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From Marc Jones at Reuters:
Eurozone central banks made a hefty €20bn in shared profits last year thanks to the interest they earned on the billions of euros of emergency loans given to the region's commercial banks. Read more
From Marc Jones at Reuters:
Eurozone central banks made a hefty €20bn in shared profits last year thanks to the interest they earned on the billions of euros of emergency loans given to the region's commercial banks. Read more
From tomorrow's paper:
The European Central Bank yesterday pressed ahead with the dismantling of emergency support for financial markets, unbowed by the crisis over Greece's public finances, even as it remained cautious on eurozone growth prospects. Read more
"Time has run out," Finance minister Steingrimur Sigfusson has told parliament. From Reuters:
Iceland's economic woes looked set to worsen as it headed for a "no" vote in a referendum on terms for repaying "Icesave" debts that have held up vital aid to the crisis-hit North Atlantic island nation. Read more
A hung parliament could be an opportunity for Britain. All parties agree that spending cuts lie ahead, but no party will want to be saddled with the attendant unpopularity. A coalition government could push through the obvious legislation, and then call another election.
But this week, sterling was sold heavily after polls suggested a hung parliament likelier than had been thought. Why? Apparently it is the fear that no clear majority would result in gridlock rather than co-operation, leaving deficits unaddressed. Read more
British economic commentary – even at the most respected levels - has got a nasty bout of "spurious precision disease". One that shows people are not thinking very carefully about the budgetary problems facing the country.
The disease is the obsession with talking about the "structural" or "underlying" budget deficit as if we have the faintest idea what it is. The two "official" structural budget deficit numbers – 9 per cent of national income for the overall deficit and 5.5 per cent of national income for the current deficit excluding net investment – are made up in the Treasury, based on its assumption of the permanent lost economic output. But the Treasury itself says this number, "remains subject to significant uncertainty".
As I will explain, the disease is serious and potentially dangerous. It is setting up incentives for just the sort of uncertainty and rule-bending that undermined the credibility of Gordon Brown and the 1998 fiscal framework. We should all resist this. Avoiding using spurious structural deficit numbers would be a good place to start.
Who has caught the disease? Read more
The $5bn sale of Greek bonds today has been oversubscribed by a factor of almost 3. The requested yield has tightened throughout the day, reflecting increasing demand. Actual details are expected at about 4.30pm London time.
Is this affordable, and is it fair? Greece has $15bn more financing to find over the next three months. The chart below shows comparative 10-year benchmark government bond yields for Portugal, Ireland, Spain and the UK. Portugal, in many ways a comparable economy to Greece, can raise 10-year debt for 1.8 percentage points less than Greece. Comments welcomed. More on ft.com. Read more
The central bank of the eurozone has kept the main refinancing rate at 1 per cent. The marginal lending facility and deposit facility remain at 1.75 and 0.25 per cent, respectively. There will be a video stream of the press conference at 2.30 CET. The bank is expected to make some comment on exit strategy.
The central bank of the United Kingdom has kept rates at 0.5 per cent, and chosen not to extend quantitative easing – although that is not ruled out in future. The stock of asset purchases therefore remains at £200bn. This is as expected.
The central bank of Malaysia has increased the overnight policy rate from 2 to 2.25 per cent, with the floor and ceiling rate trading band moved to 2 and 2.5 per cent. Kuala Lumpur had hinted heavily at the last rate meeting, at which rates were held. Recovery is thought to be entrenched now, with strong growth and improving internal and external demand. The Malaysian economy grew by 184bn ringgit ($54.6bn) in Q4, up 6.5 per cent on the previous quarter.
Backward-looking surveys of corporate investment are precisely the kind of tree that makes it hard see the wood when looking at economic data. The quarterly Ministry of Finance survey is important in Japan for one reason, however: it is the main source of revisions – sometimes very large revisions – to GDP estimates. The second estimate for Q4 2009 GDP in Japan is due out next week.
Take Q3 last year, for example. The initial estimate on November 16th was growth of 1.2 per cent on the previous quarter; about three weeks later that was revised down to 0.3 per cent. Read more
By David Oakley, capital markets correspondent
Athens will sell about $5bn today in the 10-year bond market. Market reaction – and pricing – of this deal will be key. Greece needs to raise about $20bn in the coming three months. The riskier the perception of debt, the higher the cost of borrowing. The four banks managing the deal are HSBC, Barclays, Nomura, National Bank of Greece and Piraeus Bank. Read more on ft.com.
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Money & Finance : Insurance
- Health Insurance (49)
- Home Insurance (14)
- Life Insurance (23)
- Motor Insurance (94)
- Travel Insurance (17)
41 - 50 of 77 entries.
Helpucover.co.uk Income ProtectionCover your financial outgoings with income protection insurance at Helpucover.http://www.helpucover.co.uk/product/income-protection/page/income-protection-cover/
Highhouse Insurance Services LimitedUK specialists in home, property, landlords and business insurance.http://www.highhouseinsurance.com
Hiscox Business InsuranceHiscox has a long history and expertise in providing business insurance, including professional indemnity, public liability and employers liability insurance.http://www.hiscox.co.uk/business-insurance/
Holiday Homes InsuranceProvides holiday home insurance for overseas property and also in the UK. Permanent residence and holiday home property insurance in Spain, France and Portugal via the UK.http://www.holiday-homes-insurance.eu
Insurance Agent ReferenceDirectory of local insurance agent listings in the United States.http://www.insuranceagentreference.com
Insurance BrokersLearn about the Aflac insurance products for brokers to sell to their clients to help build better benefits packages.http://www.aflac.com/brokers/default.aspx
Insurance Brokers Association of OntarioProvides search options to help people compare home or auto insurance.http://www.myinsuranceshopper.ca/
Insurance Flash - News, Rates and ReformFind the latest insurance news affecting the auto, life, annuity, medicare, and health insurance industries. Coverage includes company news, rate changes, industry trends, plus legislation and reform.http://www.insuranceflash.org/
Insurance GuideConsumers guide to travel, health, car, life, disability, and homeowners insurance.http://www.insurancesguide.org
Insurance QuotesCompare insurance quotes in the areas of auto, critical illness, motorcycle, travel, property and business. Save time and money by finding the lowest quotes.http://www.kanetix.ca

subset: commoncrawl


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NGFA Confirms New Speakers For Country Elevator Conference ... Dec. 8-10 ... St. Louis, MO
Date Posted: November 25, 2013
'Futures Market Customer Protection Rules and High-Frequency Trading'
From Dodd-Frank to MF Global to the advent of high-frequency trading in agricultural futures markets, times are changing for traditional hedgers.
Dan Berkovitz, Partner, WilmerHale, left the CFTC earlier this year after serving as the Commission's general counsel from 2009-2013.
Berkovitz will discuss recent Commission action on customer protection and to implement a new position limit/bona fide hedging regime; and he will shed light on the CFTC's recent "concept release" that could be the first step toward tighter regulation of high-frequency trading firms.
Ron Creamer, President and CEO, Geneva Trading, will present an enlightening view of the growing participation of proprietary trading firms - aka "high-frequency traders" - in agricultural futures markets.
How do HFT firms view ag futures markets, and what are their trading strategies?
What do they view as their contribution to markets, and how do they perceive their interaction with traditional market participants?
For anyone who has been concerned about HFT impacts, this is a "don't-miss-it" session.
In addition, the 42nd annual Country Elevator Conference & Trade Show agenda will feature:
• Farm Bill: Patrick Westhoff, Director Food and Agricultural Policy Research Institute
• Biofuels: Marty Ruikka, Principal, The ProExporter Network
• Economic Outlook: Terry Barr, Senior Director, Knowledge Exchange Group, CoBank
• Grain Quality: Robert Marlow, Regional Operations Manager, The Andersons
• Sustainability: Fred Luckey, Chairman, Field to Market -- The Alliance for Sustainable Agriculture
See the full agenda for more information, or:
Check out ngfa.org/cec13
Member-only Conference
Registration for this conference is limited to NGFA members only.
If you are not yet a member and would like more information, contact Todd Kemp at 202-289-0873.
If you have other questions, please contact Faith Silvers at 202-289-0873.
See Related Websites/Articles:
Grain News


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The story is set in the year 2017. The Ravagers — a vile alien race — are coming to Earth, and they have one thing on their minds: the complete destruction of mankind! In Earth Defense Force 2017, you are Earth's last line of defense. You'll be dropped into the shoes of a member of the Earth Defense Force. Your mission: stop the Ravagers from conquering Earth.
Developer: Sandlot
Publisher: D3Publisher
Genre: Third-person Shooter
Release date:
- Winter 2012 (or early 2013)
Edited by SynGamer, 24 October 2012 - 10:26 PM.


