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Philadelphia leads U.S. in HPV immunization
Across the country, immunization rates against the human papillomavirus lag well behind other vaccines recommended for adolescents, but Philadelphia has had some success "selling" the controversial vaccine to the moms and dads of preteens.
The Pulse airs Friday at 11 on WHYY-FM
The city has the highest HPV immunization rate among big cities in the United States.
Several years ago, Naja Fousheé worked as a recruiter for a University of Pennsylvania study designed to educate families about HPV and the newly approved-vaccine.
Fousheé says the parents of some 11- and 12-year-olds were uncomfortable talking about protecting their child against a sexually transmitted disease. And, she says, some doctors were hesitant too.
"It's not just the regular chicken pox, mumps, measles or rubella vaccine, it brings up the sex issue, which is still a little still taboo," Fousheé said. "I guess they don't want to cross that line of maybe this parent has not started this conversation with their child, and if I brought this up, that would open that box."
HPV can spread through sexual contact, not just intercourse. Vaccine supporters say the shots are recommended for middle-school kids to increase the chances that a child is protected before they become sexually active.
The vaccine roll-out became entangled in politics; still, public health people hate it when you call it "controversial."
"I believe this is a completely safe vaccine -- and effective," said Dr. Caroline Johnson, director of the Division of Disease Control at the Philadelphia Department of Health.
Stories about rare side effects fuel resistance
Originally, the vaccine was only for girls. About a year ago, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention added boys to the vaccine recommendation.
Anecdotal stories about side effects began to surface soon after the first vaccine, Gardasil, was approved six years ago.
"You know when you Google anything you always get the bad news," Johnson said. "And you never get the good news about all the cancers that will be prevented and the kids that won't have genital warts."
HPV usually clears without treatment, but chronic infection can lead to cervical cancer in women and other cancers in men.
Nationwide, only about 35 percent of adolescent girls have gotten the shots. But in Philadelphia, the completion rate for the three-dose series is now 49 percent, for girls age 13 to 17.
"The things that we've done aren't regulations, are not laws," Johnson said. "We haven't mandated this for entrance to school, we haven't mandated it for anybody to take."
Education and outreach pay off
"Our providers are very progressive in adopting new vaccines, they want to educate families, and I think that's contributed to our great success locally," she said. She said the trust between health providers and patients has helped ease some initial reservations.
For girls, Philadelphia's initial one-dose vaccine rate is higher than some locations where the vaccine is required for school entry, such as New York state, Washington, D.C., and Virginia (See chart).
The health department promotes and offers the vaccine in non-traditional settings, such as outside schools and at basketball tournaments. Officials market the vaccine directly to children through Facebook, and teenagers don't need a parent's permission to get the shots. The city also holds walk-in clinics.
Many teens know about HPV, but are wary about what they've heard about the vaccine, says Dr. Lenore Asbel, medical director of Philadelphia's STD clinic.
"Their friend's arm hurt or somebody passed out," she says. "We do a lot of vaccine in clinic and we are able to explain that those side effects are rare."
Keeping vaccine readily available
The HPV vaccine can cost more than $300 for the three-dose series; still, Johnson says, many Philadelphia doctors make sure the vaccine is in the fridge and ready to go.
"We actually give them the vaccine, and then bill the insurance companies on the back end," Johnson said.
The federal Vaccine for Children program finances those upfront costs for doctors who serve lots of children enrolled in Medicaid. For cities with a smaller percentage of low-income kids, Johnson says, it can be harder to persuade doctors to pay for and keep the vaccine in stock.
Financing may also explain a blip in HPV coverage rates in the Philadelphia. Lower-income kids are more likely to get the initial vaccine dose, compared with children who live in households above the poverty line.
Johnson calls it a "reverse disparity" but said she does not sense that low-income kids have been targeted for the vaccine. She called the difference an "accidental byproduct of the way that the vaccine is made available and how it's financed."
"I think in some communities, not so much in Philadelphia, the anti-vaccine movement, anti-vaccine sentiment, is more of a problem, in educated white populations," Johnson said. "That's really an issue on the West Coast, not an issue here."
Support provided by


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The man who died in a black Audi A3 that crashed near Barcombe on December 29 has been named.
Glyn Andrew Thomas, 38, of Town Littleworth, Cooksbridge, Lewes, died when his car left the road between Deadmantree Hill and Barcombe Cross and crashed into a tree at around 1.05am on Saturday.
A 43-year-old man, also from Cooksbridge, who was a passenger in the vehicle, received minor injuries.
Police are appealing for any witnesses to the collision to call 101 quoting Operation Arcadia or e-mail email@example.com.

subset: commoncrawl


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Cioppino dinner benefits military programs
January 24, 2013
The Gardnerville Knights of Columbus are selling tickets for their mid-winter fabulous feast featuring either a cioppino or prime rib dinner.
Tickets for the Feb. 16 feast are $30 per person and can be purchased at the St. Gall Catholic Church office, or after most weekend masses until Feb. 11.
"The proceeds from this fundraiser supports our men and women in the military, veterans, and related programs," organizers said in a press release. "Over $4000 was donated from last year's dinner proceeds."
The event begins at 5:30 p.m. in the Pastoral Center of the church with a no-host bar serving cocktails, wine, beer, and non-alcoholic beverages.
Dinner will be served at 6:30 p.m. starting with a basque salad. Cioppino, a seafood stew, includes shrimp, crab, clams, and white fish in a special Italian spiced tomato sauce, will be served with french bread. The prime rib dinner includes potatoes and vegetables. A sherbet dessert and coffee or tea completes either dinner selection.
For more information, call Julian Larrouy at 265-2366.


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DUDLEY police are hoping to drive out crooks who target vehicles' exhaust systems and leave motorists stranded.
Borough cops say between April and December 2013 a total of 71 catalytic converters, known as cats, have been reported as stolen.
Officers have launched a new initiative to trap cat criminals, who sell their ill-gotten gains for scrap, by coating converters with liquid which links them to specific vehicles.
The cats are coated with a liquid which contains a unique code which can be registered to the vehicle's owner.
Sergeant Corrina Griffiths, from Dudley police station has organised the initiative codenamed Operation Boscat.
She said: "The special fluid allows us to check converters that we find on our routine visits to scrap dealers against crime reports. With all of their customers having to produce photo ID, we can then trace the person who cashed it in."
"It's important that all motorists and businesses who own high-clearance vehicles, like 4x4s or vans, are aware of how best to protect themselves as these are easier for criminals to crawl under."
For more information on how to get vehicles marked, contact Sgt Griffiths on: firstname.lastname@example.com


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MeteoriteScience brain teasers require understanding of the physical or biological world and the laws that govern it.
Peter and his friends decided to prank the local astronomers group which was having a meeting that very night. Peter rang up the group and said, "I'm an astronomer, and I've just seen a meteorite flying through space!" They hung up, instantly knowing Peter was not telling the truth. How did they know?
AnswerA meteorite is a meteor that has landed on a planet. They knew any astronomer would know this!
What Next?
See another brain teaser just like this one...
Or, just get a random brain teaser
If you become a registered user you can vote on this brain teaser, keep track of
which ones you have seen, and even make your own.
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Took my 180g 1st run star mako for a spin this afternoon in very cold, but calm conditions.
Wow! I love this disc! It feels great in the hand (much better than my esp comets), and definitely flies like a longer putter. Very forgiving disc, even if you get the nose up. It has just a touch of fade at the very end, and likes to nestle up right next to the basket, whereas my z buzzz would fade harder and skip a little bit. I can see the mako becoming my main upshot disc, if the range is at all in question with my putter (challenger right now). I liked it on 200-250 ft. woodsy holes off the tee, especially when the finish is just a little bit to the right, or straight ahead. It will definitely stay in the bag, right alongside the z buzzz, q sentinel, and for now the esp comet, because that disc can hit limbs and still glide another 150+ feet.
If you haven't yet, give this puppy a fair shot!


