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Cunningham-Mansour/Stevens-Johnson Full Report
By Kurt Wolfheimer
The fans at the Liacouras Center at Temple University witnessed a classic crossroads battle of wills, as Steve "USS" Cunningham (27-6, 12KO's) got off the canvas twice to win a come from behind ten round unanimous decision victory over the hard punching Amir "Hardcore Mansour (20-1, 15Ko's), for the coveted USBA Heavyweight title. The seven bout card promoted by Main Events saw WBC #11 ranked middleweight contender Curtis "Showtime" Stevens (27-4, 20KO's) snatch victory from the jaws of defeat, with a late tenth round stoppage of Tureano "The Bull" Johnson in the co-feature of the evening. The card was televised live nationally on the NBC Sports Fight Night.
The main event was a fight, according to matchmaker Russell Peltz that had all the implications of a clash of styles and both fighters needed the victory to make their moves in the heavyweight division. For Cunningham, a loss could possibly have put him out of title contention for the final time and move him to almost journeyman status. Mansour at the age of 41 years old was facing the former cruiserweight champ and a loss would put him in the unenviable task of having to re-climb the ladder and many fighters would again duck the powerful southpaw.
Could the boxing ability and vast experience of Cunningham win out or would Mansour and his unbelievable power take into the top ten in the world as they battle for his USBA heavyweight belt? Those questions would be answered tonight.
Right off the bat, there was a psychological delay as both camps refused to come out first. Finally Cunningham emerged and the bout was about to begin. Surprisingly they announced the USBA champion Amir Mansour first in in another odd moment. Mansour paced in the corner as Philly's challenger Steve Cunningham was announced to his hometown crowd.
The introductions were finally over and the fighters were ready to go to war as the bell sounded to open the fight.
Mansour looked hyped and a bit tight, but landed the first strong jab. Cunningham jabbed back, but Mansour appeared to squeak out the razor thin feeling out round with a few wild swings late as the aggressor.
Cunningham rocked him off balance early in the second round, by timing and countering a hook with a straight right. Mansour came back with two hard lefts and the war looked to truly begin. Mansour caught Cunningham in the corner with a hard left up top and followed up with another heavy left on the button. Cunningham clinched before taking a big breath and moving out of the corner.
Mansour missed with a couple wild shots in the second, but the power of his hooks had done their Damage and blood was flowing from the nose of the former cruiserweight champion. Cunningham wouldn't back down though and started snapping his shots from distance and keeping Mansour off balance. Mansour was swinging hellacious shots and almost spinning himself around like a top when he missed and it was taking a lot of his energy. Cunningham backed him up late with his best right hand of the fight and it cut his left cheek. The hooks of Mansour also open a cut over the right eye of Cunningham as the third came to close.
Mansour was tiring in the third and Cunningham was boxing well as the pendulum swung to his side. Mansour went to the body late, but Cunningham tied him up to limit any real damage. The extraordinary reach of Cunningham opened another cut over Mansours right eye and his cheek was swelling badly.
The corner took a long time to get the end swell on the puffed cheek of Mansour, which looked like it would be a factor if the fight went the distance. Cunningham was had begun to take over as the fourth moved on and he buckled the knees of Mansour with a straight right. Mansour switched to orthodox, but Cunningham clinched to avoid any hooks as the round came to a close.
The fight appeared to be even going into the fifth. Cunningham seemed to have the range in the early going and was boxing well. Mansour was headhunting and missing a lot. That all changed in the closing thirty seconds, as Amir Mansour went hard core and stood up Cunningham with a hellacious left. Cunningham tried to back out straight, but another left put him on the canvas. Cunningham reached his feet at the count of eight. Referee Steve Smoger took a good look and wiped off the gloves, before allowing it to continue. Cunningham went back to the canvas with another big right on the button. Cunningham again rose and wobbled as Smoger checked him again. Many referees would have stopped it, but Smoger said later that Cunningham told him he was good and wanted to continue, so he let it go on. The extra time taken, allowed Cunningham to survive as just seconds later the bell sounded to end the round.
Cunningham looked like he was not all there as the sixth round opened, but he was boxing well, while sliding along the ropes as Mansour carefully followed him around early in the sixth, trying to cut off the ring. Mansour swung for the fences several times, but missed several close shots. As the round progressed, Cunningham found him with a big right, which appeared to take the champ's wind. In the final seconds, Mansour found him with hard hook up top as the bell sounded.
Mansour went to the body late in the seventh. The distance and movement had given Cunningham time to regain his composure and he was boxing well, peppering the face of the tiring Delawarean. The eye of Mansour was closing and he looked exhausted as the seventh round came to a close.
Cunningham dug a good body shot early in the eighth and the fight started to sway in his favor. Mansour caught him with a right hand but Cunningham came right back with good two punch combination to win the round.
The face of Mansour looked a mess and his tank looked to be on empty as Cunningham pushed him backwards with a big overhand right in the ninth. Mansours' mouth was open, but he gamely fought, finally getting inside with three short hooks. Cunningham rocked him with a right as Mansour was reaching with a long left. The last minute was all Cunningham as he snapped hard combinations until the bell sounded.
Both fighters looked to land the telling blows taking turns in the opening minute of the final round. Cunningham went low. Cunningham sent him to the canvas with a short left as both tangle feet, but it was ruled a slipped but appeared to have been caused by a punch and should have been ruled a knockdown. Mansour came back with a big left and Cunningham clinched. Both fighters connected with rights and Cunningham's did the most damage. It looked like Mansour was on empty and his hands were low. The opening was there and a hard straight right caught him on the button. Cunningham jumped on the exhausted Mansour with a combination. Mansour fell backward and his glove touched the canvas, forcing a knockdown. The final bell sounded and the fight went to the scorecards.
One judge saw the fight a preposterous 97-90, while the other two had 95-92 in favor of the new USBA heavyweight champion, Steve "USS" Cunningham. Scores were mixed by the writers polled at ringside. This writer saw Mansour ahead by one point, but acknowledges the fight could have gone either way.
The punch stats afterward showed Cunningham had a total punch landed advantage by 117-110. However, the heavier punching Mansour landed the more power shots by 99-91.
The new USBA heavyweight Steve "USS" Cunningham was jubilant at the post fight press conference afterward. "Mansour is a powerhouse. We all knew he was a power house. If he didn't wobble me or knock me down, he was a fraud. I was doing good and got a little over confident and the knockdowns shocked me right back up. My hat goes off to Mansour and his team, but team USS is moving on their way to a world heavyweight championship.
In the co-feature of the evening, Main Event's own and WBC #11 ranked middleweight Curtis "Showtime" Stevens (27-4, 20KO's) pulled a rabbit out of his hat with a come from behind last minute stoppage of former Olympian Tureano "The Bull" Johnson. Johnson appropriately nicknamed "The Bull," quickly found himself with his head in the chest of Stevens late in the first banging away with hooks. Stevens covered, choosing to let Johnson bang short hooks off his tight defense and land sharp clean counters. Stevens looked comfortable working on the inside, but Johnson wouldn't back down as the round came to a close.
The flashy Stevens continued to fight well off the ropes in the second, with short uppercuts. Johnson found his mark with a few of his own to even the round.
The pressure continued from Johnson in third as he caught Stevens with a good right hand up top. The highly touted Stevens looked to weather the storm and countered with single shots. It would not stop "the Bull" who continued to up his punch output and it was beginning to take its toll on the surprised Stevens.
The fight heated up in the fourth as former Olympian banged 3 good right hands. Late in the round, Stevens hurt Johnson with a big left hook and followed it up with a nine punch flurry that included a heavy uppercut. Johnson covered and Stevens appeared to have punched himself out. Johnson pushed him back with hooks and both traded away at the final bell as the crowd rose to their feet in appreciation.
Johnson pushed the fight again in the fifth, with four unanswered hooks but he finally let his guard down. Stevens stood him up with an uppercut. The quick hands of Curtis "Showtime" Steven went off with a lightning quick flurry as he came off the ropes, but Johnson ducked under his swings and came back late with a right uppercut as the round came to a close.
Johnson continued to put the pressure on as Stevens gamely fought while on retreat. The constant aggression of Johnson was wearing Stevens down. The flashy contender could only counter punch every now and then, which allowed Johnson to batter away at will in both the sixth and seventh rounds as his lead began to widen. Each fighter had their moments in the final minute of the eighth, but Johnson seemed to be winning the exchanges. Johnson walked to the wrong corner as the round came to a close.
Stevens went out boxing right off the bat in the ninth and the tired Johnson looked flustered for a few moments, but then he finally found his way inside again and chopped away. Both fighters were taking their turns flashing hard combinations in a brutal war as the round came to a close.
Johnson looked ahead as the bell sounded to open the final round, but he didn't want to play it safe and continued to pressure his dangerous opponent even a heavy right hand up top. He was tiring though. It looked like Stevens was about to take the loss when a landed right hook that stood up Johnson, who backed to the ropes. Immediately Stevens bounced his head up again with a one- two combination and Referee Gary Rosato stepped in and waived the fight off at 2:09 of the tenth round.
The crowd booed as Curtis "Showtime" Stevens was announced the victor. It is a shame that Tureano Johnson wasn't able fight his way out like a champion. Afterwards, the scorecards were shown and Johnson was clearly in front (89-82 x 2 and 87-84) entering the final round and would have won the fight if he survived the last minute of the fight.
"I was hurt constantly throughout the fight," said emotional Johnson afterward. "I would have fought, back but was not given a chance. It was my fault. I got caught and I give credit to Curtis. He is a great fighter, but I want an immediate rematch if he is willing to fight me."
Lee makes Irish proud
Notre Dame graduate and undefeated light heavyweight sensation Mike Lee (12-0, 7 KOs) thrilled his local Irish contingent with a sixth round stoppage of formerly undefeated "Lightning" Peter Lewison (6-1, 5 KOs). Lee sent Lewison to the canvas in the sixth round with a hard straight right on the button. Lewison rose to his feet, but was on unsteady legs. The Notre Dame standout would not let him off the hook, as he continued to batter him across the ring, until Lewison's corner stepped onto the apron, forcing veteran referee Steve Smoger to waive the bout off at 1:39 of the sixth and final round for the well-deserved TKO victory.
"I had eighteen months off and it is a long time," said Lee on his rough early going. "I felt relaxed, but it is about getting that little half step in or the little half second in every fighter will tell you. The first four rounds, I felt a little clumsy and not sharp as I was in sparring, but then, finally in the sixth round I got my distance and hit him with that beautiful right hand. It broke his jaw and he is going to the hospital.
"It just feels great to get the one punch knockout," continued Lee. There was a time between injuries and contract disputes, that I felt that I would never get to 12-0, but here I am and I feel blessed."
Campbell outwills Acevedo
Unbeaten light heavyweight Lee "Silverback" Campbell (7-0,3KO's) pulled the upset, by out willing Roberto Acevedo (8-2, 5KO's) over eight good rounds of solid action to take the hard fought majority decision victory. Campbell went out for bear early, banging away with hard hooks, while applying pressure throughout the opening round. Roberto Acevedo appeared to get his distance and hurt Campbell early in the second with a right uppercut and followed it up with a good one two combo. The Silverback would not back down and went back to swinging hooks, while forgetting his jab. Campbell seemed winded as the round came to an end. Campbell gained his second wind in the third round and cut Acevedo under the left eye with a sharp hook and attacked away on the inside with wide bombs the had Acevedo back peddling and holding. Acevedo weathered the storm, but could never gain the proper distance to get his hands going.
Campbell was hurt in the fourth, but his power had done enough damage and Acevedo was forced to fight from distance behind the single jabs. Both fighters were gassed as the fight progressed, but Campbell was just able to summon up enough will to find his mark with hooks in rounds five through seven to take over. Acevedo could never match the power late, but Campbell was so gassed that he fell to the canvas twice while in clinches in the seventh. Acevedo boxing came back late in the seventh and early in the eighth round with good flurries, but Campbell had enough to finish the show on his feet. One judge surprisingly saw it even 76-76, but was overruled by the other two officials, who both had it in favor of Lee "Silverback" Campbell by scores of 78-74 and 77-75, for the eight round majority decision victory.
Barrera batters Pryor
Cuban born and undefeated light heavyweight Sullivan Barrera (11-0, 6 KO's) made his successful debut under the Main Events banner, dropping Larry Pryor (7-8, 4 KO's) once, on his way to a one sided, six round unanimous decision victory. Barrera captured the knockdown late in the first round by forcing Pryor to the ropes with a strong combination. Pryor tried to cover, but another right had him off balance and he had fell to the second rope, before Referee Gary Rosato stepped just as another right hand landed from Barrera, before calling the knockdown.
Barrera was patient and targeted the body in the second and came on strong late as he stood down on his hooks. Pryor tried to keep him off with his superior reach while countering as he slid off the ropes. The heavier handed Barrera was not flustered and continued to walk him down, winning the exchanges throughout rounds three through five. The lanky Pryor tried to pull the upset a couple of big counters hooks in the final round, but Barrera walked through them and worked on the inside, to secure the victory. All three judges saw it the same way, giving every round to Sullivan Barrera by scores of 60-53 across the board for the one sided six round unanimous decision victory.
Cherry overcomes Osiobe
In the opening bout of the evening, former world title challenger, Edner "Cherry Bomb" Cherry (32-6-2, 17KO's) pounded out a hard fought eight round unanimous decision victory over dangerous super featherweight Robert Osiobe (14-9-4, 6KO's), by scores of 79-73, 78-74 and 77-75. Cherry controlled most of the fight, rocking Osiobe several times, but had to survive a late round cut over the left eye to win his fourth straight on his comeback trail.
Dixon blows away Torres
Junior welterweight Evincii "Prize fighter Dixon evened his record at (4-4-1, 2KO's) dropping late replacement Edgardo Torres (2-3, 2KO's) twice on his way to the second round TKO victory. Dixon sent Torres to the canvas in the closing moments of the first round with a straight right as both fighters traded away. Torres was able to get up and survived until the bell sounded to end the round. It would not matter though as Dixon saw his wounded prey and immediately jumped on him with a one two combination. Edgardo Torres fell hard to the canvas, forcing Referee Shawn Clark to waive the fight of at 15 seconds of the second round, giving Evincii Dixon the TKO victory.


