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Standard Agency Rule-Making Evokes Cries Of "Dictator" Obama From Right-Wing Media
Research ››› ››› OLIVIA KITTEL
Right-wing media accused President Obama of unprecedented overreach resembling that of a "dictator" for the ordinary administrative agency rule-making process surrounding the implementation of the Affordable Care Act's (ACA) employer mandate.
Treasury Department Announced Phased Implementation Of ACA's Employer Mandate
Treasury Department Issued Rule Phasing-In Implementation Of Mandate To Alleviate Burden On Businesses. On Monday, February 10, the Treasury Department announced a new rule which would delay enforcement of the Affordable Care Act's employer mandate for some businesses. The Washington Post reported:
Under new rules announced Monday by Treasury Department officials, employers with 50 to 99 workers will be given until 2016 -- two years longer than originally envisioned under the Affordable Care Act -- before they risk a federal penalty for not complying.
Companies with 100 workers or more are getting a different kind of one-year grace period. Instead of being required in 2015 to offer coverage to 95 percent of full-time workers, these bigger employers can avoid a fine by offering insurance to 70 percent of them next year.
How the administration would define employer requirements has been one of the biggest remaining questions about the way the 2010 health-care law will work in practice -- and has sparked considerable lobbying. By providing the dual phase-ins for employers of different sizes, administration officials have sought to lighten the burden on the small share of affected employers that have not offered insurance in the past. [Washington Post, 2/10/14]
In Response, Right-Wing Media Attack Obama As A "King" And "Dictator"
Fox's Jon Scott Accused Obama Of Acting "More Like King Than President." Fox host Jon Scott cited the mandate change to accuse Obama of behaving like a king on the February 14 edition of Happening Now:
SCOTT: This government was founded because the Framers of the constitution didn't want a king, when Mr. Obama unilaterally decides that parts of his signature health care law are not working for instance and just decides to change the rules, change the timetable, change the implementation schedule; doesn't he act more like a king than president? [Fox News, Happening Now, 2/14/14, via Media Matters]
Rush Limbaugh: Obama "Is Acting Like The Constitution Doesn't Matter. He's King. He's Playing Dictator." On the February 14 edition of The Rush Limbaugh Show, host Limbaugh said it was "institutionally threatening" for the mandate to be altered:
LIMBAUGH: To me, arbitrarily delaying portions of a law is all I need to know it's not right. And it's not only not right that its seriously wrong, that is its institutionally threatening. I mean it is really serious.
What do you mean it isn't fair to change the law to help yourself politically? Why does the motivation even matter? We have a president who's acting as though the constitution doesn't matter, he is king. He's playing dictator. [Premiere Radio Networks, The Rush Limbaugh Show, 2/14/14, via Media Matters]
Fox's Peter Johnson, Jr.: The President Is Engaging In "Cafeteria Constitutionalism." On the February 12 edition of Fox News' Fox & Friends, guest host and Fox analyst Peter Johnson, Jr. accused Obama of "engag[ing] in cafeteria constitutionalism" because of the Treasury Department's announcement:
JOHNSON, JR: I can't accept this notion of delaying. It's erasing, as you say. It's ignoring. The law is on the book. The president has said, 'I'm going to engage in cafeteria constitutionalism. Pick one from here, pick one from there, maybe I'll adopt it, maybe I won't. We'll do it in the year I want to do it when it is politically popular for me to do it.' And so the law is being ignored, plain and simple. [Fox News, Fox & Friends, 2/12/14, via Media Matters]
Charles Krauthammer: "It's As If The Law Is Simply A Blackboard On Which Obama Writes Any Number He Wants." On the February 10 edition of Fox News' Special Report, Fox contributor Charles Krauthammer decried the mandate adjustment as what happens "in a banana republic":
KRAUTHAMMER: But generally speaking you get passed the next election by changing your policies, by announcing new initiatives, but not by wantonly changing the law lawlessly. I mean this is stuff that you do in a banana republic. It's as if the law is simply a blackboard on which Obama writes any number he wants, any delay he wants, and any provision. It's now reached a point where it is so endemic that nobody even notices or complains. I think that if the complaints had started with the first arbitrary changes -- and these are not adjustments or transitions, these are political decisions to minimize the impact leading up to an election, and its changing a law in a way that you are not allowed to do. [Fox News, Special Report, 2/10/14, via Media Matters]
Fox's Tantaros: "They're Writing These Laws With Invisible Ink And Then Just Changing It As They Go Along." On the February 11 edition of Fox News' America's Newsroom, co-host Bill Hemmer and The Five host Andrea Tantaros seconded Krauthammer's claim about a "banana republic":
TANTAROS: I guess it's pushed back another year. I mean, forget the eraser, they're writing these laws with invisible ink and then just changing it as they go along. Terrible uncertainty for businesses. Of course this is done for political reasons. [Fox News, America's Newsroom, 2/11/14, via Media Matters]
Jon Scott: "We Have A White House That Is Just Changing The Law On A Whim." On the February 11 edition of Fox News' Happening Now, co-host Scott compared the Treasury Department's phased-in implementation to changing the legal voting age to 16-years old:
SCOTT: Once again, we have a White House that is just changing the law on a whim, apparently.
What's to prevent the White House from saying, 'you know, we think that 16-year-olds ought to be able to vote in this country, let's do that next election?' [Fox News, Happening Now, 2/11/14, via Media Matters]
It Is Not Unusual For An Administrative Agency To Phase-In Implementation
Treasury Department Has Broad Authority To Grant Transitional Relief. As The New York Times reported on February 10, Treasury official J. Mark Iwry explained how the Internal Revenue Code grants administrative agencies the authority to postpone the enforcement of the employer mandate:
J. Mark Iwry, deputy assistant Treasury secretary for health policy, said the administration had broad "authority to grant transition relief" under a section of the Internal Revenue Code that directs the Treasury secretary to "prescribe all needful rules and regulations for the enforcement" of tax obligations. This authority has often been used to postpone the application of new laws that would cause "unreasonable administrative burdens or costs" to taxpayers, Mr. Iwry said. [The New York Times, 2/10/14]
Other Laws Have Been Delayed During Their Implementation. As detailed in a 2013 newsletter from The Commonwealth Fund, Mark J. Mazur, assistant secretary for tax policy at the Treasury Department, laid out other examples of laws being delayed by administrative agencies during implementation:
As examples, Mazur cited an aviation fuel tax (PL 112-27) Obama signed Aug. 5, 2011, that applied retroactively to July 23, 2011. The administration delayed enforcement until Aug. 9, 2011. Mazur also cited a 2007 small-business bill (PL 110-28) that made changes to standards for tax return preparers to avoid paying penalties effective May 25 of that year. But the IRS announced it would not enforce the new rules on returns due before 2008 [The Commonwealth Fund, 7/10/13]
Administrative Agencies Have Broad Rule-Making Authority Under The ACA
Congressional Research Service: The Affordable Care Act Was A "Particularly Noteworthy Example Of Congressional Delegation Of Rule-Making Authority To Federal Agencies." The Congressional Research Service explained that there are more than 40 provisions within the Affordable Care Act that require, permit, or contemplate rulemaking by federal agencies to implement the legislation. From the CRS report:
Federal regulations generally start with an act of Congress, and are the means by which statutes are implemented and many specific requirements are established. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA, P.L. 111-148, March 23, 2010) is a recent and particularly noteworthy example of congressional delegation of rulemaking authority to federal agencies. This report identifies more than 40 provisions in PPACA (as amended by the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010, P.L. 111-152, March 30, 2010) that require, permit, or contemplate rulemaking by federal agencies to implement the legislation.
The report indicates that PPACA gives federal agencies substantial responsibility and authority to "fill in the details" of the legislation through subsequent regulations. [Congressional Research Service, 4/13/10]
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Guns Don't Kill People, Bullets Kill People
In the wake of the Arizona shooting, there is a whole lot of talk on Capitol Hill about stepped up background checks, no-gun zones around members of Congress, and banning the high-volume magazines that allowed the Tucson gunman to shoot so many bullets so fast.
Sen. Charles Schumer (D-NY), for one, is calling for "smart, rational gun-control laws that protect the right to bear arms but have reasonable limits."
My friends on the left insist, hopefully, that the shock of the attack has fundamentally changed the political atmosphere, especially because one of the victims is a member of Congress.
I know they mean well, but experience suggests there is little chance the attack will produce significant new legislation, let alone change a national culture that has been accepting of guns since its inception—unless we try something new and different.
I say this having worked in the 1990s on the Brady Bill and the Assault Weapons Ban. Both measures enjoyed bipartisan support, but both encountered significant resistance from the gun lobby, and neither would have passed without significant compromise.
The Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act was passed in response to the assassination attempt on President Reagan. It was named for Press Secretary Jim Brady, who was shot in the head by John Hinkley, Jr., and left paralyzed. It merely institutes reasonable background checks for gun owners. Yet it took twelve years to get it through Congress, with the NRA opposing it tooth and nail, spending millions of dollars in the process.
The 1994 Federal Assault Weapons Ban was part of the larger Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act. It outlawed nineteen models of firearms defined as "assault weapons," as well as large-capacity ammunition feeding devices. We had the support of law enforcement, but again the gun lobby opposed it and a sunset provision was required to secure its passage. In 2004, there was little enthusiasm for its renewal, so it expired.
My friends who live on the coasts fail to understand why this is, and why efforts to enact any gun control legislation since the Clinton years have failed. I know from my travels as a White House aide, however, and in my life spent traveling to nearly every state as a reporter, that once you leave the Northeast, the Bay Area and Hollywood, guns are part of daily life. My relatives in Texas would tell you that the right to carry is not just their Constitutional right, it is their "God-given right."
Congress hasn't passed any gun legislation in years because that institution, like the country it represents, celebrates gun ownership. Many members of Congress carry their weapons while riding around their districts, on their trucks or concealed behind their jackets. Representative Gabrielle Giffords herself has said that she owns a Glock—the same firearm used to attack her.
Sure, some Democrats may favor more restrictive gun laws, but even Democrats are hardly uniform in their support for gun control as a matter of policy. And as a matter of politics, even Democrats who may quietly support reasonable regulation have moved away from the issue since the Clinton years.
Fast forward to 2011: Democrats have lost seats in the Senate. Republicans control the House. The new majority offers "The Pledge to America," and gun control is certainly not a part of that.
"But," my friends say, "the circumstances of the Tucson attack are different." The suspect obtained his weapon legally. One of his victims was a member of Congress, a Democrat. Another victim was a sitting judge, appointed by a Republican president. The shooter appears to have been suffering from some sort of mental disease or defect (whether legally insane or not).
All true. But will those factors be enough help us see our way clear to Senator Charles Schumer's vision of "rational gun-control laws?"
Only if we change our approach to draft legislation that recognizes, even accepts, gun culture in America.
Rep. Carolyn McCarthy (D-NY), who was elected in 1996 after her husband was gunned down in a rampage on the Long Island Railroad, has introduced a new bill with a single focus: to ban large-capacity ammunition clips. The language is carefully crafted to target the magazines, not the weapons. It is not a gun-control bill, per se.
McCarthy was elected on a gun control-heavy platform, but she has learned a few things since then. She has come to terms with the need to compromise, to work within the context and culture of our country. With her proposed legislation, McCarthy recognizes the recent US Supreme Court decision that finds a constitutional right to bear arms, and in her rhetoric, she is careful to preach "gun safety," not "gun control." It just might work.
If we are going to have any movement on this issue, we must embrace this simple fact: what happened in Arizona is unlikely to change the habits or mindset of Americans who carry guns. For every American who says it should be a sign that gun control is necessary, there is another who believes an armed civilian could have stopped the carnage in Tucson.
Of course, no armed civilian did. Instead, three unarmed bystanders tackled Jared Loughner when he stopped to reload. A fourth, a 61-year-old woman, grabbed his fully loaded magazine before he could re-insert it and fire another shot. But of course, he'd already fired thirty-one times, killing six and wounding thirteen.
That is precisely the point of McCarthy's legislation: limit access to those kinds of high-capacity magazines, and you will limit the kill capacity of mass murderers like Loughner, even if they have access to guns.
Law-abiding gun owners can make this small sacrifice to increase everyone's safety, and gun control advocates should focus on this realistic goal.
To honor and respect the memories of those massacred in Tucson, Congress and the country should come together on this one issue. Ban large-capacity ammunition clips. It is the least we can do.
Jami Floyd is a broadcast journalist and legal analyst for cable and network news, and is a frequent contributor to WNYC Radio. She is former advisor in the Clinton administration and served as a surrogate for the Obama campaign on legal and domestic policy issues.

