text:
In order to debug and deploy .NET applications using the Mono Tools for Visual Studio, there are 2 components that need to be installed. Firstly there is the plugin for Visual Studio on Windows, and there is the monovs-server that needs to run on the target Linux system.
Installing the Visual Studio plugin is of course as easy as it gets, as the Mono guys have provided a Windows Installer file for our convenience. You can download it here from the official project page.
If you're using openSUSE, installing the monovs-server part is quite easy too. Novell has provided a 1click RPM installer (or alternatively you can downloaded an openSUSE virtual image for VMWare or Virtual PC). If however you're not using openSUSE (especially a non-RPM system like Ubuntu), things can get a little tricky.
I've managed to hack it so it works on Ubuntu, so what follows should get you up and running quite quickly.
The guys at the Mono Project have released their Mono Tools for Visual Studio. This must be one of the most anticipated projects of the year for me yet!
According to the official project page:
Mono Tools for Visual Studio is a commercial add-in for Microsoft™ Visual Studio™ that enables developers to write .NET applications for non-Windows platforms within their preferred development environment. It allows developers to build, debug and deploy .NET applications on Linux, while continuing to leverage the extensive ecosystem of code, libraries, and tools available for .NET.
Mono Tools for Visual Studio is a commercial add-in for Microsoft™ Visual Studio™ that enables developers to write .NET applications for non-Windows platforms within their preferred development environment. It allows developers to build, debug and deploy .NET applications on Linux, while continuing to leverage the extensive ecosystem of code, libraries, and tools available for .NET.
While there's a fair bit of marketing speak in there (I tune out pretty much whenever I hear the words "leverage" and "ecosystem"), the benefits are actually quite simple.
You can now remotely deploy and debug .NET applications on Mono directly from within Visual Studio!
I can't begin to tell you how much help this is going to be in working on BlogEngine.NET on Linux. Unfortunately this capability isn't open-source or free, but as a Visual Studio developer you're probably going to be used to paying for features. Starting at $99 I guess it's not too hefty a price to pay if you're serious about using C# on Mono and Linux.
Here's some of the awesome things you can do with it right now:
For more information, I'd suggest you go visit Miguel de Icaza's blog, and also the official product page at the Mono project.
I'll be following up this post shortly with a guide to getting it all to work on Ubuntu.
I've finally gotten around to creating a new theme for this blog. I've been feeling a bit of pressure after Al did an absolutely stunning remake of his blog a couple of months ago.
With each theme I do for BlogEngine.NET, I can't help but be more and more impressed with how easy it is.
Al also has some great tips for BlogEngine.NET theme designers. Have a a look at his creating themes webcast and some tips here and here.
I've finally put together a bash script to automatically download, compile and install Mono on Ubuntu. At the time of writing, it installs Mono 18.104.22.168. Should this be outdated by the time you read this, you can simply modify the install script to download the latest files.
When you're developing a large website, you often find yourself with a couple of broken links floating around on your site. As most developers working on dynamic sites generally don't think about it, your first indication that you have a problem is usually only after deployment.
Either you're unlucky enough to have it brought to your attention by a customer, or you discover it yourself using a tool like Google's Webmaster Tools.
This is exactly what happened to me while working on our new Cape Town Accommodation venture www.stayunlimited.com.
The webmaster tools will allow you to drill into the info and find the offending links. Now you happily go off and fix the problem in your site and deploy again.
But hang on a second. How can you be sure that you haven't created more broken links in the process of fixing the problem you initially identified? With a dynamic site making heavy use of URL rewriting this is a major possibility (and it happens to be exactly what happened to me).
Obviously you need to test that your site is now broken link free. You can be optimistic about it and wait for Google to re-index your site so you can check the webmaster tools again (probably not a very good idea). Or you can use one of the many online link checkers available to scan your site. But that isn't that great a solution either, because at this point you've already deployed the site.
First prize then would be to check your site for broken links in your development environment before deploying. There are a number of tools available for doing this, but most are commercial and not free of charge. The SoftwareQATest.com website has a number of tools listed if you're interested.
From their list I discovered the excellent freeware Xenu utility by Tilman Hausherr. This little Windows app will scan through your locally deployed website and highlight any broken links, allowing you to fix them before deploying!
What more could you ask for?
My efforts at evaluating Tokyo Cabinet hit a bit of a dead-end when I realised there were no .NET bindings for it. I suppose I could have evaluated it using Ruby or Python, but that would have just been putting off the inevitable. At some stage I would need .NET bindings if I was to use it in a project.
So I've gone ahead and implemented the TokyoTyrant binary network protocol in a .NET wrapper. I've open-sourced my efforts, and you can download the source from CodePlex at http://tokyotyrant.codeplex.com.
I am mostly interested in using Tokyo Cabinet as a document database, so my implementation fully supports the table database mode of Tokyo Cabinet. It's a full implementation though, so there is support for it's various key/value modes too.
Mono is fully supported and there is a comprehensive example project, so getting up and running should be easy.
Give the library a spin and let me know if you have any (hopefully constructive) criticism.
I've been getting increasingly interested in alternative databases of late. With alternative I mean non-relational databases of course.
There are a number of document / key value stores in development at the moment. They include projects like HBase, CouchDB, MongoDB and much more.
What has really grabbed my attention at the moment is Tokyo Cabinet. It's a fascinating datastore that promises excellent performance along with great data security features like master-master replication.
This post isn't about the features of Tokyo Cabinet, it's about getting it installed so you can start playing with it yourself. The Igvita blog has a great write-up about why Tokyo Cabinet is relevant, so head over to Tokyo Cabinet: Beyond Key-Value Store for the juicy details. Once you're impressed, head back here to install it and start playing!
The Mono team has just released Mono 18.104.22.168. This release is of particular significance because it contains support for ASP.NET MVC. That's great news for me as I am now thoroughly addicted to MVC.
Mono 22.214.171.124 will install using the instructions in my existing tutorial, but I did have some trouble compiling the new release on my own server.
In particular, I had a SIGSEGV error while compiling Mono. I got around that by updating my system. So make sure that update your system before compilation using "apt-get upgrade".
Secondly, I ran out of memory while compiling again. It seems that as the mono documentation gets bigger, the memory required for compilation just gets more and more. I managed to compile with 450MB of free memory this time.
So head on over to my tutorial on Installing Mono on Ubuntu and give it a go yourself.
I've had some questions about my avatar, and no, I did not create it myself. It comes from an online avatar/character generator created by the very talented Rasterboy.
Check out his Unique character generator here.
Every comment I leave on my blog and those of other's display my avatar because I have a Gravatar account.
From their site:
A gravatar, or globally recognized avatar, is quite simply an image that follows you from site to site appearing beside your name when you do things.
A gravatar, or globally recognized avatar, is quite simply an image that follows you from site to site appearing beside your name when you do things.
Go check Gravatar out here.
If you've noticed all the talk about Behaviour Driven Development (BDD) on the interwebs, you've probably had a look at it and tried to wrap your mind around it.
Like me, you may have decided that it looks interesting, but told yourself that you'll get back to it someday because of the sheer lack of good introductory information available.
Well that someday is now, as Rob Conery has put together an amazing screencast that explains it in detail with truly useful and understandable examples. In fact, he's done such a good job of it that I'm completely sold. I can't wait to integrate some BDD goodness into my next project.
To see for yourself, go check out Rob's most excellent screencast here: http://blog.wekeroad.com/mvc-storefront/kona-3/
I am a software developer / architect currently interested in combining .NET technologies with open-source operating systems.
I am a member of the open-source BlogEngine.NET development team and focus mainly on ensuring Mono compatibility for the project.
Powered by BlogEngine.NET
220.127.116.11, Log in
Theme by Russell van der Walt


text:
By Varietal
I usually never make the same burger twice. This is because I never know what I'll find on hand the day of the burger making.
A juicy, delicious burger to enjoy often!
This is a great burger to enjoy anytime of the year. It is Thanksgiving leftovers all in one bite. YUM! I always have this burger at cookouts for my friends that don't like red-meat.
Ground turkey meat can be a little dry when grilled, so I moisted the meat up and used the flavors to create a spread for each side of the bun to carry the flavors throughout the burger.
I was watching last year's contest around Christmas time.
Summer is produce time here in the Midwest, and this burger includes all the wonderful treasures from the earth.
This recipe is for the burger as interpreted by an Italian-American from Rhode Island, paying simultaneous homage to old world Mediterranean culinary roots and to the new world tradition of the tas
I love the grill for the simple reason that flavors become so deliciously concentrated!
I came up with this recipe with what was available in my fridge. Of course there are all sorts of alterative items that could be used, whatever you may like.
I don't like red meat and my husband does! For that reason we had to come up with a tasty burger that we would both eat.
I am a burger man, love to grill out and enjoy my beef burgers, but my fiance does not eat red meat. So I had to divise a recipe using Turkey that she would like as much as I like a beef burger.
I created this recipe as a break from the traditional beef burger.
Don't let the turkey fool you. This is a turkey burger that can pair well with any of the Sutter Home heartier red wines as the seasonings are able to hold their own.
A very simple, tasty burger, served on a whole wheat kaiser roll. A good alternative to beef, with healthful spinach and cheese.
I developed this recipe along with my two daughters Emma 9 and Julia 7, at our cottage on Rumsey Road in Au Gres, Michigan.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Adobe Creative Cloud is available at a discount for students and teachers. Choose between these two plans depending on your needs:
- The Complete plan for students and teachers gives you the latest versions of every Adobe creative tool — including Photoshop CC and Illustrator CC — plus seamless ways to share and collaborate.
- The Photography plan includes Photoshop CC and Lightroom for all your image editing and photo-based projects.
Both plans require an annual commitment, but you can choose to pay by the month or prepay for the full year with either plan.


