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Lasting connections and fruitful relationships - both business and personal - usually start with an introduction through a trusted friend or colleague. Since 1996, more than 200,000 energy industry professionals have grown to rely on Energy Central to provide the guidance they seek and the forums where they can connect. It's true that we offer the largest network of media venues, online forums and research and employment resources in the industry. Additionally, the strong sense of community we have established with our audience members is what sets us apart and enables vendor partners like you to join the conversation, form lasting relationships and achieve your goals.
If you're searching for your target audience, chances are they are dispersed across a variety of mediums and vehicles. Energy Central's breadth of offerings across many media, venues, topics and disciplines gives you the flexibility to create a program that reaches your target audience wherever, whenever and however they cluster.
In addition, we can deliver the intelligence and insights you require to make better decisions and spur growth. And we can always develop tailor-made offerings or launch special initiatives if your objectives require it.
Contact us today to discuss your campaign goals at 1-800-459-2233 or send an e-mail to firstname.lastname@example.com.


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Separate names with a comma.
Discussion in '2007 - 2014 Shelby GT500 Tech' started by Cary Ford, May 6, 2007.
Has anyone actually paid more than 60K for a Shelby?
i dont think anybody would admit to it if they did ha.
They will all say that they got it for sticker or less>> haha the ford dealers suck
Evidently there are still enough people who are willing to pay 60K or more for a GT500 because the dealerships haven't started dropping the prices much yet even though there is plenty of inventory out there. Take a look at completed auctions on eBay and you'll quickly realize there are less-and-less being sold at these ridiculously inflated prices though. I sure wish all the "Jones" would hurry up and get their fix so the rest of us average folks can't pick up a GT500 for something closer to MSRP.
I was in Simi Valley Ford this AM and they have their sole Shelby GT500 on the showroom floor with a ridiculous $25,000.00 Dealer Markup above sticker MSRP !!!
that's $70,000.00 (plus fees)
I love watching all these auctions on ebay not make reserve. It's the begining of the end of the ridiculus markups. Give it a few months.
Yes! I'm hoping this is the case too. What would be really cool though was if those dealers who went out and bought up all the inventory in an effort to make a quick buck get stuck with these cars and end up taking it in the ass as a loss....Justice served.
went to pick up my car from service and the dealer had a gt500. Wants 65K for it. The internet sales guy said, he has a list of people that will pay 58-60K for the car, so he will sell those other GT500's in his warehouse when the time comes. But for right now, he isn't letting them go for less than 65K. This was yesterday.
Wonder how much money he's losing each month while one of those cars sit there unsold?
We put down a deposit on a GT500 for $10,000 over MSRP ... another dealer in the area wanted at least $25,000 over MSRP .... now, we'll just have to wait and see if the car actually materializes!
anyone looking for anew GT500 for 10k over, pm me.
My Dad just got his, he paid 5K over sticker!!! It is a long story, but he won it throught an online auction through a local Ford dealer. It took 6 months to get, but it was worth it....May 23rd was the big day!!!
Here are some shots, some are at work, the others are at my house with my rides too...
Got mine yesterday!
Well I finally got mine! Dealer wanted 20K over but I have bought cars from him in the past so I guilted him in to only 10K over. My wife's mildly pissed ("I've never even paid sticker for a car"), but I jumped ahead of 4 guys on the list.
You can get GT500's for 5k over sticker pretty easily now. In fact I was offered one for 5K over just last week. Shouldn't be long before we see MSRP!
If you are willing to wait, and just order a GT500 through a dealership can you expect to pay MSRP? Or will they still add a dealer markup to it?
All of the dealers I've spoke with want 5K or more for the '08's too! Give it time, the prices will come down.
Thats getting into ZO6 territory, I love the Stangs but damn..............
I agree! I've been calling around, a lot of dealers have them listed for 10k over, but if you tell them you'll give them 5k over they'll say ok!
8000 more GT 500's to be made, over 500 07's still sitting on lots, do the math!
I was at a dealer in San Jose today with 4 GT500s. Every one had a $34,995 mark up. Over $80K for a Mustang. Was told that they paid $17K over MSRP to get one from another dealer. One they did get at invoice I could have for 10K over!!! Ki$$ my a$$. I know I can get an 08 Vette for $1K over invoice. Would do an 08 Shelby at $1K under MSRP otherwise I'm getting the Vette.

subset: commoncrawl


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Posted 5 years ago
(15 items)
Just thought I'd post some more of my flat figural openers.
Pic.#1, (JFO-A-1), bathing girl, or mermaid, found clothed or nude. Marked, C.T.&O. Co, [Crown, Throat & Opener Co.], which later became Vaughan Novelty, Chicago. Patent # 46,762, issued to Harry L. Vaughan, December, 8th,1914. In 1922 you could by 250 (blank, to be stamped with your add), for $6.50. This one is stamped on the back; Manhatten Bottling Works, Milwaukee, Wis, bottlers of Schlitz Beer. Now worth between $10 and $35 each.
Pic.#2, (JFO-A-29), bottle (with stage handle corkscrew that forms the opener), designed by John L. Sommer, patent # 42,305, March 12th, 1912. This one is stamped for Pabst Blue Ribbon. It's worth between $5 and $35.
Pic.#3, (JFO-A-21), Hand spinner, made by Brown & Bigelow Co, St.Paul, Minn. This one is stamped Blatz Old Heidelberg. I do not know the patent # or date, but it's around 1915 to 1920. Valued between $5 and $25.
Pic#4, (JFO-A-45), Pixie. This one is blank, and only three beer companies are know to have used it; Centennial Brewery, City Club Beer, and Griesedieck Brothers Brewery. I don't know of the maker or patent information for it. Value is between $75 and $100, if stamped.
Hope you enjoy them,


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In a 79-70 vote, the United Nations voted last week to remove LGBT people from a list of protected groups that have historically been targeted for genocide. Seventeen countries abstained and 26 countries were not present.
For the past 10 years, sexual orientation was included on the list of protected groups, which also includes members of ethnic, religious, and linguistic minorities.
The motion to eliminate sexual orientation from the list was introduced by Benin, a small country in West Africa.
Most of the votes to remove sexual orientation from the list came from African and Muslim countries. However, enough votes came from the Western Hemisphere to pass the resolution. Some of the countries that voted in favor of the resolution are popular LGBT travel destinations.
The Bahamas, Jamaica and St. Lucia voted that it is OK to kill the LGBT community. While Jamaica has a poor record on LGBT rights, the Bahamas does not and their prime minister has said that homosexuality is not illegal and welcomed LGBT tourists.
Belize is a popular Central American tourist destination that also voted to kill gays.
After the earthquake, the LGBT community in Dallas organized the largest relief fundraising event in North Texas for Haiti. That country said thank you to the Dallas LGBT community by voting with the majority to kill gays.
South Africa was the first country in the world to include equality based on sexual orientation into its constitution. Same-sex marriage is legal in South Africa. That country voted for killing gay people.
Caribbean countries that are popular travel destinations and abstained were Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago. Other popular gay travel destinations that abstained were Fiji and Thailand.
The United States condemned the motion and voted against it.


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Administration of Growth Hormone to Increase CD4+ Count in Patients Taking Anti-HIV Drugs
- Full Text View
- Tabular View
- No Study Results Posted
- Disclaimer
- How to Read a Study Record
|HIV Infections
|Drug: somatropin Biological: Hepatitis A virus, inactivated Drug: Keyhole-Limpet Hemocyanin
|Study Type:
|Study Design:
|Allocation: Randomized
Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: None (Open Label)
Primary Purpose: Treatment
|Official Title:
|Improving Immune Reconstitution With Growth Hormone in HIV-infected Subjects With Incomplete CD4+ Lymphocyte Restoration on Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy (HAART)
|Estimated Enrollment:
|Study Completion Date:
|March 2005
After initiation of HAART, many HIV infected patients have significant improvement in CD4+ levels. However, some patients continue to have low CD4+ counts (< 350 cells/mm3) despite adequate viral suppression. The purpose of this study is to determine whether administration of GH will increase naïve CD4+ production. Further, the study will assess whether an increase in naïve CD4+ production will lead to increases in antigen-specific CD4+ and CD8+ T cells.
Patients enrolled in this study will be randomized to one of two groups. Patients in both groups will continue their present HAART regimen for the duration of the study. Group A patients will receive daily subcutaneous injections of GH for 48 weeks. Group B participants will receive no additional therapy for 24 weeks, and will then receive daily subcutaneous GH injections during Weeks 24-28 of the study. Both groups will receive immunocyanin (keyhole-limpet hemocyanin) injections at Weeks 16 and 20 and hepatitis A vaccination at Weeks 40 and 44. At the conclusion of Week 48, all patients will discontinue GH therapy while maintaining their HAART regimen. Patients will then be followed for an additional 24 weeks.
Patients may be asked to participate in a substudy to measure the size of the thymus in people taking GH. Patients in the substudy will have a noncontrast CT scan of the chest before beginning GH therapy and again after 24 weeks of GH therapy.
|Ages Eligible for Study:
|18 Years and older (Adult, Senior)
|Sexes Eligible for Study:
|Accepts Healthy Volunteers:
Inclusion Criteria
- HIV positive
- Minimum of 1 year of treatment with HAART
- CD4+ cell count <350 cells/mm3
- HIV-1 RNA <400 copies/ml for 6 months prior to study entry
- Acceptable methods of contraception
Exclusion Criteria
- Serious medical illness requiring hospitalization within 14 days prior to study entry
- Pregnant or breast-feeding
- Taking certain medications
- Allergy to r-hGH, hepatitis A vaccine, KLH, or their formulations, including allergies to shellfish
- Active drug or alcohol dependence
- Diabetes or uncontrolled hyperglycemia
- Uncontrolled hypertension
- History of carpal tunnel syndrome
- Active neoplasm requiring treatment
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT00050921
|United States, Alabama
|Alabama Therapeutics CRS
|Birmingham, Alabama, United States, 35924
|United States, California
|UCLA CARE Center CRS
|Los Angeles, California, United States, 90095
|UC Davis Medical Center
|Sacramento, California, United States, 95814
|Univ. of California Davis Med. Ctr., ACTU
|Sacramento, California, United States, 95814
|Ucsf Aids Crs
|San Francisco, California, United States, 94110
|United States, Colorado
|University of Colorado Hospital CRS
|Aurora, Colorado, United States, 80262
|United States, Illinois
|Northwestern University CRS
|Chicago, Illinois, United States, 60611
|Rush Univ. Med. Ctr. ACTG CRS
|Chicago, Illinois, United States, 60612
|United States, Iowa
|Univ. of Iowa Healthcare, Div. of Infectious Diseases
|Iowa City, Iowa, United States, 52242
|United States, New York
|Beth Israel Med. Ctr., ACTU
|New York, New York, United States, 10003
|United States, Ohio
|Case CRS
|Cleveland, Ohio, United States, 44106
|MetroHealth CRS
|Cleveland, Ohio, United States, 44109
|United States, Texas
|Univ. of Texas Southwestern Med. Ctr., Amelia Court Continuity Clinic
|Dallas, Texas, United States, 75235
|Study Chair:
|Kimberly Smith, M.D., MPH
|Rush Medical College of Rush University
|Responsible Party:
|National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)
|ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:
|NCT00050921 History of Changes
|Other Study ID Numbers:
ACTG A5198s
10092 ( Registry Identifier: DAIDS ES Registry Number )
|Study First Received:
|December 30, 2002
|Last Updated:
|May 16, 2012
Keywords provided by National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID):
HIV Infections
CD4 Lymphocyte Count
Antiretroviral Therapy, Highly Active
Growth Hormone
Cell Division
CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes
Treatment Experienced
Additional relevant MeSH terms:
HIV Infections
Lentivirus Infections
Retroviridae Infections
RNA Virus Infections
Virus Diseases
Sexually Transmitted Diseases, Viral
Sexually Transmitted Diseases
Immunologic Deficiency Syndromes
Immune System Diseases
Keyhole-limpet hemocyanin
Hormones, Hormone Substitutes, and Hormone Antagonists
Physiological Effects of Drugs
Adjuvants, Immunologic
Immunologic Factors
ClinicalTrials.gov processed this record on September 25, 2017


