text:
On July 20, disgraced Jersey City Councilman Mariano Vega signed his plea deal with federal prosecutors.
Vega, 60, officially resigned from office on Sept. 13 and admitted in court on Sept. 14 to receiving $20,000 in bribes and agreeing to accept another $10,000 from an FBI informant.
His resignation came after the Sept. 2 deadline for when a November special election could be held to fill his seat on the City Council.
This was a gift to the administration of Jersey City Mayor Jerramiah Healy. The mayor gets to choose who gets to be part of what is essentially a useless governing body. Despite the obvious, Healy would have people believe that he had no idea when Vega would step down. The problem with his claim to ignorance is that no one believes the mayor.
It was demanded by this newspaper and others that the tainted councilman remove himself from elected office because he was incapable of serving the public. Instead, he defiantly stayed put. Vega knew he was corrupt, but he was allowed to remain and vote on important city measures, including taxes and contracts, affecting local residents, including taxpayers. He is the very definition of the word "scoundrel," a common trait in the pack he ran with on the council.
He is the second council member in this administration to resign. There was also a federal corruption guilty plea from Phil Kenny.
In the past, The Jersey Journal has demanded that the mayor, who was mentioned but not charged in the federal complaint involving the 2009 massive corruption investigation, resign his office. The reasons were many, including his lack of leadership, close ties to members of his corruption-tainted administration, inability to control city financing, myopia when it comes to crime problems, and flawed vision for the city's future development.
Instead, the mayor may be planning a re-election bid. To this end, he has been making speeches on populist issues. He has announced he is against everything bad for people -- guns and natural gas lines. If the mayor could get a photo-op, he would be against planet-killer asteroids.
Other than sentencing, the Vega chapter is coming to a close. Unfortunately, the city still has a council majority who voted against last year's "no confidence in Vega" resolution crafted by Downtown Councilman Steven Fulop. The vote was a referendum on each council member's integrity. Those who rejected passing judgment on Vega failed their own "smell" test.
This newspaper will more than likely never endorse a City Council member who voted against the Vega resolution.
The person who will be picked by Healy, and rubber stamped by the council majority, will already have a strike against him or her should there be any thought of running in the November 2011 special election for the at-large seat.
City residents should play a big role in making certain elected officials act on their behalf by attending City Council meetings and observing city agency sessions. They should consider this administration a rogue government that will take every opportunity to avoid a democratic process. It should not be trusted.
The day will come when these arrogant administration-backed council members come up for re-election and voters will get another chance to save their city.


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When California Gov. Gray Davis announced on Nov. 1 that terrorists might be plotting to blow up the Golden Gate Bridge, real estate broker Jeffrey Orth came to a realization: He had lived in San Francisco for 30 years but never walked the span. "I decided I better get over that bridge before it was gone," says Orth, 52, who is single. He did just that a day later at 8 a.m., proudly waving a new American flag. The response was exhilarating. Horns honked. Headlights flashed. Fists pumped. "I thought, 'That was great,'" he says. "'I'll do it again.'"
And again. And again. Five morning rush hours a week, Orth, now known to locals as Flag Man, sings the national anthem, then strides the 8,981-ft. walkway. "I felt a kinship with him," says commuter Rich Schoenberger, 41, an attorney. "He's a daily reminder of what this country's about." An Air Force brat, Orth served a hitch in the early '70s but marched against the Vietnam War at Ohio State. He'll continue his current demonstrations until the first anniversary of the attacks on New York City and Washington, D.C.: "I just don't want people to forget what happened on Sept. 11."
True Colors
updated 03/04/2002 AT 01:00 AM EST
•originally published 03/04/2002 AT 01:00 AM EST

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Joey Mac
Posted 27 December 2011 - 04:34 PM
or just trade Conklin.
- Detroit # 1 Fan and Gordie Howe hat trick like this
Posted 27 December 2011 - 04:45 PM
GP GA Mins Saves GAA SV% W L SOW SOL SOGA SOA SO% T SO
15 37 868 391 2.56 0.9 14 7 7 2 1 4 21 0.810 0 2
I'm not sure that Joe Mac can come up and make the difference we are looking for. Although he has 7 wins. His save percentage, although higher than Conklin, isn't that great.
If we could some how get a trade package with Conklin involved in it, then I think that would benefit us but right now, I just don't think bringing Joey Mac up would be any different.
#3 Guest_Crymson (Guest)
Posted 27 December 2011 - 06:02 PM
- commadore183 likes this
Posted 27 December 2011 - 06:46 PM
- Hockeymom1960 likes this
"Hard Work Beats Talent When Talent Refuses to Work Hard"
Posted 27 December 2011 - 06:53 PM
Similarly, Conklin wasn't signed until July 20th because he is not a highly-regarded goalie at this stage in his career.
Some people on here vastly overrate MacDonald. He's in the AHL because he's an AHL-caliber goaltender.
MacDonald isn't a great goalie. Conklin isn't a great goalie. IMO the difference is which has the confidence of the team.
Posted 27 December 2011 - 06:54 PM
Some people on here vastly overrate MacDonald. He's in the AHL because he's an AHL-caliber goaltender.
And Craig Rivet is in the ECHL because he's an ECHL caliber defenseman. And Ericsson is making top-4 money because he's a top-4 dman.
There's more than one way to look at it. I'm not totally arguing the point, I just don't like this way of arguing it. I thought Joey Mac played quite well last year when called upon and may just be a decent NHL backup if ever given the chance.
The only real chance he's ever been given was with the '08 Isles. Possibly the worst NHL team post-lockout. Their lineup was atrocious, 2nd leading scorer had 39 points. I'm sure they had excellent defensive prowess...
The 2nd best shot he had was last year and he played as good as you can expect from a backup. His first 3 years in the AHL were stellar, his fourth was abysmal. I wonder if he realized the Wings never took him seriously (like D.Larsson) and he kind of lost some of the fire. Realizing that people think your only an AHL goalie has probably derailed more than a few careers. If every goalie got as many chances as Rick DiPietro we'd probably see more Manny Legace/Tim Thomas-esque stories. Sometimes we have to remember that the teams who've decided MacDonald is an AHL goaltender are the '01-'05 Wings (Hasek, Joseph, Legace), Post-Lockout Leafs ('nuff said, talent evaluators extrordinaire!), the Isles (who regularly employ 5 goaltenders at a time in search of any negligible amount of hope and hang them out to dry) and finally the current Wings. I love Holland and usually support his decisions but Joey Mac had much better numbers than Conks last year. Holland could have given Joey a shot, he just didn't.
Edited by achildr1, 27 December 2011 - 07:24 PM.
Posted 28 December 2011 - 11:41 PM
Ericsson and Conks to tampa for....lecavalier and roloson DO IT KENNY!
"Hit em with your purse, ya *****!" - Random Wings fans shouting at Franziska
Posted 29 December 2011 - 12:10 AM
Posted 29 December 2011 - 12:36 AM
Ericsson and Conks to tampa for....lecavalier and roloson DO IT KENNY!
Lol. Ericsson and Conklin for Roloson and Lecavalier? Maybe we can throw in a puck bag for Stamkos while we're at it.
Posted 29 December 2011 - 01:40 PM
Lol. Ericsson and Conklin for Roloson and Lecavalier? Maybe we can throw in a puck bag for Stamkos while we're at it.
Lets be generous and overpay by adding a Jets Pizza !
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text:
Hey, I did try to search the forum, but I only run into K-Y warming liquid. But is the item on the bottom safe for my fleshlight? I jsut wanted to make sure. Better to ask than being sorry. ^^ And of course, I'm not gonna buy it, but its because I want to finish the bottle, then gonna buy the famous ASTROGLIDE. =D
K-Y Natural Feeling Liquid Personal Lubricant.
Product can be found here:
[url]http://www.walgreens.com/store/product.jsp?CATID=100269&navAction=jump&navCount=5 &skuid=sku359770&id=prod359769[/url]


text:
Is there something in The Bachelor water?
Just two weeks after Jake Pavelka and Vienna Girardi announced they were separating, former Bachelorette star Jillian Harris and fiancee Ed Swiderski are taking a break, PEOPLE has learned.
According to a source at ABC, the two "are taking some time apart to re-evaluate their relationship."
The couple, who got engaged May 2009 on the ABC reality show and settled down together in Swiderski's one-bedroom Chicago condo in September, had previously discussed having a 2010 wedding.
"It feels more normal than any relationship I've ever had," Harris told PEOPLE three months after the computer software consultant proposed in Hawaii. "When we're together it's very real."
But their engagement hasn't been without its ups and downs.
In August, they weathered rumors about Swiderski's alleged infidelity when two women claimed he had been stringing both of them along while filming The Bachelorette.
Harris stood by Swiderski, saying she was "not destroyed" by the allegations.
"Ed and I are trying to find humor in all of this … - and there isn't much -… but it's bringing us closer," she told PEOPLE at the time. – Eunice Oh
Bachelorette's Jillian Harris & Ed Swiderski Taking Time Apart
Kyle Rover/Startraks


text:
H.P. Garcia wrote:
> what directory are the wallpaper backgrounds saved to?
Save them where ever you wish. You can add them from any directory. If
you meant to ask the default directory, that's usually:
As we enjoy great advantages from inventions of others, we should be
glad of an opportunity to serve others by any invention of ours;
and this we should do freely and generously.
--Benjamin Franklin