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Lear 4X2 Corner Sofa , left corner group
New to Nabru? See how our customers have been rating our service...
By, Tracy
Fri Sep 15 2017
I recommend nabru to anyone. Good fast delivery . If your on a budget nabru is the place to save you some money. I purchased a large sofa bed it's comfortable good quality and I love it. Thanks ... more
By, Katharine Redshaw
Fri Sep 15 2017
Excellent value, ideal for difficult spaces, great assembly service. Sofa is in a rental property so cannot comment on comfort from personal experience, but looks great and no complaints from ... more
By, customer
Thu Sep 14 2017
Great quality comfy sofa with quick delivery. I recommend paying for the assembly service, corner sofa put together in about 30 minutes by the professional. Showroom had a great display of different ... more
By, G Dallas
Thu Sep 14 2017
Excellent service, good quality, great delivery driver and assembler. No qualms whatsoever recommending Thank more
By, Mr David Abbott
Thu Sep 14 2017
Ordered a two seater sofa bed to be delivered to Amsterdam for our sons apartment. Reason we selected Nabru was because of difficulty of getting furniture up stairs in old Amsterdam apartments and to ... more
By, ANNALIE
Thu Sep 14 2017
Really rate this company! Delivered in time for our move and really easy to assemble! You can't even tell it's and assembled sofa! Really comfy and nice material used on more
By, Stuart Eaton
Thu Sep 14 2017
Very prompt delivery, excellent assembly by the rep and most importantly impressed with my new sofa. I love the finish and the comfort, Nabru is clearly doing things more
By, Ms Kaur
Thu Sep 14 2017
This is the second sofa I have purchased from Nabru. As a landlord, I want something reasonably priced, hard-wearing and with the design, there is flexibility to add/change configuration or covers ... more
By, Gideon
Thu Sep 14 2017
Great product and excellent service. I emailed a couple of times with questions and had very quick responses, a missing part was with us the next day, and, most importantly we love the sofa, and it's ... more
By, Miss Miller
Thu Sep 14 2017
Delivery and assembly carried out in a timely friendly manner. So far so more


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Picture Books
Captain Flinn and the Pirate Dinosaurs by Giles Andreae (AR 3.6)
Dinosaurs Galore! by Giles Andreae (AR 3.5)
Dinosaur Days by Liza Baker (AR 2.9)
Hunting the Daddyosaurus by Teresa Bateman (AR 2.5)
I Dreamt I was a Dinosaur by Stella Blackstone (AR 1.4)
When Dinosaurs Came with Everything by Elise Broach (AR 2.5)
Patrick's Dinosaurs books by Carol Carrick (AR 2.7 - 3.3)
T. Rex at Swan Lake by Lisa Carrier (AR 3.9)
Little Grunt and the Big Egg: A Prehistoric Fairytale by Tomie De Paola (AR 2.9)
Dinosnores by Kelly S. DiPucchio (AR 2.8)
Dinosaurs After Dark by Jonathan Emmett (AR 3.3)
Here Comes T. Rex Cottontail by Lois G. Grambling (AR 2.6)
Can I Bring My Pterodactyl To School, Ms. Johnson? by Lois G. Grambling (AR 3.3)
Miss Smith Reads Again by Michael Garland (AR 4.2)
Rotten and Rascal: The Two Terrible Pterosaur Twins by Paul Geraghty (AR 2.5)
The Three Little Dinosaurs by Jim Harris (AR 3.9)
Drumheller Dinosaur Dance by Robert Heidbreder (AR 2.9)
Prehistoric Actual Size by Steve Jenkins (AR 6.1)
All Aboard the Dinotrain by Deb Lund (AR 2.2)
Dinosailors by Deb Lund (AR 2.4)
T is for Terrible by Peter McCarty (AR 1.4)
Dinosaurumpus by Tony Mitton (AR 2.0)
ABC T-Rex by Bernard Most (No AR)
If You Give a T-Rex a Bone by Tim Myers (No AR)
Dino Pets books by Lynn Plourde (AR 2.0 - 3.8)
Curious George's Dinosaur Discovery by H.A. Rey (AR 2.7)
Thesaurus Rex by Laya Steinberg (AR 1.8)
I am a Tyrannosaurus by Karen Wallace (AR 2.0)
Harry and the Dinosaurs books by Ian Whybrow (AR 2.3 - 2.6)
Edwina, the Dinosaur Who Didn't Know She was Extinct by Mo Willems (AR 2.5)
Dinos in the Snow by Karma Wilson (AR 1.4)
How Do Dinosaurs series by Jane Yolen (AR 1.6 - 2.4)
Early Readers
Dino Boulder Ball by Jonathan Emmett (AR 2.6)
Terry Takes Off by Jonathan Emmett (AR 3.1)
Grandad's Dinosaur by Brough Girling (AR 3.4)
Nate the Dinosaur by Christianne C. Jones (AR 1.7)
Eloise and the Dinosaurs by Lisa McClatchy (AR 1.4)
About Dinosaurs by Sindy McKay (No AR)
Magic School Bus Flies with the Dinosaurs by Martin Schwabacher (AR 2.1)
Fact Books


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Student rep info: name, email, ph #
Offered in partnership with
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A new session of each course opens each month, allowing you to enroll whenever your busy schedule permits!
How does it work? Once a session starts, two lessons will be released each week, for the six-week duration of your course. You will have access to all previously released lessons until the course ends.
Keep in mind that the interactive discussion area for each lesson automatically closes 2 weeks after each lesson is released, so you're encouraged to complete each lesson within two weeks of its release.
The Final Exam will be released on the same day as the last lesson. Once the Final Exam has been released, you will have 2 weeks plus 10 days to complete the Final and finish any remaining lessons in your course. No further extensions can be provided beyond these 10 days.
• Internet access
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• Adobe PDF plug-in (a free download obtained at Adobe.com .)
I especially like that you had photographs along with the content. The video clips were very helpful as a learning aid. The course was well organized and written in a style that was easy to understand. The course content was excellent. It was a convenient, interesting, and fun course. The case histories and examples from your practice gave an insight into a vet's world. Thanks for a great experience.
This course offered much more information than I expected. This is a great course for pet owners, breeders and for anybody who is working with animals. All the questions on the discussion board were answered quickly and professionally. Thank you Dr. Jeff!
The course definitely covered many topics. I liked how the instructor
explained everything very clearly. Sometimes textbook explanations are very
confusing. The pictures were great, to better explain certain topics. I
really gained a lot from this course. Dr. Grognet is a very good instructor.
I look forward to taking another course of his soon. I like his style of
This is the third class I have taken with Dr. Jeff and I have been extremely
pleased with all three. I plan to go on to be a vet tech and I feel they
have been a great asset in helping to prepare me for my career. He makes the
material interesting and the lessons enjoyable. I would definitely recommend
his classes to others.
Excellent course! The course material was very organized and contained so
much good information! Dr. Jeff also made it fun to learn with picture
matches, crossword puzzles, and short video clips. I took the course as a
pet owner (rather than a vet assistant employee) and found the information
invaluable. Dr. Jeff is an excellent instructor and I would definitely another one of his classes.
I strongly recommend this course to anyone seeking a career in this field! There is so much information that I have taken from this course that will help me better understand my position as an assistant!
This course has been a very helpful tool for gaining knowledge and learning important and valuable information. For the pet owner who wants to know more about their little or big four legged family member, or someone who is pursuing a career in the veterinary field, this course has it covered. I feel much more confident about being a knowledgeable and responsible pet owner. I'm also on my way to realizing my goal of one day working as an assistant. Thank you!
This was a fantastic course. I really enjoy the style of the instructor, Dr. Grognet. He has a great way of teaching, with a good balance of intensity and humor to lighten the depth of the topics. The content of the lessons was informative, well-paced, and the activities were fun to complete at the end of each chapter. My questions were answered almost immediately and thoroughly through the discussion group postings. I found the explanations to my questions helpful in my learnings as I continued to work through the course. Overall, I found this course and others I have taken with Dr. Grognet to be really interesting and helpful in my pursuit of a second career working with animals in a veterinary hospital setting. I recommend that others take these courses if they are interested, involved pet guardians or if they are pursuing a career in animal health. Thank you.
Jeff and his teaching assistant were wonderful, warm, personable, and responsive. Even though this course was online and provided no actual personal interaction, I always felt that they were there for me for support and when I had questions. I very much enjoyed this course. I love Jeff's assignments - the crossword puzzles and other interactive activities.
Dr. Grognet was clear, precise and whitty at the same time. It gave me an opportunity to learn in a way that was comfortable yet informative. I have learned so much from these classes that I am now confident about my working with animals! Thank you so much for giving me this opportunity!
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Topic: Does stomach get distended with cc
We've noticed that my dad's stomach appears to be distended. Does cc cause this?
He's gained all the weight he initially lost and is now back to his starting weight (about 40lbs since March 08). He eats really well and is hungry all the time. Mom thinks his stomach is like that because of stomach gases.
Does anyone have any info on this?


text: Elsie satin pumps Item C4102 Color: IVORY Size: All sizes are US sizes. 11 MEDIUM 12 MEDIUM Size Charts Quantity: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Prices do not include duties or taxes. Add to Bag Wishlist Add to Bag Add To Wishlist share: size & fit Narrow across toe; those with wider feet may want to size up. 3 1/2" heel. Product Details A wardrobe workhorse—and a collector's dream. The fact that they're made in Italy is just the icing on the cake. Viscose/silk (ivory). Leather lining and sole. Made in Italy. Online only. Item C4102.