subset: commoncrawl


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Dez Wells felt confident, from years of practice, from the way he had manhandled Miami after halftime, from the absence of micromanagement from the sideline. Maryland wanted Wells to have the basketball late in Wednesday night's game. They wanted him to go win the game and keep the team from spiraling further.
"Give me the ball," Wells thought to himself. "Just give me the ball."
Even as they grew sloppy and saw their 10-point lead collapse in less than two minutes, the Terrapins had planned for this. During previous timeouts, Coach Mark Turgeon had mentioned late-game strategy, and this was one of the plays everyone discussed. A simple isolation. Wells alone, between midcourt and the three-point line, staring down his defender, ready to go.
If the Terps can turn their disappointment year around, if they can make something out of a frustrating campaign, then what happened next might become the stuff of legends. The bucket Wells sank with 5.9 seconds left, giving Maryland a 74-71 victory, was equal parts foolhardy and gutsy. After all, he had made just one three-pointer over the past six games and was so effective attacking the basket, turning the Hurricanes into helpless observers. Why pull up? Why shoot over a defender?
The better question, in hindsight: Why not?
"If I would have missed that shot, guys would have killed me about it and said it was a bad shot, blah, blah, blah," he said. "But big-time players make big-time plays. I'm not a big-time player yet, but this is a step in the right direction."
The Terps became the first ACC team to top 70 points against the methodical Hurricanes and somehow summoned their best motion on offense against a zone defense. Their late letdown was indeed swift and ugly – Rion Brown made seven free throws in three possessions, including three when he was fouled behind the arc by Nick Faust – but at this stage in the season, having sunk below .500 in league play, Maryland needed to milk every last bit of positivity from Wednesday night.
Later, the players reflected on a meaningless October afternoon, when the expectations were high and the season was still promising because it hadn't yet begun. In a secret scrimmage against Villanova, now a top 10 team, Wells also hit the game-winning three-pointer from almost the exact same spot, as his maturation from a sophomore transfer into the unquestioned leader took form.
Forward Evan Smotrycz, who scored an efficient 15 points on seven shots, thought about that moment when Wells stopped and rose over guard Garrius Adams. By that point, Smotrycz's legs had grown heavy and he was quietly hoping to avoid overtime. He looked for Wells to drive to the hoop, to put some pressure on Miami and perhaps win it from the free throw line, but when Smotrycz saw Wells approach the point from which he beat Villanova, he knew everything would be fine.
"I was hoping he would drive it, but," Smotrycz said, exhaling in awe, "it's just a big-time shot."
Said Jake Layman: "We knew we were going to win. I knew he was going to hit it at the end. He's done it before for us. He's hit that big shot. We all trusted him and he came through."
After a scoreless, shot-less, foul-riddled, five-minute first half, Wells was nearly perfect after intermission. He finished with 21 points in 24 minutes on seven field goal attempts, all successful, and hit all six free throw attempts for good measure. With Miami threatening to come back in the second half, long before all the crunch-time heroics, Wells was pulling up for a mid-range jumper that swished. He was coming, seemingly, out of nowhere for a lob layup in transition. Then he backed down his defender along the left baseline, twirled around and banked in the fadeaway shot. That's when the Terps knew Wells had entered takeover mode. That's when they knew the game was his.
"Every time," Layman said, when asked if Maryland wanted Wells shooting in late-game situations. "Every time."


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Northern Illinois University is the heartwarming story of the entire bowl season a Mid-American Conference school receiving a BCS bowl invitation. A blow, as it were, for the little guy.
But lets be frank here. Little guys dont ever get a fair shake in an institution as big as college football. The system is gamed against it, which is why you see so many big conferences absorbing planetoids here and there. The Shakedown is coming, and the big will eat the medium-sized and leave the small to fend for themselves.
Darwin would whistle in admiration. And fear.
Northern Illinois joy, though, is both the gold-painted rock, and the creepy crawlies beneath, and this has nothing to do with Northern Illinois. It went 12-1, it did everything required of it, and it deserves the Orange Bowl.
RATTO: Ray's Top 25 -- Final bowl rsums submitted
But fun comes full retail at this level, and Northern Illinois is going to that, and then some, for its big moment.
For one, there is the 17,500-seat guarantee it must meet, one of the many things about the bowl system that mitigates against schools. Northern Illinoiss average attendance this year was 15,670. So the school is already well into the red, and it hasnt even boarded the plane yet.
Then head coach Dave Doeren wont be there, because as part of the games get-out-when-the-getting-is-good coaching culture, he just took the North Carolina State job. You cant keep a man from advancing, but thats strike two.
And strike three is that it draws Florida State, and the possibility of a ferocious beating awaits. Now if that isnt a buzz-killer, nothing is.
Now this wont be a rant about the bowl system being corrupt, because plowing plowed ground is a waste of your time and, more importantly, mine. Nor will it be a paean to a playoff system, which is both exclusionary and will be every bit as pay-in-advance as the bowl system, and will do nothing about the underlying bowls ability to make achievement expensive.
There is, frankly, no way to avoid the soaking Northern Illinois is going to represent this January. When the money meets the weight room, college sports holds the same charm as loan sharking. In fact, if loan sharks sold sweatshirts at 95 a copy, the two industries would be at each others throats in court constantly.
The system works fine for some schools, of course. It will work fine for Stanford, for example, because it will go to the Rose Bowl against a beatable foe in Wisconsin, and because its the Rose Bowl, Stanford will make a nice piece of jack. Not only that, it keeps its coach, David Shaw (unless someone wants to triple his money), and even if there were a shortfall, the endowments the athletic wing of the university holds will keep it from going broke even if it offered all its service for free for the next 50-some-odd years.
RATTO: Stanford faces future with roses at their feet
And remember, Stanford is one of those schools that doesnt travel well. It didnt even travel well to the Pac-12 championship, which was on its own grounds. This was treated as a scandal of highest proportions until a quick look at the other conference championships showed that only one, the SEC championship, sold out. Everywhere else, there were acres of empty seats, which tells us two things.
One, in the SEC, football is 14 Christmases. Two, everywhere else, the conference championship is not the riveting event its producers claim it is.
In short, there is a finite demand for college football in America, and the places where it is the biggest thing in town does not change the situation for all those schools where it isnt even the biggest thing on campus.
And Northern Illinois is the living breathing embodiment of that truth. This is the biggest thing the football program has ever produced, and the hangover is going to be a bitch.
But some day it will get better. NIU will be excluded from the process altogether, because while college football likes stories like NIUs, it makes the NIUs pay dearly for telling them. Its a nice racket, when you get right down to it.
And if youre on the right end of the business model, so is loan sharking.


