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This article was published 4/10/2013 (1418 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
"Don't lose my money" is the proverbial concern for many investors, so it's hardly a surprise many are fearful to wade back into the stock market, instead preferring the safety of bonds and balanced funds in recent years.
Fund firms have been trying to lure us back, in part because equity funds command higher fees, but also for our own good. Certainly, the risk of losing money in the equity market is a reality, but many investors seeking the safety of fixed-income or balanced funds -- half of which are comprised of bonds -- don't realize the fixed-income market has been on a 30-year bull run. Rock-bottom rates can't go on indefinitely, and when the interest rates rise, the bond market will fall.
"The great rotation hasn't occurred yet, but it certainly is gathering steam," says Blake Goldring, CEO of AGF Management. "So what do you do when you don't get much return from fixed income and you're faced with potential capital losses from these investments?"
No doubt, fund firms have been busy cooking up solutions, and AGF's U.S. AlphaSector Class fund is among the latest.
Focused on the growing U.S. stock market, it allows Canadians to invest across several industrial sectors from tech to financials to energy.
It also capitalizes on growing demand for low-fee exchange-traded funds (ETFs), investing in 10 funds that passively track nine S&P indices and one short-term cash index.
Still, these traits don't make AGF's offering all that different from other products rolled out in recent years. Nor does it set itself apart claiming to be "alpha" focused, pursuing returns while limiting devastating losses.
What makes AlphaSector Class stand out from the rest is its "secret sauce," Goldring says.
It's a successful proprietary strategy of a Massachusetts-based firm, F-Squared Investments, that allocates capital into sectors most likely to increase in value while moving money away from those likely to incur losses.
F-Squared's president, Howard Present, says at the heart of the strategy is a super-computer-driven model that employs quantitative analysis, the same mathematical acrobatics used in quantum physics. It's a numbers game too complex for most of us to wrap our heads around, but the long and the short of it is this:
"Each month, we have a quantitative evaluation tool that we run individually against all nine industrial sectors, asking the computer a green-light/red-light type of question," Present says.
The "green-light' answer -- a yes -- means a particular sector has a likelihood of increasing in value in the near future, so capital in the portfolio should remain in the ETF representing that sector, or be allotted to the ETF if no prior allocation exists.
"Alternatively, if our analysis shows that it (a sector) has a higher likelihood of losing money (red light), we remove that sector entirely."
All green-lighted ETFs in the portfolio are equally weighted, so the energy sector, for example, won't have a larger share than materials.
"We only drop sectors we identify as unhealthy, dangerous or even toxic," Present says. "For example, we dropped financials in July of 2007 and didn't own it again for almost two years."
Although the AGF offering is new, launched last month, the strategy it uses has been around for more than a decade -- though F-Squared has only used it for about half that span, having purchased it from a private-wealth firm, Present says.
The strategy's overall track record is remarkable, averaging almost 15 per cent per year compared to its benchmark, the S&P 500, of about eight per cent.
Present says the strategy isn't designed to pursue the highest returns possible. It's built to provide solid market gains without big market pains.
In a good year, when the market is up five to 15 per cent, the fund will be up by about the same amount.
"But when the market is up really big, like 25 to 40 per cent in a year, we're willing to lag," he says. "We're willing to leave money on the table to protect against huge losses."
Avoiding big losses by not pursuing big gains is exactly what the F-Squared strategy did between the peak of the market in May 2008 and its trough in March 2009 when it lost only 18 per cent of its value compared with the S&P 500, which lost about 51 per cent.
Goldring says AGF's U.S. AlphaSector Class fund offers the same formula that has attracted more than $15 billion to F-Squared's product line.
"This is ideal for people who have been anxious about being burned after 2008, allowing them to come back and dip their toes into the resurgent equity markets."
Yet a Canadian expert in low-cost ETF investment strategies isn't entirely convinced AGF's new fund targets the right audience.
"The way to get somebody into the market is to make sure they have some fixed income, some cash, a couple of simple (equity) ETFs and then build up from there," says Eric Kirzner, a professor of finance at the University of Toronto's Rotman School of Management.
"The last thing I would do is take a product that would have nine different ETFs in it that are being tactically rebalanced."
While an interesting offering that may well provide enhanced returns, Kirzner says it's also expensive for a portfolio of ETFs. The AGF's U.S. AlphaSector Class fund contains ETFs with annual management costs less than 0.2 per cent, but it is expected to have an overall management expense ratio (MER) of 2.65 per cent.
Goldring says the additional cost puts the fund on par with most actively managed U.S. equity funds in Canada. Furthermore, investors are paying for access to F-Squared's proprietary strategy that helps protect their money from substantial market losses -- unlike an unmanaged portfolio of ETFs.
Yet it's this computer-based, market-timing strategy that makes the fund likely more complicated and even riskier than the average investor wary of the stock market likely wants or needs, Kirzner says.
The product is likely better-suited for sophisticated investors and it shouldn't be a cornerstone holding in a portfolio, he says. "I would consider it opportunistic. If I was in the mood, I might put a couple of per cent of my portfolio into it."
Present agrees the fund isn't designed to be a primary portfolio holding.
"What we typically find for people who really understand it or embrace it is they'll take their U.S. equity or their global equity exposures -- let's say it's on average 40 per cent of their portfolio -- and they'll typically give us around 25 to 30 per cent of that."
But Goldring says he sees the AGF U.S. Alpha Sector Class a little differently. It could very well be a core product for individuals with several years to go before retiring and even be used as a complementary growth component for retirees' portfolio.
"To have this product, which provides downside protection while allowing investors to capture the upside of equity markets, is a really important feature."
Yes, it's more complex and costly than most ETF-based approaches, Goldring says, but the blend of "investment art and science" is worth it.
"The proof in the pudding is what F-Squared has done."


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Muschamp calls out defense
Published: Friday, October 4, 2013 at 2:10 p.m.
Last Modified: Friday, October 4, 2013 at 8:53 p.m.
Florida's top-ranked run defense faces its toughest test of the season Saturday when Arkansas comes to town.
The Gators are No. 1 nationally in allowing just 53.5 yards per game on the ground, but the Razorbacks lead the SEC with the most rushing yards (1,185) through five games (237.0 average).
UF coach Will Muschamp has called out his unit heading into the matchup.
"We've got to match their physicality from a defensive standpoint," he said on his Thursday night radio show. "I've really challenged our players' manhood. They need to step up and play well.
"We have not played an offense like Arkansas. It's going to be very difficult for our kids."
Hogs true freshman running back Alex Collins, who was recruited by Florida out of Plantation, is the league's leading rusher. He has ran for 597 yards and three touchdowns on 100 carries.
His backup, sophomore Jonathan Williams, ranks third in the SEC with 471 rushing yards and three scores as well.
"They're tough runners," Muschamp said. "They get the ball north and south. They're one-cut guys, they don't dance. They get the ball downhill, they run extremely hard and they've got breakaway speed.
"They're guys you have to make sure you account for. You have to leverage the ball and tackle well. They're going to make you tackle them. They're going to run through you. So our guys will be up to the challenge."
Muschamp is just as impressed with the Razorbacks' run defense and pass rushers.
"They move their defensive line around a lot, and they have two very good edge rushers. They have affected the quarterback in every game," he said.
"They've got the best front four we've played this season. They do an outstanding job of getting pressure with four guys rushing. We need to be able to handle their penetration. I think we can with our offensive line."
Muschamp said the key for his team against Arkansas will be taking care of the ball on offense and not giving up big plays defensively.
"As long as we can stay away from those (turnovers) and make them drive the distance against us," he said, "I think we can have some success."
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Belt Flat Clip
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845 in stock
High-quality, commercial grade belt clip. Patented design provides for easy clipping/unclipping and a low-profile look.
Use with 1" webbing (e.g. MIL-SPEC Nylon Webbing). Single-side adjustable. Sold individually.
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We always attempt to give a continuous-cut if possible, but splices are present in various materials due to the manufacturing process. Unless otherwise notified, all orders will be cut per the above policy.
IMPORTANT: If you are ordering larger amounts and have specific cut requirements, we can make cuts that work for you, but you MUST list these reqts in the notes section of the order. These notes can be added on the cart page.
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Media Contact: TPWD News, firstname.lastname@example.com, 512-389-8030
Feb. 14, 2011
Fly Fish Texas Takes Mystery Out of Fooling Fish with Feathers
ATHENS—Perhaps the best way to sum up the annual Fly Fish Texas event at the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center in Athens is this: In one day the complete beginner can learn to tie a fly, cast that fly, and catch a fish with it.
Fly Fish Texas—to be held March 12, 2011—focuses on helping people master the set of skills required for fly-fishing. Instructors hold classes throughout the day on everything from fly-casting to fly-tying to knot tying. This is a hands-on event, and visitors are expected to participate.
Moreover, visitors can expect to get hooked. On fly-fishing.
And they will discover that it is a myth that fly-fishing is difficult to learn.
Fly-fishing experts volunteer their time and equipment so they can share their knowledge and love of fly-fishing. The event is led by Walter and Linda McClendon of Pineywoods Fly Fishers in Lufkin; they are assisted by members of fly-fishing clubs from all over the state.
True beginners can join one of the classes for which all supplies and equipment are provided. The Dallas Fly Fishers will offer morning and afternoon classes on choosing fly-fishing equipment, performing the basic four-part cast, identifying aquatic insects (what fish eat), freshwater ecology, useful fishing knots, safety, ethics and fly-tying. The classes are free, but pre-registration is required, because class size is limited. Those who complete the class will receive basic fly-fisher certification. To reserve a spot, call Craig Brooks at (903) 670-2222.
In addition to the beginner's classes, more advanced instruction will be offered on particular casting problems, how to set up tackle, fly selection and more. Seminars will give information on subjects ranging from how to fish specific bodies of water to tips and techniques for fishing for different species. Skilled fly-tiers will make flies all day long and teach anyone who wants to learn how to do it. Pre-registration is not required for these classes and seminars.
Food vendors will be present on-site to make it possible for visitors to spend all day immersed in fly-fishing. Also present will be vendors selling gear from fly rods to kayaks for the enthusiast who wants to get started right away. You can try out all kinds of equipment and even paddle the latest model kayak around one of TFFC's ponds.
One of the things that makes Fly Fish Texas so popular with beginners and experts alike is that the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center has several ponds and streams stocked with rainbow trout, largemouth bass, sunfish and channel catfish, and you can tie a fly, walk 50 steps and catch a fish with it.
The tourism campaign that labels Texas "A Whole Other Country" falls short when it comes to fly-fishing—Texas is like a whole bunch of other countries. Once you've mastered the basics of fly-fishing, a world of new experiences awaits. "One of the most fulfilling things you can do is catch a fish on a fly you have tied," says casting instructor Steve Hollensed. "Tying a fly produces a fish. Casting produces a fish. Fly-fishing removes a lot of the high-tech aids in catching fish. There is more of a direct connection between the fish and the angler."
When it comes to the outdoors, connection is a powerful word. The connection Hollensed speaks of is not tethered by the fly line but is instead the invisible bond formed when human and animal lives intersect, even if only long enough for a living, breathing water-dweller to be brought to hand, admired and returned to the depths. It is that connection to wild things and wild places we seek when we fish, rather than the fish itself.
Human connection to the outdoors involves conscious conservation as well as conscientious consumption, principles unique to our species. In that sense, fly-fishing may be one of the purest expressions of what it means to be human.
The 2011 Fly Fish Texas event takes place at the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center March 12 from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. All activities are included with paid admission. For more information and directions and a complete schedule of activities, visit tpwd.texas.gov/spdest/visitorcenters/tffc/visit/specialevents/flyfishtx/.
To view short videos about the event, visit http://www.facebook.com/pages/Texas-Freshwater-Fisheries-Center/128462433868391.
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(5.4.16 i)


