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text: "Stephan Assmus" <superstippi@xxxxxx> wrote: > > If you don't know vim, why do you start it in the first place? Just > > because you heard it's an editor?? > > Why would you want to use commands you don't know to use? The shell > > commands can be pretty destructive, and so you better always know > > what > > you're doing. > It has been said before that you end up in vi not on purpose. I don't > know why > we even discuss this still. Because one could go on forever with this. I'm not arguing that vim is a stupid thing, I just don't see the mentality switch that Fredrik wants to see; it's just the question of where to draw the line. FWIW, I actually wasn't aware that there are apps that let you end up in vim without you knowing it - adding "nano" additionally would not solve this, though, so removing vim would be the better option for those apps (and eventually making sure EDITOR is set by default). > open could figure out that you are logged in remotely, or that the > desktop is not > running, and then launch terminal apps in your current session. For > example a > text editor that manages to explain itself when you don't know it. That sounds really nice. Bye, Axel.

subset: commoncrawl


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The Puck Stops Here
Predictions: Northwest Division
by PuckStopsHere on 09/25/10 at 04:45 PM ET
Comments (1)
With the season approaching, it is time to start my pre-season predictions. I will start by forecasting the Northwest Division. Obviously, things are bound to change over the course of the season. Injuries, trades, slumps, breakout players are hard to forecast and when they happen, they are bound to affect the final standings of teams and more than likely, they will make my predictions incorrect. Nevertheless, here is what I expect as the order of finish in the Northwest Division:
1. Vancouver Canucks The Canucks have a world class goalie in Roberto Luongo, who I expect will make a run at the Vezina Trophy this year, despite falling short last year. They have the reigning MVP and top scorer in Henrik Sedin and his brother Daniel who scored an approximately the same rate per game, but had injuries. I don't think the Sedin brothers are likely to repeat as MVP or scoring champion, but they should be among the best in the league. Ryan Kesler is a top level defensive forward who could be a Selke trophy winner. I am not as impressed with their defence as many pundits are. There are several quality second line defencemen, but nobody who is likely star quality. I think Dan Hamhuis might help somewhat, but am not so sold on Keith Ballard given his Corsi problems in Florida. Defence may not be a weakness, but i am not convinced it is a strength. All told, Vancouver is one of the favorites to win the Stanley Cup this year. They are about as good as a team can get in the salary capped NHL.
2. Calgary Flames The Flames would have been a playoff team last year if they were an East Conference team. They finished ahead of the Stanley Cup finalist Philadelphia Flyers in the standings. Their collapse came down to some rather bizarre trades made by GM Darryl Sutter, who basically conceded the season with late season trades of Dion Phaneuf and Olli Jokinen. Sutter returns as GM and hopefully will not repeat that performance. Calgary has a lot of returning talent in Jarome Iginla, Miikka Kiprusoff, Robyn Regehr and Jay Bouwmeester. Sutter brought back Olli Jokinen and Alex Tanguay as free agents. Both are potential comeback players on very team friendly contracts, but it made some of the Flame faithful wonder as Sutter appears to be trying to return to the past. I think Calgary could slip into one of the bottom West Conference playoff berths if they have some stability from management.
3. Colorado Avalanche Colorado made a huge leap last year. They were up 26 points from the 2008/09 season. They climbed from last in the West Conference to eighth place and the final playoff berth in the process. The problem is they probably made a bigger jump than their talent levels warranted. Colorado's team Corsi rating was not nearly as strong as their standing would have shown. They had some good bounces and an unsustainably high shooting percentage in 2009/10. That is not to say that this team does not have talent. Paul Stastny and Chris Stewart could be a strong one-two punch offensively for the next many years. Craig Anderson is a talented goalie, who finally got the chance to be a starter after he arrived in Colorado last summer. Their defence is questionable. Are Kyle Quincey and Scott Hannan going to be their number one defencemen again? If not who is? To continue their upwards progression, it will be necessary to improve the Colorado defence.
4. Minnesota Wild Minnesota enters year two post-Jacques Lemaire and is still looking for an identity. Mikko Koivu is their go to guy at forward. He is the kind of guy Lemaire loved. Koivu is a strong defensive player and could be a Selke Trophy candidate. He is also the likely top scorer of the Wild team. The only other player with significant offensive potential is Martin Havlat, who had a disappointing first season in Minnesota with only 54 points. Minnesota has always had a reputation as a strong defensive team in the Lemaire years, but they allowed 46 more goals last year in their first post-Lemaire year than they did in their final year with him. There isn't likely any all star level defenceman on this squad. Marek Zidlicky has offensive flair but can be an adventure in his own zone and Brent Burns has not matured as well as many hoped a couple years ago. Niklas Backstrom is a solid goalie, but his numbers had been inflated with the strong defence in front of him in the Lemaire years. They won't be quite as good anymore and this may be viewed as a disappointment, but I am not sure if he is playing at a significantly different level. Minnesota is a team in need of an identity. They are no longer the disciplined defensive team they were in the Lemaire years, but what are they? They do not have the talent to play a run and gun offence either. All told, this looks like a team that will miss the playoffs.
5. Edmonton Oilers The Oilers were the last place team in the NHL last year. Injuries and a lack of depth really hurt. There are some clear reasons to expect that the 2010/11 season will not be as bad as the last place season. Ales Hemsky will likely play far more that 22 games this year. If he can continue to score at proven levels, he could again lead the team in scoring. His main challenger is Dustin Penner, who had a strong year in 2009/10. Shawn Horcoff needs to bounce back from a subpar season and young Sam Gagner is ready for a step forward. On defence, Ryan Whitney and Tom Gilbert are solid, but none are spectacular. There are depth issues behind them, Jason Strudwick and Taylor Chorney played a lot of shifts very inefficiently last year and it would improve things significantly if that isn't repeated. Goaltending is a question mark. Nikolai Khabibulin has questionable health and potential legal problems from a DUI arrest in Arizona. At age 37, it is hard to imagine he is going to be a top starter in the league anymore. Behind him there is Jeff Deslauriers and Devan Dubnyk and either have shown they have NHL ability yet. Martin Gerber is also in the picture, having returned to North America from the KHL. It is not impossible that any of these four could be the number one guy in Edmonton by the end of the year. It is also quite possible that none of them can handle the load. There is some good young talent in Taylor Hall, Magnus Paajarvi and Jordan Eberle in Edmonton and that bodes well for the future, but it is a lot to expect that a rookie becomes the star to lead this team in his first NHL season. I doubt Edmonton will be last this year or again at any point in the near future, but it is a long way back and another last place finish in the division is likely.
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I don't think the Sedin brothers are likely to repeat as MVP or scoring champion
I wasn't aware that they shared the award. I thought it was Henrik that won the Hart and Art Ross trophies. What do I know, though?
Posted by Flashtastick56 from Meriden, CT on 09/30/10 at 11:44 AM ET
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Vintage "Dripcut" Syrup Top for Fiesta Syrup
- Sold for: Start Free Trial or Sign In to see what it's worth.
- Item Category: Ceramics
- Source: eBay
- Sold Date: Dec 23, 2006
- Channel: Auction House Sell similar item on eBay
THIS AUCTION IS FOR THE DRIPCUT TOP ONLY! NOT the Fiesta Syrup itself. The syrup container is only to show the fit. The top says Dripcut in the cursive style on it. Used, shows a little wear, but in good shape. Imagine going to the Pancake House and using a Fiesta Syrup for your pancakes!! WOW! Email for any questions, otherwise, HAPPY BIDDING.Buy It Now and I'll ship it today! Have it by the weekend.