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A Look Back At The Tennis Career of Li Na
"Li Na has been a fun, powerful, and wonderful player on the WTA tour and, along with her fans, I am sad to hear that she has retired," said WTA Chairman & CEO Stacey Allaster on the announcement of the retirement of Li Na, the Chinese tennis trailblazer, winner of the 2014 Australian Open and the 2011 French Open. "In addition to her amazing tennis abilities and her warm and humorous personality, she is a pioneer who opened doors to tennis for hundreds of millions of people throughout China and Asia. It's hard to be a household name in a nation with 1.4 billion people, but that's what Li Na is. Thanks to all she has achieved and contributed, her legacy is immense and I have no doubt that her contributions to the WTA will be seen for decades to come in China, throughout Asia and the rest of the world. I wish her the best of luck in this next chapter in her life. I will miss her, and I know that while she may be retired from competition, she still will play a big role in the growth of our sport around the world."
Li Na's 15-year professional career featured nine WTA singles titles, two doubles titles and saw her become one of the very best and most popular players in the history of women's tennis.
Li, 32, etched her name in the history books at Roland Garros in 2011 when she became the first Asian player to win a Grand Slam singles title, defeating Top 10 rivals in each of her last four matches. Earlier in 2011 she was the first player from the region to reach a major final, finishing runner-up to Kim Clijsters at the Australian Open. After another run to the final at the Australian Open in 2013, when she was edged by Victoria Azarenka in a dramatic three-setter, Li captured her second Grand Slam title at Melbourne Park in January this year – just the second woman aged over 30 to win the title in the Open Era, after Margaret Court. The victory helped propel Li to World No.2 on February 17, 2014 – the highest ranking ever attained by an Asian player.
Over the course of her career, particularly in later years as her success reached its crescendo, Li's powerful game delivered against the very best. Her 21 wins over Top 5 opponents included two over reigning World No.1s – Serena Williams at Stuttgart in 2008 and Caroline Wozniacki at the 2011 Australian Open. In total she reached 21 WTA singles finals (going 9-12 in those) and in addition to her wins at the Australian Open and Roland Garros was a semifinalist at the US Open and quarterfinalist at Wimbledon.
Along the way, Li established a string of breakthroughs for Chinese tennis, alongside her Grand Slam title triumphs. She was the first to win a WTA singles title (2004 Guangzhou) and first to win a WTA Premier title (2011 Sydney); first to reach a Grand Slam singles quarterfinal (2006 Wimbledon); first to compete in singles at the WTA Finals (2011-13, finishing runner-up to S.Williams on her most recent appearance); and first to crack the singles Top 20 (August 14, 2006), Top 10 (February 1, 2010) and Top 5 (June 6, 2011). As wfaell as representing her country in Fed Cup competition in eight different years she was a three-time Olympian for China (Sydney 2000, Beijing 2008 and London 2012). She also played countrywoman Zheng Jie in the first All-Chinese WTA singles final at Estoril in 2006 (won by Zheng) and earlier this year won the second All-China final in WTA history at Shenzhen, defeating Peng Shuai for the title.
Li's career singles win-loss record was 503-188 with prize money earnings of $16,709,074. She exited the game with a rank of No.6.
The Anatomy of an Upset: Vania King vs. Sara Errani on New Year's Day From Shenzhen Open in China
by Terence Leong
Shenzhen, China – What happens when two top doubles players meet up against each other in singles? It happened in the second round of Shenzhen Open in China when Vania King, ranked No. 85 in singles and the 2010 Wimbledon and US Open doubles champion, faced Sara Errani, ranked No. 7 in singles and No. 1 in doubles, in a New Year's Day confrontation.
King prevailed in a grueling 2 hour 41 minute match 2-6, 7-6(7), 6-3 which started in the afternoon sun of southern China and ended in a chilly evening under the lights. King provided the first upset of a Top 10 player in 2014 on the first day of the New Year.
I caught up with her the morning after the match and got her insights into the flow of the match, some of its key moments and the various momentum swings she weathered to put the match away with a nice margin in the third set.
King disclosed that even seasoned Grand Slam champions can be anxious when it is time to step on the court. "I felt like I went into the match quite nervous, partly because I was playing on center court for the first time in a while," she said. "I hadn't played a tournament in a couple of months so it was getting back and getting used to the mental aspect of being on a big court and playing a top player."
In spite of the nervousness, King came out swinging in the first game and immediately pressured Errani's serve having a breakpoint which wasn't converted. Unfortunately, King was broken in her first two service games while Errani, though pressured, held. The fact that she wasn't holding serve and Errani was, got the first set to 4-0 for Errani, but one felt King was still in it bringing Errani to deuce in games one and three on Errani's serve.
The action was more competitive than the score indicated, but with the set slipping away in a best of three-set match, and yet to get on the board, what would King do to respond? "She (Errani) also started quite well, like solid. She didn't miss much. My tactic that I was trying, wasn't really working, possibly because I was nervous. I wasn't executing as well as I wanted to in the beginning. So around the end of the first/beginning of the second set, I started to think. I tried to be more aggressive because I was trying to do some more tactics in the beginning, like play a little bit high to her backhand, try and open the court, but for various reasons it wasn't working as well as I hoped. So I simplified it for myself, and focused each point on being aggressive and not worrying if I was going to miss or not and slowly I started to be more consistent."
We've all heard this numerous times from pros commentating on televised matches over the years and here was a tour champion reiterating that simple wisdom. When things aren't going right, return to the fundamentals. Focus on each point not the score. Stay aggressive and play each shot one at a time fearlessly. Simple but not easy. With the adjustment, King started to change the results on the court. The first game King won in the match was a break of Errani's serve for 4-1, and she held the next game as well for 4-2. She pressured Errani's next service game with more unconverted breakpoints but the diminutive "Sarretta" from Italy held for 5-2. King double faulted to be broken and give the set to Errani 6-2.
The second set, started out with Errani holding. Also while Errani's drop shots seemed to have worked against King early in the first set, King was now ready to track those down and was drop shotting Errani as well. King staying aggressive and more loose, broke Errani twice and raced out to a 4-1 lead, but Errani clawed back and took the lead 4-5 and King called for her coach again. Both players called for their coaches several times throughout the match. King met with her coach, Alejandro Dulko, during each set, she admitted with a sparkling self-deprecating laugh that the conference with him during the first set "didn't really help" and "it doesn't always help" her make meaningful adjustments to what's happening on court. This time Dulko advised her to attack Errani's forehand more since Errani's backhand was proving solid thus far. After that King says, "I shifted my tactic a little bit and for the rest of the match I tried to attack her forehand a little more because she was giving me time there."
At one point Errani, who is part of the loud grunting school, seemed minorly irritated by the crowd's reaction to her expressive gasps when she saw a drop shot off of King's racquet. The Chinese audience, perhaps the first live tour level tennis tournament for many in attendance, responded with some bemused laughter at the emotive surprise audible from Errani, but in a pure reaction to the sound, not meant to be disrespectful of Errani. In fact, when the appreciative crowd did venture a cheer, there was a lone voice in timid English urging "Come on Miss King" politely a few times endearingly between points.
The second set went to a tie break and King fell behind and held off two match points. I asked her what she was thinking after getting a nice lead, losing that momentum, and then being down match point not once but twice. Again, a return to solid proven basics was her response, "I wasn't thinking about the score," she said. "You shouldn't play differently for the score. You should play the way that you want to play."
So the classic playing one point at a time?
"It works," Vania confirmed.
Especially with the match at risk, allowing King to rally to win the tiebreak 9-7. The crowd roared (that is sooo cliché, but how else do you describe it?) it's approval for a third set of action.
The third set unfolded quickly and had some unique twists. Vania broke first and got to 3-1, but it isn't a break until you hold and Errani broke back the next game for 3-2. Each held to get to 4-3 King up. At this point, the trainer was called and King had to take a medical timeout.
"In the beginning of the third, I felt a little bit of pain in my leg and was hoping it would go away," she said. "I waited a few games to see if it would but it didn't and I had to take the time out."
The right upper thigh injury forced King to "try to finish off the points quicker. Try to be even more aggressive so she couldn't move me wide."
In spite of the injury, King came out and executed well in the colder night air, now over two and a half hours into the match. She broke Errani and would serve for the match. Errani was growing visibly and audibly more frustrated, and after losing a point to bring the game to 30-all, she screamed in anger and slammed her racquet into the court, probably cracking the frame.
Then from the deuce court which was furthest from her chair, Errani slowly worked her way over to her chair to get a replacement racquet and noticeably slowly walked back to get on court to receive. The chair umpire called a time violation against her as she sauntered back into position.
King stayed calm and coolly turned her back towards the suddenly slow motion Errani and seemed unfazed by the entire episode. Bouncing the ball and getting ready for her next serve. I admired how calm and focused King stayed and I think the crowd appreciated it as well, perhaps with some added empathy since we all knew she was now injured and playing a long match in the chillier and chiller evening.
Play resumed. On the second match point for King, Errani's shot was called long, but Errani challenged the call. So the players lingered near the net, stuck in a different kind of no-man's land for tennis, instead of the usual immediate clasp of hands cross net as is tennis's hallmark of sportsmanship. The call was confirmed and Vania King had defeated Sara Errani with her mastery of simple tennis wisdom. Calm your nerves by going back to basics. Play one point at a time. Ignore the score and go for your shots. Stay aggressive. Don't be afraid of making errors.
This may have only been a second round match at the Shenzhen Open, but was certainly the most exciting tennis of the tournament and an example of how a focused mind, constantly recalibrating and relying on her training prevails in the mental and physical battle against another champion.
Running Commentary In A Moment In Time At The ASB Classic In Auckland
By Thaddeus McCarthy
By Dear Fans,
As I am sitting right now in the media box at the ASB Classic in Auckland, New Zealand, I thought that now would be a good time to do some running commentary. Now obviously this article will come out after these matches have been completed, so this is out-of-date technically. But I feel that right at this moment this is a useful conversation to have.
As I write this, the match-up between Ana Ivanovic and Kurumi Nara, the world no. 16 vs no. 81, has just ended. Ana Ivanovic has taken the match 6-2, 6-3. The crowd seated, of which there is about 1,300, got to enjoy some wonderful rallies at the end of the match. A favourite of mine was one where Nara finished the point with a backhand drop volley. The match currently under way is between Lauren Davis and Jamie Hampton. Hampton would have to be the favoured one of these two, as she is about 40 ranks above her. Hampton has just broken Davis's serve for the 2nd time, and the match stands at 5-1. The next match coming up is Garbine Muguruza vs. Venus Williams. No doubt who the crowd favourite will be in this one.
I think it is the common consensus with fans is that they do want to see a Williams/Ivanovic final, as these are the tournaments two biggest drawcards. There are many players who will be doing their best to stop that happening, Muguruza will be no exception. The top seed, Roberta Vinci was knocked out in the opening round by a largely unheard of player, Ana Konjuh. Seeing the form that Ana displayed in the last match I would highly expect her to reach the final stage. In the Hampton match currently into the second set, and with Hampton the superior player at this stage, I will assume that she comes out on top here. She will move on from this to face Venus in the semi-finals. Venus will find it tough going against Hampton, and I think we can look forward to a very good match tomorrow. In the other semi-final we will see Ivanovic face off against Kirsten Flipkens. My expectation for this match is that Ivanovic will come out ahead, watching the Flipkens quarter-final I noticed that she does not have a top spin backhand shot. I would think that this weakness could leave her open. Time will tell.
In the doubles, we are seeing a similar pattern emerging, although somewhat more pronounced. The top seeds, Andrea Hlavackova and Lucie Safarova were knocked out in the quarter-finals. The only one's of the top four seeds remaining are the fourth seeds, Mona Barthel and Megan Moulton-Levy. Again, time will tell whether the top seeds can make it through to the final and become champions. Although I think that is good to have diversity when it comes to tournament winners on the ATP and WTA, I think it is also good to have a strong bunch of players at the top. Much of the hype around the men's game currently has been to do with having the 'Big Four' rivalry. The problem with the women's game worldwide currently has been that there is not really a strong group of players at the top. Lets hope that the womens game in 2014 will see a very strong bunch of players emerging at the top.
It is my hope that the ASB Classic will set the tone for a great year of women's tennis in 2014!
Present Day Serena Williams Far From Her Non-Competitive Pro Debut
By Randy Walker
What else can you say about Serena Williams?
This woman never seemingly ceases to amaze, continuing to stake her claim as the greatest tennis player of all time with a fourth year-end WTA Championship title. Her win in Istanbul was her 57th career singles title and concluded 2013 winning $12.4 million in prize money (she's won $53.9 million in prize money in her career.)
Serena's competitiveness and refusal to lose is the signature attribute of her championship mettle – a topic that her first coach Rick Macci discusses in the forthcoming book "Macci Magic: Extracting Greatness from Yourself and Others" (per order here: http://www.amazon.com/Macci-Magic-Extracting-Greatness-Yourself/dp/1937559254/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1382983133&sr=1-1&keywords=macci+magic)
But, what is so ironic about Serena is how relatively uncompetitive she was in her first professional match.
Unlike her sister Venus, who at age 14 beat world No. 57 Shaun Stafford in her pro match and led world No. 1 Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario 6-3, 3-1 in her second pro match, Serena's pro debut was not nearly as celebrated, successful or competitive, as documented below in the October 29 chapter of my book and mobile app ON THIS DAY IN TENNIS HISTORY (www.TennisHistoryApp.com).
October 29, 1995 – Fourteen-year-old future world No. 1 Serena Williams makes an auspicious, humbling professional debut, losing in the first round of qualifying of the Bell Challenge in Quebec City, Canada to 18-year-old, Anne Miller 6-1, 6-1. The match is played at Club Advantage, a private tennis club in Quebec with little fanfare. Writes Robin Finn of the New York Times, "Instead of a stadium showcase, she competed on a regulation practice court at a tennis club in suburban Vanier, side by side with another qualifying match. There were no spotlights, no introductions, not even any fans. Her court was set a level below a smoky lounge that held a bar, a big-screen television, an ice cream cart and 50 or so onlookers with varying stages of interest in her fate." Says Williams, "I felt bad out there because I lost. I didn't play like I meant to play. I played kind of like an amateur." Says Miller, "I guess I played a celebrity…She has as much power as anybody around, but maybe she needs to play some junior events the way Anna Kournikova has to learn how to become match-tough. There really is no substitute for the real thing. I felt like a complete veteran compared to her."
Miller would go on to a career that was so obscure that only a shell of a bio appears on her on the WTA's website, but she did achieve a top 50 ranking.
Martina Hingis: Rewriting a Fairytale
For most athletes, enshrinement in their sport's Hall of Fame is the pinnacle of lifelong achievement; the International Tennis Hall of Fame, the self-titled "Home of the Legends of Tennis," is no different. Eternal recognition of greatness is truly the highest honor in sport, above the grand slams, the titles, the endorsements and the prize money. At the same time, enshrinement in the Hall of Fame carries a sense of finality; it is meant to close the book on athletes' careers in their minds and the minds of the public, all while allowing the masses to recollect and appreciate all that they achieved. It's the happy ending to the fairytale.
For Martina Hingis, who had twice been denied the chance to end her legendary career on her own terms, induction into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in July marked something completely different.
Shortly after her induction to the International Tennis Hall of Fame, the five-time Grand Slam champion announced that she would be making a return to the WTA in doubles this summer. Hingis has committed to play five events, starting this week at the Southern California Open in Carlsbad. She will partner Daniela Hantuchova for the duration; the pair will also play together in Toronto, Cincinnati, New Haven and at the US Open. For now, Hingis has only planned a comeback in doubles; rumors have nonetheless been circulating that she is merely testing the waters for a full-fledged return in singles.
Whatever Hingis decides, chances are high that her third foray into the fray will be her last. Despite being considered one of the all-time greats in tennis, Hingis' competitive career was comparatively short compared to her contemporaries. Hingis was on top of the world at the tender age of 16, and won all five of her Grand Slam singles titles before the age of 19. Nagging heel and ankle injuries resulted in two surgeries, and Hingis' teenage dream was over at the age of 22.
The Swiss Miss returned in 2005, but as the old saying goes, sequels are never as good as the original. She lost the first singles match of her return in Pattaya City to Marlene Weingärtner. She claimed she had no further plans for a comeback, but success in World TeamTennis prompted her to announce a full comeback for 2006. She added three more titles in her second chapter, including a record fifth in Tokyo, and won the Laureus World Comeback of the Year Award in 2006.
At Wimbledon in 2007, however, Hingis tested positive for trace amounts of cocaine and was handed a two-year suspension from the sport. Despite vehemently proclaiming her innocence, she chose not to fight the ban and retired for a second time. With the recent scandals regarding doping in major professional sports, as well as the ITF's suspension of Viktor Troicki, it's understandable that Hingis' return could be met with some apprehension from critics and conspiracy theorists alike.
Despite her past controversy, Hingis' return has been met with positive fanfare; in addition, her induction into the International Tennis Hall of Fame speaks volumes. A panel of 125 journalists from around the world votes for the incoming class, and in addition to weighing a player's accomplishments, "consideration will be given to integrity, sportsmanship and character." With her immortality recorded in Newport, the book was thought to be closed on Hingis' career.
However, between injuries and a suspension, one of the game's greats never got to write her own ending.
Hingis, unlike other prodigies in sport, has always had a deep-seeded love for her craft; in return, tennis fans around the world have a deep-seeded love for her court craft, guile and intelligence. Despite two "careers," Hingis never had a farewell tour. This is her chance. Every good story has character development, plot twists, and perhaps most importantly, a resolution. It seems only right that she gets the chance to begin (and end) the final chapter of a storied career on her terms.
From Coast to Coast: WTA Carlsbad and Washington Previews
As the Premier Five tournament in Canada looms, four of the top ten women hone their skills at tournaments on opposite coasts. The resort atmosphere at Carlsbad, long a player favorite, contrasts with the urban surroundings of the national capital.
Top half: World No. 3 Victoria Azarenka has not lost a match away from clay all season. Of course, Azarenka has played only four matches away from clay since winning the Doha title in February. Walkovers and withdrawals ended her campaigns at Indian Wells, Miami, and Wimbledon, so attention will hover around her battered knee this week. Azarenka's health may attract even more attention than it would otherwise because she faces a relatively mild early slate of opponents. An all-Italian battle between Flavia Pennetta and Francesca Schiavone tantalizes only for nostalgic reasons, and Urszula Radwanska seems little more likely than her elder sister to vanquish Vika. Among the surprises of the spring was Jelena Jankovic, a semifinalist in Miami and quarterfinalist at Roland Garros. Jankovic troubled Azarenka in her prime, but the momentum has shifted in that rivalry to reflect their divergent career arcs
The most compelling first-round match in Carlsbad will pit defending champion Dominika Cibulkova against former No. 1 Ana Ivanovic. Defeating Bartoli to win last year's title, Cibulkova exploited a much weaker draw in the week of the Olympics. Still, she will bring plenty of confidence from her title at Stanford, whereas coaching turmoil once again enshrouds the Serb. The route will not grow much smoother for whoever survives that early test. Although the second round looks uneventful, Roberta Vinci could await in the quarterfinals. This crafty Italian has domianted Cibulkova on all surfaces, winning five straight from her, and she has taken her last three outdoor matches from Ivanovic. The relatively slow surface in San Diego should help Vinci outlast the heavy serve of Bethanie Mattek-Sands before then.
