming up we're looking at probably about 10 days to 2 weeks. It might be a little quicker this year being that the soil's so warm, and we're in the first week of March so we're way ahead of schedule now. Probably sometime in June we should be having tassling at that time when we'll need some good moisture again, and then harvest would come actually probably end of July, first of August."
And you'll find a little optimism among most agricultural producers.
"We're definitely setting up for a pretty good crop, course we're a long ways from making it, but if you start out good, hopefully we'll have a good return at the end."
I'm Kailey Carey, looking at Brazos Valley agriculture, From The Ground Up.


text:
Looking back at my top 10 games of the year (www.mercurynews.com/video-games), I noticed there weren't many kids' games. Perhaps that's because gamers have more mature tastes or that many of the best titles tackled harsher themes such as the zombie apocalypse. Maybe tablets are where children's games now thrive.
But the land of consoles is still king, and there are some notable games for younger gamers on modern systems. I took a look at four games for the younger set. These releases are more than cheap cash-ins. They take creative tacks to connect with children.
"Wonderbook: Book of Spells": J.K. Rowling fans will flock to this title, though it's more like a toy than a game. The PlayStation 3 title requires a Move controller, PlayStation Eye and a peripheral called a Wonderbook. All these devices work together to create an augmented reality experience where players can learn to cast wizarding spells.
All the magic happens on the screen as a player's controller turns to a wand, and the Wonderbook, filled with odd symbols, comes alive. Players enter magical environments, where they'll have to cast Lumos to light a darkened room or use Wingardium Leviosa to lift objects around the book. To top it all off, it connects to Rowling's Pottermore website. It takes some work to set up, but it's the closest thing fans can get to attending Hogwarts. (PlayStation 3, starting at $44.95, Rated: Everyone 10+)
"Skylanders Giants": Activision had a surprise hit with the original "Skylanders," but the follow-up is a more polished and beautiful game. The innovative title uses a peripheral called a Portal, and players use figurines to zap the heroes into the world of "Skylanders Giants."
Older toys will work with the new entry, but the best feature is that the progress and items that fans attained in the original adventure will carry over to this one. They can even bring a toy to a friend's house and play as the same hero with the same gear.
As for the gameplay itself, "Skylanders Giants" is kid-friendly, with enough complexity to keep them playing. Keep in mind, though, that these games encourage fans to buy additional figurines to access new heroes and secrets. So players will be spending more beyond the starter set if they get into it. (Xbox 360, PS3, Wii, Wii U, Nintendo 3DS, $79.99, Rated: Everyone 10+)
"Nat Geo TV: America the Wild": This is more of an educational take on video games. Players watch a documentary about bears, wolverines or mountain lions, and activities are interspersed in the footage.
It makes the experience more interactive as players learn from naturalists and are then tested on it. This is done via the Kinect, so viewers won't have a control in hand. They'll shout commands to snap photos or scream when they spot animal tracks. Tossed in to the program are a few minigames that relate to the show's topic, but they are, in fact, silly diversions. (Xbox 360, $29.99, Rated: Everyone 10+)
"Adventure Time: Hey Ice King! Why'd You Steal Our Garbage?!!": This is the most conventional of the offerings, but it's based on the Cartoon Network show of the same name. It features old-school gameplay that will remind older fans of "The Legend of Zelda II," and that works perfectly with the franchise because it is steeped in video-game culture.
Because it's reminiscent of a 1980s NES game, it's easy enough to play for the younger set. For fans, Finn and Jake's adventure will hit all the right spots. They'll get a better idea of the Land of Ooo as they try to figure out why one of their nemeses took their trash. (Nintendo 3DS, Nintendo DS, $29.95, Rated: Everyone 10+)
Contact Gieson Cacho at 510-735-7076 or email@example.com. Read his blog at http://blogs.mercurynews.com/aei.


text:
At Knit's End: Meditations for Women Who Knit Too Much
by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee
Buy it Now at Amazon.com
This book's title belies a secret: It was written by a woman who also loves yarn too much, someone who'd wrestle you to the ground for that last skein of mohair in the sale bin.
She has no intention of getting us to overcome our knitting obsession. In fact, she spends 318 pages celebrating, acknowledging, and laughing at our knitterly foibles.
The Yarn Harlot
First, a little background. Stephanie Pearl-McPhee started her blog, called Yarn Harlot, in January 2004. Her insightful, creatively inspiring, and ever witty comments quickly gained her a large and loyal following—including myself.
This led to writing credits in Interweave Knits, Spin-Off, Stranded, and Knit Lit Too. Then an intelligent editor at Storey Publishing recognized Stephanie's writing gift and approached her about writing this book. The rest, as they say, is history.
At Knit's End
This book has the same compact size and editorial format of the more traditional self-help meditation books. But instead of following the overused self-help cliches, Stephanie uses humor to celebrate our common peculiarities.
Each meditation begins with a quote—from sources as varied as Steve Martin, Winston Churchill, and Lily Tomlin. Then it continues with a thoughtful paragraph on a similar topic, and it ends with a vow of action.
But these aren't your traditional meditations. The author herself calls these 300 meditations "funny things about knitting." Here are some examples.
In a conspiratorial tone, she discusses stash control not in terms of getting rid of anything, but finding better hiding spots.
She confesses considering marital infidelity when she heard of a man who owned a yarn store and built his wife cedar-lined moth-repellant closets as a hobby. She likens entrelac to pulling all your nose hair out with tweezers.
She recognizes that, just as birds can always find north, knitters have an inner compass that always points us toward the nearest yarn source. And she reminds us (and herself) that the next time she is too arrogant about her knitting, she can't be surprised when it spontaneously bursts into flames.
Just when you think she's found all the funny angles on our knitterly habits, she pulls out another one that makes you laugh, smile, or nod in agreement.
Where Are the Men?
Although the book is for women who knit too much—her husband and children feature prominently throughout—several of the meditations focus on honoring men in knitting. She also shares stories about teaching boys to knit, and stories that her male knitter friends have told her.
Also Inside
Peppered among the meditations are page after page of hilarious "You know you knit too much when..." sayings. My favorite was, "...you hear about a breed of miniature sheep that grow to be only 16 inches in height and weigh only 50 pounds, and immediately start trying to figure out whether you can convince your spouse it's a dog."
You'll also find explanations of common acronyms such as SSS (second sock syndrome), SABLE (stash acquisition beyond life expectancy), and WHACO (wool housing and containment overflow).
A Modest Mentor
Normally I'd get defensive if someone tried to tell me how to live my knitterly life. But this is the Yarn Harlot talking—and I know she's just as obsessed and fallible as I am.
If she's vowing to work harder on darning all the loose ends on the insides of her projects, I can too. If she's courageous enough to withstand the nausea, dizziness, and hysteria of cutting a steek, I guess I could try it too. And if she is forgiving her closet full of unwearable yarn purchased only because it was 50% off, so can I.
Our Version of the Secret Handshake
At the risk of sounding overly enthusiastic, I'll leave it at this: Every knitter needs a copy of this book.
If you're a new knitter, you'll benefit from a better understanding of the marvelous and whacky world you're about to enter. And if you're a more seasoned knitter, you'll laugh, seeing yourself among these pages, and understand—once and for all—that you're not alone.
Discuss this book in our forums
Buy it Now at Amazon.com
Return to Book Reviews


