text:
My avg. daily fitbit #fitstats for last week: 5,396 steps and 3.4 miles traveled. http://www.fitbit.com/user/22NZW9
Month: January 2012
Mark Shuttleworth » Blog Archive » Introducing the HUD. Say hello to the future of the menu.
Get involved in Open Source today – How to contribute a patch to a GitHub hosted Open Source project like Code 52 – Scott Hanselman
Weekly Fitbit stats
My avg. daily fitbit #fitstats for last week: 5,501 steps and 3.7 miles traveled. http://www.fitbit.com/user/22NZW9
Block Ads and Other Web Nasties with a Hosts File
After getting fed-up of not being able to read sites in Reeder on my Mac without getting bombarded with ads I looked around for a good hosts file I could use to block the buggers at the network level, rather than rely on plugins such as AdBlock at the application level.
I tried a couple, but the file available at Someone Who Cares was the most comprehensive and most up to date I could find.
So what does it do? Basically it takes a (huge) list of known ad/spy/malware domain names and tells your computer their IP address is 127.0.0.1, i.e. your own computer, rather than their actual IP addresses, so their scripts/ads/viruses/trackers/etc won't ever load. As a side effect, ad-enabled websites should load faster.
First Grey Knight Complete
I finally managed to get him completed. I'm quite happy how he's turned out, given it's my first model in so long. There are a few things I'll do different in the next batch, but this is a good start to the first squad, and to one of my goals for the year.
Click the images to see the larger versions on Flickr.
Relationship Status
Relationship status? Single. Single, single, single, single… OK, maybe it's complicated.
For a while it bugged me. After spending the last 10 years with someone, putting their needs before my own, having their constant company… adjusting to single life was unsettling. There days where the loneliness was crushing. Even though I'm living with my parents it would feel like I was totally alone. The friends I have left all have their own lives and families to look after so aren't able to devote much time to socialising with the 'Single Guy'. Needless to say I haven't been out on the town much since the first couple of weeks/months.
But y'know what? I'm no longer caring about it as much. I'm not so much content as I am accepting. This gives me time where I don't have to think about anyone but me. I can do what I like[/can afford ;-)], in-between when I have the kids. I can focus on some of my own goals instead of the shared 'family' set. I've lost weight; a lot of weight for most people, but for me it's about half of what I need to lose. I'm fitter than I have been in years. I've taken up a new hobby (well, returned to an old one is more accurate), which allows me to step away from the computer now and then… I'm even thinking again about the books I want to write.
I haven't dated in a while, and while sometimes I think I'd like to, at other times I just can't be bothered with it. I haven't seen D in ages. There was something not quite right there and it bugged me. It might have been because the times we did see each other seemed entirely just so she could get me into bed. We still keep in touch, and we went for dinner several weeks ago, but I've been keeping her at (friendly) arms length because I don't want her to get the wrong impression, or be unfair to her.
And then there's 'P'. P is the ultimate in Bad Ideas, for a huge number of reasons. To describe the relationship between me and P as 'complex' would be a massive understatement. And yet I've found myself totally enchanted at times. We rarely get to see each other for more than an hour or two at a time, not very often, and there's hardly ever any form of physical contact. At times our 'relationship has seemed like nothing but an extra source of pain in my life. At others it's been the only ray of light I can see. Like I said, It's Complicated.
CM9 for the HP TouchPad is Almost Ready
I can't wait for this; I bought the TouchPad in the 'Fire Sale' with the express purpose of putting Android on it, but Gingerbread just isn't quite good enough for tablet use.
Related articles
- CyanogenMod's HP TouchPad Team Releases A Glimpse At CM9, Hopes To Give Us "Something To Play With" Soon (androidpolice.com)
- Android port for HP TouchPad nears completion (intomobile.com)
- First look at Android 4.0 on the HP TouchPad – video (liliputing.com)
- HP's TouchPad running Ice Cream Sandwich? Mmmm, thanks CM9 (video) (engadget.com)
Weekly Fitbit stats
My avg. daily fitbit #fitstats for last week: 10,144 steps and 7.1 miles traveled. http://www.fitbit.com/user/22NZW9


text:
Selected Community Events
Book Nook Spring Used Book Sale
Apr 4, 2013 Thursday, April 4: 9 a.m.-8 p.m. Friday, April 5: 9 a.m.-6 p.m.; Saturday, April 6: 9 a.m.-4 p.m.
The VOICES Book Nook store Freeport Lincoln Mall 1233 West Galena Ave. Freeport, IL
A variety of new and used hard cover and paperback books, DVDs, CDs, records, puzzles and books on tape will be sold. Some rare and collectable books will also be available. All proceeds support the VOICES Domestic Violence Program.
VOICES Book Nook
(815) 821-2665

subset: commoncrawl


text:
I am over this crap!
Idon't want to be an at home mom anymore!
My husband gets to go to work and make money. Iget to stay at home clean, Change diapers, clean, help with homje work, clean, make dinner, clean deal with screaming kids!!!!!
I am done I want to work I want to get out of this house.
I am sick of being able to sit aroudn adn choose when I do something, I am sick of be able to spend my husbands money adn him NOT care what I buy!!!!
I am tired of getting to take naps, and have fun druign the day with my children!!!!
We are having twins soon and well who woudl want to stay home with those!!!
ugh I am so over it!.


text:
Roma Lussa Journals
You're going to need to write down all of those college feelings and experiences somewhere, and I don't recommend your public blog. A nice journal is a great gift for yourself or anyone who's going off to college. Next time you get angry, count to 10, write about, and see how you feel afterwards. Yes, it sounds Polly Positive of me, but it helped me out. And plus, reading all those cheesy and over-exaggerated journal entries years later is sure to supply some quality entertainment.


text:
Millennium Character Information
Chris Carter's Millennium TV Series featured over 700 Characters throughout its three year, sixty seven episode run. This section of our Millennium Episode and Credits Guide (MEACG) will allow you to view and download Character information to suit your needs with as much additional detail as you prefer. Choose from one of the available sections sections below:


text:
NEW YORK (AP) — Stock futures are headed lower a day after a huge stock offering from professional networking site LinkedIn pushed stocks up.
Ahead of the opening bell, Dow Jones industrial average futures are down 35 points, or 0.3 percent, at 12,556. Standard & Poor's 500 index futures are down 4, or 0.3 percent, at 1,337. Nasdaq 100 futures are down 7, or 0.3 percent, at 2,362.
Gap Inc. fell more than 16 percent in premarket trading. The retailer reported late Thursday that increases in the cost of raw materials hurt its profit. The company cut its full-year earnings forecast.
LinkedIn's value more than doubled within minutes of its initial stock offering Thursday. Major indexes ended higher for a second straight day, with the Dow up 45 points.


text:
The chic simplicity of this one-shoulder Pretty Maids 22495 minidress is sure to enhance your big day! Soft material stretches down from one shoulder to create a slanted neckline. It then skims gently along curves for a look that is nothing short of gorgeous. Sheer material wraps around the dress to add a touch of soft allure.
We are an authorized retailer of all the dresses we sell. We only sell 100% authentic dresses.
Find a lower price and we will match and beat it by 5%
Free shippingFree ground shipping on orders over $50.
Free shipping
Free ground shipping on orders over $50.
Click to get estimated price in different currancy
Pretty Maids 22495
Similar Items
Sublime Floral Applique Evening Gown by La Femme
Floral Perfection Plunging Evening Dress by La Femme
Plunging Iridescent Sweetheart Gown by La Femme
Halter Masterpiece Lace Evening Gown by Bari Jay
Short-sleeved dress with sheer lines by La Femme Cocktail
Asymmetrical Shimmer Wrapped Evening Gown by Wtoo
Strapless A-line dress with asymmetrical hem from Alfred Sung
Pretty A-line mini with sweetheart bodice by Alexia Designs
Simply elegant minidress with high neckline and unique bow by Alfred Sung
Copyright ©2008-2017, NewYorkDress.com. All Rights Reserved.
Terms & Conditions | Privacy Policy


text:
The governor of Rhode Island and state officials held an emergency meeting to discuss the viability of 38 Studios after it failed to make a scheduled $1.1 million loan payment.
The Associated Press reports company owner and former Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling briefed Gov. Lincoln Chafee and members of the Economic Development Corp. board on the studio's finances.
According to AP, in 2010, 38 Studios was offered a $75 million loan guarantee, with the promise that the company would create 450 new jobs in the next three years.
Television station WPRI reports if their deal falls through, Rhode Island taxpayers could wind up paying $112.6 million.
The studio is best known for the role-playing game Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning, which launched in February through publisher Electronic Arts. It was the fourth best-selling retail game in the U.S. that month, according to sales figures from NPD Group.
Mike Snider began covering the video game industry during the Super Nintendo-Sega Genesis clash in 1992. An original pinball wizard, he eventually was seduced by Robotron: 2084 and Tempest. These days he is a fan of action/shooters and lives out his Keith Moon fantasies playing a mean drum kit on music games. More about Mike.
Brett Molina has been writing about video games for USA TODAY since 2005. He is well-versed in Madden NFL, the fighting genre and first-person shooters. The first video game he played was Asteroids at a local arcade. He has been hooked ever since. More about Brett.


