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Preview: Packers vs. Vikings
When: 7 p.m. Saturday. Where: Lambeau Field. TV: NBC. Radio: AM-620.
Series: Packers lead, 54-49-1. Line: Packers by 7 1/2. Weather: 22. Surface: DD GrassMaster.
Coaches: Green Bay's Mike McCarthy (79-41, .658) vs. Minnesota's Leslie Frazier (16-22, .421).
ON THE RISE: TE Jermichael Finley has just one dropped pass in the last 11 games and only one penalty in the last seven games. "He's been trying to maintain some consistency," Packers TE coach Jerry Fontenot said. "We talked midway through the season about maybe tailoring the menu so that it was more specific in details for what he was asked to do. As a result, you get more precise results on the field. Bottom line, he's just been productive. Obviously, with more production, the ball is going to come to you way more." Has Finley been giving more effort on some routes in which he is clearing out for his teammates? "No," Fontenot said. "He definitely has not played any harder. He always gives it up every time he's on the field. If anything, he has probably played in the sense of a rhythm. He feels much better about the way he's playing now. Confidence is a huge factor with him."
WHAT HE SEES: The great Adrian Peterson was asked early in the week how he tells that a defense is wearing down. "I see those hands go down to the waist," said Peterson. "I see slow body movement, and you can see it in their eyes. That's one thing I like doing is sitting back there in the huddle just looking across at the defense and looking in their eyes just to see where they're at. Because you can get a good feel emotionally where somebody stands throughout the game by looking them in the eyes and checking them out." After the game Sunday at the Metrodome, LB Erik Walden said of Peterson: "People have said he's better than Barry Sanders. I think I might agree with them. Just because you think you got him and you don't. It takes gang-tackling."
SHORT-HANDED SECONDARY: Aaron Rodgers began to pick apart the Vikings on Sunday after cornerback Antoine Winfield had to bow out early because the pain from his broken hand was too intense. Kick returner Marcus Sherels moved into the slot. Winfield is expected to give it another shot Saturday night. "He's a good player, one of the finest in the league in the slot," QB coach Ben McAdoo said. "He's excellent against the run. He's like a linebacker playing up in the slot. He has some quickness, and he's fearless." If Winfield can't go the distance, the Vikings promise to be better prepared this time. On Sunday, they used Chris Cook and A.J. Jefferson outside and Sherels in the slot because rookie Josh Robinson, their third-round draft choice, isn't comfortable in the slot. The assumption is the Vikings have arrived at a combination this week to ensure that Robinson wouldn't be on the bench in nickel.
MUCH IMPROVED: Vikings RT Phil Loadholt, a starter since his rookie season of 2009, had a rough time last year against most opponents, including Green Bay. Of the Packers' five sacks in the two 2011 meetings, Clay Matthews notched two and Desmond Bishop had one, each at Loadholt's expense. Matthews beat Loadholt around the corner in 3.7 and 3.4 seconds; Bishop also took him off the edge in 3.1. The Packers have just one sack in the two games against Minnesota this year: Matthews beat LT Matt Kalil on Sunday. Meanwhile, Loadholt has had the better of Walden both times. "Overall, Loadholt has had a good year," an executive in personnel for a divisional opponent said. "He was more consistent finishing run blocks. He always has struggled on back-side cutoffs and getting beat across his face. He's also much more consistent in pass pro one-on-ones and being able to widen the edge and anchor. You can still scheme him with games (stunts). He can be inconsistent with his (blitz) pickups."
KEY COG: FB Jerome Felton didn't make the Pro Bowl as a rusher (no carries) or pass receiver (three catches). He made it as a blocker, which was considered the worst part of his game during his collegiate career at Furman and in his first four seasons with Carolina, Detroit and Indianapolis. Based on his performance in Minnesota, Felton seems to be one of those rare fullbacks who has turned himself into a rugged blocker well into his NFL career. "It's very unusual," one scout said. "The Pro Bowl got it right. He's a real good blocker. Showed better toughness at the point of attack than he showed with Detroit and Carolina. Physical kid. You can see him uproot a linebacker out of the hole and he's good adjusting on perimeter blocks. I never thought he was that natural thumper. This year, he has done a good job for them." The Vikings have used two-back sets about as often as any team in the NFL. In the two Green Bay games, Felton has played 60 of 124 snaps.
Bob McGinn
BOB McGINN: The Packers must get off to a fast start. If not, the pressure on them as a prohibitive home favorite trying to avoid a repeat of last January will become more and more suffocating. If it's close, Adrian Peterson will get his 30-plus carries and Blair Walsh could win it at the end.
TOM SILVERSTEIN: Say what you will about Adrian Peterson's dominance, but if the Packers don't make life miserable for Vikings quarterback Christian Ponder they're going home for the winter. Peterson will get his yards; Ponder and his receivers can't.
Packers 28, Vikings 20.
LORI NICKEL: Every team wants to jump out to a lead early, but what makes the Packers a threat here is their nearly healthy lineup of receivers and Jermichael Finley. Aaron Rodgers is so good at exploiting any mismatches on his receivers in the secondary. I expect fewer handoffs and more firings downfield early, especially if the weather is mild (for us). Green Bay's best defense against Adrian Peterson is a big lead and then long, clock-eating drives.
Packers 35, Vikings 17.
GARY D'AMATO: Surely, Adrian Peterson can't run roughshod over the Packers for a third time this season. If he does and Green Bay is one-and-done at Lambeau Field, heads should roll. Nothing has come easy for the 2012 Packers. Expect the trend to continue.
Packers 24, Vikings 20.
TYLER DUNNE: They're a confident bunch in Minnesota. Nobody expected the Vikings to turn things around this quickly. Green Bay probably won't have an answer for Adrian Peterson, who's on an absolute mission right now. But Aaron Rodgers and the Packers remember the sting from 2011.
Packers 24, Vikings 21.


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The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) invites applications for Fogarty International Research Collaboration Awards in Behavioral, Social Sciences (FIRCA-BSS) Research. This announcement is made together with 9 other components of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).*
The objectives of the FIRCA program are to support collaborative research efforts between NIH-funded scientists and scientists in developing countries on research of high scientific merit, relevant to global health, and of mutual interest and benefit, and to help build research capabilities and foster further sustained and productive research and research collaborations at the foreign sites.
The opportunity to collaborate internationally provides a means of access to new information and perspectives, innovative concepts and methods, emerging research technologies, and unique populations and environments important for addressing global health problems. The FIRCA will extend and enhance the research interests of both the NIH-funded scientist and the collaborating developing country scientist, and will help to increase the research capacity of the developing country institution.
For more information, potential applicants should contact Dr. Yuan Liu, Chief, Office of International Activities, NINDS,
Neuroscience Center, 6001 Executive Boulevard, Room 2187, Bethesda, MD 20892; telephone: 301-496-1917;
fax: 301-401-1501; e-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com.
*For a full list of supporting NIH components and a more detailed description of this program announcement, please visit the NIH web site at: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAR-05-073.html.

subset: commoncrawl


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Faculty Service-Learning Committee
Meeting Minutes
Tuesday, September 12, 2006
Registrar's Conference Room, 4 PM
Meeting was called to order by Earl Mulderink at 4:05 PM. In attendance: Steve Barney (HSS), Briget Eastep (EDU), Larry Johnson (PVA), Blair McDonald (CIET), Karl Stevens (SCPS), Denise Woodbury (BUS). Excused: Pam Branin (CSD), Neal Cox (Student Services), Mark Grover (SCI), Matt Nickerson (LIB & Honors Program), Dane Hess (Student Representative).
Welcome and Introductions
Members of the committee introduced themselves and discussed their experience with service-learning.
Chair's Report
Earl began by reviewing the committee's composition and the university's definition of service-learning. He shared with the committee some expectations for this year and a short annual report for 2005-2006. In addition, Earl distributed the agenda and associated web links for his presentation to deans, chairs, and directors at SUU's "Academic Leadership Retreat" on August 22, 2006.
Moving on to discuss the Utah Campus Compact, Earl distributed a current roster of the Faculty Consulting Corps that includes our own Steve Barney. Congratulations were offered to Steve for accepting this position. We discussed sending a delegation to Dixie State College on September 18, 2006, to meet our counterparts and Professor Kevin Burr, the UCC's Faculty Scholar for this year. Several faculty committed to making this trip with Earl: Steve Barney, Briget Eastep, Blair McDonald, and Denise Woodbury. Earl also mentioned forthcoming UCC events, including the Dialogue on Democracy in Salt Lake City in November 2006 and the Moab Engaged Scholar Institute in February 2007. Finally, committee members were informed how they could access and received the UCC's weekly electronic newsletter.
Under the realm of "Other," Earl distributed two news items that touch upon service-learning. First, Samuel G. Freedman offered a cynical take on the practice of "reflection" in "Upon Further Reflection, a Few Random Thoughts," in The New York Times, August 30, 2006. Also, the Carnegie Foundation's efforts to acknowledge campus engagement was reported by Audrey Williams June, "Carnegie Foundation Offers Community-Engagement Classification," The Chronicle of Higher Education, April 14, 2006.
New Business
Several items were covered under this category, including an inventory of service-learning on campus (ongoing), creating a web presence (ongoing), revising LRT policies to promote and reward service-learning (ongoing), and seeking funds from both internal and external sources (ongoing). Most of our discussion focused on the budget proposed by Earl and outlined below. Committee members expressed their appreciation to Provost Harraf for an substantial increase in funding for service-learning and civic engagement.
|Civic Engagement Proposed Budget, 2006-07
|Conference Participation/Travel
|Print and Multimedia Resources
|Website Maintenance
|Promotional Materials
|Civic Engagement Banquet
(additional funds sought from other sources)
|Faculty Development Awards
(five @ $800 each)
Note: While this budget is not cast in stone, it provides direction and opportunities for a wide range of civic engagement endeavors.
Meeting was adjourned at 5:05 PM.