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CVNE Vina Real Crianza 2004
Tempranillo from Rioja, Spain
Winemaker's Notes
Viña Real was developed by Cuné in the 1940s. Sixty years later, Cuné took the decision to finally give Viña Real its real home, where not only is the wine produced but also aged and bottled. Viña Real is located on the "Cerro de la Mesa" hill, Rioja Alavesa. The soils of this area are composed of the best properties for the growing of the Tempranillo grape variety together with an optimum microclimate. The vineyards run from the Cantabria mountains all the way to the river Ebro, with southern exposed slopes. José Ryan Murua is the resident winemaker of Viña Real, a connoisseur of the region and direct descendent, giving him knowledge and an advantage to source grapes of excellent quality.
Blend: 90% Tempranillo; 10% Graciano, Mazuelo and Garnacha
Full, morello cherry, ruby red, good intensity. Ripe autumn red and purple fruit, raspberries. Well structured on the palate with plenty of fine, lingering rich fruit and a lively note of tannin. The finish is elegant and long.
Critical Acclaim
International Wine Cellar - "Deep red. Ripe blackberry, cherry and plum on the nose, with gentle baking spice and forest floor notes adding complexity. Sweet dark fruit flavors are deepened by a subtle vanillin oak quality, which adds structure. Finishes fresh and juicy, with very good length."
CVNE Winery
Cvne, is situated in Rioja in the traditional neighborhood of the station, where the oldest wineries of Rioja Alta established themselves, for the main reason of transporting their goods to the port of Bilbao.
In 1879, two brothers decided to set up a business in the recently flourishing trade of the wine business. C.V.N.E., Compañía Vinicola del Norte de España (The Northern Spanish Wine Company) or la Cuné, as it is commonly known in Haro, was created. This cellar still reflects the origins of the company and is kept in the traditional neighborhood of the Haro station.
The Cune winery in Haro, is made up of a group of buildings, mostly from the 19th century and arranged around a courtyard surrounded by pavilions for the purpose of wine production, aging, and bottling. View all CVNE Wines
About RiojaView a map of Rioja wineries (ree-OH-hah) Spain makes some of the best Tempranillo-based wines in the world. Once the only DOCa (recently joined by Priorat in 2001), Rioja is divided into 3 sub-regions: Rioja Baja, Rioja Alta, Rioja Alavesa. There are 4 red varieties and 3 white varieties allowed in the Rioja DOC. Tempranillo definitely takes center stage, followed by Garnacha (Grenache), which is sometimes added for body, then Graciano and Mazuelo (Carignan). The region also makes roses. For whites, the main grape is Viura (or Macebo), producing fresh, early-drinking wines. Malvasia, the grape that was once the most planted white, is found less often.
Notable FactsThe Rioja wine trade is somewhat confusing. Grapes are typically brought to a merchant's bodega from one of the 20,000+ growers in the region, or via a cooperative. The wine is then bottled and labelled by that bodega. Rioja's Consejo Regulador keeps track of all vineyards and bodegas to make sure they are following the DOCa regulations. Put in place to ensure quality, the system also controls prices.
As with the rest of Spain, the wine label may state Crianza, Reserva or Gran Reserva, depending on barrel & bottle maturation. Crianzas are usually found within two years of the vintage and offer fresh, ripe wines. Reserva and Gran Reserva will be found a few years after the vintage, as the bodega will be aging the wines in barrel and bottle before release. Both typically show more secondary characteristics of spice and oak ageing.
About Spain
The most popular red varieties of Spain include Tempranillo and Garnacha (Grenache). Whites don't garner quite as much recognition, but there are some regional varieties not to be missed, like Albarino and Verdejo. The popular red regions of Spain include Rioja, known for its outstanding wines of the Tempranillo grape; Ribera del Duero, producing high quality reds from Tempranillo and Garnacha; Galacia, with the sub-region of Rias Baixas, home to the deliciously crisp and floral Albarino grape; and Priorat, a region increasing in popularity with its high-quality cult reds. Other regions of note are Rueda, growing the Verdejo grape, La Mancha, a wide desert region, covered in the most planted white variety in the world, Airen, and Jumilla, making wines based on Monastrell (Mourvedre).
Spain's wine laws are based on the Denominacion de Origen (DO) classification system, devised in the 1930's. A four tiered system, the most basic level is Vina de Mesa (table wine) followed by Vino de la Tierra (country wine), DO and at the top DOC. Currently, only Rioja and Priorat have DOC status, while over 65 DO's scatter the country.
Most DO regions are classified and regulated by how long they age the wines. On a red wine label, one may find the terms Crianza, Reserva or Gran Reserva, denoting the wine's barrel and bottle time. Crianza is usually two years between barrel and bottle (the time in each depends on the DO and/or the winemaker), Reserva up to 4 years and Gran Reserva 5 – 6 years. Classifications of each region and wine are controlled by the region's Consejo Regulador.
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1 rating, 1 with reviewJoe Harbison - Columbus, OH210/9/2010Sour


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WSS Katha Ghangri Vilalge UC Ghanool.#*.Rehabilitation of Nakha Barkot Road UC Ghanool.#*.Repair & Widening Radjanian Bhangian UC Ghanool. #*.Repair & Widening Radjanian Bhangian UC Ghanool
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text: Motojunky June 02, 2010 10:32 AM Well done. Good riding by Camier as well. Before all you posters get on and start rambling about RSV this and RSV that. Get over it. It has 2 wheels and has to be ridden to the limit no matter how long the straights or how much top speed it has. A slong as it's not a Duke, they have had it there way far to long. Hail the new contender. Go Max. Reply Report abuse 22 agree 2 disagree


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Food safety & media fiction
With America's "fiscal cliff" approaching, pundits wring their hands over the supposed catastrophe that government spending cuts will bring. A scare newsletter called "Food Poisoning Bulletin" warns that if government reduces food inspections, "food will be less safe ... (because) marginal companies ... (will) cut corners."
Most people believe that without government meat inspection, food would be filthy. But that's bunk.
It's not government that keeps E. coli to a minimum. It's competition. Tyson Foods, Perdue and McDonald's have brands to maintain — and customers to lose. Ask Jack in the Box. It lost millions after a food-poisoning scandal.
Fear of getting a bad reputation makes food producers even more careful than government requires.
Since the Eisenhower administration, our stodgy government has paid an army of union inspectors to eyeball chickens in every single processing plant. But bacteria are invisible!
Fortunately, food producers run much more sophisticated tests on their own. One employs 2,000 more safety inspectors than government requires: "To kill pathogens, beef carcasses are treated with rinses and a 185-degree steam vacuum," an executive told me. "Production facilities are checked for sanitation with microbiological testing. If anything is detected ... we re-clean the equipment. ... Equipment is routinely taken completely apart to be swab-tested."
None of that is required by government. Government regulation may help a little, but we are safe mostly because of competitive markets.
But people don't trust companies. So it is easy to scare people about food. And the news media know that finding "problems" makes reporters look like crusading journalists.
Earlier this year, my old employer, ABC News, "alerted" the public to a new threat, ground beef made with "pink slime." ABC's reporting frightened most school systems so much that they stopped using that form of meat. The food company lost 80 percent of its business.
But the scare was bunk.
"Bunk is the polite word," Dan Gainor of the Media Research Center says. "ABC went on a crusade. Three nights in a row back in March, they pounded on this."
Well, why shouldn't they, if there's something called "pink slime" in beef?
"Because it's not 'pink slime.' It's ground beef."
Then how did this all get started?
"A couple activists who used to work for the FDA didn't like this really cool scientific process that separates the beef trimming so you get the remaining ground beef. So they coined this term deliberately to try to hurt this company."
The company, Beef Products Inc., does something unique. It takes the last bit of trim meat off the bone by heating it slightly. That saves money and arguably helps the environment — not using that meat would waste 5,000 cows a day.
In 20 years, there is no record of anybody being hurt by what ABC and its activists call "pink slime" — what the industry just calls "lean beef trimmings" or "finely textured beef."
After ABC's reports, Beef Products Inc. closed three out of its four plants. Seven hundred workers lost jobs.
Scientifically illiterate, business-hating media will always do scare stories. Don't believe them.
John Stossel is host of "Stossel" on the Fox Business Network. He's the author of "No They Can't: Why Government Fails, but Individuals Succeed."


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Using Internet reviews to compare the costs and programs offered by different companies is nothing new. More often than not, consumers like to check out the ratings given to an enterprise prior to committing to doing business with them. Not only can potential customers see what other clients think about a service or product, but they can often receive quotes from these companies, as well.
Considering the great customer reviews that can be found regarding the home protection and service plan that is offered by purchasing a Residential MD Home Warranty, this company seems like a great place to do business with. Customers love the fact that their policy includes AC protection, a heater warranty, refrigerator coverage, electrical wire assistance, water heater protection, plumbing system coverage, and complete warranties on both old and new appliances.
In light of their solid reputation for customer satisfaction, it should come as no surprise that this program covers many other devices within the home. If a policy holder needs to make a claim, they can do so at any time, day or night. With 24/7 live customer service available to customers, they never have any problem getting issues resolved. Whether a question, concern, or need to file a claim arises, someone will be there to help out.
The customer service representatives that work for the company handle claims quickly and efficiently. They are compassionate, knowledgeable, and aim for 100 percent customer satisfaction every time a customer contacts their headquarters. Another benefit that the company provides is handling the arrangements for repair technicians to come out to homes to make repairs.
There is no need for policy holders to seek out reputable and reliable repair services, because the folks at Residential MD Home Warranty take care of this for their clients. This enterprise has a nationwide network that consists of 40,000 pre-screened, pre-qualified, and rigorously investigated repair experts. All work they do is guaranteed for a full six month duration after the repair or replacement is performed.
Most of all, what makes this company's service protection agreement so desirable, is that it helps home owners avoid unexpected repair or replacement expenses. If any covered device fails due to mechanical difficulties, one simple phone call will get things taken care of.


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Find the Best Online CFD Brokers in 2014
The best online CFD brokers need to give traders all of the trading options the market allows. Transactions should be handled in real time and with constant market updates, so the trader has the full range of information. Commissions and fees should be low, while the CFD trading software needs to be up to date with advances in computing devices over the past few years. One particular requirement is CFD trading site in the year 2014 needs to be able to support mobile trading with smart phones and tablet computers, because many CFD traders have to log on using wifi in order to buy and sell throughout the day from wherever their professional and personal lives take them. Most of all, an Internet CFD trade service provider needs to be trustworthy.
Over the course of this article, I want to provide some of the best online companies for brokering CFD transactions for 2014. These various companies are going to have their own strengths and weaknesses relative to one another, but overall have a strong service to provide. First, I want to give a broad overview of the CFD market. NB – for those newbies out there: CFD trading is different to trading binary options.
What Is a CFD?
CFD is short for "Contract For Difference", which is a type of derivative. Unlike Forex derivatives and binary options, the CFD transaction is based on the opening and closing price of an asset. Two parties exchange the difference between the opening and closing value.
Plus500 is a leading CFD provider. New applicants can get a $25 bonus for registration – terms and conditions will apply. Transactions are subject to fixed or dynamic spreads, which Plus500 keeps competitive. With the ability create a free demo account to learn the software and how to buy and sell CFDs, the trader has no excuse for trying out the Plus500 website.
Plus500 are based in London and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.
Markets.com have their own CFD trading interface. The company allows for mobile trading and virtual online trading, but to do this, you'll need to download their site software. Markets.com offers product diversity, high liquidity on competitive spreads, commission-free CFD trading, and a low margin requirement between 2% and 5%. Those who want to use leverage can do so up to 100:1.
Spread Co
Spread.co uses the Saturn trading platform for all Forex, shares, and CFD trading on their site. Advantages to using Spread.co is it's safeguarded by the FSA, which means it's regulated and therefore trustworthy. The spreads on the site are as low as 0.8%, adjusted on a 24-hour basis. With 64 different language options, the community is international in scope and therefore trading is brisk 24 hours of the day.
Forex Trading Site
You might think a website named "Forex" is only going to deal with the foreign exchange, but Forex's CFD trading support is substantial. Their CFD platform gives you the ability to trade Forex CFDs, index CFDs, and commodities CFDs. The Forex trades include high volatility assets with tight spread. You can trade over 300 pairs, while leveraging up to 400:1. Indices also let you leverage up to 400:1, with over 30 global indices accessed and therefore exposure to the full global economy. The commodities traded include energies, metals, and softs. Leveraging ranges up to 200:1.
More Virtual CFD Trading Services
Online CFD traders have all sorts of options for service providers, but those above are my favorites at the moment. Be careful to choose the service which fits your needs the closet, because you should never have to compromise your trading style for the sake of a website. Other fine services include Saxo Capital Markets, City Index, Selftrade Markets, UFX, InterTrader, Trade.com, or Halifax. If you want a company which specializes in CFD trades, try Capital CFDs. Those who want live Reuters industry news feeds, give IG CFD a try. As you can see, each service offers a slightly different product. While the fee structure and ease of navigation are the chief considerations I give when grading an online CFD trading website, you might have other criteria.