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Effectiveness of an Online Prevention Program in Reducing the Risk of STD Infection in Young Adults (Youthnet suppl)
- Full Text View
- Tabular View
- No Study Results Posted
- Disclaimer
- How to Read a Study Record
|HIV Infections Sexually Transmitted Diseases
|Behavioral: Youthnet Internet-based program Behavioral: Control Internet based program
|Phase 1 Phase 2
|Study Type:
|Study Design:
|Allocation: Randomized
Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: None (Open Label)
Primary Purpose: Prevention
|Official Title:
|Internet-based Efficacy Trial of an HIV Prevention Program
- Efficacy of internet-based program for increasing condom use with non-main sex partners [ Time Frame: Measured at baseline and Month 2 ]
- Efficacy of internet-based program for increasing condom use attitudes, norms, and intentions with non-main sex partners [ Time Frame: Measured at baseline and Month 2 ]
|Study Start Date:
|October 2005
|Study Completion Date:
|December 2008
|Primary Completion Date:
|November 2008 (Final data collection date for primary outcome measure)
|Assigned Interventions
Experimental: 1
Participants will receive internet-based messages from the Youthnet program
Behavioral: Youthnet Internet-based program
Messages from the Youthnet program will be interactive and tailored specifically to HIV/STD risk reduction. Participants will be exposed to five flash computer vignettes of 30 seconds each, concerning condom attitudes, norms self-efficacy, and risk awareness.
Active Comparator: 2
Participants will receive internet-based messages from the control program
Behavioral: Control Internet based program
The control program will deliver standard STD/HIV prevention messages.
Detailed Description:
Adolescents and young adults are at the greatest risk for acquiring an STD. Approximately 3 million people between the ages of 18 and 24 become infected each year. Education about the risks and consequences of unprotected sex is a powerful tool that can be used to prevent or reduce the risk of infection. The program in this study will deliver messages to educate participants about condom use and the risk of STD infection. This study will evaluate the effectiveness of a tailored interactive online risk reduction program versus a standard online risk reduction program in reducing the risk of STD infection in young adults.
Participants in this 1-year open-label study will be recruited exclusively via the internet. Participants will be randomly assigned to receive internet-based messages from either the Youthnet program or the control program. Messages from the Youthnet program will be interactive and tailored specifically to HIV/STD risk reduction. The control program will deliver standard STD/HIV prevention messages. Participants will be assessed at baseline and a follow-up session 4 months after enrollment. Frequency of condom use and attitudes toward condom use will be assessed using behavioral scales.
|Ages Eligible for Study:
|18 Years to 25 Years (Adult)
|Sexes Eligible for Study:
|Accepts Healthy Volunteers:
Inclusion Criteria:
- Has access to the internet
- Has an e-mail address
Exclusion Criteria:
- Colorado resident
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT00255944
|United States, Maryland
|Internet-Based, accessible from anywhere
|Bethesda, Maryland, United States, 20892
|Principal Investigator:
|Sheana Bull, PhD
|University of Colorado, Denver
|Responsible Party:
|University of Colorado, Denver
|ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:
|NCT00255944 History of Changes
|Other Study ID Numbers:
R01MH063690 ( U.S. NIH Grant/Contract )
|Study First Received:
|November 16, 2005
|Last Updated:
|November 26, 2013
Keywords provided by University of Colorado, Denver:
HIV Prevention
Internet Intervention
Additional relevant MeSH terms:
HIV Infections
Sexually Transmitted Diseases
Lentivirus Infections
Retroviridae Infections
RNA Virus Infections
Virus Diseases
Sexually Transmitted Diseases, Viral
Immunologic Deficiency Syndromes
Immune System Diseases
Genital Diseases, Male
Genital Diseases, Female
ClinicalTrials.gov processed this record on September 25, 2017


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7:30pm - 9:00pm CST November 23, 2013
A hilarious and delightful masterpiece by Moliere.
Tartuffe is a self-righteous, mischievous, religious conman, who wins the confidence of the wealthy but gullible Orgon. When, against the wishes of his wife, Orgon orders his daughter to marry Tartuffe, the comedy unfolds as the household is thrown into turmoil. In spite of all the evidence, Orgon continues to believe that Tartuffe is not a fraud, but a worldly saint, and it's up to his wife to expose Tartuffe as a charlatan. Will Orgon realize the truth before it's too late, or will Tartuffe ruin them all?
Tartuffe was a popular hit from its opening in 1664, even though it also ignited controversy due to the implied criticism of religion. Widely recognized as one of Molière's masterpieces, Tartuffe remains as hilarious and relevant as it was 350 years ago!
SU students receive one complimentary ticket, faculty and staff receive two complimentary tickets with Pirate ID. Visit the Box Office for complimentary tickets.
Click on link below map to purchase tickets.


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Photo Gallery: Sharalee Mushore's Favourite Rooms
Learn what inspires the Escapade blogger.
A wood ceiling adds warmth to a white space.
"I've noticed a growing trend in kitchens: long open shelving for dishware and glasses," notes Escapade blogger Sharalee Mushore. This gorgeous home in Palm Beach illustrates the trend perfectly. Homeowner and photographer Kelly Klein (designer Calvin Klein's ex-wife) lives in the oceanside home with her four-year-old son. "I love the accessible, casual style of open storage and the look of having your favourite pieces on display at all times," says Sharalee.
See more of Sharalee Mushore's favourite rooms in our photo gallery.
Organic shapes and edges soften a simple kitchen.
"The rich, warm live edge wood that folds around the kitchen island and that stunning brass stove hood have made this Brooklyn kitchen the subject of many decorating fantasies," says Escapade blogger Sharalee Mushore. "After decades of stainless steel and chrome, I'm excited to see that gold and brass tones are enjoying a bit of a comeback. There's a warm, luxurious feeling that even small accents in these tones bring to a space."
Find more inspiration in our photo galleries of Rooms With Warm Metal Accents and White Kitchens, plus see more of Sharalee Mushore's Favourite Rooms.
Dramatic lighting suits a loft.
"I love spaces like this loft converted from an old cathedral," says Escapade blogger Sharalee Mushore. "A rich sense of layering and depth is achieved by mixing different materials like crisp white cabinetry against aged red brick walls, and old architectural features contrasted with sleek modern furniture."
See more of Sharalee Mushore's favourite rooms in our photo gallery, plus see our Stylish Loft Living photo gallery for more inspiration.
Warm wood furniture grounds a room with high ceilings.
This modern home in northeastern Australia is open and airy, with large windows that maximize views to the ocean. "Having grown up in Africa — and a much warmer climate — I have a strong inner longing for big open windows, spaciousness and bringing the outdoors in (and indoors out) whenever possible," notes Escapade blogger Sharalee Mushore.
See more of Sharalee Mushore's favourite rooms in our photo gallery.
Modern art is an easy way to inject colour.
"While I love the effect of a gallery wall with several small pieces, there's something to be said about the powerful impact of one big, bold painting," says Sharalee. "It can instantly set the tone for the whole space."
Modern and traditional combined.
"From the strong graphic patterned fabric used for the curtains (one of my all-time favourite fabrics, Kubus by Pierre Frey), to the striking lines of the Billy Cotton pendant, bold geometric lines and patterns are one current trend I love," says Escapade blogger Sharalee Mushore. "These graphic hits are powerful in their simplicity and a great way to add a bit of modern edge to a more traditional space." Mixing styles like the mid-century modern Barcelona chairs and classic Louis dining chairs also adds interest.
See more of Sharalee Mushore's favourite rooms in our photo gallery, plus see more Iconic Furniture in our photo gallery.
The Toronto designer's art-filled space.
"I think a big part of my love for all-white walls stems from my love for collecting and displaying art," explains Escapade blogger Sharalee Mushore. "In addition to creating a dramatic effect by sheer size, each piece El-Abdallah displayed here is offset by the ones that surround it — you could spend hours lingering over the details of each one!" Ceiling-height drapes make the walls seem even higher, and really draw attention to the height of the gallery wall as well. Simple, mid-century modern furnishings let the art take centre stage.
See more of Sharalee Mushore's favourite rooms in our photo gallery, plus take a video tour of this home.
A piece of furniture with pizzazz.
"I love unexpected surprises in design and interiors. Whether it's a contrasting colour at the edge of a door or a surprising interior inside a cupboard, it's these little twists that can turn a basic piece into something spectacular," says Escapade blogger Sharalee Mushore.
See more of Sharalee Mushore's favourite rooms in our photo gallery, plus see our Decorating With Gold photo gallery for more inspiration.
An enviro alternative to art.
This East Village apartment in New York features a lush green wall that adds texture and colour to the urban space. "I first discovered vertical gardens through the work of French botanist Patrick Blanc," says Escapade blogger Sharalee Mushore. "Turning traditional gardening notions on their head, his innovative techniques moved plants from their conventional horizontal gardens on the ground to vertical walls indoors. I've started to see similar projects in local buildings and beautiful homes since, and love this new eco trend. Living in a small space in a big city, it's easy to feel a little disconnected from nature at times — what better cure than to bring it inside?"
See more of Sharalee Mushore's favourite rooms in our photo gallery, plus see our Indoor-Outdoor Spaces photo gallery for more ideas.
A colour scheme with timeless appeal.
"While I love to dabble in small doses of bright colour, I come back to these classic neutral shades every single time," says Escapade blogger Sharalee Mushore. "Simple, understated and classic — you can never go wrong with a simple palette of black, white and gold." Rome's Hotel Pulitzer strikes a perfect balance of creamy white walls and pops of black.
See more of Sharalee Mushore's favourite rooms in our photo gallery.


