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By ANGEL KANE, Wilson Living Magazine
My favorite, favorite thing to do is to get up before everyone else, make myself a cup of coffee and savor it for a good 10 minutes. And when that doesn't happen….
So on Saturday morning, as I was making my way down the hall to my coffee maker, out of the shadows emerged a figure.
Dear Ken: Who was Mighty Manfred?
Make that Mighty Manfred the Wonder Dog. This animated hound was the lazy, comical sidekick to Tom Terrific, a boy who lived in a tree house and, via his funnel-shaped thinking cap, could change into anything he wanted. Tom and Manfred's most famous foe was Crabby Appleton, who was rotten to the core. The cartoon originated on "Captain Kangaroo" in 1957. Each episode ran for five minutes, so they aired one minute per day, Monday-Friday. Manfred had a sweet tooth for peanut butter sandwiches.
Wilson Living Today
Whew! What a week! Snow, ice, more snow and freezing temps created some wonderful memories for many families of Wilson County. Check out Wilson Living's Facebook page for some great snow filled snapshots.
Government Meetings --
* Lebanon City Council Public Works/Transportation Committee will meet at 7:30 a.m., Monday, Jan. 24, in the Town Meeting Hall, City of Lebanon Administration Building at Castle Heights.
* Lebanon City Council Finance Committee will meet at 5:30 p.m., Wednesday, Jan. 26, in the Town Meeting Hall, City of Lebanon Administration Building at Castle Heights.
* Wilson County Commission's Animal Control Committee will meet at 4 p.m., Thursday, Jan. 20, in Conference Room 2, Wilson County Courthouse, Lebanon.
Community Calendar --
Wilson County Adult Learning Center offers classes for anyone interested in achieving his or GED diploma. Classes are held in Lebanon and in Mt. Juliet. For information, call the Adult Learning Center at 443-8731.
Lebanon Toastmasters meet every Monday at 6:30 p.m. in the Spain House on the Lebanon First United Methodist Church campus at 415 West Main Street, Lebanon. Visitors are welcome. Toastmasters is an organization dedicated to improving communication and leadership skills. For information, call 444-0126.
Lebanon Meals on Wheels program is looking for volunteers to deliver meals to homebound seniors in the area. Meal routes range from about 10-15 people. Volunteers arrive at 9:30 a.m. and are done by 10:30. If you are interested, contact Jessica at 449-3488 between the hours of 8 a.m. to noon, Monday through Thursday.
Telephone Pioneer Cookbooks Volume I and III are now on sale. All proceeds benefit the Pioneer Museum. To purchase one or for information, call 444-3096 or 444-0940.
Retired Senior Volunteer Program of Wilson County is in need of volunteers who would like to reach out to those in need in Wilson County. Volunteers must be age 55 or older. If you are interested in participating or partnering with the program, call 443-7606 or 742-1113, ext. 10.
Agape has contracted with Maple Hill church of Christ to provide counseling services in Lebanon. Licensed Clinical Social Worker Diana Crawford will be available at the church building on Mondays from 11 a.m. until 6 p.m. She sees children and adults. For information, call 547-4244.
AL-ANON and ALATEEN family groups are a fellowship of relatives and friends of alcoholics who share their experience, strength and hope in order to solve their common problems. They believe alcoholism is a family illness and that changed attitudes can aid in recovery. There is a local AL-ANON and ALATEEN meeting in Lebanon every week. For information, call Harriett at 444-2852 or Linda at 444-8437.
First Wednesdays of each month a Healing Service is held by Sister A.A.A. Stafford at the Sports Village Complex, 1735 West Main Street, Lebanon, beginning at 10:15 a.m.
HomeSafe Women's Support Group meets Thursday evenings. For information and to sign up, call 444-6130. If you need help with an order of protection for domestic abuse, sexual assault or stalking, contact HomeSafe at 444-8955.
Lebanon High School's True Blue Parent Group will meet at 6 p.m., Thursday, Jan. 20, in the library at LHS. The topic will be Bullying and Cyberbullying. This meeting was to be held Jan. 13 but was rescheduled due to inclement weather.
SBA Day, sponsored by the City of Mt. Juliet, Economic and Community Development and the Mt. Juliet/West Wilson County Chamber of Commerce, will be from 9 a.m. until noon, Friday, Jan. 21, at Mt. Juliet City Hall. No appointment is required. Stop by and talk with representatives from the Small Business Administration and SCORE and get your questions regarding small business answered.
PHOEBE Ministries, a ministry of widows connecting with other widows, will meet Saturday, Jan. 22, at 9:30 a.m., at West Hills Baptist Church, Lebanon. Psychologist Bill Ross will speak on "Understanding the Grief Cycle." Admission is free to all widows. Bring a pair of fuzzy socks with gripper bottoms for the Homebound Widows Ministry Team.
Fourth Saturdays at Healing Broken Vessels is set for Jan. 22. Guest speaker Glenda Thompson will address "Te Five Stages of Change" and their application on the Christian life. Each fourth Saturday, from 9 until 11 a.m., speakers in the community will discuss topics relevant to women. Healing Broken Vessels is an organization that provides free educational services for women. For information, visit online at www.healingbrokenvessels.org. HBV is at 223 North Cumberland Street, Lebanon.
Communitywide Red Cross Training (formerly Mass Care) will be from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 22, in the Fellowship Hall at First United Methodist Church, 415 West Main Street, Lebanon. This is the class required to get a Red Cross badge and a background check will be needed (provided by Red Cross online). This can also be a refresher class for those who previously took the classes because procedures change. Also, a training class on Shelter Operations and Shelter Simulation will be from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 29, also in the Fellowship Hall at First UMC. There will be a lunch break or bring your lunch. Prepare to help Wilson County shelters function in the next disaster. Sign up for one or both classes by emailing Patty Caldwell at email@example.com or call Valerie at the local Red Cross office at 878-9080.
American Red Cross Blood Drive will be at Maple Hill church of Christ, from 4 until 8 p.m., Monday, Jan. 24. To schedule your appointment online, visit www.redcrossblood.org and enter Sponsor Code MapleHillsCC. For information, call 1-800-GIVE-LIFE or visit www.bloodisneeded.org.
Lebanon-Wilson County Public Library invites everyone to a book-signing with author Michael Freeland who will sign copies of his book, Time and River, from 4 until 6 p.m., Tuesday, Jan. 24.
Caregivers Support Group meets the fourth Tuesday of each month from 3:30 until 4:30 p.m. at the UMC/McFarland Specialty Campus, 500 Park Ave., Lebanon, in the first floor conference room. The next meeting will be Jan. 25. The support group is open to anyone experiencing the stress of caregiving. For information, contact either Kathryn Roberts at 443-6800 or Beth Goodner at 449-0500, ext. 6832.
Shopping in the Glade will be at the Gladeville Community Center on Saturday, Feb. 5, from 7 a.m. until 3 p.m. Booths are available for families or dealers at $20 for a 10-foot-by-10-foot space. For information, call Mabel Beazley at 243-2664, Debbie Ray at 443-3817 or Margaret Rediker at 449-6955.
The Alzheimer's Association, along with Belmont Village and Rolling Hills Hospital, will present part one of a four-part caregiver's series on "How to Deal with the Changes of Alzheimer's Disease – A Caregiver's View: What's Really Happening?" from 5:30 until 7:30 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 24, at Belmont Village Assisted Living of Green Hills, 4206 Stammer Place, Nashville. Caregivers, families and friends from Wilson County who are managing the disease of Alzheimer's are welcome to attend. The event is free, and a meal for attendees will be provided. Advance registration is required. To register, call Tiffany Mann at the Alzheimer's Association at 292-4938. A local Alzheimer's support group meets the second Thursday of each month at 3 p.m. at Elmcroft of Lebanon, 801 West Main Street. For information, call 453-5494.
Lebanon High School Class of 1971 is planning a 40-year reunion to be held June 11. Call one of the following people with your contact information: Teresa Halbert at 444-5995, Phil Bragg at 444-4941, Jo Smith at 444-8811 or Brownie Hall at 444-5173.
To submit items for the calendar, you can mail them to The Wilson Post, 216 Hartmann Drive, Lebanon, Tenn. 37087, or e-mail them to firstname.lastname@example.com. Items for the calendar will not be taken over the phone. The Wilson Post reserves the right to reject items deemed not appropriate for the calendar.
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Traditional Pumpkin Pie with a Fluted Crust
Purists looking to deviate only slightly from the familiar will find the nuanced flavors they expect within these whimsically exaggerated fluted edges.
- Servings: 12
Source: Martha Stewart Living, November 2008
- All-purpose flour, for surface
- Pate Brisee for Traditional Pumpkin Pie
- 1 can (15 ounces) solid-pack pumpkin
- 3/4 cup packed light-brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
- 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 3 large eggs
- 1 can (12 ounces) evaporated milk
- Ground cloves
- Whipped cream, for serving
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. On a lightly floured surface, roll pate brisee disk 1/8 inch thick, then cut into a 16-inch circle. Fit circle into a 9-inch deep-dish pie dish, leaving a 1-inch overhang. Fold edges under.
Shape large, loose half circles at edge of dough, then fold into a wavelike pattern to create a fluted edge. Prick bottom of dough all over with a fork. Freeze for 15 minutes.
Cut a circle of parchment, at least 16 inches wide, and fit into pie shell. Fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake until edges of crust begin to turn gold, about 15 minutes. Remove pie weights and parchment. Bake until golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes more. Transfer to a wire rack, and let cool.
Meanwhile, whisk pumpkin, sugar, cornstarch, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, vanilla, eggs, milk, and a pinch of cloves in a large bowl.
Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees. Transfer pie dish to a rimmed baking sheet, and pour pumpkin mixture into cooled crust. Bake until center is set but still a bit wobbly, 50 to 55 minutes. (If crust browns too quickly, tent edges with a strip of foil folded in half lengthwise.) Let cool in pie dish on a wire rack. Refrigerate until well chilled, at least 6 hours (preferably overnight). Serve chilled with whipped cream.