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Three sister one who is 22 and the other two who 21...
The towns new badass american girl
- by pokie12348
- Rating:
- Published: 14 Apr 2014
- Updated: 22 Apr 2014
- Status: In Progress
Will it be love at first sight for the towns badass boy niall or his worst nightmare........ When Bailee the towns new badass girl that just moved here meets niall horan the towns badass boy. Will niall fall head over heels for her like all the other guys or will they just make more trouble together. Will bailee fall for niall like all the girls or just fuck him off and go on making trouble......... Read to find out
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Browsing by Author "Thomas, Graham"
Format-agnostic approach for production, delivery and rendering of immersive media Thallinger, Georg; Shirley, Ben; Schreer, Oliver; Thomas, Graham; Niamut, O.A.; Macq, J.; Kochale, A.; Batke, J.M.; Ruiz Hidalgo, Javier; Oldfield, Rob (2011)
Conference report
Restricted access - publisher's policyThe media industry is currently being pulled in the often-opposing directions of increased realism (high resolution, stereoscopic, large screen) and personalisation (selection and control of content, availability on many ...
Interim System Specification. FascinatE deliverable D1.4.2 Thomas, Graham; Schreer, Oliver; Shirley, Ben; Oldfield, Rob; Steurer, J.; Kaiser, R.; Bailer, W; Kienast, G.; Poggi, A.; Macq, J.; Zoric, G.; Ruiz Hidalgo, Javier; Niamut, O.A.; Prins, M.J.; Borsum, M.; Spille, J.; Kochale, A. (2012-01-13)
External research report
Restricted access - confidentiality agreement
Report on final demonstration. Fascinate deliverable D6.3.1 Thomas, Graham; Schreer, Oliver; Thallinger, Georg; Kienast, Gert; Oldfield, Rob; Ruiz Hidalgo, Javier; Macq, Jean François; Prins, M.J. (2013-06-21)
External research report
Open AccessThe objective of WP6 in the FascinatE project is to organise a series of convincing demonstrations that raise awareness of the project in the broadcast and media industry, as well as providing focal points for the ...


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Powerful 9/11 Info Hits Prime-Time TV for First Time
Aaron Dykes / Jones Report | November 18, 2006
FOX News national TV special ' Planet Mancow' featured a slew of pop-culture junkets, a celebrity interview with William Shatner and an attempt to slander 9/11 Truth by putting one of its spokesmen, Infowars' Kevin Smith, face-to-face with dying fireman Brian Harvey, who rescued victims after the attacks.
The host of the program, Chicago-based radio personality Erich "Mancow" Muller, tried to portray his guest Kevin Smith--producer for the Alex Jones radio show-- as a backwoods conspiracy nut living in a shed; however, neither Mancow nor Harvey could refute any of Smith's information-- they could only restate their disbelief.
NOTE: Our version has been taken down after going into the TOP 100-- here is another version. If this goes down as well, here are a few alternates: Full Special Part 1 | Part 2 EXCERPT of Part 1________________________________________________________
Smith brought up the fact that several of the alleged hijackers lived at the Pensacola, Florida Naval Air Station, according to addresses listed on their licenses and the fact that Mohammad Atta and others were trained at a base in Monterrey, California, as well as the the fact that Osama bin Laden was a known CIA asset. He also mentions Actor James Woods' eye-witness account of four alleged 9/11 hijackers during a "dry-run" flight.
Kevin Smith also covered WTC Building 7's mysterious collapse and the poll-supported fact that 9/11 Truth is no longer a 'fringe' theory (84% reject the Official 9/11 account, believing the Bush Administration is either 'hiding something' or 'lying' in a scientific Angus-Reid poll and over 1/3 believe the U.S. Government carried out 9/11 attacks according to a scientific Scripps-Howard poll).
Though the hit-piece sought to discredit theorists, it was fair compared with the usual FOX News treatment for 9/11 'conspiracy nuts.' If Bill O'Reilly were to set the bar, 9/11 guests should expect to have their mics cut off, have relevant information over-run by banter until commercial break, or, as in the case of Jim Fetzer's appearance, have O'Reilly even call for FBI surveillance and arrest.
Mancow did let Infowars producer Kevin Smith talk, though the pre-taped special did cut out some of his information-- including the fact that Terrorstorm is available free on Google Video, after host Mancow called 9/11 conspiracies 'big business' and suggested that theorists are only trying to make a buck.
Smith also says he was asked specifically who he would blame for the 9/11 attacks. But his naming Dick Cheney-- after former Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta testified that Cheney maintained a stand-down order on the morning of September 11 as a plane was approaching the Pentagon-- was CUT FROM AIRING on the program as well.
-Mancow and co. try to insinuate a rift between 9/11 Truthers and firemen, by asking his guests to 'arm wrestle' and calling on Infowars' Smith to direct comments towards fireman Brian Harvey, when evidence of an inside job and controlled demolition of the Twin Towers have nothing to do with the heroic firefighters who rescued victims on 9/11. Mancow seeks again and again to make Harvey the victim of Smith's 'conspiracy nut' theories.
This is a false link when Bill Doyle, the head of the largest victims' families group believes 9/11 was an inside job, as do a majority of the fireman, police officers and military personnel the Infowars Team encountered on the fifth anniversary of 9/11.
Police protected 9/11 Truth demonstrators, vouching for their right to speak, as well as shaking their hands, thanking those investigating and even asking for copies of 9/11 films such as Loose Change.
- Mancow used all the cliche straw man attacks to diminish the perception of 9/11 Truth, including naming the segment 'The Grassy Knoll,' asking Smith about Bigfoot, the Lockness monster, space aliens and even launching into an unprompted special interlude titled "Lies on the Internet." Mancow claims the Internet says he stars in the film 'Alien vs. Predator.' If there's disinformation on the web about Mancow, everything on the web must also be disinformation...
-Mancow may continue to clear his throat in the presence of theories about 9/11 he doesn't want to believe, but he still cannot counter the actual information presented. Prime time audiences are bound to find hosts like Mancow to be entertaining and 9/11 Truthers like Kevin Smith to be clear winners in the debate for real information about the September 11 attacks.


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Join as a member. There's a certificate with your name on it.
I have just duplicated a multisite install to a live server from dev. I scp'd all the files and used mysqldump to copy the database over.
The main site, "example.com" works fine on the live server. I can browse it, log in as admin and do the necessary.
The sub-site, "example2.com" is showing but does not use the correct theme. When I try to log in as admin, I am denied access (incorrect username/password).
Both sites share the same user and content tables. This set up works fine on my dev server, but not for some reason, on the live server.
I've tried all the suggestions at https://drupal.org/node/779792 but to no avail.
On the server, the drupal install is at /srv/example.com/public/htdocs and a symlink from /srv/example2.com to /srv/example.com
This exact same setup works for an existing Drupal multisite I have set up on the same server.
Appreciate any troubleshooting suggestions...


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Collection of materials for graduate students seeking employment after graduate school. Includes materials from faculty and graduate students about going on the academic market. Don't find things out to late!
Clear here for documents and materials to help you on the political science academic job market. Note that materials in disciplines other than yours will likely help you.
Some slides by Dustin Tingley on campus visits.