text:
Good stuff
Outer underwear
Seen & Heard
Earth brownies
Some of the most eye-catching things being given away at Danville's Earth Day celebration last week were dark, chocolate-like squares.
They looked like brownies, but they weren't even close. They were dark rich garden compost sliced into squares for easy giveaway.
"We've had a lot of people ask if they were brownies," confirmed a compost event volunteer outside the Danville Library.
No one, however, did any tasting, leaving if for Mother Earth to see if how she liked the nourishment.
-- Denis Cuff, Staff
Past times
May 3, 1961 Top stories of the Pleasanton Times
Headline: "Castlewood Membership Buys Famous Valley Spa, Sale Price $1.25 Million"
Plans to purchase Castlewood Country Club by the membership were announced today by Judge Donald K. Quayle, president of its board of directors. Final negotiations to conclude the sale were launched following an overwhelming response by members to a plan calling for acquisition of the historic golf club.
The sale price of the 300-acre spa is reported to be $1.25 million. Some 960 members have agreed to purchase all club facilities -- 45 holes of golf, swimming pool and several large dining rooms.
From its beginning as the storied "Castle" of Phoebe Apperson Hearst, Castlewood gained new stature in the early '20s when, as a private golf club designed by Luther Burbank, it was rated the fifth finest course in the nation.
Headline: "Got Any Ideas For A New City Seal?"
... Anyways, Pleasanton still wants a new city seal. It all started when the old one got busted. Somebody thought it "looks too much like a copy of El Cerrito's seal anyways," what with the same rolling hills and winding-bridge-over-river.
Pleasanton never did have any winding-bridge-over-river. It was like a previous administrator's idea of "a nice, country-type design for a seal."
The report from El Cerrito, however, now says "we ain't got no mountains on our city seal." But Pleasanton city dads are taking no chances; they want a new design.
The idea should be original, perhaps an airplane swooping gracefully down onto City Hall ... against the backdrop of gravel pits? Get your pencils ready, the contest should be a dilly.
At the movies: Vine Theater Livermore. Now showing "The World of Suzie Wong," starring William Holden and Nancy Kwan.
Groceries: Safeway. Boneless top sirloin steak, $1.39 a pound; Rock Cornish game hens, 79 cents each; strawberries four baskets for 79 cents and Brown Derby Beer, six 12-ounce cans for 79 cents.
Trivia Question: On May 4, 1970, four students at what university were killed protesting the Cambodian war campaign?
Previous question: What famous botanist designed Castlewood's grounds in the 1920s? Answer: Luther Burbank
Contact Louise Hartman at lhartman@bayarea- newsgroup.com.


text:
High Interest: March 14
Published: Friday, March 15, 2013 at 8:26 a.m.
Last Modified: Friday, March 15, 2013 at 8:26 a.m.
Ragan Ward of Hendersonville has joined Forest Commercial Bank as vice president.
A Hendersonville native, Ward is a graduate of East Henderson High School and Queens University in Charlotte, where she earned a BA in business administration and an MBA. She has a history of service in the Hendersonville market, having worked as a commercial loan officer with TD Bank before coming to Forest Commercial Bank. Her 10 years of banking experience in the area includes positions as a branch manager, commercial banking manager and commercial lender. Ward serves as a board member of the Pardee Hospital Foundation and the Henderson County Chamber of Commerce. She is also active in the United Way of Henderson County. In 2009, she was presented the Athena International Award for Henderson County for business excellence, community service and helping women achieve their leadership potential.
The University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, N.C. State University, Wake Forest University and Duke University have all made the Top 100 list of Best Graduate Business Schools 2014 by U.S. News & World Report.
Duke University was ranked at No. 11, followed by UNC at No. 20 with Wake Forest University ranked No. 47 and N.C. State coming in at No. 88 out of 100 graduate school business programs in the nation.
Henderson County Chamber of Commerce will hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 11 a.m. Friday for new Chamber member
Coldwell Banker, 130c S. Main St., Hendersonville.
For more information or to RSVP, call the Chamber at 828-692-1413.
Compiled by Leigh Kelley
Reader comments posted to this article may be published in our print edition. All rights reserved. This copyrighted material may not be re-published without permission. Links are encouraged.


text: Bluethroat Morning : The hero of this British mystery is Harry Bliss, the much-vilified widower of beloved cult novelist and former model Alison Bliss, who, six years earlier, took her life by walking into the sea. At the time of her death, Alison had been researching Harry's family history for her next novel in the seaside town of Glaven where, at the turn of the last century, Harry's great-grandmother, Arabella, had also drowned herself. On the eve of his retirement from teaching, Harry becomes infatuated with his best friend's 19-year-old daughter, who bears an uncanny resemblance to Arabella. Together, they set out for Glaven to try to piece together the puzzle of Alison's suicide. Nipping at their heels are an Alison-hungry press and two biographers intent on getting their own scoops.


text:
Today: Twitter begins its road show with a price seen as reasonable to cheap, but the company could still mimic Facebook with later changes. Plus: Zynga stock hits 52-week high, as Apple (AAPL), Google (GOOG), Facebook shares slide.
The Lead: Twitter could boost price and size of IPO, but that's Facebook's path
Twitter began pitching its initial public offering to investors Friday with a price analysts described as unexpectedly cheap, but the social network could decide to follow rival Facebook's path by increasing its price or size after gauging Wall Street's interest.
Twitter updated its IPO filing Thursday afternoon, announcing it plans to sell 70 million shares in a price range from $17 to $20, which would send $1.4 billion to Twitter's San Francisco headquarters and value the company at $10.9 billion at the high end of the range.
Analysts were mildly surprised at the pricing, since Twitter said in its updated S-1 filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission that it had valued its shares at $20.62 in the private market in August. Though that estimation was likely done with a different share count that did not include the 70 million shares created in the offering, moving down from that number shows a tame approach to the process that could drive investors' interest.
"It's a lower price than expected and lower than the private shares markets indicated, which means it is highly likely to be oversubscribed," meaning there will be much more demand for shares than Twitter is so far willing to sell, Wedbush Securities managing director of equity research Michael Pachter told The Mercury News on Thursday.
The company will determine demand for its IPO during its "road show," which kicked off Friday with the posting of a video presentation Twitter will use to pitch the offering and executives' visit to underwriter Morgan Stanley's headquarters in New York. The road show presentation notes that Twitter plans to sell shares and begin trading the week of Nov. 4, and the company could choose to increase the price or number of shares offered ahead of that process.
"Shrewdly, the company has started the process very conservatively," SunTrust Robinson Humphrey analyst Robert Peck, who has already given Twitter shares a $50 price target, told The New York Times. "Based on the investor interest we've seen, I wouldn't be surprised to see the price go up 20 percent."
Facebook, the IPO Twitter is most often compared with due to the similarity of their services and revenue generation, started out with a much wider range of $28 to $35 before going on its road show with a much more polished video than Twitter. After investors showed great enthusiasm for the offering, the Menlo Park company chose to add more shares to the pot and increase its price range to $35 to $38, eventually selling shares at the top of the revised range for a record-breaking valuation.
Twitter's initial range gives it wiggle room to raise the price while likely avoiding the issues that caused Facebook to trade lower than its IPO price for more than a year. The original range "gives them room to move up the price without offending investors' sense of value," Rett Wallace, CEO of Triton Research, told The Wall Street Journal.
A more definitive test will be if Twitter decides to increase the size of its offering. Facebook added 95 million shares to its offering after the road show, with all of the additions coming from early investors seeking to cash out part of their private stash of Facebook shares. In the end, Facebook offered 183 million shares while stakeholders offered 301 million, including the overallotment.
So far, no early Twitter stakeholders have chosen to sell stock in the company's IPO, which would give a small group -- including co-founders Evan Williams and Jack Dorsey -- the majority of shares in the public company. That could be important for two reasons: Twitter has chosen to establish a single-tiered stock system, so each share has the same say in control of the company, leaving large stockpiles as the only way to have an outsize influence; and it looks good to investors that those who picked the company early believe it will continue to prosper.
"You don't see a big owner coming out and selling everything," Suntrust's Peck told Bloomberg News. "That shows conviction about the long-term prospects of the company."
Twitter seems to be learning from Facebook's mistakes. After Facebook's first day of trading was botched on the Nasdaq exchange, Twitter chose the rival New York Stock Exchange for its listing, and has already run a test to ensure a smooth opening day. Twitter also goes public with strong, definable mobile revenues, while Facebook took more than a year to show mobile revenue growth strong enough to push its shares above the IPO price.
When deciding on whether to increase the price or size of its offering, Twitter will likely again err on the side of caution -- and the other side of Facebook -- by choosing one or the other if making a change.
"Raising both the price and the size was Facebook's fatal mistake," PrivCo CEO and founder Sam Hamadeh told Reuters.
SV150 market report: Positive earnings reports outweighed by drops
Wall Street gained Friday on the strength of Thursday's tech earnings reports, which led to soaring share prices. Only one of those companies was from Silicon Valley, however, and weakness from Apple, Google and other Bay Area tech giants caused the SV150 to sink.
Zynga, Silicon Valley's entry into Thursday's earnings parade, jumped to a new 52-week high of $4.05 in Friday trading, but those gains dissipated in the afternoon session and the San Francisco social-gaming pioneer ended the day with a 5.5 percent gain at $3.73. Investors' excitement was spurred by the company's ability to post a smaller loss and larger revenues than expected, but tempered by a continuing downhill slide in its user base. Amazon, which hit an all-time high and gained 9.4 percent to $363.39, and Microsoft, which led the Dow with a 6 percent gain to $35.73, held their post-earnings gains better than Zynga.
Smaller SV150 companies that gained following Thursday earnings reports included San Jose's Monolithic Power Systems, which hit an all-time high and gained 17 percent to $32.29 after posting large revenue gains; and fellow semiconductor company Maxim Integrated, which impressed investors with its earnings report even before realizing gains from its recent acquisition of Volterra Semiconductor and gained 3.6 percent to $30.10.
Losses were more common across the SV150, though, especially at the top. Apple dropped 1.1 percent to $525.96 after its new iPhones went on sale in Russia, where analysts said the gadgets were too expensive for typical Russian residents. The Cupertino company will release earnings after the markets close Monday afternoon, and is expected to announce a third consecutive quarter of year-over-year revenue declines while battling activist investor Carl Icahn. Google dropped 1 percent to $1,015.20, and Facebook fell 0.9 percent to $51.95 amid reports that it will not launch video ads this year and that Twitter is more popular with teens. LinkedIn dropped 1.1 percent to $240.70 while fighting off accusations that its new email feature threatened users' security, and Tesla Motors (TSLA) declined 2 percent to $169.66 despite avoiding an investigation into a recent Model S fire.
Up: Zynga, AMD, Symantec, Intel (INTC), Pandora, Intuit (INTU), Juniper, Hewlett-Packard
Down: SolarCity, SunPower (SPWRA), Yahoo (YHOO), Workday, Tesla, VMware, eBay (EBAY), Apple, LinkedIn, Google, Netflix (NFLX), Facebook, Nvidia
The SV150 index of Silicon Valley's largest tech companies: Down 6.25, or 0.44 percent, to 1,401.1
The tech-heavy Nasdaq composite index: Up 14.4, or 0.37 percent, to 3,943.36
The blue chip Dow Jones industrial average: Up 61.07, or 0.39 percent, to 15,570.28
And the widely watched Standard & Poor's 500 index: Up 7.7, or 0.44 percent, to 1,759.77
Check in weekday afternoons for the 60-Second Business Break, a summary of news from Mercury News staff writers, The Associated Press, Bloomberg News and other wire services. Contact Jeremy C. Owens at 408-920-5876; follow him at Twitter.com/jowens510.