Semifinal: Azarenka vs. Vinci
Bottom half: Around this time last year, Petra Kvitova caught fire with a Premier Five title at the Rogers Cup and a semifinal in Cincinnati. The somewhat slower surface in San Diego may suit her game less well than those events, and North America historically has not brought out her best tennis. A rematch of her epic Australian Open loss to Laura Robson might await in the second round. Both women have oscillated wildly in their results this year, suggesting another rollercoaster ahead. A former Carlsbad champion lurks unobtrusively near eighth seed Carla Suarez Navarro, enjoying her best season so far. That former champion, Svetlana Kuznetsova, has revived her career with two major quarterfinals in 2013. An abdominal injury has sidelined Kuznetsova since Roland Garros, but she should have time to play herself into the tournament.
The fourth-ranked Agnieszka Radwanska reached finals in each of her last two Carlsbad appearances. Disappointed at Stanford on Sunday, Radwanska wil aim to erase that memory with her second title here. She should outmaneuver Daniela Hantuchova, whom she has defeated here before, and may not have much to fear from Samantha Stosur unless the Aussie's form improves dramatically. Little in Stosur's dismal performance at Stanford boded well for her chances of escaping a challenging opener against Varvara Lepchenko. That 27-year-old American lefty could meet Radwanska in a quarterfinal for the second straight week.
Semifinal: Kuznetsova vs. Radwanska
Final: Azarenka vs. Radwanska
Top half: Overshadowed by the men's event at the same tournament, this WTA International event did succeed in luring a top-10 player as a wildcard. World No. 9 Angelique Kerber has fallen on hard times over the last few months, so a dip in the quality of opposition could prove just what the doctor ordered. Some of the women who might face her in the quarterfinals exited early at Stanford. Formerly promising American Christina McHale continues a rebuilding campaign in 2013 against Magdalena Rybarikova. Her period of promise long behind her, Melanie Oudin hopes to stay somewhat relevant nearly four years after her illusory surge at the US Open.
Like McHale, Rybarikova, and Kiki Bertens in the top quarter, Madison Keys looks to bounce back from a disappointing Stanford loss. Anchoring the second quarter, she might meet star junior Taylor Townsend in a second-round preview of future matches on more momentous stages. The reeling but canny Monica Niculescu hopes to fluster Townsend with her distinctive style before then. More young talent stands atop the section in Canada's Eugenie Bouchard and France's Caroline Garcia. These impressive phenoms must navigate around Australian Open quarterfinalist Ekaterina Makarova, a lefty like Townsend. Plenty of storylines and suspense will unfold in a very short time.
Bottom half: Building on her momentum from Stanford, Sorana Cirstea eyes one of the draw's softer sections. Home hope Alison Riske looks to prove herself as a threat outside the small grass event in Birmingham, while Heather Watson traces the same trajectory as McHale on the long, slow road back from mononucleosis. Ending her clay season on a high note, Alize Cornet won an International title in May. But she threatens much less on hard courts and might well fall victim to the enigmatic Yanina Wickmayer at the outset.
By far the most established of the home threats, second seed Sloane Stephens faces high expectations this summer. American fans know much more about the Australian Open semifinalist, Wimbledon quarterfinalist, and conqueror of Serena Williams than they did a year ago. The 15th-ranked Stephens has produced much more convincing tennis at majors than at non-majors, where she barely has cracked the .500 threshold in 2013. Her sturdiest pre-semifinal obstacle could come in the form of Andrea Petkovic, still producing results more disappointing than encouraging in her comeback from serious injuries. A relatively minor illness may blunt Petkovic's injuries this week, though, while compatriot Mona Barthel retired from her last tournament with a sore shoulder.
Final: Makarova vs. Stephens
Future Stars Earning Their Stripes: Rising Americans in Stanford and Atlanta
Among the annual narratives of the US Open Series are the glimpses of rising American talents on both Tours. The first week of the 2013 Series shone a spotlight on a dozen of these players in Atlanta and Stanford, small events without draws too daunting. Some took advantage of the breathing room this week, while others allowed opportunities to escape them.
Ryan Harrison: He had not reached an ATP quarterfinal since early January, compiling barely more wins in 2013 than one could count on the figures of one hand. But Harrison ended that drought and bolstered his sagging ranking by weathering a pair of rollercoasters against higher-ranked opponents. He outlasted Marinko Matosevic and the fourth-seeded Igor Sijsling more from superior determination than superior tennis. Under the Friday night lights, Harrison will face Santiago Giraldo in a rematch of an Australian Open meeting that he won comfortably. A first career final is not inconceivable.
Christian Harrison: Every player must remember the moment of their first victory in the main draw an ATP tournament. For Ryan's 19-year-old brother, that moment came in the first round of Atlanta. While Alejandro Falla entered that match drained from last week's Bogota finals run, Christian still showed impressive grit by battling through three tight sets to upset an opponent ranked 210 places higher. The grit resurfaced a round later, when he fell to the top-seeded Isner by the narrowest of margins. Christian battled a far more powerful, far more experienced opponent deep into the third set, nearly scoring a massive upset.
Jack Sock: A quarterfinalist at Atlanta last year, Sock could not recapture his success despite his clear advantage in power over Santiago Giraldo. This Colombian clay specialist even out-aced Sock on a hard court. Since reaching the quarterfinals in Memphis, Sock has not advanced past the second round of any ATP tournament. Accumulated frustration from those struggles may have contributed to his outbursts of temper in Atlanta. Fans should remember that Sock remains a raw, unfinished talent still a few years away from fulfilling his potential.
Rhyne Williams: Raining aces aplenty on both of his opponents, this prospect established himself as an intimidating server in the mold of many American men before him. Williams powered past compatriot higher-ranked compatriot Denis Kudla in the first round without dropping his serve. He threatened to spring an upset on the seventh-seeded, much more experienced Lleyton Hewitt behind another barrage of aces. But his inexperience showed in the first-set tiebreak, which Williams lost after holding four consecutive set points and donating a costly double fault.
Denis Kudla: The world No. 93 showed promise in North American challengers this spring and by reaching the quarterfinals at Queen's Club. Kudla's modest serve left him at a critical disadvantage against a torrid Williams, so Atlanta fans could not fully appreciate his skills in other areas. He will hope for more advantageous draws as the US Open Series continues.
Tim Smyczek: Just behind Williams in the rankings, Smyczek earned attention at the Australian Open when he upset Ivo Karlovic and won a set from David Ferrer. Since that promising statement, Smyczek has won just three main-draw matches at ATP tournaments. Curiously, two of those have come against notable opponents in Fernando Verdasco and Sam Querrey. Smyczek needs to exploit opportunities in winnable matches better than in his loss to James Blake. At 5-5 in the third set, he could not convert break points that might have sealed the match.
Jamie Hampton: Like Smyczek, Hampton emerged on the radar of observant fans in Melbourne, where she won a set from eventual champion Victoria Azarenka. A clay upset of Petra Kvitova signaled a second peak in June, marked by a stirring run to the Eastbourne final as a qualifier. The 23-year-old Hampton holds a seed for the first time this week. She carried that burden with mixed results in her opener, striking over 50 winners while spraying plenty of careless errors. A semifinal looms against Agnieszka Radwanska, whom she defeated in Eastbourne. She must clean up her game by then.
Madison Keys: In a tale of two matches, Keys dominated eighth seed Magdalena Rybarikova and then fell quietly to qualifier Vera Dushevina. Eagerness to find a successor to the Williams sisters, which Keys could become, should not blind onlookers to the inconsistency in her results this year. She often plays to the level of her competition, a trait common among young, raw talents, and more growing pains will lie ahead before we can rely on her as a late-week threat. Stanford brought a dose of optimism and a dash of realism, a healthy recipe for both Keys and her fans to consume.
Christina McHale: A once-promising talent veered off the rails when McHale fell victim last year to mononucleosis, often a death sentence for tennis careers. The New Jersey native has time to regroup, though, for she just turned 21 in May. McHale has advanced past the second round at only one tournament (Doha) in the last 11 months, but she has troubled top-15 opponents such as Li Na, Sara Errani, and Maria Kirilenko this year. Still searching for confidence, she won just four games from Urszula Radwanska in the first round of Stanford.
Coco Vandeweghe: Reaching last year's Stanford final as a lucky loser, she qualified for the main draw this time and routed her first opponent. The somewhat less inconsistent Sorana Cirstea then ended Vandeweghe's bid for another breakthrough. Back inside the top 200, the Southern California slugger wields a huge serve—and not much else. She accomplished about as much as one could expect in the context of her year overall.
Mallory Burdette: Unfortunate to draw Marion Bartoli in the first round last year, Burdette enjoyed only slightly better fortune by facing Francesca Schiavone in this year's opener. The Italian has feasted on inexperienced players like the Stanford alum, who became a full-time pro last fall. Despite her dwindling form, Schiavone pulled away in straight sets to hand Burdette her fourth straight loss. She will hope for less thorny draws as the US Open Series progresses.
Nicole Gibbs: The best player in NCAA women's tennis again received a wildcard to the tournament at her university. Gibbs produced a result similar on paper to her Stanford appearance in 2012, when she won one match before losing the second. But her three-set dogfight with the fourth-seeded Hampton revealed the toughness behind her gentle demeanor. Gibbs easily could have grown disheartened after failing to serve out the second set, or after falling behind 0-4 in the third. Her resilience in both of those situations suggested that she has the heart to succeed in the WTA, if perhaps not the weapons.
Anne Keothavong Calls it a Career
Anne Keothavong, who spent a sizable portion of her career as Great Britain's No. 1 tennis player, announced her decision to retire from professional tennis on Wednesday. In a career that spanned 12 years, the 29-year-old Keothavong won 20 titles on the ITF circuit and reached seven WTA semifinals; in fact, she was the only British player to reach a WTA semifinal in the 20-year period from 1992 to 2012.
"I have given my decision a lot of thought and I believe this is the right time to move on to the next stage of my career," she said. "I have had some magical moments along the way. I think I am leaving tennis in excellent shape with both Laura Robson and Heather Watson leading the way for Britain in the women's game."
In her most successful period, Keothavong made her top 100 debut in May 2008 and arrived in the top 50 in February 2009 at a career-high of No. 48; at that point, she was the first British woman to be ranked in the top 50 in 16 years. During that time, she reached the third round of the US Open in 2008 and recorded three of her career semifinals in 2009.
Unfortunately, numerous injuries halted the progress of her career, and the worst of these came as Keothavong was having that career year in 2009. At the Bank of the West Classic in Stanford, Keothavong ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament and meniscus in her left knee during a doubles match. She had previously suffered a similar injury early in her career in 2004. Keothavong was unable to play another match that year, and her ranking slipped to the lower rung of the top 100.
Keothavong's career was defined by her incredible tenacity and determination, both on the court and off it. Despite a litany of injuries including not one, but two knee surgeries, she bounced back each time. In her return to the main tour following her knee surgery in 2010, Keothavong reached the semifinals in Memphis by defeating Kristina Barrios, Michelle Larcher de Brito and Karolina Sprem in straight sets; she fell in three sets to eventual runner-up Sofia Arvidsson in the semifinals. Later that year, she reached her second semifinal in Luxembourg on the back of a protected ranking.
Backed by her big serve an forehand, Keothavong played in the main draw at Wimbledon for 13 consecutive years. Unbeknownst to spectators at the time, Keothavong's last career match came at Wimbledon this year in a first round loss to Garbiñe Muguruza. Nonetheless, it seemed somewhat fitting that Great Britain's most successful player of the past two decades got to close out her career at home on Centre Court.
Keothavong and Elena Baltacha, who flew the Union Jack on the WTA for the better part of a decade, have left an impression on British women's tennis that far outshines their results. The pair help bridge the generational gap from Jo Durie and Sam Smith to Heather Watson and Laura Robson.While neither were praised as natural or fluid ball-strikers in the vein that Robson has been, the pair maximized their talents through hard work. In addition, both showed incredible dedication to playing for their country; Keothavong played 14 ties for Great Britain in Fed Cup, contesting 44 total matches.
In retirement, Keothavong will join the BT Sport broadcast team that will cover 21 WTA events, including the WTA Championships.
The Series Is Open: Previewing WTA Stanford (and Baku)
The women's US Open Series launches in California with one of the oldest tournaments in the WTA. In the tranquil setting of Stanford University, the Bank of the West Classic a particularly cozy and rewarding tournaments. Here is a look ahead at what to expect this week at Stanford and at the International event half a world away in Azerbaijan.
Top half: Rarely do Serena Williams, Maria Sharapova, and Victoria Azarenka all spurn Stanford. Their absence this year offers world No. 4 Agnieszka Radwanska an opportunity as the only top-10 player in the draw. The top seed probably still can taste the bitter disappointment of a greater opportunity squandered at Wimbledon. Radwanska will seek to bounce back on a relatively fast hard court, where she has reached the semifinals before. She should reach that stage again with no pre-semifinal opponent more formidable than Varvara Lepchenko, just 2-9 away from clay this year. A potentially intriguing first-round match between youthful energy and veteran cunning pits Stanford alum Mallory Burdette against Roland Garros champion Francesca Schiavone.
Sandwiched between two unimpressive seeds, Madison Keys should showcase her power on a court suited to it. American fans will enjoy their glimpse of the woman who could become their leading threat to win a major in a few years. Keys will look to deliver an opening upset over eighth seed Magdalena Rybarikova en route to a possible quarterfinal against compatriot Jamie Hampton. Climbing into relevance with an Eastbourne final, Hampton holds the fourth seed and may face another Stanford alum in Nicole Gibbs. Hampton stunned Radwanska at Eastbourne last month, while Keys took a set from her at Wimbledon.
Semifinal: Radwanska vs. Keys
Bottom half: The third quarter features another unseeded American hopeful—and another Radwanska. Stanford's depleted field allowed Agnieszka's younger sister, Urszula, to snag the seventh seed, while Christina McHale looks for momentum on the long road back from mononucleosis. Still elegant as she fades, Daniela Hantuchova brings a touch of grace that should contrast with the athleticism of first-round opponent Yanina Wickmayer. Often a presence but rarely a threat at Stanford, third seed Dominika Cibulkova has not won more than two matches at any tournament since January.
The only US Open champion in the draw, Samantha Stosur might face a challenging test against Julia Goerges. This enigmatic German has won three of their four meetings, including both on hard courts, although the last three all have reached a third set. Of course, a 14-17 record in 2013 does not bode well for her chances of surviving Olga Govortsova in the first round. The road might not get any easier for Stosur in the quarterfinals, though, where she could meet Sorana Cirstea. A product of the Adidas training program in Las Vegas, Cirstea upset Stosur at last year's Australian Open. None of the women in the lower half ever has reached a final at Stanford.
Semifinal: Cibulkova vs. Stosur
Final: Radwanska vs. Stosur
Top half: Not one of these women will hold a seed at the US Open unless their rankings rise between now and then. Holding the top seed is Bojana Jovanovski, who owes many of her poitns to a second-week appearance at the Australian Open. Jovanovski has two victories over Caroline Wozniacki but few over anyone else since then. Former junior No. 1 Daria Gavrilova and fellow Serb Vesna Dolonc offer her most credible competition before the semifinals.
At that stage, Jovanovski might meet Andrea Hlavackova, the runner-up in a similarly weak draw at Bad Gastein a week ago. Although she has fallen outside the top 100, meanwhile, Shahar Peer will hope to rely on her experience to stop either Hlavackova or third seed Chanelle Scheepers. The speed of the surface may determine whether a counterpuncher like Peer or Scheepers overcomes the heavier serve of fifth seed Karolina Pliskova.
Bottom half: Unheralded players from the home nation often play above expectations at small tournaments like Baku. Wildcard Kamilla Farhad, an Azerbaijani citizen, will hope to echo Yvonne Meusberger's astonishing title run in Bad Gastein. Surrounding her are clay specialist Alexandra Cadantu and the stagnating Polona Hercog. A tall Slovenian, the later woman seems the best equipped to win on hard courts from this section. Cadantu will need to blunt the explosive serve of Michaella Krajicek to survive her opener.
The 18-year-old Elina Svitolina showed promise in Bad Gastein by reaching the semifinals. That experience will have served her well heading into another International event with an open draw. She even holds a seed here, as does another rising star in Donna Vekic. Nearly two years younger than Svitolina, Vekic already has reached two WTA finals. A quarterfinal between the two teenagers might offer a preview of more momentous matches in the future.
Final: Pliskova vs. Vekic
Holding Out for a Hero
The word hero, in all of its various forms, is thrown around quite often in sports. Professional athletes are placed on a pedestal, expected to walk the straight and narrow and act as role models for the youth of the world. In tennis, the word hero is often associated with the word gladiator. Matches are played out one-on-one in an enclosed arena. When players come through long and arduous matches, they are hailed as warriors and fighters. The WTA's previous global ad campaign, entitled "Looking for a Hero?", was one of its most successful.
An athlete isn't a hero because he uses physical strength and endurance to win. That's his job. An athlete isn't a hero because she goes out and wins multiple championships. That's her goal. Heroism isn't playing through an injury and coming out with a victory, and heroism isn't rolling through the field to win a grand slam.
Despite all that, the word hero has not lost its luster in sports.
The ESPYs, ESPN's annual fan-driven award show to celebrate athletic achievement in the past calendar year, takes itself far more seriously than it should. Ironically, it is the only awards show in the history of awards shows that doesn't actually signify achievement in anything. Actors and directors measure their careers based on Oscars and Golden Globes, while musicians covet Grammys. But athletes? Each individual sport has its championships and each individual organization has its awards, medals and accolades. From the outside, the ESPYs seem like a colossal waste of time; in fact, they might even represent everything that's wrong with professional sports today: over-the-top pomp and circumstance, glossy hero-worship, excessive media hype and dollar signs.
However, for approximately 20 minutes each year, the ESPYs do give us one thing: the chance to be inspired by a true hero. The Arthur Ashe Award for Courage is one of the only awards of the night that is not decided by fan voting; it is completely independent of the popularity contest and media circus. The award is presented to someone who "reflects the spirit of Arthur Ashe, possessing strength in the face of adversity, courage in the face of peril and the willingness to stand up for their beliefs no matter what the cost." While a sports-themed award, the recipient does not have to be an athlete or even a sports figure; nonetheless, its honorees have given us some of the most memorable moments in sports history. In the first year of the ESPYs, Jimmy V told us, "Don't give up. Don't ever give up." Last year, we backed Pat and she told us to "keep on keeping on."
Last night, Robin Roberts received the 20th Arthur Ashe Award for Courage in the history of the ESPYs. Roberts, who has ties to the tennis family, is currently an anchor for ABC's Good Morning America. A star athlete in her youth and record-holding basketball player at Southeastern Louisiana, she joined ESPN in 1990 and served with them for 15 years. Roberts was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2007 and after surgery, radiation and chemotherapy, she returned back to the airwaves. Last year, however, she was diagnosed with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), a disease that developed as a side effect from her treatment. Roberts needed, and received, a bone marrow transplant that saved her life.
Roberts, who was a friend of Ashe and was presented the award by LeBron James, received a standing ovation from those present in the arena. "It's not so much what we've accomplished that we remember," Roberts said in her acceptance speech, "it's what we overcome."
Despite all of its flaws, the ESPYs, and by extension sport as a whole, provides viewers with a stage to have these stories told. Athletes and sports figures can be heroes, but not solely for athletic achievement; Jimmy V, Pat, Robin and others are figures that transcend sports. They've taken up a platform and embraced that stage for the greater good. That is the thing, and not the number of championships, golds medals, or slam trophies present in their cabinets, that is the most inspiring.


