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The ground is brown, with strips of red brick and clouds of green. Seven circular mosaics display famous upper Queen Anne landmarks, and a metal star lets you know "You are here." This map, designed into the pavement of the new Queen Anne Towne (1919 Queen Anne Ave. N.) apartment building, features the mosaic work of local artist and architect Lydia Aldredge.
Aldredge lived on Queen Anne for 25 years, during which time she established herself as a public artist — her work includes the famous mosaic columns on Queen Anne Avenue. After her successful work there, the Towne's developers brought her in early on the development so they could plan where the art would go.
The red brick represents Queen Anne's major streets, while the green is the major parks and greenspaces. Metal stairs show the public staircases. Aldredge created the map and worked with the developers and the Queen Anne Historical Society to decide what would be featured in each of the seven mosaics. The scenes depicted are the Queen Anne Farmers Market, the ravine bridge, the Wilke Farmhouse, Bethany Presbyterian Church, Queen Anne High School, Queen Anne Library and the long-forgotten giant cedar tree.
Aldredge also designed the Towne's sign, which is an abstract picket fence and climbing rose, inspired by Seattle pioneer Louisa Denny's famous sweet briar roses.
"The picket fence with the rose growing on it is sort of everyone's idealized version of home," she said. "But it's personalized to Queen Anne and has a connection with the rose."
The process
For the last four years, Aldredge has been making her mosaics using stained-glass material, which is both flat and comes in a wide variety of colors. Over the years, she's changed her technique, switching up materials and building style to ensure the mosaics would be durable through installation, weather and wear.
When she's preparing to create a mosaic, she takes pictures of the location and does drawings with watercolor or pastel to plan the design and colors.
Aldredge often tries to find multi-colored glass with swirls in it to add richness to the pieces. Sometimes, she'll buy whole sheets of glass — like the unique, multi-colored glass used to create the bridge — to make sure she has enough. Other times, she'll buy broken glass by the pound to get color variety.
Each of the mosaics is 7.5 square feet, and the average piece of glass is a half-inch square. Aldredge has no idea how many pieces of glass that adds up to, but it's safe to assume it's a lot.
Many people use 1-inch square pieces of glass to build their mosaics, but Aldredge doesn't like that rigidity so she cuts each piece of glass. Sometimes it's to fit a certain shape or design, for which she uses glass cutters; other times, it's random.
"The piece shape and size become a feature of the design," she said.
Aldredge moved her studio to Pioneer Square and personally relocated to Bellevue about a year ago. When she first moved to Pioneer Square, she applied for a temporary art installation in Occidental Park. For more than a month, she built two mosaics on steel tables and encouraged the community to come help. The interest was diverse, but a homeless man named Bentley Garcia came every day.
He was reliable and talented, Aldredge said, so when she needed another set of hands to help her build these seven mosaics, she hired Garcia and a friend, Alice Lobenstein. In the future, Aldredge has plans to help Garcia get on his feet by making and selling more of those mosaic tables.
Sharing the 'vision'
Aldredge was working with the developers for about one year before she started building the mosaics in January. The mosaics took 10 to 12 days of eight-hour working days, with three people working on them. They were working nearly seven days a week to meet their May 1 installation deadline, Aldredge said.
The farmer's market mosaic is the most abstract. To really get the scene, one needs to stand with their feet pointing at Aldredge's signature and look at the baskets of fall produce, from squash and cabbage to carrots and broccoli.
Aldredge's favorite mosaic is the lost cedar tree near the Trader Joe's entrance. The cedar tree was a famous 2,500-year-old giant cedar tree that was on Queen Anne when it was settled. The tree was a famous landmark for local Native people, and ships used it to navigate into Elliott Bay.
When the site was homesteaded, the owner decided to cut the tree down. There are still smaller cedars on the property, which Aldredge thinks are root growth from that first tree.
"That's a story I think everyone on Queen Anne should know," she said. "I don't know exactly what the tree looked like — it's the tree of my imagination, in a way."
The details on the Wilke Farmhouse mosaic — like the stars, porch and fence — took a look time to do, but those identifiable characteristics are important for Aldredge to get right.
The Bethany Church mosaic made Aldredge appreciate the neighborhood landmark she walked by for years. "I don't think I really looked at it carefully until I got this request," she said.
Aldredge is grateful the Towne owners had the vision to "individualize their building" and include public art.
"They're not required to spend this kind of money," she said. "I wish more people had that vision."
To comment on this story, write to email@example.com.


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i just started with python because i want to do a program and i dont have
pretty much time to read, so i wanted to ask to the comunity to win time.
So my question is, how is the architure of a program like this?
This are the different kind of solutions of what i've think.
- make a big canvas on a window and change the content of the canvas to "pass" from the Main interface to go to a another interface..
- make a window for each interface and the buttons will close them and open them.
so i tryed to do the second solution.. and i tryed it with "def()", so the program of each interface was inside of a definition and then in the main window i called the definition. the problems is that
i couln'd do that the button close the main interface( with: root.destroy), and then, i wasn't able to go back to the main interface.
so im kinda lost and i'd like to have any clue haha.
also i'd like to know if it's a good a idea to build the interfaces separetly and then when they be finish assamble them together??
Thanks Alot!!

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Run Like A Girl- Thousand Oaks
Road Runner Sports
Monthly Event - Second Wednesday of every month: 5:30 PM (PDT)
Event Details
Grab Your Girlfriends & Join Us for
Your Road Runner Sports
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6:00pm - 3 to 5-mile Group Fun Run
7:15pm - Post-Run Stretch, Refreshments, & Raffle
Earn EXTRA Raffle Tickets When You:
-RSVP by 12pm on Event Day
-Rock R-Gear (RRS Brand apparel) on Your Run
-Test Run New Shoes
-Spend $25+… Earn 1 Ticket for Every $25 You Spend
*At the conclusion of the season (September), your store will draw two winners for FREE entries into the 2013 Rock N Roll Los Angeles Half Marathon. Two lucky nationwide winners will also be drawn to win a FREE entry into ANY Rock N Roll Series race + hotel! Winners will be randomly drawn from raffle tickets collected throughout the RLAG season, so the more fun runs you attend, the better your chance of winning!
Road Runner Sports Thousand Oaks
1714 Newbury Rd.
Thousand Oaks,
Monthly Event - Second Wednesday of every month: 5:30 PM (PDT)
Add to my calendar


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What software was written in Ruby? Is there a site that lists all the software written in Ruby?
What kind of software are you looking for? Ruby's a scripting language though, so you're mostly going to see it where scripting languages shine (webapps, utility scripts, administrative tools) and less so in other areas (i.e. shrinkwrapped software, internal business apps).
No, just like there's no site that lists all software written in any language. It's pretty much impossible to make up a list like that.
The only thing close would just be a list of ruby gems.
Here is a list of software written in python
I guarantee you it's not a list of all software written in Python, like what you asked for in your original post. Any "complete" list like that will be anything but, since I'm sure lots of people (like me) don't go around adding the stuff they write to lists all over the internet.
Here's a big list of Rails apps, but lots of other non-Rails stuff is done in Ruby. I can't seem to find a decent list for that, but I'm sure you could with enough googling.
nvm, I found a list at http://rubyforge.org/softwaremap/trove_list.php.
vgarcia, thanks I just found that one too.
Try that, it lists project by area and category.
There are tons, but some bigger ones are odeo.com / 43things.com / basecamphq.com / shopify.com ...
rubyforge.org metioned above is the place to find the open source projects like ours (XLsuite), iribium, radiantCMS and others.. more and more are coming.
Interesting... Thanks for the link Vinnie
Thanks djriel too


text:
Belfort Furniture offers White Glove in-home delivery and set-up by professionally trained personnel who will unwrap, place, and assemble your furniture in the appropriate room. Delivery is available Tuesday - Saturday. Once your delivery date is scheduled, you will receive a three hour delivery timeframe the day prior to your delivery.
Furniture may be picked up at our warehouse Monday-Saturday from 10AM to 6PM or Sunday from Noon to 5PM. Furniture that is picked-up may require assembly.
For delivery outside of our local metropolitan area, please contact us with your item(s) of interest for a delivery quote! 703-406-7600 or firstname.lastname@example.com
The Modern Loft California King Bedroom Group by Aspenhome from Belfort Furniture. We proudly serve the Washington DC, Northern Virginia, Maryland and Fairfax VA area. Product availability may vary. Contact us for the most current availability on this product.
With clean lines and rustic tones, the Modern Loft collection makes it easy to create the perfect warm and contemporary bedroom retreat. Available in either a rich Brownstone finish or lighter Greystone color, both finishes highlight the natural wood grain of the collection's mindi veneers. Block legs and clean lines create refreshingly simple silhouettes for a sophisticated contemporary look, while smart features like USB and AC outlets support your modern lifestyle. Featuring a variety of storage options, Modern Loft brings fresh style and function to any bedroom space.
The Modern Loft collection is a great option if you are looking for Contemporary furniture in the Washington DC, Northern Virginia, Maryland and Fairfax VA area.
These images are representative of this group as a whole and may differ from this item.
Browse other items in the Modern Loft collection from Belfort Furniture in the Washington DC, Northern Virginia, Maryland and Fairfax VA area.
Nothing on this page may be copied or reproduced without explicit permission.


text:
52 Weeks To Better Genealogy – Challenge 52
Week 52: Based on the goals you made last week, make a list of the documents and research steps you need to accomplish them. The great way to start a new year is with a to-do list and a plan. What information do you want and where can you get it? If you have professional or educational goals in mind, consider drafting a timeline. This task is flexible, based on your goals. When you are finished, post your to-do list somewhere handy and pat yourself on the back. You just finished the 52 Weeks to Better Genealogy Challenge!
This challenge runs from Saturday, December 25, 2010 through Friday, December 31, 2010.
* * *
Here are the latest posts from GeneaBloggers members on this week's challenge:
52 Weeks To Better Genealogy by Amy Coffin is a series of weekly blogging prompts that are a bit more challenging and are geared towards those new to the field of genealogy and family history as well as those who want to brush up on some skills which might be a bit rusty. Please include an attribution link if you participate.
© 2010, copyright Thomas MacEntee