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Sweating is a normal function that helps the body stay cool. However, some people have a medical problem that causes them to sweat too much. The medical term for this condition is hyperhidrosis.
The excessive sweating of hyperhidrosis can have negative effects on your child's social and physical well-being.
Hyperhidrosis can affect many areas of the body, but most often affect the:
Excessive sweating can be the main medical problem, or it can be a symptom of another medical problem or a medication.
Joree Ruiz, PA-C, treats a wide range of skin conditions and specializes in hyperhidrosis. She will work with your child to find medical solutions and everyday strategies for coping with excessive sweating.
There are many treatments for hyperhidrosis that range from using antiperspirants to major surgeries. Hyperhidrosis treatment may include:
Treatment options depend on many factors, including the severity of the condition and age. Your child's health care provider will talk with you to come up with a treatment plan that best fits your child's lifestyle.


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Glovebox brings an Ubuntu Unity-like launcher to Android
0. phoneArena posted on 21 Feb 2013, 17:49
If you like the look of Ubuntu, but don't want to wait for the official release, you can get a bit of the OS on Android right now. As always seems to happen with Android, an enterprising developer always jumps on a cool idea and brings it to the Play Store. This time the app is Glovebox, which adds an Ubuntu Unity-like sidebar launcher to your Android device...
This is a discussion for a news. To read the whole news, click here
1. techguy22 (Posts: 227; Member since: 09 Aug 2012)
that was fast. thanks. i tried the preview on my nexus 7. its alright
2. joseph98 (Posts: 167; Member since: 03 Feb 2012)
After watching the video I noticed that I don't need it because it is similar to my galaxy note II the left side menu with apps launcher for the split screen. in fact I can move it from left to right or even to the top or bottom screen so no use for galaxy note II user this app as we are already ahead.
3. MC1123 (Posts: 1256; Member since: 12 Nov 2012)
wow, android was actually kinda late!! symbian has a ubuntu mobile launcher called vbuntu!
4. iDroidWin (Posts: 117; Member since: 07 Dec 2012)
Its not. Relaunch is an improvement over it and has been there for Android for quite sometime. Ubuntu's sidebar is similar to dock for your favorite apps as it was intended to be in the PC version. I have my dock in notification drawer, that way I have access to my favorite apps everywhere. And I use relaunch, that way I have access to my app drawer everywhere. I think I would stick to Apex Launcher using Relaunch along with it.


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|Gen Zen
takes more than good thoughts and a yearly oil change to keep your genset
By Richard Thiel
Years ago I chartered a Tolleycraft for a cruise around Washington State's
San Juan Islands. Although the boat had seen considerable use, she was
a sturdy old girl and eminently reliable, with one notable exception:
her genset. Located in the lazarette, right under an indifferently sealed
hatch, it was constantly showered by sea water. Consequently, the thing
looked like it had just been dredged out of some sunken World War II U-boat.
And ran like it, too.
This article originally appeared in the May 2003 issue of Power & Motoryacht magazine.


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Miggy, Avila, Prince all go deep to back ace, delivering series win
DETROIT -- Justin Verlander has ended a lot of Aprils saying he feels like pitches are starting to come together for him. Statistically, he has a case that this is his best opening month ever.
Miguel Cabrera has ended a lot of Aprils rolling into form. He has never had an opening month like this. Neither has Prince Fielder, for that matter.
Add Detroit's starting pitching to the middle of its order, and there's a big reason why Tuesday's 6-1 win against the Twins capped the Tigers' best opening month since 2006.
For all the concern about the bullpen, for which Tuesday's ninth inning was a reminder, the Tigers have started rolling earlier than they have in years. If they can cap their homestand with a win Wednesday afternoon, they will not only complete their second consecutive series sweep, they will match their longest winning streak at any point last season.
They haven't won six games in a row this early in a season in 20 years. This year, after weathering miserable conditions by playing .500 ball for the first 20 games, they're heating up along with the Midwestern temperatures.
"I think the name of the game in baseball is trying to extend your winning streaks when you're playing well as much as you can and shorten the losing streaks," Verlander said. "In 162 games, you're not going to be hot the whole year. You just need to try to do the fundamental things right in the game of baseball and see what happens.
"Our talent is going to take over. I feel like we're starting to show that now. I don't think it's going to last all year. We're not going to be the hottest team in baseball all year. It just doesn't work that way. But I think talent-wise, we're going to be one of the best in baseball all year long."
Verlander has often spent April showing flashes of talent, but not getting the results to show for it. Now, in a year when he was behind schedule in his workouts and below normal in his velocity, he has his first April winning record since his rookie season of 2006, and the best April ERA of his career.
"Obviously, it's a big improvement this year," he said. "It's funny. Everybody's talking about my velocity being down, but yet I threw the best I have in April."
The pitchers around him weren't bad, either. The Tigers racked up double-digit strikeouts in all four games of their winning streak entering Tuesday. Verlander, despite following an eight-pitch opening inning with a 33-pitch second, struck out five of the first 13 batters he faced and found his form from there.
With low velocity and a high pitch count under freezing conditions on Opening Day against the Twins, Minnesota chased him after five innings. By contrast, he cranked his fastball up to 96 mph and kept it there for much of Tuesday night, striking out eight Twins over seven innings of one-run ball.
The lone run off Verlander came from an old teammate. Verlander was a strike away from escaping the second inning unblemished when he hung a breaking ball to former Tigers prospect Wilkin Ramirez, who sent it to left-center for a double that scored Justin Morneau.
Three singles and a walk were all the Twins could muster the rest of the way off Verlander, who improved to 3-2.
Four weeks after the Twins held down Detroit's offense in frigid weather at Target Field to take two out of three in the season-opening series, the Tigers scored 10 runs through two games at Comerica Park, all but one of them coming via the homer. Their latest outburst came in an Opening Day rematch against Vance Worley.
It didn't take long for this one to take a different theme. After Verlander's eight-pitch opening inning, the Tigers needed just seven pitches to take their first lead. Two pitches after Torii Hunter doubled down the left-field line, Cabrera plated him by taking a changeup and sending it out to right for his fourth home run and 28th RBI of the year.
Cabrera has never ended April with this many RBIs. For that matter, no Tiger since at least 1921 has, either.
All of Cabrera's home runs have been opposite-field shots to right. Alex Avila followed with his third solo homer of the year in the second inning, before Fielder clubbed a line drive into the right-field seats for the second consecutive night, putting Detroit in complete command in the fifth.
That pushed Fielder into career-best territory with seven home runs and 27 RBIs for April, surpassing his opening-month totals from 2011 with Milwaukee. As well as he hit in his opening month in Detroit last year, he didn't have this kind of power, or this many guys on base ahead of him.
"We've got some power hitters who are capable of hitting them at any time," manager Jim Leyland said, "and we've got some other guys who get on base. That's why they're on there, for those power guys. That's just what the doctor ordered: Get some of the guys on, and have the big guys clean it up. That's textbook when it works."
Worley (0-4), whose quality start on Opening Day kept the Twins close in defeat, gave up six runs on 10 hits over 4 2/3 innings.
"All those hits that were home runs, they were pitches that were supposed to be popups or stay on the ground, and they put it out," Worley said. "Tip my hat to them."
Once Drew Smyly and Joaquin Benoit added strikeouts in the eighth and ninth, the Tigers had their fifth consecutive game with at least 10 strikeouts, tying an American League record accomplished seven other times since 1916.
Jason Beck is a reporter for MLB.com. Read Beck's Blog and follow him on Twitter @beckjason. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


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302 Series Overview
Incon Lighting's 302 Series wall fixtures are impact resistant. With a simple and elegant ornate feel, the 302 Series is a great choice for residential & commercial exteriors that have a little character. This fixture is American Compliant.
The 302 has an impact resistant polycarbonate housing that comes in black or white and has a UV stabilized white acorn shaped screw on lens.
This fixture is equipped with a 120V 60Hz Magnetic NPF ballast or a 120V 60Hz Electronic NPF Ballast depending on what wattage and bulb type you choose or a light emitting diode (LED) panel that is directly wired to the housing and does not require a ballast. The 302 is wall mount only and is wet location listed. Lamps are included unless ordered with the no lamp (NL) option.
The available color temperatures for compact fluorescent (CFL) bulbs range from warm (2700K & 3000K), medium (3500K) and cool (4100K) white to full spectrum (5000K) kelvin temperature. This fixture can also be equipped with:
- Remote Battery Backup (CFL Only)
- Energy Star Rated
- Flicker Free (13W 27K GX23 Lamps Only)
- No Lamp
- Photocell (120 Volt Only)
- Philips Lamp
- Sylvania Lamp
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Comments or questions are welcome.


text: Mark Wilson, Getty Images [ Planned Parenthood Action Fund Launching "Women Are Watching" Bus Tour By WIBX August 17, 2012 Syracuse, NY (WIBX) - Planned Parenthood is going on a multi-state road trip. Read More Category: Events, Health, National News, New York News, Political, Utica-Rome News Tags: 11 state tour, 20 stops, 2012 vote, against mitt romney's policies, birth control, bus tour, contraception, jordan fitzgerald, planned parenthood, planned parenthood action fund, presidential election, women are watching, women's health issues Send to a friend! Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Pin it! Reddit This! Share on Tumblr!