text:
Movie is provided by Teen Girlfriends
Why do you like or dislike this movie?
Uploaded: 2010-01-07 Rating: % / Votes
Description: What do we love the most to see ? TWO HOT GIRLS PLAYING TOGETHER. yup those two busty gf will have some really great time together,licky time,pervy time,kissy time. Num num thats a real yummy video.


text:
This year's National Women Build Week is the event's biggest showing yet, with 300 events taking place throughout all 50 states. During the Lowe's-sponsored May 4-12 event, women volunteers will devote at least one day to the effort to eliminate poverty housing. Participating cities include New York City; Baltimore; Anchorage, Alaska; Tucson, Arizona; Chicago; San Diego; Denver; Miami; Honolulu; Pittsburgh; and Nashville, Tennessee. To learn more about Women Build and find events near you, visit habitat.org/wb.
Windows on the WorkAffiliates innovating for their communities
[ Across the United States ]


text:
The sketchdaily theme for today was 28 Days Later or zombies or concrete. I picked concrete and did a study of some weeping Angels from Doctor Who. I used some new brushes trying to get that concrete feel. These are the brushes Felix loves to use that I just can't get a handle on. Coulda worked longer on it but today is cleaning day and I am actually going to clean instead of procrastinate.
In addition Illustration Friday's theme was reflect, soooo I reflected the image for a sneaky double post. Yes the lighting doesn't make any sense but you know neither does the Doctor.


text:
I don't think that trying to be easier than PHP is a reasonable strategy. PHP is easy in part because it makes many of the decisions for you and specifies a certain way of building your application. People who want that can always use Embperl, Apache::ASP, etc. Personally, I am more interested in competing with Java for the more complex jobs.
By the way, if you're interested in content management and publishing tools, check out Krang.
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All trademarks and registered trademarks appearing on oreilly.com are the property of their respective owners.


text:
HRC On The Defensive Over Neal Non-Endorsement
We love a good homo-politic cat fight, don't you?
Former Reprise Records president and activist Howie Klein appeared on Michelangelo Signorile's radio show yesterday to rail against Human Rights Campaign for not endorsing North Carolina Senatorial hopeful Jim Neal, who happens to be gay. HRC claims they couldn't make up their mind between Neal and his party rival, Kay Hagan, a veteran Senator.
So, rather than making an endorsement, they're going to let North Carolinian voters decide. And Klein's not having it.
Klein yesterday wrote a scathing op-ed blasting HRC's DC-assimilation:
HRC is one of those Inside the Beltway organizations that has long ago lost sight of its original mandate. Instead of fighting for gay equality, they fight to win DC status games and to enhance the future career prospects of the staff. When it comes to electoral politics, you can almost always expect the worst from HRC.
As a follow-up, Klein spoke to Signorile to take some aural shots at the massive non-profit.
Well, Signorile informs us that HRC had their ear to the ground and are now sending VP of Policy David Smith to Signorile's show to defend the group's inaction. Tune into OutQ at 4:30 eastern and enjoy the back-handed-and-forth!
Howie Klein
Solomonese is a disgrace to the gay community and he's wrecked HRC as a credible organization. When his gal Susan Collins was pushing for the lifetime appointment of vicious homophobe and racist Leslie Southwick as a federal appellate judge, he said "A nominee who so callously disregarded the rights of GLBT families clearly cannot be trusted to safeguard the rights of any American. This vote for Leslie Southwick is a vote against the dignity and safety of our families, and an insult to the millions of dedicated GLBT parents raising happy and healthy children across this country." So how does that reflect HRC's repulsive endorsement of Collins instead of progressive Democratic congressman, Tom Allen, who has always stood by the gay community and who has a 100% rating on HRC's own score cards every year (unlike Collins, who's score is mediocre) and who has promised to NEVER vote to confirm any homophobic judges?Apr 30, 2008 at 2:16 pm · @Reply ·
I've actually canceled my HRC membership, which I thought I'd never do, because of their recent moves. Whether with ENDA, the non-endorsement of Jim Neal, their endorsement of the conservative Collins over liberal Allen, to Joe Solmonese' personal support of Clinton… None of these seem to be decisions which will ultimately benefit our community. HRC is way off track and needs to be reminded who their constituency is…
So when was the last time NOW endorsed an incumbent male candidate over a woman? Does the NAACP commonly endorse long-term white office-holders over african-americans? I'm sorry, I know it's good to be even-handed and not myopic about single-issues, but for fucksake, HRC, you're supposed to be an advocacy group for the GLBTs, not for whoever is currently inviting you to senate parties!
I don't think I'm quite ready to pull the membership plug, but I'm glad I haven't put the ol' equal sign on the new prius yet!
Klein spoke at Mel Cheren's memorial service. He's extremely cool. and smart.
After ENDA – HRC is a joke.
Look, the comment above about NOW was right on the money. If NOW had a female who supported women's rights running against a man who REFUSED to answer questions about women's rights, this would be a no-brainer for them. HRC has failed EVERY TIME they have tried to get into politics. They are at turns ham handed and at others frigtened rabbits. They didn't endorse William Weld years ago even though he supported gay marraige, yet will endorse hetrosexual politicians who don't support advancing gay rights. Now they are refusing to support an openly gay candidate who actually has a chance of winning a senate seat in a souther state. It is obvious the entire staff there is just diong as they are told until they can all get the lobbying jobs they are obviously whoring for.
People are missing the point in trashing HRC over this (and ENDA, but that's another post). While HRC is far from perfect, in this instance theey did the right thing. HRC's mission is not advancing candidates b/c they are gay, but candidates (gay/straight, republican/democratic) who are supportive on gay issues. (Now, the Victory Fund, who also didn't endorese Neal, are another story – their goal is to elect GLBT officials; then again, maybe they don't think money or an endorsement of Jim Neal is a good use of funds? I'd like to hear the reasoning there)
With Jim Neal, I'm sure he's a great person and have heard nothing but good things about him. But, the reality is that he's in a very tight primary race with an opponent that has a good record on gay issues and a stronger background in electoral politics (she was a state senator or house member – and in that position introduced and supported pro-GLBT legislation). She may not be gay, but she could well be the better candidate, if elected, to advance our rights. Why then, other than to feel good and righteous, should HRC support Neal over her? They shouldn't and didn't. What they did is not take a position and will, no doubt, support Neil or Kay Hagan.
Similary, Susan Collins is an incumbent with a good GLBT voting record (the judges thing stinks, but it doesn't completely discredit her support on a host of other issues). Her opponent, while great on our issues, hasn't got a snowball's chance in hell of beater her. So, again, why piss off any ally just to feel good.
Folks, grow up and see the bigger picture. If the Dem wins the presidency, we'll have a historic opportunity to advance GLBT rights and HRC is the single organization that is positioned and respected enough on the Hill to make a difference. The reason for that, HRC is willing to take the tough, mature stands despite the whining of bloggers and such who refuse to see a bigger, more effective strategy.
From what I understand, Kay Hagen won't even answer questions about her support or non-support of GLBT rights issues. So how is that the HRC couldn't decide????
And regarding Susan Collins…while there are good Republicans out there (and she kind of is one, though her Democratic opponent is much better), until organizations like the HRC understand the idea that we will only get what we want from the Congress and from the Presidency when the control of each is in Democratic hands, endorsing Republicans won't get us to the goal. If for some strange reason the Senate were to slip back into Republican hands (which isn't likely, given the specific races this election) and Susan Collins were to be re-elected, who thinks a Republican Senate will move forward on the GLBT agenda?
Vote (and Endorse) DEMOCRATS!
John, where are ANY results we've ever seen from HRC's so-called effective strategies? They accomplish nothing but throwing glitzy fundraisers for white Banana Republican gays to go and feel good about themselves.
HRC endorsed McCain lover Joe Lieberman over pro-gay marriage Ned Lamont.
What has HRC done for queer youth? What have they done to form coalitions with other movements so we can achieve collective liberation? What have they done for the trans community? Why do they sponsor the Log Cabin Republicans?
John, as a NC native, I can tell you that Kay Hagan does not have a better record or strategy on LGBT issues than Jim Neal. From what I've heard, Kay Hagan has a relative who is fairly high-up at the HRC.
The non-endorsement of Neal is inexcusible! People should donate lots of money to Neal at http://www.jimnealforsenate.com
Kay Hagan has over $300K, Jim Neal has just $18K.
John at No 7 –
Hagen turned down the offer to run until Jim Neal decided to run, and the party has refused to back him because he is gay. Lets be honest about this. The whole 'civil rights' thing in the Democratic Party is absurd.
Hagen does not have a good record on supporting GLBT issues and Neal is in a tight primary even though he is vastly out-raised by Hagen, so how is that for electability.
And I am sorry to say it, but positive discrimination in this case is a good thing. If I had to choose between a GLBT friendly straight senator and a GLBT friendly gay senator, hmmmm, which would I pick? Come on, there are no openly gay US senators and there are what, two reps, this should be entirely about supporting a viable gay candidate. Thats why even though I am from Connecticut and live in London I've had fundraisers for Neal and donated to the campaign.
If Jim Neal were a lesbian, HRC would have endorsed her. Even though they have an amiable gay man as CEO, Joe, we gay men are still seen as second class in our community. Older gay men like me are seen as third class citizens. LOL
This lesbian takeover happened in the 90's with the editor and staff of the Advocate, highlighted by Ellen and Rosie being accepted by mainstream America. What gay man has risen to the adoration that those two hold with the public ? None.
Jim Neal is a very viable candidate and that is why I supported him to the maximum amount allowed by law, $2,300.00.
Jim Neal is the BETTER candidate in this race. Sure, he is gay, but he actually has pragmatic progressive positions on the issues. He is also a passionate speaker and very inspiring.
Jim Neal is BETTER on the issues, BETTER speaker, and is openly gay.
HRC, what the hell?
they are being "pansys"
So, what else is new? We're talking about the organization that endorsed Mary Bono instead of Ron Odenn, Alphonse D'Amato instead of Charles Schumer, and whose ED decided to lie deliberately, blatantly and openly to 1000 transgender people in a hotel ballroom in Atlanta, captured on YouTube.
CUT OFF THEIR MONEY. Now. It's the only thing that will make them listen.