text:
Today, I was getting ready to have sex with my boyfriend for the first time. It seems he thought I was a much larger cup size than I really am, because when he saw my actual boobs, he said, "Aaaaaaand they're gone". FML
Profile completedYou've filled out the necessary details. Having done so will be much appreciated.
Who's the fairest of them all?This is now the third time you've changed your profile pic.
MobilityYou are connected to FML via the mobile site or an app. How modern.
50 favoritesLove knows no boundaries. You've already added 50 FMLs to your favourites list!
Consolation prizeYour FML was denied. We had to at least give you a badge to cheer you up a bit.
It's in the can!Hey, you uploaded your photo, and you're cute as a kitten!
Up and coming moderatorIt's nice of you to help us sort out the submissions, using FML's moderate feature.
Keen reader – Level: student ninjaYou have voted for 15% of the entire collection of FMLs to date.2%
Keen reader – Level: master ninjaYou have voted for 50% of the entire collection of FMLs to date.1%
The return of the thumbYou have thumbed 5000 comments.0%
The thumb strikes backYou have left your thumbprint on 2500 comments.1%
Keen reader – Level: godlike ninjaYou have voted for 100% of the entire collection of FMLs to date.0%
I agree, my mouse works.200 "I agree" votes is a good start.44%
YDI MasterYou made your 500th "You deserved it" vote.6%
JudgmentalYou have voted "You deserved it" over 100 times.29%
50 quality commentsClicking to reply to a comment is a worthy thing to do. To do so without getting buried afterwards is even worthier.18%
A new thumbYou've used your thumb on 1000 comments.13%
100 kick-ass comments100 of your comments are neither buried or moderated. Popular is your middle name!13%
One more and it's business timeYou've received 68 Hugs on your profile. Kinky.0%
Today, things got pretty steamy between my boyfriend and me. We started doing stuff that neither of us had tried before. Then, he straddled me with a raging erection and boomed, "IT HAS RISEN!" He didn't understand why I was suddenly no longer in the mood. FML
Today, my boyfriend was going down on me. Just as I was about to orgasm, he pulled away and said that my vagina is like a mask and that he feels like Bane from Batman. He's been talking in a Bane voice to my vagina for 30 minutes now. I guess sex is over. FML
Today, my boyfriend and I went to the store to buy oranges and pick up a pack of condoms. When we were at the checkout counter, my boyfriend happily told the cashier, "The only way we can have sex is if we squeeze oranges all over our bodies." FML
Today, I awoke to my husband talking to someone on the phone at 2am. I heard him say, "Baby you're making me hard." Immediately, I asked him who he was talking to. His response? "It's Jake, from State Farm." FML


text:
Original URL: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/05/28/review_samsung_sgh_f490/
Samsung SGH-F490 cameraphone
An altogether more run of the mill device
Posted in Personal Tech, 28th May 2008 12:38 GMT
Review The first two devices to run the "Croix" touchscreen UI didn't float our boat. The Armani was high on style, low on ability, the F700 tried to be some sort of smartphone all-things-to-all-men.
The new home of the Croix, the F490, is pitched as an altogether more run of the mill device; no silly designer labels, no pretensions to smart phone ubiquity.
F490: The proprietary "Croix" UI is identical to that on the F700
As with the F700 the base spec of the F490 is solid enough without being exceptional. Connectivity-wise you get tri-band GPRS/GSM, 3.6MB/s HSDPA and v2.0 Bluetooth, while the other headline features include 130MB of on-board memory, an microSDHC slot and a 5 megapixel auto-focus camera.
Lacking the F700's slide-out keyboard, the F490 is a more svelte and sleek handset measuring 115 x 53.5 x 11.8mm and weighing 102g. That 4.2mm saving in thickness makes the F490 a far easier device to manage one-handed, it now being possible to reach the entire screen with your thumb.
The proprietary "Croix" UI is identical to that on the F700 as is the underlying application package. The UI is pleasant to look at, straightforward to use and nicely responsive, and won't ever leave you regretting having chosen a touchscreen phone.
If we have to be picky (and we do), we would like to be able to reduce the font size that the contacts menu displays and to set the home screen wallpaper as the background to the Croix menu. The option to have two sizeable time zone clocks displayed on the home screen was a simple feature that impressed us mightily on the F700 and does so no less on the F490, ditto the inclusion of a voice recorder.
A neat little improvement over the F700 is the new combined on/off and lock slider on the right hand side of the device, which makes powering up and down and locking the screen much easier.
The screen is bright and promises great things for video playback
Something that we guarantee will get on your nerves after an while, though, is the incessant beeping noise the F490 makes whenever you touch a key or change a setting. The arguably pointless VibeTonez haptic feedback can be shut off - thank God for small mercies - but the keypad tones can't, though you can choose from two equally annoying sets of sounds.
Of course if you like your handset to sound and feel like a bionic guinea pig on speed, then crank the haptics up and knock yourself out - but be warned, if you do this in public you will find yourself the subject of ridicule at least if not actual physical assault.
After about an hour with the F490 we set it to silent mode, which seemed an extreme course of action to the shut the thing up, but it was either that or hit it with a brick.
The first thing that actually struck us when we powered the F490 up was that you don't really get all that much in the way of screen acreage when viewed as a percentage of the phone's frontal area. It may be largely a matter of perception but we couldn't help but think that either the screen should be a little larger, or the phone a little smaller. Or maybe a bit of both.
The obvious comparator on this front is the iPhone, which is exactly the same height as the F490 and while only an extra 5.5mm wider has a screen that is 0.3 of an inch bigger corner to corner. A third of an inch doesn't sound much, but it looks a fair bit in the real world.
The F490 is far easier to manage one-handed
iPhone comparisons notwithstanding, the 240 x 432, 3.2in screen is bright, crisp and clear and seems to promise great things for video playback especially as it has a near perfect 16:9 layout.
Alas not. Disappointment number one - according to the spec sheet the F490 will play WMV, MP4, H.263 & H.264 files up to 640 x 480 30f/s. Well, we tried every which way to get it to play WMV files, but all we ever got was "format or bit rate not supported".
Disappointment number two - no matter what resolution we transcoded our videos to, it simply would not play them at full screen. This came as a real kick in the pants as we had expected the full cinematic stretch, but instead ended up with our widescreen movies playing in the piddly central two-thirds of the screen.
If the F490 played video at full screen and came with more comprehensive video file support, like the LG Viewty, all you would have to do is stuff in a large capacity microSD and bingo, instant phone-PMP. Incidentally, 240 x 320 is the maximum resolution you can transform video to using the bundled Media Manager, which seems like a slight case of someone not paying attention at Samsung.
Media transfer to the 130MB on board memory can only be made be via Samsung's bundled PC Studio 3 software. It works, but by crikey it's slow. Nine 160kb/s MP3 tracks, about 45MB in total, took over 20 minutes to transfer across. With an SD card in place you can drag and drop using MS Explorer, which works fine and your hair won't turn grey while you are doing it.
The flash is still an LED which is about much use as a chocolate teapot
The MicroSD card can be hot-swapped, but you have to remove the back cover to do it, which seems like snatching defeat from the jaws of victory - though by way of slight redemption you can change the SIM without having to yank the battery out.
Once you have loaded your tunes the F490 proves a more than capable music player. Though lacking anything in the way of EQ modifiers or bass boosters, the sound produced is punchy and focused and can be cranked up to a decent volume without coming apart at the seams. Extra marks for Samsung for giving the F490 a 3.5mm headphones jack alongside the proprietary port that the supplied hands free rig plugs into and the capacity to set up playlists on the hoof. As you might expect audio file support extends to ACC, ACC+, MP3 and WMA.
The F490's camera is a 5 megapixel job, up from the rather lacklustre 3.2 megapixel item on the F700. The flash is still an LED which is about much use as a chocolate teapot, but in good light we found the F490 to be a decent little snapper. For a direct comparison with another popular 5 megapixel camera phone we took the F490 and a Sony Ericsson K850i out into The Register's Versailles-like private gardens and snapped some pictures of our surroundings.
To be honest there wasn't much to choose between the end results, the pictures taken on the K850i being perhaps just a little crisper and having slightly richer colours. On the hardware side of things though the time taken to reset between shots was significantly slower on the 490 and it has a camera hardware button that doesn't actually launch the camera application. You need to do that via the touchscreen, which is an altogether less elegant solution than the two-key set up on the side of the K850i.
Sample shots
Click for full-size images
When it comes to day to day "phone stuff" the F490 does a good job. Signal reception was good across the board, calls sounded clear and the speaker phone sounded great. Battery life was pretty impressive too. Samsung quote 4.5 hours of talk time and 350 of standby. In a 3G area and with Bluetooth left on we got two long days of heavy use out of a full charge and still had juice left.
The bundled software package is comprehensive and pretty user-friendly - the slow data transfer times to the on-board memory and restricted video transformating resolutions notwithstanding. Synchronising with Outlook was straightforward, as was connecting to the internet when using the phone as a modem. When we synchronised our contacts to the F700 we noticed that certain data fields seemed to vanish; either we were just unlucky or Samsung have tweaked something, because we didn't notice the same problem with the F490.
We're beginning to thing that Samsung is knocking out new handset designs so fast it is losing the knack of landing a killer punch with any one of them. The F490 is a nice phone to own and use, bleeping noises notwithstanding, and comes with a decent spec and a not half bad camera; but had Samsung bothered to equip it with video playback that actually made full use of the rather fine 3.2in screen it would have made it much, much more desirable. With 16GB MicroSD cards now knocking about - at an admittedly eye-watering 90 odd quid - the 490 could have been a superb amalgam of mobile phone and PMP. As it is, it is simply a decent phone and we reckon that is a missed opportunity.


text:
This update section is based on the Report of the Caleb Ness Inquiry, chaired by Susan O'Brien Queen's Counsel (QC). This document is in the public domain and, to aid widespread access, a copy of the report has been included here (650Kb PDF file).
On 18th October 2001 Caleb Ness - an 11-week-old baby - was admitted to the Royal Hospital for
Sick Children in Edinburgh (RHSC). He was found
to be dead on admission. As the Report of the
Inquiry into his death shows, Baby Caleb's short
life had been very stormy.
Baby Caleb was born to a mother who had been
a drug addict for twenty-years. She had made
several unsuccessful attempts to overcome the
addiction but was using methadone by
prescription throughout the pregnancy. As well
as being a drug addict, the report makes it clear
that she had "a long history of prostitution" and
"many criminal convictions". She had two other
children, both of whom had been taken into
care. She was known to have been suffering post-
natal depression.
His father was also known to have been associated
with drugs, having been released from prison
on license for drug-related offences in late
summer 2000. Prior to that Caleb's father has also been convicted for the serious assault of an adult.
In between meeting Caleb's mother in the
autumn of 2000 and Caleb's death in 2001, he
had suffered a brain injury. At the time of the
death, his brain injury made him confused and
he was depressed.
Caleb was born with neonatal abstinence
syndrome. This is one of the possible
consequences of drug misuse during pregnancy
which were described in chapter four. Neonatal
abstinence syndrome happens when a newborn
baby is withdrawing from the effects caused by
the mother's drug misuse. Immediately after his
birth on 30th July 2001, Caleb was admitted to
the special care baby unit at the Royal Infirmary
of Edinburgh at Little France (RIE). He was there
for three weeks before being discharged into the
care of his mother.
The findings from his post-mortem showed that
in the seven weeks between coming home from
the RIE and his death in the RHSC, Caleb had
suffered from at least three separate episodes of
trauma to the chest, probably caused by gripping
during shaking. The findings also suggested that
Caleb died rapidly from a brain haemorrhage
following traumatic injury, probably caused by
rough shaking.
In February 2003, Caleb's father was convicted of culpable homicide on the grounds of diminished responsibility caused by his brain injury.
After the conclusion of the court case, the Lothian
Area Child Protection Committee commissioned
an Inquiry into the death of Caleb Ness. An
independent QC chaired this Inquiry with support
from both a Community Paediatrician not
involved in the case and an external Social Worker,
both of whom had experience of child protection.
The findings of this Inquiry were made public in
October 2003. The Inquiry concluded that:
"No single individual should be held responsible. We identified fault at almost every level in every agency involved. Many concerned professionals did their best for this family, but too many operated from within a narrow perspective without full appreciation of the wider picture."
The executive summary of the report details a
series of factors that the Inquiry team concluded
had contributed to the baby's death. These may
be summarised as:
The Inquiry team made 35 recommendations for
improving child protection processes. Of these,
11 are specifically directed towards the NHS in
Lothian with a further 13 requiring NHS Lothian
involvement. These are detailed on the following
pages (see Box U1).
In collaboration with our Local Authority partners,
NHS Lothian is committed to creating a joint action
plan that will respond positively to each and every
one of the recommendations in the Inquiry report.
It has established a Child Protection Action Group,
chaired by the Child Health Commissioner
Margaret Wells, to develop appropriate actions
to include in the joint action plan. Amongst the
work already put in hand has been:
The work needed to address all of the
recommendations will be identified in the final
version of the joint action plan.
Some recommendations appear more than once.
More than one agency: 1, 2, 3, 4, 8, 10, 14, 17, 18, 19, 20, 23, 30, 32, 33, 35.
Mostly Social Work: 21, 22, 24, 25, 27, 28, 29, 31.
Mostly Lothian Primary Care NHS Trust: 7, 13, 18, 26, 34.
Mostly Lothian University Hospitals NHS Trust: 5, 6, 15, 16, 18, 34.
Mostly Police: 8, 9, 10.
Housing: 12.


