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Skip to comments.NEW OBAMA ADMIN CLAIM: MARINES COULDN'T HAVE STOPPED CONSULATE ASSAULT
Posted on 09/23/2012 4:09:49 AM PDT by WVKayaker
First Romney, then the You Tube clip, now the Marines are to blame? The Obama administration's shifting claims on what took place in Benghazi, Libya on 9/11 became more defiant yesterday when unnamed officials suggested that no amount of security would have mattered in Libya, not even a detachment of US Marines. This came on the same day the administration also admitted the assault was a terror attack not a protest gone wrong. ...
(Excerpt) Read more at breitbart.com ...
Sic 'em!
It is reprehensible to allow our Foreign Service delegations to be in a country that is unsecure - without armed protection. It is even more egregious to Monday morning quarterback a heretofore pack of bald faced lies by opining the the US Marine Corps 'could not have done anything' in the first place......they weren't even given the chance.
Our country is run by a cowering, Muslim toad.
How stupid is the administration.
And apparently they know nothing of the capabilities of our Marines.
Two retired Seals stand off the Muzlime swine for several hours, and a detachment of Marines could not have defended the embasy? Give me a break. Even if a detachment of Marines had died in the defense of our consulate and ambassador, which is unlikely, the world would know it is most hazardous to trifle with America.
Yeah this is just sick.
IF there had been Marines there and IF they had been armed and IF they had been the ones to make the decisions instead of obamabot flunkies, our Ambassador and the others would have been in much better shape.
IF obama was of a mind to actually defend American interests none of this would be happening.
I posted on here a long time ago that this man will get a lot of good Americans killed for no good reason and here we are.
One other thing.
This is not stupidity.
This is intentional.
obama is not one of us and never will be.
To Hell with this lying Marxist regime. They lie, distort, deceive.
It's goal is to destroy the Country. In this case, it seized on the opportunity to compromise the 1st Amendment to the United States Constitution.
20 Marines at Benghazi might have made all the difference.
However, there is a problem with "security" as the solution.
The attackers, by definition, get to choose where they attack. Therefore, if security is too tight at location A, they just divert to another less secure location.
IOW, it is not possible to secure all possible target locations heavily enough to prevent or repel attacks.
Which is not to say that the administration wasn't negligent in this case, just that "security" is not the real answer.
The Obama Administration is so pathetic they have to lie about everything. And they have to denigrate and blame our brave fighting men.
Obama is the worst president in the history of America.
There is nothing "stupid" here. It is an intentional action to aid the advance of Islam!
Barak HUSSEIN Obama... The worst pResident and biggest threat to America and the World we KNEW!
The hell a FAST team wouldn't have made a difference. The administration had enough warning to deploy a FAST team, and they decided not to.
For that matter, a normal MSG detachment would have made life hell for the attackers.
I think Hussein's administration GREATLY UNDERESTIMATES our Marines.
I had a retired Gunny friend who spent 15 years in Embassies all over. I heard about the quality of Marines chosen for that duty, and based on that, I am sure nobody would f*** with a dedicated crew defending that little piece of America, we call an Embassy.
That extends around the world and they would die before surrender! The enemy would pay a price.
Nope- all of you are Wrong-!
No amount of marines would have helped-
They would not be given weapons - or like their
brothers in egypt- NO AMMO-!!!
So, technically the marxist/muslim/antiamerican
in the white house is correct.
In that flag pictue it almost looks like Allen West in the middle. Is it??
Exactly; I don't know how they are composed now. When I was in the Security Battalion, though, FAST Companies were basically heavy infantry companies, and were loaded for bear. They had specialized training in CQB, and were highly motivated; closest thing to SOC, without actually being classified as such.
Not sure how regular embassy guards would have fared against such a large force. There's not too many of them in any given country, and they really aren't armed too heavily. I do know that a FAST platoon, let a lone a whole company, would have cleaned the bad guys clocks; even on short notice.
But, I see that a RC Church in Nigeria was car-bombed, and another Christian killed by the ROP! 46 were injured as well.
Their plan is working well! It is bringing us closer to the End, at least!
Come quickly, Lord Jesus! (But, if He delays, LOCK AND LOAD!) They will be trying that here, soon!
Disagree. They would have 'borrowed' from their attackers.
You can piss off a lot of people with minimal to no repercussions.
Semper fi.
Do or die.
Bengahzi is NOT the Embassy,that is in Tripoli where Stevens office is. No one has asked or answered why Stevens was in BenGahzi in the first place with the only security being a Muslim Group providing it and Ultimately aiding in His Murder.
The former Navy seals were working for a Different agency,what agency? I dont know,possibly CIA,Stevens could also have been a CIA Officer,he brokered the deal to get the Rebels the Guns to depose Ghadafi,Could he have been there to try and retrieve those weapons since the rebels who dumped Ghadafi were Al Queda?
Lock-n-load anyway - you may have to make a fighting retreat to His pickup zone.
WHY was the AMB. at this OUTPOST and not at the EMBASSY???? Was that HIS idea or Hillary's????
if armed Marines had been there, fortified and ready, there would have been no attack and Stevens would be alive.
What a crock. Any Marine or military person would have dealt with the threat or died trying. You can bet your a** none of them would go to sleep knowing a team member was under attack. He and his posse are not like us.
with the ROE imposed on them by the Obozo and the State Dept they would have been reduced to hand-to-hand only after getting permission from DC
(although I acknowledge that 1 marine is worth 200 of these fargin iceholes)
-——to allow our Foreign Service delegations to be in a country that is unsecure——
In the instance in question, the dead one believed he possesses God like ability to calm and pacify to the point his striving provided the shield and protection. You completely miss the point of pacifists who believe we must coexist and can coexist. The pacifist delusion is on trial and is shown to be that delusion. It will not however disappear because some nonexistent external rationalization will be raised as cause.
What should not be allowed is a pacifist State Department populated by delusional ideologues spouting Harvard Yard pacifist drivel.
If there were 20 marines at the compound, the jihadi's would NOT have attacked. They had inside info that the Ambassador was protected by next to nobody so they took advantage.
The marines would have been a DETERRENT, but the Obama Administration is weak, not strong, and all the Islamo terrorists know that.
Why was he there anyway.
What would cause a grown, intelligent man to leave the safety of his protection, and go to an obscure place..pretty much on his own?
Does anyone have an answer for that? Or am I missing something?
Marine Pfc. Douglas Lightheart (right) cradles his 30-cal. machine gun in his lap, while he and his buddy Pfc. Gerald Thursby Sr. take time out for a cigarette, while mopping up the enemy on Peleliu Island, September 14, 1944. Note that the surname of the second soldier was misidentified as Churchby by the photographer and for many years subsequently
... One particularly bloody battle on Bloody Nose came when the 1st Battalion, 1st Marinesunder the command of Major Raymond Davisattacked Hill 100. Over six days of fighting, the battalion suffered 71% casualties. Captain Everett Pope and his company penetrated deep into the ridges, leading his remaining 90 men to seize what he thought was Hill 100. It took a day fighting to reach what he thought was the crest of the hill, which was in fact another ridge, occupied by more Japanese defenders.
Trapped at the base of the ridge, Pope set up a small defense perimeter, which was attacked relentlessly by the Japanese throughout the night. The Marines soon ran out of ammunition, and had to fight the attackers with knives and fists, even resorting to throwing coral rock and empty ammunition boxes at the Japanese. Pope and his men managed to hold out until dawn. When they evacuated the position, only nine men remained. Pope later received the Medal of Honor for the action. -(wicked) wiki excerpt: Read more about the Battle of Peleliu
My Note: These men looked into the face of evil and made it through hell...
There are only two possibilities for me given the debacle of the cover up.
I am going with Intelligence - CIA.
And why was his diary there and not in Tripoli????????????????
William F Buckley CIA posing as State Department was warned about danger. He ignored it. He was kidnapped and tortured and killed because of it.
Stevens knew he was in danger.So why did he ignore it.
Don't know. Presumably ambassadors travel around the host country for various reasons. I doubt he was based in Benghazi.
Probably true. And we would be reading about an attack somewhere else that had less security.
If there were a USMC det there, the Jihadis would not have attacked...they would have known the dogs of war would have kicked their asses.
My qusetion would be, which sob outed him and revealed the location of his safe house to the muslims.The sonsof bitches that put this imposter in the White House... words fail me after this. I find that I despise them more each day that passes.
Amb. are BASED at EMBASSIES...not in any outposts. He SHOULD have been at the embassy which is gurded and fortified....it was 9-11 for gosh sakes.
Or, they are smitten with Hollyweird and think that a single, unarmed person is capable of comic book superhero actions.
So, what is the "official" reason that Stevens was in Benghazi (terror central) on 9/11 with no security, no advance team, no escape plan. Are they hiding a CIA op? I think so. Why? To what end? The op is blown, or maybe they don't know that.
WHY DIDN"T THEY TAKE HIS DIARY???? hmmmmmmmm
It was still there until Anderson Cooper took it??? Fake story??
I don't disagree.
But is it normal for an Ambassador to travel to a consulate without a security team?
No one has explained why he was there.
Clearly, at least to me, is this trip was a normal part of his routine. And that someone who knew that tipped off the terrorists. They knew he was there. They knew he was without his security.
Why would someone travel without security?
They would if they did not want to draw attention to themselves or if they did not want the security to know what they are doing. Or both.
So, you have a man routinely traveling to a remote site with no security because he did not want to draw attention to himself or he did not want his security team seeing what was going on.
There are very few possibilities for WHY he was there that are not really embarrassing or just plain bad.
I don't disagree.
But is it normal for an Ambassador to travel to a consulate without a security team?
