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Religion of 2014-08-23
The Earth- a Masterpiece of Allah's Intricate Ingenuity
"All praise is[due] to Allah, who created the heavens and earth and made the darkness and light. Then those who disbelieve equate[others] with their Lord[the creator!]." --- Qur'an 6:1 Since the dawn of creation, Allah's Throne was situated on top of water, and when He wanted to create His creatures, he extracted smoke from water, and it was raised on top of the water and named it the heaven. After the big bang event, where the earth and all other heavily bodies were fragmented from one piece, which included the sun, the moon etc, He then sent down heavy and torrential rain fall to cool it[the earth] for thousands of years, in order to suite our ability to cope with its severe and scorching temperature, having emanated from the sun. In a hadith reported by Abi Hurairah and narrated by Imam Muslim, The prophet [PBUH] said: "Allah created the sand [on earth] on Saturday, the mountains on Sunday, the threes on Monday, misfortune and mishap on Tuesday, the light on Wednesday, created and spread beasts and animals on Thursday and finally created Adam[first man on earth] on Friday, at the last hour, between Asr and Magrib prayer. He then dried the water and made it as one earth and then expanded it in the form of seven earths(deep inside) in one. This according to historians was done in two days, Sunday and Monday. This water constitute seventy percent, while the land mass was made up of about 30 percent. They further indicated that, Allah created mountains and all beneficial things in them on Tuesday. Then on Wednesday, He created the threes and the seventh heavens and earth's atmosphere as well in two days-Thursday and Friday. And Friday was referred to Juma'a because Allah's created heavens and earth on this day. And He gave each layer of the heaven its command[Qur'an chapter 41 verse 11-12]. Each level of the heaven has its own angels, its water body and mountains and many other unseen creatures[aliens and UFOs(Unidentifiable Flying Objects)] that he made hidden to mankind. He then beautify the heavenly skies with planets, stars and metriots that protect and guide humankind. There are many evidence from the Qur'an that indicates that, Allah created more than one worlds or planets. One of them is located in the very first chapter and first verse of the Qur'an- suratul fatiha, or the open chapter that says: "Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds." Fourteen centuries ago, the human mind was incapable of any sound thinking about the earth, the solar system or the galaxies. Yet, the very first verse of the Qur'an states that Allah is the Lord of the worlds, testifying to the presence of worlds beyond the earth. In fact, the words "the Lord of the Worlds" appears in the Qur'an a total of 73 times. Today, mankind knows for the fact that there are other planets besides the earth. This knowledge was gained only through the invention of telescopes and other scientific developments. But the Almighty Creator[Allah] revealed this knowledge to His Prophet Muhammad[PBUH] long before man invented the telescope and other similar instruments. Regarding the seven folds of the heavens, Allah says in Qur'an chapter 2 verse 29 that: "It is He[Allah] who created seven heavens, one above the other." This verse and similar ones have been mysteries even for men of science. A Turkish astrophysics, Dr. Haluk Baki has recently explained these on the basis of the recent advancements in the field of astrophysics. He has shown that the space surrounding our earth consists of the following seven concentric magnetic layers: 1- The spatial filed associated with the solar system represents the first heaven. 2- The magnetic field surrounding the Milky Way has just been discovered. This spatial field of our galaxy represents the second seven. 3- The Spatial field of 'Local Cluster' of galaxies represents the third heaven. 4- The Central magnetic field of the universe represented by the collection of galaxies represents the fourth heaven. 5- The cosmic band represented by quasars represents the fifth heaven. 6- The field of expanding universe represents the sixth heaven. 7- The outermost field representing the limitless infinities of the universe represents the seventh heaven. These layers of heavens involve unimaginable distances. The first layer of the heaven is approximately 6.5 trillion kilometers in thickness. The second layer i.e. the diameter of our galaxy is 130 thousand light years. The third layer spans 2 million light years. The fourth layer is 100 million light years in its diameter. The fifth heaven is at a distance of 1 billion light years. The sixth is at a distance of 20 billion light years. Needless to say that the seventh heaven lies beyond infinity. One could recall that, I mentioned in the first series last week, the prophet revealed that the distance between one layer of the heaven to another takes a journey of 500 years. One might see this as a contradiction. But it is never a controversy, because remember the Universe itself is not stationary and static, but it is constantly dynamic and expanding as Allah himself says in Qur'an chapter 51 verse 47 that: "With Might did We[Allah] construct the heaven, verily We are continuously expanding it." So it presupposes that, the 500 years distance the prophet mentioned over 1400 years might have been stretched wider, given the long period in between 1400 years and 21st century. Because this scientific discovery revealed above by the Turkish astrophysics, Dr. Haluk Baki is more of a recent time phenomenon. And remember what I quoted from Eddington last week, who said: " According to an estimate by every 1300 million years, all distances in the Universe are doubled." So no one would justifiably see what the prophet said regarding the distance in between a layer of the heaven to the next as a contradiction, he was divinely inspired and we just need to be smart to connect the dots. Furthermore, the Qur'an discusses four stages of the development of the earth as Allah states in Qur'an 41 verse 10: "And He Allah set on[the earth] mountains firmly set over its surface, and bestowed [His] blessings on the earth, And determined there in its sustenance [and creatures] in Four balanced period[according to the requirements], for [information of those] who ask." The present day geologists divide the history of the earth into four major areas as follows: 1- Pre-Cambrian Era: from 600 to 3300 million years. During this era, the earth evolved from its original mass[the universe], and became a separate planetary body. This era ended when life became abundant and diversified. 2- Paleozoic era: From 230 to 600 million years. This is the first land vegetation, amphibians, and reptiles appeared in this era. This is the era of ancient life. 3- Mesozoic era: from 63 to 230 million years. This regarded as the era of middle life. Plants became better adjusted to seasonal change. Vertebrates, mammals and birds also appeared in this era and the dinosaurs became abundant. 4- Cenozoic era: Recent to 63 million years. This era contains the present phase of life. This division of the geological history of the earth into four eras is not haphazard or random, but is based on the breaks in the sequence of deposition of physical sediments. These eras are universally accepted as the basis of the world wide correlations. They represent the record of development of animal and plant life, and also drifting of continents and the appearance of oceans and mountains. It is probably about these four eras that the Qur'an states: "And He[Allah]…determined there in its sustenance in four balanced periods." The earth is 70 percent water and 30 percent land mass. It travels through space at a speed of around 66,000 miles per hour. The coldest temperature ever recorded on earth was 128.6 degrees Fahrenheit below zero in Antarctica. Earth is the fifth largest planet in our solar system, and is thought to be about 4 and 5 billion years old. While it is about 93 million miles away from the sun, the highest point on earth is Mt. Everest at about 29,028 feet above sea level. The lowest point is the "Dead Sea" at about 1,302 feet below sea level, where Allah destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, the people of prophet Lute. The Qur'an mentions this in chapter 15 verses 72 to 77. And Geographers have now discovered that these cities are situated on a highroad from Makkah to Syria-south of the "Dead Sea". Regarding other creatures on earth, according to Ibn Abbass: "Allah created the threes on Wednesday, the birds, lions and other species of animals on Thursday." Rabi'a Bun Anas also said; "Allah created the angels on Wednesday and created the jinn[demons] on Thursday." And the night was created before the day. It is estimated that since Adam's creation, the world is over 7000 years now. And Ka'abah, according to Abu Hurairah was the first house Allah built about 2000 years, and there were two angels surrounding it, making tasbeeh[invocation] to Allah, day and night. In a hadith narrated by Imam Ahmad, which was reported by Abi Hurairah, he said: "We were once sitting with the Prophet[PBUH] and he ask: Do you know what is beneath you? We said: It is only Allah and His messenger who know! He said: The earth! He said: Do you know what is under it? We said: It is only Allah and His messenger who know! He is: There other earths beneath it! He said: Do you know the distance between each one of them? They said it is only Allah and his messenger who know! He said: It takes a journey of 700 years until you reach the last part of the seven sections of the earth. He then said: May Allah forbid! If you were to lead one of you[brothers] to the lowest section of this earth, he would get drown[without getting rescued]!" In another narration by Imam Ahmad, on the authority of Malik Ibn Anas, who said: The prophet[PBUH] said: "When Allah created the earth, it began to shake, He then created the mountains and threw them on top of it[earth] and it suddenly stabilized. The angels having been amazed by what the mountains could do asked Allah: O Lord!: Is there anything stronger than the mountains? He said: Yes, the iron! They asked again: O Lord! is there anything stronger than the iron? He said: Yes, the fire! They further said: O Lord! Is there anything stronger than the fire? He said: Yes, the wind! The asked again: O Lord! is there anything stronger than the wind? He said: Yes, the son of Adam[a man], who gives charity sincerely, to the extent that, his left hand would never see what his right hand gives[by implication, giving for the sake of Allah, without seeking publicity makes man spiritually stronger in the sight of Allah]. Regarding the creation of the mountains, many experts[in the field of geology] recorded the number of mountains on earth, from all part of it, both west and east, and they revealed their heights and lengths, colors etc. As Allah says in Qur'an chapter 35 verse 27 that: "…And in the mountains are[judad] tracts, white and red of varying shades and[some] extremely black." Commenting on this verse in his Tafsir[Qur'anic Exegesis], Ibn Abbass said, judad means, tracts, paths and roads. And this means all the mountains Allah created on the entire earth supposed to be different from one another in terms sizes, lengths and colors. And to serve us places to curve out roads and highways for human transportation. Allah also created majarah[galaxy or Milky way] and qausi quzah[rainbow]. According to Abu Qasim Altabarani, Saeedu Bun Jubair reported from Ibn Abass that, once Hiraqal,[Heracles] the king of Rome wrote to Mu'awiyah[once Khalifah of the prophet] and said if there remains some few things[knowledge] among them as part of the prophecy, then he should be able to answer me upon what I am going to ask him. Then he wrote to him asking him about the[majarah] galaxy and [qausi quzah] rainbow and a spot, where the sun rays reach or shine for only one hour? He said: When Mu'awiyah received the questions he said: I need to make reference in order to answer your question. He[Mu'awiyah] then sent the person to Ibn Abbass who answered the questions as follows: "Verily, the rainbow is a security for people against drowning on their boats or any sea vessel, and the galaxy is a gate in the heaven that the earth split or got fragmented from[since the era of Big Bang], but regarding a spot that the sun rays reach for only one hour, it is the sea that children of Israel were rescued from[the red sea], when Allah rescued Musah and his followers, from the Fir'uan or Pharos in Egypt. Regarding the angels, Allah created them to serve Him constantly, for many years before he created Adam[father of mankind]. He created them from light, they do not have same feelings that we do have. In a hadith reported by Imam Muslim, who narrated on the authority of Aisha who said, the prophet[PBUH] said: "Allah created the angels from light, and created jinn or demons from fire…" And Imam Hassanul Basari said; "Iblees or Satan was not part of the angels even with a blink of an eye." And Abdallah Bun Amru and Shaharu Bun Haushib said; "He [Satan] was part of the demons, when they caused destruction[for over 2000 years] on earth[by shedding blood], Allah sent upon them a group of angels as soldiers to kill them and carry their bodies to a far ocean waters. Angels have different kinds, numbers and sizes of wings, but the prophet[PBUH] was reported to have revealed in one hadith narrated by Abdallah Bun Mas'ud and compiled by Bukhari that, "When he [the prophet] and angel Gabriel were on their ascension journey to the throne of Allah[Israe wal m'eraj], by virtue of the wide expanse of the universal firmament, he was able to count 600 hundred wings of Gabriel." Hence, one could easily deduce that, if Gabriel alone should have 600 wings, then how much more the rest of the millions of those angels who descend on earth with Gabriel would have? For them, they were created to be in a persistent and perpetual service to Allah. In a hadith narrated by Jabir Bun Abdallah, the prophet[PBUH] said: "There is no a foot spot, a span of hand or a space as small as a palm in the entire seven heavens unless there is an angel standing[in prayer posture], or in prostration[position] or bending[rukuh]." And on the Day of Judgment, they will all say: "[O Lord!] we have never worship you as you supposed to be worshipped, but we never associated partners with you." In another hadith, Aliyu Bun Abi Talib was asked about "Biatil Ma'amoor" or "Celestial Ka'abah" and he answered saying: "It is a mosque in the seventh level of the heaven which is referred to us "Al-surrakh"[ like where angels are making invocation vocally on constant bases]. It could feet exactly on the top of Ka'abah in Makkah, when it is to be placed on it, and seventy thousand angels pray in it on daily bases and they would not return to it [after getting relieved by another group of angels] until the last day." These ahadith indicate that, there is no spot in the universe[heaven] without having angels busying themselves in worship and different forms of supplications and invocation to Allah, the Almighty! Some of them are standing and would not move or sit till the Day of Judgment, some of them are in prostration position and would not rise up till the Last Day, and some of them are in a bending position and would not move till the End of Time. Angels speak, they appear, disappear and reappear. They are emotional creatures. While angels may become visible by choice, our eyes are not constructed to see them ordinarily any more than we can see the dimensions of a nuclear field, the structure of atoms, or the electricity that flows through copper wiring…The history of all nations and cultures reveals at least some belief in angelic beings…Ancient Egyptians made the tombs of their dead more impregnable and lavish than their homes because they felt angels would visit there…Islamic scholars have proposed that at least two angels are assigned to each person: one angel records the good deeds and the other records the bad. In fact long before Islam arose, and even apart from contact with scripture, some religions taught the existence of angels..Today some hard-nose scientists lend credence to the scientific probability of the angels when they admit the likelihood of the unseen and invisible intelligence…Even they[angels] excel humankind in their knowledge…but however vast their knowledge is, we can be sure they are not omniscient. They do not know everything. They are not like God. Angels probably know things that we do not know about ourselves. And because they are ministering spirits, they will always use this knowledge for our good and not for evil purposes. In a day when few men can be trusted with secret information, it is comforting to know that angels will not divulge their secret knowledge to hurt us. Rather, they will use it for our good. Increasingly, our world is being made acutely aware of the existence of the occult and demonic powers. People pay attention as never before to sensational headlines, promoting films and books concerning the occult. They are[believers] grasping the eternal dimension of life, become conscious of the sinless angelic powers who are for real, and who associate with God Himself and administer His works on our behalf?" John Calvin of Institute of the Christian Religion buttressed this above point when he said. "The angels are the dispensers and administrators of the divine beneficence toward us; they regard our safety, undertake our defense solicitude that no evil befall us." Allah has said in the Qur'an[to paraphrase] that, verily the creations of heaven and earth are more complex and complicated[huge] that the creation of mankind, hence the rationale behind starting this series "From the Genesis-How Allah Created the Universe", and seconding it with "The Earth- a Masterpiece of Allah's Intricate Ingenuity". And since angels had an interesting incidents that happened between them and our first father Adam, and they had been assigned by Allah to be our 'watch dogs'- to constantly monitor our movements and activities[24/7], our third series next Friday will dwell on the history of Adam[May Allah be pleased with him], his relationship with the angels, how he was 'deported' or better still[lol] 'repatriated' from Paradise back on earth and how he began to reproduce his progeny, our earlier medieval ancestors that trickles down to all other prophets and messengers, some servants of Allah like Khidir and Zul-Qarnain, [possessor of two horns] some rebels of Allah, Like Satan and his deputy, Fir'aun, the people who slept and woke up after 309[Ashabul Qahaf]-The Companions of the Cave, until we reach the era of seal of all the prophet, Muhammad[PBUH], his [sahabah]companions and [tabi'een] next generations after until present. HusseiniYushau BabalWaiz, is the Research & Outreach Coordinator at the Center for Media & Peace Initiatives Inc. New York, Author of three books, including "Islam Promotes Tolerance & Prohibits Terrorism-Reviving the Islamic Advocacy of Mercy and Magnanimity to Mankind" & Tutor in Arabic & Islamic Studies in New York. firstname.lastname@example.com NB: Folks, this is the second in the new series entitled: "Delving Deep Inside the Islamic Historic Memory Lane", which will be running for months or even years, aimed at showcasing the amazing historical phenomena that happened in the pre and post Islamic world. Inform your colleagues, families and friends to follow me on facebook [husseini baba alwaiz] and twitter[@babalwaiz], weekly. References: Al-Bidayah Wal-Nihayah [The Beginning & The End],by Abil Fadah, Imam Hafiz Ibn Kathir Al-Muntazeem-Fii Tareekhil Umam Wal-Mulook, [A book on the History of[medieval] Societies & Kingdoms] by, Abil Faraj, Abdul Rahman Bun Aliyi Bun Muhammad Ibnil Jawzi Angels-God's Secret Agents- By Bill Graham, a celebrated American clergy and author 160 Mysteries & Miracles of the Qur'an, by Dr. Mazhar Kazi Earth- by Melanie Michell
Hussein BabalWaiz
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Northern Plains Indian painted buffalo robe (c1875) at Buffalo Bill Historical Center. Cody, WY.
Photo by Jim Steinhart © 2011, all rights reserved. (Ref: WYD601)
Click an index below to see this photo among related images:
Other Native American Objects
Buffalo Bill Historical Center Native American Collection
Captions List for Wyoming

