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Tickled HOT Pink 2013
Tickled HOT Pink
Friday, September 20, 2013 at 8:30 PM - Thursday, October 31, 2013 at 12:30 AM (EDT)
Who's Going
San Francisco, California
London, United Kingdom
Florence, Italy
Event Details
Tickled HOT Pink will be hosting its second annual fundraising event on September 20th, 2013, to kick off October's Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Our 2012 fundraiser sold out two weeks in advance, and we reached maximum capacity with 600 attendees! This year's event promises to be an even hotter pink evening of dancing, networking and fundraising to help raise awareness and funds to fight breast cancer, the most commonly diagnosed cancer among women in the United States.
Proceeds raised by the Tickled HOT Pink event this year will be donated to the Dubin Breast Center in New York City. The Dubin Breast Center of The Tisch Cancer Institute at Mount Sinai represents a bold new vision for breast care and research - one that is patient-centered and integrative, focusing on the physical and the healing of people with or at risk for breast cancer. The range of multidisciplinary services available through the Dubin Breast Center, from prevention to post-treatment, is housed in one centralized location. Dubin Breast Center patients thus experience the best of both worlds: excellent medical care from top professionals in a state-of-the-art setting. Tickled HOT Pink admires the Dubin Breast Center's mission and is thrilled to support its cause.
Buy your ticket TODAY!
August 12th @ 12AM - $95 FLASH SALE for first 100 tickets
August 13th @ 12AM - $105
August 27th @ 12AM - $125
September 15th @ 12AM - $150
The Tickled HOT Pink committee is thrilled to see you there!
When & Where
The Bowery Hotel
335 Bowery
New York,
Friday, September 20, 2013 at 8:30 PM - Thursday, October 31, 2013 at 12:30 AM (EDT)
Add to my calendar
Tickled HOT Pink
Tickled HOT Pink is an event for young adults devoted to the fight against breast cancer. Through fundraising and programming, Tickled HOT Pink seeks to promote breast cancer awareness and to provide services for breast cancer patients and their families.
Tickled HOT Pink was conceived by two sisters who learned firsthand the importance of early detection when their mother was diagnosed with breast cancer at an early age. Early detection, proper treatment and follow-up care helped their mother become a breast cancer survivor. Tickled HOT Pink is dedicated to ensuring that there are more survivors in the world and to proving that diagnosis is not a death sentence.


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Posts tagged wedding invitations
Have You Seen The Gift Everyone Is Talking About!?0
Wow! It looks like PMall.com is going to have to make room in the Customer Favorites Store for the gift that everyone seems to be talking about!
Our Mr. & Mrs. Self-Inking Address Stamper has been making the rounds on Pinterest - so much so that it was featured on Pinterest's Popular Page and has made appearances on the main Wedding & Events Page numerous times!
People have been "pinning" it like crazy onto boards with names like "Wedding Gift Ideas" "Products I Love" and "I WANT!" with brides leaving comments saying the stamp was their "favorite wedding gift," a "time saver and life saver!" or their "secret weapon!" With all the buzz our personalized gift has created, we wanted to make sure we shared what everyone is talking about with our A Personal Touch readers!
There seem to be 4 main reasons why people are falling in love with our stamp:
1. The "cute" design! We've never seen the word "CUTE!" written so much! Brides love the hearts and the "Mr. & Mrs." theme and since it's a PMall exclusive design, they know they're getting a one-of-a-kind gift they won't find anywhere else!
2. It's "very affordable!" The stamp is only $24.95 (or hurry over to PMall now because as of this posting, the stamp is on sale for just $21.20!) so you can save a bundle buying the one stamp instead of paying big bucks for a large amount of return address labels, especially because …
3. It's self-inking! You don't have to spend extra money on a separate ink pad plus you get to pick out which color you want the stamp to be (you have the option to choose 1 of the 5 available colors: black, blue, red, purple and green)! And last but not least …
4. It "saves soooo much time!" Instead of spending a ton of time writing each return address label by hand, peeling off stickers or licking gross-tasting labels, all you'll have to do is press down once and you'll have a professional-looking stamp that adds a personal touch to your invitations or Thank You notes!
See for yourself what everyone is talking about by reading the comments people are writing on just one of several "pins" that we've seen all over Pinterest!
But don't worry; you don't have to be a bride or wedding guest to enjoy the benefits of this cute gift idea! PMall's Personalized Stationary Store has a wide selection of Personalized Return Address Label Stamps that people are falling in love with, too!
In addition to the Mr. & Mrs. design, the Your Names© Stamp (at right) and the Namely Yours© Stamp (at left) have started to become popular on Pinterest, as well!
So now that you know all the benefits and have heard all the great things people are saying, head over and check out all of PMall's Personalized Address Stamps so you can start saving time and money like everyone else!

subset: commoncrawl


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Epilator with Skin Protector System...
- Featured
- Women's Accessories
SpecificationsExpand All
More Details
Skin Protector SystemYes
Sliding HeadYes
- 2-in-1 Operation Yes:Epilator attachmentShaver attachment
- Tweezing Discs 32
- Speeds 2
- Cord/Cordless Operation No
- Power Source AC 120V
- Replacement Foil WES9753P
- Replacement Blade WES9752P
- Dimensions (H x W x D) 4.7'' x 2.2'' x 1.4''
- Weight 0.29
Owner's Manuals
FAQsFrequently asked questions about your product
What should I do if my product needs service?
NOTE: This does not apply to TVs, Microwaves, Vacuums, and Massage Chairs
For repairs and exchanges:
Ship your product to:
Panasonic Factory Service Center
4900 George McVay Drive
Suite B; Door-12
McAllen, TX 78503
Please include your name, address, telephone number, email address, copy of your purchase receipt (for warranty service), and a description of what is wrong with the unit. Freight collect shipments will not be accepted.
Panasonic is not responsible for damage that occurs in transit. All contents should be packaged for safe travel to the service center. Customer should use a reputable small package shipping company that is able to provide a package tracking number and insurance (if customer should so desire to insure their package).
Units that are abused, damaged, infested with insects, have corrosion, etc. will be placed out-of-warranty.
Once your unit arrives at the facility, you may contact us for status at:
Tel: 956-683-2930
Toll Free: 1-866-907-9111
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Please reference your Service Job number when contacting You will be contacted if there is any cost you are responsible for.


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GossardSuperboost Lace Non Padded Balcony Bra
Designed to provide boost to your cleavage, the Gossard Superboost Lace Non Padded Balcony Bra has non-padded, underwired cups topped with panels of lace. With a rose decorating the slim central gore and a picot trim, it has a two hook rear fastening.
Product code: GO-7715
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Call 1-866-751-2589 or chat to an advisor onlineCHAT NOW


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Traditionally, the week of the Campbellsville v. Taylor County high school football game is a big week in the area. We are seeing Cardinals and Eagles all over the community and an emotion-filled rivalry. While the teams may not have gotten off to the season's start each was looking for, we encourage all involved to play hard, have fun and respect each other, whether it is a win, a loss or a draw. Good luck to both teams.
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The Mountain View City Council moved a step closer Tuesday to asking voters to change the way it is compensated.
The Council Procedures Committee agreed to draft a city charter amendment that would more than double monthly pay to $1,250 and link future increases to the Consumer Price Index.
Councils in charter cities are typically free to set their own compensation, but Mountain View gave up that power in 1984 when it tied pay to population growth, said City Attorney Jannie Quinn. The city recently topped 75,000 residents, a milestone that boosted council member pay from $500 to $600 per month. The mayor receives 25 percent more.
Changes to the charter require a simple majority to pass. Councilman Mike Kasperzak said he believes the support is there.
"I think we've been a good, effective government," he said. "For the most part, voters around here think council members are doing a good job; $1,250 a month is not going to break the bank."
But Councilman Jac Siegel said he couldn't see voters backing such a significant pay bump.
"People look at increases in percentages," he said. "And to go to ($1,250) is a 100 percent increase and that doesn't sound good."
Kasperzak countered that council members would be pulling down monthly salaries of $1,800 or more if the city had connected compensation with the Consumer Price Index. He pointed to Sunnyvale, which has more than 140,000 residents and pays its mayor and council members $2,643 and $1,982 per month, respectively.
By way of comparison, Palo Alto has nearly 66,400 residents and pays its council members $600 per month. The mayor receives an additional $150 and the vice mayor $100.
A bigger paycheck might lead more residents to run for a seat on the Mountain View City Council, Kasperzak said.
"When you look at who is on the council, we're retirees, we're small business owners, we're people who have their own means or we're spouses," he said. "It's really a limited pool."
Siegel said he doubted even a 100 percent increase would be enough to draw more candidates.
"I just don't believe it," he said.
John McAlister, chairman of the committee, said he found it "hard to justify" putting a measure on the ballot given the estimated cost. A memo from senior administrative analyst Margarita Mendoza and the city attorney pegged the price of a November general election at about $67,000.
But McAlister said he could potentially support a measure that only ties future salary increases to the Consumer Price Index.
The committee ultimately directed city staff to draft two proposals: one that would tie future increases to the Consumer Price Index instead of population growth and one that would boost pay by a fixed amount and use the Consumer Price Index to adjust pay in the future.
A recommendation on a ballot measure could be forwarded to the council as soon as next month.
In addition to drawing a monthly salary, Mountain View council members receive the same benefits as appointed employees, as well as $7,000 travel and $1,680 communications budgets.
The council tried in 2006 to boost its pay to $1,500 per month. That measure failed by a narrow margin of a couple of hundred votes. Kasperzak said the economic picture is better this time around.
"The economy around here is booming," he said. "You certainly don't want to do something like this in a recession. This is the type of economy when you do put on things like a (transient occupancy tax) or a school bond because the community isn't hurting financially."
But Mountain View resident Donald Bahl said he doubted voters would back any kind of salary increase. "I think this is an exercise in futility," he told the committee. "I think it would be a landslide against."
Email Jason Green at email@example.com; follow him at twitter.com/jgreendailynews.