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National Rentals, SHARWay
Whether you are just starting out or steadily improving, SHAR is committed to helping you achieve the highest possible musical goals.
A Silent Violin?
Aren't violins made to be heard? Why would you want a silent violin? We explore the advantages.
Traveling with your Cello
Traveling with your instrument can be tricky, especially if you play cello. Read our tips.


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Drenched Brisbane faces drinking water crisisNick Ralston
Published: January 30 2013 - 3:00AM
THE devastation caused by ex-cyclone Oswald in Queensland and northern New South Wales will continue for days, with thousands of homes inundated, entire communities isolated and the possibility that Brisbane could run out of drinking water.
Four people have died in the disaster, all in Queensland, with the latest victim a three-year-old boy who was hit by a falling gum tree while watching floodwaters in Brisbane. His 34-year-old pregnant mother remained in a critical condition in hospital on Tuesday night with several broken bones and severe head injuries.
Meanwhile, 130 patients at Bundaberg Hospital in Queensland's north had to be airlifted to Brisbane by the Australian Defence Force, as the city suffered its worst ever flood.
Four helicopters and several civilian choppers also performed more than 1000 air rescues, lifting stranded residents off roofs in North Bundaberg.
And while the rain has eased, the immediate danger has not subsided.
Residents of Maclean were on Tuesday night ordered to evacuate before floodwaters from the Clarence River peak in the northern NSW town.
''Remaining in flooded areas is dangerous and may place your life at risk,'' the State Emergency Service warning said.
The latest threat came only hours after the neighbouring town of Grafton narrowly escaped widespread disaster when floodwaters peaked just two centimetres below the town's levee wall.
More than 2000 residents had already been evacuated and another 7000 were put on notice before the raging Clarence River peaked at 8.08 metres - its highest mark in recorded history.
''This is a sight that has never been seen by white man,'' said Clarence Valley mayor Richie Williamson. ''The Clarence has never been recorded above 7.9 metres. It's an awesome spectacle.
''On Thursday and Friday we were nearly in drought conditions. Here we are on Tuesday morning talking about the biggest flood on the history books.''
Grafton locals said they were ''pretty used'' to the flood threat but conceded this time the sheer volume of water had residents on alert.
''It is something of a local attraction,'' local surveyor Lewis Fletcher said.
''It's all everyone talked about, especially at the local pub. The locals there were going down the riverbank and coming back giving an hour by hour update to the other guy sitting there having a beer.''
It was a combination of ''good planning'' and a ''fair bit of luck'' that ensured most of Grafton was spared, Mr Fletcher said.
''Now the rain will start to evaporate and we will get stuck with all the lovely smelling flood mud that Grafton gets,'' he said. ''It will smell like a sewer for the next couple of days.''
Ten local government areas hit by flooding in northern NSW have been declared natural disaster areas, allowing relief funds to flow to assist in recovery.
The joint funding from the state and federal governments will be available in Ballina, Bellingen, Byron, Tweed and Nambucca shires, the Clarence Valley, Coffs Harbour City, Kyogle, Lismore City and Richmond Valley.
SES spokesman Phil Campbell said floodwaters had isolated more than 41,000 people across the state, including 18,000 in the Tweed Valley.
In Queensland, Ipswich and Brisbane escaped widespread destruction when floodwaters peaked at lower than forecast levels.
It saved Brisbane up to $100 million on its cleaning bill, but in a cruel twist of fate the city was last night at risk of running out of drinking water.
Residents were being urged to adopt drought-style water saving measures after a treatment plant was forced to close because of turbidity caused by the flood.
With BRISBANE TIMES and AAP
This story was found at: http://www.theage.com.au/national/drenched-brisbane-faces-drinking-water-crisis-20130129-2dizy.html


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Big frame dooms Eovaldi in Marlins' loss
Righty allows six runs -- five in fourth -- in 3 1/3; Miami stifled until 9th
ANAHEIM -- Avoiding the big inning has been an issue of late for Nathan Eovaldi. It plagued the Marlins' right-hander once again on Tuesday night.
The big damage off Eovaldi came in a five-run fourth inning that propelled the Angels to an 8-2 victory over the Marlins at Angel Stadium of Anaheim.
Eovaldi was charged with six runs on 10 hits in 3 1/3 innings, his shortest stint of the season.
"Extremely discouraging," said Eovaldi, who fell to 6-9 on the season. "Really frustrating. I'm just going through a rough little rut right now. Keep grinding and work through it."
Mike Trout had three hits and an RBI, and Albert Pujols added three hits and two RBIs for the Angels, who rebounded after the Marlins took Monday's opener, 7-1.
Eovaldi has won just one of his last seven decisions, and Miami is counting on him down the stretch.
"To be able to win games at the big league level, you've got to be able to pitch," manager Mike Redmond said. "He's got a great arm, but eventually you've got to start executing some pitches and stay away from contact and big innings. That's what has been tough for him."
Boosted by an early lead, Angels right-hander Matt Shoemaker cruised through seven shutout innings, allowing just two hits while striking out six.
"He was good," Redmond said of the Angels' right-hander. "He was able to throw some breaking balls. He's got a nice split-finger. He's good. He's got good stuff. He pitched really well."
The Marlins didn't have a runner reach as far as second base until the eighth inning. Jarrod Saltalamacchia's two-out RBI double in the ninth inning put Miami on the board, and Ed Lucas followed with an RBI single. The Marlins have gone 57 straight games without being shut out, the longest active streak in the Majors.
There is growing concern for Eovaldi, who is now 0-3 with a 7.54 ERA (12 earned runs in 14 1/3 innings) in his last three starts. The hard-throwing right-hander also has given up 27 hits in those starts.
"It's definitely concerning," Redmond said. "Three innings. It makes it tough to win a ballgame. We're in crunch time where every start is big and every one of these games is big. It's a missed opportunity for us. We've got to have guys step up and log those innings. It's a tough toll on our bullpen when we've got to eat up six innings."
A year ago, Eovaldi missed the first few months with a right shoulder injury. He ended up throwing 106 total innings in 2013. In 27 starts this year, Eovaldi has now logged 165 1/3 innings, but he insists he is fine physically.
"My arm feels great," the right-hander said. "I feel 100 percent right now. Probably the best I've felt in my career. No issues."
The fourth inning fell apart quickly. Erick Aybar walked to open the inning, but on a ball in the dirt, Aybar was thrown out trying to advance to second base.
From there, Eovaldi surrendered five straight hits, including an RBI single by Efren Navarro and an RBI double by Trout. Sam Dyson replaced Eovaldi, inheriting runners on second and third for Pujols, who slapped the first pitch into center field, bringing home two more runs.
"There were a few pitches that were located pretty well, and they fell for hits," Eovaldi said. "But there were pitches up in the zone or down the middle that they were getting hits on. They were swinging early on the fastball. Again, it's just being able to locate offspeed pitches to get them off fastballs."
Miami has now fallen to 65-66 on a night the National League East's leaders -- the Nationals and Braves -- both lost.
The first inning also has given Eovaldi trouble for most of the season. It was problematic again on Tuesday night.
Eovaldi struck out three in the inning, but he also allowed three singles, which led to the Angels taking an early lead.
Trout, hitless in four at-bats on Monday, singled to right to get the rally started. He moved to third on Pujols' single to center. With runners at the corners and two outs, Howie Kendrick's run-scoring single to right put the Angels on the board.
Eovaldi has now allowed 17 earned runs in the first inning in 27 starts, bumping up his ERA in the inning to 5.67.
"He's leaving too many pitches up in the zone," Redmond said. "That's been going on for a few starts now. He's going to need to make an adjustment. Maybe throw inside a little more and keep guys off his fastball. His last couple of starts have been tough."
Joe Frisaro is a reporter for MLB.com. He writes a blog, called The Fish Pond. Follow him on Twitter @JoeFrisaro. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


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A visit to Purdue, a state university in the cornfields of Indiana almost three hours drive from Chicago, shows the strength in depth of the US academic system.
I'm just back from my third visit, courtesy of Purdue's imaginative Science Journalism Laureates programme. On each occasion I have been struck by the intellectual quality of the academic staff – faculty, as they are known in America – and the curiosity of the students.
For research as a whole, Purdue is not in the same league as Harvard or Stanford but in some fields it is world class. One is palaeoclimatology, the study of past climate and what it can tell us about the likely course of global warming in future.
Matt Huber left me fascinated but deeply depressed by his latest conclusions about the climate's response to rising and falling levels of carbon dioxide over the past 50m years. He and his Purdue colleagues have discovered that climate is more sensitive to CO2 than previously suspected – which is of course extremely bad news for efforts to control manmade global warming. I'll use his insights soon for an FT article on climate history.
Another Purdue scientist with thought-provoking views is David Waters. He showed us how misguided some of the big clinical trials of vitamins and nutritional supplements have been – particularly the $175m US trial to see whether selenium pills can cut men's risk of prostate cancer, which was stopped last year because it was, if anything, increasing the incidence of disease.
The problem, according to Waters, was that the trial took all comers in the chosen age group, rather than focussing on those – a minority in the US – who are actually deficient in selenium. From that base he built a devastating critique of the "either-or-ness" of public health medicine, and the search for things that are "good for you".
Part of the rationale for the laureates programme is to interact with Purdue people – and part to discuss issues in science journalism. This year's set-piece theme was "science journalism in the age of Twitter" in the form of what Americans call a "town hall meeting" with Purdue staff.
Each of the 12 journalists present had to kick off proceedings with a 100-word statement. One managed to do so within the 140-character (about 25 words) Twitter limit.
Opinions about the future of science journalism varied from optimism through "we've seen it all before" to utter gloom.