subset: commoncrawl


text: Hi, welcome to GTA Wiki. Thanks for contributing to the Forum:Are all islands open at the start of TLOD? page, and for taking interest in the wiki. Please leave a message on my talk page if I can help with anything, or as alternatives, leave a post on a forum, or refer to the Help pages. LS11sVaultBoy (talk) 20:54, August 28, 2013 (UTC)


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Eminem is officially back.
His new album "MMLP2" will be released on November 5, executive produced by Rick Rubin and Dr. Dre.
The 16-track project features Skylar Grey, Kendrick Lamar, Rihanna, Nate Ruess and Liz Rodrigues.
Disc: 1
1. Bad Guy (prod. by S1)
2. Parking Lot (Skit) (prod. by Streetrunner)
3. Rhyme Or Reason (prod. by Eminem)
4. So Much Better (prod. by Eminem)
5. Survival (prod. by DJ Khalil) [Audio | Video]
6. Legacy (prod. by Emile Haynie)
7. Asshole Ft. Skylar Grey (prod. by Alex da Kid)
8. Berzerk (prod. by Rick Rubin) [Audio | Video]
9. Rap God (prod. by DVLP) [Audio]
10. Brainless (prod. by Eminem)
11. Stronger Than I Was (prod. by Eminem)
12. The Monster Ft. Rihanna (prod. by Frequency) [Audio]
13. So Far… (prod. by Rick Rubin)
14. Love Game Ft. Kendrick Lamar [Audio]
15. Headlights Ft. Nate Ruess (prod. by Emile Haynie & Jeff Bhasker)
16. Evil Twin (prod. by Rick Rubin) (prod. by Sid Roams)
Disc: 2
1. Baby
2. Desperation (Ft. Jamie N Commons)
3. Groundhog Day
4. Beautiful Pain (Ft. Sia)
5. Wicked Ways
Shady is back! Tell a friend.


