text:
GETTYSBURG, Pa. — The commander of the Confederate army marched to the front of the makeshift classroom in jeans and a dress blue shirt to deliver battle plans to his top lieutenants, complete with a PowerPoint presentation and laser pointer.
Gen. Robert E. Lee would have been proud, if not perplexed, in seeing how Brian Gesuero took charge of the preparations for recreating the Battle of Gettysburg.
This year's commemoration has even more significance, given that it's the 150th anniversary of the Civil War, and Gettysburg will represent the pinnacle of the re-enactment careers of thousands of Civil War buffs.
"This will be special, different than the other ones. It's the turning point of the war," said Gesuero, 44, a firefighter from Federalsburg, Md. "This is our one chance to do it right."
Actually, the 150th anniversary of Gettysburg is so big that it's getting two separate re-enactments.
10,000 to participate
A group called the Blue-Gray Alliance expects more than 10,000 re-enactors to take part in its event, Friday through Sunday. This group has also held large-scale re-enactments, in honor of the Civil War's 150th anniversary, at Vicksburg, Shiloh, Twin Rivers and Wilson's Mill.
The National Park Service official events start Sunday. The battle was fought July 1-3, 1863, at locations that have become legendary to war buffs, like Devil's Den, the Wheatfield and Little Round Top. Gettysburg was the bloodiest conflict of the Civil War, with more than 51,000 casualties.
But the re-enactments themselves occur on private property, not the actual battlefield.
The Gettysburg Anniversary Committee has more than 10,000 participants registered for the second gathering on July 4-7 on fields at the Redding Farm north of town. It's the group to which Gesuero, along with federal counterpart Allen Baldwin, methodically presented re-enactment preparations.
The groups had discussed holding just one re-enactment, similar to the 135th anniversary in 1998. Back then, two events were eventually combined into one large battle.
Not this time around. The topic's touchy to all sides, but essentially the groups couldn't reconcile differences over how to run the events.
Lots of pride
The federal commander for the Blue-Gray Alliance event, Bob Minton, said his group is proud to have secured the Bushey Farm, the site of the 135th anniversary re-enactment. That piece of land contains a long sloping ridge that resembles the battleground for Pickett's Charge, the famous confrontation on the final day of the battle.
"It really gave us an opportunity for a wonderful piece of ground," said Minton, a Fostoria, Ohio, resident who works for an electrical supply company.
Pride is also evident in the voices of members of the Gettysburg Anniversary Committee.
Jake Jeanette, of Swansboro, N.C., was assigned the distinction of depicting Confederate Gen. Lewis Armistead, who fixed his hat to the point of his sword in leading his brigade before being mortally wounded at a spot considered the Confederacy's northernmost advance in the war.
"If we can pull these things off ... it's going to be something to remember," said Jeanette, wearing a gray hat with a yellow "CS" insignia.
Beyond the competitive edge and political squabbles — much like many other hobby groups — are genuinely affable feelings. Members of each group wish the others well and share the same goals of educating the public and commemorating the bloody skirmish.
The re-enactors are mainly a friendly, chatty bunch, eager to indoctrinate anyone curious about the hobby — especially for the 150th anniversary.
Ken Janson is traveling all the way from Chiloquin, Ore., as captain of a group that portrays Hurt's Battery, light artillery from Alabama during the Civil War. But this re-enacting crew is based on the West Coast, and it's lugging two cannons and three horses with them, too, to take part in both Gettysburg events this year.
"I figured driving that far, we might as well do as much as we can," said Janson, a retired teacher who will turn 66 while at Gettysburg.
Janson said he has no emotional or political allegiance to the Confederacy any more than he does to the Union. He's simply fascinated about the period and the complex nature of the war and its aftermath. "I admit it, I'm just a big kid and I love making big noises with cannons," he said.
But for him, re-enacting is more than just about faux battles. He especially enjoys the interactions with visitors to the re-enactor camps — and yes, the participants will stay in tents, too, as the real soldiers did. "Just to get people to think that (the war) was way more complicated than what people believed," he said.
Minton, the federal commander, started getting involved around the time that the 1993 movie "Gettysburg" was released. The film, based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel "The Killer Angels," by Michael Shaara, inspired many others like Minton to get involved, too.
Minton looks forward to the camaraderie built up around campfires at night, exchanging stories and ideas about the war.
"We all have different areas that interest us. What an incredible learning tool," he said. "If you picture talking to these people constantly, it just grows into real, good friendships ... It really makes an event almost a reunion."
One in which most participants are wearing wool clothing, anyway, to match the authentic uniforms of the Civil War.
Never forget
Patrick Davis, 57, of West Chester, will serve as one of the top Confederate officers under Gesuero in the second re-enactment, overseeing camps. The purpose of re-enacting, he said, is to help ensure others don't forget what happened 150 years ago at the crossroads town in south-central Pennsylvania.
"It's the one everyone wants to do. I mean, Gettysburg is the most studied battle in the history of the world," Davis said. "It's kind of the Holy Grail for re-enactors."