text:
Blog: Seeking Justice for Children
The Seeking Justice for Children blog is a collaborative effort among attorneys, academics, and other advocates for children's rights. To submit an item for posting, please email Kimberly Jordan, director of the Justice for Children Project, at firstname.lastname@example.com.
- Alumna uses legal skills to guide foundation that helps find loving homes for foster children
- 3L student uses time in law school to prepare for career in public interest field
- 3L spends summer helping immigrant workers in Illinois
- Michelle Chavanne '01 uses legal degree to help shape higher education in Ohio
- Professor Micah Berman receives award from the National Cancer Institute
Welcome to our Blog!
The Seeking Justice for Children Blog will feature articles and commentary from leaders in juvenile representation on a range of issues affecting our nation's youth. We welcome contributions from legal advocates, policymakers, service providers, and social justice activists from both Ohio and around the country. We hope the blog serves as a forum to discuss some of the most serious issues facing today's children and adolescents, as well as a means for sharing innovative ideas and best practices for resolving those issues.
If you are interested in submitting a blog entry, please contact Kimberly Jordan by emailing email@example.com


text:
Chipper Jones had imagined many times what it would be like to have his No. 10 hanging on the upper-deck facade at Turner Field, alongside the likes of Hank Aaron's No. 44, Dale Murphy's No. 3 and Greg Maddux's No. 31. He won't have to wait much longer.
The Braves announced Tuesday they will retire Jones' jersey and induct him into their team Hall of Fame on June 28.
"It's a tremendous honor," said Jones, an eight-time All-Star and 1999 National League MVP. "There's a lot of great names, lot of great numbers up there on that façade, and I'd be lying if I said I didn't dream about one day trying to get No. 10 up there. This morning it comes to fruition. So it's a very proud day for myself and my family. "
Before retiring after the 2012 season, Jones became one of the most recognizable figures in Atlanta while playing his entire 19-year career for the Braves. He finished with a .303 batting average, .401 on-base percentage, 468 home runs and 1,623 RBIs.
The only switch-hitter in major league history to have at least a .300 batting average and 300 home runs, Jones won the 2008 NL batting title with a .364 average at age 36.
Around the horn
Yankees • Pitcher Phil Hughes has upper back stiffness and will be sidelined for a few days. Hughes was hurt Monday during a defensive drill covering first base.
Pirates • Manager Clint Hurdle and Pittsburgh have officially agreed to a contract extension that runs through at least the end of the 2014 season. Pittsburgh is 151-173 in two seasons under Hurdle.
Cubs • Pitcher Matt Garza has a mild side strain and is expected to miss a week of spring training. Garza strained his side while throwing live batting practice on Sunday.


text:
Michael Fassbender Dances To "Blurred Lines," Gives Robin Thicke A Run For His Money
So, Michael Fassbender, Hugh Jackman and James McAvoy are in a movie together? Some kind of "X-Men" thing? I don't know, I don't really care. The important thing is, the hunky trio hit up the "The Graham Norton Show" together and performed the dance moves from "Blurred Lines." Robin Thicke had better watch his slimy back. Fassy's got those moves down***. And he is way hotter, if I do say so myself. [YouTube]
***Given Michael Fassbender's rumored past history of domestic abuse and the fact that some people think that "Blurred Lines" is a song condoning rape culture, I realize not everyone may share my glee at his dance moves. However, let's just appreciate a silly video, shall we?


text:
Warm Comforts Shawl by Cathy Payson
Welcome! You are browsing as a guestWould you like to see 3 projects made from this pattern and much more? create a free account What am I missing?
© Coats & Clark
© mrsschomer
Warm Comforts Shawl
This pattern is available for free.
This plush wrap is perfect for staying warm while looking your cool best. Thanks to the super bulky yarn you can knit this up in little time!
For more information, see: http://www.redheart.com/free-patterns/warm-comforts-...


text:
-or- Register at the Citadel
The Fourth Night
Plots (Discovery) (Single-Storyline)
's comment on 2009-08-28 05:21 PM
Or it just continues. Each night becoming more and more ubiquitous.
Soon gold is soon covering the street. Everyone has more than they know what to do with.
Money loses all value. Bartering must be done instead. Social collapse is a possibility here, as the entire social hierarchy would be upset.
As time goes on if the source is not stopped it could be a down right curse. What started off as a single statute, could end up being feet of gold coin piling up in the street across the town. Becoming a hassle and in some cases even dangerous to people. People getting trapped indoors. Roofs collapsing, if the gold starts appearing there.
Issues with people from less 'gifted' towns raiding for their piece of the pie.
Hopefully the players figure out what is going on before it gets really bad.
Of course this might be game altering, so when the players find the source or cause, the produced treasure should probably disappear.
Go to Comment
Samahen Armor
Items (Armor) (Magical)
's comment on 2006-05-11 11:04 PM
Wow seems like a great idea to me! I like the idea of the blood ritual, and I could see it as some religious thing. Something that ties the armor to the person, of course it would involve rubbing and leaving some of the soldiers blood on the armor to "feed" it.
Even non-believers might be able to obtain the benifits if they scrub the armor free of the older users blood (being careful as the armor looses its magic and becomes fragile at this point). They would then commence the ritual, and substitute their own blood.
Pretty cool for a common soldier's piece of armor.
Go to Comment
Buck-Ogre Rum
Items (Other) (Non-Magical)
's comment on 2006-05-10 08:49 PM
LOL this reminds me of an article on reuters not so long ago about something along the same. The people who found the rum bottled some up for later due to its "favorable" taste.
I'm sure that that was before they discovered why it had the taste. ;)
Certainly would add some "flavor" to any campaign.
Go to Comment
Lost Saga
Plots (Discovery) (Mini-Campaign)
's comment on 2006-05-09 10:04 PM
A thought occured to me while I was reading this (and it is quite a good idea). I was reading the part where you said that "the sword only speaks to the farmer". As a possible alternative twist, why not have the sword driving the farmer insane. There is no intellegence in it.
Perhaps the sword inspires heroic acts, and after comming into contact with the magic, and evil of Vrin, was corrupted.
Slowly the sword is enhancing the combat ability of the farmer, but at the same time taking his mind and making him increasingly paranoid.
In the end he suspects all of attempting to revive Vrin, and will begin to try and use his newfound power to "prevent" this from happening.
Go to Comment
The Great Gate of Calast
NPCs (Minor) (Combative)
's comment on 2009-08-28 04:53 PM
I could imagine that there would be a bit of flavor by changing some elements as well.
Perhaps the city is once again inhabited by populous, but due to the years of neglect and the lack of prayers, the gate has lost its ability to talk, and lost its anthropomorphic features. Perhaps it has a feebler mind now. But it still functions, and thinks. The town does not know it is intelligent.
The gate kills someone or attempts to due to rules given to it from a earlier age, and the unaware city now is on a witch hunt for the 'culprit' who closed the gate on an important figure. After several of these events happening within a short time, it becomes more apparent there is no individual at the controls.
Kind of a mystery. Although I don't know how players would go about finding the correct conclusion, or even proving it to the town, since many prayers may be necessary to restore the gate to its previous appearance and intelligence.
Go to Comment
Total Comments:
Join Now!!
Fatal error
: Call to undefined function top_menu() in
on line


