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The Cure Entertainment Network is proud to present the First Annual I Am King of Cali Car & Bike show, July 19th at Hollywood Park Raceway & Casino in Inglewood, California, to benefit the United Care, Inc. Foster Family Agency and the West Los Angeles Fisher House.
The show is the brainchild of Johnny "BJ" King, CEO of The Cure Entertainment Network and builder of the 9/11 tribute car '63 Impala convertible, "My Heroes", featured in LRM, along with Lowrider Hall of Fame member Ted Wells of Old School Hydraulics and United Care, Inc. board of director's member Mitchell Preston.
The event will bring together scores of the top lowriders, hot rods, customs and motorcycles from throughout Southern California, and beyond. It will also feature a first-ever "hop for pinks," where the winner of the hop-off competition will be crowned The King of Cali-and take home the loser's car. A raffle for a full-custom Harley Davidson motorcycle will also take place and the bike will be awarded to one lucky person at the event. Entertainment, celebrity guests and vendors are also featured.
"We first came up with the idea of putting on the show to bring to light the work of United Care Group Homes and Foster Family Agency in Los Angeles that provides safety, permanency and well-being for at risk foster children placed in their care," BJ said. "They also try to reunite children with their birth families when appropriate or support services to facilitate adoption."
BJ first became aware of the West Los Angeles Fisher House, which provides housing for the family members of Veterans while they are undergoing long term care at the VA hospital, a few months after his new neighbor, 29-year-old Marine Staff Sergeant Octavio "Tavo" Sanchez moved in next door. Sanchez is the victim of a makeshift roadside bomb in Ramadi that cost him his right hand, the use of his left hand and resulted in third-degree burns over 70 percent of his face and body in July 2005.
"When Tavo moved in I was a little apprehensive about having a Latino family living next door to me, because of the problems that sometimes exist between Blacks and Latinos" BJ said. "But I quickly learned that Tavo and his family were wonderful people and 'O' as I call him, has become a good friend; he's the best neighbor you could ask for."
Then on the afternoon of February 6th this year, Tavo came home all dressed up and BJ asked him what was going on. "I told him I had just come back from giving the pledge of allegiance at the opening ceremonies of the West L.A. Fisher House, so he asked him to tell him more." BJ was immediately interested in partnering with the Fisher House and made the decision to have the show benefit both worthwhile organizations.
BJ drew even closer to Tavo when he learned that he had bought his brother's '62 Impala hardtop lowrider. "The car is pretty straight with a clean interior but it's not really up to lowrider par," BJ said. During recent discussions with LRM editor Joe Ray and publisher Rudy Rivas, it was decided that, with the help of Lowrider magazine, the Tavo's Impala would be redone and presented to him at the show as a small way for the lowrider community to say thank you to Tavo for the sacrifices he has made for his country.
For sponsorship, show or hop participation, vendor or other information contact Johnny "BJ" King, The Cure Entertainment Network, (310) 968-4052, email@example.com.
Anthony Martinez
A Father's Passed-Down Talent and a Lack of Opportunities are Inspirations for one Airbrush and Tattoo ArtistBorn in Central America in the turbulent country of El Salvador, and growing up in the streets of Los Angeles around Santa Monica and Venice areas, Anthony Martinez knows all about struggle. The youngest of 7 children, Anthony moved into a house with his brothers and sisters upon his initial arrival in Los Angeles. Seeking the proverbial better life, he instead found confusion and tough times in the City of Angels in 1980. This was a time when gangs were running rampant, drugs were plentiful, and the city was ripped apart by constant violence. His sister enrolled him in Mount Vernon junior high school which was infested with gang activity, to the point that everywhere he went, he saw and felt the pressures of gang affiliation. "I didn't know anything about it, just thought it was the coolest thing since my family was doing the same thing at home," he recalls. As the months went by, he eventually got to know some of the gang members and started hanging out with them, smoking, and drinking with them, engaging in all of the usual activities these bad influences had bestowed upon him. He was becoming more involved with gangs, and less involved with progress, a choice that would prove very costly to him
After serving 7 years in the California Youth Authority for various offenses, he knew something had to change, something had to give. "I was completely lost and confused," he says. "I had no role models in my life, but somehow I managed to overcome that obstacle and learn about a higher power." He credits this newfound spiritual awareness as the key to his salvation. "I paroled in 1998, and met my wife for the first time. A year later, we got married and we are still married," he glows. He had his woman, now he just needed to find his calling, and, channeling memories of his childhood, he found it right before his eyes
"I can remember as a young child In El Salvador, sitting and watching my dad draw animal figures, his favorite one was an owl. He was a great artist but back then they had no artist recognitions," he states solemnly. "It was destined for me to pursue a special gift that was passed on to me. My dream is to be recognized as a talented artist." Using his father's passed down talent and lack of opportunities as his inspiration, Anthony got to work, setting the wheels of his dream in motion.
"As the years passed, I went from sketching to drawing beautiful pieces of art; then discovered how to use the airbrush and started airbrushing and creating murals, customizing on shirts, hats, or just about any piece of canvas I can get my hands on." In 2008 Anthony started his own business called "The Airbrush Studio", which features his custom airbrushing skills. He has also found opportunity offering a unique live experience with his art. "I offer event and party entertainment in which I go to private affairs, clubs & company promos, and perform live airbrushing for them," he explains. As a minor, Anthony also practiced tattooing with a homemade machine, and as his skills got better, he landed an apprenticeship at Venice Tattoos on the boardwalk for about two years. This launched his career as a tattoo artist which he is now doing professionally in his own private studio with an extensive portfolio to match. Forever branching out and creating, Anthony came up with another endeavor. "As I keep struggling as an artist to be discovered, I came up with another idea of having my own clothing line "A.M Style Fashion" in which I have printed my own artwork in hopes to make a living as an artist, and provide for my wife and kids," Anthony states proudly.
Check out the links below to see what products and projects are currently available from this talented artist. We here at Lowrider wish Anthony the best of luck, and encourage all our readers to use their talents to explore their dreams.


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Is your kid a reluctant learner?
Find out how to get your kid excited about being back at school. more
Download our BUMPWATCH Fertility Tracker for your most fertile days & tips. FREE
No matter how you choose to test for pregnancy, every different brand and type of pregnancy tests looks for the presence of hCG (human Chronionic Gonadotropic) - a hormone made by the placenta - in either your blood or urine.
As hCG is only present in your system when you're pregnant, generally, a pregnancy test that comes back positive, is truly positive!
However, false positives are possible when:
False negative pregnancy tests are possible and usually happen when the test is done prematurely. The levels of hCG required to give a positive pregnancy result are fairly high and so it is possible to get a negative result while your hCG levels are increasing to positive pregnancy levels.
While urine pregnancy tests can accurately detect the presence of hCG, they are qualitative - merely giving a negative or positive result. Most urine tests need a higher level of hCG than a blood test to show a positive result and so may be slower to show a positive result. The best ways to ensure that you get the correct result from a urine pregnancy test are:
Some urine pregnancy tests can frustratingly not give you an answer either way - this is because your hCG levels are too high for a negative but too low for a positive result. Generally speaking though, once your hCG level rises to the extent that it is no longer considered a negative result, it will continue to rise until you get a positive result.
One of the main drawbacks to using urine pregnancy tests early on (some tests can test for the presence of hCG as early as a week after your period was due) is that 30-50% of all embryos that attach to the uterine wall, detach again. This is different to early miscarriage. With pregnancy tests able to give an early positive result, it can be very disappointing to discover that your positive has turned into a negative result.
You can have a blood pregnancy test done by your doctor as early as 11-14 days after ovulation. After being sent to a lab for testing, the results of a blood pregnancy test can tell you two things:
Blood pregnancy tests are 99% accurate and can detect a much lower amount of hCG than urine pregnancy tests and it is for this reason that many women still choose to have a blood test done after doing a urine pregnancy test themselves at home.

subset: commoncrawl


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Wiltshire Police have today renewed their warning to motorists to take care after a morning of problems on the roads caused by black ice. Between 4.51am and 8.30am today Wiltshire Police received 12 reports of black ice.
A Wiltshire Police spokesman said: "A number of minor injuries were reported as cars slid on the ice. Fortunately no one is believed to have been seriously hurt.
"We would encourage drivers to check the local weather forecast and to try, where possible, to avoid country lanes which can be particularly hazardous in icy conditions."
Among the problems reported were: 6.33am, A361 Seend towards Devizes, icy on hill where water has drained from field; 7.18am, B4109, Bradbury Hill, Coleshill, vehicle rolled on ice; 7.29am, A360 Tilshead, southbound towards Salisbury, vehicle in ditch; 7.43am, A360, Shrewton to Tilshead, icy; 7.43am, lane by the Plough, Kington St Michael, vehicle rolled; 7.44am, A360 Tilshead, car swerved on black ice; 8.27am, B4042, Royal Wootton Bassett, near Baynards Ash Farm, ice due to burst water main and 8.28am, New Road, Forest Lane, Lacock, four vehicle crash, two people injured, road closed at junction with Bowden Hill.


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In a post at ZDNet, Dion Hinchcliffe delineates 7 problems of today's social web:
- Fragmentation of conversation.
- Disconnects between older and newer generations of social media
- Lack of control of identity, contacts, and data.
- A better social Web on mobile devices.
- Poor integration between social media and location services.
- Difficulty of coherently engaging in social activity across many channels.
- Coping with and getting value from the expanding information volume of social media.
from "The social Web in 2010: The emerging standards and technologies to watch" encountered via Ed H. Chi's post at the PARC Augmented Social Cognition blog.
The trends? Openness, portability, aggregation of distributed content. Hopefully we'll see more on all these fronts in 2010 and beyond. Hinchcliffe also suggests that we want "Better social and location capabilities added to the core of mobile devices."
See the full post at ZDNet for more discussion and references to a number of standards, formats, and related developments. In the next post, I'll highlight Salmon, a protocol for distributed commenting, which I'd neither encountered nor heard of.