text:
SAN MATEO -- For Bryan Wallace's family $2,300 is a lot of money.
A work injury and a construction slump since 2008 have left Wallace, his wife and five kids under 9 years old living in a rented, 20-by-12 room in a cousin's San Mateo home. Wallace earned $39,000 last year.
But the Earned Income Tax Credit is a bright spot. It netted his family an extra $2,300 this year and means some savings in the bank or shoes for Wallace's two sons.
The credit is a nearly 40-year-old program intended to help working families like the Wallaces'. But even though the federal government paid out $512.6 million in earned income credits to more than 263,000 families or individuals in Santa Clara, Contra Costa, Alameda and San Mateo counties for 2011 returns, an estimated 20 percent more were eligible but didn't claim them, according to the IRS.
When people file their taxes they may not know about the credit, don't know they are eligible or make so little money they don't even file taxes, officials said. Whatever the case may be, it's money left on the table for families or individuals who make less than $50,270 a year and could use a little help.
The credit can mean up to $475 for people without children and a maximum of $5,981 to families with three or more kids. The good news is eligible families who've already filed this year ahead of the April 15 tax deadline can amend their returns to claim the credit up to three years back.
"It's a lifesaver," said Rep. Jackie Speier, D-San Mateo. "Normally you don't think the IRS is doing you any favors."
But in this case the federal agency is part of "one of the best antipoverty programs we have in this country," Speier said. The tax credit, enacted in 1975, focuses on helping poor families, but also encourages work. You aren't eligible unless you earn income from wages, self-employment or farming.
Bryan Wallace, 46, was making good money putting up scaffolding until he took a wrong step and fell 17 feet in August 2008. He shattered his wrist, underwent two surgeries and spent a total of 18 months recovering. By then the construction industry was in a deep freeze and he was also facing, he believes, employers who were dubious about hiring him back.
"In scaffolding they say 'If you fall, you are fired before you hit the ground,' " said Wallace, who now works as a mover.
The loss of Wallace's income, the only one in his family, meant moving out of their Redwood City apartment and into a room in a cousin's home in August 2008. Since then Wallace, his 40-year-old wife Asinate, and their three daughters and two sons, who range from 8 to 1½ years old, have shared the small space.
The impact of the tax credit payments can be massive, said Kelly Batson, a regional director for Earn It! Keep It! Save It!, a nonprofit coalition that provides tax preparation help.
"For some people this is the most money they see at once in the year," said Batson. "They pay down debt or maybe they need it to fix the car."
For Wallace's family the money is peace of mind. Right now the family lives paycheck to paycheck. So a slow week at his moving job could mean falling behind in the bills and getting back into trouble with credit card debt, which they saw climb to about $36,000 at its worst. The $2,300 tax credit can fill some gaps.
"That might not sound like a lot of money to other people, but to us that is huge," said Wallace. "I think we had $50 in our savings account before it."
In a time when everything from fighter planes to preschool classes for low income children is on the chopping block, a tax credit for poor families doesn't have a guaranteed future. However, there was some recent good news when leaders, as part of the fiscal cliff negotiations, decided to keep expansions of the program through 2017 which were set to expire this year, Batson said.
"It encourages people to work, so both sides of the aisle have been very pleased with that," said Batson. "But in this climate of 'we have to cut everything' it does get brought up."
Contact Joshua Melvin at 650-348-4335. Follow him at Twitter.com/melvinreport.
About 20 percent of the individuals or families eligible for the earned income tax credit don't claim it. Here are the criteria:
You have to earn wages, or income from self-employment or farming
Maximum income is $50,270 for a married couple with three children
If you don't have children you be 25-65 years old
You must file an income tax return with the IRS
For more information on the Earned Income Tax Credit go to www.eitc.irs.gov.
Source: Internal Revenue Service