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Racial Reconciliation
Only Jesus Christ can destroy the racial dividing wall and create a new, unified community.
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The problem: the dividing wall
The dream: one new man
The solution: the cross of Jesus
Bryan Loritts is the Lead Pastor of Abundant Life Church in Silicon Valley, California and the editor of Letters to a Birmingham Jail (Moody Publishers, April 2014) .
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Related Products:
Beautiful Sterling Silver coins.
This set contains one each of the .857 oz 2 NIS Silver Proof and the .428 oz 1 NIS Prooflike coins, both in .925 fine Silver. These coins depict a roe deer with a blossoming field in the background from the Song of Songs 8:14 and are produced by the Holy Land Mint.
The 2 NIS coin has a mintage of 4,724 coins, and the 1 NIS coin has a mintage of 4,105 coins. No longer available from the Holy Land Mint, these beautiful coins come in a mint issued box.
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We provide all of our customers with a refund, return and / or exchange on everything we sell including all bullion and certified coins. If for any reason, you have a problem, please feel free to call us. We will always do our best to accommodate you.


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The ACT Brumbies are confident they can shake the kicking jitters after missed shots almost cost them victory in round one and Jake White admitted a last-minute coaching session affected his sharpshooters.
The Brumbies got their Super Rugby campaign off to a promising start by beating the Queensland Reds by 18 points on Saturday night.
And they are hopeful of a getting another boost on Monday if an ultrasound clears winger Henry Speight of a serious rib injury.
The team's attention switches to taking on the Melbourne Rebels at AAMI Park on Friday night with accuracy in front of goal the area it can improve on most.
Five missed penalties and a wayward conversion attempt could have jeopardised the Brumbies' chances of beating the Reds in the opening round.
White called in kicking guru Damien Hill to join the squad on game day and warm up the kickers at Canberra Stadium less than an hour before the season started.
It was the first time Hill had been with the Brumbies on a match day and White conceded ''it was too much info'' for his kickers.
Christian Lealiifano, Nic White, Jesse Mogg and Ian Prior all had chances to step up and take a shot.
Mogg - who scored two tries and nailed two crucial penalties - said the missed shots against the Reds would not haunt the Brumbies in Melbourne.
Mogg said the kicking duties would be handed back to Lealiifano to start the clash with the Rebels.
''We've got a pretty confident group of kickers and [Lealiifano] has kicked well in the trials so I guess it was just an off night,'' he said.
''We're all confident with the tee, but you don't want to be leaving points out there through missed penalties because they're crucial in a tight game.
''Hilly was there just to remind us of our process and personally I don't think he had anything to do with the missed goals and it helps having him there.''
Mogg started at fullback and scored the Brumbies' opening try of the season before finishing the game on the wing and snatching an intercept for the only another five-pointer of the match.
Mogg has made a remarkable transformation over the past 18 months. White plucked him from Wests in the club rugby ranks and has developed him to the point where he is now on the cusp of Wallabies selection.
The 23-year-old's challenge against the Rebels is lining up against Wallaby James O'Connor and producing another star performance.
''Every coach tries to find those sorts of players and I remember the story of finding Jesse,'' White said.
''I'm just glad I saw him and managed to keep him in Canberra. He's developed as a player … he's got bigger, stronger and a year older.''
Speight was the only injury concern for the Brumbies after the win over the Reds.
The Fijian flyer was taken to hospital on Saturday night after the game, but scans cleared him of any damage and he will have more tests on Monday before being given the all-clear.
FRIDAY: Super Rugby Round 2: Melbourne Rebels v ACT Brumbies at AAMI Park, 7.40pm. TV Time: Live on Fox Sports 2.


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By JOSEPH ERUNKE
ABUJA—The senator representing Plateau North Senatorial Zone, Gyang Pwajok, has said the natives of the state would not mortgage their traditional institutions to those he referred to as residents.
Senator Pwajok, who was elected under the platform of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in replacement of Senator Gyang Dantong who was murdered during one of Jos crises, said those causing problems in Plateau State must begin to realise that there was a clear distinction between indigeneship and residency in the nation's constitution.
Insisting that indigeneship in Plateau State was not negotiable, Pwajok said the long duration a person spent as a resident in any place did not confer automatic rights on him to enjoy certain rights and privileges.
He said certain institutions as chieftaincy and some political offices were exclusive rights of indigenes and that such practice was applicable to his state alone.
Speaking at a press conference in Abuja, yesterday, Senator Pwajok said: "When people begin to over-stretch their demands for certain things that they are not supposed to, then there is a problem."
He recalled that the Plateau State local government elections of 2008, which resulted in ethno-religious crisis, produced many ward councillors from different parts of the country, who were residents of the state.
He said: "Plateau people believe that you cannot replace indigeneship with residency. Indigeneship cannot be created today, but residency is something that you can create today, so the two cannot be said to be the same."
On the protracted labour crisis in the state, following the inability of the state government to yield to the demands of workers in implementing the N18,000 minimum wage, Pwajok said security challenge and the need to reposition the state to the dream of its citizens, had made it impossible for recurrent expenditure to cope with incessant increment in salaries of workers.
He said: "The problem with strike in Nigeria is that there is no stiff condition that once you are on strike, you don't get salary for that period you were on strike.
"People just feel that after all, when they resume from strike, their salaries are there to be paid to them. This has helped in creating all these unnecessary cases of strikes." we are seeing today."


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You often hear believers claim that scientific discoveries are completely compatible with their religion's scriptures, if not indeed wholly anticipated by them. This is alleged to be proof of these scriptures' supernatural influence. A few examples:
clarifyingchristianity.com – The Bible is not a science book, yet it is scientifically accurate. We are not aware of any scientific evidence that contradicts the Bible.,,Many [scientific facts] were listed in the Bible hundreds or even thousands of years before being recorded elsewhere.
islam.about.com – In Islam, there is no conflict between faith in God and modern scientific knowledge. Indeed, for many centuries during the Middle Ages, Muslims led the world in scientific inquiry and exploration. The Qur'an itself, revealed 14 centuries ago, is filled with scientific facts and imagery that are supported by modern findings.
the-book-of-mormon.com – The truly amazing thing about most of these refutations to the critics is that the majority of these facts were not known to scientists, much less to Joseph Smith, in 1829 when the Book of Mormon was translated. Thus, many of the criticisms become, in light of recent scientific discoveries, proofs!
Of course, if there is one supreme omniscient being, then all of these claims can't be true at the same time since the holy books indisputably contradict each other—a plain fact that each religious tradition is well-aware of. Thus, each spends as much time, if not more, debunking the others' claims as it does defending its own. For instance, some of the best work demonstrating the utter fallibility of the Book of Mormon comes not from skeptical sources but from Christian ones. The one thing every religious tradition has in common, however, is a failure to acknowledge the completely ad hoc nature of its claims. The pattern is as predictable as it is regular. First comes the scientific discovery, followed by obstinate rejection, then grudging acknowledgement, and finally, once the evidence is overwhelming, its reception as affirming what scripture had been saying all along. (Needless to say, some don't even get beyond the first step).
Naturally, skeptics such as myself say it's all bunk, and to prove it, I'm going to issue a challenge. Believer, since you say that science merely confirms what your holy book has long already said, the inevitable corollary is that it also contains scientific knowledge which has not yet been discovered. Therefore, believer, your task is easy: rather than claim scientific validation after the fact, tell us something new that science has not yet spoken on, and which can subsequently be validated by science.
This has never happened, and I predict it will never happen, because in reality the believer's method is to scour scripture for any possible reference to a scientific truth after its established, and then say – Orwell-like – it was foretold by scripture all along, while quietly shuffling disconfirming scriptures or past beliefs under the rug. It's a foolproof method! For example, if the universe was found to have fixed boundaries rather than continually expanding, Christians, at least, would undoubtedly have pointed to the Bible and said "I told you so!"
Believers, I accept your gratitude in advance for coming up with a way for you to demonstrate beyond any reasonable doubt the divine origin of your theology not only to fools..er, atheists like myself, but to the misguided believers of every other religion. 🙂


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My Hair That Is Shedding And Coming Out Has Tapered Ends. What Does This Mean?
By: Ava Alderman: I get a good deal of questions from folks suffering from hair loss about shed hairs that have tapered ends. Questions about hair with tapered ends are as common as questions about shed hair with white bulbs … Read More