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BURNLEY Council has warned residents to be vigilant after reports of a company offering to lower their council tax banding.
Over the past few days, the council has received a number of phone calls from council taxpayers who have been 'cold called' by a private company which claims to be able to save them money.
"People are under the misapprehension that this company is working on behalf of the council, or the Valuation Office," said Caroline Lee, the council's head of revenues and benefits.
"This isn't the case.
"Taxpayers can appeal to the Valuation Office to have their council tax band reviewed and it doesn't cost them a thing.
"From what we've been told, this company appears to be charging an up-front fee, followed by a success fee based on any saving achieved.
"We've also been told that representatives from the company are calling at people's homes."
The council's advice to people is if you think your house is in the wrong council tax band you should contact the Valuation Office yourself.
Burnley's valuation bands can be found on council tax bills.


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I was wondering if anyone would be kind enough to make a detailed post, or youtube video on the "power pocket." I keep going through days where I feel the power pocket and then lose it. On days when I feel it, it feels like I'm not even trying throw "hard" but instead just trying to load as much tension as possible in the pocket. Effortless is the best way to describe it -- almost walking through my x-step, relaxed, glide in, load up the pocket, then slowly begin to accelerate as it starts unloading, with a tiny bit of oomph at the end (I don't think my arm ever actually reaches max speed on these days since i'm just kind of "cruising" through things, yet I can hit 450'+ line drives quite easily on these days).
I was hoping to change weeks of field practice tweaking things to find this feeling, into hours (with some insight from others). I think part of the problem is not trusting myself to relax and slow down -- i know when I have the feeling how easy everything seems, yet when I try to achieve it the next time out, it seems like it can't be as easy as I remember.
Thanks in advance!


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Intelligent System Emulation Technology
Agilent Technologies Inc. has introduced the availability of the newest version of its Intelligent System Emulation Technology (ISET). This new version of ISET allows emulation of the Waters Alliance LC systems.
With ISET, scientists can transfer the legacy methods used on the Waters Alliance LC systems to the Agilent 1290 Infinity LC platform.
The 1290 Infinity LC together with ISET allows users to emulate other (U)HPLC instruments through a mouse click; run existing (U)HPLC methods without modifying the method or system; and deliver the same retention times and peak resolution for better method transfer compared with existing workarounds such as adding an isocratic hold.
Agilent Technologies Inc., www.agilent.com


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'Layaway angel' pays off purchases for shoppers
TIGARD, Ore. - Lisa Hynsen is a single mom with two young children who likely have big hopes for gifts this holiday season, especially since both kids' birthdays are close to Christmas.
On Wednesday, she received a surprise present of her own.
Like a lot of shoppers trying to lock in popular presents for their kids, Hynsen put some gifts on layaway at a local Toys "R" Us store back in September, with plans to pay them off and take them home before the holidays.
"Layaway is the only way I can do it," she said. "I have to plan it out."
Wednesday night, Hynsen said the Toys "R" Us store called to tell her an anonymous person had paid off the balance of $215. "Really? Is this a joke? Is this for real?" she recalls asking. "I was shocked!"
"And once the initial shock disappeared, I was, like, wow. I was so thankful," she said. "That's a huge gift to me. Huge gift."
She said the money earmarked for the gifts can now be used to buy clothes and shoes for her kids, ages 3 and 5. "It allows me a little more breathing room," she said.
And Hynsen wasn't alone in her good fortune. The general manager of the store said the person who paid for Hynsen's goods also picked up the tab for four other shoppers as well.
Each person had a balance owing of less than $500, the manager said.
Another benefactor called earlier in the week and paid off a few other layaway accounts, the manager told KATU News.
They put the names of layaway account holders in a hat and drew names at random to keep things fair, the manager said.


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Blago Retrial Not Last Chapter in Legal Saga
There's no doubt Rod Blagojevich's recently ended retrial was the marquee event in the federal investigation into corruption surrounding the former Illinois governor's administration.
But the legal saga that stretches back nearly a decade isn't quite at an end.
The last big trial in the case is of businessman William Cellini. His trial on charges he plotted to shake down a Hollywood movie producer for a campaign contribution for Blagojevich is scheduled to start in October.
The 76-year-old has pleaded not guilty.
Political observer Paul Green, who teaches politics at Roosevelt University in Chicago, says the trial could give the public another peek at the underbelly of state politics.
Cellini is a Springfield Republican once known as "The Pope'' Illinois politics for the influence he wielded. He raised money for both fellow Republicans and Democrats, like Blagojevich.


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Topic: Vitamin D3 regulates cell viability in cholangiocarcinoma
Hi everybody-
I was doing some research and bumped into this study. So I started looking for old threads of people here talking about this study or vitamin d3. I saw a few posts about a few individuals who have been using/taking vitamin d3, although nothing widespread. The study's title alone seems to indicate a curative potential, and even a synergistic effect with the noted chemotherapy drugs. Although it was only in vitro and in vivo. I did find one clinical study (http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01039181) that intends to investigate vitamin d3 in CC cases.
Anyway, my Mom has CC, and I am trying too figure out if supplementation of this vitamin could be helpful, what dosage is safe and would be potentially helpful. My only concern is that Vitamin D3 is processed by the liver, which as we know is typically the compromised organ in CC patients. She has not started chemo (folfox-6), but will be in the next week.
Anyway, I wanted to open discussion, opinions , and feedback to the general community on this vitamin. All responses appreciated!
Here's the study:
Vitamin D3 regulates cell viability in gastric cancer and cholangiocarcinoma.
AuthorsBaek S, et al. Show all Journal
Anat Cell Biol. 2011 Sep;44(3):204-9. Epub 2011 Sep 29.
Department of Anatomy, Pusan National University School of Medicine, Yangsan, Korea.
A low serum level of vitamin D has been associated with an increased incidence of gastrointestinal tract cancers. However, the effects of vitamin D3 have not been investigated in gastric cancer and cholangiocarcinoma. In the present study, we found that vitamin D3 treatment significantly suppressed the viability of gastric cancer and cholangiocarcinoma cells. Moreover, vitamin D3 had a synergistic effect with other anti-cancer drugs, such as paclitaxel, adriamycin, and vinblastine, for suppressing cell viability. To determine the underlying mechanism involved in the regulation of viability by vitamin D3, we examined the effects of vitamin D3 on expression of hedgehog signaling target genes, which has been associated with gastric cancer and cholangiocarcinoma. Vitamin D3 treatment decreased the level of mRNA expression of patched1, Gli1, cyclin D1, and Bcl2, suggesting the possibility that vitamin D3 may act through regulation of hedgehog signaling. From the above results, we conclude that vitamin D3 regulates cell viability in gastric cancer and cholangiocarcinoma.


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Film: Sleeping Sickness
Director: Ulrich Köhler
Program: Main Slate
Tickets: Oct. 8, Oct. 12
Why you should see it:
A haunting meditation on Africa's past and future, director Ulrich Köhler's third feature smoothly and smartly contrasts the relationship that two doctors—one a white German who has lived in Cameroon for decades, the other a black Frenchmen taking his first trip to the continent—have with "their" Africa. Sleeping Sickness is ultimately an exploration of modern day colonialism, cross-culturalism and transnational identity. The film's rich and complex themes are epitomized by a scene in which the German doctor, speaking French, puts on Cameroonian garb made in China. In addition, Köhler's treatment of aid to Africa, specifically what happens to funding from non-government organizations, is highly topical and sure to elicit discussion. Echoing Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness, Sleeping Sickness is a modern, seamless dual-character story with a metaphysical bend.
Track record:
Sleeping Sickness played in the Berlinale, where it was nominated for a Golden Berlin Bear and won a Silver Berlin Bear for its director.
About the director:
Ulrich Köhler produced five short films before directing his feature film debut Bungalow (2002), which was shown in the Panorama section of the Berlinale and received the German Film Critics' Award and several other prizes at festivals at home and abroad. His follow-up Montag kommen die Fenster (2006) premiered in the Forum section of the Berlinale. Alongside filmmakers like Christoph Hochhäusler, Benjamin Heisenberg and Valeska Griesebach, Köhler is becoming a leader in the burgeoning "Berlin School" of filmmaking.
What the critics are saying:
David Jenkis for Time Out London: "A contemporary 'Heart of Darkness' it may be, but Köhler's film also acts as a vital discussion point over the paradoxes of financial assistance, the difficulties of addressing individual problems when legislating for the masses, and the West's distorted view of African society. Extremely impressive."
What the NYFF programmers say:
"Sleeping Sickness is a film by Ulrich Köhler, who's part of what they're calling now 'The Berlin School,' a new group of German filmmakers that's beginning to make its mark on the international circuit. It is a very interesting film about a German couple who have been living for a long time in Africa. They're both doctors and they've been working there for about 20 years, but their time is up. They're about to go back and, in a way, it's about their preparations and their fears, especially the man's fears of what it might be like to go back after being in this place for so long that it has really been his world. He doesn't really know Europe anymore, he only knows this other place. Right when that story is getting going, the film suddenly switches and becomes a story about an African raised totally in France, who has actually never been on the continent before and who is coming to do a report on the clinic. It's fascinating how the film sort of splits into two, and how each half comments on the other. Apichatpong Weerasethakul, the Thai director who had Uncle Boonmee last year in the festival, often uses a similar strategy. A very interesting film and certainly a very profound meditation about contemporary colonialism and what the sort of relationship between the 'developed' and so-called 'under-developed' world might be." —Richard Peña, Program Director