subset: commoncrawl


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Submit News
Obama Responds to Romney's CAFE Criticism
Tiffany Kaiser
August 30, 2012 5:30 PM
Recipient E-mail
Sender E-mail
Romney says the new standards are "extreme," but Obama disagrees
This week was particularly monumental for the auto industry as the Obama administration
finalized the new Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards
. The new rules have faced some criticism, but President Barack Obama isn't backing down.
criticism comes from Obama's presidential election opponent Mitt Romney
, who believes there is a better method of increasing fuel economy than changing CAFE standards.
"Just yesterday, my opponent called my position on fuel efficiency standards extreme," said Obama. "It doesn't seem extreme to me to want to build more fuel efficient cars. Maybe the steam engine is more his speed."
Obama further added that the new CAFE standards will allow U.S. drivers to fill up their gas tanks "half as often." But when the new rules were finalized Tuesday, Romney
failed to see the benefit
to driving citizens.
"Governor Romney opposes the extreme standards that President Obama has imposed, which will limit the choices available to American families," said Andrea Saul, Romney spokeswoman. "The president tells voters that his regulations will save them thousands of dollars at the pump, but always forgets to mention that the savings will be wiped out by having to pay thousands of dollars more upfront for unproven technology that they may not even want."
The new fuel efficiency standards for 2017-2025 will cost the auto industry $157.3 billion and add an average of
$2,000 extra to the sticker price of new autos
While some are clearly unhappy with the new standards,
others are seeing added benefits
. Honda, for example, was delighted to see that the standards provided extra credits for those selling natural gas-powered vehicles. Tesla also jumped on the CAFE bandwagon when it learned that it could sell any credits for surpassing the standards to companies that haven't.
CAFE standards
will raise the average fuel efficiency of cars and light trucks to 54.5 mpg by model year 2025. These new standards, which were created by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of Transportation's (DOTs) National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), were based off of the Obama Administration's first standards raised average fuel efficiency to 35.5 mpg by 2016. It was intended for cars and light trucks during model years 2011-2016.
The 54.5 mpg CAFE standard aims to save consumers more than $1.7 trillion at the gas pump, cut U.S. oil consumption by 12 billion barrels, reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 6 billion metric tons over the course of the program, and encourage the adoption of autos like electric vehicles (EVs) and plug-in hybrids.
The Detroit News
"Let's face it, we're not changing the world. We're building a product that helps people buy more crap - and watch porn." -- Seagate CEO Bill Watkins
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August 22, 2012, 8:50 AM
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July 25, 2011, 11:59 AM
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As a business leader, how do you make decisions? Be honest! Do you believe that as the leader (or should that be, ahem, dictator?) you always know best? Do you surround yourself with yes-men in an attempt to validate your ideas and gain "consensus"? Do you keep your distance from other "experts" to ensure that your opinion will go unchallenged? Or do you pull together the best and brightest you know to challenge your preconceived notions and share fresh ideas you've never considered?
While you'd love to say the first three examples bear no resemblance to you, if you're like most leaders you may admit to having a pretty healthy ego. Author Dan Quiggle says that's not a terrible thing—hey, it goes with the territory and it does give you the mettle to get the job done. Fortunately, there is a way to ensure that your ego doesn't grow to unhealthy proportions: take a cue from Ronald Reagan and put together a strong Kitchen Cabinet.
"President Reagan would be the first one to admit (using his self-deprecating humor) that he wasn't always an expert on everything," says Quiggle, author of the new book Lead Like Reagan: Strategies to Motivate, Communicate, and Inspire (Wiley, June 2014, ISBN: 978-1-118-92845-5, $25.00, www.quigglegroup.com). "He knew that he couldn't achieve everything he wanted if he was always the smartest person in the room.
"Reagan knew that the mission and its goal were much more important than his ego," Quiggle adds. "He purposely surrounded himself with expertise in all areas of his life so that he could make informed decisions. He understood that seeking out opinions, expertise, and advice from others wasn't a sign of weakness. It was strong leadership."
Even before his presidency, Reagan sought out highly successful advisors who shared his vision and were committed to seeing it realized—and who would be brutally honest with him. This group became known as Reagan's "Kitchen Cabinet." They advised him throughout his journey to the White House and even helped him choose the members of his first Presidential Cabinet.
"Whether the arena is politics or business, the difference between mediocre leadership and exceptional leadership often is defined by your ability to cultivate and engage your own Kitchen Cabinet," says Quiggle. "Business owners and other leaders have a lot at stake—and you should waste no time in putting together a brain trust of your own."
In his book, Quiggle uses Reagan's example, as well as that of other prominent and influential business leaders, to highlight key skills for leaders to develop. Quiggle, who began his professional career in Ronald Reagan's California post-presidency office and is now a successful entrepreneur, witnessed firsthand the traits, habits, and principles that made Reagan so effective.
Here, he shares 10 things to consider when building your own brain trust, Kitchen Cabinet, or whatever you choose to call it:
First, get over your desire to be right. According to Quiggle, Reagan chose to fill his Kitchen Cabinet with trusted advisors who were accomplished in their own rights, and whom he knew would be tough with him when necessary. In other words, they were not nodding, sycophantic yes-men. They were independent thinkers who weren't afraid to speak up when they saw an issue differently from the president.
"Know up front that putting together your own Kitchen Cabinet won't always be a comfortable experience," Quiggle comments. "In the process of helping you and advising you, sometimes your brain trust will tell you that you're wrong. They'll disagree with you. They'll have better ideas than you. And you (and your ego!) need to be okay with that! To put it bluntly, if you always want to be the smartest person in the room and are unwilling to surround yourself with people whose strengths are your weaknesses, you'll be limited by your own capabilities…which might not be as sufficient to the task at hand as you think."
Stock your cabinet with a variety of viewpoints. Say you're a financial advisor, and you've just opened your own firm. Of course you'll want to include current or former owners of successful financial services firms in your brain trust. They've walked the path on which you're just embarking, and they can give you invaluable advice on how to navigate the obstacles you'll be facing. But Quiggle cautions you not to limit your choices to older, wiser, within-your-industry types.
"In the example above, you might include someone with banking expertise, successful business owners in different fields, and someone who represents your target customer base," he suggests. "The point is, you want your Kitchen Cabinet to represent a variety of different viewpoints and knowledge sets. If everyone advising you has similar experiences and opinions, they'll be of limited use."
Look to your opposition (but make sure they support you). After being elected president, Ronald Reagan reached out to James Baker for advice. This move raised more than a few eyebrows, because Baker had managed the presidential campaigns of Gerald Ford in 1976 and George Bush in 1980, who had both been in opposition to Reagan's own candidacy. Was collaborating with the competition really a good idea?
"Absolutely," confirms Quiggle. "Ronald Reagan was able to put away any lingering hard feelings and focus on the expertise and effectiveness that James Baker embodied. This proved to be a wise decision, as Baker is credited with having significant positive influence over the first term of the Reagan presidency, particularly domestically.
"Of course, in business, you won't want to include your direct competitors in your brain trust," Quiggle acknowledges. "But you could seek the advice of a retired competitor or someone in your industry who has a different specialty from you. For instance, if you're an ad exec at an agency that specializes in retail, you might stock your cabinet with the leader of an agency that specializes in manufacturing. You can also adapt this tactic by making sure your advisory team includes people who disagree with you or who have played the part of devil's advocate in your ventures. Just be sure that at the end of the day, these habitual dissenters do have your personal and professional best interests at heart and won't try to maliciously undermine your efforts."
Keep it small. You don't want to blast your concerns, challenges, and goals to your network of 1,000+ people…or even to a "slightly" smaller group of 15 or 20. In fact, Quiggle recommends starting with a Kitchen Cabinet of only two to five people whom you trust and admire. You can always add more members to your brain trust as your business grows and your need for specific types of advice changes. It's substantially more difficult to scale down!
"When it comes to the size of advisory groups, more isn't always better," Quiggle says. "In fact, no matter what their purpose is, smaller groups are often more effective than their larger counterparts for many reasons: They're nimbler. It's easier for members to hear one another out and come to a consensus. There's less of a chance that individual egos will take over, since everyone needs to pull their own weight. And, of course, it's easier for meaningful mentoring to take place."
Don't overformalize things. Reagan's first meetings with his Kitchen Cabinet took place in their living rooms, not in the Oval Office. The lesson? Don't overcomplicate things.
"No formal invitation to 'Join My Kitchen Cabinet' is required, and you don't have to use parliamentary procedure during meetings," comments Quiggle. "Just ask business associates, mentors, and acquaintances you admire if they'd be willing to let you seek their advice and share professional insight with you. Yes, leading your business effectively is an incredibly important undertaking, but meetings with your brain trust don't have to feel like war councils. The goal is to have a meaningful, enlightening, and educational conversation."
Keep in mind that you may need more than one brain trust. While Ronald Reagan relied heavily on his Kitchen Cabinet and Presidential Cabinet, he also assembled many other, more specialized teams who could help him make informed, intelligent decisions in all areas of his administration. He looked for experts across the nation within their various fields and persuaded them to give back to their country by sharing their time, their talents, and their expertise.
"You'll probably need to assemble different brain trusts for different tasks, too," points out Quiggle. "For instance, you might meet with one group to advise you on business expansion, another to discuss product development, another to help you identify new client prospects, and yet another to support you in handling employee issues. Receiving the best guidance on growing the many facets of your business isn't a one-size-fits-all deal."
Use their time wisely. You have brought your Kitchen Cabinet(s) together to advise you, true…but that doesn't mean they need to weigh in on every single decision and dilemma you face. Part of using a brain trust effectively is knowing when to call on them…and when to tackle a challenge yourself.
"The type of knowledgeable, successful person you want in your Kitchen Cabinet simply won't have a lot of time to spend in useless discussion," Quiggle points out. "To determine if a matter should be brought up with your brain trust or not, ask yourself, If this doesn't work out, how severe are the consequences I might face? Is this a lesson I can afford to learn on my own? Is the answer readily available from another resource?
"And always keep meetings and phone calls as short as possible," he adds. "Again, it's very likely that the members of your brain trust will have big problems of their own that need tackling. If they start to feel that advising you is too time consuming or that you're wasting their time with questions you should be able to answer on your own, it won't take them long to bow out of your Kitchen Cabinet. Those are losses you shouldn't risk."
Hear everyone out and take their advice to heart. As Quiggle has noted, a Kitchen Cabinet that really works won't always tell you what you want to hear. He underscores how important it is to hear your advisors out, even when you'd rather stop listening. And if a majority of them seem to agree on a course of action you aren't excited about taking, strongly consider changing your own plans. Remember, you asked these people to advise you for a reason.
"When I need to make a crucial business decision, I talk to my Kitchen Cabinet," shares Quiggle. "I trust and value their various backgrounds, experiences, and expertise to steer me appropriately. As my father used to say, they usually give me 'just enough rope to hang myself' if I choose to, but I trust their judgment and know that they'll tell me the truth, even when I do not really want to hear it or may disagree. If a majority of them tell me not to do something, I probably won't do it."
Make sure everyone shares your success-oriented vision. It stands to reason that your Kitchen Cabinet won't be very effective if its various members have different visions for your business. If one member wants you to open a second retail location while another believes your resources would be better spent on new product development, for instance, they'll probably spend more time locking horns than helping you make progress.
"It's important to note that the responsibility for making sure your Kitchen Cabinet shares a vision falls on your shoulders," says Quiggle. "Never forget that you gathered these people to advise and guide you as you pursue your own success, not so that they could turn you into a puppet whose strings they control. Make sure you can articulate what you hope to accomplish, as well as your mentors' role in helping you achieve it."
Return the favor. As your business grows and matures, don't be surprised if others start coming to you for advice.
"Don't look at this as a negative," says Quiggle. "If you can, you should absolutely pay it forward. After all, you might not have reached your level of success without the wisdom of your own brain trust, and now you have the opportunity to help someone else do the same. Plus, joining others' Kitchen Cabinets is a great way to meet new mentors and connect with people who can help your own business."
"While you may not have set your sights on the White House, you can still reap substantial benefits from assembling your own Kitchen Cabinet," concludes Quiggle. "In a business world that's becoming more complex and competitive by the day, no one should be trying to steer the ship all alone. No one can know it all. But when you talk through the issues that are bothering you with knowledgeable people who share your vision, you'll maximize your chances for success. Clear solutions will come to the forefront, and you'll bypass many common pitfalls. As Ronald Reagan knew well, two (or three, or five) heads really are better than one."
Dan Quiggle, author of "Lead Like Reagan: Strategies to Motivate, Communicate, and Inspire," is the founder of The Quiggle Group, president and CEO of America's Choice Title Company, and dean of faculty for the Leadership Institute in Washington, D.C. He began his professional career in the office of Ronald Reagan and learned leadership directly from the "Great Communicator" himself. For more information, please visit the book's page at www.wiley.com.


