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By Michael Kunzelman, Associated Press Writer
NEW ORLEANS Attorneys for homeowners suing State Farm Insurance Cos. after Hurricane Katrina have long accused the insurer of pressuring engineers to alter reports on storm-damaged homes so that policyholders' claims could be denied.
Now, some of these lawyers claim they have evidence to prove their allegation -- internal e-mails from an engineering firm that helped State Farm adjust claims after the Aug. 29, 2005, hurricane destroyed thousands of homes on the Mississippi Gulf Coast.
State Farm denies pressuring engineers to change their conclusions, but the e-mails, obtained Tuesday by The Associated Press, indicate the company was threatening to dismiss Raleigh, N.C.-based Forensic Analysis & Engineering Corp. less than two months after Katrina.
State Farm and other insurers say their homeowner policies cover damage from wind but not rising water, including wind-driven storm surge.
Zach Scruggs, an attorney who is part of a legal team that sued State Farm on behalf of hundreds of homeowners, said Forensic turned over the e-mails as part of the pretrial discovery process for one of the lawsuits.
The e-mails "confirm everything that we have always suspected," Scruggs said. "What it says is pretty shocking. This outlines the whole scheme of theirs."
The e-mails exchanged between Forensic president and CEO Robert Kochan and Randy Down, the firm's vice president of engineering services, outline complaints against their firm's work from Alexis King, a State Farm manager in Mississippi.
Kochan, in an e-mail dated Oct. 17, 2005, says the firm will continue working with State Farm, but talks about needing to "redo the wording" of a report after a discussion with King "such that the conclusions are better supported."
The e-mail also says King didn't want local engineers to inspect properties because they were "too emotionally involved" and were "working very hard to find justifications to call it wind damage when the facts only show water induced damage." She was also apparently upset that a report was based upon eyewitness accounts, the e-mail said.
In a reply dated Oct. 18, 2005, Down questioned the insurer's motivations and questioned if there was an ethical problem with State Farm telling the firm what to put in reports. He also suggested that on another occasion, State Farm asked the firm to remove information from a report because "they would then have to settle."
"I really question the ethics of someone who wants to fire us simply because our conclusions don't match hers," Down wrote in an e-mail dated Oct. 18, 2005.
"But what about the obvious fact that SF would love to see every report come through as water damage so that they can make the minimum settlement," he wrote.
Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood, in Washington after testifying Wednesday before the Senate Commerce Committee, said he knew about the e-mails for months as part of his criminal grand jury investigation. He said civil attorneys obtained the e-mails as part of discovery proceedings.
"It is a document that clearly shows State Farm used engineers and coerced engineers to write a report like they wanted," Hood said.
The e-mails are "the first paper evidence we've got where you can see engineers expressing concern about being pressured to change reports," said Chip Merlin, a Tampa, Fla.-based attorney who has sued State Farm on behalf of dozens of homeowners.
"Whoever Randy Down is deserves a gold star on his forehead for being one of the most ethical individuals," Merlin added.
Kochan said in an interview, however, that plaintiffs' attorneys are taking the e-mails out of context. King "just felt like we weren't doing a technically accurate job," but she wasn't pressuring Forensic to change conclusions so that claims could be denied, Kochan said.
Down, who has since left Forensic and started his own engineering company, said in an interview Tuesday that he was relying on "secondhand" information about State Farm's complaints and wasn't directly involved in Forensic's work on Katrina claims. He said the threat to fire the firm came "out of the blue."
"The question was why," Down added. "The initial internal discussion I heard is that they didn't like our reports."
State Farm spokesman Phil Supple rejected the notion that the company pressured engineers to alter their conclusions on storm damage so that claims could be denied.
"Our employees are committed to conducting themselves in an ethical and appropriate manner," he said. "Any suggestions to the contrary are simply wrong."
Hood said the percentages of damage due to wind or water were in initial damage reports but that State Farm allegedly went back to the engineers and said "no percentages" because that information could be used in civil cases.
He said another issue, especially for federal officials and senators on the committee, was that since there were no percentages in the reports, the government's flood insurance program would be required to pay 100 percent on claims.
"If it had been put in reports, then the federal government would have been entitled to some money back from" the insurance companies, he said.
Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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• Escondido auto repair services
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to schedule an appointment

subset: commoncrawl


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Netflix Prize
Between October, 2006 and March 2007 much of my free time was spent pursuing the Netflix Prize. Netflix was offering $1 million to anyone who could take the dataset they provided (containing 100 million ratings from 500 thousand customers covering 20 thousand movies) and make predictions for 2 million unknown ratings (from those same customers and movies) that were 10% better than Netflix's own predictions as measured by the root mean squared error (RMSE). The prize was eventually won.
Working on this challenge was fun and frustrating and a great learning experience. I worked on my early ideas in LISP before switching to C++ due to my inability to optimize LISP for performance. I exchanged the pain of slow execution for the pain of slow development and having to compile and reload all of the data into memory for each new test. I may eventually research LISP optimization (maybe using type declarations for all variables?) and write a language performance comparison page. I bet that would be a hit on Programming.Reddit.
If you came here hoping to read about my ideas or techniques I'm afraid my best scores come from using the ideas already discussed by others. I don't want you to go away empty handed so I compiled a list below of the web pages that helped me get my score.
Recommended Pages
- Simon Funk: Try This at Home
- Timely Development: Netflix Prize Results and Source Code
- Billy McCafferty: Using the Pearson Correlation Coefficient
- David Vogel / Ognian Asparouhov: Netflix Solution (link is no longer valid)
- Anil Thomas: Netflix Contest
Current Best Score
As of March 25th, 2007 my best score was 0.9064, a 4.73% improvement over Netflix and good enough for 67th place on the leaderboard. At the time there were 17,151 teams (1,702 had made a valid submission and 438 had beaten the netflix score of 0.9514).
Scores by Method
- 0.9402: kNN (ratings)
- 0.9392: kNN (SVD)
- 0.9344: kNN (blended)
- 0.9101: SVD + kNN
SVD = Singular Value Decomposition
kNN = k Nearest Neighbors
The scores above were obtained testing against the probe dataset. The scores I got from Netflix tended to be about 0.004 better.


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McDonald's to Offer Charles Ramsey Free Big Macs for Life?
America has a new best friend. He loves "Mac-Donald's" and he's a hero. Charles Ramsey was the good samaritan that helped Amanda Barry and other women escape their captors in Cleveland, Ohio.
If you haven't seen or heard Charles Ramsey, watch this video clip.
Subscribe to Cat Country 107.3 on
He's a hometown hero! He courageously helped three young women who were held captive for over a decade and now he's won the hearts of many Americans! He's just so likable!
Joe Kelly posted on Cat Country 107.3's Facebook page that the man should never have to pay for a Big Mac for the rest of his life! Well, that might just happen! I found the picture above on Instagram, via Twitter, from McDonald's. I hope they keep that promise to get in touch with Charles Ramsay!


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Looks like Richmond Hill Estates Apartments is no longer available on Rent.com which means this information is likely out of date.
Contact for details
Madison's premier East Side apartment community is Richmond Hill Estates, part of the Castleberg Communities family. We are a luxury property serving the Madison area. Richmond Hill takes pride in apartment homes that offer you a combination of amenities, quality construction, and has the best floor plans in town! Simply put, Richmond Hill Estates is the luxury property you want and the quality you deserve. We have one bedroom, 2 bedroom, and 2+ bedrooms for rent.
Our property is conveniently located near each access to the East & West sides of Madison. The beautiful grounds features beautiful landscaping. Units include third floor lofts with vaulted ceilings. Richmond Hill Apartments for rent have underground parking, elevators, and a clubhouse with outdoor pool, whirlpool, fitness center, and community room.
12 month leases. Pet policy: Max 1 pet. $20 pet rent. $250 refundable pet deposit.
Cats Accepted. Call for service animal policy.
84 units
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Opening Saturday Artists Panel
MOCA Jacksonville
Saturday, January 26, 2013 at 2:00 PM (EST)
Event Details
Curator Ben Thompson leads an interactive panel discussion with internationally acclaimed artists James Nares and Chris McCaw. The panel will share both the inspiration for and the technical details of their works. Whether you are interested in sociology, art history, science, or technology, this event will have something for everyone.
Seats will be held for individuals with tickets until 5 minutes before the scheduled event start. At that time, remaining seats will be filled on a first-come first-served basis.
When & Where
MOCA Jacksonville
333 North Laura Street
Saturday, January 26, 2013 at 2:00 PM (EST)
Add to my calendar


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Verizon fios TV's TV Service is Recommended by CableTV.com
We at CableTV.com have gathered data from a number of independent customer surveys, which we use to compare and rank the cable companies and other television services available in your area. This allows us to help you find the best provider for your needs. Our research clearly indicates that Verizon fios TV is the top TV service provider among all satellite TV and cable companies in Poolesville, MD.
When selecting the best cable company in Poolesville, MD, price shouldn't be the only factor you consider. To get the most bang for your buck, be sure to take a close look at which channels are included with the various TV packages in Poolesville, and make sure they fit your needs. This is vitally important because, unlike most major networks, smaller local channels may vary in availability depending on your location. In fact, their availability differs from city to city, even among similar plans. Fortunately, thanks to our research, you can easily compare the features and channels offered from the highest rated providers available in Poolesville—all in one place. That means you can easily select the entertainment package that gives you access to every and Baltimore Ravens game, your favorite movies and shows, and any other programming you love.
It takes the right combination of quality and service to earn a TV provider a top ranking. CableTV.com looks at several factors, such as reliability and customer service, when making recommendations and rating providers. Using our recommendations to find the best cable company in Poolesville, MD will make it easier to find a quality TV service that offers superior customer support.