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JOHANNESBURG – South Africa's troubled public broadcaster revealed Monday that the chairman of the board and his deputy have resigned amid allegations of political interference.
Ben Ngubane was appointed chairman by President Jacob Zuma in 2009, and his deputy, Thami ka Plaatjie, joined in June 2012.
The South African Broadcasting Corporation reported that the resignations came as Communication Minister Dina Pule "appealed for the board to resolve its internal disagreements."
Zuma's office said he had received the resignation notices and was considering them.
Ngubane has been criticized for allowing the state broadcaster to become a mouthpiece for the ruling African National Congress and for Zuma. "They blatantly abused the SABC's platforms," to support Zuma's re-election at an ANC conference last year, the opposition Democratic Alliance alleged, urging Zuma to accept the resignations.


text:
powder room drywall
does powder room drywall need to be the green type that is moisture resistant or can it be the regular kind because there is not so much humidity in a powder room (at least not as much as in a bathroom where you take showers)?
i plan to only have a tile baseboard with the rest of the walls just painted. i suppose that could make a difference.
i would say since there is no tub or shower standard drywall would be ok as you were thinking.
amakarevic, Or you could just put moisture board at the sink area just to be safe.
Also remember to keep all the drywall 1/2" off of the floor when you install it.:thumbup:
No, all you need is regular 1/2".
Green board should only be used around tubs and showers, and even then it's actually inadequate and the wrong material.
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text:
I try to put some name and password and writes 'incorrect password'. The
keyboard does not work when i try to put the password and so i press 'space'
and then i put a password. What login name and password should i give?
It also gives me some error about ntfs and says to remove the 'safely remove hardware' icons from the icon bar but i don't have any. If you need exact text
then i will send it.


