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York, PA -
It was more of a wet Christmas than a white one for the annual Light Up Night on Continental Square. Despite the rain, hundreds of people crowded into downtown York for the tree lighting ceremony and First Friday festivities.
Before drawing the name of the child who would get to help flip the switch and illuminate the square, Mayor Kim Bracey reminded people of the reason for the season.
Although she is a Christian, she pointed out that although there are many religions -- such as Judaism, in which Hannukah starts Sunday -- they all talk about being nice to one another.
"So please, for my sake, be nice this year," she said.
She then reached into a container with the names of nearly three dozen children who hoped to be the lucky one selected. Cole Firestone, 9, was the winner. Taking his place on stage next to the mayor and Kyle Joines, student senate president for York College, Cole said afterwards that he was "pretty happy" about the honor.
Joines, a Red Lion native who is a senior majoring in public relations, said after the lighting that the college teaming with the mayor's office and downtown York for the lighting was "part of the initiative to reach out" and "be a vibrant part of the York community."
After the lighting, Bracey read aloud Clement Clarke Moore's famous poem, "'Twas The Night Before Christmas," heralding the arrival of Jolly Old Saint Nick, Santa Claus himself, who arrived not on a miniature sleigh pulled by eight tiny reindeer but in a York Fire/Rescue Services ladder truck, complete with lights flashing and siren blaring.
Children who wanted to sit on Santa's lap and whisper their Christmas wishes to him could do so at Martin Memorial Library. Finn Leisses, 5, and his brother, Liam, 2, were downtown with dad, Matt Leisses, in anticipation of being able to ask Santa for those special toys -- for Finn, a scooter, and for Liam, Big Wheels.
Leisses said he and his wife, Heather Klinefelter, owner of Growing Up Green on West Market Street, had been coming downtown for the tree lighting since "before Finn was born," and were happy to see the tradition continue.
"I think it's great. The partnering between the city and downtown businesses is a great opportunity to work together as a community and do a mutual event," he said.
The tree lighting almost didn't happen, due to a lack of funding, acknowledged Light Up Night event organizer Joan Shultis. Several sponsors, including Kinsley Construction, which was the evening's big sponsor, stepped up to provide the necessary funding, she said. Kinsley was joined by C.S. Davidson, Susquehanna Real Estate, Buchart Horn Inc./Basco Associates and The Grand Group, she added.
She declined to say how much the event costs annually, how much it cost this year, or what the shortfall was.
Find other holiday events at FlipSidePA.com.


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NEW YORK and ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. Reem Acra has partnered with HSN to bring Acra's designs to a wider audience this fall.
Acra will share with HSN customers a capsule collection in a series of live segments on Sept. 22 and 23 during the finale of HSN's Fall Fashion Series Presented by ELLE, HSN reported.
"When I first met Reem, I knew she would resonate with our customers. She has a unique way of melding cultural influences, femininity, meticulous detailing and color to create clothes that are truly special," said Mindy Grossman, CEO of HSN. "She also embodies the qualities that our customers look for from us: global style, authenticity, quality and inspiration. Never before has her collection been so accessible, and we're excited to bring it to HSN."
Ranging in price from $39 for a beautiful shawl to $299 for a sequin jacket, the Reem collection will feature tunics, dresses and jackets made of exquisite fabrics and unique jewelry embellishments, HSN reported.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
110% American Catholic Mug
Product Color:
Product information
Your own personalized Mug 110% American Catholic ensure that your morning coffee, or tee, or chocolate milk, tastes better. The ceramic ensure long durability and give your morning breakfast a sophisticated air, which will also keep your beverage hot longer.
No one can ruin your day after sipping from your favorite 110% American Catholic mug. And if you aren't a morning person, our 11oz American Catholic Church In The United States
Sku: TZ0WH0000024790909090025BLTU00000


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If you're struggling to communicate with your Spanish-speaking students and their families, and you don't know your cabeza from your codo (that's your head from your elbow), don't worry—help is here!
Whether you took a Spanish class 20 years ago and just want to brush up a bit, or you have never taken a Spanish class, you'll learn the essential Spanish for teachers and bridge the communication gap with your Spanish-speaking students and parents. Rest assured that this won't be anything like your typical high school Spanish course. We'll skip the frills and focus on "survival Spanish" you can put to work immediately. We've tossed out long vocabulary lists and complex grammar rules and replaced them with games and stories to make learning easy, painless, and even fun. You'll learn new words in easy-to-digest bites, and each lesson will include Supplementary Material to help you keep expanding your vocabulary.
We'll start with the basics of Spanish pronunciation, and then we'll move right into simple words for everyday things, such as colors, numbers, and question words. Then you'll learn more of the basics of conversational phrases, family names, and directions. Next, we'll get into what it's like on the first day of school as we go over words related to enrolling new students, conversing in the classroom, talking about rules and behavior, and basic vocabulary for various academic subjects. We'll also cover Spanish words and phrases to use in the cafeteria, on the playground, and even in the nurses office! Finally, we'll delve into some survival phrases for the parent-teacher conference as you learn to describe how a child is doing, talk about academic or behavior problems, and discuss grades and homework
By the end of this course, you'll be well on the path to being a Spanish speaker and communicating more effectively with the Spanish-speakers all around you. ¡Vamos! (Let's go!)
Note: To receive 25 hours of instruction in the State of Oregon, please ensure your school is eligible to issue professional development units, and that the course is approved by your professional learning coordinator.
A new session of each course opens each month, allowing you to enroll whenever your busy schedule permits!
How does it work? Once a session starts, two lessons will be released each week, for the six-week duration of your course. You will have access to all previously released lessons until the course ends.
Keep in mind that the interactive discussion area for each lesson automatically closes 2 weeks after each lesson is released, so you're encouraged to complete each lesson within two weeks of its release.
The Final Exam will be released on the same day as the last lesson. Once the Final Exam has been released, you will have 2 weeks plus 10 days to complete the Final and finish any remaining lessons in your course. No further extensions can be provided beyond these 10 days.
Today we'll explore pronouns, an important building block of your Spanish vocabulary. In addition, you'll learn how to talk about the months of the year and the days of the week.
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I enjoyed this course! I used a tremendous amount of the information in my class with my intermediate students and they loved it too! Thank you!
I really enjoyed this course and felt that it built a good foundation for Spanish within the classroom setting. I felt the matching games and links were particularly useful in helping to remember words. The scenarios with the ongoing characters throughout the course proved to be very helpful as well, providing real life situations to use Spanish.
This was my first online course and it was great! I really enjoyed this course and felt that it was set up in a way that was easy to navigate through and understand!
Excellent course! Informative and useful in my classroom. Thanks!
The instructor was very positive and upbeat. She presented our lessons with humor and good examples. Her illustrations and examples helped my language acquisition and desire to keep learning. Learning a new language is hard, but she was very positive and sympathetic and kept us going!
If high school Spanish was presented in this 'useful," user-friendly way, instead of the "verbs-rule" method, more students might stay involved! The lessons were easy to understand and very relevant to classroom use!
Thank you for offering this course. I was thrilled to find a beginning Spanish class tailored to the classroom. I really enjoyed the lessons. They were creative and engaging. The assignments were all very helpful, useful, and I very much appreciated that there was no "busy work" to be completed. The techniques you employ are great examples of best practices in teaching, very much a brain-based format for learning. I learned a great deal from this class and I am looking forward to trying out some of my newly acquired language skills. I plan to continue on with other Spanish classes. You are an excellent, organized, well-prepared teacher who is obviously passionate about the topic.
This course was great! Working with primary students whose native language is Spanish, I was able to communicate with my students. They were willing to assist me with my pronunciation and the fluency of the language. The information in the course wasn't overwhelming. The instructor also gives students feedback in the discussion area in a timely matter too!
This instructor did an excellent job selecting material that would be immediately useful to a classroom teacher. I thought it was an extremely beneficial course, taught in an easy to relate with manner.
For an old, retired teacher, determined to learn Spanish, this course was perfect! I am beginning to be able to converse with my Spanish students when I substitute and they appreciate the effort. Excelente!
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USN-2035-1: Ruby vulnerabilities
Ubuntu Security Notice USN-2035-1
27th November, 2013
ruby1.8, ruby1.9.1 vulnerabilities
A security issue affects these releases of Ubuntu and its derivatives:
- Ubuntu 13.10
- Ubuntu 13.04
- Ubuntu 12.10
- Ubuntu 12.04 LTS
Several security issues were fixed in Ruby.
Software description
- ruby1.8 - Object-oriented scripting language
- ruby1.9.1 - Object-oriented scripting language
Charlie Somerville discovered that Ruby incorrectly handled floating point
number conversion. An attacker could possibly use this issue with an
application that converts text to floating point numbers to cause the
application to crash, resulting in a denial of service, or possibly execute
arbitrary code. (CVE-2013-4164)
Vit Ondruch discovered that Ruby did not perform taint checking for certain
functions. An attacker could possibly use this issue to bypass certain
intended restrictions. (CVE-2013-2065)
Update instructions
The problem can be corrected by updating your system to the following package version:
- Ubuntu 13.10:
- ruby1.8 188.8.131.528-7ubuntu2.1
- ruby1.9.1 22.214.171.124-8.1ubuntu2.1
- libruby1.8 220.127.116.118-7ubuntu2.1
- libruby1.9.1 220.127.116.11-8.1ubuntu2.1
- Ubuntu 13.04:
- ruby1.8 184.108.40.2068-7ubuntu1.2
- ruby1.9.1 126.96.36.199-8.1ubuntu1.2
- libruby1.8 184.108.40.2068-7ubuntu1.2
- libruby1.9.1 22.214.171.124-8.1ubuntu1.2
- Ubuntu 12.10:
- ruby1.8 22.214.171.1248-4ubuntu0.4
- ruby1.9.1 184.108.40.206-1ubuntu1.6
- libruby1.8 18.104.22.1688-4ubuntu0.4
- libruby1.9.1 18.104.22.168-1ubuntu1.6
- Ubuntu 12.04 LTS:
- ruby1.8 18.104.22.1682-2ubuntu1.4
- ruby1.9.1 188.8.131.52-1ubuntu2.8
- libruby1.8 220.127.116.112-2ubuntu1.4
- libruby1.9.1 18.104.22.168-1ubuntu2.8
To update your system, please follow these instructions: https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Security/Upgrades.
In general, a standard system update will make all the necessary changes.