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F/S--D2 Forged wheels. CV'1 concave. M3/concave fittment.
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Registered User
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: north jersey
Posts: 16
My Ride: M3 droptop. ;)
View My Garage
F/S--D2 Forged wheels. CV'1 concave. M3/concave fittment.
I have a set of d2 forged cv1's for sale.
Rims are pretty decent they have fairly new tires on them MICHELLIN 285-30-19
The rear rims are 19 by 11. Not sure the offset but they are pretty concave.
Front rims are 19 by 9.5
Tires size are 245-35-19.
I had them on my e46 m3 these are a greats set of good looking wheels going with another set of wheels thats the reason for the sale these are original d2 wheels so yes they are 3 peace. They have no cracks or dents on none.
They retail for about 6900 for a set with no tires
Im asking 3k with a fresh set of tires. For pictures of wheels you can contact me at 201-675-2240.
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Details & Care
A lightweight stretch-woven jacket with plenty of soft shirring, a flouncy ruffled hem and a water-shedding DWR-finish proves that sporty performance can be pretty sweet.
- 23" length (size Medium).
- Two-way front-zip closure with zipper garage protects your neck.
- Zipper pull doubles as an emergency hair tie.
- Secure zip pockets stash cash or a key.
- Thumbholes in cuffs keep hands warm and keep sleeves from creeping up.
- Reflective details enhance visibility in low light or at night.
- Smooth flatlock seaming won't rub or irritate.
- Breathable mesh vents excess heat for cool comfort.
- DWR (durable water repellent) finish helps keep you dry.
- Zeltek Move stretch-woven fabric.
- Polyester/spandex; machine wash.
- By Zella; imported.
- Women's Active & Swim.
- Item #635395
'Terra Nova' Jacket


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Your Questions about Traffic School
You are Here: Traffic School » Help » Your Questions Answered
At 123driving.com we receive lots of questions every day. Below are recent questions from drivers all over Florida and other states.
Learners Permit Class - Does the Certificate and Waiver Expire
Question: If a teenager finishes a the Florida learners permit course online and does not get their license does the certificate expire after a certain amount of time?
Answer:The certificate for the DATA course does not expire.
Two Tickets What to Do?
Question: I recently was stopped on the Turnpike and got two tickets. One ticket was for speeding and the other as for a seatbelt violation. Can I take traffic school for both tickets?
Answer: No, you can only take a traffic school course for one Florida ticket. In your case you will want to take the class for the speeding ticket because it carries points if you do not. The seatbelt violation will not result in any points.
Be sure to pay your fines for both tickets within 30 days and inform the clerk of court that you are electing traffic school for the speeding ticket.
My Second Ticket this Year
Question: I took traffic school six months ago for a ticket. It was for running a red light in Orlando. This week I got another ticket for speeding. Can I take traffic school for the ticket I just got?
Answer: In this case the answer is it depends. The general rule is that you can only take a Florida traffic school course once every 12 months but in some of the larger Florida counties like Miami Dade and Broward you may be permitted to take traffic school a second time in a 12 month period.
In those larger counties you would be required to take an 8 Hour course for the second violation in a 12 month period. The easiest way to find out the policy for each county is on their Clerk of Court web page.


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Barbecue Rub
- 3 tablespoons paprika
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 1 tablespoon ground coffee
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Combine the ingredients in a small bowl.
- Coat the poultry, meat, or seafood with the olive oil. Sprinkle with the rub, pressing gently to help it adhere to the food.
- Cook on a lightly oiled grill to the desired doneness.
Note: Try this rub when grilling bone-in chicken pieces, strip steak, and baby-back ribs.