No one has explained why he was there.
Clearly, at least to me, is this trip was a normal part of his routine. And that someone who knew that tipped off the terrorists. They knew he was there. They knew he was without his security.
Why would someone travel without security?
They would if they did not want to draw attention to themselves or if they did not want the security to know what they are doing. Or both.
So, you have a man routinely traveling to a remote site with no security because he did not want to draw attention to himself or he did not want his security team seeing what was going on.
There are very few possibilities for WHY he was there that are not really embarrassing or just plain bad.
I told a Marine about this story yesterday. He got LOUD. In public, too.
One wonders if this is how Obama would protect the United States...with a "no bullet" defense. Pray for the U.S.
May be related to this?
"Obama backs effort to recover Arab Spring assets"
The Associated Press
September 11, 2012
Read more here: http://www.islandpacket.com/2012/09/11/2205992/obama-backs-effort-to-recover.html#storylink=cpy
"U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder (L) and Qatar's Attorney General Ali Bin Mohsen bin Fetais Al-Marri (R) attend the closing session of the Arab Forum on Asset Recovery in Doha September 13, 2012"
The story changes every time an unexpected consequence arises. The goal seems to be avoiding consequence rather than establishing a cover.
The meanderings reveal a lack of discipline in an arena that requires complete dedication and to an extent, the willingness to give no answer even when it may project a political image that is unpleasant. The evolution of the story is not consistent with revealed facts but seems to be the approach of a the average school age child who has not yet recognized that the world does not conform to imagined scenarios.
If this is a cover for an op, that is being handled very poorly.
You might want to consider the possibility that he doesn't underestimate the Marines ability which is why they weren't there to begin with.
When it comes to politics assume nothing.
I routinely bed their wives and daughters, have done so for 25 years. Are you saying I am now in jeopardy?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.


text:
- Report: #734471
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Complaint Review: Pivotal Payments | Ripoff Report Verified™ ..businesses you can trust. Commitment to customer satisfaction. nationwide credit & debit card processing, clearing & settlement, gift, loyalty, store value card programs, terminal management solutions, electronic check processing.
pivotal payments14 commerce place St.Catherines, Ontario Canada
Pivotal Payments REVIEW: Pivotal Payments commitment to customer satisfaction, Pivotal Payments has implemented strategic changes to proactively enhance client satisfaction and the speed of their customer service response time. The company is focused on improving its clients' payment processing methods, resulting in 100% satisfaction.
*UPDATE: Recognized by Ripoff Report Corporate Advocacy Program as a safe business service – Pivotal Payments pledges to always resolve any issues, feel safe, confident & secure when doing business with Pivotal Payments. Ripoff Report Verified™
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Ripoff Report Verified™ REVIEW:
EDitor's UPDATE: Positive rating and recognition has been given to Pivotal Payments for its commitment to excellence in customer service.
Ripoff Report's discussions with Pivotal Payments have uncovered an ongoing commitment by the company to total client satisfaction. This means that clients can expect that the company will work towards finding a mutually satisfactory resolution to any complaints or concerns. The company listens carefully to client concerns and sees them as an opportunity to learn from past mistakes and become more efficient as a company in the services offered and the support for those services.
Ripoff Report Verified™ .. part of Ripoff Report Corporate Advocacy Business Remediation & Customer Satisfaction Program. A program that benefits the consumer, assures them of complete satisfaction and confidence when doing business with a member business..
The information provided in this report is based on comments made by Louis Georgakakis and Patrick Huynh during an interview held by a third party verification company with no biases toward Pivotal Payments.
Pivotal Payments is a merchant service provider that helps their clients accept credit cards and also provides affiliate products such as software and terminals. Their target markets are in small to medium companies that are generally brick and mortar business. Currently, the company works in the United States and Canada and is looking to break into European markets this year. Pivotal Payments feels they have a competitive edge in the market place because they are constantly adding to, enhancing and increasing their product lines. Recently they have added the Pivotal 360, Pivotal 1, and Term Protection programs to help provide customers further options in services needed. The company also notes that they feel their customer service sets them apart and they have invested heavily in this department.
" Louis Georgakakis stated, "The company's core values are based on commitment, growth, entrepreneurialism and building relationships. Pivotal is committed to always doing the right thing, quickly, efficiently and to the best of its abilities. The company's employees have the courage to take responsibility for all issues and learn from these issues to enhance the company. Employees are nimble, open and flexible to new ideas, innovation and technology to deliver on current and future opportunities. Pivotal understands that thousands of people and businesses across North America depend on them for their livelihood. We strive to build everlasting relationships with partners, customers, employees and suppliers to help the achieve mutual goals."
In order to make Pivotal Payment's feel they are having the best customer service possible, they state that they have a 24/7 customer service staff available, opportunities to be released from cancellation fees associated with contracts, a knowledge based management team and cross training amongst their staff. In regards to the company's internal processes, Patrick Huynh stated the company is, "Continually working on customer service calls to be under an average of 30 seconds and we are working to enhance the quality of information communicated to the customer by cross training our staff. We also work to have proactive retention within our customer service meaning that we try to work with customers to solve issues before a complaint arises."
Pivotal Payments states that they try to work with clients to satisfy all of their concerns within reason when working with them to discover a solution. Through this, the company states they can usually retain about 95% of their clients when concerns arise. The company works to help resolve customer's pricing concerns by matching competitor's pricing within reason when working with existing customers. One of the largest areas of concerns that has been brought to the company's attention is in regards to an early termination fee being too high. To remedy this, the company has developed a Low Merchant Termination Policy that fee is about half of what it was previously. The Low Merchant Termination Policy addresses customers whose volume is lower and accounts for approximately 90% of Pivotal Payment's business. The company states that they generally handle about 1200 customer cases per month where they make sure to address and review pricing options.
Louis Georgakakis stated, "We are happy to be a part of the Corporate Advocacy Business Remediation and Customer Satisfaction Program because it gives us a reason to be proactive with client concerns. Ripoff Report allows us the opportunity to know who the customers are that have concerns and get them all the information needed to address the issue." The company notes that the customers are entering into a legal agreement with Pivotal Payments and that is something that is taken into consideration when handling complaints. Because of Ripoff Report and other complaints the company has received in the past, their standard policy is that a customer can cancel their services without a fee if Pivotal Payments is unable to provide appropriate solutions to do whatever it takes to make the client happy.
" A top executive of the company told us that their vision is "to be a top tier North American Merchant Services Provider by creating a meaningful contribution to its clients, partners, employees, suppliers and shareholders." Pivotal Payments' mission statement says it all: "Our mission is to provide valued processing solutions which make a positive material impact to the businesses of our merchants and partners across North America." Some of the other things Rip-off Report learned in the course of its investigation: typical customer feedback reads: "Switching to Pivotal was the best move for my business! We were able to save money with no hassles." As well as, "Going with Pivotal Payments has been a great move since they offer good rates and service. I would recommend them to other merchants."
PIVOTAL PAYMENTS / "The company has implemented a sales compliance position to ensure that sales channels meet our internal standards as well industry regulations," explained Patrick Huynh, Vice-President of Client Services. "Our service levels have also improved tremendously over the past year and continue to do so as we proactively listen to the needs of our clients and respond rapidly to any and all concerns."
" "We joined the Corporate Advocacy Program in order to better understand our clients' issues and should they arise, react faster to address them," said Louis Georgakakis, Director of Marketing. "Our client care department's improved response time, thorough compliance with industry regulations and greater customer satisfaction levels are all a testament to the hard work each and every employee at Pivotal has performed in order to accomplish our mission."
Pivotal Payments takes employee satisfaction seriously as well. The company's Youtube channel boasts several videos of its employees indicating their level of engagement and empowerment to helping the company reach its goals and developing better relationships with clients. One such video is from Eric, a Relationship Manager, who states "the best part for me about working here at Pivotal Payments, hands down, is making that little difference in my merchant's day." The comraderie experienced through these short clips makes it evident the close-knit unit at Pivotal Payments is dedicated not only to helping their merchant clients succeed, but helping each other grow as individuals.
Paying close attention to feedback from customers and taking their concerns seriously.
Implementation of a fairer, flat early termination fee for all small merchants leaving a contract early.
Transparent pricing models both on the merchant application and in the terms of service.
Auto boarding process that gets a payment terminal to a merchant within 48 hours of application submission.
Maintaining an A+ rating on the Better Business Bureau (BBB) for over a year and counting.
24/7 service available in both English and French with well trained, dedicated professionals.
Proactive outreach via survey to customers to ensure their concerns are heard and their feedback used to improve.
Pivotal Payments recognizes that complaints posted on Ripoff Report are issues to be seriously addressed. If handled correctly, complaints can be valuable learning opportunities. With the feedback generated by Ripoff Report's investigation, Pivotal Payments has made organizational changes allowing its clients and employees a more streamlined approach to problem resolution and a commitment to a great client experience.
In summary, after our investigation, which included discussions with Mr. Huynh, Mr. Georgakakis and many of the company's past and current associates, Rip-off Report is convinced that Pivotal Payments is committed to quality delivery of services resulting in total client satisfaction.
Read more about why consumers should feel confident when doing business with a member of Rip-off Report's Corporate Advocacy Business Remediation & Customer Satisfaction Program. Yes, it's a long name for a program that does a lot for both consumers and businesses alike. Read about Rip-off Report Corporate Advocacy Business Remediation & Customer Satisfaction Program,.. A program that benefits the consumer, assures them of complete satisfaction and confidence when doing business with a member business. this program works.