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Everyone hit the slope for the grand finale, a stampede of sorts.
These are real cowboys, not necessarily real skiers.
…before crossing the finish line, competitors must lasso a cowgirl and saddle a horse.
The rules are simple. First one down the slope wins. There is, however, an odd twist at the end…
Cowboys wait their turn during the slalom competition at the 39th Annual Bud Light Cowboy Downhill, a mashup of rodeo and skiing that drew 90 people from as far away as Australia.
STEAMBOAT SPRINGS, Colorado — Ski rodeo is a perfect weird sport for Colorado, a place with a long history of ranching, a deep love of skiing and people only too happy to combine the two.
Downhill cowboys, and cowgirls, have been hitting the slopes here for the better part of four decades, and 90 of them came from as far away as France and Australia for the 39th annual Bud Light Cowboy Downhill.
The rules are, as in most weird sports, simple: the first one down Mt. Werner wins. Ingenious. This being a weird sport, however, there's something you must do before crossing the finish line. Namely, lasso a cowgirl and saddle a horse, of course. There was a time when competitors also would pound a beer, but this was never officially sanctioned and has since been outlawed.
There are two geniuses behind this race. Billy Kidd is a former alpine skiing world champ and Olympic medalist who is the director of skiing at Steamboat. Larry Mahan is a six-time all-around world champion cowboy. Four decades ago, they invited a posse of pro rodeo stars, who'd come to Denver for the annual National Western Stock Show and Rodeo, to try their hand on the slopes. They've been doing it ever since. And some of these cowboys have actually skied. Once or twice, anyway.
Blake Knowles, a steer wrestler from Oregon, took first place in the dual slalom event on Monday. His time was 22.17 seconds, a number that means nothing beyond this weird sport. Better to say he finished 3.5 seconds ahead of the guy in second place.
Visually, the grand finale was the wildest part of the day. Everyone took to the slopes for what could only be called a stampede. Frenchman Evan Jayne was first across the finish line in an event that was not without drama. Kobyn Williams, 25, who'd ventured westward from Louisiana, broke his collarbone. He'll miss about six weeks on the rodeo circuit because of it.
"I was rolling and tumbling," he said. "When I got up, I kinda felt my shoulder fall on me. I knew it was broke before I got up."
Williams was among the more loquacious competitors. I tried chatting up a cowboy by the name of Randy T. Mason, who told me, "I'm not one of the better guys to ask" and walked away.
"He's shy, like most cowboys," explained Joel Bob Carlson, a Southern California rancher who seemed to be the exception to that rule. Maybe the beer sitting nearby had loosened him up. Carlson was never a professional cowboy, but he did rodeo in high school and college. "Then the girls took over," he said with a sly smile. He considers the Cowboy Downhill a "crackup."
I told him what happened to Williams. Carlson was surprised to learn bull riders were competing on the downhill slalom.
"Bull riders typically don't do this shit," he said.
Maybe not, I replied. But then again, cowboys are pretty crazy.
"Truth," Carlson said. "Truth."
All photos: Sol Neelman/WiredGo Back to Top. Skip To: Start of Article.


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Gift set includes Black AA Maglite and stainless steel mini multi-knife. Both items can be engraved for a personal touch! One of our most popular items for Groomsmen Gifts!
The stainless steel 3-function Multi-Knife has a key chain for added convenience and is only 2-1/4 inches in length, making it a very compact tool. The three functions included in this handy tool are a 1-1/4 inch knife blade, scissors and a fingernail file with nail cleaner. Maglite engraves white and knife engraves black for excellent contrast.
Dimensions: Maglite: 5-3/4" x 23/32" barrel diameter. Gift Box: 6-1/2" x 3-1/8" x 1-1/8". Knife: 2-1/4" x 3/4" folded
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BRICE HOLLOW RD, Cumberland, Maryland
BRICE HOLLOW RD, Cumberland, Maryland 21502 - Country Living close to town! - Build your Home here! - Beautiful Setting - 2.83 Acres - Seasonal Stream - Survey Completed - Zoned for 3 Bedroom - Perk Test Completed
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text: The world's most extreme golf coursesUpdated 1441 GMT (2241 HKT) September 30, 2013 Chat with us in Facebook Messenger. Find out what's happening in the world as it unfolds. Photos: The world's most extreme golf coursesIce cool swinging – The World Ice Golf Championships takes place in Uummannaq, Greenland in temperatures which plummet to -50 Celsius (-58 Fahrenheit). Set 600 kilometers north of the Arctic circle, players have to cope with freezing glaciers and huge icebergs.Hide Caption 1 of 10 Photos: The world's most extreme golf coursesFire in the hole – Indonesian girls play at a golf course in Sleman, near Yogyakarta, as a cloud of ash rises from Mount Merapi in the background. Indonesia raised its alert for the volcano to its highest level in October 2010 and ordered people living nearby to evacuate. It last erupted in June 2006, killing two people, but its deadliest activity occurred in 1930 when more than 1,300 people died.Hide Caption 2 of 10 Photos: The world's most extreme golf coursesHot, hot, hot – As well as a regular 18-hole layout, New Zealand's Arikikapakapa Rotorua Golf Club also has a nine-hole thermal course where hot springs bubble, geysers spring and the smell of sulphur fills the air. The course sits alongside the Whakarewarewa Thermal Reserve.Hide Caption 3 of 10 Photos: The world's most extreme golf coursesHelicopter hazard – To play the 19th hole at Legends Golf Resort in South Africa you have to take a helicopter to the tee, which is perched on top of a mountain. The green below is in the shape of Africa.Hide Caption 4 of 10 Photos: The world's most extreme golf coursesFront line – An Afghan player takes a shot during a tournament at the Kabul Golf Club. The nine-hole course, which first opened in 1967, became a battlefield in the 1990s when rival Mujahideen factions fought among themselves after overthrowing a Soviet-backed regime. Hide Caption 5 of 10 Photos: The world's most extreme golf coursesSpeed golf – Brickyard Crossing Golf Club in Indianapolis has four holes inside the circuit that the famous Indy 500 is staged on.Hide Caption 6 of 10 Photos: The world's most extreme golf coursesBay warriors – Located in New Zealand's Hawkes Bay province, the Cape Kidnappers Golf course is considered one of the most beautiful and enchanting in the world. High up on the cliffs and overlooking the picturesque view, players must negotiate the deep gullies and crevices between each hole.Hide Caption 7 of 10 Photos: The world's most extreme golf coursesHead for heights – An indigenous Aymara woman plays an approach shot as her colleague holds the flag at La Paz Golf Club in Bolivia. It is considered to be the highest course in the world, with its layouts ranging from 3,277 to 3,342 meters above sea level.Hide Caption 8 of 10 Photos: The world's most extreme golf coursesDesert drive – Not all extreme golfing venues are so formal. Here a U.S. Army soldier of 333 Military Police Company hits a golf ball at his forward operating base in Paktika province, situated along the Afghan-Pakistan border.Hide Caption 9 of 10 Photos: The world's most extreme golf coursesDriving range – Before his death in 2011, British-American photographer Tim Hetherington spent time taking pictures of a U.S. contingent of soldiers establishing an outpost in northeastern Afghanistan. Now on display at the Open Eye gallery in Liverpool, Hetherington's work explores how these soldiers cope with their emotionally draining existence -- in this case by playing on a makeshift driving range. Hide Caption 10 of 10Powered by Livefyre


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Political and financial instability could still threaten the surge in interest in IPOs.
While the pace of initial public offerings (IPOs) on U.S. exchanges saw a slower start this year than in 2011 and 2012, that has changed, data from Renaissance Capital shows. Through April 2013, 44 IPOs had been priced, compared to 58 in 2012 and 49 in 2011. In May, however, 30 deals were priced, far outpacing the numbers from 2011 and 2012, which totaled 20 and 11, respectively.
"In April, things really hadn't taken off," says Lee Graul, a partner in the capital markets practice with BDO USA. "Then in May, we were seeing results that were knocking the doors off."
The abrupt turnaround even impacted The BDO IPO Halftime Report, a survey of 100 investment banking executives, Graul says. When the firm began work on the survey in April, surveyors were prepared to ask bankers their thoughts on reasons for the down market. "Then we got into May and the market took off," he says. The questions were adjusted to reflect the change.
Moreover, investment bankers sound optimistic that the change will continue. Nearly two-thirds expect IPO activity to increase further in the second half of the year, while just six percent are forecasting a drop. The level of increase expected? 7.7 percent. The deals will average $265 million, for total IPO proceeds of $41 billion this year on U.S. exchanges. (Through May, total IPO proceeds trail the numbers achieved last year. However, when Facebook's $15 billion IPO is subtracted from the 2012 numbers, the picture changes: 2013's proceeds of about $17 billion top last year's $12.8 billion, also according to data from Renaissance Capital.)
Not surprisingly, technology, energy/natural resources and healthcare are expected to lead the pack. For instance, three-quarters of investment bankers expect the number of tech IPOs to grow, compared to three percent predicting a decline. The bankers are least optimistic when it comes to consumer/retail IPOs. Just 28 percent predict an increase in these public offerings, while 20 percent say their numbers will decline.
One key driver behind the current activity in the IPO market is the previously postponed offerings that now are moving forward with an improving economy. "As the Dow Jones moves up, more companies jump in to take advantage," Graul says. Indeed, the Dow Jones has risen nearly 13 percent this year to top 15,000 by May. In addition, low interest rates are prompting investors to look to other assets for higher yields.
While the outlook overall is optimistic, the bankers did identify several concerns. Political and financial instability around the globe tops the list, with nearly two-thirds of investment execs identifying this as a threat to the IPO markets. "The market is clearly being paranoid about what's going on in the broader economy," Graul says. Coming in a distant second was constrained bank lending; 18 percent of those surveyed mentioned this.