text:
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23 June 2017 01:03
POLICE are appealing for witnesses after a van was stolen in Rhuddlan.
The incident occurred at 12pm on Thursday, May 29, when the offender entered a white Ford Transit van on Hylas Lane, near Rhuddlan Castle.
They then proceeded to drive the vehicle away from the scene along Abbey Road.
The van has a distinctive blue signature on the side, reading 'I D Anderson,' and the registration plate for the vehicle is AF08 0TR.
PC 2533 Catrin Davies said: "House-to-house inquiries were undertaken in the area shortly after the incident happened but I'm keen to speak to anyone who was in the area at the time and who saw the van being driven away.
"I urge anyone who saw anything to please get in touch with me or my colleagues by phoning 101."
Alternatively, people with information can contact the Crimestoppers charity anonymously on 0800 555 111.
Comments are closed for this story.
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text:
The Equal Opportunity for Women in the Workplace Agency: Equity for Women Under an Individualised Employment System
Strachan, Glenda & French, Erica L. (2008) The Equal Opportunity for Women in the Workplace Agency: Equity for Women Under an Individualised Employment System. In Michelson, Grant, Jamieson, Suzanne, & Burgess, John (Eds.) New employment actors : developments from Australia. Peter Lang, Bern, pp. 109-131.
The Workplace Relations Amendment (WorkChoices) Act 2005 has profoundly changes the industrial relations landscape in Australia and researchers have expressed deep concern about increased inequality. The reduction in minimum protections, increased local workplace and individual bargaining and extremely limited protection against unfair dismissal means that women workers, particularly those in low paid jobs, face the prospect of greater job insecurity, greater likelihood of pay inequity and more varied working conditions across the labour force. We contend that the new legislation displays a lack of gender consciousness with no recognition of systemic discrimination anf the resultant inequality of women at work.
Impact and interest:
Citation counts are sourced monthly from Scopus and Web of Science® citation databases.
These databases contain citations from different subsets of available publications and different time periods and thus the citation count from each is usually different. Some works are not in either database and no count is displayed. Scopus includes citations from articles published in 1996 onwards, and Web of Science® generally from 1980 onwards.
Citations counts from the Google Scholar™ indexing service can be viewed at the linked Google Scholar™ search.
|ID Code:
|Item Type:
|Book Chapter
|Additional Information:
|For more information about this book please refer to the publisher's website (see link) or contact the author.
|Additional URLs:
|Equality, Equal Opportunity, Women, Workplace, Industrial Relations
|Australian and New Zealand Standard Research Classification > COMMERCE MANAGEMENT TOURISM AND SERVICES (150000) > BUSINESS AND MANAGEMENT (150300) > Human Resources Management (150305)
Australian and New Zealand Standard Research Classification > COMMERCE MANAGEMENT TOURISM AND SERVICES (150000) > BUSINESS AND MANAGEMENT (150300) > Industrial Relations (150306)
|Current > Research Centres > Australian Centre for Business Research
Current > QUT Faculties and Divisions > QUT Business School
|Copyright Owner:
|Copyright 2008 Peter Lang
|Deposited On:
|14 Oct 2008 00:00
|Last Modified:
|29 Feb 2012 13:43
Export: EndNote | Dublin Core | BibTeX
Repository Staff Only: item control page