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Model# I1077B
Oxygen Series 6 Stainless Iron - Clubhead
Starting at: $3.50The Oxygen Series 6 Iron features all of the great game improvement features plus the convenience of a precision customizable weight port! The weight port underneath the emblem allows you to add lead power or putty to precisely swingweight tune the club to your specifications! Shot peen finish provides beautiful non-glare surface. Note: putty must be mixed with epoxy to ensure proper adhesion. Learn More


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Beware the Newly Single Ian Somerhalder
Notable primarily for being the first man Carrie hooks up with onscreen in season one (Should we have sex like men?) as well as having straight-up shark face, Kurts (actor Bill Sage's) existence was fleeting. He was there, and then he was gone, leaving only the lingering scent of Drakkar Noir and foreign venereal diseases in his wake.
Verdict: One cosmo with lipstick around the rim.
An affable young doofus (played by Timothy Olyphant) that Carrie rebounds with after being stood up by Mr. Big, whose ADHD rambling ("I had this dream, I had these HUGE hands, and you were in it… as this beautiful unicorn woman") and tailgating-at-a-Phish-concert-esque apartment ultimately turned her off in the awesomely-named "Valley of the Twenty-Something Guys" episode. Us too.
Verdict: Two cosmos laced with LSD.
DON'T MISS: The Weirdest, Most Wacked-Out Places People Have Had Sex
Fun, Fearless, Fashionable, Females of the Week, 4/29


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All things Mother Earth Living
by Jessica Kellner, Editor
DIY Christmas decor, DIY ornaments, holiday decorations, DIY holiday, sustainable holiday decor, sustainable Christmas, White House Christmas, President Obama, Jessica Kellner
Today it's throwback Thursday, when I revisit a favorite project from the past. And today I'm thinking of the holidays, as my email is overflowing with PR messages about gift ideas and holiday decorating options, which got me thinking about all the great holiday decor we've featured in the past. The holiday article that stands out by far the most in my mind was one of the most amazing projects I've ever professionally participated in—when Natural Home & Garden was invited to decorate President Obama's guest house two years ago as part of the Magazine Publishers of America (now the Association of Magazine Media) Holiday Design Showcase. We joined our sister magazine, Mother Earth News, and several other publications—among them Martha Stewart Living, This Old House and Better Homes & Gardens—to install holiday decor in the Blair House (the president's guest house) and the Harry S. Truman building.
This was one of the most exciting, amazing projects I've ever had the honor to participate in, but it was also one of the most hectic! All of the magazine staffs had only a few weeks before the installation began to organize, so we had zero time to spare. We called on our friends at Viva Terra to contribute sustainable decor items, and the designers at Denver's Associates III for help with the overall concept. Because the event was designed to honor diplomacy across the globe, we decided to focus on Christmas trees, a traditional symbol of peace and unity. We also incorporated tons of handmade items to express our magazine's values of simplicity and sustainability. The results were, in my humble opinion, gorgeous, and it was worth all the effort and more to attend the diplomatic holiday event hosted by Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton. If you'd like to make some presidentially approved DIY decor for your home this year, check out the photos and links to instructions below!
We showed off wrapping gifts in recycled materials such as brown paper bags, and made this crafty Christmas tree out of recycled newsprint. Get instructions to make this golden tree.
These mini cardboard trees "planted" in terra cotta pots make adorable tabletop decorations. The Blair House always includes a 9-foot Christmas tree in an alcove overlooking Pennsylvania Avenue. We had the honor of decorating that traditional tree—with quartz crystal ornaments from Viva Terra and LED lights.
Because these rooms were used throughout the holiday season to host diplomatic guests, we wanted to incorporate an appreciation of our global community. These recycled metal angels from Viva Terra are handmade in Haiti out of the hundreds of old oil drums that washed up on the beach after World War II.
These birch bark Christmas trees from Viva Terra (no longer available) are made of bark shavings that don't harm the tree.
Our sister publication Mother Earth News also decorated rooms in the Blair House. Their theme celebrated our nation's agricultural heritage and included heirloom apples and wheat. We joined in the celebration with locally grown cotton buds and pussywillows from a nearby nursery. A recycled chickadee vase from Arhaus Furniture is made of recycled glass.
We purchased dozens of vintage ornaments from eBay and decoupaged them with old tissue paper. Revive your own least-favorite ornaments (or check thrift stores to find a multitude) with this fun winter craft! Get the instructions here.
We made these fragrant stained-glass citrus ornaments and cinnamon-cookie ornaments to naturally scent our spaces. You can make them, too!
Our staff (left to right): Me (did I mention the airline lost my luggage the night before so I had to borrow clothes from a friend?!? Out of hundreds of flights, it's the one and only time my luggage has been lost—of course when I'm going to an event at the White House!); Kim Wallace, former web editor; Robyn Griggs Lawrence, former editor-in-chief; Bryan Welch, publisher; and Tabitha Alterman, food and garden editor
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I'm trying to get my PS3 to connect with my Macbook.
Macbook - 192.168.1.102 - postforwarding 5001
When i start PS3MS he find the PS3.
This is the message:
And then on my Ps3 I don't see a media server. And when I'm looking for i manually he's saying "No Media servers where found.
Anybody got a idea?