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DETROIT -- Two men charged in U.S. District Court with aiding and abetting former Pontiac City Councilman Everett Seay to commit bribery have pleaded guilty and are scheduled for sentencing in March.
Richard Clanagan, Roscoe Johnson and Seay were indicted on Sept. 17.
Johnson was arraigned Nov. 6 and pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting the bribery of a public official, and Clanagan was arraigned Nov. 7 and pleaded guilty to the same charge, according to a U.S. District Court clerk. Both were released on $10,000 personal bonds.
Clanagan, 69, was described at the time of his indictment as a "friend, associate and political advisor of Everett Seay" who has lived in Pontiac, and Johnson, 45, of Detroit, was described as Seay's friend and associate. Their attorneys could not be reached for comment.
Clanagan's plea agreement said he accepted $6,000 from an undercover FBI agent posing as a drug dealer, with the intention of distributing $3,000 to Seay and $3,000 "to another councilman," indicating the possible involvement of another current or former Pontiac City Council member in the bribery case.
However, the councilman's identity is not being released, as the U.S. Attorney's office in Detroit cannot confirm or deny whether a person is being investigated, said spokeswoman Gina Balaya.
"Defendant thereafter provided about $5,500 of this money to Everett Seay, and kept the remainder for himself and another person," the plea agreement said.
The agreement sets a guideline of 12 to 18 months in prison for Clanagan; the statutory maximum penalty for the bribery charge is 10 years in prison and $250,000 in fines. Clanagan signed the plea agreement on Sept. 12.
Johnson's plea agreement also was signed Sept. 12 and has the same terms as Clanagan's agreement.
Seay, who is charged in U.S. District Court with conspiracy, bribery, drug conspiracy and trafficking and aiding and abetting a crime, has a new attorney and a January trial date. A not-guilty plea was entered on Seay's behalf at his Sept. 17 arraignment in U.S. District Court in Detroit, and he was released on a $10,000 personal bond.
Seay was initially represented by attorney H. Wallace Parker, who made a motion on Sept. 26 to withdraw from the case, citing a breakdown in the attorney-client relationship and an inability on Seay's part to pay an "agreed-upon retainer fee, or otherwise fund the case." U.S. District Judge Bernard A. Friedman issued an order allowing Parker to withdraw on Oct. 30, and attorney Richard Morgan was appointed as Seay's counsel on Nov. 1.
Parker said in September that the former councilman was set up by a Pontiac businessman who was trying to avoid prosecution against himself on criminal charges by helping law enforcement officials.
The businessman "set upon a course to keep himself out of prison ... by becoming involved with political people in high-profile positions and set up circumstances that (got) him in situations like this," Parker said at the time.
The charges against Seay, 61, who served on council for more than 20 years, carry a statutory maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 on the bribery charges, and a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years to life in prison and a fine of up to $10 million on the drug-related charges.
According to the federal grand jury indictment, Seay met J.B., an undercover FBI agent posing as a businessman from Chicago in 2008. J.B. needed the city's approval to open a business buying and selling gold, and the undercover agent "indicated to Seay that he was a drug dealer and that the purpose of the business he wanted to establish in Pontiac was to launder proceeds of his unlawful drug business."
An indictment is a charge, and is not evidence of guilt.
Seay solicited bribes totaling about $25,000 in return for assisting J.B. and his associates with getting the city's approval for the gold business, with Clanagan and Johnson assisting and acting as intermediaries, the indictment said.
The undercover agent also asked Seay for assistance in bringing in a shipment of cocaine, placing it in a mini-storage unit and having it transported to an airplane to be flown out, and gave Seay a $1,000 deposit, according to the indictment.
The men discussed using a car with a Michigan municipal license plate to transport the cocaine to the airport, the indictment said.
Seay and Johnson drove with undercover FBI agents to a storage facility and transported 16 kilos of fake cocaine to the Oakland County International Airport, where they transferred the imitation drugs into an airplane. An undercover agent paid Seay $14,000 afterward for his and Johnson's help, the indictment said.
Attorney Parker said in September that the money was a contribution to Seay's mayoral campaign, and that Seay thought what was being flown out was gold, not cocaine.
Contact staff writer Dustin Blitchok at 248-745-4685 or firstname.lastname@example.com. Follow him on Twitter @SincerelyDustin


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Posts Tagged 'Phillippa Holland'
London Fashion Week S/S 2011: best Jewellery Designers at Somerset House
My favourite bits of jewellery at Somerset House for S/S 2011: Tatty Devine (of course), ethical designers LeJu, Mawi, Phillippa Holland and newcomers Phoebe Coleman and Cabinet 4 Buba.
Written by Amelia Gregory
Harriet Vine of Tatty Devine by Dee Andrews.
I'm a girl. I quite like jewellery, I can't help it. Here's my round up of the sweetest pieces I saw at Somerset House this year.
Phoebe Coleman
Phoebe Coleman was new to LFW this year, evident in her slightly small simple stand and eager demeanour. But that's no bad thing! Rather that than some shirty designer who barks at me if I take a photo. It's understandable that some people get narked what with lots of pesky manufacturers sneaking in to nick their ideas, but I'm only too happy to share my business card so a bit of decorum is always good. Anyway, like I said Phoebe was lovely and chatty. Her first degree was in fine art and she then went onto study jewellery in San Diego, California whilst also producing plays. She's a big old romantic, so alongside her previous dewdrop collection she has just launched the most darling heart collection at LFW. I love big brash jewellery for making a bit of a noise, but for day to day wear you can't beat simple gold pendants. So want one. What's more she's determined to support local jewellers so everything is made in London.
read more


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One of the stories from our spring magalogue took part in blustery Rosendale Allotments; what an amazing place. There was a great sense of community, something that can sometimes find hard to come by in such a big city (London). We came away with very muddy boots and tired legs but it was allot-a fun and we think the results were worth it in the end. Number of mud slips: 6. Number of cups of tea consumed afterwards? Many!
We were lucky to have such a lovely day - cool, crisp and dry.
Sturdy wellies were a must!
We were tempted by this tasty-looking rhubarb!
Our model was happy to get his hands dirty!


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The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services proposed removing immunosuppressant drugs from the list of protective drug classes in 2015. Currently, all immunosuppressant drugs are required to be covered by Medicare Part D. This proposed change would mean that in 2015 Medicare beneficiaries would only have access to immunosuppressant drugs that their Medicare prescription drug plan decides to include on their formulary. The LRI and many of its National Coalition members signed on to a strong letter requesting reconsideration of this proposal. Click here to read the letter sent to the CMS and click here to see the summary of the changes CMS is proposing for 2015.
LRI and Other Groups Voice Objections to Proposed Limited Access to Immunosuppressant Drugs
March 10, 2014