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Overview Jackson Court
The hotel is not wheelchair accessible.The reception is open from 9:00 until 19:00Please inform the hotel if you arrive after 19:00
Jackson Court offers 10 guestrooms, 2 of which are suites. All rooms are individually decorated with antique and contemporary furnishings; several contain a wood-burning fireplace.
A complimentary continental breakfast is served every morning. There is also an afternoon tea and cookie service.
Pacific Heights is located in Northern California and offers some of the most picturesque and park-like settings in the area. Primarily residential, the neighbourhood offers spectacular views of the famous Golden Gate Bridge and the Bay. The majority of the action takes place on Fillmore Street with its luxury boutiques and gift shops.
Driving directions from the South via Highway 101 (SFO, San Jose):Take Highway 101 North Exit 9th Street towards Civic Center/Golden Gate Bridge Cross over Market Street Veer left onto Hayes Street Turn right onto Franklin Street Turn left onto Jackson Street The Jackson Court is located on the corner of Jackson and Buchanan Streets.
Ideally situated in the exclusive Pacific Heights neighbourhood of San Francisco, this magnificent brownstone mansion is close enough to the action of the city, yet far enough away to provide peace and quiet. The charm of this 19th century building and the friendly staff will make you feel at home. From the moment you step through the arched entrance you will notice the unrivalled character of Jackson Court. The uniquely themed rooms combine the charm of antiques with the convenience of modern furnishings.Explore nearby Fillmore Street and trendy Union Street, filled with unique shops and delectable restaurants or take a quick car ride downtown to Union Square, the Hyde Street Cable Car line and Fisherman's Wharf.
Upon check-in photo identification and credit card is required. All special requests are subject to availability upon check-in. Special requests cannot be guaranteed and may incur additional charges.
Services and facilities
General facilities
|Dry Cleaning, Newspapers, Games room, Laundry, Ironing Service
|Non-Smoking Rooms
|Free Wi-Fi Internet Access Included, Wi-Fi/Wireless LAN, Internet Services
Food and drink
|Continental Breakfast
Jackson Court
1.9 mi
Alpha Inn and Suites
2 mi
Hostel Monte Cristo
2 mi
Hostel Chateau Tivoli Bed & Breakfast
2.1 mi
Hostel AAE Amsterdam Hostel
2.2 mi
Hostel Globetrotters Inn
2.3 mi
Hostel AAE European Hostel San Francisco
2.3 mi
Hostel The Pontiac Hotel
2.6 mi
Hostel Red Victorian Bed and Breakfast


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Monthly Archives: April 2010
Top College Sports-Related Content and Search Terms for March 2010
Yesterday, Compete released its ranking of the top college sports-related content and search terms for March 2010. March Madness is always a boon for the sports category, and this year's Cinderella stories and major upsets continued the trend. In fact, Compete's college sports category recorded a bigger jump in March than "shopping blogs" and "business blogs," rising 84 percent over the prior month and pulling in more than 10 million
March 2010 Search Market Share
Recently the Dow Jones Industrial Average broke the 11,000 mark, and The Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index®, which had decreased in February, rebounded in March. Both are good signs for those of us looking for positive indications of an economic recovery, but is the search market exhibiting a similar trend and helping to paint a rosy outlook?
Smartphone Use in Travel Has Room to Grow
As smartphones get smarter and more powerful, it is likely their use for more complex tasks, including travel research and booking, will increase. But how close are we to that becoming reality? Compete used its ability to field behaviorally targeted surveys to ask smartphone owners about their use of these devices for travel research and booking.
Ben and Jerry's Declares Free Cone Day
I apologize to all the lactose intolerant people reading this post, but ice cream is one of the most delicious foods in the world. It comes in hundreds of different flavors; it can be filled with any fruit, candy, baked good, or chocolate creation; and you can top it with anything under the sun. The only thing better than ice cream is free ice cream. Once a year, as a
Online Shopper Intelligence Study Reports Cross Channel Retailing is Important and Profitable
The Compete Online Shopper Intelligence study provides powerful insight into the complete online shopping experience. For more consumers insights, please contact Debra Miller at firstname.lastname@example.com for more information. Through policies as simple as in-store returns for online purchases to more sophisticated tools like mobile shopping apps, retailers are working towards breaking down the barriers between offline, online, and mobile shopping. And it is a good thing retailers are working on
The Curious Case of Honda
An article in a recent edition of BusinessWeek detailed the woes of Honda. It discussed the automaker's declining US market share as well as product missteps — most notably Crosstour and Insight — and its inability to cash in on Toyota's problems while other competitors have been quick to capitalize. Here at Compete we decided to take a deeper dive into just what's troubling Honda to uncover the root causes
Dear Cable Companies: You are Losing the Online Battle for the "American Couch Potato"
Last week, The Convergence Consulting Group's latest research report, "The Battle for the American Couch Potato," received a lot of press. The title of the report is a separate blog topic""what I'm here to discuss is the company's "major finding" that by the end of 2009, nearly 800,000 households in the US had "cut the cord"""dumping their cable, satellite, or telco TV providers for Web-based videos and downloadable shows. Articles
Can Facebook Personalize the Internet?
Facebook's new platform is turning the heads of publishers everywhere. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg introduced Open Graph at Facebook's F8 developers conference in San Francisco. By adding one line of HTML to their sites, publishers will be able to serve relevant content based on the the users' Facebook profile (so long as the user is logged into FB at the same time). Although it's primary intent is to provide a
Online March Madness
March is a big month for sports, with the drama of the NCAA Tournament plus MLB excitement as a new baseball season kicks off. In March, three of the Compete 250 sites with the greatest month-over-month (m-o-m) changes were, not surprisingly, sports related. NCAA.com and cbssports.com grew 982% and 121%, respectively, m-o-m in March. Also, NCAA.com's March Madness on Demand, which streams live video of every game from the NCAA
Are Facebook Fan Pages Working for Wireless Carriers?
Compete recently reported that Facebook.com moved up the rankings into the #2 most popular site in the U.S, surpassing Yahoo.com. With Facebook continuing to grow, the importance of social networking sites to companies is higher than ever. As we have discovered previously, the percentage of wireless shoppers also visiting Facebook.com has increased dramatically over the past year, which means wireless carriers have a huge opportunity to reach their current and
Vacation Season Search
With the arrival of spring, more people will be thinking "vacation."  And more likely than not, that means consumers will research vacations online when looking for that perfect location, and that research is likely to include search. To help reveal the connection between search and sites, Compete assessed the Top 10 travel-related sites that consumers were referred after searching on that very word: "vacation" on any of the major search


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From: Executive chef Nash Cognetti, Tra Vigne, St. Helena, CA. Yield: 12 servings. 8 oz. citronette (recipe follows) sherried rock shrimp (recipe follows) 24 blood orange segement 4 cups arugula 6 large fresh Hass Avocados, peeled, seeded, cut in half* Citronette (yields 4 cups): 5 meyer lemons, zest and juice 1 ruby grapfruit, zest and juice 2 oz. shallot, minced 2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard ¼ tsp. saffron, bloomed in ¼ cup hot water as needed, salt 20 oz. olive oil Sherried Rock ...
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Earlier this morning, a number of iPhone users woke up to the realization that the new Do Not Disturb feature on iOS 6 had neglected to turn off at its intended time. The error was attributed to yet another date bug within iOS, as the calendar turned to January 1st, 2013 around the world.
Apple, ironically, has now unveiled a new TV ad that promotes the same Do Not Disturb feature that was causing iPhone users issues on the same very day. The 30-second spot stars tennis pro Serena Williams playing ping pong in the narrator's dreams, which go uninterrupted because he is using Do Not Disturb.