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Ouch! The Sixers would only have $42 million in committed salary after re-signing Bynum if they hadn't signed Hawes or Kwame.
I think Jrue is worth what Rondo is worth today, around $10-11 million a year. My fear is that he tests FA and some dumbass team like Charlotte will offer him the max.
There aren't many good FAs in the next two years. The Sixers have about $15 million in the short term contracts of Turner, Hawes, and Brown. I think a trade would be more appealing.
From here on in the Sixers will have to make moves the way most good teams due- trades. Hopefully they become good enough that good players are open to coming to Philly and get their agents to get things moving.
I think they see Bynum/Jrue/Thad and probably ET as their core players. If those guys are good then they should be able to package some junk to get another big ticket player.
Eventually (in 2 years):
Bynum 20M
Jrue 11M
Thad 9M
So that would eventually leave about 20M to spend on 1 more key player + 7 role players. So maybe 8-10M on that key player. Not a superstar number, but enough to target a very good player (say Ginobili or Gerald Wallace level forward- not those players but that talent level.)
Does that get you into contension in 2-3 years? Who knows.
Is the max contract that Bynum can earn on the FA market equal to an average of 17.733 over the course of 4 years? The Sixers can offer him a starting salary of 17.733 and have it escalate by 1.5% over the next 5 years, right?
Am I right, or is the only benefit of signing with Bird Rights is being able to get an extra year of guaranteed salary? The reason I ask this is because I noticed that Gordon and Hibbert's salary start at 13.668 and their entire salary averaged out to their max contract number of 14.59
Benefit of Bird Rights is it can be a five-year deal, and the yearly increase is 7.5% instead of 4.5% (think it's 4.5%).
So here's the math for Bynum next summer:
The Sixers can offer 5 years, $103M.
Another team can offer 4 years, $75.9M.
So Bynum would be turning down the fifth year ($23.7M) and the value over the four years would be about $3.4M less.
If he was to roll the dice and assume he's going to get another max contract after the fourth year if he signs with another team, then the fifth year (the first year of the new contract) would be a lower starting point than the fifth year of the deal he could sign w/ the Sixers (105% of the fourth year of the contract he signed w/ the other team, vs. 107.5% of the fourth year of his contract w/ the Sixers). Anyway, so if you do the math, he'd lost about $6M over the next five years if he leaves, even if he then signs a max contract w/ the next team.
If you look out even further (assuming he signs another max contract when he's thirty), then he'd be losing $15M over 9 years, and missing out on a $30M payday in year 10, when he's 35.
That seems like a lot of money, but the $3.4M over the first 4 year years is really the key. They need to keep him happy this year, because that's not a ton of money.
For better or worse, this is the starting lineup next year, based on the information we've seen:
i think j rich will start instead so he and nick youn
g wont be on the 2nd team together without a good ball handler
there is no way that turner does not play the 3. a point forward role fits his abilities like a glove. one of our new shooters at the 2, giving us two threats from distance in the backcourt and giving turner the space he needs to do his thing(namely, get into the paint and wreck havoc on opposing defenses with andrew bynum)
turner should be shooting midrange jumpers all day every day for the next two months. if he can knock those down consistently he will be dropping 20 points on a routine basis. even if he can't manage that, our new passel of shooting threats means space for him to to play in the paint, his specialty. i also hope turner will be spending a lot of time standing at the free throw line for the rest of the offseason, because the sixers have weapons that will routinely overwhelm opposition d, and overwhelmed foul guys who attack the rim off dribble penetration
How does Hawes and Kwame prevent them from signing big free agents? They could trade either one for cap space. Contrary to popular belief neither one is overpaid and as long as Dallas has a team big men have a place to go play badly at. Brendan Haywood ring a bell? Chris Kamen, Elton Brand etc. They got a long history of taking in mediocre bigs.
Really as far as big men go they aren't overpaid. Hawes was producing all-star caliber numbers pre-injury. Kwame can defend, rebound and intimidate opponents Reggie Evans-style. Package Kwame with Thad and you got a taker with most teams a 6'8 stud and a defensive 7 footer.
People thought we were stuck with all these wings until the traded two of them for Bynum. Anybody on this roster could be moved. Easily. Plus next summer they become expiring contracts. Even good-great teams can use them.
Elton Brand even now is better than Spencer Hawes and Kwame Brown, probably combined.
I don't get the assumption that the sixers could easily dispose of Spencer Hawes...especially when he'll be even more exposed as suck next year now that the sixers have a real big man.
Gotta put the cap hold for Jrue in there, as 52.7 isn't the number they'll be at heading into free agency next year.
So at a 250% cap hold, that puts Jrue's number at $6,687,130, and the Sixers financial commitments to 56,764,986, or effectively over the cap.
Yeah, they're going to be over the cap either way. Over the cap w/ only 7 players signed, and probably looking at spending more than the QO to re-sign Jrue.
lakers seriously thinking about hiring eddie jordan...
please someone tell me if they think that will fit with la, because eddie fucking jordan was an absolutely huge mistake for our team. does the princeton offense work w their players?
Where is the cap number supposed to be for 2013-14?
That's the first year it goes to 50/50 split of BRI. For the past two seasons it's been frozen at the level of the last year prior to the lockout. It's probably going to drop from $57M.
Insert obligatory comment about them screwing up the Lavoy contract here...
...and Brian how many site rules would I break by pointing out that the cap and luxury tax levels may very well depend on what happens on Nov. 6?
I'm not sure I agree that what happens on November 6th will have that much impact...I get why you think it will but I think rhetoric is the biggest part of those things and most of the rhetoric used to win on the 6th fades when faced with the reality of the 535 people who you need to help you follow through on your rhetoric and their own selfish interests
So, if we're going to be close to or over the cap anyway, the two year deals for Hawes and Brown are not just harmless; they're positive assets in terms of acquiring players. Next year we'll effectively have almost 12M in "cap space" (with the caveat that we can only use it in trades), assuming the +/- 25% rule is still in place for teams over the cap.
That's the ludicrous thing about the NBA. A team that is right at the salary cap is actually in the worst possible situation, since it can't sign free agents, and it can't take on additional salary in trades.
If you know you're going to be close to the salary cap, the best strategy is to put yourself over using Bird Rights on good players and signing mediocre ones to short, possibly overpriced contracts that can be used as trade chips. And hey, that's what the Sixers seem to have done (though it's tough to say whether that was their intention).
We'll get exceptions. Basically, if you're under the cap by less than the exceptions, you're considered over the cap and you get those exceptions.
Out of curiosity, if Bynum (still only 24) signed the 3 year extension (maxed out) what would his 5 year contract look like after that...just curious what the 8 year total might look like...I doubt it's more than he'd make signing a 5 year then looking for another contract when he is only 30 but still...
Sixers story: Bynum trade initiated by Sixers calling Magic about Howard:
Twitter: @tmoorepburbs
Bynum & throw-in Richardson for Iguodala, 2 tadpoles & future protoplasm:
steak for hamburger
battleship for PT boat
Rocky Colavito for Harvey Keunn
Jim Bunning & Gus Triandos for Don Demeter & Jack Hamilton
Lou Brock for Ernie Broglio
rising Bobby Jones for declining George McGinnis
Robert Parish for Joe Barely Cares
Manhattan for $24
Gentleman Rod Thorn has delivered.
Fergie Jenkins and Adolfo Phillips for veteran pitchers Bob Buhl and Larry Jackson.
Not the first time Rod Thorn has delivered over his career. I bet he's an excellent poker player.
But admit it, for a while there you were calling him Rod Van Winkle.
Never was bothered by the Jenkins trade. He hadn't proven anything at that point. Phils were goin' for it, tryin' to win the NL. Didn't work out. Buhl was done, Jackson pitched pretty well for them though for 3 yrs - check out his Philly composite numbers... 2.95 ERA, 11 shutouts in 104 starts, 752.1 innings! And the only powder on his nose was from his morning donut. :)
Gotta give the late wallbanger his due: last name is spelled 'Kuenn'... capped his good playing career at 35, batting .296 as part-timer - OF/1B - for the disappointing '66 4th place Phils. Nice contact hitter: struck out just 404 times in 7,617 plate appearances. Prime: mid-Fifties to early Sixties.
Regarding Kuenn. Kind of liked him. Was just getting into watching pro-baseball then. Get your point about Jenkins but we really missed the boat on him. Felt the same about Don Money and Larry Hisle. Didn't realize Jackson had that much success for the Phillies.
Had trust in Rod from the get go. Gritty player in his NBA career. It will now be up to the coach(I know he's not one of your favorites), to make something of this group. He's going to have to work magic to get Bynum to hustle and concentrate for 35 min. a game; however, the next raise may be all the motivation Bynum needs.
Don Money had to go in any case as Mike Schmidt was on deck. The trade that made me stop following the Phillies was Larry Bowa and Ryne Sandberg for Ivan DeJesus.
I actually felt that DeJesus was a better shortstop than Bowa so that part I didn't mind. Letting Sandberg go so soon did bite them hard and quick but, at the time, they had Sandberg, Juan Samuel, and Julio Franco as second base prospects. They couldn't play all of them. Portland should have never drafted Sam Bowie in 1984 either, but, with Clyde Drexler drafted just the year before, one can understand why they chose to pass on Michael Jordan at the time.
Bowa was still a better shortstop but DeJesus was younger. Consensus at the time was that Sandberg was going to be really good. The Phillies were so desperate to get rid of Bowa and his tantrums that they allowed Dallas Green -- who still knew their farm system better than they did -- to steal their best prospect. And, as you say, the Phils kept Juan Samuel and his legendary strikeout-to-walk ratio.
Whenever I see Gus Triandos' name, I laugh, thanks to the greatest TV show of all time.
I am a new poster and have a question. Couldn't you sign a free agent next summer and then sign Bynum? You can go over the cap to keep your own players right? I thought that same scenario played out with Brand where they signed him and then signed Iggy.
You cannot. Bynum is going to have a massive cap hold once his contract expires, and it stays in place until Bynum is signed by someone or we renounce his rights.
our old friend kate on the trade
Favorite quote: "The Sixers now probably wish they hadn't already signed two centers, Spencer Hawes ($13 million over two years) and Kwame Brown ($6 million over two), earlier in the summer. But Collins and general manager Rod Thorn will be loath to trade any of their bangers, especially having just endured two seasons with an undersized squad that struggled on the boards."
...yes, but how do they feel about trading KWAME BROWN or SPENCER HAWES?
Have a close friend that is an astute Lakers fan and during convo today about the trade and changes for the teams involved he mentioned that he was stoked that they have DH12 instead of Andrew Bynum. Unknowingly, as I've not watched Bynum's game that closely, he was particularly in favor of swapping the big men for one major reason - Bynum's huge struggles defending the pick and roll and DH's prowess at it. Anyone else in tune with this line of observation?
this guy seems to think he's not terrible
I can't wait to see this next year...
Is Andrew Bynum really a 76er...
Hey Brian, the Sixers made the biggest trade since Malone, and there is no Podcast. WTF?
Now if they can somehow trade Hawes for a backup PG... we really don't have a need or use for Hawes anymore.
its very refreshing to see that $15-$20mm nut at the top of our salary list being paid to someone that we can actually build around to win more than 43 games.
a lot of complaints around hawes and kwame contracts, but cmon, its only $6.5 and $3mm. so what, hawes is overpaid by $2 or $3mm, not the worst thing in the world. kwame did something to command an $8mm per deal a few yrs back, he really cant be that bad for $3mm.. the guy is 7 foot and pretty jacked, hes got to be able to do something.
i look at that list and the fact is there are some serious bargains, this team is completely remodeled and i like it.
Because it adds up to $9 million that could have been used elsewhere.
I come before you this morning to ask permission if I can add some garnishments to my full plate of crow being served up. I held firmly and tightly to the belief for two-plus years that Andre Iguodala would not be traded for various reasons but particularly because no one would want him for that much money. The teams new owners and control-freak head coach acting-GM along with tag-along Rod "schweepy" Thorn threw me under the bus with no warning whatsoever. Some allegiance they showed for my 29 years of misery, save for one near-magical season.
Nonetheless, never have I wanted to indulge in a plate-full of corvine with permissible blackberries, blueberries, and maybe even a cherry sitting atop some Cool Whip so bad.
How sweet it is, and ala Campbells it's ummmmm... ummmmm... good!
Well, I had serious doubts about whether he could be traded, too, at least until his expiring year and about whether he would be even if a fair opportunity came up. The Joe Johnson trade did give me a new sense what is possible, but I never, ever imagined they would pull off something like this. Maybe the new ownership really does feel the need to show the fans that they are bigger and bolder than the old ownership and they had to sense a bit of fan disappointment with the offseason until this trade.
The Sixers could have traded him a long time ago if they had wanted to. It was matter of getting a fair return. The guy's contract won't finish till he's 30 and his average salary over the course of his contract is $13.33 million.
Joe Johnson signed his contract at the age of 29 and it wasn't set to finish till he reached the age of 35. Not only that but his salary would average to around $20 million a year.
Andre and Johnson aren't in the same situation. Two years from now the Nets will have a 33 year old Joe Johnson and will have to pay a steep penalty for the $48 million remaining on Johnson's contract.
Olympics trivia: Iguodala becomes the second NBA player to play the previous season with the Sixers before winning an Olympic Gold Medal and get traded before the following season (famously, Charles Barkley was the first in 1992). Can you name the last player to play a game for the Sixers after winning a Gold Medal for the U.S.? (Hint: as far as I can tell, there has only been one such player since the 60's.)
Hersey Hawkins got the bronze. Johnny Dawkins was an alternate in '84. Those were my two guesses.
Toni Kukoc won a silver in 88'
Doug Collins is my guess.
Doug Collins (famously) earned a silver, but the team has refused to accept it. He's never won a gold.
Looked it up. Interesting name.
Looked it up as well. It's a pretty interesting name that I don't expect anyone to guess.
Answer: Leon Wood won the Gold in 1984 and played with the Sixers from 1984-86. Wood was highly regarded in college and the Sixers drafted him 10th in 1984 (ahead of Kevin Willis and John Stockton), but unfortunately he was a journeyman as a pro.
Previous to Wood, as far as I can tell, were Luke Jackson in 1964 (Sixer for his entire career, 1964-72) and Darrall Imhoff in 1960 (Sixer from 1968-70).
Of course, if I didn't add "for the U.S.," then Nocioni won Gold for Argentina in 2004 and then played with the Sixers ...
And let's not forget Mel Counts.
... or, casting aside the Olympics connection, MEL DANIELS (believed by archeologists and social historians to be the only ex-Minnesota Muskie/Indiana Pacer/Memphis Sound/New York Net in the long trail of mankind), MEL BENNETT (former Peabody HS of Pittsburgh rebounding & scoring supervisor; wore glasses like Dick Van Dyke sit-com boss, MEL COOLEY), MEL ROACH ('62 Phils utility infielder who was nowhere-near-great but gave it all he had, just like teammate Bob Oldis), MEL BRIDGEMAN (mean, mustachioed middleman of puck-mucking mania) or MEL TORME ('The Velvet Fog'... inimitable song stylist who co-wrote "The Christmas Song" ... "chesnuts roasting on an open fire").
E, blogger; correction - "chestnuts"
Can't forget MEL SHARPLES, greasy spoon owner & cook on "Alice." And Warner Brothers' friend, MEL BLANC. That's all folks!
I never imagined that mere mention of Butch van Breda Kolff's darling would elicit such a profusion of Melvins. And thanks DB for excluding the Mels we'd all like to forget. Your cavalcade reminds me of Melvin ____, the eponymous Thriftway supervisor, who by his hatefulness inspired the slowest - and one of the better - band in rock 'n roll history.
Yes, Leon Wood never did quite meet expectations as an NBA player, but he did manage to have a steadier second NBA career - as a ref.
I saw that team play and I didn't get it. Chris Mullin & MJ were on that team, Ewing too. They got 2 gold medals. Darrell Imhoff was on the '60 team that everybody thought was the best until '92. (Or maybe '84.) Oscar, Jerry West, Walt Bellamy & Jerry Lucas. Not to mention Adrian Smith.
I can't say how much I enjoyed rooting against Nocioni in this tournament. Even though he was somehow pretty effective at times, watching people score on him was a treat. As was any time he put the ball on the floor.
God, I stood up and applauded Barbosa for that crossover. Made my week.
Kind of odd to see about six players go over to the media table and shake hands/hug DC after winning the gold...but so far as we saw AI9 was not one of them, hmm...
FYI did everybody see the tweets from SixersCEOAdam today? Trade isn't official until all of the physicals are done on Friday, there will be a Bynum bobblehead this season, and asked his followers whether the post trade press conference should be open to the public..shall we all bombard him?
Any news on Bynum and what he thinks about being traded to the Sixers yet? It's been almost too quiet on that front.
Hope he doesn't think like Dwight: "If it doesn't work out, there's always Dallas."
Hopefully his durability concerns will entice Bynum to opt in for that extra year.
Thorn said that he spoke with Bynum before the trade to assess his enthusiasm for playing in Philly and was optimistic that Sixers could sign him long term.
Delay of press conference has much to do with Olympics I'm sure.
According to Mr.Aron, the Bynum/JR press conference will take place on Wednesday
How many minutes did Iguodala play vs. Argentina? Saw he only played 2 vs. Spain, wondering if maybe someone didn't talk to coach K about protecting him. The physicals aren't done for the trade yet, I believe.
Blog: Rivers: Collins should be next Olympic coach:
Adam Aron @SixersCEOAdam
HELP WELCOME ANDREW BYNUM TO PHILADELPHIA. Join us at initial press conference, open to @Sixers fans. Time and place TBD, likely Wednesday
Adam Aron @SixersCEOAdam
TWITTER VOICES HEARD: all @Sixers fans invited to attend open Bynum/JR press conference this week. Season/20/10 tix holders reserved area.
Adam Aron @SixersCEOAdam
We are checking logistics right now to see if we can stream live. RT @Caleb_Mezzy: @SixersCEOAdam @sixers It won't be online?"
The Sixers could do something radical by trading Hawes and Kwame along with Turner for an expiring contract this year, and then use the stretch provision to waive Jason Richardson. It would reduce their salary to about $39 million (which includes the cap hold for Bynum and Holiday) while giving them cap space for free agency next year.
I'm not fond of the free agent class for next year unless Ginobili and CP3 are interested in coming here, if Andre decides to opt out and re-sign with the Sixers, or if the Thunder are willing to let go of Harden.
Next year's FA class seems more like a year to use the MLE- JJ Reddick, Anthony Morrow, Tony Allen, Reggie Williams, James Johnson, Kyle Korver, Jarret Jack, C.J. Watson or Devin Harris.
Pretty sure they can't use the stretch on Richardson.
I think they can. The remaining two years of his contract would be summed up and the cap hold would be averaged out over the course of 5 years. That cap hold would come out be around 2.56 million a year for the next 5 years.
Yeah, good call. I thought the stretch was something you could only use on players you signed (like the amnesty), but as far as I can tell, the only limit on the stretch is that the contract was signed under the new CBA (Richardson signed in December of 2011). It looks like the stretch isn't really an exception, it's just the way it's done when a player is cut. Far as I can tell, there's no limit to how many times you can do it, etc.
Any thoughts on what Bynum's line will look like next year? If he stays healthy and gets the usage he should, is 25 ppg, 12 reb, 2 blk line out of the question? In recent history, only Shaq, David Robinson, Hakeem, and Duncan have put up those numbers. That's an MVP caliber year. But it really doesn't seem that crazy on this team.
"With Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol surrounding him, Bynum wasn't double-teamed on every possession. But in Philadelphia, it might be a different story. Bynum turned the ball over nearly three times more often when he was double-teamed in the post last season, nearly once every four plays.
Bynum scored the fewest points per post-up play when double-teamed among the 31 players with at least 50 post-up plays last season. Only Kevin Durant turned the ball over more often on those plays."
Yea, I read that too. I just can't imagine his production not increasing 25% or more- just by being the focal point of the offense. I mean, add 5 more FGA per game for Bynum at the same efficiency and you're adding 7 or 8 points per game right there. Maybe he pisses Doug off by turning the ball over too much, but if he gets 18 shots a game like he should, 25 ppg doesn't seem crazy.
It's tough to maintain efficiency when you're increasing attempts by 50%. I don't think 25/12/2 is out of the question, by any means, but I wouldn't expect it this season. Lot of transition going on.
Operating against the double has a lot to do with floor spacing, as well. Gasol's ability from mid-range was a help, but the Lakers really had no shooters to spread the floor around him.
I thought Kobe and Fisher were decent shooters. What were Howard's numbers last year? They basically played with 4 jump shooters.
They shot 32.6% from three, and that's been a theme for them over the past couple of years. Howard had a higher turnover rate, overall. He's always turned the ball over too much, but made up for it w/ insane efficiency when he doesn't turn it over.
Bynum had 23.8% usage last season, and 13.9% TOV Rate. That's not terrible for a big. Again, it's on Bynum to get better at handling (and recognizing) doubles, but it has a lot to do w/ his teammates, and more importantly, the scheme. When Brand actually drew doubles a couple years ago, the Sixers were terrible. They'd all go to the weak side of the floor so he didn't have an outlet on the strong side of the floor to kick the ball out to. They were much, much better at that last season. They really made teams pay for doubling, they just didn't draw many of them. If you give the big man a clear outlet on the strong side, it's not terribly hard to work against a double, nor predict when and where it's coming from if you have proper floor spacing. It's when you crowd him with another offensive player that mistakes happen.
Kobe shot 30.3%, Fisher 32%, last season.
By comparison, Richardson shot 39, 39, and 37 percent the last three seasons; Young shot 41, 39, and 36 percent the last three seasons; Wright shot 39, 38, and 36 percent the last three seasons, and Jrue shot 39, 36, and 38 percent the last three seasons.
In Kobe's defense, he was probably tripled teamed when he shot those 3 pointers.
I was listening to sports radio today and the radio hosts were having some sort of poll on whether Iguodala was the best player on the Sixers last year. Some guy called in and said that he told Iguodala on twitter that he sucked and that Iguodala responded by telling him to go play in traffic. He then started talking about how Iguodala was the 6th best person on the team and wasn't worth the contract he signed. The best player in his opinion was Elton Brand because of his leadership.
I hope to god that Bynum doesn't monitor his twitter account or listen to local sports radio.
Attendance and fan scorn are two different things, entirely. Winning is pretty much the only thing that's going to impact attendance. But if he averages 20/10, his effort level won't mean a whole lot, he'll be universally loved as the savior. You give Philly fans too much credit, NBA fans in general, really.
Different but not unrelated. Scorning fans find other things to do with their time and money. Yes, winning propels attendance, just as winning play engenders respect and closer attention. Never underestimate the guy on the street, articulate or not.
But even leaving attendance aside, no one here thought much of Webber in his Sixers years.
Well, he only had that one good year in the two plus years that he was here and 2005-2006 turned out to be a very disappointing year. That year is a reminder that getting two stars is not a guarantee of success. Iverson averaged 33 and Webber 20 pts. a game that year but the team only won 38 games. Neither lasted another full year more as a Sixer.
I think the distaste for Webber is probably more in hindsight - he cost the team quite a bit for a number of years and didn't produce much to show for it, and, unlike Brand, he didn't seem to be trying that hard either. Mostly he just seemed to want out.
Jamal Crawford dunks on Spencer Hawes' punk ass... Bynum went from playing with Pau Gasol to this scrub. Please trade this bum ASAP.
Link of the dunk
this season, the sixers will have floor spacing at every position, opening driving lanes for turner to attack the rim relentlessly with room in the paint either to finish or dish to a flashing bynum for a highlight reel dunk(the most effective, and most exciting, part of bynum's game, for what it's worth)
remember, for just one example, game four against boston?looking at the box score suggests a pathetic performance from turner, 5-22 from the field. but he alone among the sixers put up a fight for the first three quarters, attacking the rim despite the fact that the celtics d was able to pack the paint with impunity.
try this thought experiment: picture those herky jerky turner drives, the ones that drew routine oohs and ahs from the crowd, only place them in this context:
turner at the 3, taking the ball into the paint against a defense that must be aware of the ability of holliday, wright/richardson, and hawes' ability to knock down open shots from outside while it is keyed on preventing bynum from beating them. turner has ample room to operate. depending on how the defense reacts, he can score it himself, dish to bynum for a highlight reel dunk if his man comes to try to block turner's shot, or kick out for an open three or 18 footer.
but by all means, the optimum starting five is holliday/richardson/wright/young/bynum, as libertyballers declared the other day. lol. we will see what happens, won't we!!
I don't know.
Instead of giving Goran Dragic $30 million over 4 years, he decided to give Jeremy Lin $25 million over 3 years.
He traded Kyle Lowry for a lottery pick.
He was able to get 2 extra first round picks in the top 20 this year.
He made the team worse by replacing Dalembert and Scola with Asik and by giving up Courtney Lee. But the team didn't make the playoffs last year so it's not like he took down a decent roster.
I wouldn't fire him till the following season. The Rockets still have a ton of cap space next year along with the 3 guys they drafted in the top 20 last year and the 2 lottery picks they will have next year (I'm assuming Houston and Toronto will miss the playoffs). He can get something done.
Apparently Bynum is getting the Kobe treatment on his knees. Good? Cause for worry?
None of that has anything to do with Turner's very poor play.
Even though I am really happy with the Bynum acquisition, Iguodala in Denver should be a lot of fun. He seems like the perfect complement to Gallo. I might even start rooting for Lawson. It's not often you make a big splash in a trade and don't screw over the guy you ship out.
Denver's going to be a fun team to watch. Wonder if Denver fans will say Iguodala's holding Lawson back, or if they aren't complete idiots.
Was thinking about this the other day. Will be nice to finally see Iguodala play with Ty and run the floor as I wished for so desperately on that draft night.
Denver has some nice pieces. I kind of like McGee, really like Faried, have an appreciation for Gallo, love Dre's all-aroundness, and obviously love Lawson. Should be fun as you say.
Favors is probably a better defender than Bynum right now, but that doesn't really matter. If Turner didn't blow, no one would ever pine for anyone, but he has blown for all but about 3 games in his first two seasons.
this time last week the Sixers were just a really depressing thought. Now, I'm so pumped that I'm putting starting line ups on my white board at work. Crazy. Speaking of those line-ups.
1. Any chance hawes can start at 4? Any chance at all? After watching Pau fed his brother and vice a versa, i really started wondering if Hawes could be a poor man's Pau. Also, he gives you another shooter on the floor.
2. If you go with Thad at the 4, do you have enough spacing? Aren't Turner and Thad a little redundant in terms of heads down drivers into the paint that clog the lane instead of open it up for Mandrew?
3. I've been looking for Wright's weaknesses online. Why did GS give him away? He doesn't look that bad and I love that he is 6'9. Is he the starting 3 for sure?
4. I cannot believe how big we are all of the sudden. The thought of throwing kwame and lavoy out there when Taj is abusing Thad makes me so happy.
5. Obviously, the big question is Turner. What will he be? Can he get better? I know he sucks and I know we are all apologists because we are fans. Can he be a dynamic playmaker that glues these pieces together, like we know Iggy would have done?
6. We are still one piece away. What is that piece? I've been thinking about who is the one player that we still need to really win it all. If the Heat give up on Bosh, would he put us over the top? Or do we need Iggy back to man up on Lebron, Durant, Carmelo, Pierce, etc.
guys, let's admit it, this is fun! I cannot believe what happened.
just thinking outside the box. is there a way that we could package jrue, turner, and contracts like hawes and brown (after dec 15th) for an all star level wing player. and then still have cap room to sign chris paul? not exactly sure who that player is, maybe harden? or that same deal for aldrige. he would be a good compliment to bynum and portland is rebuilding. if there rookie pg doesnt work out maybe jrue and turner would be appealing to them. i love jrue, but if we could get paul and use him as a trade chip, im not completely apposed.
I'm pretty content to build the team around Jrue and Bynum rather than chase a CP3 or another elite PG. This year will tell us a lot about Jrue not that he has a legit big man to work with. It's nice to even have the conversation about this team's options now! I love it! We got fucking Bynum!
Tried something like trading Jrue, Turner, Hawes, Kwame for Deng, but even if the Bulls would do it, it wouldn't leave enough money to sign anyone, assuming a max contract for Bynum.
Richardson + Thad is $14.8M. If you're trading Jrue, Turner and Hawes/Kwame to get a stud wing, you're going to have to pay him, too. There's no way they'd have the money to sign CP3 w/ that group already in place.
What about two separate trades in which the Sixers do a sign and trade for CP3 in exchange for Holiday, and another trade in which the Sixers trade Turner, Lavoy, and Hawes for Deng?
A double sign-and-trade sending Jrue to the Clippers...they'd have to give Jrue the max (and the slips would have to be willing to pay Jrue the max), you'd have to get both players to agree to to it and you'd probably have to throw another piece into the deal to make up for the difference in salaries. You'd also have to convince the Bulls to do it, and I'm not sure why they would considering they wouldn't be saving any money or years in the deal.
If you had to build a 3 year plan for this team to win a championship, what would it be?
Truehoop article on Andrew Bynum and the double team: http://espn.go.com/blog/truehoop/post/_/id/49215/waiting-for-andrew-bynum-double-teams
Hawes/Brown on the move soon?
They can't be traded till December. I bet Lavoy is the one who goes.
Isn't there an exception that says a player can be traded so long as he is the only outgoing player?
I don't think so. I think that has to do with trade exceptions.
i think you can. remember when quentin richardson (i think?) was traded like 4 times in one offseason?
If you sign a player in the off season, you can't trade him till December.
Column: Sixers finally get star in a trade:
Nice job, Tom. You boiled that cabbage down. Have your pepper spray ready for rogue Iggy guard dogs.
The 76ers used part of the MLE on Lavoy Allen, they wont have the full MLE until 2014 offseason
That's not how the MLE works. You have a full MLE every year (as long as you're over the cap). If you're a taxpayer, it's a smaller MLE, but you still have it at your disposal every summer.