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After seven years of Emmy-winning brilliance and madcap kookiness, "30 Rock" called it a wrap tonight with a raucous hourlong episode that deftly mixed cynicism and warmth while poking fun at itself and the creative limitations of broadcast television.
The episode, which was jampacked with cameo appearances by Julianne Moore, Conan O'Brien, Salma Hayek, Ice-T, Nancy Pelosi and others, had Liz Lemon (Tina Fey) and the gang forced to reconvene for one more episode of he recently canceled "TGS" just so NBC could avoid paying Tracy Jordan (Tracy Morgan) $30 million under some bizarre contract clause.
While "30 Rock" earned three best-comedy Emmys and loads of critical praise over its run, it never was a rating juggernaut -- a fact that had to bother Fey to some extent. So when Tracy bid farewell at the end of "TGS" finale, it was only fitting that he deliver this funny, caustic and self-referential line:
"Thank you, America. That's our show. Not a lot of people watched it, but the joke's on you because we got paid anyway."
Beyond that, the last "30 Rock" episode had a lot to say about how we are, in many ways, defined by our jobs and how the workplace relationships that seem so vital and strong in the moment have a way of dissolving when the job is no more.
The episode began with Liz struggling to adapt to life as a stay-at-home mother. After seven years of putting out fires at "TGS," she's left to chat (and argue) with cyberspace strangers on her laptop, and it's driving her bonkers.
So she pays a visit to Rockefeller Center, where, in just a matter of days, everything has changed. Jack (Alec Baldwin) has lost his mojo and is in desperate search of existential happiness. Meanwhile, Jenna (Jane Krakowski) is in denial, coldly acting like "TGS" never existed and casting her eyes on the big screen, Broadway, or any medium that will have her. Kenneth (Jack McBrayer) is settling in as president of NBC, and Tracy is miffed that Kenneth, who used to be at his beck and call, now just ignores him.
In typically flighty "30 Rock" style, the episode had several frivolous plot threads (Pete attempting to fake his death; Lutz trying to hijack the final lunch order ...). But it essentially focused on how Liz and Jack were out of sorts when unmoored from one another, and how their relationship changed them.
"I used to be a shark," Jack whines. "You unsharkulated me."
"We ruined each other," Liz concludes.
And in typical "30 Rock" style, the episode got in some final jabs about the absurdity of television. At one point, Liz attempts to pitch a sitcom about her life as a woman writer in New York to Kenneth. But the new NBC prez, who is looking for bland, mass-appeal programming quickly shoots it down, revealing his personal list of "TV no-no words," including "woman," "writer" and "New York." Also on the list: "edgy," "complex," "quality" and "shows about shows." (Get the connection?).
Says Liz, "I'll go to cable where you can swear and really take time to let moments land."
Eventually, Liz comes to fear that Jack, who has been seen crying, is about to commit suicide. And her fears appear to be confirmed when he leaves her a suicide video. She rushes down the street just in time to see Jack jump off a bridge. But wait ... he lands safely in a boat below.
Turns out, it's just a ruse by Jack, who wants Liz to know that he truly loves her -- not in a romantic way, of course, but in the way our forefathers would have loved "a hot bowl of bear meat." Moreover, he has decided to set sail on a months-long voyage to find himself and sort out the next chapter of his life. But hold on: Jack is only a few yards away from the dock when the best idea he's ever had comes to him: Clear, see-through, dishwashers.
"I'm so glad I took that boat trip," he proclaims.
The final episode of "TGS" goes off without a hitch, and then we fast-forward to one year later: Pete's fake-death plan has, of course, gone awry. Jenna is flashing her breasts at the Tony Awards. Jack seems to be in charge again at GE. Liz is, indeed, working on a lame sitcom ("Grizz and Hern"), and, best of all, Tracy is overjoyed because his dad has finally returned after going out for cigarettes.
But then we get one more flash-forward to some point in the distant future. Kenneth is at his desk holding a snow globe containing the Rockefeller Center building -- an obvious reference to the famous "St. Elsewhere" finale. In his office is a young woman, pitching him a show "based on stories my great grandmother told me."
"I know," Kenneth replies. "And I love it."
The End.
Some other highlights:


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Fun article.
Jermaine O'Neal has a tattoo of Jesus Christ on his left arm. -- John Severson / The Star
November 4, 2004
Keeping pace with the Pacers
Think you know the Pacers? Think again. We expose the players -- and their habits -- like you've never seen them before.
By Darnell Morris-Compton
You've seen the displays and heard the commercials.
After advancing to the second round of the playoffs last year, the Indiana Pacers hope to go farther this year, and their ad campaign of "One goal" proves their desire. What's on players' minds this year is winning it all.
Indiana's veteran baller Reggie Miller has hinted at retirement, so he (and his teammates) seem extra-hungry for the championship.
While they're out to prove to the rest of the league that they are the best, INtake decided to find out which Pacers have the most. Who's the most articulate? Who's the humanitarian? Who's the messiest in the locker room?
We interviewed fans, sports media and the players to discover Pacers superlatives in Indy. These stats go beyond assists and steals -- these are completely subjective, informal and unscientific.
But, oh, are they revealing.
Best tattoo
Rick Carlisle, Pacers head coach: "I don't pay attention," he said, but after some thought, he changed his mind. "Probably Reggie Miller. His stomach and back."
Austin Croshere, forward for the Pacers: "Reggie's looks like it's the most painful."
Stacy Paetz, TV host and sideline reporter for the Pacers: "Jermaine O'Neal," she said. "He has Jesus on his arm."
Terry Judy, 37, Hendricks County detective, and Pacers fan for about 15 years: "Jermaine O'Neal. The one with the gorilla above his elbow."
Coolest move
Brent Higgins, 29, account executive and Pacers fan since the Chuck "Rifleman" Person days in Market Square Arena: "Whoo boy," Higgins said. "I would have to go with (Jamaal) Tinsley. I just like his stutter step drive that he has before he ends up taking it in. His interesting lay-ups over the big men."
Chris Hagan, Fox 59 sports anchor, who has covered the Pacers for six seasons: "I would say Fred Jones. He can take it to the rack quickly, and he can finish strong."
Wil Hampton, weekend news anchor/sports anchor for WRTV (Channel 6), who has covered the Pacers since '95: "I like Freddie Jones, last year's slam dunk champion. He can move along the baseline pretty well. His ability to move without the ball is what I like."
Sekou Smith, Indianapolis Star reporter covering the Pacers: "Jermaine O'Neal's drop-step from the left baseline for a dunk is an eye-popping move for a 6-11 guy who happens to be right-handed."
Best pre-game ritual
Scot Pollard, center: "Reggie Miller. He has a team of people massaging his feet every day."
Rick Carlisle: "Reggie. He's meticulous. He has the most mental and physical preparation."
Jeff Foster, Center/forward for the Pacers: "Reggie Miller. He's done the same thing ever since I've been here. He's done the same thing every year. I try to emulate that."
Dave Calabro, WTHR (Channel 13) sports director, who has covered the Pacers for 13 years: Reggie. "He goes through a whole series of things. He has the strangest ritual I've seen of any athlete. He has a verbal showdown with David Benner (Pacers spokesman) before every game, to verbally get him motivated for the game. They have a verbal argument to get Reggie fired up. Benner always has some weird quirky thing about him. David Benner trash talks Reggie. It's pretty funny."
Best hairstyle
Courtney Webster, 28, sales rep for a local mortgage company. She's been a fan of the Pacers for at least 10 years: "Ron Artest had a pretty good hairdo when he let it grow. He had an afro."
Stacy Paetz: "Stephen Jackson, and he tells me he's going to change it up often."
Dave Calabro: Scot Pollard. You don't know if he's going to have hair, or what style. Not quite as outrageous as Dennis Rodman, but he's close."
Anthony Calhoun, sports anchor for WISH-TV (Channel 8): "I like Jermaine (O'Neal). He's got it braided. You can't go wrong with that."
Most memorable moment on the court
Bobby 'Slick' Leonard, radio color analyst: "The night that you win the championships. That's what it's all about, isn't it? To me, it would be the sixth game in Los Angeles (Stars during the 1969-70 American Basketball Association season). The sixth game in New York (Nets in the 1971-72 ABA season) and the seventh game in Freedom Hall in Kentucky (Colonels during the 1972-73 ABA season). Those were all memorable nights for me."
Brent Higgins: "I would say Reggie Miller's comeback against the New York Knicks in the playoffs (1999-2000 season, Eastern Conference Finals). Within the last 30 seconds of the ball game, Miller took the lead with three possessions."
Courtney Webster: "I went to the first game of the playoffs last year with the (Boston) Celtics. That was the coolest thing because I had never been to a playoff game before."
Chris Hagan: "I would say when Travis Best hit the game-winning three-pointer against the (Milwaukee Bucks) in round one in the 2000 playoffs. They trailed. When he made that, I knew it was going to be a long special run for them."
Biggest appetite
Stephen Jackson, guard/forward for the Pacers: "David Harrison. I've seen him eat about 4 or 5 meals in 10 minutes."
David Harrison, rookie center out of Nashville, Tenn.: "Talking about doughnuts, it's A.J. He eats about a box a day."
Reggie Miller, the Indiana Pacers veteran shooting guard: "Jeff Foster. No question about it."
Jamaal Tinsley, guard: "Fred Jones. He eats for everybody."
Most polite
Scot Pollard: "Reggie Miller. He's the only one on this team with manners. When you have been around this league for 30 to 40 years, it comes."
Quinn Buckner, Pacers vice president of communications: "James Jones. He just seems to be always saying please and thank you."
Austin Croshere: "James Jones. He was a rookie last year. Overall, he's a really nice guy."
Kevin Lee, host, Indiana Pacers radio network, and WIBC-AM (1070) Sportstalk for the past 10 years: "Ron Artest. He's very proper, always saying 'yes sir, no sir.' "
Best smile
Courtney Webster: "I'd probably have to go with Jermaine. I don't know. He's pretty cute. A smile helps out a lot."
Stacy Paetz: "Stephen Jackson, because he has diamonds on the bottom row."
Most unusual shot
Brent Higgins: "Jonathan Bender. It looks slightly awkward, yet not really smooth as you would see from the premiere shooters. It's kind of a hesitation. It's just an awkward looking shot. It's not how your Bobby Knight coaches would want shots to be taken."
Chris Colvin, 37, advertising sales, Pacers fan since birth: "I'd say Ron Artest. I don't know if that's unusual. It seems like he's got a real deliberate delivery. It's not real quick. It's just deliberate."
Chris Hagan: "Believe it or not, I would say Austin Croshere. He kind of throws it across his body like a shot put. He's been known to make three-pointers with it. If it works, then I guess you stick with it."
Terry Judy: "I'd say Reggie. It's not a two-hand shot, but to me, he uses a lot of his left hand more than the ordinary person would."
Biggest foot
Feet down, the hugest foot is Scot Pollard's at a whopping size 19. Center rookie John Edwards is next in line with a size 18. Eddie Gill and Anthony Johnson have the smallest shoe size, at 12.
Quietest player
Kevin Lee: "Tinsley. He just kind of mumbles."
David Harrison: "Jonathan Bender. He doesn't say much, but everything he says is insightful. That's a quality some don't have."
James Jones, forward for the Pacers: "Ron Artest. Ron really doesn't say very much."
Tinsley: "J.J. He sticks to himself. He makes a couple of comments."
Funniest player
Scot Pollard: "Stephen Jackson. He's got potential to take my title. With my help, he could be the best."
Rick Carlisle: "Probably Anthony Johnson. He laughs a lot. He's always smiling."
Quinn Buckner: "Jamaal Tinsley. He's the biggest prankster on the team," Buckner said, refusing to divulge the latest hijinks with a laugh and a smile.
Austin Croshere: "Reggie's sly funny. He can make fun of things that no one can make fun of. He's funny with the rookies, too."
Dave Calabro: "That's a tough one. I think Reggie's funny, but Pollard is always cutting up. He's acting like he's in seventh grade. He just clowns."
Messiest in the locker room
Scot Pollard: "David Harrison, the rookie. He's got a little to learn. He's got a smell, too. He's got a ways to go. Especially keeping his personal space clean," Pollard said while motioning his arms up and down his chest after practice.
Austin Croshere: "Harrison. He's a big guy. He thinks he needs three lockers for all his quadruple-X stuff."
Jermaine O'Neal, forward for the Pacers: "David Harrison. He has no organization in his locker. He puts clean clothes with dirty ones. It doesn't matter."
Stacy Paetz: "Ron has 50 pairs of shoes around his locker. It's hard to move around."
Ron Artest, forward: "Probably me. My stuff is all over the place. I try to clean it up, though."
Most likely to run for mayor
Scot Pollard: "Anthony Johnson. He's the locker room lawyer. He's always trying to sway guys to his opinion."
Rick Carlisle: "That's a tough one. It'd probably be Pollard. He has excellent people skills and I'm sure he would cut taxes."
Jermaine O'Neal: "Austin. He seems like a political guy. He's our player rep. He's always talking about logic and what's right and wrong."
Chris Colvin: "Reggie Miller. His personality. He's very polished. He's politically correct. He's smooth in interviews, and he seems to love the limelight."
Most intellectual
Ron Artest: "Stephen Jackson. Ever since he came here, he's easy to get along with, the team listens to him. He's like a leader."
Stacy Paetz: "Anthony Johnson. He's very laid back. He's always smiling and I think he's someone that, if his teammates are down, he'd help them. He'd invest his time with them."
Dave Calabro: "That's a tough one. Maybe Austin. I just think he's a student of the game. He appears to know tendencies of other teams and players and uses that to his advantage."
MVP -- Most Valuable Pacer
Terry Judy: "Jermaine O'Neal. I would think because of his inside play and he's stepping up as the leader of the team. He's a younger player and one of the bigger superstars in the NBA. I think a lot of the players look up to him and respect him."
Chris Colvin: "Jermaine O'Neal. He is the franchise player. The newest 'Reggie Miller.' He is our money player and, go-to guy. He's the guy I (would) put the ball in the hands of when the game is on the line, our opponent either has to foul or he scores."
Anthony Calhoun: "I would say Jermaine O'Neal."
Courtney Webster: "The most valuable Pacer is probably Jermaine O'Neal. I think that he is just an all around great player. He has a great inside dominance, as well as good outside shot."
Best dancer
Stephen Jackson: "Desmond Farmer. He'll put it on display."
David Harrison: "I'm definitely the best dancer."
Reggie Miller: "A.J. (Anthony Johnson), he's the only person that has no rhythm but thinks he does."
James Jones: "That's a tough one. Not too many guys on this team have any rhythm."
Jamaal Tinsley: "Myself. Sometimes, when I feel like having fun. Scot Pollard. He does things that you least expect a big guy to do. I can't get into it."
Best dressed
Scot Pollard: "Jermaine. He's got a lot of money and he spends a lot on clothes and it shows. He's got taste, too. A lot of guys spend money on clothes and it doesn't show."
Quinn Buckner: "I've got to go with Reggie. Jermaine won't like that."
Stephen Jackson: "Me. I'm just fly. I coordinate. Other people might say Jermaine. Jermaine spends the most time in the mirror."
Dave Calabro: "I would say that Jermaine definitely has the nicest jewelry. He knows how to accessorize the best. And Reggie's a pretty good primper, too. He won't do any interviews until he's showered, properly coifed and ready to go, and Michael Jordan was the same way."
Most spiritual
Ron Artest: "Fred Jones, because he just does things the right way all the time. He don't drink. He doesn't intoxicate his body."
Stacy Paetz: "Ron Artest. I did an interview with him last season and I asked him to prioritize his life. He said: 'God, family, then basketball.' "
David Harrison: "Jack (Stephen Jackson). He prays before the game as a team."
James Jones: "Myself. I keep my Bible in my car. Not very many people do that."
Most humanitarian
Ron Artest: "Probably Reggie. He's been around for a long time. He's helped a lot of people, doing good things."
Stacy Paetz: "A few of them do a lot of good things. Reggie and Jermaine. They put their money and time to issues that matter."
Dave Calabro: "Jermaine. He's pretty good about doing things without there being something in it for him. Reggie's the same way. Reggie does a lot of private things where he'll pop into elementary schools without anybody knowing it. Both of those guys are the best."
James Jones: "Reggie. He's been here for so long and giving since day one. He has a proven track record of giving back."
Most free-spirited
Scot Pollard: "Stephen Jackson or myself. It seems we both like to march to the beat of a different drummer. I know I do."
Quinn Buckner: "Without a doubt, Scot Pollard. He had black fingernails in the league."
Kevin Lee: "Scot Pollard. I've seen him with painted fingernails before."
Dave Calabro: "Pollard. You name it, he'll do it."
Best nickname
Scot Pollard: "Smelly, Jamaal Tinsley."
Austin Croshere: "Smelly. I've got some good ones in my head."
David Harrison: "Son of Poison. That's Scot Pollard."
James Jones: "Tru Warier. Ron Artest."Anthony Calhoun: "J.O."
Most like Larry Bird
Bobby "Slick" Leonard: "This would be a guy that really works at it. Comes every night and give it everything he's got. Probably Anthony Johnson."
Stacy Paetz: "Austin Croshere. Austin is very blue-collar, as Larry was in his days of playing. Not flashy, just does his job. I know Larry thinks a lot of Austin, really believes in his abilities."
Kevin Lee: "People are going to say Austin Croshere because he is the same height and he's white, but that's where the similarities end. Not a knock against Austin, but nobody is like Larry Bird."
Quinn Buckner: "I can't give you that. He's too unique."
Most likely to appear on 'Fear Factor'
Stacy Paetz: "Scot Pollard. I shouldn't have had to think about it that long. I think he'd gross the other competitors out and he'd definitely talk a lot of trash."
Dave Calabro: "Pollard. He's a 'sure, why not,' kind of guy. Eating animal parts, no problem."
Reggie Miller: "Ron Artest. He ain't afraid of nothin'."
Jamaal Tinsley: "Ron Artest. He's willing to try anything."
Summer home furthest away
Scot Pollard: "I have a condo in Thailand. My wife's mom is from Bangkok."
Austin Croshere: "Me and Reggie. We both are in California. Maybe Reggie is a mile farther."
James Jones: "Me. I have a summer home in Barbados. That's where my wife's from."
Most likely to work for the Pacers
Scott Pollard: "Reggie and Anthony Johnson. Reggie's getting close (to retirement) and A.J., he's on the fence," he said, smiling, saying at times he's a coach.
Rick Carlisle: "Well, Reggie would appear to be. He could have any job he wants," Carlisle said.
Wil Hampton: "Reggie when he retires. Reggie will go back to L.A. and he will be an actor. He won't be here. Maybe Austin Croshere. He and Bird always had a nice connection. He's got that nice place out in Malibu. He'd have to trade his Santa Monica home."
Kevin Lee: "I'm sure Reggie will work for the Pacers if he wants to work for the Pacers. Most of these guys are making huge salaries, they may not need to work when they are done. I don't know if he wants to."
Most accessible player
Bobby "Slick" Leonard: "Austin Croshere. He's just that kind of guy. He'll take time and talk to people. I would think Austin is pretty accessible."
Wil Hampton: "All of them are real good. Jermaine O'Neal is awful good at that. He and Ron Artest are always good at that. You don't see those guys run and hide from the media."
Mark Montieth, Indianapolis Star reporter: "Most of them are accessible. Jermaine O'Neal won an award from the Professional Basketball Writers Association last season for being cooperative, though."
Chris Hagan: "I would say Jeff Foster. For somebody who's a starter and a big contributor, he's remarkably easy to get a one-on-one with."
Coolest car
Ron Artest: "I got the Jeep Wrangler."
Stephen Jackson: "Jermaine O'Neal. That Rolls Royce Phantom."
Stacy Paetz: "Jermaine O'Neal. The Phantom is bad. The Bentley, too. Dressed up, dressed down, he has a car for it. A car for every day of the week."
The coolest player under playoff pressure
Brent Higgins: "Hands down, through all the years, that would be Reggie. He seems to not let the surroundings -- whether their hostile or at home -- to not let it control his game, even when everything is on the line."
Mark Montieth: "Has to be Reggie Miller, one of the NBA's all-time clutch shooters."
Sekou Smith: "Uh, Reggie Miller. Let me count the ways . . ."
David Benner, Pacers spokesman: "Reggie Miller. Is there anybody else?"
The most articulate player
Bobby "Slick" Leonard: "I think Jermaine does a good job. I think Jermaine is pretty eloquent."
Wil Hampton: "Scot Pollard. In my line of work, he's fun to talk to because you just don't know what he's going to say. You just let him talk. You don't even ask him any more questions. Just let the cameras roll."
Sekou Smith: "Though he's been a Pacer for just a few months, Stephen Jackson is already the go-to-guy when it comes to colorful quotes."
The player who would make the best TV analyst
Brent Higgins: "Ron Artest. I somewhat look at him as a Charles Barkley of today. He will shoot 'em straight. He will speak his mind. I think he knows the game well enough to provide insight."
Wil Hampton: "Reggie Miller, just cause he's got that glitz and glamour going for him. I think that's where he's heading when he's done, so he can be just like his sister. He wants to grow up and be like Cheryl (Miller). She does a great job on TV."
David Benner: "Scot Pollard. He is funny, and knows the game and has got a great personality."


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Rangers could move Martinez to bullpen
OAKLAND -- The Rangers are not ready to option pitcher Nick Martinez back to Triple-A after his spot start against the Athletics on Tuesday night. Once Martinez recovers from throwing 92 pitches in the Rangers' 5-4 victory, he could end up in the bullpen.
Texas still sees Martinez as a starter in the long term, but the club is short one reliever in the bullpen after Pedro Figueroa went on the 15-day disabled list with inflammation in his left elbow. The Rangers are also without a long reliever after Hector Noesi was designated for assignment on Tuesday night to make room for Martinez.
Martinez went five innings against the Athletics on Wednesday and allowed four runs (two earned) on six hits, three walks and one strikeout.
"He did a heck of a job," manager Ron Washington said. "He really could have come unraveled. They made him work, but he did what he had to do."
T.R. Sullivan is a reporter for MLB.com. Read his blog, Postcards from Elysian Fields, and follow him on Twitter @Sullivan_Ranger. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


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I will tell you one short experience;
couple of years ago, i was in indy to watch some games, one night Peck and famliy were kind enough to let me tag along after the game for some wings.
Now i don't remember the name of the place, but I do remember they had a classic pacer game on, and Smits was playing Ewing.
The most remarkable remark that evening were Peck's words; "Smits sure played a hell of a lot tougher then i remember!"