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Edited by George A. Zarb, BChD, DDS, MS, MS, FRCD(C)
January/February 1994
7 , Issue
The Influence of Spruing Technique on the Development of Tension in a Cast Partial Denture Framework
Distortions of cast removable partial denture frameworks result more from the method of sprue connection than from other variables in the investment and mold preparation. A standard test pattern and optical measuring equipment were used to evaluate residual casting stresses. Based on the data obtained from the initial study, modified removable partial framework patterns were made and cast under varying conditions. The use of a dorsal spruing technique and a box-type casting flask resulted in less distortion than use of the conventional vertical sprue attachment and investing in a ring flask. Dorsal spruing and use of a box-type casting flask reduced the deformation of a cast partial denture framework in the area of the palatal bar and retentive elements up to 0.3 mm. Such a tension-free casting method means a better fit of the partial framework on the master cast and intraorally.
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subset: commoncrawl


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It's fair to say people are more enlightened about species conservation today than back when we intentionally hunted "nuisance" animals into extinction. And there have been some restoration success stories. But in some places, things are actually getting worse. Climate change, habitat destruction, and poaching continue to threaten species around the world, from whales to polar bears. Just last year, the Eastern Lynx and Western Black Rhinoceros were declared extinct. Can you name these eight species that today we can only see through paintings, photos, and stuffed specimens?
Answers are here. Please post your guesses, speculations, or arguments below! But know this: the Trivial Eye is presented for public amusement and no prizes are offered other than that familiar feeling of aggravation that so much of your mind is occupied by useless trivia.


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Groupies take on the outdoors while maintaining dining decorum with a Folding Camping Table. Capable of use both indoors and out, the tables are made of high-impact polyethylene, which is stronger and lighter than wood. Easily stored once folded in half, the tables are stain and fade-resistant, easy-to-clean and won't chip, peel or crack. A weather-resistant powder-coated frame with easy-lock leg braces keep things in place as everyone gathers around for a meal or other table top entertainment.
What you need to know:
- Size: 183cm (L) x 76cm (W) x 74cm (H)
- Steel powder-coated folding legs
- Heavy duty blow-moulded polyethylene table top
- Powder-coated steel frame
- Suitable for use indoors and out
- Stronger and lighter than wood
- Easily stored by folding in half
- Stain and fade resistant
- Easy to clean
- Won't chip, peel or crack


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Whole Foods Employee Suspended For Speaking Spanish To Another Whole Foods Employee
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Two employees at a Whole Foods Market store in Albuquerque say they were suspended last month after complaining about being told they couldn't speak Spanish to each other while on the job. Bryan Baldizan told The Associated Press he and a female employee were suspended for a day after they wrote a letter following a meeting with a manager who told them Spanish was not allowed during work hours. "I couldn't believe it," said Baldizan, who works in the store's food preparation department. "All we did was say we didn't believe the policy was fair. We only talk Spanish to each other about personal stuff, not work." He said Whole Foods officials told them about company policy and issued the suspensions.
Someone speaking a foreign language that you don't speak in front of you is the most awkward, degrading thing imaginable. Even though there's only like a 5% chance they're actually talking about you, they're always 100% talking about you. You try and play along and laugh when they laugh, but you feel like you're just laughing at yourself. It's horrible. Can't have that kind of experience while you're paying 16 dollars for a cup of organic macaroni and cheese at Whole Foods. No speaking foreign languages is a great rule in the work place. Sure, that may make me sound like a xenophobe, but the truth is I'm not. I honestly just feel that America is the best country and the other countries aren't as good. That used to be called patriotism.


text: Reducing traditional fuelwood and charcoal use with improved cookstoves is key for a whole range of critical issues including climate change mitigation (e.g., black carbon emissions and emissions of short-lived GHG such as methane and CO), indoor air pollution and health (as 1.6 million excess deaths per year are attributable to cooking with open fires), forest conservation (as woodfuels constitute 60% of total demand from wood products), energy use (with 9% of worldwide energy supply) and, more than anything, for improving the living conditions of poorest households on earth. Improved woodburning cookstoves are witnessing a major breakthrough worldwide. The talk will discuss how the whole "stove" landscape is being transformed as major innovations concerning cookstove design, scales and approaches to dissemination programs, financing mechanisms, impact studies, and monitoring tools are taking place internationally. I will also discuss the critical challenges that remain in terms of cookstove adoption and sustained use, as well as on cost-effective tools for monitoring them. The discussion will make specific reference to the Patsari cookstove program in rural Mexico, which has obtained international recognition through the work on cookstove monitoring and user feedback. For further information about this seminar please contact Ashok Gadgil at (510) 486-7784, or send e-mail to email@example.com. Visitors from off site who plan to attend and will need gate access and parking arrangements, or who need information about riding the LBNL shuttle bus should contact JoAnne Lambert at (510) 486-4835, or send e-mail to firstname.lastname@example.com. This seminar was recorded and the audio file is available at: http://cluck.lbl.gov/eetd_seminars/masera_february_25_2010.mp3 (15.6MB)


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FAIRBANKS -- A nine-year effort to build a veterans cemetery near Fairbanks moved closer to completion Thursday as the state purchased a 320-acre hillside overlooking the Goldstream Valley just outside of Fox for $2 million.
With the land deal wrapped up, the Department of Veterans Affairs is expected to approve the allocation of up to $9 million in federal funds this year for construction of the cemetery, said McHugh Pierre, deputy commissioner of the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs for Alaska.
The state bought the south-facing property from John and Ramona Reeves, who at one time considered building a snowboarding and ski area on the site. The site, just west of where the buried trans-Alaska pipeline passes through Fox, is partially cleared and has good access, Pierre said. Construction is expected to take place next summer, with the first burials in the fall of 2015, he said.
Pierre said that one of the major elements of the construction expense is that a crypt system is to be installed, so caskets will be placed in a concrete-lined framework buried on the property. The idea is to prevent tombstones and graves from shifting with temperature changes, he said, and to hold down maintenance costs.
Soil tests confirmed the property will pass muster. A site a mile or so away that had been considered was ruled out a couple of years ago because ice-rich permafrost was discovered on the property.
The Legislature appropriated $2 million for the project in the capital budget a year ago. Fairbanks Rep. David Guttenberg was the major legislative advocate of the cemetery project, starting with a bill he introduced in 2005. He continued to push until a similar measure won approval in 2009.
Alaska has veterans cemeteries in Sitka and Anchorage. A press release from Guttenberg said the Fairbanks cemetery will permit veterans, including Alaska Territorial Guard members, to be buried with their rightful honors and allow Interior families easier access to memorials.
In 2005, VA officials put the construction costs between $3 million and $4 million and later revised that to $6.5 million. They produced the $9 million estimate after more recent surveys, basing the higher figure in part on the concrete foundation into which caskets will be placed, Pierre said.
In 2010, the Legislature appropriated $1 million for the project, followed by an appropriation of $2 million in 2013 for a land purchase because the department found no suitable state land within 15 miles of Fairbanks. The Fox site is about 11 miles north of Fairbanks off the Steese Highway.


