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I usually take my chocolate straight and dark, thank you very much. But the next best thing to nibbling on a slab of chocolate is when it's baked in a warm, sludgy cake. It's what I want to eat slowly with a spoon on a chilly night, sitting by the fire.
Budino is an Italian pudding, and can be either sweet or savory. I think of this recipe like a soft-centered brownie baked in a cup – a chocolate pudding cake. I like to use cocoa nibs for an extra hit of chocolate and a little crunch.
Bittersweet Chocolate Budino Cake
- 1 cup (8 ounces) chopped dark chocolate
- 4 tablespoons butter, plus more for buttering ramekins
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 2 eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon cocoa nibs
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees and butter 4 6-ounce ramekins or custard cups.
- Place the chocolate and 4 tablespoons butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat until melted. Remove from the heat and stir until smooth; set aside to cool slightly.
- Beat the sugars, eggs, vanilla and salt in an electric mixer until pale and thickened. Add the flour and stir until just combined. Stir in half the chocolate mixture; once it's blended add the remaining chocolate and stir until smooth.
- Spoon the batter evenly into the ramekins; sprinkle some nibs over each. Place the ramekins in a shallow baking dish or on a sheet pan. Bake about 15 minutes, or until the cakes are puffed on top and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out coated with moist batter.
- Serve warm.


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By Steve Tytler
Q: We are having trouble paying our bills and are concerned about losing our home. I've heard something about homesteading your property so that nobody can take it away through a lawsuit, or something like that. How does that work?
A: When you mention the word "homestead," some people immediately conjure up images of the Homestead Act of 1862, in which a head of household could gain legal title to a 160-acre tract of public land simply by clearing it, improving it and living on it for five years.
Well, that was a long time ago. Today, each state has its own homestead laws, which are concerned with protecting a certain portion of the property owned by the head of a household from being confiscated and sold to satisfy debts. Some states offer much more homestead protection than others. In 2007, Washington state law was changed to increase the homestead exemption in this state to $125,000, which is about the same as the homestead exemption in other Western states.
In some states, you must file paperwork to claim a "homestead," but in Washington you don't have to do anything. The homestead designation is automatic as soon as you occupy a particular property as your permanent residence.
Many homeowners misunderstand the law and think that it provides much more protection than it actually does. Under the Washington homestead law, $125,000 of the equity in your home is protected from a forced sale to satisfy "unsecured" creditors. However, the homestead exemption does NOT protect you from secured creditors, such as your mortgage holder. That is the most common misconception about the homestead law. If you don't make your mortgage payments, your lender can foreclose and sell your house at auction to pay off the loan regardless of whether you have a homestead exemption because the mortgage is a voluntary secured lien, which means that you put up your home as collateral when you took out the loan.
The homestead law protects you only from unsecured creditors. For example, if you had to pay a $100,000 judgment to settle a lawsuit and your only financial asset was $125,000 equity in your home, the winning party could not foreclose on your home to collect the judgment because the first $125,000 worth of equity is protected by the Homestead law. But if you had $225,000 worth of equity in your home, the winning party in the lawsuit could force the sale of your home, give you the first $125,000 which is protected by the homestead exemption, and keep the other $100,000 as payment of the judgment.
Mortgages aren't the only exception to the homestead protection.
The following types of liens are also exceptions:
- Construction liens for work performed on your home.
- Child support debts.
- Condominium or homeowners association dues and assessments.
- Certain debts in a bankruptcy filed by one spouse within six months of the other spouse's bankruptcy.
Steve Tytler is a licensed real estate broker and owner of Best Mortgage. You can email him at email@example.com.

subset: commoncrawl


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Dharmakara wrote:it also discards the academic understanding of the history of the pre-Buddhist Ch'an tradition in ancient China, where Buddhist tenents were later merged with it.
This is what I was asking you to explain. Pre-Buddhist Chan? Buddhist tenets were added to it by or after Huineng, you say? This is the first I've heard of it.


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WCU Honors Military at Soccer Game
Hattiesburg, Miss., October 15, 2012 - William Carey University's athletic department recognized a group of military soldiers following the playing of the national anthem at WCU's 7 p.m. men's soccer game against Spring Hill College on October 3. WCU's new marching band, the Spirit of Carey, performed the national anthem and played a medley of patriotic songs to honor the soldiers during their recognition.
Crusader fans - decked out in Carey colors for the "C-Red" game - enjoyed a double victory. The WCU Lady Crusaders beat the Spring Hill College Badgers 5-2 at the 5 p.m. match, and the WCU men's soccer team beat Spring Hill 5-2 later that evening.