text:
Violence-induced trauma, sadly, is a regular intruder in lives of school-age children in Los Angeles. While teachers and other education professionals recognize that children's emotional health impacts their ability to learn, state funding for school-based counseling services has been nearly eliminated.
For these and other reasons, our programs to help at–risk and traumatized children have never been more vital.
Learn more about our school-based programs:


text:
HOUSTON - A man was accidentally shot in the head during a New Year's Eve gathering in northwest Harris County, investigators said.
The victim's family said they were looking at the gun when it went off at a home on Hartwick Road and Aldine Westfield Road about 12:30 a.m. Tuesday.
Harris County sheriff's deputies said the bullet went straight through the front of the victim's head and out of the back.
The victim, in his 20's, was transported to Ben Taub Hospital in serious but stable condition.
Neighbors said they believe this was a case of celebratory gunfire.
The man holding the gun was detained but will not face charges. The Harris County District Attorney's Office said there was not enough evidence to charge anyone.
Copyright 2013 by Click2Houston.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


text:
While everyone else is fooled by this imposter, Leo knows better. Certain that his real wife is alive and in hiding, Leo embarks on a quixotic journey to reclaim his lost love.
From the streets of New York to the southernmost reaches of Patagonia, Leo's quest becomes a test of how far he is willing to take his struggle against the seemingly uncontestable truth he knows in his heart to be false.
©2008 Rivka Galchen; (P)2008 Blackstone Audio, Inc.
"Everything is other than it appears to be in Galchen's assured debut - an intricate puzzle powered by urgently beating heart....A superb first novel." (Kirkus Reviews)
"Witty, tender, and conceptually dazzling, Galchen's metaphysical tale of longing, grief, love, and the volatility of the self gracefully charts the tempestuous weather of the human psyche." (Booklist)
"Galchen's astonishing debut is rich in detail and scientific exploration and a kind of dreamy psychological dissembling that keeps the reader as baffled as Leo right to the end." (Library Journal)
"Worth Listening to Again"
I don't often say a book is worth listening to twice. But this book is beautifully written, and beautifully narrated. I often found myself going back one, two, or five minutes to listen again--not because it was hard to follow, but because I found it such compelling language I wanted to memorize it. That "re-read" only is found with the really good books. This is one of those. A rare five stars from me.
"I liked it"
I got a lot out of this book. It's like Vertigo, written by Charlie Kaufman, starring Robert Downey Jr. The story isn't much itself, but the writing is great and the narrator makes it easy to follow the overly observant and analytical protagonist. The writing is full of interesting scientific and psychological anecdotes that the protagonist struggles with trying to make sense of his subjective reality. More than anything this is a story about love and the way people change, or the way people think people change.
Enjoy intellectually stimulating mysteries. Dislike story lines use a lot of violence, gun play and highly improbable events.
"Implausible story line ruins the book"
The author has done a nice job of writing, using a rich vocabulary, and the narrator does a very good job of reading, but the storyline of this book is so improbable I finally couldn't take it anymore. Does the author really think that if you were confronted with someone identical in appearance and mannerisms to your spouse but you thought was possibly an impostor, that you wouldn't be able to ask some "only your real spouse could know the answer" questions and determine very quickly if that person was the genuine article or not? Somehow, the main character of this book never thinks to do that, and thus his uncertainty continues. That uncertainty is what the whole story revolves around (at least up until the point I gave up).
The bad reviews on this book are extremely misleading. If you're looking to be rapt with attention, swept up in the plot, or otherwise moved by the grandiosity of this story than this novel might not be for you.
If language and it's nuances are more up your alley read on. Galchen masterfully weaves through the taxonomy of her narrators deteriorating mind on a wild goose chase for sanity.
An emotional look at the plight of losing a sense for one's own consciousness and the repercussions it might have on those around you.
This book is unforgettable.
"Don't waste your time (or money)"
I must agree with the other reviewers. I stuck it out until about the middle of the book and I finally gave up. I'm sure there must be some point at the end to all the ramblings of Dr. L. However, when I have to force myself to continue just to get to the end, it's time to move on to a new book.
"The Emperor's New Clothes"
I know this book received some acclaim, but I must disagree with any positive review of this book. I feel like the little boy in the Emperor's New Clothes. After reading the book, I attended a panel discussion with the Author, Rivka Galchen. The book is neither science based, suspenseful, or even entertaining. As an exploration of memory, mind, or even madness, it is banal and rampant with pseudo science. As written from the perspective of the madman, it is not only confusing, but boring. The reader needs some reliable reference to comprehend the novel. The writing style is pretentious and silly. If you enjoy reading the 'New Yorker', you might enjoy this read. The performance of the audio book was flat, and uniteresting. Although to be fair to Malcolm Hilgartner, there would not likely be any amount of drama created by his delivery to keep you awake for this over long novel. If you would like to avoid buyer's remorse, stop now. To end on a positive note, Rivka seems to be a very intelligent, accomplished person in a variety of disciplines. This was her first book, and perhaps she will improve with practice. I will need some convincing before I read another Rivka Galchen book.
I saw no redeeming qualities in this book.
A fabulous title for a rambling, uninteresting novel. You never really know if the man's wife is missing or not although this premise is very enticing. Our main character could be imagining it all and if indeed he is insane, it is not amusingly so.
A weak read, dull and unengaging. Chose another.
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Erykah Badu Shocks Fans With New Nose Piercing
Erykah Badu recently shocked fans with a rather unique nose piercing.
The soulful songbird posted a photo to her Twitter timeline Tuesday (Dec. 10) of herself wearing a huge silver tusk-like piercing through her nose. Ouch! The painful apparatus also has an orange jewel on the end.
Perhaps Badu was just being very creative in photoshop and altered the picture. Plus, she took a photo with the late J Dilla's mother, Maureen "Ma Dukes" Yancey, on Wednesday (Dec. 13) and the hook piercing is gone.
— ErykahBadoula (@fatbellybella) December 10, 2013
But if this photo is legit, then the singer must have been screaming in pain during the procedure. We also wonder how Badu is going to blow her nose through that thing. Or, what will happen if she sneezes really hard.
Fans on Twitter had plenty to say about the songstress' new piercing. Check out some gems below.
@fatbellybella hi erykah why you scare me like that
— Dexter (@unorthodex) December 10, 2013
@fatbellybella ((O_O)) no stop it!!!
— Oprah Gangnam Style (@M15C1) December 10, 2013
@fatbellybella Put a little red light bulb in there. and I think we've found our Rudolph the Red nosed reindeer.
— Real Kemp -ISH © (@KEMPSAIDWHAT) December 11, 2013
Always has a place to hang her coat RT @_adott_: Whyyyyyyy RT @HOT97: Erykah Badu debuted a new nose piercing…ouch! http://t.co/mB9fKCGyJu
— Ace Applebees (@Daddy__Ari) December 13, 2013
What do you think of Erykah Badu's nose piercing? Tell us in the comments below.