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This is what the envelope looks like when you receive a check resulting from the foreclosure settlement between the federal government and more than a dozen big banks.
I don't know about you, but I frequently get junk mail that looks like this: letters from private companies that are designed to fool you into thinking that they're from the government. In this instance, it's a letter from a private company that truly is working with the federal government.
Caution: Contents are not as described
The return address is from "Paying Agent -- Rust Consulting, Inc." in Faribault, Minn.
Below the return address, the envelope reads: "Important payment agreement information enclosed." But from what I hear, the letter contains almost no information. It doesn't explain how the payment amount was decided.
Nearly random amounts
In my blog post describing how some of the initial checks bounced, a reader comments: "I received a check for $500, with no explanation as to how they came up with that amount." And, she adds, $500 is inadequate to recompense her for what the bank did.
The settlement was between the banks and two federal agencies: the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency and the Federal Reserve. These regulators are coddling the banks and aren't protecting borrowers, as Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., noted last week during a committee hearing.
The payouts vary from $300 to $125,000, with most people getting payments of $300 or $500. That's pennies on the dollar, Warren complained during the hearing. Regulators had let banks hire "independent" consultants to investigate irregularities in foreclosures in 2009 and 2010, but the consultants were slow, so the foreclosure reviews were scrapped. Instead, borrowers will get checks, whether or not their banks did something wrong. The borrower's actual financial loss doesn't enter into the equation.
Where to call
If you want to confirm that you qualify for payment, or if you need to update your address so the check is sent to the right place, call Rust Consulting at (888) 952-9105. You can talk to a representative after listening to automated messages for several minutes.
Follow me on Twitter @HoldenL.


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Want Cable? Get Xfinity TV in Crestwood, IL
You can find an affordable package designed to fit your lifestyle in Crestwood, IL, as Xfinity TV from Comcast offers a wide range of television programming packages. Look no further than Xfinity TV for digital cable channels, awesome DVR packages, and tens of thousands of On Demand choices.
The majority of television viewers in America, including those in Crestwood, IL, watch approximately 35 hours of television each week. With Xfinity TV, Crestwood sports fans get all the local channels, film buffs get premium movie channels, and everyone gets the TV shows they love. Find out about Xfinity TV specials in your city today.


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Kolton serves as Vice President of National Wildlife Federation's National Advocacy Center, managing its Washington, DC office of more than 30 conservation policy experts, advocates, attorneys and organizers.
He first joined NWF in June of 2002 as its Legislative Director, helping set strategy and coordinate outreach to Members of Congress on key campaign priorities, including clean water and wetlands issues, energy policy, federal appropriations for wildlife conservation and protection of public lands in Alaska and the Rocky Mountain West. He has testified before several congressional committees, and has been invited to speak on environmental issues before the House Democratic Caucus, the DC Bar Association and a number of other forums.
Prior to NWF, Adam served as the Arctic Campaign Director for the Alaska Wilderness League, where he helped lead the conservation community's successful campaign to protect the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge from 1997 to 2002.
Kolton graduated from the University of Wisconsin - Madison with a degree in Journalism and History.


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Tempe, Ariz. -- Vestar, owners of the 1.3 million-sq.-ft. Tempe Marketplace, announced that it sold a 2.38-acre parcel on its southwest corner to Chicago hot dogs and beef eatery Portillo's.
The restaurant is slated to open a 7,000-sq.-ft. location in summer 2013.
Tempe Marketplace features 1.3 million sq. ft. of retail space and more than 100 retail and restaurant tenants.


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Press Room
Press Releases
Senior Manager, Communications
Our organization was recently renamed Fair Trade USA, a change that has received almost entirely positive responses from consumers, business partners, NGOs and other stakeholders. The reason for our name change is simple—when we increase awareness of fair trade, we provide more impact in terms of additional income and community investment dollars to the farmers and workers whom we serve. For example, from 2005 to 2010, Fair Trade awareness quadrupled to 34 percent among American consumers. In the same period, additional income to producer communities more than tripled, reaching $48 million in 2010 alone. Our former name (TransFair USA) was unclear and few people knew what it meant. Fair Trade USA is simply a clearer description of the work we do.
Of course no change is made without differing opinions. Some in the Fair Trade movement have accused us of trying to "brand" or even control the entire Fair Trade movement. That is simply not our intent, so it's important to share a few key points:
- We agree that Fair Trade is a movement, not a brand, and that no one can trademark Fair Trade. We are proud to be part of the Fair Trade movement, all working together to help to build public awareness around the importance of making purchases based on Fair Trade principles.
- We provide significant financial support to the broader movement. For example, last year we raised $1 million to support the Fair Trade Towns USA campaign, a multi-stakeholder initiative in which we share leadership with the Fair Trade Federation, the Fair Trade Resource Network, and other stakeholders in the movement. We also were one of the sponsors of the Fair Trade Futures conference, have participated in several webinars with the Fair Trade Resource Network, and conduct a multi-stakeholder campaign for national Fair Trade Awareness Month each October.
- Our name change is consistent with the new naming convention for all other national affiliates of Fairtrade Labeling Organizations International (FLO), which recently changed its name to Fairtrade International. Shortly, all national certifiers affiliated with FLO will change their names to "Fairtrade Country-name."
- At Fair Trade USA, we will continue to focus our efforts on increasing sales of Fair Trade Certified™ products, using the same rigorous social, environmental and economic standards to certify all products that earn the right to bear this mark. We've been using the Fair Trade Certified label for 12 years, and in that time our partners have returned over $220 million in additional income to farmers and workers around the world. The Fair Trade Certified label will not change.
There is also healthy debate in the movement on what constitutes a Fair Trade product. Some believe that only companies with 100% of their products sourced as Fair Trade should get to label anything "Fair Trade." Others believe that only products with 100% Fair Trade formulations should be called "Fair Trade." While these sentiments may seem noble, we consider that the impact provided by these more narrow definitions is limited. We believe the collective role of the Fair Trade movement is to empower and improve the lives of as many hardworking farmers and workers as possible, and our product labeling is in line with that goal.
At Fair Trade USA our definition is simple. For a product to bear our Fair Trade Certified label, all the ingredients in that product that can be certified Fair Trade will be. Of course, sometimes all the ingredients are not Fair Trade Certified, and when that happens, it's for good reason. For example, in many cosmetics the primary ingredient is water! But while the average Fair Trade cosmetic contains about 40 percent Fair Trade Certified ingredients, the exact amount depends upon our partner's formulation. If their formula contains ingredients that are available as Fair Trade Certified, then our partner will incorporate that Fair Trade supply into their product. And it goes without saying that these products must be labeled "Made with Fair Trade Certified Ingredients" to distinguish them from other products, like coffee, where the entire product is Fair Trade Certified.
In summary, Fair Trade USA is part of a movement to empower farmers and workers around the world to improve their standard of living in ways that are economically and environmentally sustainable. At Fair Trade USA we do this by getting more companies to sell—and more consumers to buy—Fair Trade Certified products. We recognize that others have differing approaches. To that end, we welcome honest, open debate around solutions to continue supporting the farmers and workers whom we serve.
Questions? Thoughts? Ideas to improve the movement? Contact us at firstname.lastname@example.com.


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Customers often come to us because they're shopping for eco-friendly, sustainable furniture. At Vermont Woods Studios, our mission is founded on environmental and social responsibility so we find ourselves discussing FSC certification and other aspects of sustainable furniture almost every day. Here are some of the basics on FSC:
What is FSC?
The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) is an independent,
non-governmental, not-for-profit organization that promotes responsible
management of the world's forests. It is widely regarded as one of the
most important initiatives to promote responsible forest management
worldwide. It places a special emphasis on rainforest conservation.
by environmental groups in 1993 FSC manages an international standard
for well-managed forests and a process for tracking and certifying wood
furniture, flooring and other products derived from those forests. FSC
addresses numerous aspects of sustainable forestry, including ecological
issues, old-growth forests, plantations, restoration, biodiversity,
native habitat, indigenous people's rights, and sound management for
timber production.
The FSC label provides certification of the
chain of links between the forest where a product originates and the
consumer. For example with wood furniture, each of the following
businesses involved in transforming a tree into a piece of furniture
would have to be FSC certified in order for that furniture piece to be
FSC certified. It's called the "chain of custody":
- Certified forest owner- Must employ a professional forester and
develop a forest management plan which meets stringent ecological and
social criteria
- Certified logger and sawyer
- Certified lumber wholesaler
- Certified lumber retailer
- Certified furniture maker
- Certified furniture retailer
Benefits of FSC Certification
In my opinion, FSC provides the most rigorous certification process
available. It's widely considered the gold standard in sustainable
forestry and has moved the world forward in many areas of rainforest
Challenges for FSC As you might expect FSC
certification involves extensive rule-making and auditing that can be
quite expensive (and controversial) to implement. It can add up to 50% to the price of the
end product although the hope is that this cost will decrease as FSC
certification becomes more mainstream. Still many small manufacturers
are unable to assume this cost and are thus not FSC certified.
challenge for FSC is the rampant counterfeiting of FSC documentation
accompanying raw lumber that is being illegally clear cut from the
Amazon and other endangered areas of rainforest. Also FSC has been
criticized for being too lenient,
particularly with their policy allowing limited old growth logging.
Should You Buy Only FSC Certified Furniture?
Authentic FSC certified furniture is a responsible choice for the
eco-conscious homeowner. However there are many genuinely responsible,
green, eco-friendly furniture makers who are not FSC certified due to
the red tape and expense involved. Conversely there is a large market of fake, FSC
labeled furniture that comes to us through layers of corruption
and counterfeiting.
In Vermont, many of us who were certified by FSC for years have been moving away from it lately. Not because we don't support the ideal, but because we have so many other systems in place that effectively ensure our furniture is authentically green and sustainable. At Vermont Woods Studios not all of our furniture is FSC certified, but it is all made from sustainably harvested wood from local and regional forests.
If FSC certification is important to you, check out Copeland's Harbor Island Furniture collection. It's handmade here in VT with FSC certified maple from local Vermont trees. And let us know on our Facebook or in the comments section below how you feel about FSC certification.
Already following our Blog? For more info sign up for our e-newsletter
This blog is written by your friends at Vermont Woods Studios. Check out our Vermont made furniture and home decor online and visit our showroom and art gallery at Stonehurst, the newly restored 1800s farmhouse nestled in the foothills of the Green Mountains.