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6 colors
Anniversary Sale
Little Giraffe 'Luxe' Baby Blanket
Sale: $56.90
After Sale: $86.00
ADEN + ANAIS Classic Stroller Blanket
Make outings in car seats and strollers super comfy with a soft, snuggly blanket woven from four layers of breathable cotton muslin. Color(s): leader of the pack, lovestruck. Brand: ADEN + ANAIS. Style Name:Aden + Anais Classic Stroller Blanket. Style Number: 5273202. Available in stores. Learn More
BUTTERSCOTCH BLANKEES 'Script' Personalized Blanket
A personalized monogram adds a striking touch to a soft knit blanket that perfectly complements any nursery décor. Color(s): heather grey/ off white. Brand: Butterscotch Blankees. Style Name:Butterscotch Blankees 'script' Personalized Blanket. Style Number: 1102454. Available in stores. Learn More
ELEGANT BABY 'Love' Knit Blanket
Let your little one lounge on the floor or stylishly swaddle them with this boldly printed blanket crafted from soft, breathable cotton that's extra gentle on baby's delicate skin. Color(s): light blue. Brand: Elegant Baby. Style Name:Elegant Baby 'Love' Knit Blanket. Style Number: 5249162. Available in stores. Learn More
GIRAFFE AT HOME Luxe™ Throw
An incredibly soft blanket is trimmed in a wide satin band and accented with a small logo patch. Color(s): chocolate, cream, flax, mocha, mulberry, onyx, pink, silver. Brand: Giraffe At Home. Style Name:Giraffe At Home Luxe Throw. Style Number: 191815. Available in stores. Learn More
LITTLE GIRAFFE 'Bliss Cross' Quilted Blanket
Snuggle up baby in this quilted velvet blanket edged in satin trim that's wildly soft and cozy. Perfect for the stroller, crib or playtime on the floor, this naptime essential is sure to be an instant classic for your nursery. Color(s): blue, pink, silver. Brand: LITTLE GIRAFFE. Style Name:Little Giraffe ... Learn More
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Snuggle baby up in this supersoft blanket edged in fringe. Perfect for the stroller, crib or playtime on the floor, this naptime essential is sure to be an instant classic for the nursery. Color(s): blue, pink, silver. Brand: LITTLE GIRAFFE. Style Name:Little Giraffe Bliss Windowpane Blanket. Style Number: 5270709. Available ... Learn More
MONICA + ANDY 'Coming Home' Organic Cotton Blanket
A heathered knit or a cheery little print defines a supersoft blanket cut from prewashed organic cotton with a hint of stretch that makes it perfect for wrapping your newborn. Color(s): bear hugs, blue giraffe, blue stripe, grey elephant, grey stripe, heather grey, jet set, little peanut, on track, top ... Learn More
PETIT PEHR 'Noah's Ark' Play Blanket
Inspired by the classic story, this visually stimulating blanket features adorable animals of all shapes and sizes and is knit from ultrasoft cotton for superior playtime comfort. Color(s): noahs ark. Brand: PETIT PEHR. Style Name:Petit Pehr 'Noah's Ark' Play Blanket. Style Number: 5128457. Available in stores. Learn More


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The former governor of the Bank of Spain, Miguel Ángel Fernández Ordóñez, on Tuesday said the crisis at nationalized bank Bankia could have been resolved with the plan the central bank had drawn up, and that it would have spared Spain a large part of the current downward spiral in confidence in the country.
He said the government's decision in May to remove Bankia chairman Rodrigo Rato, a former IMF managing director and economy minister, had damaged Spain's image internationally.
Fernández Ordóñez left office a month before his mandate was due to expire after the Bank of Spain came in for criticism about its handling of the banking sector, particularly Bankia, an amalgam of seven savings banks led by Caja Madrid.
The government replaced all of Bankia's management in May. The bank subsequently restated its accounts for last year to show the biggest loss ever by a Spanish bank after having previously reported a profit. Bankia's new management then said the bank would need an additional 19 billion euros to recapitalize, a move that sparked the government's request for assistance from the EU.
"The new government introduced changes to the strategy for financial sector restructuring and decided eventually to directly manage Bankia itself," he said. "Given the fragility of the situation, I am not going to comment on what the new government has done over the past seven months. I am going to limit myself to what the Bank of Spain has done," he added.
"The Bankia case was resolved with the Bank of Spain's plan, which imposed conditions such as a non-executive chairman, but not the removal of Rato," Fernández Ordóñez told a congressional committee on the economy, which is looking into the problems in the banking sector. "I think it was a mistake that Rato left because of [Spain's] international image," Fernández Ordóñez said. "He is an important person in an international context."
Fernández Ordóñez also questioned whether Bankia needed a further 19 billion euros.
Not only are we worse off than Italy, we are also worse off than Ireland"
The former governor said the government of Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy had presided over a period in which investors had lost confidence in the country. "In the first half of this year, confidence in Spain and its financial sector has sunk, reaching levels unimaginable seven months ago," he said. "Not only are we worse off than Italy, we are worse off than Ireland itself, a country that has been bailed out," he said.
With the threat of the need for a full bailout after the European Union agreed to lend Spain up to 100 billion euros to help recapitalize its banks, Fernández Ordóñez warned that the country is now facing a very delicate situation. "Our government and the Spanish public as a whole are going to have to face very complicated situations over the coming months," he said.
The Rajoy administration was initially reluctant to allow Fernández Ordóñez to appear in Congress to answer questions on Bankia, and the former governor on Tuesday thanked the commission for allowing him to speak.
The new governor of the Bank of Spain, Luis María Linde, said the central bank under the stewardship of Fernández Ordóñez and his predecessor had failed to put a damper on lending to the real estate sector, which helped create a property bubble that burst, precipitating the crisis. He was also critical of the strategy used for forcing savings banks to merge.
"A lot of things were done badly, and above all a lot of things were not done that we now see clearly should have been done," Fernández Ordóñez acknowledged, while also defending the work of the central bank. "The Bank of Spain fulfilled its duty as a supervisor in an exceptional period in which Spain simultaneously suffered three crises: national, European and international," he said. "In light of the noise created by the handling of the Bankia case, a campaign without foundation has been launched against the Bank of Spain that has sought to totally undermine the institution."
The former governor also acknowledged that the process of merging the savings banks had been too slow, but attributed this to an "inadequate toolbox" and political interference at the regional level.
Fernández Ordóñez called for unity in dealing with the crisis. "This crisis won't resolve itself by pushing everyone into partisan confrontation," he said. "Because these are problems that are too serious, that have built up for so long and that are affecting many people, it is counterproductive to seek scapegoats on whom to lay all the blame, because there aren't any," he said.


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|Deviant Art
First off, I love quicksand. What you did with Minecraft quicksand is very fun and clever. I love how Toughset is trying to dig you out, and you're just sinking there enjoying the moment. Also, good job with the 3D shapes like the quicksand blocks. The only complaint I have is I think the textures and shading could've been better. Although, I feel that you could just say that the background is a texture pack, but that previous complaint is just my opinion. It's very good and fun and I love it. I recommend doing more quicksand art, but that's just me. Good work.
I don't quite remember what went through my head when I did this. It's been months. But I think I went for the simple 'texture pack' feel just because this was a minecraft scenerio (and we all know how 'not-detailed' the normal textures are XD
Either way I'm glad you like it, and I thank you for the critique


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We're teaming up with The Nature Conservancy to celebrate International Polar Bear Day on Friday, February 27! Advocates for these amazing creatures highlight today as a chance to celebrate Nanuk, as the Inuits say, as well as a day of action to reduce carbon emissions.
Submit your best caption of this polar bear by tapping "Remix" in the lower right hand corner and add the hashtag #internationalpolarbearday. We'll take submissions until Friday, 2/27 and post up our favorites on Monday, March 2.
Vote for your favorite polar bear captions here!


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Eugene Field
Eugene Field (2 September 1850 - 4 November 1895 / St Louis / Missouri / United States)
» Click to list general statistics » OR, select a date :
To Venus
Venus, dear Cnidian-Paphian queen!
Desert that Cyprus way off yonder,
And fare you hence, where with incense
My Glycera would have you fonder;
read more >>
- Hits: Number of visitors who read the poem on the given date.
- Posts: Number of visitors who posted the poem to a friend (via e-mail) on the given date.
- Dates that have "0" hits may not be shown on the list.
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DFB Pokal News
Borussia Dortmund's Marco Reus faces months out with ligament damage
Germany international Reus was substituted at half-time in the 2-1 win at Berlin's Olympiastadion.
German FA blasted for 'Hollywood' half-time show at DFB Pokal final
Show featured German singer Helene Fischer, who was jeered by sections of the crowd at Borussia Dortmund's 2-1 win over Eintracht Frankfurt.
Borussia Dortmund's Marco Reus set for six months out injured - report
Marco Reus is facing six months out with cruciate ligament damage picked up in Borussia Dortmund's DFB Pokal final win against Eintracht Frankfurt.
Dembele, Pulisic deliver Dortmund from title drought in DFB Pokal final
Ousmane Dembele opened the scoring and Christian Pulisic starred in the second half as Borussia Dortmund won their first DFB Pokal title since 2012.
Dortmund end trophy drought but uncertain and difficult summer ahead
It was fittingly a struggle but Borussia Dortmund ended their cup drought with a DFB-Pokal win over Frankfurt. Now difficult questions await the club.
Thomas Tuchel 'completely dead' after Dortmund win DFB Pokal
Thomas Tuchel said he would like to stay on as Borussia Dortmund manager next season after securing the DFB Pokal title on Saturday.