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|Guidance Counselor
| Weather
router Walt Hack steers mariners clear of troubled waters.
By Tim Clark — July 2001
Having circumnavigated the globe on the 70-foot Zopilote and gone on to further exploits aboard the 64-foot Spirit of Zopilote, Bruce Kessler is doubtless an accomplished skipper. Even so, during almost every passage of significant length, he solicits professional advice when it comes to the weather.
called Walt from Cabo, and he told me, `Just wait,'"
Kessler says of his last trip up the Pacific coast of the Baja Peninsula.
"So I waited. Those first 150 miles from Cabo to Magdelena Bay are
notorious. You hardly ever get a correct general forecast. That first
day, three or four people off other boats heading north came by and asked
me when I was going. I told them I was waiting for good weather. Every
day somebody would give it a try and then limp back, all beat up. They'd
say, `It looked flat calm at midnight, then all of a sudden we just
got the shit kicked out of us. How did you know it was no good?'
After four days I finally got the go-ahead from Walt. I spread the word,
and we left that night and had a good trip up. After we reached San Diego,
every one of those other boats came and found me and thanked me once they
got in. And I kept having to say to them, `Don't thank me.
You have to thank Walt Hack. I just go when he says go and don't
go when he says don't.' And those guys just couldn't
understand that there was someone sitting in a house in New Jersey who
was telling me when that stretch from Cabo to Mag Bay was going to flatten
out. They just couldn't believe it."
Next page > Weather Routers continued > Page 1, 2, 3
This article originally appeared in the May 2003 issue of Power & Motoryacht magazine.


text:
3,602 reviews
- Las Vegas, NV
- 4 Year
- AcademicsB-
- ValueB
- DiversityA
- CampusB
- AthleticsA
- Party SceneA-
- ProfessorsB-
- LocationB+
- DormsC+
- Campus FoodB
- Student LifeB+
- SafetyC+
University of Nevada - Las Vegas is ...
Athletic Division
NCAA Division I-FBS
Athletic Conference
Mountain West Conference
University of Nevada - Las Vegas Rankings
Niche rankings are based on rigorous analysis of key statistics from the U.S. Department of Education and millions of reviews.
Acceptance Rate
SAT Range
ACT Range
Application Fee
High School GPA
Application Website
Will You Get In?
Test Scores and GPA for University of Nevada - Las Vegas
Net Price
$11,424/ year
Average cost after financial aid for students receiving grant or scholarship aid, as reported by the college.
Based on faculty accomplishments, salary, student reviews, and additional factors.
Student Faculty Ratio
Evening Degree Programs
- 69%
- of students agree that professors put a lot of effort into teaching their classes.249 responses
- 49%
- of students agree that it is easy to get the classes they want.256 responses
- 56%
- of students agree that the workload is easy to manage.255 responses
Most Popular Majors
Hospitality and Tourism Management499 Graduates
Psychology298 Graduates
Marketing249 Graduates
Criminal Justice and Safety Studies243 Graduates
Communications190 Graduates
Biology187 Graduates
Kinesiology and Exercise Science186 Graduates
Accounting162 Graduates
Nursing129 Graduates
Business Administration and Management102 Graduates
Full-Time Enrollment
Undergrads Over 25
Pell Grant
Varsity Athletes
What one word or phrase best describes the typical student at this school?
Based on 161 responsesReport
Campus Life
Freshmen Live On-Campus
- 46%
- of students say that Greek life is average, and no one will treat you differently if you don't join.321 responses
- 56%
- of students say varsity sports are a big part of campus life.374 responses
What one word or phrase best describes your school?
Based on 190 responsesReport
After College
Median Earnings 6 Years After Graduation
$43,500/ year
Graduation Rate
Employed 2 Years After Graduation
- 81%
- of students feel confident they will find a job in their field after graduation.202 responses
Colleges like University of Nevada - Las Vegas
- CCollege of Southern Nevada
- 4 Year
- Las Vegas, NV
- 1,844 reviews
- BNevada State College
- 4 Year
- Henderson, NV
- 436 reviews
- A-University of Nevada - Reno
- 4 Year
- Reno, NV
- 3,404 reviews
- B-Truckee Meadows Community College
- 2 Year
- Reno, NV
- 887 reviews
University of Nevada - Las Vegas Reviews
3,602 reviews
Review University of Nevada - Las Vegas
Transferring to the University of Nevada, Las Vegas from College of Southern Nevada was intimidating at first. The size of the campus is overwhelming and the resources offered to students are incredible. It's awesome to run into my friends as well as create new relationships with classmates and professors. After settling in, I'm abundantly more comfortable at UNLV and I'm excited to bask in the college experience while I'm here. The only thing I would change is create more parking lots; often times, finding a spot can prove to be difficult. Other than that, Go Rebels!
Although I am currently only A freshman, I have been really enjoying my experience thus far. I am enjoying the college life far more than I enjoyed high school in the aspects of my education, my environment, and the people. One thing I really enjoy is the quality of professors. The University of Nevada, Las Vegas is the second most diverse in the nation. This means that we have so many cultures joined together which surprises me that the professors are able to teach in a way that we all understand and are involved; no student is left behind. On the other hand, there is one thing all students would change and that is the parking issue. With over 30,000 students, parking is a hassle. Many students are late to class just because they spent more than thirty minutes contemplating where to park! Fortunately, they are handling this issue by constructing and opening new parking garages!
Overall, the University of Nevada, Las Vegas is diverse, educational and inviting. The school is welcoming with many different clubs to choose from. There are many events as well such as premier which is an event at the beginning of the year to invite all incoming and returning students. My favorite experience was winning the Victoria Secret Pink Nation Party. Singer/songwriter Iggy Azalea came to our school for a full concert! It was awesome to see the entire school work together to win a contest for all of the students! UNLV was not my first choice, however as each day goes by I fall more and more in love with its atmosphere. The educators, students and curriculum come together to enhance my success.


text:
Connolly noted that the OMB and the General Services Administration (GSA) refused to participate in a May 10 subcommittee hearing on data center consolidation. (A GSA official, in response, said the agency was given only four days notice to prepare for the hearing.) "When we looked at the results, most federal agencies had no progress to report whatsoever on data center consolidation," Connolly said. He expressed exasperation when he learned "Within a few weeks of that hearing, OMB announced there were an additional 3,000 data centers that hadn't even been reported" on top of the 3,133 that had been identified as part of the Federal Data Center Consolidation Initiative.
Connolly joked about government systems that still rely on decades-old COBOL programming language. "The good news about that is, though it costs money (to maintain), the Chinese don't know how to hack into COBOL."
The House last month adopted IT reform legislation put forth by House Oversight and Government Reform Committee chairman Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) and Rep. Connolly. The Federal IT Acquisition Reform Act (FITARA) is aimed at streamlining and strengthening the federal IT acquisition process, promoting the adoption of best practices from the technology community, and granting greater authority and accountability to agency CIOs.
Halverson later noted during the forum, however, that COBOL remains a very cost-effective approach in some instances.
"For non-distributed apps, used by a large group of centrally located people, it's a great way to keep your costs down. In other cases, if you want to change (or consolidate your system), it means changing your language, and the whole process and applications that go around it, and that costs money to do. So you have to make sure you've done the business case (to support that move.)
ITIF president and forum host Robert D. Atkinson suggested that one approach to dealing with the overabundance of federal data centers might be to borrow the approach of the Defense Base Closure and Realignment Commission in overcoming the political forces that stand in the way of making rational investment decisions.
"What about a Data Center Closure Commission," he suggested. "You identify the top 10% that are the most costly and inefficient and somebody decides those are the ones that are going to be closed across the government."
Acknowledging it was a good idea, Halverson quickly noted, "It's really hard to do, though."


text:
Rogers nominated for ESPY Award
Published: Wednesday, June 25, 2014 at 3:45 p.m.
Last Modified: Wednesday, June 25, 2014 at 3:45 p.m.
Senior Florida pitcher Hannah Rogers is a nominee for the ESPY Award for Best Female College Athlete after leading Florida to its first softball national championship, ESPN announced Wednesday.
Rogers compiled a 30-8 record in her final season at UF, marking the third 30-win campaign of her career. The Lake Wales native went 7-0 with seven complete games and six shutouts in the NCAA tournament, and also earned the save in the championship-clinching win over Alabama on June 3.
A finalist for the Senior CLASS Award, Rogers is the first four-time All-American in Gator softball history. The right-hander finished her career as the NCAA's active leader in victories (127), and she is the second UF pitcher to eclipse the 100-win mark (Stacey Nelson had 136 career wins between 2006-09). Rogers ranks second in Florida annals in wins, saves (14), complete games (108), shutouts (41), strikeouts (833) and appearances (191), while ranking sixth for lowest ERA (1.63).
Fans can visit the ESPYS website to cast their ballots thru July 16, when the annual awards show will be televised live at 9 p.m. on ESPN.
Reader comments posted to this article may be published in our print edition. All rights reserved. This copyrighted material may not be re-published without permission. Links are encouraged.


text:
Nonprofit Resources
This resources page highlights our listing of nonprofit resources and tools that can help you manage your nonprofit organization. If we may be of service, please visit our services page to see how we can help your organization through our consulting services.
The best practice library consists of applied projects that were completed by students in the masters program for, and in collaboration with, a variety of nonprofit organizations. Our online library will continue to grow as students create or revise corporate by-laws, personnel policies, volunteer manuals, board manuals, fundraising plans, financial-management systems plans, and information- technology plans.