text:
Arthritis & Rheumatism, Volume 63,
November 2011 Abstract Supplement
Abstracts of the American College of
Rheumatology/Association of Rheumatology Health Professionals
Annual Scientific Meeting
Chicago, Illinois November 4-9, 2011.
Race and Other Risk Markers in Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis-Associated Uveitis.
Angeles-Han1, Sheila, Pelajo2, Christina, Vogler1, Larry B., Kennedy3, Christine W., Ponder3, Lori, Leong4, Traci, Lopez-Benitez2, Jorge M.
Emory Univ School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA
Tufts Medical Center, Boston, MA
Emory Children's Center, Atlanta, GA
Emory University School of Public Health, Atlanta, GA
Juvenile idiopathic arthritis-associated uveitis (JIA-U) is an inflammatory eye disease that occurs in 20% of children with JIA and can cause visual impairment and blindness. Risk factors associated with JIA-U include early age at arthritis onset, JIA subtype, young age, and ANA and HLA-B27 positivity. Few studies on JIA-U focus on African American (AA) children. In this population, the role of ANA is unclear, predisposition to JIA subtype differs, and there appears to be a lower risk of JIA-U compared to White (W) children. Hence, the risk for JIA-U may differ by race and should be explored. Our objective is to characterize the epidemiology and clinical course of children with JIA-U in a cohort of children with JIA in the CARRAnet Registry.
Children with JIA from pediatric rheumatology clinics in the US were enrolled in the CARRAnet Registry from May 2010 to June 2011. Demographic and disease-related data were collected from time of diagnosis to enrollment visit. Only children whose uveitis status was known were included. Children with JIA alone were compared to those with JIA and uveitis. Children with JIA-U were then compared based on race, specifically AA and W. N may vary in some characteristics since we excluded data that was missing or unknown.
Table 1. Characteristics of Children with JIA-associated uveitis compared to children without uveitis
Table 2. Characteristics of African American Children with JIA-U
The mean age of children with JIA-U was 10.8 years (±4.5), 80% were female and 3% were AA (Table 1). Compared to children without uveitis, they were more likely to be younger, female, require more medications, have less joint involvement, have oligoarticular disease, be ANA (+), and RF, anti-CCP and HLA-B27 (-). AA children with JIA-U were significantly different from W children and had decreased frequency of uveitis, were more likely to be male, and have oligoarticular or enthesitis related JIA (Table 2).
With current therapy, the prevalence estimate of JIA-U in the CARRAnet registry is 11% which consists of the largest database of children with JIA to date. Consistent with the AAP guidelines for uveitis screening, known risk markers such as the ANA, age at arthritis onset, and oligo persistent subtype were more frequent in our JIA-U cohort. However, gender and race may also be important. In concurrence with the literature, this cohort of JIA-U consisted of 3% AA who had a lower frequency of JIA-U compared to W children. There were significant differences in gender, and JIA subtype, although the status of ANA, RF and HLA-B27 were similar. This suggests that risk factors associated with uveitis may differ depending on race and implies that a change in the screening schedule may be appropriate, but needs further investigation.
To cite this abstract, please use the following information:
Angeles-Han, Sheila, Pelajo, Christina, Vogler, Larry B., Kennedy, Christine W., Ponder, Lori, Leong, Traci, et al; Race and Other Risk Markers in Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis-Associated Uveitis. [abstract]. Arthritis Rheum 2011;63 Suppl 10 :271