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Melancon focused on continuing to improve defense
PITTSBURGH -- The discussion with Mark Melancon involved his uncanny ability to induce and cleanly field comebackers, when the Pirates reliever posed an interesting question.
"Has a relief pitcher ever won the Gold Glove?" Melancon asked.
Told that the positional award for fielding excellence, distributed since 1957, has never gone to a reliever, Melancon said, "If a reliever is going to win a Gold Glove, I'd like to be the one to do it."
A strange wish for a reliever, perhaps. But, then, Melancon's emphasis on fielding his position is also slightly eccentric. For instance, no pitcher has ever before been heard to say, "I enjoy PFP [pitchers fielding practice]."
"Fielding is very important to me," Melancon added. "Part of my offseason work is getting into a routine to help my defense. Last winter, I got on a racquetball court, and had racquetballs fired at me off the walls, because they come back at you so quick. Helps with the reaction.
"I'm trying to get a tennis-serving machine for my wife, then use that, too, to have balls shot at me. Anything you can do on the mound to help yourself ... plus, it's also for protection."
Melancon has cleanly handled all 10 of his fielding chances. If that doesn't seem like an unusually-heavy workload, consider that, an inning at a time, he has worked only 29 innings.
Tom Singer is a reporter for MLB.com and writes an MLBlog Change for a Nickel. He can also be found on Twitter @Tom_Singer. Stephen Pianovich is an associate reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


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Interstellar satellites and radars have received the Frequency. Propelling this classic racing stripe pattern further into the cosmos. These bibs' ergonomic panels and elite fabrics create compression around key muscle groups to help increase strength, movement accuracy and endurance, while Italian-made TMF chamois ensure ultimate comfort when you're in the saddle.
- Contour Race Cut Fit
- Vero Fabric
- E6 Carbon Chamois
- Silicone Leg Gripper
- Promesh Bib Upper
- Flatlock Stitching


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14 Finger T-shirtRebus brain teasers use words or letters in interesting orientations to represent common phrases.
In Handland the currency is fingers. What does the cost of the following sale item represent?
1 T-shirt
Normal price: 19 fingers
Sale price: 14 fingers
Answer5 finger discount.
If you steal something it is often called a 5 finger discount.
What Next?
See another brain teaser just like this one...
Or, just get a random brain teaser
If you become a registered user you can vote on this brain teaser, keep track of
which ones you have seen, and even make your own.
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Winter precipitation has eased the drought over much of the Great Plains, with Texas and Oklahoma experiencing significant improvements. But the great drought persists, and meteorologists see more of the same in the upcoming months.
The La Nina weather phenomenon that weather experts say contributed significantly to the drought in America's southwest is winding down. The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) says La Nina is expected to fade between March and May. Unfortunately, the effects of La Nina may still leave large swaths of the southern U.S. under drought conditions this summer.
According to the National Weather Service's Climate Prediction Center (CPC), La Nina will be over by summer, but CPC deputy director Mike Halpert says that's too late for much of the southern U.S. because the rainy season will be over.
The U.S. Climate Prediction Center (CPC) said in its monthly update that computer models favor "a return to neutral conditions during the Northern Hemisphere spring, which are likely to continue into the summer."
However, optimism has grown in much of Texas this winter because the December through January period was the eleventh wettest on record. That included back-to-back months of above-average precipitation for the first time in two years. Rains in Texas over the past week brought 30-day totals to over 5 inches in some east-central and southeastern areas, but 6-month totals remained more than 8 inches below normal across many areas.
Meteorologists also believe that this winter's La Nina is contributing to worsening drought conditions in Florida. Over the past month the percentage of the state classified as in a drought has climbed to 90. In Texas, however, the percentage of the state under exceptional drought has declined from 81 percent in August of last year to 23 percent in early February.
View the National Drought Monitor here.


