text:
Residents of the upscale neighborhood have started a mailing campaign to stop Kevin and Sandra Otterson from joining their community and bringing with them their eight-year-old adult site. They currently live in Oregon.
"There is no [adult] studio going in," Kevin Otterson said. "I've never had a studio. [The mailer] made it sound like we hang out with this porn element, and we're going to be having all these people over. It's complete nonsense."
The mailer encourages residents to contact Scottsdale city officials and was written by an unknown organization called the Northwest Valley Coalition Against Pornography.
"In order to protect your neighborhood and your children it is important that you take action now," the glossy mailer reads.
Some residents have already responded to the mailer by writing to the city government, asking what they can do to keep the Ottersons from moving in.
"Although I support freedom of speech, as a parent and homeowner in the area, I am concerned that this business would be established or moved to our area," resident Phil Mihok wrote to the city.
City staff members said that it is not illegal to operate an online adult business from a home.
Judy Register, manager of Scottsdale's Citizen and Neighborhood Resources staff, said there is nothing her organization or the city of Scottsdale can do to prevent the couple from building a home and moving there.


text:
In Jan. 2010 I purchased a new Toyota corolla S and noticed a steering problem. When I drive above 40mph the car wants to wander left or right. Then next day I brought the car into service and they said everything checked out O.K. Then I figured that maybe it was the wind that was causing the problem, but I soon realized that their is a serious problem with the steering. I've been pulled over several times by the cops, already, because my driving was erratic. This is a serious safety concern, but Toyota is saying the car is fine. My car is already recalled and I even have an issue with the cruise control. I engauge the cruise control at 70mph and because of traffic I disengauge the cruise contro. The car all of a sudden starts to accelerate past 85mph before I shifted the car to neutral. I don't know what to say about this whole ordeal, but I should've done my homework better. My car drives like a pile of *** and I can't do anything about it.
Find a lawyer, there is a suit against Toyota on just about anything and everything right now. Who cares if the story is just made up. *hint, hint* It's free money.
BAIT...this is like those ' alien abductions ' as soon as one story is heard people come with oh they had grey skin and big black eyes and a saucer shaped ship, wake up! you were dreaming!!
--------------------Grammar:- the difference between knowing your *** and knowing you're ***

subset: commoncrawl


text:
We asked PW brides for their sincere tips to wedding professionals for how to best service and satisfy their bridal customers....here they are:
-My biggest piece of advice is: BE PROMPT with any and all responses.
- Time line: Please don't tell someone you are going to give them something by a certain date unless it's reasonable and you can do it. If there is something that comes up to prevent you from delivering on that date, please call and explain. We will understand! We know how busy and stressed you are!
-Don't jack up the prices just because it's a wedding. If something costs more because it's wedding-related, be able to explain what extra service, etc, the couple is getting that justifies the extra expense.
-I like when they smile and have a pleasant attitude.
-Be professional.
-Treat each bride and wedding like it is important, regardless of how much the bride is spending.
-Do not treat it as a 'favor' when you customize a package- if you cannot do it, just be honest with the couple, treating it like a big deal is embarassing for them.
-If you cannot return a phone call or email in detail immediately, respond with a call/email saying "I have received your call/email, I understand it is important. I am in meetings/have a wedding/whatever today, and I will not be able to respond today." This way, the client knows she is not being ignored.
-Try not to be too pushy! I know when we went ring shopping that was my number one complaint. WE are the ones spending the money, and WE will choose accordingly and with our timeframe.
-Be professional, corteous, and prompt with communications. I'm surprised how some vendors never bother to reply to my email inquiries.
-I found it helpful if they have a blog that they keep updated, so I can see their most recent work and project. This is not just for the photographers, but some florists, MUA have one too and it's fun to see their work.
-Have patience... I may ask A LOT of questions. Please do not act like my questions are silly or I am wasting your time. And if you don't know the answer, just say "I don't know".
-Respond to communications as quickly and thoroughly as possible. Even if you have to say, "I don't know right now, but I will get back to you by next Thursday with that information."
-We want to understand what's happening so that we can plan more effectively. Basically, a bride is just an unexperienced event planner (often, though not always). Help us all you can to understand what's going on and you will have VERY satisfied customers.
I expect excellence from myself so when choosing a vendor to work with I'm passionate about what type of service they will provide.
- Service starts with a phone call or an e-mail ASAP
- Experience, and if there is none how can you guarantee your service will make my day easier?
- Get rid of your filters. Make sure that when you meet your client for the first time you meet them with no preconceived notions.
- Follow up.......... Follow up..... FOLLOW UP!
- Set timelines and stick to them if you can, they not only work for you but the client too
- Remember that this is a collaboration between you and the bride and that your service is offering her ease and satisfaction
-I would say LISTEN to what the couple wants rather than forcing them to go with what you think is best.
-And I agree with the others: be on time, and be prompt about responding, following up, etc.
-Communicate, even in the drone of planning it is nice to see/hear what you are up to. A blog would serve this purpose, but also updating on lower pricing, new products etc. Give me all forms of communication that you use (phone, e-mail, blog, facebook, etc.) so I can choose how to communicate with you. Sometimes getting phone calls during work is not the best method...e-mails serve as a written record of what was discussed.
-Be organized, responsive and prompt!! Being patient is also another key thing. I had TONS & TONS of questions and I am sure answering the same questions from different brides can get old.
-Treat every wedding as if it's important regardless of how much money the client is spending
-Also as the others said, being prompt in responding to phone calls and emails is very important
-Hmm and addressing one of my pet peeves - don't try to advertise yourself by being negative about the competition
-Give realistic timelines - don't say you can deliver something in 3 days, if it realistically takes 7.
-Don't down competitors!!! So many of the photographers we met downed the ones we've already met. It was quite annoying.
-Also, maybe limit the amount of weddings done per year? I think it would help vendors focus on their current clients, even if they had to increase their rates. My photographer told me in a span of 14 days, he did 4 e-pic shoots, 3 weddings, and 6 corporate shoots - no wonder it's taking me over a month to get my e-pics back!
-Communication is KEY - Be realistic with your response times. If you're unable to complete your project/product before a certain date/time say so. Also - if you have been contacted by a potential client but are unable to provide a response at that moment - simply respond with "I've received your message and am putting together the response. You should hear back within the next xx days."
-Don't take it personally - It's business. Your business. If a potential client has refused your services or opted to go elsewhere you should send them on their way on a friendly note - b/c who know's whats going to happen? They might not be able to use you because of xyz reasons but they may still recommend you to a family member or friend.
-Wow sounds like communication and responding is the biggest complaint for brides and vendors and I agree! Sometimes vendors act like they are doing their services for free! We are paying them! Remember your clients after you receive your deposit!
-I totally agree with Miss Em & misshammy. I didn't call back ANY vendor that treated me like 'another' bride. Although they might do this every week, *we* do not. It was very important for me to find vendors that value and respect us as a couple and have a true passion for what they do. Not ones who look at us as $ dollar signs $.
-I treat my bridal clients as individuals and I actually *CARE* about their day and what they want/need (I do makeup professionally) ....... and I absolutely expect the same!!
from a Destination Wedding perspective:
-conference calls: take notes so every time we speak you don't ask me the same quesitons!
- prompt communication: please return emails and phone calls in a timely matter. i understand i'm not your only bride, but i know your blackberry is glued to your hip, so a simple 'sorry, I'm at an event and will get back to you tomorrow' will do or put an out of office response!
- offering multiple vendors: for a dw, it's hard enough doing everything blind, some brides like me want more choices of vendors to pick from!
- help negotiate prices: everyone has this thought that dw's are supposed to be a little more cost effective ... so not the case! so help negotiate, i know you can especially with the economy being in the crapper! it will show you really care about your client not the commission! it will go a long way with your bride and she'll love you for it! even if it's just one thing!
-Be flexible...we know you have had many brides in the past...but if I'm a little different and would rather A instead of B...what's the big deal. I don't care that "that is not how you normally do it." That's how we would like it.
-Please stay on top of new trends...it should be part of your area of expertise. I would expect that you know that cupcakes are all the rage or photojournalistic style is gaining popularity. How do I know more about this than you do?
G-ive me new ideas!...I value your creativity too! If you have a new idea please share. It doesn't have to be the same old over and over...give us options and variety PLEASE!
I personally feel that there is NO reason why you should not acknowledge an email within 48 hours. And that is being generous. All it takes is, "I received your email and will get back to you with an answer by...."
- Patience----esp w/ multiple questions
- Prompt reply with emails or phone calls
- Postive attitude
- Honest and Clear (re: rates, service provided and etc..)
- Explain and review the contract to the client, prior to asking them to signing. (I've had a couple of issues, where hidden fees and penalties written in fine print. Even after we discussed the cancelation clause and etc... they never brought those up. If I hadnt read the contract, I would have locked myself to ridiculous penatly fees)
-Quick and prompt communication.
-Always be friendly when answering the phone, even shoot a little humor into the conversation.
-If you don't know the answer an easy "I don't know, but I will find out for you" works for me.
-I like a non pushy sales approach. Also, if you haven't heard from me in a few weeks, please don't call me to remind me we met.