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Moderators: Timko, Fritz, Solty, Booter, Blake_T, Frank Delicious
discspeed wrote:We're not owls
Frank Delicious wrote:JimW wrote:Jsw wrote:I'm a PC guy, when the hell is the new Starcraft or Diablo 3 going to come out.
Same time any Blizzard game comes out: When it's completely done and of top quality!
Frank Delicious wrote:man you guys totally just ignore the fact he doesn't want to buy expensive games.
Frank Delicious wrote:Assassins creed is a good cheap game that doesn't require you to get way into it.
You could also try Fables 2.
some call me...tim? wrote:Jesse B 707 wrote:if you liked Mass Effect, Dragon Age will fuckin blow you away, it really is that good.
It does indeed look badass. Only thing is, besides my reluctance to pay full price on a game, the PC gamer in me doesn't want to buy an RPG on a console if it can also be had on a PC, and I'm not sure how great it'd work on my machine. I think I meet the minimum specs, but definitely not the recommended.
uNicedmeMan wrote:I too have an interest in this thread as I will be moving to a location with access to high speed internet. At that time, I will swoop my xbox back from my buddy (he's been taking care of it while I had no internets). I'm looking forward to re-upping on xbox live and playing with some of you fellas.
Couple questions:
Does anyone still play Halo 2 online?
Has anyone played ODST?
My nephew tells me nazi zombies is cool, any truth to his statement?
How sweet is Modern Warfare 2 going to be?
How badly do I need to get orange box?
uNicedmeMan wrote:How badly do I need to get orange box?
Return to Off-Topic, Miscellaneous, etc.
Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 1 guest


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USC officially lost one basketball guard and gained another. Byron Wesley, last season's top scorer and rebounder, will go to Gonzaga, but local prep standout Elijah Stewart will join the Trojans.
Stewart, a 6-foot-5 guard from Westchester High, initially signed with Loyola Marymount but was allowed to leave after the firing of Coach Max Good. Scout.com first reported that Stewart would join USC.
Considered something of a late-blooming recruit, Stewart was selected as the L.A. City Section Player of the Year last season and could form a potent partnership with incoming point guard Jordan McLaughlin.
Wesley announced last month that he intended to transfer after three years at USC. Because he earned his degree, Wesley will be eligible to play his fourth and final season at Gonzaga in 2014-15.


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Henderson County School Resource Officer Daniel Lindsey, 27, has been charged with three felony counts of sex offense with a student.
Henderson County School Resource Officer Daniel Lindsey, 27, was arrested shortly after midnight this morning and charged with three felony counts of sex offense with a student.
In a news conference today, Sheriff Charlie McDonald said Lindsey is accused of inappropriate contact with a 16-year-old female student in October, while Lindsey was the resource officer at Balfour Education Center.
"Truly we are all sickened by this," McDonald said. "With the alleged activities that occurred, there certainly is no excuse."
The Sheriff's Office began investigating Lindsey on Jan. 17, but McDonald declined to say what circumstances led to the investigation. When investigators saw evidence of probable cause, they moved quickly to take him into custody, McDonald said.
Lindsey's employment with the Sheriff's Office was terminated at the time of his arrest.
There is no evidence that any illegal activity took place on school property, McDonald said, and it appears that the activity was consensual. It is against state law for persons in authority at schools, including teachers and resource officers, to have sexual contact with students, McDonald pointed out.
McDonald said he consulted with District Attorney Greg Newman about whether to turn over the initial investigation to the State Bureau of Investigation. They decided to move forward with the local investigation and charges so they could quickly remove Lindsey from contact with minors, McDonald said.
Lindsey was arrested without incident at his home in Mountain Home, which is located approximately 2 miles away from Balfour Education Center.
Paul Roberts, who lives across the street from Lindsey, said he was shocked to hear about the charges.
"I just can't believe it. It blows my mind," he said. "He seems to be such a good family man, and he's always been very polite."
Roberts said Lindsey is married and has two sons who are in grade school.
Lindsey is a former DARE officer and had been an employee of the Sheriff's Office since September 2008.
The investigation continues, and more charges could be filed.
Lindsey was booked under $45,000 bond and transported to the Transylvania County Sheriff's Office. Because he was a Henderson County Sheriff's Office employee, it is department policy to move the criminal processing to another law enforcement agency. McDonald said Lindsey made bond this morning.
Lindsey is expected to have his first court appearance on Tuesday.
Please return to BlueRidgeNow.com for more on this developing story.


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Sen. Robert Menendez raised concerns with top federal health-care officials twice in recent years about their finding that a Florida eye doctor — a close friend and major campaign donor — had overbilled the government by $8.9 million for care at his clinic, Menendez aides said Wednesday.
Menendez (D-N.J.) initially contacted federal officials in 2009 about the government's audit of Salomon Melgen, complaining to the director overseeing Medicare payments that it was unfair to penalize the doctor because the billing rules were ambiguous, the aides said.
Last year, in a meeting with the acting administrator of the agency in charge of Medicare and Medicaid, Menendez again questioned whether federal auditors had been fair in their assessment of Melgen's billing for eye injections to treat macular degeneration, the senator's aides said.
The agency had ordered Melgen to repay the $8.9 million, and at the time of both conversations, Melgen was disputing the agency's conclusion. His appeal continues to this day.


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Details & Care
A soft foaming cream that effectively cleanses the face while preserving its comfort. This gentle cleanser is like a mineral bath for the face, and helps to maintain the moisture balance of the skin. Skin feels fresh, purified and more radiant. Impurities, which tend to dull the complexion, are removed, leaving the skin brighter and healthy-looking.
How to use: Apply two or three pearls of the foam onto dry hands. Emulsify with a small amount of lukewarm water. Apply and massage the rich, foaming lather all over the face for at least one minute. Rinse off thoroughly with water.
- Ideal for normal/oily skin types.
- Soap-free.
- Contains salicylic acid.
- 4.2 oz.
- By Giorgio Armani.
- Item #348200


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Want some great deals at some of the best stores. Swing by the Leesburg Corner Premium Outlets in Leesburg, Virginia. The Premium Outlets have over 110 stores including clothing for the whole family, shoes, luggage, jewelry, and housewares. If you work up an appetite after all that shopping, you won't have to look far as there are also a restaurants in the shopping area and a small children's playground for the kiddies.
Directions: The Premium Outlets are located about 15 minutes from Dulles Airport at the intersection of Route 7 and US 15 Bypass:
241 Fort Evans Road NE
Leesburg, Virginia 20176
(703) 737-3071
A sample of the stores includes:
Clothing: Adidas, Ann Taylor, Burberry, Gap, Guess, J. Crew, Izod, Kenneth Cole, Old Navy, Pac Sun, Polo Ralph Lauren, Saks Fifth Avenue, Talbots, Timberland, Tommy Hilfiger, True Religion, Under Armour and the Washington Redskins Official Store Outlet.
For Children: Carter's, Gymboree Outlet, Old Navy, OshKosh B'gosh, Polo Ralph Lauren Children, Stride Rite Keds Sperry and? Tommy Hilfiger Kid.
Shoes: Adidas, Aerosoles, Converse, Kenneth Cole, Naturalizer, Puma, Reebok and Sketchers.
Others: Coach, Fossil, Sunglasses Hut, Crate & Barrel, Williams-Sonoma, Book Warehouse, Bose, Restoration Hardware, Harry & David, Zales, Claire's Accessories, Movado, Reed & Baron and Le Creuset.
Happy shopping!
Alexis, Innkeeper
American Guest House Bed and Breakfast