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Use this skull fence to guide people to your door, or as a barrier to warn others to keep out! However you decide to use this decoration, it's sure to add a creepy look to your home. Using this fence in a wet environment is not recommended.
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Keith Olbermann: new Puritan? Perhaps.
Unless memory fails it's hard to recall Keith condemning Bill Clinton for his flings on grounds of morality. But when it comes to a Republican presidential candidate, has the Countdown host gone Cotton Mather on us?
Newsweek's Jonathan Alter was Olbermann's guest on this evening's Countdown to discuss the issue of Giuliani's accounting for the expenses of his security detail accompanying him on trips to Long Island, assertedly for purposes of visiting his then girlfriend and wife-to-be Judith Nathan.
View video here.
KEITH OLBERMANN: The other side effect of this, you just mentioned it, what people in New York took sort of took for granted which was this sturm and drang about Rudy and his women and basically firing his wife on TV, which he did. Is there a side-effect coming on this nationally, the "oh-yeah" effect? "Oh yeah, he has kind of an infidelity issue, a kind of morality issue."
So that's Olbermann's new standard? Infidelity is a significant fault in a presidential candidate? Good to know.


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The Spirit of the Border HTML version
Chapter 18.
The sight which Joe had seen horrified him, for several moments, into helpless inaction.
He lay breathing heavily, impotent, in an awful rage. As he remained there stunned by the
shock, he gazed up through the open space in the leaves, trying to still his fury, to realize
the situation, to make no hasty move. The soft blue of the sky, the fleecy clouds drifting
eastward, the fluttering leaves and the twittering birds--all assured him he was wide
awake. He had found Girty's den where so many white women had been hidden, to see
friends and home no more. He had seen the renegade sleeping, calmly sleeping like any
other man. How could the wretch sleep! He had seen Kate. It had been the sight of her
that had paralyzed him. To make a certainty of his fears, he again raised himself to peep
into the hole. As he did so a faint cry came from within.
Girty lay on a buffalo robe near a barred door. Beyond him sat Kate, huddled in one
corner of the cabin. A long buckskin thong was knotted round her waist, and tied to a log.
Her hair was matted and tangled, and on her face and arms were many discolored bruises.
Worse still, in her plaintive moaning, in the meaningless movement of her head, in her
vacant expression, was proof that her mind had gone. She was mad. Even as an agonizing
pity came over Joe, to be followed by the surging fire of rage, blazing up in his breast, he
could not but thank God that she was mad! It was merciful that Kate was no longer
conscious of her suffering.
Like leaves in a storm wavered Joe's hands as he clenched them until the nails brought
blood. "Be calm, be cool," whispered his monitor, Wetzel, ever with him in spirit. But
God! Could he be cool? Bounding with lion-spring he hurled his heavy frame against the
Crash! The door was burst from its fastenings.
Girty leaped up with startled yell, drawing his knife as he rose. It had not time to descend
before Joe's second spring, more fierce even than the other, carried him directly on top of
the renegade. As the two went down Joe caught the villain's wrist with a grip that literally
cracked the bones. The knife fell and rolled away from the struggling men. For an instant
they tumbled about on the floor, clasped in a crushing embrace. The renegade was strong,
supple, slippery as an eel. Twice he wriggled from his foe. Gnashing his teeth, he fought
like a hyena. He was fighting for life--life, which is never so dear as to a coward and a
murderer. Doom glared from Joe's big eyes, and scream after scream issued from the
renegade's white lips.
Terrible was this struggle, but brief. Joe seemingly had the strength of ten men. Twice he
pulled Girty down as a wolf drags a deer. He dashed him against the wall, throwing him
nearing and nearer the knife. Once within reach of the blade Joe struck the renegade a
severe blow on the temple and the villain's wrestling became weaker. Planting his heavy
knee on Girty's breast, Joe reached for the knife, and swung it high. Exultantly he cried,
mad with lust for the brute's blood.


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Level Up
In this play cube is literally every skill your child will one day need to know to beat every platformer the video game industry made from 1985 - 1998.
Don't believe us? Take a look! Go on, take a look, we don't mind waiting. Boot up any game from Spyro to Doom and you'll find the similar patterns that gaming is based on. Move this, turn that, type in the right letters, then fly through a tunnel at high speeds until you finally reach the boss. And what will you find on this cube? Essentially the exact same thing.
Now, we're not saying your child will find a key card hidden in the counting abacus, nor are we saying they'll collect coins by turning the gears. What we ARE saying is that game design didn't really progress very much in those early years, right? And it doesn't matter if you're playing Battletoads or Batman: The Movie The Game, you're still going to be doing basically the same thing.
If you want your child to have the edge over the other platform gamers, you need this Mini Play Cube. If you want your child to master all the classics you remember, you NEED this Mini Play Cube. Heck, they could probably even beat Ecco The Dolphin if you throw them in a pool with this Mini Play Cube!
But don't really throw your baby in a pool, please. That was just a hypothetical statement. Like when they said Daikatana was going to be good.


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Kobe Bryant brought up retirement in his interview with Stephen A. Smith. He said that he doesn't have much time left although he didn't exactly pinpoint how much.
He seemed more specific after Sunday's night game against the Sixers. He said at a post-game interview that "next year could be the last time he plays there." And to prove that I wasn't crazy, this was repeated in a few other reports.
Adrian Wojnarowski has this story on Yahoo! Sports about Kobe possibly retiring:
"He really seemed to be taking it all in and cherishing it tonight," (Bryant's high school coach Gregg) Downer told Yahoo! Sports. "He was waving to fans, more interactive than usual. He knows he may be back only a few more times."
In Bryant's mind, maybe once more. The possibility of retiring when his contract expires in 2014 still looms large in his mind. He's weary of the toll that his rigorous workout regimens take on him. It isn't the winters that wear him out, but the summers.
For Bryant, it took discipline to spare himself the sluggishness that always comes with eating a Philly cheesesteak on a trip home.
"It's a lot, a lot of work," Bryant said. "My competitive spirit comes from like every little inch, your body is slowing down, the younger guys are passing you up. It really keeps me on edge."
Kevin Ding from the Orange County Register also had this report.
Kobe had 34 points on 12-of-21 shooting against the 76ers. He credited his healthier eating and diligent maintenance (such as ice baths) for keeping him feeling this strong at 34.
But he hinted at retirement again after next season: "Next year could be my last time" playing in Philadelphia.
Kobe Bryant is 34. That's old by NBA standards. He's in his 17th season and few even get to 15 seasons in the NBA. I think it's telling when he's mentioned how he doesn't have much time left several times in the past few weeks. The wear and tear on his body is getting to him. The injuries keep piling up. He's not getting any younger. Basically, the end is very near for Kobe.
Not just working through a whole season but preparation in the summer gets taxing, too. At some point, his body and his mind can't take it anymore. Yes, there are still some records to break and some championships to be won but how much left does Kobe Bryant have to prove? If anything, it's amazing that he is still playing and it's even more amazing he's playing at the level that he's at.
Guys like Kobe Bryant don't come along very often. This sounds like the last leg of his journey in the NBA so let's watch him while we still can. Before we all know it, he'll be gone from the NBA.
And that's one thought NBA and Lakers fans don't even want to cross just yet. Unfortunately, reality is setting in.
Kobe Bryant could indeed be retiring soon.