text:
Patty and I are honored to be here in balmy Chicago to help celebrate the founding of a National Military Academy at West Point, New York, 207 years ago. This commemoration provides an opportunity to renew old friendships, revisit old memories, and recommit ourselves, as Omar Bradley once noted, to the "cadence which echoes and re-echoes deep in the heart of each of us."
Omar Bradley rose to fame as one of the great field commanders of World War II, but it was in the shadow of Battle Monument that his life changed, much as many of ours did, reshaped from carefree youngster into the Soldier's General and a leader of armies.
We were lectured about the great privilege and responsibility of leading Soldiers and accepted those sermons without fully absorbing the weight of them. And not until we commanded our first formations, which for many of us was in combat, did we appreciate the magnificence of the American Soldier and the significance of those lectures we had received. In time, we learned that the national defense was not always just about the weapons of war and the techniques for employing them but our responsibilities for leveraging all the instruments of national power.
Like other Soldiers of my generation, I grew up in Vietnam. My instincts about what is important to our profession were born there. It's difficult to ignore that kind of imprinting. Though I remind myself that Vietnam was a very brief snapshot in the 233 year history of our country and our Army, the lessons I learned there remain with me, even today. We, too, were part of a "surge," President Lyndon Johnson's surge that began in April 1965. Prior to it, there were 16,000 Americans in Vietnam. When it was over, a year and a half or so later, over 540,000 Americans were fighting there.
Our units deployed so quickly that many of us, second lieutenants, were sent into combat, mere months after commissioning, without the benefit of our branch officer basic courses. It was a draft Army that had no noncommissioned officer education system or Sergeants' Major Academy and just the skeletal outlines of what is today a robust officer education system.
We, lieutenants, went to war on the skills of our noncommissioned officers, and they grew us into company commanders. In my case, Sergeant Ernie Kingcade was my officer basic course, during the two weeks that we deployed to Vietnam by troopship. He took the time to teach me what I would have learned in officer basic and then drilled me to competency. You can appreciate why this experience has stayed with me for 43 years. Had it not been for Ernie's own competence, I would not have succeeded professionally. NCO competence became an important aspect of readiness in every unit I commanded. The unique bond between young officer and NCO is just as crucial today as it has always been.
Shortly before we both retired in 2003, then-Secretary of the Army Tom White and I commissioned the Warrior Ethos Study to better define for us the profession of Soldiering. The attacks of 11 September, 2001, confirmed for us the danger in the shadowy forces that had been moving across the landscape for much of the previous decade. The Warrior Ethos Study resulted in what is today called "The Soldier's Creed." That creed, in part, makes four simple, declaratory statements:
I will always place the mission first;
I will never accept defeat;
I will never quit;
I will never leave a fallen comrade.
To some, these may be just words, but they mean a lot more—no matter the uniform, no matter the nation, no matter the affiliation. These are, after all, promises that Soldiers make to one another.
It is difficult to appreciate what the phrase "I will never accept defeat" means to Soldiers until you stand, somewhere, such as the water's edge at low tide, and understand just how far Soldiers, seasick from bobbing about for hours in assault boats, had to go to escape the killing fires of the defenders on high ground—defenders who were determined to deny them any footholds on the Normandy Beaches that 6 June, 1944. Somewhere between 2,000 and 6,000 allied Soldiers died there on D-Day—we will probably never know the exact count.
"I will never quit" resonates differently when you stand at the base of Point Du Hoc and gaze upward to understand that Army Rangers scaled those cliffs, hand over hand, into the plunging fires from defenders on the escarpment.
And because they and our allies "placed the mission first" the grand crusade to liberate Europe gained momentum 65 years ago—one tank, one truck, one Soldier at a time. And until you've stood amongst the tens of thousands of headstones at Saint Laurent, in Margraten, at Netuno, in the Philippines, Punchbowl, Arlington, and the countless other pieces of hallowed ground, where those who fell in battle lie in final rest, " I will never leave a fallen comrade," could pass for just words.
On 15 December, 1967, then Specialist 4th Class Allen J. Lynch was serving as a radio operator with company D, 1st Battalion, 12th Cavalry, 1st Cavalry Division, near My An, Binh Dinh Province, when the forward element he was with became engaged by a superior enemy force. Though they were greatly outnumbered, Specialist Lynch quickly and accurately provided his commander with information that proved critical to the unit's successful actions.
Observing three wounded comrades lying exposed to enemy fire, Specialist Lynch dashed across 50 meters of open ground, through withering enemy fire to save his comrades. Moving to reconnoiter a nearby trench for a covered position to protect the wounded, he killed two enemy soldiers at point blank range. With the trench cleared, he returned to the fire-swept area three times, carrying the wounded men to safety.
When his company was forced to withdraw under intense enemy fire, Specialist Lynch remained behind to provide aid and comfort to the wounded. Alone, he defended his isolated position for two hours against the advancing enemy. Using his rifle and a grenade, he killed five of them, stopping the assault just short of his trench. Again, under hostile fire, he crossed 70 meters of exposed terrain five times, moving his wounded comrades to a more secure area.
Once he saw to their safety, Specialist Lynch located counter-attacking friendly forces and assisted in directing their counter-attack and in evacuating the three casualties.
I will always put the mission first,
I will never accept defeat,
I will never quit,
I will never leave a fallen comrade.
Ladies and gentlemen, I don't have a better example of the Soldier's Creed than Al Lynch. And there were and are Al Lynch's serving in every formation in the Army. We just don't know exactly who they are or what spark might ignite equally magnificent performance in battle.
America expects its men and women in uniform to be loyal, and they more than meet those expectations—loyal to the constitution; loyal to the Nation and its people; loyal to the government and its leaders; and loyal to each other in uniform—Soldier to Soldier, leader to led, unit to unit, the Army to the Nation. In return, they deserve our loyalty and respect for all that we ask them and their families to bear in the name of the American people.
Today, magnificent young Americans continue to shoulder the burden of going into dangerous situations in places like Iraq and Afghanistan, where uncertainty reigns, and where the outcomes are never assured. They are willing to be our assurances that crises will be resolved in our favor, not by bombs or missiles or weapons platforms, but by men and women who will stand and do their duty when the time comes. And we must do a better job of taking care of them.
Since 21 January 2009, I've rediscovered what was so very special about General Omar Bradley. As you may know, he single-handedly modernized the Department of Veterans Affairs pre-cabinet predecessor, the Veterans Administration, in the wake of World War II. Over a period of two years, he rebuilt the Veterans Administration from the bottom-up, laying the foundation for much of what the department looks like today in terms of benefits, programs, and services. In this evolution of the department, it was Bradley's leadership and determination that leveraged change in a rapidly expanding organization—skills honed through combat command of large formations.
I am deeply honored to follow in his footsteps. It is my opportunity to give back to those, who served with and for me, in uniform, and to those heroes of World War II and Korea, on whose shoulders we all stood as we grew up in the profession of arms.
My charge is to fulfill President Obama's vision to transform VA into a 21st Century organization—a transformation demanded by new times, new technologies, and new demographic realities—a reorganization that leverages the power of 21st Century technology and know-how, while honoring the nobility of VA's 19th Century heritage.
In the years ahead, VA will leverage what we learn from such projects as the Captain James A. Lovell Federal Health Care Center, scheduled to open here in Chicago on 1 October, 2010. The Lovell Center will merge Great Lakes Naval Hospital with the North Chicago VA Medical Center and affiliate them with the Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science—the first collaboration of its kind. When the last construction phase is completed, the Lovell Center will stand as the flagship, collaborative standard for intra-service, intra-government cooperation, a health care model for others to emulate, and a new facility to better serve the men and women who have earned the best care we can provide.
Many years ago, as a young commander in United States Army, Europe, I listened to one of our generals use a quotation in a speech, one that I've remembered all these years and used myself, from time to time. It goes like this: "I know that when I die, I will die a free man, on my feet—not on my knees, with my head up—not bowed." Standing then only miles from the Iron Curtain, I realized that I had been taking a lot for granted. I could utter the same words. You see, that statement is my legacy, and it is yours, as well. And because we share that in common, our children and grandchildren have that legacy—the right to make the same statement boldly. As free people, we bequeath that legacy to them. Only the free, who cherish freedom and love liberty enough to fight for it, can bequeath freedom to others. The shackled cannot, and the free, who are not willing to fight, cannot. Only the free, who cherish freedom and love liberty enough to fight for it, can bequeath freedom to others.
Tonight, as we celebrate the 207th year of West Point's founding, I am privileged to join you in this annual tradition held close by the members of the Long Gray Line. And as I stand for a period of time in General Bradley's boots as head of your VA, I enlist each of you, your counsel and your support, in the effort I will lead in the days ahead.
Our Nation will continue to call on its military to safeguard our freedom and our liberty. West Point's mission to provide men and women of character to lead the Army in peace and in war has never been more crucial. Two hundred years from now, at Founders Day celebrations like this one, I hope graduates of West Point are still gathering to remind all of the enduring legacy of our alma mater by repeating this refrain:
'Let duty be well performed,
Honor be e'er untarned,
Country be ever armed,
West point, by thee.'
God bless our magnificent Soldiers; God bless our great Army; God bless our Veterans, and God bless this wonderful country.
Thank you, and good night.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Former Giants star Will Clark will make good on a year-old promise Tuesday night.
When Clark addressed the crowd at a charity event last, he made a promise to Charlie Hughes, another speaker at the event. Hughes, 25, will throw out the first pitch when the Giants play the Chicago Cubs on Tuesday night at AT&T Park.
"I saw Charlie give a speech last year at Hope Services and he got up and told everyone how he benefited from the organization. He actually introduced me and I followed him up," Clark said.
"Public speaking is tough, especially for a young man with autism to get up in front of a big crowd and speak as well as he did? He did a great job.
Hughes is a twin who weighed just two pounds when he was born prematurely and spent the first nine months of his life in the neonatal intensive care unit. He says he's a longtime Giants fan and credits his second-grade teacher, Sue Garadis, for using box score stats from Giants games as a way to teach him math.
He says he's not sure how he won Clark's heart, but he's glad the two of them connected at a reception the night before the breakfast.
"He's a huge Giants fan, and I told him we'd try to get him out on the field to throw out a first pitch," Clark said. "Even though it didn't happen last year, I stayed in touch with him and we made it happen this year."


text:
Emily Maxwell is the Associate Director, Northeast Regional Center & Diversity and Inclusion and works from the Northeast Regional Center with our affiliates and partners in Connecticut, New York, Rhode Island, and New Jersey. In addition to joint advocacy with our affiliates at the federal and state level on mission-critical issues including global warming and safeguarding wildlife and natural areas, Emily helps lead collaborations with our affiliates on state and regional projects.
Emily is a former Doris Duke Conservation Fellow who has served as a Program Director at Partnerships for Parks in New York, Vermont Public Interest Research Group's Field Director, coordinator of a community greening and environmental education initiative in Philadelphia, and founder of an organization dedicated to protecting community gardens in New York City.
Emily is co-author of Building Capacity Through Diversity, a report that explores building the efficacy of the environmental movement through diverse partnerships. She has a B.A. in Urban Studies from the New School for Social Research and an M.S. in Natural Resources Policy from University of Michigan.
Emily is currently a member of the adjunct faculty of Lesley University in Boston, MA where she teaches a course called "Visioning Sustainable Cities" in the Urban Environmental Leadership Masters Program at Lesley University in Boston this fall.


text:
By Jatin Thakkar and Soham Sarkhel
Australia 269/8; India 270/6 in 49.4 overs (India won by 4 wickets)
The scorecard of the match is here.
India finally for the first time on this tour managed to beat a Michael Clarke led Australian team after they successfully chased down a stiff target of 270 runs with four wickets in hand. The win definitely spices up the race for the top spot in the points table with both Australia and India now having suffered a loss each. However Australia still find themselves placed at the top of the table on virtue of their bonus point over India in the first ODI of the CB Series.
Overall, India's Team IMPACT in the match was 1.77 as compared to Australia's 1.67.
All figures between 0 and 5 unless otherwise mentioned.
*Figures in the brackets represent the players' Match IMPACT when it is not restricted between 0 and 5, as it is in a career context.
Poking, shrivelling, edging are generally the terms one would come to recognise Gautam Gambhir with in this Australian summer but in the fourth ODI at Adelaide he finally managed to lay to rest all the aforementioned terms as he supervised the Indian chase beautifully by scoring a match winning knock of 92 runs in 111 balls (Batting IMPACT 4.76). He played the sheet anchor's role in a demanding chase as other Indian batsmen scored and fell around him to produce the highest-impact performance in the match.
MS Dhoni started off in an extremely mild manner, scoring extremely slowly and ended up pushing the required run rate above 8 at a point of time. However, his unbeaten 44 in 58 balls (Batting IMPACT 2.62) saw India through the chase successfully to produce the second-highest Batting IMPACT performance for India after Gambhir.
Suresh Raina (Batting IMPACT 1.97) and Gautam Gambhir both steadied the Indian innings and also managed to log Partnership IMPACT during the match. Gambhir's fall soon after to McKay mandated skipper MS Dhoni's arrival to the crease.
Virender Sehwag again threatened to explode only to self implode in his typical fashion (Batting IMPACT 0.86). Virat Kohli (Batting IMPACT 0.44) who is known for his chasing skills failed to impress and fell to a poor shot early in his innings. Rohit Sharma (Batting IMPACT 1.19) again flattered to deceive and got out playing an ugly swipe off the bowling of Ryan Harris.
Earlier in the day, Ricky Ponting again continued his succession of failures in the CB Series and perished early to Vinay Kumar. Even though Clarke and Warner managed to provide Australia a stable start the main highlight of the Aussie innings was the performance of the debutant Peter Forrest. His knock of 66 runs (Batting IMPACT 2.79) was bettered only by David Hussey's knock of 72 runs (Batting IMPACT 3.59) and together also had a Partnership IMPACT in the match.
In the bowling department, the spinners were unhelpful and both Ravindra Jadeja and R Ashwin had a Bowling IMPACT of less than 1. Umesh Yadav in his first match of the series performed tremendously well and managed to garner a Bowling IMPACT of 2.83, the highest among all the Indian bowlers. Vinay Kumar (Bowling IMPACT 2.34) also picked up two wickets but was a touch expensive for his efforts.
For Australia, Clint McKay (Bowling IMPACT 3.72) was the pick of the Australian bowlers with his three wicket haul whereas Xavier Doherty came back well during his death overs spell to end up with a Bowling IMPACT of 2.40. The other Australian bowlers especially Ryan Harris and Mitchell Starc performed miserably and failed to generate appropriate Bowling IMPACT in the match.
For more information, go to www.impactindexcricket.com.
By Jatin Thakkar and Soham Sarkhel