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I take umbrage with a recent Rolling Stone headline declaring >90'S : WORST DECADE FOR A GREAT ARTIST : DAVID BOWIEWhile that's certainly true commercially "we" all know it was a decade ofartistic rejuvenation and risk-taking. Somehow in the 70's no matter howexperimental or weird Bowie's releases became he was miraculously able toeek out a popular single and bring exposure to otherwise WACKED out albums. Take Rebel Rebel or Heroes....2 great pop songs from 2 very BIZARRE albums.Yet somehow from the 90's on VIRTUALLY every commercial move fellcompletely flat with the help of uncharacteristic "bad timing" from Bowie....take a breath.....EXHIBIT A : Sound and Vision Tour 1990After spending an entire year promoting Tin Machine and attempting to convince the public of his complete commitment to this new phase and right AFTER completing a credible second album.....what does he do..?he embarks on a "greatest hits" tour and releases a remixed version of Fameof course...!Bad timing: His back catalog was finally being released and he simplycouldn't pass up this opportunity to promote it.Saving Grace: Bowie and his elaborate stage looked fabulous and his "I'llnever play these songs again" gimmick sounded promising.TIN MACHNE 2Whatever creative momentum & interest Bowie had regained with Tin Machinewas COMPLETELY destroyed by delaying the album & confusing everyone with a greatest hits tour.Final Dagger: Releasing "One Shot" INSTEAD of the fabulous Glam-Pop thatis Baby Universal as the first single, ensuring other great songs an untimelydeath as well: Goodbye Mr. Ed/Shopping For Girls/Amlapura.BLACK TIE WHITE NOISEThe initial first impression is that Bowie is desperate by enlisting Nile Rodgers again....this AFTER he SHOULD'VE used him on TONIGHT or NLMD.It was apparant from the first note that Bowie was back in form though.Yet according to Rodgers Bowie was adamant (rightfully so) not to releaseanything deemed too "dancey" or with "dance" in the title......so what does he do...?He releases JUMP (they say) as the first single...No, not the Pointer Sisters Jumpor Kriss Kross' Jumpor Van Halen's Jumpor House of Pains Jump...!...trust me...."dance" has nothing on "JUMP"...and a DJ actually mocked Bowie's song after playing it here in LA....alot of it due to the "title" andit's connotations.....deserved or not.....great song...unfortunate title....poor first single....You've Been Around..?....Nite Flights...?The obvious choice Miracle Goodnight was half-heartedly released overseaswith a FABULOUS charming video that WASN'T....prompting Rodgers to appeal to Iman & claim Bowie was nuts by willfully being uncommercial.Instead of touring Bowie releases a video of him lip-synching songs from thealbum! This after forming a band for a few live TV performances...he could'veeasily had a one-off concert and taped it......Oh, and his record company folded and tried to sue him.THE BUDDHA OF SUBURBIAA less "controversial" return to form. The cover of the soundtrack album isa VERY unappealing picture of the cast with Bowie's name virtually hidden onthe bottom, ensuring NOBODY would know about it or hear it....& they didn't!OUTSIDEWhew....perfect first single....quibble....releasing the NIN remix version first,giving the "appearance" again of straining for "edgy" credibility....when frankly the original version with Reeves' KILLER riff is superior.Instead of headlining his own tour he bravely takes on NIN who are FAR morepopular & has a THIRD of the audience walk out on him after his duet withReznor is over.....where did the "goths" have to go...?....Denny's...?Bowie was an "outsider" on his own tour....oh, & Morrissey walks out mid-tour denying the public of a great collaboration.EARTHLINGCould it be...?....Little Wonder....great first single...debuted live on FashionRocks with one of Bowie's most confident performances.Again, Reznors (great, but inferior) version of I'm Afraid of Americans getsexposure. The exhilerating album is, as became common for Bowie in the 90's greeted with skepticism by ridiculous claims of hopping on the drumand bass bandwagon instead of just listening to the "damn fine" music(whatever genre).....And a proposed live album was scrapped.....and no "official" release of his50th birthday concert....one of his greatest achievements!HOURSAfter the sonic onslaught of Outside/Earthling and finally gaining new and oldfans alike....Bowie releases a melancholy, weary album that is actually quitegood.....BUT...WRONG first single....this starts what I'll call the "Grower, nota Shower" phase of (too subtle) first singles to be released from otherwisetremendous albums.....as classy as Thursday's Child is, it's simply toorestrained and doesn't have the instant impact radio "requires"...and doesnothing to drum up interest in the album....BUT...Something in the Air...?ah, the wasted opportunity....this also should've opened the album.It's been alluded that a video of what would've been ANOTHER great firstsingle The Pretty Things are Going to Hell had been filmed & SCRAPPED!TOYContrary to popular opinion I actually agree with the record company (!) thatthis would've been a poor follow-up to Hours and re-introduction of TonyVisconti.....cover songs of lightweight tunes from the '60s...?.....great idea....classy arrangements.....but in retrospect, knowing Heathen was to follow....this could wait.....and SHOULD'VE been released during this 6 (!) year drought.HEATHEN....perfection.....FINALLY some great promotion....but ALAS....WRONG firstsingle.....good song....too subtle.....very plain instrumentation in the versesthat simply didn't make a presence, especially during some live TVperformances....and Pete Townshends ragged guitar solo was castrated onthe single and live performance....& Bowie eventually dropped it from the set.A Better Future would've made a great choice.....catchy....ethereal....or eventhe upbeat Afraid which would've sounded great on the radio...Again, Bowie chooses to co-headline a festival with Moby....by-passing thehero-worship for a collaborative effort with the likes of Busta Rhymes andthe Blue Man Group.REALITYNew Killer Star.....great song....simply another "Grower" like Slow Burn &Thursday's Child....but in my opinion NOT the ideal first single......NEVER GET OLD is anthemic....rollicking....defiant....for the young AND old...and is thematically consistent with the tone of the album. Pablo Picassois another great choice and would've caused some (much needed) controversy by the inevitable edit of "asshole".....check out the "original"spectacular video made for this song on YouTube using animation, etc.....then ask whether this should've been a single or not!Lastly, Bowie's effortless cover of the Kinks Waterloo Sunset which he DIDN'Tinclude on the album has recieved more airplay than ANY other Bowie songon Steve Jones' (Bowie-worshipping) show in LA...!
Why didn't Bowie/Reznor swap headlining duties? Have the "transition" part of the set compatible to each headliner.Elton/Billy Joel swapped headlining on their double bill tour around this time.
The thing with Elton John and Billy Joel is that the audience cameto see BOTH performers. Bowie, of course, was more daring, andassumed NIN fans would naturally have an affinity for his work(being that he practically invented goth (D.DOGS) and industrial (HEROES/S.MONSTERS).Had Bowie come on first his fans would have left after his set andof course NIN fans left after their set. The silver lining of courseis that no matter how humiliating it was to see people walk outon Bowie the history books in retrospect will cite it as an innovative,edgy move with most "wishing they had been there."
In the Sound and Vision tour, millions of music lovers who simply attend each and every major concert for a night out fell in love with Bowie's hits and went out and bought his classic albums along with concert programmes and t shirts.It is impossible to fathom how much money Bowie made during the 90's by licensing his songs to movies. Go over these albums again: each one had several songs used during the credits of great movies, causing movie goers to go out and buy the albums. From David Lynch to Fincher, Bowie's music was in almost every cool movie.During the NIN tour, hundreds of thousands of young fans became familiar with Bowie's music. He was introduced to a new generation of kids wearing Tool and NIN and Manson t shirts. During the Prodigy tours for Earthling, a new audience again became exposed to Bowie and sales rose. These ravers bought his products along with some E and bottled water. Commercial missteps? Hardly, hell, the world wide Reality tour alone grossed Bowie almost a billion dollars.
You might ask, how did the biggest band of the nineties, Nirvana, have their biggest hit with a BOWIE SONG? This alone yielded Bowie millions in royalties.Could it be commercial savvy?
In reply to:each one had several songs used during the credits of great movies
each one had several songs used during the credits of great movies
The coolness of Bowie got me out of a threatening situation one night in the mid 90s. I was in the bathroom of an inner city McDonalds when I found myself confronted by two homosexual Goths that were drinking bottles of hard liquor and shooting up on drugs. I was a little taken back because the bathroom was only about 3 square metres in size - but to make matters worse, when I went to pee at the urinal, I noticed a recently used syringe only inches away. Noticing my reaction, they offered 'it won't jump out at you'. Although feeling a bit uneasy, I decided to engage in conversation - and we quickly found common interest on musical grounds. I recall they particularly liked Bowie because of 'The Hearts Filthy Lesson' in the film Se7en and we ended up chatting for some time.Anyway, I found this all very interesting - how Bowie's music had engaged with youth and alternative culture not via his big hits - but via film. I do wonder if they are still alive today.Bowie Downunder
Can I mention that at least one song from every major album was featured in a tv commercial? Did I mention the songs Bowie wrote for Iggy Pop were also featured in tv ads?
In fact, I think it's ironic that the seventies was probably his WORST period commercially. Boy did Bowie turn that around by selling out in the nineties.
That Nirvana 'best of' has only one cover song. Now I can see why Bowie was friends with Courtney in the late 90's.Bowie grossed a billion on Reality? Maybe 100m. Plus I wonder whether he bought out festival promoters, gave "IOUs" or took the insurance money when the 2004 tour ended early. I simply can't see DB giving up medical records, even if the insurance company had confidentiality agreements.As for the 1995 tour - I've always found it silly that NIN fans would walk out as both headliners only took up 150 minutes of stage time total. Did they really need to leave early for an after party or catch an early bus?
Bowie is certainly not lacking in the money department.I refer to "commercial" as in radio play/exposure....In America at least Bowie hasn't had ONE radio STAPLEsince 1984.........BLUE JEAN.Bowie has songs from virtually EVERY album from 69-84on some form of rotation and I find it tragic that NOTHINGfrom NLMD to Reality is ever played past the initial firstmonth of a new single/albums release. While I'm semi-resigned to the fact that many will only hearhis songs from Cruise and Microsoft commercials or at thetail end of Horror movies it's really a shame that songs likeJump (They Say), Heart's Filthy Lesson, I'm Afraid of Americans,Little Wonder, Slow Burn or New Killer Star won't be heardon the radio. Even his semi-HITS from the late 80's: NLMD,Day-in Day out, This is not America, Absolute Beginners arenever played.


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Bat-killing disease spreading in western NC
Published: Thursday, April 4, 2013 at 3:23 p.m.
Last Modified: Thursday, April 4, 2013 at 3:23 p.m.
BAT CAVE (AP) — A bat-killing disease which has spread across western North Carolina has been detected in another county.
The first case of white-nose syndrome in Rutherford County has been confirmed at the Nature Conservancy Bat Cave Preserve.
Investigators found the bat on March 12 and shipped it to the Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study at the University of Georgia in Athens, which confirmed the disease.
Nature Conservancy spokeswoman Debbie Crane said the caves will remain closed until further notice.
Sue Cameron of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service says six other counties have now reported infected bats.
In addition to Rutherford County, the syndrome has been reported in Avery, Buncombe, McDowell, Haywood, Yancey and Transylvania counties. It's also suspected in Swain County.
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.


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The second-set opening Possum is fine, but the ensuing WotC might be the best rendition of the tune I've heard. Shit gets ridiculously dark before leaving orbit around the 18 minute mark, and we ultimately land on Carini. Though Carini isn't on the level with the 3.0 versions we've been spoiled with thus far, it keeps the darkness rolling. AoTD provides a little breather, and though Trey has trouble hitting the high notes, I found it to be a pleasant song. This was the point in the show where I got pensive, introspective, and emotional (does that happen to anyone else during some of these songs?). Anyway, enough about me... LxL is fine with a big almost ADITL-like build-up to close, and the OKP > Bag -> Caspian (unfinished feedback fadeout) is pretty great with a crazy dude jumping on stage during Bag and screaming something like "LUCY! I LOVE YOU! HAPPY VALENTINE--" [dragged off stage]. Kind of fitting that her name was Lucy (dude likely had a head full of her) and that the line the band sang as he ran on stage was "no future at all". In any event it was a unique way to end the second set. Loving Cup'd and we're on the way out into the filthy Inglewood air. This show is a solid 4 star show, and I am so thankful that my wife (then girlfriend) didn't leave me for ditching her to go see a show on VDay in her hometown (LA). Thanks babe!
On another personal and historical note: I was in my last year of college when 2.0 started, and by summer tour I had graduated, so these were my prime Phish-seein' years. It's a shame they were cut short but I'm glad they're back today and healthy, even though work, wife, and kids put me in a situation where I can only see a couple shows a year. I started *really* getting into Phish in late 2000, right before the end of 1.0, and during the first hiatus I "did my homework" and really listened back carefully to much of the bands' history. I got really into August '93 and December '95 (in the last few years I've graduated to Fall '97 and I don't think I'll ever make it out of here). When 2.0 was actually happening, I was stoked with a lot of the jams, but being a musician myself, I would get super flustered with all the flubs Trey was making. It was evident to me that they weren't really practicing much anymore, which was really frustrating. In some sense I was down on 2.0 at the time, having spoiled myself by spending years listening only to the best of the best (at least technically). But I slowly began to realize a few things: there have always been flubs; there weren't always this many exploratory jams; and not every show is going to be epic. This is all a long-winded way of me saying that looking back ten years after the fact (I've now listened to *every* show from 10/6/00 to the present), Phish 2.0 was pretty freaking awesome and I'm glad I got to see a bunch of shows during that brief stretch. As @andrewrose points out, this show really marks the beginning of Phish 2.0, and it's a very solid show for which I'm glad I made the 6-hour drive from Berkeley!


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Was Hoping to have a league meeting this coming Monday at Toads 6pm.
I know not too many guys check here in the winter time, so please spread the word.
If you plan on having a team and or want to assist with 2014, make plans to attend.
We will be discussing next years tournament and league schedule, along with work days.


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Earl and Roberta Rodgers, of 12 Patricia Lane, Hannibal, Mo., will celebrate their 40th wedding anniversary with a dinner hosted by their son and family. There will be an open house on Sunday, March 17, 2013, from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. at Drakes Steak and Ale in Hannibal. Family and friends are invited. No gifts requested.
Mrs. Rodgers is the daughter of Nelledene and the late Raymond Howell.
Mr. Rodgers is the son of the late Herbert H. and Helen Rodgers. They are the parents of Scott Rodgers of Columbia, Mo.
Mr. Rodgers is employed by General Mills. Mrs. Rodgers is a homemaker. They attend the Community of Christ Church in Hannibal. They enjoy activities with family and friends.
Location, ST | website.com


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Dine with a doctor
Published: Friday, February 7, 2014 at 10:44 p.m.
Last Modified: Friday, February 7, 2014 at 10:44 p.m.
Thibodaux Regional Medical Center will offer Dinner with a Doctor at 6 p.m. Wednesday at the hospital's Education Center, 602 N. Acadia Road.
Justin Tenney, an ear, nose and throat specialist, will be at the meal to discuss sinus pain and surgery alternatives.
Reservations are required; the cost is $5. Call 493-4326.
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.