text:
On paper, the Detroit Tigers are every bit as good as they were a year ago, and more.
Most of their deficiencies have been addressed, most of the potholes paved over, most of the rips mended.
The front office took a roster that had already won two straight division titles, made it to the World Series in 2012, and tweaked it, adding a couple of key pieces to fix some of the weaknesses, and building upon strengths.
Victor Martinez is back at designated hitter. Anibal Sanchez is in the rotation for the full season, while Omar Infante stopped the revolving door at second base. And Torii Hunter solidifies the outfield, while bringing a big dose of personality to the clubhouse.
"The names on the back of our jerseys are pretty impressive. If we play good, that's the key. You're never guaranteed that," manager Jim Leyland said.
"The names sound good -- the pitching staff, the position players -- all the names sound good, and now it's our job to go out and play good. That's the key. That's the difference."
On paper, they seem to be a better team, one more than capable of defending its American League championship.
But are they?
"I don't know about that. I don't know about that. I'm saying because at this time last year, we had a bona fide Major League closer. Does Torii Hunter make us better? Absolutely. Having Sanchez for a year, does that make us better? Yes," Leyland said.
"But you also had a bona fide closer ... last year, that had a pretty good track record, and you guys all thought was pretty good, because he was. You weren't even asking about a closer last year. ... But a closer's a pretty important guy.
"I love the team, don't get me wrong. I love this team. ... The names on the back are pretty impressive. If we all play for the name on the front, we'll be pretty good."
Closer might be the one spot where opposing teams sense weakness. After closer-in-waiting Bruce Rondon was unable to harness his big fastball enough to lock down the job in spring training, and was sent to Triple-A Toledo, it left the Tigers having to employ a closer-by-committee scheme.
[UPDATE: Deposed closer Jose Valverde was re-signed to a minor-league contract on April 4, with an out clause if he's not in the majors by May 5. He could factor in to the solution, if he's fixed the problems that led to the disastrous finish to his 2012 season.]
"I guess it's like a broken record right now. The closer issue is not settled. But other than that, I feel totally comfortable with our team. We've got enough left fielders to be fine. We've got enough utility guys to be fine. We've got enough catchers to be fine. We got enough good arms in the bullpen to be fine," Leyland said.
"The closer would be the one issue that's just not settled."
The Tigers are far more settled in the outfield and at the top of the batting order, though, thanks to the addition of the 17-year veteran, Hunter.
For his part, Hunter has been a big name, a headliner, a marquee player.
Now, he just wants to be a role player on a team that's filled with plenty of star power.
"I'm not the guy that comes in, wants all the attention, or walks through the clubhouse like he's all that. I'm just a regular guy that's having fun that's going to grind for you, every day," he said. "Right now, these guys have the chemistry. I'm just a small piece to the puzzle. These guys have already been there, they've been to the World Series together, they won together. They went through the little spurt they had in April/May maybe, they struggled a little bit, and then they found their niche, and made it to the World Series. These guys already have chemistry. I'm just a small piece, and I'm the guy -- I promise you -- won't destroy the chemistry. I'm going to do nothing but add to it."
Here's a look at how the Tigers stack up at each position to start the 2013 season:
In for Opening Day 2013: Drew Smyly, LHP; Darin Downs, LHP; Anibal Sanchez, RHP; Brayan Villarreal, RHP; Al Alburquerque, RHP; Brayan Pena, C; Omar Infante, 2B; Matt Tuiasosopo, IF/OF; Torii Hunter, OF; Victor Martinez, DH/C
Out from 2012 Opening Day: Collin Balester, RHP; Duane Below, LHP; Daniel Schlereth, LHP; Jose Valverde, RHP; Gerald Laird, C; Danny Worth, IF; Brennan Boesch, OF; Clete Thomas, OF; Delmon Young, OF/DH; Ryan Raburn, IF/OF
(Prince Fielder, 1B; Omar Infante, 2B; Jhonny Peralta, SS; Miguel Cabrera, 3B)
Reliability and consistency.
With all the offensive production contributed by the Tigers' two corner infielders, the part that so often gets overlooked is their durability.
First baseman Prince Fielder brought his streak of consecutive games played over from the Brewers when he signed with the Tigers last January, then played all 162 games in his first season in Detroit. His streak of 342 games coming into the season was the longest active consecutive games-played streak in the majors. It dates back to Sept. 14, 2010, when he missed a game with flu-like symptoms, snapping a 327-game streak. In all, Fielder played in 959 of a possible 972 games with the Brewers since becoming a regular in 2006.
"I knew about his durability, and his power. How much he loved to play. I knew that. To be honest with you, I didn't really know much about Prince. Very athletic and he runs pretty good. Worked out OK for us," manager Jim Leyland said of his knowledge of the burly first baseman before he signed with the Tigers.
So what did he find out after one season?
"I mean, I knew he was a star, but I didn't know he was as athletic as he is, I didn't know he ran as good as he does, and I didn't know that he was as good a pure hitter. I knew he was a force because he was a ... home run-type guy," Leyland said.
"But this guy's athletic, and this guy showed last year he can get a big hit, two out, man on second, to the opposite field, off a tough pitcher. That's pretty good."
After a brief adjustment period to start the season, Fielder lived up to his reputation, recording his sixth straight 30-home run season, and his fifth 100-RBI total in six seasons.
He also hit a career-best .313, tied for sixth-best in the American League. That's despite teams constantly employing a defensive shift against him, and many teams choosing just to walk him, instead of pitching to him. Fielder tied for the MLB lead in intentional walks with 18.
"He's a power hitter, but a very good hitter. Sometimes you get a big power hitter that's not a very good hitter. Prince Fielder is a very good hitter, and you saw that last year, early on in particular, hitting the ball to the opposite field. Drove in big runs with two outs, turned on some later on, hit (30 home runs). But he's really a professional hitter," Leyland said.
"For the most part, he has a terrific knowledge of the strike zone.
This guy's a real good hitter. He's not just a power guy. If you think about it, our three and four, they're both really good hitters. They're not just two big, strong guys that hit home runs. They're far from that. They're both terrific hitters.
"They're good."
And then there's Cabrera, who won the first Triple Crown since 1967, turning his monster year in to the second straight MVP award to come to Detroit. Cabrera led the majors in home runs (44) and RBI (139), posting career highs in both categories, and won his second straight AL batting title.
Leyland has said he's never seen a better right-handed hitter than Cabrera.
"No, I have not. I think the combination of the hitting ability for average, and the combination of power, no I haven't," the skipper said on the "Mike Lupica Show" on ESPN.
"He's certainly the best I've had, and I think he's the best in baseball, right now. I think he's the best right-hand hitter in baseball. I don't think there's ever been anybody -- I mean, this is really going out on a limb; you get some backlash from some of the veterans, and the guys that played years ago -- I personally have never seen anybody with the opposite-field power like Miguel Cabrera. I doubt there's anybody that's played the game that hits the ball to the opposite field -- I'm not talking about pull power, I'm talking opposite-field power. He's the best I've ever seen."
He's incredibly durable, too.
Since his first full season with Florida in 2004, third baseman Miguel Cabrera has missed 29 total games -- and just one each of the last two seasons.
The middle of the infield may have far less glamor and glitz, but it's very serviceable, with two of the "old shoe" types of players that Leyland loves.
While the Tigers have been rumored to be trying to upgrade at shortstop for the past couple of offseasons, they may get an upgrade by sticking with the same player they've had. After struggling for much of the early portion of 2012, shortstop Jhonny Peralta worked on agility drills with Tigers strength and conditioning coordinator Javair Gillett in the second half, and reportedly had lost weight coming into this season.
"I think he moved better the second half of last season. He's working on those (agility drills) now, along with the weight loss, and I think he'll have even improved range. But he's not ever going to have great range. He is not going to be (Elvis) Andrus, let's say, at shortstop, that type of guy. But it doesn't mean that he's not a real good major league player," Tigers general manager Dave Dombrowski said.
"We like him. He's a solid guy.
"We think we're very solid up the middle with Infante and Peralta, and we like the combo."
Peralta will never have the most range at shortstop, but he's relatively reliable on balls hit right at him.
Where they most need an improvement from Peralta is with the bat, where he regressed from his All-Star numbers in 2011.
Omar Infante may have only hit .257 after being acquired with Anibal Sanchez at the trade deadline, but he gave the Tigers a bit of speed they'd been lacking, as well as a stop to the revolving door at second base that was killing the Tigers through the first four months of the 2012 season.
He's fully recovered from a broken hand suffered in the final game of the World Series, and played for Venezuela in the World Baseball Classic.
(Torii Hunter, RF; Austin Jackson, CF; Andy Dirks, LF)
The Tigers' outfield, in flux for so much of last season -- thanks to injuries and inconsistency -- appears to be much more stable at the start of 2013.
Much of that is due to the signing of Torii Hunter, who takes over in right field.
In Hunter, the Tigers are getting a solid defensive player who has nine Gold Gloves on his resume as a center fielder, and logged 14 outfield assists last year. Angels manager Mike Scioscia campaigned for Hunter to win a 10th Gold Glove, his first in right field, in 2012: "There's no right fielder that's played at his level, I know that," the manager told ESPN in September.
Despite his age, he still plays a lot like the guy who will line up to his right this season, center fielder Austin Jackson, the guy who's been playing at a Gold Glove-caliber level for the past several seasons. He even looks a bit like him.
"He's a lot slimmer than I was. I was jacked," Hunter laughed in an interview on MLB Network Radio's "Power Alley" show. "He has quick feet. He's out there, he gets really good jumps, and good routes. And just watching him, man, he looks like me when I was younger.
"All we're going to do is, I'm going to keep watching him -- he's always asking questions, and I answer them for him, but he doesn't need much, at all. He's three years in. The guy seems like he's been around a long time, but he's having fun."
Hunter will plug into the No. 2 hole in the lineup behind Jackson in the lineup, the same spot he hit last year, behind MVP runner-up Mike Trout.
"It's amazing because (with) Trout and (Albert) Pujols, I had the same thing, and now I have pretty much the same thing over here, with Cabrera, who's probably the best hitter in baseball ... and Austin Jackson, .300 hitter last year, and has all the speed in the world," Hunter said on the radio show.
"It's the same thing. If Austin's on first, I have to change my approach, trying to get him over, get him in scoring position for Cabrera. So I have to 'kill self,' because I want to hit that double, so he can go ahead and score, but I have to 'kill self,' and try to get him over, or at least allow him to steal, so I have to take pitches and work the count until he's able to steal. And then try to get him to third, so Cabrera can hit that fly ball, or double or homer, so he can get him in.
"So you have to 'kill' and die the self, to help the team."
Like the much younger Jackson, Hunter hit .300 for the first time in his career in 2012. Part of that was due to successfully making the adjustment of playing in the No. 2 hole, and part, assuredly, was hitting in between Trout and Pujols.
But there are concerns that he might not be able to duplicate that, given his advancing age, and an unsustainable batting average on balls in play last season.
"Yeah, I mean, people say 'Torii's old, he's not going to do anything,' this and that. But you've gotta look at the way I play the game. I mean, my whole career, I hit fourth, fifth and sixth, so I had to swing for the fence, and try to drive runs in. And I did," Hunter told the "Power Alley hosts.
"Right now, hitting second allows me to be the athlete that I am, just try to get guys over, don't swing hard, kind of control the bat, different things like that. So it keeps me under control, and I'm able to drive the ball up the middle, and go to right-center, and I have a little more bat control at the plate.
"But when I was hitting fourth, fifth and sixth, I'm trying to take you DEEP."
Austin Jackson did his share of taking pitchers deep from the leadoff spot. Despite missing nearly a month with a strained muscle in his side, he set career highs in home runs (16) and RBI (66) and led the American League in triples (10). He also drew more walks than he ever had before, and cut down his strikeout rate.
The only number that really went down was stolen bases, which dropped to 12, after 27 and 22 in his first two seasons.
"If somebody told me that Austin Jackson would to exactly what he did last year, and maybe steal a few more bases, I'd be the happiest guy in Detroit," manager Jim Leyland said. "I'd be thrilled.
"You just don't take leaps and bounds in this league. You just get a little bit better. He's at the point now, where if he just gets a little bit better, that's pretty good.
"He's survived the freshman year and the sophomore year and the junior year. Now he's ready to be a consistent major league player. Could get a little bit better, but if somebody told me he'd do what he did last year, and maybe steal a few more bags, I'd be thrilled."
Andy Dirks came into the spring having solidified his spot on the roster with a strong -- albeit injury-plagued -- sophomore season.
"The one thing about Dirks, he's a ballplayer. He does a lot of things well, but you could say nothing great," GM Dave Dombrowski said. "He's not a great power hitter, not a real fast guy, not a Gold Glove guy -- but he does them all very solidly."
Dirks will be the starter in left field for the preponderance of games, but it's likely he will start fewer than either Hunter or Jackson.