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F1, Formula 1, NASCAR, IndyCar, MotoGP, ALMS, And More!
News Feeds
ALMS/Le Mans
Grand Am
Sports Cars
Archives - New & Rumors
Photo Gallery
Photo Gallery
Photo Archive (Pre-2012)
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Jan 29, 2013 - 07:54 PM
Top News!
Rumors Edition!
Upcoming Racing! (Updated)
Top Stories
FIRST PHOTOS: 2013 Lotus Launch E21 Formula One (F1) Challenger
(Jan 28, 2013)
2013 Formula One (F1) Official Launch Schedule - Update 5
(Jan 28, 2013)
2013 Daytona Rolex 24: Grand Am Final Race Results - After 24 Hours
(Jan 27, 2013)
2013 Daytona Rolex 24: Grand Am LIVE Update - Race Results After Hour 22
(Jan 27, 2013)
2013 Daytona Rolex 24: Grand Am LIVE Update - Race Results After Hour 20
(Jan 27, 2013)
Previous Top Stories!
Hot Rumors!
F1: No German Grand Prix In 2013 ???
(Jan 27, 2013)
2013 Formula One F1 Driver Line-up, Rumor Round-up & 2014 Silly Season Rumors - January 26th
(Jan 26, 2013)
F1: Horner not only team boss at Maranello ?
(Jan 26, 2013)
F1: Portugal Grand Prix in 2013 ?
(Jan 25, 2013)
F1: Mercedes Offered Lowe A Million Euros ?
(Jan 25, 2013)
More Rumors!
2013 NHRA: Jim Beaver And The Down & Dirty Radio Show, An Ever-Evolving Brand
Posted by: newsla on Jan 29, 2013 - 07:50 PM
2013 NHRA: Jim Beaver And The Down & Dirty Radio Show, An Ever-Evolving Brand
While most professional race car drivers concentrate solely on their race programs, Jim Beaver has been hard at work the last two years building an all-encompassing brand consisting of mainstream media work, social media, brand ambassadorship, as well as an elite level racing program. By merging his background in racing, radio, the auto industry, and business and marketing, he has taken the action motorsports world by storm.
Jim Beaver has built The Down & Dirty Radio Show Fueled By Speed Energy into the largest action motorsports radio show in the world. His voice reached over 200,000 unique listeners in 2012. Covering off-road, rally, drifting, supercross, and snocross, Beaver has created a weekly show dedicated to the motorsports and athletes relevant to todayâs generation of fans.
âTodayâs generation could care less about Jeff Gordon, Nascar, and the NHRA,â said Jim Beaver. âNo offense to Jeff, but itâs people like Ken Block, Robby Gordon, Vaughn Gittin Jr, Levi Lavallee, and Jolene Van Vugt who are relevant today.â (All of whom have been guests on The Down & Dirty Radio Show.)
In addition to owning and hosting The Down & Dirty Radio Show Fueled By Speed Energy, Jim Beaver also occasionally appears on Speed Sport on Fox Sports Radio with Rob DâAmico. Syndicated nationwide to over 250 affiliates, XM Satellite Radio, and the US Armed Forces Network, his appearances have helped bring off-road and rally racing to a more mainstream national audience than the traditional Down & Dirty Radio Show demographic. These appearances, the occasional live hosting and emceeing of racing events, his radio show, and his racing program have exploded the growth of Beaverâs social media following. With close to 20,000 followers across Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, the power of social media is propelling Beaver to be known as one of the definitive and influential voices of off-road racing and rally.
âIâve been very fortunate to have developed a strong following. The combination of my racing career and my radio shows has really opened the door to working with some amazing people and companies. I feel like it really has helped us push the limits of what has been considered niche and endemic markets,â commented Jim.
These connections and companies have also led to some amazing opportunities for Jim Beaverâs racing career. Earlier in January he was on a very short list of drivers invited to test Global Rally Cross Superlite cars for Swedenâs OMSE (Facebook.com/OlsbergsMSE); the same team that fielded cars for Tanner Foust and Brian Deeganâs 1-2 finish in the Global Rally Cross Championship last season. This opportunity led to quite a buzz surrounding Beaverâs racing career and its future.
âI absolutely loved driving rally cross,â stated Jim. âIt was an eye opening experience and really challenged me as a driver. I could definitely see myself in the GRC in the future, but I would need some partners to get involved before it happens. In the meantime, I am scheduled to run the #15 Ford F-150 Trophy Truck this year and I am very excited about the 2013 racing season.â
With Speed Energy and General Tire continuing their relationships with Jim Beaver and the #15 Ford F-150 Trophy Truck as well as returning partners Mastercraft Safety, Impact Race Products, Ford Trucks, KC Hilites, Method Race Wheels, and MSD Ignition, the 2013 race season looks very promising. Jim will be competing in the largest desert races in the United States including The Parker 425, The General Tire MINT 400, The General Tire Vegas to Reno, and The Blue Water Desert Challenge. In addition, Beaverâs plans include driving in the US return of Gymkhana Grid (dates have yet to be announced). Beaverâs plans for 2013 maximize exposure and media attention, and will continue to help solidify him as one of the definitive personalities in off-road racing and action motorsports.
PaddockTalk Perspective
Also in NHRA:
Protect The Harvest Continuing To Spread Its Message With Bernstein
2013 NHRA: NHRA Welcomes Three New Facilities To NHRA Member Track Network
NHRA Newsmakers: Jan 23, 2013
Amalie Oil To Become Title Rights Sponsor Of Prestigious NHRA Gatornationals
2013 NHRA: Gray To Field DSR Pitch Energy Dodge As Tribute To Late Father
2013 NHRA: Saturday Of PRO Winter Warm-UPS Rained Out
2013 NHRA: Florida Rain Cancels Saturday Night's PRO Winter Warm-Up
2013 NHRA: Schumacher In Top Fuel, Hagan In Funny Car Lead DSR
2013 NHRA: NHRA Announces 2013 Jegs Sportsnationals Schedule
NHRA Annouces New Engine Program For NHRA Summit Racing Jr Drag Racing League
2013 NHRA: NHRA Changes Oildown Policy At National Events For 2013
2013 NHRA: NHRA News: NHRA Launches NationaldragsterNet
2013 NHRA: NHRA Newsmakers: Jan 16, 2013
2013 NHRA: Rapisarda Autosport International To Team Up
2013 NHRA: Dsr, Top Pro Drag Racing Teams Head To Florida To Start 2013
2013 NHRA: NHRA Newsmakers: January 10, 2013
2013 NHRA: Neff, Force Re-Unite With Formidable Castrol Gtx Ford Funny Car
2012 NHRA: Brittany Force To Make Debut In Castrol Edge Top Fuel Dragster
2012 NHRA: GK Motorsports Signs Duo Of English Junior Drag Racing Stars
2012 NHRA: Win With Force Delivers A New Ford Fiesta To NHRA Race Fan
Related links
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Most read story in NHRA:
2013 NHRA: NHRA Newsmakers: January 10, 2013
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Two Chemistry students were recipients of Wright State University's Outstanding Student Leaders Awards, April 17, 2014, at a Student Recognition Reception organized by the Office of Student Activities. Grace Klinger, received the Advanced Student Leader and Outstanding Senior Leader Awards. Amy Willcox received the Outstanding Senior Leader Award. Both students are officers in the Chemistry Club and recently were part of the Chemistry Club's Chemistry Demo Show.
Congratulations to Grace and Amy.


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Glory Days: 365 Inspired Moments in African-American History
"Every month should be Black History month! We've said it so often. Now Janus Adams has made easily accessible to educators, historians, journalists, and the general public engaging and well-documented materials for each of the 365 days of the year that chronicle the triumph of the African-American spirit. These powerful and precious moments in Black History should inspire all people to continue the righteous struggle for a world filled with diversity and equality." --Dr. Johnnetta B. Cole, President, Spelman College
What Is a Glory Day? It is a celebration of history, heritage and hope In Politics, it is the November 3, 1992, election of the first African-American woman senator, Carol Moseley-Braun. In Law, it is January 6, opening day for Howard University's law school in 1869. In Film, it is February 29, 1940, when Hattie McDaniel became the first African-American Oscar winner for her role in Gone With the Wind In Invention, it is July 12, 1872, when Elijah McCoy patented the first self-lubricating engine -- the real McCoy.
Janus Adams is the founder of Harambee/BackPax, the first book club devoted to African-American culture, and a publisher of multicultural media for young people. Among her honors are an Emmy Award for television writing and a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts.
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SO, it won't be long now before we're strolling down the Avenue de la Magnolia in our Raybans and diving head first into pools of Estrella Damm and Gin Fizz.
We're gonna be everything that we're not – we're gonna feel thin, we're gonna take off and we're gonna pretend, that every night is the weekend.
We've been feeding off the vision of this holiday for a whole year. It has nourished us through the black months of November and January's wet depression.
There was no snow this winter to break the gloom, just endless incoming fronts of whipping rain and howling gales.
Flooded recycling bins and wet socks. Two kids driven half insane in their Cum-brian prison.
But even the Mother Superior's colleagues are 'counting the sleeps'.
She has fasted like a Mormon – surviving on cardboard and rocket to squeeze into a bikini that last saw foreign sun in 2012.
It won't be long before we're hurrying anxiously through Manchester International, dragging 13 stone of cases, my wallet weighed down with gold doubloons.
But first, I'll need to be suspected of terrorism. Shoeless, beltless, frisked and cavity-searched; bundled into a concrete room where I'll be cruelly power-hosed by frustrated Anti Terror Officers who wear side-arms that they never get to shoot.
This is the only appropriate modern res-ponse when you've forgotten about the Zippo you left in your combat shorts and wilfully tried to smuggle a bottle of flat mineral water in your hand-luggage...
...The other Friday I was throwing our new lightweight electric lawnmower around the garden in long show-off arcs in the last of the evening sun.
We're finally shot of that back-breaking petrol 'tractor' and it's rekindled my love of mowing.
Sandra across the road came up the garden clutching The Gazette.
She wanted to point out that I had spelt pessimism incorrectly. Even Da Vinci needed someone to examine the Sistine Chapel and say: "Hey, you've missed a bit."
Phil joined her – slumping into one of our green plastic chairs and unloading about his problems with BT and his newly-installed Infinity broadband.
The company, he alleges, has just taken several megabytes off his monthly allowance that he claims he hasn't used (then charged him for it).
He tried complaining through their customer centre (in Mumbai) but apparently: "Computer Says Nahim."
He wants me to float this problem with you to see if anyone else has suffered...
My other neighbour Matty; a sinewy joiner with a stare so mean it can kill a horse, is clearing out his works van.
All its contents are spread out on the drive like some hideous industrial jumble sale; all of it bleached by a thick layer of cement dust.
Theres' a 1970s Man United scarf; coiled up like a sleeping California Mountain Kingsnake, a rotten old box for a circular saw, some vaguely criminal bolt culters, 10 'bouncy techno' CDs and a rusty old lathe.
With his hands on his hips he mutters: "It's like Mary Poppins' handbag!"