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Audio and video interviews with Poets, Writers, Musicians and other great creators as well as book, movie and music reviews. Send links to your original music and spoken word CDs, literary sites, art sites and coolest art videos for KEITH THOMPSON and me to review or feature. Contact: email@example.com
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Two Poems by Catfish McDaris
Ask Nicely Quasimodo
While sight seeing in
Notre Dame Cathedral
I wore a baseball cap
A Frenchman jabbed
a finger hard in my back
I grabbed his fingers
& bent them until
he was on his knees
He hissed, you have to
remove your cap & I did
& replied
You should pray while
you're down there.
Parisian Art Is Everywhere
After touring the Spaniard,
Picasso's museum in Paris
I noticed a well dressed
woman & her dainty dog
We had left simultaneously
the dog started defecating
The crowd walking behind
tried to avoid the mess
The tiny pooch kept painting
the sidewalk, the lady was
dragging the poor animal
After six blocks of steaming
slime I started seeing Pablo's
work, the damn dog was
an artist.
3 comments:
- Derailed Poet said...
Whoa, these are good! x
- June 23, 2010 at 6:56 AM
- francofile said...
Quelle con. quelle ordure.
- June 25, 2010 at 10:43 AM
- Belinda Subraman Presents / Gypsy Art Show said...
Certainly strong reactions.
- June 26, 2010 at 1:32 PM
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First, the bad news: 1 in 4 women who had a baby between June 2007 and June 2008 were living in poverty, according to the most recent Census figures. Then, the not-so-bad news: of the 1.5 million unmarried mothers who gave birth that year, a quarter were actually cohabiting with a partner, so perhaps they weren't exactly "single" moms. And last, the percentage of working women who gave birth grew between 2007 and 2008, from 57% to 61%.
These findings are contained in the latest report from the Census Bureau, Fertility of American Women: 2008,
which also found that between June 2007 and June 2008, about 4 million
American women aged 15 to 44 gave birth. Fertility data are collected
every two years, but this is the first report to publish cohabitation
Most of the trends identified in the new report are familiar. Blacks
and Hispanics have more kids than whites and Asians. Women who have more
education delay childbirth and are usually married when they have kids.
About 25% of all children who took their first breath in the 12 months
before June 2008 were the offspring of foreign-born women, most of whom
were not citizens. A quarter of those non-citizens lived in California.
But keeping an eye on Census figures is sometimes like watching an
incredibly slow car crash. Consider that more than a half-million women
under 30 with less than a high school education had babies in
2007-2008. Almost 57% of them were living without a partner. Then
consider that two of the biggest preconditions for poverty are low
levels of education and single parenthood.
At the other end of the spectrum, nearly three quarters of a million
women older than 30 with a college degree had children. And 93% of them
were living with their husbands.
The more education women had, the more likely they were to return to
work within the first year of their child's life. And divorced women
were marginally, by 10 percentage points, more likely than married women
to have returned to full-time work.
While cohabiting without marrying is becoming increasingly common,
the trend hasn't yet shown long-term legs among parents. Although about a
fifth of moms under 30 with a high school education and 14% with some
college lived with someone, most of the mothers over 30, no matter their
level of education, were married.
Significantly, however, this data was collected in June 2008, before
the collapse of Lehman Brothers and the recession, which, some experts
have suggested have pushed people to live together at higher rates than
Read more: http://healthland.time.com/2010/11/05/the-latest-figures-on-american-motherhood/#ixzz14idyBeCg


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TV Daily Schedule: KQED 9
Another way to search for programs is from the TV Programs A-Z Directory.
KQED 9: Wednesday, December 25, 2013
Comcast 9 and 709 • Digital 9.1, 54.2 or 25.1
Schedule is subject to change. Please visit kqed.org/tv/schedules/daily for the most up-to-date info.
12:00 amCharlie Rose [#20002] duration 56:47 STEREO TVRE
1:00 amNightly Business Report [#32275Z] duration 26:46 STEREO TVRE
1:30 amSpark! [#501H] Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Shailja Patel, and Ronn Guidi * Meet the Lawrence Ferlinghetti you didn't know - you might already know him as a poet, but did you also know that he's a painter, too?
* Then visit Kenyan-born Indian American Shailja Patel as she performs her spoken word piece about migration and personal history.
* See how Oakland Ballet artistic director Ronn Guidi comes out of retirement to save the dance company he loves.
* And finally see how Rene Garcia Jr.'s glitter portraits shine.


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John Landgraf, president and general manager at FX Networks, sat with his team in the glass-walled conference room of the network's Los Angeles offices last October to hear a pitch for a new series from Bruce Helford, veteran TV writer, producer and co-creator of The Drew Carey Show, and his newest creative partner, Charlie Sheen.
The idea would go on to become the series Anger Management, which debuts June 28 at 9 p.m., anchoring the network's Thursday comedy lineup. But at the time, a skeptical Landgraf had agreed to the meeting largely as a professional courtesy. Just eight months earlier, Sheen's five-alarm flameout got him fired from the CBS smash Two and a Half Men, throwing the show's future into chaos. With a season average of 11.6 million total viewers, the sitcom commanded a monster $200,000 per 30-second spot.
Since FX airs Men reruns, the shutdown hit close to home. Partnering with the self-proclaimed "assassin warlock" was a long shot, Landgraf recalls. There was "a fairly high bar and a certain amount of nervousness in getting back into business with Charlie," he says.
Sitting comfortably side-by-side, Helford, 60, and Sheen, 46, served up the concept: The actor would play Charlie Goodson, a baseball player with temper issues turned anger management therapist. The duo had their routine fairly well mastered, since they'd already shopped half a dozen or so companies en route to the 12 to 14 that would hear their pitch—among them, Hulu, Netflix and all the broadcast networks save Sheen's old stomping ground, CBS. With Helford clad in a polo shirt and Sheen in a sport jacket, the writer delivered the formal pitch while the main attraction cut in with comments, jokes and thoughts about how the show related to his own life.
As the duo continued, it became clear there was more to the show than a Charlie Sheen meta-joke about anger, including complex and loving relationships with women who were not the one-dimensional bimbos Sheen's character, Charlie Harper, cycled through on his old program. At one point during the FX pitch, as Landgraf recalls, Sheen said: "I don't want Two and a Half Men to be my legacy. I want to do something that I can be really proud of on every level—creatively and personally."
After the meeting, the FX team was excited. Helford's setup was more than just one-note shtick. It was a clear, optimistic and nuanced vision of the next phase of Sheen's life. Chuck Saftler, evp, FX Networks, calls it "a perfect articulation of where somebody goes after such a public debacle."
Adds Landgraf: "What an actor chooses to play tells you a lot about where they're at emotionally. If you think about Charlie on Two and a Half Men, he was bulletproof, gliding through life with no responsibilities or consequences. [In Anger Management], this character's entire life is structured around the consequences of his anger. Charlie's decision to play a character struggling with consequences is directly connected to his desire to struggle with those issues in his personal life."
FX was so impressed that it ordered 10 episodes without even a pilot in a 10/90 deal, with a promise for 90 more in the next two years if the show hits its ratings threshold, adding up to the magic syndication number of 100. "It's a very astute move," says Brad Adgate, svp, research at Horizon Media. "This could be the highest profile show of the summer."
By essentially bringing Sheen "back from the dead," says Adgate, Anger Management builds on the actor's implosion, generating coverage like upcoming Newsweek and Rolling Stone covers. "Not only is FX getting Charlie Sheen, they're getting all the interest that was front and center a year ago," Adgate explains.
While Sheen now seeks to elevate his persona beyond a celebration of partying and womanizing, the repair of his image to date shows how boorish behavior and scandal don't necessarily end a career. Chris Brown, Christian Bale and Alec Baldwin are just a few of the others who've shown that a celebrity can behave like a brute and escape almost immediately with reputation—and brand value—intact.
At this point, the public feels so intimately involved with famous personalities that short of allegedly committing murder (O.J. Simpson) or wiping out people's life savings (Bernie Madoff), there is little someone can do to become irredeemable to the American public.
"The public cares less and less about scandal," says PR guru Howard Rubenstein, president of Rubenstein Associates. "They look at it as that's something juicy—let me read it. Then they move on. The general public expects wrongdoing [in celebrities]. If you don't murder somebody, everything else goes."