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Beginning on Sept. 7, 12 drivers will compete in the five-race (Desafío) battle to decide the 2014 NASCAR Mexico Toyota Series champion.
Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series regular Kyle Busch, driving the No. 46 Banfield Pet Hospital Toyota Tundra, won the Keystone Light Pole Award for the UNOH 200 with a lap of 129.413 mph.
Patrick Emerling scored his third career NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour pole on Wednesday afternoon at Bristol Motor Speedway. Emerling posted a time of 14.517 seconds (132.176 mph) in Coors Light Pole Qualifying and will start from the top spot in the Bush's Beans 150.
Ryan Preece (No. 6 TS Hauler/Hoosier Tire of Calverton Chevrolet) has won the last two NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour races at Stafford and Thompson.
Dave Sapienza (No. 36 Sapienza Enterprise Chevrolet) has three top fives and eight top 10s in 40 career NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour starts.
Alex Tagliani (No. 18 Lowe's Canada/EpiPen/St.Hubert Dodge) has six wins, eight poles and 21 top fives, 34 top 10s in 54 career NASCAR Pinty Series starts.
Chase Dowling (No. 11 Dunleavy Truck and Trailer Repair Chevrolet) enters the race paired with Rob Fuller and Eddie Harvey.
Andrew Ranger (No. 27 Mopar/Pennzoil Dodge) the 2007 and 2009 champion is the series' all-time leader in wins at 22 and holds the record for the poles with 22. Has 56 top fives and 85 top 10s in 103 career NASCAR Pinty's Series starts.
Eric Goodale (No. 58 GAF Roofing Chevrolet) has two wins, 18 top fives and 60 top 10s in 127 career NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour starts.
Patrick Emerling is off to a good start as he gets set to make his third NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour start of the season on Wednesday night at Bristol Motor Speedway.
Earlier this season, William Byron (No. 9 Axalta/ETAS Metal Roof & Wall Systems Chevrolet Camaro) finished 12th at Bristol Motor Speedway.
Rowan Pennink (No. 3 Cape Cod Copper Chevrolet) has three wins, 31 top fives and 74 top 10s in 150 career NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour starts.


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William J Sharpe
18 Sept 1953 — Terre Haute, Indiana
William Sharpe, Succumes
William Sharpe, Terre Haute, Ind., died Sept 18. He was the father of Hope Knirsch, Martha Davis Stewart, and the late Vivian of Blue Island; Dorothy Bremmer and Louis W., of New York. alos surviving are the widow, France, a son Lt. William, U.S.N. of Terre Haute. brother and sister, Anna William and Alfred of Sioux City, Iowa. Lucille Bremmer, Emma Robinson, Susan Coleman of Burbank, California; Stewart of Belmont, South Dakota; John of Craig.
There are 11 grandchildren and eight great grandchildren.


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|Searching for Mr. Snaggletooth
Five anglers go on a mission to find the gamest shark on the planet.
By Capt. Patrick Sciacca — October 2002
When anglers head offshore to fish for sharks, the target is most often the mako, a.k.a. Mr. Snaggletooth. The cobalt-blue body and pointy nose of this apex predator are unmistakable, as are the gnarly teeth that assure whatever enters its mouth does not leave.
In addition, this fish is the consummate acrobat, able to leap and twist its torpedo-like body ten, 15, even 20 feet out of the water. This pelagic has even been known to launch itself into a cockpit or two, usually leaving the startled crew scurrying up to the safety of the flying bridge or diving headlong into the cabin until the fish is worn out. Of course, the mako never seems to tire until it has destroyed a good portion of expensive gear on deck with its thrashing about. I've even heard a story of a long-liner crew that watched a hooked mako leap into the boat, get caught in the lines onboard, and stand upright on its tail trying to get free. This bad boy is reported to have chomped at the crew for almost 90 seconds before it hit the deck.
In spite of these risks, the mako is a desirable catch for offshore anglers. It's simply the best at what it does (and it's also quite tasty). During the early summer and fall, these impressive works of nature cruise offshore the Northeast following schools of bluefish, and as often as I can, I head to the deep blue to do battle with them. Sometimes we meet, and sometimes we don't. But either way these trips offshore are always memorable. It may be because there was--or wasn't--a flat ocean that day or because of the fish stories told by my fellow anglers onboard, stories that grow with each telling like Pinocchio's nose. And it always makes my day to see a rookie angler's face when a shark's dark shadow first becomes visible in the chum slick.
On a late-June trip aboard Blinky II, a 33-foot Grady-White Express berthed in Freeport, New York, all of the above made this day one of the best I've had offshore in a long while. First, I had the chance to fish with a PMY reader and newfound friend, Thomas D'Angelo, and his hard-core crew of Greg Blanchard and Dave Nockler. These guys know their stuff and work with the kind of precision that only seasons together can teach. Second, I also got to show a rookie the ropes and give her some insight of what Toothy is like in his own backyard. The rookie was former PMY art director Sara Hylan, who'd been asking me about fishing for shark for more than a year. The timing was right, and besides, Hylan could also fill in as the photographer I needed to document the story.
Next page > Snaggletooth, Part 2 > Page 1, 2, 3, 4
This article originally appeared in the January 2003 issue of Power & Motoryacht magazine.


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LABOR powerbroker Eddie Obeid arranged private meetings with the former state treasurer Michael Costa to advance the business interests of a health company secretly owned by his family.
Direct Health Solutions, which secured hundreds of thousands of dollars in government contracts, operates a sick-leave system designed to reduce absenteeism.
Mr Obeid denied to an Independent Commission Against Corruption inquiry this week that he lobbied a minister to further his family's financial interests concerning a $200 million development at Lake Cathie and restaurants at Circular Quay.
But a Herald investigation has established that Mr Obeid did promote DHS to the then finance minister Mr Costa.
''Eddie Obeid asked me to see representatives of the company,'' Mr Costa confirmed, adding that Mr Obeid failed to declare his family's interest in the venture. ''He told me [DHS] had a good operational system that may be useful for the NSW context.''
Mr Obeid told Fairfax Media: ''I have got nothing to do with it.'' He also said he had no recollection of the Costa meeting.
When pressed about his family's involvement, Mr Obeid said: ''That is up to them. Speak to them.'' But the father of nine declined to nominate which family member to contact, saying: ''I have got a number of people that work in the family business.''
For several years DHS operated from the offices of the Obeids' business headquarters at Birkenhead Point.
A director until recently was Rocco Triulcio, who featured at this week's ICAC inquiry into a Honda CRV which the Obeids arranged for the former roads minister Eric Roozendaal at a $10,000 discount. Mr Triulcio will give more evidence after Monday when ICAC opens its next inquiry.
The Triulcios and the Obeids have done millions of dollars worth of business together during the past 20 years. ''The way we usually see it is their problem is our problem and our problem is their problem, and that's the way we treat each other,'' Mr Obeid's son Paul told ICAC.
On Thursday, the managing director of DHS, Paul Dundon, told Fairfax Media he had never met the Obeids. But on Friday he made a dramatic reversal, conceding he met Paul Obeid at the family's Birkenhead Point headquarters to set up the company.
''I had a few meetings with Paul Obeid, pitching the business to him and Rocco [Triulcio],'' he said. Asked what Paul Obeid said at the meeting, Mr Dundon said: ''He would have said he had some connections. It was a bit smoke and mirrors.'' But pressed, Mr Dundon accepted he knew at the time that Paul's father was Eddie Obeid.
DHS's original director was Paul Maroon, who runs another Obeid front company responsible for three waterfront cafes at Circular Quay.
''They are using my name because they don't want to use the Obeid name,'' Mr Maroon previously told an associate regarding DHS.
In 2005, when DHS pitched its services to Mr Costa, its sole shareholder was Equitexx Pty Ltd. Court documents show Equitexx was the Obeids' trustee company which distributed tens of millions of dollars in profits hidden in the Obeid family trusts. Equitexx transferred its shareholding in DHS to the Triulcios in late September 2005.
Despite two meetings with Mr Costa, the DHS pitch was unsuccessful. In 2006 Treasury finally recommended that DHS be told the department ''would not be a suitable agency to trial your services''.
But Mr Costa's aide, Kelli Field, a former policy adviser to Mr Obeid and the wife of the former Labor senator Mark Arbib, wrote in the margin of the draft Treasury rejection letter: ''Noted. Letter not to be sent. K Field.''
Between 2005 and 2008, DHS was paid $150,000 by the Education Department, $30,000 for a 15-day consultancy to the NSW Police, and almost $34,000 by Corrective Services.
The company also received $170,000 from Ryde Council without going to tender.
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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 14/2/2013 (1650 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
The Winnipeg Blue Bombers will likely begin the 2013 CFL season without one of their most valuable defensive players -- linebacker Marcellus Bowman.
But it won't be, as many Bombers fans feared, because Winnipeg lost Bowman to the CFL free-agency period that begins today.
The biggest news to come out of a teleconference call Thursday afternoon between Bombers GM Joe Mack and the local media was that Bowman had what was described as "major knee surgery" just last Thursday and now faces "months and months" of recovery and rehabilitation.
Bowman was due to become a free agent today, and it was widely thought he would attract significant interest across the CFL if the Bombers were unable to first lock him down.
But with Bowman's future now so uncertain, what sounds like a courtesy contract Mack has offered Bowman will likely be Bowman's only offer.
"I've had a conversation with his agent, and in deference to the fact that Marcellus has been such a good player and such a good person, I am willing to do something from a contract standpoint to keep him on the team... The tough thing for all of us is the procedure he had, it could be a fairly lengthy rehab process. And I'm talking months and months.
"So the fact I reached out to Marcellus, to be quite frank, is really in deference to what he's done for us in the past and just to make him feel part of the team. Because right now, it'd probably be problematic that he'd even be ready by training camp."
Mack said it's not entirely clear when Bowman suffered the knee injury and he declined to discuss the specifics of it, citing privacy concerns for Bowman.
Mack said he was hopeful linebacker Terrell Parker, who was on the Bombers roster last season and saw limited action, could step up and assume Bowman's role at weak-side linebacker.
"But aside from that, we'll likely be aggressive and try and find some free agents, probably in the States, to come up and compete," Mack said.
The good news for Bombers fans Thursday was that a couple of other potential Winnipeg free agents today -- import defensive lineman Bryant Turner and import slotback Clarence Denmark -- have decided to remain with the Bombers.
Mack said Turner agreed to a new deal earlier Thursday and a new deal with Denmark was imminent.
The GM said non-import defensive lineman Fernand Kashama and import cornerback Deon Beasley remain unsigned and will be exploring free-agent waters as of today.
The only other potential Bombers free agent is Jason Vega, who has signed a deal with the NFL's New England Patriots, as reported weeks ago.
With Vega gone and Kashama potentially gone, Mack was asked about the state of his defensive line.
"Obviously it hurts losing Jason, and we'll see what happens with Kashama, but we still have Alex Hall, Bryant Turner, Andre Carroll, JT Gilmore, Kenny Mainor, Youri Yenga, so I think we're still in pretty good (shape). But you're always looking to upgrade that."
Mack said he doesn't see a lot of defensive-line help becoming available in CFL free agency, and he will most likely be looking south for prospects.
Mack told reporters he had targeted five potential CFL free agents this winter, but all five have since signed contracts.
He refused to name names, but one of those potential free agents was obviously quarterback Mike Reilly, who signed with Edmonton last month after being traded by BC.
Winnipeg was also interested in Edmonton import defensive lineman Marcus Howard, who re-signed with the Eskimos last month, and Montreal's non-import offensive tackle Jeff Perett, who re-signed with the Als just this week.
Mack sounded lukewarm to the prospects that do remain in the CFL free agency that begins Friday, none of whom include proven quarterbacks -- the Bombers' most dire need.
"I don't see anyone who would be on the same plateau as those other five players (Winnipeg targeted)," he said.
"I think there were five players who we thought could contribute right away. I don't think, from what we see right now sitting here today, that there's anybody we feel definitively (who becomes available Friday) would upgrade us."
He was asked for an assessment of Winnipeg's uncertain quarterback situation and said the club is assessing some American talent.
"There are some quarterbacks that we're aware of that are on our neg list that we've had conversations with, and they could be a factor moving forward."
Blue's free-agent list short
It will be slim pickings in Winnipeg for other CFL teams today when the CFL free-agency period begins.
With Thursday's announcement by Blue Bombers GM Joe Mack that he has signed import defensive lineman Bryant Turner to a new deal and has another deal imminent with import slotback Clarence Denmark, the Bombers have just four players that will become free agents today.
One of those four, import defensive lineman Jason Vega, long ago agreed to a contract with the NFL's New England Patriots, and another, import linebacker Marcellus Bowman, had major knee surgery last week and his immediate playing future is very much in doubt.
That leaves just non-import defensive lineman Fernand Kashama and import defensive back Deon Beasley for other suitors to court. Kashama's most valuable asset is his Canadian passport, but Winnipeg was unwilling to pay a premium for it on a club that went with an all-American defensive line last year and intends to do so this year. He might attract interest elsewhere, however.
Beasley became expendable in a deep Bombers secondary last season and was frequent a healthy scratch.
Who's coming loose today
The consensus around the CFL is that this year's pool of free agents is a trifle shallow.
While a couple of monster names jump off the page in B.C., where linebacker Solomon Elimimian and offensive lineman Jovan Olafioye become free agents today, both men are much more interested in playing in the NFL and will likely end up right back in B.C. if those forays don't work out.
In Saskatchewan, rush end and former Bomber Odell Willis will become a free agent today. Willis has said he'd like to test the NFL, but if that doesn't work out, he could end up back in the CFL on just about any team except Winnipeg's, where head coach Tim Burke is not a big fan.
Here's a sampling of some other interesting names expected to become free agents today, by position:
Running backs
Chad Kackert, Toronto
Brandon Whitaker, Montreal
Marcus Henry, Edmonton
Maurice Mann, Toronto
Offensive linemen
Jon Hameister-Ries, B.C. (non-import)
Dylan Steenbergen, Edmonton (non-import)
Defensive backs
Dwight Anderson, Montreal
Cauchy Muamba, B.C. (non-import)
Tyron Brackenridge, Saskatchewan
Shomari Williams, Saskatchewan (non-import)
Defensive linemen
Ricky Foley, Toronto (non-import)
Julius Williams, Edmonton