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Source: Pats, Logan Mankins agreeEmailPrintComments176By Mike FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- When New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft said Wednesday afternoon that "probably you'll see our good friend Logan Mankins will be signed up soon, hopefully to be a Patriot for life," he wasn't kidding.
The guard agreed to a six-year deal with the team later in the day, a source told ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter.
Kraft had said that the prospect of keeping Mankins long-term "couldn't have happened if we didn't do our planning for when we went into the lockout."
[+] Enlarge
AP Photo/Winslow Townson
Patriots guard Logan Mankins, left, shakes hands with owner Robert Kraft as tackle Matt Light, center, looks on Tuesday.
Mankins, an All-Pro in 2010, was assigned the franchise tag by the team this season. He was set to earn $10.1 million on a one-year contract but preferred the added security of a long-term deal.
Kraft had said that he wanted to get a deal done and hoped Mankins' camp did too, before the Sept. 20 deadline for tagged players to ink extensions.
"You can't sign everyone you want, so you need to plan and I think we did our planning knowing the kind of environment we were (in) coming into it," Kraft said. "We tried to position ourselves so we had our core veterans and we could continue to sign the people we want to sign. We think that Logan is among the best there is at the position. We drafted him and we want him here."
Mankins' desire for a long-term deal had led to a contentious relationship with the team over the past 16 months. Last season, he didn't report to the team until the eighth game of the season, unhappy with the decision to offer him a one-year, $3.26 million tender (which was eventually cut to $1.54 million) instead of a long-term contract. Earlier in this year's camp, though, Mankins said he saw this season as a chance to start fresh.
"This year, I'm putting everything behind me," Mankins said at the time. "I'm going to try to have a good year and help the team, and if I play good, things will take care of themselves."
Asked if it was encouraging to hear Mankins speak about the possibility of remaining a Patriot earlier in training camp, Kraft said Wednesday it was consistent with what he's heard from Mankins in his seven years with the team.
Reiss: Mankins deal is a win-win
Both the Patriots (cap relief, star player) and Logan Mankins (long-term security) get what they want in this deal, writes Mike Reiss. Story
Kraft also shared thoughts on one of the Patriots' new acquisitions, defensive lineman Albert Haynesworth, who comes with an impressive football resume and on- and off-field baggage.
"I met with him and I like the guy. He didn't come here for the money. He came here to be part of a team and win (and) I think in some ways improve his reputation," Kraft said. "So it's like a lot of meetings I have with these guys, I found him to be genuine and sincere. Now I hope he gets out on the field and does his thing."
Meanwhile, Kraft has enjoyed having receiver Chad Ochocinco on the team.
"I think you have to love the guy. I have people emailing me who would like to host him. I'm not sure I want the responsibility," Kraft said with a smile, one day after Ochocinco declared he would be living with a fan for the first few weeks of the season until he gets acclimated.
Kraft also retraced the Patriots' steps from before the lockout.
"One of the things I'm most proud of coming into the season is we knew this was coming, and we made an effort to tie up our key veterans, people like Tom Brady, Stephen Gostkowski and Vince Wilfork," he said. "Now, when you have this quick period where you have to react, we were able to get a lot of seasoned veterans on shorter-term contracts -- people like Albert Haynesworth and Chad Ochocinco, Andre Carter and Shaun Ellis.
"As you look out and look to the playoffs at the end of this year, I think you'll see those teams that had stability both in terms of their coaching and quarterback have the best chance, in my opinion. ... That's been done with a lot of thought and a lot of planning."
Kraft touched briefly on his role in labor negotiations while praising Indianapolis Colts center Jeff Saturday, who was a leading presence as part of the players' executive committee and who gave a public nod to Kraft for his role in the process just days after his wife's death. Kraft also revealed that he received a letter of thanks from Colts president Bill Polian, who has been one of the franchise's biggest adversaries over the last decade.
"I'm just happy football is back," Kraft said. "This is our 18th season and we never dreamt there would be a lockout like this.
"Football is back in Foxborough."


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Lehigh star guard C.J. McCollum—a preseason All-American who was having his best season before breaking his foot Jan. 5—has been ruled out for Saturday's Patriot League Tournament semifinal at Lafayette.
The school had given a possible recovery time of 8-10 weeks, which presented the possibility of McCollum being available for the conference tournament.
But coach Brett Reed said this week he was preparing for postseason play with the team that finished the regular season—without McCollum. Reed has been cautious talking about the status of the potential first-round NBA Draft pick, and a team spokesman confirmed Friday that Reed ruled McCollum out when third-seeded Lehigh visits second-seeded Lafayette.
McCollum was leading the country in scoring (25.7 points) when he got hurt.
Should Lehigh beat Lafayette on Saturday without McCollum, the Hawks would advance to play the Bucknell-Army winner in the Patriot championship game Wednesday.


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Absolutely wonderful information for all of those with ancestors who lived and worked in the Sub-Continent.
High quality scanned images of the whole of the original book. This CD can be viewed by any computer using Adobe Acrobat Reader (version 4 or later recommended). The data on this CD is completely self-contained, and requires no installation.
System Requirements: Windows 95, 98, 2000, NT or better, CD-ROM drive, or Apple Mac.


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Indy trades TJ Ford to New York
New York trades Jared Jefferies and Mohammed Sene-Saer
New York needs a PG, and although they take on salary in this deal, they get a major talent upgrade.
Indy saves between 1.2 million (if they keep Sene) and 2.0 million (if they cut him). His contract is ungauranteed. This allows us to very comfortably re-sign Jarrett Jack. We also get a back-up 3/4 who's still popular in Indiana and is not a terrible stop-gap player. Jefferies contract is the same length as Ford's, so it doesn't hurt the 3 year plan at all.


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1 killed in Medford home invasion
advertisement | advertise on newsday
One man was killed and another wounded when two men barged into a Meford home late Wednesday. Suffolk police are seeking two suspects. Videojournalist: James Carbone (Aug. 8, 2013)
Newsday.com now uses Facebook for our comment boards. Please read our guidelines and connect your Facebook account to comment.


text: "With these ads, we definitely want to evoke memories of a time when smokers were not literally kicked to the curb," says chief branding officer for Finiti Branding Group. FIN Electronic Cigarettes has launched a brand awareness campaign with full page ads in Rolling Stone magazine. The campaign features a series of full-page print advertisements


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Turn an ordinary cake extraordinary with these spooky ideas.
12 Boo-tiful Cakes for the Scariest Time of the Year
A little candy, cookies, and pint-size toys can transform your boring chocolate-frosted sheet cake into a spooky Halloween display.More
The key to this mini-cemetery: tombstones fashioned from Pepperidge Farm's Milano and Bordeaux cookies.
To decorate the tombstones, fill a resealable plastic bag with chocolate frosting, seal the bag, and snip off a tiny corner.
Pipe RIP or X on the upper half of each cookie.
Push the cookies into the cake (as shown) and pile crushed chocolate wafers in front of a few to conjure dirt mounds.
Trim the perimeter of the cake with a fence of Rademaker chocolate sticks ($9.47 for six boxes of 12 sticks; amazon.com), cut to various heights.
Finally, separate and insert pieces of small plastic skeletons ($2.70 for garland of four; amazon.com) into the cookie-crumb dirt.
For more tips, visit Country Living.
This little labyrinth takes the cake when it comes to speedy assembly time.
To begin, you'll need graham crackers (we used five sheets of four crackers), a rubber mouse ($2.95; makebelievecostume.com), and a lemon Starburst candy.
Using the photo as a guide, arrange the crackers atop the cake to form the maze walls, breaking the crackers into smaller pieces as necessary. (To make clean breaks, first use a sharp knife to score the fronts and backs of the crackers.)
Create the cheese by cutting the Starburst diagonally in half, then using a clean cocktail straw to make indentations atop the candy. Place the candy in one spot of the maze and the mouse in another.
5 Ways to Take Your Brownies to the Next Level


text: Pearl stud earrings Item 75333 Color: WHITE Size: ONE SIZE All sizes are US sizes. ONE SIZE Quantity: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Prices do not include taxes. Add to Bag Wishlist Add to Bag Add To Wishlist share: size & fit 7 1/2-8mm pearls. Product Details Genuine freshwater pearls, hand sorted for size and lustre, are on our always list. Sterling-silver posts. Import. Item 75333.


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It's hot but we aren't complaining! The staff at Morey's Piers knows the best places to stay cool at the piers and it's not just in the waterparks.
Here are the top 5 places:
1. Zoom Phloom for the splash of water
2. WipeOut! for the rush of being on the water
3. Curley's Fries for the ice cold lemon shake ups
4. Sky Pond Journey for the double pools
5. Great White for the wind in your hair
Still hot? Just stay in one of the rivers all day!
Of course their are many other ways to stay cool at the piers but these are just a few of the staff favorites!