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Guesthouse Sotiriou
Select your stay dates to check availability at Guesthouse Sotiriou
Guesthouse Sotiriou
About the Hotel
Property Location
Located in Kalambaka (Kastraki), Guesthouse Sotiriou is minutes from Moni Agiou Nikolaou and Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary. This 5-star guesthouse is within close proximity of Meteora Rock Climbing and Delphi & Thermopilae Day Trip.
Make yourself at home in one of the 5 air-conditioned rooms featuring refrigerators. Rooms have private balconies. Complimentary wireless Internet access keeps you connected, and satellite programming is available for your entertainment. Bathrooms have shower/tub combinations and hair dryers.
Take in the views from a garden and make use of amenities such as tour/ticket assistance.
A complimentary breakfast is included.
Business, Other Amenities
Free self parking is available onsite.
Hotel Facilities
- Total number of rooms - 5
- Free breakfast
- Multilingual staff
- Garden
- Free self parking
- Tours/ticket assistance
- Year Built 1845
Room Facilities
- Balcony
- In-room climate control (air conditioning)
- Refrigerator
- Air conditioning
- Shower/tub combination
- Hair dryer (on request)
- Satellite TV service
- Phone
- Private bathroom
- Free WiFi
Hotel Policy
Know Before You Go
- Cash transactions at this property cannot exceed EUR 1500, due to national regulations. For further details, please contact the property using information in the booking confirmation.


text:
What the Oscars metaphorically tell us about international relations
- By Daniel W. Drezner
Daniel W. Drezner is professor of international politics at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University and a senior editor at The National Interest. Prior to Fletcher, he taught at the University of Chicago and the University of Colorado at Boulder. Drezner has received fellowships from the German Marshall Fund of the United States, the Council on Foreign Relations, and Harvard University. He has previously held positions with Civic Education Project, the RAND Corporation, and the Treasury Department.
I can't believe I watched the whole thing — the 2010 Academy Awards show made Avatar seem tightly paced. Seriously, the show went downhill the moment Neil Patrick Harris left the stage. To be fair, there were no real surprises among the actual winners, draining any suspense from the proceedings.
Of course, this is a Foreign Policy blog — so are there any lessons that can be drawn about world politics from such a pop culture phenomenon? Actually, yes:
1) Clearly, security studies trumps international political economy when it comes to the Academy Awards. I noted yesterday that Avatar, The Hurt Locker and Inglourious Basterds were all about war and resistance. Those films received ten academy awards. The only nominated film that addressed IPE was Up in The Air, and it got shut out.
2) That said, the awards also suggest that in Hollywood, Thucydides' dictum that "the strong do what they can, the weak do what they must" does not entirely hold. Despite being the highest grossing picture in history, Avatar got clobbered by The Hurt Locker. So much for financial power translating into prestige. That said, I'm pretty sure Kathryn Bigelow could take James Cameron in a fight, so maybe there was a different kind of power at work here.
3) Hey, that was some hard-core bargaining going on between Disney and Cablevision as the awards show was beginning.
4) The person with the greatest amount of "soft power" in Hollywood? Tina Fey. The woman could be paired with an eggplant and she'd get the eggplant some laughs.
5) Clearly, the Academy Awards has problems dealing with asymmetric threats. How else do you explain a three-minute homage to horror films in which the entire zombie genre gets less than a second of screen time??!!! Hello?! Chucky from Child's Play got a longer shot, for crying out loud!
Fools — they clearly haven't thought this through. I mean, based on the John Hughes tribute, Judd Nelson is already a member of the living dead.
One final thought: if there was any justice in the world, the Best Visual Effects Oscar would have been a tie between Demi Moore and Michelle Pfeiffer. In general, I found a rough but direct correlation between age and fashion sense. The older the actress, the more chic they looked.
Post your own thoughts in the comments.


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Virginia Housing Coalition
Omni Hotel
Richmond, Va.
It is a pleasure to be with you this evening. Most of the speeches I make deal with national economic outlook and Fed monetary policy, and it is refreshing to have an opportunity to talk about something else. Tonight I want to share a few thoughts with you regarding housing and community development. We at the Fed are very interested in these topics, because both housing and community development involve credit and banks, and the Fed is the federal level supervisor of all bank holding companies as well as a large number of individual banks.
Before I turn specifically to housing and community development, though, I thought it might be useful to focus just briefly on the importance of local and regional economies more generally. As I said at the outset, the national economy is job one for me and my colleagues at the other 11 Federal Reserve Banks. But the national economy is really nothing more than a collection of regional and local economies, albeit well integrated local and regional economics. In order to meet my responsibilities as a national monetary policymaker, I need to be very familiar with what is happening locally in our Fifth Federal Reserve District, which includes Maryland, the District of Columbia, Virginia, North and South Carolina, and most of West Virginia.
I get this information partly from published economic reports. But statistics will only carry you so far. To really understand what's happening in the economy, I need to talk to real people operating businesses and coping with the practical challenges of making things happen. So I consult frequently with the boards of directors at our three offices in Richmond, Baltimore and Charlotte, which are made up of private business people and professionals from around our District. We also have several advisory councils, and I want to highlight the activities of one specific council: our Community Development Advisory Council. Understanding regional economic conditions requires having not only people from different geographical locations on our boards and councils, but also people who represent constituents of different income levels. Our Community Development Advisory Council does that. Members of that council include housing advocates for low- and moderate-income populations, a labor union member, and a state housing official. These members are a bountiful source of information on the economic condition of lower-income and lower-wealth people. I am very pleased that both Greta Harris and Bo Middleton are members of that council. They do a tremendous job for us — so much so that we held our last meeting at the Fed's national headquarters in Washington and invited Alan Greenspan to join us for part of the meeting.
I also gather local and regional information by traveling around our District and meeting with banking, business, and local community organizations. Back in March, I went on a tour with Abdul Rasheed, President of the North Carolina Community Development Initiative, and the chair of the National Congress for Community Economic Development. Abdul is also the chair of our Community Development Advisory Council. We toured Eastern North Carolina, which, as you know was ravaged by Hurricane Floyd several years ago and is still recovering. I was able to see first hand the terrible damage caused by the flood, but also the incredible determination of community organizations, private sector developers, faith-based organizations, and banks to rebuild their communities. It is just as important for me to be directly familiar with situations like these as it is to know what is going on in the District's industries and financial markets.
A second part of the tour was seeing the great work of local community development corporations (CDCs) that provide housing for senior citizens and for low- and moderate-income individuals. Abdul's organization is an excellent example of how a state-wide intermediary can channel both public and private resources, together with technical assistance, into local CDCs, freeing them from the concerns of funding stability and allowing them to do what CDCs do best — develop their local communities. Abdul's North Carolina Community Development Initiative may be unique in the country. Over the last seven years, his organization has received both direct appropriations from the state, and substantial private sector funding, which has enabled it to invest millions of dollars in more than 20 CDCs working around North Carolina. Abdul's organization has truly mastered the art of public-private partnerships, which are essential to foster sustainable community development.
Let me now shift to Virginia, and share a few thoughts on the importance of housing as an economic development tool. As you all know, the economy has softened considerably over the last year. Twelve months ago, it appeared that the economy was growing too rapidly, and that it might overheat. We at the Fed had wanted growth to moderate somewhat, and, as things turned out, it's moderated more than we expected or wanted.
Despite the current slowdown, however, intermediate and longer-term prospects for the U.S. economy are still very bright. And we need to make sure that the opportunities for growth and prosperity reach all neighborhoods at all income levels. By that I mean, for local residents, expanded job opportunities; and for local small businesses, enhanced growth potential. We should be particularly determined to see that lower-income neighborhoods and communities share in our economic prosperity, not in the discredited tradition of government programs that perpetuate dependency, but in ways that help low- and moderate-income people actually accumulate wealth. Because only when people accumulate wealth do they have the financial cushion that lets them overcome crises and help the next generation attain a higher standard of living. Asset and wealth accumulation also make it possible for families to help their children acquire higher education. And that's crucial. As I told the graduating class at Thomas Jefferson High School yesterday, higher education is no longer a luxury but a necessity if one is to succeed and grow in our increasingly complex economy.
Homeownership — as you all know well — is a principal way in which people accumulate assets and wealth, especially in low-income communities. So I salute the Virginia Housing Coalition on its 20th Anniversary for its commitment to fostering affordable housing development in Virginia, and I congratulate the Coalition on its many accomplishments over two decades.
Beyond the Coalition itself, though, I want to recognize and salute the dedicated men and women who work long hours for the community development corporations that make affordable housing and other community development investments and services a reality for low- and moderate-income individuals rather than just a promise. CDCs are major catalysts for economic development in low and moderate-income neighborhoods and communities. They provide that extra level of development that other developers, for whatever reason, do not undertake. Local CDCs develop and rehab housing, help small businesses grow and prosper, and provide valuable supportive services to local residents. This is vitally important work, and work that many times does not receive the respect it deserves.
Historically, as you know, the community development industry has focused primarily on quality housing. But it is now moving into more comprehensive revitalization strategies. While an essential human need, decent housing by itself does not ensure economically sound and healthy environments for families. That's why many CDCs, working in both the public and private sectors, are creating child care centers, business and technology incubators, health care centers, charter schools, and new retail and commercial businesses — most of it in markets where the for-profit sector has not yet uncovered the potential.
CDCs play an especially vital role in developing really distressed urban and rural communities. By blending public and private sector capital in targeted real estate efforts, CDCs not only build value in these communities but also provide a foundation for future private-sector investments. And as they build quality affordable housing, supportive facilities and commercial businesses, CDCs reconnect isolated communities back to the economic mainstream of our society, so that neighborhoods and families at a variety of economic levels once again become a viable part of the Virginia economy.
CDCs are working to help people have better housing and new and better job opportunities. Even more importantly, they are working to give people opportunities for long-term success. Today's CDCs are providing the types of support services that many families need to achieve that success. As families become more financially stable, neighborhoods become more financially stable; and then our towns and cities become more economically competitive in the global marketplace. Community development is good business and good economic policy — as well as the right thing to do for our neighbors.
From an economic perspective, of course, the ultimate goal of CDC activity in a particular neighborhood is to make — at some point — further explicit community development superfluous. When a CDC becomes active in a neighborhood — revitalizing its housing and fostering business development — it typically works as a public/private partnership that combines funding from government and foundations with funding from the private sector. Once the CDC's efforts have registered some successes and gained some momentum, however, the project should rely less on public sector funding and more on private sources. An effective CDC program will have set the stage for private sector investment capital that will truly reconnect the neighborhood to the flow of local commerce. The CDC's initial investment of capital, energy, commitment and time will have transformed the community into an economically self-sustaining area that the private sector recognizes has growth potential. In other words, a successful CDC project is one that works itself out of a job. This is what successful community development means to me, and I expect to you as well. And, as you know as well or better than I do, there are numerous examples of CDC efforts that have been highly successful by this criterion.
One other point on this. The ultimate goal of a CDC neighborhood redevelopment project is sustained growth and development funded primarily by private sector investment. But this does not imply full gentrification of the neighborhood or the displacement of people living in the neighborhood. Obviously, that result would not provide quality housing for low and moderate-income people — a major objective of neighborhood and community development. Instead, it would merely displace residents to other neighborhoods. Successful community development in today's world means providing current residents with better housing and better support facilities, but also introducing higher income households and new businesses into the neighborhood. In this way, households of various income levels live in close proximity, in contrast to past public housing projects that typically have isolated low-income families. Successful CDC programs are designed to help ensure this result after the CDC has done its job in the neighborhood, and growth and development are self-sustaining.
Let me shift now to my final point: the level of public resources devoted to neighborhood and community development. In my earlier comments I emphasized the need for the bulk of longer-term community development — what economists like me refer to as 'steady state' growth — to come primarily from private sources. But we all realize that public funding, much of it channeled through CDCs, is essential in the start-up phases of particular development projects. We also all recognize that resources for funding public programs are limited, and that difficult tradeoffs must be made in allocating these resources. Public funds obviously are not costless, and there are important competing uses for these funds in such areas as education and health care. But we recognize, as well, that Virginia's economic growth will be hampered unless we have quality, affordable housing for our labor force, and healthier inner-city neighborhoods free of blight. We know that if we have quality affordable housing for our labor force, if we remove blighted structures to create healthier inner-city neighborhoods, and if we create solid economic bases in our rural areas, we will foster Virginia's economic strength. While I'm not usually in the vanguard of those advocating increased public expenditure, I believe that a persuasive case can be made for expanding the level of Virginia's public resources devoted to community and neighborhood development.
The challenge, as I see it, is for all the players in this field to work together to pursue sound economic policies that support the development of all Virginia communities — urban and rural. In this way, total resources available to spur development can be augmented. Beyond this, CDCs, and public and private sector entities involved in community development, might benefit from sitting down and discussing how to work more effectively together to achieve their common objectives.
Perhaps a small group of Virginia's community development leaders could come together and look at other state models, such as the North Carolina Community Development Initiative that I discussed earlier, and explore other ways of assuring steady funding for low-income housing as a catalyst for economic development in our state. The Community Affairs Office at our Federal Reserve Bank here in Richmond has a good track record of helping various groups work through community development issues. We have no silver bullets, but we would be happy to work with you and assist you in any way we can.
In closing, the successes of the past two decades have been made possible largely by the vision and efforts of key leaders from both the public and private sectors. A particularly important catalyst has been the Virginia Housing Study Commission, which has done a wonderful job creating strategies to address affordable housing issues here in Virginia. For 30 years, the Commission's thoughtful research has provided recommendations leading to sound legislation and financial resources that have helped literally thousands of lower-income families.
Finally, I also want to congratulate again the Virginia Housing Coalition on its 20th birthday. Twenty years is a long time in any business, including community development — maybe especially in a field as challenging as housing and community development. The Coalition and its membership have planted seeds of hope for those on the harshest end of the economic spectrum. Your grassroots leadership and your down-to-earth, results-oriented approaches to rebuilding communities have not only transformed neighborhoods over the last two decades, they have also transformed lives. We can all celebrate your accomplishments tonight because truly they have made Virginia a better place to live and work for all of us.
Jim Strader
(804) 697-8956
(804) 332-0207 (mobile)
Laura Fortunato
(804) 697-8196
(804) 698-0927 (mobile)