text: Collection luxe silk crepe blouse Item 59569 Size: Size Charts Quantity: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Add to Bag Wishlist Add to Bag Add To Wishlist share: Find In Store Please select a size above. size & fit Product Details Our design team sourced a super-rich version of our wildly prized silk crepe de chine to give this classic shirt a sumptuous feel and a delicious drape. Tailored to perfection—neither too short nor too long—we're sporting ours tucked into sleek pencil skirts for extra polish or languid and loose for that cool-girl luxe we love. Silk crepe de chine. Long sleeves. Functional buttons at cuffs. Dry clean. Import. Item 59569.


text:
Tons Of Great Games, Previews Star Wars X-Wing Miniatures...
Fantasy Flight Games is a juggernaut in the gaming scene, with everything from RPGs to miniature games and board games, and everything in between. The full product lineup was on display at Gen Con, and nearby was a massive area where attendees could play demos. FFG even put out prototypes of upcoming capital-scale Star Wars X-Wing Miniatures: Tantive IV and GR-75 Rebel Transport and Escort!
To insure your action figure collection, get in touch with Collectibles Insurance, the official insurance company of the Figures.com network. Say "Figures.com" to get 5% off your first term premiums.
To buy action figures, take a look at BigBadToyStore.com, AlterEgoComics.com, Toynk.com, BriansToys.com, ToyWiz.com, and MonkeyDepot.com.


text:
Sly, Statham and Li get the 12" toy treatment...
For a great selection of film, comic and TV action figures and collectibles, check out BigBadToyStore.com, BriansToys.com, ToyWiz.com, PastGenerationToys.com, Urban-Collector.com, ToyDorks.com, MonkeyDepot.com, HobbyLinkJapan.com, and Sekaido.com.
To insure your action figure collection, get in touch with our sponsor Collectibles Insurance.
For the best in 1/6th scale customizing and discussion, check out OneSixthWarriors.com.
When it comes to accurate actor or character head sculpts in 1/6th scale, there are a number of high quality companies producing amazing products, including Hot Toys, Soldier Story, DiD and more.
Now, however, another company - HeadPlay - has entered the mix with their beautifully crafted and artfully painted heads based on fan-favorite actors from a number of domestic and foreign films.
First introduced to HeadPlay through OneSixthWarriors.com, I was immediately impressed by the line up of heads based on actors from fan-favorite action and comedy films. Actors with heads currently in production include Chow Yun Fat, Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Jet Li, Jack Ma, Jiang Wen, Ge You, and Zhang Jizhong. Future releases include Danny Trejo, Liam Neeson, John Travolta (as Vincent Vega), Al Pacino, and more.
Below are a number of images of three of HeadPlay's latest: Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, and Jet Li.
One of the first things you'll notice is these heads are packaged in a beautifully designed, sturdy and carefully packaged white box. Featuring the company's name in die-cut foil lettering, the head and connection pieces inside are protected thanks to the form-fitting foam which surrounds each piece and part.
Likewise, something else you'll immediately notice is the head can be attached to different 1/6th body styles thanks to HeadPlay enclosing multiple attachment options. This is one amazing benefit to purchasing a HeadPlay head as not only does it connect to one type of body, but - thanks to various head connections - it can be connected to most of today's most popular 1/6th scale bodies, including Hot Toys, Soldier Story, DiD, Dragon, Enterbay and more.
Likewise, these heads look beautifully painted and feature the finest in detailing, ensuring each piece is ready for display right out of the box. No messing with paints of fussing with having to add minute details.
Film fans will immediately recognize these three heads as based on the characters from The Expendables. While the look of each of these three men varies little between movies, it's a safe bet customizers looking to create their own team of black ops mercs from the fan-favorite, bullet-filled movie have only to check out HeadPlay's line-up to find what they need.
One issue which is already being addressed is the neck/head attachment. As per some constructive criticism left by fans and collectors on OneSixthWarriors.com, Headplay is now sculpting the neck directly to the head, thus ensuring the joint will be invisible (below collar lines) and the "fat neck" look, which is created by placing the joint at the base of the spine/head, will be avoided.
For more of Headplay's amazing new work can be seen HERE.
For more photos, information or pricing on these impressive head sculpts, contact HeadPlay via email at firstname.lastname@example.com or order from their US distributor, IdolToys.com.
- Photos by Luka Figure Photo
- words by Jess C. Horsley


text: This news item expired on 4/29/2014, so the information below could be outdated or incorrect. Bids Taken for Roof Replacement of the Detention Center NOTICE TO BIDDERS Sealed proposals will be received by Buncombe County, Asheville, North Carolina, in the office of Mr. Greg Isreal, Buncombe County General Services, 40 McCormick Place, Asheville, North Carolina 28801, no later than 3:00 P.M., on April 29, 2014, and immediately thereafter publicly opened and read for the furnishing of labor, material, and equipment entering into the construction of 2014 Roof Replacement, Buncombe County Detention Center, Asheville, North Carolina. Proposals sent by mail shall be mailed to: Mr. Greg Isreal Buncombe County General Services 40 McCormick Place Asheville, North Carolina 28801 Faxed or emailed Proposals will not be accepted. To prevent accidental opening, bids shall be clearly marked on the envelope: Formal Bid Proposal For: 2014 Roof Replacement Buncombe County Detention Center 40 McCormick Place Buncombe County, Asheville, NC 28801 (BID DATE)(LICENSE NUMBER) Complete plans, specifications and contract documents will be open for inspection in the office of the Engineer or may be downloaded online by those qualified and who will make a request to the Engineer and submit their email address to firstname.lastname@example.com. Additional Plans and Specifications may be purchased at a cost of $50 per set. In as much as the repairs to this facility will be highly visible, it is expected that the quality of the work shall be performed at a higher than normal standard of care. See Section 01000 of the specifications for a detailed scope of work concerning this project. All Contractors are hereby notified that they must have proper license under the state laws governing their respective trades. General Contractors are notified that Chapter 87, Article 1, General Statutes of North Carolina, will be observed in receiving and awarding the General Contract. Each proposal shall be accompanied by a cash deposit or certified check drawn on a bank or trust company insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation in an amount equal to not less than five percent (5%) of the proposal or in lieu thereof, a bidder may offer a bid bond of five percent (5%) of the bid executed by the surety company licensed under the laws of North Carolina to execute such bonds, conditioned that the surety will, upon demand, forthwith make payment to the obligee upon said bond if the bidder fails to execute the contract in accordance with the bid bond. Said deposit shall be retained by the Owner as liquidated damages in event of failure of the successful bidder to execute the contract within ten (10) days after the award, or to give satisfactory surety as required by law. Performance Bond and Payment Bond will be required for one hundred percent (100%) of the contract amount. Payment will be made on the basis of ninety percent (90%) of monthly estimates, and final payment will be made upon completion and acceptance of work. No bid may be withdrawn after the scheduled closing time for the receipt of bids for a period of sixty (60) days except as allowed by N. C. General Statute 143-129.1. The Owner reserves the right to reject any or all bids and to waive minor immaterial irregularities. A mandatory prebid conference will be held on April 15, 2014, at 1:30 P.M. at the rear entrance to the detention center on Valley Street, Asheville, North Carolina. Prospective Bidders should gather in the parking lot across from the rear entrance to the detention center at 30 Valley Street and enter the detention center as a group. Signed: Mr. Greg Isreal, Director Buncombe County General Services Asheville, North Carolina ENGINEER: SKA Consulting Engineers, Inc. 300 Pomona Drive Greensboro, NC 27407 Telephone: (336) 855 0993 SKA Consulting Engineers, Inc. 84 Peachtree Road Asheville, North Carolina 28803 Telephone: 828-274-4440