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The Race for China's Youth Market
A corporate strategy article by Thunderbird students Emma Brown, Caroline Caverly, Julie Goodman, Kelly Post and Angela Wong
Last year, when an apparel giant opened four stores in China and failed to gain a significant portion of the retail sales, multinational retail stores took note. The Gap, an apparel line successful in more than 3,000 locations worldwide, had everything going for them. So, what went wrong?
The Gap's biggest mistake was the cookie cutter approach it took to establishing its presence in the world's largest youth market. The Gap sought to target the increasing middle-income consumers in the rapidly growing Chinese market, but failed to capture the attention of their most important customers, the Chinese youth.
In China, the Gap is perceived as middle class apparel selling for a luxury price. Status and luxury are important goals for China's consumers, especially for the youth. However, a premium price for a middle class product is a cost youths are not willing to bear. Moreover, The Gap chose to open stand-alone stores rather than locating in mall areas, forcing customers to go out of their way to make a special trip just to visit the store. The majority of Chinese consumers purchase apparel at a mall because they can use it as a single destination for shopping, eating, and entertainment. The Gap failed to realize that China's middle class youth consumer is very different from an American consumer.


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Ikuradon - Salmon Roe with Rice at Ichimiann in Torrance, CA
First off, let me say that most of what I shoot is on-location. I don't really shoot as much at home, with ideal lighting, and a specific place where I shoot my own food. I shoot at restaurants like many other food bloggers. Our cameras are often considered our weapon, or definitive feature, but I think we can be civil about it. I try to use my camera to take a quick snap of what I'm eating, and then move to actually eating.
It's pretty much a no-brainer but the easiest thing to do to improve your food photos in a restaurant is: Lighting.
Nope, just because you have a big camera, a digital SLR, or an expensive Canon G11 or S90 camera doesn't mean you will have good photos. The best thing you can do is sit where the lighting is, such as next to windows, or just go when its daylight. I sometimes just resign to not even taking photos at a super-dim restaurant. Most of the time I'm trying to enjoy my dinner with my date, family, or friends anyways, so a camera really just muddles the dinner.
Flashing (not that kind) is generally inconsiderate of other diners, but if you're in a place where people won't care, then I say flash away. If you have a remote flash device, or something you can use to bounce flashes off white ceilings, go ahead and be my guest. Just expect some annoyed diners next to you. I say if you're at a relatively casual restaurant you can get away with this, but rule of thumb is – don't use flash.
Next, focal length. For most small digital point-and-shoots, many of which are more than adequate to take excellent food photos, the problem is zooming in. Zooming in increases your aperture (think of it as the size of the hole that light goes through in the lens). Even most SLR (which means single-lens reflex, for your information) kit lenses have variable apertures that change as you zoom in. Most kit lenses range f3.5 – f5.6, which means you get a very small aperture as you zoom past 35-40mm. If you zoom in all the way, then may get a photo like this red raspberry leaf at Monterrey Spice Company.
Ideally if you have a digital point-and-shoot, just shoot as zoomed out as possible if you're in a dimmer setting, and crop the photo.
Duck confit at Canele.
As for SLRs, there are a few lenses/focal lens I recommend. If you can swing a 24-60mm or 24-70mm f2.8, it's worth using if you don't mind a massive zoom lens while dining out. I used to use this, but found that it's not as practical as a smaller prime lens (meaning fixed focal length, or non-zoom). The next lens of choice is often a 50mm f1.8 for savvy, budget-conscious shooters, or a 50mm f1.4 for those who need that extra half-aperture (mostly useless as it just makes photos fuzzy and unclear) or think that it will really help them shoot in low light and have the willingness to spend 3-4 times as much as the f1.8.
Problem is, with cropped sensors, you're getting an effective focal length of around 75mm! That's a pretty un-useable focal length of shooting food photography, especially since your depth of field (the part that stays sharp or non-blurry) is razor thin. I tried using this focal length for a while but ended up ditching it after trying to deal with this difficult lens during lunches/dinners.
I'm much happier with a 35mm f2 lens, which I purchased off of Craigslist for a reasonable price. It's an older, louder lens than the 35mm f1.8 which Nikon released for the price of $200. This lens is virtually identical to mine except that is focuses on Nikon's lower range of SLRs.
Lastly, get creative! Shoot from different angles, with different subjects. Shoot people as well as food. Be funny, spontaneous, and interesting. Sometimes we're too business-like when shooting food photos.
• Rest your elbows on the table to stabilize the photos.
• Sit next to windows for optimal lighting.
• Try not to shoot a dish more than 2 ways. It gets annoying.
• Enjoy your food more than shooting it. You'll last longer this way.
• Don't get too food-porny unless the dish is really that attractive. Closeup on sludge does precisely the opposite of whetting appetites.
• Use your white balance by either setting it manually with an available "white" (i.e. napkin or menu), or use a preset, which will invariably be better than Auto White Balance. Even most point-and-shoots have white balance settings – use them!
Post processing tips:
In general I don't like to fiddle too much with my photos though many people can do this quite successfully on Photoshop. I mostly use Picasa for basic editing and occasional use Photoshop for anything more serious.
If you don't have Photoshop, using iPhoto or Picasa can help you if your pics don't come out as ideal. First tip – levels. Bump up your levels if the photo is too dim. Then, sharpen. Most cameras, if you're shooting with JPEG, don't have the sharpest in-camera processor for this. Finally, adjust saturation and contrast to stylize the photo. Don't mess with hues or colors unless you didn't white balance your photo.
Crop and save at optimal size before posting on Flickr, Photobucket, or whatever. Try to resize since you don't want people trying to surf your site to have to load 18 megabytes of photos every time they load the URL.
Camera Guide
My recommended cameras:
Nikon D40/D40x/D60 – Definitely older now but no less useful for good food photography. I generally don't like to get the earliest model of a camera because they're usually not as revolutionary as camera companies want you to think. You could easily slap on a Nikkor 35mm F1.8 for a mere $200 (or less) and take stunning photos.
Nikon D5000 – The "quiet" mode makes it one of the most quiet cameras in the market. Could be elegantly used at your friendly-neighborhood Michelin starred restaurant, when paired with the excellent 35mm f1.8 lens.
Nikon D90 – Probably my favorite overall camera, with its gorgeous 3 inch screen (which has 920,000 pixels, which is as good as the $7,300 D3X professional grade camera). I use a D50 since I haven't had the opportunity to splurge on the D90, which has excellent low-light capabilities in its sensor. I would argue that the D90 is the most ideal camera for shooting food photography since it combines a great sensor with wonderful ergonomics in a smallish package. A D300s, D700, or D3/D3X is overkill for food photography, unless you're a pro/semi-pro.
Canon S90 – Overpriced but its F2 lens makes it the ideal compact camera for low-light photography. If you cannot fit an SLR in your purse or pocket, which is most people, then this might be a sensible option.
Canon SD780 - I like its miniature size and HD video capabilities. Not bad if you are on a budget.
Canon SLRs – generally I don't recommend them because they're more expensive than Nikon SLRs. You can use the difference of price on lenses or a meal at Urasawa. While certainly very good, I prefer Nikons since they're better to use (easier button layout, better menus, more comfortable in hand), but Canon SLRs do have the advantage of being able to autofocus any lens made after 1986. Nikon's lowest line of SLRs can't autofocus a lot of lenses. If you were to get a Canon SLR, I like the T1. The 50D/7D is too stodgy, big and overpriced, the 5D MkII is professional grade and probably out of reach budgetwise for most people. If you can swing that much on a camera, you've got other priorities than food photography.
Other sundry cameras – Sony point-and-shoots are decent. Canon's larger point and shoots might even be better than the SD line, at a cheaper price. Fujifilm's known to have some good low-light cameras but they're also more expensive. Nikon's point-and-shoots are okay, especially the lower line, for the money. Pentax SLRs are pretty great, especially their line of prime lenses. Olympus and Panasonic are decent, though not head-shoulders better than anyone else (except some of Panasonic's high-end cameras). If you use medium format on food photography I might hurt you for wasting the film (maybe Holga is okay). I would LOVE to see someone lug a 4x5 view camera (used for landscape) into a restaurant. I would snort out my milk or sangria in laughter.
Lenses: 35mm on cropped sensor; kit lenses are swell; 24-60mm or 24-70mm. Sigma makes some good macro lenses and zoom lenses that are more reasonably priced than Nikon's or Canon's. If you get a $1600 24-70mm f2.8, you must not be shooting food photography for fun. Email me at mattatouille (at) gmail (dot) com if you want a more tailored lens recommendation. I won't promise the quickest response, but I'll try to work with what you have/what you want, and we'll go from there.
In the end, the point of food photography is for us to enjoy once more what we've consumed at the table. It's about showing others what we've delicious (or sometimes not) eaten at restaurants, eateries, bakeries, coffeeshops, and joints. I hope all of this makes it easier for us to do that, as fellow foodies, bloggers, and gourmands alike.


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Seats available for bus trip to Alabama-Mississippi State University football game
Published: Tuesday, October 29, 2013 at 3:30 a.m.
Last Modified: Monday, October 28, 2013 at 11:44 p.m.
Seats are still available for the Tuscaloosa County University of Alabama alumni chapter's charter bus trip to the Alabama-Mississippi State University football game on Nov. 16 in Starkville.
The bus will leave from UA's Coleman Coliseum parking lot at a time to be determined after announcement of kickoff time. The bus will return immediately after the game. Arrangements have been made to leave personal vehicles at the coliseum lot for the day, so parking permits will not be required.
Cost per person is $50 with proceeds going to the alumni scholarship fund for Tuscaloosa County students who attend UA.
Price includes round-trip bus fare, water, soft drinks, snacks and a gift bag. The package does not include game tickets.
Reservation deadline is Friday.
Mail check payable to Tuscaloosa County Alumni Chapter, P.O. Box 020773, Tuscaloosa, AL 35402 and include phone number or email address for notification of departure time. For information, call Carol Wright at 205-454-8622.
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.