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Use of the medication tamsulosin to treat male urination difficulties within two weeks of cataract surgery is associated with an increased risk of serious postoperative ophthalmic adverse events such as retinal detachment or lost lens, according to a new study.
Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH; enlarged prostate) affects nearly 3 of 4 men by the age of 70 years, with symptoms of BPH including urination difficulties. A commonly prescribed medication for BPH is tamsulosin, which accounted for more than $1 billion in sales in 2007, according to background information in the article. Some research has suggested that this drug may increase the risk of complications, such as intraoperative floppy iris syndrome (IFIS) during cataract surgery, a procedure that approximately 5 percent of elderly U.S. residents undergo every year. "However, few studies have been large enough to assess the connection between tamsulosin exposure and postoperative complications," the authors write.
Chaim M. Bell, M.D., Ph.D., of St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, Canada, and colleagues conducted a large, population-based analysis of postoperative adverse events experienced by patients who were prescribed tamsulosin or other alpha-blockers at the time of cataract surgery. Using linked health care databases from Ontario, Canada, the study included 96,128 men, age 66 years or older, who had cataract surgery between 2002 and 2007.
Of the patients in the study, 3,550 (3.7 percent) had recent (within 14 days of cataract surgery) exposure to tamsulosin and 1,006 (1.1 percent) had previous (more than 14 days before cataract surgery) exposure to tamsulosin. There were 7,426 patients (7.7 percent) who had recent exposure to other alpha-blocking medications and 1,683 (1.1 percent) who had previous exposure. The researchers identified 284 case patients (0.3 percent) who experienced an adverse event in the 14 days after surgery. Of these 284 cases, 175 had a procedure for lost lens or lens fragment, 35 for retinal detachment, and 26 had both. One hundred had suspected endophthalmitis (inflammation within or around the eye). Of the 284 cases, 280 were matched to 1,102 control patients.
In the analysis of adverse events following cataract surgery, patients who received tamsulosin in the 14 days before surgery had a 2.3 times higher risk of a serious adverse event (7.5 percent vs. 2.7 percent of controls). For patients prescribed other alpha-blockers, 7.5 percent of case patients and 8.0 percent of control patients received the medication in the 14 days preceding surgery. Those who had previous exposure to tamsulosin were not at elevated risk for complications, as where patients who had previous exposure to other alpha-blockers.
"We believe that this is the first large study with an adequate study design to describe this effect [that tamsulosin exposure is associated with an increased risk of postoperative complications] and provide a population-based risk estimate (something that can only be done using population-based observational research). It is unclear whether drug discontinuation prior to surgery reduces this risk. Because the combination of cataract surgery and tamsulosin exposure is relatively common, patients should be properly appraised of the risks of drug therapy and preoperative systems should focus on the identification of tamsulosin use by patients. In this way, surgeons can plan and prepare for a potentially more complicated procedure or refer to someone with more experience," the authors conclude.
Editorial: Tamsulosin and the Intraoperative Floppy Iris Syndrome
In an accompanying editorial, Alan H. Friedman, M.D., of the Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, comments on the findings of Bell and colleagues.
"Cataract surgery is the most commonly performed operation in the United States today. With nearly 2 million cataract operations performed in the United States each year, the magnitude of IFIS associated with tamsulosin cannot be underestimated. Although the prescribing information for tamsulosin includes IFIS as a 'general precaution,' the data on the risk of this complication should be reassessed to determine whether a 'black box' warning should be issued to caution the ophthalmic surgeon and the general public (men in particular) of danger to the eye of taking alpha1-adrenergic blocking agents before cataract surgery."
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Hey TucsonJay, how the heck do you do this custom paint?
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Thanks Ray, my co-worker has a lot of passion on the subject. I know in the few times I have done custom repairs where I sanded the clear coat and the mid coat candy or the pearl off exposing the base coat. Matched the color on of the base then just as our painter is going to do spray a bunch of samples to come up with a user. Of course, some worked, some were "close" but doing this a number of times produced real good matches I was thrilled. One time I remember it was a van conversion company and I called this company to see what pearl they used. It was "Murano" (Sp?) and it wasn't available anymore. This was a REAL nice pearl that I guess had some EPA problem or something and the stuff was just discontinued, wham, gone. I went to a local custom painter to see if he had some. I think the dude had a problem with the hard stuff, he buzzed over to his pearls and poured off some of this gold Murano pearl into a cleaned out little bottle and asked me for five bucks. It turned out great and was down the road. I still have it on my "garage God" display in my garage.
He wasn't there long, don't remember his name at all, like I said I believe he had some serious demons.
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Katie Price Asks, "What If Barbie Had A Bachelorette Party…"
Katie Price had a Barbie-themed bachelorette party last night, wherein she basically tried to recreate Barbie's look. I'm pretty sure Barbie doesn't do things like have bachelorette parties.
Price looked fairly demure, without her fake-n-bake orange tan and gutter-whore makeup and wearing a floor-length baby pink silk dress with diamanté trim around the bust, her hair was scraped back in an Alice band. Best part is that her cake, like 'The Situation', was of her, but in doll form. SCARY!
Price is marrying cage fighter Alex Reid, 34, this weekend for the second time. They wed in Las Vegas in January but are now having another ceremony for their friends and family, so it should top out at around 30 people at most.


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Thu, Dec 9, 2010 at 7:39 PM
dayumm barbz and kenbarbz! i cant wait to get HB's app! it's so amazing, i already say most of the stuff she uses. maybe once she's brought out the app she'll think about crossing the pond and visiting the uk barbz and kenz. dont take to long now :] -Minajtingg.


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First off, Something about me. I'm a 73 year old guy who loves all things automotive. I'm a BIG NASCAR fan and my main ride is a slightly modified Lexus ISF. I do my own regular maintenance and some tinkering. I've had muscle cars all my life, my first car being a 1950 Mercury Coupe that I bought back in 1957 when I was in the USAF. I've had a truck since the 80's when I bought a Nissan Hardbody because I got tired of hauling things around in my Porsche. Next I owned an Isuzu Hombre (an S10 in drag) than on to my fist full size truck an '06 GMC Regular Cab WT, Long Bed. I've owned my current Silverado, also a WT with a Long Bed, since April and have hated the shows everything upholstery since day one. The truck has LS trim and Power locks, windows, and mirrors.
I've been investigating changing the upholstery for some time, and chose Clazzio because it appeared the best of the breed when weighed in the value/quality equation. Katzkins seemed like a great product, but, to me, the pricing was prohibitive. And with Katskins you would need to buy a kit that contained a rear seat, and then throw it away. Not a good option for a guy with a regular cab. All other covers looked like junk.
First off, I guess this is a half review, because I own a regular cab that has no rear row. As mentioned earlier, my truck has power windows, doors, and mirrors so it has the uplevel, LT door trim which is light and dark gray. I had previously leather wrapped my steering wheel with a WheelSkin dark gray wrap. So the only thing left in the truck that was black was the carpet and the seats. I originally wanted black covers, but was told that color was out of stock and only light gray or beige was available. After much pondering, I chose the light gray, and now I really like the look. First off I'll list my Pros and cons.
1. Great Fit and Finish
2. Good quality materials (The PVC portion looks and feels like leather and matches the real leather portion perfectly)
3. Good workmanship (the stitching looks great and all seams line up perfectly)
1. Lousy instructions
2. The center seat cover and arm rest cover is not up to the quality of the seat covers
The installation, at least for me was, to say the least, challenging. My fingers and hands are still sore. I received my covers on Friday, and Friday night I thought I'd get a head start and do the head restraints while watching TV. That task took 45 minutes, but gave me some idea of what I was in for. Once done, they looked great, but it was a chore to get the restraint supports to peek through the holes in the proper spot at the bottom.
The next morning I tackled the rest of the job. I started with the center seat and arm rest. It became evident right away that during this installation I would need to remove the Do-Ha accessory basket I had previously installed behind the seats. It was a real struggle to get the center seat cover on, and I ended up tearing a portion of the rear of the cover. I finally succeeded (the tear is not visable) and next it was on to the arm rest, this was wasn't the challenge the bottom seat was, but it certainly was not a piece of cake.
The seats were easier, but they were still a challenge. To achieve an OEM Look, everything fits extremely tight, and to get the covers on the seats in the proper orientation is not easy. The bottom cushion has a shoe lace tie that you cinch up and tie at the back. It was a job to run the laces on the outside edge of the seat because of the plastic seat base, the seat belt mounting and etc. I ended up fishing a semi rigid piece of wire and pulling the laces through. The covers fit very tight and are hard to pull and place on the seats in the proper position. There is much velcro used, and getting the two ends to meet is sometimes a very daunting task. In other words, in my humble opinion, installation was a formidable job. But, this was my first experience with this type of installation. Three and a half hours later I was done.
Would I do it again, in a heartbeat. Am I happy with the results, you bet. The seats feel like a real leather interior (my 2 other two vehicle are leather, so I am familiar with the feeling). They're soft and supple and do not feel like covers at all, they feel like leather seats. One thing I do miss, however, is with the stock seats, the way the bolsters were padded you had the feeling of being in a bucket seat. These covers are padded with memory foam in the center and that bucket seat feeling, while still there to an extent, is diminished.
What would I change? Both the center seat and the arm rest. They fit OK, but are just not up to the standards of the seat covers, and their appearance, because of the lack of the fancy double stitching on the seats is in my opinion sub par. I would also write better instructions. The instructions were much to brief, and in some instances gave inaccurate and incomplete information. For me they only served to indicate which piece went where. Other than that they were pretty useless.
I would rate these 4 out of 5 stars. Overall though a big Thumbs Up.
I bought them Here:
Garrison Comstock firstname.lastname@example.com


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I slowed down in front of the green house with the "For Sale" sign freshly planted in its front yard. During the last six weeks, my husband, David, and I had looked at dozens of houses to find a new home. None seemed suitable for our family of five. This particular house looked a bit small for our needs, but I grabbed a flyer to take home to David.
To this day David gives me credit for "finding" our home. We never would have purchased the house, however, without David's quick action. He was on the phone when I got home, so I simply handed him the flyer. He read it quickly, finished his conversation, and immediately called our real estate agent. Given our city's red-hot real-estate market, David wanted to make sure we were the first to bid on the house. Sure enough, it turned out to be just right for us—bigger and better than anything we'd seen so far.
Working together as a team, we bought our first home. But every day in that same house, David and I continue to develop our teamwork in all areas of our marriage. Through the years we've learned being a team extends past a project, platitude, or goal. Our teamwork is tailored to our unique relationship—and keeps changing as the years go by.
What Kind of Team Are You?
God calls a man and woman to live together in marriage as one flesh, so teamwork seems a natural by-product. But what does it mean to be a team?
For couples who share similar tastes, gifts, goals, and desires, teamwork can be as smooth as pair's figure skating. However, some couples find their partnership works more like a track-and-field team. They're on the same team, but their lives are individual events. Sometimes a couple's marriage resembles an auto race. The driver is the star of the show, but he or she never would win any races without the crew chief moving quickly at every pit stop.
Think about your interests and personalities. What kind of team best represents your relationship right now? Is it the best fit? What would you like your marriage team to look like?
Remember, your marriage doesn't need to imitate anyone else's. For instance, on a practical level, I assumed David and I would form the same kind of team my parents enjoyed. My mom and dad bonded over the household projects they tackled together every Saturday. Similarly, our friends Paul and Wendy collected river rock, arranged native plants around their hand-built waterfall, and together converted their backyard into a nature retreat.
Read These Next
- He Said, She SaidI'm not really a workaholic.
- The Top 10 Most Popular Articles of 2015Our readers and writers pick the best of TCW.
For Further StudyDownloadable resources to go deeper
- Why Modesty Mattersfrom GiftedForLeadership.com - Here's what you need to know.
- Dealing with DivorceWhat happens to a child's soul when his or her world is ripped in two?
- Health MattersNEW! How are you taking care of yourself?
- The Sandwich GenerationCaring for the young and old at the same time.