That's not necessarily because the left-handed hitting Dirks can't hit left-handed pitching, or because he's not considered an 'everyday' player. As much as anything, it's a concern that he might not hold up if he plays every day, a nod to concerns that his lower-body injuries last year, which limited him to just 88 games, were in part caused by overuse.
"Dirks hit .273 off lefties last year. It's not that I think I can't play Dirks against lefties, I just don't know if I can play him every single day without him being off the field for a few days. I want to try to keep him going. I think he can play every day, but I think you've gotta be careful with it," Leyland said.
"I'm not saying he's not an everyday player, I'm just saying that -- from what I've seen the last couple of years -- you gotta watch that close, and not get greedy. That's what I think. I don't know if I'm right, but that's what I think."
If Dirks doesn't play, it'll be either Matt Tuiasosopo (R) or Don Kelly (L) who get the nod. Tuiasosopo won the competition to be the right-handed hitting fourth outfielder this spring, but that won't be the trump card in determining when the starter sits.
"There's a possibility Andy Dirks could get a day off against a right-hander, if I think the danger zone is coming," Leyland said. "If you need to rest a guy, you need to rest him. Doesn't matter who's pitching."
After missing all of 2012 recovering from microfracture knee surgery, Victor Martinez will be a welcome addition to the lineup, putting some protection behind Prince Fielder from the No. 5 spot in the order.
The Tigers handled his return very carefully this spring, not wanting him to have any setbacks, but he came through Grapefruit League play without a hitch, physically.
Getting his timing back may be another thing, as Martinez -- who hit .330 with 103 RBI in 2011, and a gaudy .394 with runners in scoring position before he got hurt -- hit just .253 this spring.
While Martinez was the back-up catcher to Alex Avila in 2011, the likelihood is that he'll just DH and play first, although he'll bring all of his catching gear along. Near the end of spring training, manager Jim Leyland said he wouldn't rule out Martinez catching in interleague games.
"He will be our full-time DH. Knowing Victor, I've already heard, 'Well, I might want to catch.' He's happy to DH, when I say that, but this is in the back of his mind," GM Dave Dombrowski said.
"We want his bat in the lineup, day-in and day-out.
"I would be more apt to think that he'd get his work in the field at first base at this point, and then the occasional, once-every-two-months-day that Prince (Fielder) doesn't play first base, and Jim decides to rest him, and be the DH, then Victor's probably going to be the guy that plays first base at that time."
After a bout of tendinitis in both knees rendered starting catcher Alex Avila a shadow of himself in the 2011 playoffs, the Tigers game into last season hoping that by keeping him healthy, they could continue to get the same offensive production that had landed Avila the starting gig in the All-Star Game.
The results were 50-50. The Tigers -- for the most part -- kept Avila healthy, but that didn't mean that he was able to maintain the numbers from his breakout season a year earlier.
He lost 50 points on his batting average (.295-.243), 120 points on his slugging percentage (.506-.384) and 160 points on his OPS (.895-.736) as his home runs (nine) and RBI (48) totals were about half what they'd been the year prior (19/82).
Coming into this spring, the point of emphasis was for Avila to be more aggressive and perhaps less selective, enabling him to recapture some of that lost power.
"Hot and cold. I think there have been days where he jump-started and got out early, and there's been days where -- and maybe in his defense, he's just trying to track pitches and get himself ready. I don't really know. But he could afford to be a little more aggressive," Leyland said of Avila's approach this spring.
"He's a guy that's capable of using the whole field, but he's also a guy -- he did 20, 21 home runs a couple of years ago. I'm not asking him to do that. He's got some sock in his bat. He can turn on a ball, and knock it out of the ballpark.
"He can also hit it out to the opposite field. Not to the extent of a Cabrera or somebody. But he can get it over the fence in left field in most of the parks."
But instructing Avila to swing for the fences and expand his strike zone (and thus comfort zone), is likely counterproductive.
"Well, I don't think I want to ASK him to hit more home runs. I think if he's more aggressive early in the count, he will hit them, automatically," Leyland said. "And the other thing is, it's a little bit different sometimes when you're a position player and a catcher. It's a little bit different when you're over there at first base, fresh all the time, instead of catching, getting beat up all the time. That's a little bit different."
Brayan Pena replaces Gerald Laird as Avila's backup, and will likely get somewhere around the 60 games and 200 at-bats that Laird was given a year ago.
(Justin Verlander, RHP; Max Scherzer, RHP; Doug Fister, RHP; Anibal Sanchez, RHP; Rick Porcello, RHP)
There's no question that the starting pitching was the overriding reason the Tigers made the World Series in 2012.
How tough were they?
Through the five-game AL Division Series against Oakland, the Tigers starters threw 34 2/3 innings (all but nine of the total), giving up five earned runs (1.30 ERA) on 21 hits, striking out 41 and walking 10.
Through the four-game AL Championship Series against New York, the starters threw 27.1 innings, giving up two earned runs (0.66 ERA) on 14 hits, striking out 25 and walking nine.
At one point -- from the start of Game 5 of the ALDS through the first eight innings of Game 3 of the ALCS -- the starters recorded 30 1/3 consecutive scoreless innings. According to STATS, LLC, it's the longest streak by one club's starting pitchers in a single postseason.
Before that, in the regular season, the race between Justin Verlander (the Cy Young runner-up) and Max Scherzer went right down to the wire, as they finished Nos. 1 and 2 in baseball in Ks.
Even better than those facts?
How about the thought that all four of those playoff starters, Verlander, Scherzer, Doug Fister and Anibal Sanchez, are under team control for at least two more seasons, giving the Tigers one of the deepest rotations in baseball for the near future.
"He gives us that type of depth in the rotation, where all of a sudden, you look at the first four, you start saying Verlander and Scherzer and Fister and Sanchez -- when you look at those first four, we think they can match up with any four in baseball," GM Dave Dombrowski said of the decision to re-sign Anibal Sanchez in the offseason.
Add in Rick Porcello, who beat out Drew Smyly in the spring battle for the final spot in the rotation in 2013, and you've got a formidable force.
And it's one where the individual members can feed off the success of others.
"When you see other starters go out there and just mow lineups down, and have success, you want to almost one-up it. You don't want to watch everybody else do good, and you go out there and suck it up. It just gives you that fire, to repeat it. If you can do it, I can do it," Smyly said during a run of sterling starts by the group this spring. "It's fun when everyone's pitching well, when everyone's doing good. It's just making everyone compete against each other, to pitch just as good as the last person."
The only limitation that the Tigers have with respect to starting pitching is that they don't have a ton of it beyond the top six. The depth that has come into play when injuries hit over the past few years has all but evaporated, thanks to a string of trades, part of the reason that manager Jim Leyland wasn't unhappy to see Porcello and Smyly both stay with the team.
"We don't have a lot of rotation depth, to be honest with you, as we speak. We have some some prospective rotation depth, but most of it's not quite ready yet. So having those six guys is a real treat. We've got six for sure. We've got some other candidates that I would have to say, with all due respect, are not ready yet," Leyland said. "We don't really have, right now, a lot of young guys that are knocking on the door."
(Al Alburquerque, RHP; Joaquin Benoit, RHP; Phil Coke, LHP; Octavio Dotel, RHP; Darin Downs, LHP; Drew Smyly, LHP; Brayan Villarreal, RHP)
The question mark of spring training has become the question mark of the regular season.
Who will close out games?
The inside track on the job went to rookie Bruce Rondon, but he could not harness his command, and will start the season at Triple-A Toledo.
It wasn't just results that kept Rondon from sewing up the job -- it was other things, like how he handled himself, and how he used his stuff.
"You gotta be careful. When the bright lights come on, and the extra tiers are on the stadium, it's a little different," manager Jim Leyland said. "He's gotta be able to block everything out. That's why the mentality of the guy getting (out No.) 25, 26 and 27 has to be a little bit different than the other guys."
While Rondon will likely get a chance at some point this season, the Tigers will operate with closer-by-committee. While several relievers will get a chance, don't expect one to be named the closer, unless he takes the job and runs with it.
"We definitely have guys that can close A game. Whether we have guys that can close games is a different story. I think whether they would hold up, physically, mentally, I'm not sure of that," Leyland said. "We have some guys that could close a game at any time: Benoit, Coke, Dotel, Alburquerque. They could all close a game. It's just, would they withstand the wear and tear, and the mental pressure and physical pressure of doing it four, five times a week?
"That would remain to be seen. I'm not sure we have that."
Does the lack of an established closer concern the Tigers themselves?
"No. I think we've got numerous guys that can do that. ... I don't think there's any need to worry about it. If somebody else (other than Rondon) needs to fill the role, we've got guys that are more than capable of it," ace Justin Verlander said. "I think you can definitely win one without (a dominant closer). I hope we have one. I think you can definitely win one without it."
(Don Kelly, IF/OF; Ramon Santiago, IF; Brayan Pena, C; Matt Tuiasosopo, IF/OF)
A non-roster invitee who'd emailed the Tigers to get an opportunity, Matt Tuiasosopo ended up being the surprise of spring camp, winning the job over a slew of competitors as the right-handed hitting fourth outfielder to complement Andy Dirks in left field.
He won the steep competition -- which included incumbents Quintin Berry and Brennan Boesch, star prospects Nick Castellanos and Avisail Garcia and Rule 5 draft acquisition Jeff Kobernus -- by ripping up opposing pitching, once he got comfortable. After a cold start to the spring (0-for-14 with eight strikeouts) following his son's complication-filled birth in mid-February, Tuiasosopo hit .370 with power (four home runs, six doubles) the rest of the way.
The former third-round pick of the Mariners had spent parts of three seasons in Seattle, posting a .176 average in just under 200 career at-bats, before spending the last two seasons at the Triple-A level.
"He's a player. His spring -- he's been unconscious this spring, and he's showed that he's got the maturity level to go out there and get it done," teammate Phil Coke said on MLB Network Radio's "Inside Pitch" show. "He's been around game long enough to know what he's doing."
Tuiasosopo will primarily be in left field, he could play either corner infield or outfield position, if needed.
Don Kelly is no stranger to the Tigers roster, having spent the last four seasons in Detroit, but there were several times in the past year where it looked like there might not be a fifth. The ultra-utility player -- he's the only active MLB player to have lined up at all nine positions, including pitcher -- was designated for assignment midseason last year, but decided to return to the organization and hope he'd get called up.
He was called up just before the start of September, and made the playoff roster, getting the walk-off sacrifice fly to win Game 2 of the American League Division Series.
"This is why you play the game. This is what you dream about as a kid," Kelly said. "This is unbelievable. It's a long road to get to the big leagues," he said before the World Series. "You've got to keep battling. This is why you do it."
It continued to be a battle for Kelly, though, as he was removed from the roster after the World Series, making him a free agent. After looking around, the 33-year-old Kelly decided to return to the Tigers again, signing a minor-league deal, with an out clause, should he not make the Opening Day roster.
A spring in which he hit .320 and tied for the team lead in home runs (four) -- and the knowledge that he can comfortably play defense almost anywhere on the diamaond -- ensured that he did make the roster, finding out he'd narrowly edged out Quintin Berry in the final week of camp.
"This is home," he told reporters after learning the news.
Despite having spent all but 27 games in his 11-year career with Detroit, Ramon Santiago flirted with leaving the Tigers after 2011, looking for a full-time gig somewhere. When he didn't find one, he came back to the Tigers as their key reserve, signing a two-year, $4.2-million contract for 2012-13.
That didn't look like so much of a bargain when, after skipping his usual winter ball stint in the offseason, he hit just .206 in the first year of the deal. The organization urged him to play this winter, and he feels like it helped, even if his spring wasn't exceptional.
"Yeah, it's a positive thing for me, because, like I don't play every day here. There, at least I get 150 at-bats, and really work through, facing live pitching," he said. "It's worked pretty good for me the last couple of years, and last year, I don't do it, and I don't do too good that year."
Santiago narrowly beat out Danny Worth for the final spot on the roster, a decision that may have been based as much on economics (Santiago's contract, Worth still having an option year left) as performance.
The switch-hitting Brayan Pena will back up Alex Avila behind the plate (although Victor Martinez may end up pre-empting that duty during interleague series), replacing the departed Gerald Laird. Pena's coming off a season where he recorded a career-high 25 RBI in a reserve role in Kansas City, and his .265 average and .645 OPS against left-handed pitching last season will come in handy when Avila gets a rest against tough lefties this year.
He's caught 30 percent of would-be base stealers in his seven-year big league career, and his presence gives the Tigers' top catching prospect, Bryan Holaday, another year of seasoning at Triple-A Toledo.
Matthew B. Mowery covers the Tigers for Journal Register Company. Email him at email@example.com and follow him on Twitter @matthewbmowery.