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After being at the Brewster Inn the whole time since our arrival in Dexter early Feb 07, it was time for a break. Mar and Apr are the quiet 2 months each year so we decided to take some time away in April. Something like 17 days in total inc our time off and then heading to Newport RI for a big New England tourism conference that we now attend each year as part of the Maine delegation thats involved with bringing more Europeans to New England when they travel to America.
Flying out of Boston, we headed to Phoenix to stay with guest friends related to the Brewster family. When we reached Houston, for some reason i was convinced we were still going to be in central time, and then it wasn't until we were on the plane ready to go onto Phoenix where the captain said "and todays flight will be 2hrs 45min" and i turn to the lady next to me, slightly confused as i thought it was a hour flight and asked her, "excuse me but is this plane going to Phoenix?" Have you ever thought you've actually been on the wrong plane?
Once we'd got over that bit of excitement the flight was uneventful but the scenery was amazing. Like flying over a lunar landscape. Rocks, craters and mountains everywhere inc snow on the highest peaks.. in AZ? Flying into Sky Harbor airport you drop in over the mountains and then straight into Phoenix. Seems odd to see this major city in the middle of nowhere.
The 2 days we were there were good. Had the chance to explore a little going to Sedona and Jerome. Interesting places that are well worth a visit.
Jerome is a town that at one time was the 4th largest community in Arizona and then fell to the bottom of the list when the copper mines closed. The community was incorporated in 1899 following four disastrous fires that destroyed large sections of what was once known as "the wickedest town in the west." So much history and ghostly goings on, its a town that has plenty to see and do
More on Jerome, history and what to see and do here
Sedona is a very pretty town too with some amazing scenery and buildings inc one really odd one that i'll explain more about in my next post


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As heard on Sirius XM Radio and NPR stations!
We Take You Now To Grover's Mill: The Making of the War of the Worlds Broadcast, written, produced, directed, and narrated by Joe Bevilacqua.
In this 1988 documentary, award-winning NPR producer Joe Bevilacqua looks at how the landmark broadcast came about and examines its impact on broadcast history. The half-hour program includes rare interviews with Mercury Theater producer John Houseman and writer Howard Koch, actor Arthur Anderson, and the people of Grover's Mill, New Jersey, who lived through the "Martian invasion".
© Joe Bevilacqua (P)2011 Joe Bevilacqua
"The Making of the War of the Worlds Broadcast is engaging, informational, and sound rich. This program, like the original War of the Worlds, rates a listen. Thankfully, the producer interviewed WOW producer John Housman not long before he died [on the 50th anniversary of the landmark broadcast, Halloween of 1988]. The story of this legendary Orson Welles broadcast is for the most part allowed to unfold through descriptions by Housman, and writer Howard Koch, along with voices recorded at Grover's Mills' 50th anniversary event. You can hear traces of amazement in the voices of people who heard that broadcast 70 years ago. Housman, reflecting 20 years ago on why the program still holds fascination, said: 'It's history. It's one of the great events of the new age of mass communications.' True still." (Sydney Lewis, Atlantic Public Media)
"Not what I expected."
This is not a copy of the broadcast. This is an interview not worth 5 cents.
"Fascinating behind the scenes"
Rather good, but not a favorite
Everyone. The stories they told about working on the broadcast were very interesting.
Every character.
I can't think of one I'm afraid.
A must-have for any fans of old time radio shows.
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If you find this review inappropriate and think it should be removed from our site, let us know. This report will be reviewed by Audible and we will take appropriate action.