text: OverviewBack to top Gaia Herbs - Elder Flowers - 1 oz. Item# :61074UPC# :751063303903 Brand:Gaia Herbs Size/Form:1 oz. Gaia Herbs has earned a reputation in the medicinal herb industry for an unsurpassed commitment to organic herbal quality, effective product formulations, and solid scientific research. Gaia understands the importance of starting with quality ingredients. On their 200 acre Certified Organic agricultural center, they apply bio-dynamic and organic farming principles. For plants such as Kava Kava,that are not grown in North America, they hire professional native wildcrafters who have an understanding of, and a long-term relationship with, Gaia's exceptional quality standards. Gaia Herb's concentrated full-spectrum liquid extracts preserve the vital components of freshly harvested plant cells.Gaia Herbs prepares their concentrated Liquid Extracts from high-quality herbs that have been carefully shade dried or dry naturally before the plant is picked.Grain alcohol content: 35-42%


text:
At Work
On Cataloguing FlaubertBy Charlotte Strick
Joanna Neborsky is a book lover's illustrator. She may be as passionate and romantic about books and bookmaking as anyone I've met. She also draws the kind of pictures I've always wanted to make. They are deceptively simple due to the naive charm of each wobbly line, and they owe a great deal to the inspiration of mid-twentieth-century illustration—an obsession she and I both share. A few years ago Joanna and I collaborated on the cover of John Bowe's Americans Talk About Love. A recent art school grad, she was willing to endlessly modify caricatures of the people interviewed for the book. The final package made for a witty and accessible take on social history. I always urge the artists I work with to keep me apprised of new projects, and so a few weeks ago I was tickled to discover a jpeg of Joanna's poster "A Partial Inventory of Gustave Flaubert's Personal Effects, As Catalogued by M. Lemoel on May 20, 1880, Twelve Days after the Writer's Death" in my inbox. We had to share it with readers of The Paris Review, and now I wanted to share a little about how it came to be.


text:
CVS Alkaline Batteries AA 16-Pack
|Special Info for This Item
|FREE Shipping Eligible
|Check Store Availability
Replaces all 'AA' size batteries. 1.5 volt battery. CVS alkaline batteries can last up to 5 times longer than regular carbon zinc batteries. Guaranteed Long Life - Even after 7 years in storage, battery retains up to 80% of power. Date Coded Package - So you know your batteries are fresh.
May explode or leak, and cause burn injury, if recharged, disposed of in fire, mixed with a different battery type, inserted backwards or disassembled. Replace all used batteries at the same time. Do not carry batteries loose in your pocket or purse.


text:
Garnier Fructis Hydra Recharge Moisture Whip Leave In Conditioner
Garnier Fructis Hydra Recharge Moisture Whip Leave In Conditioner Reviews
Moisture WhipAs a rule, I really love products that come in the foam pump form. I also am a big fan of garnier fructis styling products, but my dry and frizz prone hair needs more moisture than their shampoos can give me. So when I was at the drugstore today and saw that Garnier had come up with a foaming product, I was really excited! I was even happier to see that it was a moisturizing product, which I reall...read morey need. When I scanned the list of ingredients, I was happy to see that there were no drying alcohols on the label. When I used this for the first time, I liked that the pump distributed a nice, even amount. It wasn't messy at all. The consistency of the foam was very light, and did not feel sticky to the touch. It spread through my hair easily and had a very subtle fruity scent, that was not overbearing or too perfumed. I like that my hair did not feel weighed down or sticky, and it did not feel oily at all. It was definitely the weightless feeling that it promised! My hair really does feel more moisturized-- nothing too heavy, just a nice little boost of moisture. I can see myself using this throughout the summer without it weighing my thick hair down too much. I recommend this, and am happy to see another great product from Garnier. — 4 years, 5 months agoLittleBunny | 545 reviews
This review is: Helpful | Not helpful | Inappropriate | 9 of 9 people said helpful
Loving it!I really like this product a lot. I think it is one of the best products of the whole Garnier line. This product leaves hair super soft and amazingly touchable, without making it heavy or weigh it down. Smells wonderfully. Highly recommended for those with dry hair like mine or for an extra oomph during those winter months. Definitely a favorite and will buy again. — 4 years, 4 months agoyestfl | 239 reviews
This review is: Helpful | Not helpful | Inappropriate | 5 of 5 people said helpful
A Lightweight Formula with a Big DifferenceWhen I saw this finally reach the shelves of my local drugstore, I instantly snatched it up, afraid that it would disappear. I had been dying to try this for the longest time because not only do I love Garnier and Fructis, but I have the driest, thirstiest, frizziest, most static hair out of all of my friends and family. I am so glad I got this because I am quite fond of it! This really upholds Ga...read morernier and Fructis' excellent reputation. For the price, amount I get, and the performance, this really is one of my favorite leave-in treatments. First of all, the whip dispenser gives just the right amount of product, which is perfectly lightweight, easy to work through damp hair, and doesn't weight my hair down, grease it up, or make it sticky. Plus, my hands don't get sticky either, which is convenient. After I use this leave-in treatment, I notice a difference in my hair. Not only does my hair feel more moisturized, but my frizziness levels go down and it's a lot easier to style my hair, which is huge plus in simplicity and time-saving. I especially like to use this in the summer, when the humidity makes my hair a living mess, and in the winter, when my hair gets about as static as a hundred balloons being dragged across carpet. Also, did I mention how amazing this smells? Of course it's not surprising to me because all Garnier products smell amazing, but this is such a fruity, fresh, fun scent! It's too bad it doesn't last. Overall, I would definitely repurchase, and recommend! — 3 years, 8 months agooceanbubbles | 112 reviews
This review is: Helpful | Not helpful | Inappropriate | 0 of 0 people said helpful
to top
My Reasons for Reporting This


text:
'Once upon a time, the Sabres thought they could win every game. They exceeded expectations for years because their all-world goalie made them expect more than they ever imagined themselves. This season, everything has worked in reverse.'
You are here: Home / SabresBeat / Woolley says Sabres' skaters playing without confidence


text:
New York -- The Jones Group Inc. said Monday it has appointed Joseph Stafiniak to the newly created position of SVP merchandising of Nine West, effective immediately.
Stafiniak will operate as the lead merchant for Nine West, overseeing merchandising strategies and the execution of product to meet the expanding needs of the brand's global business.
Stafiniak comes to Jones Group from Coach, where he most recently served as SVP licensed categories.


text:
The Puget Sound is blessed with an amazing diversity of habitats that support thousands of species of fish and wildlife. However, changes to the landscape and native habitat--primarily as a result of human activity--have put many of these species at risk.
Home to already-imperiled salmon, orcas and shorebirds, the Puget Sound could be further jeopardized by intensified storms, floods and drought, rising sea levels and disappearing snowpack brought on by global warming. Such stressors point to the urgent need to restore and protect the land and waters of the Puget Sound.
The future of Puget Sound's environmental landscape increasingly depends on the stewardship of community members. National Wildlife Federation's Community Certified Wildlife Habitat® program addresses these concerns while promoting environmental stewardship, and engaging communities in activities that identify, restore, connect, and protect natural habitat areas that are critical to threatened fish and other wildlife populations.
The Pacific Regional Center is currently working with 25 communities around the Puget Sound to transform backyards, schoolyards, businesses, community gardens, parkland and other spaces into much-needed environmentally-friendly landscapes for wildlife. Projects include:
The level of concentrated Community Certified Wildlife Habitat® participation in the Puget Sound basin alone is a celebrated success and a model for communities and regions throughout the country.
Learn more about:
Our Pacific Regional Center in Seattle How your community can become a Community Habitat
Floodplains are being developed at an alarming rate despite the well documented importance of protecting and restoring these areas for the protection of critically endangered species as well as human health.
The Pacific Regional Center is working to significantly increase protection and restoration of floodplain areas to enhance salmon and riparian habitat, improve water quality in Puget Sound, and accommodate increased stormwater resulting from climate change. These changes will have the added benefit of reducing the costs of flood damage, and getting people out of harm's way.
A lawsuit brought by NWF has already led to important improvements in how the federal government implements its National Flood Insurance Program, which has been primarily responsible for encouraging and subsidizing development in floodplains. NWF's efforts in Puget Sound are expected to become a model for floodplain improvements throughout the entire country.
It is likely the Pacific Northwest coast will have a significant sea level rise by 2100 of between 20-56 inches. Among the most vulnerable habitats is estuarine beach, which provides vital spawning areas for forage fish, in turn providing food for birds, marine mammals, salmon, and other fish and wildlife.
Sea-Level Rise and Coastal Habitats in the Pacific Northwest (PDF-2.2 MB), authored by the Pacific Regional Center's Global Warming Specialist, Patty Glick, investigates the potential impacts of sea-level rise on coastal habitats in the Pacific Northwest. In addition to raising awareness of the threat, this report has assisted coastal managers and other relevant decision-makers in identifying and implementing strategies to minimize the risks.
Learn more about global warming and the Pacific Northwest >>
Wildlife in Hot Water: America's Waterways and Climate Change