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Skip to comments."Seasoned NBC News producer fired, still anonymous
Posted on 04/07/2012 11:33:59 AM PDT by Qbert
The New York Times, which hasnt been reporting on NBC News editing George Zimmermans 911 call to make him sound like a racist, is finally doing so. Brian Stelter writes:
NBC News has fired a producer who was involved in the production of a misleading segment about the Trayvon Martin case in Florida.
The person was fired on Thursday, according to two people with direct knowledge of the disciplinary action who declined to be identified discussing internal company matters. They also declined to name the fired producer. A spokeswoman for NBC News declined to comment.
The action came in the wake of an internal investigation by NBC News into the production of the segment, which strung together audio clips in such a way that made George Zimmermans shooting of Mr. Martin sound racially motivated
On April 4, the network news division said in a statement that it deeply regretted the error made in the production process.
We will be taking the necessary steps to prevent this from happening in the future and apologize to our viewers, the network said.
It did not specify what steps it would take. But one day later it dismissed a Miami-based producer who had worked at NBC for several years.
The people with direct knowledge of the firing characterized the misleading edit as a mistake, not a purposeful act.
So. For weeks, NBC News has eagerly joined in and put George Zimmerman and everyone around him on trial even people who have nothing to do with him, like the McClain family but now NBC is protecting the identity of whoever faked evidence against Zimmerman.
Note that this isnt NBC officially announcing the firing. All theyve said is that it was an error and it supposedly wont happen again. They havent said who did it or why, or how the company is responding. Now the NYT is reporting that whoever did it has been fired, but oddly enough, this person still doesnt have a name. And we find out about it from similarly anonymous sources, contacted by a newspaper that hasnt even been reporting on it up until now.
I wonder how tough it is to find out the names of all the NBC News producers who were fired on April 5, 2012? Pretty tough, probably. Good job keeping a lid on this, NBC.
And these anonymous sources are actually sticking with the whoopsie defense. It was an accident. Doh! I seem to have edited out the three seconds of your conversation that make it clear youre responding to a police dispatchers question, rather than volunteering a racist motive. Silly me! Well, if it was an accident, why was this unnamed person fired? If it was an accident, whats the thinking behind this clumsy attempt at a cover-up that makes people skeptical that it was an accident?
MSNBC went to battle stations when James OKeefe committed a misdemeanor. They called it Watergate Jr. But when one of their own manufactures evidence in a racially charged shooting thats become a nationwide scandal? Crickets. Guess they dont want to step on Al Sharptons toes.
Nothing to see here, America. Let it be known that NBC News wont smear you and then close ranks to cover up their wrongdoing. Unless itll help their ratings.
At least ABC News is breathing a sigh of relief. Their stupid irresponsibility in this case is long forgotten. Whew.
He's the one who needs to go, and they know it.
Fire and Rehire will be what happens.
If they don't identify this person - it didn't happen.
George Zimmerman should NBC for a million bucks, and NBC should be shut down by the FCC.
If George wins, he can take $500,000 of the court award from NBC, and can then put out a bounty on 50 New Black Panther members for $10,000 each, dead or castrated (at a minimum). After all, the so-called Justice Department refuses to take action against the NBP for their bounty on George. Why do blacks get away with violence? (Obama?)
From aprevious FR thread the rumor mill says the producer is Jim Bell, Executive Producer, Today, NBC News.
George Zimmerman should SUE NBC for a million bucks, and NBC should be shut down by the FCC.
If George wins, he can take $500,000 of the court award from NBC, and can then put out a bounty on 50 New Black Panther members for $10,000 each, dead or castrated (at a minimum). After all, the so-called Justice Department refuses to take action against the NBP for their bounty on George. Why do blacks get away with violence? (Obama?)
"Brian Williams gave the OK.
He's the one who needs to go, and they know it."
Good point.
The person will never remain anonymous. This is the information age... Internet, cable news,...
Will Spike Lee be posting the home address of the fired NBC producer? Will anyone believe him?
I would watch a full time news channel that had as its main reporting mission, reporting solely on the news media itself.
The untouchables need to be touched hard. Wipe away any trace of that phony veneer of 'objectivity' they claim to have yet we know they don't. Air their dirty hypocritical laundry. No protection from the rest of the media helping out a fellow buddy.
The producer got seasoned in the first place because those kinds of activities are highly prized by NBC and the other partisan shill media orgs. Thanks Qbert.
"From aprevious FR thread the rumor mill says the producer is Jim Bell, Executive Producer, Today, NBC News."
Yeah, I saw that on PJM. I think he also turned his Twitter account to "private" status last night. I did see an article quoting Bernie Goldberg on Fox saying he didn't think Bell was the type that would do this- he thinks it was a segment producer (who knows?).
Brian Williams (see comment #2) gave the go-ahead on showing it- he's the one who really needs to pay here, IMO.
The "fired producer" was supposedly based in Miami, while Jim Bell is based in New York. It probably isn't Bell.
George Zimmerman's reputation has been destroyed by these media minions. The producer's reputation must be protected by remaining anonymous. I hope I live to see the day NBC crashes and burns.
"The fired producer was supposedly based in Miami, while Jim Bell is based in New York. It probably isnt Bell."
Interesting info- thanks.
I wonder just how fired he really is?
Today EP Jim Bell to Lead NBCs Olympics Coverage
[Brian Williams gave the OK.]
But its so easy for the higher up to say they didn't know. Isn't Williams the Managing Editor?
For the cause! (raised fist)
And we are supposed to believe them when they don't even Identify the person. It is not past the MSM to make something up now is it.
"And we are supposed to believe them when they dont even Identify the person. It is not past the MSM to make something up now is it."
Yep. I think it's becoming apparent that not only did NBC purposely edit the tape, but there is no "fired producer"...
I tend to agree.
Exactly. As long as he/she is anonymous they don't actually have to fire it.
Williams has really been the face of the leftist media ever since I first saw him on syndicated NBC newscasting in the early 2000s. Another pseudo-Catholic, too.
Zimmerman could sue for damages, but that is a ways away.
not "a million"
I suspect the "fired" producer will be re-assigned/re-cycled. The Zimmerman smear was a 'vast' NBC conspiracy, not a "mistake" of one individual.
How can anyone believe anyone was fired when NBC is making the claim. NBC has NO credibility. ZERO credibility. To be believed, they must give a name. The person should be interviewed by others in the press and forced to confess and apologize for his/her/its outrage.
Perhaps this is nothing but theater, yet another lie, and they didn't really fire anyone.
"OK,and this (Brian Williams) guy is he black,white or Hispanic?"
Frankly, I seriously doubt anyone was fired.
I think this is nothing but a BS smokescreen.
To cover up network-wide dishonesty.
But that's just my opinion. Call me cynical.
Indeed - his family should retain the attorney that represented Richard Jewell, who was smeared by the networks after the Atlanta Olympic bombing.
And as discovery progresses in the case, NBC will have to reveal the name of the producer, who should then be joined as a co-defendant in the suit.
And I'd add Comcast and GE as parent companies of NBC for good measure.
Or they "fired" somebody who was going to retire anyway, and agreed to fall on the sword in exchange for a sweet retirement package.
Yes, but what would become of (C)Rock Center? (snicker)
Trust but verify.
This paragon of ethics and honesty has given us no reason to trust anything they say.
If they can manipulate a quote into a lie, they can certainly falsely claim to have done something.
The producers, writers and editors, in both NBC and NYT need to be brought up on criminal charges. The talking heads on NBC and any other "news" outfit, TV and/or radio, that repeated that propaganda need to be brought up on conspiracy in furtherance of whatever criminal charges are brought against the primary perps.
Freedom of speech was never meant to cover straight up lies. And, this is a case of shouting fire in a theater.
Being employed by a "journalist" outfit should not ever resolve anyone from issues of basic integrity and honesty. If we keep letting them get away with this, we're going to loose the entire concept of free press in the eventual lash-back.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.


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Virgin, whose upcoming gaming venture (Virgin Gaming) is touted as the "world's fastest growing online gaming community," announced today that it has partnered with Ubisoft to be the "online tournament provider" for some of the publisher's multiplayer console releases. The first: Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Future Soldier.
Details on how the tournaments will actually work are scarce, but I do have some press release quotes from executives about how excited everyone is. Wanna read them?:
"Ubisoft is one of the leading video game publishers in the world and we are thrilled to offer our members the opportunity to compete in some of their best multiplayer console games," said Rob Segal, CEO of Virgin Gaming, "Virgin Gaming is a unique convergence of social networking, video games and competitive gaming, and we are excited that Ubisoft shares our vision for the platform and its potential."
"Ubisoft is thrilled to be partnering with Virgin Gaming on its new venture. We have an exciting lineup of multiplayer titles this year that we believe will be a perfect fit for gamers to play and compete against each other in a tournament setting," said Laurent Detoc, president of Ubisoft North America.
Why should you care? Because Virgin founder Richard Branson, usually seen riding a jet-ski with a supermodel on his back, is actually interested in your hobby... or at least interested in making money from your hobby.
For more of an idea of what Branson is up to, check out this video:


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Aside from cheap flights, we also have a wide selection of cheap Iran hotels and quality accommodation in Iran available. Search, compare and book the best travel accommodation online for your holidays in Iran.
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Age: 34. Why he's rising: Adjey is not a cook, he's an artist whose beautiful food is surpassed only by the sophistication of his flavors. Background: A native of Toronto, Adjey is a CIA graduate who cooked at several high profile Toronto restaurants before landing a gig at Melrose in N.Y.C. and an internship with Giuliano Bugialli in Italy. Cooking style: New World, which represents the multicultural influences of his years in Toronto. Signature dish: Lobster Three Ways (broiled tail, ...
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The wildly popular high-protein, low-carb diets produced winners and losers in the supermarket fresh departments this year. Most all protein-rich foods, especially meats and eggs, came out on top. Both categories saw increased sales and consumption, thanks in part to the legions who follow the Atkins and South Beach diets, or some variation of them. The weight-loss plans encourage people to fill up on meat, fish, poultry and even bacon, while strictly limiting their carbohydrates. In a ...
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Positive Force
~ Group
briefly renamed itself Positive Express and released an album Changin' Times (1982) under that name, before reverting to its earlier name.
Annotation last modified on 2013-07-21 09:12 UTC.
Showing all release groups by this artist. Show only official release groups instead, or show various artists release groups.