text:
OAKLAND -- Given his cosmopolitan background, Michael DeWall has enjoyed a lifelong linguistic and musical journey. Fluent in English and Spanish, the Richmond resident and son of a noted jazz singer writes and records songs in both languages.
Several miles away, longtime Rockridge resident Peter Elman boasts impressive musical and writing credentials, too (his freelance stories have appeared in this newspaper chain). As an Oakland Athletics die-hard, and his "Elman Swings" column ran as a regular feature of the Oakland A's Fan Coalition website from 2000 to 2005.
Recently, DeWall and Elman combined their musical and literary talents with the visual artistry of illustrator Sara Kahn to produce a children's book and accompanying CD. Available in selected bookstores and for order online, "Seasons: Rhymes in Time" uses poetry and vivid watercolor art to take young readers (ages 4-9) through winter, spring, summer and fall.
The greens, blues, browns, reds, yellows and wintry whites of Kahn's illustrations grab instant attention. Elman and DeWall provide the narrative: a collection of nine original poems set to music and brought to life on the CD.
"It's an all-purpose book -- Michael and I made sure the music was refreshing, that it had a nice variety of styles," said Elman, whose broad range of influences include George and Ira Gershwin, Cole Porter, the Beatles and James Brown. "When you listen to the music, there's a cross-section ... this tune's a little reggae, this is a little country, this is a little jazzy, this is a little pop."
As such, young readers, parents and teachers will find "Seasons" a far cry from the usual run-of-the-mill children's books and CDs.
"Our songs are not your (typical) kids songs, unlike 'The Wheels on the Bus' and 'Old McDonald,' " DeWall said. "The poetry is the lyrics to the songs. I think what we came up with is a unique product, with poetry, good art and music."
Elman and DeWall first crossed paths in their roles as educators for the Albany Unified School District, for which Elman serves as a substitute teacher and DeWall as a Spanish teacher at Albany Middle School. But they soon discovered one another's deep musical roots and mutual passion for making songs.
DeWall and Elman first got the idea for writing a book with an accompanying CD in 2010 and had a great time coming up with songs and recording them in Elman's home studio. But their project took unexpected twists and turns. And it ran into one major roadblock.
"We spent a year looking for an artist to illustrate the book," said Elman, who along with DeWall, interviewed many local artists and viewed hundreds of online portfolios before meeting San Francisco-based watercolor artist Kahn. For the singers and authors, their choice had an impact beyond anything they initially might have imagined.
"We started out writing songs for a novel about a kid growing up," DeWall said. "We would write a song about every month in a year of his life (a song for each of the 12 chapters and months). But Sara threw out some of the songs, saying they were unfocused."
"She said, 'Why don't you write about the seasons and nature?' -- the original songs were about food, like on Halloween," Elman said. "She was instrumental in steering us in a more commercial direction."
Suddenly, a novel and songs Elman and DeWall had envisioned for students ages 9-12 evolved into a book and music for younger readers. And given her input and influence, Kahn became a third partner in the project.
"This woman is very talented ... we got lucky," Elman said. "She drew 240 paintings to come up with these nine (in the book). She's a natural."
Indeed, Kahn has illustrated many children's books, in the United States and in her native Iran. And that impressive resume only adds to the authors' diversity of influences.
DeWall, born in Los Angeles to internationally acclaimed 1950s and 1960s jazz singer Wanda Curtis, lived for seven years (1961-68) in Argentina, where his mother enjoyed immense popularity. There, DeWall absorbed himself in such musical styles as jazz, calypso, bossa nova and Argentine folk.
While DeWall, 65, received much musical exposure from a young age, many might have expected Elman's life to have taken a different turn.
Originally from Bethesda, Md., Elman, 62, took an early interest in music as his father, Philip Elman, earned a great reputation in legal circles for his work in the U.S. Solicitor General's Office and as a member of the Federal Trade Commission.
Pete Elman, meanwhile, listened to various musical styles, including country-and-western, soul and rock-and-roll. Like DeWall, Elman also started to write his own songs.
"Kids' songs are all right, but this is more," DeWall said. "You want to give the kids an advanced musical experience."
Added Elman, "Trends come and go, but our music is sophisticated. When you do that, you have a better chance of the music lasting longer."


text:
In qualification, after just 2 laps, team driver Martin Sventén placed the car on P1, with a comforting 0.3s The team was then able to secure a historical win and finish on top of the podium, leading from start to finish. 1st place, 1st time in GT4 for an Exige, 1st race of the year and the 1st race in a Lotus for Redback Racing.
John Vella, Team Owner and Driver: We are very pleased to see that the Lotus Exige meet´s our expectations and that we started of the season with a win. The team has done a great job and Lotus has been really supportive in our work to get started with a new car. With the expertise in our team I´m hopeful we can continue to deliver during the rest of the season.
Martin Sventén, Engineer and Driver: Already from the first taste we got form the Exige at the Lotus test track in November we have had a good feeling about this car having potential to be a frontrunner despite it aimed at being a track day car. The Lotus engineers have done a great job in creating a car that handles great and is easy to drive fast.
About RedBack Racing: Redback racing is owned and managed by John Vella, a native Australian living and operating in Bankeryd, Sweden. For 2014 Redback has switched to Lotus for their racing program and together with the partners Sventén Motorsport, Revoca and Performance Center Syd they have formed a highly skilled and motivated team.
This post has been promoted to an article


text:
Buyer beware? Feds to warn of land mines, booby traps on tax militants' auctioned NH land
Federal officials are preparing to sell the New Hampshire compound of a tax-evading couple convicted of amassing an arsenal of weapons, but they can't guarantee that explosives and other booby traps aren't hidden on the 103-acre spread.
Post a comment
You must sign in before you can post comments. If you are experiencing issues with your account please e-mail email@example.com.


text:
OAKLAND -- Pitcher Dallas Braden, who rewrote the book on Mother's Day gift-giving, has retired.
The one-time A's left-handed starter made his mark on Mother's Day 2010 with a perfect game against the Tampa Bay Rays. His mother, Jodie Atwood, had died of cancer when he was a teen, but his grandmother, Peggy Lindsey, was in the Coliseum for the perfecto and memorably was on the field to help celebrate after the game was over.
It was the peak of Braden's career. He was 4-2 with a 3.33 ERA at that point of the season, but went just 7-12, 3.56 the rest of the season. In 2011 he was 1-1 when his shoulder problems magnified.
Multiple shoulder surgeries have rendered the 30-year-old's left shoulder unfit for pitching. He told the San Francisco Chronicle that led him to call it quits.
"There is nothing left in there," Braden told the paper when describing his left shoulder. "It's just a shredded mess. I left my arm on the mound at the Coliseum, and I'm OK with that."
Braden's career saw him go 26-36 with a 4.16 ERA in five seasons, all of them with the A's. He hasn't pitched in the big leagues since 2011.
"The (perfect) game will always define the one solid day of work I had and the fact that I got to share it with my grandmother," Braden said. "Only a few people appreciate the magnitude of that. That was living the dream."


text:
8 Opinions
Nice editor... it has the few features I want like split-pane view of a document, syntax highlighting, and add/remove indent without lots of the extra programmers' editor tools I never use. Great small, fast app!
Step aside, TextWrangler! (On my machine, at leastâ¦)
As far as free text editors go, I always have TextWrangler on hand. One of the first installs when I start fresh on a system. I don't think that's going to change, to be honest, because TextWrangler definitely has some points that CotEditor doesn't. But as far as my practical needs are concerned, CotEditor steps forward and pushes into the features that I've sought from paid text editorsâ¦
The scriptability is about on par with TextWrangler - simple, quick, very usable. Yet CotEditor feels just slightly more accessible to me, can't put my finger on itâ¦
I don't think TextWrangler has support for keybindings like CotEditor does. It's less useful than a transformation tool, but it definitely helps being able to map shift-enter to close a p tag, add a new line, and open a new p tagâ¦
I don't know, but I think I'll be holding onto CotEditor for a while. It just has a grace about it that TextWrangler lacks. For now, they coexist.
Doesn't have web preview, can't store code snippets & page templates. For editing HTML pages, it's better to use an app with those features.
Simple, powerful, attractive. I use it in combination with MAMP and Cyberduck to code PHP.
this is a universal binary now, it says so in the change-log, but does not display the universal binary icon above the app. just thought i would mention it. i use this on my leopard box instead of textwrangler (which i use on the system i kept tiger on) and it's a fantastic little code editor, not as many "bells & whistles" as textwrangler, but certainly a well put together application, i use it mainly to edit source for which xcode would be unnecessary to use, like command-line java apps, css, javascript etc... try it out if you're looking for a stable, no nonsense coding app.
Despite it being a Japanese page, and obviously oriented for the Japanese programmer, there's a lot of good stuff here. Simple, clean interface, but with a lot of (surprisingly easily) modifiable sections. Many developers could learn a thing or two from this app.
I also don't notice any Japanese sections, and the translation is very good (not perfect, but better than some American apps even). Give it a try if you need a basic coding app. There's even fully-modifyable keyboard shortcuts for just about everything.
This app most likely has a dedicated spot on my HD from now on.
fast, complete, nice
no nonsense
from the google translate of that page (http://tinyurl.com/jsdwf)
"It is the editor who reads and writes the plain text file.
...GPL (the free software) is."


text:
Odorlos 40 oz. Clear Measuring Bottle
Ask a Question
Contains no formaldehyde and works by speeding up the natural composting process by preventing hydrogen sulfide gases. 4 oz./40 gal. tank. Available in: 32, 40, 68, 136 oz. Liquid, 10-pack and 5lb. Eco-Size Dry.
Technical Specs
Weight: 3.8 lbs.
Manufacturer: Valterra Products Llc
Mfg Part #: PA352LU52/V77002
Related Items
Odorlos 40 oz. Clear Measuring Bottle: Customer Reviews
Camper's Choice Rating
Reviewed by 3 customers
from Muskegon, MI
Odorlos 40 oz. Clear Measuring Bottle
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Fails to prevent odors
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Ask a Question
Ask your question today to get answers from other owners of this product and Camping World staff members. If you have a question for customer service such as pricing, shipping or order information please do not submit your question through this form. Please contact Customer Service.