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Junior Member
Join Date: Jul 2006
Posts: 5
Eastern Med cruise May 2008
This was our second cruise to the Med. We went last May and we enjoyed it so much we decided to return. We sailed on the Grand Princess Venice to Rome. We did all the ports on our own and tried to see different things from last year.
Mon: We arrived in Venice at 10:30AM and took the express bus from the airport to P. Roma for 3E (euros). We stayed at the Hotel Dalla Mora which is two small bridges from P. Roma so it was an easy walk. Of course we couldnt check in yet so we walked around some of the walkways near the hotel and had lunch. After we checked in we took a two hour nap which seems to get us over jet lag. We then walked to St. Marks Square, about 20 minutes. We listened to the Rick Steves St. Marks Square tour on our iPod which we really enjoyed. We walked along the water to see the Bridge of Sighs and strolled a little further. We wandered down many walkways and had pizza for dinner then stopped for gellato before walking back to our hotel.
Tues: The next morning we bought a 12 hr vaporetti pass and caught the #2 vaporetto to St Marks Sq. from P. Roma. The line for the basilica was very long and the Square was really crowded so we decided to take a vaporetto to Murano and then on to Burano. We found a really nice glass showroom right near the Faro stop that had a clean WC and glass blowing demonstrations. They were actually making the statue of the lovers which we had planned to buy this year. We walked around Murano a while and had lunch before catching the vaporetto to Buarno. This vaporetto was very crowded and we had to squeeze in. There seemed to be a lot of school groups touring Venice and the vaporetto was full of kids. It was at least a half hour ride to Burano from Murano. We enjoyed walking around Burano and seeing the colorful houses. After we got away from the dock area the crowds thinned out. We spent about an hour walking around and when we got back to the dock area there were a lot of people waiting for the vaporetto. We decided to take the direct vaporetto route back to St. Marks Sq. which turned out to be more like a ferry with three decks and even a WC (though it was the hole in the floor kind). The ride back was over an hour but it was a very enjoyable ride and felt good to sit down. By the time we reached St. Marks Sq. it was 4:40 and we decided to see if we could get into the basilica. There was almost no line so we were able to walk right in. We did only part of RS audio walking tour because we really didnt have enough time to finish it. We found a nice little pizza place for dinner than took the # 42 vaporetto back to P. Roma so we could do the RS audio Grand Canal tour on the #1 vaporetto. We were able to get an outside rear seat and this was a great tour. Back at St Marks Sq we listened to the orchestras play a while then went to get some gellato. We took the # 52 vap. back to P. Roma getting to pass the Grand Princess at the dock all lit up. The 42 and 52 vap. go around the outside canal and therefore take less time to get to P. Roma.
Wed: Since we had to check out of our hotel at 11:00 we didnt go too far. We walked to the Rialto Bridge and did some shopping. We bought our lovers statue and some necklaces for our sons girlfriends and me of course. We checked out at about 11 and walked to P. Roma but couldnt find a Princess shuttle. Since we knew it wasnt far we just walked out the road, over the bridge, took the second left to the ship and checked in. If you walk make sure you check with the guard at the entrance and he will direct you where to take your luggage before you go to the ship. After lunch we walked back to P. Roma and crossed over the St Lucia bridge and walked down the main walkway to the Jewish Ghetto. This is the main walkway from the train station to the Rialto Bridge and is very wide by Venice standards. There are a lot of great stores, a few supermarkets and even a McDonalds. Before heading back to the ship we stopped at the supermarket at the P. Roma vaporetto stop and picked up a few things.
Thurs: We got up at 7:30 to eat before sailaway at 8. Make sure you get a good spot and have your camera ready. It took about an hour to make our way out of Venice so make sure you have sunglasses a hat and sunscreen. They played Josh Groban singing in Italian all the way out and it was a little sad to leave. I much prefer sailing into Venice. Spent most of the day exploring the ship and resting.
Fri: Arrived in Dubrovnik at 8 but due to a long time to clear the ship and tender issues we werent able to disembark until 10:15 even though we had #2 tender tickets. It was very easy to find another couple to share a cab (10E per cab) with and we headed into town. We went up onto the wall at the Pile gate (7.50E) and spent about one and a half hours walking around. It wasnt too crowded but there were only two ships in port and the tourist season hadnt started yet. We took lots of pictures and marveled at how people live in the old town. There is a snack bar on the water side with a clean WC and a few places to by drinks. I didnt notice anything on the land side. After walking the wall the main street was packed with people so we took the ferry boat to the national preserve on Lokrum Island. It was 6E RT and a nice quiet getaway from the crowds in old town. The ferry left every hour (every half hour in summer) and took about 15 minutes. This is a beautiful island with swimming off the rocks, a swimming hole, old monastery (now a restaurant), and a fort. We spent 2 hours there then headed back to the ship. Make sure you leave plenty of time to get back to the ship because the traffic gets real bad and it can take a half hour or more to go just the few miles to the ship.
Sat: Arrived in Corfu at 8 and got right off the ship. We rented a car at the cruise terminal with Royal Rent a car and we knew they have a limited number of first come first serve cars. They wanted 50E cash no questions asked. They didnt even check the gas. We just had to return it to the parking lot at the end of the day. We drove up to Mt Pantakrator. That is some drive! We had detailed instructions and knew just where to turn. There are many switchbacks and a very narrow road. But it is paved all the way. There is an old monastery, restaurant and many antennas on top. And of course a fantastic view. Not sure I would want to try this in the middle of tourist season with all the traffic on the road. After coming down from the mountain we drove along the northeast coast road stopping at several small towns along the way. We continued around the north coast all the way to Sidari but it was so crowded we didnt even stop. Instead we drove over to Arillas Beach and spent the rest of the day at the beach. Getting back was fairly easy just following the signs to Kerkyra which is what the locals call Corfu Town. Driving in Corfu is quite an adventure and you need a good sense of direction.
Sun: Katakalon This was a rest day for us. We slept late and just walked around the town. We really enjoyed the little shops that line the main street. We bought a Gyro for lunch and sat at a table on the sidewalk watching the people go by. There are two beaches in town. A long flat one with very shallow water to the right of the docks and a very small sandy one with chair rental on the left.
Mon: Since we spent the day in Athens last year we decided to explore Piraeus. I had found a walking tour and had a good map with the public transportation outlined. We walked up Sachtoyri St to Freattydos Beach and continued to walk around the harbors. Unfortunately it was Monday so the Naval Museum and the Archaeological Museum were closed. There were some beautiful yachts and colorful fishing boats. We continued around Zeas Harbor to Votsalakia Beach and watched some kids playing soccer. The beaches were your typical city beaches but the water was very clean. There were also a lot of people in swimming for May. We decided to take the #20 trolley the rest of the way around the coast and went into a supermarket to inquire about a ticket. A very nice man gave us two and explained that it was good for 90 minutes on the trolley, bus or metro. We rode the trolley to the end than hopped on the metro at the Faliro station and took it back to the main terminal. We then walked back to the cruise terminal. We enjoyed wandering around Piraeus and seeing how the people of Athens lived. On the street we passed a man with a grill cooking octopus and selling it just like people sell hot dogs here. There are also some beautiful churches.
Tues: Mykonos , Today we planned to take the ferry to Delos and walk around town. We paid to take the ship shuttle into town because we knew the road was very narrow and the traffic was heavy. Unfortunately we just missed the 9:00 ferry so we walked around a little while and bought tickets for the 10:00 ferry. These ferries get crowded so I wouldnt wait until the last minute to get a ticket. The ferry was 12E PP which was more than the guide books quoted. The ride was 45 minutes and we had to buy tickets to Delos for 5E when we got off. We thought the ferry ticket included our admission and so did a lot of other people. Of course with everyone getting off the ferry the line for tickets was pretty long but it moved pretty quickly. The only WC is in the museum or on the ferry. Ask for a map which is pretty good and the signage is good also. We walked around both routes saw the museum and climbed to the highest point in a little over 2 hours and took the 1:30 ferry back. We got to see most of the main sites but we did not read all the signs as they were pretty lengthy. Since it was May it was not too hot but I would think in the summer it would be. There is a snack bar at the museum. This is a large site that requires a lot of walking on uneven paths that are not well maintained. I had also read a lot of the history of Delos before we went so we had no trouble without a guide. In May there were only three ferries a day to Delos (9,10&11) but I would think they add more in summer. Return ferries were at 12, 1:30,& 3:00. We enjoyed Delos very much. The ruins, scenery, and wildflowers were beautiful. After we returned to Mykonos we had lunch and wandered around the streets up to the windmills and back around past where you can get the bus to the beach. It was too late to go to the beach so we headed back to the ship.
Wed: Kusadasi We did not go to Ephesus last year so we planned to go this year. There were two groups going from our roll call but they were doing all day trips and we only wanted to go to Ephesus so we planned to get a taxi. As we were leaving the ship we overheard another couple talking about getting a taxi and we asked them if they wanted to share. As we left the port the first taxi wanted 100E to go to Ephesus. The second one we found wanted 50E. Since Meander Travel is just outside the port we went in to inquire about Ephesus. They told us it was 30E PP for the four of us which included a van, driver, guide and entrance. We thought that sounded good so we decided to go with Meander. I knew they had a good reputation on these boards. It took 15 minutes to get the driver and guide. Our guide was Zhara and she spoke good English and was very knowledgeable. She told us a lot about the area and history on the way there. When we arrived the entrance was very crowded and I was glad we werent in a taxi. Zhara took us to a vender where we could by cold water. Since Zhara already had our tickets we passed all the crowds to the entrance. We had a great tour and easily were able to ask questions. Zhara had a book with pictures of what the buildings may have looked like. We were unable to go into the terrace houses because you had to have Turkish Lira and since we hadnt requested that in advance Zhara was unprepared with the money. We were really glad to have the cold water as it was a bit hot. This was a great way to see Ephesus, just the four of us and our guide. When we got to the end there were restrooms but there was a long line. Zhara called our van driver and he picked us up. She wanted to take us to a craft market but we asked to go back to the ship as we planned to spend the afternoon at the bazaar. We went back to the ship and had lunch then spent the afternoon wandering around the bazaar.
Thurs : Rhodes is a beautiful walled city and it was nice to see a place from a different time in history. Everything looked very medieval and you could almost feel the knights presence even though the streets were lined with tourist shops. We first walked to the new town and all the way to the beach. The beach is small round pebbles with a lot of sun beds and umbrellas. It is a fairly long beach and the aquarium is at the point. Another beach continues on the other side but it was extremely windy there. We walked back to old town shopping along the way. We returned our purchases to the ship and set out to explore old town. Inside the walls reminded me a lot of the bazaar in Turkey. We saw the Grand Palace, Street of the Knights and Sulimans Mosque. We walked out the gate by the Grand Palace entrance and walked around the outside of the wall through the gardens to get a good view of the palace. We went back into the walled city and wandered back to the ship.
Fri: Santorini The ship arrived at 7 and had local port tenders going fairly quickly. We planned on renting a car so we headed out right away and made our way up the cable car early. There is not much of a line if you take one of the first tenders. We rented a car from Spiridakos again this year. It was 44 euros all inclusive. We toured most of the well known hot spots last year so we tried to do something different. We drove to Kamari so we could go to Ancient Thira. There is a very narrow road that has many switchbacks that takes you up to the parking area. It was early so we had no trouble finding a place to park. We then hiked the rest of the way to the site. I had read that there is not much too see but I was very surprised to see how extensive the ruins are. The walls of the buildings are not more than a few feet high but there are a lot of buildings. They also have pretty good signs explaining what is there. There is even a small amphitheater on the side of the mountain with a great view. As you walk around the site the views are incredible and I had to wonder how they got food and water up there. A lot of it is roped off so we didnt get to see all of it although there was a lot of ruins to see. As we hiked back to the car and drove back down we were surprised at how many people were walking up the road. That is quite a hike. There were also people hiking the hiking trail from Kamari on one side and Perissa on the other. We did notice a shuttle bus drop people off at the parking area. We walked along Black Beach a little but it was too built-up for our taste so we drove over to Vichada Beach. We had lunch there and spent a couple of hours on the beach.
On the way back we drove through Perissa which is another popular beach area. This area is more laid back than the Kamari area. There are plenty of beach beds and umbrellas but they are not as densely packed as Kamari. The beachfront restaurants in Kamari were also more upscale and nicely landscaped while in Perissa they looked more like what you would think a beach front restaurant should look like. We drove back to Fira stopping to take pictures on the way. We dropped off the car and headed to the donkey trail. Fira was very crowded so we didnt even stop to shop. We enjoyed the walk down the trail last year and feel it is part of the Santorini experience. It takes about half an hour and you do have to be careful of the donkeys. The sailaway from Santorini is beautiful so make sure you are out on deck.
Sat: This was a sea day so we rested most of the day. At about 7PM we sailed passed Mt. Etna and through the Messina Strait. The captain made an announcement but a lot of people were in the dining room so they missed it. At about 11PM we passed Stromboli and even though it was dark you could make it out and see lava shooting out of the top.
Sun: Naples We planned to catch the 9:10 ferry to Capri and got to the ticket window at 8:45 but the ferry was already full so we had to take the 9:30 ferry. After waiting on line to purchase tickets (34euros RT) the ferry was already loading so we found seats. This ferry was also full and needless to say Capri was crowded! The lines for the cable car and bus were long so we decided to walk up. It took about 25minutes but when we got to the square it was wall to wall people. I got a map from the info office but it was in Italian. We did find our way to the walk to the Faraglioni rocks. There were very few views on the way but the flowers were pretty. We then found the path to the Natural arch and walked there. We went back to town for lunch then tried to find Villa Jovis. We walked most of the way there but it was getting too close to our 3:25 ferry back so we headed back to the harbor. We were glad we had bought our return ticket because the ferry was again packed. Many of the tours were headed back at that time. The Island of Capri is beautiful but the crowds made it unpleasant. Im glad we went so I have seen it but I dont need to go back.
Mon: Rome The ship arrived in Civitavecchia at 4AM. We had a 8AM departure time. Getting off the ship was very easy. No immigration or customs just walk off get your luggage and walk out the door. The free port shuttles were waiting right at the exit and we were soon on our way out of the port. Our ship was really deep in the port so it took about ten minutes to get to the exit. There were taxis waiting where the shuttle dropped us off. There were quite a few people who were walking to the train station. You just walk out the port gate and continue along the water until you see the train station. There is a cross walk there so dont bother fighting traffic crossing earlier. We were able to catch the 8:59 train. There is an automated ticket machine at the first entrance so no need to go to the ticket window. We did have to go down the stairs and under the tracks and up again to reach our train. The train took about 1 hour and 15 minutes. Then we walked to our hotel. Since we stayed there last year we knew right where it was. We dropped off our bags and returned to Termini to purchase our Roma Pass. The IT is located right buy the baggage storage along track 24. We then hopped on the Metro and went to the Colosseum. Since there was a line we decided to do the Palatine Hill first. We bypassed the line and walked right in with our Roma Pass. We walked all around the area seeing the sites and visiting the museum. After lunch we went back to the Colosseum and there was no line to go through security and we bypassed the line for tickets. The Roma Pass counts the Colosseum, Palatine Hill and the Roman Forum as one site. We used Rick Steves audio tour for the Colosseum and it worked very well. After the Colosseum we returned to our hotel and checked in. We took a little pre-dinner rest then headed out to see Rome after dark. We took the Metro to the Spanish steps and walked to the Trevi Fountain. The Trevi Fountian was very crowded and we really couldnt get close enough to throw in a coin. We walked to the Victor Emmanuel Monument which really looked great all lit up. We continued along the road above the forum to the Colosseum. This was a really nice walk. At the Colosseum we took the Metro back to our hotel.
Tuesday: I wasnt able to get tickets for the Borghese Gallery so we needed to decide which other site to use our Roma Pass. We choose the National Museum of Rome because it was right down the block from our hotel. We had decided to go to the Vatican Museum at 1PM because we heard the line was shorter then. We very much enjoyed the National Museum. We had not been able to go to the museum in Naples and this proved to be a pretty good substitute. There were many frescos, mosaics and statues from Pompeii and all in excellent condition. This museum was uncrowded, had signs with excellent information, plenty of places to sit, and good clean restrooms. It is not a real large museum so we easily were able to see most of it. After the museum we had lunch, hopped on the metro and went to the Vatican. We were surprised to find no line at all and bought our tickets and walked right in. We spent two hours wandering around the different sections. We went to the Etruscan room and the Egypt room along with all the others. We ended it with Rick Steves Sistine Chapel audio tour. Really amazing. We took the exit to St. Peters and listened to RS tour in there also. Headed back to the metro and stopped at the Trevi fountain and had dinner. We were rather tired so we took the Metro back to our hotel. After packing we walked back to Termini to get our tickets for tomorrows train to the airport and get a gellato.
Wed: We had to catch the 6:52AM train to the airport so we were up early. We were too early for the hotel breakfast but they packed us something to go. The Leonardo Express takes about half hour to the airport. Since we were flying an American airline we had to go to terminal 5. We caught the shuttle outside the train exit. You have to wait on many lines so you need to get to the airport early! After checking in you go through immigration and then security. Then you have to take another shuttle back to the main terminal. We finally made it to our flight to Atlanta then home to Orlando.
This is a fantastic itinerary with a lot of port days. There are many different choices of what to see. We try to balance our site seeing between ruins, beaches, towns, churches, museums and renting cars. We also like to concentrate on just a few things a day and spend more time on the things that interest us.
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Influenza - The Flu
About Influenza
Influenza, also known as the flu, is a highly contagious infection of the breathing system (nose, throat and lungs) caused by influenza viruses.
Seasonal influenza is caused by viruses that already circulate among people. Most people have some immunity and a vaccine is available to help prevent the flu. In the United States, flu season usually starts in late fall and lasts throughout the winter, sometimes into early spring.
Avian influenza, also called bird flu, is caused by viruses that occur naturally among wild birds. Sometimes these viruses (such as one called H5N1) can be transmitted from birds to humans. There is no human immunity and no vaccine is available.
Pandemic influenza refers to an outbreak caused by a new flu virus (such as the 2009 H1N1 influenza virus) that spreads around the world. The disease can spread easily from person to person because people have little natural immunity when a new virus is identified. There is no vaccine ready to protect against pandemic influenza because the new virus strain must be identified before a vaccine can be produced, which can take up to six months.
How Influenza Spreads
The main way influenza viruses spread is from person to person when an infected person coughs, sneezes or talks. When someone with the flu coughs or sneezes, droplets containing the virus are sprayed into the air. Someone else can become infected if they breathe the infected droplets, or touch infected droplets on surfaces and then touch their own eyes, nose or mouth.
Common Symptoms of the Flu
Symptoms of the flu include:
- Fever
- Dry cough
- Sore throat
- Runny nose
- Headache
- Muscle aches
- Extreme weakness and tiredness.
In addition, children may have nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.
People develop symptoms one to four days after being infected. They may be contagious (that is, they can spread the virus to others) starting from the day before the first symptom develops until five days after symptoms develop. Children who are infected can spread the virus for more than a week. This is also true of adults who have weakened immune systems.
In general, the seasonal flu is worse than the common cold and symptoms are more intense. People with colds are more likely to have a runny or stuffy nose and typically do not develop serious health problems. Pandemic influenza is much more serious than seasonal influenza and is likely to cause many more deaths.
Complications Associated with Influenza
In some people, influenza can cause serious complications such as bacterial pneumonia, dehydration and heart failure. The people most at risk of complications for seasonal influenza are:
- Children younger than 2 years
- Adults 65 and older
- People with weakened immune systems and chronic illnesses such as asthma, congestive heart failure and diabetes
High risk groups may vary as more is learned about new influenza viruses and which populations are most affected.
Each year, more than 200,000 people in the United States are hospitalized from complications of the flu, and about 36,000 die as a result.