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Cook Your "Hard Boiled" Eggs In The Oven!
Photo Credit: danijoint/ Flickr
We were online looking for cool tips & tricks to do in the kitchen & we came across this! Did you know you can cook your "Hard Boiled" eggs in the oven? All of the reviews are saying they come out even better than actually boiling them!
- Set your oven to 350 degrees
- Put the eggs on a muffic tray
- place them in the oven for 30 minutes (shells & all)
Give it a try & let us know how it compares to actually bioling your eggs!
Idea via theburlapbag.com


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Aucklanders have a growing familiarity with Asian cuisines, and many of us approximate at home the dishes we buy at food halls and little restaurants. But we don't always know the finer points of technique or the exact signature ingredients - and some of us can't really cook.
So I jumped at the chance of attending a Sri Lankan cookery demonstration. My partner is hooked on curries from the KPS Sri Lankan Takeaway at Balmoral. It's a taste nothing else can satisfy and quite different from his other Malaysian laksa-and-roti yearning.
These Sri Lankan curries can be so fiery I simply can't eat them although I love the flavours. The demo at Ponsonby bookshop Cook the Books, promised something fresher and lighter - think coconut, chilli, lime, coriander.
Just before 7pm the bookshop is lit up and people are already drinking a glass of wine. Chef Grant Allen (of the pop-up dinners) regularly cooks here for special occasions and groups.
The natural extension was demonstrations of national cuisines and themes. You don't need to take your apron: these are more social events.
Ten of us are seated around a pleasant table while Grant talks and demonstrates and Cook the Books co-owner Felicity O'Driscoll cooks, presents plates and morsels, and gives informative asides.
Grant has not been to Sri Lanka and sees the class as an introduction or stepping-off point. In some classes he is joined by food tour leader Mary Taylor, who has been travelling and working in Sri Lanka for more than 15 years and leads regular insider tours there with her company Food Matters.
Rich and long-cooking curries are not on the menu, this is food for the end of a working day or a no-fuss dinner party menu not necessarily served all at once, Sri Lankan-style.
And a very grown-up and increasingly hilarious way it is to learn, with a bunch of interesting people and a chatty, informative and entertaining host. Grant starts with the spice mix, which is the Sri Lankan base, talking about raiders, traders and invaders and their culinary influences - Portuguese, Arab, Tamil, British, Malay, Dutch. I am able to ask about those pesky chillies - the smaller the hotter is the story.
To one side of me is seated Tony Richards, at the event as a birthday present from his sister Sarah (across the table). Although they are a cooking family, a class was a new experience and he was thrilled. "It's a brilliant gift in terms of something completely different," he says. "I never knew these things existed. All my friends are getting them for presents now."
On my other side, the owner of a well-known Auckland bar has brought her mum, after spotting an ad on Mother's Day.
Grant gets hands-on with tamarind; makes an incredible fresh sambal, "hoppers" - small pancakes from a rice flour dough left to work overnight - and unlocks the appeal of the potentially slimy okra.
We end with fresh melon served with ginger slurry - lively and thankfully digestive - and leave with a pot of fresh spice mix, a set of recipes and hints on where to buy ingredients.
In other parts of town, community adult education, in spite of funding cuts, is still a cheap, fun way to learn anything from ethnic cooking to basic skills your mother never taught you.
Weekend one-off classes are held most terms and some are "family friendly" meaning youngsters can attend.
"A lot of people just want to get out of the house and they meet people and learn something new," says Rutherford's community education director, Andrea Cameron.
Community ed's strength is personal contact. Glen Verner, who trains chefs, still loves to cook and teach at Rutherford High School's community education.
At Selwyn Community Education, June Renwick's classes are booked out months ahead, and Yin Wong is an experienced tutor with insight into all aspects of Asian cooking and culture.
"Hands up who eats Japanese food once a week?" Most of the class raise a hand. "What do you like about Japanese food?" It's fresh, natural, healthy, we respond.
This is the opening to Sachie Nomura's "brown belt" class in Japanese cooking for 12 pupils at her upmarket Parnell kitchen. The place is immaculate, modern and beautiful, with that Japanese attention to detail, such as the freshly laundered and folded kimono jackets we put on as aprons.
There's something hip and trendy, too, about Japanese food. And the food we create in two-and-a-half hours does have that just-cooked, alive taste.
Sachie demonstrates each dish then the class divides to four cooking benches to re-create, more or less successfully chicken teriyaki (succulently glazed) agedashi tofu (crisply deep-fried, with artful toppings) sunomono (salad of cucumber and octopus) and sesame icecream.
Her white to black belt classes can be tackled as one-offs. The belt status doesn't really equate with levels of difficulty. Other classes cover standards such as tempura (vegetables in batter) miso soup, sushi and Japanese small dishes.
There are some entertaining stories from the vivacious Sachie - not a trained chef but taught by the chef she lived with for 10 years. A revelation was using long, cooking chopsticks to feel the vibration of ingredients to gauge if they are cooked.
By the time we eat the meal, we are really hungry. Six friends are here for several birthday presents, and the three men appear to enjoy cooking as much as their partners. For those who can't finish, there are plastic boxes for taking the food home.
Thirty-something Rebecca Peters, who works in advertising, has done other cooking classes, and this is her favourite. She was "spoiled rotten" as a kid, so is now catching up on her culinary education. A class is something enjoyable for herself that also expands her repertoire, as she loves to cook and entertain. "My boyfriend's quite smart. He sent me along to encourage me to cook Japanese for him at home." She'll be back with her girlfriends for a hens' night.
Upstairs at the Auckland Fish Markets, the Auckland Seafood School's practical skills classes - knife techniques, filleting, smoking, choosing seafood, barbecuing - are the most popular.
"People want to learn about species they have never tried before and might be uncomfortable handling," says manager Jo Cooper.
The four regular chefs may take a class around the market, to see what has come in and how to cook it. Local celebrity chefs like Ray McVinnie (MasterChef New Zealand judge) Geoff Scott (Vinnies Restaurant) cookbook author Annabel Langbein and broadcaster-writer Peta Mathias also teach a whole range of cuisines. "They are just so entertaining," says Cooper.
The chef works, talks and answers questions for an hour from the front of the purpose-built auditorium, which has big mirrors over the demonstration bench. Then the class moves to the kitchen, where the chef circulates around the eight workstations.
All then sit down with a glass of wine to eat and talk with the chef.
"If we're lucky, Peta will sing a song for them as well," says Jo. "I think that's a fantastic way to spend a Saturday."
Learn to cook
Cook the BooksWorkshops restart in September with Moroccan, Sri Lankan, seasonal vegetable dishes and braising workshops. Book online, $45-$55, 2 hours, with glass of wine - don't have dinner beforehand, 139 Richmond Rd, Ponsonby, ph (09) 360 6513, www.cookthebooks.co.nz.
Sachie's Kitchen, weekdays and weekends, 2 hours, hands-on with meal, $85 or 6-class concession, Suite 1.4, Axis Building, 91 St Georges Bay Rd, Parnell, ph (09) 302 7680, www.sachieskitchen.com.
Auckland Seafood School, weekday and weekend classes, with meal. From $60-$115, Level 1, Auckland Fish Market, Jellicoe St, Auckland, ph (09) 379-1497, www.afm.co.nz.
Edgewater College community education. Saturday classes include making fresh pasta, chocolate lovers, $59. 32 Edgewater Dr, Pakuranga, pre-book, ph (09) 576 4731, www.shortcoursesandworkshops.co.nz.
Northcote College community education, 6-10 Kauri Glen Rd, Northcote, ph (09) 481 0144, www.learn4life.co.nz. Saturday cooking classes include brunch, high tea, cupcakes, homemade pasta pizza pesto, Indian vegetarian cooking, Italian cooking, Japanese cooking and sushi making $40-$45.
Selwyn College community education, prepare Chinese yum char delicacies, seafood, breads and dips, paella, sushi, classes from $54-$112, 203 Kohimarama Rd, Kohimarama, ph (09) 521 9623, www.selwyncomed.school.nz.
Onehunga High community education, 24 Pleasant St, Onehunga, ph (09) 636 9060 www.ohs.school.nz or adultlearn.co.nz Classes include Indian soups, sushi $45-$65.
foodmatters.co.nz Tours to Bali Ubud Writers Festival, October. 2012 food tours in May to Sri Lanka and June to Bali.


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In the face of recent comments made about Wellington being a "dying" city, the number of vacancies in the city being offered online has risen sharply this year.
Employment site Seek today released the results of its latest New Job Ad Index, which showed a 5 per cent increase for Wellington-based jobs since January.
While new jobs fell by 1.8 per cent across the country between April and May, the number of ads for Wellington positions were up 2 per cent.
Auckland and Canterbury both dropped on the New Job Ad Index, by 2.1 per cent and 6.7 per cent respectively.
Prime Minister John Key last month provoked a furore with comments he made after a gloomy report on the region's economy.
"The reality is even Wellington is dying and we don't know how to turn it around.
All you have there is government, Victoria University and Weta Workshop," Key told business leaders in Auckland.
But Seeks NZ's general manager Janet Faulding said there were currently more than 2,500 new jobs advertised online for Wellington.
"After a slow start to the year it's encouraging to see Wellington performing beyond many people's expectations with strong job creation in May."
The highest number of jobs available in the region was in Information & Communication Technology (ICT) roles, which made up nearly one third of all advertised opportunities.
This was followed by Administration and Trades & Services, and Accounting and Sales roles.
Faulding said it wasn't just job opportunities that were on the rise - employer confidence was also bouncing back.
According to a survey carried out recently by the Wellington Employers' Chamber of Commerce, a net 44.9 per cent of 366 Wellington businesses expected their business situation to improve over the next 12 months.
That was close to a 10 per cent improvement on the previous quarter.
"An increase in business confidence often leads to the creation of more jobs as companies feel positive about implementing plans for future growth," Faulding said.
"This is no exception with almost one third of businesses surveyed expecting to increase their full-time staff numbers in the next 12 months."
On a more negative note, Seek's Employment Index showed demand for jobs was higher than supply in New Zealand last month.
The index dipped by 1 per cent nationally and by the same amount in Auckland and Wellington, meaning applications for roles grew at a faster rate than the number of advertised jobs.
In Canterbury, the Employment Index decreased by 7 per cent.