text: Citations, fines rising at site where miner died By Ken Ward Jr. March 12, 2012 Story Share CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Safety violations and fines have been on the rise at an Alpha Natural Resources subsidiary where a West Virginia coal miner died over the weekend, according to U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration records.Section foreman Jeremy Sigler, 34, of Pool, was killed when he was struck by material from the collapse of a wall at the company's Kingston No. 2 Mine, an underground mine in Fayette County.The incident occurred at about 6:15 p.m. Saturday and is under investigation by MSHA and the state Office of Miners' Health, Safety and Training. Sigler is the first West Virginia coal miner to die on the job in 2012.It was the second fatal accident in the last 18 months at Alpha's Kingston Mining Inc. subsidiary, which operates two underground mines in the Scarbro area."In this sad time, our prayers and heartfelt condolences go to Mr. Sigler's family," said Kingston Mining President Charlie Bearse said in an Alpha news release."While the mine is idled, we will work closely with the outside investigators to determine how and why the accident occurred," Bearse said. "We are administering to his family's needs and providing counseling to his fellow miners at this time to help them deal with the loss of their co-worker."Together, Kingston No. 1 and Kingston No. 2 employ about 200 workers and last year produced a little more than 1.1 million tons of coal.Both operations were part of Abingdon, Va.-based Alpha before its purchase of Massey Energy in June 2011. Alpha frequently touts its "Running Right" safety program, and has been promoting safety improvements at the former Massey operations since it took them over last year.At the two Kingston operations, total citations issued by MSHA inspectors doubled between 2009 and 2011. Total fines assessed by MSHA jumped from $63,000 to $334,000 over that same period of time, according to federal agency records.Safety violations and fines increased at the same time that Alpha was increasing production at Kinston No. 2 from 324,000 tons in 2009 to 524,000 tons last year.Combined, the two mines had a violation rate per inspection day that was slightly worse than the national average over the last 15 months, according to MSHA's online rating system.At Kingston No. 1, 56-year-old roof bolting machine operator William R. Dooley was killed in a roof fall that occurred at about 10:30 a.m. on Oct. 11, 2010.MSHA inspectors concluded that the company had not properly analyzed roof conditions at the operation or adequately protected workers from adverse roof conditions. The company was fined $35,000 for two MSHA violations, records show.Bearse formerly headed Massey's Freedom Mining, a Kentucky mine that was targeted by MSHA for a first-of-its-kind federal court injunction because of its repeated and serious safety violations. Reach Ken Ward Jr. at email@example.com or 304-348-1702. Story Share Story Share Trending Now 1 Obama pulled Zuckerberg aside to warn him about fake news on Facebook 2 Parole hearing set for Putnam man who claims wrongful sex assault conviction 3 Innerviews: Dual-identity surgeon riding high in horse racing world 4 Gazette editorial: Capito has second chance to do the right thing 5 Former State Police captain now chief in Winfield Two vehicles wreck in Kanawha City after pursuit Previous Story Cookie recipes a hit Next Story


text:
Note: This item is more than 12 years old. Please take the publication date into consideration for any date references.
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News Release
Media Contact: TPWD News, email@example.com, 512-389-8030
Nov. 8, 2004
Proposed Regulation Would Suspend Coastal Fishing
AUSTIN, Texas — Texas Parks and Wildlife Department is seeking TPW Commission authority to suspend fishing at designated places along the coast temporarily in the event of a freeze that could jeopardize the health of a fishery.
According to Larry McKinney, Ph.D. and coastal fisheries division director, Texas has about two million acres of bays and estuaries that are susceptible to freezes. He said that there were three major freezes during the 1980s, including one in 1989 when the temperature at Brownsville dropped to 16 degrees, for example, and an estimated 11 million fish were killed. Historically, freezes along the Texas coast have occurred about every 15 years and TPWD is taking proactive steps to try and minimize the impact to the fishery.
In order to get public comment about the freeze proposal, TPWD has scheduled a public hearing in Corpus Christi on Tuesday, Dec. 7, at the Conrad Blucher Institute, Conference Room 101 from 7–9 p.m. TPWD expects to bring this item to the TPW Commission for final action at the commission meeting Jan. 26–27, 2005.
Public comment about these issues and others of interest may be made to TPWD, Regulatory Proposals Public Comment, 4200 Smith School Road, 78744, by phoning (800) 792-1112 or by visiting the Web (http://tpwd.texas.gov/)
Publication — Permission is granted to publish, in whole or in part, any news releases on this page.
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(5.4.16 i)


text:
A welcome addition to the "FANtastic" toy line...
For a great selection of action figures and collectibles, check out BigBadToyStore.com, BriansToys.com, ToyWiz.com, SmallJoes.com, PastGenerationToys.com, MonkeyDepot.com, Sekaido.com.
For a great selection of pop culture t-shirts and apparel, check out TShirtGurus.com and 80sTees.com.
The Four Horsemen have taken the time out of their extremely busy schedule to deliver yet another FANtastic Exclusive figure to collectors the Queen Alluxandra (Swimsuit Edition). Today we take a closer look at this new figure in our in-depth review.
PACKAGING: This new release is packaged in a similar form as previous FANtastic Exclusive figures only this time it features a clamshell and blister card combination. This new design allows the collector to simply slide the blister card out without damaging the card and granting easy access to the plastic figure tray. The clamshell's edges folds around the blister card back and hold the card firmly all around without the use of tape. This is a great concept which will appeal to collectors who like to repackage their figures. The blister card features a character bio and one-of-a-kind art work which is visually amazing.
SCULPT/ACCESORIES: The Horsemen have done an incredible job on this figure. The queen features extremely intricate details all around including her unique wardrobe/armor, headdress and scabbards. The figure features a sculpted cape which highly resembles the look and texture of fur. The figure's proportion are much smaller than the MOTUC female bodies and is appropriately scaled in comparison to other FANtastic Exclusive figures. The queen includes quite the arsenal of weapons with a staff, short sword and dagger which can be stowed away in a sheath which is attached to her belt.
PAINT: The new heroic queen features a vibrant abundance of colors which enhance the overall look of the figure. This figure features a variant paint motif which reveals a sexier side of the queen by exposing her thighs and abdomen which are accented in a flesh toned color. Alluxandra's uniquely crafted wardrobe is painted elegantly with some minor applications flaws throughout the body.
ARTICULATION: Queen Alluxandra features an extensive amount of articulated joints which make the figure very flexible for posing. Unfortunately, some of the joints are a bit loose and the sculpted fur cape limit's the figure from being placed in more dynamic poses. Queen Alluxandra features over 20 points of articulation.
OVERALL: This new swimsuit variant of the queen is more appealing to me than the original version and blends in pretty well with the MOTUC toy line with the fantasy and barbaric elements represented on her wardrobe. Although the figure is not as poseable as previous FANtastic Exclusive figures because of the sculpted cape, she is still a very welcome addition to the "FANtastic" toy line. The Queen Alluxandra (Swimsuit Edition) figure is available in extremely limited quantities through Store Horsemen for $20, so head on over there and secure this great action figure before she disappears.
For more photos of Queen Alluxandra (Swimsuit Edition), CLICK HERE!
Review and Photos by Jorge Pelaez
Review Sample Courtesy of The Four Horsemen


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Miggy makes first spring start at third base
LAKELAND, Fla. -- Miguel Cabrera's big frame is back at first base this spring, but at least part of his heart remains at third, where he played regularly the past two years. In that sense, Sunday was a homecoming.
With an eye towards Interleague Play, manager Brad Ausmus used Sunday's game against the Marlins to get Cabrera some time at third. It's not an option he plans on using, but he wants to be ready for it.
"He looked fine," Ausmus said. "I would feel very confident putting him over there for a game or two if we had to."
Cabrera said after the game he felt good back at third.
That makes it sound more like an emergency option than managerial discretion. If Cabrera moved to third for a game, it would open up DH Victor Martinez to start at first base while keeping Alex Avila behind the plate. The more publicized plan for Interleague Play involves using Martinez at catcher.
The Tigers don't have long before they have to put plans to work. Their first road trip of the season consists of five Interleague games -- two against the Dodgers, followed by three in San Diego.
Jason Beck is a reporter for MLB.com. Read Beck's Blog and follow him on Twitter @beckjason. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


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Welcome to the Hutchins School of Liberal Studies
"The University is a community of scholars that has as its primary purpose to unsettle the minds of students, to widen their horizons, to inflame their intellect..."
— Robert Maynard Hutchins, Founder
"I cannot stress how thankful I am to have taken part in Hutchins...I came into Sonoma as a closed-minded and shy student, and I left Sonoma as an empowered woman ready to debate, defend, and take on the world. I owe this all to you."
—Taylor Terhune, graduate of the Class of 2012
The Hutchins School of Liberal Studies is a unique school within the larger institution of Sonoma State University. Hutchins students complete all lower-division general education requirements, with the exception of mathematics—through an interdisciplinary, theme-oriented focus. "Learning to learn," small seminar classes, close cooperation and a feeling of community among students and faculty are highlights of this program.
As students advance their education in the Hutchins School, they have the option of choosing between three different educational tracks, based on their interests and career aspirations. These tracks are as follows:
- Track I—Liberal Studies Major Plan: An interdisciplinary studies track in which students develop an indivualized study plan, incorporating Hutchins seminar classes, workshops, independent studies, internships, and study away experiences.
- Track II—Elementary Teaching Pre-Credential Preparation: Students in this track will not only earn a Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies by completing the required Hutchins coursework, but will also fulfill all prerequisities to enter the SSU School of Education's Multiple Subject and Special Education Credential Programs.
- Track III—Blended Program: This accelerated track allows students entering as First Time Freshmen to complete a Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies as well as fulfill requirements for a Multiple Subject Teaching Credential in four years. This credential allows graduates to immediately begin teaching in California public elementary schools upon graduation.
An external review of SSU's Hutchins School has stated that "Hutchins is not only one of the most enduring, but one of the best interdisciplinary undergraduate programs in the country. The small seminars that teach students to listen, to rethink their position, to reexamine their personal values, to develop critical thinking skills, and to become intellectually engaged, as well as verbally articulate, and the curricular emphasis on values and ethics [are] keys to its success."
To learn more about the Hutchins School of Liberal Studies, please explore our website or call the main office at (707) 664-2491.