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Peter Moores is set for a dramatic return as England head coach and will be unveiled on Saturday morning, Press Association Sport understands.
Andy Flower's replacement will be announced by Paul Downton, managing director of England cricket, at Lord's and it is understood that Moores is the chosen candidate.
The 51-year-old Lancashire coach previously held the job between 2007 and 2009, but was dismissed after disappointing on-field results and a damaging personality clash with then captain Kevin Pietersen, who was also deposed.
With Pietersen's international career now over, however controversially, the way is clear for Moores to return.
If Moores is, as expected, appointed to replace his own successor then current limited-overs coach Ashley Giles would appear to be out of a job.
The England and Wales Cricket Board's specification for the job made clear the successful applicant would be in charge of all three formats - Flower having advised the decision to split the role in two was unsuccessful.
Giles, the Ashes-winning spinner, was overwhelming favourite to edge out Moores, as well as the likes of Nottinghamshire's Mick Newell, Sussex's Mark Robinson and Australian Trevor Bayliss, until a below-par performance at the World Twenty20, and in particular a humiliating loss to associate nation Holland, saw his stock plummet.
It is unclear whether England's new assistant coach will be announced on Saturday, though a number of options have been discussed.
Flower's right-hand man Richard Halsall is not expected to be in the frame and is considering a return to teaching, but Robinson has been discussed as a number two and Sri Lanka's English head coach Paul Farbrace may also be interested despite winning the World T20 in Bangladesh.
The appointment of Moores would represent a gamble by the ECB, with his previous reign hardly a high water mark in recent years.
But he is a well respected figure in the domestic game and has impressed with his work at Lancashire, not least in 2011 when he won the Red Rose county's first outright championship since 1934.
While there were reports at the time that Pietersen was not the only senior player who was unimpressed with Moores' methods, he can also claim credit for the emergence on the international stage of Matt Prior, Graeme Swann and Stuart Broad.
He was also an important figure in restoring James Anderson to the Test side and England's senior bowler remains a firm fan.
England host Sri Lanka and India this summer, two potentially tricky assignments even on home turf. but the new coach's first task will be a one-day international against Scotland on May 9.


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In "To Kill a Mockingbird," Harper Lee helped define the classic American summer for kids: a meandering season of exploring neighbors' backyards, playacting scenes from books and sleeping on porches.
Most parents these days are not inclined to follow Atticus Finch's laissez-faire approach to overseeing their children's long break from school — not with the volumes of research warning of the "summer slide," that loss of reading, math and other skills that occur when kids aren't engaged in educational activities.
Summer learning doesn't mean sitting kids down to do math problems. Anything that sparks their curiosity and desire to create, solve problems or explore can be educational, says Sarah Pitcock, chief executive officer of the National Summer Learning Association. "For example, there's lots of learning that is inherent in family projects, like planting a garden, which means you have to budget for the plants, measure the area and learn about how much sunlight and water certain plants need."
Fortunately, opportunities abound in the Bay Area, including for kids whose families cannot fit camps and special school programs into their schedules or budgets. Experts and Bay Area parents offer 12 affordable and mostly easy ways to engage kids intellectually and creatively over the next two months.
1. STEM ahead
As a world center for technology and innovation, the Bay Area boasts museums that will boost kids' STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) learning. Build a robot during a visit to San Jose's Tech Museum of Innovation, experience the theories behind spatial relations at the Exploratorium's Geometry Playground, or invent something with the help of staff and interns at the Ingenuity Studio at Berkeley's Lawrence Hall of Science.
The Chabot Space and Science Center in Oakland hosts its "Summer Scientist" series, affordable drop-in workshops ($5 per person) where kids can build wind turbines or play in a Mars flight simulator.
In addition to its hands-on science and technology exhibits for kids and teens, the Children's Discovery Museum of San Jose adds the "A," or arts, into STEAM education, with its drop-in visual and performing arts events and workshops.
2. Read (even to the dog)
Modern educators would give Atticus Finch props for reading at night to his daughter, Scout. Encouraging kids to read daily — anything from novels to news stories — is probably the most effective way to forestall the summer slide, educators say.
Local public libraries offer an invaluable resource to boost kids' literacy with access to free books, programs and educational activities.
"Libraries are interested in promoting a joy of learning and reading year-round, and it becomes especially important in the summertime," says Derek Wolfgram, a Santa Clara County District deputy librarian.
At the county's eight libraries, kids can sign up in person or online to keep a log of what they read. Anyone who completes five books is entered into a contest with the chance to win a Google Nexus Tablet or iPad mini.
Libraries throughout the Bay Area similarly host hands-on science and craft activities and talks by favorite children's authors. At Contra Costa County libraries, the Paws to Read summer festival invites young children to read aloud to dogs, who we all know are good listeners.
3. DIY literacy — with a reward
Parents can also create their own reading programs. Dani Eston, a Walnut Creek mother of two sons, 5 and 7, draws a chart on the front of envelopes with squares representing 10 minutes of reading time. When one son fills out all five squares, he gets to open the envelope and find a prize, such as a date to get frozen yogurt or go to a movie.
For her daughters, 10 and 12, Oakland resident Laine Mette is starting a family book club. "We will choose a book together and read it and discuss," she says.
4. Get into nature
While the Bay Area's regional, county, state and national parks are known for their gorgeous hiking trails, they also are living classrooms for learning about nature, history and culture. Naturalists at the East Bay Regional Park District lead kids of all ages on insect hunts in Tilden Park, teach them to feed farm animals at Ardenwood Historic Farm in Fremont or to search for sea creatures at low tide at Crab Cove in Alameda. You and your kids also can explore tide pools at Fitzgerald Marine Reserve in Moss Beach. And in Santa Clara County, on a drop-in basis through July and August, kids ages 11 to 17 can go on "Champions for Parks" jogging adventures, while learning about wetlands and watersheds in Sanborn, Anderson Lake and Alviso Marina parks.
5. Wild things
CuriOdyssey in San Mateo's Coyote Point Recreation Area and the Lindsay Wildlife Museum in Walnut Creek feature ways to get up close with the different creatures that call the Bay Area home. Check museum websites for special events such as Reptile Day, on July 26, at the CuriOdyssey; or Bee Bop! on Aug. 16-17, a weekend devoted to learning about bees, at the Lindsay Wildlife Museum.
6. Playground adventures
David Avidor's three sons, ages 7, 9 and 11, have a pretty busy summer, between two family vacations and a two-week outdoor camp for the oldest. Still, his sons like to stay active. When Avidor, a content developer for Palo Alto-based educational publisher Klutz Books, wants to escape the heat at home in Walnut Creek, he heads to Berkeley, where he and the boys sail down the giant slide at Codornices Park, across from the Berkeley Rose Garden, and swing from ropes and use wood scraps to build their own forts at the Adventure Playground at the Berkeley Marina.
San Mateo's Coyote Point Recreation Area is home to the castle- and dragon-themed Magic Mountain Playground and a nearby beach and salt marsh.
7. There's an app for that
Probably parents' greatest fear is that kids will fill all that unstructured free time with nonstop "Call of Duty: Black Ops." But it's a "false dichotomy" to equate all screen time with wasted potential, says Shira Lee Katz. She's the senior education director of San Francisco-based Common Sense Media, which reviews digital media for age-appropriateness and educational value. Her site's Summer Learning Guide directs parents to the best apps for educational — and fun — math, engineering, arts and nature games for young children to teens. Some apps also encourage kids to put down their devices to do science experiments, build their own musical instruments or go out and take photos for a video scrapbook.
8. YouTube University
You can find so much more than cute cat videos on the video-sharing website. Search and find easy-to-follow videos with kids demonstrating how to make a motor out of an AA battery, an artsy octopus from a toilet paper tube or a family dinner entree of corn-chip-crusted chicken.
9. Boost work and life skills
Summer jobs have long offered a way for teens to earn money for fun or college. But if that job hasn't materialized yet, volunteering also offers a way to burnish a résumé and college application — and give back to the community.
The Volunteer Center of the East Bay lists about 200 summer volunteer opportunities for youths 13 to 17, and they range in terms of time commitment and causes, from helping animals to painting fences to sorting items at a food pantry. The Volunteer Center Serving San Francisco and San Mateo Counties likewise has a website that lets kids search by category, date and organization.
Teens, as well as younger kids, can create their own volunteer opportunities, says program director Dee Dee Robillard. For example, they can do a drive in their neighborhood to collect baby clothes to donate to a shelter for families in crisis. "Just like careers, there is a lot of variety out there and a whole lot of different ways to help," she says.
Kids and teens also can check out DoSomething.org, a website where entrepreneurial young do-gooders can share ideas and support and win scholarships.
10. Free arts
Most art museums in the Bay Area offer free or discounted admission to children and teens. They also host free family tours and studio workshops, such as Saturday morning programs at the de Young and Legion of Honor museums in San Francisco.
Also, check out admission-free days, such as Sundays at the Asian Art Museum or pay-what-you-can Tuesdays at the Cartoon Art Museum. And, admission is always free at Stanford University's Cantor Arts Center in Palo Alto, where kids can explore an outdoor garden displaying Rodins and other sculptures.
11. Get festive
You can always count on summer festivals for free or low-cost music, entertainment, crafts and games. The parenting website Red Tricycle publishes a list of top summer activities and festivals for families.
On July 19, the daylong Chevron Family Theatre Festival at Walnut Creek's Lesher Center will feature children's plays, dance performances and magic shows.
The Avidor family members are big fans of the Berkeley Kite Festival, which takes place this year July 26-27 and features kite making, the world's largest octopus kite and rokkaku Japanese fighter kite battles. Or, join Bay Area Pacific Islanders for a weekend of music, dance, art, island cuisine at the Bay Area Aloha Festival in Saratoga on Aug. 2-3.
12. Head start for college
OK, your entering high school senior may not put these activities into the fun category, but prepping for tests, gathering transcripts and other records and starting the applications over summer break — notably the dreaded essays — will reduce stress when deadlines hit in the fall. The Common Application, the standardized application for 500 schools across the country, goes online Aug. 1.
Some of the places, events and websites to keep your kids engaged:
National Summer Learning Association: www.summerlearning.org
Tech Museum of Innovation, San Jose: www.thetech.org
Chabot Space and Science Center, Oakland: www.chabotspace.org
Exploratorium, San Francisco: www.exploratorium.edu
Lawrence Hall of Science, Berkeley: www.lawrencehallofscience.org
Children's Discovery Museum of San Jose: www.cdm.org
Santa Clara County Library District: www.sccl.org
Contra Costa County Library summer reading: http://guides.ccclib.org/srf
East Bay Regional Parks: www.ebparks.org
Santa Clara County Parks Department: www.sccgov.org
County of San Mateo Parks Department: parks.smcgov.org
Fitzgerald Marine Reserve, San Mateo County: www.fitzgeraldreserve.org
CuriOdyssey, Coyote Point, San Mateo: www.curiodyssey.org
Lindsay Wildlife Museum, Walnut Creek: http://wildlife-museum.org
Codornices Park, Berkeley Rose Garden and Adventure Playground, City of Berkeley Park, Recreation and Waterfront: www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/PRW
Common Sense Media: www.commonsensemedia.org
California Employment Development Department: www.edd.ca.gov
Volunteer Center of the East Bay: www.volunteereastbay.org
Volunteer Center Serving San Francisco and San Mateo Counties: www.thevolunteercenter.net
DoSomething.org: www.dosomething.org
Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco (de Young and Legion of Honor): www.famsf.org
Asian Art Museum, San Francisco: www.asianart.org
Cartoon Art Museum, San Francisco: http://cartoonart.org
Cantor Arts Center, Stanford University: http://museum.stanford.edu
Red Tricycle's "Ultimate Summer Bucket List": http://redtri.com/san-francisco-kids
Chevron Family Theatre Festival: www.lesherartscenter.org
Bay Area Aloha Festival: www.pica-org.org/alohafest
Berkeley Kite Festival: www.highlinekites.com
Common Application: www.commonapp.org