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Strawberry commission plans culinary workshop
The Watsonville-based California Strawberry Commission will host an invitation-only culinary workshop July 23-24 after the Produce Marketing Association's foodservice conference in Monterey, Calif., said Chris Christian, vice president of marketing.
The workshops, designed primarily for chefs, will feature lectures, industry and research updates, field and cooler tours and hands-on culinary sessions.
"The idea is to inspire more creative uses of strawberries on menus on a more regular basis and to encourage (chefs) to think outside the box with strawberries and menu applications," Christian said.
Colorful Harvest names sales vice president
Colorful Harvest LLC, Salinas, Calif., has hired Jeremy Burris as vice president for sales and sourcing for its Florida division. Burris previously was with Wish Farms, Plant City, Fla.
"The addition of someone with Jeremy's experience and firsthand knowledge of the Florida strawberry and vegetable industry will help to add depth to our already successful year-round strawberry and Florida veg program," said Doug Ranno, chief operating officer and managing partner.
Colorful Harvest has strawberry operations and dedicated cooling facilities in Florida, California and Mexico.
Curry & Co. LLC hires berry saleswoman
Sandra White, most recently with Homestead, Fla.-based Brooks Tropicals, has joined Curry & Co. LLC, Brooks, Ore., as a berry saleswoman, said Mike Klackle, vice president of berry sales.
The company also has increased its blueberry volume this season and has expanded a test program with blackberries.
California Giant videos say to keep berries cool
California Giant Inc., Watsonville, Calif., has created training videos encouraging retailers to keep berries cool this summer.
"Practicing proper cold chain management is critical to the profitability of our fresh strawberries, blueberries, blackberries and raspberries," Anthony Gallino, vice president of sales, said in a news release.
The company also has added the message "Best if Kept Refrigerated" to its clamshells.
The videos are available on the company's website, calgiant.com, and on its YouTube page.
Driscoll's launches heart health campaign
Driscoll Strawberry Associates Inc., Watsonville, Calif., has launched a consumer campaign called "Raspberries ... Your Heart Will Love You Back," said Frances Dillard, director of marketing.
The campaign, which has a dedicated website page — driscolls.com/healthy/raspberries.php — focuses on the hearth health benefits of raspberries.
Driscoll's raspberries are the first berries to be certified by the American Heart Association with the Heart Check Mark, Dillard said.
FormTex Plastics Corp. adds to Mexico facility
Houston-based FormTex Plastics Corp. has added warehouse space at its Guadalajara, Mexico, operation, said David Grice, produce packaging sales manager.
"Our Mexico berry business is jumping off the map," he said.
The company produces rigid plastic clamshell containers for blueberries, blackberries and raspberries at the facility.
This makes the fourth year the company has operated in Mexico. The company has a fullservice operation, providing container manufacturing and distribution as well as labeling and padding.
HBF International moves headquarters
HBF International LLC, formerly Hurst's Berry Farms, has moved its headquarters from Sheridan, Ore., to McMinnville, said Doug Perkins, managing director.
The accounting and sales departments have moved, but the packinghouse remains in Sheridan.
The location should be more convenient for customers and growers, he said, and will be a "good fit for our company as we go forward."
HBF also has a new packing operation in Independence, Ore., and has hired McKenzie Rosenberry, who is new to the industry, as food safety manager.
Naturipe puts portable cooling plants in fields
Naturipe Berry Growers, an owner partner of Naturipe Farms LLC, Salinas, Calif., has implemented a new concept that streamlines the pick-to-cool time span, said Rich Amirsehhi, chief executive officer.
Strawberries are cooled to 32 degrees Fahrenheit in a self-contained, portable cooling plant at the entrance to the field, where customers' trailers pull up to the temperature-controlled loading dock.
The program eliminates storage time, reduces handling and temperature variations and speeds up loading, he said.
Also at Naturipe, the company's new website and social media platforms, which launched in April, have been a success, said marketing manager Kyla Garnett.
"Our Facebook page following has grown faster than our expectations, and Pinterest and Twitter pages also have a very strong following," she said.
Finally, Naturipe Farms has named Donna Lynn Johnson director of food safety and social responsibility.
She has worked in a variety of food safety and quality assurance positions and most recently has been an independent food safety consultant.
Berry groups schedule conference for January
The North American Raspberry and Blackberry Association, Pittsboro., N.C., is planning a joint conference with the North American Strawberry Growers Association in Portland, Ore., Jan. 27-30, said Debby Wechsler, executive secretary of the raspberry and blackberry group.
The conference will feature education sessions and a farm tour and run back-to-back with the Northwest Agricultural Show Jan. 29-31 and the North American Farmers Direct Marketing Association Feb. 1-7.
Wish Farms boosts California acreage
Wish Farms, Plant City, Fla., has added some strawberry acreage in Santa Maria to its previous Salinas deal in California, said Gary Wishnatzki, president and chief executive officer.
The program began in early April. The company should have California fruit until November.
The Santa Maria deal offers Wish Farms a diversity of growing areas and will dovetail with the company's Florida program, Wishnatzki said.
This is the second year the company has had a California program.
The deal is small compared with the company's overall strawberry deal, up to 90% of which is in Florida.
The company's blueberry program also continues to grow.
Wish Farms now offers blueberries and strawberries year-round, Wishnatzki said.