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Krugman: Dem green job claims are bogus
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said the cap-and-trade bill was about "jobs, jobs, jobs, jobs." But liberal economist Paul Krugman tells National Public Radio a different story (thanks to OpenMarket):
There will be more wind farms built. There will be people retrofitting power plants to reduce their emissions. There will be people weatherproofing housing and commercial buildings."
What economists would say is that employment would be just about the same as it would have been otherwise, but it will be a different mix of jobs.
We welcome comments that advance the story through relevant opinion, anecdotes, links and data. If you see a comment that you believe is irrelevant or inappropriate, you can flag it to our editors by using the report abuse links. Views expressed in the comments do not represent those of Reuters. For more information on our comment policy, see http://blogs.reuters.com/fulldisclosure/2010/09/27/toward-a-more-thoughtful-conversation-on-stories/
There's also the Keynes idea of job creation
– get a thousand or so workers to dig holes and put money in it, and another thousand to dig it up again
The Bill supposedly was about energy and emissions and is still labelled as such ("ACES").
Assuming a need to deal with emissions,
Electricity Generation (coal, gas) and Transport (mainly automobiles) alone account for nearly 80% of fuel combustion emissions.
No Trade Problems
Unlike Cap and Trade, which involves cement, steel and other industries having to face imports from unregulated countries, the here suggested electricity and transport changes are not just more limited, but also largely local.
Funding and Impact
Equity and long term loan finance can be used: Long term industrial loans from financial institutions, particularly if federal/state guaranteed, give low yearly interest repayments and lessen the effect on electricity bills or transport cost.
The impact on the businesses is further lessened by the stability and predictability surrounding the funding.
Since only electricity and transport are involved, other business continues as usual and consumers and society in general are spared expense and disruption.
This is even more obvious from having no energy efficiency regulation either – see below.
Compare with
today's all-encompassing Cap and Trade (emission trading) suggestions, with unpredictability, expense, and needless disruption from normal business practice on one hand, or unnecessary profiteering from free allowance handouts with little actual emission reduction on the other hand – together with extensive regulation on what people can or can't buy and use.
Understanding Cap and Trade, and why it is bad for America and bad for lowering emissions http://ceolas.net/#cce5x
Market Reduction of CO2: Cap and Trade – or Not?
Basic Idea — Offsets — Tree Planting — Manufacture Shift — Fair Trade — Surreal Market — Real Market — Allowances: Auctions + Hand-Outs — Allowance Trading — Companies: Business Stability + Cost — In Conclusion
Instead, A New Electric America: http://ceolas.net/#cc10x onwards
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[…] Via Pethokoukis. […]


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b: small amount of ham, half a fried mashed potato ball, a little cauliflower, a small bowl of pea soup
s: handful of peanuts
l: 4 tacos and a bowl of soup, plus a slice of pineapple, yum
s: none
Last edited by scottydoesntknow; 03-07-2012 at 08:29 AM.
The hardest lift you'll ever make is the one from off the couch
So it's been a while since I wrote any updates, if you read my posts from the beginning, you'll see that I work on a ship and started 30 day's plan while at work, then my posts stopped after about 3.5 weeks, well, I went home. Home is a much busier place for me, with a wife and kids, and quite a bit harder to resist all the temptations that exist in the kitchen and in restaurants. I did however try pretty hard to keep with the Paleo spirit, and I'm proud to say that after 4 weeks at home, relatives visiting and taking us out to such gloriously high calorie restaurants as Red Robin and BJ's brewhouse, and a kids birthday party or 3, I managed to return to work right around the same weight as I was when I went home, which is spectacular. Historically, and I've got years of experience with this, I and most of my coworkers return to work 3-5 lbs heavier than we went home, and we then proceed to use our time in the "institution" to get back to where we were or make a little headway in getting to where we want to be health and weight wise.
So I have been here a couple weeks+ now and have gotten pretty much fully back into the paleo lifestyle and am as of today, within a pound of where I was when I got married 10 years ago, at 169lbs. By my count that is roughly a 7-10 lb weight loss since starting the lifestyle in mid February. I continue to do CrossFit style/Paleo workouts 4-5 days a week, and the muscle tone I'm beginning to show is great. In fact, I have a great chart of my daily weight loss (while at work only) since August, and it just keeps creeping upward. I have one of those fancy bathroom scales that measures body fat, and while I don't agree with the % it feeds me, I will say it has always been very consistent in what it tells me. After my first 30 days of Paleo, I saw my first body fat % drop since I've owned the thing, about 6 years or so. And not only that, it was a 2% drop, from 25.5-26% down to 23.5%. Personally I'd say I'm more likely around 15-17%, but that's just a guess, either way, it went down, and that's awesome, yay for me!
That's it for now, in 2 more weeks I'll see if I've gotten down to 21 or 22% on the scale, and that will be the proof in the pudding, as the say. Wish me luck!
The hardest lift you'll ever make is the one from off the couch


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Member News
The Atlanta Chamber Players announce their concert programs for the 2016-2017 season. World Premieres, a Free Concert, and an All-Norwegian Program are some of the highlights. Read the press release here.
The Allegria Ensemble has received a grant from the PA Council on the Arts to perform concerts in Centre County schools in May of 2017. Our program is "How to Listen to Classical Music" and features our trio of violin, oboe, and cello performing many short works from 1600 to contemporary music during CMA Chamber Music month.
Helen Sung's Sung With Words at Smalls Jazz Club!
Upcoming Concerts
New York University Abu Dhabi on 19 April
American Community School on 20 April
Khalifa University – TBA
Manarat Al Saadiyat – TBA
Our first part of our CMA residency at the Richmond Art Center was "Why Patterns?" The kids were inspired by music of Terry Riley, DBR, and Ruth Crawford and went on to make fabulous art.
Haven will premiere "TWINGE" at the Dallas Museum of Art, Saturday, November 12, 2016. "TWINGE" is a 45 -minute chamber work for soprano, clarinet, and piano inspired by Barry Bearak's New York Times Magazine article,"The Day The Sea Came".
First Prize winner of the 12th Banff International String Quartet Competition
Rockport Music is pleased to announce the appointment of violinist and violist Barry Shiffman as Artistic Director of Rockport Music effective September 2017. He will be responsible for planning the Rockport Chamber Music Festival as well as all other classical music concerts throughout the year.
Outfitted with two extraordinary new members, JACK is thrilled to announce our 2016-17 season, featuring more than 60 performances and 50 world premieres. Read about it on our new website!
Akropolis launced its most successful video last week! Bringing back their Web Premier Series with a work by Marc Mellits, Splinter, they reached a record high 8,000 views and over 40 shares in just three days on Facebook. Read more press here on our page: https://www.facebook.com/akropolisquintet


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The College of Saint Elizabeth will once again embark on its yearly spiritual journey during the 12th Annual Summer Institute, July 6 to July 16. Sponsored by the College's Center for Theological and Spiritual Development, the Institute will take place on the College campus.
The two-week program brings together national and international experts in theology and pastoral practice and features a variety of courses, workshops and prayer services.
It also includes a Saturday daytime and a Sunday twilight retreat, a Spanish-language workshop and a Wednesday luncheon, Children of Hagar and Sarah: Remembering Our Mothers.
Rev. Jerome Murphy O'Connor, a professor of the New Testament at Ecole Biblique in Jerusalem, will present a course entitled, The Historical Jesus: Fact and Fiction.
This introduction to the techniques of contemporary Gospel criticism will analyze a series of episodes in the life of Jesus to determine what is historical and what can be attributed to the theological perspective. Rev. O'Connor, a native of Cork, Ireland, is a noted scholar on the Pauline letters and the historical Jesus. He has authored several books and lectured throughout the world.
This year's Institute includes a cooperative program with CSE's education department. Dr. Kent Keith, CEO of Greenleaf Center for Servant Leadership, will present a lecture entitled Servant Leadership: A Source of Energy and Meaning at Work.
His presentation will center on the importance of service, define servant leadership, compare the power model of leadership with the service model, describe some of the key practices of servant leaders and explore their meaningful lives.
A book signing will follow the lecture, which is free and open to the public. The event will take place Monday, July 13 at 1:30 pm in the Dolan Performance Hall in Annunciation Center.
For those in the counseling, healthcare and ministry fields, the Center is sponsoring a three-credit graduate psychology course, Spirituality in Counseling, in conjunction with the College's Psychology Department.
The course is designed to address the interplay of spiritual and emotional development in adult life and will consider how both can be addressed in counseling. It will examine how spirituality affects counseling and the ethical issues involved.
This year's Institute offers four special programs: The theme of the Saturday, July 11, retreat, Living the Questions of the Spiritual Life ... with Spiritual Director Henri Nouwen, is centered on the teachings of Fr. Henri Nouwen.
The respected priest of L'Arche Daybreak community in Toronto and professor at Notre Dame, Yale and Harvard has authored more than 40 books on the spiritual life, including The Wounded Healer and The Return of the Prodigal Son.
The twilight retreat on Sunday, July 12, is geared toward families. Dr. Mickey Corso, founder of InTheVineyard Ministries, will dramatically re-enact the Gospel of Mark. Saint Mark's Gospel: The Message Comes Alive draws the audience into the story of Jesus of Nazareth, his disciples, and the people who opposed him.
Turkish food is on the menu for a special Abraham's Table luncheon, entitled Children of Hagar and Sarah: Remembering Our Mothers. This gathering seeks to examine the relationship between these two women and how it continues to be a lens for exploring issues in biblical interpretation, feminist studies, and inter-religious dialogue.
This Abraham's Table luncheon is sponsored by the Interfaith Dialogue Center, a non-profit organization, established to foster dialogue and understanding between faiths, cultures and civilizations. There is no cost for the luncheon, but registration is required.
Spiritual Exercises of Saint Ignatius Loyola is a Spanish language retreat, led by Rev. Tom Florek on Sunday, July 12, from 9 am to 5 pm. Fr. Florek is the founder and director of Instituto Cultural de Liderazgo en el Medio Oeste at Notre Dame University.
ICLM's mission is to form leadership within the faith and culture of Hispanic/Latino communities. There are four follow-up sessions Monday and Thursday evenings from 7 to 9 pm. For more information, contact Maricela Quintana at 973-290-4346.
Sponsored by the Sisters of Charity of Saint Elizabeth, Convent Station, New Jersey, the College of Saint Elizabeth enrolls more than 2,000 full- and part-time students in more than 25 undergraduate, 10 graduate and one doctoral degree programs.
For information on other activities or programs, visit the College of Saint Elizabeth web site at www.cse.edu.