text: Viewing Favorites - 4 of 8 Paris Hilton Responds to McCain Ad An ad for The Paris Hilton Presidential Campaign. Paid for by Funny Or Die. Paris HiltonAdam "Ghost Panther" McKay August 05, 2008 11m Views More Info Full Credits Paris Hilton Uploader Adam "Ghost Panther" McKay Writer Chris Henchy Producer Jake Szymanski Director Funny Or Die Politics Uploader Hall of Fame Channel Additional Credits Starring Paris Hilton, Written by Adam McKay, Produced by Chris Henchy, Directed by Jake Szymanski. Featuring Tinkerbell. Stats & Data 25,094Funny18,634Die 10,832,165 Views August 05, 2008 Published Category Clean Comedy Politics Parody Tags Paris Hilton Paris Hilton Responds to McCain Ad presidential election Adam McKay Chris Henchy John McCain Barack Obama McCain Ad Political ad Paris Hilton for president Paris Hilton BFF Paris hilton video Transcript Male Voice: (whispers) Exclusive. [music] [crowd cheers] Male Voice: He's the oldest celebrity in the world, Male Voice: like, super old. Male Voice: Old enough to remember when dancing was a sin. Male Voice: And beer was served in a bucket. Male Voice: But is he ready to lead? [patriotic music plays] Paris Hilton: Hey America, I'm Paris Hilton and I'm a celebrity too. Paris Hilton: Only, I'm not from the olden days, Paris Hilton: and I'm not promising change like that other guy. Paris Hilton: I'm just hot. Paris Hilton: But then that wrinkly, white haired guy used me in his campaign ad, Paris Hilton: which I guess means I'm running for President. Paris Hilton: So thanks for the endorsement white haired dude, Paris Hilton: and I want America to know that I'm like totally ready to lead. Paris Hilton: And now I want to present my energy policy for America. Paris Hilton: Just as soon as I finish reading this article on where Paris Hilton: I can fly to, to get the best tan. Paris Hilton: Oh, Maui, loves it. Paris Hilton: Okay, so here's my energy policy. Paris Hilton: Barack wants to focus on new technologies to cut foreign oil dependency, Paris Hilton: and McCain wants offshore drilling. Paris Hilton: Well, why don't we do a hybrid of both candidates' ideas? Paris Hilton: We can do limited offshore drilling with strict environmental Paris Hilton: oversight while creating tax incentives to get Detroit making Paris Hilton: hybrid and electric cars. Paris Hilton: that way the offshore drilling carries us until the new Paris Hilton: technologies kick in which will then create new jobs and energy independence. Paris Hilton: Energy crisis solved. Paris Hilton: I'll see you at the debates bitches. Paris Hilton: Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go pick out a Vice President. Paris Hilton: I'm thinking Rihanna. I'll see you at the White House. Paris Hilton: Oh, and I might paint it pink. Paris Hilton: I hope that's cool with you guys. Paris Hilton: Bye. Paris Hilton: (Voiceover) I'm Paris Hilton and I approve this message because I think it's totally hot. Up Next: I'm Fu$*ing Obama AUTOPLAY Up Next In: 10 I'm Fu$*ing Obama "I'm F*$king Ben Affleck" by Jimmy Kimmel The Tutors of 826 LA Unnecessary Censorship: Sesame Street Follow Browse Related Comments Favorites 8+ more View All ▶ Paris does Politics 2+ more View All ▶ Politics 770+ more View All ▶ Hall of Fame 220+ more View All ▶ Videos Recommended by FOD Staff 5+ more View All ▶ Paris Hilton 60+ more View All ▶ Adam "Ghost Panther" McKay 10+ more View All ▶ Chris Henchy 80+ more View All ▶ Jake Szymanski 980+ more View All ▶ Funny Or Die Politics 220+ more View All ▶ Hall of Fame Vaguely Related Pics & Words Advertisement Tags: Paris Hilton Paris Hilton Responds to McCain Ad presidential election Adam McKay Chris Henchy Paris Hilton Adam "Ghost Panther" McKay Hall of Fame Advertisement


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SAINT LEO, Fla. – Tonight's season-opening men's and women's games will signal the start of the Lions' newest partnership with Stretch Internet as the Lions' Game Central Portal debuts out at University Field.
Fans can access the portal here – http://client.stretchinternet.com/client/saintleo.portal#
Links will go live with Eddie 'The Eagle' Kenny approximately five minutes before kickoff of each game.
Stretch Internet is a familiar name to fans of the Lions as they helped launch the Saint Leo Lions AudioCast Network with audio-only broadcasts back in 2005. The original agreement allowed Saint Leo to expose a developing competitive product to a national audience through broadcasts using landline and cellular telephone technology. Since the original partnership, Stretch has expanded their offering into live video streaming featuring the Game Central portal, a place where Lions' fans can access any and all game information within a single, polished Saint Leo-branded interface complete with on-screen graphics.
As has been the case since the first broadcast in 2005, all video and audio streaming content will continue to be free of charge with added usability via mobile streaming to the Apple iOS platform - which includes iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad devices - and to Android and other mobile devices that support Flash. For the first time ever, archived versions of select sporting events will also be available, allowing DVR-style functionality to fans that can't watch or listen live.