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|Brand new items;Full manufacturer warranty available
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Why is the price hidden?We want to pass on our savings to our customers, so we've lowered the price of this item. However, since our price is now below the manufacturer's suggested retail price, we are restricted by the manufacturer from showing the price right away.
DEWALT offers a 30-day money back guarantee on all DEWALT accessories, except for pressure washer accessories. DEWALT accessories are fully guaranteed against defects in material and workmanship. The warranty does not cover misuse of product or normal wear and tear.
"This is the third time we have made a purchase with Tyler Tool and every time has been a good experience. Good products, good prices, fast shipping and good email communication are all a part of the Tyler Tool experiences. Buy with confidence." -Gene B.


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FY 2008 Adopted County Budget
Contact: Joseph Mondoro
Department of Management and Budget
April 30, 2007
Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Adopts Fiscal Year 2008 Budget
On April 30, 2007, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors adopted the fiscal year 2008 budget, which begins on July 1, 2007. Last Monday, the Board marked up the budget proposal. Today's action meant that they formally adopted last week's mark-up.
The budget approved by the Board provides for a balanced budget based on General Fund Revenue growth of 2.34 percent over the FY 2007 Revised Budget Plan and 2.34 percent over the FY 2007 Adopted Budget Plan. The Board also approved total General Fund Disbursements of $3.3 billion, an increase of $28.41 million or 0.86 percent over the FY 2007 Revised Budget Plan. Excluding adjustments in the current fiscal year, the actual increase over the FY 2007 level is $103.73 million or 3.23 percent over the FY 2007 Adopted Budget Plan. Approximately $66.97 million or 64.6 percent of this budget growth is associated with increased funding for Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS), while funding for new facilities and public safety account for approximately 11.2 percent of the increase.
The Board's funding decisions reflect their ongoing commitment to achieving their strategic priorities, which are as follows:
- Strong investment in education
- Public safety and gang prevention
- Affordable housing
- Environmental protection
- Transportation improvements
- Revenue diversification to reduce the burden on the homeowner
As part of the Board's targeted investments in public safety, the environment and diversifying the revenue base, the adopted FY 2008 Budget includes funding to address domestic violence; wildlife management, especially in light of the recent rise in Lyme disease cases; environmental initiatives; and a refocusing of revitalization efforts in the County.
Despite a small decrease in overall residential assessments, the Board of Supervisors maintained the real estate tax rate at $0.89 per $100 of assessed value. Fairfax County is one of only a few localities in Northern Virginia that has not raised its real estate property tax rate to make up for declining residential assessments. The reduction of $0.34 in the tax rate from $1.23 to $0.89 between FY 2002 and FY 2007, and maintained in FY 2008 reflects the ongoing commitment of the Board to alleviating the burden on the homeowner in the face of rising assessments during the last six years, while protecting the investment in the community and County services valued by residents. As a result, the typical household will pay $4,830, an average decrease of 0.33 percent or $16 annually less than the FY 2007 bill as a result of the decline in the average assessed value from $544,541 to $542,744.
Despite lower revenue growth than originally forecast, the Board maintained its commitment to funding a 3.5 percent increase in the transfer to Fairfax County Public Schools in addition to $8 million for the second phase of the Initiatives for Excellence. This results in a total increase to FCPS of 4.0 percent. Prioritizing education needs over other sectors of the budget required a 2 percent across-the-board reduction, or $16 million, in County agency compensation budgets and restricted spending in all other areas. In order to meet this lower targeted spending level, County agencies must hold vacant positions empty, thereby further stretching existing staff to perform more with less.
Information on the FY 2008 budget is available by calling the Department of Management and Budget at 703-324-2391, TTY 711, as well as on the County's Web site at www.fairfaxcounty.gov/dmb.
For more news and information, visit www.fairfaxcounty.gov/news.


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Posted 5 years ago
(127 items)
I purchased this scout hat at an auction.
It looks very old and has some artwork or stamped images on the underside of the brim. I wonder what the significance of the images are.
Baden Powell I detected oriental artwork as well.
Also called a slouch hat.


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Every: Friday @ 11:00 - 14:00
Help and support in learning how to rebuild a new PC from recycled components or repair specific faults. We can help you fix your home computer if you bring it to the space, or build one from scratch to take home, or learn more general skills. Please call or email to book as these sessions can be busy and we have limited space.
Check out some of the other Technical Projects


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Walking With Dinosaurs Tickets
In 1996, the premise of Walking with Dinosaurs was to give spectators a unique chance to witness dinosaurs during their fascinating reign on Earth over 200 million years ago. Evolved from the critically acclaimed Walking with Dinosaurs TV series, the show introduces the most terrifying and revered dinosaurs using state-of-the art animatronics technology and large scale stage production. Everything in sight has been advised from expert palaeontologists and informed by extensive research conducted in the world's most ancient places. A hit in over 200 cities all over the world, Walking with Dinosaurs' universal appeal is evident. Informative and awe inspiring, the dream of Walking with Dinosaurs is now a reality. Audiences can truly see one of the most immersive and realistic live shows of one of the most dominant species ever to exist.
Get your Walking With Dinosaurs tickets on viagogo, your online ticket marketplace. Choose an event to see the selection of tickets available or check the calendar view for all the available dates with tickets. You can also sell your spare tickets on viagogo, and listing tickets is free. All Walking With Dinosaurs tickets are covered by the viagogo Ticket Guarantee!
Sign Up for Walking With Dinosaurs Ticket Alerts
Sign up for the latest information on upcoming Walking With Dinosaurs events. Be the first to know when Walking With Dinosaurs tickets go on sale!