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Time Warner Cable zapped with 2 lawsuits over cable modem fees
Time Warner Cable was hit with two class-action lawsuits in regard to its decision last month to charge its data customers a cable modem lease fee of $3.95 a month.
The lawsuits were filed in the Superior Court of New Jersey and the Supreme Court of New York. The lawsuits contend that Time Warner Cable didn't give its customers a mandatory 30-day notice, and that the fee wasn't included in existing customer agreements.
When Time Warner Cable announced a broader rollout of the fee on Oct. 15, the nation's second-largest cable operator said subscribers could opt to buy their own modems from a pre-approved list, all of which were Motorola models, but the lawsuits also said that Time Warner Cable didn't tell customers that their VoIP services wouldn't work with the purchased modems.
The lawsuits seek an injunction to stop Time Warner Cable from applying the fee, which was originally instituted on a trial run in April. According to published reports, Time Warner Cable could raise $40 million a month and more than $500 million a year with the cable modem lease fees.
"It's a massive hi-tech consumer fraud accomplished by low-tech methods," attorney Steven Wittels said. "Send customers confusing notice of the fee in a junk mail postcard they'll throw in the garbage, sock them with a $500-million-dollar-a-year rate hike, then announce on your website that customer satisfaction is your No. 1 priority. That's some way to deliver satisfaction."
Time Warner Cable spokesman Alex Dudley said the company had no comment on the lawsuits or the projected amount of capital that the fees could raise. Dudley did say in an email to CED that there's a provision in Time Warner Cable's service agreement that prohibits class-action lawsuits.
Following the announcement of the fee last month, Time Warner Cable received some negative publicity after subscribers detailed their waits in long lines to return their leased modems to Time Warner Cable.
In the company's third-quarter conference call earlier this month, Time Warner Cable President and COO Rob Marcus said about 3 percent of the company's subscribers had elected to purchase their own cable modems instead of paying the fee.
"I would say, overall, the reaction has been entirely predictable," Marcus said on the earnings conference call. "As with any rate increase, there are certain customers who do call in and resist taking the increase, but by and large, this is a more broad-based price increase than we generally do, in that it hits somewhere in the order of 80 percent to 90 percent of our customers. I think it's been very manageable, and we're pleased with the reaction so far."
Other cable operators charge to lease cable equipment, including modems, set-top boxes and DVRs.


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Why should ICANN listen to some Ned from Flanders? "www.gov.diddly" FTW.
The detente between Belgium's fractious regions is under strain again after the Flemish parliament demanded its own top-level domain. Instead of .be it wants vla, .vln, .vlaanderen or .fla. Kris Peeters, the prime minister of Flanders, says he will look into the possibility of creating such a domain extension. The Internet …
Why should ICANN listen to some Ned from Flanders? "www.gov.diddly" FTW.
Living in the Netherlands, about 15km from this particular border, I sincerely hope this will happen and that it'll be .vla.
I thought it was Nell Flanders
All this so Spit and Gob (the well known Flemish comedians) can have their own website...
Stupid Flanders
Living 4km on the Wallonian side I'm not so keen. I'm also not sure why you'd be pleased as the Flemish aren't that keen on the Dutch either :-)
From an IT point of view I don't really care. The main day to day problem is that the hard liners on the Flemish side seem to stir the rest up to the point of racism. One teenager said to me "I hate all French speakers...." I asked if she knew any, "no" was the reply. They claim the Wallonian economy is going in a different direction to there's (ie the French speakers aren't as rich), but they don't like it when you point out that the same can be said about Limburg.
Obviously the Franco-phones aren't completely innocent either, although theirs tends to be a sin of omission, in that they are too lazy to learn Dutch.
Anyway, just the views of an outsider.......
The Flems really do act like a bunch of kids sometimes. If it's not one thing, it's another.
For now, Flanders is part of Belgium, and so should make so with .be as their TLD.
If and when the time comes that they are an independant state, then let them apply for .vla or whatever. But for now, regions don't really get to have their own tld.
And when that time does come that they are an independant state, let them apply as any other candidate country for membership to the EU, and see how far they get with their right-wing policies towards minorities there.
... etc. etc.
If Belgium does split , why not assimilate the French-speaking Walloon region (population 5 million) into Luxembourg (pop. 400k)?
It's just a question of mathematics.
Paris, because she knows where to stick many things (except the Belgians).
I'd prefer: .pop
Lest we forget.
This would be the same belgian bastards who denied the release of ammo to the British during the Gulf war, overlooking the fact that if we hadn't bailed them out twice, they wouldn't exist?
Anyway, if you want to do business, you speak English.
MY dads from flanders and mum from wallonia... i cant deceide, but the french speakers are alot better crack so ill go with them. Some flemish are getting a bit to big for their boots and the hard liners are just left over failed neo-nazi's ... and yes they did sympathies with the germans too...
Happy days... glad the scots here arnt that militant lol...
me too having a dutch uncle does have some benefits, just dont let him hear me say that. Week on sunday my mum should be bringing me some back :)
I vote we get VLA sold in brittain :)
if they get vla as tld I call dibs on "drac.vla"
The Scots have been refused their own TLD on numerous occasions as we are more than just a region.
As long as its not a separate country, it should not get its own domain.
If the do allow it, the Brussels should get .bru
First dibs on irn.bru
BTW, the article is wrong - 50% of Flemish don't want independence. It's about 10%.
Mine's is the one with a bottle of Duvel in it.
"Prime minister Peeters told the BBC this week he is not in favour of independence"
He's not Prime minister, he's Miniter President of the Flemish Community.
He's not in favour, he's just preparing it.
They went to govern the country with an openly separatist party, and 15 months later (yes), they realized (...shock !) it wouldn't work. Quick, let's change the subject with a global economical crisis.
Wait, don't they already use .FR?
Let them have their own TLD and make it .vlaanderen. It won't do them any good coz it's so long no one will ever use it.
Then give us .scot along with .eng and .wal or whatever.
Because they refuse to speak to each other in their respecitve languages!
Technically, Flanders (or Scotland for that matter) cannot get a country-code TLD (simply, it's not a country - yet).
Given the precedent of .cat (for Catalunya), both Flanders and Scotland may be able to get a sponsored TLD instead if they meet the criteria of the new ICANN rules and are prepared to pay the registration fees ICANN will extor... ahem ask.
On the personal side, generally I have no sympathy for separatist regions and separate TLDs, but who am I to influence ICANN's processes and policies.
And i say NO. Just for the simple fact that all Belgian websites are cheap and lame. Most of them look like a 12 year old made them that was either drunk or wacked out on crack. What they have now is good enough (.be). Don't blame the Flemish for being needy when we all know the French side is just as bad if not worse. All the walloons do is sit on their lazy arse. Their side of the country is truly filthy. I know, i live close to it. Luik is only about half an hour away and It looks like a complete dump and not to mention Hainaut. You just don't wanna know.
Anyway, Belgium won't split up. We can't afford it. It would destroy us. The taxes would rise immencely to compensate for the cut from wallonie and we already have 21% tax. Or atleast thats the story i'm sure they'll force down our throats whether its true or not does not matter in this country. They're choking this country to death as it is.


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A BLACK Country glass and waterways expert was shocked to discover he's been immortalised with the likes of rock star Robert Plant and author JK Rowling in a piece of art adorning the new-look Crown Centre.
The artwork was unveiled last October when the rebuilt shopping centre, new Tesco store and library foyer was opened.
But no-one thought to tell author Graham Fisher MBE his was among the notable names hanging from the ceiling outside Stourbridge Library as part of a huge dangling metal sculpture depicting flying book pages - created by Stourbridge artist Luke Perry.
Mr Fisher's name and a caption, which reads 'local historian and generally good bloke', hangs alongside pieces paying tribute to Led Zeppelin frontman Robert Plant, Harry Potter author JK Rowling and esteemed glassmaker John Northwood who recreated the iconic Portland Vase.
Mr Fisher, who has penned numerous books about glass, history and the area's canals, said: "It's wonderful. I am immensely proud to have been afforded such an honour, which I didn't even know about until the artist Luke Perry kindly informed me a few days back."
Luke said he had got so busy creating the massive installation that he'd forgotten to tell all those featured.
He said Mr Fisher was included after members of the public were asked who should be honoured in artwork and he added: "I'm really happy that people like Graham got a mention. He represents the best bits about being from the Black Country. He's a bit of a Renaissance man really."
Stourbridge businessman Geoff Hill, the late Alan Trevis-Smith of the West Midlands Historic Buildings Trust and the late Frank Foley, who helped thousands of Jews to flee the Nazis during the Holocaust, are among the other 'local heroes'' commemorated.