text:
WESTLAND, Mich. - The government said Friday it had filed a suit against the Golden Corral restaurant in Westland for violating the American's with Disabilities Act by denying service to a mother and her children based on the appearance of the children's skin due to a genetic skin disorder.
The complaint, which was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan in Detroit, alleges that the manager of the Golden Corral restaurant demanded that Danielle Duford and her four daughters leave the restaurant based on the appearance of the children's skin.
The children has epidermolysis bullosa, which causes blisters to form on the skin in response to minor injuries and temperature changes.
READ: Golden Corral federal complaint
Despite Duford informing the restaurant manager of her children's disability and repeatedly emphasizing that they did not have a contagious disease, the manager required the family to immediately leave the
restaurant, claiming that he had received complaints from other customers.
Title III of the ADA prohibits public accommodations, such as restaurants, from discriminating against people on the basis of disability, or their association with an individual with a disability, in the full and equal enjoyment of the goods or services offered.
The lawsuit seeks an injunction against further discrimination, money damages for the victims of the unlawful discrimination, and civil penalties to be paid to the United States.
Dr. Frank McGeorge answers: What is epidermolysis bullosa?
The skin condition involves several fairly rare skin problems which all have one thing in common: the tendency to form blisters after very minor injury to the area.
The blisters can be large and when they break they leave painful areas behind, just like the blister from a burn would. To someone who has never seen them, the blisters could look contagious, but they're not.
If anyone should be concerned it is the person with the condition because they are at risk if the areas get infected.
-- Dr. Frank McGeorge, Local 4
Copyright 2013 by ClickOnDetroit.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


text:
Immigration Requirements
To enter India all visitors need a passport with a minimum of 6 months validity.
Everyone except nationals of Bhutan, Maldives and Nepal requires a visa to visit India.
Foreigners should apply for an Indian visa at the Indian Embassy in their country of residence before departure. It is advisable to check the visa processing time well in advance of your trip as this may vary from place to place.
At the current time visas on arrival for single entry with a maximum validity of 30 days are available for citizens of Finland, Japan, Luxembourg, New Zealand and Singapore. They can be granted at Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata airports only. We recommend, however, that you double check the validity of this information before you travel in case the regulations change.
Citizens of the aforementioned 5 countries can also procure visas from the Indian Embassy in their country of residence before departure.
To visit Arunachal Pradesh Indian nationals require an Inner Line Permit which, given sufficient notice, our staff at Wild Mahseer can obtain. Foreigners, however, need a Restricted Area Permit and it is best to apply for this with your Indian visa in your country of residence before departure.


text:
The Workplace Culture category recognizes companies with unique workplaces that offer employees benefits and perks, and emphasize diversity and other qualities that make the company a great place to work.
Winner: BeachFleischman PC
Category: Workplace Culture
Headquarters: Tucson
Year Est.: 1991
No. of Employees in AZ: 104
Recent Award: Accounting Today's Best Accounting Firms to Work For – 2009
video by Sonoran Studios
Although working at a CPA firm can be stressful, employees at Tucson-based BeachFleischman enjoy fun and relaxation alongside their jobs. In-house massages and ice cream socials are just a few of the ways employees recharge at the office. Work success is celebrated by featuring team stories in the company newsletter. Outside of work, the social and wellness committees take over and lead employees in a number of fun activities. Baseball games, barbecues, tennis clinics and rock climbing are some of the other ways BeachFleischman's staff and shareholders bond while blowing off some steam.
The diversity of out-of-work activities is not the only thing BeachFleischman prides itself on. The company recruits from all over Arizona and out of state to find a diverse mix of potential employees. BeachFleischman wants the diversity of its employees to mirror the diversity of Tucson's demographics. The company believes diversity promotes creativity and innovation, while providing an expanded knowledge base that allows it to serve a broader group of clients.
BeachFleischman also encourages its employees to pursue continual education. On average, professional staff members receive 40-60 hours of education each year. BeachFleischman encourages employees to receive professional licenses by paying for test preparation, and employees receive a bonus for passing their CPA exams. Employees who pass the CPA exam are treated to a happy hour to celebrate their success. With continuing education as a main goal, there are many opportunities to climb the corporate ladder within BeachFleischman. In 2009, BeachFleischman was named on Accounting Today's list of Best Accounting Firms to Work For.
Finalist: M&I Bank
Category: Workplace Culture
Headquarters: Phoenix
Year Est.: 1847
No. of Employees in AZ: 625
Recent Award: Alfred P. Sloan Award for Business Excellence in Workplace Flexibility – 2009
The Golden Rule is M&I Bank's rule of thumb. By encouraging employees to follow the adage, "Treat others as you would like to be treated," M&I allows everyone to be heard and respected. The company ensures a diversity of thoughts and perspectives through a multicultural and multigenerational work force. All thoughts and perspectives are welcomed with open ears.
M&I offers its employees flex-scheduling, tuition reimbursement, adoption assistance, plus everyone is eligible for wellness reimbursement to cover some of the expenses of health club memberships or weight control programs. Also, MiMentor is an online mentorship program that allows employees to connect across the organization. M&I not only wants its employees to be dedicated to their jobs, but also to extra-curricular activities such as volunteering and health-and-wellness pursuits. In 2009, M&I won the Alfred P. Sloan Award for Business Excellence in Workplace Flexibility.
Finalist: Shutterfly
Category: Workplace Culture
Headquarters: Redwood City, Calif.
Year Est.: 1999
No. of Employees in AZ: 124
Recent Award: Ranked on Internet Retailers Hot 100 list – 2009
www.shutterfly.com | Facebook | Twitter
Shutterfly's employee culture focuses on four major aspects: respect, innovation, achievement and customer centricity. The respect fostered in the Shutterfly offices creates a family atmosphere and an engaged work force that is encouraged through the sharing of ideas to be innovative. Innovation does not only relate to the employees and the products and services Shutterfly offers. It also describes Shutterfly workplaces, which are filled with beanbag chairs, pictures taken by employees, bright colors and white boards for constant brainstorming.
After work, employees can still see the benefits of working for Shutterfly. Employees can borrow a professional camera for their own use, take a free photo editing class and receive a gym membership discount. All of these benefits help to produce a high-performance culture in which employees hold themselves and each other to high standards of achievement. Shutterfly wants employees to have fun while working at a higher performance level in order to better serve the customer.


text: There are many reasons you may need to learn more about someone's past, and the best way to do it is with a Comprehensive Background Check. You might need information about an individual you're going into business with, inviting into your home or just spending time with personally. Whatever your reason, a Background Report gives you all the facts you need to make a well informed decision about anyone.


text:
View unanswered posts | View active topics
Board index » Question and Answer » Sharpening Q&A
All times are UTC - 6 hours
DefMunky wrote:I have always taken it figuratively as the lightest of pressures, as in you aren't applying any real pressure to the knife like you would when sharpening. I've never thought about it meaning literally the actual weight of the blade. I can see how that could be confusing though, and frustrating if one were to actually try just resting the blade on the stone and dragging it over the length of it.
cedarhouse wrote:"Sometimes I'm so dense I need specific instructions"Going on my headstone
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text:
A veteran Liberal senator and a former Victorian Labor premier are fanning the debate about the GST, with both saying the consumption tax needs to be adjusted to help fund state hospitals and schools.
Queensland senator Ian Macdonald is calling for GST exemptions for fresh food to be scrapped, putting him at odds with Prime Minister Tony Abbott.
And John Brumby is urging state and territory leaders to make a "courageous" push for reform of the GST, describing any increase as inevitable.
Debate over the goods and service tax has been triggered by federal budget plans to cut $80 billion from health and education funding over the next decade.
The Abbott government has been accused of goading premiers and chief ministers into lobbying for a change to the GST.
Mr Brumby, who chairs the soon-to-be-abolished COAG Reform Council, says GST reform is the states' best option.
"The real debate is about the nature of the increase," the former Labor premier said in a speech in Melbourne on Monday night.
"Is it base? Is it rate? Is it both?"
Mr Brumby admitted that lobbying for a GST hike would be a "courageous" and "difficult" decision for premiers to make.
"If I was a state premier I think I'd be putting up my hand to say 'I'll have the GST, thank you very much'," he said.
Mr Brumby's comments came as federal Liberals began arguing for a change in the GST, despite Mr Abbott ruling out any hike in this term of government.
Senator Macdonald said while he supported broadening the GST base, he would never back any increase in the tax.
"I was around when that was introduced and I was one of those who signed my name in blood that we wouldn't increase the rate beyond 10 per cent," he told ABC radio.
He said the coalition should return to the Howard government's original GST model, which did not include exemptions for fresh food, and health and education expenses.
ACT Chief Minister Katy Gallagher said the GST had to be examined as part of the government's taxation review.
"And if you are having a look at the GST you have to be mindful of the impacts on particularly lower income people," she told ABC radio.
But the prime minister refused to speculate on whether he would increase the GST if asked by the states.
"You're asking me a hypothetical question," he told Fairfax Radio.
"What I want is taxes that are lower, simpler and fairer. What the states do is their business."
Mr Abbott pointed to the proposed white paper on federation, saying he wanted states to be "more sovereign in their own spheres".
"My opinion is that we pay more than enough tax already and we have got to over time get taxes down," he said.
Queensland Treasurer Tim Nicholls said the government was opposed to both a hike in the GST and any push to have it applied to fresh food.
"No, we are not seeking a change in the GST, we've made that abundantly clear," Mr Nicholls told parliament.
Labor leader Bill Shorten said Senator Macdonald had "let the cat out of the bag" on the coalition's plans to increase the GST.
"He's just telling Australians what the Abbott government really want," Mr Shorten told reporters in Brisbane.
He said Labor would not support any hike in the consumption tax.
"Be very worried when the Abbott government says they don't want to increase the GST," Mr Shorten said.
"We all know that Tony Abbott says one thing before an election and he does something (else) afterwards."


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Discover Downtown Baltimore
Close to corporate offices, the National Aquarium, and the airport
Brighten up your travels at our Days Inn Baltimore West hotel. Located at the intersection of I-70 and I-695, the best area attractions are at your fingertips. Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI) is just 13 miles away.