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Frozen Cabbage BandLogic Grid puzzles come with a handy interactive grid that will help you solve the puzzle based on the given clues.
Five friends pooled their resources one day and pieced a CD together from songs they had written. They called their band Frozen Cabbage and ended up playing a number of live gigs at local events. Determine the full name of each band member, the instrument (or mixing console) each played, the brand of equipment each used, plus each member's favorite magazine.
1. Steve wasn't the sound engineer. One of the women enjoyed EQ magazine.
2. Angie and Steve didn't like Recording magazine. The bass player used Ibanez equipment.
3. Mr. Magnus didn't use Mackie equipment. Mark's last name wasn't Hydal and he didn't play the keyboard.
4. The sound engineer, whose last name wasn't Engel, enjoyed reading Mix magazine. The person who used Yamaha drums wasn't Robert, but their last name is Hydal.
5. The five band members (in no particular order) were: Mark Scott, the female bass player, the person who read Musician, the one who used Peavey equipment, and Robert.
6. Shelley's last name was not Hydal or McArthur, and she didn't use Roland equipment. Mackie only developed equipment for live sound and recording, not musical instruments.
7. Steve McArthur was the guitarist.
AnswerAngie Hydal, drums, Yamaha, Musician
Mark Scott, sound, Mackie, Mix
Robert Magnus, keyboard, Roland, Recording
Shelley Engel, bass, Ibanez, EQ
Steve McArthur, guitar, Peavey, Home Recording
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Tell us about Corner Taco.
We call our cuisine "semi swanky street food." Our specialty is hand crafted tacos using corn tortillas made in the authentic Oaxacan style. We make our corn tortillas fresh every day using a custom made corn tortilla machine. There are only two in Florida - one at Epcot, and ours. It really gives us a taste advantage and authenticity edge.
How does the machine affect the taste?
It means we can make our tortillas without preservatives. Corn tortillas mold after a short period of time, which is why store bought tortillas or even traditional Mexican grocery store tortillas, need to add preservatives if they want their tortillas to last a few days. The only things we use are preservative free pure Maseca corn flour, warm water, kosher salt, and extra virgin olive oil. That's it. It creates a brighter, popcorn type of flavor.
Shrimp taco
What is the overall concept for the food at Corner Taco?
It's a riff on authentic Mexican tacos. I say it's fusion, although I'm not sure I like that moniker. I used to cook in 5-star hotels and got tired of the formality and the pretense. So, my training is in classical French but I also worked at Nobu under a Japanese chef who does a lot of fusion, Japanese/Peruvian type of stuff, but I really just wanted to cook food I like. And the idea is that a taco is so informal and unpretentious that you can do just about anything and people won't take you too seriously. If you go to a fine dining restaurant and pay $25 a plate people will have certain expectations and it's often hard to exceed those expectations. Whereas with a $4-$5 taco people don't necessarily have the same preconceived notions and you can do almost anything and have it be unpretentious.
Can you tell us about the style of tacos you have?
A lot of people, when they think of a taco, think of Tex-Mex style tacos with a lot of sour cream, lettuce and fillers. That's not our style. We use a little bit of shredded cabbage and cilantro, but otherwise we're striving for clean, interesting flavors, without fillers. If people come with an open mind and give our style of tacos a try, I think they'll like them.
Making fresh tortillas
Is your menu strictly tacos or do you have other things?
We've become pretty well known for our salads. I have a small specialty foods company called Corner Natural Foods that produces fresh thyme vinaigrette. It's available on Amazon and stocked at some local stores like Fresh Market, Native Sun and Grassroots. We use it on all our salads and to marinate all our meat and seafood. In addition to tacos and salads we also do all natural nachos with brie and white cheddar. They're made like a fondue and quite a few folks order them.
More mouth watering photos and the rest of the interview here.
Beef slices taco
More mouth watering photos and the rest of the interview here.
Copyright 2013 by MetroJacksonville.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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California voters may have just handed Democrats unbridled control over taxes as well as policy, but party leaders from Gov. Jerry Brown on down immediately pledged to exercise restraint.
Although final tallies are not official, it appears Democrats will hold at least a two-thirds supermajority in both the Assembly and Senate.
That gives them the ability to pass taxes and fees, and place initiatives — such as same-sex marriage and bonds — on the ballot without securing a single Republican vote.
Still, achieving a two-thirds vote won't be easy and will take a while. Some Democrats could steer clear of taxes and other controversial issues. Plus, a revolving game of political chairs, one involving San Diego's Juan Vargas and potentially Ben Hueso, could keep Democrats from having an actual two-thirds majority until the summer. But that's when the budget and taxes are decided.
Brown told reporters Wednesday that he has no intention of foisting more general taxes on Californians given their approval of his Proposition 30 to raise the state sales tax a quarter cent and hike incomes on the wealthy. Separately, voters approved Proposition 39 that will generate $1 billion by closing a tax loophole used by out-of-state corporations.
"The only way to raise a tax is to ask the people," Brown said Wednesday, sticking to what has become his mantra. Later, asked about using his veto power on tax bills, Brown said, "We're not in the threat game here. We've got enough money — if we spend it wisely — to get from here to the next election."
Assemblyman Marty Block, a San Diego Democrat who was elected to the Senate Tuesday, doubts lawmakers will rush to raise more revenue. If they do, there will be repercussions at the polls in 2014, he warned.
"If we willy-nilly start using our two-thirds power to tax people and raise fees and drive business out it will be only two years of a two-thirds majority," he said.
Rocky Chavez, a Republican former Oceanside Councilman just elected to the Assembly, said he hopes Democrats will focus attention on solving bigger issues.
"Anybody in a leadership role has to consider what Californians want. They want jobs. They want the economy to do better. They want to make sure they have a future for their children," he said.
But Chavez said Republicans also need to be introspective on why Democrats achieved a supermajority.
"Right now it's time for the party to reflect and figure out how to relate to voters in California," he said. "In that process we need to learn how to work with the Democratic supermajority."
Democrats won't achieve the numbers immediately because two state senators, including Vargas, were elected to Congress, leaving vacancies in Democratic districts that will take time to fill. On the Assembly side, San Diego's Ben Hueso, who was just re-elected, could very well run and win Vargas' seat. That, in turn, would leave the assembly short of the two-thirds until budget time.
Senate President Pro Tempore Darrell Steinberg, D-Sacramento, signaled Wednesday that he will not push general tax increases.
However, he is interested in promoting initiatives that now require a two-thirds vote of both houses before going to voters. Among those: proposals to give local governments independent revenue raising authority to cope with new mandates and possibly another attempt at legalizing same-sex marriage, depending on what happens in federal court with Proposition 8, the voter-approved law that bans gay marriage in California.
The last time one party controlled a supermajority of votes in both houses was 1933.


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|This material is published under the OGL
|{{#arraymap: Conjuration|, |x|{{#set:School=x}}x}} ({{#arraymap: Creation, Healing|, |x|{{#set:Subschool=x}}x}})
|Spellcraft DC:
|Spellcraft DC::38
|0 ft.
|One constructed creature up to Medium (20 cu. ft.)
|Saving Throw:
|Spell Resistance:
|To Develop:
|360,000 gp; 8 days; 14,400 XP. Seeds: conjure (DC 21), life (DC 27), fortify (DC 17). Factors: +4 HD (5 hp per HD) (+20 DC), +6 to natural AC (+12 DC), add three more natural attacks (ad hoc +6 DC), add black cloud spell-like ability (+33 DC), add SR 19 (+15 DC), permanent (x5 DC). Mitigating factors: 50d6 backlash (–50 DC), increase casting time by 10 minutes (–20 DC), increase casting time by 100 days (–200 DC), burn 10,000 XP (–100 DC), eleven additional casters contributing 9th-level spell slots (–187 DC), ten additional casters contributing 8th-level spell slots (–150 DC), ten additional casters contributing 1st-level spell slots (–10 DC).
This spell creates a new creature: an achaierai. When first created, the achaierai is Medium, but it grows to Large size in 1d4 days. A created achaierai does not possess the treasure, culture, or specific knowledge of a normal achaierai. If released to be among its own kind, it quickly picks up achaierai traits and alignment.
XP Cost: 10,000 XP.
Back to Main Page → System Reference Document → Spells


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Bill Usher Jr (left) of Usher Transport Inc, National Tank Truck Carriers (NTTC) chairman, presents the 2008 Tank Truck Safety Director of the Year award to Lee Drury, Jack B Kelley Inc directory of safety. Drury was recognized for directing the safety operations that led to the company winning the NTTC 2008 Outstanding Performance Trophy sponsored by Heil Trailer International.
Neil Voorhees (left) of Trimac Transportation Inc presents a plaque to Sean McAllister of Carbon Express Inc in appreciation of McAllister's service as the National Tank Truck Carriers Safety Council chairman for the past year. Voorhees assumed the chairmanship at the council's annual meeting March 31-April 2 in Savannah GA.
The National Tank Truck Carriers Safety Council elected officers at its meeting in Savannah GA. From left are David Purvis of Ergon Trucking Inc, southern region; Neil Voorhees of Trimac Transportation Inc, council chairman; Andrew Woods of Bulk Transportation, western region; Becky Perlaky of Kenan Advantage Group, eastern region; and Dan Athmer of Commercial Transport Inc, central region.
Enjoying a light moment during the NTTC Safety Council meeting are (front row from left), Ronald Hawkins Jr, American Trucking Associations Road Team captain and driver for K-Limited Ltd; Nedal Krinas and John Spurling, also of K-Limited; and Curtis Waskey of R O Harrell Inc. Hawkins was a guest speaker at the meeting and discussed safety from the driver's perspective.
Speakers at the NTTC Safety Council meeting included (from left) Griff Odgers of Andrews Logistics Inc, Neil Voorhees of Trimac Transportation Inc, Steve Niswander of Groendyke Transport Inc, and Dave Debolt of the Cline Wood Agency. They discusses topics that included driver distractions, insurance issues, crash prevention, and avoiding stationary objects.
John Conley (from left), NTTC president; Steve Niswander of Groendyke Transport Inc, and James Simmons of the Federal Motor Carriers Safety Administration participated in the roundtable breakout sessions that covered various safety concerns, including rollovers and driver fatigue.
A mock incident using a mannequin to demonstrate fire hazards was presented at the meeting by Dan Bowen of DuPont, who discussed the company's research and development procedures for personal protection equipment.
Sponsored Introduction Continue on to (or wait seconds) ×


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The London Look
Designer Thakoon Panichgul, a fashion-industry insider's darling and CFDA award winner, is famous for his romantic detailing, innovative silhouettes, and modern tailoring. Pictured here at his desk at his SoHo headquarters just days before his spring 2011 show, the designer divulged his secrets for surviving New York Fashion Week (spirulina, green juice with kale, and a good night's sleep), the design inspirations for his spring 2011 collection (fairies and tomboys), and what excites him most about the coming week ("the end!").
"This collection has a lot of whites and blues, and it is about lightness and angelic brightness," Thakoon says, "but the construction and details like braiding give it grounding." As for the inspiration, "one night I was looking on the Internet and I found a website that showed a jacket that a patient in a mental hospital had made from his mattress. I started to think about incorporating mattress ticking into my collection, but I wanted to make sure to keep a feeling of lightness and newness in the clothes, so I also incorporated a lot of sheer fabrics."
Left, two fabric samples from Thakoon's Spring collection.
Dominic Jones' Insect- and Reptile-Inspired Jewelry