text:
There are no tags in North Carolina matching the selected filters.
ACTIVE is the leader in online event registrations from 5k running races and marathons to softball leagues and local events. ACTIVE also makes it easy to learn and prepare for all the things you love to do with expert resources, training plans and fitness calculators.


text:
Jason Anderson">
STOCKTON - Homicide suspect Louis McCornell eluded authorities for nearly five months, but tips from citizens helped police and U.S. marshals locate him Thursday in south Stockton, officers said.
McCornell, 22, also known as "Hamburger," was arrested on suspicion of murder about 2:15 p.m. at a residence in the 1200 block of South Sutter Street, said Officer Joe Silva, a spokesman for the Stockton Police Department.
McCornell was wanted for the death of Devandre Norwood, 21, who was shot June 25 in the 600 block of North American Street, police said.
"Once again, thanks to the information provided by our tipsters, we were able to get a homicide suspect off the streets," Silva said. "This just reinforces that programs like Crime Stoppers and the 'Submit a Tip' app on our Facebook page work, because it provides a strong partnership between the community and law enforcement."
Contact reporter Jason Anderson at (209) 546-8279 or email@example.com. Follow him at recordnet.com/crimeblog and on Twitter @Stockton911.
Location, ST | website.com


text:
Driver runs off road in fog, drops down 200-foot embankment
Published: Thursday, January 3, 2013 at 6:24 p.m.
Last Modified: Thursday, January 3, 2013 at 6:24 p.m.
The combination of early morning fog and the hairpin curves of a mountain road proved treacherous for a woman who was rescued Thursday morning from a nearly 200-foot mountainside drop.
More than 14 first responders worked for 20 minutes to pull the woman from the bottom of a "very, very steep embankment" during a high-angle rescue off of Shumont Road in Henderson County.
The driver was traveling east on Shumont, off of Highway 9, around 7:18 a.m. when she ran off a short right shoulder and dropped down the embankment, according to N.C. Highway Patrol Trooper K.M. Dale.
The woman, whose name was not released Thursday, was taken by Henderson County EMS to Mission Hospital with what appeared to be non-life-threatening injuries, he said.
Troopers are unsure of what made her car venture off of the roadway, but Dale said it was "extremely foggy" and happened in the crux of a "hairpin turn."
"When she ran off the road, there was nothing there but an embankment," he said, "a very, very steep embankment."
First responders from Bat Cave Volunteer Fire Department, Henderson County EMS, Broad River Volunteer Fire and Rescue and Henderson County Rescue Squad formed two teams. One crew traveled down the embankment and worked a pulley system of ropes and a Stokes stretcher, and the top-side team lifted the driver up the dike.
"Firefighters assisted in carrying her up while we pulled her up from the top," said Henderson County Rescue Squad Deputy Chief Adam Justus.
It took close to 20 men and 20 minutes to pull the driver from the wreckage, he added.
Reach Weaver at firstname.lastname@example.com or 828-694-7867.
Reader comments posted to this article may be published in our print edition. All rights reserved. This copyrighted material may not be re-published without permission. Links are encouraged.


text:
Polk County investigators ask public to help locate suspect in breaking and entering
Published: Thursday, March 20, 2014 at 10:27 a.m.
Last Modified: Thursday, March 20, 2014 at 10:27 a.m.
TRYON — Polk County investigators are asking for the public's help in locating a person authorities said is responsible for a break-in earlier this week.
According to a statement from the Polk County Sheriff's Office, the break-in occurred between 8:40 and 11:43 a.m. Tuesday on Dogwood Trail in Tryon, N.C.
The offender was able to gain entry into the home through a side door. During the break-in, a bedroom was ransacked and a large amount of jewelry was taken.
A suspicious older brown 4-door vehicle was seen in the area during the time of incident. Officers are still investigating and checking on the description of a possible suspect.
"We're checking all leads." Sheriff Donald Hill said in a statement.
Anyone with information about this crime or any other crime is asked to call Polk County Sheriff's Office at 828-894-3001. Detective Sgt. Randall Hodge is investigating case.
Reader comments posted to this article may be published in our print edition. All rights reserved. This copyrighted material may not be re-published without permission. Links are encouraged.


text:
Clarence from StreetFilms wrote to tell us that David Byrne just had his bicycle stolen! See Byrne on StreetFilms and Jason's post on a chance encounter with him at SXSW.
4 Comments
Is there anybody cooler than David Byrne? I saw him at the Showbox a couple years ago with Paul of Lysle from Wines of WA - Tasting Room (Go see them - they sponsor bike racing). Amazing music, and some rather poignant commentary on the direction of the environment. The guy is very grounded for a celebrity and he's realistic with his expectations.
I remembered Byrne's blog. More interesting commentary there including some on his bike advocacy:
Bike Forum.
Sad day for Mr. Byrne. His bike will never be same as it ever was…
And without it he's "letting the days go by"


text:
- Apr 17:
- Brave actions by Audrie Pott's parents are appreciated
- Brave actions by Audrie Pott's parents are appreciated
- Apr 15:
- Audrie Pott case docs: Police took cellphone, computers from three suspects in sexual assault
- Audrie Pott case: Documents detail party, acts at heart of sexual assault blamed for teen's suicide
- Audrie Pott case: Stepmother's statement on pain Saratoga girl, family faced
- Saratoga sexual assault case: Parents of teen victim to file wrongful death suit against three boys
- Apr 14:
- Saratoga High's tragic assault case: Students say photos didn't go viral
- 3 charged in sexual abuse case previously cited
- Apr 13:
- Saratoga girl's suicide fuels cyberbullying debate
- Apr 12:
- Audrie Pott suicide: Grim picture of Saratoga teen's final online cries of despair
- Audrie Pott case: Whispers of sexual assault after Saratoga teen's suicide prompted investigation
- Canadian police reopen case of girl who committed suicide after alleged rape
- Lawyer: Girl saw details online of sex assault
- Apr 11:
- Teens arrested in rape case tied to Saratoga High student's suicide
- Canada minister to oversee probe to teen's suicide
- Apr 9:
- Mom: Teen kills herself after rape, bullying
SARATOGA -- Faster than wildfire, the story of three Saratoga High School boys arrested last week has spread around the world. They are accused of photographing themselves sexually assaulting a drunken, 15-year-old female classmate last fall and then distributing photos that allegedly went viral on social media. The victim, Audrie Pott, committed suicide shortly after.
But now, as more details of the tragic tale come to light, it seems there is doubt that the photos were posted on Facebook or other social media, some of Audrie's friends and classmates say. And, they contend, the images were not widely seen on campus.
The Pott family's high-profile attorney, Robert Allard, who specializes in sexual assault cases, will announce Monday details of their daughter's case and a lawsuit they plan to file.
On another side, the Los Gatos-Saratoga Union High School District refuses to speak to the media or answer questions. Attorneys for the three boys said the allegations have been exaggerated.
Meanwhile, the whole matter is frustrating for students at Saratoga High, where spring break begins this week. Many students said they didn't know about the photos or alleged assault. They are unhappy about the student body seemingly accused of being complicit in a crime.
"The photos never went 'viral,'" said Samuel Liu, an editor at the campus newspaper, the Falcon. "I don't believe many saw the photo at all."
On Labor Day weekend, Audrie, a sophomore, attended a party at the house of a friend whose parents were out of town. She drank alcohol-laced Gatorade and went to sleep, according to Allard. Later, he said, she learned that three boys had sex with her, took photos and then shared the images with others. Distraught that the photos spread among students, Allard said, eight days later, Audrie took her own life.
On Thursday -- seven months later -- Santa Clara County sheriff's deputies arrested three 16-year-olds. Their names are not being released because they are juveniles.
Took some time
According to several Saratoga students, the photos of the alleged assault never appeared on Facebook or other social media sites. Instead, they believe the three boys, members of the football team, showed others the photos on their phones. It's unknown whether anyone texted the photos to others.
As part of the lengthy investigation, the sheriff's office has confiscated many laptops and cellphones from students.
After Audrie took her life, some students found out what the boys allegedly did to her. "Their reputations kind of went down the drain," said one sophomore who is a friend of the three boys, but believes arresting them was the right thing to do. "I kind of just wonder why it took so long," said the boy, who did not want to be identified for fear of being associated with the case.
The three boys were arrested on suspicion of sexual battery-related charges and possession and distribution of harmful matter depicting a victim -- two felonies and one misdemeanor. They were booked into Santa Clara County Juvenile Hall.
After Audrie's suicide, detectives began investigating possible factors. The day she died, Audrie had been despondent about being bullied by two girlfriends, another friend said Sunday. "Audrie was the type of girl who wants to be loved, and to have her close girlfriends turn on her, it's got to hurt," said the friend, who didn't want to be named because her parents don't know she was at the party.
Investigators initially looked into allegations of bullying and multiple rumors circulating around upscale Saratoga High, sheriff's spokesman Jose Cardoza said. "Trying to get good, solid leads from the onset was kind of cumbersome."
Cited in the fall
In the fall, deputies cited the three boys for misdemeanor sexual assault. "If the information known to investigators later was known then, obviously they would not have been cited," said Cardoza. "They would have been arrested."
None of the boys was suspended or disciplined by the school, said Eric Geffon, the attorney for one of them. Nor were they kicked off the football team, he said. But a teammate said that none of the three played in any games the rest of the 2012 season. One of the boys soon transferred to Christopher High in Gilroy.
The school district refused to comment on any possible discipline. The State Education Code gives schools latitude in punishing students. A district may expel or suspend a student for physically injuring a person, bullying or causing harm to someone's mental health.
In a statement Sunday, Superintendent Bob Mistele said the district will "act accordingly" when the sheriff's investigation is complete. He also said that district records show no record of Audrie reporting bullying.
At the memorial service for Audrie, friends spoke of her warm and vibrant personality and her perfect face, according to an account in the Falcon newspaper. She had been profiled a year earlier for her skills in soccer, which she had played since she was 2.
On Thursday, the day of the arrests, Principal Paul Robinson pulled the two alleged assailants still at Saratoga High out of class, one classmate said. "'Get your stuff,'" he reportedly told one, "'and come with me.'"
Contact Sharon Noguchi at 408-271-3775. Follow her at Twitter.com/NoguchiOnK12.