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By Clyde Davis: CNJ columnist
One of the greatest ways to end the old year, or begin the new, is to be handed a column idea that really works by someone who doesn't even know they are doing it. So I would like to extend a big thank you to the hostess in a local restaurant.
Yes, thank you for being rude, not concerned about customers, and not even bothering to listen to what you were being told. By choosing to argue with my wife, who was just trying to make a point, you gave me a column on customer service.
We had a coupon which, by the way it was worded, implied that beverage was included in the coupon offer, so long as the whole tab was under ten dollars. Please understand that the issue was not a free beverage — we are not that cheap. My wife was simply trying to get the hostess to understand, after the fact, that the wording was confusing.
After balking for several minutes about showing Janice the initial coupon, on which the confusing words were located, the hostess proceeded to argue with her about the issue. This, I am sure, made a fine impression on the other patrons who were patiently waiting to pay their tabs.
If one is working in a service industry, it is probably good to remember two things:
1. Service jobs (which broadly includes nearly everything) depend on the customer for success. People will choose where to use their disposable income, and if they are treated rudely at your establishment, their business will go elsewhere.
2. If you do not like your job well enough to put your best face forward, give it up. Someone else will gladly take it. Go on welfare, sit around all day watching TV and drinking sodas. Someone with more pride in doing the job will benefit both the business owner and the public.
As a consumer, I can think of no better words than the seven which I have found to magically change attitudes: "May I please speak to your supervisor ?"
Quality of service is, increasingly, both important and overlooked. The overlooking is not done by the owner, the manager, the supervisor. These people realize that they are in a competitive market, and that customer service is a vital factor. It is the counter clerk, the server, the person who cannot make the direct connection between keeping customers happy and his/her own paycheck.
Large businesses have failed because employees failed to make that connection. Witness the downfall of the steel industry, circa 1980's.
Every time I go to my radiation oncologist, and yes, patients are consumers, I know that I will have to wait beyond my appointment time. It doesn't bother me, simply because I know that the reason for the delay, with this particular doctor, is that he is giving his best attention to some other patient. I also know that when I have my checkup, he will be completely focused on that, for however long it takes.
When I worked for Penney's, back when Penney's sold hardware and sporting goods, I always figured that the customer I was waiting on deserved the best of my time and advice. If they had to wait a little longer because I was helping someone else, I should make it worth their wait by knowing what I was talking about when their turn did come.
That defines the difference between a specialized sales associate and someone who is just putting in time, hoping to do as little as possible before his or her shift is over.


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Wed, Sep 18 2013 12:00 Eastern Daylight Time
SSIS - Integrating PowerShell in a ScriptTask comp
RSVP: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/7914849099338105601
This session will demostrate how you can reuse a PowerShell script in SSIS "Script Task" component as part on a ETL flow. I'll be showing some basic .NET Script code in both C# and VB. I'll be adding some useful tips when re-using existing Powershell code. Integrating different .NET technologies in a SSIS package: C#, VB.NET, XML, and PowerShell.
Session Level: Intermediate
Born in Puerto Rico, has been working with computers since 1979, and is the only PowerShell MVP in Florida. Throughout many years, have worked with various types of databases such as: Dbase, OS/400-DB2, MySQL and MSSQL. And, as a Senior IT/Developer has provided support for Windows Servers 2003/2008, Windows 7, SQL Servers Applications, Microsoft Virtualization Technologies, and building Visual Studio solutions. Microsoft PowerShell MVP awarded since 2008. Also, in 2015/2016 got his SAPIEN Technologies MVP Award.
We broadcast our presentations on the 3rd Wednesday of every month at 12:00 PM - Noon Eastern Time (GMT -4), 9 AM Pacific Time (GMT -7) using Go To Webinar.


text:
Over 250,000 creatures were created in 24 hours using the Spore Creature Creator released on Tuesday. That means, according to Electronic Arts' math, two creatures are created for the Mac and PC Universe simulator every second. The total is nearing 400,000 now.
"The response to the Spore Creature Creator has been overwhelming," said Lucy Bradshaw, executive producer of Spore at Maxis. "The creativity and passion that the community is putting into their creatures is spectacular. The development team has spent the last 24 hours checking out the amazing creations racing in from all corners of the globe – with peak volume hitting more than 1,000 creatures being shared a minute."
Estimates that over 98% of the creatures created represent human genitalia have yet to be confirmed, as I made them up. At the risk of digression, when I think "User Created Content" I think "dongs," know what I'm saying?
Anyway, bet your own free Creature Creator, and create your own space-weenus-creature, at Spore.com.


text:
RUSH: Cincinnati. Rosy, hi. It's great to have you with us.
CALLER: Hey, Rush, how are you?
RUSH: Just fine. Thank you.
CALLER: Good. Hey, I'm going to try to keep this cohesive. I'm a little bit upset. I just got off the phone earlier with the AARP. And I called to express my concerns about their support of Obamacare. The response I got was there are only a couple of ideas with which they agree or that they would condone, and I said, "Well, how do you expect those ideas to remain if we're under government control? You know, do you trust them to do what they say they're going to do?" And their response was, "Well, you know, there are a lot of myths about this going on, and you really have to pay attention to which news outlets are giving you correct information." And I said, "Well, first of all I can discern for myself what this means. But are you telling me that, you know, you think the government is going to do what it says it's going to do?" She said, "Well, this is not socialized health care."
RUSH: Well, wait a minute. She denied a charge that you hadn't yet made.
CALLER: Exactly!
RUSH: So obviously they're very defensive about this at the AARP. Because the AARP, if they go along with this, is selling every member down the river.
CALLER: Exactly, and she was very... She said, "Look, this is not socialized medicine because people would have the option of keeping their private insurance."
RUSH: She's just ignorant. That's not true. It's been proven. With "constructive dialogue," the president's lying.
CALLER: Well, I understand if... You know, whatever counterpoint that I gave her, she would feverishly type on the other end, and obviously a script would come up because it certainly sounded as if she was reading.
RUSH: Oh-ho-ho-ho! (laughing) Is that right?
CALLER: Yeah.
RUSH: (laughing)
CALLER: And, you know, I said, "Well, you know, this doesn't make any sense. How would you expect businesses to remain competitive," and, you know, they just really didn't have any good answers other than, "There are only a couple parts of this with which we agree." You know, It's Business 101. It upsets me that no one really protects those that they ostensibly lobby for and no one seems to do due diligence, and obviously someone's gotten to the head of AARP --
RUSH: No!
CALLER: -- and no one completes a thought. It doesn't make any sense, Rush.
RUSH: Yes, it does. You're just looking at it with the wrong context. You're looking at it with the wrong premise. It makes total sense when you understand that the AARP is no different than the National Association of Gals, no different from the NAALCP, no different from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. What do they all have in common? They're liberals. They love big government, and they are totally snowed by Obama, and they've got a lot of skin in the game with money that's going to get kicked back to them from stimulus plans and the health care plan and so forth. So this health care plan is all about Obama taking care of his buddies in the unions and so forth, just like the stimulus was. So you're expecting them... You have a lot of respect for the AARP, I guess. You're expecting them to be intellectually honest, so they analyze the plan and stand up for the people that are members of the AARP. That isn't what they're about.
CALLER: Well --
RUSH: They're about advancing a big government agenda.
CALLER: Can I tell you what was most telling?
RUSH: Sure.
CALLER: At the end it was, you know, she contradicted herself because I gave her the example of, "Look, if you got two businesses on the same street. You got a pizza maker here whose bottom line is he makes three bucks a pizza; and, you know, another guy makes four bucks a pizza; and the difference between the bottom line there is that one keeps his private insurance for his employee and the other doesn't. So to remain competitive, you know, why not dump that private insurance and get on the bandwagon?" And she said, "Well, you know, people do go to jobs for insurance. So why would the company with private insurance dump it for the government insurance?"
RUSH: Well, I have to know what you said to that.
CALLER: Well, I said, "Thank you for your time." Clearly, she's an idiot.
RUSH: Well, obviously she's an idiot. I was being restrained here --
CALLER: (giggling)
RUSH: -- trying to keep the dialogue constructive.
CALLER: Oh, my goodness. Well --
RUSH: Clearly, you were talking to a phone idiot. You were talking to somebody, the purpose of which is to tell you that you're the idiot, that you don't know what you're talking about. That was her job. That's why she's typing up your questions and, bam! On her computer screen pops the answer. It's kind of the way Michael Eric Dyson does "first-class intellectualism" on television shows. He's got these answers programmed into his mind, and he gets triggered by a keyword in the question, bam! He runs with it. But the businesses will get rid of their private insurance is to off-load the cost.
CALLER: Exactly.
RUSH: So that their bottom line won't be hurt. That's one of the selling points Obama knows he's got. That's why your private insurance is going to go down the drain and why you won't be able to keep the plan that you have. Look, there's been an independent analysis here. The Heritage Foundation has done it. They had an outfit called the Lewin Group. Eighty-three million Americans will lose their own private insurance plans, 83 million will be lopped off and have to go to the public option. Rosy, I appreciate the call. Thanks much.