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Fun in the Sun with the Eton Soulra Solar-Powered iPod Speaker System
Ralph Graves is one of Crutchfield's blog editors, and part of the company's social media team. He writes about home audio/video gear, specializing in Apple-related and wireless technologies. Ralph holds a master's degree in music composition, and his works have been released on various labels. He's served as product manager for an independent classical and world music label, produced several recordings, and worked extensively in public broadcasting. Since 1984 he's hosted a weekly classical music program on WTJU, and is also active as a blogger and podcaster.
More from Ralph Graves
Heads up!Welcome to this article from the Crutchfield archives. Have fun reading it, but be aware that the information may be outdated and links may be broken.
This past weekend we tackled a big job — priming and painting our outbuilding. Fortunately, I had the Etón Soulra along for the assist. It was sunny and clear all weekend, and it seemed like a perfect time to try out Eton's new solar-powered iPod® speaker system (it was).
Sounds good to me
When I'm outside, I need a system that can produce a big sound, and the Soulra delivers. Its stereo full-range speakers don't produce audiophile sound, but they do provide the punch necessary for an outside setting. The system sounds pretty good at low volume (helpful when I used it indoors), with a fair amount of musical detail. And as I increased the volume, I heard virtually no distortion — a real plus outside.
Sturdy, portable design
I liked the overall feel of the Soulra. It's a system designed for outdoor use, and just about every feature serves that function. The aluminum frame had a solid feel without adding a lot of weight. The stripped-down profile doesn't have any small protrusions that might get broken off — even the carrying handle is integrated into the case.
A rubberized coating makes the system splash-proof, so we could have used it poolside (and with 90 degree temps, I would have rather have been there then up on a ladder with a paintbrush). All of the control buttons are sealed, so there's no chance of dirt or moisture getting into the casing.
I was also impressed with the construction of the iPod dock. A small, spring-loaded support held my player at just the right distance, preventing it from stressing the dock connection. A clear plastic cover fit snugly over the docking well, letting me see my iPod's display, but keeping it safe from the elements. The Soulra's solar panel, when not in use, closes over the docking well, offering a further layer of protection.
Catching some rays so the music can play
But it was the performance of the solar panel that I really wanted to check out that sunny weekend. Eton has a lot of experience incorporating solar power into their emergency radios. The Soulra shares the same basic idea as their Solarlink radios — use solar energy to power a portable outdoor system. And while the Soulra lived up to expectations, it helps to keep those expectations realistic.
The solar panel is amazingly efficient, and works in both clear and cloudy conditions. But it doesn't power the system directly. Rather, it sends juice the built-in recharageable battery that provides system power. It takes about ten hours for the batteries to fully charge through the solar panel (under ideal conditions), and that was where I made my mistake.
don't let this happen to you!
I brought the Soulra outside, popped in my iPod, turned up the volume to just under max, and began painting (after taking the picture at right). After about 15 minutes, the sound stopped. It turned out to be the result of a number of problems. First, I had taken the system outside with the batteries at one-quarter charge. While the solar panel did it's job, there wasn't a lot of reserve power to work with.
And I blew through that reserve power pretty quickly. Not only did I have the speakers at almost full volume (louder volume = greater power draw), but I had left my iPod's display was set for "always on." Most portable powered speaker systems will charge a docked iPod when connected to AC power, but not do so when running on batteies. The Soulra actually charges the player at all times. So my screen display was drawing power not from the iPod's battery, but from the Soulra's.
More power was going out than coming in, and the batteries were soon drained. As an experiment, I let the system alone to see what would happen. When the batteries collected enough charge to power the system, it would cut back on, but only for a moment. Then the batteries would start charging again.
Using the Soulra the right way
Connected to AC power, the batteries recharge in about four hours. I took the system inside, plugged it up, and tried it again the following day. I set my iPod for only 15-second screen display (although I still cranked the volume). This time the system worked as it should. The panel extended the operation time of the batteries, and we had musical accompaniment to our painting efforts well into the late afternoon.
The Soulra was a great little no-frills system. I can see this as a great item to take along on vacation — especially to the beach, or out on the lake, by the pool, or other places where moisture might be an issue. (The only moisture we had to worry about was sweat — did I mention it was 90 degrees?)


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William Shatner says J.J. Abrams is being a pig.
Well, don't beat around the bush, Bill. Tell us what you really think.
Shatner, the original Captain Kirk on television and in seven "Star Trek" films, doesn't think Abrams should be doing both the new "Star Trek" films, as well as the next "Star Wars" movies.
"No, he's being a pig," Shatner told the website Movie Fanatic. "He's collecting the two franchises and holding them close to his vest. He's probably the most talented director of that ilk that we have, but he's gone too far this time."
He probably said that like, "He's ... gone ... TOO ... far ... this ... time."
Granted, Abrams taking on both franchises -- arguably the two biggest sci-fi franchises in film history -- came as a surprise to many. He helmed the successfulo 2009 "Star Trek" reboot, and his "Star Trek Into Darkness" follow-up is set for a May 17 release. Abrams at first said he wouldn't direct "Star Wars," then changed his mind and took on the job.
Shatner and Abrams have clashed since Abrams took over the "Star Trek" franchise. There was speculation in 2008 that Shatner's Captain Kirk would appear in the rebooted "Star Trek," but the pair couldn't agree on how that would happen.
Abrams told AMC in 2008, "We actually had written a scene with him in it that was a flashback kind of thing, but the truth is, it didn't quite feel right. The bigger thing was that he was very vocal that he didn't want to do a cameo. We tried desperately to put him in the movie, but he was making it very clear that he wanted the movie to focus on him significantly, which, frankly, he deserves. The truth is, the story that we were telling required a certain adherence to the Trek canon and consistency of storytelling. It's funny -- a lot of the people who were proclaiming that he must be in this movie were the same people saying it must adhere to canon. Well, his character died on screen. Maybe a smarter group of filmmakers could have figured out how to resolve that."
In other words: Bill, you had your big death scene years ago. Get over it.
Shatner responded to Abrams in a YouTube video, claiming he was never asked to appear in "Star Trek." Which didn't seem to bug him later on.
"I think of him as a buddy of mine," Shatner said. "I've taken him out for sushi. I think it's time for J.J. and I to have another sushi and let me put him straight about two of the largest franchises," Shatner said to Movie Fanatic, before joking, "not employing me in either one of them is just foolhardy."
He may have a point there.
Contact Tony Hicks at firstname.lastname@example.com, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/BayAreaNewsGroup.TonyHicks, or on Twitter at twitter.com/insertfoot.


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Keep kids learning
Worried your kid forgets everything they've learnt when not at school? Here's how to keep their brain sharp. more
Download our BUMPWATCH Pregnancy Tracker. Everything there is to know week by week. FREE
Be kind to your post baby body. Don't get caught up in the pages of women's gossip magazines where Hollywood stars with too many nannies and personal trainers giggle with glee over the fact that they have said 'bye-bye' to their baby bump in record time. This is you - in real life - where getting your post-baby body back into a shape you're happy with can be a slow process.
Strenuous exercise is not something your post baby body can cope with. Use the first few weeks being kind to your body as it gets used to the changes it has been through as a result of childbirth whether it was natural or a caesarian, along with the changes it is still going through with breastfeeding, for example.
If you're a first-time mum you might be shocked by the sight of your post-birth belly. Rather than shrink away instantly to its pre-pregnancy tautness, you've probably been left with something that looks like a deflated balloon. Don't despair! Over the next few weeks, your uterus will contract and help to flatten your tummy. When you're ready, consistent post pregnancy exercises and healthy eating can get it back in shape.
Given that the strain of pregnancy has split your abdominal muscles down the middle, it's very important to give these muscles time to heal before you launch into any extreme workout routines. If you are unsure about your own healing or readiness for exercise, it's a good idea to talk to your doctor for advice. Remember that those pregnancy hormones have softened your ligaments and joints. For about three months after the birth of your baby, you should avoid high-impact exercises and over-stretching.
For some women, a few months is all it takes to get their post-baby figure looking just like it did pre-baby. For others, it can take much longer and for some women, the changes of pregnancy and motherhood leave a more permanent reminder. Whether or not your tummy is ever as tight again, the most important thing to do is make sure that you are fit and healthy. Your baby is relying on you!
This article was written by Claire Halliday for Kidspot - Australia's parenting resource for during your pregnancy