As a matter of policy, when a business becomes a member of the Corporate Advocacy Program they agree to allow Ripoff Report to contact every client who filed a complaint so they can make things right with them. In order to confirm that the complaints were resolved, Ripoff Report is copied on all responses so we can insure that the member business did right by their customer ..
Pivotal Payments - Client Review - Babylon Fish & Clam
Pivotal Payments - Client Review - Astor Wines & Spirits
Pivotal Payments - Client Review - Cafe Picasso
Pivotal Payments - Client Testimonial - Garderie Manyl Inc
Pivotal Payments - Client Review - BECQ Security Group
pivotal payments Rip-off, Not able to huoner their offer and trap you in the lease, surprise you with "LFG" lease St.Catherines, Ontario Canada"Pivotal Payments" and "LFG" which is the Pivotal's sales of points pad leasing company are very organized scam business partners. The Pivotal's sales people come to you and bug you with the most juicy offers. Even after you reject them they keep coming and calling and calling and professionally making you look stupid if you don't aqgree with them. If you are sold to their juicy offer and signed the lease like I did, then you are in deep truble. Unfortunately since their lease is designed very professionaly with a lot of tiney paragraphs protecting them against you, you can't get out of it even after their obvious failure in their services.
I am willing to testify in any court against them to help any victim. I have been frustrated by them for over three years and still continues. I wish few of victims like myself can get together and take them to Court to save the future victims of them. I have some proof for what I am claiming. My story is very intresting. I just want say it briefly. I have two retail locations. Just over three ago the Pivotal sales people contacted me to convince me to switch to them and save money. I was with "Moneris" (credit card processor) at that time and was paing about $45 per month for each account and of cours some percentage for each transaction and I was happy with their service.
Pivotal was offering $28 per monthy and some lower percentage for each transaction. Based on that offer I would save money for each account anually but still it wasn't some thing to make me go through the paper works and cansel my lease with the "Moneris" and make a comitments for another lease. They even offered if the Moneris is going to charge a penalty for bridging their contract they would cover it. still I wasn't ready for the change until they put their winning card on the table and that was the Air mile card. Based on their calculation I wa saving enough air mile to go to Europ with my wife and come back for free every year.
Since we travel overseas almost every year, that offer sounded very good so that I couldn't reject it and I signed up for two accounts. See how good crooks they are that right after signing the lease they faxed another couple of leases to be signed for the "sales of point machines". To have them sent to me I had to sign it. I noticed that those machins are provided by "LFG"(leasing company) which Pivotal never mentioned about them before and I assumed pivotal is the only one I will deal with. Later on some more papers I signed for financial processing and that one was with "Global Payments".
So what is the Pivotal doing here? just a middle man and the charge of $28 per month was only for being a middle man? The LFG was charging $35 monthly per account and Global charging $30 per account all on top of the Pivotal charge of $28 per month. Let's do some math here, 28+35+30=$93 So rather than paying $45 per mont to the "Moneris" now I had to pay $93 per account that means every month I am loosing (93-45)= $48.00 per account and that means 2x48=$96 and anually (12x96)= $1142 nice!!! Thanks to Pivotal. Any ways I convinced my self the air miles will cover for this loss and hopefully their servise is going to be better and so on.
It is hard to beleive that they send a letter after few monthes saying that they don't offer the air mile any more, (that easy). So all air mile savings and thinking of trip to Europ for free is gone. It is getting intresting isn't it?. To calm myself down I just said to my self this is another business experience and let the 3 years lease end and then go back to the "Moneris" again. Mean while the transactions of the credit card weren't going smooth and we are having truble once a while. Each time we call them about that, after waiting for a while on the phone they say punch this and that number in the pad and re boost or upload and so on.
The problem with transactions not only didn't get fixed but exceed in less than a year. Store employees calling me complaing the custmer buying some thing but charge is not going through. Some customer calling from their home saying they have been charged twice and similar problems on and on. Then Pivotal said the problem is the "sales of points machines" and then they arranged with their scam partners "LFG" to send us new equipments. Some papers got faxed to us to sign regarding new machines and I signed them and then machines came. The old ones got returned to where ever was asked at that time and we started with new machines. It didn't help at all.
Finally I called them and asked them to cansel our lease simply because they can't provide the service. They completely ignore the problems and said I must pay penalty about $1600 for eaqch account if I cansel my lease. They also didn't take any responsibilty about the LFG and said that is between me and LFG. I Called LFG To cansel their lease and they said same thing and they asked for few hundereds of dollars to cansel them. I couldn't do it, but to keep the business runing smooth and having satisfied customers in the very critical time of my business I decided to go back to "Moneris" and I did and let Pivotal and it's partners withdraw their monthly charges from my business accounts untill the leases are over but that is not it.
In the middle of the second year Pivotal called me and mentioned that because I am not using their services for long period (although they were being paid for their monthly charges) they will cansel the accounts and still they will charge my bank acount for penalty which came to around $500 for each account at that period of time. That was too much, To keep that Vulture away I had to talk to my banck and put stop payment to Pivotal's charges. They kept buging me for a while . At the same time I sent a letter to "Global payment" (thier processor) and they were okay and just canseled the contracts after 2.5 years, but let me tell you about the "LFG".
I waited exactly to the end of of 3 years lease and called them and tolled them since lease term is over cansel my accounts and give the information where to send the machines back. They did and I send the machines but I noticed they are still charging my banck account for thier monthly charge of $35 per account. I called them and complaint and they kept saying that I have 2 more leases with them. That drove me crazy. I didn't know what to do. After few more conversation I realized that when the Pivotal arranged 2 new machines to be replaced with older ones in the first year, some how they haven't canseled the older accounts and they put the new ones under 2 new accounts and the leases of these new ones started from the date that they have sent.
I haven't been able to solve that problem yet and this Vulture partner of Pivotal that didn't even exsist to me when I signed up with Pivotal still bugging me up to this moment that I am writing and they keep sending letters and calling and so on. By the way in this past 2 years my business was suffering because of the economy crises that has happened and I am working days and nights to keep my business alive and un fortunately all these frustration from the big Buggers Pivotal and LFG was very damaging emotionally and economically.
This report was posted on Ripoff Report on 05/28/2011 10:31 PM and is a permanent record located here: http://www.ripoffreport.com/r/pivotal-payments/StCatherines-Ontario-L2R-6P7/pivotal-payments-Rip-off-Not-able-to-huoner-their-offer-and-trap-you-in-the-lease-surpr-734471. The posting time indicated is Arizona local time. Arizona does not observe daylight savings so the post time may be Mountain or Pacific depending on the time of year.
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subset: commoncrawl


text:
Definition of sweet briar in English:
sweet briar
1A Eurasian wild rose with fragrant leaves and flowers.
- Rosa rubiginosa, family Rosaceae.
Example sentences
- The entrance to the inn was adorned with sweetbriars and hawthorn hedges.
- Recently it has commissioned a survey and also organised the planting of 35 new trees (oak, beech, ash, chestnut and field maple, hawthorn, sweetbriars) to replace decaying forest trees.
2West Indian A spiny acacia with fragrant yellow flowers.
- Genus Acacia, family Leguminosae: A. farnesiana, an Old World tree which is grown throughout the tropics and yields an essential oil used in perfumery, and the tropical American A. tortuosa.
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= trending


text:
Toshiba Portege Z30-A1301 Review and Ratings
Our Verdict: This business-oriented ultrabook is well-built, thin, light, and comfortable to use. The latest "Haswell" CPU makes it fast, but a low-resolution screen diminishes its overall value. Read More…
- What We Liked…
- Thin, light, and easy to hold
- Comfortable keyboard and touch pad
- Durable magnesium alloy construction
- Strong performance and battery life
- DTS sound system
- Ample expansion options
- Fingerprint reader
- Useful utilities and apps
- What We Didn't…
- Low-resolution, lackluster screen
Toshiba Portege Z30-A1301 Review
By December 19, 2013reviewed
Table of Contents
Introduction & Design
We've watched over the last year or two as mainstay business laptops gradually inch closer in design to their ultrabook competitors—as we saw when Lenovo bolstered the ThinkPad T430 with the thinner, lighter T430u and T431s. Now Toshiba is doing the reverse, making its ultrabook more businesslike.
Compared to its Portege Z835/Z935 predecessor, the Portege Z30 delivers more of the security and office-friendly features you'd expect to find on a business machine, such as a SmartCard slot and a docking connector for a $199 desktop port replicator shared with Toshiba's Tecra enterprise laptops. However, since it's an ultrabook, you also get an extra-slim profile and light body (albeit a fractionally heavier one—the Z835 was 2.4 pounds and bordered on feeling flimsy, the Z30 is 2.6 pounds and feels solid). Unlike some ultrabooks such as the Samsung ATIV Book 9 Plus that aspire to elegance and high-end looks, though, the Portege focuses more on practicality than glamour.
You can buy the Portege Z30 in several different hardware configurations with your choice of processors, memory, and storage options. Our $1,279 review unit, the Z30-A1301, was built around a fourth-generation Intel Core i5 CPU, along with 8GB of system memory and a 128GB solid-state drive. Build-to-order options include a Core i7 processor, up to 16GB of RAM, and up to a 512GB SSD, as well as the Windows 8-suitable touch screen which our Windows 7 Professional test unit lacked.
One component you can't change is this laptop's mediocre, low-resolution 13.3-inch, 1,366x768 display, which frankly we found disappointing, especially considering that we liked nearly everything else about the Z30, right down to its relatively strong performance in our benchmarks and its exceptional showing in our demanding battery-rundown test.
Thinner, lighter, and faster than most competitors, the Portege Z30 is a well-built ultrabook with some nice extras and stellar battery life. Aside from its lackluster screen, we think it makes a great road companion.