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Luke Bryan and Thompson Square are American country music artists. While Luke Bryan is largely a solo act, Thompson square is a duo, comprising of husband and wife. Bryan has released many top charting singles and four studio albums. He won the Academy of Country Music Award for Entertainer of the Year in 2013. Similarly, Thompson Square are an accomplished duo. Besides their two Grammy Award nominations,they were the recipients of the Academy of Country Music award for vocal duo of the year in 2012. They managed to win the same award the next year as well. As Luke Bryan and Thompson Square both take stage to play country music, do not miss the unique chance to catch them live. Get your Luke Bryan & Thompson Square tickets booked right away.
Thompson Square consists of husband Keifer Thompson and wife Shawna Thompson. Keifer and Shawna met for the first time at a singing competition held in Nashville, Tennessee. Before their relationship began, both of them were solo artists. However, as they got married, their personal life entwined with their professional life after they decided to continue singing as a duo. Their songs are a reflection of their musical career and relationship.
Their eponymous debut album, released in 2011gained popularity because of three hit singles. Their song "Are You Gonna Kiss Me Or Not" made it to the number one spot on the US country charts and was certified double platinum. "Kiss" another song in the album earned the duo their two Grammy Award nominations. Although their album "Thompson Square" shed light on their relationship, their second album "Just Feels Good" is a more intimate revelation of the beginnings of the duo.
The album "Just Feels Good" was released in 2013 and is a more personal and more accurate story of Keifer and Shawna's journey from Nashville. The song "If I Didn't Have You", from the same album, made it to the top ten in the US Country chart and was certified gold.
Luke Bryan on the other hand, also began his musical career from Nashville. He was born and raised in Georgia.Initially, he played for various local bands and clubs. In 2001, he moved to Nashville because of the far more developed music industry there. He signed with Capitol Records and co-wrote his debut single, with producer Jeff Stevens. The song titled "All My Friends Say" peaked at number five on Hot Country Songs.
Realizing the potential of Bryan, Capitol Records released Bryan's debut album which was titled,"I'll Stay Me". The song "Country Man" from the album ranked at number ten. The first album had set the stage for Bryan, with expectations mounting for his second album. He did not disappoint; he scored three straight number one singles. The album "Doin' My Thing" had the top ranking singles "Someone Else Calling You Baby","Do I" and "Rain Is A Good Thing."
Tailgates &Tanlines, his third studio album, was released in 2011. As expected, the album made an immediate impact. It grabbed the number one spot on the Top Country Albums chart and the number two spot on the Billboard 200. The song "Country Girl", from the album ranked number twenty two on the Billboard Hot 100. Apart from "Country Girl", three other songs from the album reached number one on the country charts.
"Crash My Party" is the fourth studio album by Luke Bryan. Released in 2013, the first single from the song was performed by Bryan at the 2013 Academy Country Music Awards. With his music maturing with every album and his playful and confident persona, Bryan has won fans from different parts of the world.
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PORTLAND, Ore. (TheStreet) -- Stan Kroenke sure knows how to ruin a Super Bowl party.
Just as the National Football League and its fans were heading into Super Bowl weekend and the last inane predictions were being made about the Denver Broncos' record-setting offense, the Seattle Seahawks' lack of Super Bowl experience and New Jersey Transit's ability to handle a mass-transportation Super Bowl, some strange rumblings were coming out of St. Louis and Los Angeles. As reported by no less than NFL.com, Rams owner Stan Kroenke purchased 60 acres in Inglewood, Calif., between the refurbished Forum and the soon-to-be-demolished Hollywood Park racetrack.
With his league's biggest night coming up, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell tried to assure fans that, no, this didn't mean the Rams were going to bring an NFL team back to Los Angeles for the first time since the Rams and Raiders left in 1994.
"Stan is a very large developer, on a global basis," Goodell said. "He has land throughout the country and throughout the world. He has kept us informed of it. We're aware of it. There are no plans, to my knowledge, of a stadium development. Anything that would require a stadium development would require multiple votes of the membership."
Rams fans and the city of St. Louis know better. Despite the fact the Rams haven't made the playoffs since 2004 and haven't won more games than they've lost since 2003, Kroenke and the rest of the Rams ownership is looking for $700 million in upgrades to the Edward Jones Dome -- including a roof with a sliding panel, a glass front, luxury boxes, party platforms, new scoreboards, improved concessions and extra offices. Ownership wants the city to make good on its lease's promise to improve the dome into a "first-tier" stadium by 2015, but St. Louis likely didn't foresee the $1 billion-plus stadiums in Dallas, New Jersey and Silicon Valley.
The St. Louis Convention & Visitors Commission balked at the Rams' proposal, saying they and the city "simply don't have the money" to make it happen. The subtext of that admission is that they know full well who has the money to fund such a thing.
Stan Kroenke's net worth was listed at $4 billion by Forbes last year. That's not counting the $6 billion stake in Wal-Mart (WMT) owned by Kroenke and his wife, Ann Walton Kroenke. He took a 40% stake in the Rams when they moved from L.A. in 1995 and bought the rest of the team in 2010 after majority owner Georgia Frontiere died. He also owns both the Denver Nuggets of the National Basketball Association and Colorado Avalance of the National Hockey League, but had to give control of both franchises to his son Josh to get the NFL's approval to take over the Rams. His majority stake in both of those teams goes away at the end of the 2014.