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Each child with 22Q, or velocardiofacial syndrome (VCFS), may have different needs. The Velocardiofacial Syndrome Program at Children's Hospital of Wisconsin is designed to address your child's specific needs. Ours is the only program of its type in Wisconsin that treats children with 22Q.
We know the importance of having an entire team to care for your child in one location. We will coordinate care from all of the specialists your child needs to see in one visit.
We have a team of experts from various specialties that work together to meet the medical, educational and psychosocial needs of children and families who are affected by VCFS. Depending on the needs of your child, you may meet with specialists from:
Each time you have a visit with at our program, your child will interact with multiple specialists who will develop an ongoing individualized care plan that highlights progress and recommendations. This care plan allows our specialists to tailor care to your child's specific needs and the needs of the rest of your family.
A key focus of the program is to prepare your child for the transition into adulthood by facilitating the necessary skills, like:
We understand that most parents want to find information about VCFS and you may want to talk with other families who are facing the same kinds of challenges.
To help you learn as much as you can and to put you in touch with other parents, we've put together a list of resources and links.
The VCFS Program is located in the Children's Hospital of Wisconsin Clinics Building in the Master's Speech and Hearing/Ear, Nose and Throat suite.
Parking: You can find free parking in the Children's Hospital visitor lot and parking structure. When you come for your appointment, we will provide you with a free parking voucher.


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Astronomy can be daunting if you're just starting out. After all, there's a whole universe out there to see. The best way to begin, however, is not by investing in those expensive telescopes. Instead, simply travel to the most amazing areas in all of America and start…looking up. There, in the night sky, you will see the most incredible sights as you gaze at constellations, shooting stars, and basically relax and enjoy while being surrounded by a world that not even the master painters could recreate on canvas.
You are here: Home / Archives for myriad of colors
Traveling to the "Stars"
May 12, 2017 By Amy Lignor
Filed Under: Travel Tagged With: Astronomy, Badlands, Big Bend National Park, brilliant skies, Cherry Springs State Park, Joshua Tree National Park, myriad of colors, night sky, White Tank Mountain Regional Park


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In Flash Builder Burrito we simplified our installer options to default to the standalone version. For users with existing Eclipse environments, we still have the option to install Flash Builder as a plug-in.
After you've run the installer, find the plug-in utility:
Mac: /Applications/Adobe Flash Builder Burrito/utilities/FB_Burrito_Plugin_Utility.app
Win: C:\Program Files (x86)\Adobe\Adobe Flash Builder Burrito\utilities\FB_Burrito_Plugin_Utility.exe
Following distributions are supported:
- Eclipse IDE for Java EE Developers
- Eclipse IDE for Java Developers
- Eclipse Classic
- Eclipse for PHP Developers
On Mac, make sure you're using the 32-bit Cocoa distributions. Get more info on the system requirements page.Share on Facebook


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SAINT LEO, Fla. – The Saint Leo University men's basketball team is ranked 23rd in the Division II Bulletin Preseason Top 25 it was announced in the publication's preseason release on Friday. This marks the first time the Lions have cracked the Top-25 in the D2 Bulletin in the program's history.
West Liberty earns the top-spot in the poll and is a team the Lions are familiar with. Saint Leo and the Hilltoppers squared off last season in a close game that was only decided in the final minutes. With nearly every Saint Leo player returning from last year, it served as a good test to see where the Lions stand amongst the nation's elite teams; a group which now includes Saint Leo.
No. 15 Florida Southern joins the Lions in the preseason poll as the only other team from the Sunshine State Conference to be represented. The Lions swept the regular-season series against the Mocs in 2011-12 for the first in the program's history as they also faced Florida Southern in the SSC Tournament Championship Game back in March.
The 2012-13 Lions, who will be involved in Moonlight Madness festivities Tuesday after volleyball in the Bowman Center, tip off this year's campaign November 2 with an exhibition game against the University of Miami in Coral Gables. The regular season starts November 9 when Saint Leo hosts recent NCAA transplant and NAIA powerhouse Shorter University.
Division II Bulletin Preseason Top 25
1. West Liberty
2. Franklin Pierce
3. Findlay
4. Washburn
5. Metro State
6. Ala. Huntsville
7. Colorado Mines
8. Western Washington
9. Bellarmine
10. Seattle Pacific
11. Winona St.
12. Stonehill
13. Christian Brothers
14. Bloomfield
15. Florida Southern
16. Montevallo
17. Southern Indiana
18. Chico St.
19. NW Missouri
20. Indianapolis
21. Barton
22. Midwestern St.
23. Saint Leo
24. East Stroudsburg
25. Lincoln Memorial
Others to watch: Arknasas Tech, Shaw, Philadelphia, C.W. Post, Indiana (Pa.), Charleston, Anderson, SW Minnesota, St. Mary's, Tarleton St., Mo. Southern, Michigan Tech, Missouri-St. Louis, USC Aiken


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71 minute homage to nameless heroes. This is the story of Specialist Military Police Osman Kanat and Read More
Doludizgin Yıllar is the story of 19-year-old Baris who was brought up with all the avantages of Read More
Istanbul Narcotic Chief Officer Samil Baturay catches a drug baron on the verge of death in a Read More
Young boxer Ali Pusat, goes to prison due to a set of misfortunate events he has been Read More
Mehmet who is a welder in a shipyard and Nermin, a manicurist in one of the Read More
Zehra, a young woman living in a small village called Babakale, acclaimed by the townspeople for her Read More
Many awards from universities, foundations, TV channels and programmes Aslan, who heads the KGT (State Security Organization), has Read More
Bread and Smiles is a comedy based on the kind of stories that could happen in any Read More
The biggest responsibility of a married woman with three children is to look after her kids, keep Read More
Golden Butterfly Award Best Director MGD Awards Best Director I.U. Communication Faculty Best TV Serial'Best Director'Best Actor Awards And many Read More
In a beautiful Mediterranean atmosphere there is a hotel and the people who work there. This summer Read More
MGD Awards Best TV serial ' Best Actor A handsome and intellectual TV reporter goes to Bosnia in Read More
A middle class family life, relations with neighbors, love, teenage problems, jealousy' You can find everything from Read More
It is a biography of the football player, owner of the Golden Shoe, Tanju Çolak. His intresting Read More
Golden Butterfly Best TV Serial - Best Director Award Divorced from a woman with psychological problems a father Read More


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He doesn't look it, but South Carolinian Chazwick Bundick is swiftly becoming the man. At least for a generation of people who prefer endless melodies to the Postal Service, or hanging out by the boutique-hotel pool to calling something "chillwave." But this song-as-soundscape stuff certainly chill, even though you can dance to it.
We're happy to premiere this video for "God Made Man" from L.A.'s most unabashedly catchy new alt-rock band — especially since we've been hearing their single for "My Body" non-stop on the radio and we want to hear a lot more. So should you.
Why Is Michelle Rodriguez So Angry?


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For the best kept beauty secrets, how-to guides and advice that you can trust, visit our beauty hub
Check your delivery times here to make sure you'll get your order on time! Need it faster? Upgrade to our 2 Day or Overnight delivery options
Unhappy with your order? Don't worry, here at SkincareStore we have a hassle free returns policy. Click here to learn more
With the green movement gaining in popularity by the day, it is only fitting that the beauty industry embrace the demand for natural products. Consumers opt for natural products for various reasons. Some are concerned about the well-being of their skin, hair and body. Others are concerned about animal testing as well as the effects on the environment.
There are no strict criteria that define natural products but generally, items that fall into this department contain a high concentration of natural extracts and botanicals while avoiding common controversial chemicals, artificial dyes and synthetic fragrance whenever possible.
Natural brands have the philosophy that nature offers the best results when it comes to fragrances as well as solutions for the skin and hair. Many of the ingredients used in our natural products have been relied on for centuries to improve the look and quality of the face, hair and body
Many of our natural brands are eco friendly that are dedicated to preserving the environment. We carry a large selection of products that are packaged in containers made from recycled material. Some of our natural brands also manufacture their products in a way that minimizes impact to the environment. We also carry brands that take the cause to the next step by supporting environmental organizations.


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Protesters campaigning against planned cuts to health services in south-west London marched through Kingston on Saturday.
Organisers said there were about 150 people, including representatives from Unison and the Richmond and Twickenham Green Party, taking part in the demonstration.
They were protesting plans to close two accident and emergency and two maternity departments in the south-west London area under the Better Services Better Value review.
Julie Reay, of campaign group Health Alert Kingston, said: "I thought it went very well. People in the town centre were clapping, cheering, and things like that. People joined us as we were marching."
Two of south west London and north Surrey's hospitals – Kingston, St Helier, Epsom, Croydon – are threatened but St George's Hospital Tooting is currently exempt from the changes.
Kingston Hospital's accident and emergency and maternity units are not currently threatened, but it stands to lose its long-term children's ward Sunshine.
A consultation on plans for closure is due after Easter.