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Chris K. Davidson for Birmingham Box Set: You've released a few albums of original material. What made you decide to start recording these various covers?
Gianni Luminati- We just wanted to make music that we love. There are so many amazing songs out there that we love. Instead of restricting ourselves to music that we have written, we wanted to expand our minds with all kinds of music. It was just a part of the strategy, to make amazing music.
BBS: What made you choose "Somebody That I Used to Know"?
GL- I have a good ear for awesome songs. I heard that song and knew it was a really great song.
BBS:How much rehearsal did it take to make the video?
Sarah Blackwood - We don't spend too much time rehearsing for our videos. Obviously there is some time spent on pre-production, but we try not to over think anything too much, and we come up with a lot of the stuff you see in the video while shooting it.
BBS: Did you ever expect it to take off like it did?
SB- Our plan was that eventually we would have a viral video. It was just a matter of time. We like to say this one was just the perfect storm. It all happened at the right time. We are never done though. Even though the video was awesome, we still plan to make more, better, viral videos.
BBS: What was the main inspiration behind this new EP of new material?
SB - Life really. We wrote a lot about our life experience. Things we have been through and were going through at the time. We like to keep our minds open and not write too much about the same topic, so we concentrated on a bunch of different things.
BBS: What was the writing and recording process like?
GL - It was really cool writing this album. It is the first time Sarah, Marshall, and I have all written together, along with the band, as a group. It was very interesting and really intense. We all feel the same way about this record. It is definitely the best material any of us have put out.
BBS: What have been your favorite moments of touring this year?
SB - Knowing that I am doing what I love with the best of my friends. When you love what you do, and you get to share that with all the peeps that you love, it is the best thing. We are experiencing the world with our best friends. That's pretty awesome.
BBS: What should the audience expect from your show?
GL- We make sure that our live show is reflective of our videos. We are all very determined to have the best live show of all time! So we just keep doing what we need to do in order to make that happen. We have confetti, giant balloons, dust, lights, we throw stuff around...it's crazy.
BBS: What's next for Walk Off The Earth?
SB - World Domination.


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MBTS awards Central Region Blood Donation Competition Winners
Malawi Blood Transfusion Service through the Lilongwe Blood Transfusion Centre has awarded five secondary schools in the central region for winning the blood donation competition for schools and colleges.
The competion took place in 2014 and the national winner was given the awards in november, 2014 during the official launch of the national blood donation awareness week in Lilongwe at Masintha ground.
Blantyre: The O'Dala centre Cnr Victoria Av/Leslie rd P.O.Box 2681 Lilongwe: Kamuzu Central Hospital Roundabout P.O.Box 1699 Mzuzu: Katoto Branch P.O.Box 1242 Balaka: Balaka Satelite Depot P.O.Box 57


text:
Cisco Live US 2014 : Looking Forward to Great Sessions on Storage Networking (FC and FCoE)Data Center
Cisco Live 2014 is fast approaching in few weeks from now. This is an important year for Cisco LiveRead More
…And The Momentum Continues! New Nexus Data Center Innovations AND Customer Deployments!Data Center
You probably have already heard that during CiscoLive Milan, we have unveiled the new additions to our Data Center andRead More
Touching / Seeing / Feeling IPv6 in the World of Solutions at Cisco Live MilanArchitect & DE Discussions
As Cisco Live Europe 2014 draws to a close I wanted to reflect on what has (for me) beenRead More
OpenDaylight Unleashes Hydrogen to the MassesOpen at Cisco
The OpenDaylight Project today announced that its first open source software release Hydrogen is now availableRead More
Solving the Network Location Problem with LISP Part 2Perspectives
Hey Bro, Do you even LISP? So in the last article, we discussedRead More
Solving the Network Location Problem with LISPPerspectives
Your Location Has Changed, Carry On! Solving the Network Location Problem with LISP (Locator/Identifier Separation Protocol) The first thing that comesRead More


text:
From the Tulsa World:
The actions of a crowd that hindered officials' efforts to investigate and help a shooting victim early Sunday were "unacceptable," an EMSA spokeswoman said Monday.
Valentino Verner, 27, was shot several times outside the Chicken Hut, 1500 E. Apache St., just before 3 a.m.
He died from his injuries.
About 100 patrons were at the late-night, walk-up restaurant, and some were walking over the man's body to get their food, EMSA spokeswoman Tina Wells said.
» Behavior at crime scene denounced: Witnesses to the shooting walked over the victim's body and yelled at first-responders [Tulsa World]


text:
Neoseeker.com Forum Thread: MSI R7770 Power Edition Review - page 1
reprinted from
original thread:
Author: leochan
Date: Jun 3, 12 at 11:20pm (PST)
Subject: MSI R7770 Power Edition Review
MSI has created something that was actually able to surprise us, as the R7770 PE is not only the first HD 7770 on the market to include a triple over-voltage feature, but it is also the first to our knowledge that has a customizable thermal solution. The R7770 PE includes an additional fan that can be installed on the card itself in different configuration to improve the thermal performance in different ways. Find out how it works in our review.
MSI R7770 Power Edition Review
Copyright Neo Era Media, Inc. 1999-2016.
All Rights Reserved.


text:
WebCafe 1.2
Sponsored Links
WebCafe 1.2 Ranking & Summary
RankingClick at the star to rank
Ranking LevelBuy now
User Review: 10 (1 times)
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License: Shareware
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Date added: 2008-09-07
Publisher: Rhombus Technologies Pvt. Ltd.
WebCafe 1.2 description
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City and environment dodge a bullet near Warren Avenue Bridge
Going, going ... gone.
An abandoned 40-foot fishing trawler, the Vega, sank at Port Washington Marina on the weekend of Jan. 12-13, but fortunately only spewed a few gallons of oil into the water.
The ship, built in 1943, had been in trouble for some time, said a marina resident, Jim Doll, who lives on a 27-foot sloop moored nearby. Doll took pictures of the boat as it sank and later on Jan. 18 as it was dragged out of the water in pieces by Chico Towing.
Doll said the boats had a slow leak for a year, and periodically had to be pumped out. The harbor master at the marina, who declined to be identified, provided a recent history:
This guy brought it two-and-a-half years ago, he said, identifying the owner as Ralph Wollam. He took care of it til last spring, when he sold it to this (guy) for $50 down and pay-the-rest whenever. Last May, we kicked (the guy) off because the moorage wasnt paid.
We called the original owner (Wollam), who came out and stripped the boat portholes, compass, new instruments he said he had $12,000 in this boat and Im going to get something out of it.
The harbor master said We finally got jurisdiction over (the Vega) a month ago, and put an ad in your paper (The Bremerton Patriot) to give it away free. We felt there was still something worth saving.
There were no takers. Meanwhile, marina management had to buy a bigger pump to keep up with water seeping into the boat.
But something gave way, said the harbor master. And we got a call late one night that it was on the bottom.
He said that was a shame. The boat still had a good engine.
The marina hired Chico Towing to cable the sunken vessel to shore and pull it out anyway they could. The boat came out in pieces. It was cut up and has filled more than two 30-yard dumpsters.
Total cost to the marina?
Ten thousand dollars, said the harbor master, counting lost moorage fees, water pumping, and dragging out and disposal. He wouldnt say if the Marina will seek financial redress from the owner. However, The Coast Guard will fine him, he said.
A Coast Guard Auxiliary member apparently spotted the boat as it sank, and alerted the Coast Guards Seattle Office.
Lt. Cmdr. Andrew Tucci, marine environmental response officer, Coast Guard Seattle, said a contractor, Ballard Diving & Salvage, was sent to the site Jan. 13. Tucci said they found a few gallons of motor lube oil on the water, but that was all. The fuel tanks were checked by divers and were empty.
Were authorized to clean up the pollution, not save the sunken vessel, he said.
After the divers checked it out, the Coast Guard left. Cost to the Coast Guard for the limited clean-up was $3,000.
Tucci said the State Department of Ecology passed a law last year requiring abandoned and sunken boats to not only be cleaned up, but also cleared away. But there was no money in the budget to enforce the law, he said.
He said fines may be applied against the owner later depending on final determination of ownership and how well the owner cooperates in paying for clean up. He stressed the marina is not culpable and will not be fined.
The reputed owner, Wollam, was last thought to be a resident of Cle Elum, according to the Coast Guard.
Meanwhile, Larry Altose with the state Department of Ecologys Bellevue office, said they uncovered another possible owner, Douglas Bann of Cocolalla, Idaho. The Coast Guard is tracking down the responsible owner.
Altose said the environment and the city of Bremerton are lucky.
There was only a slight sheen of oil on the water .... It looks like we dodged the bullet environmentally on this one.
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SAGINAW, MI — Jason Lafave, a 39-year-old runner from Sanford, finished 251st overall in Monday's Boston Marathon, leading the Saginaw News-area runners.
Lafave posted a time of 2 hours, 37 minutes and 48 seconds in the 26.2-mile race. He finished 225 in the male division.
Mark Jones, 27, of Saginaw, and Rob McConnell, 40, of Mount Pleasant also finished among the top 1,000 runners. Jones was 277 in 2:38:31, while McConnell finished in 2:44:43, good for 576 place.
Maggie Rettelle, 41, of Midland was the first Saginaw News-area female runner, finishing in 3:26:30, good for 1,598 for women, 8,139 overall.
Other Saginaw News-area male finishers, with place and time, included Christopher Swieckicki from Midland (3:11.27), Kristopher James of Wheeler (3:13:22), Eric Brenner from Frankenmuth (3:20:08), William Pritchett of Midland (3:21:21; Matt Frazier of Midland (3:24:16); John Bradley of St. Louis (3:26:06, Earl Lentner III of Saginaw (3:28:55), Roy Knopp Jr. of Midland (3:50:26), Rich Wells of Midland (3:53:22), Bob Niven of Saginaw (3:59:14), Joaquin Luna of Saginaw (4:05:11), Howard Sweeney of Gladwin (4:40:50), John Koltvedt of Saginaw (4:53:29) and Steven Hansen of Midland (5:33:44)..
Other Saginaw News-area women's runners, included Kelli Schoendorf of Midland (3:37:51), Nicole McKeen of Hope (3:46:33), Brenda Clark of Fairgrove (3:46:63), Sharon Bade of Frankenmuth (3:48:07), Bridget Looby of Saginaw (3:56:06) and Rebecca Koltvedt of Saginaw (4:10:09).