text:
December 27, 2007
John Bingham
Filed under Uncategorized
December 27, 2007
The Race
Well I'm a bit late on this. I got quite busy toward the end of training and then after the race I developed a stomach condition right as I was ending my recovery and starting to train for my Jaunary race. The stomach condition lasted until….well it's still here. Currently I'm on medication and hopefully it will work this time. It appears as though I have some small ulcers in the end of my small intestine that may be causing my symptoms.
Due to the nature of this condidtion I have not been able to train since September 22nd. I miss it very much. Although I don't currently run, running is still a huge part of my world. I'm reading "The Perfect Mile" right now as well as "The Courage to Start". Both of which inspire me to get back out there. I'm hoping to go for a "test run" this weekend. I have missed the January race training and I'm considering a march race. I'll certinaly do some 5K's but I think I am going to fall 1 short of my goal of 5 5K's for 2007. I'm considering the goal of 8 5K's for 2008.
Apparently I never wrote a review of my half marathon.
Well, here's the course map…
And this is the metal I got at the end
So we will now continue to a 4 month overdue race report:
I arrived in Virginia Beach on Saturday before my race. I went straight to the race expo to pick up my packet and bib number. Being my first half marathon this was all very new to me. I also did some shopping at the expo. It was amazing and I found myself wishing I had more time (and money) to spend there. Next race I will arrive two days prior to the race so I can more fully enjoy all that the expo has to offer. There were lectures and clinics that I would have liked to attend.
From the expo I went on to the hotel. I found my room and my coaches. My roommate soon arrived and we chatted a bit. All of the Team In Training participants were staying in the same hotel, but we were not all from the same area. There were TNT members from 11 different states. We had a banquet that evening with guest speakers. One being my favorite author and Runners World columnist, John Bingham.
I was thrilled to meet him. He signed my copy of "Marathoning For Mortals". I can't tell you how excited I was to meet him.
The morning of the race began at 3:30am. We had to be downstairs and ready to leave by 4:30, so I got up with plenty of time to prepare. My stomach was a ball of nerves. I took some medication to settle it. After a bit I felt better and was able to eat some of my energy bar.
That is our team just before leaving for the race start.
We arrived at the start by 5:00am. The elite athletes went off at around 6:30. I was in corral 18 or so…there were 22,000 people racing that day. It was close to 7:30 by the time I made it to the actual timed start mats.
I supported my school and our fallen 32 victims. I also met some of the Run for 32 participants. The organizer of this group was featured in this month's edition of Runner's World.
Once we started running, the race was rather fun. There were bands and cheerleaders all along the course. They compete for a cash prize with the winner being voted on by the runners so that was enjoyable. Around mile 2 the elite runners were on mile 8 and passed us on the opposite side of the road. It was truly amazing to see these people run past. Just to know you are literally following in their footsteps. The race winner ran the 13.1 miles in around an hour. Quite amazing.
Miles came and went, bands went by in a blurr. Water stations were a welcome respite. We enjoyed some gel packs as well to keep our energy up. Around mile 8 I caught up with my coach.
Coaches for TNT have to be highly visible. Coach Brett and his wife Edna had their hula skirts on so we could find them. The coaches for TNT stay out on the course until every one of their participants from their region has finished. They run the race twice, practically. They often double back to run with faster or slower runners.
Coach Brett also caught up to me again around mile 10 when I was really feeling the pain. Miles 11 and 12 were the worst. It was really helpful to have all the spectators along the way though. With TNT you have your singlet with your name on it, and many spectators know this and read your name and cheer for you. It's really encouraging to have people you don't know cheer your name. Often these fans are former TNT members or are cancer survivors who know the meaning and work of TNT. I was honored to be running for such a wonderful cause.
I vaguely remember somewhere in mile 13 Coach Brett being beside me and telling me I had .25 miles to go. I knew I was struggling but didn't care. Somehow I find some extra energy in the last quarter mile and sprinted in. It was an amazing feeling.
I finished the Rock n' Roll Half Marathon with a chip time of 2:25:31 and a clock time of around 2:57.
I was very proud of my effort.
At the end of the race was the worst part. You went from an all out sprint, to a dead halt while volunteers handed out metals, water, iced towels, and took your chips off your shoes. You could literally feel the lactic acid burning in your legs.
The best part about the end was the ocean being right there. It felt wonderful to go straight into the cool ocean. It really helped with the sore muscles. I was so excited that it was over, but sad as well. I didn't have my family there to celebrate with me. Next time I'll make sure I have a support crew. I did enjoy spending time with my teammates though. We were all really proud, as well as really tired.
Eventually it was time for the post-race party and then the drive home. All in all it was a wonderful experience. I hope to have many repeats of it in the future.
And on that note, I'm off for now!
August 21, 2007
Day 110
Filed under Uncategorized
August 21, 2007
Today was fairly good. Yesterday…I didn't make it to cross training. It was the first day of classes so the amount of stuff to do and stress to deal with was enough to make me want to crawl in to bed and hide.However Saturday I had a 5K. I didn't do as well as I had hoped…I'm still a little upset but the race DID bring me a step closer to my goal of 5 5K's for the year. I'm pretty happy about that.So today I did 3 miles. I swear I did it faster than my 5K but I don't know.Oh well, we'll see what happens tomorrow.
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The truth is what everyone seeks, to expect to someone to come clean. But sometimes (or most of the time) telling the true can be sour, against a beautiful lie.
Even if the concept of true itself it's ephemeral and almost paradoxical in the state the *scene is nowadays* well i can't handle a lie, neither a WEB of them.
The sour part E3 team: The dongleless solution?.
This solution was discussed so many times that i lost count of it. But E3 team managed to survive spreading more lies and uncertainty giving 2 free EBOOTS to keep the angry mob at bay.
The sad part of all of this, that many noticed. That they are in fact contradicting what they've said in the past.
It's like trojan horse situation, they done good on the strategy side and the objective is/was feed us with another damn dongle but it appears that they failed to achieve their ultimate goal = The dongle. (for the time being).
The question that most of the users have, and myself included. Why a *Company* if we can call E3 a company..(who brought us the E3 flasher and E3 card reader) will go for a creation of a new dongle?.
I think the answer to that question it's obvious = More money to their pockets.
But why again i ask myself often?:
- The business with the flashers and the e3 card readers went so bad?
- They want to expand their horizons and include ANOTHER DRM device to the collection, knowing that it's a risk doing it?
Honestly i don't care to dig or go deeper into the rabit hole but guess what? it's not my role here in HAX. To uncover some LIES and bring them to you to discuss about the veracity of such *proof*.
All i have to say *god bless* anyone who is willing to buy if the E3 dongle is released.
Pointing fingers:
It's easy to do that, to silence me. Even to accuse me with no data at all. When we all know that we can be part *of a large botnet network* or have a RAT (search that on google) even not knowing that an X user has total control over our system.
It's easy to point fingers with no proof whatsoever and send me to the *gulag*.
I can point my middle finger and the rest to make you look where you failed, but i am Sir, i have some moral codes so i won't put myself to YOUR level doing the same you done to me. You can even use the PM system on our board to clarify your doubts but instead you go to the upper levels. Fine..I see the level of maturity you have.
It's easy also criticize freely insulting than do some constructive critic about how bad the frontpaged news is.
It's so DAMN easy to do all that. But when you show the TRUTH or you want to open the eyes of some users. You encounter a logical response, some of them don't want to open their eyes. Some of them they are STILL convinced that E3 team will be the FINAL solution to an endless problem. First with the release with the TWO eboots (that worked like
shit!) Even advanced users on HAX managed to try to release a FIX for Fifa to help the ones in problems.
That two candies were released to avoid E3 team to be butchered by the angry mob. I can relate to that, but..come on!
Final words:
I know this IS not even fit on news section. I just related how messed up things are and will be eventually in near future.
Because even if i had proof that E3 team it's the same as TB team, most of the users will *kill* me for saying such aberration with no source at all.
But think for yourself, don't let the other ones step on you. Feed you up with more no-sense methods that we already know.
The sour truth..It's just to sour. But you know what?…Sometimes it's better lie to someone in order to keep the person calm and safe.
But i will not lie to myself, neither the ones who trusted in me.
So don't ask, don't tell.
P.s: The dongleless solution always existed the problem is..that all is business and the violence on the board won't stop until someone come clean. We saw some serious progress, but we NEED more UNITY.Tweet this!