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The 2013 NBA All-Star Game starts at 8 p.m. ET on Sunday, Feb. 17, at the Toyota Center in Houston (TV channel: TNT).
This is the 11th consecutive year TNT is televising the All-Star Game.
MORE: Past NBA All-Star game results, MVPs | Slam dunk contest winners
The State Farm All-Star Saturday Night, also on TNT, features Shooting Stars, Taco Bell Skills Challenge, Foot Locker 3-Point Contest and Sprite Slam Dunk contest.
MORE: Lin learned a lot in 12 months | Hunter firing won't end battle
The 2013 game will mark the third time that the NBA All-Star game has been played in Houston. The city also hosted the event in 1989 and 2006.
PHOTOS: Best of NBA All-Star weekend
i-injured, will not play; r-replacement
Carmelo Anthony, NY
Kevin Garnett, Bos
LeBron James, Mia
i-Rajon Rondo, Bos
Dwyane Wade, Mia
Chris Bosh, Mia
Tyson Chandler, NY
Luol Deng, Chi
Paul George, Ind
Jrue Holiday, Phi
Kyrie Irving, Cle
r-Brook Lopez, Bklyn
Joakim Noah, Chi
Head coach: Erik Spoelstra, Miami
Kobe Bryant, LAL
Dwight Howard, LAL
Kevin Durant, Okl
Blake Griffin, LAC
Chris Paul, LAC
LaMarcus Aldridge, Por
Tim Duncan, SA
James Harden, Hou
David Lee, GS
Tony Parker, SA
Zach Randolph, Mem
Russell Westbrook, Okl
Head coach: Gregg Popovich, San Antonio


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So admit it, you probably have wondered at least once in your life, "Does the Happy Gilmore swing actually work?"
I just happened across this on YouTube, it's a Sports Science episode from years ago that tackles this very topic, and guess what? It actually *does* work --- he got 30 yards more per drive using this "run-up" technique:
I just found this to be interesting and funny all at the same time. Who'da thunk that a wacky movie script would actually prove to be true. I've actually always privately marveled at Adam Sandler's form for that swing, it looks *really* good, lol.. I wonder how much he practiced it.
Also, I guess there is technically no rules *against* using this swing in the PGA.


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Bradford College chiefs believe they are creating the UK's leading college, by investing more than £100 million within a five-year period.
The college is in the middle of a near-£50m rebuild. That includes creating an an L-shaped campus building constructed on the site of the Westbrook Building which will also house the McMillan, Appleton and Old Buildings.
The new state-of-the-art facility is due to open its doors to students by September next year.
Such is the investment, the college went out to tender this week for companies to help with the £2.8m revamp of its Lister Building, announced late last year. That cash will see the college build an extension at the complex which will house a library, a cafe and an exhibition space.
Both projects will be completed at the same time.
Michele Sutton, its principal and chief executive, said coupled with investment in the two college academies, Appleton and Samuel Lister, the Studio School and a global film school set up in partnership with a leading Asian film training company, Whistling Woods International, it meant exciting times for the college.
"Our architects and project managers who work for the further education sector believe that what we are doing is leading the way with different learning environments and we are way ahead of the game," she said. "If we add up all our investment besides the £50m on the rebuild, it is about a £100m physical investment.
"This is going to extend to the Learning and Cultural Quarter with the Media Museum and Central Library at one end and the University and Studio School at another end. We also have the motor vehicle centre in Bowling Back Lane and the hair and beauty facilities in Centenary Square.
"We are investing in the skills of people in Bradford and are involved in the regeneration of the city centre."
Asked about the risk of such huge investments at a time of economic uncertainty, Mrs Sutton said: "To have done nothing may have lost us business. Students come to us having experiences in new schools and people working in new offices experience new technology and are digital natives.
"Playing it safe and doing nothing would have been detrimental to us and our students."
The College has done its best to involve students with the exciting project with staff and students encouraged to give their ideas on what they think could work regarding their involvement.
So far that has included presentations to the Construction Management Course from Turner & Townsend Project Management Group, who are the official project managers for the £50m project.
Also, the creation of course modules using the new build construction materials for engineering courses and student art work competition to decorate the site hoardings for Art and Design students have been introduced.
Contractors BAM Construction will be at the College Careers Fair in March illustrating the opportunities on offer during the project.
Apprentices from the College have also been employed as Apprentices on site and Metro have worked with the Style Academy and BAM Construction on a new nationwide travel campaign aimed at showing how accessible the district is.
Students also held a barbering event at the cabins on site to spruce up the builders' hair and all proceeds went to charity.
All of the exciting updates come after a tough few years for the College.
In 2010, the College faced a crushing disappointment when a £120 million transformation plan was rejected at the last hurdle when Government cash ran out.
But last January, college officials were over the moon when the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills, gave permission for the new scaled-down project.
The new development will eventually have an area of 23,000 square metres, an overall reduction of 33,000sq m from the original plan.
The remaining college buildings will be sold or put to other use while Lister Building, the Grove Library, Bolton Royd and Trinity Green campus will be retained.
2014 will be a big year with the unveiling and the laying of a Foundation Stone, but 2012 was a landmark year also with the go ahead and the opening of a £300,000 boxing centre last February at the college's Trinity Green campus.
That centre played a key part in the district's role providing pre-games training camp facilities for a number of Olympic teams.
At the time, Mrs Sutton said: "In this unique period of Great British sports history, we are delighted to provide this inspiring new boxing training facility for elite performers, while delivering the three key themes of Sport England's strategy: grow, sustain and excel.
"The facilities will provide an internationally-recognised boxing centre that puts itself at the centre of Olympic boxing in Britain."
The opening of that centre formed part of Bradford Gold, a partnership between Bradford Council, the college, Bradford University, Bradford Bulls, Bradford City and the Community Support network.
It is hoped, as the next exciting chapter unfolds, that the College will further strengthen its business and community links by giving opportunities to local businesses to get involved with the massive overhaul and regeneration at the heart of the Learning Quarter.
Two events at the college include a property forum for building firms, architects and project managers later this month to find out about issues affecting property in Bradford, while contractor BAM Construction is holding an event on February 7 to give businesses a chance to meet the company in overall charge of the building programme. Firms interested in attending the February meeting can e-mail firstname.lastname@example.com.


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Halstead Elementary Fire Prevention
Students and teachers from Halstead Elementary School take part in a fire prevention presentation put on by the Copperas Cove Fire Department, Thursday, October 10, 2013 at Halstead Elementary School in Copperas Cove.
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The city will host a public opening celebration for the Brookhaven/Rancier Sidewalk Project at 10 a.m. Thursday behind Brookhaven Elementary School on Haven Drive, according to a release.
The Central Texas Council of Governments is holding a public meeting Wednesday to discuss the Nolan Creek Flood Protection Study and is asking for public input.
The Killeen Independent School District board of trustees will meet Thursday for a workshop.
A new season of Patio Cafe dinners will begin Friday at Central Texas College with Cajun/Creole cuisine, according to a news release from the college.
A burn ban was issued in Coryell County beginning at sunset Monday.