text:
The Day Ahead: Putting the Market on the Couch
The stock market has feelings, you know. They are not readily apparent to the majority of the population but, to some, diagnosing the market's inner feelings comes naturally. Day in and day out, emotional outbursts here are supposed to be the norm -- and, when they are not, it raises a red flag.
This is precisely where we enter the new week -- full of the hope and promise that politicians have drug-shot into the veins of the market. In this way, perhaps investors have been profitable through these couple of holiday days free of news conferences. No emotional outbursts were present last week; all we saw was a cool and calm march higher on thin volume that, interestingly, did pick up Friday. It's as if the market is concealing its real feelings and acting in way that assures interested observers that all is fine and dandy. This is a precarious situation, that's for darn sure....456 more words left in this article. To read them, just click below and try Real Money FREE for 14 days.
There's no substitute for a trading floor to get great ideas, so Jim Cramer created a better one at Real Money and blogs there exclusively. We then added legendary hedge fund manager, Doug Kass, with his exclusive Daily Diary and best investing ideas. Staffed with more than 4 dozen investing pros, money managers, journalists and analysts, Real Money Pro gives you a flood of opinions, analysis and actionable trading advice found nowhere else, and allows you to interact directly with each expert.
Already a Subscriber? Please login.


text:
One Stop for DMV and County Services at Government Center Nov. 28 and 29
Nov. 26, 2012
The Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles' DMV 2 Go customer service van will be at the Fairfax County Government Center on Wednesday, Nov. 28 and Thursday, Nov. 29, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Government Center is located at 12000 Government Center Parkway, Fairfax. DMV 2 Go will be parked near the front of the building.
DMV 2 Go offers all DMV services, including:
- Obtain vehicle titles, license plates, decals and transcripts.
- Apply for or renew your ID card - available for adults and children.
- Apply for or renew your driver's license - take road and knowledge tests; get your picture taken. Reinstate driving privileges.
- Get a copy of your driving record.
- Obtain vehicle titles, license plates, decals, transcripts.
- Order disabled parking placards or plates.
- Update DMV records, as well as your voter registration record, with address change, etc.
- Request a Personal Identification Number (PIN) to set up a myDMV account.
Fairfax County Department of Tax Administration Services
This is also a convenient opportunity for residents to visit the Department of Tax Administration in Suite 223 to take care of transactions, including those below.
- Personal Property (car) Tax
- Outstanding parking tickets
- Business, Professional and Occupational License (BPOL)
- Real Estate Tax (Due Dec. 5)


text:
To register to vote in the State of Pennsylvania an individual must meet the following qualifications:
- Be a United States Citizen for at least one month before the next election
- Be at least 18 years of age by the time of the election
- Be a resident of Pennsylvania and your election district for at least 30 days before the next election
- Must register to vote at least 30 days before the election.
Can change or select party affiliation up to 30 days before the election.
- In person at a county voter registration office or other site(s) designated by your county.
By mail in one of three ways:
- Obtain a State or Federal voter information mail application. The Secretary of the Commonwealth and all county registration commissions supply voter registration mail applications to all persons and organizations who request them, including candidates, political parties and political bodies and other Federal, State, and municipal offices.
- Download the voter registration application.
- Apply at Department of Transportation photo license center when you obtain or update your driver's license.
Apply at a government agency. Clients of these government agencies may apply to register to vote at:
- State offices that provide public assistance and services to persons with disabilities
- Armed Forces Recruitment Centers
- County Clerk of Orphans' Court offices, including the Marriage License Bureau
- Area Agencies on Aging
- Centers for Independent Living
- County Mental Health and Mental Retardation Offices
- Student disability services offices of the State System of Higher Education
- Offices of Special Education
- ADA Complementary Paratransit offices
Note: There are older versions of the mail applications still available in Pennsylvania including those that indicate that convicted felons are prohibited from registering to vote for five years after their release from prison. This requirement was struck down by the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania and is no longer the law. A convicted felon released from prison may apply to register to vote by striking through the felony conviction language.
Absentee Voting:
You can obtain an absentee ballot application at through your county's elections office. An absentee ballot request form is also available online.
The deadline to apply for an absentee ballot is the Tuesday before the election.
Voted absentee ballots must be received by the county board of elections no later than 5 p.m. on the Friday before the election. In a presidential election, ballots received by the county after 5 p.m. Friday but up to the closing of the polls will be counted for the offices of President and Vice-President only.
For more election and voter information you can contact the Pennsylvania Department of State's Office.


text:
Flaxseed has received recent acclaim for providing an abundance of healthy omega-3 fatty acids for the human body. A new study by Oregon State University shows that cows fed flaxseed produce milk with a higher nutritional content.
Researchers conducted the study by feeding 10 pregnant cows varying amounts of flaxseed. Their goal was to find the amount of flaxseed needed to maximize nutrition without affecting the texture of dairy products, like cheese and butter.
"We were looking for a sweet spot," explained Gerd Bobe, the lead scientist in the study.
Cows that consumed 6 pounds of flaxseed per day produced milk with 18 percent fewer saturated fatty acids, 82 percent more poly-unsaturated fatty acids and 70 percent higher omega-3 levels than cows that ate no flaxseed.
People who have diets high levels of omega-3 and low amounts of saturated fats have a reduced risk of heart disease, health studies say. Milk produced by flaxseed-fed cows would seem to be the solution for people seeking a healthier diet, but the OSU researchers warn that saturated fats still comprise more than half of the fatty acids in the resulting dairy products.