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The inspirational businesswoman behind one of the north's great cheese successes has been found dead close to her North Yorkshire home.
Mandy Reed, who was 47, took a taxi after an evening out with family on Saturday, but was reported missing next day from her home in the village of Scorton, near Richmond.
She ran the Swaledale Cheese Company with her husband David from 1987 and continued as managing director after his death aged 46 from a heart attack in 2005. The firm's distinctive cheeses have won many prizes, most recently including a Super Gold for its Swaledale Blue at the 2011 World Cheese Awards. It took four medals at the British Cheese Awards last year for products including Old Peculier Swaledale, named after the distinctive 'winter warmer' beer produced by Theakston's brewery in Masham.
Its success has been part of a vigorous fightback by local cheeses against 'bland brand' varieties, with the celebrated Wensleydale creamery at Hawes also enjoying a revival. Wensleydale and Swaledale run side by side on the Yorkshire flank of the north Pennines and vie with one another for beauty as well as cheese.
Mandy Reed's body was found at 5pm on Sunday in the garden next to her own at Scorton, a village which gave its name to the Scorton Arrow, awarded annually since 1673 to Yorkshire's best archer. She lived with her daughter Louise, commuting daily to the firm's creamery in Richmond.
She was last seen by her son Sam, when she got into a red Skoda Octavia taxi after the eve out and would have been dropped off at home around 10.30 to 11pm. She was wearing black leggings, a red dress and a green coat.
Det Chief Insp Keith Ruff of North Yorkshire police said:
An initial post-mortem examination has been completed and the death is currently being treated as unexplained. Officers are carrying out a search of the area and conducting inquiries to establish the circumstances and cause of death.
Louise and Sam Reed also work for the firm which their parents started after a long friendship with Swaledale's last farm cheesemakers, the Longstaffs of Harkerside near Reeth. Mrs Longstaff became chief taster to the fledgling company after her husband's death.


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Sydney bias? Better reserve that judgement
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The Reserve Bank board is routinely criticised for being too Sydney-centric, but if that were really the case it wouldn't be considering a rate rise tomorrow.
Allegations of big-city bias have become habitual for some National Party MPs who seem to believe every rate increase proves the board ignores the needs of the bush.
When the Reserve raised rates twice in late 2003 there were howls of complaint that it was only interested in cooling the Sydney property market. At that time, National Party Senator Julian McGauran distinguished himself by accusing the Reserve of being "very urban-centric" and demanding the board be changed.
But the bank's decision to lift rates last month, and the strong possibility it will lift rates again this week, shows what nonsense the Sydney bias claims are.
The debate around the board table tomorrow morning would be quite different if the Reserve was setting interest rates just with Sydney in mind.
After more than a decade of economic dazzle, the city is vulnerable.
That's not a word often associated with Sydney, which has benefited hugely from the two drivers of Australia's strong economic performance - the housing boom and the super-strong consumer spending it helped fuel.
But these are giving way to new growth drivers focused elsewhere - the resources boom and related business investment.
There is a growing band of economists who believe Sydney may go through the wringer as the economy rebalances.
In December, Ross Garnaut, professor of economics at Australian National University, sounded an early warning when he predicted Sydney would suffer "exceptional economic stress" as resources flowed away from the big cities to the north and west. This will be a "big part of the Australian story" in the next few years, he says.
Now Access Economics has added its voice. "The aftermath of the housing price boom is proving problematic for Sydney," it says in its quarterly Business Outlook report published today.
There are at least four reasons for Sydney's economic weakness, three of which are linked to the house price boom.
First, high property prices are driving people away. Despite the popular myth that Sydney is bursting at the seams, the city's population growth lags even Hobart. Despite accounting for a third of Australia's population, NSW has had just a 20 per cent share of national population growth in the past two years - a proportion that has only twice been lower in the history of federation. The relative weakness in population growth is sapping economic output from Sydney and NSW.
Second, Sydney's debt-laden households have become far more cautious as the house price boom turns sour. The last round of rate increases in November and December 2003 had a considerable impact on Sydney. Families have become more focused on saving rather than spending and this has taken an inevitable toll on economic activity. Last month's rate increase, and the possibility of renewed house price weakness, will make families in Sydney even more careful. Retail trade in NSW has been much weaker than the rest of Australia and there is anecdotal evidence that some Sydney retailers are starting to feeling the pinch.
Third, the combination of weak population growth and the cooling property market has hurt the housing construction industry, an important driver of employment in NSW since before the 2000 Olympic Games. Other sectors important to the city's economy but dependent on the housing boom, such as property and business services, are also likely to come under increased pressure.
Fourth, the strength of the resources boom, fuelled by Chinese demand, has negatives for NSW. While the benefits for NSW from this boom are limited compared to other some states, it has helped buoy the Australian dollar which is, in turn, hurting Sydney's manufacturing and services exporters.
Also, the strength of mining is drawing business investment away from NSW to the north and west. "NSW's business investment to output ratio has lagged the national equivalent for some years, briefly gaining traction with pre-Olympic construction works, yet lagging even further behind now as investment heads for the resource hotspots," Access Economics says.
Not surprisingly, the resource-rich states of Western Australia and Queensland are performing far better than NSW.
Conversely, the NSW economy, which has been lagging other states for some time, flatlined in the second half of last year, according to the Bureau of Statistics.
Access Economics has forecast economic growth in NSW will be 0.9 per cent this financial year, way behind Queensland (3.4 per cent) and Western Australia (3.9 per cent).
The relatively poor performance of NSW is reflected in its jobs growth, which has been a third of the rate of the rest of Australia over the past three years.
The unemployment rate in NSW - among the lowest of the states for many years - is now above the national average (5.2 per cent versus 5.1) and considerably higher than Queensland (4.5 per cent), Western Australia (4.6 per cent) and ACT (3.5 per cent in original terms). The unemployment rate in NSW is now on par with South Australia's.
NSW's mediocre jobs performance pre-dates last month's increase in interest rates, which will have a disproportionate effect on Sydney because of high debt levels.
The most damaging consequence of the state's slowdown is the prospect of rising unemployment over the next 18 months.
Access Economics has forecast the jobless rate in NSW to rise to 5.8 per cent in 2006-07, swelling the ranks of the unemployed in the state by about 26,000.
National Australia Bank is tipping the national unemployment rate to rise to about 5.75 per cent in the second half of this year and drift towards 6 per cent in 2006.
It is possible the strong global economy will come to the rescue and boost the services sector, invigorating the Sydney's crucial white-collar jobs market and limiting any upswing in unemployment.
But families in Sydney - who have led Australia's recent debt binge - are so heavily leveraged even a small rise in the jobless rate will cause a lot of jitters.
The Reserve might have shown it is not Sydney-centric but it will still be watching the city's reaction to higher interest rates very closely.
Ross Gittins is on leave.
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Weight status and quality of care among older adults in the United States - Virginia W. Chang, M.D., Ph.D.
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Physician Faculty Scholars Program was designed to strengthen the leadership and academic productivity of junior medical school faculty who are dedicated to improving health and health care.This grant supports a study that will consider whether quality of care differs by patient weight status for common preventive services relating to diabetes care, cancer screening, and vaccinations against influenza and pneumonia. These services will be examined among elderly U.S. Medicare beneficiaries because older adults are disproportionately affected by such illnesses.
Grant Details
Amount Awarded $300,000.00
Awarded on: 6/19/2007
Time frame: 7/1/2007 - 6/30/2010
Grant Number: 61536
University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine
295 John Morgan Building
3620 Hamilton Walk
Philadelphia, 19104-0001
Virginia W. Chang
Project Director