text:
2010 Futures Conference & Symposium Agenda
Thursday, October 21, 2010
|5:00 – 8:00 pm
|Welcome evening reception with ABA Law Practice Management Section Fall Meeting Attendees
Friday, October 22, 2010
|8:00 – 9:00 am
|Registration & Continental Breakfast
|9:00 – 9:15 am
|Welcome, Opening Remarks
|9:15 – 10:00 am
|The Effect of the Growing Interdependence of the Capital Markets on the Legal Industry, Peter Zeughauser, The Zeughauser Group
For decades, top law firms striving to achieve global preeminence have migrated to New York and London in search of the best corporate work, particularly to build strong capital markets practices. But global capital flows indicate that the sources of capital are rapidly dispersing. Sovereign funds, private equity and emerging financial centers in the BRIC countries, particularly China, are growth strategy game-changers, creating opportunities and challenges in the quest for market leadership.
|10:00 – 11:15 am
|Developing and Choosing Leaders for the New Generation and Beyond
Law firms determined to do things differently will require leaders equipped to turn resistance into teamwork. This session explores where the new leaders will come from and how some firms are grooming them for the task
|11:15 am – 12:00 pm
|Small Group Breakout Session
|12:00 – 1:30 pm
|1:30 – 2:30 pm
|A Sea of Change in London, Simon Chester, Heenan Blaikie
How equity investments, alternative business structures and outcome-based regulation are rewriting the rules of the law business in England, Australia and soon ... everywhere.
|2:30 – 3:45 pm
|Law Firms with a Mission
Firms and clients commit themselves to pro bono activity, to diversity in the workplace, to community support, sustainability initiatives and more. Why do they do it and what are the outcomes?
|4:00 – 5:15 pm
|Social Media: the Ultimate Business Development Tool or a Huge Waste of Time?
Social media is hot. Staid law firms are opening their firewalls and venturing into the fray. Is there a legitimate commercial aspect to this? Our experts say "yes" and promise you'll walk away from this session to implement a social media strategy that will change everything.
|5:15 – 6:30 pm
|Reception & Introduction of new COLPM Fellows
|7:30 pm
|Dinner Bashes (Sign-up for pay-your-own-way dinner at local restaurants with College Fellows and continue to exchange ideas and be inspired.)
Saturday, October 23, 2010
|8:00 – 9:00 am
|Continental Breakfast
|9:00 – 10:00 am
|Inside the New Law Firm
We are outsourcing legal and support work, modifying fee-setting methods, replacing people and paper with technology and just basically upending the way we do our work.
|10:00 – 11:00 am
|Hitting the Reset Button
Knowledge tools, elawyering, unbundling and more…technology lets lawyers work smarter, find and serve new markets and expand access to justice for real people and institutions.
|11:15 am – 12:15 pm
|60 Tips in 60 Minutes
Get rapid fire proven tips from College Fellows on how they have pressed the reset button and what changes they are making to improve the business of practicing law.
|12:15 – 12:45 pm
|Now What?
Aric Press, Editor at American Lawyer Media puts together a "to do list" for the law practice entrepreneur.
|12:45 – 2:15 pm
|Luncheon: InnovAction Awards Presentation. Meet the winners of the 2010 COLPM InnovAction Awards
|6:30 pm
|Reception, Dinner and Induction of New College Fellows (Fellows and guests only)


text:
Pharrell takes legal action against Will.I.Am
Listen to Pharrell on iHeartRadio | Listen to Will.I.Am on iHeartRadio
Pharrell Williams is taking legal action against Will.I.Am in the latest chapter of the trademark war between the two artists. Will.I.Am recently filed a copyright claim against Pharrell's creative brand "i am OTHER," claiming he owns the rights to the phrase "I AM."
According to legal documents obtained by TMZ.com, Pharrell has now filed a suit against Will in an effort to block Will from stopping his use of the "i am OTHER" brand.
Pharrell claims the two are using the phrase in different ways. While he says Will is using "I AM" as a play on his own name, Pharrell claims his brand name means "I am something else." He adds that consumers are free to imagine what that "else" means to them.
Pharrell is asking a judge to grant him written permission to continue using the "I Am Other" trademark.
Photo Credit Getty Images


text:
Wynonna & Heart, Alison Krauss & Union Station, Porter & Dolly – Today In Country Music History
There are lots of connections in this installment of Today In Country Music History.
Wynonna & Heart rockd the Crossroads in 2004, Alison Krauss & Union Station recorded their Live album in 2002 and Porter Wagoner & Dolly Parton performed their first complete show together in more than ten years back in … Do you remember the year?
Here's the rundown for 29 April, 2011.
- Wynonna and the rock band Heart taped an episode of CMT Crossroads, hosted by Radney Foster, in Nashville in 2004.
- Alison Krauss + Union Station began a two-night stand at the Palace Theater in Louisville, Kentucky in 2002. The shows were recorded for a concert album, Alison Krauss + Union Station – Live.
- Jo Dee Messina picked up her first platinum album for I'm Alright in 1999.
- Clint Black's debut album, Killin' Time, was released in 1989.
- Porter Wagoner & Dolly Parton performed an entire concert together for the first time in more than a decade at Dollywood in 1989.
Dave D.


text:
Ellison Remarks on Protecting Voting Rights
"The right to vote is under attack. it may not be easy to see, but in state legislatures all across this country we're seeing a quiet passing of law that will strip American citizens of their right to vote."
Email Updates
Latest From the House Floor
On Thursday, the House will meet at 10:00 a.m. for Morning Hour debate and 12:00 p.m. for legislative business. First votes expected: 1:30 – 2:30 p.m. Last votes expected: 9:00 – 10:00 p.m. "One Minutes" (15 per side)


text:
In keeping with the Cornerstone Theater Company's tradition of site-specific pieces, this story of child-care gone wrong is being produced so close to the city's courthouses you could spit on them, and after seeing this you just might want to. The Demeter and Persephone myth has been adapted by playwright Sarah Ruhl into an urban tale in which "Dee" (Bahni Turpin) loses her parental rights once the city discovers that her idea of a little "me time" involves opiates and needles. By the time the story plays out, the child is lost not once but twice, the second time in a plot line that hews almost directly to the source material. It's an intriguing approach, though hardly a seamless one. However, it gives Geoff Korf lots of opportunities to do lovely work with the lights as he evokes the seasons we don't have in L.A. Shigeru Yaji's set is an elegant piece of neoclassicism that lends itself equally well to urban squalor and Palm Springs luxe.
Turpin delivers a solid performance and adapts herself nimbly to the many styles director Shishir Kurup uses in the production. Persephone is played by Sadé Moore, a strikingly beautiful young woman not yet wholly at ease in her role, an admittedly tricky one that requires we buy her as both an earnest self-starter arguing Nietzsche in college and the queen of the underworld. She is, however, nicely paired with Sonny Valicenti, whom we initially meet as a Young Republican. Valicenti has just the right amounts of cute and goony to create a sympathetic character we are willing to hear out while he argues the failure of affirmative action. The courtroom scenes are among the best as the Judge (Peter Howard) and Bailiff (Jonathan del Arco) keep the wheels of justice turning. The actors prove particularly adept when Kurup takes a vaudevillian approach. The sizable chorus of young women (ostensibly all age 20, the same as Cornerstone) is well-used and does a nice job singing the rather workmanlike music (Kurup and David Markowitz). I'm sure it's unintentional, but the song "Where To Look for a Child?" has the most curious quality of sounding like it belongs in the alternate-universe version of that other motherless-child classic, Annie.
Presented by Cornerstone Theater Company at REDCAT, 631 W. Second St., L.A. Wed.-Fri. 8:30 p.m., Sat. 5 & 9 p.m., Sun. 2 & 7 p.m. Jun. 10-18. (213) 237-2800.


text:
May 13, 2015, Fairfax, Va.—Americans for Limited Government President Rick Manning today issued the following statement urging the U.S. House of Representatives to reject H.R. 2048, which will codify the National Security Agency mass surveillance program:
"The U.S. House is missing an historic opportunity to rein in the NSA mass surveillance program. We urge the House to reject this emasculated version of the USA Freedom Act and return to real reform that protects Americans from government surveillance in violation of the Fourth Amendment."
To view online: http://getliberty.org/house-bill-codifies-nsa-mass-surveillance/
Americans for Limited Government is a non-partisan, nationwide network committed to advancing free market reforms, private property rights and core American liberties. For more information on ALG please visit our website at www.GetLiberty.org.