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Suspects Wanted for Robbery in the 3rd District [VIDEO]
On June 13, 2013, at 10:30pm, the complainant, a 25 year-old male, was standing on the corner of 16th and Porter Streets in South Philadelphia when he was approached by two unknown males. The first suspect, who was armed with a handgun, pointed it at the complainant. When the complainant began to struggle with the suspect the handgun discharged several times before both males fled south on 6th Street. The complainant was not injured and no property was taken.
- Suspect Description:
Suspect #1: Black male, 23-24 years-of-age, 5'9″, thin build, 160lbs, dark complexion, long beard, wearing a dark hooded sweat shirt and armed with a handgun.
Suspect #2: Black male, 23-24 years-of-age, 6'3″, thin build, 170-180lbs, medium complexion, wearing a dark colored hooded sweat shirt.
- To view the surveillance video: Visit The Philadelphia Police YouTube Channel or visit http://phillypolice.com/news
- If you see these suspects do not approach them, contact 911 immediately.
- To submit a tip via telephone, dial 215.686.TIPS (8477) or text a tip to PPD TIP or 773847.
- Use this electronic form to submit a tip anonymously.
If you have any information about this crime or these suspects, please contact:
South Detectives Division
Det. Zanetich #9014


text:
What's on your Phone?
If you get that reference, this column's for you.
One of the most popular character types in the lists of most popular phone apps is the zombie. But these zombies target the pleasure centers of your brain. Just don't play these games and walk at the same time or people might confuse you as one of the walking dead.
Use this app to zombify anyone around (including yourself). Just snap a photo and add various zombie-centric overlays that give your victim an undead look. Once you get a look you like, save it and post on Twitter or Facebook or email to the neighborhood zombie hunter.
Platform: iPhone, iPod Touch (OS3.1) Price: Free
Plants vs. Zombies
There's a mob of fun-loving zombies trying to invade your home and your only defenses are some plant seeds and your neighbor, "Crazy Dave." Use strategy to place the right type of zombie-zapping plants — peashooters, wall-nuts, cherry bombs and more — and dispatch 26 types of zombies before they break down your door. Earn money to pay off Dave and get additional defenses for your home. Conquer all 50 levels of Adventure mode (including day, night, fog, swimming pool and rooftop) and get a fun music-video treat.
Platform: iPhone, iPod Touch (OS3) Price: $3
Zombie Farm
The game turns Plants vs. Zombies on its head by having you farm, grow and harvest a rich selection of crops and corpses and eventually unleash your zombie army on the neighboring population. Use you zombies to attack enemies like farmers, city folk, pirates and evil bunny ninjas (don't ask). Loot brains, gold and special rare items during the excursions to unlock additional zombie combat abilities. There are all kinds of customizations and that is where the developers get you. The game is free, but many of the enhancements that make the game great cost extra (think Farmville).
Platform: iPhone, iPod Touch (OS3) Price: Free (enhancements cost extra)
Zombie Smash
This "survival comedy" game is a variation on a tower defense game with a little ragdoll physics thrown in. You play Joey, a lone survivor, who must take on wave after wave of writhing zombies. To beat them you use finger-flicks to smash them until they're un-undead. How they die is fun to watch. The implements of destruction are numerous (including asteroids, wrecking balls, liquid nitrogen and a gigantic, rolling boulder) and three game modes (campaign, endless and sandbox) provide plenty of replay value.
Platform: iPhone, iPod Touch (OS3.1) Price: $2
Ghosts n Zombies
In this whimsical action-shooter, you play a monk sent by the Vatican to eliminate the demons and restore peace to an ancient chapel. Destroy the enemies and gather the crystals. The crystals represent faith and are used both for bullets and life. The pacing and the core gameplay deliver a fun game with varied stages, unique levels and plenty of enemies to fight.
Platforms (Price): iPhone, iPod Touch ($1), Android ($3)
Survival Guide Zombies
Over 20 chapters of information that guarantees your survival in the zombie apocalypse! Read it just in case.
Platform: Android Price: $1
Zombie Guide Survival Scanner
Have your iPhone turn your friends into zombies … before your friends actually turn into zombies.
Developed by author and "zombieologist," Max Brooks, this app is a zombie detector tool. Use the scanner to analyze friends and neighbors and determine their level of infection. Use the app's sharing functionality to spread the word about your infected friend's recent fall to the zombie scourge, warn others by posting images of your infected friend to Facebook and Twitter, and join the fight in keeping the world safe. The app was released by Random House as a supplement to the book "Zombie Survival Guide."
Platform: iPhone, iPod Touch (OS3) Price: Free
Call of Duty: Zombies
This app is a variation on the classic Call of Duty: World at War game that adds zombies. It features four large zombie maps for plenty of gameplay and is best played with up to three friends using their own synced iPhones or iPod Touches. There's "Der Riese" (Zombie Factory), which features teleporters allow you and your team to zip around this enormous map and evade the oncoming Zombie Horde.
The "Shi No Numa" (Zombie Swamp) map features new weapons, playable characters, zombie traps and a zipline for quick getaways.
The "Verrückt" (Zombie Asylum) map dares you to enter the insane asylum and fend off the zombie onslaught, using electric traps to keep the zombies at bay.
The "Nacht der Untoten" (original) zombie map has you fighting to survive in the abandoned bunker that started the zombie phenomenon.
The game supports up to four players via Wi-Fi/Internet and two players via Bluetooth. Play with your friends in the same room, on the other side of town, and even across the globe.
Platform: iPhone, iPod Touch (OS3) Price: $5
Kris Kinkade is tech editor at the Kalamazoo Gazette. Send your iPhone, Blackberry, Palm and Android phone app suggestions to him at firstname.lastname@example.com or tweet him at @kris_kinkade.
To see older "What's on your phone? columns, click here.


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Notables Champion Gay Partnership Legalization (10)
A manifesto supporting the rights of sexual minorities in Estonia, signed by 41 notables ranging from ministers to film directors, calls for a same-sex law.
The document, released by European Parliament member Kristiina Ojuland, who sits on the EU human rights committee, began the appeal with a quote from US author H. Jackson Brown: "People take different roads seeking fulfillment and happiness. Just because they're not on your road doesn't mean they've gotten lost."
According to a study by Gallup, Ojuland wrote, the world's happiest nations from 2005 to 2009 - Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden and Holland – are all tolerant of LGBT people. Estonia, however, ranked 90th, after Algeria and Somalia, and before Myanmar and Bangladesh.
The one-page document begins with: "Everyone deserves to be happy. Sometimes it is enough to have a caring partner with whom to tie one's life, and with whom to share joys and troubles, a common home and the knowing that they can depend on one another [...] There is no point to intolerance that is directed toward something that does not depend on a person's volition and does not damage the right to happiness of the rest of society. Inciting anger and violence is a sign of an insecure person and society! [...]"
Ojuland wrote that Estonia currently has a legal vacuum for the rights of sexual minorities, as the partnership law does not expand to same-sex partnerships. "We Estonians are few in number and for that reason we need to stick together, and support and respect every member of society," she wrote.
In May, Chancellor of Justice Indrek Teder requested that the Ministry of Justice introduce legislation to give same-sex partnerships a legal foundation. Teder said that the current legal framework does not ensure adequate protection of the rights of de-facto cohabitation partners, and is thus contrary to the constitution.
Ott Tammik


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I am so sick of listening to Mitt Romney lie about President Obama! He talks about the president borrowing money from China. Where were they when Bush borrowed money from China to give us those stimulus checks that I knew were not going to do anything for the economy. I didn't hear them complaining then.
When President Clinton left office, he had the deficit eliminated. Bush comes in and explodes the deficit. They didn't complain then. You can go online and look up the deficit for any year you want. That's what my son and I did two years ago.
Romney is hoping or thinking everyone is stupid and doesn't remember the price of gas or that Bush borrowed money from China. Well I remember very well, and the darn Republicans are doing everything they can to work against Obama. I think they are racist. I'll be there in November for Obama.
Look at Gingrich's womanizing reputation — but, boy, he sure can talk about Clinton! I love how people will hear one little thing and run with it instead of checking it out. They claim they don't have time to watch CSpan or CNN, when the truth is they'd rather be running the sheets because they hate to sit still for five minutes and find out the truth. They could even go online and find out the facts, but they don't want to do that, either. And yet they vote.
— KATHY BAKER/Blackman Township


text:
Thanks to tipster Amy for sending me this lovely story about CK. This is a great example of how we all wear certain designer clothes, but we don't really think about their advertising do we?
Here I mean the bad side of their advertising.
Have you ever boycotted a certain brand because their ads were demeaning, gross, or semi-pornish like this little diddy which was deemed over the top…even in NYC;
Let's see…that's 1, 2, 3 guys on what appears to be a teenish-girl.
Nothing new for the designer who has dedicated his career to pushing the envelope starting with Brooke Shields at 15.
I felt odd viewing this one, because from my perspective, EVERY designer has been posing children like this, for decades actually, and no one really cares.
Below we have a "Secret Obsession" ad that can't mean anything other than – I am into an affair with a kid.
Now this next one is a video, what was literally banned. Banned because it features kids, in a creepy-old-wood-paneled basement answering the questions of some panting pervert (watch the whole thing).
I gotta be honest guys, it kind of scared me that this didn't freak me out.
But it gave me a flashback.
This is exactly what it was like to be a model, especially in Paris (minus the paneling). You are a piece of meat, with some gross guy telling you how to move, stand up, sit down, nice ass, show me your tits, give me your self-respect, hand over your modesty, don't be such a prude.
Ahh, the good old days.
PS I had to end with this dude. Where did they rescue him from – the Circus? They could have at least let him take a shower.