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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
Another week of Basketball in the books means another Power Rankings column! We have a new #1 today: Congratulations Chicago!
Away. We. Go.
1) Chicago Bulls (10-2) – There is a pretty clear top three right now, and I'm giving the Bulls a slight edge this week based on the fact that they are 9-1 in their last 10 games. Their latest win came against the Wizards without Derrick Rose.
2) Oklahoma City Thunder (10-2) – James Harden is putting up some ridiculous numbers right now, and if he isn't starting by the end of the season he should be the clear-cut 'sixth man of the year'. What a weapon. Oh by the way, the Thunder are on a league-best five-game winning streak.
3) Miami Heat (8-3) – The good: They have only lost one game in regulation time this season. The Bad: They have lost two straight games in overtime.
4) Los Angeles Lakers (8-4) – If the Lakers weren't back last week, they're really back now. Andrew Bynum is still playing like the best center in the league, and Kobe Bryant is coming off back-to-back 40-point games. He looks healthy, and that's bad for every team in the league.
5) Portland Trailblazer (7-3) – I still don't understand how Phoenix blew them out last Friday, but they currently hold the #2 seed in the West, and I still believe in their depth. They also currently have the lowest turnover percentage in the league, which is even more impressive when you consider the pace that they play.
6) Philadelphia 76ers (7-3) – I like to refer to them as "Portland East". They just play good, solid basketball. I look at the roster and I see a decent team, but they are playing like a great team right now. I would expect them to drop off at some point, but for now they are playing as good as anyone.
7) Denver Nuggets (7-4) – I don't know what it is about Denver, but they can do no wrong right now. Ty Lawson doesn't play Wednesday? No problem, more minutes for Corey Brewer who decided to score 19 points in 15 minutes on 7-8 shooting. No biggie.
8) Indiana Pacers (7-3) – They don't stand out in any particular statistic, and I'm sure casual NBA fans would struggle to name two players on their roster, but they just keep winning.
9) Orlando Magic (7-3) – I'm not crazy about putting Orlando here, but I guess they deserve it. Hedo Turkoglu is playing well right now, and when he plays well Orlando plays well.
10) New York Knicks (6-5) – The Knicks finally look like they have started to figure things out. They are also 3-0 when rookie guard Iman Shumpert starts … coincidence? I think not.
11) San Antonio Spurs (7-4) – It understandably took them a little while to adjust to losing Manu Ginobili, losing two straight games to the Thunder and the Bucks shortly after he went down, but they followed it up with a nice win over Houston, and Gary Neal has done an admirable job as Ginobili's replacement so far.
12) Atlanta Hawks (8-4) – They hold a 2-2 record against the Heat and the Bulls this season, which tells me they can hang with the top teams in the East. Not many other teams can claim that at this point. I'm still not in love with the roster, though. And to make matters worse, it looks like Al Horford could miss the rest of the season with a torn pectoral muscle.
13) Los Angeles Clippers (5-3) – The Clippers come in just outside the Top 10, and I fully expect them to enter the Top 10 soon. They had their biggest victory of the season last night against the Miami Heat in overtime, which capped off a very nice stretch for them where they won four of their last five.
14) Dallas Mavericks (6-5) – The theme this week seems to be that the teams that were supposed to be good coming into the season are starting to live up to those projections. Dallas falls in line with this theme as well, with three consecutive wins on the road over New Orleans, Detroit, and Boston.
15) Boston Celtics (4-5) – The bottom of the East is bad this year, which means the under=.500 Boston Celtics would make the playoffs if they started today. Every conversation I have around town starts and ends with how old Kevin Garnett looks. When you consider the fact that Jermaine O'Neal also looks (and has looked) incredibly old … that's not a good sign for your starting frontcourt. It may be time to change things up in the starting lineup. I know Doc doesn't want to do it, but I think the starters need an injection of youth and athleticism. Yes, I'm talking to you, Greg Stiemsma. Maybe I'm a little crazy, but let's face it, to this point the Celtics' best win has come against the Detroit Pistons. I repeat, the BEST win. Boston simply cannot close out games against average-to-good teams right now. With our next three games coming against the Bulls, Pacers, and Thunder, this should make for a very interesting week.
16) Utah Jazz (6-4) – The Jazz have been impressive! Good for them. They would be on a six-game winning streak if it weren't for an overtime loss to the Lakers Wednesday night.
17) Houston Rockets (3-7) – The bottom half of the league is just total garbage right now, which makes it hard to evaluate. The Rockets only have three wins, but they have had an incredibly hard schedule thus far, and they are better than some of the four-win teams. Don't make me look bad, Houston.
18) Memphis Grizzlies (4-6) – In my preseason ranking I mentioned how I thought this team could be either great or terrible and neither outcome would surprise me. Well, here we are, three weeks into the season and they're pretty bad. They're missing their best player though, so I guess we still don't know that much about this Grizzlies team.
19) Phoenix Suns (4-5) – I would love to be able to write my weekly "Trade Steve Nash" line here, but they deserve more than that this week. I honestly don't know how they have four wins, including a victory over the Blazers, when Marcin Gortat is their leading scorer at 12.7 PPG.
20) Sacramento Kings (4-7) – Under new head Coach Keith Smart the Kings are 2-2 on the season. This is in large part due to how ridiculous DeMarcus Cousins has been since Smart took over, averaging 18.25 points and 13.5 rebounds per game.
21) Cleveland Cavaliers (4-5) – I still think this team is overachieving, but they did get a win over my beloved Timberwolves this past Friday. They haven't really beaten any 'good' teams yet, but for a young team, beating the teams you are supposed to beat is a good sign.
22) Minnesota Timberwolves (3-7) – I'm still a believer. Rich Adelman is a great, great coach. This team is close: once they figure out how to win close games they'll start piling up the wins. They aren't a playoff team, but they're better than a few teams ranked above them.
23) Golden State Warriors (3-6) – They beat the Miami Heat on Tuesday night. That's enough for me to rank them over all the other teams left.
24) Toronto Raptors (4-7) – Another team that I watch and say, "How does this team have four wins?" I know this means nothing, but in a seven-game series against the one-win Wizards, I'm taking Washington.
25) Milwaukee Bucks (4-6) – Hey! The Bucks beat the Spurs! Seriously though, they should be better than they are. I'm sure head coach Scott Skiles in on the hot seat right now, so look out for that.
26) New Orleans Hornets (3-7) – If Eric Gordon can stop missing games, they'll win more. It's that simple.
27) Charlotte Bobcats (2-9) – P U
28) Detroit Pistons (2-9) – P U
29) New Jersey Nets (2-9) – P U
30) Washington Wizards (1-9) – P U
Sorry, Charlotte, Detroit, New Jersey, and Washington, you haven't played well enough to earn real words. At least we have a clear Bottom Four this season. The bottom half of the league is pretty bad in general, but these teams are really, really terrible. All hope is not lost, though! Lucky for them it looks like this year's draft class is particularly strong. Better luck next year.
Tags: Boston Celtics, Chicago Bulls, Miami Heat, NBA Power Rankings


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- {{matchup.date.fullday}}{{matchup.date.month + ' ' + matchup.date.day}}
Justin Verlander Tagged With Loss in Royals-Tigers Match
Kansas City got a 4-3 victory over Detroit on Saturday, with Wade Davis earning the victory and helping Royals moneyline bettors cash out.
Kansas City won as a +111 underdog, while Over-Under bettors who played UNDER the total of 8.5 were rewarded at the payout window.
Kansas City got 4 1/3 innings from Danny Duffy, who gave up 2 earned runs on 2 hits, while striking out 1. Wade Davis earned the victory, while the Royals got 2 RBIs from Salvador Perez in the win.
Detroit got a 7-inning outing from Justin Verlander in the loss. He gave up 4 earned runs, 1 walk and 8 hits in his time on the mound, while Austin Jackson had 1 hit in the loss for the Tigers.
The battle of the bats favored Kansas City as they had 8 hits, while Detroit only had 5.
Greg Holland pitched the final 1 inning for the save. He struck out 2 and allowed 0 hits in his outing.