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Evolution Hoax
Ayat of the Day
|Hadith of the Day:
|Miracles of the Qur'an:
We have so far considered the miraculous characteristics of the Qur'an from the scientific and historical points of view. In addition to these, the Qur'an also possesses an astounding, inimitable style from the literary perspective.
It first needs to be stated that the exposition in the Qur'an addresses all human groupings from all ages. No matter what the reader's education and cultural level, the Qur'an is written in a clear, comprehensible language which can be understood by everyone. In one verse, Allah reveals the following about the Qur'an:
Despite having such an easily comprehensible style, it has never been possible to imitate the Qur'an from any point of view. Some of the verses in which Allah draws attention to the inimitable nature of the Qur'an are:
One of the reasons that the Qur'an is described as miraculous stems from the fact that, as emphasized in the verses above, nothing like it can ever be written by human endeavour: The greater the scale of that impossibility, the greater the size of the miracle which we see before our very eyes. Therefore, the fact that the style of the Qur'an has been incapable of imitation by even one out of the billions of people down the centuries is one of the proofs of its miraculous nature. In his book, The Construction of the Bible and the Qur'an, F. F. Arbuthnot makes the following comment about the Qur'an:
From the literary point of view, the Koran is regarded as a specimen of the purest Arabic, written on half poetry and half prose. It has been said that in some cases grammarians have adopted their rules to agree with certain phrases and expressions used in it, and that though several attempts have been made to produce a work equal to it as far elegant writing is concerned, none has as yet succeeded. (F. F. Arbuthnot, The Construction of the Bible and the Koran [London: 1985], 5.)
The words employed in the Qur'an are exceedingly special, both in terms of meaning and also of fluency and effect of style. However, those who are unwilling to believe that the Qur'an is a holy book in which Allah has revealed His commandments and prohibitions, have come up with a variety of excuses as to why they should not follow it. They have attempted to take refuge from its beauty by turning to denial. Allah reveals the following about the unbelievers' descriptions of the Qur'an:
|Wonders of Creation:
|Lives of the Prophets:
There is a limit to the revelations a nation is to receive. Allah warns people through His books, His messengers or His faithful servants. All humans are invited to believe in the existence and oneness of their Lord, and to obey their True Protector and Creator. This communication may last for many years. However, in the sight of Allah, there is always a predetermined limit to this process. To those who persist in denial, there will be a torment while here in this world, and which extends into eternity in the Hereafter.
Pharaoh and his inner circle, a perversely self-interested troupe, who resisted the message for years, deserved punishment. They rebelled against Allah, accusing the messenger of insanity as well as of being a liar. Because of their denial, Allah prepared for them a humiliating end.
Before this affliction began, Allah commanded Musa (as) to lead the children of Israel out of Egypt:
In compliance with the command of Allah, Musa (as) and his people secretly left Egypt.
The flight of the children of Israel was entirely unacceptable to Pharaoh, who considered himself to be their Lord. He saw himself as the sole master of all the children of Israel. In addition, it would mean a loss of manpower, that would ultimately contribute to the diminishment of his authority. Therefore, he mobilized his soldiers and set out after the children of Israel:
Pharaoh sent marshals into the cities: "These people are a small group and they are agitating against us and we constitute a vigilant majority."
By the time the children of Israel had reached a shore, Pharaoh and his soldiers had caught up with them. Panic and despair engulfed the people of Musa (as) when they saw Pharaoh and his soldiers approaching. Pharaoh and his soldiers were within just a short distance. There was no room to escape. They thought they were trapped:
At that very moment, the way Musa (as) conducted himself is an example for all believers. He remembered that he need never lose faith in the help of Allah:
Then, he followed the revelation he received from Allah, "Strike the sea with your staff" (Surat ash-Shu'ara': 63). Miraculously, Allah divided the waters of the sea leaving a dry path in the middle, which the children of Israel immediately followed. Pharaoh and his soldiers went so audacious as to chase the children of Israel into the sea. Here was an apparent miracle; without question, Allah's help and support was with Musa (as) and his followers. Nevertheless, this miracle did not suffice to convince Pharaoh. Together with his soldiers, he blindly entered the path that divided the sea. However, after the children of Israel had safely crossed to the other side, the waters suddenly began to close in on Pharaoh and his soldiers and they all drowned. Though, at the last moment, Pharaoh tried to repent, his repentance was not accepted:
There is a very important lesson to draw from Pharaoh's repentance at the very last moment of his life and its rejection by Allah. Allah grants sufficient time and opportunity to everybody to ponder over the reason for their existence on Earth, to understand that they are here to be servants to Allah and the way they are to serve Him. Allah's messengers, divine revelations, and believers, convey the commandments of Allah to mankind. There is enough time to consider these messages and reminders, and finally, to seek refuge in Allah's mercy. If, however, a man wastes the time he has been allotted and attempts to repent only at the moment he meets his death—unless otherwise willed by Allah—his repentance is worthless. Because, at the moment of death, a person can clearly sense the reality and proximity of the Hereafter, and bears witness to this truth when he confronts the angels of death. At that point, a person can no longer reject the truth. What is important, however, is to exercise one's conscience and be sincere while one is still living in this world, that is, while he is being tested. Throughout his trial period, Pharaoh conducted himself disrespectfully and insolently towards Allah. Therefore, his repentance, which was founded on fear, did not bring him salvation.
This should act as an especially important warning to all those who believed in "living it up," and postponed their performance of religious responsibilities to their later years in life. The fulfillment of religious obligations, however, should in no way be postponed. Except for those for whom Allah wills otherwise, people who postpone forming a religious consciousness when they are young, will ultimately reach the last stages of their lives when faith and repentance no longer have the same value. Allah informs us about this fact as follows:
Certainly, Pharaoh's embracing faith at the very last moment, and his asking for forgiveness, were not accepted by Allah. Allah conveys to us the condition of Pharaoh and his companions in hell as follows:
In the Hereafter, by the will of Allah, we will all see the torment that will be inflicted on Pharaoh and his inner circle who had sought to torment Musa (as) and the believers who followed him. In the mean time, we should pray to Allah to make us of those who will see Pharaoh's grievous punishment not as those with him in Hell, but as among the righteous servants of Allah in Paradise.
|Evolution Deceit:
The completion of human's gene map today does not yield the result that man and ape are relatives. One need not be deceived by evolutionists' attempts to exploit this new scientific development just as they do with all others.
As known, the recent completion of the human gene map within the scope of the Human Genome Project has been a very important scientific improvement. However, some results of this project are being distorted in some evolutionist publications. It is claimed that the genes of chimpanzees have a similarity to human genes by 98 % and this is promoted as an evidence to the claim that apes are close to humans, and therefore, to the theory of evolution. In truth, this is a "fake" evidence put forward by evolutionists who benefit from the lack of knowledge of society about this subject.
98 % Similarity Claim is a Misleading Propaganda
First, it should be stated that the 98% similarity concept, frequently advanced by evolutionists about the DNAs of man and chimpanzee, is deceptive.
In order to claim that the genetic make-ups of man and chimpanzee bear 98 % similarity, the genome of the chimpanzee also has to be mapped just as that of man's, the two has to be compared, and the result of this comparison has to be obtained. However no such result is available, because so far, only the gene of mankind has been mapped. No such research is yet done for the chimpanzee.
In reality, the 98 % similarity between the genes of man and ape, which now and then becomes an agenda item, is a propaganda oriented slogan deliberately invented years ago. This similarity is an extraordinarily exaggerated generalization grounded on the similarity in the amino acid sequences of some 30-40 basic proteins present in man and chimpanzee. A sequence analysis has been made with a method named "DNA hybridization" on the DNA sequences that are correlated with these proteins and only those limited number of proteins have been compared.
However there are about hundred thousand genes, and therefore 100 thousand proteins coded by these genes in humans. For that reason, there is no scientific basis for claiming that all the genes of man and ape are 98 % similar only because of the similarity in 40 out of 100.000 proteins.
On the other hand, the DNA comparison carried out on those 40 proteins is also controversial. This comparison was made in 1987 by two biologists named Sibley and Ahlquist and published in the periodical named Journal of Molecular Evolution. (v.26 pp. 99-1212) However another scientist named Sarich who examined the data obtained by these two scientists concluded that the reliability of the method they used is controversial and that the data has been exaggeratedly interpreted. (Sarich et al, 1989, Cladisticts 5:3-32) Dr. Don Batten, another biologist, also analyzed the issue in 1996 and concluded that the real similarity rate is 96.2%, not 98 %. (CEN, 19(1); 21-22 December 1996-February 1997)
Human DNA is also similar to that of the worm, mosquito and chicken!
Moreover, the above mentioned basic proteins are common vital molecules present in various other living beings. The structure of the same kinds of proteins present not only in chimpanzee, but also in completely different living beings, is very similar to that in the humans.
For example, the genetic analyses published in New Scientist have revealed a 75 % similarity between the DNAs of nematode worms and man. (New Scientist, 15 May 1999, p.27) This definitely does not mean that there is only a 25% difference between man and these worms! According to the family tree made by evolutionists, the Chordata phylum, in which man is included, and Nematoda phylum were different from each other even 530 million years ago.
On the other hand, in another finding, it was stated that the comparisons carried out between the genes of fruit fly belonging to the Drosophila species and human genes yielded a similarity of 60%. (Daily Hürriyet, 24 February 2000)
|Quick Grasp of Faith:
Allah has predetermined a certain lifetime for each person, and nobody can alter it. Thus, the believers should be pleased with the destiny that Allah has created, submit to this event, and trust Allah. Not doing so implies rebelling against the destiny that Allah has created, something that sincere believers would never do. Furthermore, deceased believers will meet with Allah's good pleasure and Paradise, and so will live a good life in great blessings that cannot possibly be compared with their lives in this world. Thus, there is no need to be sorry for the deceased believers; rather, we should be happy that they met such an honorable outcome. If the deceased did not use their lives to seek Allah's good pleasure, they will meet Hell in the Hereafter. Yet since this is also due to His will and justice, there is again nothing to be sorry about, for the deceased had knowingly chosen the path of unbelief despite being warned of the consequences of doing so.
In addition, it makes no sense to feel sorrow at one's separation from a loved one, for those who are still alive can strive sincerely for Allah's good pleasure and, as a result, can attain the eternal companionship of their loved ones in the eternal life of Paradise.
Therefore, since the believers hope that their deceased fellow believers will enter Paradise, they are not sorry when their companions die. In fact, the Qur'an advises the believers to be happy and to give one another the glad tidings of entering Paradise after death:
|Book Review:
|Site of the Day:
The End Times refer to a period very close to the Day of Judgment, when the morality of the Qur'an will come to prevail and people all over the world will come to live by it. The immorality, oppression, cruelty, injustice and degeneration of previous ages will disappear in that holy time to be replaced by abundance, wealth, beauty, peace and stability. There will be tremendous technological advances, which all people will use for good purposes and well-being.
The aim of this site is to encourage people to think about this aspect of the End Times, and to share that joy and excitement with one another.