Unlike high-end, consumer-grade ultrabooks, the 0.7-inch-thick Toshiba is not made of chic brushed aluminum. Instead, the Z30's chassis is made from a very light and durable magnesium alloy that looks and feels like plastic, but it's much lighter and tougher than that.
Furthermore, as you can see in the image at left, the new Portege appears, compared to several other ultrabooks we've reviewed, a little boxy, devoid of the sculptured bodies and sleek lines we see on so many consumer models. Instead of style and sex appeal, though, we say again that this laptop offers durability and business-friendly features, such as a fingerprint reader to help keep out intruders.
Any office-oriented laptop needs lots of connectivity and expansion options, and the Portege Z30 won't let you down there. For example, it supports two types of video output, both VGA (RGB) and HDMI. You'll find these two ports, along with the AC power jack and a USB 3.0 port with Sleep and Charge for recharging handheld gadgets, on the left edge. Meanwhile, on the right edge you'll find an SD Card reader, another two USB 3.0 ports, a Gigabit Ethernet port, and a security lock slot.
On the underside of the chassis, up near the front edge, are two stereo speakers. The pair, with the help of DTS Studio Sound software enhancement, played back with decent tonal quality and stereo delineation, but we weren't able to get enough volume out of them.
As you can see in the image above, the DTS utility provides extensive control over audio playback. When we turned DTS on, our test videos and music samples sounded full and rich.
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Key Specs
1.9GHz Intel Core i5-4300U
13.3-inch 1,366x768 LCD
Intel HD Graphics 4400 integrated
0.7 x 12.4 x 8.9 inches
2.6 pounds
Windows 7 Professional
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Replacing the roof and building Burra a home!
- 2
The first job is to get the old roof tiles off.
We ended up with a chain of us removing tiles and handing them along and down to the floor.
I think I have the job of moving that lot... Some of them are damaged and there are a few missing, but we can't find any that are exactly the same. Years ago there were many tile manufacturers, and each one had their own pattern, but now most of them are closed down so it's almost impossible to get replacement tiles that fit. We decided to buy new tiles and keep the old ones for sheds and donkey shelters.
The geckos aren't terribly happy at having their habitat disturbed. I hope they don't all move out - I've got kind of fond of them.
Now the tiles are off, it's time to get rid of all the old timbers.
Not a bad morning's work! I'm putting my feet up for a while.
More photos to follow over the next few weeks.
I think we're going to be busy for a while...
Joe Braxton wrote:
Were you living in there and had to move out temporarily, or just now rehabbing? I would love to have a structure like that to work with.
It was a bit complicated. We bought the farm then my old uncle wanted to move to Portugal with us and as he was disabled and pretty well bedridden we ended up blowing the last of our money on a little house in the village (a 'proper' one with 'mod cons' like water and electricity and separate rooms!) to look after him in, which we then duly did for the next seven years. Now he's gone we're picking up where we left off seven years ago, but we still have the village house we're living in (or at least sleeping in) until the farm is ready.
I can hardly believe it's all finally starting to happen. Kind of exciting, even after all these years.
1. my projects
This is the 'name plate' for the farm. Joao Cardoso was the old man we bought it from. We promised him we'd look after his farm for him, and hopefully he would approve of what we're doing. Canapi Tosa means something like 'place of the canopy' - sounds to me like it wants me to get that forest garden going!
This is the back of the house, with a good view of the way the stones are laid, the old roof timbers, and the compost toilet in the background. We didn't really allow for people standing here when we sited the toilet...
This is a 'cross section' of one of the stone walls surrounding the farm. The walls of the house are built in the same way with larger stones to each side and smaller stones, rubble and mud used to fill the gaps in the middle.
This is one of the gable ends (is that the right term?) - all the small stones and mud need to be cleaned out.
Then a nice skim of cement put on top to stabilise the surface.
More later!
Joe Braxton wrote:So.......hows the roof looking?
We're getting there!
We've been concentrating on getting a solid, level layer of concrete around the top of the walls, ready to receive the timbers and hopefully enable us to build a nice, square roof that the tiles will fit well on.
Here, they are making sure the very top is level, ready for the central beam.
Then, with the help of the straightest of the old bits of eucalyptus that they could find, they are checking how much they're going to have to build the walls up. There seems to be quite a gap!
Here's the view from the 'inside'. They've had build it up quite a bit. You also have a good view of the 'notch' that will receive the smaller beams.
And a couple of rows of blocks to raise the front wall to the same level.
They put shuttering up to help with building up the wall at the other end.
The new roof timbers should be being delivered tomorrow. There are rumours that the lorry will arrive complete with some sort of device for lifting the main beams up into place, which is going to make things a whole lot easier!
If not, I'm really not too sure how we're going to get them up there, but I'm sure we'll figure something out.
Looking forward to a coffee, chat and tour, once it is all done.
- 1
I have a mountain of photos to sift through and sort out into some sort of coherent story, but suffice to say that I think we're going to end up with a roof to be proud of
Here's the lorry with all the wood on it.
The owner of the mill, Cesar, is up on the lorry. The wood is Douglas Fir, which I think is pretty well the same as Oregon Pine. It's grown in the Serra d'Estrelas, about fifty miles north, and very near to Cesar's mill. He was most insistent that I admired the colour of the wood, and assured that it would not only last me out, but also my son, and his sons. Technically, as it's a pine, it's classified as a softwood, but it's actually harder than a lot of hardwoods and is highly prized for roof timbers.
Cesar is lifting one end from on the back of the lorry, and taking the lead with the other end is the promised 'something to help lift the beams into place', otherwise known as Cesar's dad. He's well into his seventies and seemed to enjoy every moment.
Cesar and his dad are up on the top of the wall hanging onto some rope looped around the end of the beam, the rest of the men are on lifting duty, and I'm under orders to keep taking photos.
Woohoo! One end is up!
Now we have to maneuver it into place - it has to drop into the 'slot' further up the wall.
Like this...
Now we'd better double check the measurements - here you are dad, grab this...
OK, son.
I think he must have been doing this stuff all his life - I never saw a man look so happy dancing along the top of a wall...
It's a bit long - we're gonna have to saw a bit off. You gotta chainsaw?
Dad seems happy to show off his chainsaw skills, too!
We just need a few extra men to take the weight of the beam...
...then we can lift this end into place.
That's as far as we can lift - better climb up that ladder son and throw a rope round it...
...while we get a scaffold into place and push it up with a big stick.
Nearly there...
And she's home!
More to follow - have to sort through a mountain of photos!
Then a few more people to lift from lower down.
Once one end is high enough up, you can start to lift the other end up and onto the front of the wall.
We'd had to build the front wall up a bit and the cement was still pretty new so we used one of the sawn off ends as a cushion to stop the beam damaging it.
The walls are seriously thick and behind those blocks, we'd built up with a load of cement, which we'd put pins through into the wall below to try to persuade it to stay in place. The beams have to be lifted over the pins for now - we'll cut them off in a few days.
This is going to be the top beam so we need to slide it all the way up.
That's about it!
Apparently it is compulsory at this point to test the beam by walking along it. I guess he's been doing this so long I shouldn't worry. Cesar looks quite resigned to seeing dad performing. I guess he's grown up with it...
Right, it's time to tackle beam number three.
Up she goes, the same as last time.
Dad's shouldering more than his fair share of the weight - I think he really loves his job!
Gently onto the cushion...
There - that's safe for a minute.
Once we've got our breath back, life her over the pins...
Now get this end ready to drop into place...
Then quickly swap ends and drop this end into position...
Back to this end again and lower her down gently...
Is it all done?
Well done, boys!
More to follow!
Once the three main beams were in place, Cesar and his dad helped us unload, then left us to it.
The next step is to get all the cross-beams in place. These are smaller and shorter than the main beams, and are notched at the end to fit them into place exactly.
Here's a close-up of the notch.
We want short uprights between the cross-beams and the central main-beam, to help spread the weight evenly, and they need to be cut exactly to size.
Then the rafters can be put in place.
And it's gradually starting to take shape!
1. my projects
Remember those pins? I'd misunderstood them. They weren't supposed to be cut off, they were for bolting the rafters down into place, like this...
Now all the rafters are in place, it's time to put a layer of sterling board - I think a lot of you call it OSB. I'd always loved this stuff since I was a child and it was a teenage dream to build a house out of it. Natural wood would have looked better, but this stuff was much cheaper and easier to put up so we compromised a bit. I rather like the look of it still, even though my tastes have changed somewhat.
There was rather a lot of cutting involved and we were glad of the circular saw.
It's starting to look like a real roof!
We put glass-fibre tape over the joints, and then painted bitumen over the tape to try to stop any leaks.
Then a layer of roofmate extruded polystyrene insulation. I would have liked cork, but the price really was a bit excessive, even in a cork-producing part of Portugal.
This is how it looked from the inside. We'd also decided to knock out those loose stones and make a window. I think it had originally been a door to the top part of the house. As far as I can tell, this house would have housed animals on the bottom and people up above. I think this was originally a door, but the bottom half had been filled in with stone at some point, and the top half rather roughly filled in later.
The boys are moving the tiles a bit closer, ready for putting up on the roof.
Ahem. Where was I? Oh yes, the tiles are all ready to go up on the roof.
My health had gone a bit crazy by this point, and we also just happened to have a couple of wwoofers contact us after being let down by a host, so the poor things turned up on a crazy hot day, collapsed in exhaustion in the caravan, and woke up to a day of learning how to tile an entire roof before sundown. I feel a bit guilty about that, but at least they had some real-life experience.
The edge tiles are drilled and screwed into place to discourage them from blowing off during heavy winds.