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Notice: On March 31, it was announced that Statalist is moving from an email list to a forum. The old list will shut down on April 23, and its replacement, statalist.org is already up and running.
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Re: st: bifactor rotation
Phil Schumm <email@example.com>
Statalist <email@example.com>
Re: st: bifactor rotation
Tue, 19 Mar 2013 22:19:09 -0500
On Mar 18, 2013, at 6:53 PM, Airey, David C wrote:
> In a class we learned about bifactor rotation in factor analysis. Seems like a good feature to add to Stata if it is not there.
On Mar 19, 2013, at 7:39 AM, Airey, David C wrote:
> Here was a reference:
> http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3253271/pdf/nihms341216.pdf
I've actually been using bifactor models myself recently, and I agree that they can be very useful. As others have pointed out, a given bifactor model can be fit with -sem-. Doing a bifactor rotation as described in the Jennrich and Bentler paper you cited above is complicated by the fact that Stata does not expose a general command for rotation according to an arbitrary criterion. However, those commands (both for orthogonal and oblique rotations) are there under the hood of -rotatemat-. If you are willing to use undocumented commands (and you should think carefully about the implications of doing so), then you can use these to perform the bifactor rotations described in the paper above (and in another companion paper by the same authors on oblique bifactor rotations).
First, you need to write a command to compute the rotation criterion and its derivative. Here, I have simply taken the MATLAB code provided in the paper and translated it into Stata:
clear all
program bi_quartimin
args todo q Gq equal L
tempname G
mata: bi_quart("`q'","`G'","`L'")
if (`todo' == 0) exit
matrix `Gq' = `G'
void bi_quart(string scalar q, string scalar G, string scalar L)
real matrix Lt, Lt2, N
real scalar k, p
p = rows(st_matrix(L))
k = cols(st_matrix(L))
Lt = st_matrix(L)[.,(2..k)]
Lt2 = Lt:^2
N = J(k-1,k-1,1) - I(k-1)
st_numscalar(q, sum(Lt2:*(Lt2*N)))
st_matrix(G, (J(p,1,0), 4*(Lt:*(Lt2*N))))
Note the the program -bi_quartimin- needs to have the same signature as is used internally for the built-in criteria which -rotatemat- supports (you can figure this out easily from inspection of the file rotatemat.ado).
Now, to illustrate, let's use the first example from the paper:
mat M = ( 1.17, 0.78, 0.18 \ ///
2.08, 0.78, -0.22 \ ///
1.17, 0.78, 0.18 \ ///
2.15, -0.62, -0.08 \ ///
1.23, -0.62, 0.32 \ ///
2.15, -0.62, -0.08)
To rotate this matrix (orthogonally) according to the bifactor criteria, we use:
findfile rotatemat.ado
run `"`r(fn)'"'
tempname T
Init `T' M
Minimize `"GPFortho M, crit(bi_quartimin) colnames("1 2 3")"' `T' "protect(25)"
Note that the two programs we need to use (-Init- and -Minimize-) are subroutines of -rotatemat-, so to make them accessible we need to first execute rotatemat.ado using -do- (or -run-, as I've used here). Once we've done that, we can make the necessary calls. Doing so yields
Trial 1 : min criterion .2107749
Trial 2 : min criterion .2107749
Trial 3 : min criterion .2107749
Trial 4 : min criterion .2107749
Trial 5 : min criterion .2107749
Trial 6 : min criterion .2107749
Trial 7 : min criterion .2107749
Trial 8 : min criterion .2107749
Trial 9 : min criterion .0000564
. mat li r(Lh), format(%2.1f)
c1 c2 c3
r1 1.0 0.0 1.0
r2 2.0 -0.0 1.0
r3 1.0 0.0 1.0
r4 2.0 1.0 -0.0
r5 1.0 1.0 0.0
r6 2.0 1.0 -0.0
which, as you can see, is the same result given in the paper. Note that in this case, the first 8 solutions were local maxima, which is something you need to watch out for.
-- Phil
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|Patriots Look Poised For Another Super Bowl Run
|Bruins Trade For Drew Stafford
|Black and Gold Bruins Turn Yellow On Parade Day
|Inconsistency Will Continue For Bruins Unless A Change Is Made
The Red Sox lost their first chance to clinch on Monday, but punched their ticket for the playoffs on Tuesday. After losing the series to the Rays the previous week, the division looked out of reach and the Yankees took the series opener to lock the Sox into a series with the Angels. The Red Sox limped to the finish line against the arch-rival, but the most important thing at that point, with the games being meaningless, was to set the team up for the playoff series.
A monkey wrench was thrown into that plan when the Red Sox received word that ace Josh Beckett has a strained oblique and will not pitch until Game 3 on Sunday at Fenway Park.
The week opened with a chance to lock up a playoff spot with Josh Beckett on the mound, however they had to play catchup all day. Despite not hitting Beckett very hard, the Indians were able to string together enough hits to build a 4-1 lead, which the Red Sox cut to 4-3, but could not overcome.
Beckett allowed all of the runs on seven hits, but sis strike out six as well. Kevin Youkilis had three hits and David Ortiz added a home run for the Sox. They bounced backfrom the loss to take the remaining three games, beginning with a 5-4 win in the second game, over (Cy Young winner to be) Cliff Lee, in his first start against the Red Sox.
Youk homered to give the Red Sox a brief 2-0 lead, but the Indians clawed back with a four run fifth off Tim Wakefield. Dustin Pedroia keyed a rally in the bottom half of the inning to give the Red Sox a lead they would not give up. Manny Delcarmen, Justin Masterson, Hideki Okajima, and Javier Lopez all worked to set up Jonathan Papelbon, who struck out two of the four batters he faced and converted a perfect save opportunity.
Pedroia and Big Papi sparked a four run rally in the first inning of the third game to knock out Cleveland starter Fausto Carmona. The Indians got 11 hits off Paul Byrd overall and tied the game in the fifth, but Mark Kotsay broke the deadlock in the eighth, knocking in Jeff Bailey after his triple to get the win.
Jon Lester was sharp in a pitch-count-abbreviated outing in the finale to lead the Red Sox to victory. The offense gave him five runs over the first two innings and Lester allowed only one in his six innings. Masterson, Okajima, and Pap were perfect in their three combined innings to wrap it up.
The Red Sox got a playoff type series from the Indians and plenty of good pitching, especially from the bullpen, which did not allow a single run in the series. Also of note, J.D. Drew returned to action, so the Red Sox should be near full strength when it matters most.
The final series of the season for the Red Sox was with the archrival Yankees and completely meaningless in terms of playoff position. The biggest stories coming out of the series were the retirement of Johnny Pesky's #6, Mike Mussina's attempt at his first 20-win season, and the battle with the rain for most of the weekend.
Friday's game was played in wet conditions and Saturday's was postponed as part of a Sunday's doubleheader. It was fairly surprising that baseball made up the game, considering it meant nothing and the Red Sox begin the playoffs in Anaheim on Wednesday.
Terry Francona, setting up the playoff rotation, started David Pauley in the opener, and the Red Sox gave him an early 3-1 lead after one. The game unraveled from there as the Yankees scored in eight of the nine innings in the 19-8 loss. Each of the five Red Sox pitchers gave up runs with Pauley and David Aardsma getting hit particularly hard. Jacoby Ellsbury's four-hit effort was about the lone bright spot for the Sox.
Mussina earned his 20th victory with a very efficient effort in the first game on Sunday. He went six innings, allowing only three hits and no runs, on only 73 pitches. The Red Sox did not hand the game to Mussina as they had their regular lineup in play, but they did limit Daisuke Matsuzaka to 73 pitches in his four-inning outing as the Red Sox fell 6-2, dropping Dice-K to 18-3 on the season. Discouragingly, the Yankees put the game away by getting three runs off Pap in the ninth in the closer's final regular season appearance.
The Red Sox had to work overtime in the nightcap, bouncing back to beat the Yankees 4-3 in 10 innings. Tim Wakefield, limited to 56 pitches, threw five scoreless innings. Most of the regulars got the night off and Jonathan Van Every hit a bases loaded single in the tenth to win the season finale.
As much as Red Sox Nation always wants to beat the Yankees, the Red Sox eased up with the more important goals on the horizon in this meaningless series. Mike Lowell appeared to aggrivate his injury in the Friday game and did not appear in the remainder of the series, hopefully out of an abundance of caution.
The Angels are the West Division Champion and sport the best record in the American League at 100-62 (21 above second place Texas). The 100 wins are the most for a team since the 2005 Cardinals and the Angels are the first A.L. team to reach the total since the 2004 Yankees. For what it is worth, each of those teams won their Division Series and lost in their League Championship Series.
The strength of the Angels lies in their pitching staff. They are one of the few teams in baseball that are solid from start to finish on the mound. With the series beginning on Wednesday, each team will use a three-man rotation. Throwing for the Angels will be John Lackey (12-5, 3.75 ERA, 1.23 WHIP, 7.16 K/9), Ervin Santana (16-7, 3.49, 1.12, 8.79), and Joe Saunders (17-7, 3.41, 1.21, 4.68). The Red Sox will counter with Lester, Dice-K, and Beckett.
The Angels starters are all control guys and are supported by a good defense. The offense improved with the deadline acquisition of Mark Teixeira, who hit .358, slugged .632, and hit 13 home runs in his 54 games with the team, but is not formidable. Sparkplugs Chone Figgins, Howie Kendrick, and Erick Aybar have each missed time this season and the Angels have played many close games.
The middle of the bullpen has been very reliably handing leads over to Francisco Rodriguez (2.24, 1.29, 10.14), who smashed the single season saves record with 62 in 69 chances. The middle of their order surrounds Big Tex with Vladimir Guerrero, Garrett Anderson, and offseason signee Torii Hunter.
The Angels are the American League's most complete team and the trade for Teixiera solidified that position. It is a worrisome matchup for the Sox because of the depth of quality pitching, which Mike Scoscia manages very well.
The Angels, having played in the softer West, are less tested than the Red Sox, but are 34-21 against the top American League teams (Rays, Red Sox, White Sox, Twins, Yankees, and Blue Jays), and were 8-1 against the Red Sox. The only team they lost the season series to is the Rays (3-6 against them).
The Angels are also very good in close games, going 31-21 in one-run games, a testament to K-Rod and the bullpen. The three-man rotations will give the Red Sox the edge at the front end, but allows the Angels to work K-Rod harder if needed and will amplify the effect of the bullpen since they will get rest.
The Red Sox possess the better clutch hitting and have had the Angels number in the playoffs in recent years. The Red Sox ran into a similar team in 2005 as defending champions against the White Sox, and were swept. This will be a competitive series, probably going the full five games, but unfortunately, the Angels superior pitching should provide them the edge.
Who will win the ALDS matchup of the Angels and Red Sox?
Total Voters: 17
Tags: Cleveland Indians, Josh Beckett, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, New York Yankees, Red Sox, Red Sox Nation, View from the Monster
[…] Prediction (Angels in 5): He offered his perspective in his View from the Monster piece on Monday, and his mind has not changed one bit. "This is not a good matchup for the […]