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Blindsided by late siege, Pirates fall to Reds
All-Star Watson surrenders five-hit, three-run rally with two outs in 8th
CINCINNATI -- At some point between Devin Mesoraco's home run to signal the rise and Brayan Pena's single to end it, Tony Watson had to be thinking he was just having a bad dream.
"I'll open my eyes, and I'll be laying in bed, none the worse," Watson must've told himself.
But no such reprieve. The Reds' five-hit, three-run rally in the eighth -- all of it with two outs -- was all too real, as was the Pirates' 6-5 defeat resulting from it.
The defeat dropped the Bucs' record on this ultimate pre-All-Star break trip to 1-4 -- three of the defeats coming in the home team's final at-bat.
"I just couldn't put anybody away when I needed to," Watson said. "I put it on myself. Two outs, two strikes repeatedly -- I've got to put those guys away and get us back in the dugout."
If you were a holdout from the belief that anything can happen in this wacky National League Central, you finally had to give in after viewing this spectacle.
That, pretty much, was Cincinnati manager Bryan Price's take on the events.
"I'll tell you, two outs, nobody on against Watson, who's throwing absolute missiles, and Devin hits a homer and [Ryan Ludwick] gets a base hit, and next thing you know, it's five consecutive [hits] off a kid that's really good," Price said. "I don't want to say it came out of nowhere, but it showed a ton of character on behalf of our club."
Watson became an All-Star reliever by not allowing any hits in 24 of his first 42 appearances. He had not allowed more than three hits in any of his games this season. In a career that spanned 220 appearances, the most he had allowed was four, and he did that once, three years ago as a rookie.
Then this: He took over one reliever removed from Jeff Locke's sharp 6 1/3-inning start to protect a 5-3 lead and got two quick outs.
Mesoraco's homer pared the Bucs' lead to a run, then three consecutive singles by Ludwick, Chris Heisey and Ramon Santiago tied it at 5. It didn't end there, as Pena, pinch-hitting, ripped a liner to right-center to bring home Heisey and bring down the house, with 36,613 rocking Great American Ball Park.
Price had a reason to turn to Aroldis Chapman. It was a bad mismatch: Jordy Mercer, Michael Martinez and Matt Hague all fanned, as the Cuban lefty set a Major League relief record by registering a strikeout for his 40th straight appearance.
"He's been lights-out for us all year. Didn't happen tonight," manager Clint Hurdle said of Watson. "They kept battling after he got ahead of them. Couldn't put them away -- and that's been one of his best attributes. All two-strike hits ..."
Actually, only Mesoraco's and Santiago's came on two-strike counts. It only felt like Watson spent the entire inning on the edge of escape -- not, as he'd hoped, on the edge of his bed.
"One of those nights. Have to put it away and get out there tomorrow," Watson said.
In the fourth, Andrew McCutchen's solo homer and a three-run blow by Pedro Alvarez brought the Pirates back from a 1-0 deficit.
Alvarez's plus-minus rating, however, barely stayed in the positive. His throwing error into the stands in the seventh led to two unearned runs and to Locke's exit.
The truth is, Locke, and the Pirates, were sailing until Alvarez's 18th throwing error awoke the Reds -- not to mention the fans sitting behind Cincinnati's first-base dugout. Santiago's double brought in one run and a one-out grounder by Billy Hamilton brought in another and cut the Bucs' lead to 5-3.
Locke allowed one earned run. He doled out nine hits, but relied on his defense and his own moxie to minimize their toll. Most impressively, the 2013 NL walks leader did not walk a man, something he now has done only a total of six times in eight starts.
The injury bug took another bite out of a Pittsburgh opponent. Cincinnati starter Mat Latos was the latest to unwittingly and unfortunately give the Bucs a break as lower-back spasms affected him long before he relinquished the mound.
Latos visibly first felt the spasm on the pitch he got the second out on in the third inning. He made it safely through that inning and began the fourth with a strikeout of Josh Harrison, then his gutsy effort quickly backfired: McCutchen's homer tied it at 1, then first baseman Jay Bruce's error on Neil Walker's grounder and Russell Martin's walk set up Alvarez's blow.
Latos squirmed his way through a scoreless fifth, then left for a pinch-hitter, his five innings having yielded four runs (three earned) on three hits and two walks, and admiration for the big blond's competitiveness.
Hamilton had bunted Locke's first pitch for a single, acrobatically eluding Gaby Sanchez's tag at first base, and raced home as Zack Cozart lined pitch No. 2 into the left-field corner for a double.
Tom Singer is a reporter for MLB.com and writes an MLBlog Change for a Nickel. He can also be found on Twitter @Tom_Singer. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


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- Home /
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- Plan Your Own Oktoberfest Cele...
Plan Your Own Oktoberfest Celebration
Bring all of the fun of a traditional German Oktoberfest right to your home! Host an Oktoberfest celebration with our recipe, tips and decor ideas that will have you and your guests saying "Prosit!"
Bring all of the fun of a traditional German Oktoberfest right to your home! Host an Oktoberfest celebration with our recipe, tips and decor ideas that will have you and your guests saying "Prosit!"
While originally started in 1810 as a wedding celebration, Oktoberfest has grown into a festival of delicious food, traditional lederhosen, and of course, plenty of beer. Prosit!
The festival is known for its large tents and amazing traditional German food. But if you can't make it all the way to Germany to celebrate, why not throw your own Oktoberfest?
You couldn't ask for a better reason to gather friends and enjoy a great time. Browse our gallery to find the best Bavarian recipes, tips and décor ideas.
Set the Scene with Blue and White Decor
Use the blue and white colors of the Bavarian flag as the template for your decor. Celebrate German culture by creating your own Oktoberfest decorations with streamers, wreaths or banners. In Munich, each beer tent has it's own themed décor so feel free to change it up for different sections at your own party!
Image via Tumblr.
Create Beer Cap Place Cards
We all know that there is no Oktoberfest celebration without some German beer choices, so why not extend the theme by making these adorable bottle-cap place cards! Simply pick some of your favorites, attach them to stock paper and each guest's name. Now you're ready to assign seats with a creative twist!
Image via Snapari.com.
Prepare Bratwurst and Homemade Mustard
When it comes time to decide what food to serve, this one's a no brainer – there must be bratwurst! Try your hand at this delicious recipe from Taste Food Blog. There are even instructions on how to make your own beer mustard dipping sauce. Yes, beer mustard.
Image via tastefoodblog.com.
Bake a Traditional German Chocolate Cake
What's a party without a little chocolate? Chocolate cake that is! Prepare this German Chocolate Cake with this easy recipe from Barbara Bakes. While German Chocolate Cake is purely an American creation, it will certainly impress, plus it's incredibly delicious.
Image via barbarabakes.com.
Decorate German Gingerbread Hearts
These delicious spiced cookies, known as Lebkuchenherzen in German, are a staple of Oktoberfest. You can create your own with this Gingerbread recipe from Bella Online. Add a message of love or decorate them in your favorite colors for an extra touch.
Image via charlottesfancy.com.
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Looking for a way to keep guests occupied while tasting all of their delicious beers? Try these letterpress coasters from Paper Plates Press. They are an adorable way to keep track of your favorites.
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See how Dawn Sandomeno and Elizabeth Mascali elevate the every day with their fantastic recipes and ideas!Read More »


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The most significant International Olympic Committee meeting in a generation takes place this weekend – the committee will choose a host city for 2020 at the weekend amid reservations about all three candidates. Shortly after, it will have to decide on a successor for Jacques Rogge, president of the movement.
Thomas Bach, a German lawyer, is the favourite in the presidential race. But the decision over the 2020 host will be more difficult. Here's what's happened in the campaign so far and why the decision will be an uncomfortable one: Read more


text: Artist Clarence Boyce Monegar is one of Wisconsin's most beloved painters, executing landscape commissions for professionals and institutions. Monegar's watercolors could often be found in doctor's offices and bank lobbies. Since his death in 1968, his work has only increased in value and interest in his paintings has surfaced as far away as California.


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WOLVES boss Tony Smith reports only one injury from the pre-season friendly success at Leigh Centurions.
Ireland international Danny Bridge, the younger brother of centre Chris, limped out of the action in the second half.
Smith said: "There was only a slight twist in the ankle.
"I don't think he'll be too bad.
"He won't be required on Wednesday aginst Salford because of the injury but I don't think it's a significant injury.
"Aside from that we're pretty clear so that's the other big thing to come out of friendlies - that you're always looking for a clean bill of health and we've got that."