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Uncyclopedia:Pee Review/HowTo:Make Breakfast Dew (For Women)
From Uncyclopedia, the content-free encyclopedia
edit HowTo:Make Breakfast Dew (For Women)
This is one of my better articles...dont hold back :) ShabiDOO 05:23, June 28, 2011 (UTC)
- Fantastic. I'll see what I can do to make the review as in-depth, but it seems you've nailed this one on its mark. --Sir Oliphaunte (განხილვა) 01:20, June 29, 2011 (UTC)
- Sorry sorry, haven't been on all day. Have it by tomorrow. --Sir Oliphaunte (განხილვა) 04:09, June 30, 2011 (UTC)
|Pretty swell job with this article. I found the humour pleasant and amusing. You use of short sentences is a nice touch and you really convey the feeling of the article very well. One suggestion is to expand on the cat, like haveing an extra part that is like, "Follow the meowing cat to it's bowl. Bend over to fetch the cat's food while listening to the sound of aging bones crack in your legs. Fill cat's bowl up. Make sure water bowl is full. Watch cat walk away without touching food and see it fall asleep on your bed. Curse the cat. Walk away before you get violent with the feline that meowed the hell out of you to get food and then goes to sleep. Breath, keep breathing." Or something like that.
The subtraction of points is mainly attributed to the format of the article, which is probably its weakest point, which is good. The article is just a little bunched up right now and the STEP paragraphs are pretty short, but I suggest some steps you can take below. It's not a crisis, so if you can manage to do anything with the format, that should be good enough. Aside that from that, I actually found myself laughing at this article. Very good job, a very good job.
|I liked this concept and it was executed pretty well, if I may say so. Most of the critiques are in their designated areas so just look for them there. Not much to say in concept, you did a good job with a unique topic.
|Prose and formatting:
|You had some grammar and spelling issues. I fixed some, but I believe there are still some others, but you overall did a pretty good job. Use some more commas though, just because you end every sentence pretty quickly, doesn't mean most of them don't need a couple of commas.
Format wise, I felt like the article was a little bit scrambled. In my opinion, you should change all the STEPS into sub-titles, so as not to create that long list of STEP:# in the table of contents. Instead, just have a main topic like STEP 1 FOR RELAXATION or something like that, and then identify every other title with STEP # and have them as sub-titles. Also, maybe make the pictures a little bit smaller? I can't really tell you expand the STEPS unless you have some ideas to add on, so I guess just see what you can do to make the format a little less bunched up. Not much else to say here.
|Your image choice is fantastic. I do have a couple of suggestions though.
First, that main image in the beginning, of the garden. I feel like you should blow it up even bigger and place it in between STEP 1 and the introductory paragraphs, to emphasize the tranquility of nature.
Second, I would make the rest of the images a tad smaller as they kind of screw with the format. Just a suggestion with this one, though.
Third, I'm not sure about that cat picture. I feel like you should have a picture of a cat walking away from, I dunno, spilling the plates onto the ground and acting innocent? I feel like it'd make the reader connect with the woman better seeing an image of the cat breaking something and being like "What? Fuck off." Then, the 'disappearing' of the cat seems justified.
Aside from that, nothing much, good job here.
|I liked it and I feel like others will like it too. Let me know whenever you're 100% done and I'll nominate it for you, I think it's that good already, but I like to give people some time.
|Final Score:
|Sorry it took me forever to do this. Busy week and my obligations on this site have been slipping my mind lately. Anyways, questions, comments, go on talk-page not, to contrary belief, attached to a severed horse head to be placed on my pillow. Waste of a good horse, that prank was.
|--Sir Oliphaunte (განხილვა) 04:50, July 2, 2011 (UTC)


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In the Chelsea Heights section of Atlantic City, residents spent Saturday morning sorting through their belongings and trying to determine what was salvageable.
Sabina M. Walsh, 72, had the help of her daughters to clean up the N. Richmond Avenue home she's lived in for 45 years.
Nearly all of her appliances have been destroyed. What might be salvageable lay around the outside of her house in an attempt to air out clothes and prevent mold from forming.
"Everything here, it's all gone and nobody is doing anything to help us," Walsh said. "How am I supposed to get this stuff down to the end of the street where the dumpsters are? I can't do that."


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21 Sexual Do-IT-at-Home Couples Experiences (Sandbox Dates 2 of 5)
As a couple, Sandbox Dates create the opportunity to freely experiment. If you're dating, using these Sandbox Dates will set in place a...Read More
20 Hand Strokes For His Manhood
In Expanding His Pleasure you are taken on a seamless male genital massage routine where Rachel, Jaiya and and Eden show you how to do each...Read More
Ways To Pleasure Him With Your Hands
"I wanted to pay him back for all the orgasms he's been giving me." Here's a letter about male expanded orgasm from a very...Read More
Warming Up A Lover
WHO IS MORE RAVENOUS? Dear Sloane, My latest boyfriend is a guy who just got out of a 10 year marriage with bad sex. A guy can't go that...Read More


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He never thought that two brothers would be fighting over the innocence of one girl....
Category: 30 Seconds to Mars - Rating: PG-13 - Genres: Angst,Drama,Romance - Warnings: [V] [R] - Published: 2013-05-20 - 950 words
Site design Copyright 2005, K&D Lynch. All stories contained in this archive are the property of their respective authors, and the owners of this site claim no responsibility for their contents.
Page created in 0.8996 seconds


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Poetry Month Post: Summer by Joellen CraftApril 18, 2014 • 2 Comments • category: Algonquin Books Blog
SUMMERNow their blinking bodies so used to space and that language huddle in a swarm, stricken, like cars plucked from roads and alleys, set to field far from the lines and lights they know; a field where, one winter, four boys crunched home through cut stalks, the bigger three quicker, the small one fumbling, holding one arm to the wind—shouting? pointing? I thought I could save their bundling toward the highway, could keep it movement. I kept the lightning bugs three days, watched the light that didn't spread. The boys each a word I had yet to say. Had ahead. Those headlights become paths circling each other. They flash bright over and over. They must be brothers. Watch how they wait for the youngest, how they tend toward pack then break. Whatever the swarm said, I quieted. They walk. The field is burned, ash. I quiet everything. ———
Joellen Craft lives in Durham, North Carolina, and teaches at Vance-Granville Community College. Her poems and reviews appear in storySouth, Fugue, Grist, The Nashville Review, The Pedestal, Juked, and others.
2 Comments On This Post:
April 18, 2014
7:47 pm
7:47 pm
joellen says...
thanks for posting this!
June 1, 2014
12:09 am
12:09 am
Lauren says...
Such a beautiful poem!


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Pump and Grind: Vic Firth Gourmet Online Store
This is a terrific item for salt lovers...pepper lovers, too. It's small enough to bring along with you. Fill it with your favorite gourmet salt. Very sleek stainless steel. Indestructiable.
Fashion for the kitchen- ombre blue salt and pepper mills- don't go with my pink kitchen, but I'm almost tempted to buy them! They're so pretty!Tags: kitchen, cooking, baking, gourmet, chef, pepper mills, entertainment, blue, toolsAdded 9 Years Ago from Williams-Sonoma


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Ellison High School Class of 1983
The Ellison High School Class of 1983 will hold its 30th reunion June 28-29.
On June 28, meet up at 6:30 p.m. at the Courtyard by Marriott. A tour of Ellison High School and lunch from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. with a dinner and dance at 6:30 p.m. are set for June 29. Faculty and other alumni are welcome to attend.
For ticket information, email email@example.com or go to www.facebook.com/ellison.eightythree.
Killeen High School Class of 1973
The Killeen High School Class of 1973 is planning its 40th reunion at 7 p.m. Aug. 3 at the Killeen Civic and Conference Center. Teachers and other graduates are welcome.
Current addresses of 1973 graduates are needed. For more information, contact Veda Waheed at (254) 699-1430, firstname.lastname@example.com, or P.O. Box 167, Killeen, TX 76540. The class of 1973 Facebook page is KhsseventythreeRoos.
USS Columbus Veterans Association
USS Columbus CA-74/CG-12/SSN-762 reunion will be Oct. 2-6 at the Hilton in Branson, Mo. Navy and Marine Corps shipmates who served on the USS Columbus CA-74/CG-12 from 1944 through 1976 and the USS Columbus (SSN-762) past and present are invited to share memories and camaraderie with old friends and make new friends.
For information, contact Allen R. Hope at (260) 486-2221, firstname.lastname@example.com or 3828 Hobson Road, Fort Wayne, IN 46815-4505.
USS Long Beach Association
USS Long Beach CGN-9 Association will have its 20th ships reunion Sept. 9-15 at the Boise Hotel and Conference Center, 3300 S. Yale Ave., Boise, ID 83750.
For reservations, call (855) 511-1999 and ask for the USS Long Beach Reunion rate. Deadline to register is Aug. 9.
For information, contact Don Shade at (866) 352-2469, (716) 569-2314, or Bob Nesbit at (864) 608-3080.