text:
Community Livability Grant Program
A new round of PDC Community Livability Grant funds was announced on February 21, 2012, with up to $300,000 in grants available in each of the Interstate and Lents Town Center URAs. These grants support a wide variety of community benefits: historic preservation, open spaces and gardens, community and cultural centers, social services, job training, and the growth of local businesses. All interested applicants are required to attend a mandatory workshop to learn more about project eligibility, completing the application, and the evaluation and selection process. For Interstate, the workshop will be March 6 at the June Key Delta Community Center, 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. or 5:00-6:30 p.m.; for Lents Town Center, March 7, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at SE Works.
Each year, the Portland Development Commission seeks proposals that foster vibrant and healthy neighborhoods within the Interstate Corridor andLents Town Center Urban Renewal Areas. Grants are available through the PDC Community Livability Grant Program for real property improvements to public facilities and neighborhood and cultural amenities that meet the needs and honor the diversity of area residents.
Grants are awarded through a competitive process and are intended to encourage projects that address community objectives, advance social equity, focus on disadvantaged Portlanders, and build local community capacity. Projects must add, expand or improve physical space that benefits the broader community. Examples include:
- Community health or nutrition centers
- Education and workforce training centers
- Recreational space
- Childcare centers
- Open space and community gardens
- Music, arts and cultural centers
- Historic or cultural assets
- Senior centers
PDC has awarded more than $2.2 million in Community Livability Grants since 2006. The typical grant ranges from $5,000 to $50,000.
Community Livability Grant Applicant Information
Community Livability Grants – making a small but mighty difference
"Our partnership with PDC gave us both the material and technical support to revitalize our 1928 mission-style building, currently being used to deliver services to members of the African American community. PDC staff showed their true commitment to improving the livability of this historically important structure, while giving the tenants a sense of uplift and pride in their environment. We truly appreciate the support provided to the African American Health Coalition, Inc."
– Corliss McKeever, AAHC
"PDC's investments helped us create a high profile, sustainable community space that benefits Ethos' families and our neighbors in the Humboldt neighborhood. We think very highly of PDC and the support we've received has been crucial to our success in shaping Ethos into a dynamic nonprofit organization. We are extremely grateful."
- Jedidiah Chavez, Executive Director
"This project almost killed me in the process, but when I look across the street now and see the results and my neighbors actually using the space, it was all worth it."
- Terah Beth Varga, TBBV Design
African American Health Coalition
With a grant from PDC's Community Livability Grant program, the African American Health Coalition (AAHC) has seen a transformation of the historic building they own on N Mississippi, just one block north of Russell Street. AAHC used the PDC grant to replace 70 leaky vinyl windows on the building's east façade and facing the interior courtyard, repaired stucco and cornice trim and painted the building. The improvements will preserve the structural integrity and historic character of the building, improve energy efficiency, and be a place of pride for tenants and the neighborhood.
Additional interior improvements are being completed by the AAHC. The 20,000 square foot building is currently operated by Lifeworks as an alcohol and drug treatment center for women where they can live with their children while they get the help they need. The tenants are ethnically diverse and low-income. The AAHC's mission is to promote health and improve wellness of African Americans through health education, advocacy and research. Future plans for the building are to add a commercial kitchen and space for community access to cooking demonstrations for healthy eating and increase the useable building space, including adding more affordable housing units. The building is registered by the City of Portland as a contributing structure in the Russell Street Conservation District.
Ethos Music Center
Thirteen years ago the building at 2 N. Killingsworth was boarded up and abandoned; today it is home to Ethos Music Center, one of the nation's most environmentally friendly music schools, with a mission to make sure that every child has an equal opportunity to enjoy the benefits of music education. Since 2006, PDC has awarded $83,813 in three Community Livability Grants to Ethos. Ethos has used these grants in combination with PDC's Green Features Grant,Storefront Improvement Program and other assistance to renovate school headquarters at 2 N Killingsworth, adding new storefront windows along N Williams Avenue and N Killingsworth Street, an eco-roof, a solar panel system, wind turbines, and a rainwater cistern. Today Ethos serves more than 700 students every week with direct music instruction at the Killingsworth center, and brings music education to several thousand more students in Oregon schools and community centers. With the help of the PDC's Community Livability Grant program, Ethos Music Center has grown to become the largest community music school in Oregon with outreach programs reaching to every corner of the state.
Our Happy Block Coalition
The Our Happy Block Coalition is a grass roots, neighborhood-led group in the Mount Scott-Arleta neighborhood that rallied to fix an eyesore. In 2010, Our Happy Block applied for a Community Livability Grant to transform an old church parking lot at the Calvary Lutheran Church on SE 80th & Woodstock into a shared community space. What has transpired since 2010 has been nothing short of breathtaking, driven by hundreds of donated volunteer hours, partnerships with community-based organizations, and the work of one dedicated woman and neighborhood resident.
Plagued by cut-through traffic and illegal activities, the parking lot prompted neighbor Terah Beth Varga with TBBV Design to do something about it. She organized her neighbors, struck a friendship with the church parishioners, wrote lots of grants, and ultimately designed and managed the project from conception through construction. PDC's CLG funds served as a $5,000 challenge grant to Our Happy Block to raise matching funds, develop partnerships, and phase an ambitious plan into feasible steps. The work included installing a 1,000 SF native plant garden adjacent to the parking lot, planting new street trees with Friends of Trees, partnering with Depave to demolish and remove sections of the lot for stormwater swales and new native landscaping, and installing a new sidewalk (and parking strip with trees) to eliminate access to SE Martin Street and its correlating cut-through traffic. Subsequent partnerships produced a new mural on the back of McCollum Auto Body on SE 82nd Ave., funded through SE Uplift; reduced stormwater runoff and the conversion of crumbling blacktop into a usable green space through the installation of new landscaping funded by East Multnomah Soil & Water Conservation District.
Contact us
For more information or to be added to the mailing list, please contact:
Susan Kuhn
Senior Program Manager
PDC, 222 NW Fifth Avenue
Portland, OR 97209


text:
Special for The Willits News
Parents make a huge difference when they talk with their kids about sex. That's why Ukiah's Planned Parenthood is promoting families talking about sexuality during October's "Let's Talk" Month.
Planned Parenthood will present a Parent-Child Communication workshop in Willits to help families communicate sexuality from 5:30 to 7 p.m. on Thursday, October 25, at the Willits Family Resource Center, 221B South Lenore Street.
The program is designed to help parents increase their comfort and communication about wide-range of "tough" topics like puberty, human development and reproduction with children ages 9 to 12.
Workshops are free. Refreshments will be provided.
For more information, call 462-4303.


text:
The accomplishments of young pianists at Royal Wootton Bassett Academy were showcased at a recital which marked the debut of the school's new grand piano.
The programme opened with Mendelssohn's Song Without Words, played by sixth form student Maddy Staten, who has achieved Grade 7 and is working towards Grade 8.
Alice Tulissio, who is in Year 7, and is already aiming for Grade 5, played Allemande in A Minor, by Handel.
Year 9 student Ben Pope, who has Grade 5, gave a lively rendition of Payphone by Maroon 5. Panny Frost, of the Lower Sixth, (aiming for Grade 7) performed Berceuse, by Frank Bridge.
Isabelle Dow (Year 9) who has just taken Grade 5, played the evocative Clouds by Pamela Wedgewood. In contrasting style, 21 Guns by Green Day, was played by Robbie Bean, of Year 9.
Lauren Baker, also Year 9, and soon to take Grade 1, gave a promising first performance with Moderato by Gedike. Max Bastow, Year 7, who has passed Grade 3 with distinction, performed Song of Twilight, by Yoshinao Nakada. Holly Gibbs, who will soon take Grade 4, played Elton John's, Can You Feel the Love Tonight? Alex Harris (taking Grade 6) played Rondo Sonatina by Dussek. Mrunai Mane, who is in Year 7 and has gained Grade 6 with distinction, gave a splendid performance of Mozart's Alla Turca Jazz, arranged by Fazil Say.
Adult musicians Sue McMullin (head of performing arts) and Jane Richmond, who teaches maths, played a delightful piano duet, Dvorak's Slavonic Dance No 2. The concert concluded with Felyx Wong, of Year 10, playing Chopin's Nocturne op. 26 no. 2. Felyx has gained Grade 8 with distinction.


text:
In the Dhammapada there is a chapter called Self, Atta-vaggo. One would expect that it would contain stuff like teaching how aggregates are not the self, or explaining how there is no self. But instead there are verses like these:
attana hi kataj papaj attajaj attasambhavaj
Indeed, evil is done by oneself, it is born from oneself, it has origin in oneself.
attana hi kataj papaj attana savkilissati
attana akataj papaj attana va visujjhati
Indeed, evil is done by oneself; by oneself one becomes impure.
Evil is undone by oneself; only by oneself one becomes pure.
atta hi attano natho ko hi natho paro siya
Indeed, one is one's own lord. What other lord would there be?
Notice atta (atman) used. Basically, if one goes with annata (anatman) translation (which I've seen used) written as "no-Self", and called a doctrine, then the beginning of the verse 160 can be translated "Indeed, the Self is the master of the Self", and these Dhammapada verses can be called the Atta doctrine.
What are Theravada explanations of these verses, what do the commentaries say?