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Following the Leisha Hailey/Southwest Airlines incident, Spin magazine's Rich Juzwiak wrote this piece on homopobia toward LGBT musicians, mostly independent ones. The article wasn't just sparked by the plane episode (by the way, have you seen this?), but also by the bashing incident against Violent Lovers band members Brontez Purnell and Adal Castellon at Club Paradiso in Oakland in August and a few other accounts of out musicians suffering literally for their art.
The piece is compelling with perspectives by the likes of Vampire Weekend's Rostam Batmanglij, Hunx and his Punx's Seth Bogart and MEN's JD Samson, all who have graced our pages or blog as well. While it may not answer questions or find solutions to homophobic tendencies in the industry, it does paint a picture of what smaller queer bands have to endure just to play music. From SPIN: '
Purnell, Hailey, and Grey are far from the first gay artists to encounter serious resistance as a result of their sexuality, of course. In fact, if you ask most out musicians about their experiences with homophobia, you'll hear a story that will break your heart. I did, at least, when collecting anecdotes for this piece. Magnetic Fields' Stephin Merritt was pelted with bottles, rocks, and slurs outside a club in Philadelphia in the 1990s. Xiu Xiu's Jamie Stewart was called a "fag" and had lit cigarettes thrown at him onstage in 2003 in Austin, Texas. After Holly Miranda recently played her song "Pelican Rapids," about Proposition 8, the 2008 California amendment restricting marriage as only between a man and a woman, she was confronted by a "big, burly door guy" who said that "if I got with him, he would make me do a 360," says the singer-songwriter. "I was like, 'I think you mean a 180. You're more right than you know.'"
I would love to have heard input by the somewhat elder statesmen of LGBT music like Melissa Etheridge or Elton John. Does the homophobia go away once your big or is it just easier to shield away from with awards and gazillions of dollars.
Be sure and check it out.


text: Bubba meets the Govs By Doug Smock July 3, 2013 Story Share David Gutman Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin takes his hacks during Wednesday's pro-am. WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS - Bubba Watson has received royal treatment in the past week at The Greenbrier, but he didn't know he would play his pro-am round Wednesday with two state governors.But there he was, playing in the morning with West Virginia Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin and Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear. John Klemish, broker in charge for the Greenbrier Sporting Club, rounded out the foursome."No, I haven't [played with multiple governors]. That was fun," Watson said. "Those are some important guys; I'm just a little ol' golfer, so that was fun. Hopefully, they had fun with me."The team finished with a 13-under-par 57, but not necessarily with Tomblin's help. The state's hacker-in-chief had some grim shots, including a slice into the creek on the par-3 18th, one that veered so far right it somehow landed underneath the golfer's bridge adjacent to the luxury boxes.Klemish plays quite respectably and Beshear hits a good shot or two. But there were a few gubernatorial "foot wedges" used by benevolent Greenbrier caddies.Tomblin needed even more help. When his third try at a bunker shot on the par-5 17th feebly fell back in the sand where it started, he threw up his hands in good-natured resignation and threw his ball out.Outside the ropes, Morgantown resident Mike Anderson quipped, "You know what I like about his game? It's terrible, but that means he's working. If he's shooting scratch golf, that means he's not putting in the time as governor."Tomblin confirmed the theory: "I need to play more golf. I've been working way too hard."Watson's here for work, too, but he came here last Wednesday to look around, get comfortable and partake in some of the resort's many activities. Like many golfers who play in the Greenbrier Classic, he brought his family - wife Angie and toddler Caleb. Like many golfers, the Florida panhandle native had never stepped foot in the state of West Virginia and wasn't sure what to expect. Like most golfers, the scenery made an immediate impression."It's a great family place. We've had a great time here," Watson said. "I heard nothing but great things the last three years this tournament has been going on, and I wanted to come here to check it out."And I'm trying to make the President's Cup team, so I wanted to add an event. I said, 'Why not add an event where my family can hang out on vacation?' My little man is 16 months [old], we play in the pool, we did the falconry, we did the helicopter ride, we fed the donkeys, we fed the horses . . .""We love it here. Obviously, this is going to be a stop for a few years, now."Back on the course, Watson is having a respectable year, even above average for many players - seven top-25s, three top-10s, $1.3 million earned, 17th in the World Golf Rankings and 39th in the FedExCup standings.But that's not acceptable. Neither is this: He is 10th in the U.S. team standings for the President's Cup, Oct. 1-6 at Muirfield Village Golf Club in Dublin, Ohio. While the top 10 automatically make the team, Watson has stars such as Dustin Johnson, Billy Horschel and Jason Dufner trying to take him down. Tomblin has a lot more confidence in Watson's game than his own, especially after watching his booming shots for 18 holes."Oh, geez, he spanked it on every one of them," the governor said. "All 18 holes. He didn't miss any of them."Reach Doug Smock at 304-348-5140, email@example.com or follow him at twitter.com/dougsmock. Story Share Story Share Trending Now 1 'Heroin(e)' spotlights women helping combat Huntington's drug crisis 2 Philanthropist Betty Schoenbaum of Shoney's fortune turns 100 3 WVU pulls away from Kansas for 56-34 win 4 New company planning $73M synthetic fuel plant in Greenbrier County 5 Deer in 8 WV counties found dead from EHD Notebook: North's friendship paid off for Watson Previous Story Forget Santa Claus -- Tom Watson is watching Next Story


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Something tells me that this double-paned window isn't performing as it should! (~grin~). The infrared image produced by the IR-Fusion® Technology Color Alarm clearly shows cool air moviing out of the corner of this window and diagonally across the surface of the glass. (Yes... we made sure that it was not a partial reflection.)
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What could be simpler?
"I'm sort of being educated on the great rivalry of the past 10, 12 years or so between the two franchises," Luck said. "Hopefully, we can continue that."
Colts fans can rest assured Luck's studying is focused on defensive schemes and tricks of the Patriots, not past scores.
This week is a slightly past midterm exam for Luck and the Colts. They go on the road for an almost prime-time (4:25 p.m.) kickoff against the perennial Super Bowl-contending Patriots. It's a series that has been quite a duel between former Colts great Peyton Manning and Brady as opposing quarterbacks as well as Manning vs. Patriots coach Bill Belichick on a strategic basis.
Both teams are 6-3 this season with suspect pass defenses. It could be a quarterback-driven outcome, and no matter how much Luck has progressed, he's a rookie. Brady and Belichick are likely future Hall of Famers.
Fortunately for Luck, Colts interim coach Bruce Arians is well-versed in the Patriots from his time with the Colts and Pittsburgh Steelers.
"The biggest thing is don't try to put a bunch of stuff in there that (Luck) doesn't know," Arians said. "They've always done a good job of disguising coverage and moving guys around. Just don't paralyze him by trying to overanalyze it. Just play football. It's really not that complicated."
Belichick and his defensive coaches can make it appear complicated, however, and did so during several of Manning's first few games against the Patriots. The good news for Luck is the Patriots' defense, and the pass defense in particular, is far from vintage form.
The Patriots rank 29th in pass defense and gave up 31 points last week to the Buffalo Bills. Bills quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick completed 27 of 40 passes for 337 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
To put it in simple terms that observers of Colts-Patriots can best relate, former secondary star Rodney Harrison is a studio analyst these days, and former linebacker Tedy Bruschi wrote in an ESPN mailbag piece, "Bruschi on Tap," that he would attack the Patriots' defensive middle. He also said, of the Bills offense running up and down the field on New England, "This is who the New England Patriots are. Offensively, they look unstoppable at times. … Defensively, teams will gain yards."
Of course, it's easier said than done for a rookie quarterback to walk into Gillette Stadium, hear the harsh roar of the hometown crowd and deliver a top-notch performance.
"I've gone against that defense many, many times and had our share of success and our share of failures," Arians said. "I know how tough it is to try to get a win in Foxboro."
The Colts' defense, of course, faces its own problems in dealing with Brady. He appears as sharp as ever, averaging 282.4 yards passing per game with 18 touchdowns and only three interceptions.
Indianapolis lost cornerback Jerraud Powers for the season with a toe injury, so even with Vontae Davis returning to the secondary, some combination of Cassius Vaughn and Darius Butler will need to come up big. It will help the Colts if Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis are both healthy to pursue Brady, but any amount of time usually translates to Brady carving up young defensive backs.
"We don't want it to turn into a shootout," Colts safety Antoine Bethea said. "We want to go out there defensively, build off what we did last week and go out there and make plays, create some turnovers, get off the field on third down and let Luck and them shoot the scoreboard up."
Colts fans would love to see Luck shoot the scoreboard up.
Out-duel Brady. Outwit Belichick. Simple, right?
More Information
Colts at New EnglandKickoff: 4:25 p.m. Sunday
TV: WANE, Ch. 15
Radio: WOWO, 1190-AM
For more on the Colts, follow Reggie Hayes via Twitter at www.twitter.com/reggiehayes1.