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I have a category page that lists all the products in a category. In addition, there is a side-navigation menu with a list of say 100 sub-categories along with an item count, kind of like this example:
On my navigation script, I go through a PHP loop of each sub-category within Art and count all of the products within those sub-categories. I have it set up where it records the timestamp so it doesn't count every time the page is loaded, only updates once per hour. Otherwise it will display the count stored in the database instead (which is quicker). The problem now is I have 50,000 items and this counting method is starting to get a bit slow.
My count script is currently like this within the sub-category loop:
Category "Art" is parent categorylevel1, while a sub-category like "Paintings" is categorylevel2. I also allow members to list a product in 2 different categories (category1 and category2):
if ($timestamp > 1 hour...) { //loops through 100 sub-categories to count products in each subcategory and store count in database.
$sqlcount = "SELECT COUNT(*) as num FROM products WHERE (category1level2 = '$categorylevel2id' OR category2level2 = '$categorylevel2id')";
$result = mysql_fetch_array(mysql_query($sqlcount));
$count = $result['num'];
mysql_query("UPDATE categories SET count = '$count', timestamp = '$onehour' WHERE id = '$categorylevel2id'") or die(mysql_error());
Let me know if there is a better system. More efficient MySQL query? Cron Jobs?
i use a parent_id for each subcategory and in the product table i store the category_id for each product .now i have only to make a join query to retrieve the related record.its far better to perform a sql query instead of for loop .
Thanks for the tip. I also have the parent category ids for each sub category and the global category id of the entire category itself stored in my products table, so I'll try experimenting with this a bit.
Although, I'm not certain on how to retrieve a count of all of the products listed in each subcategory without having to do the loop?
Kind regards
I've tried doing something like this to get out of php looping mysql counting queries, but it still takes a long time:
$sql = "
SELECT categories.*,
SELECT count(*)
FROM products
WHERE (products.category1level2 = categories.level2id OR products.category2level2 = categories.level2id)
) AS productcount
FROM categories WHERE level1id = '$level1id'";
It works, looks simple, but it's taking just as long as it was before. Let me know if there is a way to improve this.
Well, I've come up with another method using JOIN with the categories and items table:
$sql = "
SELECT categories.*, COUNT(products.id) AS productcount
FROM categories
LEFT OUTER JOIN products ON (categories.level2id = products.cat1level2 OR categories.level2id = products.cat2level2)
WHERE level1id = '$level1id'
GROUP BY categories.level2id";
This is still taking just as long, up to 20-30 seconds for 100+ subcategories. Is this the way I'm supposed to be doing it or is there another way?
In addition, even if I do something like this to JOIN categories/products tables without counting (and without grouping), it still takes just as long. Some parent categories might hold 100 sub-categories but only have 2 products total within all sub-categories, and it STILL takes 20-30 seconds:
$sql = "
SELECT categories.*, products.id
FROM categories
LEFT OUTER JOIN products ON (categories.level2id = products.cat1level2 OR categories.level2id = products.cat2level2)
WHERE level1id = '$level1id'
please do a SHOW CREATE TABLE for each table, so that we can see the columns as well as the indexes
Here is my categories table with relevant columns:
CREATE TABLE categories ( id smallint(5) NOT NULL AUTO_INCREMENT, level1id smallint(5) unsigned NOT NULL, level2id smallint(5) unsigned NOT NULL, level3id smallint(5) unsigned NOT NULL, level4id smallint(5) unsigned NOT NULL, level5id smallint(5) unsigned NOT NULL, level6id smallint(5) unsigned NOT NULL, parent tinyint(1) NOT NULL, count int(8) NOT NULL, timestamp datetime NOT NULL, PRIMARY KEY (id)) ENGINE=MyISAM AUTO_INCREMENT=29048 DEFAULT CHARSET=utf8 ROW_FORMAT=COMPACT
Here is my products table with relevant columns:
CREATE TABLE items ( id int(8) NOT NULL AUTO_INCREMENT, global_cat_id smallint(5) NOT NULL, cat1level1 smallint(5) NOT NULL, cat1level2 smallint(5) NOT NULL, cat1level3 smallint(5) NOT NULL, cat1level4 smallint(5) NOT NULL, cat1level5 smallint(5) NOT NULL, cat1level6 smallint(5) NOT NULL, global_cat_id2 smallint(5) NOT NULL, cat2level1 smallint(5) NOT NULL, cat2level2 smallint(5) NOT NULL, cat2level3 smallint(5) NOT NULL, cat2level4 smallint(5) NOT NULL, cat2level5 smallint(5) NOT NULL, cat2level6 smallint(5) NOT NULL, PRIMARY KEY (id)) ENGINE=InnoDB AUTO_INCREMENT=20870 DEFAULT CHARSET=utf8
In categories table, the level1id is the parent category id of level2id, and level2id is the parent category id of level3id and so on up to 6 levels.
In the items table, cat1level1 is the parent category id of cat1level2 and so on. We also allow people to select a second category, which are 6 levels of "cat2level#". global_cat_id corresponds to the category "id" column, the actual id number of the category.
I hope this helps.
the immediate problem, poor execution time, is due to the absence of indexes on the join columns --
categories.level2id = products.cat1level2 OR categories.level2id = products.cat2level2
as well as the absence of an index on the filter column --
WHERE level1id = '$level1id'
but a deeper, more pernicious problem, is the structure of the tables in having a built-in hierarchy
please do some research on first normal form and then ask if you need further help
Thanks for the help, I've added the 18 relevant columns (the 6 in categories table and 12 from items table) into indexes, and it appears to be working much faster now. Hopefully it's the real thing and not a query from the cache.
Do you know how well the performance speed will be after there are millions of items in the item table?
ThanksKind regards
approximately the same
One last thing... Let's say my items table has a "live" column that is either 0 for not live (disabled) and 1 for live. Is there a way to count the items only when items.live = 1?
Here is what I got so far:
SELECT categories.*, COUNT(items.id) AS count1 FROM categories
LEFT OUTER JOIN items ON (categories.level2id = items.cat1level2 OR categories.level2id = items.cat2level2)
WHERE level1id = '$level1id'
GROUP BY categories.level2id
Like instead of "COUNT(items.id) AS count1" , do something like "COUNT(items.live = 1) AS count1" ?
I replaced "COUNT(items.id) AS count1" with: SUM(CASE WHEN items.live = '1' THEN 1 ELSE 0 END) AS count1 . In addition, I added items.live column to the index.
This seems to be working well, but I'm not sure if this is the proper way or if it will degrade performance later on when millions of items are added - since this is a SUM function instead of COUNT. I was going to use "COUNT(CASE WHEN items.live = '1' THEN 1 ELSE 0 END)", but all empty sub-categories were showing "1" item by default instead of "0".
Let me know what you think.
Seems like a lot of code bloat.
Enter the number of items in the DB once and then do +1 or -1 each time you add or remove an item.


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It's Official: Mariah and Nicki Leaving "American Idol"
As of now, "American Idol" remains the Keith Urban rodeo. Will it stay that way? Only time will tell. Thursday evening, it was confirmed that both Mariah Carey and Nicki Minaj will join Randy Jackson away from the judge's table. Carey confirmed via Twitter that she will not be returning to the competition. FOX, FremantleMedia…Details


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Store Locator
Wallaby Yogurt is available in natural & specialty food stores, co-op markets, and select supermarkets. It's also available nationwide at Whole Foods Market. Here at Wallaby, we try to keep our listing of store locations as up-to-date as possible. We recommend that if you are going out of your way to purchase Wallaby, that you call the store where you plan to purchase our product, to verify that it is available and in stock.


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Greer, SC – Firearms, ammunition, firearm parts and realist replicas of fire arms are prohibited in carry-on bags when traveling by air from any of the Nation's airports. Since January, at least one dozen Upstate travelers have already forgotten this rule and arrived at GSP bearing arms.
A look inside the evidence room at GSP International will reveal a couple of Smith & Wesson's, a Sterling .22, a Kel-Tec .380 and a number of other guns along with more than 100 rounds ammunition taken from ordinary citizens who were unaware that these items were tucked away inside their carry-ons.
GSP Police Chief Bobby Welborn warns that this simple act of forgetfulness could ruin a great vacation and wind up costing passengers thousands of dollars in fines. "If there is a gun in your bag, TSA will find it and the GSP Police will respond. Passengers are reminded to thoroughly check your bag before you pack your bag."


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Pupils, parents and staff from Holy Trinity Academy, Calne, will act as models when a fashion show is staged tomorrow to raise money for their school.
Friends of the school are organising the show with retailers M&Co and the The Gift Box, Calne, from 6.30pm to 8pm at John Bentley School, Calne. The evening, organised by Sally Giles and Katie Harflett, will include a choir, dancing and a raffle.
A spokesman for M & Co said: "The evening will begin with an exciting fashion show giving the audience the chance to view highlights from the M&Co spring/summer collection."
Tickets are £4 for adults or £3 for children and are available from Holy Trinity or on the door. Everyone who attends will get ten per cent off their next purchase from M&Co. All money raised goes to school funds.


text:
Call our experts: 888.808.FINE
Shop Personalized StationeryCarlson Craft Wedding Invitations Customize any Address Stamp to match your style!
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If you already have an account, please click here.
Otherwise, we invite you to create an account now.