text:
Suspects arrested after causing $75K in water flow valve theftsPosted: Updated:
A group of suspects wanted in connection with stolen water flow valves in the Valley were arrested in Peoria on March 22.
The Peoria Police Department's Impact Team arrested Robert Goff, 44, Steven Dewitt, 32, and Alison Farmer, 28, for stealing water flow devices throughout the Valley. When officers stopped the three suspects they had at least 10 water flow valves with them that officers have been able to connect to a theft in Glendale.
Goff, Dewitt and Farmer had primarily targeted commercial areas where there were multiple water flow valves in a row, according to investigators. The three suspects would steal somewhere between five to 10 valves a night or in early morning hours.
The valves were then taken to scrap yards where the suspects would get up to $100 a valve. Meanwhile the companies affected by the theft would have to pay thousands to get the valves replaced plus there would be no water access until the valves were replaced.
Investigators learned that the suspects would not steal any water valves from businesses that were painted blue because scrap yards will not accept them because of the valves being linked to city property.
Investigators have been able to link Goff, Dewitt and Farmer to 20 theft cases in Scottsdale plus another 10 to 15 cases in Glendale. A total of $75,000 worth of damage was done by the three suspects, according to investigators.
The Peoria Police Department's Impact Team are encouraging businesses to secure their water flow valves using cages or disk locks in addition to painting them blue to discourage or prevent thieves from targeting them.
Copyright2013 CBS 5 (KPHO Broadcasting Corporation). All rights reserved.


text:
Summer is right around the corner and that means it's time to go shopping for warm weather clothes for the kiddos. When it comes to shopping for my boys there's three things I tend to look at... Style, Quality, and Price. I want clothes to be stylish, with quality and durability that can stand up to my boys, without breaking the bank. Since kids can't usually wear the same size from one year to the next price is very important!
The Children's Place is always one of my go-to stores when I'm shopping for my boys. They have everything from skulls and drums for Brayden to sports and characters for Trevor and the prices are great! The Children's Place constantly has awesome sales, plus they send coupons in the mail too which is definitely a plus. But what's great about The Children's Place is the quality... I always know that I can count on their clothes to be durable enough for my boys!
I was recently sent a $25 gift card to do a little shopping at The Children's Place and it couldn't have come at a better time. Brayden recently had a growth spurt (which seems to happen every couple months!) and he barely had any clothes that fit him, so last week when The Children's Place had an awesome online sale I did some shopping. This particular sale was a one day only online sale where T-shirts were only $5... So I stocked up! And since shipping is a $5 flat rate, I didn't have to worry about the cost of shipping being too high.
The Children's Place carries children's clothes for newborns all the way up to size 14 so it's a great place to shop for all of your kids. Plus, so many of their clothes are mix & match so you never have to worry about not being able to make the perfect outfit.


text:
Elmo comes to Pakistan in Sim Sim Hamara, the Urdu-language version of Sesame Street.
©2017 Asia Society | Privacy Statement | About AsiaSociety.org | Terms & Conditions | Sitemap | Contact
Asia Society takes no institutional position on policy issues and has no affiliation with any government. All views expressed in its publications and on its website are the sole responsibility of the author or authors.


text:
Melinas Conquest
by: Game Scorpion Inc. • 3
All Android applications categories
by: Game Scorpion Inc. • 3
Published: 2012-11-22, by Peter Warrior.
Melina, perhaps named after the Mexican pro-wrestler, is a female human polygonal fighter that seems brought by a DeLorean from the times of Tomb Raider 1, in this indie 3D RPG full of polygonal monsters, polygonal traps and, unfortunately, polygonal storyline, so to speak. Music isn't polygonal -how that can be?- but has that SNES scent you may like or be so fed up with. In her magical world, Melina will have to tap and slash her way to discover what has happened to her former mentor. In her way you will have to face monsters, some larger than others.
It's a pity that how much effort ended in something somehow unfinished. While playing, you will have to turn a blind eye to not see glitches here and there, and tame the controls to try to know where are you attacking at. In the meantime, there are some NPCs with allegedly fun dialogues.
Anyway, Melina comes with hours of action, so perhaps you would like to give her a go, errr, you would like to give Melina's Conquest a go and have an opinion for yourself.
Tags: imagicmind , melinas conquest rpg apk , melinas conquest , melinas conquest lite apk , melinas conquest lite apk indir , melinas conquest apk , review iclockstationpro
by Peter , Appszoom
Nov 22, 2012
from 3 reviews
Download Melinas Conquest
Sorry ...
This app is no longer available.Explore Android
Share this app


text:
Perylene Green (PBk31) 5ml Tube, DANIEL SMITH Extra Fine Watercolor
If you want to add atmospheric or emotional punch to your work, then squeeze some semi-transparent Perylene Green onto your palette. It exhibits an almost black mass tone that spreads to a beautiful blue/green wash without producing mud-a color perfect for delineating shadows or creating moody landscapes, ominous horizons and stormy seas.
A medium-staining pigment with intensity and softness, Perylene Green is highly soluble and easy to use. It glazes under or over other colors, takes to synthetic and natural DANIEL SMITH watercolor brushes, and works well on all supports-"a very cool color," allowed one of our more persnickety artist/testers.


text:
Card Scanning Solutions announces its newest product-line addition, the Snapshell IDR Camera Scanner. The Snapshell IDR is a revolutionary new kiosk tool for capturing driver's license information quickly and accurately. Powered by software featuring Optical Character Recognition to read cards from all 50 states and over 30 countries, the Snapshell IDR uses a three mega-pixel
ID in a Snap
July 12, 2010 CSD Staff : 0 Comments


text:
Topic: www.chemoregimen.com
Hi, everyone,
this is another web site that may be of interest to you with regard to chemotherapy regimens for most cancers.
But the information,at least on the bile duct cancer page is not as many as and up-to-date as the one here on this chemotherapy forum under " Systemic regimens for cholangiocarcinoma".
God bless.


text:
An appeal over new wireless communications equipment slated to replace older equipment at the Hyatt Regency Hotel comes before the Monterey Planning Commission on Tuesday .
The city zoning administrator in September approved the changes at the wireless service facility at 1298 Mark Thomas Dr.
That approval was appealed by activist Nina Beety, who contends the wireless equipment poses safety and health risks to vehicle traffic on Highway 1 and nearby streets.
A staff report says the new roof-mounted antennas and other equipment will support the 4G cellular network. The report recommends rejecting the appeal and approving the changes.
The report says the federal Telecommunications Act of 1996 prohibits state and local governments from regulating wireless facilities on the basis of radio frequency emissions if the facilities meet federal regulations.
The commission meets at 7 p.m. in the City Council chambers, 580 Pacific St., Monterey.
The panel also will consider an application to convert guest quarters at 399 Drake Ave. and 320 Hawthorne St. at an existing residential care facility to offices.


text:
Baylor coach Art Briles has agreed to a contract extension. Details were not immediately available.
Briles, whose name surfaced as a potential candidate for job openings in recent weeks, will add on to the extension he got last year after the Bears went 10-3 and brought home the Heisman Trophy with Robert Griffin III.
This year, Baylor knocked off No. 1 ranked Kansas State and won four of its last five games to finish 7-5.
The Bears will play in the Holiday Bowl against UCLA on Dec. 27.
In three seasons at Baylor, Briles has won at least seven games—the first time that has been accomplished at Baylor since 1949-1951.


text:
Advanced Mountain Bike Leader
The Advanced MTB Leader courses provide a significant up-shift in your hard skills: elements including night navigation, river crossings, mountain weather and emergency management all introduce additional factors and more depth of knowledge than that already gained through the Technical Leader course.
The Advanced MTB Leader Award is designed to exceed the requirements of Adventure Activities Licensing, and enables Leaders to manage groups in advanced terrain.
The Advanced MTB Leader Award is specific to the environment in which it is set. The Trail Leader and Technical Leader qualifications are more appropriate in lower and less severe environments, but there is only one course that is anything like the Advanced Leader - and that is the Advanced Leader course!
See more about how the Advanced Leader Award can take you and your groups further:
- Why Choose CTC?
- Public courses at our venues, or Private courses set up for your group?
- See the separate training and assessment courses
- What are the riding expectations to attend?
- Our teaching methodology and ethos makes sure than even though the Advanced Leader course is demanding, we help you to achieve it.
- More on Advanced Terrain
Course outcomes
Those leading groups of mountain bikers (both adults and young people) in advanced terrain need the Advanced Leader Award. Physically reaching advanced terrain is not likely by novice groups, so the group members that Advanced Leaders take into these environments tend to have an amount of personal experience already, and you may well have worked with them previously.
The Advanced Leader course will suit those looking to take their groups and themselves into Advanced Terrain. You might be working or volunteering under an Adventure Activities Licence, as a holiday or outdoor activity provider, or at a school or club.
The Advanced courses are are also attended by those looking to develop their own personal all-round skills in the mountain environment.
Note that many areas in Europe are well serviced by the Trail and Technical Leader Awards, even where they may be over 600m above sea level. See our terrain definitions for clarification.
Please contact the Courses & Training Helpline to find out if this course is available for booking: 01483 238 337
What you need
Before attending the Advanced Leader training course you will:
- Hold the Technical Leader Award (there may be exceptional circumstances where you have just completed the training element)
- Have completed at least ten personal rides where 20% of the ride route includes advanced terrain.
Before attending the Advanced Leader assessment course, you will:
- Hold the Technical Leader award
- Have completed the Advanced Leader training course
- Have completed a logbook of personal rides where 25 of those rides encountered advanced terrain for at least 20% of the route. These will be spread over 5 different areas.
What next?
Following the Advanced Leader course assessment, you may take up a MTB Skills Instructor Courses or, where moving to a different EU country, the International cultural module. It may also be possible to become an Instructor Trainer by taking the MTB Instructor Trainer Award.
You can also use many of the skills within the Advanced Leader qualification to support your experience in other outdoor activity qualifications.