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TRUCKEE, Calif. — Truckee resident Janicke Stramer recently published "U.S. Foreign Policy and Religion During the Cold War and the War on Terror" with Edwin Mellen Press. It is now available for purchase at www.mellenpress.com.
Stramer is currently in the second year her doctoral program at University of Nevada, Reno in the political science department. Her major is international relations focusing on international security and the Middle East and North Africa. She plans on doing her dissertation field research on location in Tunisia among other places, when she has finished her required course work at UNR in the summer of 2013.
She received her masters degree from the American Graduate School of International Relations and Diplomacy in Paris, France, where she graduated Magna Cum Lauda.
Stramer is already well known on the international relations circuit. She has presented research at international academic conferences such as the International Studies Association and the International Political Science Association conferences in Japan, Chile and Turkey, as well as at national venues such as New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles.
Her new book covers the topic of American foreign policy and religion, comparing the presidencies of Harry S. Truman and George W. Bush, exploring the similarities of the cold war and the war on terror.
The cover of her book was created in collaboration with her mother, award-winning local watercolor artist Eva S. Nichols, who also assisted in proof-reading the book. It was natural for Stramer to turn to her mother for the artistic part of the process.
Stramer was previously published with a chapter, The Language of War: George W. Bush's Discursive Practices in Securitizing the Western Value System in the "War on Terror," in the compilation "The New Order of War," edited by Bob Brecher. This book is available on Amazon.


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Situation: One out runner on third. Wild pitch, runner from third steals home, batter remains in batters box (does not move), catcher is just picking up ball while the runner from third collides with batter and tags home plate. Pitcher is at the plate ready for Ball.
I call : No interference. In my judgement a play was not being made on the runner before tagging home plate. Of course defense wants an inteference call..
My question is basically in what situations can the batter be called for interference when there is a wild pitch? Is it, if in my judgement the batter was in the way of the throw to home while a play could still be made? Or does the catcher actually have to throw the ball in order for a play to be judged to occur?
Situation #2: One out runner on third. Wild pitch, runner from third starts to steals home, but three quarters of the way down hesitates and stops and begins to move back to third (catcher is fielding the ball). The catcher then spins and throws not realizing the runner is no longer coming. The ball hits the batter who has not moved from the batters box, but is between the pitcher who is now at home plate and the catcher. The ball then goes into foul territory and the runner turns and scores. What is the call?
Im assuming you are the umpire in this case.
You would have to make a judgement call in this case, nowhere in the rule does it say that a batter much vacate the batter's box during this play. Generally when the girls are older they move out of the way anyway just as a reaction. Even moving out of the way can become troublesome, if the ball winds up on the side where the batter is, i have seen the ball be thrown off of batters in that situation also.
However if you use the logic of a runner for instance running home on a tag up to left field, they dont have to avoid the path of the throw, but on a pop up down the first baseline the runner is supposed to allow the defender the opportunity to make the play.
Honestly the call can be made either way, its all about advantage vs disadvantage and intent vs being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Justaskin, KeinTime87 is correct on the judgment call on this one. I've encountered this one a few times myself. Yes, no rule states that the batter must vacate the box for a play at the plate, however, ASA Rules Supplement 33 B. does state: 'The batter's box is not a sanctuary for the batter when a play is being made at the plate.'
My view on that is that even though not required, its 'highly recommended' that the batter vacate the box on a play at the plate. Thus if a batter stays in the box on a play at the plate and is judged to interfere with such play, then INT rules apply. Advantage vs disadvantage and intent vs being in the wrong place at the wrong time......nicely stated by KeimTime87!
The Rules Supplements in the ASA Umpire Manual serve as an excellent explanation guideline, in general. Good stuff!
Situation #1 sounds like you made the proper call. No play attempted, no interference to call.
Situation #2 sounds like an interference to me. Regardless of whether or not the runner was coming home when the throw was made, the batter, standing in the batters box, interfered with the throw from the catcher to the pitcher.
Not sure I understand the quote from above..."intent vs being in wrong place at the wrong time".
Intent plays no part in the call.
If in the umpires judgement, the batter interfered with the play because of either his/her action or inaction, you have interference. Accidental or otherwise.
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I wish I had documented my earlier Phish shows in writing, because these shows were primal to me everything was new, and the shows were spectacular. I will attempt to rekindle the flame that made these shows so amazing to me, in writing. Up till this point I had been seeing Phish for one year (7/23/93 Jones Beach Amphitheater, Wantagh, NY, was my first show). I had the "phire," as some called it back then. I was seeing them any chance I could. I had kicked off the year by seeing wonderful shows in Binghamton and the Beacon Theater run in April, but nothing could prepare me for this wild weekend.
A couple of my friends and I made the trek up to Great Woods from Long Island. I had just recently seen the Mann Music Center show (7/1/94), and had heard about the "GameHoist" show in Charleston, West Virginia (6/26/94 Municipal Auditorium). Needless to say, I was astounded that they did the most complete Gamehendge since '88. I was thoroughly jealous for not attending the "unannounced" show (it was not in the newsletter, and was announced during the tour a few showed up nonetheless).
So, as we check into our hotel, we begin talking about the night's show and what we might have in store. We make our way to the venue and check out the lot scene. It was getting crowded, not insane like it is nowadays, but it was crazy for its period. There were quite a few ticketless. As we enter the venue, a beautiful girl walks up to my friend Ryan and compliments him for his "beautiful eyes," and hands him a ticket. Ryan already had a ticket, so he hands it to the first girl he sees, who was ticketless, and compliments her on her beautiful eyes. She gives him the most genuine hug I've seen and beams a smile to us, making us all feel very good. Enter venue My friend Erick and I go to our seats, which are within the first ten rows, center, and settle down for the show to begin. Finally, the lights dim, and out comes Phish, breaking out my first Llama. I'm very happy and express it to Erick. As the song ends, we hear a siren going off, and I'm convinced there's a fire, but nothing happens. Suddenly, I realize that it is Phish making this noise. Confusion settles into some sort of order for me as I realize its N2O. I had recently picked up the Down with Disease cassette single, which has N2O on the B-side. I thought it hilarious that they were playing this orthodontically challenged song. Who'd a thunk?
Amidst the drilling and the smooth talking of Mike, the dentist, Trey begins speaking about a fifty-two-year-old man sitting in a dentist's chair And we stepped through the door .Was this Gamehendge? Erick and I exchange confused glances, as the reality of this event sunk in. Only two weeks later and they were doing Gamehendge again. I will not review every bit of this set you need to hear it yourself but I will say that this still holds top honors in my opinion, for one of my favorite Phish experiences, and I havent even gotten to the tip of the iceberg yet.
The set ends and we begin mingling with the people around us. Everyone seems transcended, which tends to happen right after the lights come on. We talk to one person and express how much we loved that set. He replies, "It was good, but I wish they had played Chalk Dust." We agreed, of course, (insert laughing here).
The second set is highlighted by a wonderful YEM>Frankenstein>YEM sandwich. The show ends, and we leave fulfilled.
Fast-forward to night two. We park in the lot, and who parks next to us but the Dude of Life. We talk with him for a while and proceed into the venue. Show begins with a solid Runaway Jim and closes with a smoking Antelope. Second set, well, let me just show you: Also Sprach Zarathustra->Split Open and Melt->Fluffhead->Poor Heart->Tweezer->Lifeboy->Sparkle->Big Ball Jam->Harry Hood, Suzie Greenberg. 'Nuff said.
As the show ends, I'm walking out and bump into the Dude of Life again. We talk for a bit and he asks me if I'd like to meet the band. Of course I say yes, and he gives me an extra pass. As I enter the backstage area, the first person I see is Trey, with his big shit-ass grin. The Dude asks me if I am going to tomorrow nights show (SPAC), to which I reply that I am, and he says, "good." He wound up playing with them the next night. Trey and the Dude of Life are ushered out by corporate-looking people, and I'm standing there, knowing no one, and being surrounded by the rest of Phish, phamily, and a few other phans.
I drink a few beers and talk to Page for a bit. Just small talk, but hes very friendly and amazingly humble. Mike, on the other hand, is a bit stranger. I ask him if they had planned out the Gamehendge (for possible CD-ROM release) or just busted it out. His reply: "We busted." Then he says goodbye and walks away. Not unfriendly, just strange.
I talk to a few other people. Happened to see "Big Phil" who I have seen at every show Ive been to (and the few times I was at the aftershow party). I tell him that I see him at every show, to which he replies, "I am at every show." He laughed and so does Amy Skelton. After a bit I start talking to Fish (you must realize there were not many people at this aftershow, so the people I felt I knew the most were Phish). Fish was extremely friendly, and I literally feel like Im talking to one of my friends. He enlightens me to the meaning of Weekapaug Groove: they were at a party in Weekapaug, RI, and had a great time, and wrote about it. He said the rumors about the band all sleeping with the same girl were bogus hmmm?
After a while, I knew my friends were probably getting impatient, waiting at my car with no clue where I was, so I decided I had to get going. I had Page, Mike, and Fish sign my ticket from the night before (Gamehendge), and really wanted Trey to sign it too. Enter fanboy phase I told Fish that this was probably going to sound lame, but does he know if Trey is coming out. Fish sarcastically replied, "Well I usually keep tabs on him, but he got away this time." Of course I felt really stupid, and just said to him, "hey ," his friends commented to him he was being rude, and he apologized to me, said he was just kidding, and said he had no clue where he was. I, feeling stupid, said okay and goodbye. By the way, when I first asked Fish to sign my ticket, his friends said, "wow, you're a rock star now." This hugeness must've still been so new to them. I left the venue totally in shock about what had just transpired. When I got back to my car and told my friends what happened, they were so happy for me. After all, they had driven Page (don't ask) to a show the previous summer (Waterloo, NJ), and I was supposed to go with them. So, they were happy for my experience.
What an amazing run. Remember, we can stage a runaway golf cart marathon!