text:
WASHINGTON — Apparel and textile imports to the U.S. rose 3.7 percent in January on a year-over-year basis, a report on Thursday from the Commerce Department's Office of Textiles and Apparel showed.
Combined apparel and textile shipments to the U.S. increased to 4.6 billion square meter equivalents in the month compared with January 2012, with apparel imports increasing 4.2 percent to 2.1 billion SME and textile shipments increasing 3.3 percent to 2.5 billion SME.
Apparel and textile imports rose 6.7 percent in December.
Apparel and textile shipments from China, the top supplier to the U.S., edged up 0.7 percent to 2.1 billion SME compared with January 2012. Vietnam had the largest increase in combined shipments, up 22.7 percent to 315 million SME, followed by Bangladesh's 11 percent gain to 181 million SME and Indonesia's increase of 9.9 percent to 169 million SME.
"Vietnam and Indonesia were two countries expected to pick up business as sourcing starts to migrate out of China," said Erik Autor, vice president and international trade counsel at the National Retail Federation.
"My guess is that China is going to continue to be a pretty significant supplier of apparel to the U.S. market for the foreseeable future. The Chinese have a very good reputation for needle skills for more fashion-oriented products, which are higher-end goods that sell at a higher price point. What we might be seeing is the more commodity apparel moving out of China."
Bangladesh has also long been considered a sourcing alternative to China and, while imports from the country were up in January, Autor said companies are very concerned about continuing to source there because of the fire-safety problems in the country's garment industry, which have led to fires and fatalities in recent months.
"We've had the whole issue over fire safety, and I think that has made companies really cautious about Bangladesh," Autor said. "I think folks are a little nervous about fire-safety issues, how this will play out and what the industry's response is going to be to try and fix that problem."
Honduras posted the largest drop in combined shipments of 9.3 percent to 57 million SME, followed by a 3.5 percent decline in combined shipments from Canada to 97 million SME.
Looking at apparel, rather than combined imports in the month, Indonesia, the fourth-largest supplier to the U.S., had the largest increase of 13.4 percent to 130 million SME. This was followed by Vietnam's 9 percent gain to 214 million SME and Bangladesh's increase of 7 percent to 162 million SME.
Meanwhile, imports from the two Central American countries in the top 10 among apparel suppliers fell in January. Apparel imports from El Salvador fell 14 percent to 44 million SME while apparel imports from Honduras fell 11.8 percent to 55 million SME.
The nation's overall trade deficit widened to $44.4 billion in January from $38.1 billion in December as exports fell and imports rose.
"Imports rebounded $4.1 billion after their sharp December plunge," said Gregory Daco, senior principal economist at IHS Global Insight, adding that oil imports accounted for 90 percent of the import rebound. "Nonpetroleum industrial supplies and capital goods rose while consumer and automotive goods declined. Computers, telecommunications equipment and semiconductors had a good month while aircraft and cell phone imports contracted sharply."
Daco said exports "cooled" in January, primarily due to a 6 percent drop in industrial supplies exports, after posting two consecutive monthly increases. On the positive side, exports of food, consumer, capital equipment and automotive goods rose.


text:
5 (2)
Do you think your friend would like to know that DDS has this item? Just fill in the following information and we will let them know!
Fit: True to size
A little tight but i figure will get better with wear. Comfortable otherwise. The only issue i have with these is the the big toe hole is high which kinda creates a slight bunching up of fabric under the toes between first and second toes. Not a big problem just a little distracting at first but it might go away with wear. Love them and can't wait to try them out.
Age: 15 to 18
Was this review helpful to you? YES (
I'm really happy with these. This is what my students wear.
Age: 40-49
I purchased this shoe for a modern technique class, hoping that it would reduce friction and help with turns. While this shoe does make turning easier, the right one developed a large tear over the ball of my foot as well as a smaller one near my smallest toe during the first class for which I used the shoe. Since the left shoe is undamaged, I believe this might be a defect in the particular pair I purchased.
Aside from this problem, the shoes are more comfortable and stay on better than other shoes of this type that I have tried. They have four toe holes rather than five (which tends to squish my smallest toe) or two (which never seems to stay on straight).
Age: 22-29
I love this lyrical half sole! It stays in place, it's comfortable, and it's durable. For comparison: I tried the other brands and found that they either twisted and didn't stay in place, tore after a few uses, or else I spent ages trimming the toe holes so that they didn't cut off circulation to my toes. The Leo's Illusion solved all those problems! I have two pair in rotation and a new one as a backup!
Age: 30-39


text:
14 drivers on Route 30 cited on speeding charges
Published 1:29 PM EDT Jul 09, 2013
Manheim Township police cited 14 drivers Monday on speeding charges.
Officers targeted a 55 mph zone on Route 30 near Harrisburg Pike. The highest speed recorded was 85 mph.
One driver was also cited for driving under suspension and failure to properly restrain a 2-year-old, police said.
Copyright 2013 by WGAL All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


text:
Australian Canvas Company
Quality industrial textile products manufacturers
Designing, Manufacturing & Repairing since 1970, and still going strong.
Tell us what you need. If it is not already in our range we can make it specially for you.
If you know what you require, but not what to make it from, don't worry, we can advise you accordingly.
To find how we may help you please click on the Products & Services tab above, or Contact Us.
From time to time we have promotions, clearance sales and maybe overproductions, therefore our Discounts & specials tab may be of interest to you.
We can help you with all your Canvas and Industrial Textile product needs, Trade or direct to the end user.
For DIY enthusiasts, we sell all the fabrics, components & fasteners we use in our own production. Please don't hesitate to ask for our free advice before you start.


text:
Paleo Frittata2012-06-04
- Servings : 2
- Prep Time : 0m
- Cook Time : 2m
- Ready In : 0m
Over medium heat In a large Fry pan cook the Montreal Smoked meat and onions until the onions are translucent.
Add the chopped asparagus and heat through.
Divide the result between two small non-stick casserole dishes
Whip 4 eggs with coconut milk and salt and pepper, add 1/2 the mixture to each casserole.
Bake at 350 degrees until the fritatta is set ~35 minutes.
- 4 Large eggs
- 6 Asparagus stalks coarsely chopped
- 1/4 chopped Montreal smoked meat (or similar)
- 1/2 Large Onion chopped
- 1/2 cup coconut milk
- Salt and Pepper to taste
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text:
Creamy gouda has many uses
Looking for some uses for Gouda cheese?
Gouda (GOO-dah), named for its city of origin in the Netherlands, is a pale yellow color with a red or yellow waxy rind. The creamy, semi-firm cheese has a mild and nutty flavor.
There are different types of Gouda, and aged Gouda has a stronger flavor. The wax coating may be black.
You can serve Gouda on a cheese board with fruit. Its creamy texture means it melts nicely. A slice melts perfectly on burgers. Or use it in fondue or sauces.
Gouda goes well with apples, as in the accompanying recipe.


text:
WARE – Suspensions meted out to misbehaving students in grades seven through 12 have been sharply reduced in the past year, to fewer than 100, superintendent-designee Marlene DiLeo told the school committee at Wednesday's meeting.
DiLeo, currently the junior and senior high school principal, will officially become superintendent July 1. Public schools Superintendent Mary-Elizabeth retires at the end of this month.
Data provided by the assistant junior and senior high school principal, Darren Elwell, shows that a year ago, 205 pupils were suspended. This year the number has dropped to 98.
Elwell says more needs to be done to keep lowering that figure, but is pleased with the progress. He becomes the school principal on July 1.
"I hope we continue that trend; there is still more work to do," Elwell said in an interview following the meeting.
In other business, DiLeo announced to the school board that Mark Aucoin will become principal at Stanley M. Koziol elementary school on July 1.
He held similar positions for the Wachusett Regional District, where his contract expires on June 30, and in the city of Marlborough. Aucoin will replace Dan Somes.
Also, the school administration announced last week that Robert Warren is retiring as principal at Ware Middle. Assistant principal John Jordan will become the new principal.
In another matter, the school board approved using the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers, or PARCC test, for the upcoming school year.
Member William Gunn did not attend the meeting, but the chairman read a statement from him, in which Gunn requested a public hearing on the PARCC testing prior to implementation. The board nixed the idea.
The school committee also heard a presentation from Elwell related to next year's accreditation process.