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If you've read the Harry Potter books or seen the films based upon them (a sentence that could just easily read "If you've been alive at any point after June 1997") then you may be aware that, in the home of the Weasley family, there is a clock that shows the current location of its various family members.
Well, now it exists in the real world thanks to the Redditor tbornottb3 who went to painstaking lengths to create a digital version of the clock that pulls location data from family members' phones. Not quite as magical, but it's pretty bloody close!
You can find photos of the build process for the clock in the gallery below.
(via Reddit)


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Show Me Yours (2004-2005)
Maybe it's because it's so cold in Canada that the TV is as hot as Show Me Yours. If you've only seen the edited version stateside on Oxygen then you'll really need to come up for air after catching the skintillating homegrown one starring Rachael Crawford as a psychologist who hates people. She's working on a book about the erotic experience and seems to spend a lot of time in the field, which for this research means bedrooms, bordellos, and naked bodies. Her publishers team Rachael up with...Join Mr. Skin for the full review >>


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MandM Direct is one of the UK's leading fashion and sports retailers selling your favourite top brands - Bench, Firetrap, Timberland, Fred Perry, adidas, Nike, Puma, Henleys, Berghaus and loads more, all with savings of up to 75% off UK recommended retail prices.
Ratings guide
All Feefo reviews are gathered anonymously from genuine customers. Read more about how our review system works.
Great value for money
First class product highly recommended
Beautiful boots
Love them
Gorgeous and very happy! Thank you M&M.
Great boots,great price
only received half my order & still waiting for the other half
Like all uggs super comfy, but I found this style to not fit as well as the short classic as the leg hole is bigger and my foot slips forward. Shame as they would have made lovely slippers/around the house shoes.
too small
perfect 5* service as always


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Whale-watching tours offer intimate glimpses of marine life, a luxury once reserved exclusively for those brave enough to dunk their heads into a lobster tank. Witness a less pinchy natural wonder with this Groupon.
Choose from Three Options
- $65 for an orca whale-watching tour for one (up to a $105 value)
- $125 for an orca whale-watching tour for two (up to a $210 value)
- $245 for an orca whale-watching tour for four (up to a $420 value)
Passengers set sail on a 100-foot heated vessel for a five- to six-hour whale-watching expedition that boasts a 96% success rate in sighting marine mammals. Whale watchers can choose to watch from either a heated indoor viewing area or a spacious outdoor deck. Coffee, tea, and lunch are available for purchase on the ship which launches at 11am daily.
Mystic Sea Charters
If there's a whale breaching in the protected waters of the San Juan Islands or Salish Sea, there's a good chance the passengers on the M/V Mystic Sea's 100-foot vessel will see the splashy spectacle. The company's five- to six-hour tours have an impressive track record when it comes to spotting the gargantuan mammals, introducing tour-goers to different species of whale up to 99% of the time. Onboard the ship, a naturalist divulges facts about ocean life as passengers watch for whales from the heated cabin or from the deck, which has 4-foot railings so guests can hold on if whales start singing and dancing to the hit song "Rock the Boat." The company promises that voyagers will see at least one gray, orca, humpback, or minke whale, depending on the season. If not, they'll receive a follow-up whale-watching tour for free.


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Despite the buoyancy in the sharemarket over the past 12 months, it's surprising to see so few new businesses apply for listing on the Australian Securities Exchange.
Rising markets, maturing term deposits and low cash rates are a good recipe for companies with initial public offering plans. Investors, who are likely to be more open about putting their hard-earned savings to work rather than reinvesting them in low-yielding term deposits, may be keen to take on a little more by investing in companies that are angling to take the IPO plunge.
On the other side of the fence sit the investment managers. Having watched a rising market lift all the "boats" in their portfolios, they are now finding it much more difficult to generate new ideas, and they would certainly be receptive to new opportunities.
Despite this, few IPOs have measured up to what Montgomery Investment Management considers quality: decent size, bright prospects and offered at a discount to our estimate of their intrinsic value. The exception to this is Virtus Health Limited (VRT), the only recent float we have participated in.
This lack of attractive new IPOs may be about to shift. Over the past few weeks, we have been told to prepare for a number of new floats with an estimated combined value of $11 billion. Many are set to arrive by the end of 2013, and these are summarised in the table to the right.
So far this calendar year, new floats have totalled approximately $1.1 billion. In 2012, that figure was closer to $900 million. The last time the market saw an excess of $6 billion in value was just prior to the global financial crisis.
As a portfolio manager I look for opportunities in this list of 28 names. To narrow it down, let's start with some speculation.
Don't diworsify
First, I'm inclined to eliminate companies involved in exploration activities, given their high risk/high reward dynamics. Explorers are generally capital-intensive businesses and our guess as to whether they will find something before their cash runs out is as good as anyone's.
Of the IPOs remaining, many are very small, and a number are only marked as possibilities. That leaves
Before digging a little deeper, it's worth considering some words of wisdom from
The trick is not to get sucked into buying overpriced and overmarketed companies that have questionable, or less than inspiring, growth projections. By applying these principles, I can rule out Genworth Australia, Pacific Retail, Fife Capital and McAleese Transport. That leaves ACM Group and OzForex.
When considering ACM Group it is worth revisiting an investment rule that has served me well in the past, namely that where possible, I prefer to own the market leader if I can, and in terms of Australian debt collection businesses, I would consider ACM Group to be a tier two player. For this reason, Montgomery Investment would be unlikely to add ACM Group to our portfolios. It may lead to portfolio "diworsification", as by our measures, it would be a lower quality investment opportunity.
It quickly becomes clear therefore that OzForex is the standout in this IPO float pack. Many other market participants have also marked this company, which focuses on foreign exchange transactions, as of "white hot" interest.
If you have ever converted currencies or transferred money overseas, you may have been shocked to discover how much you were charged by your friendly bank to move your money.
Putting OzForex to the test
Recently, a friend was preparing to transfer $200,000 overseas. I asked him if he would split the transaction into two lots, in order to try OzForex.
After signing up to their online platform, he transferred $100,000 through one of Australia's big four banks and the other $100,000 through OzForex.
The resulting conversions after fees were $US90,500 via the bank and $US93,500 through OzForex . That's a $3000 or 3 per cent difference for the same simple service. I think I can guess which one my friend will use next time!
He came away from this experience "thoroughly recommending OzForex for a great rate, ease of use and secure platform". He wondered why he had not looked beyond the banks for currency conversions previously.
Over time, experiences like this and the resulting word of mouth may put pressure on large financial institutions to revise the exorbitant fees they charge. OzForex spotted this opportunity back in the late 1990s, and therefore has first-mover advantage. Since then, it has grown to employ more than 170 staff in Sydney, London, Toronto, San Francisco, Hong Kong and Auckland, and conducts 460,000 transfers with a combined value of $9.1 billion a year.
This business certainly floats Montgomery Investment Management's boat in terms of its quality, brand awareness, size and growth outlook.
Perhaps the only issue is its pricing. On 21.7 times forecast 2014 earnings per share it is by all accounts hot. If, however, the business is able to continue growing at 30 per cent (as forecast in its prospectus) this P/E multiple will soon look attractive, and it's certainly one worthy of further investigation.
The Australian Financial Review


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Southfield Christian boys basketball wins second straight state title
By Christian Davis
Posted March 27, 2013
EAST LANSING — In just two seasons under Josh Baker, the boys basketball program at Southfield Christian has gone from obscurity to state power.
The year culminated in a Class D state championship, as the Eagles beat Wyoming Tri-Unity Christian 65-46 March 23 at the Breslin Center for their second straight title.
"That was my goal; that was my vision," Baker said. "I thought it was a great school. It's great academically, and it's a great Christian school."
In the two seasons before Baker's arrival, the Eagles won 12 total games. In the two seasons since, Southfield Christian has 47 victories (23-4 this year) and the program's first two state championships.
Baker said this season started slowly. The team went 3-4 overall, but then found its footing and didn't lose again.
"When people asked how we were going to be, I kept saying we were going to struggle, and hopefully be great by the end of the year. That's how it kind of turned out," Baker said. "We knew we had the potential, just early on we just struggled understanding the work ethic that you have to put in. It's not just handed to you. Every team you play is going to come after you."
Against Tri-Unity, the Eagles led by five points after the first quarter and then were able to push the lead to 11 at the half.
In the third, Southfield Christian took over, outscoring the Defenders 20-9 in the frame, including an 18-2 run.
The Eagles shot 63 percent in the quarter and held Tri-Unity to 33 percent.
For the game, Southfield Christian shot 52 percent. The Defenders put up 34 percent.
The Eagles also got their scoring from a variety of sources. They had four players in double figures, with junior Damarco White leading the way with 15 — nine of those came in the third.
The Defenders had two players in double figures and just two points from their bench, compared to the Eagles' 14.
Though the Eagles won the state championship last season, there were only two primary players back for 2012-13.
And players like White and freshman Eugene Brown were playing in their first title game. Brown finished with 13 points.
"They told us, 'Go out and have fun,' and we got the medal," White said.
Soon after the final, the attention turned to next season and the chance of three in a row.
Every player who scored and saw double-figure minutes in the championship game are expected back.
"I'm looking forward to the summer league and just playing with the top competition," Baker said. "If we play a bunch of games in the summer, we could be very good."
"The sky is the limit," Brown added.
About the author
Sports writer Christian Davis covers mainly the Oakland County coverage area. Christian has worked for C & G Newspapers since 2005 and attended Michigan State University before graduating from Oakland University.
More from C & G Newspapers
Macomb County
OAA coaches name top boys hoops players from winter season
Oakland County