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- Product Details
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TWENTY years after they took one giant step in moving from county to regional-level football, the next 12 months could well hand Melksham Town the opportunity to take another.
Last month's submission of plans for a new stadium and training facilities on the outskirts of town was the next stage in the vision to make the Toolstation League Premier Division club one of the envies of Wiltshire football.
That vision, promoted by chairman Dave Wiltshire and his committee and backed by manager Darren Perrin, sees the club's new home – at Woolmoore Farm, near Melksham Oak Community School – playing host to teams from youth levels up to the senior first team, filled with playing talent from the local community.
It also opens up the possibility that Town might one day attempt to reach higher up the non-league football pyramid than their current Western League status.
First things first though, the plans involving floodlit main pitches for both the town's football and rugby clubs, a joint clubhouse including 208 covered seats, a balcony to overlook each pitch, bar, function room, 11 further football and three rugby pitches, plus associated training and storage facilities, must get the nod from planners – probably around March.
Work on the site could begin in the spring, possibly allowing the football club to be playing at their new home this time next year.
According to Wiltshire, the sadness at leaving the Conigre, their town centre home of 88 years, and itself soon to be the site of the new Melksham Community Campus, featuring a sports centre, swimming pool and library, will be offset by their exciting new future.
"The vision of the committee from day one was that we want to maintain a standard where Melksham lads can play for their hometown club,'' he said.
"The vision is always to try and use local players from the community. That's the ethos of the club really.
"We could not make our dreams come true here (the Conigre). People will be sad to lose the old Conigre and we understand that. But when they look at this I think they will be delighted.
"It's a fantastic facility, with things we'd never have dreamed of – all what we need going forward.
"The (Melksham) rugby club is in with us and I just see it as a great thing for the town and, with the leisure hub that's going to be on the Conigre site, it's a fantastic future for sport in Melksham.
Wiltshire believes the 'one club' ethos will only be enhanced with the Melksham Town Youth teams also playing and training at the new base, the youth section's Russ Hillier working hard on establishing the needs of the age groups as the plans were formulated.
"We had to fight our case and have something that was going to be sustainable,'' he added.
"Being totally honest, I said two years ago that if this hadn't been coming about, I would have walked. It's kept us all going on our committee.
"We've had to fight for what we want to achieve, but if it all comes off we'll be absolutely delighted.''
The pathway opened up for the first team as a result of the move is also a cause for excitement.
"Whether it's the Toolstation Premier Division or whatever, we'll try to be at the top end of that,'' added Wiltshire.
"Next year, can we be in the top six and eight? Surviving this year was what we wanted to do – and it looks like we're going to be doing that, hopefully.
"We needed to be at that level because when this (new site) was designed, it was all to do with (being in the) Toolstation Premier.
"It makes our job easier to add on to the stadium in a few years' time if we want to move on and progress.
"Basically, the new facility will take us into the Southern Premier if we want to and we can.''
Having guided Town to their finest achievements – the 1996–97 Western League First Division title and two Wiltshire Premier Shield triumphs – during his first stint as manager, Perrin is excited about what the future holds, after returning as manager in September.
"I've been involved with the club for about 30 years on and off (his father Mick was a long-serving former chairman) and it will be a wrench to leave here (the Conigre), but to see what Dave and the committee have fought for is beyond everyone's dreams,'' he said.
"For Melksham Town to get a facility like this would be fantastic and we would be the envy of all non-league clubs in the county and probably the Toolstation League.
"It's something that the people of Melksham can feel immensely proud of.
"We've got a special bond of players here as it is, players who have turned down other clubs.
"We're quite lucky in the kind of characters we have got at this football club and if we can add one or two more to the squad we've got, then I can only see bright things.
"It puts me in a better bargaining position. I won't be able to offer players any financial gains, but I will be able to offer them arguably the best (lower league) stadium in the county, if not the league.''
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The dating game - Older stallions require thorough evaluations to gague potency
You have seen the signs little by little, and you are pretty sure that it is about time. The older stallion that you have been managing has had a poor season, and pregnancy rates are unacceptable. You are consulted as to whether or not he should be retired from the breeding shed. Sometimes the answer is easy if the stallion has no libido, very low sperm numbers or such an arthritis problem that mounting is becoming painful. Other times there are only slight problems and no readily apparent answers to explain the drop in conception. The decision to retire a stallion often becomes as much about economics and emotion as it is about science and statistics. Yet, for veterinarians, attention to good, complete semen analysis and the use of some newer tests will allow you to recommend either an early retirement for a particular stallion or a return engagement for next year's breeding season.
When evaluating the fertility of an older stallion, a complete analysis of the stallion, his book of mares and the entire breeding facility is warranted because there are so many places where the reproductive process can break down. Many older stallions slowly fall from the public eye and become less desirable breeders and are replaced by younger, more recognizable, trendier stallions. Additionally, there is the unfounded belief, especially among the racing community, that older stallions produce weaker, poorer-quality offspring. Consequently older stallions do not have their pick of the best broodmares and are often servicing older, poorer quality mares.
Dr. Ernest Baily of the Maxwell Gluck Research Center at the University of Kentucky refutes this belief."From an understanding of molecular genetics, there's no reason to expect age of the stallion to have any effect on the performance of the offspring," he says. "There is no basis to say that a horse's genetic contribution will improve or decline with age."
Still, this combination of older mare and older stallion combines for lower reproductive efficiency. One simple way to boost the production of an older stallion is to ensure mating to the best possible mares, preferably younger, proven producers. Older stallions also might become more particular in their preferences and habits. Some stallions will breed better at certain times of the day. Some older stallions prefer mares of a particular color or any number of other idiosyncrasies. Attention to these small details can help improve fertility in these stallions.
Fitness test
A complete physical examination of the older stallion should be the next step in this evaluation process. Medical problems unrelated to the reproductive system can have a significant effect on breeding ability. Dental care and nutritional status should be evaluated. Older horses need additional vitamins and minerals because their digestive systems are not as efficient as they once were. Stallions use tremendous energy and body reserves during the course of a breeding season, and older stallions are more affected by this daily strain. Older stallions should be neither too heavy nor too thin as both extremes will reduce fertility. Many supplements are available claiming to improve fertility, including vitamin E, chromatin and others. More research must be done before the exact relationship is confirmed between many of these products and the possibility of improved fertility. A good-quality diet with a balanced supplement is the best overall nutritional support for older stallions.
The musculoskeletal system of the older stallion also deserves special attention. Osteoarthritis and muscle, ligament and tendon problems all can affect a stallion's willingness and ability to tease and mount. A stallion that has strong libido, mounts (but cannot ejaculate) might be experiencing back pain or hock soreness or any number of other conditions that can manifest themselves as breeding difficulties. A thorough examination done before and after the breeding season will identify any potential problems. The use of glucosamine, chondroitin, various forms of hyaluronic acid and other products can make an older stallion much more comfortable, which translates into better performance in the shed.
The cardiovascular and respiratory system should also be examined. Many older stallions suffer from some form of decreased heart function, and the stress of breeding can be potentially deadly to these horses. Anemia, from many causes, can result in lowered libido and lack of interest in breeding as well.


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You're Not Alone: Music, comedy with a cause
November 8, 2012
STATELINE, Nev. — Music and humor can evoke the greatest and counter the worst emotions.This is the theme of Saturday's event You're Not Alone in Blu Nightclub at MontBleu Resort Casino & Spa. It is a fundraiser for the Solace Tree, a nonprofit support group for bereaved children, teens and family members.After he was diagnosed with bladder cancer, Emilo Parga recalled his father's death and decided to dedicate his life to grieving children. Solace Tree is in it's ninth year."These kids need to be heard," said Parga, a co-founder. "They need a support group and to talk to other kids to know they're not alone. I was going through that personally. I thought what do I want to do now? Teaching and counseling is a great deal but I've got to do something for these kids."Parga spent Tuesday afternoon sledding at Boreal with two children when he discussed Solace Tree. He survived the cancer and evoked enthusiasm about a new lease on life."That's me learning from the kids and the teenagers," he said. "Yeah, I'm an expert on my own grief because my dad died, but when I hear from the kids, the teenagers, the adults, the young adults, basically, that's what makes us know what we know. It's given us an insight to what matters and what's real. We all grieve differently. You sit down with these kids and they disclose everything because they want to be heard. The kids are the teachers."Parga shared his story in his Reno home with a cable television installer, Shane Whitecloud, who also is a southern rock band, Seasons of Insanity. Whitecloud immediately volunteered his band to play a benefit concert for Solace Tree.Seasons of Insanity, the hip-hop and rock band Knowledge Lives Forever and acoustic alternative rock band Workin Minerva will perform at You're Not Alone, along with Rodney Dangerfield tribute comic Rod Rodriguez and Donny Harris.Whitecloud's daughter died 14 years ago." I wanted to help," Whitecloud said. "I felt really passionate about what his project is because if something like this had been around when I was going through mine, then I probably would not have gone as deep as I did."South Lake Tahoe's Athena McIntyre is an organizer of the You're Not Alone event and the bandleader of Workin Minerva."They do everything for these kids who are struggling," McIntyre said. "It's really amazing."McIntyre and Whitecloud have been friends since auditioning together for Season 2 of the music competition "The Voice."The Solice Tree serves more than 200 children, 50 teens and 100 adult family members."It's a contribution to society to let them talk. … They are angry and depressed and they get to talk about it. All free."The work today is important, he said, "so there won't be unresolved grief 20 years from now."


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TEXTURIZER like KMS California Hair Play Texture Blast, $16.
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Rake hair back with your fingers (to create lift) and fasten loosely with a small claw clip.
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REFRESHING SPRAY like David Babaii WildAid Bohemian Beach Spray, $11.95.
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CLEARLAKE -- A Clearlake woman arrested Sunday evening on suspicion of being under the influence of drugs allegedly had methamphetamine and a pipe hidden inside her body when searched at the jail.
Clearlake Police officers responded to an apartment on the 3800 block of Old Highway 53 about 7 p.m. Sunday to conduct a parole search of Thomas Nordahl, 27, of Clearlake, Sgt. Tim Hobbs stated.
During the search, officers contacted Chelsea Dawson, 22, of Clearlake, who was allegedly under the influence of a controlled substance.
Dawson was arrested and transported to the Lake County Hill Road Correctional Facility, where staff searched her and found about two ounces of methamphetamine and a glass pipe hidden inside a body cavity, Hobbs stated.
Dawson was subsequently charged with possession of a controlled substance for sales, possession of drug paraphernalia and bringing a controlled substance into the jail.