Some tiles have to be cut to get them to fit right. Angle grinders are useful for this job!
Let's see if the wwoofers know how to put scaffolding together...
Looks like they've mastered it!
And that's not a bad day's work. For some reason the didn't want to stay more than a day or two. I think we might have worn them out...
The ends need a bit of filling in to make them weather-proof.
And we invested in some guttering so we can start to catch water for use in the house.
We treated the exposed wood with linseed oil and beeswax. It really brought the colour out, too.
My son spent a few days overcoming his fear of heights doing that job...
By now I really should have done something about my health and I made what could of been the worst decision of my life. Suffice to say that not everyone who claims to be a doctor really is, so if you start to get chest pains don't necessarily believe the guy that puts you on a special diet and gives you some herbs and tells you that you'll be ok. Go get checked out by someone you know really is a doctor. But I'm kinda trusting and believed him. So we carried on with the work inside the house. At least, I popped over most days and had a peek. I was in too much pain by then to do much else.
We'd already rough-plastered the walls, and now they have another coat and a lick of white paint.
It's starting to look kinda shiny!
Clay floor tiles seemed the obvious choice for the floor.
Some more supports have gone up ready for a kitchen work surface.
A new base for the woodburner to bring it up to the most convenient height.
That actually looks like a kitchen!!!
And by this point I'd spent six weeks in extreme pain and finally summoned the last of my strength to insist that I didn't give a damn what I was told and I wanted to be taken to hospital. I then spent a week in intensive care as a team of real doctors worked some pretty hefty medical magic on me and managed to pull me through from near death and the biggest collection of blood clots in the lungs that they'd ever seen in anyone who survived. Then another two weeks learning to walk again, while the boys worked like crazy in an attempt to get the place ready for me to come home to.
The got the cooker fitted, and some shelves under the work surface.
Somewhere to hang some kitchen utensils.
They put the woodburner back in and bought a sofa so I'd have somewhere to sit or lie down when I got home.
And then a lovely touch - they got a made-to-measure granite window-shelf made for me. The bought me the photos of this while I was in hospital and I'd stare at it for hours wishing I could come home and stroke it.
It's local granite and they charged €60 for this, including all that cutting to shape. Worth every cent in my opinion!
Here's a close-up.
Time for a new door, too. Here's the bottom half of my new stable door.
I just love it. It looks like it dropped in from a fairy tale.
And a distinct improvement on the old metal thing.
That's the top of the door under construction.
Then the boys went shopping and my son chose this bed for me. He was getting a bit overprotective by this point, and having done all that oiling of the woodwork he kinda knew that I liked nice chunky bits of wood in rich golden hues, so he insisted that this was the bed I was to come home to when they finally released me out of hospital.
And some matching cupboards, which double as a room-divider.
And so I came home. Probably not the way I expected to finally move into my little farm, but it was somehow the biggest relief and biggest accomplishment of my life.
- 4
I had no idea you were so sick, physically I mean. Did you reduce your duties around here while in hospital ? You seem to be always posting something.
Back to the roof --- Douglas fir beams are the best. The thread title says it's about a new roof. It looks like a whole new house, with the beautiful stone preserved.
Dale's picks - These are some of my favorite threads. Greed - http://www.permies.com/t/10736/md/unbridled-greed-ambition-compatible-permaculture My garden - http://www.permies.com/t/27910/projects/Dale-Day-Garden ethics - http://www.permies.com/t/11534/permaculture/frustration-ethics Good wood bad wood http://www.permies.com/t/12206/hugelkultur/Hugelkultur-Good-wood-Bad-wood Alder - http://www.permies.com/t/10609/plants/Alder-nitrogen-fixation-native-tree Bees - http://www.permies.com/t/10917/bees/time-replace-European-honey-bee Pulling nails - http://www.permies.com/t/10249/natural-building/Removing-nails-recycled-wood-techniques
- 2
Dale Hodgins wrote:Second biggest accomplishment. That young fellow seems to have turned out pretty well.
Yeah, he does seem to have turned out pretty well. I'm not sure if it's because of me or despite me though. He's been home-schooled and since the age of 14 my job was just to provide the materials and let him get on with it. He was 16 in most of those photos above and was just recovering after helping me with two and half years of nursing the old man. He had to help me with a lot of the heavy and unpleasant stuff (just let your imagination run wild and come up with the grossest stuff imaginable - it was like that!) and then had to help me clean and lay out the body at the end, so he's seen and experienced a lot of things that most kids are thoroughly shielded from. By 16 he was doing part time study with the Open University, helping us on the farm in the mornings and studying maths and computer programming at home in the afternoons.
When I got out of hospital he also had to take over things I was still to weak to do myself, including killing chickens and his precious ducks. He assures me that no matter how many video games you play, nothing prepares you for taking an axe to a duck you have raised from an egg. He was exceedingly glad when I got strong enough to take that job over again for myself. He's still adamant that we never buy duck or chicken from a supermarket though. He's not prepared to allow his meat to suffer like that even if he does have to kill it himself.
I'm sure all that experience must have been 'character building', but he's pretty awesome anyway. Though I admit to maybe being a touch biased...
I had no idea you were so sick, physically I mean. Did you reduce your duties around here while in hospital ? You seem to be always posting something.
Ah, well, yes, I am rather prone to not-so-physical problems, too, but that's a whole other story. While in hospital I did pretty well nothing. Then Adrien and Leila took over almost everything I'd been doing. I tried to keep going with the book promotions and failed miserably as my brain was simply incapable of concentrating for long enough at a time. Things that used to be so simple and straightforward became a near insurmountable task. All those buttons to press just looked confusing. All those posts to check for spam seemed like a never ending mountain rather than a pre-breakfast chore. Constructing a post is still a bit of a hit-and-miss affair that I'm not up to on a lot of days, and I have to forgo all other duties to even vaguely do a post justice. I can't review books because I can't concentrate long enough to read them let alone remember enough of them to analyze them. I can start up the Design Manual threads each week but don't seem to be able to put together coherent replies to the threads.
Thank goodness for resiliency in the form of other volunteer staff members who can take over when one of us fails!
- 2
I want echo many of the others here and say that you all have done a fantastic job with your home. I am very glad you are on the mend and out of the hospital and in the place that will continue to heal you. You have done a fine job with the lad as well, that is certainly something every parent hopes for with their children.
Just an awesome project done outstandingly well.
"...specialization is for insects." - Lazarus Long
Universal Introduction to Permies
How Permies.com works
- 2
I've changed the title of the thread so I can keep posting up non-roof related progress for anyone that's interested.
My other half made me this plate-rack, which fits above the sink so that I can put clean, wet plates in it without having to dry them or move away from the sink. I'm naturally very disorganised and untidy and washing-up tends to accumulate, so this was made just the right size so that the bare minimum of plates are kept in constant use instead of piling up unwashed. It's not obvious from the photo, but water can drain freely from the plates into the sink below so the just have to drip-dry, no tea-towels needed. There's a handy little shelf for bits and bobs on top, and a railing around it so that I can't knock things off too easily.
Also, notice the water coming out of the tap!
It didn't look quite so impressive behind-the-scenes, but hey, it made the washing-up a whole load easier!
At first, the water just drained out of a pipe through the wall and into a bucket, but we soon upgraded it. It now flows out of the wall, into that grey pipe, and then along a channel...
...under the path...
..and down towards the garden.
We still have the keys for the back-hoe that we are baby-sitting, so we thought it was time it had a bit of exercise, just to make sure that the battery stayed charged and the hydraulics were still working.
I think it needs a nice big hole right about here for the grey water to drain into.
My son got busy filling the hole with smashed up old roof-tiles.
While my other half made sure the pipe drained properly into the rubble-filled hole and then covered the pipe up.
I think it's all starting to look rather nice.
We ordered a new water tank so we could make use of the rain that falls on the roof. This seemed the most sensible way to get it down the track, though it involved me walking in front and singing so he could follow my voice and not keep wandering off and bumping into trees and stone walls and things.
We changed tactics for the last bit in case he fell into the pond.
We built a little tower at just the right height to allow water from the gutters to drain into it, and then gravity feed into the kitchen.
Sorting out the plumbing.
And here's the system up and running, complete with another tank which catches the overflow.
We also have another tank to catch the water off the back half of the roof and we are hoping that between those three we will have enough water to get us through the dry summers. The plan is to add another tank every year if ever we run out of water until we have enough, so this year will be a bit of an experiment.
- 1
Dale's picks - These are some of my favorite threads. Greed - http://www.permies.com/t/10736/md/unbridled-greed-ambition-compatible-permaculture My garden - http://www.permies.com/t/27910/projects/Dale-Day-Garden ethics - http://www.permies.com/t/11534/permaculture/frustration-ethics Good wood bad wood http://www.permies.com/t/12206/hugelkultur/Hugelkultur-Good-wood-Bad-wood Alder - http://www.permies.com/t/10609/plants/Alder-nitrogen-fixation-native-tree Bees - http://www.permies.com/t/10917/bees/time-replace-European-honey-bee Pulling nails - http://www.permies.com/t/10249/natural-building/Removing-nails-recycled-wood-techniques


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- Report: #883259
Report - Rebuttal - Arbitrate
Complaint Review: steebar
steebarPeapack, New Jersey United States of America
steebar Never sent order, won't respond to email Peapack, New Jersey
*UPDATE Employee: What's the order number
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They did call me once early on to change wood type, I didn't have a problem changing it to what was available, that was the last time I heard from them. They won't respond to my emails.
Try clicking on their refund policy link at the bottom of their website, see where that gets you.