text:
Prosecutors and defense attorneys laid out their strategies in the trial of Linda Schrenko and her two co-defendants.
It's a case of defense attorneys blaming everyone else and prosecutors saying they have proof of who stole from taxpayers and why.
Linda Schrenko was all smiles for day one of her federal fraud, money laundering and theft trial.
Prosecutors say she stole hundreds of thousands of dollars of federal money meant for Georgia schoolchildren and diverted it into her bid for governor because her campaign was always broke.
Jurors listened and watched as prosecutors laid out charts and diagrams of how they say Schrenko wrote a series of more than a dozen checks to companies owned by South African Stephan Botes.
More than half of the $614,000 ended up in Schrenko's campaign, paying for TV and radio ads and also helping pay for cosmetic surgery.
Prosecutors say Merle Temple also used the money to pay for a down payment on a car, a TV and a computer for Linda Schrenko.
Defense attorneys pointed fingers elsewhere.
Linda Schrenko's attorney Pete Theodocian acknowledged to jurors that the government's case looks pretty great on paper, but he says the case is not about an abuse of trust. He stated that Linda Schrenko hoped to do good for the children of Georgia, including those attending the School for the Deaf and the Governor's Honors Program.
Finally they added that she put her trust in the wrong people.
We asked Schrenko's attorney if there were any surprises from the prosecution today.
"No," Theodocian said, "they pretty much laid it out as we were expecting, and there weren't really any surprises today."
In opening arguments, defense attorneys said Schrenko and her former deputy superintendent Merle Temple were having an affair...something her attorney does not deny.
"We don't deny it," Theodocian said. "She was in a strained marriage and she was only staying in it for politics."
And while defense attorneys cast about blame, prosecutors say dozens of people in Augusta took part in the scheme. But prosecutor Russell Vineyard said Linda Schrenko enlisted the help of her own daughter and dentist Kathy Cooper and her office in funneling money to her failed gubernatorial campaign.
Vineyard also said close friend and political ally State House Rep. Sue Burmeister accepted cash and wrote a check to Schrenko's campaign.
Prosecutors brought two witnesses to the stand. One oversaw accounting for the Department of Education Technology Office. The other was a consultant who prosecutors say brought Stephan Botes and Linda Schrenko together in early 2002 to a relationship that prosecutors say would lead to stealing from the school children of Georgia.
Prosecutors introduced more than a dozen pieces of evidence Monday, including e-mails and checks they say were used to funnel hundreds of thousands of dollars to Schrenko.


text:
Lois Corn Barnwell, 88
Published: Wednesday, November 28, 2012 at 4:30 a.m.
Last Modified: Tuesday, November 27, 2012 at 3:15 p.m.
HENDERSONVILLE— Lois Corn Barnwell, 88, of Hendersonville, died on Tuesday, November 27, 2012. A lifelong resident of Henderson County she was born on December 28, 1923 to the late Reverend Quay Corn and Maybelle Simms Corn. She was also preceded in death by her husband, Willard E. Barnwell; their infant child, Roy Eugene Barnwell; her brother, David D. Corn and her sister, Mary Ann Henderson.
She retired from General Electric in East Flat Rock after 30 years of faithful service. Lois was a longtime and active member of Ebenezer Baptist Church; she enjoyed spending time in her vegetable garden and canning those vegetables. She was a remarkable woman who loved her family and grandchildren. She will be truly missed by all that knew and loved her.
She is survived by her two daughters, Joyce Murdock and her husband, Mike, of Hendersonville, Linda Burgess of Hendersonville; four grandchildren, Allen Whitmire and his wife, Elaine, of Hendersonville, Tim Whitmire and his wife, Barbara, of Hendersonville, Kevin Burgess of Fernadina Beach, FL, Tanya Stepp and her husband, J.D., of Hendersonville; five great-grandchildren, Savannah Whitmire, Tadd Whitmire, Mariah Whitmire, Cameron Dey, Caleb Dey, all of Hendersonville; five sisters, Ruth Brackett of Georgia, Margaret "Birdie" Clark of Hendersonville, Betty Gilliam of Florence, SC, Louise Levi of Hendersonville, Pie Jackson of Hendersonville; one brother, Wilburn Corn of Hendersonville and lifelong friend, Murge Maxwell.
A funeral service will be held at 2:00PM on Friday, November 30, 2012 at Ebenezer Baptist Church with Reverend Dan Blackwell officiating. Burial will follow in the church cemetery. The family will receive friends from 5: 30PM until 7:30PM on Thursday, November 29, 2012 at the funeral home.
A register book is available online for family and friends by visiting www.thosshepherd.com.
Thos. Shepherd & Son Funeral Directors is in charge of arrangements.
Reader comments posted to this article may be published in our print edition. All rights reserved. This copyrighted material may not be re-published without permission. Links are encouraged.


text:
Travel with British Airways and enjoy award-winning service, excellent value for money and no hidden charges.
Book your hotel with British Airways and enjoy all these great benefits:
Travel with British Airways and enjoy award-winning service, excellent value for money and no hidden charges.
Create a great value flight + hotel package and save money on your Philadelphia holiday.
Choose one of our carefully selected hotels in Philadelphia for your unforgettable city break. With convenient locations and a range of price points, our accommodation will provide the perfect base for exploring the wonders of the city.
Stay at the trendy Palomar, a boutique hotel set in a striking art deco building that has been restored to its original 1920's grandeur. Or book Loews Philadelphia, a reasonably priced 5 star that has fantastic views of the Delaware River and a wonderful spa. The great value Sonesta Hotel Philadelphia boasts a downtown location and rooftop swimming pool. You can also enjoy complimentary WiFi.
Explore Philadelphia on this hop-on hop-off tour. Visit 20 top attractions including the Liberty Bell, Independence Hall and the Betsy Ross House, while touring the city in a fun, fast and scenic way. Choose from a 24-hour or 48-hour ticket to ride on an open-top, double-decker bus, with live commentary from your on-board guide. Hop on the open-top, double-decker bus at any of the 20 stops around Philadelphia and ride the one hour thirty minute loop that stops at many exciting attractions.
Enjoy this unique land and water experience, filled with information about the city's important sites and landmarks, fun stories, trivia and comical captains. Philadelphia's favourite tour travels from the historic district to museum district - and numerous neighbourhoods in-between- before splashing into the Delaware River for a 20-minute water tour.
Sesame Street comes to life at Sesame Place, with whirling rides, water slides, exciting shows and endless giggles. Dance and sing-a-long with your favourite furry friends in the Neighbourhood Street Party. As the little ones learn about letters, numbers and friendship at one of the two street-stopping parades. Sesame Place is located just 30 minutes north of Philadelphia and 90 minutes south of New York City. It is the country's only theme park based entirely on the beloved TV show Sesame Street.
Experience the best of US history with a modern twist on this tour of Philadelphia. See where the Founding Fathers signed the Declaration of Independence, take a photo of the Liberty Bell, see where past presidents like George Washington lived, and learn about William Penn, Pennsylvania's founder. Discover the lively neighbourhood culture as you pass art galleries and cafes, and top off your tour with a refreshing drink at a local pub.
Enjoy free admission or discounts to over 30 of Philadelphia's top attractions and destinations. So whether you prefer museums or malls, zoos or gardens, sport events or shopping excursions - with The Philadelphia Pass there really is something for everyone. Philadelphia is a city of endless options and the Philadelphia Pass has been designed to let you do as much or as little as you like, and at your own pace.