text:
We're costing out a few things.
How many nappies do your newborns go through a week? Also, if you use formula for whatever reason, how many of those tubs do you go through a week?
Also, if you have the baby in your room do they sleep in a moses basket, crib or their cot in your room? Where in the room are they?
Samuel Stuart born at 21 weeks - 19.05.2011
I used to go through 6-8 nappies a day on average. Slightly less now. We had P in our room. We had. Mess basket but she wouldn't sleep in it so ended up buying a co sleeper cot. We've just sold that as she stopped sleeping in that too. She has lways been right next to me by the bed or more Sally in bed with me.
I can spell and use grammar. I can also write adequate prose. I just find these things hard on an Apple device.
P 21.11.2011 7lb 6oz at 38+3. Absolutely perfect.
Roughly around 8 nappies a day, formula - you may get a tub to last the best part of 2 weeks at the start when they're having such small quantities. Before Sam started weaning we'd use 3 tubs a fortnight. - 6 x 7oz feeds a day.
ETA, moses basket in our room till he outgrew it, the his cotbed. It was on my side next to the window.
In the early days formula lasted about 10 days going down to 6-7 days just before he got weaned.
Nappies was about 6-8 a day I think.
in the newborn days Lucas and Isaac needed a nappy change after every feed (sometimes during ). Now I has his nappy changed 3/4 hourly but tends to have an explodapoo once during the day too so obviously I change it then too > no idea re formula. I can't remember if a tub lasts a week??? I have a vague memory of a friend saying this but could be totally wrong
Isaac was in a Moses basket right nest to my side of the bed (it made sense that I could just lift him out and latch him on iykwim). He's a beast now and has well outgrown the Moses basket so he's in a travel cot at the side of my bed (purely because my h couldnt be bothered moving us actual cot to our room )
. 99% of the time Isaac sleeps all night but rarely he does wake up and because of this I've decided to keep him in with us (last night he was up 2 hourly ) as I'm too lazy to get out of bed and go into hs room to pacify him so he's staying where he is for the mo
#1 01/09 7lb1oz
#2 11/10
#3 02/12 6lb10oz
Thank you ladies - I genuinely had no idea how many they go through.
We're hoping to BF however wanted to cost it out in case we couldn't for whatever reason. I think we may invest in a Costco card to buy nappies!
Aldi nappies fab and v cheap. Same with Asda little angels nappies however aldi nappies are the only ones that contains 'the beasts' explodapoos !!!!
February 2012
I wouldn't buy loads of newborn nappies at once. P grew fast and grew out of them. I ended up giving lads of tiny nappies to the women's refuge. I have always found pampers best for P.
I agree asda nappies are fab, we don't use anything else. We only bought two packs when N was born incase we decided they weren't any good. As TNP says its best not to buy loads, incase they don't fit or incase they leak and you want to try another brand. Formula we used to go through a box a week, now it's more. I can't remember how much we used when he was born. N sleeps in his crib in our room at the end of our bed.
O April 2012
I think I just don't change my babies nappies enough because I only get through about 4-5 a day. I use nearly a tub of formula a week which is really annoying as Isabella is on some stupidly expensive one due her tummy problems
July 2007 11 days late February 2009 8 days late Identical March 2012 born at 36+2
4 July 2006 10 weeks, Sept 2006 5 weeks, April 2011 8 weeks, June 2011 6 weeks
We get through roughly a tub of formula a week. I generally just buy one every week so I have a spare.
We use cloth nappies so can't really say on disposables, but I change her before every feed or as needed. I don't really count how many as it doesn't matter with cloth - just bung them in the washing machine when the bucket is full.
Evie Rose 5/5/12
Forgot the rest! E is in a Moses basket next to my side of the bed. Once she outgrows that we'll have to use a travel cot in our room as there's no way the cotbed will fit!
© Immediate Media Company Limited 2017
This website is owned and published by Immediate Media Company Limited.
Version 2017.6.33