text:
Gallery: Ash Wednesday at Holy Family Church in South Pasadena
Christians across the Los Angeles region joined those worldwide to mark Ash Wednesday, the beginning of the holy season that leads up to Easter.
For many, the next 40 days is a time of focus, prayer, sacrifice and introspection.
But for Roman Catholics, who streamed steadily into churches to receive a sign of the cross in ash across their foreheads, this Lenten season could be especially memorable because of Pope Benedict XVI's historic announcement Monday that he is resigning.
By Easter on March 31, Catholics may have a new pope.
"We don't know what to expect," said Atwater Village resident Emma Pe. "No pope resigns like this."
Pe and her friend Maria Teresa Galindez sat outside the courtyard of the Cathedral of Our Lady of Angels, waiting to pass out prayer pamphlets to worshippers.
Both said they liked Pope Benedict but wondered how the Catholic Church will evolve under his successor.
"This time of year is special for us and is always meaningful," said Galindez, of Glendale. "But I'm still surprised and sad (Pope Benedict) is leaving."
Earlier this week Los Angeles Archbishop Jos Gomez posted a statement on his Facebook page, calling the 85-year-old pope's decision to resign "a beautiful, Christ-like act of humility and love for the Church."
By mid-March, 118 cardinals will converge on Vatican City for a conclave to choose Benedict's successor. The next pope, Vatican observers say, will have to figure out how to unite the world's 1.2 billion Catholics at a time when demographic and cultural shifts have reshaped the church, and issues such as contraception, gay marriage and the role of women persist
John Moreno, 59, of Los Angeles said the new pope needs to emphasize honesty, especially after recent revelations and newly released files show that retired Cardinal Roger Mahony of the Los Angeles archdiocese shielded alleged pedophile priests.
"Benedict did his job, but I think (the Vatican) will try to pick someone like Pope John Paul II," Moreno said. "I think what the priests should do is be honest with us and each other. If they have done something wrong, they should say it. If we do something bad, we have to confess it. I believe if they confess to the people, the people will come back."
At St. Joseph's Church in Fontana, parishioner Virginia Coronado said the next pope should be someone who is prepared to listen.
"He needs to be a little bit broad- minded," Coronado said. "He needs to evaluate every issue going on."
She also said the sex abuse scandal was something that should be addressed in the open.
"If you brush something under the rug, it's going to come out," Coronado said.
Rick Breceda of Fontana agreed.
"He (the new pope) should just make a change in the church to deal with that," Breceda said. "If he does that, he's done a lot."
At Holy Family Church in South Pasadena, the Rev. Niall O'Leary urged parishioners to "walk with the Lord" for the next 40 days.
"With all sorts of `nasties' going on in the world, we're certainly not an example, are we?" O'Leary said. "So we've got to pray, slow down a little, open up the heart more than the mind."
For parishioner Christina O'Connell, 31, of South Pasadena, Ash Wednesday ushers in more than 40 days of Lent and self-denial.
"It's less about giving up food and all the things that people say it is, it's about giving up some of your other vices that you have within yourself," she said.
Regarding the pope's resignation, O'Connell said Catholics must trust he acted for the right reasons and that "someone will come and help to lead the church throughout these hard times.
Parishioner Alva Marsh, 81, of Los Angeles said he too has been distressed over continuing sex-abuse allegations against Catholic clergy.
"I think we have a ways to go," Marsh said after Mass. "We have to renew our faith and learn a great deal about our faith, especially since the pope has resigned. There are questions about that and so many questions concerning what the Catholic Church is facing."


text:
Moderators: Timko, Fritz, Solty, Booter, Blake_T, Frank Delicious
Blake_T wrote:my 2nd longest throw of all time on flat ground was with a first run dx archangel back in 2001 at 474'.
it is super inconsistent... but if you rip it right it will go.
Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 1 guest


text:
Eden Valley Growers completes certification
Eden Valley Growers, Eden, N.Y., has completed harmonized good agricultural practices certification on all of its growers.
The grower-shipper's eight growing members achieved the global markets addendum, said Dave Walczak, sales and operations manager.
The addendum is requested by only one buyer and complies with the GlobalG.A.P. Integrated Farm Assurance standard, he said.
The addendum involves more in-depth recordkeeping on where a shipper receives its products and is one step beyond the harmonized audits, Walczak said.
"They had their harmonized GAP audits last year," Walczak said.
"As their anniversary comes up, they will get their global markets audits this year. We are always trying to be ahead of what our customers are looking for to be competitive in the marketplace. There are several growers that unfortunately haven't done this. They may not be around much longer."
Eden Valley also added heirloom tomatoes to its mix.
The heirlooms are smaller than plum tomatoes but larger than cherry and grape tomatoes and are of mixed color, Walczak said.
Eden Valley planned to start its heirloom tomatoes in mid-July. The season runs through early October.
Turek Farms partners with corn grower
Turek Farms is expanding its corn season by partnering with a Delaware sweet corn grower.
The King Ferry, N.Y.-based Turek is working with Magee Farms in Selbyville, Del.
The Delaware partnership brings 300 acres of corn to Turek from July 5 through Aug. 10 and helps bridge the gap in corn production between the southern and northern U.S., said Jason Turek, Turek Farms partner.
"We've always struggled a little between the seasons," he said. "This should give us some better continuity."
Turek also works with south Florida corn growers.
Williams Farms adds cooling space
Williams Farms LLC in Marion, N.Y., has installed additional refrigeration.
The grower-shipper of onions and potatoes finished the addition last summer.
The upgrades provide Williams enough cooler capacity to store 100,000 cwt. of potatoes, said John Williams, partner.
The capacity is the same Williams used before but the improvement fills those parts of the packing operation that weren't refrigerated, he said.
This year, Williams plans to upgrade its grading and packing equipment by adding some chain sizers and washers.
The sizers remove smaller potatoes.
The planned upgrades will give Williams all stainless steel packing equipment to comply with food safety regulations, Williams said.
Williams grows 230 acres of potatoes and 140 acres of onions.


text:
The property is also listed with Joe Kramer, Stirling Properties, 985-246-3782. A video featuring the site can be found at the following link. https://vimeo.com/album/2677689/video/85943374
Entergy Corporation and its subsidiaries, including Entergy Services, Inc., Entergy Gulf States, L.L.C., Entergy Louisiana, L.L.C., and Entergy New Orleans, Inc. (collectively, the "Entergy Companies") are not licensed to market any real property. Information about these properties is provided merely to assist in economic development efforts. The Entergy Companies make no representations or warranties whatsoever regarding accuracy or completeness of the information nor the condition or suitability of these properties. Inquiries about any property should be directed to the listing broker for that property. Used only with the permission of the Entergy Companies. Usage restricted.
© 1997 – 2017, Entergy Corporation, All Rights Reserved.
|Enter Email addresses to Email a link to this property
The Customization Feature allows you to create a custom PDF version of the flier by selecting exactly which of the available data-fields you would like to appear on the flier. Once you are finished customizing your flier, you can preview, download, or email the PDF with exactly the data you need the most.
After you click the Customize button, you will notice that many of the data-fields have a icon next to them, and the toolbar menu at the top of the page will change as well. This signifies that the item is currenltly included in your custom flier. If you click the icon next to any data-field, it will change to a icon signifying that the item is now excluded from the custom flier. Clicking the icon repeatedly will toggle between being included and excluded.
Once you are satisfied with your data selection, you may choose one of the options on the toolbar menu to complete your custom flier. The View PDF menu item will open a new window with the customized PDF in it, along with a menu to Download, Email, or Close the PDF. You may also choose to directly Download or Email the customized PDF without Viewing it first, if you are in a hurry.
When you are done, the interface returns to it's normal view, until you press the Customize button again to customize the flier further.
If the flyer doesn't download, please click the PDF button again, or change your security setting to medium-low and try again.
You may also save the PDF by right-clicking here and selecting "Save Target As"