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Grant aid to inspiring community projects is once again being offered by the charitable arm of the publishers of the Wiltshire Times.
Over the last ten years, the Gannett Foundation has presented more than £4million of grants to deserving causes in communities all over the UK.
The North Wiltshire Motor Neurone Disease Association has received £4,500 to buy six electric wheelchairs and the Marlborough branch of the Riding for the Disabled Association got £1,000 for games and gymkhana equipment.
Other local good causes to get help from the Gannett Foundation include the Devizes Hospital and Community Radio, the recycling charity Refurbiz and Chippenham Women's Refuge.
A spokesman for the foundation said: "We value projects that bring lasting benefits to the communities and neighbourhoods served by our newspapers.
"That includes schemes for neighbourhood improvement and local problem-solving, economic development, youth development, education and cultural creativity, help for the disadvantaged or disabled and environmental conservation."
While all organisations will be considered, each year there is a theme. For 2014 hospices are being encouraged to apply. Although hospices receive about a third of their funding from the NHS, they remain very reliant on charitable donations.
All applicants must be registered charities and the foundation will not consider any that have received a grant from them in the past two years.
Grants will not be given to fund salaries and running costs, appeals as opposed to specific projects, or to promote political or religious groups.
Projects must also bring benefits to the community, schools or hospitals.
Each nomination will be judged on its merits. The trustees' decision is final.
Click this link for a copy of the application form: GANNETT FOUNDATION APPLICATION FORM 2014 V1.pdf
Applications with supporting documents should be sent via email to firstname.lastname@example.com by 5pm on September 12.
Paper submissions must be sent to Pauline Howard, Wiltshire Times Gannett Fund, 100 Victoria Road, Swindon SN1 3BE.


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Masterson exits early as Cards can't get going in Philly
Wild Card leaders slip back to 1 1/2 games out of NL Central lead
PHILADELPHIA -- Less than 11 hours after the Cardinals beat the Phillies by a run in a 12-inning affair that lasted 4 hours and 53 minutes, manager Mike Matheny joked that everyone hadn't arrived yet on Sunday morning.
"We have kind of committed as a team not to use excuses like that," Matheny said. "It happens all the time. You could be flying all through the night, there will be days you just don't get sleep. Actually, today we pushed the bus [arrival time] back, and we had a lot of life on the bench today. I didn't think anyone was dragging, but we are at the end of August and this is a push time."
Justin Masterson, however, lasted just three innings, during which he allowed five runs in a 7-1 loss to the Phillies at Citizens Bank Park. Masterson threw 67 pitches, 42 for strikes, and surrendered six hits as the Phillies (58-72) jumped to an early lead in support of starter Jerome Williams.
The Cardinals (70-59) entered the day with a chance to take over first place in the National League Central race, as they were just a half-game behind Milwaukee in the standings. This loss and Milwaukee's 4-3 win over Pittsburgh pushed the Cards back to 1 1/2 games behind the Brewers, while keeping the Pirates 3 1/2 behind the Redbirds. With San Francisco's 14-6 loss to Washington, the Cards held on to their two-game Wild Card lead.
"Energy has been good all year, and the guys come prepared," Matheny said. "I think you can sense we are getting closer to September. We can't help but watch what goes on throughout the league. They're ready."
"Coming over to a team, shoot, whomever you're with, you want to come out there and dominate on your day," Masterson said. "Give the boys a chance to win. It's tough when you don't get it done, and then it's tougher when you put on top of it you're trying to make a playoff run."
The afternoon started ominously as Masterson walked Ben Revere to lead off the first. A wild pitch moved the Phillies outfielder over a base and, after a strikeout, Revere scored on Chase Utley's single into right-center. Masterson got out of the inning, but the second and third provided more difficulty.
"It really was just my command [of my sinker]," said Masterson, who is now 2-2 with a 7.43 ERA since coming over in a deal with Cleveland at the Trade Deadline, having allowed four or more runs in four of his five starts. "The four-seamer got back. We were able to throw that for some strikes, I just didn't have a pitch to finish."
Domonic Brown led off the second with a single into left field. After a flyout, Cody Asche lined a single into the right-field gap that opened the door for Brown to take an extra base as he easily strolled into third. Williams put down a perfect safety squeeze that scored Brown and moved Asche up a base. Asche scored on a Revere single for a 3-0 lead.
A one-out walk to Ryan Howard set the stage for two more runs in the third as Grady Sizemore doubled to move Howard up to third. Howard then came in on Masterson's second wild pitch, and Sizemore scored on a Wil Nieves single down the right-field line for a 5-0 lead.
"He just didn't have command of the strike zone," Matheny said. "Then he went to some breaking balls, and the breaking balls were getting hit. It's just one of those days he didn't have a good feel.
"It's just continuing to work. There really is not another option. You can't just sit there and wait for it to correct itself. He's a worker. He's not happy with what he's seeing. He came into a good situation where he wanted to help us get better. He had the one outing where we saw what we can get. It just seems so close, and that's where the frustration comes in."
"It really is that fine line," Masterson concurred. "It's just a matter of inches. It's how the foot lands, how it gets down, and then you see good pitches out there."
On the other side, Williams had his third consecutive strong outing since joining the Phillies earlier this month. The 32-year-old journeyman worked out of a second-inning jam, striking out Masterson with two outs and runners on second and third. In the fourth, a leadoff double by Jhonny Peralta did cost him a run as the shortstop eventually scored on an Oscar Taveras single, but he got pinch-hitter Greg Garcia to strike out to end the threat.
"He was good," Matheny said. "He was using both sides. He was cutting. He was living on the edges. They needed that badly over there. He stepped up and pitched a good game."
Williams allowed just one hit over the next four innings as he went a full eight innings, allowing five hits overall, striking out five and walking three.
Michael Radano is a contributor to MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


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Mandy Patinkin: Dress Casual Comes to the Warner Sturday Night
On Saturday, December 8 at 8pm, Broadway's master songman, Mandy Patinkin, accompanied by Paul Ford on piano, will bring his critically acclaimed theatre concert to the Warner Theatre for one performance only.
To some, he's the Tony Award-winning revolutionary from Evita who grew into a bonafide Broadway star in Sunday in the Park with George. To others, he's the Emmy Award–winning Best Actor, for his portrayal of Dr. Jeffrey Geiger in "Chicago Hope." And to others still, he will always be the man whose name is Inigo Montoya, the swashbuckling swordsman in The Princess Bride. Whichever role you know him for, Mandy Patinkin's favorite is reaching out to live audiences with the power and the passion of popular song.
Pamela Sommers of the Washington Post wrote, "The most arresting thing about Patinkin is the conversational, often impassioned qualityof his singing…you find yourself listening like you've never listened before." Clive Barnes of the New York Post called Mandy "the greatest entertainer on Broadway today – period."
Tickets for Mandy Patinkin's performance at the Warner are $45, $59.50, $75 and can be purchased by calling the Warner box office at 860-489-7180 or online atwww.warnertheatre.org.


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Off With a Bang, Out With a Whimper
I was hoping for something a bit more in the way of fireworks-type rally Wednesday -- and it did begin as though it would really get going, with everyone all fired up -- but then the rally simply died. However, it didn't do so with any "oomph." Rather, it just petered out. Yet, curiously, the index put-call ratio slipped right back under 100%.
While that metric is not the negative it had once been, we have now seen sub-100% readings in three out of the last four sessions. When this gets persistently low, we know the market is due for a pullback....262 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.
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In the market for some new bike tires? Well you've come to the right place. We've got tires of all shapes and sizes to fit your riding style. We've got road tires, mountain tires, tires for cyclocross, commuting and greenways. We've got fat tires, skinny tires, racing tires and training tires. We even have kids' tires, so your young'ns can ride along with you.
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Digital Menus
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Digital boards with stimulating visual communication to engage students in the cafeteria.
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Professional Registered Dietician services focused on providing nutritional analysis services for School Nutrition Departments.
Online Ordering
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Save time with our Student ordering, Teacher ordering, and Catering apps. Quick, easy, and fun!


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St. Joseph hosts Run for Zimbabwe
The Sustainable Living Foundation has scheduled the 14th annual Run for Zimbab-we Orphans and Fair noon to 4 p.m. March 24 at St. Joseph School, 1120 Miramonte Ave., Mountain View.
The event features races for everyone, from preschoolers to adults; a children's art show; live music; food; Zimbabwe cultural exhibits; and shoe and book drives.
Proceeds benefit the Zim-babwe Children's Orphanage and Gardens for Paraguay.
Follow MV events on Twitter and Facebook
The city of Mountain View posts meeting materials, articles, event updates and more on the city's website at www.mountainview.gov.
To enhance communications with the public, connect with Mountain View residents and share information, the city has launched a Facebook page and Twitter account with official information from city hall.
To receive updates and real-time information, visit twitter.com/@mtnviewcityhall.
For additional information, photos, press releases and listings of key events, visit Facebook at www.facebook.com/pages/City-of-Mountain-View-City-Hall.
MV offers phone, online bill payment
The city of Mountain View's has launched a pay-by-phone and online utility bill service.
The service, in conjunction with online provider Paymentus, is free to customers and available 24/7, accepting electronic checks, Visa, MasterCard and Discover.
To pay online, visit www.mountainview.gov/PayYourBill. For more information, visit www.mountainview.gov/services/online_services.asp.


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'"This year, I don't know what to expect," Kotalik said. "I was kind of hoping for a role where I can help the team when they're doing their best. Right now I'm not on any special-teams situations, and that kind of frustrates me. "I think I have the best shot, and they're always telling me to shoot the puck, but in the way the game is played now, everything is decided on the power plays. I want to help there. I want to put numbers on the board. I think I have more to offer."'
You are here: Home / SabresBeat / Sabres' Kotalik thinking big


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Themovie4u is being blocked by british ISPs at the court order obtained by Members of the MPA (Motion Picture Association of America Inc).
This page is set up to help you circumvent the block by routing you through a proxy.
Click "unblock" below to have themovie4u.com loaded via one of our proxy servers.
Please note that this page was created automatically because themovie4u.com is in the list of websites the UK high court ordered to be blocked. At this point in time some of the sites may be defunct and not accessible via any means.