text:
Ergen Debt Purchases Had Falcone 'Turning Over Rocks'
Billionaire Philip Falcone told a judge that Dish Network Corp. (DISH) Chairman Charlie Ergen's secret purchases of debt in broadband provider LightSquared Inc. had him "turning over rocks" to find out who was behind them.
Falcone, whose Harbinger Capital Partners LLC financed LightSquared, is seeking to persuade U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Shelley Chapman in Manhattan to reject Ergen's $1 billion claim against the company, saying he wasn't eligible to buy the debt. Barring the claim would leave more money for other creditors.
LightSquared filed for bankruptcy in May 2012 after failing to win regulatory approval to use its airwaves. Around the same time, Falcone and his colleagues were trying to figure out who was behind the fund buying the debt. E-mails displayed in court showed Falcone's suspicions swinging between investors including AT&T Inc. and Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim.
"We believed it was of importance not only for the company, but so we could work with whoever it was," Falcone, 51, testified today. Without knowing, "it's almost impossible for someone to come in and invest and get a deal done," he said.
James Dugan, Ergen's lawyer, asked Falcone during cross-examination why he didn't use the subpoena process available in bankruptcy to identify the person behind the fund. Falcone said he didn't know about the process and left it to his lawyers.
'Good Lawyers'
"Do you normally let the lawyers decide how many rocks to turn over?" Dugan asked. "Do you have good lawyers?"
"Yeah, I have pretty good lawyers," Falcone responded, prompting a burst of laughter in the courtroom.
When Falcone's answers to questions about a hypothetical sale of LightSquared differed from what he said under oath in a pre-trial interview, Dugan asked how he had prepared for today's testimony. In the earlier questioning, Falcone said there were no conditions under which he would sell. Today he said he would sell for the right price.
"I just looked at a bunch of documents," Falcone said.
Falcone said he personally has $500 million to $700 million invested in Harbinger, which he described as representing "more than a majority" of his net worth.
Harbinger, which controls the board of LightSquared, has 30 percent to 40 percent of its assets invested in the company, Falcone testified. Its current exposure is as much as $1.8 billion, he said.
Competitors Barred
Ergen, 60, is accused of accumulating debt in Reston, Virginia-based LightSquared to acquire its airwaves for Dish, his satellite-television company. Harbinger and LightSquared claim that rival companies such as Englewood, Colorado-based Dish were barred from buying the debt.
Ergen's lawyers have said he was investing personally and kept his name out of it to avoid driving up the price. In testimony this week, he said that by late 2011, Dish didn't consider LightSquared an attractive acquisition.
Dish Treasurer Jason Kiser, who advised Ergen on the purchases, told the court last week that he didn't consider whether he was acting for the company or its chairman when he first looked into buying the debt in 2011.
Ergen said he heard from Kiser that Dish wasn't eligible to buy the debt, removing a possible conflict. Ergen said Kiser often helped him with personal investments and wasn't compensated for those services.
FCC Block
LightSquared filed for bankruptcy after the Federal Communications Commission blocked the company's service, saying it might interfere with civilian and military global-positioning-system navigation equipment. The company listed assets of $4.48 billion and debt of $2.29 billion.
Its proposed reorganization plan includes $2.5 billion in financing backed by Fortress Investment Group LLC (FIG), JPMorgan Chase & Co. (JPM) and Melody Capital Advisors LLC. The plan would require regulatory approval.
Dugan reviewed internal e-mails in which Falcone speculated or stated that Ergen was the anonymous buyer. Some of the e-mails were sent by Falcone to reporters at the Wall Street Journal and Reuters. In one, Falcone told a reporter Ergen was buying the debt. He said today that he didn't know at the time whether this was true.
"He would have to corroborate that," Falcone said of the reporter. "It can't just come from one source."
Falcone today said he suspects the FCC will give LightSquared approval this year, boosting the value of the company and his own investment.
Although he stands to make billions of dollars if approval comes through, he said that if the situation shifted and resulted in a total loss for him personally, "it wouldn't change my lifestyle."
The case is In re LightSquared Inc., 12-bk-12080, U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Southern District of New York (Manhattan).
To contact the reporters on this story: Erik Larson in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Manhattan at
email@example.com; Tiffany Kary in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Brooklyn, New York at
To contact the editor responsible for this story: Andrew Dunn at email@example.com


text: With a wide portfolio of industry- KALINGA DIGITAL MEDIA PVT. LTD. (KDMPL) has a dominant position in the Indian IT media industry. Apart from publishing VARIndia, its flagship magazine and India's leading technology & IT news portal, the company takes pride in offering other on-line websites to address the VARs and Enterprises, IT Technology Test center, Market Research services and organizes several technology events throughout the year. Brand Book for Indian ICT Industry, which has become the prized possession of discerning readers and corporate across the country, is latest crème de la crème from KDMP.


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During the worship time this morning, Keith Hazell shared an interesting prophetic word. It spoke about a wind coming that would shake things in our land, but also a great time of blessing for us. He felt that there would be new alliances forged and new opportunities presented to the church by the government.This morning's preacher was David Stroud. Dave leads ChristChurch, London, and the Newfrontiers UK team. He has been involved in leading churches for over sixteen years; ChristChurch is the … [Read more...]
TOAM08 – David Stroud on 1 Samuel 14
TOAM08 – Terry Virgo on Stephen (Acts 6-7)
One of the great joys of this conference is that it is a gathering of friends. I had a lovely tea at the Grand Hotel on the Brighton seafront with my dear friends, Ian and Megan Jukes, Andrew and Cheryl Cottingham, and Tom Eaton. We had a lot of fun, and the connection was re-established. I suddenly realized that around Brighton many such reunions of longstanding friends who are also attending this conference are undoubtedly happening.During the worship time there were some stirring prophetic … [Read more...]
TOAM08 – Mark Driscoll: Doctrine of the Holy Spirit in Luke and Acts
Terry introduced Mark by mentioning his currently available books, all of which he highly recommended. You can buy these from the Newfrontiers resources page. It was nice to see my pastor, Tope Koleoso, on the stage praying for Mark just before he began preaching. It was interesting that just a couple of weeks ago Tope also spoke on being missional in a talk that was impacting to me.In case anyone hasn't been reading blogs for the past two years, Mark Driscoll founded Mars Hill Church in Seattle … [Read more...]
TOAM08 – Stephen Van Rhyn – Prevailing Under Pressure (Daniel)
Well . . . I'm here! And the Brighton conference has begun. The sense of anticipation and excitement is incredible. Joyful reunions of friends who have been on separate continents are happening everywhere. We are really a family. We are really on a mission.At the beginning of the week, I would ask that you pray for me. It is a busy week for me with typing, interviewing, and, of course, just meeting friends. My jet lag is improving quickly. I was also determined this year, more than usual, to p … [Read more...]
Together On A Mission 2008 – The Newfrontiers Conference
Begining tomorrow I will be live-blogging the Newfrontiers conference, Together On A Mission. (I will shorten this to TOAM.)My posts will all be found on my TOAM08 label page. You can download the mp3s of this week's talks by subscribing to the new Newfrontiers podcast, which will be an easy way for you to get access to the mp3s for free.Newfrontiers is a family of reformed charismatic churches that began in England and now reaches into many nations. Last year we had 53 nations represented in … [Read more...]
VIDEO INTERVIEW – Terry Virgo on Valuing Word and Spirit
UPDATE The written transcript of the third part of the interview is now available. It can be read here.I also interviewed Terry in 2007.This video is part of a series, yesterday I continued my interview with Terry and Wendy Virgo. Wendy provided some insights into her life as Terry's wife and her travels with him. Terry defined what he means by "modern day apostles."In this segment, Terry speaks more about why he decided to work together with the New Word Alive conference. He … [Read more...]
Hear Mark Driscoll in the UK – Brighton and London
Most of you will already know this, but Mark Driscoll is coming to the UK this July. I hope that as many of my readers as possible will be able to attend at least one of these events. I have been fortunate enough to interview Mark Driscoll by e-mail, and to have listened to him live, and am sure you will not be disappointed if you come.Monday through Friday July 8-11Newfrontiers Conference in BrightonDriscoll will be preaching a number of sessions to the whole conference, and will also run a … [Read more...]
Book Both "Together" Conferences NOW
I can't offer two conferences for the price of one, but I can—in one post—discuss two conferences which, for all the similarities of their names, do have some important differences. For a start, they are on opposite sides of the Atlantic, so booking into the wrong one would be a significant logistical headache! I am quite sure, however, that many will cross the "pond" to attend one of what I am calling the "Together" conferences. In fact. they don't happen at the same time, so it is very pos … [Read more...]


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The most engaging leaders are people who are good at asking thought provoking questions, questions that get people thinking, questions that cause people to grow.
Here are a few questions that go to the heart of what it means to be an engaging leader. Answer these questions in terms of what you have done this year and what you intend to do next year. You might like to give yourself a rating out of five - 1 being poor through to 5 being excellent - to see where you have excelled and where you need more work. Hopefully by the end of the process you will have a few ideas on how you can increase your ability to engage not only yourself but also the people around you regardless of your position.
Buy Karen Schmidt's Audio Seminar CD from the Resource Centre:
What It Takes To Engage The Generations At Work
Copyright © 2012
CEO Online.
All rights reserved.


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2012.76: The border collision normal form with stochastic switching surface
2012.76: Paul Glendinning (2012) The border collision normal form with stochastic switching surface.
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The deterministic border collision normal form describes the bifurcations of a discrete time dynamical system as a fixed point moves across the switching surface with changing parameter. If the position of the switching surface varies randomly, but within some bounded region, we give conditions which imply that the attractor close to the bifurcation point is the attractor of an Iterated Function System. The proof uses an equivalent metric to the Euclidean metric because the functions involved are never contractions in the Euclidean metric. If the conditions do not hold then a range of possibilities may be realized, including local instability, and some examples are investigated numerically.
|Item Type:
|MIMS Preprint
|Additional Information:
|PACS 2003 > 05 Statistical physics, thermodynamics, and nonlinear dynamical systems
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|Deposited By:
|Professor Paul Glendinning
|Deposited On:
|08 August 2012
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Welcome to Rocky Mountain Boxers!
The BEST AKC Boxers
We provide quality family raised AKC Boxer puppiesIn Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico,and Utah for over ten years.
Please let us know what your needs and questions are, we will be more than happy to try and help you find answers. Contact us at 970-402-4175 or 623-255-2943
You can also contact us at our e-mail firstname.lastname@example.com.


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LOS ANGELES (Jul. 11)
The trial of three men on charges of smuggling war material from California to Palestine in 1948 ended in Federal Court here yesterday when one defendant pleaded guilty and the charges against the other two were dismissed.
The defendant who changed his plea to guilty was Herman N. Greenspun of Las Vegas, Nevada. The other defendants were Lawrence C. Ives and Lloyd Rosenblum, both of New York. The judge will sentence Mr. Greenspun on Monday. The maximum sentence is two years imprisonment or $10,000 in fines, or both.