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LA Juvenile Probation Camp to Drop Well-known Sports Program, CA Supreme Court Rules Against Overlong Juvie Sentences, and MoreAugust 20th, 2012 by Taylor Walker
EDITOR'S NOTE: For decades, LA County's juvenile probation camp system has catastrophically failed most of the kids it took into its care, as demonstrated by the system's lousy recidivism rate, its repeated scandals and multiple civil rights lawsuits, and the fact that the camps have been under Department of Justice scrutiny for more than a decade.
Now, however, LA County Probation (with the approval of the LA County Board of Supervisors) plans to completely redesign and rebuild one of its juvenile facilitates, Camp Kilpatrick, to the tune of $41 million. The idea is to transform the 50-year-old Malibu facility from its present dilapidated prison barracks-like atmosphere into a cluster of homey cottages, which will house therapeutic programs that borrow from the famed "Missouri Model"—developed by the State of Missouri, and hailed as the most widely respected juvenile justice system for rehabilitating kids in residential facilities.
The Missouri Model has already been replicated successfully in other locations including Washington, D.C. and Santa Clara, California.
The fact that LA County Probation plans to embrace some version of Missouri's system is, of course, wonderful news—presuming that the County really follows through and, rather than make cosmetic changes, truly embraces a transformative model.
There is one other worry: Kilpatrick has offered one of the few bright spots in LA County's otherwise dismal record with its juvenile facilities, and that is the camp's sports program, which has been life-saving for many kids over the years, but is now slated for cancellation, as you'll see from the story below.
We at WitnessLA applaud the proposed Kilpatrick transformation, and hope that LA County Probation, and related county agencies, find a way to stay faithful to their stated aspirations without killing Kirkpatrick's sports program, which could be transferred to one of the other juvenile camps, at the very least.
We will, of course, continue to track this important story.
Camp Kilpatrick's sports program will see it's last season this fall before the facility undergoes rebuilding. Kilpatrick, currently the only juvenile detention facility in the county with a sports progam, will see renovations that provide more therapeutic conditions for the kids, but leave out the sports.
LA Times' Sandy Banks has the story. Here's a clip:
The sports program is simply collateral damage in a long-overdue campaign to make the troubled probation camps more responsive to delinquent teenagers' needs.
"If we can get them to think in a more positive logical manner, in the long run they'll make better decisions and won't get themselves in trouble again," Remington said.
But can't a sports program teach those lessons, too? A bad attitude can get a player benched; a bad choice can get him dropped from the team.
Sports has plenty to offer wayward kids. Even probation honchos agree. "We certainly see the value in discipline, in learning to be a team member," Remington said. "But no one has studied the sports program" to quantify its impact on delinquent kids.
So maybe it's time they did — before they turn their camps into sports-free zones on the misguided notion that athletics don't count and only "therapeutic" things make a difference.
It's common sense that teenage boys need an outlet for their energy; a place to shine, a mandate to cooperate, a chance to see their teammates as comrades, not gang rivals.
The lessons camp therapists aim to teach — identifying strengths and weaknesses, setting and reaching goals, learning to say no to a short-term indulgence for the better long-term reward — are lessons teams learn through hours of practice, in the gym or on the field.
The probation department has made a mess of its calling over the years; mired in scandals and allegations of abuse, accused of doing nothing but warehousing kids.
This turn toward treatment is admirable, but the one-size-fits-all approach isn't.
It's the same sort of single-minded focus that's hamstrung L.A. Unified schools, where the preoccupation with high-stakes testing has indeed improved academic performance. But in the process, it's squeezed out other choices — art, music, vocational programs — that have been a lifeline for struggling kids.
The CA Supreme Court ruled last week that sentencing a juvenile to an excessive term of years that sets them up for a parole eligibility date past their life expectancy violates the Eight Amendment.
KPCC's Rina Palta has the story. Here's a clip:
That issue came up in a case out of Los Angeles County, in which a 16-year-old shot at three rival gang members, wounding one in the shoulder.
Rodrigo Caballero was convicted of three counts of attempted murder and sentenced to three consecutive terms. That meant Caballero would first become eligible for parole after 110 years in prison. Caballero appealed his sentence, arguing it violated the Graham ruling, which "holds that the Eighth Amendment requires the state to afford the juvenile offender a 'meaningful opportunity to obtain release.'"
Prosecutors, meanwhile, said the Graham ruling was not intended to apply to attempted murder cases, and technically, Caballero would eventually, should he live long enough, have the chance to get out.
California's Supreme Court justices sided with Caballero, conlcluding that "sentencing a juvenile offender for a nonhomicide offense to a term of years with a parole eligibility date that falls outside the juvenile offender's natural life expectancy constitutes cruel and unusual punishment in violation of the Eighth Amendment."
(The Caballero ruling can be found directly beneath the article text.)
SF Weekly's Albert Samaha has an interesting take on both the CA Supreme Court decision and the Assembly's passage of SB 9. Here's a clip:
…The California Supreme Court declared such sentences unconstitutional, ordering that juveniles guilty of non-homicide crimes get an opportunity for parole in their lifetime.
The ruling came the same day the state Assembly passed a bill, first proposed by state Senator Leland Yee, that would allow juveniles serving life without parole to request a court to bump the sentence down to 25-to-life.
Both events appear part of a gradual transformation of the California prison system, which already look much different than it did 10, even five, years ago.
Since October 2011 — two years after the U.S. Supreme Court found California prisons unconstitutionally overcrowded -- the state inmate population has dropped by more than 26,000, making the system now only 60 percent overcapacity. While that pace might not be fast enough for the state to hit its goal — 37.5 percent overcapacity by June 2013 — at least we now have fewer prisoners than Texas, to which we have passed the highest prison population crown. Those numbers don't, however, account for the fact that the state simply shifted much of the overcrowding problem to county jails.
CA officials evaded a federal request for an prison population reduction schedule, and instead requested more time to meet the current June 2013 deadline of 137.5% capacity. (For those of you who haven't been following the overcrowding situation, you can read the back-story here.)
The San Jose Mercury has the AP story. Here's a clip:
In a legal brief filed late Friday, lawyers for the state called the threat of an inmate release order "unwarranted" and said it oversteps the 2011 U.S. Supreme Court ruling upholding population caps intended to correct horrific conditions within what was then the nation's largest prison system.
The state ignores the court's most recent order to provide information on how quickly it could begin releasing inmates. Instead, California asked a three-judge panel to suspend enforcement of crowding limits it now says it can't meet.
The federal court's goal is 137.5%, or no more than 112,000 inmates in prisons built to house 82,500 people. Lawyers for the state have warned jurists they do not expect to meet the June 30, 2013, deadline and will file a motion early next year seeking a higher cap.
Posted in California Supreme Court, CDCR, juvenile justice, Realignment, Sentencing | No Comments »


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New Zealand's primer publication for all things cool, No. Magazine present to you, the sui generis Miss Jesse Jo Stark captured by our very own Mark "The Cobrasnake" Hunter. Dubbed "The Anti It-Girl" Jesse is for sure a rare breed, marching to the beat of her own drum.....or should we say guitar riff?
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Dismiss NoticeLike to discuss POLITICS? Come join us at PUNNDITS.com!If you like discussing politics and other related topics then your new home (hopefully) for doing just that can be found on Punndits.com! Come join us and help us grow Punndits into a wonderful and safe place to discuss politics with everyone.
JG will decide his future
Discussion in 'Fan Zone' started by sportsman, Nov 27, 2012.
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Seven years ago, I took a wrong turn on the Internet and stumbled upon the insane world of Japanese Halloween costumes. The next year, I went deep into the underbelly of the German costuming industry and barely escaped with my life, and also one column. Finally, in 2008, having taken a vow to leave no insane costume behind, I went back.
Hulton Archive/Getty Images
Which is just one of the ways my life has paralleled John Rambo's.
It's taken awhile for me to regroup mentally, and since then not a Halloween has passed that I haven't spent shouting out the window at costumed children passing by. But I'm better now and, would you believe it, the Japanese aren't. Indeed, they're crazier than ever, and below I've gathered some of the nuttiest examples of what Japanese costumers have been up to in the past few years.
(For some of you, allow me to head off your criticism right away: There are obvious and significant cultural differences between the Japanese and us, and even a small amount of research would illuminate and explain why these costumes are less insane than they first might seem.)
(For the rest of you: Don't worry. I haven't done any of that research.)
28Egotistical Jester
Generations of artificial selection (via beheading) have resulted in only the sturdy-headest of Japanese jesters remaining.
27Off-Brand Batman
The Japanese version of Batman is not incredibly wealthy and only battles crime to win the approval of the pillows he's used to replace his dead parents.