text:
Back in mid-December, I wrote this in my post Oscar Campaign Badmouthing Has Begun! "This year, the always delicate Jewish issue in Hollywood has taken a new and unexpected turn. Producers, agents, executives, and other major players will complain (privately, of course) that the movies An Education and A Serious Man depict Jews in a contemptible way. A recent article in The Jewish Journal of Los Angeles lashed into An Education saying the film's depiction of its Jewish character is reminiscent of the parasitical Jew in the infamous Nazi anti-semitic propaganda film of the 1930's, Der Ewige Juden (The Eternal Jew). Similarly, Hollywood is incensed privately by the Coen brothers' A Serious Man and its Jewish stereotypes. Trust me, this will bubble up to the surface before too long if either film looks to be in serious contention for Best Picture." Well, I was right. Now the Jewish Journal has another expanded look at the controversy surrounding these two pics under the headline: "Realism Or Anti-Semitism?". Worth reading.
Jewish Journal Stirs More Controversy Around 'An Education' And 'A Serious Man'
29 Comments
Haven't seen 'An Education' but I did catch 'A Serious Man' and given that it's written and directed by two Jewish brothers about their real life experiences growing up in a Jewish community, I find it hard to cry anti-semitism.
The real controversy should be that such a mediocre movie could be in contention for a Best Picture Oscar in the first place.
"Realism Or Anti-Semitism" – that's all there is? You're with us or against us?
I have to apologize – i just red the article and it is open minded and informative. The headline is just that, a headline, no agenda.
Oy vey! Can we not get past screaming "anti-Semitism" at every less-than-angelic depiction of a Jewish character on film? I think the Coen brothers deserve a hearty mazel tov for the fresh splash of realism they gave to the various players in "A Serious Man." Simply the revival of Yiddish for the opening vignette is a mitzvah. And if the rabbis in "A Serious Man" are anti-Semitic stereotypes, what are we to make of the vapid song-writing minister and his gassy little-old-lady assistant in Blake Edwards' "10?" Or is it that only Jews should be immune from lampoon? As for Peter Sarsgaard's David in "An Education," the Jewish Journal article rightly points out that the character is based on a real person and real experiences. Should they have 'sanitized' him to avoid controversy? Speaking of Davids, Jewish characters doing bad things in literature is as old as the bible. How about that David sending the husband to be captured in battle so the king could shtupp Bathsheba? Talk about your negative stereotype. I'm shocked, shocked.
So are you saying there is a legitimate complaint, and that's why it's worth reading, or it's worth reading because it's some cynical ploy to siphon Oscar votes away from these movies?
I'm Jewish and LOVED "A Serious Man" – written and directed by 2 Jews from Minnesota (like the characters are…). I have not seen An Education, so I can't comment on , but it is not written nor directed by anyone Jewish. Does that matter? I think so. I should also note that I can't comment on An Education because I have not seen it, I know many Jews who have seen it, and although were bugged slightly by the Jewish references, they enjoyed the film entirely.
Thanks for the article Nikki. The Jews do not have a lock on paranoia. I just saw An Education last night. The fact that the scum bag is jewish is a non-issue. He could've been muslim, christian, or purple.
Watch out for charmers, regardless of their religion, and be involved in the lives of your offspring. That's what I got out of it.
Nikki, glad you brought these subjects to the forefront.
I'm a non-Jewish person who liked both pictures. I saw characters informed by — but not defined by — his cultural heritage (Larry) and the outsider status it can bring (David). In other words, I saw two men whose Jewishness is relevant to their stories; not two Jewish men doing what viewers should assume all Jewish men do.
I can understand, though, why the negative aspects of these characters would cause concern. Because I agree a bigot looking to reinforce his belief in ugly stereotypes can find what he wants in these movies. But I also wonder if the bigots win when we let their hateful ignorance dictate how stories are told.
So unless its a film about the holocaust, movies about jewish people are anti semitic?
Its such a poor attempt by Cynthia Swartz to drum up support (ah-ha, too late) for her Messenger..
Blacks, Jews, Gays, and left handed people (which I am all of, I didn't have a chance in hell) can fill up blogs whining about how poorly they're portrayed in the media
or they can do something to make those portrayals inaccurate by refraining from negative stereotypical behavior. The latter seems much more effective.
Considering how the Academy awarded Kate Winslet last year for playing a sexy concentration camp guard and is going to give Christoph Waltz an Oscar this year for his flippant Gestapo agent, I'd say Hollywood's Jewish PC lobby isn't terribly effective.
PLEASE!!! Boo-hoo-hoo. Try being catholic Italian and then let's talk contemporary stereotypes. My "people" are represented as either gangsters ("Godfather series", "Goodfellas", "Casino" or TV's "Sopranos") or as tacky morons in "Jersey Shore." Have a sense of humor people. LIGHTEN UP!!!
Seriously? And people wonder why those who are Jewish complain that they are unfairly characterized as controlling hollywood.
The truth is, for those of us who saw both, one doesnt automatically assume that all who are jewish are like the characters. Secondly, if they are complaining about just these two characters, how should Chinese people feel about their portrayals, or how arabs are consistently portrayed as terrorists IF they are even given roles, or how African Americans have often been portrayed as gang members, flamboyant gays or obese, loud mouth women?
Kudos, Nikki, for always having the courage to report it like it is…that's why we all love you.
It astonishes me that given the presence of Jews in the executive, writing, and directing ranks, and on screen, versus ANY other ethnic group, that we take with any seriousness these claims. In life, some Jewish people are great, some Jewish people are not great. Some Jewish people are ridiculous. Why shouldn't this diversity be reflected in film?
Meanwhile most black people in film are insignificant/passive (THE BLIND SIDE) or evil/ridiculous (PRECIOUS, DISTRICT 9, et al). And that is ALL we are shown. And let's not even get into the numbers in terms of black executives/agents/writers/directors vs. Jewish in Hollywood. You know who doesn't have a case to complain about? Jews.
If Jewish people were represented the way that blacks are in Hollywood, we would hear crying about it every day on the hour.
You know they say, every time you see a shooting star, a Holocaust movie gets its greenlight.
Blacks are not presented as characters generally with their own motivations and desires, I will agree on that. Spike Lee's "Magical Negro" essay about all those movies about "Magical" Black guys who "redeem" the White protagonist was spot on. [Green Mile, Shawshank Redemption, Radio, Bagger Vance, etc.]
They are bad cinema. Pure and simple.
But why are they made (over and over and over again)?
Because the White majority audience is uninterested in stories featuring Black protagonists in a Black setting. Tyler Perry's middle class Black films don't get much play, neither do urban core Black settings like Precious. Color that as the unsurprising fact that people like to see movies about people who look and act and share basic cultural assumptions as themselves.
Sure, White audiences will accept and gladly pay to see Will Smith in Hancock or Denzel Washington in Man on Fire. But those roles could as easily have been played by Bruce Willis or John Travolta. The settings and situations are of the White majority.
IMHO, this strongly suggests an assimilation model. Spike Lee will find the most success (and curb his worst indulgences) if he directs mainstream, middle class fare like Inside Man. Why not Lee for more action movies?
IMHO, far more troubling out of "An Education" was the idea that the girl was not permanently damaged by the affair. The ending suggests but does not say explicitly that she was unable to form attachments or trust with boys and men her own age. Our society sexualizes teen agers beyond their ability to cope, emotionally, particularly girls. Much of the film glamorized the affair and a phony maturity absent real responsibility.
This American Jew *loved* and was fascinated by "A Serious Man". Whoever dares call it "anti-Semitic" seriously needs to get their head examined (and a sense of humor).
Get. Over. It.
As someone who isn't Jewish and isn't a fan of A Serious Man I can still say with some confidence of accuracy that the idea a movie written and directed by two Jewish men is anti-semetic is preposterous. As for An Education, what everyone seems to forget is it's based on the written memoirs of an actual person, i.e., IT ACTUALLY HAPPENED. The movie is simply telling a true story and anyone who gets angry because a group of people is stereotyped in something depicting actual events is a moron.
This is ridiculous! Where's the outrage when Italians are negatively stereotyped in television and films?? Many produced by Jewish men! Double standards.
Somebody should interview Woody Allen or Larry David about this…
This is typically ridiculous and predictable. Like Israel with 500 thermonuclear weapons claiming it is 'vulnerable' and demanding that Iran cease all nuclear energy production.
I am a Jew. Jews dominate the Hollywood business. Any idiot knows this. If anything I would be more concerned about the reality of names like Bernie Madoff,Lloyd Blanfein,Jamie Dimon,Geithner,Greenspan,Bernanke and Robert Rubin since if there ever is any real anti-semitism erupting in this country the list of these thieves will add tremendous fuel to the fire. They have acted like caricatures of Jews out of "Der Sturmer" circa 33′ and should be figuratively excommunicated from whatever symbolic synagogues they pretend to belong to.
But anti-Jewish bias in movies??? Is anyone serious? Please. Just write a movie remotely related to the Holocaust and you can guarantee it will get Oscar nods before the ink is dry on the script.
Er…Jamie Dimon is Greek. Nice try, though, at painting all those other thieves with the 'Jewish' brush.
your right, I stand corrected, Dimon is of Greek background, hired by Sandy Weill in the 90s to help create Citicorp, a disastrous Frankenstein. My shout-out to Sandy Weill for that.
2% of the population is Jewish, 48% of American billionaires are Jewish, much of it aggregated on Wall Street. Lets come out of the closet here and acknowledge our power and influence and accept responsibility for the sociopaths that live in our midst, go to our Temples on Friday night, or pretend to. And lets stop whining about being 'victims'. The real victims are the middle-class and the poor who watched their retirement savings and 401ks blow up. The real victims are the vast armies of unemployed.
Nikki: Great write-up, thanks. I would just urge your readers to read the actual cover package at jewishjournal.com, which as some of your commenters pointed out is not a screed against any movie but is, "open minded and informative."
Apart from the article about the two movies..
Per some of the above comments…
I'm sensing some real uncomfortable heat toward the Jewish community in Hollywood.
I hope they are reading this and taking note?
Perhaps the jewish community should take a good look in the mirror?
As always, thanks Nikki for letting us use your blog as a forum.
I read the article and the tone is that if you mess with the tribe we will mess with you if needed.
I also read the column called the Hollywood Jew ( Same paper).
The Mel Gibson article gives creed to what Nicky has said.
Emails and comments. A guy I know who happens to be Jewish hates Mel and wont go see his movies because of his statements. A converted minister now back in LA said to her congregation that the Passion was anti-jewish. So I think Nicky speaks from the heart.
The debate is intriguing and worthy of a doctoral dissertation.
I'm sure the Coen's will now loose Best Pic and probably screen play too. I still haven't seen either movie, they were never screened in the Midwest. Reading the screenplay.
Now the question is this can one be Jewish and a kapo. We know that answer. Some helped the victims others punished the victims.
Can one be jewish and antisemitic- happens everyday when one jew does in another everyday for what ever reason-money, pride, avarice etc. Thus the different opinions in the article.
The talmud is quite clear on speech.
"Of the 43 sins enumerated in the Al Chet confession recited on Yom Kippur, 11 are sins committed through speech. The Talmud tells that the tongue is an instrument so dangerous that it must be kept hidden from view, behind two protective walls (the mouth and teeth) to prevent its misuse."
The Coen brothers are writers, what of the 43 sins have they committed against anyone.
Would Thalberg have made either picture is the question. I believe the answer is yes.


text:
Close window [X]
Select one
Get a library card?
Search the catalog?
Search the library's website?
Renew an item?
Place a hold?
View my library account?
Contact a librarian?
Find out about storytimes?
Find out about library programs?
Look up new items?
Request a meeting room?
Get directions to the library?
Reserve a museum pass?
Download books, movies, etc?
Connect to the wireless network?
Research a family history?
Suggest an item for the collection?
Library Home
Ask a Librarian
Library Catalog
Online Library
Download Movies, Music & More
Download Magazines
Download eBooks & Audiobooks
Advantage Titles
Library Programs
Books, Movies & Music
Online Newsstand
Research & Databases
Local History & Genealogy
Museum Passes
Meeting Rooms
Computer Classes
Other Library Services
Borrowing Materials
About Us
City Home
Library Hours
9 - 9
9 - 5:30
9 - 5
Sun. (Sept-May)
1 - 5
Sun. (June-Aug)
Holiday Hours
Reader's Corner
Staff Picks
Sherry's Picks
The Broken Teaglass
By Emily Arsenault
Field of Blood
By Denise Mina
A Fine Balance
By Rohinton Mistry
Girl Who Fell from the Sky
By Heidi Durrow
The Professor and the Madman
By Simon Winchester (423 W759)
Season of the Snake
By Claire Davis
Solitude of Prime Numbers
By Paolo Giordano
Supreme Courtship
By Christopher Buckley
By Nicola Keegan
Tortilla Curtain
By TC Boyle
Walk the Blue Fields
By Claire Keegan
Woman in White
By Wilkie Collins
Print Sherry's bookmark (PDF)
<< Robyn's Picks
Back to Staff Picks Main Page
Steve's Picks >>
Site search
Site Map
Portsmouth Public Library
175 Parrott Ave | Portsmouth, New Hampshire 03801
Tel: 603-427-1540 - Fax: 603-433-0981
Copyright © 2009 Portsmouth Public Library | Portsmouth, New Hampshire, All Rights Reserved