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BWW Reviews: Ocean State Theatre Company Brings Seasons of Love to Their New Space with RENT
For five years, after Bill Hanney bought and reopened the historic barn theater in Matunuck, musicals at Theatre By the Sea were produced and staged by Ocean Sate Theatre Company, led by Producing Artistic Director Amiee Turner and Managing Director Joel Kipper. When the five years ended, Hanney did not renew their contract and Turner and Kipper had no choice but to take their ball and go home. That is, they took it to Warwick, Rhode Island, where they opened their own brand-spanking-new space on Jefferson Boulevard, near the airport. And the "ball" they took with them was their considerable expertise, skill and knowledge regarding how to put on theater of the highest caliber.
The inaugural season of the new Ocean State Theatre Company began with two holiday shows, followed by Neil Simon's Fools. For their first big musical production, they have chosen one of the most popular and beloved musicals of contemporary theater, Jonathan Larson's RENT. For those who are not "Rentheads," Larson's rock opera is based on Puccini's opera La boheme and revolves around a group of young, struggling artists and musicians, living in New York City in the mid-1990s, dealing with life, love, loss, creativity and the HIV/AIDS epidemic.
Larson's music and lyrics are beautiful and emotionally charged, creating every reaction from belly laughs to a shiver down the spine. They call for a cast of singers who can handle the vocal calisthenics while also living the songs and music truthfully on stage. It's in the vocal arena that this cast does stumble a bit. Hard to tell if it was because of opening night after a long week of technical rehearsals and previews, but vocal energy was sorely lacking in many instances. There were moments that called for supernova-like energy from performers who only mustered the flicker of a flame, which was disappointing.
Not helping was the fact that many of the actors were hard to hear. This was in part due to the live band in the pit. Yes, it's a rock musical, so it's going to be loud, but one can't help but wonder if something can't be done so that the band isn't drowning out the performers to such an extent. At times, though, the actors seemed to be almost mumbling, while other times they appeared to lose their breath or voice altogether for a moment. Again, hard to say why, but perhaps it's something that Music Director Esther Zabinski will be able to work on and improve next time around.
Luckily, the vocal deficiencies are overcome by two important factors. First is Turner, who directed the production. Not sure what her secret is, but she has an undeniable and uncanny talent for putting together an extraordinary ensemble of actors who have incredible chemistry together. You will believe these performers really are lifelong friends and you will feel everything they go through together. You might even have to remind yourself they're just actors who have only worked together for a few weeks of rehearsals and performances. Their chemistry and connections on stage are so real it's scary.
They are also that second factor that makes one forget the shortcomings of the vocal performances. They are so good, so real and believable, you really won't care about any minor problems. For example, Nora Fox as Mimi can't really hold her own during her big solo introduction, "Out Tonight," but you will forgive her when she breaks your heart in act two, particularly in "Without You." Antonio Tillman as Angel also seemed to have trouble with the demanding songs and lyrics. But again, he's so charismatic and fun to watch, you'll love him anyway.
Janet McWilliams and Kendra Payne, as Maureen and Joanne, respectively, deserve mention for what was, for me, the best solo or duet of the show. They finally demonstrated in "Take Me Or Leave Me" what can happen when two actresses have both the acting talent and the powerful singing voices to really come together and blow the doors off the set. Dan McInerney also shines throughout the production as Mark, including a chance to show off his quality singing in "What You Own." All of the ensemble numbers are uniformly excellent as well.
On a technical note, everything worked wonderfully except for the lighting design by Weston Wilkerson. There were far too many moving lights, with stars and swirls moving and flying around all over the place, usually to a distracting and annoying degree. This was especially true in scenes where less would have been more. Additionally, a poor choice was made to have the climactic scene in such low light that it's almost impossible to see the actors' facial expressions, which was unfortunate.
That aside, RENT is always a show that should be seen whenever the opportunity arises and it never fails to engage, entertain and inspire audiences. This production is no different. Ocean State Theatre Company is clearly off to a strong start with RENT, a production which should not be missed.
RENT will run from February 20 - March 10. Performances are Wednesday (except March 6) through Saturday evenings at 7:30 pm, with matinees on Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays at 2:00 pm. Ocean State Theatre Company is located at 1245 Jefferson Boulevard, Warwick, RI. Tickets are $39 for preview performances and $39-$54 for all other performances. Discount rates for groups fo 20 or more are available by calling (401) 921-1777 x112. $25 "Rush" tickets are available on a limited basis one hour prior to curtain the day of the performance. Tickets are on sale at the box office Tuesday through Friday from 12 noon - 6:00 pm, Saturdays from 12 noon - 4:00 pm, and from 12 noon until curtain on performance days. Tickets are also available online 24 hours a day at www.OceanStateTheatre.org and via telephone during normal box office hours by calling (401) 921-6800.
Pictured (L to R): Nile Hawver and Nora Fox. Photo by Mark Turek.


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World Bank President Jim Yong Kim and UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé hosted a meeting January 9-10, 2014, at the World Bank Headquarters in DC entitled "Social Drivers to End AIDS and Extreme Poverty." The two-day meeting co-sponsored by NAHC, Housing Works, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, the International AIDS Society, the World Bank, and UNAIDS, signaled a major breakthrough in strategy and firmly places action on social and structural drivers at the heart of the battle to fight the global AIDS epidemic, extreme poverty, and income inequality.
The meeting brought together 70 participants from across the globe to examine these critical goals in relation to concrete social and structural interventions to address the inequalities and marginalization that drive both poverty and disease. Among the key products will be a joint communiqué and a report with key recommendations from the World Bank and UNAIDS. It is the hope of the co-sponsoring organizations that this new approach can have immediate impact on the development of national AIDS plans in those countries hardest hit by the epidemic and that in the longer term, this will position AIDS to be integrated into post-2015 health and development goals, as a part of economic development and poverty elimination as well as efforts to reduce inequality.
Please see the joint press release from the World Bank and UNAIDS about this exciting effort here:


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News By Tag
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Industry News
HSBC Deploys Centrify Suite to Centrally Manage Security and Auditing for Worldwide IT Operations
Leading Worldwide Financial Institution Uses Centrify to Secure Access, Improve Auditing, and Manage User Accounts
Headquartered in London, HSBC is one of the largest banking and financial services organizations in the world. HSBC's international network comprises more than 7,200 offices in more than 80 countries and territories in Europe, the Asia-Pacific region, the Americas, the Middle East and Africa. HSBC central IT staff manages thousands of user accounts across its UNIX and LINUX estate; making access control, privilege management and reporting on user access a critical concern for IT Operations and Audit teams.
Prior to deploying Centrify, Sharpe said, "We had multiple goals for this project including enforcing password policies, user account consolidation in Active Directory and auditing requirements. We needed to manage our Linux and UNIX systems in a centralized manner and wanted to leverage an existing directory infrastructure. The result was a decision to acquire the best technology to meet our needs, and after careful evaluation we chose Centrify."
"HSBC is a global financial giant in the industry, with a dynamic IT organization that demands the highest level of performance and ROI," said Darren Gross, Centrify Regional Director for EMEA. "We are extremely proud that they have selected Centrify to help manage their security needs for centralized user management and auditing, and we look forward to a long-standing, mutually successful relationship."
Centrify has broad acceptance in highly regulated industries such as banking, securities and insurance where the constantly shifting compliance and security landscape drives the need for rigorous internal auditing and risk management. Centrify is uniquely able to scale to enterprise-wide projects where implementing granular role-based access is complex due to acquisitions, heterogeneous system environments, and identity silos that have grown up across the enterprise. Centrify'
About the Centrify Suite
The Centrify Suite 2012 lets organizations centrally control, secure and audit access to cross-platform systems, mobile devices, and applications by leveraging an infrastructure they already own — Microsoft Active Directory. Built on an integrated architecture, the Centrify Suite strengthens security, enhances regulatory compliance initiatives, and reduces IT expense and complexity. The Centrify Suite — consisting of DirectControl DirectAuthorize, DirectAudit , DirectSecure and DirectManage — delivers secure authentication and single sign-on, role-based access control, privileged identity management, mobile security management, user-level auditing for Windows and UNIX systems, server isolation, and encryption of data-in-motion for the industry's broadest set of heterogeneous systems and applications.
About Centrify
Centrify delivers integrated software and cloud-based solutions that centrally control, secure and audit access to on-premise and cloud-based systems, mobile devices and applications by leveraging the infrastructure organizations already own — Microsoft Active Directory. From the data center and into the cloud, more than 4,500 organizations, including 40 percent of the Fortune 50 and more than 60 Federal agencies, rely on Centrify's identity consolidation and privilege management solutions to reduce IT expenses, strengthen security and meet compliance requirements. For more information about Centrify and its solutions, call +44 (0) 1344 317950 or +1 (408) 542-7500 or visit http://www.centrify.com/?
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Las Casas Performing Arts Scholarship Competition Awards $100,000 to Finalists
An evening of drama, comedy, song and dance featuring 25 talented high school seniors giving their all in the sixth annual Las Casas Performing Arts Scholarship Competition and ended with Joshua Riding of Johnson High School in San Antonio taking home the top prize of a $15,000 scholarship. Riding was recognized in the "Acting Solo" category, while his fellow competitors claimed an additional $85,000 in scholarship funds and two trips to the prestigious Jimmy Awards in the unique scholarship program that provides financial assistance to college-bound high school seniors based on their interests and abilities in the performing arts. This year's $100,000 in scholarship funds was the highest total amount of scholarships awarded by Las Casas Foundation since the program's inception and marked the centennial of the Charline McCombs Empire Theatre, the home of the scholarship competition.
The Las Casas Foundation competition highlights talented teens dreaming of honing their craft in college and shooting for future stardom. The competition was held last night before a sold-out audience at the Charline McCombs Empire Theatre. The competition featured four performing arts categories judged independently of each other: Vocal Solo, Acting Solo, Acting Duet and Dance Solo, as well as a new category, The Jimmy, where the finalists competes to win one of two trips to the National High School Musical Theater Awards (NHSMTA), a national celebration of outstanding student achievement recognizing individual artistry in vocal, dance and acting performance.
"Each year, we think there's no way that our finalists could possibly shine more, but once again, these talented students raised the bar. The future is full of possibility for them and we're excited to see how their careers in the performing arts take shape. We're proud to nurture their dreams and hope to see them on stage again in San Antonio or in theaters around the world," said Kaye Lenox, CEO of Las Casas Foundation.
The finalists performed before a star-studded panel of professionals representing a variety of performing arts disciplines. The 2014 Las Casas Performing Arts Scholarship Competition judges panel included: award-winning and Tony Award nominated Broadway, film and television actress Jonelle Allen; award-winning Broadway actress, film actress, and solo recording artist Alix Korey, who also co-founded Broadway Cares Equity Fights Aids (BCEFA); award-winning dancer, choreographer, Broadway actor and professor Robin Lewis; award-winning veteran Broadway, television, film and cabaret actor Sal Mistretta; and award-winning Broadway actress Gwen Stewart.
More than 100 students from 44 different schools entered this year's competition, representing schools in San Antonio, Boerne, Seguin, Fair Oaks Ranch, Converse, Helotes, Fisher, La Vernia, Austin, San Marcos, Schertz, Victoria, Corpus Christi, Castroville and New Braunfels, as well as teens who are home-schooled. Preliminary auditions were held at the Charline McCombs Empire Theatre in April, narrowing the field to 25.
All competition finalists received scholarship funds and two students received $1,500 scholarships based on the essays they submitted with their competition applications. Two students were also selected to participate in NHSMTA through The Jimmy category.


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Washington - Of all the adventures my lucky children had this summer - swimming in two oceans, hanging out on their bearded uncle's commercial salmon fishing boat, endless popsicles - the biggest one, they told me, was just 150m away in their own Washington, D.C., neighbourhood.
They got to walk to the corner store by themselves. Clutch your pearls, America. The boys are 7 and 10. Apparently, I could be arrested for this.
In another disturbing national trend, we've sanctioned the criminalisation of childhood independence. This summer we heard about a mom arrested for letting her seven-year-old walk to the local park in Florida and another mother locked up because her nine-year-old was playing at their neighbourhood park in South Carolina.
A recent poll conducted by Reason/Rupe said that 68 percent of Americans think there should be a law prohibiting children age nine and younger from ever playing in a park unsupervised, and 43 percent felt the same about allowing 12-year-olds that kind of freedom.
What has happened to us? My generation grew up, after all, with scratchy yarn and a house key around our necks. We walked home, let ourselves in and played until our parents got home from work.
I rode nearly a mile on my bike to get groceries for my mom when I was eight. I walked down one street and around the corner to the bus stop when I was in kindergarten.
My dad left me and another kid in the car when we were four while he visited my mom at the coffee shop where she was a waitress. We ate his cigarettes. But no one abducted us.
If the current judgment upon parents was in place, my folks would've spent my entire childhood in the lockup.
Yes. There are scary people out there. It is always a risk to let your children out of your sight. But truthfully, the most dangerous thing you do every day is drive anywhere with a child. About 300 kids are hurt in car accidents every day; an average of three are killed that way daily.
Yet I don't see police pulling parents over and locking them up whenever they see someone in a car seat. But playing on the monkey bars without mommy nearby? Book 'em!
"But it's a different world out there today. It's not like when I was growing up, and we'd all play in an apple orchard and we were safe. Today, you just don't know who's out there," said a lovely, well-meaning grandmother who was keeping an eagle-eye lookout on her grandchildren at a water park this summer while I let my kids do the water slides by themselves.
Yes, it is a different world. It's a safer world. It just doesn't feel like it because we know too much.
Back in the apple orchard and latchkey days, there were plenty of child molesters, killers and pervs lurking around. We simply didn't talk about them and didn't hear about what they did. News about a tragedy in Tallahassee didn't accompany your Wheaties in Portland seven days in a row.
It wouldn't sound like it listening to the news, but crimes against children committed by strangers are rare and declining.
Since 1993, the number of children age 14 and younger who were murdered is down by 36 percent. For children 14 to 17, it's down 60 percent. Only one-hundreth of one percent of missing children are abducted by strangers or even slight acquaintances, according to the National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children.
I'll never forget the days I spent with hundreds of files from the Boy Scouts of America documenting decades of molesters, pedophiles and predators using their uniform as a way to get access.
Back in those days when we thought everything was safe and shiny, not only did some of the men we trusted molest our kids, but our kids were afraid to tell anyone about it. And if they did tell, the adults in their world usually buried the incidents deep.
According to statistics from the U.S. Department of Justice analysed by the organisation Free Range Kids, between 1976 and 2005, only 3 percent of children murdered during those years were killed by strangers.
Lenore Skenazy started the Free Range Kids movement after she was called "America's Worst Mom" for allowing her 9-year-old to take the subway alone in Manhattan.
Statistically, our children's biggest enemies are the people we know, she says. But instead of focusing on ways to address child abuse, poverty and the mental illness that is at the root of most of the horrible things that happen to children, we've chosen to criminalise parents in a massive, cultural shift that damages the normal, natural development of our children.
The demands on parents - moms in particular, if you notice the arrest stories - are greater than ever to hover and supervise 24/7. That kind of parenting hurts everyone.
Okay, I'll admit I wasn't as cool as Skenazy when I let my kids' leashes go this summer. The boys went to the corner store - a trip they'd walked a thousand times with me - with one of our cellphones and the dog. And I was a wreck the whole 20 minutes that I gave them on the phone stopwatch.
But it was a 20 minutes they talk about nearly every day. And those 150m were probably some of the most important steps they took in their short lives.
Washington Post


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A toothpaste alert has been issued for airlines flying to America from Russia, warning them that terrorists may try to smuggle explosive materials on board concealed in toothpaste or cosmetic tubes.
A law enforcement source discussed the alert on Wednesday, saying that while there are no concrete threats, US officials remain on edge as the Winter Olympics are set to begin in Sochi.
"It's real. It's real and we got very good information," an unnamed government source told CNN. "It's based on a credible source. We're taking it seriously so are other countries taking it very seriously."
The toothpaste warning was not officially disseminated to the public, and the officials spoke on the condition of anonymity.
Russian transportation officials have already banned liquids in carry-on luggage ahead of the toothpaste alert, a report from the Russian news agency RA Novosti noted.
Rep. Peter King, chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee's subcommittee on Terrorism and Intelligence, said this week that American spectators to the Sochi Olympics would be "reasonably safe" but said he would not risk going himself. King said he has confidence in how Russians are handling security, but has some reservations "because they are not sharing enough intelligence" about possible threats inside the country.
"We are getting some information about what's happening outside of Russia, some external threats, that type thing, or potential threats. I don't want to overstate that," he said.
The toothpaste alert follows in some other attempted attacks on airplanes using improvised explosives. Shortly after 9/11, Richard Reid attempted to blow up an airplane using explosives hidden within a shoe, but passengers prevented him from lighting the shoe.
Another attempted attack came on Christmas Day in 2009, when a terrorist tried to blow up an overseas flight headed to Detroit by hiding a bomb in his underwear.
A different kind of toothpaste alert was sounded at JFK last year. In April, one of America's busiest airports was evacuated for a suspicious package that turned out to be a tube of toothpaste wrapped in duct tape.