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Looks like NASCAR needs a tune-up.
The circuit that gave us Dale Earnhardt and Richard Petty has been in retreat since 2005. During the past eight years, TV viewership per race has dropped a staggering 32%.
No two companies influence NASCAR more than International Speedway (ISCA) and Speedway Motorsports (TRK). Combined, they own 21 race tracks across the country, yet TRK is down about 14% in the past five years, while ISCA has lost 24% in the same period.
With NASCAR on the slide, neither of these companies looks particularly attractive, but let's dig deeper to see if there isn't a powerful engine hiding under the hood of one of these stocks.
International Speedway
Although it owns 13 tracks in 10 states, International Speedway's crown jewel is definitely Daytona. The company is spending $400 million to freshen up the track, which is now more than 50 years old. In addition, ISCA is developing 1.1 million square feet of shopping, dining and other entertainment directly across from the speedway itself.
The goal: Make Daytona a year-round destination.
Clearly, the France family, which owns 39% of the company, sees the importance of diversifying its revenue streams beyond motorsports. I'm not sure it can do this at every facility it owns, but Daytona certainly lends itself to this kind of mega-project.
The big knock against both companies is declining revenue from admissions. The recession hurt its core customers, and they've yet to come back in significant numbers. For example, International Speedway's second-quarter admissions revenue declined by 4.2% year-over-year to $36 million. Back in 2007 and 2008, the company was making more than $50 million in admissions revenue.
Fortunately for ISCA, it doesn't rely on admissions for its survival.
In Q2 2005, its motorsports-related revenue was $89 million, $79 million of which came from television rights. Fast-forward to Q2 2013, where motorsports-related revenue was $126 million, with $92 million from television rights. That's a compound annual growth of 2%. It might not seem like a lot, but it definitely puts a floor of sorts under its stock price.
Speedway Motorsports
Like ISCA, Speedway has a large, controlling shareholder in Bruton Smith, who owns 70% of its stock. I like companies that are either run by the founding family or at least strongly influenced by them. However, at 86, Bruton might want to start thinking about putting his 39-year-old son Marcus — who currently is COO — in charge.
Speedway's revenue streams are virtually identical to ISCA's. Its Q2 2013 admissions revenue declined 12.6% year-over-year to $34 million — much steeper than ISCA's decline. Overall, its Q2 revenues declined 2.3% to $178 million, 164 basis points worse than ISCA's drop.
But Speedway really fell short of the finish on the Q2 bottom line. It lost $68 million thanks to $89 million in goodwill impairment at two of its tracks — New Hampshire Motor Speedway and Kentucky Speedway.
Comparing apples to apples, TRK's operating profit (goodwill impairment and loss on early debt redemption added back) was $42 million — a 7.5% decline over Q2 2012. In comparison, ISCA's operating profit increased 11.7% in the second quarter to $37 million.
One of my favorite financial metrics when comparing companies, especially when they're in the same industry, is enterprise value as a multiple of EBITDA. It's a quick way to evaluate how much it would cost (including debt) to acquire the company. Like all metrics, it's not bulletproof, but it's helpful in conjunction with other analysis, especially in this case.
Of the two, TRK has the lower multiple with an enterprise value 7.5 times EBITDA, compared to 8.1 times for ISCA. However, when you consider each company's cash and debt position, it's clear that ISCA deserves a greater multiple. TRKs net debt is $391 million, which is 2.6 times its trailing 12-month EBITDA. ISCA, on the other hand, has net debt of $114 million, which is 0.6 times TTM EBITDA. It's not even close.
Bottom Line
With the exception of the NFL, most sports are in survival mode these days. You can't have a race track with all the acreage it encompasses without utilizing the land more efficiently. Tracks have to become multi-use facilities with concerts, trade shows, festivals, you name it.
In that regard, I think ISCA's Daytona One (1.1 million square foot development) and Daytona Rising ($400 million grandstand renovation) projects are just the tip of the iceberg. There will have to be more of this if motorsports want to remain relevant with consumers.
While TRKs annual dividend of 60 cents (yielding 3.4%) is enticing, I believe there can be only one winner in the future should NASCAR rebound. Therefore, if you're expecting an eventual NASCAR recovery, International Speedway is the stock to pick.
As of this writing, Will Ashworth did not hold a position in any of the aforementioned securities.


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Kovacevic: Pirates earn handful of respect
NEW YORK — Poor Evan Meek.
On this scorching Monday afternoon inside Citi Field's Jackie Robinson Rotunda, which Major League Baseball set up as a sensational stage for its All-Star media sessions, you could spy with no more than a couple glances no less than 20 percent of Clint Hurdle's roster.
Side by side, left to right at their individual podiums, it was Jeff Locke, Jason Grilli, Andrew McCutchen and Pedro Alvarez. Across the hall, presumably for being late to the party as a last-minute replacement, was Mark Melancon.
Count 'em up ... five.
What a day for the Pittsburgh Baseball Club, as proud as any in this already bodacious summer.
"It says a lot," McCutchen was saying amid a crush of several hundred media members navigating the room. "All this, it says a lot about our team and what we're doing this year. People are starting to recognize us. It's not just us seeing it anymore. And honestly, that's the only way we could have five guys here."
He cut himself off.
"It's amazing just to say that."
Sure is.
And yet, I swear, all I could think of was Meek.
'Happy for Pittsburgh'
Meek was the Pirates' lone All-Star in 2010 and the last, if you will, of their token selections.
Yeah, he was having a strong season with a 0.96 ERA and, other than a still-blooming McCutchen, was a logical choice to send to Anaheim. But let's face it: If rules didn't require each team to be represented, no one would have missed Meek.
Maybe he knew it, too. He was fairly shaking on the day he found out. Called it "overwhelming" and "definitely a surprise."
Some were surprised in a more negative connotation, naturally, and it took only a nanosecond or so for the national online outrage to commence: Evan Meek? Who's Evan Meek? The process is a joke! Enough of the obligatory Pirates and Royals! Just take the best players!
Yeah, well, this year they did take the best players.
And they were Pirates.
And if any of these five was overwhelmed or surprised, it was impossible to detect.
As McCutchen put it, "This is just how it should be right now."
McCutchen's a bit more defensive about his time these days, given the growing demand. At the same time, he's very much in his element as a star, and that was evident again Monday. Before being one of the more popular figures at the media session and an ESPN favorite later in the workout, he visited the set of MSNBC's "Morning Joe," the daily political gabfest with Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski.
How'd that go?
"I didn't get to talk a whole lot. Had to butt in to talk," McCutchen replied with a laugh. "But it was all right. It's all good."
Locke, who you'd figure would be most blown away, described feeling something like that only during the flight he and his mates made from Pittsburgh late Sunday. (Except for Melancon, who had to drive.)
"We're getting on the plane, I look around, and we had the whole first-class section taken up. Just us," Locke said. "I mean, people had their families with them, but I'd say that's still a pretty good sign."
The two-man back end of the bullpen, the backbone of these Pirates, also stayed as cool as ever.
They talked more about the fans back home than anything.
"I don't think there's much more you can say about our team than the representation we have here," Grilli said. "Really, it's nice to be part of something that's special not just for the Pirates but for the city."
"I'm just happy for Pittsburgh," Melancon said. "To be able to represent like this for our fans ... it's really neat."
You've heard or read by now, I'm sure, about the historical implication, how the Pirates hadn't had this many All-Stars since five in 1972. How they'd sent more than two players only once during this 20-year losing streak. How they'd sent Meek, Carlos Garcia, Denny Neagle, Jason Kendall, Tony Womack, Ed Sprague — Ed Sprague! — Brian Giles, Mike Williams, Jack Wilson, Jason Bay and Freddy Sanchez all as solo representatives.
One more time, all together now: Ed Sprague!
That's important. It's another of the countless barriers this woebegone franchise has needed to break for a long time.
But I have to tell you, I picked up on something else in that rotunda Monday that might mean just as much.
Real respect.
'Pirates for real'
Listen to the answer Adam Wainright gave when I asked if his Cardinals, neck and neck with the Pirates, believe that their Central rival will stick around this time: "From our side of it, I can tell you we are not expecting them to fall off. I just think they're a team that's built for winning. They have a great rotation, a lineup that can beat you different ways, and they've had a good bullpen for a few years now. Sounds like a well-rounded team to me."
Even better, from the Reds' always-blunt Brandon Phillips: "To tell you the truth, I think the Pittsburgh Pirates are for real. They've got great pitching. They've filled in some gaps, especially with Russell Martin. That guy knows the game. Great catcher. And you know, they can still make a move. When you've got great pitching, all you need with your position players is to be average or above. You just need guys who can get the job done. And that's what the Pirates are doing. They're playing great baseball."
It looked like Phillips was done, but he then added: "It's good for baseball that the Pirates are doing what they're doing. I think it's good for the Reds, too. Makes us want to step up our game."
Genuine motivation from facing the Pirates?
That's respect that's been hard-earned.
As for Meek, he's had shoulder trouble and is still trying to fight his way back to the majors — as a starter, no less — with Triple-A Round Rock in the Rangers' system. That's commendable, of course, but his fall only lends credence to those who criticized the All-Star selection three years ago.
Meek and those 2010 Pirates went on, by the way, to win 57 games.
Same number the current club can achieve Friday.