text:
SACRAMENTO -- There were plenty of downcast faces on the Moreau Catholic High boys basketball team after its 85-44 loss to Bishop Montgomery-Torrance in the CIF Division IV championship game Saturday at Sleep Train Arena.
But with no seniors and only one junior on its roster, Moreau Catholic has reason to believe it can again compete for state championships in the coming seasons.
"It was a great season for our program," said Moreau Catholic coach Frank Knight, whose squad won its first North Coast Section and CIF Northern Regional titles. "I don't want (the team) to take from this season that this game is in any way indicative of the season that these guys have had.
"It's tough to see (this game) now as an experience. If we can make it back to the state title (game) the next couple of years, this experience will definitely benefit us."
If Moreau Catholic (27-7) returns to the state final soon, it may run into Bishop Montgomery (28-6) again. The Knights have only one senior on their roster -- Long Beach State-bound Justin Bibbins, who had 12 points, nine rebounds and four assists in the win.
The Mariners stayed close early. A thunderous dunk by Oscar Frayer put Moreau Catholic within two points of the lead at 8-6 with 4:31 left in the first quarter.
But Bishop Montgomery went on a 16-5 run to take a 24-11 lead early in the second quarter. The Knights led by double digits the rest of the game.
"Their style dovetailed perfectly with what we like to do," Bishop Montgomery coach Doug Mitchell said. "They go up and down the court. That helped us."
"I definitely want to take the blame for this loss," Knight said. "I probably should have prepared them for contact. ... We got out-rebounded and didn't get back on defense."
Bishop Montgomery outrebounded the Mariners 50-35.
Frayer, a sophomore wing, led Moreau Catholic with 10 points, six rebounds and three blocks. Teammates Damari Milstead and Armond Simmons added nine and eight points, respectively.
"We have not played a team this good in awhile, since Monte Vista," said Frayer, referring to a 75-56 loss on Nov. 30 to the eventual Division I state champions. "They just played harder."
The Knights' Stephen Thompson led all scorers with 20 points, and Ethan Thompson added 14.
The Knights had a 36-19 halftime lead and found another gear early in the second half to take a 62-32 lead after three quarters.
Moreau Catholic shot 14 for 56 (25 percent) from the field and 16 for 26 (61.5 percent) from the foul line.


text:
Yarn Profile: Reynolds Bulky Lopi
First Impressions
Made in Iceland, the Lopi line goes hand in hand with Reynolds' extensive Icelandic pattern collections. These are traditionally knit in the round, with elaborate color patterning around the waist, sleeves, and yoke.
Lopi is made of Icelandic wool, a sturdy, brassy fiber that isn't always suitable for next-to-skin wear. This has kept many knitters from trying Reynolds' Lopi patterns, which is a shame.
Knitting Up
Knitting was relatively rapid and effortless, aided by my dull-tipped Addi Turbos. Stitches appeared even and steady, and the yarn's twist stayed consistent as I worked with it.
Blocking / Washing
My swatches behaved perfectly in the wash, with no bleeding or fading. There was only a slight bloom in the fiber, and the gauge remained true.
The yarn doesn't lose any of its brassiness with wash, so always be prepared to keep a buffer article of clothing between you and your Bulky Lopi.
If you can buffer them from the scratchy yarn, Bulky Lopi makes an excellent fiber for children's sweaters because it's warm and rugged.
But it's the perfect medium for Icelandic-type designs. And Reynolds produces almost more of these designs than anyone else, making this an obvious marriage.
Bulky Lopi gives you a chance to work with Icelandic wool and not wait so long for the finished product. Its larger stitch definition reduces the potential for subtle color work, but otherwise it's a great fast-knitting alternative.
Yarn name
Bulky Lopi
Reynolds Yarns, a division of JCA Inc.
Fiber content
100% wool
2.5 sts and 3.5 rows per inch
Average retail price
$5.95 / skein
Where to Buy Online
Weight/Yardage per Skein
100g. / 67 yards
Country of Origin
Manufacturer's suggested wash method
Hand wash with mild soap in lukewarm water. Do not wring or twist, but roll in a towel to remove moisture. Lay flat to dry. Avoid direct sunlight.
Review date


text:
Brought to you by and the .Vail official report: 0" new snowWeather: Warm and sunnyLiftline status: Eagle Bahn Gondola getting crowded, not bad elsewhereRun of the day: Red Zinger was groomedBreakdown: Another warm and sunny day in Vail, with spring skiing conditions -- hard in the morning, with the areas exposed to sun softening up to a nice mashed potato consistency as the day goes on. Be careful in the shaded areas as it's definitely icey there.Snowcast: We're hoping for something late this weekend, hopefully Sunday.
On the Hill is shot with a GoPro HERO3 Silver Edition.


text:
As a new resident to Arizona, you are required to obtain an Arizona driver license and to register your vehicles in this state.
MVD offers services for vehicle title and registration and for obtaining a new Arizona driver license. Please look over the information contained here to learn the simple compliance of licensing and vehicle registration.
We look forward to providing you with outstanding customer service.
Eric R. Jorgensen
Motor Vehicle Division
Copyright © Arizona Department of Transportation – All rights reserved.


text:
The Frisco Adventure Park kicked off its third season Thursday debuting its tubing hill operations with nearly 600 people, a record-breaking opening day attendance, celebrating the sunny Thanksgiving Day.
In the first year of operations, the tubing hill was more popular than expected, according to tubing hill staff. Since the first season, the tubing hill's reservations have continued to increase.
"We have seen great growth from the first season to last season and expect to see growth this season," said Jennifer Printz, guest services manager. "With the beautiful days we're going to have, the tubing hill is one of the few places to find snow to play on. I know a lot of people would like to see a snowstorm and ski runs opening up like crazy but we don't - this is the best alternative for sure."
Mike Immer from St. Louis, bringing with him a group of 11, a handful from Los Angeles and "the balance" from Missouri, said the activity was great for the whole family but he was disappointed with the amount of snow.
"In general we're disappointed that there's not more snow. We arrived here 15 years ago for a similar vacation and there was a ton, it's a little disheartening that there's not more snow," he said.
Snowmaking operations for the tubing hill began Oct. 15 but having the conditions to open, has been a challenge, Frisco Adventure Park operations manager Josh Olson said.
"It's been a bit of a struggle with the temperatures and weather we've had - we've only had one cold week for snowmaking since we started," Olson said. "But we're really happy being able to open on Thanksgiving, we scraped it together and managed to get it open and we're pretty excited about that."
Even with the lack of snow in the county, the holiday spirit among the families that traveled far for Thanksgiving weekend and the employees working the holiday, was abundant.
Park employee Brayden Pappenfort from Silverthorne benefited from the good graces of his colleagues who let him go home early after not feeling well Thanksgiving morning.
"This is a great job and I'm so thankful for everyone I work with," Pappenfort said. "It's really fun to be out here on the holiday, everyone looks like they're really having a lot of fun."
The hourly rate to go tubing at the park is $25, and Frisco residents receive a 20 percent discount on all park activities. A 10-punch transferable pass is available for $199. The tubing hill is open daily from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m.with some expanded hours during the holiday season.
The tubing hill measures 600 feet in length and will have three lanes open today with the option to expand to five to six lanes if there's enough demand. Some lanes are faster and longer than others, according to Olson.
The park has four snowmaking machines to maintain an adequate snow base throughout the season and two snowcats to groom the lanes.
The adventure park and tubing hill slid off its inaugural season Dec. 12, 2010, with snowmaking operations and construction still under way. Since then, the hill has opened Thanksgiving Day.
This season, tubing hill staff anticipates opening five to six tubing lanes, all with different gradients, to accommodate tubers and the beginner ski and ride hill by Christmas.
"If Mother Nature cooperates and we have the right conditions, our goal is to have those areas opened by Christmas," Olson added.