This report was posted on Ripoff Report on 05/15/2012 05:33 PM and is a permanent record located here: http://www.ripoffreport.com/r/steebar/Peapack-New-Jersey-07977/steebar-Never-sent-order-wont-respond-to-email-Peapack-New-Jersey-883259. The posting time indicated is Arizona local time. Arizona does not observe daylight savings so the post time may be Mountain or Pacific depending on the time of year.
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What's the order number
AUTHOR: Steebar - (United States of America)
SUBMITTED: Monday, June 11, 2012POSTED: Monday, June 11, 2012
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text:
Former Olympic medalist to coach cross country
In less than a year the cross country and track and field team has gone through two head coaches. One was terminated before the cross country South Coast Conference Championships and the other left for another coaching position at East Los Angeles …
Badminton continues to take blowout wins in stride
The PCC badminton team continued to retain their dominance and 'championship or bust' mentality with a 20-1 win over El
Women's swim team dominates at SCC championships
The Lancers swim team made a huge statement during the three-day South Coast Conference Championship by walking away with 11 event wins in hand and multiple awards recognizing the players and
Coach Barber and her race to Rio
Though she is not currently a Lancer, assistant track and field coach Miki Barber is yet another success story to bolster the reputation of PCC as she trains for her spot on the U.S. Olympic team for this summer's Rio
Baseball starts conference series with a loss to Mt. SAC
Coming off of a three-game winning streak against El Camino College-Compton Center, the Lancers weren't able to keep that same momentum flowing as they lost to Mt. San Antonio College (Mt. SAC) on Tuesday, 9-4, to drop the first game of the conference …
Softball is in uphill battle for the playoffs
Pasadena softball suffered a tough loss against El Camino College (ECC) on Tuesday, losing 7-2 on the
Badminton looks to race to championship match with a win streak
PCC badminton extended their winning streak to nine games in the South Coast Conference with another blowout win over El
PCC's track star hopes to race to finish line with flying colors
In just his first year as part of PCC's track team, sophomore Stewart McKenzie is leading the way to victory as the team's star performer and inspiration. He is admired by those who know him for his gentle, lamb-like personality off the track, and …
Softball breaks out of slump with big win over conference opponent
Pasadena softball suffered a huge 12-4 loss against East Los Angeles College (ELAC) on Tuesday at Robinson Park but had an impressive 15-0 victory over El Camino College-Compton Center (ECC-C) on the road Thursday
Softball had a hard week on the road
Pasadena softball was sent home early, ending an unsuccessful week after a 10-1 loss in the fifth inning to Cerritos College at Nancy Kelly field last


text:
Huh, Zipp is a secretive company, but perhaps with new competition from Mavic owning ENVE, they've decided to be more open? Don't know, but this video shows off more of their tech that I've seen before.
Not sure if the mood of the country is into a faux shopping holiday, but if you want to try Prime, now is the time. The best Prime day deals we've seen are on SanDisk memory cards at up to 40% off and a Sigma Zoom Lens. For bicycle accessories, shop this page for hundreds of items on sale; including Brooks Perforated Leather Tape with Cork Plugs for 29% off.
A couple weeks ago, I attended a Sony launch in San Diego, and took these frames of a LED, lit up pedicab. It's a remarkable gif because it was shot in such low light with a 50mm f/1.4, and the mirrorless camera continued to track the subject in focus. Read more about the event and the lenses Sony released in an article I wrote for Shutterbug.
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text:
Spokane, Wash. -- A spokeswoman for a Washington city postulates packed-in snow might be responsible for a crosswalk sign flipping pedestrians the bird.
Spokane spokeswoman Marlene Feist said city Streets Department workers believe snow packed into the electronic sign appears to be the reason only the middle finger seems upraised when the "Don't Walk" hand appears, Spokane's KXLY-TV reported Wednesday.
Feist said the Streets Department does not know when the display, which Feist described as "unintentional," would be corrected as workers are currently preoccupied with clearing snow from the roads.
Copyright 2010 United Press International, Inc. (UPI).
Stockholm, Sweden -- Swedish prosecutors are trying to take their case against a man who sold a decades-old stuffed bird on the Internet to the country's Supreme Court.
An appeals court agreed with the Upper Norrland District Court that the man violated laws on protecting endangered species by not getting permission from authorities before selling the stuffed goshawk online, but both courts said the man should not receive fines or a conviction because the stuffed bird, which had been in the man's family since the 1960s, was not killed through hunting.
Columbus, Ohio -- Workers at an Ohio company said a hunting dog spotted a 4-foot alligator near the office and alerted them to its presence.
Jeff Tate, who owns Buckeye Caseworks in Columbus, said employee Jeff Colucy was letting his Weimaraner dog, which is trained to spot birds, relieve himself near the building when the canine spotted the reptile, the Columbus Dispatch reported Thursday.
"My sales manager was taking his dog out to go to the bathroom, and he went to bring him back in and he was on point -- but not at a bird -- at a gator," Tate said.
Tate said he blocked the gator from escaping into woods behind the property while police officers tried to reach removal agencies.
New Haven, Conn. -- U.S. biologists say they've determined the extinction risk for mountain birds due to global warming is greatest for species occupying a narrow altitude range.
Yale University researchers said they found a species' vertical distribution is a better predictor of extinction risk than the extent of temperature change they experience.
"Birds allow us to do the first global assessment of the health of a whole large chunk of biodiversity at high altitudes in the face of global warming," said Professor Walter Jetz and postdoctoral researcher Frank La Sorte, the study's co-authors. "Our global projections pinpoint hundreds of bird species in peril and often with nowhere to go."
Machipongo, Va. -- A Virginia scientist said a long-billed wading bird outfitted with a satellite transmitter returned to the state at the end of a 14,170-mile round trip.
Barry Truitt, senior scientist for The Nature Conservancy, said the whimbrel, named Hope, arrived on the Eastern Shore near Machipongo after traveling 14,170 miles around the globe during the past 11 months, The (Norfolk) Virginian-Pilot reported Thursday.
Truitt said Hope nested in western Canada and wintered in the Virgin Islands before returning to the same place where scientists first encountered her nearly a year ago.
"This bird actually came back to the exact mudflat where we caught it last year," Truitt said. "How do these birds do that? We don't know yet."
The U.S. Department of Interior announced on Friday that sage grouse certainly deserves federal protection under the Endangered Species Act but they declined to enlist the bird in endangered species list.
Worcester, England -- A 6-foot-tall South American bird, a rhea, destroyed several gardens in the English county of Worcestershire after escaping from a farm, the bird's owner says.
Sharon Gould, who owns the large rhea bird, said the animal escaped Gouldise Poultry farm by scaling a 3-foot-high fence and soon was on a 7-hour spree of destruction in the area, The Daily Telegraph said Monday.
"We think he got spooked by a dog and jumped out of his pen and made off across the fields," Gould said of the recent escape by the bird named Charlie.
After destroying several gardens and hedges with a three-mile radius of the farm, the rhea was eventually captured by 12 area residents armed with sticks and blankets.
The animal's capture was a relief for Gould, who admitted having problems locating the oversized bird.
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So, up until today, I was a faithful Greymatter user; I had used it for years and was absolutely happy. But then this afternoon Greymatter decided to die inexplicably, and I've spent the past three hours grudgingly installing WordPress and scouring the codex and these support topics to find a way to integrate it into my site.
My site is written in php dynamic includes -- meaning that my pages load in "index.php?o=blah&x=blah" format and "skinned" -- meaning that I have 4 different layouts visitors can choose from, when they select one a cookie is made so that their browser remembers which one they have chosen and they don't have to change it each time.
With greymatter, all I had to do was take out any kind of styles it was incorporating (therefore leaving a non-designed plain .php file) and include it by linking to the index file through this format: index.php?x=greymatter.
I've created basically a blank template for WordPress, which uses no CSS in the actual template so that each skin's CSS will override. That worked fine, and I'm sure it's exactly what I need right now.
There's only one problem (and this is where I could get confusing). When I go to the page where WordPress's index.php file should show (index.php?o=blog, because variable o designates the directory and variable x defaults to index if not designed) it either obliterates my right-hand sidebar (I have one on each side) or doesn't show the WordPress content at all, depending on what I put for "define('WP_USE_THEMES', false); " in the WP index.php file. If it's false, WP doesn't show up. If it's true, my sidebar is gone.
Is there a way to create some kind of harmony? Why can't they get along? Why not both?
Any ideas?
[Page in question: http://www.hello-toby.com/?o=blog ]


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Nṛtta Sādhanā
Rhythmic dance and its practice
It is important to understand the difference between Natya – Nrttya and Nrtta. The first two terms refer to theatrical performance while Nrtta is defined in the Abhinaya Darpana of Nandikesvara as 'that dance devoid of any type of emotional mood'.
This corresponds exactly to the explanation of Abhava yoga given by Mahesvara (Lord Siva) in the eleventh chapter of the Kurma Purana. This states that Abhava Yoga is that yoga in which one contemplates oneself as void and without any shadow (manifestation) of anything, which therefore enables one to visualize the Self. Here, Abhava refers to a state free from any emotional support, also exemplified in Nrtta as defined by Nandikesvara.
The eleventh chapter of the Kurma Purana includes a detailed explanation of Pashupata Yoga. Nrtta formed a large part of the corrective Sadhana of the Pashupata yogins. This is clearly indicated in the eighth sutra of the first chapter of the Pashupata Sutras.
Out of the one hundred and eight karanas mentioned in the Natya Shastra, not more than thirty-six karanas are used for the purpose of self cultivation.