text:
Doesn't Anyone Buy Anymore?
View Single Post
Bob Shiftright
Location: Behind Enemy Lines
Join Date: Feb 2006
Posts: 2,108
Mein Auto: E91 mobile beach locker
View My Garage
Originally Posted by
A home has traditionally been the biggest and in many cases, the only investment one can have, therefore acceptable debt...not the same as depreciating items.
Real estate has characteristics of both an asset and a liability. A house can provide shelter, but it also commits the owner to an infinite stream of maintenance costs and tax payments.
Once a speculative bubble bursts, it can take years if not decades for prices to recover.
Still, in 2010 about 30.3% of owner-occupied homes were owned free and clear, without a mortgage according to the Census Bureau.
I think that number is probably fairly accurate. My neighborhood is more than 30 years old and about half are original owners so they shouldn't have mortgages. Not everyone went crazy borrowing during the credit bubble!
I'd prefer to pay cash and to drive a cheaper car and live in a smaller house than I can afford than to be a slave to debt. It would drive me crazy to wake up and need to go to a job I didn't love to make a car payment.
Attached Thumbnails
E91 26K miles, 6-speed, RWD, Alpine, Terra, Xenons, ZSP, ZCW, ZPP, PDC, CA, alarm, M shifter and M brake handle, Euro rear fog light switch, Euro aspheric mirrors, rear power outlets, Euro split armrest, V-1 inside rear headrest, Cocomats (back to the 1970s!), $10 clutch stop mod. CYHY integrated dash cam (latest project).
Others include: Volvo V70 T5 5-speed 212K, original clutch. (Soon to depart.
"I will give up my stick shift when they pry it from my cold dead hand!"
Bob Shiftright
View Public Profile
Find all threads started by Bob Shiftright
Find all posts by Bob Shiftright
View My Garage
Add Bob Shiftright to Your Ignore List


text:
From staff research
List of the Elite 11 participants from 1999-2008 with a brief look at their careers:
Guidelines: You share in the USA TODAY community, so please keep your comments smart and civil. Don't attack other readers personally, and keep your language decent. Use the "Report Abuse" button to make a difference. Read more.


text:
In the inaugural function, the welcome address was delivered by Golaghat Dc as well as the chairman of the organising committee Sanjib Gohain Baruah where sports organiser M Ali Ahmed and ex-player Viveka Chaliha along with a host of sportspersons were present.
The oath was read by player Pratyush Poddar. More than 150 players in boys single U-12,14 and 18, girls U-14 and 18 and mens single from all over the north-eastern States are taking part in the event. The championship will conclude on Janaury 6.


text:
The Midwinter Ball is supposed to be an evening when journalists and politicians come together to toast their mutually toxic co-dependent relationship, or ''to party'', as it is called in Canberra.
Sadly, this jolly island of non-partisanship and charity fund-raising is often overshadowed by events external. Last year it started very late because everyone was stuck in Parliament disagreeing with each other over the asylum seeker problem, following another horrific boat sinking.
A lot of tears were shed, no solution was reached and, in the circumstances, the very idea of a ball seemed totes inappropes, as they might say in circles considerably younger and hipper than this one.
In 2010 we had the awkward spectacle of then-prime minister Kevin Rudd attempting humour in a speech which included the line: ''This time last year I had a ute, now I'm uteless'', itself a reference to the previous year's ball, when then-opposition leader Malcolm Turnbull reportedly accused one of Rudd's staff of ''lying to protect his boss'' over the ''Utegate'' affair.
And that's not even getting into the ''incident'' at the 2009 ball when a staffer for Coalition frontbencher Sophie Mirabella went on a breast-groping frenzy so rampant it had female attendees wondering if they had accidentally wandered into a bunga bunga party.
Safe to say it's not everybody's idea of a good night out. But it is the only occasion on which politicians get to walk an actual red carpet, as opposed to the ones which cover the floors of the Senate side of Parliament House.
This year the atmosphere promises to be a teensy bit tense given the increasingly public divide within the House of Labor. The seating plan will be more fraught than that of a mob wedding and if Prime Minister Julia Gillard gets heckled during her customary speech, I think we will all know which silver-topped guest we should direct our indignation towards.
It is always a bizarre ritual when all sides of politics - and the people who make a living from picking them apart - come together to make nice for an evening. This year it's even weirder because the enemy is even closer, the leadership contest triangular.
Like the final act in a Shakespearean tragedy, all players are converging on one scene, and who knows who is hiding behind the arras (which, for the purposes of this metaphor, will be played by the giant Arthur Boyd tapestry which hangs on the wall of the Great Hall).


text:
post Archives
Cassidy Turley Completes 69,471 SF Lease for 1st United Door Technologies
September 13, 2013 by in In The Spotlight | Newsmakers
Cassidy Turley announced it completed a lease for 69,471 square feet for 1st United Door Technologies, LLC at Geneva Industrial, 1016 W. Geneva Drive in Tempe. Senior Vice President Bruce Calfee and Vice President Josh Wyss, of Cassidy Turley's Industrial Group, represented the Tenant while Executive Vice Presidents Steve Sayre and Pat Harlan represented the… Read More →
Five Monopolies, Methods of Communication Losing Their Hold
1. Landlines According to CITA, an International Wireless nonprofit organization, 91% of Americans carry a cell phone as of 2009, and those numbers have continued to expand. Now more than ever, with the growing popularity of the iPhone and Droid, cell phones have become both a necessity and an addiction. In past decades, landlines were… Read More →


text: The Nirve® B-1 men's cruiser bike is a ride with 'tude. Built around a high-tensile steel frame, this bike is incredibly comfortable, and it is equipped with a padded saddle, chain cover, and front and rear brakes. It has a cool matte paint job and includes a faux gas tank below the top tube.


text:
Unmasking The Mind Gala is an event that celebrates artistic expression. The extraordinary masks for the event are designed and painted by local artists throughout the Las Vegas Valley, as well as our teachers and students. These one-of-a-kind collection pieces are the focus of the evening. During our live auction masks are displayed and brought forward for a lively round of bidding. In addition there is also a silent auction.
The proceeds from the evening's event will benefit the students at Innovations International Charter School of Nevada (IICSN), a public K-12 charter school serving the needs of a diverse population of students.
IICSN was opened in August 2006, within Clark County School District in Las Vegas, with 362 students in kindergarten through twelth grade. Additional classes were opened to accomodate the entry of new students and the advancement of enrolled sttudents for the past seven years. Our enrollment increased to 800 students for the 2012-2013 school year. This increased enrollment has led us to open a second campus for the 2013-2014 school year.
IICSN is driven by its academic focus and instructional model, which calls for staff to develop relationships with students and their families in an efort to customize the education offered in the classrooms. Innovations builds a strong culture of learning and student empowement incorporating a way of teaching that defines the charter school movement. IICSN is fully accredited by the Northwest Accredidation Commission.
Tickets for the gala can be purchased in advance by calling Lee Huddy at 702-541-6640 or at the door. Ticket prices are $40 per person and two for $75. Please join us for a fun filled evening!


text:
Halloween Candy Alternatives
Bypass the sugar for fun, colorful items kids (and parents) will love
Most any kid will say they want as much candy as they can round up when they knock on neighbor's doors on Halloween. But getting overloaded with sugar isn't the best plan. Some dentists around the country even have buyback programs where they offer prizes and other items for kids who turn in their Halloween candy stash. If you're looking for some creative alternatives to passing out the sweet stuff, we have some ideas for you.
Colorful stickers, pencils and erasers
You can buy sheets of Halloween themed stickers or other designs and toss into kids' jack-o-lanterns. Or you might stock up on pencils and erasers with cool designs that kids will love to use in the classroom.
Temporary tattoos
Kids love these items, and they come in a wide variety of shapes and designs, plus they are inexpensive. You might get a Halloween-themed tattoo to pass out, or you can get a variety — everything from glittery designs to superheroes.
Bowl of fun items
Use your imagination when you stock a big bowl full of novelty items for your trick-or-treaters to pick out. Consider things like plastic vampire teeth, bottles of bubbles, toothbrushes, stretchy frogs, bouncy balls, whistles, and party favor items.
All in the name of safety
Some items that you can give that will delight the kids as well as the parents can actually be effective in making the trek through the neighborhood a bit safer. All you need to do is hand out glow sticks or glow-in-the-dark necklaces. This makes the little goblins more visible. Glow bracelets, flashing wands and finger beam lights are also possibilities.
Healthier snacks
Instead of passing out loads of chocolate or other types of candy, consider stocking up on single-serving packages of pretzels, boxes of raisins, granola bars or juice boxes. Other ideas include packets of hot chocolate, snack-sized cheese and crackers, and sugar-free gum.
Cold hard cash
Imagine the thrill of getting actual money while trick or treating. You can dole out pennies, nickels, dimes, and even quarters. Regardless of the amount, receiving some change will bring smiles to the recipients.
Art supplies
Bring out their creativity when you offer trick-or-treaters a variety of items they can use for art projects. Suggestions include Play-Doh®, origami paper and instructions, inexpensive paintbrushes, crayons or markers.
There are some online companies that specialize in selling novelty items, like some of those mentioned above, in bulk. This makes it very economical to keep all those Halloween buckets filled on Oct. 31.


text:
Victor Snow Kansas City, Missouri
Victor Snow is a multi-instrumentalist and songwriter.
Having worked as a pianist, organist, and trumpeter in everything from sacred music to rock to jazz, in early 2014 he began writing songs for a solo album. "Shiny Side
Down" is a completely self produced work; an eclectic collection of songs that draw inspiration from a wide range of sources, including the titans of progressive rock. ... more
Streaming and Download help


text:
French Library 90" Console
- No Longer Available -
A reproduction of a mid-1940s eastern European library bookcase, our console is heir apparent to the imperfect beauty of an antique. Crafted from polished stainless steel, it displays books and other collectibles.
Show Details +
- 90"W x 15"D x 35½"H
Shown in polished stainless steel.
Product Not Available
We're sorry. This product is no longer available
Please continue browsing.