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Connecticut College junior Elizabeth Durante packed her suitcase with hospital scrubs, latex gloves and a stethoscope during the late evening hours of March 6, 2009, and arranged for an airport van to take her and a group of friends to Logan Airport in Boston.
The 20-year-old aspiring doctor had recruited a group of friends for a humanitarian mission — her third such trip — to help sick kids in Uganda during spring break.
Around midnight, Durante said goodbye over the phone to her parents, Keith and Kathleen Durante, a Long Island surgeon and attorney, respectively, from Islip, N.Y.
Around the same time, Navy sailor Daniel Musser, celebrating his 24th birthday at Mohegan Sun with a couple of buddies, was ordering a Long Island Iced Tea — a potent mixed drink containing several kinds of alcohol — from the Sky Bar inside the Ultra 88 nightclub. He had been drinking since about 9:30 p.m.
On the first day of a wrongful death trial brought by Durante's parents against the shareholders and permittee of the Ultra 88 nightclub, attorney Robert I. Reardon asserted in his opening statement that nightclub staff pushed alcoholic drinks on Musser, then threw him out of the club after he became obnoxiously drunk. In addition to the mixed drinks, Musser had beer and shots of tequila and vodka at the nightclub, Reardon said.
Musser slept in his car in a casino parking garage for about an hour, then mistakenly drove out the garage's entrance ramp and got onto Interstate 395 in the wrong direction. His car collided head-on with the van Durante and her friends were on to catch their early-morning flight. Durante died at the scene, and several others were injured.
Durante's parents, three other Connecticut College students and the van driver sued the nightclub's owners and backers. All of the plaintiffs except the Durantes settled their cases for undisclosed sums during jury selection. The amount sought by the Durantes has not been disclosed, though Reardon told the jury he would call an expert who would testify that Durante would have earned $4 million to $5 million in her lifetime.
He is expected to ask the jury to award the Durantes economic damages, such as the lost income, and non-economic damages, such as compensation for their pain and suffering with the loss of their daughter's life.
Reardon introduced Durante's parents and said he and attorney Kelly E. Reardon would be calling witnesses and displaying video surveillance photographs obtained via court orders to show the nightclub was recklessly negligent. Reardon said as Musser became "drunker and drunker," the staff at Ultra 88 failed to "cut him off," and called security to throw him out of the club without trying to sober him up, offer him a ride home or get him a room in the Mohegan Sun Hotel.
Scott Behman, attorney for the Boston-based Plan B LLC, the Lyons group and nightclub permittee Patrick Lyons, said there will not be "one shred of evidence" showing that the nightclub acted negligently or recklessly. Holding up a photograph of a smiling Musser that he said was taken moments before he left Ultra 88, Behman said Musser appeared "stone sober."
Reardon's first witness was Patrick Lyons, the managing shareholder of the casino nightclubs known as Mohegan After Dark and the person whose name appears on the state liquor permit. As Reardon recited the nightclub's alcohol and security policies, Lyons, whose office is in Boston, admitted he did not write the policies and that he relies on his management staff, including General Manager Todd Main, for day-to-day operations of the clubs.
Reardon, citing Connecticut's liquor control regulations, asked Lyons if he understood that as the permittee, he is "strictly accountable" for what goes on at the club.
"Ultimately, yes," Lyons responded. "I'm an investor in this project, not a micromanager. We as a group set out to hire the best and brightest management team."
Bartender Sarah Webster, who has worked at Ultra 88 since 2004, was testifying when the trial broke for the day. Reardon is expected to call on other nightclub staff when testimony resumes today. Musser, who is serving a 75-month prison sentence for second-degree manslaughter, is expected to testify later this week.
Judge William H. Bright Jr. is presiding over the case, which was removed from New London Superior Court to the complex litigation docket in Hartford Superior Court.
Nightclub owners agree to $4.2 million settlement in wrong-way crash case
Small child abandoned on Bank Street taken to New London fire station
Head of regional energy cooperative defends Kentucky Derby trip
Boyle, a serial rapist and killer, once again eligible for parole
Trump took $17 million in insurance for hurricane damage few remember
Police search for Norwich twin brothers in connection with September bank robbery in Canterbury
19th Senate District Debate: Cathy Osten and Barbara Richardson Crouch
Lunch with the Candidates: Rob Dempsky, Bonnie Hong and Emmett Riley
East Lyme school cancels Halloween parade, many districts scale back activities
Trump took $17 million in insurance for hurricane damage few remember
Head of regional energy cooperative defends Kentucky Derby trip


text:
The LaFayette Central School District is projecting a 2 percent increase in the tax rate in its proposed 2010-11 budget. The board is slated to adopt the tentative spending plan April 15.
The tax rate would rise from $17.55 per $1,000 of assessed value to $17.90 under the proposal. The 2010-11 proposed budget of $16,123,432 represents a 2.16 percent decrease from this year's budget of $16,479,788.
The tax levy would rise 2 percent, from $5,141,402 this year to $5,244,230 in 2010-11.
To cover for the loss in state aid, the district is using about $205,000 total from its fund balance and reserves, said Tom Goskoski, school business official.
The district also is making some staffing cuts. Overall, 6.6 full-time teaching jobs and 5.5 teaching assistant posts are being eliminated through attrition or reassignment, and two teachers are moving from full-time to half-time, Goskoski said.
"Our goal has been to maintain programs as much as possible and to not let anyone go,'' he said. "We've tried to streamline the high school schedule and shift some people where we could."


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Valleyfair Power Outage
The power went out at Valleyfair amusement park in Shakopee for over an hour late Tuesday afternoon, stranding numerous people on the park's rides. The power was restored at 6pm Tuesday after being out for …15 Aug 12
Local News, Multimedia, Sports - The Local Connection
Wheeler Dealer
The power went out at Valleyfair amusement park in Shakopee for over an hour late Tuesday afternoon, stranding numerous people on the park's rides. The power was restored at 6pm Tuesday after being out for …15 Aug 12
After 4 years of fundraising, the City of St. Peter's new Dog Park is opening to the public today (WED). The 43,000 square-foot park is located just outside of St. Peter at the intersection of …15 Aug 12
Voters are headed to the polls today (TUE) for Minnesota's Primary Election. In Southern Minnesota's 1st Congressional District, Republicans Mike Parry and Al Quist are competing to see who will face off against Incumbent Democrat …14 Aug 12
An Arlington man was killed in a tree-trimming accident Friday afternoon at his home. Emergency responders were called to the residence of 89-year-old Harold Leonard Otto at around 2:20 Friday afternoon and found Otto seriously …14 Aug 12
The Minnesota Department of Health has confirmed it was a rare amoeba infection that claimed the life of a Minnesota boy. Test results from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed what Minnesota health …14 Aug 12
A 19-year-old New Ulm man has been charged with several counts of burglary in Sibley County for his alleged involvement in recent break-ins at Gaylord businesses and a church. Sean David McFarland is accused of …14 Aug 12
Law enforcement agencies around the state are focusing on buses, limousines and other passenger-carrying vehicles during statewide saturation patrols over the course of the next 2 weeks. Saturation activities got underway Monday, and range from …14 Aug 12
The New Ulm Sertoma Club's annual "Santa In The Summer" event is taking place today (TUE) at the Brown County Fairgrounds. It will be held from 4 to 7pm, rain or shine, and features food …14 Aug 12
860 AM KNUJ/SAM 107.3 and your New Ulm Hy Vee announce this month's Hometown Hero: Jim Neid of St. James. In 2005, the St. James City Celebration was almost dropped. Jim organized a small group …


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Bainbridge osprey family to be relocated from Coppertop cell tower
A partnership of concerned island citizens recently worked together to guarantee the safe relocation of a family of ospreys that have been making their home in a cell tower near the business complex at Coppertop Park.
Despite repeated exclusion attempts by T-Mobile, the company that owns the tower, the birds managed to circumvent their anti-nesting devices and continued to make their home on the tower which can be dangerous for both the birds and the equipment, said local wildlife photographer Jay Wiggs.
"Sticks from the birds' nest can cause fires," Wiggs explained. "It can be dangerous."
It was the worry of Wiggs, and Janice Danielson of the nearby Bainbridge Self Storage, as well several other parties that brought them together to form a plan to relocate the birds.
"Bainbridge Island Self Storage folks contacted Jim Kaiser of Osprey Solutions," Wiggs explained. "He's an expert on Osprey relocation. He approached the Sakai school and asked if they would be interested in putting in a pole."
Osprey Solutions/Raptor Research and Management Services is a Seattle-based environmental consulting firm that offers a full range of raptor research and management services to industry and government organizations.
The new nesting platform, which sits on top of the pole on the school grounds, is located in a favorite foraging area of the birds.
"The birds frequent that area behind the school on a daily basis to collect sticks," said Kaiser, a consulting wildlife biologist with Osprey Solutions. "It's likely they will adopt the new platform."
Though it's too late in the nesting season to relocate the birds now, as they have already laid their eggs, Kaiser is confident that if their current nest is removed later in the season after their babies are born the birds will find the new location irresistible next season.
"We tried to get something to happen really quickly, so that maybe the ospreys this year could put their nest somewhere other than that [cell tower] arm," Janice Danielson, manager of Bainbridge Self Storage said. "We were hoping to get it done before the ospreys laid their eggs, but we were just a few days too late."
The nesting platform, paid for in part by T-Mobile, will not only be safer for the birds and the tower equipment, but also a good opportunity for the students to observe the animals, Danielson said.
"We just wanted to help get something done," she explained. "It's a good opportunity for the kids. Bainbridge is a very conscious island in terms of animals and wildlife. People notice [where the birds are nesting] and they ask questions about what's being done about it."
Danielson praised Kaiser and his group for the work they did organizing the project and his ability to interact with the birds.
"He's amazing," she said. "He was out there watching the female osprey and he was making the sounds like the baby ones do to get her attention."
Kaiser said that raptors nesting in industrial areas was "becoming more common," and that the best nest management strategy is one based on the concept of coexistence, using effective, non-lethal, nest excluder devices to completely discourage nesting attempts at undesirable sites to ensure bird protection and reliability of industry operations while simultaneously accommodating the nesting birds.
For more information, visit www.osprey-solutions.com.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is a fleet angle?
The fleet angle is the angle between the first fixed sheave and the flange of the winch.
What fleet angle is required for the LEBUS groove?
As a rule, the spooling angle should be between ¼° and 1 ¼°. At the same time, however, the design and speed of the cable must be taken into account. In borderline cases, please contact our specialists.
What spooling angle is required for the HELICAL groove?
In the case of single-layer wound cable drums, the spooling angle of 3° should not be exceeded.
What minimum preload is necessary for the LEBUS groove?
The preload is the load on the cable at the cable drum. As a rule, it should be at least 2% of the breaking load or 10% of the working load. At the same time, however, provision must also be made for the safety coefficient and the design of the cable. For more detailed information, please contact our specialists.
Can I install LEBUS split sleeves on any type of cable drum?
Subject to compliance with the technical requirements of a LEBUS system, any wire rope winch system can be retrofitted with a LEBUS groove.
What happens if the cable goes slack?
If the minimum preload is not met, isolated cable loops may be wound on loosely. This can lead to the cable being nicked and damaged during subsequent spooling.
What material can a LEBUS groove be made of?
Steel grade ASTM A-36is used as standard. However, special steels such as ASTM A572-50 and ASTM A516-70 are also increasingly being used. If required, we can also supply systems made of aluminium or fiberglass.
What is the D:d ratio?
The D:d ratio describes the relationship between the drum diameter at the center of the 1st cable layer (PCD = Pitch Circle Diameter) = D and the cable diameter = d.