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How to Pull Off Friends With Benefits
Dating coach Adam LoDolce calls this random text (which can also come in the form of "sup" or "yo") the "weak attempt." Yes, the guy's thinking about you, but he's not thinking hard enough. Text back if you like him, but don't bother if you're not sure about him.
If you get this message on a Friday or Saturday night, it's likely that the guy is hitting you up as a last resort.


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John Parks, 24, of 72 Chapin St., Canandaigua was charged at 2:13 a.m. Oct. 7 with second-degree harassment and two counts of disorderly conduct, said Canandaigua city police.
According to police, the suspect was admitted into the emergency room at F.F. Thompson Hospital, in Canandaigua, following a prior domestic incident on Chapin Street. While receiving treatment, the suspect allegedly began to verbally abuse police and staff and engaged in violent behavior, police said.
Parks was sent to the Ontario County Jail for arraignment.
Location, ST | website.com


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Expeller-pressed Coconut Oil
Tropical Traditions carries a full line of high quality expeller-pressed coconut oils for purchase. This includes our organic Green Label Virgin Coconut Oil, and our deodorized expeller-pressed coconut oils which have a bland or neutral flavor. We offer options for buying both organic expeller-pressed coconut oil, and non-certified expeller-pressed coconut oil. Our non-certified expeller-pressed coconut oil is our most affordable coconut oil, especially in the larger sizes. It is a very high quality coconut oil from the Philippines, and competitively priced to compete with other low-priced coconut oils in the market that would be of an inferior quality.
Green Label Virgin Coconut Oil
Learn more and buy Green Label Virgin Coconut Oil
Expeller-pressed Coconut Oil: Bland Deodorized Coconut Oils
Learn more and buy Expeller-pressed Coconut Oil
What are the differences between all of our coconut oils? This chart is a brief overview to help you in your purchase of coconut oil. More details on our coconut oils on our FAQ page.
Coconut Oil
Click here to read how all of our different coconut oils can be used in recipes.
Coconut Products
Learn more and buy Coconut Flour, Dried Coconut, Coconut Water Vinegar, Coconut Cream Concentrate.
Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil Hair Oils
Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil for Hair Treatment contains more protein than our regular Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil. Learn more and buy Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil for Hair Treatment.
Organic Hair Oils contain Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil for Hair Treatment and other high quality oils for hair: organic jojoba oil, organic macadamia nut oil, organic rosehip oil, organic shea butter, and organic carrot seed oil. Rosemary also contains organic rosemary essential oil and Lavender contains organic lavender essential oil. Learn more and buy Organic Hair Oils.
A review of Tropical Traditions Virgin Coconut Oil Hair Oils.
Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil Skin Care Products
Our skin care products are moderately priced, but the quality is second to none! We start out with our own Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil as the base, and use other high quality organic ingredients, such as Virgin Red Palm Oil and organic essential oils imported from France. Buy high quality organic skin care products from Tropical Traditions.
Virgin Coconut Oil Moisturizing Lotions
Our Virgin Coconut Oil Moisturizing Lotions are made with a base of Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil, Virgin Red Palm Oil, and the scented varieties contain organic essential oils from France.
Learn more and buy Virgin Coconut Oil Moisturizing Lotions..
Virgin Coconut Oil Moisturizing Creams
Virgin Coconut Oil Moisturizing Creams start out with a base of Virgin Coconut Oil and then add other organic ingredients and essential oils. They come in 5 varieties and unscented.
Learn more and buy Virgin Coconut Oil Moisturizing Creams.
Virgin Coconut Oil Massage Oils
Tropical Traditions organic Massage Oils contain Virgin Coconut Oil, organic macadamia nut oil, organic jojoba, organic Virgin Palm Oil, and the scented varieties contain organic essential oils.
Learn more and buy Virgin Coconut Oil Massage Oils.
Virgin Coconut Oil Lip Moisturizers
These Virgin Coconut Oil Lip Moisturizers contain just three ingredients: Virgin Coconut Oil, Virgin Palm Oil, and organic beeswax. The scented varieties contain organic essential oils.
Learn more and buy Virgin Coconut Oil Lip Moisturizers.
Virgin Coconut Oil Deodorant Roll-ons
Aluminum-free Virgin Coconut Oil Deodorants.
Learn more and buy Virgin Coconut Oil Deodorants.
Virgin Coconut Oil Teeth Cleaners
Tropical Traditions Virgin Coconut Oil Teeth Cleaners have no fluoride and no foaming agents like SLS - they are chemical-free.
Learn more and buy Virgin Coconut Oil Teeth Cleaner.
Virgin Coconut Oil Soaps
Tropical Traditions Virgin Coconut Oil soaps are made from saponified Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil and nothing else! Scented varieties also contain organic essential oils.
Virgin Coconut Oil Unscented bar soap and shampoo bar.
Learn more and buy Virgin Coconut Oil Natural Soaps.
Organic Food
Tropical Traditions offers a full line of organic food, including:
Grass-fed Traditions - Premium Quality Grass-fed Bison, Beef, and Pastured Poultry
Our Grass-fed Galloway cows graze on organic pastures in Wisconsin.
Our Bison is 100% Grass-fed and Grass-finished.
Our Pastured Chickens are raised outdoors on grass and a soy-free feed (Cocofeed).
Our Free-range Chickens provide eggs that are soy-free.
Learn more about Grass-fed Traditions
Household Traditions: Non-toxic Household Products
Learn more about Household Traditions
The Healthy Buyer's Club
The Healthy Buyer's Club allows you to make bulk purchases at huge discounts! Buy bulk coconut oil and organic and natural products at the Healthy Buyer's Club.
Customer Comments:
I absolutely LOVE the Tropical Traditions store! It is such a close "friend" of mine because of the many products that I have come to depend on and use on a daily basis without fail. The quality of the products and the constant sales that are offered keep me coming back and not going to my local health food store any longer. I adore Tropical Traditions and love their commitment to excellence and their commitment to love. Dina - Baltimore, MD
I have been shopping through Tropical Traditions since Jan. 2005 and have found them to be an outstanding company in every aspect of their business. They are prompt to respond to questions or to rectify any errors and it is always done with respect and kindness. Their products are excellent and I am able to purchase many of the same organic products at a better price than I can purchase them at the store, and I save the time and money of driving to the store. They also offer excellent products of their own that can't be purchased locally. I promise you will not be disappointed. They are tops in my book! Shirley - Delaware, OH
They have regular sales and offer outstanding deals. I have been searching online and comparison pricing, and continue to be brought back to Tropical Traditions to order coconut oil, coconut flour, and unsweetened coconut. These items are hard to find in traditional grocery stores, and when you do find them 'in person' the prices are about twice what I paid through this web site. The customer service was outstanding when I called with a couple questions. I will be ordering again and again, I am also suggesting them to various friends who are on Primal or Paleo Diets (no grains, no sugar) or who are gluten-free. They have a customer for life. Annette - Yakima, WA
Tropical Traditions is your ONLY place to shop online for all things coconut. The site is user friendly. If you can't get a live person and you leave your phone number, the call back is prompt. Once you place your order, it is shipped promptly and packaged securely. I was impressed with the effort Tropical Traditions puts into making sure their customers are 100% satisfied. They offer excellent product information and useful recipe videos, as well as recipes you can print out. I was satisfied with my order. I highly recommend them. Paulos - Mattituck, NY
Tropical Traditions is one of my favorite online vendors to purchase from. I'm very happy with their service, products, and the products are always packaged very well. Thank you, Tropical Traditions. Shopping.com Review
This was the first time shopping at Tropical Traditions online. I'm very happy with the products and service. I will continue to buy from them. Vince Shopping.com Review
Tropical Traditions is one of the best online stores I have used. Their products are wholesome, healthy, real, organic foods and products. Their customer service has been no less than excellent, and I would highly recommend them to anyone looking for high quality products. The moisturizing creams and lotions are absolutely pure and wonderful. I have an extreme amount of allergies, but since TT's creams are scented with only essential oils, I can use them with no problems, and in fact, the essential oil fragrances that are used in them are quite heavenly. I use the moisturizers daily, and often get compliments on how young my skin looks -- I will be 60 in a few months. If you subscribe to the newsletters, you will receive weekly emails about sale items, free shipping days, and wonderful recipes. Tropical Traditions, thank you for bringing such wonderful products into my life. Dawn - Palmyra, PA
I have been shopping with Tropical Traditions now for around 8 years. When the good news about virgin coconut oil was just beginning to be written about - and was still unheard of in natural foods retail stores - I did a search to find out more about it and where I might buy it. That search brought me the good fortune of finding Tropical Traditions and I have been shopping here ever since. We consumers can buy lots of things from lots of places these days. But you never really know what kind of company you are dealing with until you try their products and their customer service - both equally important! Tropical Traditions appears to be a principles driven company that cares about all stages of bringing the products they source and sell to market. They work directly with small family farmers in the Philippines and other places, thereby assuring both a specific quality of product as well as the fair compensation of the producers of that product. And for their customers they find inventive ways to keep prices down by offering regular sales as well as offering a buying club that one can use any time to get below sale prices by buying in bulk. Through 8 years of shopping with TT, I have now had occasion to try many of their products. Being a person that thoroughly researches the ingredients and processing of food items before I buy them, I can only say that TT always meets or exceeds my very picky standards! - both in that way as well as my enjoyment of them when eating them. They are really delicious!! I guess you can tell by now that I am a loyal customer, and plan to be so into the future! I hope you will give Tropical Traditions a try as your source for very high quality and delicious whole and natural foods. If your experience is anything like mine, you will be very glad you did!! Keep up the awesome work TT - and thanks for being there for all of us!! Lynne - Boulder, CO
In this testimonial of Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil Lesli (beginning)
and Dr. Amanda Rose
(2:15 point in the video) each describe the benefits of using Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil.
Current Sales at Tropical Traditions
Special Deals & Giveaways Blog!