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Joe Gandelman: Is the Republican party now the party of peace?
Does "GOP" now stand for the "Grand Old Peace" party? You'd think so if you listen to many Republican conservative talkers, pundits, and nervous politicians holding their fingers up to the wind, then holding up a certain finger to the White House.
There has been a shift in the way the Republican Party traditionally conducts its foreign policy business. The question is whether it's substantive or greatly bloated due to a polarizing President with a "D" in front of his party affiliation in the White House.
President Barack Obama and Secretary of State John Kerry needed to expertly tweak international and American public opinion to build support for a limited strike on Syria to send a message about the illegal use of chemical weapons. Instead, Obama and Kerry looked like they were politically twerking -- with the same response from their international and domestic audiences as Miley Cyrus' got from the audience watching the Music Video Awards. Only this time Russian President Vladimir Putin is singing the tune.
Polls have shown support for the strike steadily plummeting. The most telling was a Gallup Poll that found support for military action in Syria low in contrast to past conflicts. But the poll's most shocking part was the partisan and ideological breakdown. Democrats favored it 45 to 43 percent and Republicans opposed it 58 to 31 percent. Liberals opposed it 51 to 37 percent -- while conservatives opposed it 59 to 33 percent
Conservatives oppose a military action more than liberals? Has you-know-what frozen over?
The Democrat/liberal numbers aren't surprising. Democratic liberals have often separated from their own party on war issues, even if it meant losing future elections, their agenda and even influence in the courts. Liberals bailed on LBJ and Hubert Humphrey, contributing to Richard Nixon's 1968 victory which gave him a chance to start transforming the judiciary, bureaucracy and policies. Some Democrats saw little difference in the parties in 2000 so they voted for Ralph Nader over Al Gore and, with help from the Supreme Court, helped elect George W. Bush President. P.S.: Bush didn't turn out to be the same as a Democrat.
Republicans had a strong isolation list strain in the early 20th century, but since the mid-50s they touted themselves as the party strong on national security and protecting America's world image. Some of today's Republican opposition is due to not wanting to spend the money and genuinely rejecting neocon type military operations. But rank partisanship also plays a role in the huge number of GOPers rejection of a military action that they would have likely backed if a President with an "R" affiliation was seeking it. Partisanship 101:
Alabama Sen. Jeff Sessions: "I do believe if President Bush had told Bashar Assad 'You don't use those chemical weapons or you're gonna be sorry, we're coming after you, and this'll be a consequence you will not want to bear,' I don't believe he would have used it."
Conservative columnist Charles Krauthammer told conservative talker Hew Hewett that he wasn't actually opposed to hitting Syria but wasn't supporting Obama's strategy , "The reason I'm for staying out is because this president doesn't know what he's doing."
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell -- who's re-election battle is against a Tea Party opponent on the right and a strong Democrat on the left -- leaked an advance copy of his Senate speech saying he'd vote no on Syria. It was a speech that insisted he was "no isolationalist," but basically declared Obama too incompetent to mount an operation that McConnell claimed was too weak anyway. He wanted it both ways. No one will ever confuse McConnell with the Senate's great former Republican leaders who focused on bigger things than their own political scalps.
So should the new Republican Party's slogan be "Give Peace a Chance?" No. Perhaps it should be: "Give the Consistency of Your Past Principles a Chance."


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I just pulled the offers, but I had trade offers out to 3 owners since Monday and apparently they still have not checked on their teams. And now it's Friday. Yeah, I know we had an outage at hoops.ws, but come on! I would think out of natural curiousity you'd want to check in and see how your team is doing, let alone checking for trades or guys on the waiver wire.
For me, that really sucks a bit of the fun out of doing a league if people just show up to draft, then you basically don't see or hear from them again.