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From Russia a good website to introduce the new Daewoo Matiz. Visitors are invited to move around the city to discover the car's models. It's night so the urban setting looks rather charming, I'm sure you'll appreciate it even if it's in Russian. Just take your time while the site loads the first time you visit it… [news via Fred Cavazza]
Indian newspapers have dedicated a lot of space to a news coming from Russia where the biggest carrier, Mobile Tele Systems has started offering Kamasutra tips to its subscribers. Russian mobile phone users can listen to the ancient Indian art of love through a 24-hour service which costs about five times more than a regular call, India Daily reports. Another Indian newspaper The Times of India has further investigated the issue, asking a few Indians what they thought about the service. Curiosity and concern for content that might violate the sentiments of Indian people are the main feelings which came out from the interviews. Anyway, with 3G and MMS, the erotic tips, delivered through a voice service, appear to be quite out of date.
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INDIAN LAKE, N.Y. -- Authorities say a whitewater rafting guide was drunk when a 53-year-old Ohio woman fell out of his raft and drowned during an outing on an Adirondack river.
State police say Friday that 37-year-old Rory Fay of North Creek was charged with criminally negligent homicide in the death of Tamara Blake of Columbus while rafting Thursday morning on the Indian River in Hamilton County, 80 miles northwest of Albany.
Police say Blake, Fay and 53-year-old Richard Clar of Columbus were ejected when the raft hit some rapids. Fay and Clar made it to shore. Blake's body was found 5 miles downstream in the Hudson River.
Troopers say Fay is a licensed guide employed by the Hudson River Rafting Co.
He's being held in the county jail on $50,000 bail. It couldn't be determined if he had a lawyer.
Click here to read more about the incident from the Post Star.


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Latin and Greek are the foundation languages of virtually every discipline in the liberal arts and sciences. The study of either or both of these languages, and of Greek and Roman authors in English translation, will deepen a student's understanding of any field.
Interdisciplinary Minor
Eighteen hours, to include the following:
- Latin or Greek fourth-semester Reading Course 3 hours
- LAT 202, GRK 202, or REL 204
- Preliminary or Additional Latin or Greek courses 6 hours to be selected from the following:
- REL 103-104, 203, 204 (New Testament Greek)
- GRK 201 (Reading Homeric Greek)
- GRK 202 (Reading Classical Greek)
- Related Courses (taught in English) 9 hours to be selected from the following:
- ART 216: Survey of World Art I
- PHI 201: History of Philosophy I
- ENG 314: Epic Poetry
- CLA 314: Mythology in Greek and Roman Literature
- CLA 316: Ancient Drama
- CLA 370: Topics in Classical Literature (Topics to include: "Women and Gender in Antiquity" and "From Lyric to Satire: Greek and Roman Poetry")
- HIS 412: Ancient History
- POS 400: Classical Political Theory
- Other courses by approval of Program Coordinator


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White Sox announce opening series activities
Chicago White Sox promotional highlights, giveaways and ceremonial first pitches for the opening home series vs. Minnesota. Tickets for all three games of the series are available at whitesox.com, the U.S. Cellular Field ticket office and all Ticketmaster locations.
Monday and Wednesday's game will be televised on Comcast SportsNet Chicago, while WGN-TV will broadcast Thursday's game. All three games will air on WSCR-AM 670 (The Score), the White Sox flagship radio station, and 97.5 FM ESPN Deportes, the White Sox Spanish-language radio affiliate.
Monday, March 31, 3:10 p.m. vs. Minnesota
- White Sox Magnetic Schedule presented by Miller Lite (all fans ages 21 and over)
- National Anthem by Gina Glocksen, former American Idol contestant
- Presentation of the flag by the Navy Recruiting District Chicago and the Naval Service Training Command Great Lakes
- Ceremonial first pitch by 2014 Olympic bobsled bronze medalist and South Side Chicago native, Aja Evans
Gina Glocksen was the ninth place finalist on the mega-hit television show American Idol's sixth season. The Tinley Park native is performing the National Anthem.
Aja Evans , 2014 Olympic bobsled bronze medalist, will throw out a ceremonial first pitch. She is a south side Chicago native who had an overall bobsled time of 3:51.61 at the 2014 Olympics in Sochi, Russia. She is currently training to compete in the heptathlon for the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Aja is a cousin of Del Matthews, White Sox assistant director of player development and scouting.
Wednesday, April 2, 1:10 p.m. vs. Minnesota
- National Anthem by Amanda Schnoebelen
- Ceremonial first pitch by Doc Shaw, actor
Amanda Schnoebelen , White Sox employee from Chicago, will perform the National Anthem.
Doc Shaw , who played "Malik" for eight seasons on the TBS hit sitcom "House of Payne" and is starring in the upcoming blockbuster "Dawn of the Planet of the Apes," will throw out a ceremonial first pitch
Thursday, April 3, 1:10 p.m. vs. Minnesota
- National Anthem by Misericordia's Heartzinger Choir
The Heartzinger Choir from Misericordia Heart of Mercy will perform the National Anthem. Misericordia is an agency that supports over 600 children and adults with mild to profound developmental disabilities from a variety of socio-economic, racial and religious backgrounds in the greater Chicago community.
Tickets for all three games of the homestand are available at whitesox.com, the U.S. Cellular Field ticket office and through Ticketmaster.


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With the third episode of season two presumably coming out relatively soon, I decided I would finally do my first replay of season one.
Anyway, at the end of episode four Kenny did not give me the bro speech and refused to come with me. I have no clue why. He came with me on my first play through, and I hadn't even agreed with him on everything. On my current play through, I went out of my way to agree with him on nearly EVERYTHING. The only two things that I did that he may not have liked were saving Ben's life and convincing him to shoot the boy in the attic. Were those two actions really enough to cause him to turn on me? Seems bizarre. We've been good friends for the entire season thus far..


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Crazy like a fox
Marty Burns, SI.com
Stephen Jackson pauses when asked to name the craziest thing he's ever done. "That's a tough one. I've done a lot of crazy things," the Pacers swingman said with a chuckle Wednesday after practice. "Let's see ... Well, one time I put salt in my mom's soda."
Somehow we think Jackson might be holding back on us. But that's OK. We already know the craziest thing he's ever done. In the summer of 2003 Jackson turned down a three-year, $10 million contract offer from the Spurs -- with whom he had just won a title -- in hopes of getting a richer deal on the free-agent market. He struck out and wound up settling for a one-year deal worth $1.1 million with the lowly Hawks.
The seeming miscalculation instantly made Jackson the poster child for free-agent folly. He and his agent, Dan Fegan, were roundly second-guessed (including by yours, truly). After all, Jackson had been a basketball nomad over the previous six years, toiling in hoops backwaters like Venezuela and the CBA, and had even been waived by the Grizzlies before finding a home with the Spurs. By remaining in San Antonio he would have had $10 million in the bank, a chance to play for an NBA ring every year and all those wide open looks created by playing alongside Tim Duncan. In Atlanta, he had ... what, exactly? Free rein to hoist shots for a team going nowhere and a chance to make regular visits to Friedman's Shoes?
But Jackson, to his credit, played hard last year at both ends, averaged a career-high 18.1 points per game and turned the gamble into gold. In July he was signed to a six-year, $40 million deal as part of a sign-and-trade with the Pacers for Al Harrington. Now Jackson is the one laughing last, as he gets his money and a chance to play for a championship contender. "It's a blessing," he says. "To be here in Indiana, to have contract security for myself and my family, it all worked out perfect."
Jackson, who will back up Reggie Miller, admits there were plenty of times last season when he wished he had taken San Antonio's offer. He knows he could have blown out a knee in Atlanta. But he also says the urgency of the situation helped bring out the best in him. "I've been living on the edge all my life, from coming out of high school early, not having any test scores, not being able to go to college," Jackson says. "I'm definitely a risk-taker. Like I always say, when pressure comes I make love to it."
Hmmm. That's more information than we needed to know. But if Jackson can bring that same mentality to the Pacers, and drain some big 3-pointers along the way, it's not crazy to think he could soon have another NBA ring to go with all those millions.
Kobe out to silence the skeptics
Maybe it's just the euphoria over being handed the reins of the Lakers, but Kobe Bryant looks as if he's on a mission. First he organized informal team workouts and weight training sessions before training camp, even calling Lakers teammates personally. Then he played 41 minutes in the team's first exhibition game, scoring 35 points, in Tuesday's loss to the Sonics. "He was fantastic," Lakers coach Rudy Tomjanovich said, praising Bryant's leadership after the game. "He addressed the team and said, 'Some of you have your heads down, but we worked hard. No one should leave thinking we didn't give a lot of effort.'"
Bryant clearly wants to prove he doesn't need a certain 7-foot, 350-pound center around to make the Lakers winners. He knows he's going to have to carry a heavier load, which is one reason why he bulked up 10 pounds over the summer. He also knows he's going to need his teammates' respect, which helped prompt him to workout with them for the first time in years.
"Expectations for us this season aren't very high at all," Bryant said at the team's media day. "I relish that challenge and my teammates do, too." How much Bryant can do with this Lakers group, however, is very much in doubt. Vlade Divac (herniated disk) and Brian Grant (sore neck) already have missed practices, and Chucky Atkins is their only proven point guard. If Bryant isn't careful, he is liable to wear himself out if he continues to log heavy minutes in meaningless exhibitions. Some might suggest Rudy T. should say something to his star player, but ... oh wait, never mind.
Between a Zach and a hard place
An interesting situation is developing in Portland, where the Blazers are mulling whether to sign power forward Zach Randolph to a contract extension. Randolph is said to be seeking a maximum deal, worth around $90 million over six years. If Portland doesn't reach an agreement by Oct. 31, Randolph could become a restricted free agent after the season.
Randolph, a 6-9, 270-pound bull who averaged 20 points and 10 rebounds last year while winning Most Improved honors, is definitely a rising star. But at age 23 he still needs work on his defense and his ability to pass out of double teams, and there are nagging questions about his character. Last August he was involved in an incident in an Anderson, Ind., nightclub in which three men were shot. The men survived, but Randolph's brother, Roger, was charged with three counts of battery with a deadly weapon. (He has pleaded innocent). Prosecutors initially were going to charge Zach Randolph with misleading police during their investigation, but decided not to after he agreed to clarify his statements.
Though usually affable with the media and reportedly a hard worker in practice, Randolph has had several brushes with the law. Last season he was cited for driving under the influence of marijuana (He was not charged.) in Portland. Two years ago he got busted in his hometown of Marion, Ind., for underage drinking, and as a youngster he spent time in juvenile detention for shoplifting, battery and gun possession. He also was involved last year in a practice fight with teammate Ruben Patterson.
For Portland president Steve Patterson and GM John Nash, it's going to be a difficult call. They were given a mandate to clean up the team's Jail Blazers image, which they began to do last year by trading Rasheed Wallace and Bonzi Wells. Now they've got to decide whether to invest long-term in yet another young player who might be a franchise cornerstone but who also can't seem to stay out of trouble.
Around the league
Randolph isn't the only prominent young talent who could join Tracy McGrady on next summer's free-agent market. Bucks guard Michael Redd is expected to exercise an opt-out clause in his contract and become an unrestricted free agent after the season. ... Tim Duncan is being listed at 6-11 this year by the Spurs, a change the two-time MVP requested. Spurs media relations director Tom James said the team rounded up Duncan's height to 7-0 when he came out of college, but Duncan and the team have since decided to be more technically accurate. ... Karl Malone's decision to wait on free agency means Kareem Abdul-Jabbar will almost certainly retain the NBA's scoring record at least through the '05-06 season. Malone currently is 1,459 points short of Abdul-Jabbar's all-time record. Even if the Mailman were to average 13.2 points per game (as he did last year with the Lakers), he would need to play 111 games. Even if he came back at this year's All-Star break, he'd still have a hard time catching Kareem before the end of next season.