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Apeptico completes €3.4m financing round
18.05.2012 - Austrian peptide drug developer Apeptico F&E GmbH has secured €3.4m financing.
Vienna – The Apeptico equity financing combined existing and new private and institutional investors, as well as a research grant from the Austrian Research Promotion Agency (FFG). Institutional and private investors contributed a total of €2m to the Series C financing – among them BioScience Venture Group, V+ GmbH & Co Fonds 2 KG, V+ GmbH & Co Fonds 3 KG, and business angels from Germany, Switzerland and the USA. At the end of 2011, Apeptico had already secured a research grant of €1.4m from the Austrian Research Promotion Agency FFG.
Dr. Bernhard Fischer, CEO of Apeptico, commented: "This round C financing enables us to continue the clinical development of our lead peptide AP301. AP301 will be assessed in a "proof of concept" study in intensive care patients to investigate the clinical effect of repetitive orally inhaled doses of AP301 on alveolar liquid clearance in acute lung injury."
AP301 is a patented (AT_507_953), water soluble, synthetic cyclic peptide in clinical development that mimics the lectin-like domain of the human tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNFalpha). It can be administered into the lung by instillation or by oral inhalation. AP301 was originally designed for the treatment of acute lung injury and acute respiratory distress syndrome. Additional research demonstrated that AP301 has additional significant potential in related clinical indications, such as prevention and treatment of pulmonary permeability oedema, prevention of progression of acute hypoxemic respiratory failure due to bacterial/viral pneumonia and prevention of ischemia reperfusion injury.http://www.european-biotechnology-news.com/news/news/2012-02/apeptico-completes-eur34m-financing-round.html


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Goose decoys come in a wide variety, including different head positions, shells, full-body, floaters, and more. This season there are several new styles, along with a few time-tested models with slight upgrades. There are no light goose decoys in this month's Gear Guide, but there will be plenty in the January Snow Goose Gear Guide.
Higdon's new white-fronted goose decoys offer a convenient and durable decoy for specklebelly hunters.
New full-body honkers from GHG offer features never before seen on goose decoys.
Using the same material as full-body geese, Dakota has recreated their floating Canada goose decoy.
Zink's Avian-X AXP series Full-Body Canada Goose decoys with their impact-absorbing flexible bodies offer a wide range of versatility for Canada goose hunters.
Stay mobile as migrants move into your area may be the key to success this season. RedHead's Canada goose shells offer multiple options for mobility and realism.
Cackler geese hunters now have an option for realism when targeting these small geese.
GreenHead Gear's new full-body lesser Canada goose decoys create a realistic field spread for hunting lessers. They are molded as one solid piece, eliminating broken heads and splitting bodies.
More decoy gear guides:
Diver Decoys
Puddler Decoys


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Posted: Mon Oct 28, 2013 12:47 pm
Post subject:
wow how exciting not long before you are starting now.
As DL05 says it is really good odds so dont worry about that.
fingers crossed for you. x x
Posted: Mon Oct 28, 2013 6:56 pm
Post subject:
Yep, it's scary how fast November is coming round quick!
You're right Nat 42.5% is double that of a normal fertile couple.
I think I'm just having a time of being anxious atm. Still, it's moved on from fear about the procedure to fear about the so that's progress. I will get to a positive frame of mind eventually.
How's things with you Nat & kv08? xx xx
Posted: Mon Oct 28, 2013 8:22 pm
Post subject:
Ahh KazM, I'm fine and taking a rest from it all as I was looking at everything for a hint but I have been having a few months of weird AF. I tested and it was BFN so said to myself that it is it now no more and just getting on with it. We are now looking to move and I have my business to keep running so it would mean taking time off from that and being self employed I would loss a lot of money.
Im pleased that it is all moving for you and like others have said you have a good chance so hugx and fx crossed and everything else. Ill pray for you every night till I hear when you get that BFP.
Posted: Mon Oct 28, 2013 8:48 pm
Post subject:
If you want I have loads of the strip pregnancy test you are more than welcome to have? I have a bulk load of them or if you don't want them anyone else just email me at - 'email@example.com' with your address detail and I will send them in the post.
Also I have a spare opk tester 'clear blue' one for anyone as well.
Posted: Tue Oct 29, 2013 8:00 am
Post subject:
So it's only about 6 weeks now from the first appointment to getting your embryo's back then Kaz it must be so exciting after waiting so long and maybe a bit surreal as well ? Hope it passes quickly for you
I'm okay, been doing quite well actually busy with my course, passed my first 2 exams as well so that's been good, had a weird cycle but that seems about right, every time I think I know what to expect something different happens xx
Posted: Tue Oct 29, 2013 1:18 pm
Post subject:
I'm good thanks Kaz, had baseline scan today and everything is fine so start stimming tonight. things are now going to start happening.
Hope the time goes quickly.


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Below are scholarships available to students enrolled in Welding Engineering Technology Programs at Ferris State University.
John Deere NARS Annual Scholarship
(2) $2,000 scholarship
Divided equally between fall and spring semester
Praxair Scholarship
(2) $5,000 scholarships
Divided equally between fall and spring semesters
Contact: Jeff Hardesty @ 231-591-2511
Outside Welding Engineering Technology Scholarships
Outside scholarships are not managed by Ferris State University. However, it is our intent to make students aware of additional funding opportunities. If you have questions regarding a scholarship listed below, please contact their administrator directly.
ASQ Grand Rapids Section 1001 Hans Bajaria Memorial BS QET Scholarship
Scholarship amount varies annually
[Outside Scholarship/not managed by Ferris]
Dietrich and Betty Roth Scholarship
This scholarship is sponsored by Mr. and Mrs. Roth for a student pursuing a two-year or four-year degree in welding in the state of Michigan. The student must have completed their first year of higher education, be a full time student, and have a minimum overall GPA of 3.0. Proof of financial need is required. Preference will be given to students in the field of resistance welding. The deadline is March 15, of each calendar year for the fall semester. The award is $2,500. (Click here for an application)
For an application, please contact Vicki Pinsky at email@example.com or call 800-443-9353 x212.
American Welding Society Detroit Section Scholarship
American Welding Society District #11 Scholarship
American Welding Society National Scholarship (Includes RWMA Scholarship)
American Welding Society Scholarship - Praxair Limited Scholarship
American Welding Society International Scholarship
American Welding Society Foundation
Fiatech Scholarship opportunity
GreenPal Business Scholarship worth $2,000
Hazing Scholarship
AACE International Scholarship (Due February 15th to their headquarters)
Mecosta County Area Community Foundation Scholarships
Morey Technical Training Scholarships
Society of Manufacturing Engineers Education Foundation Scholarships
The Grand Rapids Community Foundation - Welding scholarship opportunity worth $2,500
State of Michigan Scholarships
ASEE SMART Scholarship


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An 82-year-old Davidson County man has died in a house fire.
The Dispatch of Lexington reported that Wayne Setliff was pronounced dead in his Wallburg home Friday evening after neighbors were unable to save him.
Davidson County Sheriff David Grice says investigators do not yet know what caused the fire, but it appears to be accidental.
Setliff's neighbor Robert Walker was walking his dog about 6 p.m. when Setliff's daughter told him to call 911.
Walker and another neighbor, Beau Gardner, tried to get into the house through two different doors but couldn't because of heavy smoke and flames.


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Sheriff's Office captures one of the region's most wanted
Published: Thursday, June 13, 2013 at 10:59 a.m.
Last Modified: Thursday, June 13, 2013 at 10:59 a.m.
One of the sheriff's most wanted men, who deputies say has been on the lam over a year, is now in custody.
The Henderson County Sheriff's Office Warrant Squad captured Adam J. Lopez, 26, of North Turkey Creek Road in Leicester "after a lengthy foot chase" in the Jackson Road area of Fletcher Wednesday, according to news released from the sheriff's office.
Lopez was wanted on numerous charges of driving while license revoked, possession of stolen property, assault on a female, possession of drug paraphernalia, resisting arrest and eight misdemeanor counts of failure to appear.
Lopez has been avoiding arrest for over a year on these charges, according to the release. He is being held in the Henderson County Detention Center in lieu of a $20,700 bond.
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.


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The Storm Microlinen Tufted Dog Cushion is great for your dog to lounge on at home or in their crate when you are off traveling.
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Hello! I am currently running both QCAD 220.127.116.11 and an earlier 188.8.131.52 on Windows XP. I'm under the process of converting over to QCAD 3, but I came across a problem:
If I were to open the QCAD 2 .dxf files with Autodesk 2008, then the lined text comes out fine. However, if I were to create multi-lined text in QCAD 3 and open it in Autodesk, the text after the first line would not show up (The QCAD 2 text that was left untouched works just fine, though). Is there any way to resolve this issue? I looked into the text source code, and it seems as though the next line is recognized as "\p" in QCAD 3, but with "\P" in QCAD 2, but I am not sure if this issue is important.
Also, is there any way I could make the dashed line style to match for both versions? It's not important, but it does irk me that the dash linetype style doesn't match between the two.
Any help is greatly appreciated!