text:
At Builders' Show, an Upbeat Forecast for Housing
Leading housing economists told builders Tuesday that the housing market has struck the long-awaited bottom and is expected to show robust gains, particularly in 2014.
Builders are expected to start construction on 650,000 single-family homes in 2013, representing an increase of nearly 22% from the prior year, followed by a 30% increase to 844,000 in 2014, said David Crowe, the National Association of Home Builders' chief economist, during a presentation at the International Builders' Show in Las Vegas.
Starts of multifamily housing, which have spiked to meet a seemingly insatiable demand for rental units following the housing crash, should increase 22% to nearly 300,000 this year, followed by a 6% gain in 2014. But construction of multifamily units is expected to slow from the strong pace of recent years.
Sales and prices are also expected to rise.
Frank Nothaft Freddie Mac chief economist, expects residential sales to increase 8% in 2013, boosted by consumers taking advantage of mortgage rates that should remain below 4% for the year.
Home prices could rise between 2% and 3% in 2013, showing that the downward spiral in prices has ended in most markets. "We're moving in the right direction," Mr. Nothaft said in an interview, adding that the market is a few years away from returning to a normal pace of activity.
The National Association of Home Builders' Improving Markets Index showed 242 healing markets in January, up from 12 when the index started in September of 2011. "My optimism is more solid," Mr. Crowe said. "We're seeing these gains across a larger number of markets."
To be sure, concerns loom. Nearly 80% of builders said their most significant concern is the rising cost of building materials, followed by gridlock and uncertainty in Washington, which could make consumers jittery about buying a home.
Other obstacles include the mediocre jobs market and ongoing issues with home appraisals. The difficulty of qualifying for a mortgage continues to keep plenty of would be buyers out of the market, according to David Berson, chief economist with Nationwide Insurance. "Underwriting criteria that are too tough won't stop the housing market from getting better but it puts a cap on how far it can go," he said. "Lenders and regulators have become hyper-sensitive about credit risk."


text:
Michael Jubinville, MPH
Sleep deprivation is nothing new. It seems our ever-busier lives impact our ability to sleep a full 8 hours at night, or even sleep at all. So how do you catch up? If you are lucky, maybe you can pay back your sleep debt with a quick nap. Check out the information on how to effectively make yourself feel better and be more productive.
Our bodies run on something called circadian rhythm (biological clock). Most times during the day, our bodies and minds are alert. Other times however, alertness fades and our biological clock prepares our bodies for sleep. When this happens, you may feel tired. It happens at night and in most adults in the early afternoon.
What can napping do for you? There is much evidence to support that a nap for 20-30 minutes can improve your:
Napping may also have long term benefits. A large study in countries where siestas are common showed that midday napping decreased the chances of death from coronary heart disease.
Using your body's clock is the best way to determine when the time is right for you. As mentioned above, early afternoon fatigue is common. But a late afternoon nap may make you more tired than you were before your nap, or may keep you awake at night.
When you find the right time, how long is the ideal nap? Most experts say anything less than 30 minutes will improve alertness. Anything longer can put you into a deeper sleep that makes you feel groggy for the rest of the day.
It is important to listen to your body and rest when needed. This can be extremely important if you are doing something that requires your full attention like driving.
If you think about the time of day you feel drowsy, you may be at work. Is there a chance you can take a quick nap?
Napping has had a bad rap as a sign of laziness or lack of ambition. However, research has shown that napping can:
Some companies have embraced this research and are taking steps to have "nap rooms" where employees can recharge. These small, quiet dark rooms give employees a comfortable place to catch a few zzzz's.
People who work shifts, especially overnight, are fatigued and have a difficult time performing. A hospital-based study found that a combination of napping before work and caffeine at work improved alertness and performance.
Now you know what a nap can do for you. Find out the best way to make it happen.
The experts offer the following tips for incorporating naps into your life:
Napping can mask other problems, so if you are napping excessively, contact your doctor. Here are some things that can cause daytime sleepiness:
Keep in mind this does not mean there is a problem. It just means that you have to be aware of the possibilities, especially in older adults.
Lack of sleep causes many problems. Accidents, inability to work productively, and a general feeling of fatigue are just a few. Make sure you are getting enough rest and if you do not, consider taking a quick nap to boost your energy.
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
National Sleep Foundation
Canadian Lung Association
Canadian Sleep Society
Milner CE, Cote KA. Benefits of napping in healthy adults: impact of nap length, time of day, and experience with napping. J Sleep Res. 2009;18(2):272-281.
Nap your way to the top. Psychology Today website. Available at: http://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/200802/nap-your-way-the-top. Updated December 28, 2011. Accessed November 27, 2012.
Napping may not be such a no-no. Harvard Health Letter. 2009;35(1):1-2.
Napping. National Sleep Foundation website. Available at: http://www.sleepfoundation.org/article/sleep-topics/napping. Accessed November 12, 2014.
Naska A, Oikonomou E, et at., Siesta in healthy adults and coronary mortality in the general population. Arch Intern Med. 2007;167(3)296-301.
Sleep deprivation and traffic accidents. HealthGuidance for Better Health website. Available at: http://www.healthguidance.org/entry/3950/1/Sleep-Deprivation-and-Traffic-Accidents.html. Accessed on November 12, 2014.
Last reviewed November 2014 by Michael Woods, MD
Please be aware that this information is provided to supplement the care provided by your physician. It is neither intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. CALL YOUR HEALTHCARE PROVIDER IMMEDIATELY IF YOU THINK YOU MAY HAVE A MEDICAL EMERGENCY. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider prior to starting any new treatment or with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.
Copyright © EBSCO Publishing. All rights reserved.


text:
Life Changes: All The Kardashian Christmas Cards Through The Years
- By Bossip Staff Categories: Blast From the Past, For Your Viewing Pleasure, Multi
A History Of Hilarious Kardashian Christmas Cards
The Kardashians have been one big happy family for a while and they like to show it with their Christmas cards. Whether they're wholesome little kids or reality stars with a few adult flicks under their belts, they're still shelling out Christmas cards. Click through as we take you through the history of Kardashian Christmas cards fro little kids to slore-y kingpins.


text:
Tottenham Hotspur Message Board
Tottenham v Lyon predictions
Lyon have struggled in their last few games, ordinarily I'd be cautious, but if Bale is fit and on form, I don't think they will be able to contain him.
Despite Lennon's good team/defensive work, I agree his performances in an atttacking role has been a little dissappointing IMO, I'd like to see Gylfi given a chance.
joe=23- 2-1 Bale
COYS!!!Sort: Newest | Oldest | Most Replied Expand all replies
just seen they got malbranque. decent little player 4 us. il go for 2-1 with bale scoring. but i got a sneeky feeling vertoghen wikl score. but il stick with bale
- 1 Reply to Layla
Bale, Bale, Bale!
What a player! Where would be without him at the moment?
In truth it wasn't a great game and we did not play particularly well, some of our lads looked knackered, bring on the break. Credit to Lyon, they made things hard for us and their goal was a stunner. Nothing seemed to go for us, we seemed unable to find any fluidity.
Re: Bale, he needs to stay wide and come in when he has time and space, not as a matter of course! IMO
2-1 to the aTottenham!


text:
The Boston Celtics announced Tuesday that guard Lester Hudson has been assigned to the Maine Red Claws of the NBA Development League.Not the best sign for a 25 year old rookie, especially if you consider the C's are light at the point guard position. Sort of like a High School Junior being sent down to JV. Maybe this is why he looked rather down after Ray's big shot last night. Hopefully he tears up the D-League and becomes a player for the Celtics (think Will Bynum, but with us retaining him). JR 12/15/2009 12:27:00 PM Tweet Edit
_________________________________________________________________________« Prev Post Next Post »