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Two Gloucestershire Police officers censured for breaching data protection laws
7:00am Monday 24th February 2014
By Shaun Dix
7:00am Monday 24th February 2014
By Shaun Dix
HUNDREDS of police officers across the country, including two in Gloucestershire, have been censured for breaching data protection laws over the last five years.
Although Gloucestershire was included in the five constabularies with the least offences, two staff members were censured for disclosing information on a social media site and posting inappropriate comments about a work-related case.
Another worker was investigated for changing information on police systems without due justification or explanation.
A total of 2,031 cases of date protection breaches were recorded across England and Wales between January 2009 and October 2013, according to information obtained by the Press Association.
The investigations led to 186 resignations from members of the police and 113 sackings.
It is thought that at least 34 of those investigated were inspectors or chief inspectors, while 474 were civilian officers.
Javed Khan, chief executive of Victim Support, said: "It is very worrying to think that the personal data of victims of crime, who are often extremely vulnerable, might be being accessed and used inappropriately by people in a position of trust."
Gloucestershire Police were included in the five least offending forces along with Warwickshire, City of London, Durham and Leicestershire.
Avon and Somerset Police was the worst offending force, closely followed by Merseyside, Greater Manchester, West Mercia and Devon and Cornwall.
© Copyright 2001-2017 Newsquest Media Group


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ARTIE — You won't find many dots on the map smaller than the town of Artie in Raleigh County, but after the Artie Museum's opening on Monday, the town packs enough historical relevance to reach even the furthest corners of West Virginia.
Longtime basketball coach Tex Williams, who grew up in the house adjacent to the former Artie Post Office, turned that post office in which his mother, Blanche, worked for 43 years into a shrine of photographs, placards and other memorabilia he had collected over the years, honoring athletes, coaches and even politicians and musicians with state ties.
He dedicated the museum to his late mother, who passed away around two months ago.
Williams said that somewhere between 40,000 and 45,000 pictures and names are featured somewhere in a sea of laminated poster boards that cover the walls of the one-room museum from floor to ceiling, with others on display along the outside fence on Monday and in large tubs around the property.
West Virginia basketball legends Willie Akers and Jerry West, former Marshall football coach Bob Pruett and former Charleston High School and Virginia Tech basketball player Chris Smith were just a few of the numerous guests on hand, with West holding a lengthy autograph session after a formal ceremony that concluded with Akers cutting a ribbon outside the front door.
Several hundred people descended on tiny Artie on Monday, with police and firefighters directing traffic into three church parking lots.
West and Akers along with the public gazed high and low at pictures of everyone from Archie Talley to Ryan Switzer, from William C. Campbell to J.R. House ... even from Robert C. Byrd to Elvis Presley.
"I don't know what heaven is like, but this is heaven on earth for me," Williams said. "Friendships over the journey of life and this attests to the fact that a lot of those people, the good people, show up. That's the value of being genuine through life, you associate with people like this."
The building had been vacant since it closed in 1997 and Williams began storing memories from his career there and going through them when he was in town.
He said he originally planned on throwing most of it away but couldn't bring himself to do it once he began sorting through it.
Instead he hung a few pictures on the wall, which allowed a young boy in the area to discover a photograph of his grandfather in a high school football uniform.
That moment sparked an idea that Williams has been working on ever since.
But Williams held off the opening until his good friend Akers was ready.
Akers had to undergo intense rehabilitation after a fall at the Charleston Civic Center in February of 2013 left him with a broken vertebrae, a broken nose, a cervical fracture and temporary paralysis in both arms and legs.
The 77-year-old gave a call to his good friend and college teammate Jerry West and both were impressed by the scene on Monday.
"I'm going to come back and go over again when I can really, really look at it," Akers said. "Tex is a different person, nobody will ever be like him again — the work it took him to get all of these pictures, I'd like to find out how he got all these pictures.
"He's worthy of being a hall of famer in West Virginia."
West was joined by his wife and his sister, and both he and Akers spoke as part of the opening ceremony.
"This is about Tex Williams and his desire to not let anyone forget the past," West said. "I met this gentleman a long time ago and he's been one of the most loyal people and supportive people I've ever had in my life."
"[Tex], thanks for helping keep a lot of athletes' names alive here. It's an incredible thought you had here. For all of us that have been in this state for so long and love not only the mountains but the people, thanks again."
There were invocations made by Keith Tyler, a former University of Charleston standout under Williams, and former high school football coach Leon McCoy. The ceremony was guided by WCHS's Mark Martin.
There was a representative and a written statement from Sen. Joe Manchin's office, in which he called the museum a "landmark for all ages to enjoy."
There was also a representative from Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin's office, and Rep. Nick Joe Rahall appeared and spoke for a few minutes.
Tyler, who played under Williams at UC and was a star at Charleston High School before that, echoed what was pretty much the theme of the day — being overwhelmed by the amount of state history on display.
"The thing that I like about it is the authenticity of all the memorabilia," Tyler said. "You can see [Williams] put a lot of work into it, it's not professionally done, and it makes it even more special that he put so much time and effort and so many hours in putting this together.
"When you come and you see all of the pictures and all of the memorabilia you realize, 'Man, I remember this guy, I know these people,' there's a lot of history involved."
"It's about West Virginia and the history of so many people who meant so much to the state of West Virginia. As I looked in there and saw all of the memorabilia from all of the people that when I was little I looked up to — I mean, he has a picture of Jim Brown in there and a lot of professional athletes from this area, so it's a great opportunity."
Reach Ryan Pritt at 304-348-7948, email@example.com, or follow him at twitter.com/RPritt.


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Upon stepping into the Great Hall, I was greeted by the chaos of teachers and students running around trying to pack everything up. My first instinct was to find a familiar face and at the far end of the room I spotted Nicole helping pack up the evening wear section. As I got closer, I knew the news was not going to be good.
I'm honestly not sure how to feel. Originally when I agreed to do this blog, I was told that, no matter what the results, I should ere on the side of caution after Judging happens. I don't know, perhaps because I have always just been a really honest person, I think I'm just going to be throwing that caution to the wind.
I can't pretend that everything is fine because it isn't. I am crushed. For myself. For my friends that I stayed up late working with. For the people that were definitely without a doubt cheated (imeancomeonshebuiltbonesfromcottonferchristssake!!!).
Typically I'm not the type of person to be confident in what I do. In fact if anything, it is much safer to say I've got major self esteem issues, but to see so many garments that were absolutely breathtaking and amazing be denied, I'm completely shocked. In the end, only about 60 some looks were chosen. I would have hoped that with Calvin Klein's generous $2 million donation, our show would at least be extended to include more than 60 looks. That is already 30 less than the previous year.
Did I cry? Not at first, but when Prof. Scheetz came up to me to tell me how sorry she was, I started to crack. And try as the little boy might to hold his finger to the crack in the dam, by the time I got home I was bubbling mess. Thankfully it wasn't anything a lot of candy, junk food and potty humor couldn't fix.
The hardest was probably telling my mom and sister that worked so hard to help me get everything done. I think though, my mother put it best, she said "failing keeps you grounded, it is important to fail so you can gain the strength to pick yourself back up again." Failing to make the Senior show isn't quite the time I want to remember to stay grounded but she isn't exactly wrong. Perhaps a little twisted, but it comes with the Tiger Mother territory.
As upsetting as the Judging went, in no way am I knocking at the garments that did get in. My wonderful, wonderful friend Mimi got the well deserved Critic's Award with her black antique lace dress. She is without a doubt, the enduring inspiration that no matter what, you should always stay true to who you are. I am absolutely thrilled for her!!!
On the bright side, I have two weeks to kick back, relax and slowly start to put together my 3rd look. Not to mention the two kickin' new additions I have to use for my portfolio. As for what I am going to do for my first free weekend in forever? Who am I kidding? I'm going to get totally wasted! Come join me why don't you 😉
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The Influence of Probiotics on the Immunologic Response to Vaccinations in Infants
Recruitment status was: Recruiting
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- No Study Results Posted
- Disclaimer
- How to Read a Study Record
Background: It is well established that the presence of bacteria in the intestine has a profound influence on health. Probiotics, ("beneficial bacteria") have shown ameliorating effects on various infectious diseases. The influence of probiotics on several immune-mediated conditions has also been investigated, among them, atopic dermatitis ("Asthma of the skin"), and milk allergy.
The precise mechanism of action of probiotics is not fully understood. Several animal and human studies have shown the probiotic bacteria to influence the immune system. The aim of the present study is to evaluate whether supplementing the diet with oral probiotics affects the immune response of children following routine vaccination against 4 common childhood viral diseases: Mumps, Measles, Rubella and Varicella.
Objective(s) and Hypothesis(es):
Hypothesis: Administration of probiotics will increase the amount of antibodies produced following vaccination for Measles, Mumps, Rubella and Varicella, by over 15%.
- To determine whether administration of probiotics during infancy influences antibody levels following the routine childhood vaccinations.
- To determine whether administration of probiotics during infancy influences the rate of adverse effects following the routine childhood vaccinations.
Potential Impact: Vaccines, alongside with the discovery of Penicillin, have been cited as the great public health successes of the 20th century. However, even in countries with maximal childhood immunization coverage, the protective effect is not optimal. For example, only 70% to 90% of children immunized against chickenpox are actually protected against the disease. If we succeed in raising these numbers, even by a single percent, it will have a huge impact on society.
|Immunity Measles Mumps Rubella
|Dietary Supplement: Probiotics (L.acidophilus and B.lactis) Dietary Supplement: Cornflor
|Study Type:
|Study Design:
|Allocation: Randomized
Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: Quadruple (Participant, Care Provider, Investigator, Outcomes Assessor)
Primary Purpose: Prevention
- The level of antibodies against Measles, Mumps, Rubella and Varicella in the study group compared to the placebo group. [ Time Frame: 1 year ]
- The number of vaccine-related adverse events in the study group compared to the placebo group. [ Time Frame: 1 year ]
|Estimated Enrollment:
|Study Start Date:
|March 2008
|Estimated Study Completion Date:
|October 2009
|Estimated Primary Completion Date:
|July 2009 (Final data collection date for primary outcome measure)
|Assigned Interventions
|Experimental: 1
Dietary Supplement: Probiotics (L.acidophilus and B.lactis)
2.1 X 109 L.acidophilus and B.lactis
Placebo Comparator: 2
Dietary Supplement: Cornflor
Cornflour 2 gram daily
|Ages Eligible for Study:
|9 Months to 14 Months (Child)
|Sexes Eligible for Study:
|Accepts Healthy Volunteers:
Inclusion Criteria:
- Age: 9-11 months.
- Parent or guardian intending to follow the recommended immunization schedule in Israel.
- Parent or guardian possessing sufficient knowledge of the Hebrew language.
Exclusion Criteria:
- Infants suffering from any chronic diseases / conditions resulting in immune depression.
- Infants taking medications affecting the immune system.
- Infants with permanent invasive catheters.
- Infants born prematurely (prior to gestational week 35)
- Parent or guardian objecting to collection of blood sample at the end of study.
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT00645996
|Contact: Ilan Youngster, MD
|Assaf Harofeh Medical Center
|Zerifin, Israel
|Principal Investigator: Ilan Youngster
|Principal Investigator:
|Eran Kozer
|Assaf Harofeh MC
|Principal Investigator:
|Ilan Youngster, MD
|Assaf Harofeh MC
|Responsible Party:
|Ilan Youngster, Assaf Harofeh Medical Center
|ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:
|NCT00645996 History of Changes
|Other Study ID Numbers:
|Study First Received:
|March 25, 2008
|Last Updated:
|March 26, 2008
Keywords provided by Assaf-Harofeh Medical Center:
Additional relevant MeSH terms:
Morbillivirus Infections
Paramyxoviridae Infections
Mononegavirales Infections
RNA Virus Infections
Virus Diseases
Rubivirus Infections
Togaviridae Infections
ClinicalTrials.gov processed this record on September 21, 2017