text:
[Date Index]
[Thread Index]
[Author Index]
Re: Forcing a Derivative
You have to actually put the FUNCTION in the Derivative[x][function]
statement and then append a [x] to evaluate at an x value. I assume that you
really want the product of the two functions.
f[x_] = x^2 + 7;
g[x_] = 3x^3 + 23;
Derivative[2][Function[x, f[x]g[x]]]
Function[x, 18*x*f[x] + 2*g[x] +
36*x^3 + 18*x*(7 + x^2) + 2*(23 + 3*x^3)
Or using the slot form
Derivative[2][f[#]g[#] &]
2*g[#1] + 18*f[#1]*#1 + 2*Derivative[1][f][#1]*
Derivative[1][g][#1] &
36*x^3 + 18*x*(7 + x^2) + 2*(23 + 3*x^3)
This checks with the usual method of taking the derivative.
D[f[x]g[x], {x, 2}]
36*x^3 + 18*x*(7 + x^2) + 2*(23 + 3*x^3)
David Park
djmp at earthlink.net
From: Scott Guthery [mailto:sguthery at mobile-mind.com]
To: mathgroup at smc.vnet.net
How does one force Derivative[n] to actually take the derivative?
For example if ...
f[x_] = x^2 + 7
g[x_]=3x^3 + 23
Derivative[2][f * g]
just puts a couple of primes on the product rather than actually computing
the dervative.
Thanks for any insight.
Cheers, Scott


text:
The St. Regis Deer Valley
2300 Deer Valley Drive East
Phone: (435) 940-5700
Park City, UT 84060
Featured Speakers:
Antonin Scalia
John S. Baker, Jr.
Supreme Court Associate Justice Antonin Scalia and Professor John Baker, Visiting Professor at Georgetown Law School, Visiting Fellow at Oriel College at the University of Oxford, and Professor Emeritus at Lousiana State University Law School, will teach a ten-hour CLE course on the courts, standing, the non-delegation doctrine, and appointments and removal, as they relate to the separation of powers. This course is offered exclusively to Federalist Society members.
Class size is limited.
Registration fee includes full 10 hour course taught by Justice Scalia and Prof. Baker, CLE materials, & two evening receptions. Registrants will receive the CLE materials in advance, which are expected to be read before the course.
Registration is now closed.
Registration is only open to current dues-paying
members of the Federalist Society.
If you are logged into the website and are a member in good standing, you will see a message at the bottom of this page confirming your status. If you are still not sure that you are a member in good standing, please login to your My FedSoc profile and check the Status and History page. You may also call our Membership Department at 202-822-8138 or email firstname.lastname@example.com. Join or renew your membership online HERE. You will be removed from the attendee list within a week of registering if we cannot confirm that you are a current dues-paying member in good standing.
Also, upon full payment for your registration, $200 will act as a NON-REFUNDABLE DEPOSIT. If you cancel your registration by July 29, 2013, the remainder of your registration fee will be refunded. After July 29, 2013, no refunds will be issued.
Registration rates for members only:
- $375 - Private Sector members
- $325 - Government, Non-Profit, Faculty members
- $275 - Student members (Students must be current Federalist Society law student members. This means you must be an active student member of an active student chapter of the Federalist Society, verified by the Student Division, in our national office. There are a limited number of student seats available for this event. If you are a student and are unable to register because it is full, please email Juli Nix below with your interest in attending and she will place you on the wait list.)
Registration fee includes full 10 hour course taught by Justice Scalia and Prof. Baker, CLE materials, & two evening receptions. Registrants will receive the CLE materials in advance, which are expected to be read before the course. Please make sure your mailing address is correct when registering.
Please call Juli Nix with any questions at 202-822-8138 or email firstname.lastname@example.com.
Attendees are responsible for reserving their own accomodations for the conference, please contact the St. Regis, Deer Valley at 435-940-5858 (please specify "The Federalist Society" when making the reservation) or reserve online at, https://www.starwoodmeeting.com/StarGroupsWeb/res?id=1305025609&key=93EF4. Registrants must secure hotel rooms no later than July 29, 2013 in order to ensure availability of discounted room rate of $245 per night. Please note that there are additional charges, including portage, housekeeping, parking and other fees.
The St. Regis, Deer Valley is located approximately 35 miles from the Salt Lake City airport. Rental cars are available at the airport. Shuttle transportation can be arranged from the Salt Lake City Airport through several shuttle services.
When registering, please remember to include
your CLE jurisdiction in the provided text box.


text:
Click Here To Schedule Service Now!
Car repair in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey | Parkway Toyota
Parkway Toyota knows how integral your vehicle is to your daily life. To keep your vehicle in top condition, make sure to schedule oil changes and check-ups regularly. Our center for Toyota service in Englewood Cliffs has a high-tech facility designed to help prevent break-downs and other issues. If you are in need of auto repair in Englewood Cliffs, Parkway Toyota is the place to go. With certified technicians and unparalleled customer service, we are sure we can provide you with the car repair in Englewood Cliffs you need to get your vehicle back on the road quickly. You can use our convenient online service appointment form or give us a call at (877) 224-1558 to set up an appointment for maintenance or auto repair in Englewood Cliffs you will be glad you chose Parkway Toyota to resolve your vehicle's issues correctly the first time! We look forward to serving customers from Manhattan, the Bronx, Hackensack, and Jersey Cit y.