text:
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Please click on the link below to download the latest version. Thanks!
Republican candidate Mitt Romney edged ahead of former Sen. Rick Santorum for a critical win in the swing state of Ohio.
Yet, Santorum's Super Tuesday wins are fueling questions about the strength of Romney's presidential campaign.
Voters in 10 states weighed in on the race for the Republican presidential nomination. Santorum nabbed three key victories - Tennessee, North Dakota, and Oklahoma - and gave the former Massachusetts governor a run for his money in Ohio.
In the end, Romney won 38 percent of the Ohio's votes -- only one percent over Santorum.
With 419 delegates at stake, the four GOP candidates were hoping for a good showing in at least one state.
Click play for more Super Tuesday results and analysis in our roundtable discussion with CBN News' David Brody and Jennifer Wishon, as well as Regent University distinguished professor of government Charles Dunn.
As expected, Romney won Massachusetts with more than 70 percent of the vote. He also took Virginia, Idaho, and Vermont.
"You have not failed, you have a president that has failed you and that is going to change," Romney told supporters Tuesday night. "We're doing some counting. We're counting up the delegates for the convention and that looks good. And we're counting down the days until November and that looks even better."
Meanwhile, Santorum won big in Tennessee, where voters are mostly conservative.
He also continued his southern streak, winning Oklahoma with 34 percent of the vote. Romney placed second with 28 percent.
"This was a big night tonight, lots of states. We're going to win a few and we're going to lose a few, but as it looks right now we're going to get at least a few gold medals and a whole lot of silver medals," Sanotrum said while votes were still being tallied Tuesday.
"We are in this thing not because I so badly want to be the most powerful man in this country. It's because I want so badly to return the power to you in this country," he added.
Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich earned a critical victory in his home state of Georgia with 48 percent of the vote. Romney, again, placed second.
Although he didn't give as much competition as anticipated, Gingrich made it clear he plans to stick around.
"I want you to know that in the morning, we're going on to Alabama, we're going on to Mississippi, we're going on to Kansas, and that's just this week," Gingrich told supporters in Atlanta.
As precinct after precinct closed Tuesday, Rep. Ron Paul seemed to be headed toward a winless night.
Paul had his best showings in the North Dakota caucuses and Vermont primary, where he placed second.
Still, his third run for the White House continues to slow down.
Super Tuesday Wins Promise Big Campaign Boost
Super Tuesday May Decide GOP Nominee
CBN News 2012 Election Center
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Are you seeking answers in life? Are you hurting? Are you facing a difficult situation?
Find peace with God, discover more about God or send us your prayer request.
Call The 700 Club Prayer Center at 1 (800) 823-6053, 24 hours a day.
A caring friend will be there to pray with you in your time of need.
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text:
A term used mostly by white people after diss. the person who made the coment declares "throw it up" and a bystander or friend who herd will pretend to throw up an immagainary ball. this will then be spiked with an immaginary racket into the person who was insulted face. usuly ended by everyone around yelling BOOM!
Zach: your moms fat, Throw it up!
(some one dose)
(some one dose)
Derek Lucas가 작성 2006년 10월 04일 (수)
Trending Now
Can you define these popular missing words?
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A saying with the meaning of "Throw up your sign". In other words represent yo city, yo state, yo region, yo country. ya'll niggas just don't know.
Throw it up mutha fucker
Matt가 작성 2004년 11월 08일 (월)
to snort cocaine or to shoot cocaine
"put that yakk in my nose so i could throw it up"
kimlovescocaine가 작성 2006년 10월 08일 (일)
holding up the "winner" sign.
the "winner" sign is putting up your three fingers that forms a "w"
the "winner" sign is putting up your three fingers that forms a "w"
Sili is a winner, throw it up.
numberonewinner가 작성 2008년 12월 23일 (화)


text:
MONTGOMERY — A threatening phone call to a supervisor at the Braun Research firm Thursday night forced 28 employees out of the building, according to Montgomery Township Police Lt. James Curry.
At about 8:15 p.m., a supervisor at the company received a nonspecific, but alarming and threatening phone call at the office on Wall Street, Curry said.
The company was on lockdown before the 28 employees were evacuated under police protection and allowed to go home for the rest of the night, Curry said.
No additional details were immediately available regarding the nature of the phone call, and the incident continues to be under investigation by Montgomery Township Police, he said.
Messages left for Braun Research were not returned Friday morning.
• More Somerset County news: NJ.com/somerset | Twitter | Facebook


text: Meat and meat products from the region (cabbage sausage, terrine maison, pies etc.) have graced the counters and shelves of this butcher's shop for 80 years. Tradition and quality are upheld here; the products are made carefully by hand. Various prizes and awards attest to the skill and expertise of these professionals.


text:
Black Cherry Iced Tea
Total Time
Prep 0 mins
Cook 30 mins
Found this on appetiteforchina.com, which adapted this recipe from Food & Wine.
Ingredients Nutrition
- 2 quarts water
- 1 lb fresh black cherries, rinsed and pitted
- 1 1⁄4 cups sugar
- 1⁄4 cup lemon juice
- 2 whole star anise
- 5 black tea bags, steeped in
- 2 cups water
- mint sprig (to garnish)
- Bring water to boil in a medium-sized pot.
- Add cherries, sugar, lemon juice, and star anise.
- Simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, until the cherries are almost falling apart.
- Turn off heat, mix in black tea, and let stand for 1 hour to cool.
- Strain liquid through a fine mesh sieve, mashing the cherries with a wooden spoon to extract more liquid.
- Discard solids.
- Transfer liquid to a pitcher and refridgerate until ready to serve.
Most Helpful
This was so different from anything I ususally make but it was good. The anise is interesting with the cherry (I subbed reg anise seed and a pinch of all spice), but not entirely to my taste, I think I'd prefer to leave it out. Made for the Comfort Cafe July 09
Great cherry flavor in an ice tea. I am not an ice tea lover and I really like this a lot. I could drink this every day. Left out the anise by personal choice. Made for Summer Comfort Cafe.


text:
Although it's late to the game, the Justice Department deserves polite applause for taking the credit-rating agency Standard & Poor's to task with a civil complaint against it and its parent, McGraw-Hill Cos. S&P is one of three major credit-rating firms whose faulty predictions lulled investors into thinking exotic mortgage-backed securities were a good bet. As it turned out, they were such a lousy bet that they helped bring on the 2008 crash that still has the country gasping for air.
The problem started with greedy lenders who, egged on by Wall Street, falsified documents so that unqualified home buyers could get mortgages they would never be able to pay back. Those booby-trapped mortgages were then bundled into mortgage-backed securities and sold to investors, such as retirement funds, with the blessings of the credit-rating agencies. Eventually, large numbers of unqualified buyers defaulted on their mortgages, and the investors who had been reassured by high credit ratings were left to choke on dust as the financial system cratered.