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Carnival Dream Cruise Review by BillDe: Carnival Dream
Overall Member Rating
Carnival Dream
Destination: Eastern Caribbean
Embarkation: Port Canaveral (Orlando)
Four of us in two cabins got to Port Canaveral and after a short wait outside we entered the terminal and within 30 minutes we were on board the ship. Cabins were not ready until 1:30 p.m. We went up to the Lido Deck (10) for lunch. Never once did we have to wait in a long time for anything to eat. Did not like how the area were set up though. Deli outside on Lido Deck by rear pool area. Pizza outside near Waves Pool. Barbeque on deck 5 and Pasta Bar on Deck 11 above the Gathering. Confusing at first.
Cabin was plenty big enough for two people. Plenty of closets and drawers.
Cabin steward, Carlos, was great.
Dining room was good, not great. Service was slow at times and they forgot water and or bread at times. Selections were plenty and were also good.
Entertainment staff was very good. Butch, director, was full of pep. Very persondable also.
Shows were good and so were comedians.
Serenity Deck was a nice touch. If you want to get More away from the kids on board this where you want to be. Quiet area with hot tubs and bar and food available too.
Overall a very good cruise on a nice ship. The ship is clean and well maintained.
I would just do a mid ship cabin....the ship is huge. Less
Published 03/03/11
Read more Carnival Dream cruise reviews >>
Read Cruise Critic's Carnival Dream Review >>
Cabin review: 6A2501 Ocean View
Quiet area on ship...no outside noise at all. Just too far from front of ship.Read All Ocean View (6A) Reviews >>
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Nice Ship but strange cabin
Wow, this is a bad ship. Worst...
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Not great, not awful; just ok
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Great Experience - outstanding...
Done with Carnival - no longer...
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708 Park Ave is new luxury townhouse restoration with five one and two bedroom apartments in the heart of historic, culturally vibrant neighborhood of Mount Vernon. Located on a quiet residential, tree lined street, you are also steps away from shops, sidewalk cafes, restaurants along Charles & Eager. This is a walking/biking neighborhood with easy access to downtown & Penn Station MARC commuter train.
Among Maryland's many boast-worthy statistics is one that catches people by surprise. It has the most millionaires per capita. Maryland is the nation's wealthiest state with the highest household income and median home value.Más información sobre propiedades residenciales de lujo de Maryland


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Investment and the EU economy (10/04/2012)
On 10 April 2012, the EU and US agreed on a Statement of Shared Principles for International Investment. It is one step in the EU's overall commitment to open and stable investment regimes.
How does investment boost economic growth?
Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) is one of the most important channels through which financial globalisation benefits the economy.
Open economies tend to grow faster than closed economies .
Europe's openness to FDI increases our competitiveness. Equally, the ability of our firms to invest abroad enables them to grow globally and create jobs both at home and abroad.
In particular, the EU receives a net positive income from FDI with the rest of the world of around €75 billion per year. This positive net income creates demand for European labour across all sectors in the economy .
FDI improves the competitiveness of EU firms by reducing costs and allowing for economies of scale. This in turn is positive for jobs at home. Firms investing abroad experience 25%higher employment after 3 years compared to the firms in the same activity sector which did not invest abroad.
Productivity gains from outward FDI have increased EU GDP by €20 billion. Of the €20 billion, EU workers have benefited of €13 billion.
Impacts of FDI on the wider economy in terms of growth
- Increases in factors of production, such as increases in capital stock. "Greenfield" investments are less likely to crowd out local investment than Mergers & Acquisitions, and thereby increase capital stock and output (Ries 2002).
- Increases in productivity from increased investments in Research & Development, intangible assets, technology, and human capital.
- These growth enhancing drivers may be reinforced by increased technology diffusion, the acquisition of new skills and better organisational and management practices.
What attracts foreign investment?
Economic studies show that a primary condition to attract FDI flows is an open investment policy. This has to be complemented by solid guarantees for the protection of investors and of their investments, a level playing field and an effective system to resolve disputes.
The World Bank 2010 report "Investing Across Borders" indicates that:
- Restrictive and obsolete laws and regulations impede FDI
- Good regulations and efficient processes matter for FDI
- Red tape and poor implementation of laws create further barriers to FDI
- Effective institutions help foster FDI
In addition according to 2011 Ernst & Young survey , when considering where to invest in 2010, companies view transport and logistics infrastructure (63%), telecommunications infrastructure (62%) and stability and transparency of the political, legal and regulatory environment (62%) as the most critical factors. The next set of criteria addresses the ability for companies to remain productive (57%) in a very competitive world: finding skilled workers (50%), making sure that labour pools are reliable (54% want a stable social climate), while maintaining competitiveness (50% cite labour costs, ranked only seventh).
What is the EU doing on investment?
The Treaty of Lisbon included investment as part of the EU Common Commercial Policy, an exclusive competence of the EU. As a consequence, the European Commission can now negotiate on behalf of the EU 27 Member States on both the liberalisation and protection of investments.
Upon the entry into force of the Lisbon Treaty on the 1st of December 2009, the total number of Bilateral Investment Treaties worldwide raised to approximately 2750 treaties. According to the UNCTAD 2011 World Investment Report , in 2010 a total of 54 Bilateral Investment Treaties were concluded, 20 of which were signed between developing countries and/or transition economies. A bit less than half of the Bilateral Investment Treaties existing worldwide are concluded between EU Member States and third countries. The EU's intention is to gradually replace those Treaties by Investment Agreements at EU level.
Therefore, the European Commission has presented a proposal for a Regulation of the Council and the European Parliament to ensure the legal certainty under EU law of the existing Bilateral Investment Agreements of the EU Member States with third countries (IP/10/907).
The European Commission is currently negotiating on investment as part of the FTA talks with Canada, India and Singapore.
Is outsourcing/delocalisation responsible for unemployment?
The EU is the first destination for international investment projects creating or preserving jobs. It attracted 33% of those investment projects in 2010 against 27% for the US and 25% for Asia and Oceania
In 2010, the number of FDI projects in Europe rose by 14% year-on-year and 137,337 new jobs were created as a result, i.e. a 10% increase year-on-year .
India and China are successfully investing in Europe (even if these investments represent a small share of foreign investments, thus creating new jobs, maintaining existing jobs (such as Volvo, Jaguar, Range Rover ) and contributing to EU economic growth.
Jobs displaced or relocated abroad represent only a marginal share of total job layoffs: between 0.5% and 2.0% .
For every 100 jobs going abroad, at least 50 new jobs are created immediately in the same firms .


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The engagement photo shoot is a beautiful new ritual that has risen to popularity in recent years. Newly engaged couples, instead of waiting for the wedding day for an organized, professional photo shoot, are booking photographers in the weeks after the initial engagement announcement for a fun, romantic photo shoot that features the couple and a beautiful engagement ring! One great thing about these photo shoots is that since they take place at the couple's leisure, with no party of guests waiting for them as they will be at the wedding, there is plenty of time to travel to a place that is especially meaningful to the couple for an on-location shoot.
If you live in Houston, you'll be happy to know that there are dozens of incredible places for your Houston engagement pictures. Of course, you can always choose a spot with personal meaning to you and your significant other—your apartment, the diner where you shared your first meal, the park where you two meet to jog every morning. But if you are looking for a uniquely local spot for your Houston engagement photos—especially if you are both loyal Houstonians with a Houston engagement ring and plans for a Houston wedding—it makes sense to feature one of the city's great landmarks in your shoot.
For Houston engagement photography with a distinctly local vibe, check out some of these locally beloved locations:
Hermann Park – One of Houston's most beloved and convenient parks, where everyone from hip young teenagers to families with children can while away an afternoon relaxing in the sun, pedaling a boat around the lake, or running around a playground or ball field, Hermann Park also makes a great place for a Houston engagement ring photo shoot. Dress in festive, but casual clothes, and don't forget big floppy sun hats and a picnic blanket to use as props!
If both of you are sports fans, there might be no better spot for your Houston engagement photography session than at your favorite professional sports venue. Dress in your team colors or jerseys, and head down to Minute Maid Park or NRG Stadium for a fun, sporty session. You can even arrange with the stadium to have a tour of the behind-the-scenes areas not normally shown to the public—after all, what's more romantic than a couple photo in the Houston Texans' locker room?
If only one of you lives in Houston, chances are you've both become very familiar with Houston's airports as you navigated the life of the long-term relationship. Now that it's over, and you're finally getting married, celebrate the dedication of those 6 AM flights with a Houston engagement ring photo shoot at Houston's Hobby Airport. Hobby is a better choice than sleeker, larger Intercontinental because the staff at this smaller neighborhood airport are unusually friendly and willing to go out of their way to make your photo shoot memorable.
If you met at Rice University, long days and nights on campus might have made you oblivious to the beauty and charm that is the Rice University campus. But one day you will look back at photos taken at Rice and marvel at the incredible architecture, the quaint walking paths, and the beauty and spaciousness of the quad.
If you don't mind getting out of town for a photo shoot that will still have a strong hit of Texas flair, head down to Galveston for the day. In addition to the photo-ready beach vistas (and an excuse to pose on brightly colored beach towels), you can roam the elegant, quiet streets of this coastal town for beautiful old houses and shops that will make perfect photo opportunities.
Last but not least, for the most authentically Houston engagement photos of all, book your photographer for a time that the Houston Rodeo is in town, and then head down to the rodeo dressed in your most authentically Texas hats and boots—cheesy photos of one of you lassoing the other are not required, but are strongly encouraged.
Now that you have the perfect location for your Houston engagement ring photo shoot, visit Yelp or another local business review site to find your Houston engagement photographer!
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Rita Ora feels patriotic repping for her home city, Pristina and home country, Kosovo in the music video for "Shine Ya Light", the new UK single from the 21-year-old's debut album 'ORA'...Watch above now!
Well directed and shot video, I love Rita's styling and outfits here, and I just feel she completely made the lyrics of "Shine Ya Light" fit the patriotic concept. I like it! Very good MV. That been said, I cannot understand how Roc Nation would release "SYL" as single before the 'Ora' stand-outs "Uneasy" and "Love and War". I'm shocked! SHOCKED! I like "Shine Ya Light" but not as these other songs. I feel it has strong verses but a weak chorus. In any case, with good promo "Shine Ya Light" can reach #1 in the UK.


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Scented with fragrant bergamot, delicate ylang ylang and bright Tahitian lime, this gentle, creamy vegetable-based soap cleanses effectively without drying the skin. The large, perfectly formed slab is pH balanced and free of synthetic fragrances, colors and traditional foaming boosters-and it won't disintegrate into slivers like other soaps do. It's ... Learn More