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|Home > After Saddam > Article
|Saturday April 19, 2003
Curators and collectors must work together to restore Iraq's precious antiquities, writes Peter Fray.
THE FIRST wave of thieves were professionals and looted to order, the second just looted - and destroyed. They were cultural thugs, intent on sacking Baghdad, robbing Iraq - and, ultimately, humanity - of its ancient heritage for profit or perverse pleasure.
Estimates vary, but at least 100,000 items, many worth millions of dollars, from Baghdad's national museum alone are believed missing or destroyed. Other collections across the country have suffered a similar fate.
Moved to tears by the wanton destruction, many experts know the collections will never be the same. "I think it's quite possible that a lot of it we may not see again," said Christopher Walker, deputy keeper of the British Museum's Ancient Near East department. "It's quite depressing."
Meanwhile, Martin Sullivan, head of a US presidential panel on cultural property has resigned in protest at the failure of US forces to prevent the wholesale looting of priceless treasures from Baghdad. "It didn't have to happen," said Sullivan.
International efforts, headed by UNESCO and the world's leading museums, are under way to recover these treasures from ancient Babylon, Mesopotamia, Sumeria and Assyria. No one believes the task will be easy or quick.
UNESCO, after an emergency meeting of leading archaeologists and experts on Iraq on Thursday, has called for an immediate ban on the export and trade of antiquities from Iraq and the introduction of a heritage police force in Iraq to protect what's left in the country. It wants to establish a database of the Iraqi collection to assist police, customs, dealers and museums to track down looted material.
The head of UNESCO, Koichiro Matsuura, has floated the idea of an amnesty for the return of stolen property in Iraq, a move which may flush out many artefacts taken as souvenirs.
Dr Neil Brodie, from the Illicit Antiquities Research Centre at Cambridge University, believes an amnesty will help retrieve many less valuable items. "There's going to be a lot of stuff sitting in people's living rooms now," he says.
But what experts like Brodie and Walker fear is that many of the most valuable items - such as the exquisite marble Warka female head, made in 3000 BC - may be already destined for American or European private collections via Jordan, Kuwait, Turkey, Pakistan, the United Arab Emirates and Israel, or secreted away to be moved until the glare of international attention has cooled.
They believe the looting of Baghdad's cultural heritage may have been planned with the same precision as the coalition's military assault.
"It's quite possible that it was planned well before the war," says Brodie. "There must have been people with their eye on the main chance."
Despite international pressure and outcry, dealers say there is little doubt that stolen Iraqi antiquities will soon arrive on the markets of London, Paris and the US, most probably with some new provenance attached to cover their origins. Since the 1991 Gulf War, in which an estimated 4000 items were stolen, Iraq has been a favourite target of well-organised smugglers.
"If you want to buy stolen goods it's not difficult to do," says James Ede, chairman of Britain's Antiquities Dealers' Association. "This stuff has got to get into the market somewhere. A dealer once told me that 80 per cent of the silverware on the market has been stolen at one time or another."
Ede is sceptical of reports that Iraqi loot has already lobbed up for sale on the Paris market. "I would expect it to take three to six months for this stuff to filter through. Anyone offering major Iraqi antiquities at the moment is asking for trouble."
But possibly not in the current state of confusion. Neither the Iraqis nor the international community has any idea of what was actually stolen or what was left behind. If museums in Baghdad and other cities had their records destroyed during the looting, as some reports suggest, then the problem of retrieval is even more complicated.
"If the records have been destroyed, it's going to be very difficult to identify material and say that definitely came from the Baghdad museum," said Brodie.
But this is where the British Museum, criticised for so long for having a collection of looted antiquities, and other leading European and US museums will play a vital role. The British, which has the world's most important collection of Mesopotamian treasures outside Iraq, will send nine experts to Baghdad late next month to assess the damage and start the painful process of rebuilding the catalogue. They and the local Iraqis will head an international team of curators, whose first meeting will be in London later this month.
But Walker cautions against instant results. "In this museum we are still piecing together the collection," he says, noting that artefacts destroyed in the sacking of Nineveh in 612 BC were still being worked on. "Some of these programs will go for hundreds of years."
He believes the first step should be to close the Iraqi borders to the antiquity trade, as UNESCO suggests, and then establish a database of what is missing and what was in the collection. "It may take decades to sort out unless it [the antiquities] can be stopped at the border."
Another option may be to establish a neutral holding museum where the retrieved material can be stored and repaired until Baghdad is ready. Afghan artefacts are being stored in a dedicated Swiss museum.
For Ede, the British Government's first stop should be to fund the database, which will effectively "taint" any items found on the list as looted and thus undesirable to museums and most collectors. "Everybody I know would not want stolen antiquities in their possession. If you can't show it to anybody you start dying up inside.
"It's an anathema for a collector to have something you can't show."
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War On Iraq
Video shows Saddam's 'final public appearance'
Edgy Iraq braces for war of the tribes
UN raises the stakes with call to Blix
US needs help to find elusive weapons cache, says Rumsfeld
Culture's vultures
US advisers quit over museum losses
Three blocks and you're out
Australia's Baghdad patch in safe hands
The guy who could lie is now a real doll
Capture of half-brother may lead to Saddam's stash
Toymakers and troops play the same game
Syrian arsenal dates back to 1970s
Graveyard where Kurds met their anonymous ends
Huge deal to rebuild handed to old friend
Patients raped, beds stolen as looters strike
Special forces find underground weapons base
Key Shiite leader calls for Karbala demonstration to resist US
Would-be robbers saved from crowd's wrath
Rogue's gallery of blonde bombshells
Russia hits US with friendly ire
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Sat 12/29/12 My fiance and I had sexual intercouse. The next morning I woke up bleeding. Its mainly when I urinate. Sometimes I will pee there will be blood and clots, and then I won't have any blood at all. I went to the ER on Sunday 12/30/12 and my HCG was 1400, the next day my OB drew my blood and it was 1800. I took a HPT and it was positive yesterday. No one can give me an answer and I am not sure what to expet. I am only 7 1/2 weeks and my baby won't show up on an ultrasound, they could only locate the sac at the ER. Please Help!!
a BabyCenter member
Asked 1/2/13


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|Benjamin Drummond / Sara Joy Steele
News from Benj and Sara
The Ecological Society of America recently held its 96th annual meeting in Austin, TX. Our friends from the Natural History Network presented a symposium there, and they brought along our broadsides from the Natural Histories Project. Read what attendee Hayley Gillespie has to say about the "beautiful portraits and inspiring (but often haunting) words" on her blog, biocreativity:
"What I love about this project is that it is both a true celebration of natural history – which is inspiring in itself – but it is also something that can speak to very diverse audiences. It shows the faces of natural history – young and old, male and female, diverse backgrounds. It shows that anyone can be a natural historian, and that everyone can find a reason to care about this field, whether or not it is part of their profession."
Read Hayley's full post.
Comments are closed for this post.


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PERROR(3) Library Functions Manual PERROR(3)
perror, errno - system error messages
void perror(s)
char *s;
#include <<errno.h>>
int sys_nerr;
char *sys_errlist[];
int errno;
perror() produces a short error message on the standard error describ-
ing the last error encountered during a call to a system or library
function. If s is not a NULL pointer and does not point to a null
string, the string it points to is printed, followed by a colon, fol-
lowed by a space, followed by the message and a NEWLINE. If s is a
NULL pointer or points to a null string, just the message is printed,
followed by a NEWLINE. To be of most use, the argument string should
include the name of the program that incurred the error. The error
number is taken from the external variable errno (see intro(2)), which
is set when errors occur but not cleared when non-erroneous calls are
To simplify variant formatting of messages, the vector of message
strings sys_errlist is provided; errno can be used as an index in this
table to get the message string without the newline. sys_nerr is the
number of messages provided for in the table; it should be checked
because new error codes may be added to the system before they are
added to the table.
intro(2), psignal(3)
6 December 1988 PERROR(3)