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Cypriots edgy as banks reopen
NICOSIA, Cyprus — Anxious Cypriots patiently waited in long lines to get at their accounts on Thursday, when banks opened for the first time in nearly two weeks after an international bailout to save the country's financial system.
Fearing a run on its banks, the tiny Mediterranean country has imposed daily withdrawal limits of 300 euros ($384) for individuals and $6,416 for businesses — the first so-called capital controls that any country has applied in the eurozone's 14-year history.
Financial strains are building on families and businesses, and the recession in Cyprus is likely to deepen. The mood outside banks was calmer than feared. Many people said the withdrawal limits were probably necessary to keep a bad situation from spiraling out of control.
Flower shop owner Christos Papamichael was among about 30 people waiting for bank doors to open. "Everything has been paralyzed ... No one thinks of buying flowers," he said.
Banks had been shut since March 16 to prevent people from draining their accounts as politicians scrambled to save the country's stricken financial sector. ATM machines were working, but with a limit on daily withdrawals.
An initial plan to seize up to 10 percent of all Cypriot deposits caused an international uproar and was scrapped. But in order to secure $12.9 billion in loans from other euro countries and the International Monetary Fund, Cyprus agreed Monday to wind down its second-largest bank and seize billions from accounts holding more than the insured limit of 100,000 euros.
European financial markets, which have been on edge for weeks, rose slightly. The FTSE 100 index of leading British shares rose 0.4 percent, while Germany's DAX index rose 0.1 percent.
Government and bank officials had feared that up to 10 percent of the country's deposits could be siphoned off when banks opened — but that did not appear to happen.
\. Guards from private security firms reinforced police outside some ATMs and banks in the capital, Nicosia. No problems controlling crowds were reported.
The limits on withdrawals and other capital controls are expected to be relaxed gradually. Analysts say it's anyone's guess how people and businesses will react once that happens.
Foreign Minister Ioannis Kasoulides said that, according to central bank estimates, the controls would be fully lifted in a month. Some analysts say it could last longer.
President Nicos Anastasiades expressed in a statement his "warm gratitude and deep appreciation towards the Cypriot people for the maturity and spirit of responsibility they have shown at a critical time for the stability of the Cypriot economy."


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WASHINGTON D.C.: Reform is afoot within Islam. It contrasts starkly with the extremism that grabs headlines when bombs are planted, hostages seized, or embassies attacked in Islam's name.
Ideas of reform emerged periodically among small groups of clergy and intellectuals over the past century, but new thinkers and writers are bringing broad reform ideas to large audiences.
Simply put, new reformers contend that Islam is flexible; that Islam's tenets can accommodate and even encourage pluralism.They are challenging those who claim Islam is unchanging across time, space or experience. And they oppose those shrill voices who argue democracy is incompatible with Islam. The reform movement is trying to reconcile Islam and modernism by creating a late 20th century worldview both modern and Islamic.
One leading reformer is Iranian philosopher Abdul Karim Soroush, a media-shy academic whose training and experience span the Middle East and the West.


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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 6/12/2013 (1352 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
MARKHAM, Ont. -- Federal Finance Minister Jim Flaherty rejects a federal watchdog analysis that he's using high EI premiums to beef up his expected budget surplus in 2015.
"We do not take EI funds and use them to balance the budget. That's what the Liberals did," Flaherty said Friday in a media conference in Markham, Ont., where he was holding pre-budget consultations with local academics, business and community leaders. "We have stabilized and frozen the EI rates."
A Parliamentary Budget Office report released Thursday said the Conservative government may need to depend on artificially high EI premiums, asset sales and spending restraint to balance the budget by the 2015 election. "That is a matter of some confusion by the new parliamentary officer," Flaherty said.
The PBO estimated the EI fund will have a $1.8-billion surplus in 2015, almost half the surplus the government anticipates for the 2015-16 fiscal year.
-- The Canadian Press


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CLEARWATER, Fla. - More than 200 layaway orders at Toys R Us stores in Florida have been paid off by some anonymous holiday helpers.
The company said Wednesday that these anonymous Good Samaritans paid the outstanding layaway balances for people in Orlando, Tallahassee, Clearwater, Naples and Palm Beach Gardens.
Several hundred other layaway accounts at Toys R Us across the country also have been paid.
Toys R Us spokeswoman Katie Reczek says the average value of a layaway order is about $200.
For each layaway balance paid off, Toys R Us is donating $200 worth of toys to the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation, up to $1 million worth of merchandise.
Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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From eRepublik Official Wiki
A bored college graduate who lives for eRepublik!
I am just starting out on my editing journey, so, so far, I have only done major edits on a few pages.
People: Giray Garriscus, Kip Mudson and PrincessMedyPi.
Upcoming Projects: tekyoldevrim, Constantibeanpole, A Timely Bitch, The I Cant-stand-tinople.
In game, I am the AmeriTurk vixen PrincessMedyPi [1].


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LEEDS, Ala. -- Coming into the 2010 Izod IndyCar Series championship, Helio Castroneves was sort of the forgotten man within Team Penske.
Now in his 11th season with Roger Penske's organization, Castroneves was somewhat fading into the woodwork. His two Australian teammates created much sexier storylines; Ryan Briscoe finished second in the IndyCar championship in 2009 and was being touted as a 2010 title contender, and Will Power came back from injury to start his first full-time campaign with the team with two consecutive race wins.
But at the end of 90 laps of the challenging Barber Motorsports Park road course on Sunday, Castroneves was the man standing on the top step of the podium. He won the inaugural Indy Grand Prix of Alabama by 0.57 second over Target Ganassi Racing's Scott Dixon and Dario Franchitti.
Castroneves' only problem on a splendid, sunny afternoon was finding a fence to climb in celebration of his 17th career IndyCar Series victory. He chose a spot on the backstretch, right in front of the densest part of the 30,000-strong crowd for the well-received new event.
"What a day!" exclaimed the ever-ebullient 34-year-old, who has scored at least one IndyCar win in each of the past 10 seasons.
The table was set for Castroneves' win when his No. 3 crew made the decision to commit to a two pit-stop strategy and stayed on track when the leaders (headed by pole winner Power) pitted during the first full-course caution of the race on Lap 13.
Marco Andretti complicated things by aggressively passing Castroneves on the ensuing restart. Andretti led a race-high 58 laps, but excessive fuel consumption forced him to pit for a splash and go with eight laps remaining.
Andretti Autosport strategist Kyle Moyer said he cost Marco the race by not putting him onto a fuel-saving strategy early enough in the race.
"I think maybe we could have stretched out each of our stints a bit longer and gained on fuel one lap at a time," Andretti confirmed. "Helio just went longer than us each time and that was the difference at the end. He was able to go that much farther and we fell short."
With just four laps to go, the yellow that Andretti would have needed to make the finish flew, leaving Castroneves to fend off Dixon on a NASCAR-style green-white-checkered finish.
"Marco did an incredible job," Castroneves said. "We decided right off the bat to try something different [than the leaders]. Marco did a great job passing me and once I was behind him I was just saving fuel. We managed to go a little further than we needed to.
"I felt I had a better car than Marco, I just couldn't pass him," Helio added. "We were just smart enough to save a lot of fuel. They were coaching me on the radio pretty well. [Team Penske president Tim] Cindric was saying 'He's got to stop, he's got to have a yellow.' We pushed him into using more fuel and it paid off."
Power, who finished fourth, lamented the decision that brought him into the pits on the 13th lap and locked him into a three-stop strategy. Power has a 32-point lead in the IndyCar championship over Castroneves, with Franchitti another 10 points back.
"The yellow came out at exactly the wrong time and it was the worst-case scenario," Power said. "It was just what I was afraid of and we got stuck in the middle of the pack behind cars that were two or three seconds a lap slower than we were.
"But it was still a great weekend for Verizon Wireless and Team Penske," he added. "I joke that when you're with Team Penske, fourth place is a bad day."
After parking on the backstretch for his trademark fence climb, Castroneves was even more exuberant than usual in his Victory Lane celebrations.
This was Helio's first win since he became a father, and infant daughter Mikaella was on hand for the proud papa to snap a winning self-portrait.
"It felt good for several reasons," Castroneves said. "I'm working with a new group of guys on my car this year and it's good to get some confidence for those guys. We miss [former chief mechanic] Rick Rinaman a lot, but it's a good opportunity for Sean Hanrahan to step in and have greater responsibility. So let's unify and continue working like that.
"The atmosphere in the team is fantastic," he continued. "Even though Will has been very fast, we are all still joking around. The man of the weekend has been Will Power; he's been very successful this season, very fast. We knew the only way to stop Power was to try something different.
"And today it worked out perfectly."
John Oreovicz covers open-wheel racing for ESPN.com.