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Jennifer Lawrence, Liam Hemsworth and Josh Hutcherson weren't the only stars required to change up their appearance for The Hunger Games (in theaters March 23).
PHOTOS: What to expect in The Hunger Games movie
"We bleached 500 people's eyebrows, and 75 background actress actually let us dye their hair those crazy colors," head hairstylist Linda Flowers says in Us Weekly's Hunger Games special (on newsstands now).
VIDEO: Katniss meets stylist Cinna for the first time in The Hunger Games
Flowers and her team of 45 stylists worked around the clock for a month to create the 450 wigs and pieces that define the upper-crust Capitol citizens. "It was like a factory: We had sewing machines, dyeing areas and shelves and shelves of hair," Flowers explains. "It was a lot of work, but so much fun. The actors were up for anything!"
Perhaps the most over-the-top character is Effie Trinket, played by Elizabeth Banks, 38. "Effie is a little cooky, a little Marie Antoinette, a little Paris from the '40s," Banks tells Us. "It's a big mishmash."
VIDEO: Jennifer Lawrence shines at The Hunger Games premiere
In addition to her multiple wigs and bright makeup, Banks' manicures took 45 minutes a day to apply -- and she had different nails to match each of her six outfits.
"I loved all of it. I loved disappearing," Banks says. "It was totally transformational as an actress."
For much more on the movie, including 125 gorgeous photos and exclusive interviews, pick up Us Weekly's Hunger Games special -- available on newsstands now. Order it today!
Get more Us! Follow us on Twitter, Friend us on Facebook, Subscribe to Us Weekly


text:
|Whitehead, Terence
Submitted to: Society of Industrial Microbiology Annual Meeting
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/7/1997
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A Interpretive Summary:
Technical Abstract: Members of the genera Bacteroides and Porphyromonas are capable of causing diseases in humans. Genetic evaluations of these organisms are important for determining factors involved in the development of certain diseases. A reporter gene for transcriptional fusions may prove useful for studies of gene regulation in these organisms. Bacteroides ovatus is a normal inhabitant of the human intestinal tract and is one of the few Bacteroides species capable of degrading xylan, a major component of fiber in the diet. A gene encoding for a novel bifunctional xylosidase/arabinosidase (XA) has previously been cloned in our laboratory from B. ovatus V975 as part of a xylan-inducible operon. The XA gene was isolated from the operon by polymerase chain reaction cloning and inserted into the E. coli plasmid pBlueScript. The XA gene was placed under transcriptional regulation in E. coli by the lac promoter, and both activities could be induced with IPTG. The XA gene was subcloned into E. coli/Bacteroides shuttle vectors and introduced into different Bacteroides species and Porphyromonas gingivalis by conjugation. The results of transcriptional fusions in these organisms were evaluated. The advantages of the XA reporter system are the low background or total lack of arabinosidase and xylosidase activities in most Bacteroides species, P. gingivalis, and E. coli and the ease of performing enzymatic assays. In addition, bacterial colonies can be screened directly for gene expression on agar plates by using methylumbelliferyl derivatives as substrates for either enzymatic activity and determining colony fluorescence under ultraviolet light.


text:
Suzie's Farm closes
Owners were losing five-digit figures each week
Barbara Zaragoza 3:01 p.m., June 27
A 15 year employee of healthcare provider Kaiser Permanente has filed suit against the company for wrongful termination, discrimination, libel, and a host of other matters related to her firing in May.
Antionette Abram claims that two other employees at Kaiser's Clairemont Mesa laboratory became openly hostile with her in 2010, an expressed an intent to "cause her problems in the workplace," according to Abram's complaint.
Responsible for making sure the laboratory was clear and all samples processed that day had been shipped out before leaving work, Abram says that the other employees intentionally hid and/or discarded samples, then retrieved them before she arrived at work in the morning and placed them in random locations, creating the appearance that she had not properly performed her closing tasks the day prior.
Complaints to management and her union representative did not help matters for several months, the complaint continues. In July of 2010, one of the harassing coworkers left a collection of blood samples unattended, in violation of Kaiser policy and witnessed by several of Abram's other coworkers. She and the others then elevated the complaint to a higher-ranking supervisor. The incident resulted in the termination of the worker, though when the second supervisor was transferred out of the lab Abram says her immediate boss Linda Mercurio was angry about having the failures in her department exposed to senior management and began seeking a reason to terminate her.
The harassment continues, Abram claims, including in a meeting with a union rep after she'd been placed on involuntary leave and was accused of "stealing company property" for using water obtained at her office building to rinse off the window of her car.
Abram seeks both compensatory and punitive damages, as well as to have her employment at Kaiser reinstated.
Huh? For no reason at all, there's this mysterious conspiracy to make it look like she isn't doing her job? Sorry, but if she engenders that level of hatred in the workplace, she's got to go.
You clown, Kaiser is KNOWN and notorious for unethical and unlawful work place management, and there is NO DOUBT that the claim has merit.
Agreed. But outsiders seldom really know the whole story. There are nuances to the whole situation that can result in some very strange goings-on, and that's why a judge or jury is needed to sort it all out. If she's really a victim, I wish her well.
Kaiser is very unethcal, and they have been sued tens of thousnds of times, and they ALWAYS fight a lawsuit, throw money at it-it is their strategy- out spend the otherside.
I am interested to know who is the lawyer handling this case as I need legal representation on a similar situation


text:
Patatas Fritas
Serves 4
I invented the term Basque fries to contrast these potatoes with French fries. Basque fries are already cooked when submerged in hot oil. After only the briefest time in the oil, they are ready to eat-soft on the inside and crispy and crunchy on the outside. This method uses less oil and avoids any fuss about its temperature. I serve Basque Fries with meat and fish.
4 small potatoes (about 3/4 pound)
1/2 cup olive oil
1. Put the potatoes into a saucepan, and add enough water to cover them by several inches. Bring the water to a boil over medium-high heat, reduce the heat to low, and cook the potatoes for about 20 minutes, until they are fork-tender. Drain the potatoes, and set them aside to cool.
2. Peel the potatoes, and cut them into strips or crosswise slices.
3. In a deep skillet, heat the oil over high heat until it is very hot. Add the potatoes, and cook them for about 1 minute, or just until they are golden. Drain them on two layers of paper towels, salt them to taste, and serve them hot.
The Basque Table
Passionate Home Cooking from one
of Europe's Great Regional Cuisines
By Teresa Barrenechea with Mary Goodbody
Harvard Common Press
Hardback, Price: $22.95
224 pages
Recipe Reprinted by permission.
This page created March 1999
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text:
Answers Home
» The Catster Website
New to the site: I have 3 cats of 3 different breeds, but I did not see where I am able to add info for more than 1?
Asked by
on Aug 14th 2013
in The Catster Website
- Cast your vote for which answer you think is best!
Go to your account at the top left of the page and then add pets once you're in. ^_^
Panda Bear answered on 8/30/13. Helpful? / 0


text:
Saturday and Sunday are the last two days of the Kitchen, Bath and Renovation Show at the Winnipeg Convention Centre. The show runs today from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. and on Sunday from noon to 5 p.m.
If Friday's crowds are any indication, this may be the most popular show in recent memory.
This show has always kicked off the new year for home renovations and Manitobans lead the nation in that department. Manitoba is the only province where more money is spent annually on renovations than new home construction.
In that Winnipeg has the third oldest housing stock in all of Canada, home renovations are a very big part of our lifestyle.
The Kitchen, Bath and Renovation Show is unique in that it provides a free avenue for consumers to test the renovation market.
The Ask a Renovator segment of the Manitoba Home Builders' Association booth is staffed with professional RenoMark renovators who are available to answer your questions about a job you may be planning or just dreaming about. They are there to provide free 15-minute consultations to help steer you in the right direction towards an enjoyable and exciting upgrade to your home.
Just come to the show and you will be able to pick the brains of one of Manitoba's finest renovators. Whether the job is big or small; whether it's something you're committed to or just thinking about; whether you are a do-it-yourselfer or looking for a professional to help, this is the perfect place to start.
Whether you have created detailed plans, scratched out some lines on the back of a cocktail napkin or just have some thoughts, bring them along to the Ask a Renovator booth at the Kitchen, Bath and Renovation Show. Start your renovation off on the right foot with professional advice.
Along with presenting sponsors Stalwart Appliances and All Canadian Renovations, we are proud to feature Michael Penney from the Marilyn Denis Show, Andrew Downward from Candice Olson's Divine Design, and Cambria spokeswoman Mariel Hemingway.
Tickets for the grand prize are being sold by volunteers from Variety the Children's Charity. Draws are being held for beautiful kitchen cabinetry and remodelling.
Don't miss your chance to see all of Manitoba's best suppliers located in one convenient place. Tickets are available at the door.
Mike Moore is president of the Manitoba Home Builders' Association.


text:
Our Joey said censorship on the Internet will lessen the amount of stupidity we're exposed to everyday. She has lived without the Internet most of her life, pored through volume after volume of encyclopedia to do her homework, and waited for a book to be returned to the library before she can borrow it. She did alright; in fact, she did excellent in school. Back then, she did not have a blog. She did not show off what she wore on Lookbook. She was not distracted by senseless posts on Facebook and Twitter. The lack of Internet taught her patience, perseverance and focus on what needs to be done. She said too much freedom breeds mediocrity and people like Justin Bieber.
But like one of my readers said once, "Who cares what Joey thinks?"
Without the liberties granted by the Internet, I will just be a doll sitting in a cabinet. I'm honored to be on Wikipedia and Reference.com. It makes me feel credible and alive.
If only the law rids the web of idiots, leaving only beautiful things like this, which we may not have access to if SOPA and PIPA closes down YouTube.
The human world is so conflicted.


text:
Enter any chat room to add the model to this list.
Dear Guest956930, Unfortunately, you have no models in your friend list. We suggest you to get acquainted and make friends with somebody. Full list of our models can be found on the home page.
I am naughty young slutty girl! I am real nympho and I would like to have..


text:
Gillette, Wyo. • Jim Slattery is a cowboy to the bone.
Born and raised in Gillette, he was a Wyoming Livestock brand inspector, worked at the coal mines for 20 years and continues to shoe horses on his ranch.
But for the past four years during December, he swaps out his large belt buckle for a belly resembling a bowl full of jelly.
Around Christmastime, Slattery, 68, can be identified wearing the iconic red stocking cap at a handful of local schools, the bus barn, or family homes. Like any good Saint Nicholas, Slattery takes pride in bringing enjoyment to people for Christmas.


text:
Angela and Randy are ready for their fantasy weekend. They're bringing their sexual appetites, their joy gel and not much else. No names. No address. No phone numbers. No family history. That's what it's all about at the Fantasy Exchange. Your sexual fantasy, performed with no...View
When the Berlin Wall Falls, I'll do Anal." That's what Angela Baron said, and guess what, that's exactly what she does in her return to porn, Back in Style". This time she's a designer plagued by a string of bad business deals and vengeful ex-partners. She saves her skin with a ...View
While our Celeste & Jeanna fight for the right to take charge of Bad Girls, the biker gang that could frighten the hell out of a Hells Angel, town bullies start a war, leaving the girls no choice but to unite for the challenge. They grab their weapons - the ones under their shir...View