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These authors contributed equally to this work.
This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution license (
The purpose of the study was to explore the association between metabolic syndrome (MetS) and chronic kidney disease (CKD) in perimenopausal women. A cross-sectional study was conducted in Zhuhai from June to October 2012. Perimenopausal women (n = 685) were included in the study. All participants were divided into three subgroups: Group 1, 40 years old ≤ Age < 50 years old; Group 2, 50 years old ≤ Age < 60 years old; Group 3, 60 years old ≤ Age ≤ 65 years old. MetS was associated with CKD (
Despite recent advances in the treatment of chronic kidney disease (CKD) [
To the best of our kowledge, relatively few studies have focused on the relationship between MetS and CKD in perimenopausal women, so this study was designed to clarify the association between MetS and the risk of CKD by initiating this door-to-door community cross-sectional screening study of the perimenopausal women population of Wanzhai Town, ZhuHai city, one of the leading commercial cities in Southern China.
This cross-sectional study was conducted in Wanzhai Town, Zhuhai City, a prominent commercial city in Southern China. Data was collected from 763 community perimenopausal women residents, 40–65 years of age from June to October, 2012. Of these, 685 community perimenopausal women met the inclusion criteria. Participants were recruited by mail and home visits. All perimenopausal women community residents gave their written informed consent. This study was approved by The Ethics Committee of The Third Affiliated Hospital of Southern Medical University, Guangzhou. This study was performed fulfilling the principles of Helsinki Declaration and the International Guidelines for Ethical Review for Epidemiological Studies.
Sociodemographic characteristics, including personal health history (coronary artery disease, stroke, hypertension, and diabetes) and details about lifestyle (smoking status, alcohol intake, diet habits and physical activity) were obtained by questionnaire. Body weight, height, waist circumference and blood pressure were measured with standardized protocol in the morning between 08:00 and 11:00 am. Central obesity was defined on the basis of ethnic specific values of waist circumference [
Blood glucose level was measured with a hexokinase enzyme reference method and serum creatinine (SCr) with an enzymatic method on an autoanalyzer (Hitachi 7170, Hitachi, Tokyo, Japan). Serum high-density lipoprotein (HDL) was determined enzymatically with commercially available reagents (Shanghai Gensource Co., Ltd, Shanghai, China), and cholesterol and triglyceride (TG) levels were determined enzymatically with commercially available reagents (Roche Diagnostics, Mannheim, Germany). Low density lipoprotein cholesterol(LDL-C) was measured by the Friedewald formula. High sensitivity C-reactive protein was measured by enzymatic Turbidimetric immunoassay method (Orion Diagnostica Oy, Espoo, FinLand). Urinary albumin and creatinine were measured from a fresh morning spot urine sample or first morning urine sample stored at +4 °C for less than 1 week. Albuminuria was measured with immunoturbidimetric tests (Audit Diagnostics, Cork, Ireland). Urinary creatinine was measured with Jaffe's kinetic method [
There are different criteria to define MetS [
The estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), an indicator of kidney function, was estimated using a formula from the Modification of Diet Renal Disease (MDRD) study: GFR (mL/min/1.73 m2) = 186.3 × (serum Cr) − 1.154 × (age) − 0.203 × (0.742 if women) × (1.21 if African-Americans) [
The socioeconomic factors used in this study was defined on educational attained status. Education status was classified into two categories: (1) 0 years of schooling, primary school or junior middle school; (3) high school or above.
Alcohol consumption was evaluated based on the frequency of alcohol intake as recorded on the health interview questionnaire. We divided the residents into four groups: (1) No drinking; (2) less than once a week: (3) 1–4 times a week; (4) more than 5 times a week; (5) former but no present drinking.
For physical exercise, the participants were divided into two groups: (1) no physical activity; (2) physically active. For smoking, they were divided into three groups: (1) former smokers, quitted smoking prior to the survey; (2) current smokers; (3) non-smoking.
Data were analyzed using Stata (version 11). Continuous variables were shown as mean ± standard deviation if they had normal distribution. Median and interquartile range were used to show skewed distributed continuous variables. The categorical variables were presented as absolute and relative (%) values or proportion. A two-tailed
All participants were divided into 3 subgroups: Group 1, 40 years old ≤ Age < 50 years old; Group 2, 50 years old ≤ Age < 60 years old; Group 3, 60 years old ≤ Age ≤ 65 years old. Baseline characteristics within each subgroups were examined using the chi-squared test for categorical variables and Student's t test or Wilcoxon rank-sum test for continuous variables.
The association of MetS with CKD was examined using logistic regression models. The first model was unadjusted. Next this model was expanded by adding covariates to adjust for factors that are likely potential confounders and unlikely to be in the causal pathway between MetS and CKD. These variables were age, history of stroke, history of coronary heart disease, smoking status, alcohol use, physical inactivity, education level.
The association of CKD and individual component of MetS were also examimed separately. The first logistic regression model was unadjusted, and the second model was adjusted for age, history of stroke, history of coronary heart disease, smoking status, alcohol use, physical inactivity, education level. All skewed distributed continuous variables were logarithmically transformed to normally distributed variables.
Initially there were 763 participants in our community study, but 78 participants were excluded because of missing data for serum creatinine, serum HDL, serum LDL, serum fast glucose, anthropometric indexes, or ACR. Finally, 685 participants were included in the study. Among the total participants, 277 participants belonged to Group 1, 256 participants belonged to Group 2, and 152 participants belonged to Group 3.
As shown in
Baseline characteristics of perimenopausal women.
|Group 1
|Group 2
|Group 3
|Age (Years)
|44.87 ± 2.97
|54.53 ± 2.30
|62.44 ± 1.63
|Body Mass Index (kg/m2)
|22.81 ± 3.12
|23.67 ± 3.43
|23.40 ± 3.27
|Waist circumference (cm)
|78.67 ± 8.45
|82.63 ± 9.10
|83.33 ± 9.25
|History of diabetes mellitus (%)
|2 (0.72)
|17 (6.64)
|17 (11.18)
|History of hypertension (%)
|17 (6.64)
|44 (17.19)
|50 (32.89)
|History of coronary heartdisease (%)
|2 (0.72)
|3 (1.17)
|9 (5.92)
|Current smoker (%)
|2 (0.72)
|2 (0.78)
|0 (0)
|Current alcohol use (%)
|1 (0.36)
|2 (0.78)
|0 (0)
|High school or above (%)
|105 (37.91)
|84 (32.81)
|29 (19.08)
|Physical inactivity (%)
|175 (63.18)
|136 (53.13)
|59 (38.82)
|Systolic blood pressure (mm Hg)
|120.63 ± 16.50
|129.48 ± 18.71
|134 ± 19.02
|Diastolic blood pressure (mm Hg)
|76.67 ± 11.05
|79.53 ± 10.37
|79.82 ± 9.91
|Serum creatitine (umol/L)
|62.04 ± 9.37
|64.61 ± 8.93
|66.80 ± 10.05
|Serum uric acid (umol/L)
|288.93 ± 69.92
|327.31 ± 77.31
|336.24 ± 89.93
|eGFR (mL/min/1.73 m2)
|98.80 ± 18.02
|90.13 ± 14.47
|84.63 ± 14.22
|Urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio (mg/g)
|8.13 (6.01–12.02)
|9.19 (6.59–13.26)
|11.14 (7.74–17.28)
|Fasting glucose (mmol/L)
|4.75 ± 0.65
|5.03 ± 1.06
|5.13 ± 0.93
|Serum C-reactive protein (mg/L)
|0.77 (0.37–1.81)
|1.29 (0.61–2.62)
|0.88 (0.50–2.39)
|Serum triglyceride (mmol/L)
|1.02 (0.75–1.38)
|1.23 (0.91–1.62)
|1.33 (0.98–1.8)
|Serum low density lipoprotein (mmol/L)
|3.02 ±0.80
|3.42 ± 0.89
|3.40 ± 0.91
|Serum high density lipoprotein (mmol/L)
|1.60 ± 0.31
|1.60 ± 0.33
|1.60 ± 0.32
|HOMA-index (uU/mL)
|1.61 (1.16–2.47)
|1.81 (1.23–2.69)
|2.18 (1.40–2.83)
|Abdominal obesity (%)
|122 (44.04)
|160 (62.50)
|102 (67.11)
|Elevated blood pressure (%)
|88 (31.77)
|140 (54.69)
|108 (71.05)
|Elevated fasting glucose level (%)
|17 (6.14)
|45 (17.58)
|33 (21.71)
|Low high densitylipoprotein (%)
|43 (15.52)
|36 (14.06)
|26 (17.11)
|Elevated triglyceride level (%)
|42 (15.16)
|58 (22.66)
|42 (27.63)
|Chronic kidney disease (%)
|24 (8.66)
|18 (7.03)
|23 (15.13)
|Urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio ≥ 30 mg/g (%)
|23 (8.30)
|16 (6.25)
|18 (11.84)
Mean ± SD or median (25th to 75th percentiles) for continuous variables and absolute and relative (%) values for category variables are presented. HOMA-IR: Homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance; Elevated blood pressure, elevated fasting glucose level, low high density lipoprotein cholesterol, elevated triglyceride level and metabolic syndrome diagnostic criteria were defined according to IDF.
As shown in
Associations of MetS with CKD in multivariate logistic model.
|Model One a
|Model Two b
|Odds Ratio (95% CI)
|Odds Ratio (95% CI)
|Total n = 685
|3.04 (1.79–5.14)
|2.66 (1.54–4.59)
|Group 1 n = 277
|2.84 (1.09–7.39)
|2.10 (0.75–5.87)
|Group 2 n = 256
|5.62 (2.08–15.22)
|6.79 (2.30–20.09)
|Group 3 n = 152
|1.65 (0.68–4.04)
|1.73 (0.70–4.30)
a Unadjusted; b Adjusted for age, history of stroke, history of coronary heart disease, smoking status, alcohol use, physical inactivity, education attainment.
After adjusting for age, history of stroke, history of coronary heart disease, smoking status, alcohol use, physical inactivity and education level, there was still strong association between MetS and CKD (muti-adjusted Odds ratio: 2.66 (1.54–4.59),
As shown in
Associations of MetS components with CKD in Group 1.
|Model One a
|Model Two b
|Odds Ratio (95% CI)
|Odds Ratio (95% CI)
|Abdominal obesity
|1.56 (0.67–3.62)
|1.20 (0.49–2.93)
|Elevated fasting glucose
|3.69 (1.10–12.38)
|3.15 (0.88–11.34)
|Elevated blood pressure
|2.33 (1.00–5.42)
|1.16 (0.16–3.23)
|Low HDL cholesterol
|2.48 (0.96–6.41)
|2.47 (0.92–6.64)
|Elevated triglycerides
|1.54 (0.54–4.37)
|1.43 (0.49–4.18)
a Unadjusted; b Adjusted for age, history of stroke, history of coronary heart disease, smoking status, alcohol use, physical inactivity, education attainment.
As shown in
Associations between MetS components and CKD in Group 2.
|Model One a
|Model Two b
|Odds Ratio (95% CI)
|Odds Ratio (95% CI)
|Abdominal obesity
|3.21 (0.90–11.38)
|1.42 (0.51–4.00)
|Elevated fasting glucose
|3.69 (1.10–12.38)
|2.2 (0.76–6.61)
|Elevated blood pressure
|4.52 (1.28–16.02)
|1.16 (0.42–3.23)
|Low HDL cholesterol
|1.14 (0.57–2.26)
|0.73 (0.31–1.67)
|Elevated triglycerides
|1.34 (0.46–3.94)
|1.67 (0.55–5.13)
a Unadjusted; b Adjusted for age, history of stroke, history of coronary heart disease, smoking status, alcohol use, physical inactivity, education attainment.
Our present study established a positive and significant relationship between MetS and CKD in perimenopausal women aged from 50 or older to 60. Our data clearly illustrates that this relationship is independent of age and other potential risk factors of CKD. This includes a history of the following; coronary heart disease, smoking status, alcohol use, physical inactivity and education level. The value of our results lies in the fact that MetS is highly prevalent worldwide, with a prevalence rate ranging from 10% to 40% in divergent populations [
The association between MetS and CKD was recently analysed [
In addition, we also examined the relationship between components of MetS and CKD in perimenopausal women population. No association was found between these variables. Specifically referring to perimenopausal women aged 40 to 50 and those aged 60 to 65. Elevated blood pressure and high levels of fasting glucose were found to be significantly and positively associated with CKD. This association is dependent on other potential chronic kidney disease risk factors, which include coronary heart disease, smoking status, alcohol use, physical inactivity and education level. No suitable explaination could account for the varied relationships exhibited between the components of MetS and CKD; especially with regards to their different subgroups. Perhaps this may be attributed to fluctuating endocrine levels or the varied sex hormone levels of the different subgroups [
Limitations of our present study should be noted. Firstly, its cross-sectional design makes it difficult to infer causality between MS and the risk of incurring CKD. Secondly, in our analysis we employed the use of eGFR as opposed to directly measuring GFR to define CKD. This process requires that serum creatinine (Scr) be calibrated by indirect method per US population data. The relationship between Scr and GFR varies with race, and of particular note is that the modification of diet in the renal disease formula was not validated for study of this Chinese population. Thirdly, we chose not to examine levels of sex hormone, thus we can only speculate on the impact sex hormone has on the relationship between MetS (it's components) and CKD in perimenopausal women. Fourth, due to the limited information in our data, we could not analyze the effects of pharmaceutical drug used, such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug which may have exacerbated the renal disease. Finally, only 685 participants were recruited in this study, a sample size that is relatively small.
In summary, our study explored the association between MetS and CKD in perimenopausal women. We found a significant relationship only for community perimenopausal women aged from 50 or older to 60. Further studies are warranted to elucidate the causal relationship between the metabolic syndrome and CKD in perimenopausal women aged from 50 or older to 60. The possible impact of sex hormones on the relationship between MetS (it's components) and CKD in perimenopausal women, likewise warrants further investigation.
This study was supported by the following Science Foundation: (1) EU FP7 Program, UroSense, 2011; (2) Guangdong Provincial Science and Technique Program (No. 2011B031800386), 2011.
The authors declare no conflict of interest.