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3-on-3 Basketball Tournament presented by CANHelp this Saturday, June 26
CANHelp will be hosting their 1st Annual 3-on-3 Basketball Tournament beginning at 9 a.m. Saturday June 26, at Davis Street Baptist Church.
Registration will run through June 16, and the cost is $50 team. They will have a men's division and a co-ed division (14 years old and up). All players will receive a free tournament shirt. They will also have a dunking booth, bounce house, snow cones, Dallas Mavericks and Texas Rangers memorabilia raffle and a 3-point Shoot-Out! For more information call Kim at 903-885-9797, ext. 7, or Genevieve at ext. 5.
Ribbon cutting for Miss Behavin
Thank you to all of you who attended the Ribbon Cutting for Miss Behavin yesterday! We are very happy to welcome them to the Chamber of Commerce! Miss Behavin has something for everyone from fashion jewelry, bling, jeans, purses and more! They carry sizes 0-14 and have prices and fashions to fit everyone's taste! They are open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. They are located at 101 Bill Bradford Road, Suite 18. Pictured in the photo from left to right are Tom Swingle, Dial Moffatt, Wendy Armstrong, 2010 Dairy Festival Queen Bailee Petty, Brad Edge, owners Kris and Lisa Childress, Sheryl Paden, Chuck Sickles, Charlotte Baxter, Jake Cunningham, Shelia Boyd and Debbie Swingle. For more information, call 903-438-1230.
Opening Highway 11 Extension on Tuesday, June 29, with a Ribbon Cutting at 9 a.m.
The day has finally come — the Highway 11 Extension will be opened Tuesday, June 29, with a ribbon cutting, and then a caravan will head toward State Highway 19 beginning at 9 a.m. For all of those who would like to participate, please meet in the Lowe's parking lot. We will do the ribbon cutting and have Judge Millsap and Mayor Spraggins speak briefly, then the TX Dot Crew will lead the caravan towards Hwy 19, then turn around and open the eastbound lanes! Please remember, the road will NOT be open until Tuesday, so please stay off it, as the TX Dot crew is finishing the last bit of striping and making the final preparations for the road to be "officially" open!
Fall Composting Program July 22 at the Hopkins County Extension Office 5 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Ken Kunkel (Master Composter) will be conducting a Fall Composting Program on Thursday, July 22, from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the Extension office located at 1200 B Houston St. The seminar is free, but you need to register by calling 903-885-3443.
Fall Gardening Workshop presented by Hopkins County Master Gardeners, July 22 from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
If you would like to have more information on preparing your yard/garden for the fall season, then attend this FREE seminar at the Extension Office, presented by the Hopkins County Master Gardeners from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
They will discuss tree pruning, cover crops, soil preparation, lasagna gardening, transplanting, composting, and proper use of insecticides and herbicides. Please register by calling 903-885-3443!
Symphony Concert & Fireworks scheduled for Saturday, July 3, Downtown Sulphur Springs
You don't want to miss the Northeast Texas Symphony Orchestra Concert and Fireworks celebration on the square, Saturday, July 3rd at 7:45pm. We are so fortunate to have this incredible event on our Downtown Square. So, once again, call your family and friends, grab your lawn chairs and make your way to the square for a spectacular evening of entertainment. The Concert, conducted by Dr. Douglas Bakenhus and fireworks are sponsored by Alliance Bank, GSC Enterprises, Inc. and Circle E Western Store. Next time you stop by their businesses, please thank them for their contribution to this event!
SS Livestock and Dairy Auction hosting 'Getting More Money for Your Market Dairy and Beef Cows' in Jul
Don't miss these opportunities
June 29 — Ribbon Cutting for Highway 11 Extension and 9 a.m.; meet in Lowe's parking lot
July 3 — Independence Celebration on the Square; Northeast Texas Symphony Orchestra & Fireworks, 7:45 p.m.
July 9 — SS Livestock and Dairy Auction-Value Added Market Cows Presentation, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
July 20 — Business After Hours at Star Country 95.9 — 5:30 pm
July 22 — Fall Composting at Extension Office — 5 p.m. to 6 p.m.
July 22 — Fall Gardening Workshop at Extension Office — 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
That's all for now ... have a GREAT week!
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The Union-Eagle talked to the Princeton Police Department today about the time difference between robbery photo and time of robbery stated in the PD's press release.
The time stamp on the bank's surveillance camera system is off by about 20 minutes, police officials said. That's why even though the robbery took place at 12:10, the video is stamped 11:51.
If you have information regarding Friday's bank robbery, the Princeton Police Department encourages you to contact them at the PD at 763-389-4879 or via their e-mail address at [email protected]


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Alec Witham
Sidney, OH
I am a 20 year old aspiring artist from Sidney, Ohio and am a third year art major at Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana. The majority of my life I have loved drawing and the subject matter has changed and grown as I have. Currently I am opening my boundaries and experimenting with all types of art mediums and through this process trying to find my voice as an artist.


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Our products have 100% satisfaction guarantee or your money back.
All About Peppers - Urban Farmer's Guide
Home > Gardener's Guide > All About Peppers
Whether you like 'em sweet or hot, peppers are growing in more home gardens than ever before as new and colorful varieties are being made available. In the U.S., sweet bell peppers are by far the most popular, but as Mexican food comes to the forefront, pepper varieties such as jalapeno, cayenne, and chile are "hot" on the list of home grown garden vegetables.
Before Planting
Peppers plants thrive best when temperatures are warm. Planting should be delayed until the danger of frost has past. Ideal temperatures are 70 to 80°F during the day, and 60 to 70ºF at night. Pepper plants grow best in warm, well-drained soils. The plants are not particularly sensitive to soil acidity, but best results are obtained in the 6.0 to 6.8 pH range.
Peppers are best started indoors, eight to ten weeks or more before the last frost date for your area. Pepper seeds can be a difficult seed germinate, and seedlings grow slowly. Space plants 18" inches apart in rows 24" inches apart or more. Water plants thoroughly after transplanting.
Keep the soil evenly moist; especially when the fruits are developing, peppers need about an inch of water a week.
As the peppers develop, switch over to a fertilizer higher in Phosphorous and Potassium. Gardeners often make the mistake of providing too much nitrogen. The result is a great looking bushy, green plant, but few fruit.
Days to Maturity
Most peppers take 60 to 80 days to mature.
Bell peppers are usually picked green and immature but when they are full-sized and firm. However, if they are allowed to ripen on the plant they will be sweeter and higher in vitamin content. Other peppers are usually harvested at full maturity. Be careful when breaking the peppers from the plants, as the branches are often brittle. Hand clippers can be used to cut peppers from the plant to avoid excessive stem breakage. The number of peppers per plant varies with the variety. Bell pepper plants may produce 6 to 8 or more fruit per plant.
Store sweet peppers for up to two weeks in a spot that ranges from 50 to 55°F. Hot peppers are good to eat fresh, dry or pickle. Harvest peppers for drying when they start to turn red. Simply pull the plants from the ground and hang them upside down in a cool, dry place.
Pests & Diseases
Several insects enjoy your pepper plants. Spider mites and aphids are the most common, with an occasional borer. In many areas, it is infrequent. For the infrequent problem, try an organic insecticide or dust. While many viruses and diseases can affect Peppers, it is somewhat infrequent. Fungal infections can be treated with fungicides. Apply treatment as soon as you see it.
Peppers are self pollinators. Occasionally, they will cross pollinate from pollen carried by bees or other insects. To minimize this possibility, don't plant hot and sweet peppers too close. Don't worry though, as it will not affect the fruit of this year's crop. The cross will show up in the genetics of the seeds, if you save them.


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From left, Jamey Mahoney with her daughter Reese, Jennifer DeWitt with her son Ryder and Julie Carlson participate in the second annual Walk for LifeHouse, held Oct. 26 at Moore Middle School. LifeHouse Theater staff, performers, alumni and supporters walked the track at Moore to raise funds and awareness for LifeHouse Theater in Redlands. Among the supporters of the event was Jamba Juice, which made drinks available for those attending the event. Dozens of sponsors and participants were involved in the walk, with sponsorship underwriting participants up to 10 miles to raise support for the theater's programs. LifeHouse Theater's "Scrooge" concludes this weekend with performances at 2:15 and 7:30 p.m. today and at 2:15 p.m. Sunday. For information, visit www.lifehousetheater.com or call 909-335-3037.
If you have a photograph you would like to share, email it to email@example.com