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|View single post by wallah
|Posted: Wed Aug 30th, 2006 06:49 am
|Well I have only had mine 3 days, but this is what I have to say about it.
Looks very sleek, very very quiet, washes one heck of a big load of laundry (the sales person talked me into the Oasis King Size dryer $150 less, but I am going to return it because I think the big Oasis washer loads will wear the motor out faster than the Oasis Canyon Dryer which has 2 motors), I really like having the window on the top of the washer door...it helps me determine at this stage of ownership if the clothes are tumbling around in the water..getting clean. After watching a few loads of clothes they all got turned through the water fine, BUT larger items like sleeping bags, comforters, and inside door mats and carpets in front of the sink etc did not really get submerged in the water during the 50 minute cycle.....I guess the water that flows from around the drum ridge gets the top area wet, but how clean is the question compared to the front loaders. Now I have had a few unbalanced error codes on big loads, but somebody said the bulky setting was only for items which do not retain much water (Hmmm I will have to look into this when I finally get my owners/users manual) The problem with the unbalanced error is that the washer then re-fills the tub and agitates it for another 10 minutes to try and get it balanced on its own...if it failes it calls you to take stuff out and readjust the items...after that it fills up AGAIN (so much for water efficiency at this point) agitates and tries to spin again....at this point mine got to spinning just fine.....and at over 1000rpm the clothes come out almost dry. The display panel is well thought out with an easy to use dial and great wash settings. Not to take you away from this great forum, but also try eopinions.com as they have a bunch of reviews from Oasis owners that may be helpfull. Last I checked the Sears web site also had one customer reveiw. Hope this helps.....So even though after 5 loads the first day I wanted to take it back.....now after 15 loads I understand how it works and will keep it AND recommend it.


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Spring Has Sprung
Trip Start Oct 24, 2005
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After returning from Jordan, we had nine weeks of school to yet get through. Fortunately, there were a number of holidays peppered throughout late April and May that would tide us over until the long summer break. Here's how we spent them:
Children's Day
April 23rd is Children's Day in Turkey, a holiday ostensibly created by Ataturk because he loved kids so much and wanted them to have a special day on which to play games. We had to go to a ceremony for the students, parents, and teachers at school that morning. As usual, there were more people than seats, so we couldn't watch the kids perform -- which provided me with some very needed quiet time to prepare for our upcoming kindergarten show (more on that later). Because the kids are at school on the holiday that was created in their honor, the government gives K-12 students (and teachers - hooray!) the following day off as well.
Spring in Istanbul always means it's time for tulips. The city plants over three million bulbs that all spring up in late March and early April and set the city awash in shades of yellow, pink, red, and orange. For the past four Aprils, Konrad and I have worked our way to the northern part of Istanbul to check out the massive tulip festival in Emirgan Park. We were a bit late to the party this year, and didn't get there until our day off on April 24th, but there were still quite a few fresh-looking tulips, and even a handful of bulbs that had just sprung up.
May Day
As is the custom in many countries around the world, May 1st is an official holiday in honor of workers ("Labor and Solidarity Day). There is a history here (again, like other places around the world) of protests and clashes with the police. In fact, in 1977, what became known as the Taksim Square Massacre occurred as a result of such an event.
From what I've gathered, there were hundreds of thousands of people (the Wikipedia article I read said 500,000) marching in a rally very close to our present-day house. Shots were heard, and in the chaos that followed, 35-45 people died (not sure how this figure is unclear) and hundreds more were injured. As one would imagine, this date now carries the weight of those deaths, and is less of a jubilant event than something like Labor Day in the States is.
2013 was our fourth May in Turkey: we'd been in Istanbul for that first May Day (2010), but out of the city for in 2011 and 2012. In 2010, the city was very quiet, rather peaceful, and the only telltale evidence of any tension was the plethora of cops sitting around and the never-ending train of "safety" fences around our neighborhood. From what I understand, 2011 was much the same. However, last year, things heated up a bit: we turned on the news in our Tbilisi hotel to see that there had been conflict in Taksim Square involving tear gas and water cannons. That was merely a fraction of what was to come this year.
We got a message from our school on April 30th saying that all public transportation would be shut down the following day: no ferries, no buses, no metro, and the bridges were all going to be closed. The intention was to close off Taksim Square from the demonstrators. In reality, all it did was encourage them to spread out, resulting in clashes all over the city between police and civilians. Tear gas and pepper spray were readily shot off and water cannons were employed. It all happened rather early in the day though (before we'd even woken up, in fact), so we didn't see any evidence of it. Our main May Day activity was a big picnic in the park near our house with friends. More here for those interested.
Sports and Youth Day:
May 19th is the last of the holidays squeezed into this less than month-long period of days off. It is called Sport and Youth Day, and is another Ataturk creation, intended to give teenagers and young adults a celebratory day as well. Because we're in the primary school, we don't have to attend a ceremony on the 19th, and we also get the following day off (similar to April 23rd and 24th), so we're headed to Venice for a three-day weekend.
Apart from island-going and extra days off work, spring has been rather busy for us. We've been doing a little Cambridge examining here and there on our weekends, today we hit the first ever Istanbul International Food Festival (a bit lacking for the vegetarians, but fun, nonetheless) and I've been wholly focused on our kindergarten end-of-year show.
The end-of-year show is not actually at the end of the year; it's always at the beginning of May, and we have another six weeks of school after it's over. However, it's meant to present the parents with the culmination of a year's worth of English education for their five-year olds. The poor kindergarteners actually put on two end-of-year shows: one for English (May 3rd) and one for Turkish (June 7th). There are big -- nay, massive -- expectations for these shows. Despite the fact that the children are a mere five and six years old by this point in the year, it is presumed that it will be of Broadway caliber. We spent weeks making professional-looking costumes for each individual kid, then had them help decorate them with glitter. We began rehearsing for the show in March, meaning that more or less half of our English lessons each week for two months were occupied with show rehearsals and preparations. All of this hard, non-stop work (you really wouldn't believe) culminates in approximately ten minutes on the stage.
I will admit that it looked lovely, the kids enjoyed it, the parents were ecstatic, and that it was (at times) fun. However, just think how much more the kids could have learned if we'd been able to focus on teaching new vocabulary and structures for the sixty-plus hours they instead devoted to this production. As Charlie Brown would say: good grief. And, the cherry on top was that we spent innumerable hours getting the costumes ready, stupidly (and under protest) sent them home with the kids, and then the parents started throwing them out immediately. Sigh. As one of the other teachers said, I guess when you pay as much as our parents do, you get to demand such a show from the school, so I am sure we will continue to do it next year and all those following.
And with that, I'm signing off so I can start planning for Venice!


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Chistmas Tree Lights
St. Mary's Catholic Church in Mallow is lit up by the lights of the Christmas tree in the church grounds.
The camera club social night was in Mallow last night and after a great meal myself and Jacinta left the rest to prop up the bar! I had my camera with me and I got some good shots of the town and the church above.
It gave me the idea of writing an article about night shooting, so expect that in a day or two!
6 Comments
December 19, 2006
Very interesting perspective and shapes in that photo. It reminds me of my favourite computer game, Thief. I particularly like the texture of the ground on the bottom right, and how the sparkles of the tree lights appear even over the wall in front of it.
December 19, 2006
nice capture. Christmas lights are a ton of fun to photograph. I love the warm glow.
November 4, 2008
Very nice shoot. Have seen St. Mary's Catholic Church in Mallow also only overday and without the Christmas Tree.
It is nice to see how the lights lit up in the tree. You can see that the outerglow from the lights look like tree within a tree, very nice!
August 7, 2009
Try experimenting with keeping the camera level when using ultra wide lenses….The Perspective will straighten up and not look like the buildings are leaning. I hope my input is appreciated, as I teach advanced Digital Photo at a local college here in Spokane, WA., and I am a retired illustrator from Boeing Airplane Co. Seattle, with degrees in Art, Education, and Illustration.
Perspectives can be fun! Experiment with the position of your camera by taking three shots instead of just one by using different angles of attack…Looking up, looking straight or level, and looking down, and then compare the overall effect on how the architecture reacts to these different positional shots. The perspective foreshortening effect will astonish you by what degree of angular attack you use.
August 10, 2009
Thanks (again) Jim! I do appreciate the comments. At least I know someone took the time to analyse my photos!
The main reason for the low perspective is my lack of a tripod and a long exposure for the shot. Camera sat on the ground with my wallet under the lens to support it and point it up.
I love the effect of a wide angle shot down. It does mad things to verticals, although it's not that flattering for portraits.
December 9, 2009
Nice picture. I like it, it can take our imagination to remember that Christ has born. Messiah has come.
But … why no light of stars?
I mean, why no sky background?