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So maybe No. 8 West Virginia (4-0, 1-0 Big 12) at No. 11 Texas (4-0, 1-0) isn't the biggest game in college football history. Many would argue there are a couple of SEC matchups—LSU-Florida and Georgia-South Carolina—this very weekend that'll have more impact on the national championship race.
Don't you dare listen to them. How could anyone even begin to suggest the Longhorns and Mountaineers aren't legitimately in the title picture at this point? Not to mention: This should be one of the most entertaining games E-V-E-R.
Over the top? Sorry. Let's just say in 2012, then.
On the line
You know how some Big 12 observers like to play that wacky game of pretending Kansas State doesn't exist? We'd never do that for real—we dig the Wildcats—but for the moment we'll play along with the notion that, as a lot of people believe, the Mountaineers and the Longhorns are the two most promising teams in the conference.
If that's the case, well, then, this is a matchup that should yield not only the favorite to win the league but one of the leading candidates from any conference to reach the BCS title game.
No matter how you choose to order the Big 12 teams right now, it's undeniable the winner of this game will be in position to reach for its wildest dreams. Texas has the huge Oklahoma game next weekend in Dallas, but after that it could be smooth sailing until the regular-season finale at K-State. And WVU has the Wildcats and the Sooners in Morgantown this year.
MORE: Week 6 picks | Georgia vs. South Carolina matchup | Live scoreboard
Sideline view
Why does Oklahoma State have a lot to do with this game? Because Dana Holgorsen has a bunch of buddies on the coaching staff in Stillwater, where he helped construct the Cowboys' offensive machine before taking the head job at WVU. And because the Longhorns just played (and beat) the Cowboys there last weekend.
"We probably will have some advantages in having some of the same things that we have to coach against two weeks in a row," said Mack Brown, "but they've got some advantages because they're very close to the Oklahoma State staff and (the Cowboys) did a great job of moving the ball against us."
OSU had 576 yards of offense in UT's 41-36 victory.
Critical matchup
The Longhorns would love nothing more than to run the ball all night on WVU. Given the productivity thus far of running backs Joe Bergeron and Malcolm Brown—and the fact the Mountaineers' defense was shredded last weekend in a 70-63 win over Baylor—it seems Texas ought to be able to assert itself in this area.
Holgorsen isn't so sure. "We probably match up a little bit better with (Texas)," he said. "Defensively, we played well against the run (vs. Baylor)."
Believe it or not, that's accurate. The Bears had just 119 yards on 45 attempts (2.6 average).
"Our pass defense was atrocious," said Holgorsen, adding the obvious.
The pick
Texas 52, West Virginia 45. It's time for the Longhorns' highly capable defense to show up—or, at the least, to pressure WVU quarterback Geno Smith (20 touchdowns, zero interceptions) into his first big mistake of the season. And—heck, yes—UT will be able to run the ball with tons of success.
UPS Team Performance Index: Who has the edge in all the big games?


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This game was classified by the community with the following category scores - Violence=1/3, Sex=0/3, Mature Content=0/3. Adventurer Pets is best described as a 'competitive arcade style platformer.' The game is modeled as a mix of classic arcade style single screen platformers and competitive multiplayer party games. There are two single player modes available and one local mutiplayer, which supports from 1-4 players.
Buy Xbox content on Xbox.com. Your Xbox 360 console will automatically download the content next time you turn it on and connect to Xbox Live.Learn More


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Groene at the Legislature: Teacher absences, substitutes
Mail: Southern statues symbolize suppression
More opinion
Senate: Vote no on Graham-Cassidy health care plan
Fall: Good time to spray musk thistle in rosette stage
More Ag News
Nebraskas child welfare system might face another major change next summer, continuing a major overhaul.
This report was first published Oct. 5 on the Bulletin's website. It was republished Oct. 25 because of continued interest in foster care reforms.
The Legislatures Health and Human Services committee held a hearing Oct. 5 to explore:
Changes to the way children enter the foster care system
How reports of child abuse are screened and investigated
How that contributes to the numbers of children in foster care.
Sens. Colby Coash and Kathy Campbell, both of Lincoln, sponsored resolutions with the goal to reduce the number of children who enter the system.
Once the child is in the system, it makes it hard to get those families back together, Coash said.
Caren Kaplan, founder of Innovations in Child Welfare, testified. She, among others, suggested Nebraska switch to a "differential response" plan.
Usually, after each case of child neglect or abuse is reported, there is a police-like investigation to identify the victim and the perpetrator. But, according to Kaplan, this doesnt fit each situation.
A family who needs help with behavior is not the same as a family who cant explain a babys head trauma, Kaplan said.
If the child is at high risk of abuse or neglect, the child would still be taken out of the home. But under the differential response, keeping families together is the objective. Social workers assess a familys strengths and needs and help them work through their problems, Kaplan said. This way, the child can stay at home with his or her parents and doesnt have to enter the foster care system.
Under the differential response approach, however, families also could refuse the assessment and ask for an investigation instead.
Kaplan said with this system the childs safety is never compromised.
Thomas Pristow, the states director of children and family services, said the social workers he works with want to interact with families. He added that the time social workers spend with families will wane as the situation in the home starts to improve.
Recently, the Department of Health and Human Services closed 309 cases of children who were in the foster care system but living at home for more than 60 days.
Now, there are 1,800 in-home cases where those children are still considered wards of the state. Pristow wants to change that.
We need to get the state out of their lives, Pristow said.
Pristow said he hopes to start the differential response system next summer, but it will take some legislative changes to make that happen.
Flatrock Publishing, Inc.
1300 E 4th St., Suite F
North Platte, NE 69101


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Dear everyone,
One game stands in our way here. I know Cueto is down for the count, Latos is recovering from sickness and the team is demoralized after coming so close to winning two last night. But if they make it... oh man... they'll be facing the Cards or the Nats, neither of which is an invincible team by any means. I have to believe this is going to happen still!


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Having started with zazen and then being given a chan huatou, i think my current practice could probably best be described as cittapassana. The object of my concentration is what i found doing the huatou.
What i experience is space and awareness and i focus right back at the awareness. I sit with it, but would like some ideas on how to proceed. Do i just sit with it? Do i concentratedly investigate? How much push (not a great term, but im hoping some of you will know what i mean) do i give it?
Sometimes i feel like im just sort of hanging out and im not sure thats the best thing to do at this point.


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B9122-002: (PhD) Computing For Business Research
M - Full Term, 02:30PM to 05:00PM
Location: URI 330
Instructor: Yashodhan Kanoria
Course description: This course is designed to teach students essential elements of computer programming and numerical analysis that will useful in carrying out research and other work. This work often involves
(i) the gathering, organizing, and analysis of data
(ii) the use of numerical algorithms (e.g., regression, simulation, optimization, solution of nonlinear equations, etc.)
(iii) the generation and presentation of results using tables, graphs, slides and reports
This course will prepare students to be able to correctly and efficiently carry out these tasks. No prior programming experience is necessary to take this course. Students from all divisions are welcome. Specific course topics include:
1. Basics of programming: variables, memory, control structures, code design
2. Overview and comparison of languages: Visual Basic, MATLAB, Mathematica, C/C++/C#, Java. Creating Excel add-ins using XLL+.
3. Principles of software design: performance and reliability, testing and debugging, code profiling
4. Basic numerical analysis: roundoff and truncation error, statistical error, stability of algorithms
5. Use of software libraries including Numerical Recipes in C++, Gnu Scientific Library, CPLEX and CFSQP. The course focuses on the use of existing software tools to accomplish a task, not on the writing of original code for numerical methods.
6. Introduction to databases and grid computing
7. Graphics and presentation of results using LaTeX
The majority of the course will focus on MATLAB, Visual Basic and advanced Excel, C (and C++), and interfacing C/C++ and Excel. A smaller amount of time will be spent on Mathematica, LaTeX and SQL databases. Examples will be taken from finance, economics, operations research and other disciplines. There will be a midterm and a final project in the course (but no final exam).
Course work: The work for the course will involve weekly assignments and a final project. For the final project, students are encouraged to choose a project that will be related to their area of research.
Yash Kanoria
Sidney Taurel Associate Professor of Business
Prof Kanoria teaches the core MBA class Business Analytics. His core research interest is in market design, with a particular current focus on matching markets such as the labor market and the market for college admissions. Some of his current research uncovers fundamental structural properties of such markets, and aims to use this understanding to design better markets.


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Someone claimed that any topic with sex in the title would go at least 10 pages...so let's see:
In another thread someone posted, "an anagami (and arahant) has eradicated the fetter of sensual desire and thus such a person would never experience the arising of desire for sex." ......and I'm just wondering if this is true. Would an arahant not have the arising of sexual desire or might an arahant have a sexual feeling but simply just not identify with it or not form any intent (i.e. not make any kamma) as a result of the arising?...or something like that?


text: CompetitorEye offers many tools, reports and automation to help the seller SELL on Amazon. From automated preference based repricing (included in reports if we re-price or not) as well as tools to help locate better selling ASINS based on your current catalog to on-demand buy box reports and competitor inventory. We are so confident in our reporting and services, we offer it at no charge for 5 days. After which your account will simply expire, no sales calls, no pressure.


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Eureka and KiKi – Humane Society Pets of the Week!
Adopting a pet is a huge responsibility. Depending upon the animal, you may be committing to a decade or two, or in the case of certain birds – a lifetime. Taking on a pet requires more than just putting food in the bowl, it also means you're responsible for play, affection, veterinary visits, and grooming, among other things. Yet adopting a pet can be one of the most rewarding things you ever do, and having a pet in the home is fantastic on many different levels. Some pets don't have a permanent home, and that's where you come in.
The Humane Society shelters pets, gets them the care they need, gives them the love they're craving, and does their best to place them in permanent homes. Whether you're looking for a lazy dog who prefers a quiet walk to play, or a cat who chases toys, chances are the Humane Society will have your perfect match.
May I present our pets of the week. If you'd like to see them in person or get more information on these pets or any other pets that the Humane Society has, check them out online here or call 940-855-4941. They're located at 4360 Old Iowa Park Road in Wichita Falls.


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'The obvious question is why the Flyers felt they could wade into Game 2 after what happened in Game 1. The answer they don't want to contemplate is that they had no choice. The Sabres are that much faster and that much better. They set the tempo. They forced the issue. And they will try to do it again tonight.'
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text: No, it's fundamental nonsense. While I must say in the past, I was curious about your bases for your weird stance on bodybuilding, after seeing your picture posted here, the truth is clear to me now. FYI many of the truisms on diet and training stated by me have been espounded by top bodybuilding pros and passed on to their trainees and confirmed in many university tests. So when Dorian says you must do bench presses etc to train your chest, that aint heresy. When Flex advise you to eat eggs, chicken and fish for protein, that aint BS. So I don't know what on earth you are talking about when you come up with your harebrained theories. I only can see what people like Lee, Ronnie and Dorian achieved compared to you in your picture.