text:
804 West 180th StreetApt. 47
Corner of West 180th Street and Pinehurst Avenue Washington Heights
This home has been sold
We have no similar homes for sale.
Subway Lines
Nearby Subway Stations
- Price$161,000
- TypeCo-op
- Bedroom1
- Bathroom1
- Rooms3
- Exposure North
Key Features
- Elevator
- Pet friendly
- Full city view
- Dishwasher
- Excellent light
- Hardwood floors
- Oversized windows
- Prewar detail
*TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE* Don't let anyone convince you that here is no such thing as a 1BR apartment in Manhattan for under $200,000. It really does exist, and this is it! At this price, you could settle for a studio with a Pullman style kitchen. But why would you do that? With its higher ceilings and beautiful light, this one bedroom home feels larger than it is. Add to that a real step in kitchen and a foyer that is generous enough to be "usable" space, and you have the perfect starter home. Situated in a well run building with resident superintendent, central laundry, storage lockers and bike room just a few steps from the restaurants and shops that line Fort Washington Avenue and 181st Street, you might expect this apartment to be noisy. But you would be wrong. Come take a listen and look. You will discover that in this home you can both live AND sleep! When it's time to get up and out, the express A-train just around the corner will have you in midtown in just 20 minutes. Low price. Low maintenance. Quiet. Light. Convenience. We don't expect this opportunity to last long. Please note there is a Cap Assessment of $33.48/mon on this unit. One more thing: seller financing is available to eligible and qualified buyers. Contact Paul Cole at 646-596-0160 for details.
Agent Ask me a question
email@example.com Email Me See my 20 other sale listings
Washington Heights
155th Street to Dyckman Street, from the Harlem River to the Hudson River.
Stretching from river to river, the bustling neighborhood of Washington Heights is inspiring more than just the hit Broadway musical, "In the Heights." Some believe that the value to be found in Washington Heights recalls that found on the Upper West Side in the 80's — three-bedroom, three-bathroom apartments are not unusual. With its diverse housing stock, Washington Heights (also known as WaHi) boasts five- and six-story prewar apartment buildings, row houses, and Art-Deco co-ops. The Tudor-style Hudson View Gardens complex and Castle Village and Beaux-Arts co-ops such as the Grinnell and the Riviera are just some of the spots with apartments for sale.
804 West 180th Street
Fort Washington Ave - 181st St7 mins
Saint Nicholas Ave - 181st St7 mins
Pre-war building made up of 44 apartments.
Additional features of this building include: Central Laundry, Live-In Super, Storage in Basement for Addl. Fee, Bike Room.
- Prewar
- Built in 1910
- 6 floors
- 44 units
- Elevator
- Pet friendly
- Central laundry room


text:
Washington, DC – Today, Democratic Leader Harry Reid, Senator Frank Lautenberg, and Senator Maria Cantwell sent a letter to Lee Raymond, Chairman and CEO of ExxonMobil Corporation, further pressing the executive for answers on why the company is willing to hire someone known to have engaged in the editing of scientific reports for political gain. Democratic Senators were appalled to learn that Philip Cooney, a top environment official for the Bush administration, edited scientifically verified reports on climate change in order to downplay their significance.
In the letter, the Senators write that they hope that Exxon was just as appalled to find out that Philip Cooney "significantly altered the scientific conclusions of at least two studies." The Senators have also requested all copies of records and communications between Mr. Cooney and Exxon's current and former employees, to prove that they were not involved in the alteration of these reports.
The text of the letter is pasted below:
July 22, 2005
Mr. Lee Raymond
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
ExxonMobil Corporation
5959 Las Colinas Boulevard
Irving, Texas 75093-2298
Dear Mr. Raymond:
Thank you for your response to our letter.
In your correspondence you make it known that "the policy of Exxon Mobil is one of strict observance of all laws applicable to our business. But our policy does not stop there. Even where the law is permissive, our Standards of Business Conduct require we choose the course of highest integrity."
In choosing the "course of highest integrity" we assumed you were as appalled as we were to find out Philip Cooney, significantly altered the scientific conclusions of at least two studies. The reports Mr. Cooney altered were:
U.S. Climate Change Science Program. 2002. Our Changing Planet: The Fiscal Year 2003 U.S. Global Change Research Program. Online at http://www.climatescience.gov
U.S. Climate Change Science Program. 2003. Strategic Plan for the U.S. Climate Change Science Program. Online at http://www.climatescience.gov.
Furthermore since the altered reports were required by law (The U.S. Global Change Research Act of 1990, 15 U.S.C. § 2921 et seq.[1]), Mr. Cooney's actions may have violated two laws: 18 U.S.C. § 1505, Obstruction of Proceedings before Departments, Agencies, and Committees[2] and 18 U.S.C. § 1001, Statements or Entries Generally.[3]
We are sure you would agree that since ExxonMobil wishes to maintain its "reputation for scrupulous" business practices. In order to protect this reputation I would ask Exxon Mobil provide copies of records (memoranda, minutes, telephone logs, telephone message slips, electronic messages, calendars, press releases, notes, opinions, documents, analyses, briefing materials, talking points, letters, reports, studies, cover sheets, routing cover sheets) and communications between Mr. Cooney and current or former employees of Exxon Mobil regarding climate change in order to demonstrate your company played no role in Mr. Cooney's alteration of these reports.
We once again look forward to your timely response.
[1] These reports fit the definition of the term "official proceeding" as defined in 18 U.S.C. § 1515 (a)(1)(B) and (C): "a proceeding before Congress" and "a proceeding before a government agency that is authorized by law."
[2] That law reads in pertinent part:
Whoever corruptly… influences, obstructs, or impedes or endeavors to influence, obstruct, or impede the due and proper administration of the law under which any pending proceeding is being had before any department or agency of the United States, or the due and proper exercise of the power of inquiry under which any inquiry or investigation is being had by either House, or any committee of either House or any joint committee of the Congress–
Shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than five years, or both.
[3] That law reads in pertinent part:
(a) Except as otherwise provided in this section, whoever, in any matter within the jurisdiction of the executive, legislative, or judicial branch of the Government of the United States, knowingly and willfully…
(3) makes or uses any false writing or document knowing the same to contain any materially false, fictitious, or fraudulent statement or entry;
shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than 5 years, or both.


text:
Flames NewsFlames Home > Cross Country Home > News
McDougal Honored as USATF Athlete of the Week
McDougal (Peru, N.Y.) outkicked Oregon's Galen Rupp by one second on Nov. 19, to win the first NCAA national title of his career, which includes 12 All-America honors. He became the first Liberty runner to win the national cross country championship and only the second Liberty athlete to capture a NCAA Division I national title. Liberty assistant track & field/cross country coach Heather (Sagan) Zealand finished first in the mile at the 2002 NCAA Division I Indoor Track & Field Championships.
McDougal's USATF Athlete of the Week award is his first since Oct. 17, 2005, when he was honored for winning the Pre-Nationals cross country meet in record time. He also earned the distinction as a freshman, on Oct. 5, 2004, after winning the Great American Cross Country Festival championship. The senior's first USATF weekly recognition came while he was still in high school, on Nov. 18, 2003. McDougal captured the award as a result of winning the male 15-19 age group at the New York Road Runners Cross Country Championship in New York City's Van Cortlandt Park. His time of 15:08 on the 5K course was the fastest ever run by a high school athlete at Van Cortlandt.
USATF's Athlete of the Week program is designed to recognize outstanding performers at all levels of the sport. Some of the 2007 weekly honorees have included Allyson Felix, Ryan Hall, Jeremy Wariner and Alan Webb.
McDougal will open his senior track & field season this Saturday, when he runs the 5,000 meters at the Liberty Kickoff, at the Tolsma Indoor Track Center. He is entered in a field which includes some top-notch competition, in a race set for approximately 4:15 p.m. McDougal is aiming to run 13:48.90 or faster, which would automatically qualify him for the NCAA Division I Indoor Track & Field Championships in March.


text:
Flaherty runs over Red Devils
Credit: Stuart Cahill
BURLINGTON — It's not often that a heavyweight bout actually lives up to the pregame hype. But that's exactly what happened last night in the semifinals of the Division 2A playoffs between Burlington and Beverly.
And all those in attendance, either crammed in the stands or perched from the top of the hill at Varsity Field, got their money's worth with the first hint of winter dropping from the sky.
|The article you requested has been archived
- More On:
- Burlington
- Division 2A
- Beverly


text:
Healthy child happy mum!
Publicado por Reviewer3110486 en Mar 12, 2011 | Compra Verificada
My 3.5 Yr old has been on this daily 1 tsp for around half a year since her mild chicken pox. It keeps the sniffles away!
Nordic Naturals Baby DHA
This dropped bottle is easy to use & lets me control when & how much i want to supplement my child. I moderate & instead of 3ml as prescribed for his weighte/age - i give 2 ml only every alternate days.
Nurture Inc. (Happy Baby), Super Salmon, Stage 3 Meals, (7+ Months)
Convenient on the go foods - I dunk the whole bag in hot water to warm it up 1st before feeding!
I like this.
Publicado por Reviewer3110486 en Jun 10, 2013 | Compra Verificada
my local grocery sells 1 oz bottles at around US$1 but they are artificial vanilla flavourings. I am into my 3rd bottle now! they are simple goodness you cannot miss!
not bad freebie tried it last night 1 set for aroud 3-4 hrs
Publicado por Reviewer3110486 en Feb 10, 2014 | Compra Verificada
I woke with less deep line under my eyes. possible fixing it in place helps with the "ironing" of the lines. no perm fix, will need to use it often for results. at least its not Chemically stinging with the gel patches from Taiwan i experienced before - frag or alcohol stings as its near the eye. this one was more pleasant to use.
Nurture Inc. (Happy Baby), Organic Baby Food, Stage 3 Meals (7+ Months), Amaranth Ratatouille,
Convenient on the go foods - I dunk the whole bag in hot water to warm it up 1st before feeding!
Earth's Best, Toothpaste, Free Gum Brush,
A fav for my 2 kids!
Crystal Body Deodorant, Crystal Body Deodorant
doesnt leave residue on the clothes - great for those who dont like scented body deodorants. no turning back since i started on this.
Childlife, Cod Liver Oil, Strawberry Flavor, 8 fl oz
This is our 2nd bottle - my girl screams for STRAWBERRY!
Publicado por Reviewer3110486 en Sep 05, 2010 | Compra Verificada
My 3 yr old is on this since she was around 18 mths & with the start of childcares -i feel that its essential to give a little help on the immunity department so that childhood diseases are kept on 'fast recover' & 'mild outbreak' instead of full blown or often illnesses.
1-10 total de 11
1 2


text:
Help your department capture information electronically to serve your constituents more efficiently. And with Nuance's software licensing options, you'll save money too.
Nuance provides tailored, phone-based customer service solutions and speech-driven agency directory applications that that are helping government offices and agencies deliver cost-effective and differentiated service in the midst of budget constraints, staffing shortfalls and increasing citizen and constituent expectations.
Learn more about our contact centre solutions
Witness great service in action
In government today, it's all about citizen service. Nuance helps government institutions achieve exceptional efficiency along with significant cost savings, greater security, improved auditability and increased productivity.
Government workers leverage speech recognition technology to dramatically reduce the time it takes to complete case-related paperwork – from session and contact notes to assessments and treatment plans. Speech recognition software can be used to quickly and accurately create documents and emails so you can focus on meeting the needs of your community, rather than the administrative paperwork.
Nuance's patented speech and text input applications enable faster, easier navigation, messaging and search across a wide array of device platforms. These multi-modal solutions are easily customisable to enhance device utility and team productivity. Nuance's expertise in language development, speech science and UI design, may be leveraged to create Industry/Business specific text input language databases, speech grammar models, text keyword search files and user interfaces that best meet your unique needs.