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In art history of the enlightenment revolution, we looked at this image as a critic to neoclassism and how artistry was practiced by perfecting ancient methods of art. This Henry Fuseli piece The Artist Moved to Despair at the Grandeur of Antique Fragmentsrepresents the notion that classism that was held to perfection had been turned into rubble and artifacts- therefore this perfection of art that was seen to be timeless could not stand to the changing times.
I liked this idea out of context. We strive for this perfection of the past where things were always better, yet it is not progressive and those times could not pass the test of time during its own era. The strengths we hold ourselves accountable are only relatable to the weaknesses of our current time yet our weaknesses will always have the potential for unseen perfection. The only strength one must hold is the glory of their past weakness and the forsight for the future.


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Samsung-LG TVs Thinner Than IPad Undermine Sony-Panasonic: Tech
Samsung Electronics Co. and LG Electronics Inc. (066570), the world's two biggest TV makers, want to widen their lead over Japanese rivals by using new display technology in 55-inch sets thinner than Apple Inc.'s iPad.
The South Korean companies are developing organic light- emitting diode, or OLED, televisions that are as thin as 4 millimeters (0.16 inches) and produce images 200 times sharper than current liquid-crystal-display models. Both plan to start selling OLED sets as early as this year, while Sony Corp. (005930) and Panasonic Corp. (6752) haven't set target dates for introducing them.
Samsung and LG (066470) are turning to OLED technology to extend the advantage they gained during the transition from analog to digital TVs. Having been slower in ditching bulky sets and now stuck with growing losses, Sony (6758) and Panasonic are again lagging behind as the OLED market may be the fastest-growing in the $100 billion industry during the next three years.
"OLED TVs could be another game-changer," said Hyun Park, a Seoul-based analyst at Tong Yang Securities Inc. "The Korean companies are leading the initial development stage. Sony and Japanese companies aren't really responding."
Shipments of OLED TVs may grow to 2.1 million sets in 2015 from 34,000 in 2012, according to Englewood, Colorado-based IHS Inc.'s iSuppli.
Samsung shares rose 0.5 percent to 1,180,000 won, and LG gained 0.5 percent to 85,000 won at the close of trading in Seoul. In Tokyo, Sony fell 0.8 to 1,678 yen, and Panasonic dropped 2.1 percent to 711 yen.
Samsung, LG
Using organically glowing materials, OLED TVs don't require separate backlights and can be half the thickness of Apple (AAPL)'s iPad 2, which measures 8.8 millimeters. The technology, already used in mobile devices including Samsung's Galaxy smartphones, uses less power than LCD and has a higher contrast rate, creating more vivid images.
Suwon, South Korea-based Samsung and Seoul-based LG showed 55-inch (140-centimeter) sets at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas in January. LG's prototype was 4 millimeters thick, while Samsung declined to discuss dimensions. Both sets have 3-D and Internet capabilities.
The two companies employ different technologies. Samsung uses red, green and blue OLED materials inside individual pixels to create images, while LG uses white light and an extra color filter.
Samsung's method can be more energy-efficient and show a broader range of colors, said Paul Semenza, senior vice president of analyst services at Santa Clara, California-based DisplaySearch. The technology requires greater accuracy and consistency, making manufacturing harder than LG's approach, he said.
Power Consumption
The downside of LG's technology is higher power consumption to keep the white layer bright, Semenza said. Google Inc. (GOOG) created a search application with a black background for mobile phones using OLED technology.
Ha Joon Doo, an analyst at Shinhan Investment Corp. in Seoul who saw both technologies at the Las Vegas show, said the OLED sets showed colors better than comparable LCD models. It was difficult to distinguish between the two prototypes, Ha said.
"OLED TVs had a bit of more comfortable and natural feel to colors," he said.
Japanese manufacturers probably won't enter the OLED market until after 2013, said Alvin Lim, an associate director at Fitch Ratings in Seoul.
Sony, Panasonic
Sony's incoming Chief Executive Officer Kazuo Hirai pledged "painful" cost cuts as the company forecast its TV business will lose money for the eighth straight year. Tokyo-based Sony more than doubled its companywide loss forecast to 220 billion yen ($2.7 billion) for the year ending March 31 because of a stronger yen and flooding in Thailand that disrupted output.
Osaka-based Panasonic almost doubled its loss forecast to a record 780 billion yen on Feb. 3. Outgoing President Fumio Ohtsubo is eliminating jobs and shifting production abroad as the stronger currency makes domestic manufacturing more expensive.
By contrast, Samsung's fourth-quarter profit rose 17 percent as its TV unit posted operating profit of 570 billion won ($505 million). The company, which doesn't give a profit forecast, plans $22 billion of capital spending this year.
"South Korean companies have sizable capital expenditure and cost-competitiveness," said Hideki Yasuda, an analyst at Ace Securities Co. in Tokyo. "The Japanese companies don't have the power" to enter the OLED market, he said.
LCD Focus
Sony, which introduced the first OLED TV with an 11-inch screen in 2007, is studying the demand for larger sets and the investment that would be needed to make them, Hirai said in an interview last month.
OLED sets won't represent the bulk of TV sales "next year, the year after or even the year after that," said Hirai, who becomes CEO on April 1, replacing Howard Stringer. "The volume is going to be in the LCD TVs."
Ohtsubo said in January that Panasonic wants to introduce OLED sets "not long after" Samsung and LG.
"Development is steadily progressing," he said. "While we'll be releasing it in the market after the two South Korean companies, we'll also be looking for the best timing to launch a product that's superior in quality to those two."
Ohtsubo will be replaced by Kazuhiro Tsuga after shareholders meet in June, Panasonic said Feb. 28.
Manufacturing expenses may favor Hirai's strategy of focusing on LCD sets. Samsung and LG both face challenges in cutting costs, said Vinita Jakhanwal, a Santa Clara, California- based director for OLED research at iSuppli.
Korean 'Trendsetters'
A 55-inch OLED set will be priced at about $8,000 in 2012, more than twice the $3,700 average for an equivalent LCD set, according to iSuppli. Although the price may fall to about $4,000 next year, comparable LCD (WVPR107A) models may cost less than $2,000 by then, Jakhanwal said.
"Price is the most important factor," said Choi Do Yeon, an analyst at LIG Investment & Securities Co. in Seoul. "Being thinner and lighter, or expressing colors better, may not be enough."
Samsung has to resolve "some technical issues" before starting mass output of OLED TVs, Kim Hyun Suk, head of the company's TV operations, said in an interview in Las Vegas.
"You can charge $10,000 and $20,000, but that's not real volume," he said. "You can't do anything without volume."
LG expects to start selling "more competitively priced" models earlier than rivals, Roh Seong Ho, senior vice president at LG's Home Entertainment Company, said in an e-mail. Initial investment costs and low output rates pose the biggest obstacles, Roh said.
Production will be low because, for now, both Samsung and LG don't have enough capacity or enough equipment to mass- produce OLED TVs.
Slowing sales of TVs may accelerate Samsung and LG's push to overcome OLED's cost challenges. Global TV shipments may fall 2.8 percent this year to 252 million units, iSuppli estimates. LCD units make up 88 percent of the total.
"Samsung and LG are making a market right now," Lim said. "Japanese companies aren't trendsetters any more. They're just following markets created by the Koreans (KOEXTOT)."
To contact the reporters on this story: Jun Yang in Seoul at firstname.lastname@example.com; Mariko Yasu in Tokyo at email@example.com
To contact the editor responsible for this story: Michael Tighe at email@example.com


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We have created a world that is bittersweet. Things are amusing but, at the same time, not so amusing. Sometimes things seem terribly funny but, on the other hand, terribly sad. Life has the quality of a game that has trapped us. The setup of mind has created the whole thing—the realm of duality, which is ego. In meditation we work on this creator of duality rather than on the creation. That is beginning at the beginning.
From Chögyam Trungpa's "The Four Foundations of Mindfulness" in A Beginner's Guide to Meditation: Practical Advice and Inspiration from Contemporary Buddhist Teachers, page 38


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Wireless Network Operators
West Island Gazette
Cell antenna concerns raised in Pointe-ClaireYves Hamelin, who lives on Valois Bay Ave., said he went to the city council meeting last week because he and some neighbours are still abuzz regarding a Telus device, ...
Local News
The Story So Far: NuvaRing issues restriction warning; CRTC takes on cell roaming chargesHello and welcome to The Story So Far for Friday, Aug. 1. Click on the audio player below to hear the rundown on some of the stories we're following for ...
Bad week for Big Three, but good one for cellphone subscribersIt has been a pretty good week for Canadian cellphone consumers. First, the CRTC released its code of conduct for cellphone companies, which will eliminate the three-year contract, reducing it ...
New wireless code could jack up your cellphone billIn one of those bizarre twists, a new wireless code of conduct, sympathetic to nearly every major complaint by consumers, could actually end up costing them more in the end.
Spectrum auction prompts pricing war – just not hereMuch hay has been made over the apparent cellphone pricing revolution going on in the Czech Republic, as mobile operators in that country have slashed their pricing by about half.