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SO I picked up a whole set of Brembo calipers/pads/rotors, but I only need the rears. 5x114 rotors are included. Both have a good amount of life left.
In addition, I happen to have picked up some 5x100 rotors several months ago. So, you can get these for whatever hubs you are running.
The calipers have seem some use, but they appear to be functional. They could use a good cleaning, lube, and reassembly. Perfect canidate for repainting or powder coating.
$650 + shipping.
Shipping should be OK for the calipers. Rotors will depend on whether I can get USPS to let me throw them into a flat rate box If you are interested, PM and I will go check it out.
5x110 Rotors
5x114 Rotors


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Justin Timberlake put on his fedora and finest necklaces for a press conference in Abu Dhabi today. He's spent the last year touring the world, but tonight the FutureSex/LoveShow will finally come to a close. We bet this is a bit of a bittersweet day for Justin, but he is excited about his last stop on the tour, saying, "I am overwhelmed with how people have reacted to my arrival here in Abu Dhabi. I can't wait to sample the local cuisine and perform in front of a great crowd." We all know how much JT loved the "local cuisine" in Oslo, but hopefully he'll find something a little more adventurous to celebrate his big night. And hey, if he ever misses this tour, he'll always have his HBO special to look back on.
JT's FutureSex/LoveShow Will Soon Be in the Past
JT's FutureSex/LoveShow Will Soon Be in the Past
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The MWC app is chock full of information. You can see the list of speakers, the times they are scheduled to go on and the rooms in which they will speak. Exhibitors are also listed and a mapping system guides you to the right spot. You can also receive direct messages and with the NFC Badge app built-in, downloading the app is like having your badge with you wherever you go. There is also connections to social networks so you can share the experience of being at the show with others, or connect to others attending the show.
There are reports that the Android version of the MWC app is having some problems, especially with Wi-Fi connectivity. If you have a Windows Phone model, you don't have to worry about that. All you need to do is click on the sourcelink to download the app.
source: GSMAOfficialMWC via WPCentral


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The development of the FinePix X100 was first announced at the Photokina Exhibition in Cologne, Germany in September 2010, where it received an enthusiastic welcome from both professional photographers and camera fans.
1. World's First Hybrid Viewfinder
The true enjoyment of photography begins with "the pleasure of seeing the world through a viewfinder". The new Hybrid Viewfinder has been developed to reintroduce users to this essential camera experience. It combines the window-type "bright frame" optical viewfinder found in rangefinder-type film cameras such as the classic 135-size or medium-format cameras, and the electronic viewfinder system incorporated in fixed single lens or mirror-less digital cameras.
By integrating a prism for the 1,440,000 dot LCD panel image on the viewing screen in the reverse-Galilean optical finder, the Hybrid Viewfinder can show both the shooting frame and a variety of shooting data. Of course, it can also be used as a high-quality electronic viewfinder to compose or playback shots. With this ability to instantly switch between optical and electronic viewfinder images with simple "one touch" control, the new Hybrid Viewfinder offers users expanded freedom in the composition and enjoyment of photography in a wide range of challenging shooting conditions.
2. High-performance 23mm F2 Fujinon Lens
3. 12.3 Megapixel APS-C CMOS Sensor & EXR Processor
4. Design
5. Original Image Quality Enhancement Functions
6. Diverse Functions Stimulate the Desire to Capture Every Moment


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GENESIS: Abyss vs. Bully Ray (Monster's Ball Match)
Monster's Ball Match
Abyss vs. Bully Ray
Various weapons are surrounding the ring including barbed wire boards, tables, chairs, kendo sticks and more. When the bell rings, Bully Ray bails and tries to delay the start of the match. Both grab steel chairs. Both swing and crack the chairs repeatedly. Ray gets in a kick and cracks the chair over Abyss' back. Abyss recovers right away with a clothesline. Abyss with a chokeslam. Ray no sells it and is back up with a big boot. Abyss is back up right away and Ray backs off yelling, "Son of a bitch!" Ray grabs his chain and starts swinging it around. Abyss grabs a chair and Ray hits the chain with it. Abyss then kicks Ray in the gut and cracks the chair over his back. Abyss tosses weapons into the ring including a staple gun and cheese grader. Ray starts cracking the chain over the back of Abyss. Ray cracks a trash can over Abyss' head. Abyss doesn't flinch and he punches the trash can into the face of Ray. Abyss rolls out and grabs his 2×4 covered in nails – Janice. Ray has a kendo stick and drops it right away yelling, "I'm outta here!" Ray is walking up the ramp when Abyss chases him down. Abyss chases Ray back up the steps onto the ramp. Ray rakes the eyes of Abyss and cracks cookie sheet over his back. Ray then sends Abyss shoulder first into a tell board covered in barbed wire. Ray then sends it into the face of Abyss. Abyss is busted open over his fingers trying to get himself lose from the barbed wire. Abyss' arm is covered in blood from the first shot. Abyss tosses Ray back in the ring and pulls out two bags from under the ring. Abyss has the cheese grader and low blows Ray with it. Abyss holds it over Ray's crotch and then slides it out. Ray screams out in pain. Abyss opens one bag and pours thumbtacks over the ring. Abyss calls for a chokeslam. Ray with a low blow to Abyss and screams out, "Oh my balls!" Ray pulls out a table from under the ring and tosses it in the ring. Ray sets up the tabel and Abyss chokeslams him through it. Abyss covers Ray and only gets a two count when Ray gets a shoulder up. Ray with a Rock Bottom on Abyss over a board covered in barbed wire. Ray pins Abyss and Abyss gets a shoulder up. Ray then sandwiches Abyss using another barbed wire board. Ray goes up to the second rope and connects with a back splash. Ray drapes the arm over Abyss. Abyss gets a shoulder up after two. Ray has the 2×4 with nails. Abyss then gives Ray a chokeslam over the thumbtacks. Orlando crowd starts a "THIS IS AWESOME" chant. Ray grabs the kendo stick and starts hitting Abyss repeatedly with it. Abyss fights to his feet, Ray charges and Abyss catches him with a Black Hole Slam over the barbed wire board. Abyss gets the pinfall.
Winner: Abyss
After the match, Tenay reminds us that per the stipulation, Abyss doesn't have to re-join Immortal by defeating Bully Ray tonight.
Backstage, Jeremy Borash is with the TNA Tag Team Champions Matt Morgan and Crimson. Crimson and Morgan promise a win tonight against the team of Samoa Joe and Magnus.
* Matt Morgan and Crimson defending the TNA Tag Team Championships against Samoa Joe and Magnus is up next.


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The collaboration platform that is constantly evolving in synergy with the latest technology and designed to adapt to you and your organisation. A simple and intelligent solution that can handle most needs.
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You are here: Home → Forum Home → The Mac Observer Forums → Mac Geek Gab Crew → Thread
iTunes 9 sync problems
Although podcasts are synced under 9.01, they do not appear in the iTunes listing of smart playlist contents on the various devices. If I eject the device and look at the playlists, the podcasts are there.
Not very satisfying, but better than before.


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Enlarge image
Young Couple Threatened by Death, c. 1498
Albrecht Dürer
German, 1471 - 1528
engraving on laid paper
19.9 x 12.4 cm; image: 19.6 x 12.1 cm
Acquired 1956
National Gallery of Canada (no. 6817)
A fashionably dressed urban couple takes a stroll in rolling countryside. The moment might be an idyllic genre scene but for the skeletal figure of Death lurking behind a tree with an hourglass on his head. In the allegorical tradition of the memento mori, the pair's leisurely pleasure is contrasted with a reminder of the temporality of life. Despite its small size, the print was copied several times. That made by Israhel van Meckenem included his signature and the inscription, "For is it not always near evening? Death comes and brings evening". Marcantonio Raimondi's copy is reversed, but still bears Dürer's monogram. In 1506 Dürer took legal action to prohibit Raimondi from continuing to copy his prints, the first recorded case of copyright infringement in the visual arts.
Prints & Drawings
No Audio
No Media
Library and Archives
No Extras