text:
Originally written on Fox Sports | Last updated 8/27/14
Chad Dawson defeated Bernard Hopkins by a 12-round majority decision Saturday night to win the WBC light heavyweight title. The 29-year-old Dawson (31-1, 17 KOs) never let a deep cut near his left eye affect his methodical approach at taking out Hopkins. At 47, Hopkins (52-6-2) may have fought his last fight, though it seems impossible to count him out for another run at the belt. This rematch was no classic, but it was an improvement on their first bout in October in Los Angeles. Dawson had his TKO victory over Hopkins overturned and the decision was ruled a no-contest and the belt returned to the Philadelphia fighter. Dawson lifted Hopkins and tossed him to the canvas in that one. This time, Dawson was the victim of at least one accidental head-butt that busted open a cut near his left eye. He kept his composure and cranked up the pressure in the later rounds. No fighter has ever knocked out Hopkins and Dawson never came close. He didn't have to lay him out to win this one....
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Chris Jaffe of The Hardball Times has a new piece up, detailing his system for determining the best postseason series of all time. He uses a similar theory to Bill James' game score for pitchers, and the Mets placed two series in the top ten ever. At number 6, the 1986 NLCS. And at number one… the 1999 NLCS.
Color me surprised that the 1986 World Series didn't make the top 20, and that 1999 NLCS made it to number 1. But it makes sense, if the full series is analyzed.
The 1986 World Series had a close 1-0 pitchers' duel in Game 1, but it is easy to forget just how lopsided Games 2-5 were. Only Game 5's 4-2 Boston win looks close, and those watching remember it wasn't particularly eventful or suspenseful. Game 6 makes up for a lot- and Game 7 did feature the Mets coming back from an early 3-0 deficit- but up against all postseason series ever, I can see why it didn't make the cut.
Meanwhile, that 1999 series was just ridiculous. Writes Jaffe:
"What's really sets the 1999 NLCS series apart is how much late-inning drama it contained. Three times, a team tied the score in the eighth inning. Three times, a team took the lead in the eighth inning. Twice a contest went into extra innings. Both those contests ended in walk-off wins."
I was privileged enough to go to Game 4, a battle that saw the Mets lead 1-0 into the eighth inning, fall behind 2-1, then execute a double steal to help power a game-winning rally in a 3-2 win. I assumed that game would go down as one of the greatest in Mets history. Instead, it was the third-best game they'd play within 96 hours, thanks to the Grand Slam Single in Game 5 and the heartbreaking Kenny Rogers Walk in Game 6.
That Game 6 would be a regular on SNY if only it had ended differently. Al Leiter, remember, got bombed pitching on two days' rest. The Mets trailed 5-0, but rallied to 7-7 on a Piazza homer off of John Smoltz. The Mets lost two leads after that- one thanks to John Franco, the other by Armando Benitez- before Rogers came in and gave the series away.
There's a reason that 1999 team is so beloved by Mets fans. That postseason provided more excitement than nearly any other in team history, even in the team's elimination game.
And if history is any judge, that series stands up to any played by anyone.


text:
NEW YORK ( TheStreet) -- U.S. stock futures were suggesting Wall Street would open higher Tuesday ahead of a number of major earnings reports and after the Bank of Japan promised open-ended stimulus. European stocks were trading slightly lower. The Eurogroup said Monday that Netherlands Finance Minister Jeroen Dijsselbloem has been named its new president. Asian shares ended Tuesday's session mixed. Japan's Nikkei 225 index fell 0.4% to close at 10,709.93. Japan's central bank concluded a two-day policy meeting by setting a 2% inflation target and announcing open-ended asset purchases that will pump money into the financial system.
The economic calendar in the U.S. Tuesday includes the Chicago Fed national activity index at 8:30 a.m. EST, and existing-home sales for December at 10 a.m.
U.S. stocks on Friday ended mixed Friday as the benchmark S&P 500 worked its way up to a five-year high. The S&P 500 climbed 5 points, or 0.3%, to 1,486, bringing its gain to 0.95% for the week. The index reached its highest close since Dec. 26, 2007. The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed up 54 points, or 0.4%, to 13,650. The Nasdaq fell 1 point to close at 3,135. Stock markets were closed Monday in the U.S. in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
Google ( GOOG) reports after Tuesday's closing bell and analysts expect the search giant to post fourth-quarter earnings of $10.50 a share on revenue of $12.4 billion.
IBM ( IBM) is expected by Wall Street to report earnings of $5.25 a share in the fourth quarter on sales of $29.1 billion.
Verizon Communications ( VZ) is expected by analysts to post a profit of 50 cents a share on revenue of $29.83 billion in the fourth quarter.
DuPont ( DD) is expected by analysts Tuesday to post quarterly earnings of 7 cents a share.
Johnson & Johnson ( JNJ) is expected by Wall Street Tuesday to post fourth-quarter earnings of $1.17 a share on revenue of $17.67 billion.
Shares of Research In Motion ( RIMM) surged to a 13-month high on Monday in Toronto after CEO Thorsten Heins reportedly told a German newspaper the company could sell its handset business or license its software to rivals following the launch of its new BlackBerry 10 operating system.
Apple ( AAPL) reportedly plans three new smartphones this year. The first two are new iPhone models -- a 4-inch iPhone 5S device and a 4.8-inch device named iPhone Math. MarketWatch said the report surfaced originally in the Taiwan-based Commercial Times, then in the China Times.
-- Written by Joseph Woelfel >To contact the writer of this article, click here: Joseph Woelfel >To submit a news tip, send an email to: firstname.lastname@example.com.


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Dancers Use Their Shadows To Mesmerize Britain's Got Talent Judges [VIDEO]
It's time for a confession. I'm somewhat of a reality show addict. And since I've seen basically everything out there, it's hard to impress me. Recently though I found a video from a recent episode of Britain's Got Talent that left me absolutely speechless. It was one of the most artistic and beautiful things that I have ever seen.


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Topic: Agent Orange
Does anyone know about any connection to CC with Vietnam Agent Orange? I've noticed that many people who have this disease are around my husbands age (56). He was in Vietnam during the spraying of Agent Orange. Dioxin was a major component of Agent Orange. We understand that Dioxin exposure can be a cause of BDC. We are wondering if other Vietnam vets have this disease or if there is any research on this subject? Cathy


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IJesusChrist wrote:Animus, that was a bit cruel.
But I would like to give it a try! I will not succeed, I know this for sure...
I'll pick on you animus, for fun. You regret some things greatly, in the present, on a day to day basis. You pay too close attention to the internal, and don't experience enough of the external, your (amount) of friendships suffer. However with your few strong friends, they know you and accept you greatly. You aren't depressed, but you've seen the dark side of life, possibly a numbness that little others can describe other than yourself. You wish things to be different sometimes, when you aren't feeling the best. But that's long gone, right?! You're feeling better now!
You can only see in others what you see in yourself.
Mensa says: Jesus Christ you're smart! Animus could learn from you!


text:
The safety education offered in Kidz 'n Power is an incredible tool that helps ensure children stay out of harm's way, and gives them the techniques and confidence to escape a potentially dangerous situation. In partnership with AmberAlert.com, most WTTU/ATA/STF schools offer free Child Abduction Awareness and Self Defense seminars proven to help make kids safer!
Empower your kids today by calling your local Songahm Martial Arts school to inquire about enrollment in the next Kidz 'n Power seminar in your area.
Visit the Leadership NOW Kidz 'n Power page to learn more about the program and watch Sergeant Safety videos.


text:
Angel Pagan CF
Luis Castillo 2B
David Wright 3B
Jeff Francoeur RF
Fernando Tatis 1B
Nick Evans LF
Omir Santos C
Anderson Hernandez SS
Bobby Parnell (3-7, 5.25 ERA) P
True to his word, Jerry Manuel is sitting Carlos Beltran tonight. He had said that he'll probably sit Beltran at least once a week and even as much as once a series. That doesn't mean he won't be called in for pinch-hitting duties.
Parnell takes the mound, but he's going to have to pitch better than his predecessors in order for the Mets not to be swept at home for the first time by a National League team. The hot Marlins hitting crew has knocked four home runs in the first two games of the series. Can Parnell put out the fire or just stoke it more?


text:
STV implemented a master plan to reinvent Saugus High School as a cutting-edge educational facility. The firm designed several new buildings for the campus, including a laboratory and classroom building, an administration and library building and a food services building. STV's design provided for the installation of fiber-optic lines to each classroom and full ADA compliance for the entire 52-acre campus. Interior design services were also provided by the firm. Construction was phased to allow the 2,600-student high school to remain operational while work was completed.
download project sheet (719,992 KB PDF)


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15 Shameful Post-Breakup Confessions
I just admitted to the ladies here that my way of dealing with my recent breakup is to have out loud, imaginary conversations with him. Not like angry conversations, just very casual conversations. Example:
Me: Did you see the latest episode of "Kitchen Nightmares"? It's ridiculous.
Me: Yeah, I knew you'd enjoy it. Do you know Gordon Ramsay has a new show called "Hotel Hell"? I don't know how I missed it. It's soooo bad. You should check it out on Hulu … I went to yoga today.
Of course, I don't expect him to answer, I know he's not really there, I'm not insane, but I figure that having imaginary conversations with him is better than sending an impulsive "I miss you," text, which I'd surely regret. Imaginary conversations feel more constructive. I realize this is weird, but whatever, I'm owning it. I feel totally comfortable talking to myself. It beats eating chocolate in bed, crying and watching a "Cupcake Wars" marathon. (Those things are all normal post-breakup behaviors, by the way. So no judgement if that's how you're dealing.)
I asked everyone else I knew to share their most shameful post-breakup confessions, just so I'd feel less alone in my weirdness. Below. the strangest things people have done to cope with heartbreak. Human beings are so bizarre and wonderful, aren't we?
"There's an extremely good-looking billionaire that I know, and every time I break up with someone, I text him, sleep with him, then don't talk to him again until the next break up. He has heated toilet seats. I can't help myself."
"I made my brother sleep in my bed with me. That is right. I make him sleep in my bed. I have a king bed and we both stayed to our respective sides so it wasn't like we SPOONED or anything weird, but he did sleep in my bed."
"An ex of mine once gave me this really ridiculous menorah. Like a 2-foot-tall concept menorah. I grabbed it, ran outside, and chucked in it the trash. I actually felt really bad about it. It wasn't the menorah's fault."
"I broke up with my boyfriend then slept with a gay man regularly for three months."
"I reblogged deep quotes about love and life on Tumblr in hoped that he would see them."
"I didn't wash the sheets for two months so that I would still have his germs in my bed from the last time he spent the night."
"Breakup tattoos. Driving 16 hours straight through from Tennessee to Texas to get the fuck away from my ex. Having sex with a guy (I'm a lesbian). These are all things I've done."
"I purposefully strolled by a restaurant we went to on a date and went inside to feel the residual energy of 'us'."
"Right after my boyfriend and I broke up, I was sitting next to a gay man I know and found myself powerfully wanting to fuck him. This has never happened to me before. I've found gay men attractive, but have never been sexually attracted to any."
"I made strict rules for when I could cry (10 minutes before bed) and how long I was allowed to be sad about our breakup (90 days)."
"When I was home alone after getting dumped, I put all my pets in the room with me and closed the door so they couldn't leave."
"I like to stare at myself in the mirror while I cry about being heartbroken."
"I talk to my dog about my feelings and then she responds like my therapist, only my therapist that tells me what I want to hear."
"I listened to a song and imagined I was singing it to him and how he would react."
"I kept dating him 'as friends.'"
YOUR TURN! I won't judge. Promise.