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Sedusa diffuser - hair length?
I have 3b shoulder length hair. I read that the Sedusa diffuser only works for long hair. Is shoulder length long enough to use it? Thanks.
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Maia FTW
No, Nate will stop him by TKO
this is going to as good as the randy v nog fight what a top night!
"It is better to die on your feet than to live on your knees". Emiliano Zapata
I hope so, Maia is one of my pagan gods...
The views I express on this forum are my own and are no way associated with any organisation I work with.
Marquardt will win this fight.. Maia is a great Jits fighter but Marquardt is just to well rounded, hes one of the most complete fighters in the UFC!!
not to mention a Monster at 185lb
ARCHER MMA.. "Strength of the Heart, Honour of the Soul"
Yes, yes he will


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Published: November 29, 2013 - 10:48 PM
Wrapped in Red
Kelly Clarkson
The goal of any artist making a holiday record is to put his or her own signature on these time-honored songs. On Wrapped in Red, Kelly Clarkson does so with about five exclamation marks. Clarkson's booming voice provides the jolt for this collection of Christmas classics. True, you probably didn't think Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas needed any spark — but then you've yet to hear Clarkson's voice take it to a soaring crescendo. It sure is a welcome change from the sweet but often staid renditions heard at this time of the year.
She gives the same kind of jolt to songs like Blue Christmas, conveying the melancholy of the song like a torch singer, or on Run Run Rudolph, where she rocks out more than the guitars. Even when she's not showcasing the full power of her vocals, she's giving a powerful performance, such as on Silent Night, delivered with sweet, haunting harmony with Reba McEntire and Trisha Yearwood.
Clarkson shows her versatility and influences as a performer, jumping from jazz to pop to soul to country, yet still delivering a cohesive album that will be entertaining to all. Wrapped in Red should be unwrapped quickly for this holiday season.
— Nekesa Mumbi Moody
Duck the Halls
The Robertson Family
It looks like the enterprising Robertson clan has found a new market, with Jase turning his duck calls into a "musical" instrument, replacing the "Fa la la la las" on the title track sung by three generations of Robertsons.
This critic-proof Christmas album offers a mix of new Robertson-themed songs with more traditional holiday tunes, designed to appeal to fans of the Duck Dynasty TV show. The Robertsons get a little help from some friends — Alison Krauss, George Strait, Luke Bryan and Josh Turner.
Willie Robertson cuts loose on the country rock Ragin' Cajun Redneck Christmas and Hairy Christmas, a duet with Bryan that extols "duck season and holiday cheer." Curmudgeonly Uncle Si is a perfect fit for You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch and recites Willie's reworked version of The Night Before Christmas in which he mistakes Santa for his rotund nephew.
It's left to the Robertson women to offer more traditional holiday fare. Missy Robertson, a music teacher, is the family's most polished singer, offering a tender version of I'll Be Home for Christmas and engaging in a flirtatious duet with droll husband Jase on Baby, It's Cold Outside. Willie's teenage daughter Sadie shows some talent on Away In a Manger and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. After Missy leads the entire family in multi-part harmonizing on Silent Night, family patriarch Phil closes the album as he does the TV show with a prayer.
Fortunately, the Robertsons don't set their sights on The Twelve Days of Christmas. That partridge in a pear tree wouldn't stand a chance.
— Charles Gans
A Mary Christmas
Mary J. Blige
Mary J. Blige is the reigning Queen of Hip-Hop Soul, but she can do a lot more than that — and she certainly proves it on her gem of a Christmas album.
While the album is soulful, it's best to describe this as more of a jazzy, adult contemporary take on holiday music: Mellow is the vibe of Blige's album. But don't think that equals yawn-inducing renditions of the classics. Blige is playful on the bass-driven, jazzy Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer; nearly matches Barbra Streisand's majestic vocals on the heavenly sounding When You Wish Upon a Star (which features Chris Botti); and builds from steady warbling to power gospel on A Christmas Song.
Though she does it with less vocal gymnastics than usual, Blige still gives an emotional performance throughout, like on My Favorite Things, with its dramatic arrangement, and on Do You Hear What I Hear, where she harmonizes beautifully with another big-voiced singer, Jessie J.
A Mary Christmas is a merry one indeed.
—Nekesa Mumbi Moody
O Come, O Come Emmanuel
Bad Religion
Good Lord, Bad Religion has made a Christmas album.
Actually, it makes a lot of sense for a punk band to sing about the greatest agitator ever, and it's a bit disappointing these tunes aren't more abrasive. They're closer to power pop than punk, starting with the handsome a cappella harmonies on the opening cut, Hark! The Herald Angels Sing.
Singer Greg Gaffin remains faithful to the melodies on the eight traditional carols included, and layered vocals and chiming guitar chords make the set surprisingly sweet. Tempos are brisk throughout, even on What Child Is This? Among the other highlights are a thunderous God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen and the original tune American Jesus, where the music turns political. It's all over in 19 minutes, making the set a perfect companion for quaffing a cup of eggnog.
— Steven Wine
The King's Gift
Trace Adkins
Admit it. Your holiday music collection is missing this: Traditional Celtic Christmas carols sung by the lowest baritone in Nashville.
But before you dismiss it as a seasonal cash grab, give it a chance. The renditions here of Tannenbaum, Away in a Manger and O Holy Night manage to sound fresh thanks to that oh-so-deep voice and new arrangements heavy on the soaring strings, flutes and mandolins.
Adkins is at his best when he stays in the low register. Have fun trying to match his bass as he belts out the "parum pum pum pum" refrain of Little Drummer Boy. The weaker songs are when he goes up an octave, as on I Saw Three Ships featuring the Chieftains.
There are other collaborations here, including a surprisingly tender rendition of Silent Night featuring Kevin Costner — yes, that Kevin Costner — and his daughter Lily Costner.
All in all, if you're the type who likes to freshen up your holiday music annually, you could do a lot worse than these 10 tracks. Just be sure to crank up that subwoofer.
— Rob Merrill
Christmas Card
Marvin Sapp
Marvin Sapp provides a soulful cheer with Christmas Card. It's the first Christmas album by the Stellar Award-winning and Grammy-nominated gospel singer, who has topped the charts with Here I Am and I Win.
Sapp is impressive on the 13-track offering with guest appearances from R&B singer Joe and Sapp's children, the Sapp Kids (Madisson, Mikaila and Marvin Sapp II). He also reunites with gospel super-group Commissioned (Fred Hammond, Keith Staten, Mitchell Jones, Karl Reid, Michael Williams and Marcus Cole).
There are a renditions of classic holiday melodies like Home for Christmas featuring and Honor the King with Commissioned. But as co-producer, he makes them his own, calmly singing with his soaring vocals that are backed with fresh-sounding tracks.
Sapp and his children show appreciation for each other on Thank You. Other true nuggets on the album that'll uplift with the holiday spirit are What Child Is This? with Commissioned, Love at Christmas and Holy.
— Jonathan Landrum Jr.
Quality Street: A Seasonal Selection for All the Family
Nick Lowe
Nick Lowe gives Christmas a hip twist in Quality Street: A Seasonal Selection for All the Family, using a variety of musical styles to liven up the sometimes staid holiday music scene.
Lowe, best known for penning classic 1970s tunes like Cruel to Be Kind and (What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love, and Understanding, turns in 12 new recordings including three he wrote himself for the seasonal release.
Thankfully, Lowe picks lesser-known Christmas songs like Roger Miller's touching Old Toy Trains to give the record a fresh sound. And his take on the more traditional tunes, like Silent Night, still swings.
One of his originals, Christmas at the Airport, is classic Lowe, setting the scene and mood perfectly with an economy of words that resonates with anyone who's found themselves on the road around the holidays.
The clever liner notes, written like a Christmas card letter catching people up on the past year, are an added bonus.
— Scott Bauer


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