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October 25, 2005
Call it a Comeback
Best Rebound Seasons
With the recent publicity around the comeback players of the year, Ken Griffey Jr. and Jason Giambi, I thought it would be interesting to look at an objective way to pick these awards. So, I set up a basic structure for finding players who had established a notably high level of performance, then suffered a setback in performance and rebounded to be solid contributors again.
This bounceback comes in three steps: the first peak, the valley and the second peak. In order for a player to qualify for our 2005 Objective Rebound Award (or ORA, because we love acronyms and we're hoping that the winner has that special something about him), the second peak should come in 2005. For the initial run, we're only going to consider players whose first peak came in 2003 and valley came in 2004. Later, we'll open it up to look at larger windows, up to five years from peak to peak. Although the subjective Comeback Awards are given out by league, we'll make no such distinction here, to avoid having to split playing time across leagues.
Overall, the level of the rebound is measured by the distance dropped plus the distance gained back, or (Peak 1 VORP - Valley VORP) + (Peak 2 VORP - Valley VORP). Although this method would leave us open to having some rebounds that appeared large because of one large peak on either end, there are so many seasons in question that the highest rebounds end up having large peaks on each end. Once we start to limit the sample sizes down to three consecutive years ending in 2005, you get some interesting "rebounds." Although we could place limits on these, it would take arbitrary cut-offs, and since it's an inexact science and simply a toy at this point, we can eliminate these by sight as they come up.
Since the nature of pitching entails more fluctuation than hitting, the two are separated in these charts (also perhaps because cross comparison isn't necessarily helpful). In the data, I've included the year of each first peak, the valley and the second peak, in addition to the player's VORP total for that year. I also thought it might be interesting to see the player's age and playing time in the valley season (indicated by a *), to help indicate possible causes for the drop off, so I've included total IP or PA for pitchers and hitters, respectively.
Here is the data for three-year rebounds that covered 2003-2005:
Hitters NAME AGE* YEAR1 PEAK1 YEAR2 VALLEY PLAYING* YEAR3 PEAK2 REBOUND Jason Giambi 33 2003 63.487 2004 4.56 322 2005 58.338 112.705 Richie Sexson 29 2003 58.66 2004 7.297 104 2005 56.158 100.225 Morgan Ensberg 28 2003 43.207 2004 11.416 456 2005 61.516 81.89 Carlos Delgado 32 2003 83.279 2004 41.37 551 2005 71.63 72.169 Alex Rodriguez 28 2003 96.319 2004 62.323 698 2005 99.708 71.381 Derrek Lee 28 2003 51.61 2004 43.325 688 2005 105.896 70.856
The graph makes the trend is easily visible. All six of these guys have huge "V" shapes in their graphs for the period from 2003 to 2005, with the exception of Derrek Lee, who gets on here because his 2003 VORP is higher than his 2004 VORP, and his 2005 VORP is the best in the league and 22nd best since 1972 (this graph also shows six seasons better than his, Alex Rodriguez in 1996, 2000 and 2001, Giambi in 2000 and 2001 and Carlos Delgado in 2000). There aren't too many other interesting stories, as basically all of these hitters were good to great in 2003, suffered setbacks in 2004, and rebounded to different extents in 2005.
Pitchers NAME AGE* YEAR1 PEAK1 YEAR2 VALLEY PLAYING YEAR3 PEAK2 REBOUND Esteban Loaiza 32 2003 77.982 2004 2.763 183 2005 42.156 114.613 Hideo Nomo 35 2003 56.23 2004 -23.199 84 2005 -16.831 85.797 Shawn Chacon 26 2003 13.737 2004 -11.875 63.3 2005 37.382 74.87 Derek Lowe 31 2003 24.436 2004 -11.536 182.6 2005 25.27 72.779 Andy Pettitte 32 2003 31.816 2004 16.161 83 2005 72.478 71.972 Kevin Millwood 29 2003 37.552 2004 9.309 141 2005 52.296 71.229
Here we get some examples of pitchers having huge peaks on one side or another, either Hideo Nomo's free fall from 2003 to 2004, with enough of an increase in 2005 (-23 to -16. SWEET!) to make the list, or Andy Pettitte having a career year in his age-33 season, helping the Astros to the World Series. The true rebound, though, is Esteban Loaiza, who had to have the largest four consecutive years of change in VORP in history, hasn't he? Look at his graph, represented by the black line--what most of us figured as a fluke in 2003 was met with his worst year as a pro in 2004, and then this year he had his second-best season. Wait for it, and next year he's bound to bomb even worse, only to bounce back again. He's an odd bird, suffering from the mysterious "odd-numbered years" syndrome.
In a close race, it seems like Jason Giambi is a reasonable choice, and in this case would likely win both the 2005 ORA and its subjective counterpart. Loaiza is the winner based strictly on the data, and his rebound is certainly notable, so he could be our NL winner if we had such a thing. The problem with distinguishing between leagues is self-evident in Loaiza's case especially, since his 2003 and 2004 years were in the American League and his 2005 was in the National League. If the award is based on rebounds, wouldn't the whole rebound have to be in the same league?
Instead of requiring the 2005 ORA winner to have his rebound in the three-year period from 2003 to 2005, we could allow for more leeway, opening it up to a five-year span, while still requiring that the second peak come in 2005. This gives us a few more data points, but Giambi is still the leader, this time by an even greater margin:
Hitters NAME AGE YEAR1 PEAK1 YEAR2 VALLEY PLAYING YEAR3 PEAK2 REBOUND Jason Giambi 33 2001 114.173 2004 4.56 322 2005 58.338 163.391 Pat Burrell 26 2002 61.672 2003 0.123 599 2005 50.035 111.461 Tony Clark 30 2001 34.292 2002 -13.645 298 2005 44.694 106.277 Rich Aurilia 32 2001 87.387 2004 6.054 450 2005 26.123 101.403 Richie Sexson 29 2003 58.66 2004 7.297 104 2005 56.158 100.225 Jermaine Dye 29 2001 29.342 2003 -17.161 253 2005 35.697 99.362
Giambi gets the added benefit of falling from his 2001 peak--which is the tenth best season by a hitter since 1972--to his 2004 valley. Few get to such heights, and even fewer fall to such depths. Pat Burrell managed to be almost valueless (compared to replacement level) over almost 600 plate appearances in 2003, but was a good player in both 2002 and 2005. Tony Clark basically just managed to be good for a few years, then totally worthless in 2002, and useful again in 2005, having a career year in a very interesting role. Rich Aurilia makes the list because of his mammoth 2001 season, meaning that he didn't have a rebound as much as an incredible career year; he's the best data point so far to indicate the flaws of this selection process--he had one great year, and was otherwise a marginally good player. Richie Sexson's three-year rebound from the first chart gets him on this list; it is interesting to note that Sexson was on a pretty steady development path before 2004, when he tore his labrum and only accumulated 100 trips to the plate. He's basically back on track now for a leveling-off and decline phase that we might expect as he turns 31 next year. Jermaine Dye would have an even bigger "rebound" if he got more credit for his 2000 campaign, his best year as a pro. As it is, he had an obvious downturn in 2003, and his return to offensive usefulness in 2005 lands him here.
Pitchers NAME AGE YEAR1 PEAK1 YEAR2 VALLEY PLAYING YEAR3 PEAK2 REBOUND Derek Lowe 31 2002 81.004 2004 -11.536 182.667 2005 25.27 129.347 Esteban Loaiza 32 2003 77.982 2004 2.763 183 2005 42.156 114.613 Chris Carpenter 27 2001 33.167 2002 3.742 73.333 2005 68.519 94.202 Kyle Farnsworth 26 2001 26.938 2002 -19.126 46.667 2005 26.114 91.304 Hideo Nomo 35 2003 56.23 2004 -23.199 84 2005 -16.831 85.797 Roger Clemens 39 2001 54.308 2002 25.639 180 2005 80.626 83.656
All of these guys seem to have one story or another. As pitchers, they go through more variation, and it's easier to see the jumps in the last five years for all of these on this graph. Derek Lowe had an impressive 2002, we've discussed Loaiza, and Chris Carpenter survived injury problems and then absolultely tore apart the league this year. Kyle Farnsworth is an interesting data point because he's the first reliever to appear on the lists, perhaps implying that relievers tend to be more consistent than starters. Of course, since we're measuring based on the peaks, the starters accrue more innings, and therefore have more opportunity to accumulate gaudy VORP totals (as VORP is a cumulative statistic). 2003 was Farnsworth's worst season, as he struggled for the Cubs. They ended up turning to Rod Beck if that helps put it into context. He came back this year and was useful for both the Tigers and Braves, serving as one of the best arms out of a weak Atlanta pen. Hideo Nomo was in the first chart for pitchers, and makes this list because (A) his 2003 was actually good and (B) his fall was really that precipitous. Having Roger Clemens on the list is interesting, but it's mostly due to his recent resurgence after groin troubles hurt him in 1999 and he had another "bad" year in 2002, worth just 25 runs. His return to dominance and ascension to full fledged epic-status over the past couple of years has been well chronicled.
So how do the 2005 fan choices of Giambi and Griffey shake out? Pretty well, actually. We've already seen that Giambi was a fitting choice given his recent track record and his rebound year in 2005. Of course, Griffey had already established stardom before injuries hampered his performance for the first several years of his tenure in Cincinnati. Looking at the numbers, Griffey's best 5 year rebound starts in 2001 and ends in 2005, with his valley in 2002:
NAME AGE YEAR1 PEAK1 YEAR2 VALLEY PLAYING YEAR3 PEAK2 REBOUND Ken Griffey Jr. 32 2001 39.065 2002 9.407 232 2005 59.156 79.406Of course, 2001 was hardly the peak of Griffey's career, as the following graph shows. Basically, the wider the window gets, the further Griffey has fallen. Going back to 1997, arguably his best year at the plate, Griffey went through a steady decline. Luckily, he was able to turn this around starting in 2003, and has improved each season since 2002. This makes him a natural choice for the award--both objectively and subjectively.
It would be interesting to go back through history to find any stretch in which a player goes through consecutive years of decline which ends in a single valley season, and has any number of consecutive years of improvement afterwards. Identifying careers like Griffey's and eliminating Hideo Nomo-style "improvements" would clarify what it means to be a comeback player, and what voters think it means.
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Land Rover upgraded the engines, suspension, and interior of the Range Rover last year. It's now focused on special edition packages and options that can push the sticker price of a fully loaded model to $170,000, but even the lowliest Range Rover is among the most luxurious and exclusive SUVs in the world. Two 5.0-liter V-8 engines — one normally aspirated and one supercharged — provide plenty of power and consume fuel at the rate of 12 mpg in the city and 18 mpg on the highway. Range Rovers look distinguished and drive well, and the cabin ambience exudes an air of traditional British luxury. Outward visibility is excellent thanks to the abundance of large windows, a relative rarity in the modern automotive landscape. A new Autobiography Ultimate Edition model really pushes the price envelop by offering a teak floor in the cargo area, iPads for rear passengers, and customized interiors that can be crafted according to an individual buyer's wishes. Exclusivity comes standard, simply because not many people are able to afford a Range Rover. It strikes a great balance between the capability of an SUV and the luxury that's typically only found in the biggest and most expensive luxury sedans. If you can't choose between these very different segments, the Range Rover won't feel the least bit like a compromise.
Drive: 4-wheel
Trim levels: HSE, HSE LUX, Supercharged, Autobiography, Autobiography Ultimate Edition
Body style: SUV, 5-passenger
Engines: 5.0L V-8, 375 hp, 375 lb-ft
5.0L supercharged V-8, 510 hp, 461 lb-ft
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Passenger volume: N/A
Capacities: Towing 7716 lb; cargo (rear seats up/down) 35.2/74.2 cu ft
The Range Rover receives exterior updates, standard HD Radio, and standard iPod integration for 2012. A silver luxury package includes adaptive front lighting, a surround-view camera system, a wood and leather steering wheel, and black lacquer trim. The Autobiography Ultimate Edition includes Apple iPads as rear-seat entertainment, more luxurious leather and machined aluminum on the interior, and a teak cargo floor.
Stability and traction control; ABS; electronic brake assist; rear park-distance control; front, knee, pelvis, side, and side curtain air bags; and rain-sensing wipers are standard. A 360-degree camera system, active headlights, automatic-high-beam headlights, trailer-stability assist, and a blind-spot monitoring system are optional.
All: 12 mpg city/18 mpg highway
- The ultimate SUV
- Very exclusive
- Off-road ability
- Shares a lot with cheaper LR4
- Looks a lot like a Range Rover Sport
The ultimate luxury SUV.
- Audi Q7
- Infiniti QX56
- Lexus LX570
- Mercedes-Benz G-class