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Friend says Ledger was edgy during Perth holiday
He was clean and wasn't drinking any alcohol or taking drugs
Heath Ledger was anxious about the breakdown of his relationship with the mother of his child while he was home in Perth for Christmas, a friend says.
But the Perth model Sophie Ward, the sister of supermodel Gemma who had been romantically linked with Ledger, said she did not believe he had a problem with drugs.
She said Ledger, who was found dead in New York yesterday after a suspected sleeping pill overdose, did not drink any alcohol during several nights out in Perth.
"He was clean and wasn't drinking any alcohol or taking drugs," Ms Ward told The West Australian newspaper.
"He smoked cigarettes, but that's about it. He was drinking diet Coke when we were together and he said he was very committed to not drinking alcohol.
"I don't believe he took his own life deliberately."
But Ms Ward said Ledger was distressed about his split with Michelle Williams and being away from his two-year-old daughter, Matilda.
"We went to the movies and just did normal stuff ... but he was a bit edgy. He couldn't really relax," Ms Ward said.
"He said he was going to London but was quite upset because he couldn't see his daughter as much as he'd like to.
"He was travelling so much and I think he was just frustrated with it all."
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Daily Summary on USD, EUR, JPY, GBP, AUD, CAD and NZD
USD – The dollar is higher this morning against many of its major counterparts as investor risk appetite wanes. Encouraging gains seen in several key economic releases are having a limited impact this morning as investors remain focused on the impending "fiscal cliff." Little is known about the progress lawmakers may be making with negotiation sessions being held behind closed doors. Lobbyist and special interest groups are clamoring for the extension of key tax deductions including those related to home mortgages as both Democrats and Republicans search for new government revenue opportunities. President Obama will take his case for higher taxes and spending cuts to the people with a whirlwind schedule of meetings with factory owners, middle-class constituents and special interest groups planned for the latter half of this week. Meanwhile, US data came in better than expected with the most notable improvement in durable goods where the measure stagnated after the previous month's 9.2% gain. While a flat reading is not the most encouraging number, it is better than the 0.7% decline that was forecast. A bump in nondefense related capital goods orders led the broad measure higher in a sign that business leaders are investing despite the looming "fiscal cliff." Consumer confidence also gained by more than expected, coming in at 73.7 versus the 73.0 that was anticipated. Home prices gained at a modestly slower pace however, with the house price index gaining just 0.2% m/m as a sharp rise in listings after the November presidential election diluted the market.
EUR – The euro has pulled back from a one-month high as Greece's debt sustainability remains a cause for concern. Eurozone and IMF leaders are willing to consider cutting their interest charges on Greece's various "bailout" loans and giving it more time to make good on its debts. However, it appears that the deal will be contingent on a pending sovereign debt buyback operation planned for some time before December 13th. If that proceeds without any delays, EU and IMF officials have preliminarily agreed to cut the goal for Greece's debt as a percent of GDP to 124% by 2020 rather than 120%. Greek leaders appear positive for the time being with the country's finance minister Yannis Stournaras telling reporters this morning that the decision "keeps Greece in the euro." Despite the apparent progress, investors are not yet convinced that Greece is in the clear just yet. Consequently, the euro will likely gravitate back towards the convergence of its 50 and 200-day MAs, currently in the mid 1.28's, against the USD.
GBP – Sterling is mixed this morning, gaining against the EUR, but falling versus the dollar. The GBP gained against its mainland European counterpart as investors seek the relative safety of British government debt and the pound itself as an alternative to Eurozone assets. However, gains have been limited against the USD as the future of British monetary policy grows cloudier with yesterday's announcement that current BoC Governor Mark Carney will replace BoE Governor Mervyn King at the end of the latter's term. Carney's rather hawkish policy stance will contrast growing calls for more BoE stimulus with Bank member Fisher telling reporters just this morning that more QE will likely be needed before the end of the year.
JPY – The yen pared much of yesterday's gains before a report is expected to show a sharp rise in the purchase of foreign government bonds. With PM frontrunner Shinzo Abe continuing to call for further powerful monetary easing and debasement of the yen, Japanese investors have nearly tripled their holdings of overseas debt. Conversely, it is expected that foreigners reduced holdings of both Japanese stocks and bonds, thus putting the yen under further pressure.
Commodity Currencies – The commodity linked currencies are mostly lower this morning as investors turn a bit more risk averse. Raw goods are in the red with oil falling to $87/bbl, gold down to $1745/oz, and copper slipping to $353/lb. The CAD is marginally lower against the dollar, but is higher versus most of its other major counterparts as the strong data out of the US – Canada's main trading partner – provides support. Similarly, the MXN continued to strengthen overnight with Mexican President elect Pena Nieto set to meet with his US counterpart later this week. The AUD jumped to a two-month high overnight, but has since pared some of those gains as stocks and commodities decline.
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Buy amoxil online. Amoxicillin is a type of penicillin antibiotic available in capsule, tablet or liquid form and is used to treat a wide range of bacterial infections.
All Content Copyrighted © 2015 by Rory Dobner. Any use of images is prohibited without express permission from the artist.


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Welcome Rob Louth and Reptile LifePublished on 16-01-2012 02:11PM
Reptile Life is a specialist enterprise run by herpetologist Rob Louth. With over 15 years experience with exotic pets and accredited qualifications in this field, he or his staff are more than capable of dealing with any exotic animal in any scenario and provide a comprehensive range of animal services to school across the UK.
You can view Reptile Life's profile here http://www.school-workshops.com/reptile-life-706.html
or visit the website at http://www.reptilelife.co.uk/


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In January, Rev Lee Townend announced that he has been offered and accepted a new post as Church Growth Officer in the Diocese of Derby. Lee and his wife Liz are likely to move to the Chesterfield area at Easter.
Lee said "It has taken a lot of prayer, soul searching and counsel to come to this decision. Both Liz and I feel strongly that the Lord is calling us to this new post."
"We are incredibly sad to be leaving a people whom, and a place that we have come to love dearly, but we do believe this is God's call, at this moment, in our lives. "
Lee has been Priest in Charge at All Saints since 2008 following his move from Maidstone in Kent.
Lee and Liz's last Sunday with us will be April 15th.


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Ernest Gonzales
Been Meaning To Tell You
Label: Friends of Friends
Release Date: Feb-09-2010
Ernest Gonzales is a San Antonio-based composer. His newest release,
Been Meaning To Tell You
, offers 13 eclectic electronic conceptions. Although he is the "Lone Star" on this album, it has been released on the Friends of Friends label.
Been Meaning To Tell You
is an album of raw emotion interpreted into sound and stands as a testament to Ernest's wife, Devyn. The album contains soundscapes sculpted from his diverse musical palate, resulting in a fusion of hip-hop, electro, indie, psych rock, pop and more. From walking on a snowy sidewalk to walking down the pipe and jumping for coins as Mario, Ernest Gonzales has whipped up a 13 course meal for the ears, the eyes, and the mind.
1. Dancing in the Snow
2. Falling Asleep To The Glow of the Television
3. Self Awakening
4. We Can Live In The Forest
5. Opening A Lost Sacred Door
6. Psychedelic Bellhop
7. Etchasketch Trees
8. Emerald Nova
9. Purple Heart
10. Untitled Love Song
11. I'm Here You're There
12. When You Are Lost I Will Find You
13. Upon The 49th Day
Purchase from:
Google Play
Sony Music Unlimited
URB Magazine
L.A. Record
Tiny Mix Tapes
Alt Sounds
Austin Chronicle
Groove Mine


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Budget eases CGT angst
Page Tools
Potentially millions of shareholders will benefit from changes to capital gains tax announced in this week's budget.
Assistant Treasurer Helen Coonan said rules relating to companies that cease trading would be changed to allow any "insolvency practitioner" to declare shares to be worthless.
Under existing legislation, if a company goes into administration or is delisted without also being placed in liquidation, shareholders cannot claim a capital loss. This is because a "capital gains event" is not deemed to have occurred.
This was recently the case for investors in the one-time mining blue chip Pasminco. Earlier this month The Age published a list of 37 other companies in a similar situation. "It is good news for shareholders and removes a lot of the uncertainty about claiming a loss," says the Australian Shareholders Association's John Curry.
The Tax Office provided shareholders with a loophole when it issued a decision earlier this year stating a capital gains event would occur if the shares were transferred into a trust. Still, it was not binding and was complicated for small investors.
The change would remove a disincentive to investing, Senator Coonan said. "Shareholders and other security holders will now be able to claim a capital loss once the insolvency practitioner makes the relevant declaration, and will not have to incur the cost of establishing a trust."
Also to benefit from the CGT changes are members of super funds caught up in the new licensing requirements that trustees must be licensed with the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority.
Funds that are forced to merge in order to comply with the new regulations, which come into effect on July 1, will not have to realise capital gains or losses. This means they can make the claims at a time when it financially benefits the fund.