text:
Thank you. You should be receiving a reset link at the email address you provided shortly.
Pricing Information
Price description
Special Offer price
Special offer description 200 characters
Student rep info: name, email, ph #
Offered in partnership with
De Anza College
choose another school
Career Opportunities:
The Spirituality, Health, and Healing certificate program provides health care professionals in a wide range of careers with the knowledge and skills to effectively meet the needs of a spiritually, religiously, and culturally diverse patient and client population. Today, opportunities exist in the fields of nursing, parish nursing, teaching, hospice care, service, administration, and research. Opportunities also exist within government programs and agencies; public and private institutions that provide health, education, and social services; research centers; special interest groups; colleges and universities; and corporate human resources divisions.
This certificate is relevant for registered nurses, nurse practitioners, licensed vocational nurses, practical nurses, nursing assistants, social workers, occupational therapists, recreation therapists, physical therapists, respiratory therapists, administrators, psychologists, marriage and family therapists, dieticians, educators, personal care assistants, volunteers, physicians, physician's assistants, chiropractors, clergy, physical fitness professionals, and adult children of aging parents.
Note: All healthcare providers are responsible for checking the "Accreditation" list to determine if this course awards contact hours for their profession.
The Spirituality, Health, and Healing certificate program consists of a total of 12 courses:
ALLEGRA Learning Solutions, LLC is approved by the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage & Bodywork (NCBTMB) as a continuing education Approved Provider. Provider Number 451562-11
This Certificate Program has been endorsed by the American Holistic Nurses Association (AHNA). Certificate programs are only endorsed by AHNA after a rigorous peer-review process and approval of the AHNA Leadership Council.
No individual in a position to control content for this activity has any conflicts of interest or relevant financial relationships to declare.
There is no commercial support being received for this activity.
Expiration Date: 11/15/20
Course Revised March 2014
A new session of each course opens each month, allowing you to enroll whenever your busy schedule permits!
How does it work? Once a session starts, two lessons will be released each week, for the six-week duration of your course. You will have access to all previously released lessons until the course ends.
Keep in mind that the interactive discussion area for each lesson automatically closes 2 weeks after each lesson is released, so you're encouraged to complete each lesson within two weeks of its release.
The Final Exam will be released on the same day as the last lesson. Once the Final Exam has been released, you will have 2 weeks plus 10 days to complete the Final and finish any remaining lessons in your course. No further extensions can be provided beyond these 10 days.
While theorists and researchers have yet to agree on a single, universally accepted theory or definition of spirituality, few would deny its existence or impact on health and healing.The goal of this course is to offer health care providers an overview of the characteristics of spirituality. Theories of spirituality, its many definitions, and essential elements will be discussed. The stages of spiritual development and the connection between spirituality and healing will also be described.
The relationship between health care provider and client can provide both with a sense of strength, healing, inner peace, and an interconnectedness that gives meaning to the relationship.The goal of this course is to provide an overview of that relationship and offer health care providers an understanding of the types of spiritual care generalists and specialists, as well their roles in providing spiritual care. The influence of a health care provider's spirituality on his or her ability to provide spiritual care, as well as the barriers to providing spiritual care to clients will also be discussed. Finally, the course provides a discussion of the moral and ethical issues that should be considered when providing spiritual care.
The spiritual rituals of prayer, meditation, guided imagery, gratitude, spending time in nature, and art can all help people connect to their inner being, to others, and to a divine spirit or Sacred Source. A part of spiritual and cultural traditions, rituals help to provide awareness, meaning, intention, and purpose in life. The goal of this course is to provide health care professionals and spiritual care providers with an understanding of spiritually healing rituals that they can incorporate in the care of their clients and for themselves.
Health care professionals and spiritual care providers face many challenges in becoming prepared to administer holistic, respectful, culturally, and spiritually competent care for their patients and clients.The goal of this course is to introduce the health care professional to the relationship between spirituality, culture, and health. They are essential components of every individual, and each one influences the other. Health care professionals cannot address them as separate entities. Major health belief systems and major health care systems will be discussed as well as spiritual, cultural, and health care practices of African Americans, Asian Americans, Hispanic Americans, Native Americans, and Arab Americans.
Spiritual care is an important and necessary part of appropriate patient care, yet many health care professionals feel ill equipped to provide it to their clients.The goal of this course is to help health care professionals understand the elements of spiritual care and a spiritual assessment, understand the importance of providing this aspect of care, and learn strategies that can ensure a successful spiritual assessment. Several models will be discussed, and the various types of alterations in spiritual integrity will be explained. Finally, considerations for the appropriate planning, implementation, and evaluation of spiritual care will be examined.
The therapeutic interventions of music, art, dance, humor, and animal-assisted therapy can be integrated into mainstream medicine and should be considered as complements, not replacements for, mainstream medical treatments. The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) is evaluating these therapeutic interventions and research is demonstrating that they are not only safe but effective as well.The goal of this course is to provide an overview of these mind-body-spirit healing interventions and to discuss their therapeutic uses and benefits.
• Internet access
• Email
• One of the following browsers:
o Mozilla Firefox
o Microsoft Internet Explorer (9.0 or above)
o Google Chrome
o Safari
• Adobe PDF plug-in (a free download obtained at Adobe.com .)
Excellent Information and excellently presented - the information and reference resources will be helpful to me in the future - wonderful experience – thanks
I appreciate the opportunity to take a course on this important and underrepresented topic
WOW~~ I never fully realized the differences yet so many similarities between different beliefs, I learned quite a bit!
I enjoyed all the information that you put together . I have been studying spirituality for 18 years and I still learned a lot from this course. Thank you for your effort to bring the best to this course.
I thank you for giving me the opportunity to obtain more knowledge about spirituality. I learned a lot in this few lessons and I will continue reading them over and over.
Wow, the reading was great! I have always believed that nurses sought to be part of the profession because of a spiritual calling (It can't be money or prestige). I have found that it is often easier to develop a therapeutic relationship with clients because I can approach the relationship with "no baggage" and clear boundaries, in return the clients seem to "bare" their soul because they can choose what to share and therefore maintain their spiritual autonomy - all valid points made in the reading.
I will have a greater understanding of the spiritual needs of my clients and therefore will be able to offer better care. Also, I have a better understanding of cultural differences which will help me to better assess the spiritual needs of my clients.
Looking forward to taking more of your online courses. Thanks for putting together such an interesting and enlightening class.
Thank you for the Spirituality, Health and Healing course....it was excellent and very thorough. I LOVED it and it has given me much to think about on my own spiritual journey.
I deal with many seniors who are facing the death of a spouse or their own death (many are in their 90's) this class opened my eyes to many ways to help and talk with these people. The quote from the course "it's harder to grow old than grow up" is so true. The physical disabilities and limitations plus the knowledge that you are growing old is very hard to take sometimes. Giving up the ability to drive is a turning point for some people, many of my seniors say "it won't be long now" when they lose the ability to drive and become dependent on children. This course gave me a wonderful understanding of the spirit in health and healing.
Copyright © Education To Go. All rights reserved. The material on this site cannot be reproduced or redistributed unless you have obtained prior written permission from Education To Go. Education To Go and ed2go are registered trademarks of Education To Go, a part of Cengage Learning.
Cengage Learning
Copyright Notices
Terms of Use
Privacy Statement


text:
A BOLTON man has died after being hit by three cars while walking on the M61.
The man, believed to be in his 40s, was hit at about 11pm last night on the northbound carriageway of the motorway, just before junction 6 at Horwich.
He was found trapped under a car, having suffered multiple injuries, and was pronounced dead at the scene.
It is believed the pedestrian was hit by a Vauxhall Astra and two Toyota Yaris cars.
He is the third person to die this year while walking on the M61.
Police are now appealing for witnesses as they investigate how the man came to be walking on the carriageway.
His body has still not been formally identified, although this may take place later today.
The M61 was shut between junction 5 at Westhoughton to junction 6 from about 11.30pm, and reopened eventually at about 4.30pm, according to North West Motorway Police.
The fire service confirmed that a crew from Bolton Central fire station was sent to help police and paramedics at 11.17pm.
A police spokesman said: "At about 11pm officers were called to the northbound carriageway, just before junction 6 at Horwich, to reports of a collision.
"On arrival officers found the body of a man, believed to be in his 40s and from Bolton, trapped under a vehicle.
"It is believed the man, a pedestrian, had been struck by three vehicles."
The incident follows two other pedestrian deaths on the motorway this year.
Gary Wood, aged 30, was killed in March after he was hit by a Skoda Octavia while walking down the southbound carriageway.
He had earlier been at a Tinie Tempah gig at the Apollo in Manchester.
On April 11, Stephen Hayes, from Blackrod, was killed by a lorry just north of junction 6.
Less than an hour earlier, Mr Hayes had been questioned by police, who had dropped him at Rivington Services so he could be collected by a relative.
Anyone with information can call the police's serious collision investigation Unit on 0161 8564745.


text: Aracoma widows again question lack of Massey prosecution By Ken Ward Jr. December 7, 2010 Story Share CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- As a federal judge prepares to sentence four foremen from Massey Energy's Aracoma Alma No. 1 Mine who pleaded guilty to mine safety crimes, the widows of two miners who died in a January 2006 fire at the mine are again questioning why prosecutors did not go further up Massey's management hierarchy.Last week, Bruce Stanley, a lawyer for the widows of miners Don Bragg and Ellery Hatfield, wrote to U.S. District Judge John T. Copenhaver Jr. On Thursday, Copenhaver is scheduled to sentence four foremen who earlier this year pleaded guilty to misdemeanor criminal violations of federal mine safety laws.Stanley said in the Dec. 2 letter that his clients, Delorice Bragg and Freda Hatfield, are not seeking harsher sentences for the four foremen, Edward Ellis, Donald Hagy, Michael Plumley and Terry Shadd."Let me be perfectly clear that the widows do not wish to make it any harder on the four gentlemen set to be sentenced," Stanley wrote. "It remains the widows' position that the upper level mine and company managers are more responsible for the conditions that existed at the Alma No. 1 Mine, even if the government has concluded that criminal culpability against them cannot be established."U.S. Attorney Booth Goodwin has said the filing of charges against the foremen "concludes the investigation" of the Aracoma Mine fire.Stanley sent Copenhaver a copy of a video deposition of Johnny Jones, who became president of Massey subsidiary Aracoma Coal Co. after the January 2006 fire, and asked the judge to view the video prior to Thursday's sentencing hearing. Jones was interviewed by Stanley as part of a separate lawsuit, now settled, filed against Massey by miners who survived the 2006 fire."It offers what we believe to be compelling insights into that company's attitude regarding both its earlier course of criminal conduct and its perceptions of the repercussions regarding the same," Stanley wrote to the judge.Among other things, Jones says in the deposition that he was not aware of any disciplinary action taken by Aracoma Coal against any employees who were involved in the fatal fire. At least five foremen from the mine have pleaded guilty to criminal violations, all relating to the lack of required emergency drills at the mine. One of them, David R. Runyon, was already sentenced to a $1,000 fine for not conducting escapeway drills.During the Jan. 19, 2006, fire, a crew of miners ran into thick, black smoke in their primary escapeway tunnel and had to try to find another way out of the mine. Two workers, Bragg and Hatfield, became separated from the group, got lost, and eventually succumbed to the smoke.U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration investigators cited a variety of major safety violations that led to the fire, including "prolonged operation" of a misaligned conveyor belt and allowing large spills of combustible coal dust and grease to build up on the belt.But criminal charges in the case have focused on violations that could have hampered miners trying to evacuate the mine after the fire had started.In December 2008, Massey subsidiary Aracoma Coal Co. agreed to pay a $2.5 million criminal fine and pleaded guilty to 10 charges, including a misdemeanor -- failing to replace a ventilation wall that could have kept smoke out of the escapeway -- that prosecutors said "resulted in the deaths" of Hatfield and Bragg. The plea deal included one felony, falsifying a Jan. 7 entry in the mine's record book to make it appear that two different escape drills had taken place.At the time of the plea deal, prosecutors agreed not to pursue charges against the Massey corporate parent or any of its officers or employees, saying the government "does not have evidence" that Massey knew or approved of the record book falsification.The day the plea deal was announced, a Massey news release quoted Jones saying, "While we will never forget the loss of our two members, resolving these issues with the U.S. Attorney and MSHA will help all of us at Aracoma Coal Co. move forward from this tragic accident. "Since the fire, all of us at Aracoma have pulled together in a unified effort to improve safety," the statement said. "I am very proud of the members of Aracoma and their focus on safety."Reach Ken Ward Jr. at firstname.lastname@example.com or 304-348-1702. Story Share Story Share Trending Now 1 Facebook founder visits Cabin Creek Health Systems 2 Chuck McGill: Barry Switzer takes a special interest in former George Washington star 3 SBA board OKs canceling Logan's construction management contract 4 Parole board seeks report on Lavigne for possible release from prison 5 Hoffman, Poca take regional golf title Chilly crowd, veterans gather to remember Pearl Harbor Previous Story Former restaurateur released from prison early Next Story