text:
Hippo Mocks is an open source project powered by Assembla
Assembla offers free public and private SVN/Git repositories and project hosting with bug/issue tracking and collaboration tools.
Hippo Mocks
What's new with Hippo Mocks
2009-08-09 Release version 3.1
The 3.1 release is here now. Download Hippo Mocks 3.1 here.
To be quite honest, this release is already a few months old. I've neglected updating the front page too long and forgot to add it here. My sincerest apologies for not updating it; my only excuse was getting married but that's been about two months already. Emails and direct questions from multiple people attended me to the fact that the changes between 3.0 and 3.1 were actually much desired:
- The exception buffer size was made configurable. This is a temporary fix to prevent an awkward behavior in Visual Studio from taking down your testing framework. This is (most likely) the case if you get a stack overflow on calling a function on a mock.
- Made function overload distinguishing possible again. Use ExpectCallOverload etc. to register an overloaded function.
- Running in Visual Studio with Edit&Continue has been enabled by a very ugly Microsoft Visual Studio specific hack. This means that new projects created using the wizard will not fail with very odd compiler errors but just work.
- Added most of the support for the GreenHills compiler. The only thing that doesn't work is class mocks; GreenHills appears to change their VTable layouts when objects contain data and I haven't found out how they do it. Also, their compiler costs more money than it's worth it to me to fix.
There's also a single change that nobody asked for, but that is a consequence of the GreenHills support:
- The horrible_cast is gone. It's been replaced by a function that says what I'm trying to do instead. If you used the horrible_cast, you can copy it from an older version.
2009-04-23 Release version 3.0
The 3.0 release is here already. Download Hippo Mocks 3.0 here. It contains a bug fix (reference return didn't work), lots of enhancements (exception detail, registering expected-but-wrong calls and other minor improvements) and adding a few hooks for adjusting its behaviour. It is not version 2.1 in that it has two breaking changes. The first is that the ampersand before the function name is now forbidden. The second is that objects that used to give a compile error on not being comparable with operator== now give a false value back indicating they're not the same.
2009-03-26 Release version 2.0
Today we've released the 2.0 version of Hippo Mocks. Download Hippo Mocks 2.0 here. It has much less memory leaks (probably not none yet, but we're removing them as we notice them). We've spiced up the warning resilience and it compiles warning-free on the highest warning levels of GCC (4.3.3), Visual Studio (2008, 9.0) and Comeau (220.127.116.11).
The syntax has made a few slight changes. The function ReplayAll() has been removed. It serves no purpose (and never has). VerifyAll() has been moved to the destructor so that all expectations are implicitly checked during the finalization of your test. This assumes that you have a mock repository per test. If you have one mock repository for a group of tests, you can use the VerifyAll() function and the reset() function to reuse it for another time. Loads of code have been removed to make the code that bit more readable. It's slightly over 2000 lines now.
There is a C++0x version! After a long and arduous journey, through the perils of ..... No actually, it only took about 3 hours to make it in total, and it's even much smaller than the non-0x version. This version only has about 930 lines of code for exactly what the regular version can do, and it is less limited. Due to Microsoft's refusal to support variadic templates in Visual Studio 2010, it will not be usable in Visual Studio until at least 2012 (or thereabouts). Comeau also does not yet have variadic template support in their c++0x version, so GCC remains the only compiler that supports it.
Why Hippo Mocks
Does it work for me?Whether the syntax is the one you prefer is a personal choice, for which we have a comparison. Whether it can work on your platform is a technical issue, for which we have an overview.
Why the name Hippo Mocks
In creating Hippo Mocks we took the syntax of Rhino Mocks as a guideline for a clear and readable syntax. We chose a different name from Rhino Mocks as we're not associated with Ayende (the author of ) and it would be an infringement on the name of Rhino Mocks to pretend to have something directly to do with it. On the other hand, we do have the same approach to the same problem, resulting in much the same solution. In an analogy to CppUnit with JUnit, we chose a relatable but different name.
Why create Hippo Mocks
There does not appear to be an easily usable mocking framework for C++ that allows you to instantiate derived types whilst making your test, without explicitly writing a few classes to do so. As this is prohibited by the language itself, it's understandable. It still is a much better way to do mocking and since it is technically possible (at least in Visual Studio and GCC), there should be a proper framework for doing so.
Why use Hippo Mocks
Since mocking frameworks all differ in syntax and thought patterns for use, you will find one of many to be most suitable for you, and not necessarily the one we made. Other mocking frameworks you may want to consider:
The Google mocking framework
There are a few reasons why you may prefer Hippo Mocks:
- There are multiple developers maintaining it
- It is a single header file which makes including it in your project trivial
- The syntax matches the way you think about mocks, with very few compromises
- It has unit tests itself that run both on GCC (tested with at least 3.4 and 4.3) and on Visual Studio (tested with 2008 / 9.0)
- It is full featured and supports everything we have used so far when mocking, which includes a few features not found elsewhere
- Only found combined in Hippo Mocks:
- 1024 virtual functions per object (up to, that is)
- 16 arguments that are type-safely handled (or infinite, if you use the C++0x version)
- Type-safe return values
- Type-safe exceptions
- Arbitrary order specifications, with syntax limitations to prevent (and explain to you) loops in the call requirements you're trying to specify
- Callback-style replacements for the complex or unspecifiable cases
- Purely constructive syntax - if you don't need a given aspect of a call, you don't specify it.
- Single header file - no library logic, no duplicate definitions.
How to use Hippo Mocks
- Download the latest release:
Download Hippo Mocks 3.1 here
Download Hippo Mocks 3.0 here
Download Hippo Mocks 2.0 here
Download Hippo Mocks 1.0 here
- If your compiler is not a known supported option, it's a very good idea to run the hippo mock test suite first. It is located in HippoMocksTest/ and contains about a dozen cpp files, plus another header. Compile these (after adding your preferred hippomocks.h, see the next bullet) and run it. If it says that all test cases passed, you're all set. In either case, I'm very interested in your test results.
Copy your preferred hippomocks.h to your system or project directory. It can be any directory that is used for headers in your project. There are two options for the header:
- The c++0x version. This one is clean and simple in implementation, but only works on compilers supporting variadic templates. Practically, it only supports gcc 4.3 and newer, and only then if you explicitly enable it.
This one is located in HippoMocks0x/hippomocks.h in the release zipfile.
- The usual version. This one is much less clean and contains lots of repetition, but it works on lots of different compilers and is probably what fairly recent compilers will support.
This one is located in HippoMocks/hippomocks.h in the zipfile.
- The c++0x version. This one is clean and simple in implementation, but only works on compilers supporting variadic templates. Practically, it only supports gcc 4.3 and newer, and only then if you explicitly enable it.
- For an introduction to Hippo Mocks, you can use two different sources: The tutorial and the test cases included with the release. The tutorial also explains the methodology and the construction a bit, which the tests do not do.
I'm missing this one feature that would make it so much better for me
If you're in this situation there are three things you can do, in order of amount of convincing it involves:
- Do it yourself, then contact me to convince me it's a really good idea. If I agree I'll merge it back into the source tree.
- Hire me to do it for you. This involves regular payment and getting me to/from where you are. I'm also going to expect that I can merge back the changes I make there as a way of keeping the open source up to what people expect. You need to convince me it's of general good use before I will merge it back.
- Contact me to convince me it's a superb idea. If you succeed, I'll do it without any other help and commit it into the source tree
I really like it, but I need you to come tell your story before my colleagues will accept it / for any other reason
In the same vein, I'm always open to telling the story behind Hippo Mocks or providing a compelling argument for using it. Not in the least because I'll fix your problems with it even if I don't agree with them when I do come for the talk. Just like consulting (just above), this requires some form of payment to refund my costs and time. Usually I'll make the presentations and so on for free.
Why use mocks in your tests
Should we use a mocking framework
When to use mocks
Mock roles, not objects [PDF]
Using mock objects effectively
Our opinion is that you use mocks to "fake" or hide the rest of your system in the same way you use headers to hide the knowledge of the implementation of classes. You would then also use mocks every time you use headers - IE, around the borders of each class under test. This makes the test rely solely on the behavior of the class you're testing. That means that when the test breaks, only the class under test needs to be considered.
Who made Hippo Mocks
We are Mike Looijmans and Peter Bindels, both working at Topic Automatisering. We decided that replacing functionality for the purposes of testing easily should be a base construct that is publicly available to everybody. Hence we created Hippo Mocks.
What license do you release it under?
We've decided to release it under the LGPL license. This license, in short, allows you to use it like the GPL would, with the exception that your software does not become GPLed by doing so. You are still strongly encouraged to send back changes you make.
Why do you release it for free?
There is a multitude of reasons why it is free.
On one hand there's a practical reason. If this were commercial, there would be no way to limit a trial version or a shareware version other than outright removing functionality, which makes upgrading harder and defeats the purpose of trial versions. Also, there is no way to determine if somebody used mocks to get his/her tests cleaner in order to get the product better - the final product most likely doesn't contain any mocks.
On the other hand there are a few ideological reasons. I believe that the way Hippo Mocks makes you write your tests is the way to write unit tests. It is an expressive language that allows you to say what your test should do, without obfuscating it or requiring you to type more than you should have to. I believe that software that is properly unit-tested is both easier to maintain and probably of a higher quality level than those that aren't. Because in the end I'll probably be a user of most software, I prefer that the developers of any software have the ability to use a good unit testing framework that keeps their code clean and makes it work properly and cleanly. In other words, doing this for "free" means that I get better products in the shops. It also gives me a warm fuzzy feeling inside to know that people appreciate what I'm doing.
If you do wish to do something to help Hippo Mocks (such as pay for it), you're invited to hire us to give a talk, add features for your benefit or make a donation. We also very much appreciate receiving post cards from wherever you live or any Hippo-related souvenirs. If you want to send us anything, please send it to Topic Automatisering, attn: Hippo Mocks, Eindhovenseweg 32-C, 5683 KH Best, The Netherlands.


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Editor's note: Journal Junction offers the public a forum to applaud successes, discuss issues, point out problems and review the events of the day in a constructive manner. Journal Junction comments should be limited to two to four sentences. Longer comments should be submitted as "Letters to the Editor," which is a separate forum. The Journal's classified ads section offers help to those with lost or found items. This is a sampling of comments received today. All others, subject to editing, are published in the online Journal Junction at www.journal-news.net under opinions.
From Martinsburg:
The Charles Town caller is right - there is no comparison between Rush Limbaugh and Bill Maher. Rush is funnier and derives his salary from advertisers who are always under pressure from left-wing groups to abandon him. Maher derives his income indirectly from our cable and Internet fees and is rarely held to account for anything he says. The travesty is that Rush makes an inappropriate comment and it results in feigned outrage by the media and a consoling call from the president, while Maher, who contributed $1 million to the Obama re-election campaign, made an even more inappropriate comment and barely a peep was heard.
From Charles Town:
To the Hedgesville caller: Limbaugh's rant was not about "the taxpayers" paying for anyone's birth control. The issue at hand was whether or not insurance companies should be required to cover prescription birth control medications.
From Martinsburg:
Once again, there are no American or West Virginia state flags flying at the Berkeley County Sheriff's Department. It's very shameful. How hard is it to have your flags flown every day?
From Martinsburg:
Is it true that Berkeley County students may be getting out of school in May if there are no cancellations? If so, when will this be announced so that we parents can schedule child care?
From Berkeley County:
I wish everybody would stop referring to the stock market as free market trading. I'm with Ron Paul. Any time the federal government gives you $7 trillion, Wall Street is not a free market. Nothing's free about Wall Street - $7 trillion from the federal government. I could be free if the government gave me that much money!
From Shepherdstown:
C'mon, America! Let's get it together. My father grew up as a teenager in the Depression, fought with his brothers in sisters in World War II and was a success, as was America. Now, all we have is people who want a big handout. It's all about your attitude and your energy. Let's go, Americans; you can do it.
From Martinsburg:
I'm writing from perhaps the reddest state in the Union, admiring how such a place can possess reasonable zoning and planning, a decent transportation system and good schools and still retain very conservative family values, low taxes and religious emphasis. West Virginia's problems aren't due to Democrats or Republicans, liberals or conservatives, but from a long-standing, ingrained culture of despair, self-victimization and short-sighted outlook that lead to apathy and complaint. Journal Junction is its mirror.
From Inwood:
To the caller from Inwood: The basketball coach is probably part of the "in crowd" up there. The word cronyism has been used here recently. It seems to apply again. There are probably other people who would like to have a chance to coach, but they won't be given an opportunity if they aren't in the right group. I keep hearing this from many sources.
From Charles Town:
Rush Limbaugh has shown what an ignorant, uninformed, uneducated, dishonest, misogynistic, hateful, PHONY conservative that he is. There is NOTHING conservative about Rush Limbaugh... nothing. Rush, like most men, is completely uninformed where women's health issues are concerned. Fluke was not asking anyone to pay her for having sex. She was asking employers and insurers to follow the law and cover contraception, for which you need a prescription. I don't hear Rush or any guys complaining about insurance plans that cover Viagra.
From Hedgesville:
Rich, conservative Republicans! Over and over, that is the weak Democrat lie and has been for over 50 years. Just to name a few, did you know that Congressman Rahal's net worth is over $2.4 million. Jay Rockefeller brings in a measly $99 million and Joe Manchin trails with just $7.1 million. To be fair, though, Republican David McKinley banks $8.7 million and poor Shelley Capito only has $1.7 million. So, enough of the rich versus poor stuff. Only a dummy would believe it and if they do, they deserve to be led by the nose to the pit.
From Berkeley County:
I wish zealots and certain presidential candidates would quit trying to force their religious beliefs on the rest of us. You believe what you believe, and I'll believe what I believe. That is the definition of religious freedom.
From Pikeside:
President Obama apologizes to Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai, and Hamid Karzai signs a bill for a law in his country that husbands can beat wives. Let's get the hell out of there. Get all our troops home.