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While the New York Giants sit at only 6-4, with the Cowboys playing well and a possible Eagles resurgence on the brink, there are several reasons to believe the Giants will still take the division come the end of the year.
Some could argue that fluke losses to the Redskins and Seahawks prevent the Giants from being an impressive 8-2. However, now they have some work to do as they hope to move forward in the remaining six games and find themselves in the playoffs after a two-year hiatus.
They have a lot of things going for them, but mental mistakes and injuries seem to plague this team every year in the second half of the season. But I do believe there are factors that play well into the Giants' chances of making the playoffs this year.
In the following slides, I will give four key reasons as to why the New York Giants will be playing beyond the regular season.


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"My supervising staff members at Bergen Regional Medical Center have received TTAP Method Certification. Thanks to the implementation of the TTAP method, Bergen Regional Medical Center in New Jersey is now on the forefront in activities. Dr. Linda Madori's "Transcending Dementia through the TTAP Method" has brought knowledge to the Therapeutic Recreation Staff which has been enhanced the residents' quality of life at BRMC. I also recommend this book for families who have loved ones with Alzheimer's disease. This book provides a new approach on how to deal with this disease and the benefits of using the TTAP method."
Kristin Mullins, CTRS, Director of Therapeutic Recreation, LTC- Bergen Regional Medical Cente r


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In case you haven't noticed, hard cider is having a moment in the Pacific Northwest. How much of a moment? So much that you can drop the "hard" in that title, because harmless apple cider is nowhere close to competing at this level.
While you'll still be hard pressed to find anything other than Angry Orchard or Anthem Cider on tap at local bars, there are hundreds of cideries in the U.S., with dozens of top names producing out of Oregon and Washington.
There are a few places in Portland dedicated to cider (notably Bushwhacker Cider on Southeast Powell), but local cider fans have had to wait for June to come around once again, when Oregon Cider Week takes over town.
This year marks the third Oregon Cider Week, which runs from June 20 to 29, and the festivities are bigger than ever. Nearly 40 events will celebrate cider at bars, cideries and restaurants across town, including the hotly anticipated Northwest Cider Summit Portland, which will bring more than 120 different ciders to The Fields Neighborhood Park in the Pearl District.
Like malty companion Portland Beer Week, there is plenty to do at Oregon Cider Week. You can see a full schedule of events, but here are your best bets to learn about and enjoy the best cider in the Pacific Northwest.
When: June 21 and 22
Where: The Fields Neighborhood Park (1099 N.W. Overton St.)
Admission: $25 in advance, $30 at the door
As mentioned, there will be more than 120 different ciders at Portland's Northwest Cider Summit, including offerings from the best local and regional producers. Your $25-30 ticket comes with eight 4-oz tastings and a commemorative glass, with additional tasting tickets on sale for $2 each. This year marks a big move for the event, which is leaving the South Waterfront for more space at The Fields.
When: June 29, from 4 to 7 p.m.
Where: Bar Vivant (2225 E. Burnside St.)
Admission: $20
I'll let Bar Vivant speak for itself on this crazy, unpronounceable event: "When you hear, 'TXOTX!' grab your cider glass and head for the barrel, where cider shoots out in a stream and you catch as much as you can drink before the effervescence from the catch dissipates. This is the way they drink cider in traditional Basque cider houses and this is how we will serve it up at Bar Vivant in our outdoor courtyard."
When: June 19, from 8 to 10 p.m.
Where: Reverend Nat's Cidery and Public Taproom (1813 N.E. 2nd Ave.)
Admission: $40, buy online
One of Portland's best cideries will walk you through more than 25 ciders from around the world. The globetrotting taste testing will look at cider from England, France, Spain, New Zealand, Germany and both the Eastern and Western U.S., featuring only all-apple ciders.
When: June 26, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
Where: St. Honoré Boulangerie (3333 S.E. Division St.)
Admission: $45 per person, reservation only
St. Honoré Boulangerie is crafting a special five-course dinner for Cider Week, each course made with a different cider and paired with either a cider or cider cocktail. You can take a look at the prix fixe menu in full, but I like the looks of the "savory Alsatian tart with a Northwest appeal, crème fraîche sauce, apples, Fourme d'Ambert bleu cheese, baked and topped with arugula, toasted walnuts and a cider gastrique," paired with Reverend Nat's Revelation Newtown Pippin cider.
When: June 25, from 7 to 11 p.m.
Where: Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (1945 S.E. Water Ave.)
Admission: $25 for non-members, $15 for OMSI members, $5 for OAD members, buy online
Combining cider and science, OMSI will have nine local cider makers on hand for its regular OMSI After Dark Series, which will be discussing forensic bone identification and climate history, in addition to making casts of velociraptor claws. Cider Fest glasses and drink tokens are required to drink.
--Jamie Hale


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This deal has ended.
Through 12/4, Gap.com takes 30% off sitewide with code GAPCHEER. Check out the women's Patterned Turtleneck Sweater (pictured), which drops from $64.95 to $49.99 to $34.99 with code, and the men's Slim Solid Shirt, which falls from $59.95 to $39.99 to $27.99 with code. Also take a look at the women's Cable Knit Mock Sweater, originally $59.95, then $44.99, and now $34.99 with code. Shipping is $7 or free over $50. Sales tax is charged in most states. Some exclusions apply.No longer available


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Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak stepped down and ceded power to the military Friday after 18 days of pro-democracy protests calling for his ouster.
"President Hosni Mubarak has decided to step down and has handed power to the Supreme Council of the Egyptian Armed Forces," Vice President Omar Suleiman announced on state radio and television, according to The Los Angeles Times.
Several hundred thousand protesters gathered in Cairo's central square erupted into cheers and whistles when the televised statement was made just after nightfall, The Associated Press reports. People waved Egyptian flags, honked car horns, fired celebratory shots into the air and chanted, "The people have brought down the regime!"
The announcement came just one day after Mubarak vowed to serve until September, provoking anger from demonstrators.
The 82-year-old fled Cairo with his family on Friday for their home in the Red Sea resort of Sharm El Sheikh.
Nobel Peace laureate Mohammed ElBaradei, who flew to Egypt weeks ago to join in the protests, told The Associated Press, "This is the greatest day of my life.
"The country has been liberated after decades of repression," he said.
After the announcement, a military spokesman said the armed forces would not act as a substitute for a "legitimate" government, and that it would soon make arrangements to enact the changes Egyptians want, AP reports.


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ELK TWP. -- Residents of a housing development near the site of a proposed solar farm here have decided to fight back.
Homeowners in Country Woods say they are opposed to a planned 56-acre, 13.2 megawatt solar farm in the heart of the township.
Along with a few other homeowners who live near the site at 730 Buck Road, they have started a petition decrying the solar farm and asking the township not only to stop the project but to look at other options.
Matthew Clark is leading the Country Woods opposition. He urges neighbors to stand up against the proposed solar farm, saying that it was pushed through the site-approval process with little fanfare or notice to residents of the surrounding area.
When the project was approved 6-3 by the township planning and zoning board in February, board chairman Nick Yovnello said the issue did prompt "some tempers flaring" during the public testimony. However, according to Clark and fellow Country Woods resident Johanna Gaudio, many residents of the surrounding area were not notified about the project. The neighbors knew nothing, said Clark, until they read an article in the paper that the solar farm had already been approved by the board.
"Nobody has had a chance to speak on [our] behalf. We really don't feel like we've had a fair shake at it," said Clark.
To residents of the 19-house development and a handful of others, learning about the project after it had already been approved was unacceptable. The group is now petitioning to stop the solar farm's development and is looking for answers before construction begins.
"We feel like the wheels are moving a little too fast for our liking," said Gaudio. "People are just now getting informed."
For Clark, the location of the solar farm comes as a shock. He thinks the relatively rural township should have a more convenient place to develop such a large undertaking.
"We all believe that there are other options where they could put something like this," said Clark. "It just doesn't seem to be the best fit."
The group is also looking for answers about the project's implications for the township, including the long-term environmental impact. However, Clark was quick to add that he and the rest of the group do not oppose greener energy.
"It's not that we're against solar energy," said Clark. "As a community, we're not for the solar farm in our backyard."
And, he added, "Our government has really given us no indication that they care."
According to Clark, the group has already brought their concerns to Mayor Phil Barbaro and are looking into legal remedies to stop the project.
"We plan on meeting as a group to discuss the options. From there, we'll figure out how to address the next steps. There are different things that we're looking for answers on," said Clark.
Currently, there's no word from the planning and zoning board to stop the project.