text:
The United States' worst-ever chlorine gas leak killed nine people and injured 250. Eighteen months later - despite efforts to clean and restore the textile mill affected by the leak - 4,000 people lost their jobs, and a longtime, family-owned textile company went out of business.
Perhaps the only good thing to come out of the disaster is that, if such an accident occurs again, authorities will have better guidelines for first responders and cleanup crews. These guidelines will be the product of about two years of testing and research by scientists and engineers at the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) and the Georgia Institute of Technology.
GTRI scientists and engineers from Georgia Tech's National Electric Energy Testing, Research and Applications Center (NEETRAC) first became involved in cleanup efforts within a few days after the train wreck that caused the leak on Jan. 6, 2005, in the small town of Graniteville, S.C. South Carolina Electric & Gas needed advice, as well as analysis of components from its heavily damaged power substations that served Graniteville and the large, local textile facility owned by Avondale Mills. The 70 to 80 tons of chlorine gas that leaked from the wrecked train corroded equipment in the substations, which eventually had to be rebuilt.
Because of the magnitude of the disaster, emergency response activities delayed cleanup crews' access to the substations and textile mill. It was 17 days after the accident before clean up began at Avondale, which, by early February 2005, had contracted with GTRI to do materials testing and assessment of restoration efforts.
"Basically, you had items sitting in an acid bottle for days," says Lisa Detter-Hoskin, a GTRI senior research scientist who led the research. "Chlorine combined with moisture in the air to form acids that corrosively ate away at surfaces and moved inward like a cancer in the human body. Much of the mill's equipment was beyond repair due to the severity of the chlorine attack."
Early in the research, it became apparent that the far-reaching effects of the chlorine accident on Avondale would require a variety of expertise from GTRI, Georgia Tech and elsewhere. So Avondale's law firm, King & Spalding in Atlanta, hired Detter-Hoskin as a consultant to coordinate environmental and materials-related testing and find appropriate experts - among them, chemists, environmental scientists, civil engineers, air quality monitoring specialists, metallurgists, water treatment experts and industrial hygienists. Detter-Hoskin, group leader of the GTRI Materials Analysis Center, also performed materials analysis and corrosion testing on behalf of Avondale and provided technical consultation for chemical cleanup and restoration.
Detter-Hoskin compiled all of the research and recommendations into a report for Avondale. That report is now the basis for a white paper Detter-Hoskin - a Ph.D.-level inorganic chemist with almost 20 years of experience in dealing with materials forensics, including chlorine corrosion - is writing for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. She will explain the relationship between acid concentration, exposure effects and possible degrees of material damage. She also will document the cleaning protocols most effective to decontaminate and restore an area affected by a chlorine leak. Detter-Hoskin believes that paper will ultimately become a handbook for first responders, disaster cleanup companies and the chemical industry.
"Chlorine and other highly reactive chemicals are of great concern because they're shipped daily by rail, barge and truck," Detter-Hoskin says. "There have been some leaks in U.S. history, but until Graniteville, they were mostly small, and little damage was done. So there was very little public information on how to best serve Avondale Mills in this accident."
Now, GTRI and Georgia Tech have a unique database of information resulting from 18 months of testing and assessment of samples from Avondale's Graniteville facilities. This information may be able to help in the event of another accident, or even a terrorist attack, Detter-Hoskin says.
The accident and subsequent cleanup efforts also revealed some areas of potential future research for GTRI and Georgia Tech, including technology to improve the safety of shipping chlorine, Detter-Hoskin notes. Research might also focus on the development of safer chemical alternatives to chlorine, which is currently used in 27 percent of all U.S. manufacturing operations, including the sanitization, pharmaceutical and automotive industries.
In the meantime, Detter-Hoskin is reviewing the details of and gleaning the lessons learned from the Graniteville disaster. Numerous factors contributed to the wide-ranging impact of the chlorine leak, she says. For one, the weather in Graniteville at the time of the accident was warm and humid, and there was no breeze that might have dispersed the gas.
"The gas had plenty of moisture to react with, in addition to particulates in the air," Detter-Hoskin explains. "Chlorine will react with almost anything to transform it into more reactive chlorine derivatives. So, dust, lint and dirt in the mill all became chlorinated."
In addition, process chemicals used in the mill, such as those for dyeing fabrics, became chlorinated and subsequently super reactive. "So you weren't just dealing with chlorine leaking from the rail car. Chlorine was reacting with everything, including coal, gas and oil fueling the boilers," she says.
Another factor negatively affecting cleanup was the delay in getting initial access to the mill and the ineffective cleanup process that was implemented, Detter-Hoskin says. "The severe, chlorine-induced corrosion was prolonged because the damage was not mitigated in a timely manner," she adds.
Norfolk Southern was in charge of the initial cleanup efforts at Avondale. According to Detter-Hoskin, their cleaning protocols lacked ongoing environmental abatement, such as that used in lead paint or asbestos remediation. This allowed chlorinated dirt and lint to be redistributed onto cleaned surfaces. Also, limited mechanical or abrasive steps were used to pre-clean material surfaces, and they did not perform any deep chemical cleaning with strong acids or bases.
"The phosphate-based restoration process was selected because it is environmentally friendly, safer for workers and commonly employed after chlorine chemical fires," Detter-Hoskins says. "But these chlorine fires do not cause the extreme deep-metal pitting damage observed at Avondale Mills. The phosphate cleaning methods do not aggressively get into metal layers to clean the chlorine acidic salts deep within pits. The process they used actually encapsulated a lot of chlorine debris. In the long run, that exacerbated cleanup attempts."
Detter-Hoskin recommended implementing two alternative rigorous cleaning methods approved by the American Society for Testing and Materials and the Society for Protective Coatings. These processes would have required skilled workers and costly hazardous acidic waste disposal. But by May 2006, when Avondale Mills settled with its insurance company, damage to equipment in the mill was beyond repair, Detter-Hoskin says. Two months later the company went out of business.
Avondale has a federal lawsuit pending against Norfolk Southern and the three workers who left open the manual switch, leading to the train wreck. That case will be tried in federal court in Aiken, S.C., but it may be many years before it's resolved, Detter-Hoskin says. She will serve as a lead scientific expert for Avondale in the trial.
"This accident happened in the small community of Graniteville, South Carolina, and in my estimate, its ultimate economic impact to the town will likely exceed $1 billion," Detter-Hoskin says. "Had this occurred in Atlanta or another large city, you would have had hundreds of thousands of people hurt and killed within a 10-minute period. The financial impact would be immense, as well. Metal equipment and electrical wiring would be destroyed, and computer data would be lost."


text:
Product Information
The feel and performance of custom boots. Dual stretch panels form a second-skin fit and the premium leather, oiled or waxed full-grain with reinforced oiled-leather inner panel protects and holds. The Vislon zipper is durable and secure and the Spanish cut topline cuts a confident path. Performs well with the Quantum boots.
• Oiled or waxed full-grain leather options
• Leather lining
• Reinforced inside panel
• Dual stretch leather back panel
• Heavy-duty Vislon zip system
• Stretch leather skirt over instep


text:
Melbourne cafe Hardware Societe has been extensively damaged overnight by smoke from a fire that began in a Thai massage shop next door.
The fire, which began about 11pm, was caused by a dryer in the laundry of the massage parlour on Hardware Lane according to the Metropolitan Fire Brigade.
Smoke from the fire spread to the popular Hardware Societe, which could be closed for up to two months after its coldroom was destroyed and the interior of the cafe sustained smoke and water damage.
"We are lucky that no one was hurt," said the cafe's co-owner Di Keser.
Ms Keser vowed that the 70-seat cafe at 120 Hardware Lane would be back up and running as soon as possible; "It's Hardware after all."
In the meantime she plans to extend the opening hours of Bowery to Williamsburg, a second city cafe she co-owns with husband and business partner Will, to avoid laying off staff.
"We have people we want to hang on to and we'll create work for them," she said.
Bowery to Williamsburg (16 Oliver Lane) will open Saturday and Sunday from 8am to 3pm in addition to its weekday hours.


text:
Ha!! Sucker punch right in your brown wallets. Boom!
Have y'all tried the Ferro Rondoir. It is chocolate, stuffed with chocolate, in a chocolate shell and then sprinkled with chocolate. It is donwright sinful!
How the hell we suppose to change our reality,
If you don't wanna shake that hood mentality.
Ice Cube
her pants are too cute.
speaking of hazelnut goodness
have you ever had a chocolate cake shot? it's hazelnut liquor with lemon vodka. you mix them together and then bite a piece of lemon coated in sugar. it sounds so gross but taste JUST LIKE a piece of chocolate cake.
i'm down with chocolate on bread.
Hubby (33) + Me (Still 25...)= Jason "Chunka/LJ" Jr. 9/25/2012
Enjoying the greatest gift God could have bless us with!!!
Anyone want a two year old? He is currently chasing the dogs around the house with his toy golf clubs...channeling his inner erin nordegren.
Denise, Momma to Caleb Ari- 10/15/2010, Avery Isabel 4/11/2013, and Desmond Abel 9/14/16
1 hour and counting...
"You can be the ripest, juiciest peach in the world, and there's still going to be somebody who hates peaches." -Dita von Teese
Lala... Wife, Step-Mama, and Mama
I have a whole 2 1/2 hours left. I don't get off until 7 tonight. Then I have to go home and deal with my niece. We are having a family meeting tonight to discuss her recent laziness and inability to be accountable for her actions. This should be fun...
How the hell we suppose to change our reality,
If you don't wanna shake that hood mentality.
Ice Cube
LOL @ Dnc87!!
Why did I have to give Liam the evil eye for him to take his nap? He went down....eventually. Now we're up having lunch....well dinner that is.
Why am I all excited to see the debate tonight between the POTUS and Twitt, I mean Mitt?
Have you noticed that the WW featuring Jessica Simpson only shows her face? And why is she speaking so slowly?
Ans + Moe = Liam and Noah
Each time an excuse is given for poor behavior, a chance for character growth is denied.