text: NSA not violating privacy, Rockefeller asserts By David Gutman September 6, 2013 Story Share CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Sen. Jay Rockefeller, the senior member on the Senate Intelligence Committee, said he is not concerned with recent revelations of data collection and spying by the National Security Agency and said nobody's privacy is being violated."Has anybody actually had their privacy invaded? Nobody's ever come up with a single name," Rockefeller said Friday.Rockefeller, D-W.Va., also said people would know if their privacy was violated by the NSA, but he did not elaborate on how they would know.He said people need to know that the telephone "metadata" the NSA collects -- phone numbers, locations and call times -- is different than actually eavesdropping on calls."Nobody listens. There is no surveillance, in the sense of listening, only surveillance in the sense of somebody called somebody here, who called somebody over there and you put the three together and then you evaluate what's going to happen," Rockefeller said.Rockefeller was chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee when overhauls of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act were passed in 2007 and 2008.He said the court established by that act is effective in ensuring the privacy of Americans. The NSA is supposed to go to the FISA court for a warrant before it can conduct electronic surveillance within the United States."There are very few warrants which are actually issued, Rockefeller said, "very few." Since the FISA court was first established in 1979, it has reviewed about 34,000 warrant applications by the government that requested permission to conduct foreign intelligence gathering within the United States.Of those 34,000 applications, only 11 have been denied, according to The Washington Post, an approval rate of more than 99.9 percent.Recent revelations from former NSA contractor Edward Snowden have shown that the NSA collects metadata on billions of American phone calls, is able to break encryption codes on most Internet programs, is checking for key words in emails and text messages that leave the United States and has broken its own privacy rules thousands of times."All these charges that have been made have been made by people who have an agenda," Rockefeller said. "People always assume the worst. They say, 'Well, yeah, but millions and millions of phone calls over a period of years. Trillions. And therefore what's going to happen to privacy?' And there's the assumption that something bad will happen, when, in fact, there are firewalls set up all throughout the process where things cannot happen."Also on Friday, Rockefeller said he is not ready to announce how he will vote on using military force in Syria.He said he has pretty much made up his mind but wanted to spend the weekend rereading intelligence material. He said he likely would make an announcement Monday or Tuesday."I've been to Syria many times. I've met with Assad a number of times, and I know the intelligence about them very, very well," Rockefeller said. "It's a careful decision because of two parts: If we do something, what risk do we run? If we don't do something, what risk do we run?" Reach David Gutman at firstname.lastname@example.com or 304-348-5119. Story Share Story Share Trending Now 1 Derek Redd: Marshall thinks outside the cable box for broadcasts 2 Philanthropist Betty Schoenbaum of Shoney's fortune turns 100 3 DHHR report: No neglect, criminal charges in death of ResCare client 4 'Heroin(e)' spotlights women helping combat Huntington's drug crisis 5 New company planning $73M synthetic fuel plant in Greenbrier County Rockefeller stumps for kids' health funding Previous Story Holder energizes W.Va. marijuana supporter Next Story


text: Oberon3's Opiniator offers a performance management system for retailers using mobile phone surveys to help stores communicate with customers. Miller Management and Consulting Services Inc. (MMCS), a consultancy based in Sanford, Fla., has signed an agreement to represent and assist Oberon3, the developer of the product, OPINIATOR. Opiniator is a "moment of truth" feedback and


text:
Physical Education Minor
Students who elect to minor in physical education must complete 18 credit-hours of physical education classes. These 18 credit-hours consists of PE 116 plus 15 additional hours.
Any of the coaching classes, SOC 140, BIOL 117, BIOL 200, BIOL 207 or any special topics course from other departments designated appropriate to fulfill the requirement may also be taken. Please review the program requirements and course descriptions in the SXU Academic Catalog for more detailed information.
Students majoring in elementary school education and that are interested in a concentration in physical education should consult the Department of Education for specific requirements.


text:
Moderators: Timko, Fritz, Solty, Booter, Blake_T, Frank Delicious
Scooot_er wrote:And disc golfers aren't always the smartest bunch.
Apothecary wrote:you never post anything. i was expecting a behind-the-scenes look at crazy mod banter.
Scooot_er wrote:And disc golfers aren't always the smartest bunch.
Itchy wrote:Does anybody know what time of day (Pacific) the rapture's going to happen? I was kind of hoping to get in 18 on Saturday.
Scooot_er wrote:And disc golfers aren't always the smartest bunch.
Frank Delicious wrote:after rapture day I'm changing your rank to freaky jesus
In New York, at least one of Camping's followers continued to hold out hope that Judgment Day would come.
Retired Metropolitan Transportation Authority worker Robert Fitzpatrick, 60, said he spent more than $140,000 of his savings on subway posters and bus shelter advertisements warning of the May 21 Judgment Day.
"God's people are commanded to sound the warning, to sound the trumpet so to speak so people know," Fitzpatrick said of his advertising blitz.
Fitzpatrick said Camping led him to believe Judgment Day would be May 21, but added that he disagreed with the broadcaster's prediction it would begin in Asia.
In Fitzpatrick's view, from his reading of the Bible, Judgment Day would begin around 6 p.m. Eastern Time. He said on Saturday that he still had no doubts Judgment Day would come this day.
"I wouldn't even entertain that question because there's too much proof from the Bible," he said.
But not even all of his own employees are convinced that the world is ending on Saturday.
In fact, many still plan on showing up at work on Monday.
"I don't believe in any of this stuff that's going on, and I plan on being here next week," a receptionist at their Oakland headquarters told CNNMoney.
A program producer in Illinois told us, "We're going to continue doing what we're doing."
Scooot_er wrote:And disc golfers aren't always the smartest bunch.
Return to Off-Topic, Miscellaneous, etc.
Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 1 guest


text:
Mail: Southern statues symbolize suppession
Mail: Thanks for helping Aiden
More opinion
Fall: Good time to spray musk thistle in rosette stage
Robertson and Delsing re-elected chair, vice chair of NWB
More Ag News
Only one bidder offered to sell the county sheriff's office three new pickups Tuesday, but the package price came in under budget, Sheriff Jerome Kramer said.
Chairman Joe Hewgley opened the only timely bid for the pickups, from Janssen Chrysler/Jeep/Dodge of North Platte. Another bid from a dealer in Fremont arrived five minutes after the deadline, deputy county clerk Terry Heessel said.
The sheriff is trading three old cars in the deal two Ford Crown Victorias and a 2006 Dodge Charger -- for a total of $5,000.
Hewgley thought the trade-in values would be higher and suggested selling the cars at auction, but Kramer doubted they would fetch more that way. Deputies said the Crown Vics each have 150,000 miles or more, and Kramer noted that Janssen is allotting $3,000 for the Charger.
In response to Hewgleys question, Kramer said the package price is less money than he budgeted, and Hewgley relented. The board approved the deal, 3-0.
Kramer said the new pickups would arrive in 3-4 months.
Scrap iron
Also, the commissioners agreed to sell some old pipe, screens and worn out pumps from a county operated gravel pit near Brady. Roads Supervisor Jerry Hitchcock said the roads department has an agreement with the property owner to clean up the area.
The iron is 25-30 yeas old, Hitchcock said.
In other business, the commissioners:
Learned that the constitution of the cooperative UNL extension for Lincoln, McPherson and Logan counties still contains the word cooperative. The commissioners refused to sign the constitution without the word being included.
Discussed selling two lots of land in the southeast part of Brady. The land is inaccessible by road. Neighboring property owners Tammie and Sam Taullie asked the county if they could buy the lots. The county must hold a public hearing and advertise the lots for sale, according to state law, Deputy County Attorney Joe Wright said.
Officially terminated the jail booking system by Archonix Systems. The system has been replaced with a less costly system.
Approved a special liquor permit for the Cattlemens Ball that will be held near Sutherland on June 7-9.
Agreed to hire Weathercraft Roofing to repair the roof of the Department of Motor Vehicles building for $10,438.
Flatrock Publishing, Inc.
1300 E 4th St., Suite F
North Platte, NE 69101


text:
Oneida County Flu Outbreak
Utica, NY (WIBX) – The Oneida County Health Department says lab testing has confirmed 94 cases of influenza over the last week within the county.
That's alarming in that last year, the first confirmed case in the county didn't come until late December, according to Public Information Officer Ken Fanelli.
While about 100 cases isn't exactly an epidemic, Fanelli says those are lab confirmed cases, so the actual number of cases is likely much higher.
"[When people feel ill] they don't see their physician or don't seek medical attention and just write it off as a bad cold, when in fact it could be the flu."
He says there are a few things you can do to stop the spread of the flu, including:
- frequent and thorough hand washing
- cough or sneeze into the bend of your arm, not your hands
- avoid people with flu like symptoms
- if you are sick, stay home from work or school
Fanelli says the Oneida County Health Department offers walk-in clinics for the influenza vaccine, along with many local physicians and drug stores.
The health department's clinics are held in Utica, at 406 Elizabeth Street on Mondays and Thursdays from 1:00 to 3:30 p.m. And in Rome, at 300 West Dominick Street on Tuesdays from 1:00 to 3:00.
The cost for those who are not covered by Medicaid, Medicare Part B and an accepted insurance is $25.00.


text:
David N. Snyder wrote:Bodhi, a Pāḷi word meaning 'awaken,' is the name given to the particular tree growing at Bodh Gayā which the Buddha was sitting under when he became enlightened. This Bodhi Tree was a variety of fig known to botanists as Ficus religiosa and which has large spreading branches and rounded leaves with a characteristic pointed tip. In the several accounts of the Buddha's enlightenment in the Tipiṭaka, the Bodhi Tree is only mentioned twice (D,II,4 and Ud.1, repeated at Vin.I,1-7). Tradition says that after his enlightenment, the Buddha stood for seven days gazing at the Bodhi Tree out of gratitude for the shelter it had given him (Ja.I,77), and modern Buddhists still revere this species of tree for the same reason.
The present Bodhi Tree at Bodh Gayā was planted in 1880 and is distantly related to the original one. Bodhi trees are sometimes mistakenly called banyans although the banyan is a different species of tree altogether.
This thread can be the place to post your favorite photos of the Bodhi Tree in Bodh Gaya or other Bodhi Trees from around the world or to discuss the Bodhi Tree and its significance.
A website with resources and information, including where to acquire seeds and plants:
retrofuturist wrote:Greetings,
This is a close up of the leaves of a Bodhi Tree at Daham Nikethanaya in Yuroke, Victoria, Australia.
Bodhi Trees take a fair bit of looking after to get them established at this sort of latitude, as they tend to prefer warmer climes. One of the resident bhikkhus advised me that Bodhi Tree saplings are often grown in glasshouses in order to get them established prior to planting them outside.
Structures like this help to shield them from cold winds.
Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 5 guests