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Wild Orchid DVD (Dual Compatibility)
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Wild Orchid DVD (Dual Compatibility) Product Description
Please note this is a region B Blu-ray and will require a region B or region free Blu-ray player in order to play.
From director Zalman King (Red Shoe Diaries, Two Moon Junction) comes a tale of sex, passion and erotic taboos set against the backdrop of the rich and powerful. Set in the sultry splendor of Rio de Janeiro, Wild Orchid stars Mickey Rourke (9 1/2 Weeks), Jacqueline Bisset (Bullitt) and supermodel Carre Otis in a ''torrid'' (Variety) adventure of the senses. Filled with ''exotic settings'' (The Hollywood Reporter), it is a hypnotic odyssey that will leave you breathless and spellbound.
Beautiful young attorney Emily Reed (Otis) travels to Rio to work with international negotiator Claudia Lirones (Bisset) on a multi-million dollar deal. But once exposed to the raw sensuality of her surroundings, Emily is increasingly drawn into a world of erotic fantasy. Eager to guide Emily through this underworld is Claudia's old flame Wheeler (Rourke). Mysterious and seductive Wheeler unleashes Emily's most primitive desires... even as she threatens to unlock his world-weary heart.
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Follow Harriet on Twitter
About Harriet
- The Poetry Foundation's blog for poetry and related news.
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Stakes pulled. Car loaded. Leg kick. Air guitar.
In two weeks, my family unit and I will be driving from Seattle to Chicago. A big move! This family unit = my wife Monica, our cat Boo Radley, and a couple piles of stuff. We all (Boo and stuff included) have been eagerly plotting the playlists and the road snacks, but we're hung up on which route to take—-I-90, I-80, or the Canadian Way. We're taking into consideration time, scenery, novelty, and—because we want to make it a bit of a challenge–poetry. We want to visit at least one place each day that has something or other to do with that glorious and goofy art. Did Ed Dorn beat someone silly in Billings? We want to see it! Did Lana Turner collapse in Coeur d'Alene? Let's do the same! Is there a good bookstore in North Platte? A reading series in Provo? Did Amy Lowell declaim in Gillette? You get the idea. Sounds fun, right? No seriously, it does sound fun. Right? Anyways, Harrieteers, help us out. Where should we go?
Comments (22)
travis, ive taken each of those routes and id say, I-90 for speed, highway 2 fer the beauty of the country. lots of cranky fun cafe/cafeterias along the way. bring yma sumac for sunset(or sunrise) over the land.
I believe Jed Rasula broke Clayton Eshleman's jaw in St. Louis. By then, you're almost to Chicago.
I think that you three (Boo especially!) might enjoy an early afternoon stop at the Dixon Bar, in Dixon, Montana.** The Dixon Bar is known for three things: the "Dixon Special" (a hamburger topped with a fried egg, best eaten at 2 pm); Bud, the Bartender (who is in his 50's, lives in a small house behind the bar, hates people from the east coast, and can do push-ups on his fingertips); and the poems written by Richard Hugo, J.D. Reed and James Welch, all three of which immortalize the bar, and are framed and hung above one of three tables along the wall. Bud is loathe to acknowledge the history of these poems, let alone the poems themselves; he is loathe, in fact, to acknowledge anything that wafts in from Missoula, which he considers to be part of his "east infection," despite it being some 45 minutes down the road. The bar itself is INCREDIBLY small and modest — the town of Dixon barely exists, except for fields of melons — and no one much cares about the three poems anyway, despite their genesis — (Hugo, Reed and Welch were out drinking one day at the Dixon Bar… and after a few drinks made a pact to each write poems about the place, and publish them. Miraculously, all three were published in the same issue of The New Yorker. The full story can be found on the Academy of American Poets website).
Its beautiful country, and Bud, despite his crust and disgruntlements, lightens up around hour three. Or, sooner yet, if you ask him to give you some push-ups. Plus, Boo will enjoy the birds along the Jocko River…
**Take MT Hwy 135 off I-90 outside of St. Regis, MT. Turn right onto 200 East. 200 will take you right through Dixon; blink and you'll miss it. Keep going straight on 200 and you'll be routed back to I-90, just west of Missoula).
Ever been to Prairie Lights bookstore in Iowa City? Not that far off of I 80…and of course there's a creative writing program there I hear. Took that route once in cross country drive from Seattle to New Haven. Drive through the mountains by the I84 route. Stunning. If you're really lucky there'll be a thunderstorm rolling over the mountains during the drive as well.
And when you get to Chicago: the Seminary Coop–a pilgrimmage destination for book lovers.
That's a great story by Brandon Shimoda.
It wouldn't be too far of a jog north, as you get closer, to head to Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin, home of Lorine Niedecker. Her original house, out on Blackhawk Island, in middle of the Rock River, still stands, with historical marker. The newer, adjacent one, closer to the water, is where she and her husband later lived. Right down the road, toward the point, are two bars where she could sometimes be found on Fridays, for the fish fries. A few years ago, on pilgrimage with Dale Smith, he and I watched the resident poodle of the nearer tavern walk around the place on its hind legs. The dog's name is, or was, Lindy, as I recall. He replaced the previous one, which also apparently walked on its hind legs, and whose name was Lorine. (I know this sounds incredible, but Dale has written of this trip, and talks about it).
In town, you can find lots of places LN used to frequent: I talked once with an elderly man at the drugstore downtown who remembered her well, called her a "crackerjack," said no one really knew she was "such a poet." Outside town, about two miles up Hwy 26, you can find the now-closed, dilapidating "Club 26" Supper Club, at which still a year and half ago could be found on the bar wall (shades of Brandon's post) a framed poem by LN: "Club 26," alongside a photograph of the poet.
Back in town, you will want to check out the terrific library, which has a special collection of her personal books (first editions of WCW, Zukofsky, Pound, etc.) on the first floor; there is a room dedicated to her, upstairs, with passages from her poems written on the walls, to accompany art work by a local painter of locations present in her work. In this room you will find her simple writing desk, on top of which, incredibly, sits one of her notebooks, which is for the handling and perusing– inside are her notes on different things, and a bunch of recipes. When you pull the drawer open, you will find the remnants of a colorful postcard pasted to the bottom, with some writing on it, can't recall now the image of the postcard, or what the writing on it says…
If you do go to Fort Atkinson, be sure to stop by Bienfanger's Tavern, where LN often went. This is a classic Wisconsin bar, a true clean and well-lighted place, with pickled pig's feet and eggs in big jars: take your first right, as you cross the bridge going West. It still has a swinging sign outside its back door: "Women's Entrance." I suppose Niedecker must have gone through that door…
I understand Minnesota is full of poetry related sites and, of course, there's the Hemingway place in Ketchum, Idaho. But the real reason I'm writing, Travis, is to chastise you.
How could any "family unit" possibly be complete without AT LEAST two cats?
I hear somewhere out in the plains is Charles Olson's breath, rollin' down the highway, lookin' for a poem. Idaho, maybe?
Minnesota is full of swamps & mosquitoes & weird brown apt. bldgs.
Travis, you didn't offer a "check" on my Niedecker/Fort Atkinson suggestion, damn, so maybe it's off your map. But just in case you can make it there, a couple more things I should have mentioned: Fort Atkinson downtown also has the Carp Cafe, long run by Bill Camplin, a fellow Pewaukee HS alumni of mine, actually. It's one of *the* premier folk music venues in the Midwest, with regular national acts. It was there, I think it was in 1985, that the first complete reading of Niedecker's works took place, a marathon event organized by Woodland Pattern bookstore, with a couple dozen poets participating. It took us, I believe, something like 16 hours to do it. Great food, too, so stop there before heading for a Pabst and a pickeld pig's foot at Bienfangers.
Speaking of Woodland Pattern, that is a must-stop on any petry road trip, of course, as it is probably the best poetry bookstore in the country. From Fort Atkinson, Milwaukee is on your way to Chicago.
Make sure you check that one, at least!
Be sure to swing south when you hit Montana to take in the Custer battlefield, then Crazy Horse and Mount Rushmore, before crossing through the black and painted hills of South Dakota. Avoid the Canadian prairie route; driving through Saskatchewan can cause narcolepsy.
Best regards,
Colin (Canadian prairie dweller)
you and M are welcome to stay with my wife and I in Missoula on yr way east (and we'll be happy to show you the Dixon Bar) and other Hugo haunts.
Ask Brandon S. for contact info. if you want.
We have 1 actual cat and one spiritual cat, thus adding up to a total of 2 cats.
Okay. You're forgiven.
(I have eight…plus dogs and horses). I figure 14 animals is just slightly less trouble than one kid.
But Boo is more like 3/4th of a cat, what with not tail & all..
Our little three-legged calico, Shamrock (Shammie), was a neighborhood rescue. She and her littermates were attacked by stray dogs and her tail was pulled off. As a result, the nerves in her right rear leg were damaged and the leg had to be amputated. The neighbor said he couldn't afford it and was going to put her down, so we took her.
I am proud to announce that she is now over five years old, happy, fat and sassy and the fastest three-legged tailless cat in the county.
Thanks, Travis. Please tell Monica that we're all still waiting to hear about this "spiritual" cat. I've got a few of those myself. In fact, my orange cat Leo has reincarnated three times now. We call him 'the Lion King'.
He just…knows things.
Posted in Uncategorized on Wednesday, May 20th, 2009 by Travis Nichols.


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Lloyds to Reap $596 Million From St. James's Stake SaleHoward Mustoe and Gavin Finch
Lloyds Banking Group Plc will reap a gain of 400 million pounds ($596 million) from the sale of part of its stake in St. James's Place Plc as U.K. lenders face pressure from regulators to bolster capital.
Britain's biggest mortgage lender, which will retain 37 percent of St. James's Place, sold 102 million shares in the company, realizing a gain at the upper end of its projection of 350 million pounds to 400 million pounds, the London-based bank said in a statement today. The shares sold for 510 pence apiece.
Lloyds Chief Executive Officer Antonio Horta-Osorio is reducing the bank's balance sheet to enhance its financial strength after it was bailed out by the U.K. taxpayer during the banking crisis. The so-called non-core division has shrunk 49 percent to 98 billion pounds in the past two years. Lloyds acquired St. James's Place when it bought HBOS Plc in 2008.
"The financial implications are relatively minor for Lloyds, but may prove helpful as the company seeks to convince regulators that it has enough capital to support lending and resume dividend payments to ordinary shareholders," Gary Greenwood, an analyst at Shore Capital Ltd. in Liverpool, Britain, with a buy rating, wrote in a note to clients today.
Sale Demand
Bank of England Governor Mervyn King signaled in November U.K. banks may need to increase the capital they hold against potential losses. He asked the Financial Services Authority to investigate which banks might be undercapitalized.
The Financial Policy Committee meets on March 19 and will publish a statement on bank capital shortages March 27, with the full minutes of the meeting being released on April 5.
The sale will boost Lloyds's core Tier 1 capital ratio, a measure of financial strength, by 20 basis points, or about 600 million pounds, it said. The ratio was 12 percent at the end of 2012. Under forthcoming Basel III capital rules, the sale will add 500 million pounds, or 15 basis points, the bank said.
The sale had demand for about twice the number of shares on offer, said a person with knowledge of the matter, who asked not to be identified because the details are private. Bank of America Merrill Lynch was the sole manager of the transaction.
St. James's Place, which advises clients with typically more than 100,000 pounds to invest, has more than doubled funds under management over the last five years as economic turmoil and a changing tax burden in the U.K. prompted high earners to look for investment advice. The firm charges annual fees for investing clients' assets in third-party funds.
St. James's Place closed at 519.50 pence in London, down 3.2 percent on the day. The shares have gained 23 percent this year. Lloyds advanced 1.2 percent to 50.60 pence, bringing annual gains to 5.6 percent.