text:
This game was classified by the community with the following category scores - Violence=2/3, Sex=0/3, Mature Content=0/3. College Lacrosse 2010 brings you the fastest, most physical game on two feet. Now anyone can dodge hard to the cage, throw crazy stick checks, and snipe corners in the first ever field lacrosse video game. Build your own roster, edit your jerseys, upgrade your equipment, and challenge people from around the world to a game of lacrosse on Xbox LIVE!
Buy Xbox content on Xbox.com. Your Xbox 360 console will automatically download the content next time you turn it on and connect to Xbox Live.Learn More


text:
Osha Root
Veterinarian Reviewed on June 6, 2012 by Paulina Nelega, RH
Posted in Uncategorized
Osha Root
The Osha root, also called bear root, is a perennial herb of the parsley family. It has been used for its medical and spiritual properties.
The Osha root is a herb native to the highlands and valleys of north America. Most Native American tribes treated this root with high regard as it was very crucial to their everyday needs. The tribal groups of the Zuni, Chiricahua, Tarahumara and Aztec were among the many groups who used this root. This root grows near several areas in the Rocky Mountains.
Ancient Uses
The seeds and leaves of the Osha plant served as food to indigenous Americans. They also functioned as symbols for different beliefs. Others burned them as clean sacrifices for protection against dangerous spirits and omens. They were also freshly washed in waterways near vegetation as rituals for producing rain. These rituals were observed whenever there were droughts. Also, many natives tied them on their ankles as shield against rattlesnakes. They were also worn around the neck for medicinal uses.
Aside from being used as foods and in figurative ideas, the Osha plant has had a long record of medicinal uses. As a matter of fact, a lot of Native American runners chewed on the roots of this plant to increase their endurance. This is probably because of its positive contributions to a healthy respiratory system. Native American Indian parents even used to wrap Osha roots with leaves and strings and then put them near newly born babies to cleanse the air they breathed.
The Osha root was also recognized for its anti-viral, anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and anti-inflammatory properties. It was an ultimate solution to almost any type of health concern. Also popular as a warming herb, it did amazing wonders to respiratory conditions. It was used as a treatment for Coughs, Colds, tonsillitis, flu, and other types of viral infections.
Modern Uses
The outstanding antiviral properties of the Osha root are still recognized today. In fact, it is still used as early medication for the common cold and flu. Most people actually take this root at the first signals of coughing and sneezing. It is very effective as treatment for respiratory conditions such as sinus congestion, sore throat and inflammations in the bronchus. Because of this, the Osha root, together with honey, has become an essential ingredient in herbal cough syrups. These cough syrups can also be taken by those traveling to higher altitudes or for those who will be doing long-distance hiking as it promotes easy breathing.
Other people powder the root and drink it as tea or apply it as a topical treatment for skin infections. It has also been reported to be effective against indigestion, muscle cramps and ulcers. Because of its medical uses, capsule versions of the root combined with other Native American herbs have been produced and sold locally for easier intake.
There are no existing safety issues with regards to the intake of Osha root. However, as a precaution, it is best to avoid it if one is pregnant or lactating. For those who have existing medical conditions and are currently undergoing treatment, consulting a physician first would be a wise choice.
The Osha root has proven to be an effective medicinal herb from ancient times to the present. It is an economical alternative as treatments at the first sight of common ailments to prevent them from getting worse.
Our Expert
Paulina Nelega, RH, has been in private practice as a Clinical Herbalist for over 15 years. She has developed and taught courses in herbal medicine, and her articles on health have appeared in numerous publications. She is very passionate about the healing power of nature. Ask Dr. Jan


text:
Baseball's Prince Charming just kissed a toad.
When news broke late Monday of the Padres' sale to the O'Malley clan, reports were dense with financial details. There was a stratospheric price (estimated at $800 million), speculation about the team's budget (going up!), assessments of Padres owner John Moores' tenure (good: one pennant and one new ballpark; bad: years of penny-pinching and on-the-field futility).
Padres sold to group headed by O'Malley heirs, Fowler, Mickelson
Look past the purchase to the purchasers, though, and you see something that resembles a fairy tale. One of baseball's royal families, a clan whose legendary consistency and vision once conquered baseball's two toughest markets, New York City and Los Angeles, owns a ragamuffin franchise with one of the sport's most lackluster histories.
The Padres (1969-present) have won two pennants and lost two World Series. In contrast, the O'Malley-led Dodgers (1950-1998) won 13 pennants and six World Series championships.
An earlier version of this story contained incorrected information about the number of pennants won by the Dodgers' during the O'Malley ownership and the number of years Tommy Lasorda served as manager.
Now this baseball dynasty is preparing to meet some of baseball's most downtrodden fans — and some already foresee a happily-ever-after marriage.
"It will be great for the city and great for the team," said former Dodgers general manager Fred Claire, who was an O'Malley employee for three decades. "You will see an ownership group that cares deeply about the community and that cares a great deal about the players."
"It will be absolutely sensational for San Diego," said Tom Villante, who spent more than 25 years as executive producer of the Dodgers' broadcasts. "The O'Malleys are in this for the long run."
If the sale is approved by Major League Baseball owners, the new ownership group will be led by Kevin and Brian O'Malley, and Pete and Tom Seidler. These cousins are all grandsons of Walter O'Malley, a baseball pioneer who ran the Dodgers from 1950 until his death in 1979. His historic stewardship of that team — plus the leadership of his son, Peter O'Malley, the club's co-owner from 1979 until 1998 — may offer clues to the Padres' future.
More recent evidence, though, may be found in the Central Valley town of Visalia. There, Kevin O'Malley and Tom Seidler own the Rawhide, a Class-A affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks.
How's that going?
"Your community," said Bob Link, a Visalia city councilmember, "would really benefit if the O'Malleys had an opportunity to run your ballclub."
Hated in New York
None of the four cousins have yet held prominent positions in professional sports. But their pedigree may buy them some goodwill and provide insight into the family business.
Kevin O'Malley and Tom Seidler, observers predict, will move to San Diego to lead the team's day-to-day operations. At least one person familiar with the past two generations of the family believes this duo possesses many of the same traits that allowed previous O'Malleys to thrive in baseball.
"They both are very smart, well-educated, yet very down-to-earth young men," said Bob Graziano, a former Dodgers president. "Kevin and Tom have had some experience getting to know baseball … and the good news is they have an elder statesman in that Peter that can act as a sounding board.
"They're young professionals. They aren't going to come in like they know it all, but they're coming in with a vast amount of knowledge. And you will see guys who work extremely hard to bring baseball back in San Diego."
This would be welcomed by Padres fans — despite a recent run of wins, the club is in fourth place — although reviving a moribund franchise would pale next to their grandfather's historic, game-changing accomplishment.
In 1958, Walter O'Malley moved the Dodgers from Brooklyn to Los Angeles, instantly becoming one of the most hated men in New York. (A then-popular joke: "Question: Armed with a gun and two bullets, you walk into a room with Hitler, Stalin and Walter O'Malley. What do you do? Answer: Shoot O'Malley twice.")
Although reviled in New York, Walter was revered in Los Angeles. The Dodgers' cross-country relocation and the Giants' simultaneous move from New York to San Francisco brought big-league baseball to the West Coast for the first time. And the team thrived. During the team's second season in its new home, it delivered a World Series championship to Los Angeles.
Walter bequeathed the team to his two children: Peter O'Malley and Therese O'Malley Seidler. After his father's death in 1979, Peter took over day-to-day control. Before selling the team in 1998, his Dodgers made five trips to the World Series and added another two championships to the team's legacy.
Father and son, colleagues say, possessed a single unified vision for the sport. Both worked to expand the game, signing top players from Japan, South Korea, Mexico, the Dominican Republic. Claire, the former Dodgers GM, said both men insisted on long hours, attention to detail, and a constant quest for improvement.
"Walter O'Malley was once asked what was the secret to the success of the Dodgers," Claire recalled. "He said, 'When the phone rings, we answer the phone.'"
As owners, the O'Malleys were hands-on — except when they were hands-off.
"Walter and Peter, they didn't pretend to know baseball, they didn't pretend to know about talent or know about trades," said Villante, who was hired by Walter O'Malley 1952 and remained with the Dodgers until joining the baseball commissioner's office in 1978. "Instead, they came up with a budget and let the pros run the business."
That was atypical in professional baseball (see Steinbrenner, George, or Schott, Marge). Also rare, then and now, is another O'Malley hallmark: stability. When the team moved west, Walter Alston was in his fifth season as manager. He would hold that job for almost 19 more seasons. His successor, Tommy Lasorda, managed 20 seasons.
"There was a family feeling," said Villante. "When you worked for the Dodgers, you were family."
Care for a soda?
Despite its baseball accomplishments, this family maintains a low profile. Tom Larimer, a San Diego architect, met fellow-Notre Dame graduate Tom Seidler through Southern California alumni association events. In March 2006, Seidler asked Larimer to review plans for a family business: the Rawhide's ballpark in Visalia. Larimer agreed and soon was riding shotgun in Seidler's Central Valley-bound car.
"On the trip, I began to ask questions of Tom," Larimer said. "That's when he brought to my attention that he is the grandson of Walter O'Malley."
Seidler modestly failed to mention that, as a teen, he had learned to drive in the empty parking lot of another edifice his family had built: Dodger Stadium.
Or that he'd been general manager of the Great Falls (Mont.) Dodgers and president of the Stockton Ports.
Or that he's on a first-name basis with another Tom — the Hall of Fame manager, Lasorda.
Despite his lineage, the 44-year-old Seidler doesn't put on regal airs. When he and his cousin Kevin bought the Rawhide, Seidler moved to Visalia to run the club — and become active in the community. "He is a very, very quality person," said Link, who was Visalia's mayor when Seidler negotiated the city's $11.5 million remodeling of the Rawhide's home field. "He's honest, he's upfront, a very, very strong contributor to the city."
If Kevin O'Malley is an absentee owner, Tom Seidler is an ever-present one.
"He's just become synonymous with the Rawhide," said Eric Galvan, sports editor of the Visalia Times-Delta and Tulare Advance-Register. "You go out to a ballgame and Tom is out there in the stands, he's out talking to fans, he's in the concession stand serving sodas."
Of the other cousins in the Padres' new ownership group, Brian O'Malley, 35, is an investor. Peter Seidler, 51, is the managing partner of a private-equity firm. Kevin O'Malley, now 37, played baseball at the University of Pennsylvania, the alma mater of his father and grandfather, and later served as an administrative assistant for the Class-A Vero Beach Dodgers.
Fans of sports trivia, though, may be more interested in his high school career. Kevin was Harvard-Westlake School's first baseman when his father owned the Dodgers; playing second base on that same squad was Ted Werner, son of then-Padres chairman and managing partner Tom Werner.
'What next?'
The O'Malleys, though, have critics from coast to coast. In Brooklyn, the family name remains an epithet. In Southern California, many still rue the day in 1998 when Peter O'Malley sold the Dodgers to Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation, owner of the Fox television network. At one point during the sales process, then-Padres owner John Moores worried that Fox's deep revenue stream would fund a free-spending "monster to the north."
The new owners, though, ended up with little to show for their money. The team — which has been sold twice more since 1998 — hasn't appeared in a World Series since the O'Malley era.
No wonder this family's return to Major League Baseball raises hopes — and questions.
"A future with Peter O'Malley as the Padres owner?" asked Steve Dilbeck of the Los Angeles Times. "What next, Hollywood moves to Chula Vista?"Copyright © 2017, The San Diego Union-Tribune