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Companies in a wide variety of industries invest substantial capital in their inventories of returnable transport items or RTIs, the durable and reusable cartons, bins, pallets, wheeled trolleys, cages and other containers used to pack and move goods from site to site. Properly managed, RTIs can be a powerful tool to support efficient and sustainable supply chain practices, helping companies to free valuable capital and other resources by reducing the time and money spent to transport goods.
The challenge has been finding an effective way to track and manage RTI asset pools. Units are often used by nonowners with little accountability, so accurate manual audits can be neglected. Shrinkage can reach 25% annually as RTIs are damaged, lost, stockpiled or simply cycled inefficiently. That results in additional purchases and larger-than-optimal inventories just to avoid shortfalls and downtime.
RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) offers an affordable and efficient way to get the greatest value from RTI inventories. Picture this: At a busy bottling plant, cartons of soft drinks just off the line are being quickly loaded into the plastic RTIs that will carry them to a regional distribution center. As the product rolls through the loading dock and onto a truck, the RTI inventory report is automatically updated – recording not only how many units are headed out, but precisely which units they are, which truck will carry them and which distributor will receive them. Yet no one is carrying a clipboard. No one is counting. There are no forms to sign.


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Groene at the Legislature: Teacher absences, substitutes
Mail: Southern statues symbolize suppression
More opinion
Senate: Vote no on Graham-Cassidy health care plan
Fall: Good time to spray musk thistle in rosette stage
More Ag News
One or more times a day, the legislature moves among divisions of bills on the agenda.
Recently I asked why this unusual format is used. The simple answer is a former speaker of the legislature believed it would improve efficiency, and the speakers who followed just continued the practice.
To view the daily legislative agenda go to www.nebraskalegislature.gov and click on the monthly calendar in the right hand corner.
In choosing their individual priority bills, senators can select a bill they introduced, or they can choose a bill introduced by another senator. No matter how the choice is made, the objective is to give an important policy proposal the best possible chance to be enacted.
I want to highlight a few of the 49 bills that were selected for special attention this year by my colleagues.
LB 595 by Bellevue Sen. Scott Price would require a review of the state's new emergency technology.
The primary cellphone companies that operate in Nebraska have agreed to expand emergency texting capabilities by the spring of 2014.
Enactment of LB 595 would authorize the Public Service Commission to define next-generation 911 and create the upgrades that are needed to support this expanded service.
The bill includes an emergency clause, so it would become law as soon as it is signed by the governor.
Foster care
The continuation of newly established foster care reimbursement rates and creation of a standardized process to establish new rates in the future would occur with the passage of LB 530 by District 34 Sen. Annette Dubas.
In the current fiscal year, an additional $3.10 per day was added to the foster care rate for all children.
LB 530 would continue this new rate for the next fiscal year and require new reimbursement rate recommendations from the Foster Care Rate Commission to be implemented on or before July 1, 2014.
The Department of Health and Human Services would be required to establish a pilot project implementing standardized level of care assessment criteria to determine a foster child's placement needs and to appropriately identify future foster care reimbursement rates.
The criteria would be research-based and reflect a commitment to child-centered, family-involved systems of care. LB 530 is part of the legislature's continuing work on foster care that began last year with a complete overhaul of the state's foster care system.
Imperial Sen. Mark Christensen chose LB 522 to require the Department of Natural Resources to provide reasonable compensation for water users affected by a closing notice.
Surface water appropriators would be prohibited from storing or diverting natural or in-stream flows in order to comply with a compact or decree.
Payments from the state's general fund would be provided to irrigation districts to reasonably compensate affected users.
Rec centers
Expanded uses of the Civic and Community Center Financing Fund is the goal of LB 153.
The bill was introduced by Sen. Dubas and prioritized by Sen. Jerry Johnson of Wahoo. The expansion would add recreation centers to the type of facilities for which the fund could be used, as well as the kind of expenses that could be covered by the fund in the future.
LB 153 would also change criteria used by the Department of Economic Development for granting awards and reporting requirements.
As always, I value your input, and welcome phone calls, emails and personal visits from you.
Senator Al Davis, State Capitol, PO Box 94604, Lincoln, NE 68509. (402) 471-2628. Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Rancher Al Davis represents north central Nebraska in the Legislature. The seat was formerly held by Sen. Deb Fischer.
Flatrock Publishing, Inc.
1300 E 4th St., Suite F
North Platte, NE 69101


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Validating a New Writer s Cramp Scale
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- People with writer s cramp develop tightness in arm muscles and abnormal hand posture when writing, which makes writing difficult or impossible. At present, there is no suitable rating scale to measure the symptoms of or disability associated with writer s cramp. Researchers want to videotape people performing simple writing tasks. They will then compare the performance of people with writer s cramp on these tasks to those of people without writer s cramp. This information will help develop a rating scale to evaluate writer s cramp.
- To develop a new rating scale for writer s cramp.
- Individuals at least 18 years of age who have writer s cramp.
- Participants will be screened with a physical exam and medical history.
- Participants will have one outpatient study visit that will last about 3 hours.
- Participants will perform tasks related to writing, such as writing passages and drawing spirals and loops. They will be videotaped during these tasks. They will repeat some of the writing tasks three more times; on paper attached to a writing tablet, directly on the writing tablet, and on a computer tablet.
- The angles made by the joints will be measured at rest not while writing
healthy volunteers.
|Study Type:
|Study Design:
|Time Perspective: Prospective
|Official Title:
|Validating a New Writer's Cramp Scale
|Study Start Date:
|March 21, 2012
|Estimated Study Completion Date:
|October 25, 2016
Objective: Writer s cramp (WC) causes significant discomfort and disability to those afflicted by this condition. Studies on WC have been hampered by the lack of objective, validated rating scales. In this study, we will test and validate new instruments to rate WC; the WC impairment scale (WCIS) and a new disability scale (WCDS).We will also collect exploratory data about biomechanics of the hand.
Study population: The study population will consist of 20 subjects. Ten patients with WC and 10 age and handedness matched HVs will constitute the study population.
Design: 10 patients with WC and 10 age- and handedness-matched HV will be videotaped while writing. The WCIS scores will be given to each subject by four blinded raters (Drs. Mark Hallett, Barbara Karp, Katherine Alter, and Camilo Toro) based on the videos. The patients will complete the WCDS. In addition, each individual will be asked to repeat some basic elements of the scale while writing on the screen of a tablet PC, and on the surface of a detached digitizing tablet in order to generate high temporal and spatial resolution pen tip position samples for further numerical analyses and scoring. The biomechanics of the hand will be measured using a published scale.
Outcome measures: Using the WCIS, inter and intra-rater reliability, internal consistency (Cronbach s alpha) face validity, and reproducibility will be measured in addition to other secondary outcomes. The ease of use by the raters will be assessed for each subject. Reproducibility of writing on tablet, writing on paper placed on a writing tablet, and writing on a tablet PC will be assessed. Finally, biomechanics of the hands of patients with WC will be compared with those of the unaffected healthy volunteers.
|Ages Eligible for Study:
|18 Years to 99 Years (Adult, Senior)
|Sexes Eligible for Study:
|Accepts Healthy Volunteers:
Inclusion criteria for patients with WC and age and handedness-matched HVs:
- Subjects must be at least 18 years of age.
- Subjects must be willing to be videotaped while writing.
- Subjects must have regular hand function with the ability to write without an assistive device
Patients with WC:
- Botulinum toxin (BTX) administration within 3 months of participation.
- Unable to provide consent.
- Patients taking oral medications for WC including muscle relaxants or other centrally-active medications such as antidepressants which may enhance tremors.
- Medical conditions that affect hand function, such as stroke, nerve entrapment, tremor, parkinsonism, chorea, ataxia affecting the dominant hand.
- Unable to provide consent.
- Healthy volunteers taking oral medications that may affect motor function such as muscle relaxants or centrally-active medications including medications for psychiatric conditions like antidepressants and antipsychotics.
- Healthy volunteers with abnormal hand function including medical conditions that may influence hand function, e.g., strokes, nerve entrapments, tremor, parkinsonism, chorea, ataxia and psychiatric conditions (such as psychosis and depression) affecting the dominant hand.
- Have history of hand surgery and or hand trauma.
- Have abnormal findings on medical history and physical exam.
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01579266
|United States, Maryland
|National Institutes of Health Clinical Center, 9000 Rockville Pike
|Bethesda, Maryland, United States, 20892
|Principal Investigator:
|Mark Hallett, M.D.
|National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)
|Responsible Party:
|National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)
|ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:
|NCT01579266 History of Changes
|Other Study ID Numbers:
|Study First Received:
|April 14, 2012
|Last Updated:
|June 30, 2017
Keywords provided by National Institutes of Health Clinical Center (CC) ( National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) ):
Writer's Cramp
Focal Hand Dystonia
Writer Cramp
Additional relevant MeSH terms:
Dystonic Disorders
Neurologic Manifestations
Nervous System Diseases
Signs and Symptoms
Movement Disorders
Central Nervous System Diseases
ClinicalTrials.gov processed this record on September 21, 2017