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April 5, 1999
The employees of the Woodinville TOP Food & Drug stores completed a campaign to raise funds for United Way. Over $7,832.00 was raised for the charity during the month-long drive.
Precor, Inc., was one of 17 King County worksites named a "Diamond Award" winner for its program, Compressed Workweeks.
Steven Cramer, of Woodinville's Molbak's, Inc., received lifetime certification status by the Washington State Nursery and Landscape Association.
Robert Green was named provisional member of World Inspection Network of Woodinville by the National Association of Home Inspectors.
John Bautsch has been named Vice President for Student Success at Bothell's Cascadia Community College.
Brittany Park retirement community received numerous awards during Leisure Care's 15th annual leadership conference, including Outstanding Census Achievement award for maintaining an average occupancy of 95% throughout the year.
Dennis Kerber of Kenmore has been elected to the 1999 Western Golf Association's Board of Directors.
J. Walker Dodson, a student at Pratt Fine Arts Center, has been awarded a second place in a National Students Art Exhibition.
Emma Bezy has been hired as the new Chair of Bastyr University's Department of Spirituality, Health, and Medicine.


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Sixteen year-old Jason Bar Mecaiah becomes involved in an exciting, dangerous, and soul-searching adventure that eventually leads him to the true meaning of Redemptions Promise.
Great for teens!
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Adidas have unveiled the "battle pack," a new collection of boot designs for World Cup stars to wear at the World Cup.
Players including Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez, Mesut Ozil and Arjen Robben will don boots from the range in Brazil this summer.
Take a look and see what you think of the designs.
As ever, your comments are welcome.


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Laura Doering attempts to make an origami parrot.
It's the start of a new week, so I thought I'd kick it off by trying my hand at something completely challenging for me … origami! Perhaps it's because I'm right-brained (left-handed), but tasks involving precise measurements rarely work out for me. (My dad is a gifted mechanical engineer, but sadly, I inherited nothing in the way of mathematical or engineering prowess.)
So I told Jessica that I was going to conquer this task of creating an origami parrot. I found a YouTube video that showed of a pair of hands magically turning a sheet of paper into a parrot, and I tried to follow along (thank goodness for "pause" and "rewind"). The video is 3½ minutes long, but it took me about a half hour to get through it.
I was ready to crumple up and "circular file" my over-creased paper a quarter of the way through the video because my paper wasn't coming out like what I was seeing on screen. But I trudged on, determined to have something to show for my effort.
I showed my finished piece to the smallanimalchannel.com editor and asked her to take a guess at what it was. "A rabbit?" she said. "No wait, a dachshund?"
Then I showed Jessica, who had even less than encouraging words. "Is that supposed to be something?"
"It's a parrot." I replied. "A macaw to be exact." So to make it more identifiable I colored it a blue-and-gold macaw using my highlighters and Sharpie. What a difference that made! "Oh, I suppose it is a parrot," Jessica said politely, but still hesitantly.
One unexpected oddity: my parrot's head is turned backward, like he's looking over his shoulder, or trying to preen his neck feathers. Not sure how I managed that but I do know that it is legit parrot posture, so perhaps that makes it even more realistic?
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Marshall Price wrote:
> I find it annoying to have to react to Thunderbird's spell-checker's
> reactions to quoted text (which I never wish to correct) and such
> unpredictable character strings as usernames and e-mail addresses.
> Is there any way to let them pass unchecked without interfering with the
> checking of my own text?
This was a capability of Eudora many years ago.
David E. Ross
Concerned about someone (e.g., Pres. Bush) snooping
into your E-mail? Use PGP.
See my


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Popping four players into double figures, Mike Hibbs' Cumberland Valley Eagles cornered a share of the Mid-Penn Commonwealth Division title by side-stepping Central Dauphin East 61-59 Thursday night at East High.
CV (17-5, 11-3), which will share the Commonwealth crown with Carlisle and Harrisburg, hadn't won a boys' basketball championship of any kind since the 1982 Eagles claimed a Capital Area Conference title.
Harrisburg, by virtue of a head-to-head tiebreaker between the tri-champs, will represent the Commonwealth in the Mid-Penn tournament. The Cougars will take on Colonial Division champion Boiling Springs Tuesday night at Big Spring.
Matt Tamanosky (17), Gray Kline (15), Adam Hawk (12) and John Peterson (10) shared 54 points for CV — a 19-4 run helped CV take a 30-24 lead at the break — which may land one of the top four seeds in the District 3-AAAA playoffs.
Dwight Whitlock banked 13 of his 21 points in the fourth quarter for Marty Hasenfuss' Panthers (13-9, 9-5), who trailed 46-39 after three. Chase Edmonds added 14 points, while Derrick Biney netted 13.
Cumberland Valley shot 51.3 percent (20-for-39) on the night, 53.1 percent (17-for-32) through the first three quarters. … The Eagles were 4-for-9 from beyond the arc — all of CV's 3-point attempts came before the break — with Hawk knocking down two. … Hibbs' ballclub converted 85 percent (17-for-20) of its looks from the line. …
CV was outrebounded 37-22. … The Eagles committed 11 turnovers, three fewer than Hasenfuss' Panthers. … The 6-5 Tamanosky grabbed nine rebounds to lead CV. … Peterson dished out four assists, while Kline dropped three dimes. …
East targeted 38.9 percent (21-for-54) of its field-goal attempts, but bagged just 35.1 percent (13-for-37) from the start of the second quarter on. … The Panthers hoisted three treys, with Biney splashing the only one. … East was 16-for-21 at the line. …
Whitlock snared nine boards, while Austin Johnston grabbed four. … Joe Lemelle, Edmonds, Whitlock and Biney each finished with two assists. … East sported an 18-9 lead with 1:07 left in the opening quarter.
Trailing 18-9 late in the opening quarter, Hawk's runner ignited a 19-4 run that enabled CV to shrug off its early deficit and hustle to a 28-22 advantage with 2:05 left in the half. Hawk collected eight points during the spurt — including both of his treys — while Tamanosky chipped in with four.
Although CV sported a 46-39 cushion when the fourth quarter began, a 7-0 salvo pulled Hasenfuss' Panthers even on Whitlock's finish in transition with 5:41 to play.
While the game was tied four times, CV took the lead for good with 1:39 to play when Kline rubbed off a Tamanosky screen on the right wing and drove to the hoop. Peterson then hit the front end of a one-and-one to up CV's lead to three.
East was able to pull within two three times, the last on Whitlock's drive and finish with 9.5 seconds to go. When Kline missed two at the other end and East boarded, a tie-up near midcourt kept the ball in the Panthers' hands but cost needed seconds.
Hasenfuss' Panthers had one last gasp with 0.8 showing, but Frank Wilson's off-balance heave fell short of the basket and Tamanosky latched on.
BULLOCK ON TWITTER: @thebullp_n


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|Ian Cauble returning to SSU for film viewing on March 28
Ian Cauble, Sonoma State University alumnus and Master Sommelier, is returning to SSU for a special viewing of "Somm," a film documenting his journey to becoming the 197th Master Sommelier in history. The event is open to the public and takes place on March 28 at 6 p.m. in the Student Center Ballroom.
The showing will begin with a food and wine pairing selected by Cauble and Eric Lee, SSU's executive chef and Food Network star. Cauble will answer questions from the audience after the film.
"Somm" takes place in six countries over the span of two years and documents four sommeliers. It gives viewers an inside look at becoming a Master Sommelier, the highest distinction in fine wine and beverage service, as well as the extensive, four-level education and exam process.
"I wouldn't be a Master Sommelier today if I hadn't attended Sonoma State," said Cauble. "The connections I made changed the trajectory of my life."
Tickets are $25 per person and include a wine and hor d'ouevres pairing selected by Cauble and Lee. Seating is limited. Go to www.sonoma.edu/sbe for more information.


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Solanum tuberosum, better known as the potato, plays a leading role in our kitchens thanks to the thousands of ways in which it can be used. Native to the Andean area of central-southern America, potatoes are related to tomatoes, peppers and aubergines. The potato reached Europe around the 16th Century but only began to be appreciated as a vegetable two hundred years later.
Cultivated in a vegetable garden in the ground it's fairly easy to grow and crops well, however it's difficult, if not impossible, to grow potatoes on a balcony or using unconventional methods; to obtain acceptable results you need to use sacks.
Soil and Sacks
Potatoes need deep soil (at least 60 cm) so use jute or synthetic sacks that are at least 80 cm tall. If possible use soil that's siliceous, loose and light, slightly acid and rich in nitrogen and potassium. These characteristics can easily be obtained by adding well matured manure to the soil used for previous crops such as cabbage and legumes, while it's not a good idea to use soil that's clayey or comes from pots in which other solanaceous species (for example tomatoes, peppers or aubergines) have been grown.
Sowing or Planting
It's not really correct to talk about sowing potatoes, in fact the plant is normally propagated agamically by planting tubers from the previous season that are sprouting, or pieces of them, or by using seed potatoes that have been bought specifically.
Potatoes are "sown" when the moon is waning and the period in which they are grown, generally speaking, goes from spring to the beginning of winter. Mild climates make it possible to plant them in the winter and harvest until late spring, in this case early varieties are recommended. In areas with harsh winter weather potatoes must be planted in the spring and harvested towards the end of the summer.
If the temperature drops to below freezing the crop can suffer irreparable damage, especially during the initial phases, which require a temperature of at least 5 °C. The return of cold weather (below 2 °C) during spring can be harmful, so, before you plant your tubers, take a look at the weather forecast!
During the productive phase, the growth of potatoes slows down considerably if the temperature is below 8 °C or above 25 °C.
Place not more than 4-5 sprouting tubers in the bottom of the sack that you've prepared with 20 cm of soil, cover them making sure that none of the shoots are in the open-air and spray water evenly over the surface. Leave the sack indoors if the minimum temperature outdoors is still below 10 °C.
As soon as the shoots show above ground, move the sack to a spot with plenty of light and let the potato plants grow to at least 10-15 cm.
When they've reach this size, cover them with soil again leaving just the first leaves above ground, if necessary unroll the edge of the sack to gain height. Repeat this operation until your sack has reached a height of roughly 60 cm – 70 cm. In this way your plant will have the depth required for a good harvest.
Now place the sack in a well lit spot on your balcony and leave the plants to grow normally.
Potatoes need plenty of water during the first phase of cultivation, in which the plants must grow, but they don't like to get waterlogged; when the time for harvesting is drawing near you must drastically reduce the amount of water you give them, to avoid that the tubers are attacked by rot or other pathogens, the right quantity to use is just enough to keep the soil cool. Jute sacks, in particular, will help you control the humidity and keep it constant.
Potatoes don't like environments that are too dry or sunny so, when summer is drawing near and the weather gets hotter, choose an area of your balcony that's partly in the shade.
90-130 days after you planted your tubers you will be able to harvest your potatoes. When you see the small off-white flowers withering and the leaves loose their bright green colour and turn an autumn shade of yellow, it's time to uproot them!
If you've grown your potatoes following organic rules, you can use them in recipes which include potatoes with their skin on, dishes that can't really be made with the potatoes that you but in a normal shop or market, treated with anti-sprouting products.
You can decide to harvest early and have your own tasty new potatoes, which are now rarely found on sale.
Friends and Enemies
Potatoes intercrop well with spinach and with legumes. Amongst its best friends are flax, petunias, green beans and white deadnettle, Lamium Album, which wards off the majority of harmful insects such as the potato beetle and the cockchafer. Should you notice the presence of potato beetles, macerated onion or tomato extract will be useful.
As we've already said, potatoes don't like waterlogging, damp environments or extreme temperatures; such conditions, if they last long, encourage the proliferation of diseases, in particular fungal diseases such as potato blight, which affects both the stem and leaves.
Bacteria, viruses, aphids, moths, potato plants have many enemies, but by avoiding climatic stress and watering correctly, with the right amounts and taking care not to get the leaves wet, you will help your plants grow strong and be less subject to attacks.
Photos: Tommaso Turchi
Art: Lucia Simeone