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FRIDAY night's Trowbridge & District League Spring Cup final between Lacock FC and Trowbridge Town Reserves has been postponed.
Heavy rain at Westbury United's Meadow Lane ground has left the pitch waterlogged, forcing the call-off of the showpiece of the EJ Shanley & Son-sponsored competition.
No new date has yet been arranged for the game.
The Trowbridge & District League's Knockout Cup final between Westbury United Reserves and Lacock KC at Melksham Town's Conigre ground is due to take place on Tuesday (April 29) at 7.30pm.
TROWBRIDGE & DISTRICT LEAGUE ROUNDUP, STATS AND PICTURES IN THURSDAY'S GAZETTE & HERALD AND FRIDAY'S WILTSHIRE TIMES AND FOLLOW US ON TWITTER @gazsport and @WTSport


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Informal Learning Blog
from Jay Cross and Internet Time Group
by Jay Cross on February 24, 2011
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The Johnny Appleseed of informal learning, Jay Cross is a change agent and author whose insights and stories will expand your perspective and enliven your meetings.
On complex projects, he works in concert with Internet Time Alliance.
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The Oakland Raiders' season is kaput.
Their indifferent 34-10 loss Sunday to the Bengals certainly proved that.
Mired in a three-game losing skid, the Raiders should have been motivated marching into Cincinnati. A win would have kept them on playoff life support, and starting quarterback Carson Palmer no doubt wanted to come up big against his former team.
But neither came close to happening.
The hometown Bengals jumped out to a huge lead early and dominated late. Palmer had one of his worst performances in silver and black, completing just 19 of 34 passes for a measly 146 yards with one touchdown and one interception.
The loss was the Raiders' fourth in a row by double digits -- opponents have outscored them by 90 points during that stretch.
Their record has free-fallen to an embarrassing 3-8.
Not exactly the start first-year head coach Dennis Allen wanted after taking over a team that was one win from the postseason a year ago.
The 40-year-old Allen came to Oakland after a lone season running the Denver Broncos defense.
So, of course the Raiders' defense has completely crumbled this year.
Oakland is abysmal in a range of important statistics: 24th in passing defense, 28th in rushing yards allowed, tied for 28th in interceptions (six on the year), tied for last in sacks with 13 and last in points allowed (32.4 per game).
The Raiders are minus-seven in turnover margin, and opponents are converting 43 percent of their third-down opportunities.
Conversely, the ineffective Oakland offense is only successful on 31.5 percent of third downs.
The passing attack has been decent. The Raiders rank eighth in yards per game in the air, and Palmer has thrown for more than 3,100 yards so far.
But the 32-year-old is only the 20th-rated passer, completing 60.4 percent of his throws with 18 touchdowns and 12 interceptions.
Part of the issue is that Palmer, third in the league in attempts, has to carry too much in the load.
The Raiders are 29th in the league in rushing, averaging 82.6 yards per game -- a mindboggling plunge for a team that ranked seventh in the NFL last year with almost 132 rushing yards per game.
Running back Darren McFadden, who's missed the past three games, only averaged 3.3 yards per carry and scored two touchdowns when healthy this season.
The only upside under Allen is the usually yellow-flag-loving Raiders are middle-of-the-road in penalties.
Sure, injuries played a role this year. It's hard to compete without guys like McFadden, Jacoby Ford and Richard Seymour. (Then again, Oakland never won consistently with those players on the field.)
If the Raiders continue to struggle in almost every facet of the game, Allen's tenure will be short-lived and go down as another in a string of poor hires. Oakland has had seven head coaches since 2002 - its last winning season.
Still, as awful as things are right now, the team has a chance to salvage something positive from this year.
Four of their remaining five games are against opponents with embarrassingly dreadful records. The stretch starts Sunday versus the lowly Cleveland Browns.
Although the Raiders have looked uninspired through many of the first 11 games, maybe the prospect of playing other struggling teams will motivate them to show some improvement.
Any chance at a postseason berth is gone; Oakland's season is all but done.
But that doesn't mean it has to be a complete loss.


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PED's and Home Runs, MLB Continues to be Intertwined
Intertwined seems to be a great description of what the relationship continues to be with MLB and PED's.
In 2013, some big names in MLB found themselves at the forefront of a PED scandal that was as big as the game had ever seen.
Alex Rodriguez, Ryan Braun and Nelson Cruz were all suspended by the league among others.
Now this year, a year removed from the scandal itself, one of those names that was suspended in 2014 now leads the league in home runs. That person being Nelson Cruz, currently with 21.
Now, I have always been one to defend PED's in sports especially in Major League Baseball because of the entertainment value it has provided in regards to more productions and added home runs.
However, I just find it ironic that now, a year after a suspension for PED's that Cruz still has the power and ability to continue hitting home runs and doing so at the best pace of his career.
I'm not questioning whether or not Cruz is still using some form of PED's, in fact I can confidently say I believe that Cruz is clean. But it just makes me wonder, how much of the "PED" use was about creating bigger numbers v. creating a body that heals faster.
Most people want to jump to the stance that ALL PED use is based on the premiss that it is about the production, while I've always contended its about staying on the field v. production.
Cruz has benefitted this season from health and again, I believe he is "clean". All that said, if Cruz can stay healthy, we could see a suspended PED user from a season ago, win the home run title a year later.
Incorporating all that information, it makes my original point absolutely clear as day, as much as MLB won't admit it, it still seems very clear that PED's and MLB still are intertwined.