text:
For best results, you ought to be able to distinguish among all 10 shades of grey in the figure below. If not, you may need to adjust your monitor's brightness / contrast / gamma. Back to Tao of Digital Photography Blog
To purchase prints (from 5-by-7 up to 13-by-19 inches), please fill out form on Sales page or contact photographer directly: email@example.com


text:
AUDIO: GLEE Takes on David Bowie, fun., and More!
On this week's new episode of FOX's GLEE titled "Dynamic Duets", a love triangle heats up among Marley (Melissa Benoist), Jake (Jacob Artist) and Ryder (Blake Jenner), and Blaine (Darren Criss) has a run-in with the Warblers. The episode airs Thursday, November 22 at 9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT on FOX. Check out full audio tracks including 'Heroes,' 'Some Nights,' 'My Dark Side,' 'Holding Out for a Hero,' and 'Superman' below!
GLEE is a musical comedy about a group of eager and ambitious students who strive to outshine their singing competition to win Nationals while navigating the cruel halls of McKinley High. Since its debut, GLEE has become a bona fide cultural phenomenon, received prestigious honors including the Golden Globe and Peabody Award and singlehandedly made glee clubs cool again.
In addition to the regular cast, GLEE has featured guest appearances by a wide range of talented performers, including Gwyneth Paltrow (who won the 2011 Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series), Carol Burnett, Kathy Griffin, Cheyenne Jackson, John Stamos, Britney Spears, Kristin Chenoweth, Idina Menzel, Jonathan Groff, Molly Shannon, Olivia Newton-John and Neil Patrick Harris, who won a 2010 Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series for his work on the show.
Click Here to Watch the Video!


text:
KEXP Reviews
|Browse by one of the following:
- (Highpoint Lowlife)
This is the debut album from this British artist, real name Eddie Symons. It's a fantastic, beautiful album of ambient and IDM electronic. A video game software programmer by day, Symons' music has all the attention to detail and complexity one would expect from someone of his ilk. What makes this so good however is that it does not suffer from the overly mathematical machinations of a computer geek wiling away his days staring at lines of code, as so much of this genre often does. To the contrary, this album is full of warmth and emotion and engages on a very human level. One of the best electronic releases of the year. 1/4/2006 - Don Yates


text:
THE SQL Server Blog Spot on the Web
Well, after a long time not blogging, I am trying to blog a bit more... I have been tweeting in between (follow me at @SQLServerMike). And unfortunately my SQLJunkies blog seem to have disappeared in that buyout and reorg. I will have to repost some of them here again I guess ;)
Over the last couple of years I have been working on not only XML but the whole "so-called" Beyond Relational space, that includes XML, but also unstructured data management, spatial, Service Broker, Search, sparse columns etc. That does not mean I did write all these specs but that I was driving the overall scenario value propositions and projects.
Another cool project I was doing the program and project management for has been the componentization of the SQL Engine code base. So instead of one of the largest binary, SQL Server consists of several binaries now.
The next post will talk a bit more about what we do in Denali with respect to Beyond Relational. Expect more blog posts on SQL Server and SQL Azure, Beyond Relational as well as NoSQL and Big Data musing and trends.
I hope a few people still follow me here and on MSDN. :)


text:
For those following along, CPAN::Reporter doesn't use Test::Harness directly, but instead only has access to the output of "make test". So any change to output from Test::Harness is a potential point of breakage. Both sides have known this for a while and have accepted it as a cost of moving forward with the rewrite of Test::Harness.
Discussions of how to harmonize the communication between the two have been ongoing. As soon as the Test::Harness format stabilizes or another communication channel is deve