Most of the asanas used in contemporary Hatha Yoga schools are adaptations of the standing and squatting karanas. The important difference is that in the original practice the placement of the legs was achieved through the cultivation of the inherent energy of the legs whereas nowadays the legs are manipulated with the hands to achieve the same external shapes. Five of the karanas are responsible for restoring the body's natural energetic responsiveness required for this authentic practice.
Nrtta is that Sadhana through which the sadhaka (aspirant) rediscovers the rhythmic life currents hidden in the body's folds and limbs by means of unimposed natural positioning.
The three forms of Nrtta are: Ashta Matrikas (the eight mother palms), Lasya (Kali's creative dance) and Ananda (Samhara) Tandava (Shiva's destructive dance).
Shadow Yoga
Yoga of the Shadow Man
The name Shadow Yoga is derived from the 6th chapter of the ancient tantrika treatise 'The Shiva-Svarodaya' (the birth of the breath of life revealed by the god Shiva). This chapter, entitled 'Yoga of the Shadow Man', deals with the intricate manifestations of the shadow and their significance both inside and outside the human organism.
The Ashtanga Hrdaya of Vagbhata, a primary ayurvedic text, also contains a chapter on the shadow which deals with diagnostic principles. There is also a story about Allama Prabhudeva, the initiating guru of Gorakshanath (one of the famous forefathers of Hatha Yoga), in which he describes the human body as nothing but layers of frozen shadows. According to Hatha Yogic anatomy the body is composed of three discrete bodies and five sheaths (coverings or shadows). The practice of Hatha Yoga has evolved with the purpose of dissolving these shadows.
The teaching of the Shadow School is based upon the ancient Hatha Yogic texts, which state that all fixed forms should be designed to develop the practice of freestyle. Freestyle is a necessary step in the cultivation of longevity and enlightenment.
The texts also suggest that the set forms should contain within them the following bodily positions and movements for the proper development of the vital breath.
Standing, Pumping, Sitting, Weighing, Lying (face-down, face-up, on sides), Forwards, Sideways (lateral), Backwards, Inversion, Spiral, Turning, Twisting
These twelve kinds of positions and movements have been adapted from the range of human activities including martial arts, dance and crafts of life, and from the plant and animal kingdoms. The appropriate combination of these activities with suitable rhythm and positioning brings about the unfolding of the inner powers hidden in the individual.
NEW Courses offered for 2016
Asana-angaharas (asana arrangements)
The word asana (body posture) is derived from the sanskrit root asa-bhuvi meaning to be, to stay, to exist. This suggests that the application of asana is not about 'becoming' something but discovering what is already present, not about 'gaining enlightenment', but redeeming the sahajawasta (natural state) which is the abode of the human soul. Of the many asanas some are dynamic and some static but all are physical methods utilised in the early stages of restoring this natural state.The term angahara refers to the sequential arrangements of bodily shapes as well as to the arrangement of the limbs within these shapes.
Over the last two decades we have introduced the chalanas (warm-ups), vyayamas (restraining drills), the prelude forms (linear practices) and the Nrtta Sadhana (swaying patterns of rhythmic movement). All these prepare the ground for the asana-angaharas which themselves form the bridge to the Samadhis (internal states of equanimity).
The asana-angaharas are used in two modes of application, linear and swaying in semi-circular or circular patterns.The linear modes of practice are carried out at sunrise when the energy is predominantly within the nerves and the aim then is to drive the prana into the blood through the exercise of the bones and joints. At sunset, when the prana is in the blood, the swaying, circular patterns are used to restore the prana in the nerves so as to overcome the stresses incurred in satisfying the demands of daily life. The skilful use of the asana-angaharas helps to maintain an equanimous state of the mind so that the health of the body is not reduced as a consequence of impulsive behaviour.
There are seven such asana-angahara forms and their secrets are now little known in the world of popular yoga. Each of these seven forms stems from a single seed asana. Inherent in each of these primary shapes is a pattern of evolution to be unfolded from its most basic form, through intermediate to the most intense, according to the ability of the practitioner. When the practice is carried out in this manner there is no room for goal-oriented mental projections. Instead the process relies on the intuitive responsiveness of the inner consciousness. Implicit in each asana-angahara is a corresponding mode of pranayama and corresponding mudras (karanas) that together can guide the swimmer safely to the other shore beyond the constructs and desires of the mind. For safe passage however it is vital that one proceeds with tremendous patience and perseverance and without greed.
In the morning sessions linear arrangements are taught and in the afternoon sessions the swaying arrangements.These formats will be taught either in group classes or on an individual basis.
Individual asana
Individual asana practice is open to all Shadow yoga students who study regularly with one of the teachers listed on the contact page of the shadow yoga website. From November 2016 participants will only be accepted for individual asana courses once they have attended the asana-angahara courses.
Weekend workshops will consist of general practice formats and will be open to all students with Shadow Yoga experience.
Primary Angahara one – Melbourne, Australia
August 7 – 14
Seven day course of Primary-angahara one
The seven day course will consist of the Primary-angahara one (morning Linear arrangement and afternoon Circular arrangement)
Starts Sunday 5pm. Classes daily 7-9am &4-6pm. Finishes Sunday 9am.
Costs: AUD1540 (includes GST)
Location for Lecture on August 7: yogamoves.org
Location for course: yogamoves.org
For further information about the area & accomodation please contact: Louise Goodvach: email@example.com
register now
Primary-angahara one – Lavenham, Suffolk, UK
September 9-16
Seven day course of Primary-angahara one
The seven day course will consist of the Primary-angahara one (morning Linear arrangement and afternoon Circular arrangement)
Starts Friday 5pm. Classes daily 7-9am &4-6pm. Finishes Friday 9am.
(*please note preference for registration is for UK & EU and surrounding region residents only)
Costs: EU1400
Location: lavenhamvillagehall.com
Link for Accomodation: UK Accomodation
For further information about the area please contact Karen Watson: firstname.lastname@example.com
Covent Garden, London: September 22-25: Seven class weekend of Nrtta Sadhana
*open to all shadow yoga students
Register with Karen Watson firstname.lastname@example.com
register now
Primary-angahara one – San Luis Obispo, California
October 2-9
Seven day course of Primary-angahara one
The seven day course will consist of the Primary-angahara one (morning Linear arrangement and afternoon Circular arrangement)
First class is 5pm. Classes daily 7-9am & 4-6pm. Finishes 9am.
(*please note preference for registration is for USA and surrounding region residents only)
Costs: USD1600
Location: yogashalaslo.com/#contact-us
Link for Accomodation: US Accomodation For further information about the area please contact Catherine Halcomb: firstname.lastname@example.com
register now
Individual Practice – Melbourne, Australia
November 6 – 26
Individual Practice with Zhander and Emma
Course starts 5pm Sunday November 6 and Finishes Saturday November 26 at 9am
One class a day, start times from Monday will be 7am. Space is limited.
*please note this course is open to all students who have completed the primary asana-angahara courses
Costs: AUD1320 (includes GST)
Location: yogamoves.org
For further information about the area & accomdation please contact: Louise Goodvach: email@example.com
register now
Seven day course
Melbourne, Australia
August 7 – 14: Seven day course of Primary Asana-angahara one
Three week course
Melbourne, Australia
November 6 – 26: Individual practice
*please note this course is open to all students who have completed the asana-angahara course this year
Seven day course
Lavenham, Suffolk
September 9-16: Seven day course of Primary-angahara one
*Course FULL, now taking waitlist registrations
Seven class weekend
Covent Garden, London
September 22-25: Seven class weekend of Nrtta Sadhana
*open to all shadow yoga students
One class Lectures
San Fransisco, California
September 29: Hatha Yoga A lecture with Shandor
September 30: Yoga for Women with Emma
Seven day course
San Luis Obispo, California
October 2-9: Seven day course of Primary-angahara one
*Course FULL, now taking waitlist registrations
Surendranath (Shandor Remete) and Emma Balnaves
The Lord of Multiple Forms
A Limited edition book available for sale exclusively on shadowyoga.com
*for bulk orders of five books or more please contact: firstname.lastname@example.com for wholesale pricing.
Shadow Yoga APP
Yoga for Women
Shadow Yoga
Yoga For Women
by Emma Balnaves.
8 pages, colour photos.
Shadow Yoga –
Chaya Yoga
By Shandor Remete (Natanaga Zhander.)
108 pages, full colour photos.
Now available for sale through these sites:
… Shadow Yoga by Shandor Remete (Surendranath) provides a gateway to understanding the potential of yoga. The handbook gives a theoretical foundation, in clear and simple language, that is a rediscovery of yoga's dynamic roots.
Shadow Yoga DVD
Shadow Yoga
Revised Prelude Forms
& Nata Yoga
This DVD is for the revision of the Shadow Yoga prelude forms, it is for those students who have undergone the study of the forms under qualified teachers in the existing schools listed on the Shadow Yoga website.
Nrtta Sadhana is the prelude activity for the acquisition of the static seated Mudras of Hatha Yoga that are the bridge between the practice of asanas and pranayamas. On this DVD only glimpses of the Nrtta Sadhana form are shown as one can only learn this directly from the teacher.
DVD features All regions
Enquiries for back orders and bulk orders at wholesale prices for book and DVD's, direct to –
Robert Balnaves: email@example.com
Your registration will only be confirmed once we receive a minimum 25% non-refundable deposit or payment in full. Cancellation policy: a fee of 50% will be charged if cancellation is made within 3 months of course commencement date. After this time period the payment is non-refundable.
Nṛtta Sādhanā and Shadow Yoga network
Surendranath (Shandor Remete) is the founder of Shadow Yoga and Nṛtta Sādhanā. He is also an initiate of the Goraksha Sampradaya of the Kanpatha Yogis.
Emma Balnaves is the director and teacher of Shadow Yoga and Nṛtta Sādhanā.