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Even though India is the world's largest democracy, apparently you must still register any publication you intend on disseminating to the public. So that's what Pink Pages, the online LGBT magazine there, did when it wanted to launch a printed version of itself. Except the Registrar of Newspapers in India had other plans: No, you can't do it.
Permalink | Post a comment | Add to India, Media, Pink Pages, Udayan Dhar


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Instruments Baby Bodysuits are an Idakoos specialtiy! Idakoos has many things to offer. Whether you want to get a Instruments Baby Bodysuit for a special occasion, give a Instruments Infant Bodysuit as a present or need to represent with a funny Instruments Baby Romper during Holidays or Family and Friends get-togethers, Idakoos is sure to have the right Instruments Baby Bodysuit for you! Even if it turns out you can't find the right Instruments Baby Creeper with the perfect design for all those babies in your family and friends circle; Idakoos offers all of its children's Instruments Baby Bodysuits as Instruments Baby Bodysuits. Personalize any Instruments Baby Snapsuit the way you want to ensure the perfect gift.
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A Message from Sheriff Scott Israel
It only takes a minute. You look away, you may not hear the splash and your child is nowhere in sight. Drowning – the harsh reality of losing a child in as little as 20 seconds.
Sadly, in 2012, Broward County lost nine children under the age of four to drowning accidents, and since January 2013, there have been two more. The Broward Sheriff's Office is committed to educating parents and caregivers about taking precautions to help end these preventable tragedies.
Living in South Florida, we are surrounded by water. Although children may know how to swim, if left unsupervised, they can drown in less than two inches of water. When participating in outdoor water activities, I encourage you to follow these safety-conscious behaviors:
- Never leave a child alone around water - not even for a moment!
- Teach your child to swim as soon as he or she is able to crawl.
- Always designate an Official Water Watcher. Similar to a "designated driver," this person is solely responsible for keeping an eye on children in or around any body of water.
- Avoid distractions while watching children around a pool (i.e., texting, talking on the phone, barbecuing or sleeping).
- Utilize layers of protection including self-closing gates, locks on gates and doors and pool covers.
- All doors leading to any body of water should have an audible alarm to indicate when they are being opened.
- Keep lifesaving equipment nearby, including a cell phone, reach pole, and life preservers with a rope.
- Any time a child is missing, immediately search all bodies of water first. Do not scan; look thoroughly!
- Learn CPR.
As we enter the summer months, I encourage you to visit www.sheriff.org/drowning to fill out a Pool Safety Survey and assess the water safety precautions you have in place for your family. As a central part of the Drowning Prevention Task Force, the Broward Sheriff's Office Fire Rescue Division also provides community education and awareness seminars to public and private organizations, such as condo associations, schools and businesses to help you identify potential hazards. To schedule a seminar for your community or business, please call 954.831.8210.
While you are out enjoying a fun day in the water this summer, please remember to be responsible and practice safety. Make a commitment to safeguard our children from becoming victims of this entirely preventable tragedy.
As always, you can stay up-to-date on BSO news and information when you become a fan of our Facebook page (Broward Sheriff's Office – Official), follow us on Twitter@browardsheriff or sign up for our CyberVisor program.
Stay safe and enjoy your summer!
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In the middle of Winter, we could all use a laugh.
Click on the image above to view Little Red Riding Rabbit, a 1944 Bugs Bunny / Warner Bros. cartoon, which riffs on the classic tale of Little Red Riding Hood in an engaging manner, especially in its depiction of Red herself, who is presented as a teenage "bobby boxer" with, as Wikipedia notes, "an extremely loud and grating voice."
In this version of the story, Red is bringing a basket containing Bugs Bunny to her grandmother's house. Naturally, a wolf is tailing Red, and hotfoots it to Grandma's house, using a shortcut. Grandma is conveniently out of the house, working the night shift at a defense plant, so the wolf jumps into her bed in disguise. When Red arrives and delivers the basket, the wolf unceremoniously kicks Red out the door, and tries to catch Bugs, but the rabbit continually eludes the wolf for the rest of the cartoon.
But Red refuses to give up on her role in the cartoon, and repeatedly barges back into the house to declaim, in somewhat dimwitted fashion, her dialogue from the original story, screeching "Uh, HEY GRANDMA! WHAT BIG TEETH YA GOT!" and "Uh, HEY GRANDMA! THAT'S AN AWFULLY BIG NOSE FOR YOU — TO HAVE!," as both Bugs and the Wolf grow more and more annoyed. I'll leave it to you to enjoy the surprise ending of the cartoon, just one of the many classic Merrie Melodies churned out by Warner Bros. during the height of the studio era.
Red is voiced by Bea Benaderet, by the way; the wolf by the gruff-voiced Billy Bletcher, while Bugs is handled by the multi-talented Mel Blanc, who gets a voice credit here for the first time in the series. Isadore "Friz" Freleng directed from a script by Michael Maltese; animation was handled by Manuel Perez, Gerry Chiniquy, Virgil Ross and Richard Bickenbach. They don't make them like this anymore; pop culture with a distinct World War II flavor. Enjoy.
Tags: Bea Benaderet, Friz Freling, Little Red Riding Rabbit, Mel Blanc, Michael Maltese, Warner Bros. Cartoons


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Hexagonal is the ultimate and professional way for you to present your portfolio or the very best starting point for your own corporate website. If you are searching something different and out of the line, please check out Hexagonal – Clean Multipurpose Responsive Website.
Hexagonal is a fully configurable and easy to use HTML website template with a lot of great features. It has been specifically designed to be easily customized and it's created by using the latest HTML5 and CSS3 techniques. With a responsive design it is easily usable with any device!
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Seattle Theatre Group Presents SHEAR MADNESS, 5/31
The Seattle Theatre Group recently announced that SHEAR MADNESS, a play by Paul Pörtner, as adapted by Bruce Jordan and Marilyn Abrams, is hitting the road! Set in a unisex hairstyling salon that is the scene of a wacky murder, SHEAR MADNESS is America's hilarious whodunit where the audience gets to solve the crime.
The longest running play in American theatre history will cut loose in Seattle, WA at the Moore Theatre for a limited engagement May 31-June 7, 2012. Tickets for the Seattle engagement are on sale now and can be purchased at stgpresents.org, by phone at (877) 784-4849, and at the Paramount Theatre Box Office.
The cast of the Seattle engagement is as follows: Michael Baldwin stars as the eccentric salon owner, Tony Whitcomb. Mary Ann Conk portrays the role of wacky hairstylist Barbara DeMarco and Patrick Noonan leads the detective team as Nick Rossetti. Timothy Goodwin stars as Mikey Thomas, Nick's awkward sidekick. Rounding out the cast are salon customers Lisa McMillan as the wealthy Mrs. Shubert and Joe Ditmyer as Eddie Lawrence.
Filled with up-to-the-minute spontaneous humor referencing current events, popular culture, and local news, SHEAR MADNESS has played tens of thousands of performances and drawn over 9.6 million audience members worldwide into its uproarious mystery.
SHEAR MADNESS has also received the Raven Award from the Mystery Writers of America and has been inducted into the Comedy Hall of Fame, the first play ever to receive that accolade. SHEAR MADNESS is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the longest running play in the history of the United States.