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United States Department of Agriculture
Agricultural Research Service
Crop Genetics Research Unit
1a.Objectives (from AD-416)
1) Identify new sources of resistance and introgress resistance genes into desirable agronomic backgrounds;.2)Phenotype mapping populations for developing new DNA markers and confirm resistance.
1b.Approach (from AD-416)
Screen soybean germplasm using standardized methods in greenhouse assay. Phenotype mapping populations from other scientists. Evaluate for presence of DNA markers using PCR reactions for Marker assisted selection.
3.Progress Report


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Many speakers at Destination Graduation, Thursday's drop-out prevention forum in Upshur County, said the key to student success is within the community.
Through community activity, support and encouragement, many believe that more students at risk of dropping out could stay in school and secure their future. It's all about involvement. Many officials said that students who are involved in school, extra-curricular activities or the community are more likely to graduate.
"This is the bottom line, it takes a village," Shelly Deberry, coordinator for the Office of Optional Educational Pathways and representative from the West Virginia State Department of Education said.
Article Photos
The Inter-Mountain photo by Melissa Toothman
Guests of Destination Graduation were welcomed by the opening acts of the Buckhannon-Upshur Middle School and High School choir and a young bluegrass group. Josh Lanham, Robert Russell and Caleb McNemar were well received Thursday for their performance.
Deberry was the forum's guest speaker. She brought with her, statistics about drop-out and graduation rates on the county, state and national level.
The statistics showed that Upshur County's drop-out rate had significantly fallen since the previous year so far. In the 2011-2012 fiscal year, Upshur County Schools experienced a drop-out rate of 3.1 percent, with 61 drop-outs . The rate for this year has fallen to less than one percent with 17 drop-outs. She said the West Virginia drop-out rate was also declining.
Deberry said that the drop-out rate has an economic impact. Drop-outs from the class of 2008 in West Virginia, will cost the state nearly $1.7 billion in lost wages over their lifetime. Jobs that are available to high school drop-outs range between 9 percent and 12 percent in West Virginia. Statistics Deberry presented also showed that one in every four students in ninth grade, do not graduate from high school.
One class of drop-outs per year can cost the nation up to $200 billion in lost earnings and unrealized tax revenue. As many as 12 million drop-outs over the next decade could cost the nation $3 trillion.
Deberry also reviewed how West Virginia would have benefited if all drop-outs from the fiscal year 2010 had received a diploma instead. Earnings for those students would have increased by $21 million. They would have increased spending by $16 million. There would have been a $34 million increase in home sales and a $3 million increase in auto sales.
According to those statistics, there would be as many as 150 new jobs. There would have been a $24 million increase in gross state product and a $1.7 million increase in state tax revenue.
Deberry said 74 percent of those who drop-out say that they would have stayed in school if they could do it again. Deberry also said that many students who drop-out across the nation cite the school environment and lack of challenges as their reasons for dropping out.
"It's not our future. It's their future," Superintendent Scott Lampinen said, adding that this forum was one of up to five related forums Upshur County Schools would like to host this fiscal year. "Our goal is to change the data."
A Buckhannon-Upshur High School survey showed the student response to school climate and environment.
"I think an individual addressing that full-time will make a dramatic difference," Idress Gooden with RESA 7 said.
Ashley Barlow, junior and student body vice president at Buckhannon-Upshur High School presented the results of the survey conducted in October at the high school.
Of 791 students participating in the survey, 46 percent disagreed that they feel motivated to learn while in school. In regard to school safety, 37 percent of students disagreed that they feel safe at school. 36 percent of students disagreed that their school was doing a good job in preparing them for the future.
The survey showed that 34 percent of students said they did not feel like they belonged at their school, and 33 percent of students did not feel there was an adult at their school they could talk to if they were having problems. Students who felt their teachers did not know how to relate to students totaled 44 percent.
"I just wish the people would listen. Even though the children are little, they do have concerns," said Ann Lofton of Upshur County.
The results of the survey are being reviewed by the school staff and administration to help identify how to provide a better school climate.


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Phillip Capshaw provides his own unique perspective on everything from local to world events and, as the blog title suggests, believes that nothing is funnier than observing the comical nature of our fellow man and especially Southern Oklahomans. Phillip is a native of Ardmore, Oklahoma, with varied interests who likes to poke fun at almost any group and occupation, but feels as if there is much to make fun of in passing the mirror everyday.
Is there anyplace that we are safe now? We worry about our children and grandchildren at their schools. Now even something as innocuous as participating or watching a marathon is dangerous.
My recent reaction was at first, like a lot of you. I was in shock, then came sadness. There is no understanding the sad, pitiful people who want to kill and maim innocent people.
I read about people that questioned having the OKC Memorial Marathon on April 28th. This marathon as most everyone knows is to remember the 168 lives lost in the bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building.
Old feelings start to well up, ghosts of feelings past if you will. I remember all too well the feelings after 9/11 and I start to get very angry. I started to say that I am not going to let terrorists run my life and change how I do things, but that is wrong. My resolve is strengthened by the cowardly bullies who destroy, whether it be through an explosive device or a firearm. I am doing something completely different. Like most of you I had no intention whatsoever of doing a race a week from Sunday, but now I couldn't be kept from it. I am walking/running to remember all of the people killed on the soil of this country. Myself and some of my family members had run and even placed in the OKC Marathon Relay Family Division for a couple of years. A couple of the team members are in better shape than when we participated, the rest, or at least, speaking for myself, am in a lot worse shape. If I can't convince my family to get a relay team or two together, I will walk the entire 26.2 miles myself.
Engraved on the marathon's trophies is "WE RUN TO REMEMBER," Indeed we do. I shall be the pudgy little bald guy that is, at one point, walking along with tears streaming down his face thinking of lives and innocence lost and in the next instant is running with a determined look because somebody has passed him who is even more pudgy than him.
This is my small tribute to all of those lives lost, including law enforcement and emergency responders and just a tiny way of saying, "It's no good! You have not won! Good triumphs evil every time!"


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Published: Tuesday, February 18, 2014 at 12:16 p.m.
Last Modified: Tuesday, February 18, 2014 at 10:28 p.m.
MANATEE COUNTY - The undercover detectives post ads on Craigslist and make profiles on Internet chat sites.
Click here to view the booking photos of the men arrested as part of the online child sex sting operation
Click here to view booking arrest photos from Sarasota, Manatee and Charlotte jails at sarasotamugshots.com
Those arrested:
William Gant, 50, of Manatee County
Donald Constatino, 75, of Manatee County
Andrew Schutte, 29, of Pinellas County
Anthony Smith, 39, of Polk County
Andrew Parent, 30, of Sarasota County
Andreas Bubik, 33, of Manatee County
John Hernandez, 34, of Hillborough County
Daniel Maisonet, 24, of Manatee County
Ronald Jackson, 34, of Marion County
Glenn Olvera, 22, of Manatee County
Mark Nowak, 43, of Manatee County
Tyler Hoover, 19, of Pasco County
Brian Ambrose, 37, of Manatee County
Sameh Soliman Salib Soliman, 49, of Pinellas County
Kammeron Lynch, 24, of Hillsborough County
Aaron Tyskiewicz, 27, of Pasco County
Robert Broach II, 33, of Pine Bluff, Ark., who drove from Dade City
Ralph Polmales, 43, of Polk County
Kenneth Hulata, 39, of Manatee County
Clinton Chambers, 51, of Pinellas County
Vincent Bradburn, 21, of Hillsborough County
Jack Thomas, 63, of Lake County
Kevin Harris, 44, of Manatee County
Abel Dubon, 33, of Hillsborough County
Enzo Scordia, 27, of Hillsborough County
"Hot girl here . . . pretty and ready to have fun," one post reads.
Donald Constantino, a 75-year-old retiree on Longboat Key, responds. After a couple of exchanged messages, the agent asks: "How old r u? im 13 lol haha."
Constantino replies, "too young." But four hours later, he asks if the person — who he believes to be a teenage girl — wants to meet.
He drives to a home in Manatee County, where he is arrested by a team of deputies.
Constantino's case was similar to that of 24 other men arrested during the weeklong Operation Green Shepherd III. It's the Manatee County Sheriff's Office third undercover sting targeting people accused of using the Internet to have sex with children.
Undercover detectives went online, setting up meetings with the defendants at a home and gas station in Manatee County, where they allegedly planned to have sexual encounters with minors. The operation began Feb. 10 and ended Monday.
"We want to let folks out there preying on vulnerable children know that we're out there and will continue to monitor the Internet activity," said Capt. Todd Shear, of the Child Protection Investigations Division.
All of those arrested were charged with travel to solicit a child to commit a sexual act, use of a computer to solicit a child to commit a sexual act and attempted lewd and lascivious battery. Some face additional charges for sending lewd photos or bringing alcohol or drugs.
Two men are accused of agreeing to pay minors for sex.
A prosecutor from the State Attorney's Office was on-hand to watch the proceedings and explain what evidence is needed for successful prosecution, Shear said.
In many cases the men who agree to speak with detectives say they never intended to have sex with a minor. Some say they just wanted to check to see if it was really a child. Others said they were lonely and wanted to talk.
One man told deputies, "the devil was using me," and another said he drove an hour to tell the 14-year-old girl that "talking to strangers was dangerous," arrest reports state. Another man brought his 2-year-old child.
Brian Ambrose, 37, of Bradenton, who was communicating with an agent posing as a 15-year-old boy, told deputies he sees a psychiatrist for his "sex addiction." Ambrose, who works at Home Depot, added that he is involved with the youth at church and referees high school basketball.
Jack Thomas, 62, of Minneola, spoke with an agent whom he believed was the mother of a 13-year-old girl. After he was arrested, Thomas allegedly told deputies he views child pornography, then gave them permission to search his computer, phones and email accounts, according to his arrest report. He could face additional charges.
In the two previous Green Shepherd operations, 78 men were arrested in Manatee County.
Two similar stings in Sarasota County, called Operation Intercept, netted 62 arrests.
Shear explained that recent operations in Clearwater and Lake County may have led to this sting resulting in fewer arrests that previous ones.
"It's not all about quantity," Shear said. "We feel confident in the type of person we took off the street. Some very dysfunctional folks came to the house or secondary location that posed threats to the community, not just children."
Shear said there are still active cases that will likely result in additional arrests.
Five vehicles seized in the operation are in storage awaiting forfeiture proceedings.
The Sheriff's Office worked with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, police departments from Bradenton, Sarasota, North Port and St. Petersburg and sheriff's offices from Polk, Lee, Seminole and Lake counties.
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.