text:
- USKelli Parrish shop Indian Wedding Dresses Photos-Empire Wedding Dresses Under $200 weddingdresses0638A from Wedding Dress
- CACecilia Lynn shop Prom Dress Shops In Fort Worth-Straps Bridal Party Gowns partydresses1858C from Bridal Party Dress
- UKKatie Farley shop Wedding Wholesale Dresses-Organza A Line Wedding Dresses weddingdresses8172A from A Line Wedding Dress
- UKJacinth Leon shop Department Stores That Sell Prom Dresses-Square Flower Girl Gown partydresses2158C from Flower Girls Dresses
- USMelissa Hall shop Virginia Beach Prom Dress Stores-Sequins Lady Dresses partydresses2098C from Wedding Party Dress
- USQuenby Hanson shop Prom Dress Store Locations-Ruched Cheap Party Gown partydresses2608C from Wedding Party Dress
- USTheresa Thomas shop 1980 S Style Prom Dresses-Sequins Wedding Guest Bride Dresses partydresses2468C from Wedding Guest Dresses
- FRLilly Copeland shop Online Prom Dress Shops-Tiered Cheap Bridesmaid Dresses bridesmaiddresses1278B from Bridesmaids Dresses
- AUBobbi Bright shop Shop For Cocktail Dresses-Champagne New Style Bridesmaid Dresses bridesmaiddresses1188B from Bridesmaids Dresses
- UKKiara Mayo shop Cheap Wedding Dress Price-Princess Wedding Dresses weddingdresses0988A from Princess Wedding Dress
- UKGeorgina Dennis shop Bridesmaid Dresses Uk Cheap-Brown Bridesmaid Dresses 2012 bridesmaiddresses8396B from Bridesmaid Dress 2012
- USMinnie Bartlett shop Prom Dress Shops In Nh-Strapless Wedding Bridesmaid Gown bridesmaiddresses1748B from Bridesmaids Dresses
- UKTracy Buck shop Styles Of Wedding Dress-Sleeveless Bridal Dresses Online Shop weddingdresses0098A from Wedding Dress Online Shop
- UKQueenie Dennis shop Wedding Dress Price List-Taffeta Wedding Gowns New Style weddingdresses0508A from Wedding Dress New Style
- AUAdi Blanchard shop 2012 Winter Wedding Dress Shops In Md-Ivory Plus Bridal Gown weddingdresses0618A from Wedding Dress
- USInnogen Harrington shop Where To Shop For Wedding Dresses-Zipper Beautiful Bridal Gown weddingdresses0038A from Wedding Dress
- CAAbigale Parsons shop Prom Dress Shops In Boston-Zipper Wedding Bridesmaid Dress bridesmaiddresses1738B from Bridesmaids Dresses
- USSuzette Melton shop Prom Dresses Prices Online Stores-Ruched Cheap Party Dresses partydresses2578C from Wedding Party Dress
- USJanice Black shop Prom Dress Stores In Tampa Fl-Chiffon Bridesmaid Gowns partydresses2008C from Bridesmaids Dresses
- USSophia Huerta shop Wedding Dress Shops Swansea-Strapless A-Line Wedding Gowns weddingdresses0758A from Wedding Dress
Wedding Dress
Professional wedding dress shop, many fashion styles of cheap bridal wedding...
Bridesmaids Dress
Weddingdressesgood is a bridal gowns design and manufacturing company...
Wedding Party Dress
Designer bridal party gown for the wedding parties and provided on ...
Prom Dresses
Where to find prom dresses? Attention, young ladies! Some prom dresses ...
Special Occasion Dresses
Professional wedding dress shop, many fashion styles of cheap bridal wedding...
Homecoming Dresses
Looking for the hottest homecoming dresses around for the ...
WeddingDressesGood.com, We have a group of professional fashion designer team and professional sewing worker and skillful hand worker, The 100% hand-made by senior seamstress, choose your dream wedding/party dress for your big days! Each Girls have a dream for princess-like weddings, weddingdressesgood mission is for each girl to go to realize this dream! It will make your wedding unforgettable in your life!!
If you were to pick dresses for various occasion you need, formal or casual, your first and foremost concern would be whether the designs in the very website are freshly fashionable or note. Through your worry to the out space, NEW CUTTING-EDGE & CONCEPTIVE DESIGN, COMPETITIVE PRICE, SEA GULL SPEEDY DELIVERY are always our main purposes and advantages.
Price Superiority
Our website gives you the best space for your unique fashionable flavor because we maintain at keeping our prices low and our product & service standards hight. For sure you can place your dependence on that we will always provide the best dresses for your choices since we are one of the most experienced company in selling wedding dresses, bridesmaid dresses as well as formal dresses.


text:
Is this true:
Some I agree with:
"Less need for sleep
More energy "
Some are strange to me:
"Animals approaching you fearlessly that are normally timid or wild
Small children spontaneously coming to you in a trusting way"
Like, what does that even mean? A bird will stay away from you whether or not you meditate and kids don't have mind reading powers. At least, I didn't
This also seems obviously false:
"Development of wealth; things like money and
attractive property coming to you without much effort.
Thoughts and visualizations manifesting more and more rapidly in your life "
I'm a bit worried about this:
"Growing distaste for speaking; even to say a word. Also disinclination to write or preach. "
That is a strange site. Anyway, why do you meditate? What have you gotten from meditation?


text:
Padres working with limited options in tired 'pen
LOS ANGELES -- Following a weekend series against the Toronto Blue Jays in which the Padres used their relievers for a total of 20 innings, the club mulled some of its Minor League pitching options before ultimately opting to stay put.
Right-handers Dale Thayer and Luke Gregerson, who have each pitched in three straight games, are not available for Monday's series opener in Los Angeles, Padres manager Bud Black said. For one night, San Diego will use what is essentially a five-man bullpen.
Should the club still need bullpen help on Tuesday, a callup remains possible. A solid outing from starter Eric Stults would make that a moot point, and Black jokingly projected no runs and 13 strikeouts from the left-hander.
"Stultsy is aware of what's going on," Black said. "The other relievers are as well. You don't know how it's going to play out."
The Padres used eight pitchers to beat the Blue Jays in a 17-inning victory Friday. Then on Sunday, they used seven arms in an 11-inning loss. In the three games combined, the bullpen allowed just four earned runs in 20 innings.
"It says a lot about each and every guy that goes in there," said right-hander Tim Stauffer, who is one of Black's options to close with Gregerson unavailable and Huston Street injured. "In those games -- it's a tie game and one run makes or breaks the game -- you really bear down. It's a little different than pitching in a six-run game. I think it brings out the best in guys, and if the guy before you did well, you want to do well."
AJ Cassavell is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter @ajcassavell. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


text:
Sunday, Oct. 28, is Bag Day, the final day of the Friends of the Library Fall Book Sale.
If you haven't made it to the giant sale yet or you've already been this week, you can make your dollars stretch even further today. From 1-5 p.m. at sale headquarters in Remington's, 1655 W. Republic Road, you only pay $1 for all the books, CDs, DVDs and other items you can stuff in a sack – or $5 for a sack from the better books section. It's amazing what you'll find even on the final day. One shopper's $5 sack last year included a book autographed by John Grisham.
_ _ _
Getting together with family around Thanksgiving? The producers of National Public Radio's Story Corps series, heard on KSMU, invite you to join Story Corps' National Day of Listening and record an interview with a loved one the day after Thanksgiving, Nov. 23. The Library, Drury University and Public Radio Station KSMU want to help.
KSMU staff will present sessions with examples from Story Corps and interview tips. Sessions are 11 a.m.-noon Nov. 8 in Drury University's Lay Hall with KSMU's Michele Skalicky, or 1-2 p.m. Nov. 15 in the Library Center's Story Hour Room with KSMU's Jennifer Davidson.
On the Day of Listening, Nov. 23, you can record your stories at home, or come to the Library Center where staff will help you record the interview. Save the date; hours, locations and reservation information will be announced later.
The recordings are for personal use and will not be aired on NPR. Listeners may upload their interviews to NPR's National Day of Listening page.
_ _ _
Some upcoming programs:
Find this article at


text:
Professor's Artwork Explores Choice
Think about how you portray yourself online—on all those profiles and platforms and social media sites. You might post your occupation, your hometown, your hobbies and favorite foods, a link to your blog. Maybe you feature a favorite quote. Sometimes you pick a unique username. And almost always you select a photo of yourself that reflects who you are as you want to be seen.
The process by which we create our fantasy self for public presentation is complex and involves a series of choices, some of which we may not be able to explain—but all of which reflect our desires, wishes, hopes, and realities. We put it out there in cyberspace, this imagined self, and we invite others to connect and engage with this reflection of our personal fantasy. It is this interaction between the self and the imagination that inspires artist and art professor Tim Doud.
For two series of portraits, Doud visited online dating sites to find his models. He sees the dynamic between artist and model as collaborative. "I pay attention to the choices people make," says Doud. "The model is a collaborator [in that] she or he makes decisions about their public self for presentation."
Doud's models choose their clothes, their makeup, and, to some extent, the setting and staging. The "meaning" of the portrait, he says, lies in the interaction between the model's choices of "self material" and his or her imagined life and the artist's ability to bring this material into focus.
His series Angie (Mac) features a makeup artist. Angie made herself up, literally and figuratively; the craft of the portraiture, says Doud, is to make the model's choices visible. So, for example, in the painting Polly Vinyl, Angie wears a white fur ski cap with a puffy blue winter coat and bright white eye shadow, while in Wanderlust, she chooses braided pigtails, bright pink lips, and electric blue makeup.
Doud's work draws attention to the theatricality of everyday life. The model in his Rodney series chooses clothing that is elaborate and fun. In See, Rodney poses in black and leather with reflective glasses, fingerless gloves, and an elaborate headpiece. In Buzz, he wears a black hat with a bow tie and a green and black flamenco shirt with puffy sleeves. In Designer, Rodney reclines in a wooden chair, now wearing a pinstriped suit with green striped shirt and red tie and glasses.
It's about more than dressing up, says Doud. Each different outfit is a part of Rodney's identity. The idea is to consider the choices we make and how they "flesh us out" into public identity.
In the multiframe series titled Blue, Doud created 30 self-portraits that are meant to be viewed as one unified piece. Each portrait depicts Doud from the chest up and wearing a different blue, button-up shirt. "I made the choices of what shirts to wear, I chose my glasses," says Doud. "I problematize these by arranging them in systems across a structure of color and hue choices. Each portrait, then, examines how commodity makes personality present."
In each series, including Blue, the facial expression of the model remains the same. That is because it isn't about the psychology of the face, says Doud. "It is about the psychology of the choice and the expectations brought to those choices by viewers." The artist directs focus away from what a portrait means to the means by which it signifies—what our clothing signifies, the brands we choose, which bring up larger questions of consumerism and self-representation.
Doud currently is working on part two of his Blue series, which more directly questions the Western-centric fashion industry.
Doud's work has been exhibited in San Francisco, Chicago, New York, and Washington, D.C., as well as in Switzerland, Germany, and Italy. A finalist in the 2013 Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery's Outwin Boochever Portrait Competition, his portrait Room and Board from the Rodney series was featured on the cover of the catalog.