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The boundary disputes unsettling the peace of Asia don't just involve tiny islands in the South China Sea. Himalayan glaciers and valleys are also involved — and it's not just India and Pakistan who are at daggers drawn in the Asian high country.India and China have never settled their disputed land border. They fought a war over it in 1962, but maps still show the entire province of Arunachal Pradesh as Chinese or Indian, depending on whose map it is. The standoff has resulted in a militarization of the border on both sides, but, if it ever came to blows, China is vastly better prepared.Reuters reports:
The main military supply route through sparsely populated Arunachal is largely dirt track. Along the roadside, work gangs of local women chip boulders into gravel with hammers to repair the road, many with babies strapped to their backs. Together with a few creaky bulldozers, this is the extent of the [Indian] army's effort to carve a modern highway from the liquid hillside, one that would carry troops and weaponry to the disputed ceasefire line in any conflict with China.
Things are far from calm in the Himalayan border regions between India and China. News outlets in both countries regularly broadcast warnings and scare stories about looming conflict. Both countries carry out high altitude military training exercises, usually carefully timed:
In March, while China's foreign minister was visiting Delhi, the Indian air force and army held an exercise dubbed "Destruction" in Arunachal's mountains. Three weeks later, China said its J-10 fighters dropped laser-guided bombs on the Tibetan plateau in high-altitude ground-attack training. . . .India's defence minister told parliament 500 incursions have been reported in the last two years.
And yet, officials on both sides of the Himalayas dismiss the notion that the two nuclear-armed nations would go to war. Bilateral trade is booming, and both countries have more pressing security concerns elsewhere.By all accounts, however, India is far outmatched by its northern neighbor, should war ever return to these mountains. On the Chinese side, hard-topped roads stretch from the border to the Tibetan capital of Lhasa, where some of China's most advanced aircraft are stationed. On the Indian side of the border, by contrast, high altitude roads are rutted tracks, frequently impassable because of landslides or snow. India has tried to compensate by dispatching troops to border outposts, but these remain marooned at the top of the world, only connected to support networks by a long, muddy track that takes two days to navigate to arrive in nearby Assam state.One theme in India's foreign policy: to improve access to its remote northeastern frontier. This involves efforts to deepen relations with Bangladesh to facilitate military transports across its territory; more recently, Indian involvement in building infrastructure in Burma would give Delhi another route to its far flung garrisons in the remote northeast.Americans in the past haven't paid much attention to these border disputes and their impact on Asian politics, but as Asia moves front and center on the world stage, issues like this are going to demand more of our national attention. India's worries about Chinese pressure helped power India's drive to get the bomb. The Indian bomb in turn set Pakistan a-building, with consequences that have yet to be fully felt. We will be hearing more from this part of the world as the Game of Thrones in Asia becomes more intense.


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The work electrical contractors do every day poses some obvious, inherent safety risks. After all, few jobs are riskier than those involving live electrical wires.
May Issue 2009
Featured Articles
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Safety |
| May 2009
| May 2009
Underwriters Laboratories (UL) announced the publication of UL 2201, a Standard for Portable Engine-Generator Assemblies.
| May 2009
According to the Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles County officials have launched a new "solar mapping" Web site, lacounty.solarmap.org, that lets residents and business owners d


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A year older and a year wiser, Northlake Christian is hoping that will carry it further in the Class 2A playoffs this season than last.
The Wolverines (26-4), who'll likely be a, "fifth or sixth seed" according to Coach Jeff Schwaner, on the eve of brackets being released are eager to make a postseason run. Last year Northlake lost in the second round. A more mature attitude has the coach and players feeling confident.
"It's gone well and we've played well this season," said senior Tyler Schwaner (7-2), who has a 1.75 ERA and is hitting .365, with 34 RBIs. "We've played better as a team and just competed better. Last year in some games if we got behind it felt sort of as if we had some sense of we had already lost. We are not doing that this year. We were down 11-3 in one game this year and came back.
"We are more mature this year. We were young last year. We all know how to pick each other up when something doesn't go well."
Maturity and attitude have blended together well for the Wolverines, who are ranked No. 4 in the most recent Class 2A LABC state baseball poll. There's also no denying there are some talented players on the team.
Helping back Schwaner with the pitching is Sean Tweedy (6-1, 2.71 ERA) and Austin Ward (3-1, 1.86).
Dane Landry is hitting a team-high .434, with 41 RBIs, and Charles Craighead is hitting .429, with 31 RBIs. They top a group of eight players hitting at least .326.
"We have done great all year with our hitting, and we've gotten good pitching to go with it," Landry said. "When you have that you are confident about winning. It's been the best year of my life with hitting. I've never hit like this before. I just think it's another year and we all have more experience."
And a good attitude for making some noise in the playoffs, Schwaner said.
"We have a confident, laid-back team. Nothing seems to faze them. They perform well through the ups and downs. They should be a good tournament team."
HAWKS READY: Hannan baseball coach Boomer Nunez said earlier in the season he understood if his team had to go through some growing pains against higher-classified and challenging opponents as long as it prepared it for the postseason.
It seems to have worked when one looks at the latest unofficial power rankings.
Hannan (17-12, 5-1) finished tied for first in District 7-1A with Christian Life.
Both teams are likely headed to the postseason, and Hannan, which is at No. 16 in the ratings, may be looking at a home game in the postseason.
Jim Rapier can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.com or 504.826.3405.
Follow @Jim_Rapier Tweet to @Jim_Rapier


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Sometimes it seems like you can't toss a $250 plate of rubber chicken in this town without splashing some béarnaise sauce on George Passadore. The balding, mustachioed bundle of energy has used his position as top local banker with Wells Fargo to out-schmooze, out-ribbon-cut and graciously accept more tribute from fawning nonprofits than everyone except PGE's Peggy Fowler (who apparently does nothing else).
But now, as Passadore retires from Wells Fargo, another money man is maneuvering to take his place as Most Compassionate Portland Banker--and he works for the competition. Ralph S. "Mike" Michael III became U.S. Bank's new Oregon president last summer. And unlike a lot of other local execs who profess their love of nonprofits while dispatching underlings to the banquets, Michael has already begun immersing himself in Portland charities. After all, he says, it's in his company's best interest.
For although U.S. Bank actually donates more money to arts, cultural and social service nonprofits (see chart), many in the community have the impression that Wells Fargo does more. Call it the Passadore effect.
Michael intends to fix that. His deep philanthropic track record, he says, played a role in the top brass's decision to recruit him for the Portland job. "They told me they were looking for somebody who was willing to get involved with the community," he says. "I told them I'd just love to be the one to do that."
Michael, a Pittsburgh native, replaced Joseph Otting, who was nearly invisible in the community during his two years at the helm of U.S. Bank's Oregon operation. Michael, on the other hand, has a reputation as a banker who throws himself into community activities and drags his employees and peers with him.
"Oh, people are going to be happy with him," says Karen Hoguet, the chief financial officer of Federated Department Stores in Cincinnati. "When Mike worked in Cincinnati, he was extremely involved in the nonprofit world."
As CEO of PNC Bank-Ohio, a unit of a large regional bank based in Pittsburgh, Michael agreed to direct the United Way campaign in Cincinnati. Hoguet recalls that Michael recruited her and other top executives in town and convinced scores of PNC employees to participate as well. The result: a record-breaking $46 million kitty at the end of the campaign.
"You don't have to drag Mike into volunteer work. He loves people, loves giving back to the community. He attended practically every charitable event we had," Hoguet says. "He's the most giving human being I've ever met."
Former Procter & Gamble CEO John Pepper adds, "Mike is extraordinarily community-minded. And he's not a bit tentative about fundraising. When he steps into the nonprofit arena, he doesn't leave [his business practices] at the door."
That's good news for U.S. Bank's PR team, which for years has felt its community involvement didn't get the recognition it deserved. Its financial and volunteer support of programs like Start Making a Reader Today (SMART), Habitat for Humanity and Young Audiences helped those programs reach new heights. But its most significant (and riskiest) philanthropic moment came in 1991, when community-relations vice president Linda Wright decided to give a $1 million grant to a storefront nonprofit called Self Enhancement Inc.
SEI was founded by a couple of guys with little management experience in a part of town where charitable contributions seemed to evaporate with few results. But the organization, which targeted African-American youth in Northeast Portland, today stands out as one of the region's most successful nonprofits. And U.S. Bank still provides strong support for SEI and its stay-in-school, high-self-esteem messages. This year, Wright again chaired its annual Art and Soul fundraiser, which brought in more than $1 million.
But while Wright is highly respected in the nonprofit world, she's never had the kind of backing that Passadore gave at Wells Fargo. And, as Michael notes, without the commitment from the very top, the message just doesn't get across as well.
At the same time, he says, any savvy executive ought to see the connection between community involvement and customers. Michael aims to increase U.S. Bank's market share in the region and thinks face time, particularly at charitable events, plays a role.
"We're in a people business. We've got to be involved in the community," he says. "But you've got to have a passion for it, and that's something you just can't fake."
Where will Michael focus his volunteerism? Right now, he's evaluating area nonprofits, trying to find the right fit. But United Way
is clearly on his radar. It would make sense, since U.S. Bank has been a leading United Way donor for years.
Passadore, for his part, views Michael's arrival as good news. "I've met Mike, and he'll be very good for the bank," says Passadore, who retains an office at Wells Fargo. "At the same time, I'll do everything I can to make sure Wells Fargo maintains its commitment to the community."
Big-hearted bankers: Comparing U.S. Bank and Wells Fargo
U.S. Bank
Wells Fargo
Total monetary donations to metro-area nonprofits, 2003
Total monetary donations to metro-area art groups, 2003
Total bank deposits in the Oregon Market as of June 30, 2002
$5.53 billion
$2.473 billion