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Last year at this time, influenza season was so mild, we barely noticed.
But this year, flu season arrived about a month early and quickly built to the worst level in a decade.
Nationally, the number of states reporting high levels of patients with flu-like illness decreased last week. But it's too soon to say if the worst has passed.
As always, anyone experiencing flu-like symptoms should stay away from hospitals, nursing homes and other venues where they could infect others.
While we're in the thick of it, here are some things to remember:
It's not too late
You can still get a flu shot. It takes about two weeks after the vaccination to build up enough antibodies to effectively fight off the flu, but flu season often doesn't peak until late January or February.
"Last year everyone got their flu shots, but then the flu season was very mild," said Dr. Lisa Burke, a physician at Carolinas Medical Center's Arboretum Urgent Care. "People have gotten lackadaisical about their flu shots this year."
Federal health officials recommend flu vaccine for everyone 6 months of age and older. It is especially important for people who are at high risk of serious flu complications, including young children, pregnant women, people with chronic health conditions (such as asthma, diabetes or heart and lung disease), and people 65 years and older.
Vaccine still available
Despite some reports, there is no shortage of the flu vaccine this year.
"Some of our locations may experience intermittent, temporary shortages of flu vaccine, but we still have vaccine in stock and we resupply our pharmacies and clinics as quickly as possible," said Mike DeAngelis, a national spokesman for CVS.
Shot or spray?
Choose from the common injectable vaccine and the nasal spray vaccine called FluMist.
Contrary to popular myth, health officials say the injectable vaccine cannot cause flu. That's because it's made from a killed virus. "It can make you a little achy, but it cannot give you the flu," Burke said.
FluMist, on the other hand, is made with a small amount of live attenuated virus, which does not cause flu but could cause a mild reaction, including lethargy, officials said. That's why it is recommended only for healthy people age 50 and under.
Always effective?
Some people who have been vaccinated still get the flu. But when that happens, doctors say symptoms are usually less severe and their duration is usually shorter.
"Probably about 10 percent of the people I'm seeing (with flu symptoms) have had the vaccine," Burke said. But "their symptoms have not been as bad."
This year's vaccine offers a "moderate" level of protection at 62 percent, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
"That means if you got vaccinated you were about 60 percent less likely to get influenza," CDC Director Thomas Frieden said last week. "Influenza vaccine is far from perfect, but it's still by far the best tool we have to prevent the flu."
Prevention works
Wash your hands often with soap and hot water or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer, Burke said. And sneeze or cough into your elbow. Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth with your hands.
"Stay home (if you're sick). You can even stay away from your other family members at home to try to decrease their risk of getting flu."
Flu symptoms include fever, headaches, body aches, cough or sore throat, stuffy or runny nose, chills, fatigue, nausea, vomiting and/or diarrhea.
Treatment options
Prescription antiviral drugs, such as Tamiflu, can reduce the severity and duration. But they work only if they are taken within two days of getting sick. (Remember: Antibiotics fight bacteria, not viruses.)
Most other treatments are for symptom relief, such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen to reduce fever and body aches. Cough syrups or menthol lozenges can relieve coughs and sore throat. If mucus drainage is a problem, try gargling with saltwater or nasal irrigation with a neti pot.
Natural or herbal remedies are used by some to relieve symptoms or boost immunity. They include Echinacea, astragalus, elderberry extract, yin chiao, probiotics and vitamin D. Even chicken soup or hot tea can relieve symptoms.
Flu can be dangerous
Health officials say the flu causes between 3,000 and 49,000 deaths and more than 200,000 hospitalizations each year. Complications are most common among very young children and people over 50, as well as people with chronic health conditions and pregnant women.
"There are definitely potential complications, pneumonia being one of the biggest ones," Burke said.
Patients should see a doctor if their flu symptoms abate after five to seven days and then reappear. That could be a sign of post-influenza pneumonia, Burke said. If you go to the doctor's office or urgent care, be careful not to spread your infection to others. Burke says her office asks people to wear surgical masks if they are ill.
Is bug worse this year?
Most flu cases have been influenza Type A H3N2, which tends to hit the elderly the hardest, said Dr. Zack Moore, medical epidemiologist with the North Carolina health division. "As we would expect with an H3N2-predominant season, there have been a lot of long-term care outbreaks and reports of severe illnesses and deaths in the elderly."
Looking ahead
"I'm cautiously optimistic that flu activity might have hit a peak during the last week of December," Moore said. "Even if that's the case, we will still have a lot of flu going around for quite some time. I don't have any theories on why flu has been more severe this season beyond that every season is different." Online Flu vaccine finder (plug in city or ZIP code)
U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Flu vaccine finder (plug in city or ZIP code)


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A FATHER has been banned from driving for two years after being caught at the wheel while almost three times the drink/drive limit.
Nicholas Bruce, 39, pleaded guilty to drink-driving when he appeared at Stroud Magistrates' Court on Monday, February 24.
The court heard that Bruce, of Wells Road, Eastcombe, had 99 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath, the legal limit being 35 microgrammes.
Magistrates were told that Bruce was stopped by police on the A46 near Woodchester at 1am on Thursday, January 16.
Officers then became aware that Bruce had been driving without a licence or insurance for 17 years, the court heard.
Kirsty Gordon-Cleaver, for the defence, said her client had been banned from the road for 12 months in 1997 for drink-driving and was unaware that he needed to re-apply for his licence.
He was also unaware that this meant he was not covered by insurance.
Mrs Gordon-Cleaver also told the court that Bruce's wife had recently been diagnosed with cancer, meaning he was the primary carer for their 19-month-old son.
He had been drinking that night to 'escape' from his problems, she said.
"He has no intention of committing any further offences," added Mrs Gordon-Cleaver.
"He knows what he did was wrong and doesn't want to make any excuses, he didn't even want me to mention the personal circumstances surrounding his wife."
Bruce was given a conditional discharge and banned from driving for 24 months. He was fined £200 for the drink-drive offence and £50 for the insurance charge.
He must also pay £85 in costs plus a £20 victim surcharge.


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School of Business Alumna to Launch Mobile Music Retail Truck
Have you ever noticed how you can find a food truck on almost every corner of every major city? Well, have you ever seen a retail truck selling music paraphernalia? No? Us either but Amy Bertram '12 is preparing to do just that this May in Los Angeles with her Beat Cruiser retail truck.
Betram, a Beta Gamma Sigma member, is planning on selling a variety of music products, including; vinyl records, turntables, headphones, artists' books, jewelry and clothing.
Read more about Amy's story here.


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This star rating is the opinion of the property owner only. A Self-Rated hotel has not been assessed by the AA or Visit Britain, whose official star ratings we use across LateRooms.com.
ibis Bristol Temple Meads Quay3 Self rated
Avon Street, BRISTOL, BS2 0PS
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About the hotel
ibis Bristol Temple Meads is within walking distance of Bristol's city centre and harbourside, within a short distance of Temple Meads railway station and a few minutes' stroll from Cabot Circus Shopping Centre. The hotel's restaurant 'Fogg's' offers favourite flavours from the four corners of the globe for you to enjoy and the bar is a great place to meet with friends any time of the day. All of the 141 rooms within the hotel are 100% non-smoking and feature en-suite bathrooms and an LCD flat screen TV.
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