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Rocker David Lee Roth has chopped his hair and toned down his high kicks in order to keep a lower profile in his new job – as a paramedic.
The former lead singer of Van Halen tells the New York Post that he has already gone on more than 200 ambulance rides through some of New York's toughest neighborhoods since he began training to be an EMT.
"It has been an eye-opening adventure," Roth, 49, says.
His past as a rock god hasn't gotten in the way of his new life-saving work. "Not once has anyone recognized me, which is perfect for me," he says.
Linda Reissman, who is Roth's EMS consultant and tutor, says the rocker is totally committed to his new line of work.
"He is very serious," she says. "You would never know you were dealing with a rock-'n'-roll guy, his commitment really is touching. He wants to help people."
Roth says he recently used a defibrillator to save the life of a Bronx woman who had suffered a heart attack.
Despite the life-and-death situations, Roth says working as paramedic isn't so different from being a rock star: "I am a member of a team again, and that's what a rock band always was."
David Lee Roth: Paramedic Job 'Perfect'
Djamilla Rosa Cochran/WireImage


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This Paste Application Kit is great for building floats!
This Paste Application Kit makes the task at hand easier! This Parade Paste Application Kit includes a 3 1/2 inch wide plastic tray and a brush. Pour your pomp paste into the tray and use the brush to easily apply the paste to your float. You'll love how easy float building is with this kit.
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Single Article Purchase:
Incidence and Transmission Patterns of Acute Hepatitis C in the United States, 1982-2006
Williams IT, Bell BP, Kuhnert W, Alter MJ.
Arch Intern Med. 2011;171(3):242-248.
Published online February 14, 2011
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The "comeback couple"
New restaurant turns southern-comfort food up a notch
Ashley Montgomery | 6/23/2014, 11:56 a.m.
Someone call LL Cool J and let him know that this is a "comeback!" The married couple, Roshonda, 38, and Tony Smith Jr., 39, have returned back to where their love story began to follow their culinary dreams.
Family First Bistro and Catering, located at 2560 Service Rd., brings you southern comfort foods with a gourmet flair. What used to be known as Frosty's is a quaint restaurant furnished with a bar and patio area that's spacious enough to house more than 150 to 200 people.
Looking for a change in scenery, the pair first moved to Georgia in the summer of 2005 to start a new life together.
"We wanted to be in a more rural environment and were looking to start fresh," said Roshonda, an Exceptional Student Education teacher for more than 14 years.
Tony, a chef for over 17 years, has always dreamed of owning his own restaurant. Roshonda, known for her bubbly personality and fun-nature has always hosted events in their Georgia home. It didn't take long for the couple to realize that "God had another plan in store" for them.
"I will be putting my own flair on southern comfort foods but not completely changing the classic dishes," Tony said.
While in the heart of Georgia they had two little boys, Jeremiah and Kevin, that helped serve as motivation to follow their dreams.
"I don't want this to be just another restaurant in the community— this is a bistro," Roshonda said. "I want it to be considered a hidden jewel. I don't want it to be the same thing that everyone else is doing."
As many chefs learn in school, "presentation is everything." Tony and Roshonda have exemplified that with their traditional dishes with a twist on the menu.
You can expect to find Daily Chef Creations (specials) and anything from egg frittata, salmon croquettes, their signature baked macaroni and cheese, and fried lobster tails.
"Family First is where people gather to have good, positive conversations and on the business side, we are looking to invite other entities in and partner with them for great causes," Roshonda said.
Overall, Tony says that he wants the food to speak for itself.
"I want you to come be able to come get your salmon on a bed of greens . . . all of our sauces and foods are made from scratch because we pride ourselves on using fresh products — we are taking people's health into consideration," Tony said. For more information and to reach the owners, follow Family First on Instagram @family1stcatering_ (underscore).


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When most artists need materials, they go to arts and crafts stores. Philadelphia artist and professor Jennie R. Shanker, however, is looking deeper than that, literally.
She's sculpting with Marcellus Shale.
Shanker has traveled across the state, exploring sites in Cumberland and Lycoming County, where Marcellus Shale is accessible in order to scoop it up and turn it into clay.
Article Photos
Philadelphia artist and professor Jennie R. Shanker, top, has collected samples of Marcellus Shale from sites in Cumberland and Lycoming County to create casts of styrofoam cups.
"The first time I went to an outcropping and saw the shale, it was unlike anything I'd ever seen," Shanker said. "It was so distinctive, I thought, 'Now I know what to look for.' "
The artist said that she was quickly informed that there are a lot of shales that look like Marcellus but are not, and one may be easily fooled.
"The geologists tell me that there are a lot of non-Marcellus shales that look identical," she said. "The only way to identify it, apparently, is to measure the level of radiation it emits. A lot of rock out there is radioactive to some extent. Marcellus has higher levels than other shales that it might look like."
The fact that the shale had a higher level of radition initially spooked Shanker.
"This scared me at first, but the geologists were unconcerned," she said. "It put me at ease - somewhat. I actually borrowed a geiger counter to measure the radiation from the stone ... I compared it to what my cell phone was emitting. It was double the level of my cell, but it was equal to other rock that's common in the city - Wissahickon Schist for example. We're surrounded by things that emit low levels of radiation. It can be hard to assess what 'safe' means."
Shanker said that, for sculpting - from a ceramic perspective - the shale comes up "a little short."
"It isn't as elastic as commercial clay," she said. "There's ways to treat it to increase the elasticity, but I wanted to avoid using anything that wasn't collected at the outcropping. I found that when it was more watery, it made a good slip for casting. It doesn't need to be as elastic using this process."
The Yale University graduate is using the clay to make molds of styrofoam coffee cups.
"I wanted to use a form from an everyday object," she said. "I wanted it to raise some of the questions that fracking does but on a more immediate, personal level. Drinking out of a cup made from this material literally puts those questions in your hands, in relation to your body. Someone might think about safety and water quality. Maybe it would make people think about how little they know about anything they eat from styrofoam, ceramic, glass. What do we really know?"
Since the project is part art, part science, Shanker is working with geologists at Temple University, where she is an adjunct art professor.
"I'm teaching in the sculpture department at Temple's Tyler School of Art and have been working with the curator of their gallery, Robert Blackson," she said. "Rob connected me to two of the university's geologists. I had rock samples of the Marcellus that they needed for tests."
Shanker, who also teaches at Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts and Moore College of Art and Design, said that she and the geologists have shared resources and information.
"I've learned so much from these guys - both specific information about the clay I'm making and more general information about geology, energy production and fracking," she said.
Fifty of the cups that Shanker is making will be used for "The Big Shale Teach-in," a symposium about Marcellus Shale that will be held at the Tyler Gallery Nov. 4.
"Another 150 (will be) for the gallery's coffee club," Shanker said. "They'll be given as awards for being a regular club visitor. I'm still waiting for information from a food-safety certification lab to insure that it's OK to drink out of the cups. The EPA only asks them to test for lead and cadmium. I'm having them do a battery of other tests, just to be sure."
Shanker is trying to use her Marcellus Shale project to educate people about what's happening in their backyards.
"In general, we need to work harder to understand the impact of things we consume," she said. "The further removed we are from the origin, from understanding how something is produced, the more we need to work to understand it. We need to care. If we don't care about how things are made, we're opening the door to abusers who only care about money."
She has set up a blog, marcellusclay.blogspot.com, through which interested persons may follow her project step-by-step.
"I'm sharing what I'm learning," she said. "Anyone can do this."