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veganray wrote:High West ryes are the shit. Bourye (bourbon/rye blend) for a transitional rye dabbler, Rendezvous for the more seasoned rye lover, and their 16 or 21 year old straight ryes for the aficionado.
I'm surprised that jr has any beverage time for whiskey in his grueling regimen of bleach-drinking.
Thanks for the suggestions. My wallet does not like me falling into aficionado camp in most beverages. Palate wise what are the distinctions between corn and rye based bourbons? Is rye less sweet and more importantly does rye lack the solvent type taste of many cheaper corn bourbons? Sweetness as such is not at all objectionable to me as long as it works with the other flavors, but sweetness and solvent is as unacceptable for me as solvent taste.
Hey don't be mad at me, if i gave you your own medicine by trolling you back Peace man, no harm intended i was just having fun yanking your chain to see how you would react to getting treated like you treat others :^) And in that vein are you by chance an activist of some sorts building up resistance to pepper spray by digesting the milder stuff? I mean i'd like to see a video of a police officers face after spraying you and you asking for more, but this time straight into your mouth Oops this was unintentionally poorly worded and as such a funneee Freudian slip so i didn't correct the previous sentence for giggles. I meant spraying you with 5.5+ million SHU police grade pepper spray.


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Gennett, Segura leg issues raise red flags
ST. LOUIS -- With two important months remaining in the season, the Brewers have some concerns about the lingering leg issues dogging their young double-play combination.
Both second baseman Scooter Gennett (right quadriceps) and Jean Segura (left quadriceps) were sidelined Sunday against the Cardinals after previous injuries flared up in Saturday's loss at Busch Stadium. Each issue is considered minor, but their nagging nature has manager Ron Roenicke a bit worried.
Gennett tweaked his leg trying to beat out a double-play grounder in the second inning, and he exited the game in the sixth.
"It's to the point where I don't like him out there, knowing that he can't go full-out all the time," Roenicke said. "Like I told him, he can control it a little bit running the bases, but, OK, you've got a ground ball that you have to go in the hole for, you've got a popup behind you that you know is a big play, so what are you going to do? You've got to go. That worries me."
Gennett originally tweaked his quad in the second game after the All-Star break. Segura has been dealing with his similar issue since June 28.
"I'm hoping these two days [the Brewers are off Monday] will help these guys," Roenicke said. "It is the time of the year where you have some things that seem to linger on. I don't think we can afford to lose either one of them for a long period of time, so you try to be careful with them."
He added: "These guys understand where we are in the season and how important the wins are, and they're thinking they can play with the little stuff that they've got going on. That becomes my hardest thing, is when do I need to get them out, and when are we OK?"
Gennett wondered aloud whether his sore leg would linger for the rest of the season.
"I just need to watch out, how much I'm using it," he said. "I can't go out all-speed every time. That's usually how I play, I'm running out every ground ball no matter what the case is. I think the only time I don't run the ball out is when there's a runner on first and I pop out and there's nowhere for me to go. I just have to watch, have to be smart."
Would it help to take off an extended stretch?
"I did. I took, like, five days off, and it felt good. Then it just got a little tight on me again," Gennett said. "I think it's just one of those things where us as players learn how to play through some things. At the same time, if I get on and I'm the winning run and I'm at second base, I don't want to not be able to score for my team. I think that's where we all have to be smart. I'll have to communicate well with them to let them know how I feel. Right now, it's not the right time to have a serious injury."
Also on Saturday, right-hander Kyle Lohse rolled an ankle retrieving left fielder Gerardo Parra's second-inning throwing error and was sore the following morning, Roenicke said. He was not sure whether it affected Lohse during the rest of his four-plus inning outing.
Adam McCalvy is a reporter for MLB.com. Read his blog, Brew Beat, and follow him on Twitter at @AdamMcCalvy. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


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Police will hold an open day for people to reclaim stolen goods.
Surrey Police is hoping to reunite stolen property with its rightful owners at two events this month.
The events take place at Caterham Police Station on Saturday, February 16 between 9.30am and 12.30pm and on Tuesday, February 19 between 6pm and 9pm.
The majority of the items are tools or items suspected to be stolen from vehicles.
Detective Constable Paul Sparks, said: "We hope by holding this event that we can reunite some victims of crime with their stolen property and I would urge anyone who has been a victim of theft to attend."


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BVD sucks... He's boring and his matches are bad. he became a botcher. I hope he will leave TNA and go to WWE or ROH, i dont give a fuck about them
When the Devil is to busy
And Death's a bit to much
They call on me by name you see, for my special touch
To the gentleman I'm Ms. Forture
To the ladies I'm Sir Prize
But call me by any name, any way it's all the same
1x Tag Team Champion - Ramon/Infection.
IWA & EWN Tag Team of the Year 2013 - Ramon/Infection.
1x Adrenaline Champion - Ramon.
HWA & EWN Champion of the Year 2012 - Ramon.
Feud of the Year 2012 - Ramon/Clique
Shocking Moment of the Year 2012 - Ramon/Clique
Feud of the Year 2013 - Rock/Ambrose.
Promo of the Year 2013 - Rock/Ambrose.
1x Women's Champion - Akira Tajiri
Female of the Year 2015 - Akira Tajiri


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Find and work with talented freelance designers online.
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Everyone needs better graphic design. And no wonder — it can turn a weekend hobby into a global phenomenon.
99designs is filled with great designers. With 29,849 designs made daily and over $150M paid to our community, we're changing the way graphic design is done.
Our support gurus are here to help you achieve design enlightenment. Check out our FAQs, send us an email, or give us a call.
by alvianism


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Help fill the gaps and ensure bright, healthy futures for babies and toddlers in need. Homeward Bound's 14th Annual Baby Diaper Drive is underway, collecting diapers and baby wipes for Homeward Bound families.
Homeward Bound's Diaper Lady team of volunteers has set the goal of collecting 200,000 diapers and $75,000 in emergency baby funds. All wipes and any and all sizes of diapers will be accepted, with a greater need for larger sizes (4, 5 and 6).
Because diapers and baby wipes cannot be purchased with food stamps, many children go without ― in addition to medication, hearing aids and other health-related needs. Thus, mothers are often forced to miss work and stay home to care for their children, perpetuating the cycle of unemployment and homelessness.
For those interested in donating, you can do so until February 15. Drop-off locations include the following:
Homeward Bound
2302 W. Colter St., Phoenix
(602) 374-8753
Mon.–Fri., 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.
22639 N. 17th Ave., Phoenix
(623) 516-4700, ext. 144
Mon.-Fri., 9 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
LeBaron & Carroll
1350 E. Southern Ave., Mesa
(480) 834-9315, ext. 122
Mon.-Fri., 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Commerce Bank of Arizona
3156 E. Baseline Rd., Mesa
(480) 346-7550
Mon.-Fri., 9 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Commerce Bank of Arizona
4110 N. Scottsdale Rd., #120, Scottsdale
(480) 253-4500
Mon.-Fri., 9 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Central Arizona Bank
7001 N. Scottsdale Rd., #1000, Scottsdale
(480) 596-0883
Mon.-Fri., 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.


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I have no vices as such except couple of cigarettes a day and a bottle of beer at times. I have meat irregularly, about once a week. Am I breaking the five precepts ? Is there any guilt in Buddhism. I understand there is no sin in Buddhism.
Basically I am trying to ask what do I have to subtract from my daily life to be a good Buddhist (what activities - I already have a grasp of the emotional, psychological state expected of me). I am a bodybuilder in spare time. I googled "Buddhism + Bodybuilding" and read in another Forum that Buddhists should not pursue such things. But to me it seems ideal. A sane mind in a healthy body (not that i should use steroids). If I do not go to gym I will grow over weight.


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Category: Gold Medalist names
Nameberry's Olympic baby names coverage continues, this time with a look back to Games of the past. We perused the records going back to 1896, in search of the most unusual and interesting of past Gold Medalists' names.
With such a wide-ranging international roster, we were able to mine some pretty exotic (in our culture, anyway) nuggets.