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Topic: Still can't believe he's gone
It's been almost 2 months. My husband fought and lost such a fast and furious battle with cholangial carcinoma that it took my breath away. With no symptoms, a doctor stumbled across a tumor in his liver. After a liver resection the surgeon and the oncologist told us there was reason to be "guardedly optimistic". I still don't know what that meant, nor did I understand how aggressive and truly devistating this cancer really was. My husband Stephen was 51 years old, very health conscious, and in great shape. We had been married 5 years and have a 4 year old son.
I feel we did all we could, but I don't believe my husband ever had a chance.
Stephen, Destin and I miss you every day. We miss you in this house you built for us, and on every sunny day when Destin rides his bike alongside the beach. We miss you every morning when we pass your truck on the curb or look at the pictures we mounted for the funeral home for your wake.
Please rest in peace, my dear Stephen. I pray that Destin's memories of his beloved daddy stay vivid in his mind.
Hugs and kisses,


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Former Syracuse All-American Scott Firman selected by New York Lizards in 5th round of 2017 Major League Lacrosse Draft
The first team All-American caused a team-high 16 turnovers in his first season at close defense. Read more »
The first team All-American caused a team-high 16 turnovers in his first season at close defense. Read more »
Williams is the third SU player drafted, with Nick Mariano and Sergio Salcido both being selected in the first round by the Florida Launch. Read more »
The Florida Launch selected former Syracuse All-American midfielder Sergio Salcido with the eighth pick in the 2017 Major League Lacrosse Draft. The Launch picked Salcido's former teammate, Nick Mariano, fourth in the draft. Read more »
The former Syracuse standout was selected with the No. 4 pick in the 2017 Major League Lacrosse Draft. Mariano led SU in goals the past two seasons. Read more »
Jordan Evans, Nick Mariano and Sergio Salcido combined for just one goal as No. 2 Syracuse's season came to an abrupt end against No. 11 Towson. Read more »
The best images from No. 2 Syracuse's season-ending loss, Sunday afternoon to No. 11 Towson. Read more »
SU had converted on 54.8 percent of its man-up opportunities entering the game but went just 0-for-4 on Sunday. Read more »
Syracuse found success all year in pulling off second-half comebacks. But not this time, as an early 6-0 hole proved too big to overcome. Read more »
Towson's Joe Seider was the stud as he propelled the offense, while Syracuse's man-up unit, which is normally strong, was the dud. Read more »
A lack of offense for the Orange, the Tigers resiliency and a historic loss — three takeaways from No. 2 seed Syracuse's season-ending loss. Read more »
Syracuse wants its first Final Four appearance since 2013. Towson stands in SU's way, fresh off one upset and looking for another. Read more »
The Orange plays for its first Final Four berth in four years on Sunday against the Tigers. Read more »
Syracuse's chances at the faceoff — and its first Final Four since 2013 — may come down not to its two-time Tewaaraton Award nominee but to a freshman with only one start on his resume. Read more »
Alex Woodall transferred to No. 11 Towson before this season and now will play a crucial role at the faceoff X in the NCAA Quarterfinal matchup with No. 2 Syracuse. Read more »
As Syracuse nears its first Final Four since 2013, beat writers Charlie DiSturco, Sam Fortier and Matthew Gutierrez answer three pressing questions surrounding the Orange. Read more »
Over his last four games, Evans leads Syracuse with seven goals and nine assists (16 points), the best stretch of his career. Read more »
Mariano, who over the last two seasons has 21 more goals than anyone else at SU, is the face of the Syracuse offense in pursuit of ending its national title drought. Read more »
Check out the best images from Sunday night's game. Read more »
Three Syracuse players earned All-American honors while a fourth picked up an honorable mention. Read more »
Much of Sunday night's success can be accredited to Molloy, who made 10 more saves than his opposing goalie, Phil Huffard. Read more »
The No. 2 Orange is 9-2 in one goal games on the season with Sunday's win sending SU to the NCAA quarterfinals and a matchup with Towson. Read more »
On Sunday night, the Orange escaped a 15th-seeded Yale team that won the Ivy League. Read more »
Now's the time for Syracuse to reap the benefits of a season stuffed with heroism, wild finishes and triumph, one beat writer argues. Read more »
SU is searching for its first Final Four appearance since 2013. Meanwhile, Yale enters after winning its conference tournament. Read more »
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Our lounge visits feature an inviting buffet, fresh-baked bread, wine, beer, soft drinks, water and coffee. Naturally, there's also free WiFi, newspapers and magazines, and a wide range of TV channels. You can bring children under age 2 into the lounge free of charge.
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The feeling you get after reading all three books of the series; The Hunger Games. You're sad that it's over and you're sad how it ended even though you know there wasn't really any other way to end it. You wish that you didn't read all three books in less than a week because now you have nothing left to do in life except think about it, watch the movie, wait for the next movie, and then fantasize about the amazing universe than Suzanne Collins created. A common therapy for this depression is to youtube different interviews of the cast from the movie; realizing that it's not real no matter how much you may or may not want it to be; and then you eventually become obsessed with Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, and maybe even Liam Hemsworth, depending on your gender.
I just finished reading all three books to The Hunger Games, and I can't stop thinking about it, I may have some Post Hunger Games Depression.
by The Bloomasaur July 14, 2012
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By: Anne-Marie Concepcion on InDesignSecrets.com
If you want to bring in styles from a Word file, yes, you do have to import the Word doc manually. (The Load Styles command in InDesign's Paragraph Styles and Character Styles panel menus can only import styles from other InDesign docs.)
However, once you import styled text from Word or from any source into an InDesign file, the styles that came along for the ride are now part of the InDesign file itself, even if you delete all the text you just brought in.


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BALLOONS for Sale is the title of this month's children's play at the Norbury Theatre, Friar Street, Droitwich, on Saturday, March 15 when youngsters aged three to 10 can see what happens when Mrs Rose is asked to sell balloons at a fair.
Someone comes along who wants to eat them all but the Man in the Moon comes to the rescue by giving the balloon eater a new home on the moon.
There will be 40-minute performances at 2.30pm and 4pm, with tickets priced at £1.50.
For more information and tickets, go to norburytheatre.co.uk or call the box office on 01905 770154.