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Posted 5 years ago
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Old porce or plater of sorts Blatz been sign measuring 43" by 24".
Given to my wife by her great grandfather. Copyright date etched on the bottom right hand side is 1923 or 1933. Has anyone seen anything like this and maybe the value. Thanks


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After impressing Rangers, Profar excited for Classic
SURPRISE, Ariz. -- Infielder Jurickson Profar has proven to the Rangers that he is ready for the Major Leagues. They don't need to see anything more, so Profar will join the Kingdom of the Netherlands team for the championship round of the World Baseball Classic.
"It should be quite an experience for him playing in that spotlight and a high level of baseball," manager Ron Washington said. "He's already shown us he can play. It's quite an opportunity for him."
Profar has not yet made the Opening Day roster, because the Rangers are still reluctant to bring him to the big leagues in a limited utility role. He would make the team if Washington can find him 300 at-bats, but that may be difficult behind All-Star shortstop Elvis Andrus and second baseman Ian Kinsler.
"Jurickson Profar hasn't made this team, so I'm not speculating on it," Washington said. "Our decision will be based on what's best for him and the organization. We haven't come to any conclusions."
Profar, who is from Curacao but has family living in Holland, initially declined to play for the Netherlands because he wanted to stay in camp and impress the Rangers. Having more than done that, he will replace infielder Yurendell de Caster, who was taken off the Dutch roster with a foot injury. Profar has been told he will play second base for a team that has been one of the two biggest surprises in the tournament.
"It's going to be fun," Profar said. "I'm going to play on the big stage. I'm excited and looking forward to it."
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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Classic Metal Roofing Introduces New Slate Rock Metal Roofing System
April 20, 2014 | Filed under: Miscellanous Articles
Classic Metal Roofing Systems is pleased to introduce its new Slate Rock metal roofing system. Designed for homeowners who want the classic high-end beauty of slate roofing, Slate Rock utilizes the latest in metal roofing coatings for unsurpassed beauty. Slate Rock is a system of interlocking aluminum panels with concealed fasteners. Permanently rust-free and wind-resistant,… ( read more )


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W. Kamau Bell, Nikki Glaser, Carrie Keagan and More Set for UNCIVIL UNION Benefit Tonight
Leading lights from indie comedy and music's cutting edge, including W. Kamau Bell, Nikki Glaser, Jillette Johnson, Eliot Glazer, Mates of State, Wakey!Wakey! and more will headline UNCIVIL UNION, an all-star PRIDE Pride Week concert hosted by Carrie Keagan tongiht, June 25th benefitting The Ally Coalition, Broadway Impact, and New Alternatives for Homeless Youth.
Founded by members of the Grammy Award-winning band FUN. and designer Rachel Antonoff, The Ally Coalition works with members of the music, fashion and entertainment worlds to raise awareness of LGBTQ equality and funding for local LGBTQ groups across the country.
"UNCIVIL UNION combines two of our favorite entertainments - music and comedy - to celebrate equality," said The Ally Coalition co-founders Rachel Antonoff, Nate Ruess, Jack Antonoff and Andrew Dost. "Even better is that we can support terrific local organizations tirelessly working for equal rights."
In keeping with its mission, funds raised through UNCIVIL UNION will benefit New Alternatives For LGBT Homeless Youth, which helps homeless LGBT youth become self-sufficient and transition into stable adult lives, and Broadway Impact, a grassroots organization of theater artists and fans mobilized in support of marriage equality.
Emceed by No Good TV's Carrie Keagan, who previously hosted VH1's Big Morning Buzz Live, headliners include Bell (FX's Totally Biased with W. Kamau Bell), Glaser (MTV's Nikki & Sara Live), indie-pop duo Mates of State, and Wakey!Wakey!, featuring lead singer Michael Grubbs (One Tree Hill).
Special highlights will include appearances by writer and comedian Eliot Glazer, creator of the hit web series It Gets Betterish and the viral videoShit New Yorkers Say, and Jillette Johnson, who will perform "Cameron," her moving ballad about a transgender friend.
More talent will be announced in the coming weeks.
"We are thrilled to be working along side these amazing organizations to bring UNCIVIL UNION to NYC PRIDE, a week of celebration and renewed commitment to the cause," said Gavin Creel, Rory O'Malley and Jenny Kanelos, the co-founders of Broadway Impact. "It promises to be an incredible night of music, comedy and equality."
"New Alternatives is excited to partner with the Ally Coalition on this event which will help support LGBT homeless youth in New York City," said Kate Barnhart, Executive Director of New Alternatives for LGBT Youth. "While we are busy celebrating Pride, it's easy to forget that for some LGBT youth, coming out can have dire consequences, including family rejection and homelessness. It is our responsibility as LGBT adults to take responsibility for making sure that these youth are able to ?nd safety and community."
Additional support for UNCIVIL UNION is provided by comedy network Above Average: "We're a comedy network. We've been creating videos to make you laugh since 2012. Proud members of the Broadway Video family, the people who bring you Saturday Night Live, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Late Night with Seth Meyers, Portlandia, and more."
WHAT: UNCIVIL UNION: a benefit concert for THE ALLY COALITION, New Alternatives, & Broadway Impact
WHERE: Le Poisson Rouge - 158 Bleecker St, New York, NY 10012
WHEN: Wednesday, June 25th
TIME: 8:00pm
TICKETS: $35 (General Admission); $98 (VIP*)
* The $98 VIP ticket price reflects 1998, the year Matthew Shepard was killed. Jason Collins, the first openly gay athlete in professional sports, has worn #98 as a tribute. A Brooklyn Nets jersey signed by Jason Collins will be auctioned at the benefit.
About The Ally Coalition: The band FUN. and designer Rachel Antonoff have joined forces to create The Ally Coalition (TAC) with the purpose of inspiring people, in particular their peers in the music, fashion and entertainment industry, to take action for LGBTQ equality. TAC believes that it is the responsibility of allies to support LGBTQ causes and fight against discrimination through education, awareness and advocacy.


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First Listen: Mr. Scruff "Render Me" (Andrés Remix) & Roundhouse Set Times
Hot on the heels of his fourth studio album Friendly Bacteria, Ninja Tune unveils a trio of Render Me reworks featuring Detroit's funky technician Dez Andrés (Slum Village / Mahogani Music / La Vida); Royalty & AD Bourke; and Mr. Scruff himself. - order your copy from the Ninjashop, iTunes & Amazon.
On the flip, Royalty (Five Easy Pieces) team up with Italian cosmic funk freak AD Bourke for a summery boogie-tinged workout and Scruff delivers a beefed-up, drum-heavy re-tweak expressly made for the dancefloor.
Mr. Scruff takes over the Roundhouse in London this Saturday 31st May for an all-day session with a host of friends and family including Portico Quartet, Fatima & the Eglo Live Band, Alex Nut, Werkha, Matthew Halsall Trio and Denis Jones. There will also be real ale, cheese and NTS Radio. Friendly Bacteria is out now on 2LP, CD & digitally - Ninjashop / iTunes / Amazon.
Tickets are available here and if you haven't got your hands on the record yet, the Golden Ticket bundle edition comes with an all-dayer ticket, transparent vinyl edition of the album, signed and numbered Mr. Scruff print and a handful of stickers.
Main Space
Mr. Scruff DJ set (8.30pm – 11.30pm)
Portico Quartet live (7.30pm – 8.30pm)
Alexander Nut DJ (6.30pm – 7.30pm)
Fatima and the Eglo Live Band (5.30pm – 6.30pm)
Special guest DJ (4pm – 5.30pm)
Studio Theatre – DJ Kelvin Brown
Werkha live (6.30pm – 7.30pm)
DJ (5.30pm – 6.30pm)
Denis Jones (live) (4.45pm – 5.30pm)
DJ (3.45pm – 4.45pm)
Matthew Halsall Trio live (3pm – 3.45pm)
DJ (2pm – 3pm)
Torquil's Bar & Terrace – hosted by NTS DJs:
Trevor Jackson (8.30pm – 10.30pm)
Cherrystones (6.30pm – 8.30pm)
Jazzman Gerald (4.30pm – 6.30pm)
Charlie Bones (2pm – 4.30pm)
After party – Studio Theatre
11.30pm-2.30am with Alexander Nut, Mr. Scruff & friends


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I have a lot of friends in the movie and theater industry. I'm always amazed how their unions protect them. Musicians have basically been hung out to try. We have been experimented on by technology companies. Yes ok I love tech and that I can listen to any song I want anytime, anywhere. I love how I can be my own distribution and promotion company. Still there are some who take advantage of us and the streaming services are guilty of that. This week Pink Floyd wrote an opinion piece for USA Today I think you should read (link).
"Internet radio companies are trying to trick artists into supporting their own pay cut…. Sounds good. Who wouldn't want to be "part of a conversation"? Who doesn't support Internet radio? What scrooge would refuse to sign such a positive, pro-music statement? Of course, this letter doesn't say anything about an 85% artist pay cut." – Pink Floyd
For more info: usatoday.com/pink-floyd-royalties-pandora-column