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Goals from Minchol Son and Sushil Kumar saw Shillong Lajong end their winless run, while moving away from the relegation zone at the same time...
Shillong Lajong brought their winless streak to a halt, as they defeated Mumbai FC 2-0, in an I-League encounter at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Shillong.
Minchol Son had headed the home side ahead in the 33rd minute, before Sushil Singh doubled his team's advantage in the 77th minute.
The hosts started with Edinho Junior and Sushil upfront, while Jibon Singh paired up with W. Passah at the back.
Khalid Jamil meanwhile were without the services of Haroon Amiri, while ND Opara was once again over-looked. S. Kuttymani was drafted into midfield, in order to provide some creativity to the side.
Shillong Lajong started the game brightly, with Edinho Junior looking dangerous in front, and almost got past the away side's defense on a couple of occasions, as his link-up play with Sushil Kumar led to plenty of problems for Mumbai FC's defense.
The hosts though, were profligate in front of goal, letting 5 good opportunities go without finding the back of the net.
Just when it looked that like in games before, Lajong would be unable to break to get the vital goal, Minchol Son brought the crowd to its feet, as he headed past the Mumbai custodian in the 33rd minute
The goal meant that Mumbai FC too came out o their shells and some real open, end to end football was witnessed in the next few minutes.
However neither side were able to add to their tally, with Lajong going into half-time, leading by a score of 1-0.
The away side came out all guns blazing in the second half, but without Amiri and Opara in their line-up, found it tough to get past a resolute Lajong defense, who held a deep line, looking to protect what they had.
Renedy Singh then came close to doubling his side's advantage with a free=kick, but Kunal Sawant parried it away before Sushil Kumar finally found the back of the net in the 79th minute, to give his side some breathing space.
After that, Lajong held back and defended their lead, and eventually the referee blew the final whistle, to hand the hosts three much needed points, which moves them to 10th on the table with 25 points, while Mumbai FC have 30 points from as many games.
How do you stay up with football when on the move? With http://m.goal.com –your best source for mobile coverage of the beautiful game.


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The Hobie Kayak Cart for Inflatable Kayaks helps you easily transport your kayak from your vehicle to the water. This cart is made specifically to fit the Hobie Mirage i9s, i12s and...Continue Reading
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Little worry of getting lost
Beauty between the 94, Sweetwater River, Steele Canyon, and Cottonwood Golf Course
The Canyoneers 2 p.m., Sept. 13
Join us the second Tuesday of each month to learn what the board is up to, meet with your neighbors and have your voice be heard. The purpose of the NHCA is to promote a community where neighbors help neighbors and foster an environment that promotes community involvement for the betterment of all those who live, work, learn, and play here. We will be an advocate for our residents, a partner with local businesses, and a liaison to our city's various departments. Our aim is to unite our members and focus their collective energy on projects and events that improve the education, safety, health, and welfare of our neighbors and make Normal Heights a better place to live.
Enjoy the buffet style potluck and mixing with fellow neighbors from 6:30pm-7pm with the meeting beginning promptly at 7pm.
4649 Hawley Boulevard, San Diego, 92116
Get directions
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Porter sticking with Grossman in center field
HOUSTON -- Astros manager Bo Porter remains committed to giving more at-bats to rookie center fielder Robbie Grossman, who has started 15 of the team's past 17 games in center field. Grossman entered Saturday hitting .188, but had hit safely in nine of his previous 11 games with a .360 on-base percentage.
"We're going to continue to give him an opportunity to play," Porter said. "That's why he's here, and he's going to continue to get that opportunity until we decide to make a different decision."
Porter is a huge fan of Grossman's gritty style of play and his tools, and the manager plans to give him as much time as he can to see what he can do. Grossman's a very good defensive outfielder, but he's aggressive on the bases as well.
Grossman was recalled from Triple-A Oklahoma City on April 24 after he hit .324 with a .452 on-base percentage in 19 games.
"He definitely works the count and he's hit several balls on the nose," Porter said. "From an average standpoint, he may not have anything to show for it, but every time you look around he's squaring the ball up and somebody's making a diving play or a great play. He has tremendous at-bats and he's done a lot of good things since he's been here."
Brian McTaggart is a reporter for MLB.com and writes an MLBlog, Tag's Lines. Follow @brianmctaggart on Twitter. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


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Monday, May 22, 2006
Changsha, Hunan Province and Much More Tea
Changsha is about an hour and a half from Nanjing by plane so I made the visit short traveling round trip in one, very long, day. If time had been available I would have visited the numerous gardens and factories that are run by this large company but this trip we visited only one medium sized garden and factory located about 2 hours outside of Changsha.
Linda picked me up at the airport and we were off to begin our very busy day at the main office located on one of the oldest streets in this modern city. I had the pleasure of meeting many Managers and staff at this large company including Mr. Zhou, General Manager who I chatted with briefly. My hosts for the day were Ms. Linda Wang, Mr. Wu and Mr. Xie who I sat with for a short presentation on the scope of the company which I found fascinating. This was my first look into a larger organization that recently became a public owned company converting from state ownership 2 years ago. This group was dramatically different then any other I had met with so I was eager to see more.
We set off to visit a couple of the companies tea shops, which total 50 throughout China. I was introduced to the rare, exquisite yellow tea named Junshan, pronounced June Shan, which to date has been sold only within the Chinese domestic market. This rare yellow tea is exclusively grown and processed in Junshan. The elegant needles are as intriguing to watch as the soup is to drink. As the tea brews the perfectly sized needles stand at attention as they float at the top eventually sinking beautifully to the bottom. Really quite a show.
It was time for lunch and we enjoyed the traditional Hunan lunch invitation of sounding the drums. We filled up rather quickly due to our short schedule with unique and spicy regional dishes. Then it was off to the garden and factory and the senic ride getting there.
Once we arrived we had a short stroll through the gardens and then on to the factory. The factory grounds were impeccably manicured with a lovely statue of Lu Yu in the center courtyard. Pictures were not allowed in the factory and our tour was rather short. We got back on the road to take care of the real business at hand cupping the enormous variety of teas!
I spent several hours cupping, cataloging and selecting teas. I sampled a couple of teas that were new to me, which is why sampling is always the highlight of my day. Including the Junshan a couple of these teas may be available for the first time in the United States, in limited quantities, when we publish our new tea menu.
Once I finished it was time to have a quick dinner and back to the Changsha airport for the trip back to Nanjing. I arrived back to the hotel in Nanjing sometime after midnight exhausted from the day but elated that I was able to make the journey, no matter how short, to experience Hunan and the many teas it has to offer. Tomorrow we are on the road again to Changzhou an unexpected stop on our tour of China and Yixing and a new adventure I am sure!
Until next time, Beth
Sampling Teas all Afternoon.
Visiting the Tea Farm and Factory.
A Ceremonial Invitation to Lunch.
Exploring a Temple in the Old City Area.
Enjoying the Beauty of this Rare Yellow Tea.
Hunan Tea Company is housed on the oldest street in Changsha.
4 comments:
- Ankit Lochan said...
changsha is a bueatiful city and the hospitality of hunan tea co. ltd at their favourite dolton hotel is worthwhile. it is indeed a experience. they deserve appreciation, if you have spent a week with them you are bound to put on weight after eating the famous spicy hunanese food.
ha ha.
- Anonymous said...
Junshan is available in US market. It is called Junshan Yin Zhen or Junshan Silver Needle. Many stores are selling it. Do a google search, you can find lots of US vendors.
- Beth said...
Dear Anonymous,
Thank you for your comment. I will take your suggestion and do a google search. I was told, in China, that the product was not yet being sold here, but I should have checked further. I won't make that mistake again.
I greatly appreciate your feedback it has taught me a good lesson.
Have a Great Day,
- Oolong said...
Thanks for sharing a great journey and the photographs. Really it must be nice place with all sorts of tea plants, hope I can visit once to Changsha. For more about tea check


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Predictions for 'Downton Abbey' season 3 - are you ready?
Last year, as season 2 of "Downton Abbey" was coming to a close, we asked you to predict what you expected in season 3.
Shirley MacLaine had just been announced as an addition to the cast, and fans were going crazy over Bates' arrest (and subsequent Christmas special conviction), Matthew and Mary's turbulent relationship, ex-chauffeur Branson and a pregnant Sybil off in Ireland, rising tension between Thomas and O'Brien. Drama.
As fans prepare for the season 3 premiere on Sunday at 9 p.m., let's revisit some of the predictions ... er, wishes ... um (is there a difference?) ... that NewsWorks readers shared:
Anna and Mr. Bates
"Please don't make Bates and Anna be such victims!" cried one reader.
Many others supposed that proof of Bates' innocence will be discovered. Someone said O'Brien killed Bates' wife to save her ladyship from scandal. Someone else thought Sir Richard did it.
Lady Edith
More than a few people are wishing for some lovin' for Lady Edith — poor always-in-the-background Edith! A few readers even forgot her name, one calling her Ethel and another calling her "Mary and Sybil's sister."
One reader firmly insisted that the show's writers should find a man and not a woman for Lady Edith. (Had anyone suggested otherwise? Well, as long as you can poke in some nonsequitur homophobia, why not, I guess.)
Gay characters
Meanwhile, another reader was bothered that gay characters so far had been portrayed on the ... unpleasant side. "Toss a gay hero or two into the mix this coming season," he said. "Not only is it 'the right thing to do', but nothing could be more realistically British."
Questions of inheritance
A few readers predicted that the mysterious Patrick Gordon will return to inherit Downton. (One person suggested Cora's mother might even be in on it.)
Someone else said the real Patrick Crawley will come back and marry Lady Edith.
Furthermore, someone suggested Mary and Matthew will move to the United States and become heirs to the American fortune.
Someone said they'd like to see butler Carson and housekeeper Mrs. Hughes become "more than friends." Who has time for romance with all the silver to polish and all the wine to strain? And what about Mrs. Hughes' gentleman friend from the village?
One reader supposed that, as Mary's scandal unfolds, it will be revealed that Kamal Pamuk did not, in fact, die of natural causes in season 1. Another bold reader points the finger of blame at Thomas! Could the Turkish diplomat have been poisoned?
The troubles
"For those who know their Irish history," says one reader," season three is rich with opportunity for a plot thread centered on major political upheavel in Ireland with Sybil and Branson right in the middle of it, possibly ending in the death or imprisonment of Branson."
Another anxious reader pleads, "Branson can't die!"
Wrong show, buddy
An exuberant fan (whose imagination is bigger on the inside than on the outside) expressed hope for a guest appearance from Doctor Who and his onetime companion Rose. Can you imagine a troupe of Cybermen in the downstairs pantry or a Dalek invasion in the parlor?
Hmm, maybe on second thought...
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Find hotels & motels in La Place using the list below. Find discounted hotel accommodations in or close to La Place, LA for your personal leisure or group travel. Discover the most popular La Place Louisiana hotel rooms. Review the La Place hotel list below to find the perfect lodging. We also have a map of the La Place hotels. Need 5+ Rooms? Secure La Place Group Hotel Deals
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