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Celebrity Bathroom Stories
Yes, even celebrities have to go to the toilet now and then, and proof of that is the fact that there are tons of famous stories about their wacky antics when they're in there. Well, two famous stories. And they're totally apocryphal.
But still, they're utterly hilarious and treasured by millions (of gay people). So get off the pot and decide which is your favorite of the two:
*Carol Channing was allegedly overheard to announce in a bathroom stall, "Corn? When did I eat corn?"
*Tallulah Bankhead supposedly was sitting in a stall when she noticed she'd ran out of toilet paper, so she craned her head down and murmured to the person in the next booth, "Do you happen to have change of a $20?"
I'm not shitting you!
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Cyprus has had an eventful and troubled history for such a small island state. From antiquity to modern times, Cypriots have formed an interesting melange, where different peoples in terms of race, religion, ethnicity, class, language and other determinants, have shared a common homeland, collective experiences, popular traditions and often social, political and economic inequalities and hardships. Cyprus and its inhabitants have had a multi-faceted relationship with various civilisations and empires, ancient, medieval and modern, a relationship that has sometimes been fraught but at other times fruitful, resulting in interesting legacies and influences. The island, a full member of both the Commonwealth and the European Union, has a history and civilisation dating back 10,000 years. The mission of Cyprus Historical and Contemporary Studies (CHCS), as the first and only peer-reviewed academic book series to specialise in presenting scholarly research and debate on any period of the history of Cyprus, is therefore vitally important. CHCS aims to publish quality research on all periods and in all areas of the history of Cyprus, ranging from earliest to contemporary times, thus making it wide ranging. Since antiquity, Cyprus has had a multi-faceted and complex heritage, influenced by various civilisations, empires, migrations and settlements, as well as by wider regional and global developments and movements. Aside from historians, CHCS encourages scholars from various disciplines to offer book proposals, recognising that scholars other than historians contribute to the understanding of the histories of Cyprus. The series also focuses on setting Cyprus' experience in the wider scene by publishing books that place the island in its Mediterranean, European, Near Eastern, and global contexts. It also publishes on any contemporary theme, including the Cyprus 'Problem'. CHCS is committed to excellence in scholarship, stringent refereeing (there is an international refereering committee) of book proposals and manuscripts, and is inclusive and apolitical, priding itself in publishing cutting edge scholarship from all scholars, irrespective of affiliation, that go beyond deterministic and nationalistic accounts. CHCS is an ambitious book series, publishing the most current and exciting research on Cyprus, from antiquity to contemporary times.
Series Editor,
Dr Andrekos Varnava,
School of International Studies,
Flinders University of South Australia.
Please send proposals, to include book description, outline, sample chapter (if applicable), and timetable for completion, to firstname.lastname@example.com


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Roberta DeBiasi, MD, talks to the Washington Business Journal about MERS and how to protect hospitals against infectious diseases. Dr. DeBiasi says hospitals with staff traveling to affected areas should use proper precautions to prevent the virus from possibly spreading.
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Researchers found that an alternate, "escape" replication process triggered by apoptosis—the process of cell death or "cell suicide"—appears to be common in human herpesviruses (HHV).
Children's National Health System researchers joining other teams have uncovered new evidence that T-cells, a type of blood cells, can effectively restore antiviral immunity after transplantation for some of the most high-risk viruses following transplant.
The Washington Post followed a young HIV patient over the course of five months, covering her disclosure appointment with a team of experts at Children's.


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By Sarah Henry
It might sound obvious, but do what Stern did: Go see the lunch offered in your child's school cafeteria. You may be shocked. What is that wobbling brown mass? Or you may be pleasantly surprised – look, fresh fruit! But you won't know until you go. It's not enough to rely on the school menus sent home or what your child tells you.
An anonymous elementary school teacher in the Midwest ate school lunch for a year, and lived to blog about it, in all its packaged, processed glory over at Fed Up With Lunch: The School Lunch Project. At the site Simple, Good, and Tasty, Lee Zukor served up a school lunch challenge to his readers. Parents across the country ate, snapped pics, and got all fired up over the muck that passes for a meal in their schools. Before you hit the school cafeteria, read this handy checklist on what to look for at lunch, courtesy of the non-profit Better School Food.
Photo credit: Ellie Strikes Weird
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A monthly feature about retailing trends and strategies
It's no secret: Men are not born to shop.
Set most men loose in a mall during the holidays and they'll probably gravitate to the nearest bench. That or the food court.
But retailers aren't about to give up on half the population. This season, in fact, several malls around Northeast Ohio are trying to make shopping easier and more appealing for men. Some have even gone so far as to dedicate an entire evening to them.
Legacy Village in Lyndhurst has "Guys' Night Out" while Eton in Woodmere calls it "Men's Night."
The names are different, but the concept's the same: On these special occasions, mall employees will wrap your presents, stuff you with treats, and help you find that elusive gift for the woman in your life.
In some cases, there's even free beer.
"In late December, we always get these panic-stricken guys," said Marcie Gilmore, general manager of Legacy Village. "Sometimes we really have to steer them. . . . So we're trying to make shopping more comfortable, and to motivate men to shop in the first place."
This year's first official "Men's Night" in Northeast Ohio took place from 5 to 8 p.m. Thursday at Eton, a high-end shopping center with both indoor and outdoor sections. The event will be repeated at the same time next week, while the one-time-only "Guys' Night Out" at Legacy Village takes place from 5 to 8 p.m. Monday.
Across town, in North Olmsted, Westfield Great Northern is pulling in boatloads of men with a two-seater plane owned by Elyria-based Zone Aviation. Mall manager Kurt Reddick said the plane is technically an ad for flight lessons, but it's also bringing men within sight of Guest Services, where mall gift certificates are located.
Waiting with anticipation at Eton's guest-services desk Thursday night was marketing manager Leigh Dooley. She was nervous about "Men's Night" because most of Eton's indoor stores cater to women, which makes men a scarce commodity not only during the holidays but all year round.
"It's a skirt mall," Dooley said. "In the way of men's clothing, we don't have much. It's difficult to get men in here."
On this night, though, the goal wasn't so much to get huge numbers of men inside as to hold on to those precious few who arrived.
They did their best. Each man who passed through the doors was greeted by a "Gift Angel," one of several young women pacing the perimeter bearing trays of sandwiches, chocolates or ice cream.
Those who entered one of Eton's restaurants were greeted by news of discounted drinks. Paladar, for instance, a restaurant specializing in Latino food, was offering a mojito martini.
Inside the mall, the food carried by the angels belied their real purpose: to guide men into and through the stores. Each angel was trained to know Eton and everything in it, including prices, "like the back of their hand," Dooley said. "They can find anything a guy would be looking for."
Traffic at Eton that particular Thursday was lighter than merchants had hoped for. There were plenty of male shoppers and the snacks were a hit, but most men were in the company of women, and few actually took advantage of the angels' expertise.
Many store owners said they were prepared with wine or cookies of their own, but hadn't broken them out.
Sandy Gross, owner of Evolution Yoga, said Eton was probably tardy about advertising "Men's Night." But she said the idea has merit and predicted it will catch on.
"It will gain momentum over the years," she said. "You just have to do it annually."
Still, the program's debut could be considered a success, judging by the reaction of Shaker Heights resident John Leibert, who visited Eton specifically to enjoy "Men's Night" and get a little help picking out a handbag or a work of art.
After browsing the mall for a while on his own, Leibert was directed to Thomas R. Riley Galleries, where he and the owner split a bottle of beer as they chatted and toured the display.
Leibert said he was happy being in the minority, even as he joked about his determination not to let alcohol cloud his shopping judgment.
"I'm getting much more attention," he said. "I don't necessarily feel special like this when I'm at [other] malls. . . . But one beer too many and I might buy too much stuff."
The setup's a little different for "Guys' Night Out" at Legacy Village. There, shopping comes before drinking. Safety first.
Participants that night will have access to shopping assistance -- only at Legacy, they'll also be guided by the "Holiday Wish Lists" the women in their lives hopefully have filled out beforehand. The lists enumerate all those critical details apt to foil even the best of men, such as clothing sizes, favorite stores and preferences related to home d cor.
"Do you prefer to receive something that is: practical, personal, extravagant, humorous, educational, health/fitness," the form asks, eliminating any need for interpersonal communication.
Afterward, as at Eton, "Guys' Night Out" shoppers can drop off their purchases for free gift-wrapping. At that point, though, men 21 and over are also eligible for vouchers for a free drink at Bar Louie, where, if they linger past the conclusion of "Guys' Night Out," they can catch Monday Night Football starting at 8:30 p.m.
Gilmore, Legacy's general manager, said stores have handed out some 5,000 flyers promoting the event, and she'll be delighted if 500 men show up.
What's more, she said, if "Guys' Night Out" goes well, they'll bring it back next year, and might even consider taking a cue from Eton and hire shopping assistants.
"We're always trying to come up with new and interesting ways -- and reasons -- to shop. It's just ironic that this year everybody's tapping into the same idea."