The following list of the Shadow yoga teachers teach the first form – Ashta Matrikas (the eight mother palms) of Nrtta. The emails can be found below under the Shadow Yoga teachers listing:
Australia: Natasha Almeida, Peter Ujvari, Gary Mills, Louise Goodvach Israel: David Malka, Europe: Karen Watson, Alexandra Gilbert, Torsten Westermayer, Daphne Strothmann, United States: Matt Pesendian, Scott Blossom, Mark Horner, Andy Matinog, Chandra Easton, New Zealand: Jaymin Gansell
The following is an alphabetical list of recommended teachers of Shadow Yoga. These individuals have shown an understanding of the basic principles of Shadow Yoga and are practising and teaching its forms with integrity.
Kobe, Japan
Akiko Ueda: email@example.com
Tokyo, Japan
Koyu Terasawa: blog.zaq.ne.jp/yoga-shuhari
Sapporo, Hokkaido
Yumiko Obata: shadowyoga.jp
Gary Mills: yogashala.com.au
Louise Goodvach: yogamoves.org
Tanya Levy: firstname.lastname@example.com
Peter Ujvari: cityoga.com.au
Matilda Tehan: artofhathayoga.com
Natasha Almeida: email@example.com
Penny Cuthbert: hathayogadesha.com.au
Trevor Tangye: firstname.lastname@example.com
Juliet Willetts: firstname.lastname@example.com
Narelle Lullfitz: firstname.lastname@example.com
Montreal, Quebec
Radhasri: hathayogashala.com
North London, England
Karen Watson: islingtonyoga.com
Tim Cummins: timcumminsyoga.com
Paulene Morphett: dalstonyoga.co.uk
South East London, England
Samantha Sculthorp: hathayogalondon.com
West London, England
Caterina Hadjilias: yogaangarupamarga.com
Falmouth, Cornwall
Kate Haxton: firstname.lastname@example.com
Vienna, Austria
Sabine Irawan: hathayogamandapa.com
Torsten Westermayer: nagayogashala.com
Paris, France
Alexandra Gilbert: dragonyogashala.com
Gütersloh, Germany
Daphne Strothmann: tulayogashala.com
Michael Dolan: tulayogashala.com
Dusseldorf, Germany
Michael Calignano: yogabhyasa.de
Amsterdam, Holland
Nicolet Montanus: firstname.lastname@example.com
Dublin, Ireland
David Curtis: vinyasayoga.ie
Moscow, Russia
Andrey Galitskiy: sarpa.ru
Podolsk, Russia
Boris Voronin: yoga-podolsk.com
Novi Sad, Serbia & Kiev, Ukraine
Andrey Rozhnov: email@example.com
David Malka: email@example.com
Istanbul, Turkey
Defne Suman: defnesumanyoga.com
Mark Bouckoms: email@example.com
Jaymin Gansell: yogawithjaymin.com
Los Angeles, California
Matt Pesendian: bodhimanda.com
Matt Schwartz: goldenmonkeyhealing.com
New York City, New York
Andy Matinog: redcrowyogashala.com
Maya Smeloff: redcrowyogashala.com
Portland, Oregon
Lita Batho: litayoga.com
Mandy Kruger: mandykruger.com
San Francisco & Bay Area, California
Scott Blossom: shunyatayoga.com
Chandra Easton: shunyatayoga.com
Mark Horner: horneryoga.com
Judy Yu: horneryoga.com
San Luis Obispo, California
Catherine Halcomb: catherineyoga.com
Shelley Massa: into-balance.com
Creative Credits
Film & Sound Editing
Umut Gunduz: umutgunduz.com
Coneyl Jay: coneyljay.com
Nrtta Illustration
Caterina Hadjilias: yogaangarupamarga.com
Alexandra Gilbert: firstname.lastname@example.com
Website Developer


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COH was looking good just 24 hours ago, now dropping like a rock
1.5 billion in sales in 2nd quarter (street wanted 1.6 billion)
Sentiment: Buy
That is what makes a market. COH is a best in breed, I'm continuing to add. I actually don't mind these price drops, I see them as opportunities. It is hard not to make money when your selling purses for $1500 a piece. COH barely misses its quarter, international sales up 12%, and shares crash. I'm buying.
Sentiment: Strong Buy
I'm not sure were COH will be next week-- but in 3 months COH will be trading $55+ minimum. Very easy buy here, just a little short-term manipulation.
breaking benjamin if i know anything that the game of stealing your money...coh is head to $35.


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Which is the real Matthew Stafford: 2011 or 2012?
Matthew Stafford's 2013 fantasy value is up for debate heading into the season. Some people accepted early in his career that he would eventually join the elite level of fantasy quarterbacks, and when he achieved that level for the 2011 season, they became willing to overlook the negative data points that reared their ugly head last season. Some people point to things like Calvin Johnson getting tackled six times inside the opponent's 2-yard line last year, or Stafford setting an NFL passing record with 727 attempts, to say there's no cause for concern. The fact of the matter is that, despite that record number of attempts, his fantasy point total regressed significantly and we should really try to identify what caused that regression and whether it's likely to continue.
Let's start with the easiest statistic to measure: completion percentage. During his first two NFL seasons, Stafford had a 54.5 percent completion rate. In 2011, when he rose to the elite level, that rate skyrocketed to a 63.5 percent. Last season, it fell to 59.8 percent, which is now equal to his career rate. With the addition of Reggie Bush, it's safe to expect that the number of pass attempts Stafford tries to his running backs will increase from the 124 he had last season. Since Stafford has completed better than 73 percent of his career pass attempts to running backs, Bush's addition -- meaning more passes to running backs -- likely means an overall increase in completion percentage.
Next, let's see how effective Stafford is in the most important area on the field, the red zone. Last season, Stafford completed just 47 percent of his pass attempts in that area. That ranked him 26th in the NFL, behind such luminaries as Blaine Gabbert, Chad Henne, Carson Palmer and Matt Cassel. For comparison, the top 10 in this category averaged a completion rate of 61.3 percent. Furthermore, those top 10 converted almost 31 percent of their red zone attempts into touchdowns, where Stafford converted at only an 18 percent clip. Finally, those 10 quarterbacks threw interceptions on less than 2 percent of their red zone attempts, while Stafford hovered close to 5 percent.
All of that sounds incredibly negative until you realize that, historically, this had been an area where Stafford excelled. In 2010 and 2011 combined, Stafford completed almost 52 percent of his red zone pass attempts for 35 touchdowns and just three interceptions. Since Stafford played only three games in 2010, that means he averaged almost two touchdowns per game in this area during those two seasons. For comparison, Tom Brady has averaged just over 1.5 touchdowns per game in the red zone over the past four years.
Another area for concern might be how Stafford played with the lead last season. Most fans are aware that the elite fantasy quarterbacks pile on when their team is ahead. Stafford didn't get those opportunities last season. He attempted just 117 passes while the Lions were winning, completing just 54.7 percent, with only two of them going for touchdowns. Amazingly, he was picked off seven times during those attempts. This was a dramatic turn from 2011, when he completed almost 70 percent of his throws while the Lions were winning and had 12 touchdowns and no interceptions on those throws. Look for some regression to the mean, which would be a positive development for Stafford's numbers.
Before crunching these splits, I was of the opinion that any player who had reduced fantasy production during a year when their overall opportunity increased was simply a bad play. I am very glad I delved deeper into Stafford's performance. Based on his previous three years, I find it very likely that his completion percentage and red zone efficiency will return to their previous levels of production.
Those improvements will yield significant fantasy benefits. Each percent of improvement in completion rate will yield approximately an additional 80 passing yards. His red zone efficiency should return close to his prior levels, which would have resulted in approximately an additional 16 passing touchdowns. With an increase to 62 percent passing completion and those red zone scores, Stafford would have totaled about 344 fantasy points in 2012, which would have placed him as the highest scoring fantasy quarterback.
I'm willing to bet on Stafford returning to the elite level of fantasy quarterbacks again, which means I see the 2011 version of Stafford as real. The skills and opportunity are there, and if his production reverts to his previous levels, securing Stafford in the middle rounds of your draft is an absolute steal. The best part of Stafford is that you have likely seen the bottom of his value in his 2012 performance, and you can secure his rights this year based on that low point. Best of all, it's highly unlikely that you'd have to reach for him, as his average draft position at this time places him as a seventh-round selection in 10-team leagues. When you consider that Colin Kaepernick's and Russell Wilson's primary receiving threats both have significant injury concerns, I find Stafford a much safer play. Bottom line, if you are one of those owners who prefers to watch others draft the likes of Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Drew Brees and Aaron Rodgers, your best option is waiting to snag Stafford. You will be handsomely rewarded.


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Sports and beauty—they go together like peanut butter and honey.
And photographers and media outlets are well aware of that fact. From Sports Illustrated's Swimsuit Edition and ESPN the Magazine's Body Issue to the many female athletes who have made modeling a lucrative endeavor—I'm looking at you, Anna Kournikova—sports have never shied away from the notion that sex sells.
But what about the athletes who haven't done much modeling? Who do we wish would step in front of the camera after they've stepped off the field?
On this list of 25 athletes who should have been models, we'll answer that very question. It's like having your peanut butter and your honeys.
And that, my friends, is a beautiful thing.


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Bring a natural look to a casual space with this plug-in swing arm wall lamp, made from a metal base finished in espresso bronze and topped with a burlap shade.
This plug-in, dimmable swing arm base is paired with a stylish natural burlap fabric drum shade. Add additional light with style and the convenience of an adjustable arm. Attach lamp to wall and plug into any standard outlet using provided cord.
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