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2005 545i slight slip into 2nd gear?
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Location: Greensboro, NC
Join Date: Nov 2009
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Mein Auto: 2004 545i
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Stick with OEM fluid, in my opinion. thectsc.com has a good price on a kit with the pan & fluid. I would recommend buying a few pan bolts just in case. I almost stripped the head on a few of mine and was glad I had some new ones to put back in in their place--If I had reused them I'm not sure I could have ever gotten them back out if needed.
Also, reset adaptations after you change the fluid,
don't just do the 30 second hold the pedal on the floor "trick"
. It's never done squat for me.
Have it reset with INPA or one of the other BMW programs after changing the fluid. After I changed mine I didn't do a real reset and thought I was going to need a new transmission after about 20 miles (severe jerking in 5th gear..) Resetting it made a huge difference.
Ultimately I had to replace some solenoids in mine to fix some other issues, but now everything is smooth as can be (187K miles
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OH, do stop whingeing. I know it's Australia Day, and I know this is the sixth of the ''Best Of 2012'' series, but that is how long my holidays go, and I am bloody well going to take them. Still, to mix it up a little, I will throw in the odd fresh bit here and there.
On this Australia Day I ask, was there ever a better example of why TFF - a director of AusFlag - bangs on and on about the need for Australia to have a modern flag than what happened at the Olympic rowing in August? In the women's pair final, Australia's Sarah Tait and Kate Hornsey were just beaten by the British duo, and just managed to beat the New Zealanders. As they all mounted the podium for the medal ceremony, the announcer proclaimed, ''So there we are … the Union Jack on top for the first time in 2012.'' In fact, there was an embarrassment of Union Jacks. Fair enough to the Brits and good luck to them on their joyous win, with their flag at the top. But there below comes our flag and the Kiwis', both replete with their Union Jacks - making us look like ''Little Britains'' and the Kiwis like ''Littler Britains''. Or, as the AusFlag website notes, ''The hoisting of these three flags looks like two obsequious colonial children still clutching at the breast of Mother England. Grown up nations don't share their flags with anyone.'' Have a look at http://youtube/m3q5IujA3mc
This item is from way back in 2010. For years TFF has made snide remarks at all those who lionise Lance Armstrong as a paragon of virtue, an amazingly drug-free athlete who somehow managed to defy all logic and win the Tour de France a record seven consecutive times in the world's most drug-corrupted sport, leaving the cheats in his sainted wake. Last week, however, we had the American's former teammate Floyd Landis alleging Armstrong not only used the illegal blood-booster EPO but that he was an oracle on the subject. Landis lost his 2006 Tour de France title after a positive drug test and was banned from the sport for two years, despite repeatedly claiming he was innocent. He has now admitted to drug use beginning in June 2002 and continuing through his Tour de France victory, and alleges that in 2003 he put his own blood bags in the same fridge in Armstrong's apartment where ''Mr Clean'' allegedly kept his. Armstrong's only real comeback to this devastating account was that this was all about credibility, in other words ''it's our word against his''. Good. In my opinion, it's obvious that Landis's word, a verbal hara-kiri shattering his own protestations of innocence over the years, is worth a lot, while Armstrong's denials are very much in the category of ''he would say that, wouldn't he?''
My own feeling is best encapsulated by the French writer Emile Zola: ''The truth is on the march, and nothing shall stop it … ''
Did I tell you, or did I tell you? I told you. Sally Pearson! She's the one! So fresh. So focused. So, somehow, quintessentially Australian in the way she went about things - from the get-go she was two parts guts, to three parts gumption, mixed with two parts grit, five parts raw talent and a will to win that just wouldn't quit. As near as I can work out, the net amount of time she spent tweeting nonsense was - dot three, carry one, subtract two - zero. Come the heats and the final, there was the strong sense that every fibre of her being was focused down the pathway of her destiny that was her lane. She didn't look left, she didn't look right, she didn't chat to the interviewer for more than four seconds after each heat. She was here to do the job and nothing was going to distract her. And she won, by two-hundredths of a second! And that, my friends, is how it is done. Only after winning did she let the emotion get to her as she collapsed on the track, as all of the stadium, and indeed all of Australia, roared with her. And the two women she beat into second and third place? Dawn Harper and Kellie Wells could not have been more joyous with their silver and bronze, and more gracious in their congratulations. It was the race of the Games, and Sally Pearson is the one who should carry our flag at the closing ceremony, as she represents the best of us.
Did you happen to catch that shambling wreck of a man that used to be Muhammad Ali at the Olympic opening ceremony? Me, too. And I cheered with the best of them, trying to ignore the fact it was my love of seeing him box, together with everyone else's, that kept him getting hit in the head by some of the toughest men on the planet for 20 years, that so devastated him. As the Four Corners program made clear last year, repeated concussion in sport is a serious issue. Even the NRL claims to take it seriously. But does it? Or it is all just lip service, when what truly matters is getting the stars back out there? I cite, most obviously, Dean Young. We all saw him knocked senseless by the Greg Inglis shoulder charge in July, and then carried from the field. Oh yes, he was fine all right. So much so that on the sidelines, he told the trainer, ''Tell Brownie to put me back on,'' in reference to his coach of four years ago, Nathan Brown.
Why was he out there? Young made no bones about it. ''The season's on the line every week from now on,'' he said, ''so it really wasn't an option to miss the game.'' And he didn't want to talk about the guidelines either. ''My thoughts are I get paid to play footy, not make decisions about the rules of the game.''
Who does make the rules, of course, is the NRL. And yet, despite sports like boxing now having a mandatory 28-day stand-down period after concussion and rugby union insisting on three weeks, the NRL insists on the player only doing a series of ''tests'', at the discretion of the club, which - wouldn't you know it? - Young passed with flying colours. It ain't good enough. The more that is known about the long-term effects of concussion, the more devastating it is. The player will do as he's told. The club will always be tempted to get its player back on the field to win the crucial game. It needs strong leadership from the NRL to insist on mandatory stand-downs. And if a brain-damaged player sues it in years to come for not imposing such a rule, they will have no excuse. (Update. In the US, the number of former NFL players who have joined the suit against the league is 3000 and rising.)
Aaron Baddeley: ''There's been times I felt like I would have been further along. But if I'd had success straightaway I wouldn't be who I am, the person that I am and have the relationship with God that I have, getting married and becoming a dad.'' You must tell us sometime about how fabulous your relationship with God is, Aaron. (I'm sorry. I tried to give up such unpleasant and totally uncalled for sneering over the Christmas break, but failed miserably.)
David Campese, deadpan, at a rugby lunch in August, when asked what rugby league had brought to rugby union: ''Tattoos.''
German fans rubbed it in when their team defeated Greece in the Euro-Whatsit tournament by chanting: ''We paid for your tickets!''
Lance Armstrong tweets in April about those former teammates who have testified against him: ''So let me get this straight … come in and tell @usantidoping exactly what they wanted to hear in exchange for immunity, anonymity, and the opportunity to continue to race the biggest event in cycling.'' Get this straight, Lance: they're coming for you. It's getting time to pay the piper. (And I was right!)
Past US ''Dream Team'' great Larry Bird responds to Kobe Bryant's claim that last year's London Olympics Dream Team could beat Bird's famous 1992 foundation version, which included Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson: ''They probably could. I haven't played in 20 years and we're all old now.''
Federated Farmers of New Zealand spokeswoman Jeanette Maxwell says shearing's time has come: ''Surely, time has come to elevate shearing's sporting status to the ultimate world stage? One way would be to make shearing a demonstration sport at a Commonwealth Games, if not the Olympics itself … top shearers are athletes who take it to another level.'' Cue the drongos up the back: ''Shearing? Shearing? I'm not shearing my sheep with anyone!''
Sergio Garcia says he can't win majors: ''I'm not good enough. I don't have the thing I need to have. In 13 years I have come to the conclusion that I need to play for second or third place. Tell me something I can do. I had my chances and opportunities and I wasted them. I have no more options. I wasted my options.''
Brian Smith on Sydney Roosters' loss to North Queensland: ''There's an old thing that farmers say: If a bull had tits, it would be a cow. You can talk about that until the cows come home. We just didn't adapt . .. Tough titties for us.''
Kevin Sheedy keeping the faith with Israel Folau after GWS's 81-point loss to West Coast, when Folau managed just two touches from the bench: ''Let's face it, he's going to get better and better. I'll tell you now he should have been passed the ball four times today and he should have had 3.1 on the board because he's not a bad kick at goal.'' And if a bull had tits, Kevin …
Sally Pearson. She is TFF's sportsperson of the year for 2012. Not just for her Olympic gold, but the way she carried herself and represented the country - with grit, with grunt, with humility, with character, with class.
Matt ''Dallas'' Pickett. The 37-year-old flying breakaway played his 375th match for Blacktown Rugby, breaking the club record. Insiders say he has every chance of completing that greatest of all migrations, from the wing to the front row, in just 20 years! (Though some readers quibbled and said a greater migration was prop to winger.)
Stirling Mortlock. The former Wallabies captain and Gordon junior announced his retirement in June, without playing a single game for the Waratahs.
Daniel Talia. I'm not even going to tell you what female Christian name the nickname of the player for the Adelaide Crows is. You work it out. It is the only nickname he could have in the same way Matt Hilder could only ever be ''Waltzing''.
Michael Schumacher. Third place at the European GP meant the 43-year-old became the oldest podium finisher since Jack Brabham in 1970, when he was 44. First podium for the German since 2006. (How many Schus could a Schumacher mach, if a Schumacher could hit Mach II?)
Jacquie Hey. The first woman on the Cricket Australia board.
Simon Taufel. World-class cricket umpire has hung up his index finger. If young Simon is retiring, the rest of us must be getting old?
Sydney Convicts. Won Bingham Cup hosting rights for next year, where 40 gay rugby teams from around the world will compete in Sydney in August, including the latest gay rugby teams from Australia, the Melbourne Chargers and Brisbane Hustlers.
Usain Bolt. Still the greatest. And a showman to boot. Watching him closely in the Olympics 100m final, he almost seems to run in an ungainly fashion, but he generates so much power it simply doesn't matter.
Twitter: @Peter_Fitz


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Auto Shows
1958 Ford Sedan Delivery
2003 Woodward Dream Cruise.
Two hundred dollars bought this '58 Ford Sedan Delivery from an Arizona junkyard, the owner intending to use the rear-end for a project promoting his body shop. He says it looked like someone, "had used the top as a trampoline." Soon after the car's purchase, the intended rear-end recipient was totaled, and the owner's attention turned to his donor. Since its completion five years ago, the car has accumulated "between 30 and 40,000 miles" on four consecutive pilgrimages to Woodward from California, and it still has that original rear end.


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Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said she believed Australia was invaded by Europeans, and backed universities teaching "the truth" about the nation's history.
Ms Palaszczuk said it was a problem that "people have not explained the full details of Australian history" and "as far as she was concerned", Australia was invaded.
"For many years Australian schools and Australian institutions have not told the truth about the way in which Australia was settled," she said.
"A lot of Indigenous people lost their lives, there were massacres and the truth always must be told."
The dispossession and massacre of Aboriginal Australians is part of our history. It must be taught and appreciated by all Australians.— AnnastaciaPalaszczuk (@AnnastaciaMP) March 30, 2016
When asked if that meant she believed Australia to have been invaded, Ms Palaszczuk answered "yes".
The Queensland University of Technology is among a number of institutions which teach Australia was not settled, as is commonly taught in schools, but was invaded or occupied by British colonists.
It also teaches that claiming Captain James Cook "discovered" Australia was also incorrect, given that an estimated 750,000 to 800,000 Indigenous people were believed to be living across the nation for up to 60,000 years before British convict fleets arrived in 1788.
In 1770, Cook had declared Australia "terra nullius", or no one's land, despite the Indigenous population, and claimed the east coast for Britain.
In 1992, after a decade-long legal case, the High Court overturned the legal doctrine of terra nullius in a historic decision known as the Mabo case, after Eddie Mabo, a Torres Strait Islander who had challenged the state's ownership of traditional Indigenous lands.
The decision led to the Native Title Act being passed the next year.
Legally, Australia is considered to have been settled, and not conquered, which allowed for British common law to be applied to the colony from the start.