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Bonito apartamento cerca de la Ciudad Vieja de Praga
N.º máximo de huéspedes3
Cuartos de baño1
Tamaño30 m²
- Apto para familias / niños
- Internet/WiFi
- Cocina
- Se permiten mascotas
- Lavadora / secadora
- Aparcamiento disponible
- Se permite fumar
|Kmochova, 150 00 Prague, La República Checa
|Tipo de propiedad
|Código de referencia
|Tasa de aceptación
|Tiempo de respuesta
|En pocas horas
|Calendario actualizado
|Tarifa para > 2 huéspedes
|$ 12 US por huésped/noche extra
|Entrada a partir de las
|Entrada antes de las
|Bajo acuerdo
|Salida antes de las
|Política de cancelación
Very nice stay. The place is conveniently located if you want to explore Prague's old town on foot. Never had to take the public transport anywhere. :) Recommend.
Everything exactly like on photos, the apartment very well equipped, great connection with the downtown, very close to all attractions of Prague. The owner very helpful and kind!
I had a great time in Bernhard's apartment. The place is very nice, and the location is very good, near from a zone with shopping places.
Thanks for our stay! :) The appartement is central - near the tram. Parking outside the frontdoor, but a lot of stairs. Very nice host :)
We enjoyed our stay in Praha! Beautiful city and nice apartment and host! Thanks mr. Bernhard!
I had a great time in prague, thank you Bernhard. The appartment is really nice and quiet, but still central. TV and WLAN works great, a lot of german channels. You can easily walk in the city, it's really not far and the way is pretty, a big shopping center is a few minutes away and the Tesco market inside is open unit 24:00. Metro station Andel is 5 minutes, tram station in front of the house.
Bernhard is a very nice and uncomplicated guy, he gave us a lot of helpfull information. Thanks again for everything, I guess we will meet again soon. Prague never gets boring :)
The apartment is located a few kilometers from the city center and is well served by public transport.
Is there a problem with the hot water but otherwise all good ..
Very nice appartement near of the center of prague, very pratic. admiring prague in spring. hust great
We were a group of 5 and the apartment was perfect for us.
It was very comfortable with all the necessary facilities.
Mr Bernhard was very kind and patient to wait for us to reach at 1 :00 am.
He even suggested us a lovely place to eat, which was the highlight of our trip.
I would stay here again.
Excellent value for money accommodation so close to the centre of Prague.
Despite only meeting Bernhard at the beginning of our stay he provided us with much useful information about the locality.
- Alojamiento de calidad asegurada
- Verificamos telefónicamente a cada anfitrión
- Pago seguro a través de cifrado SSL


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"Is Marijuana addictive?" It is a common question because most people automatically assume that it is not an addictive substance based on their knowledge of the drug and the culture that surrounds it. On the other hand, more and more people these days are seeking treatment for dependency on the drug, and some people definitely seem to show real signs of marijuana addiction. So what is the right answer? Is it addictive?
Let's take a look and find out. Take a quick glance at the chart down below that is based on a mountain of government data. It is indicating that for all of the people who have ever tried marijuana, 4 percent of them are currently meeting criteria for dependency on the drug. You can also see the numbers for some other drugs there.
Now I know that when I was smoking weed every day and trying to justify my using, I would have seized on these numbers and said "Ha! See? Marijuana is the least addictive of these drugs!" This is a typical attempt to justify my addiction.
But you see, 4 percent is actually pretty scary. Do you have any idea how many people try using Marijuana at some point? LOTS. So it is pretty significant that 4 percent develop dependence.
Plus, what does it really matter if it is 1 percent or 90 percent? Some people do get addicted. Flat out. And that can have a huge impact on their lives.
Traditional wisdom
The traditional wisdom regarding Marijuana use is that very few people even become habitual users of the drug. Many people try it at least once but most people do not turn into what we call "pot heads." On the other hand, the same is true of alcohol. Again, check the chart. Pretty much everyone is exposed to alcohol at some point but very few people actually become alcoholics. So a low percentage of addiction is not really noteworthy, as this is the case with other addictive drugs as well.
Now does habitual use mean that a person is addicted? Not necessarily. But in practical terms, this difference really does not matter much. If someone wants to change their life then the fine line between "bad habit" and "full blown addiction" really does not matter. Many people who become heavy users of Marijuana would like to quit for a variety of reasons, including some of the following:
1) It is illegal and therefore risky behavior.
2) Smoking it daily affects the health negatively (harsh cough, obvious damage to the lungs, etc.)
3) The drug begins to dominate your lifestyle. It influences how you spend your time, the people you hang around with, etc. It thus limits your freedom.
4) Smoking it daily stunts your personal and emotional growth. You use it to medicate your feelings instead of learning and growing through new situations.
And so on. So there are a number of reasons that people would like to stop using Marijuana in order to improve their lives. The fact that some people experience these negative consequences but continue to use Marijuana points to the idea of addiction as well.
But in addition to all this, consider the following points about Marijuana:
* There is evidence that it activates reward centers in the brain.
* Heavy users seem to develop tolerance (it takes more and more of the drug for them to reach the same level of "high").
* Withdrawal might be really mild, but people do report cravings, and others say they feel sluggish and "down" if they go without it.
* Physical addiction in the body is beside the point, people get wrapped up in a lifestyle of smoking marijuana every day
* There is evidence that Marijuana is indeed a gateway drug, and can lead users to other substances that are also harmful to them (though in reality, Marijuana addiction is bad enough, when you consider all of the negative ways in which it can and does impact a person's life).
All of these points seem to reinforce the idea that Marijuana is addictive, so let's look at them in greater detail.
Marijuana seems to be addictive in a physical sense for heavy users
A certain percentage of people who smoke Marijuana end up becoming very heavy users of it. These are people who smoke a lot of Marijuana every single day. For people in this class of user, it seems that they actually do experience some signs of physical addiction.
For example, if they go through a day or two where they can not get any of the drug, they complain that they feel lethargic and depressed. These are difficult withdrawal symptoms to measure but they are definitely real symptoms nonetheless.
Marijuana is clearly addictive in terms of psychological dependence
The biggest point here is not really physical addiction regarding Marijuana, but rather the idea of psychological addiction is what is important. This is because Marijuana is very addictive to some people in a psychological sense because the person uses the drug to basically escape reality and to medicate their feelings.
For example, consider someone who has been smoking Marijuana for most of their life. They use the drug almost every day, and they justify the use of it for almost any situation. They get high to celebrate. They get high to compensate for a bad day at work. They get high when they feel sick in order to feel better. They get high when they have to deal with a bunch of drama in their life. Getting high became their default response to almost everything in their life, and so they developed this pattern of managing their entire life through getting high with Marijuana. This is addiction. They might not be physically hooked on the drug, but they rely on Marijuana as a crutch to get them through almost every event in their life. They are psychologically addicted.
It is worth noting that anyone who is psychologically addicted to Marijuana like this is also cross addicted with other drug, whether they realize it or not. In other words, people who are self medicating in this manner could very easily switch to another drug or substance and find that it works just as well for them. In other words, they are in greater danger of experiencing cross addiction. This is due to the fact that they are not really hooked on Marijuana, instead they are addicted to medicating their emotions and using a chemical to escape from reality.
Everyone who smokes Marijuana is not going to become psychologically addicted like this. But many people who smoke it every day for long periods of time are in danger of becoming psychologically addicted.
Marijuana is clearly addictive in terms of a social dependency
The other way in which Marijuana is deeply addictive is in the social sense of the drug. This is what people are referring to when they say that someone is "addicted to the lifestyle." People who smoke Marijuana together will naturally develop some level of social bond with each other. To give up smoking Marijuana is to give up this bond. Depending on the person, and also on how old they are, this can be a really big deal.
This also points to how Marijuana use can become a self esteem issue for young people. They might try using Marijuana for the first time and realize suddenly that doing so has earned them "automatic friendship" among others who are also smoking. This is an instant ego boost for any young person who suffers from low self esteem. It is also easy to see why someone can become trapped in the cycle of addiction this way because they are not willing to walk away from their new friends.
People who become heavy users of Marijuana will, over time, end up having a social network built up in their life of almost exclusively other Marijuana users. This is the lifestyle part of drug addiction that gives their life meaning. Part of staying hooked on Marijuana is in not wanting to abandon this network of friends.
Marijuana really is a gateway drug in some cases
The idea that Marijuana is a gateway drug has been thrown around a lot, but I believe that there is some truth to the theory based on my own experience. I started with Marijuana and the use of it made me curious enough to try alcohol and other drugs as well. It's not real clear to me that Marijuana is actually the cause of experimenting with other drugs, as I think in most cases it is actually the result of that interest in exploring different "highs." Nevertheless, smoking weed can definitely lead to trying other drugs, simply due to the social nature of the drug and the culture that surrounds it. If you smoke Marijuana long enough with a large variety of people then eventually you will be introduced to other substances as well. Whether or not you choose to use those other substances is up to you, but most people who are immersed into this drug culture are eventually going to explore a bit.
In the end I don't think this point matters much though, because marijuana addiction is bad enough all by itself, and it doesn't much matter if it leads the user to "harder" drugs. To suggest that this is the main problem with Marijuana addiction is to belittle the fact that Marijuana use by itself is really quite harmful and damaging to a person on a number of different levels.
Let's look at it another way….addiction = loss of freedom
Regardless of whether or not you buy into the idea that Marijuana is addictive physically, socially, or psychologically, being caught up in the lifestyle of smoking weed on a regular basis is still going to ultimately mean the same thing: a loss of freedom.
What more is addiction, really, then when you have to do something? You have lost your choice in the matter and now you have to smoke Marijuana in order to get by. If this is the case with you or someone you know, then it matters little if we label it as addiction or not. The fact of the matter is that they are trapped in a cycle and they have to smoke Marijuana in order to feel normal and to deal with their everyday life.
In this way, it has become an emotional crutch for the user and they are using the drug to medicate their feelings. If something bad happens in their life, then they definitely need to smoke that day. If they become stressed out over events that have occurred in their life, they have to smoke then as well. Using a substance as an emotional crutch like this qualifies as an addiction in my book.
Is Marijuana addictive? Only to the extent that it dominates someone's life and removes their freedom. If you take a look at heavy marijuana users or people who smoke regularly, you will see that they are making great sacrifices and taking big risks in order to continue to self medicate with the drug.
Check out the video:


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Stem the tide of robocalls: Brian Roche explains
Techniques can slow down onslaught of robocallsUPDATED 11:48 AM EST Feb 21, 2013
They are the bane of many News 8 viewers -- robocalls. Brian Roche lets you know how you can stem the tide of these annoying calls.
Sign up for the do-not-call list | Watch part 1 of Brian's report
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