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I can do Saturday.
I prefer WFRP to Shadowrun, but I'd be more than happy to switch from WFRP to Shadowrun or anything else for a bit, and then hopefully we can recharge your liking WFRP batteries.
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I can do Saturday.
I prefer WFRP to Shadowrun, but I'd be more than happy to switch from WFRP to Shadowrun or anything else for a bit, and then hopefully we can recharge your liking WFRP batteries.
And of course we could always try one of the warhammers in space, they're all rather good I think.
Saturday night? Why am i bothering to go to Scotland if my Saturday night will be WFRP!?!?!
Haha I'm bringing you out Friday night, you cant handle a two'er you wuss! As I said if you're about the following weekend then that would be fine with me.
I think it is you who is the wuss.
I think one of you wusses should check whether Egg can make it on Saturday
I can most likely make a Saturday session; I'll need to confirm which day will be "boardgame with co-workers day."
Re: WFRP, This portion of the adventure has been very free-form but ephemeral, which I assume is part of the design. There's this massive, evil plot that is already underway, and we've had to dig into it as outsiders, trying to gain enough leverage to undo the bureaucratic tangle. But in order to so we've had to follow whatever loose threads we could find - some were productive, some were red herrings. Our lack of authority made it difficult for us to effect immediate changes, so we had to create small ripples as we went in hopes of eventually setting things right. It's a good story arc, but it took a lot of time and concentration to piece together the clues in order to find this Bretonnian. We could have cut down the amount of time by not partaking in the Festival activities, sure, but where's the fun in that? I don't think the fault lies with you, Lowkey, but with the module itself.
Re: what's to come, I posted some ideas for a possible campaign a while back but didn't get much feedback. There are two questions I need to answer before I start work: (1) what system should we use, and (2) what style do we want?
For (1), my shortlist of systems that I would feel comfortable running would be, in order,
* Radiance
* Shadowrun 4
* D&D (2nd or 3.5)
- Radiance is a d20 system that combines the successful bits of D&D 3.5, 4E, and Pathfinder to produce an elegent means of creating characters and conducting adventures. It has a Victorian steampunk setting, but the content is modular enough that the sci-fi bits can be excised fairly cleanly if desired. The Player's Guide is free to download (www.radiancerpg.com), and the information is organized brilliantly. This is my preferred system because it is more streamlined than Shadowrun and won't succumb to the almost-mandatory feature creep in D&D 3.5.
- I'm also keen to put together an original Shadowrun game. I recently bought the 2050 sourcebook for 4th ed, so that would be an option. It's much more Gibson-esque (magic is rarer, cybermods are more rudimentary, the Matrix is completely wired).
- I'm conversant enough in the modern forms of D&D that we can run that. My main hesitance comes from the swathes of supplemental material that come with the system, not to mention the lengthy spell lists. Radiance handles this in a very clean fashion, which is why it is my first choice.
For (2), I need to know how much direction you want. My preference is to start you somewhere, give you a few small quests to acclimate to your character and setting, and then let you determine what you want to do. You'll still have NPCs who want stuff done, and there will be events occurring that you can take part in if you want, but I won't have a set adventure for you to complete. Instead, I'll start crafting plot ideas based on the stuff you're interested in (e.g., if you decide to start a small trading post near a new mining site, you'll have to deal with competitors, bandits, local wildlife, bureaucrats, etc.). If you'd prefer to have a set mission for each session (like the Shadowrun Mission structure), I can accomodate that instead.
If you guys (palindrome and Screwie are welcome to chime in, too, if they're interested) would share your thoughts on the two points above, it would help me put together something that everyone could enjoy.
Stream of consciousness response, part one:
I'd be interested to learn more about Radiance. I've heard mentions of it but never really looked into it.
I'm a bit leery of SR2050 myself. Losing the wireless matrix seems like a retrograde step (towards the old "deckers play a minigame while everyone else gets pizza" style) to me.
I used to have a lot of nostalgia for D&D 2nd edition - then I recently played it again. It's like the designers thought of the concept of a unified resolution mechanic and deliberately went out of their way to avoid creating one.
I don't care much for D&D3.5 either, but that's largely a Skinnerian aversion based on one legendarily terrible session (Steeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeve!), and its tendency to get bogged down at higher levels.
As for the second point, I tend to lean towards the reactive mode of gaming - or at least, if sandboxing, heading towards a specified overarching goal.
There's another important point though: what setting do you want to use? Shadowrun, and presumably Radiance (as I'll know once I actually get a look at it) have built in settings, but you can shove almost anything into D20 with varying degrees of success
Radience sounds interesting, ill have a look at the rules tonight, I think ill call off WFRP this weekend rather than messing further with schedules, that means we will finish PBtT next week, x_kot would you be able to throw something together by then? Otherwise we have a short (two-three session) campaign before the final part of The Enemy Within, Empire at War, it would be better not to start this and pause after a few sessions (although i would like to finish TEW eventually!).
Radiance sounds interesting. I'd rather avoid a system like Shadowrun where the rules get in the way of the gaming and the players often aren't sure what their characters can and can't do in a given situation. Streamlined is a promising word.
With regard to structure and objectives, I've enjoyed WFRP because there tends to be an overarching objedctive (defend the empire from the machinations of chaos) and then specific ones within that (such as "get our boat back and defeat these damn Wittgensteins). Plus I can always create my own sub objective by deciding that someone is my enemy and must be destroyed.
However I am pretty sure I can have fun even if we end up playing something firefly-esque and the only objective is "keep the ship flying".
Somehow Radiance has slipped me by, but I would recommend (and will do so now) 13th Age is another RPG (fantasy setting) that combines the many nice things from 3.5 and 4e and adds some solid ideas of its own.
It's commonly and incorrectly touted as 4e's equivalent to Pathfinder, which is rather nice but misguided praise. It provides a solid method for 4e-style combat only without using maps or miniatures (or taking nearly as long), and has many awesome role-playing hooks built into character generation. It's extremely high on my list of games to try DMing sometime.
*ahem* Unsolicited plug over... Now I have to hunt down and learn more about Radiance, sound interesting :)
Thanks for the response, all! Let's see if I can address everyone's comments in a concise manner:
- I'm glad to hear people are willing to give Radiance a go. It's something I ran into unexpectedly last month, and the player's guide is very persuasive. Dice are based on d20, so rolls to beat something are calculated in a straightforward manner (die + 1/2 lvl + attribute bonus + misc modifiers >= target number). There are swathes of ways of customize your character, but everything you need to know can be found on about ten pages. Fighters are just as viable as magic-users at high level! (This is a problem that has plagued AD&D for a long time.)
- I can see the areas of other systems, such as Shadowrun and AD&D, that cause frustration. SR has always had a difficult time reconciling the technology and magic rules with the run-n-gun stuff, not to mention the detailed character building and item shopping required. AD&D grew into such a ponderous exercise in bookkeeping by the second edition - I loved all of the settings created during that era, but I'll be damned if I regard the hodgepodge of dice-rolling criteria with any fondness ("we have all of these dice types, might as well use 'em!").
- Screwie, that 13th Age looks promising; it looks like it rectifies some of the inconsistencies/inconveniences in the WoTC rulesets. I think you'll find some mechanical corollaries in Radiance (e.g., the deities in Radiance function similar to the Icons in 13th Age, the Themes are like the Backgrounds), although nothing like the escalation die, which I like the idea of. If you decide to run a campaign, please let me know! :D
- The stock setting, as I mentioned, is Victorian steampunk but with gods and magic as established facts of life. One of the closest analogues that comes to mind is Eberron from D&D3.5 (warforged and flying spellships!). Although the book has entries for moon rockets and atomic bombs, I would probably prefer to define the pace of technological advancement as burgeoning but not fully developed - major cities may have horseless carriages, telephones, and even *gasp* radio, but rural areas have little in the way of automation. Military applications are a bit more advanced (firearms, landships, artillery, powered suits).
- As for structure, I think I can work with that. I'll prepare some story-arcish stuff to give you objectives to pursue, but you'll be free to complete/avoid them as you like. For example, my initial concept for the beginning has all of you contracted by a local zoologial society to investigate rumors and capture exotic specimens. You can do tasks for them for awhile, or you can get involved in other activities once you make more contacts/money/enemies.
...that was kind of concise, I guess. Anyway, I can get material together to be ready to start in a couple of weeks; I'll be around and on Mumble this Sunday during our usual time if anyone wants to chat about Radiance. It's pretty easy to pick up and play (did I mention it's free?), but if you're not familiar with d20, it requires a little mental realignment.
Screwie, palindrome, we use Dropbox to share documents - if you would PM me your DB email, I can add you to the folder I'm creating. Obsidian Portal and Roll20 are other resources we use frequently, especially the latter. We play on Sunday nights from 8:00-11:00, unless there's enough interest to move that; please note as a west-coast-dwelling colonial with a full-time job, I can only play on weekends consistently.
My RL group has now officially imploded. We got as far as character creation in 2 months and that was about it.
As I said I will only be able to take part until sometime in July but if that's not an issue I'm happy to get under your feet.
Weekdays are a bit hit and miss for me but weekends are (usually) fine but there are at least a couple where I will be away over the next few months.
Okay, so I spent much of yesterday (much more than I palnned) reading the Radiance players guide and I'm very impressed.
The system and the setting both offer a lot of neat ideas:
- The character options that are available and how they're distributed across all levels are great. Race, class and theme (and religion) all bring their own ability lists. These all combine to serve as what would be feats and spells in DnD, and most offer a meaningful and characterful impact.
- I love the range of classes on offer too. Alongside all the DnD staples there are lots of iconic ideas like the pathfinder (an Indiana Jones-style scholarly adventurer), to an archetypal witch, to the sage (paranormal researchers who can also specialise in truenaming), to the medicant (a terrifying mad scientist-like magic doctor). There's also the shifter - a weremonster class whose ability list is mostly what mutated features you want to add to their were-form over their career. So many awesome concepts - exactly the sort of thing that gets my imagination going! :)
- The book's wizard class picture is dressed up in a top hat and tux with a cane, like a stage magician. This is amazing.
- The vitality system is smartly done, yet while everyone's cool stuff is powered by the same vitality points mechanism every class is still looks very different. This single-resource approach makes multiclassing a total ease, too.
- I also like how compact the book is. It's brevity is a real strength and part of that comes from how it's organised. Case in point, the oracle mentioned above doesn't need a whole section of rules about truenaming - thanks to the universal vitality system, everything you need to know is contained entirely in her class ability list.
Thanks for introducing me to Radiance, most exciting! :D
Oi you lot, thrilling conclusion slash hiatus this sunday? I promise to not cry too much.
Sounds good, i may be a bit drunk and or late due to going for a meal with my parents around 4.
I couldn't make last Saturday, as you may have inferred by my not being there. There was drinking to be done.
Should be good for Sunday though, if I'm not still working on this sodding coursework/have lost the will to live after annotating my eleventy millionth screenshot.
It's OK, they cancelled Saturday in favour of drinking.


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QUESTIONS are being asked over why a controversial decision to pay a fire chief £3,000 towards his back operation was done in secret - amid angry claims the public were "kept in the dark".
Members of the fire authority say they are unhappy they did not have a say about taxpayers' cash going towards Mark Yates' private surgery.
As your Worcester News revealed yesterday, a small group of just four councillors approved the spending for the chief fire officer behind closed doors.
It emerged yesterday that members of the fire authority, a body of 25 elected councillors, were not told about it, with some saying they are "outraged" it came out in the media first.
Labour Councillor Alan Amos, a fire authority member, said: "I am outraged, appalled and disgusted.
"I have been fighting so hard to get the fire service more money, to protect it from cuts.
"It can't be that every single decision made can come before the fire authority, I realise that, but to know nothing about it infuriates me.
"It was a little cohort of people making this decision, it can't be right - the public could read it and wrongly assume we've all been involved in this.
"Where is the openness? I feel badly let down."
Conservative Councillor Maurice Broomfield, a fellow member, said: "I would have liked to have been informed about it.
"I did not know this had happened. I wouldn't like to say whether the actual decision was right or wrong, but it would have been good to know what's going on and be told."
Councillor Stephen Peters, an independent, added: "In the full scheme of things £3,000 isn't a lot of money.
"But I didn't know anything about it, I wasn't told."
Steve Gould, secretary for the county's Fire Brigades Union branch, yesterday insisted front line staff had asked for money to overcome injury and "always been knocked back".
As your Worcester News revealed yesterday, back in October Mr Yates decided to get back surgery privately instead of waiting 12 weeks on the NHS and take time off work.
It cost £5,090 and Mr Yates, who earns £122,000 a year, made a claim for the cash from the fire service.
It was approved during a routine fire authority group leaders meeting on Monday, October 21 but no minutes were taken of the actual decision.
Councillor Derek Prodger, fire authority chairman, said the panel agreed a partial repayment rather than risk Mr Yates being off work for 12 weeks.
Yesterday Cllr Prodger said: "We believe the NHS waiting list for the operation was around 12 weeks and if this had been the case the authority would have needed to pay for another chief officer to cover the role, which would have been very costly."
He added: "It was all done properly, and it saved us money."
The fire service say the cost could have amounted to £8,500 to provide cover had he been off for the whole 12 weeks.
ALL four councillors involved in the decision to hand over £3,000 can today be named - as one insisted it was "clear cut".
As well as Cllr Prodger fire authority vice-chairman Brigadier Peter Jones, a fellow Conservative, and David Taylor, an independent, agreed the payment.
Cllr Jones, a Herefordshire politician, revealed yesterday that the discussion was very straightforward for the trio.
He confirmed the only dissenting voice was Councillor Richard Udall, Labour group leader, who revealed he was against it in your Worcester News yesterday.
Cllr Jones said: "To the three of us, it was very clear cut. We looked at it properly and thought it was the right thing to do."
Cllr Taylor has denied being present at the meeting despite the other three confirming he was.
He did not return calls from your Worcester News yesterday, after telling us on Friday he had no recollection of it.
Regular meetings of the political party group leaders take place around four times a year at the main HQ in Worcester.
The actual debate and decision on Mr Yates' expenses was not minuted but the rest of the session was, although it is not being made available to the public.
We can also reveal that a treasurer and legal adviser were present for the debate, but Mr Yates left the room before it started.
Councillor Fran Oborski was invited as Liberal group representative, but was unable to be there.
Readers of our website yesterday praised your Worcester News for bringing it into the open via a Freedom of Information request.
Maggie Would wrote: "The sight of that sentence gladdens my heart - investigative journalism."
Althorn said: "Well done Worcester News for breaking this story. This is what local newspaper journalism is all about."
A poster called Brooksider posted: "Making the spending decision at a private meeting? The fire authority have proved themselves to be not fit for purpose yet again."
The fire service said the members decided it was "in the authority's best interests" to pay for the private operation to have Mr Yates back at work quicker.
The fire authority operates under the Fire and Rescue Services Act 2004, and is required to develop its own policies for areas like expenses.
It can be dealt with by the chairman using his own delegated powers, which is in line with the authority's constitution.