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The Rrazz Room Announces Upcoming Performances
The RRazz Room, San Francisco's premier nightclub announces upcoming performances for January, February, and March.
Two-Time Grammy Award Winning Jazz Violinist Returns To The RRazz Room
Mon, 1/16, 8pm
As a long time member of bass legend Stanley Clarke's Band Mads likes to explore the fusions in music. His set will include music from the one of the great fusion ensembles, John McLaughlin's Mahavishnu Orchestra. Mads will go with some of the humor & show of Frank Zappa, and then he will dive right into tackling jazz masters Thelonious Monk and Cannonball Adderley. Mads is a prolific writer, and his quartet will tackle some of his compositions from their latest album "The Playmaker...."
Jazz Fusion Violinist
Jack Jones
Legendary 2-Time Grammy Winning Vocalist Makes His RRazz Room Debut!
Tue-Sat, 1/17-21, 8pm
Sun, 1/22, 5pm
Jack Jones is one of the greatest singers of all time. A true Singers' Singer and luminary. A double Grammy winner, Jack performs around the globe to sold-out audiences in venues ranging from Jazz clubs to the London Palladium. Jack Jones is the very definition of a complete and total entertainer. The New York Times raves, "he is arguably the most technically accomplished male pop singer...." There is only one Jack Jones, and he makes his RRazz Room debut with six not-to-be missed performances.
Traditional Pop, Jazz, Big Band, Musical Theatre, Singer/Actor
Hosted by Nikki Thomas of 102.9FM KBLX and the Nikki Thomas Network
Fri-Sat, 1/20-21, 10pm
$20 ($30 Ltd VIP ~ 30 seats)
One of the greatest young performers in the nation, HBO Def poet and Hip-Hop artist Ise Lyfe performing a musical and spoken word tribute to DR. Martin Luther King Jr.
Poet, Hip-Hop and Spoken Word artist
Sun, 1/22, 7pm
What happened late night in Las Vegas now returns to San Francisco's elegant Rrazz Room. Jonathan Poretz, who has starred as Frank Sinatra in the long-running show, "The Rat Pack is Back," is bringing back the carefree spirit and fun filled nightlife that epitomized the casino lounges of the swinging 60s. Backed by his jazz and swing-infused trio, Jonathan creates an intimate, after-hours atmosphere for those late-nighters seeking a little nightcap to their evening's entertainment.
Crooner, Jazz, Traditional Pop, Swing
Mon, 1/23, 8pm
It is his love and appreciation for the music of early to mid 20th century Latin America and the Caribbean combined with his understanding of the elegance of classic American jazz that inspires Jimmy to fuse the best of both worlds. It is to that exquisite nexus of sensuousness and musicality where he and his musicians take us with a smile.
Latin, Opera, Jazz
All Singing, All Dancing, All Dead
Tue, 1/24, 8pm
Matthew Martin returns to The RRazz. Bette Davis, Judy Garland, Peggy Lee, Katharine Hepburn and other Hollywood royalty will be conjured in tribute to their careers, and the gay audiences that have kept their memories alive and well. Stars never die, and these legendary ladies are the landmark of gay culture. Fasten your seat belts, San Francisco; it's going to be a bumpy night.
Tribute, Musical Theatre Singer, LGBT
Celebrates Historic Milestone in 2012 With Residency at The RRazz Room
San Francisco Legendary Band Set To Perform Their 2,000th Show Since Launching in 1974!!!
Wed-Fri, 1/25-27, 8pm
Sat, 1/28, 7 & 9:30pm
Sun, 1/29, 7pm
The special acoustic/electric themed performances shall feature a luminary assemblage, fronted by Grammy nominated lead vocalist Cathy Richardson who starred on Broadway in "Love, Janis." Joining Richardson, Freiberg & Kantner & keyboardist/bassist Chris Smith who joined the band in 1998 after years with The Supremes, will be vocalists Darby Gould & Linda Imperial, legendary Bay area folkie Jack Traylor & acclaimed violinist Aaron Redner from Hot Buttered Rum appearing on successive nights.
Legendary Rock, Progressive Rock Band
Hear My Song: An Evening With G. SCOTT LACY
San Francisco favorite CHRISTOPHER M. NELSON
Broadway/Film/Television and cabaret star Emily Bergl
to guest star with G. SCOTT LACY
Mon, 1/30, 8pm
G. Scott Lacy is one the country's most sought-after talents. He has musical directed over 120 productions working with such theatre companies as the Tony Award Winning La Jolla Playhouse, the award winning Lamb's Players Theatre, the Musical Theatre Guild of Los Angeles, Diversionary Theatre, New Conservatory Theatre, Diablo Theatre Company, 42nd Street Moon, San Diego Repertory Theatre, San Diego Opera, North Coast Repertory Theatre, the Emmy Award Winning Malashock Dance Company and others.
Broadway, Traditional Pop, Cabaret, Musical Director/Vocal Coach/Recording Artist, LGBT
The Soul Music Series co-produced with Shelly Tatum Presents
A Gospel Soul Experience starring
& Special Guests
Tue, 1/31, 7pm
Sisters Bridgette E Bailey and Robin Lynette Bailey, known to many as "Lynette,"are native San Franciscans born into a musical family. Their grandfather LB Edwards was the founder of Providence Baptist Church Male Chorus and their grandmother Arnette Edwards was one of the lead altos in Providence Baptist Church Chancel Choir. The Edwards family, longtime members of Providence Baptist Church, are well known singers amongst the church community throughout the San Francisco Bay Area.
Gospel Soul Singers
The RRazz Room Comedy Club Series With:
Thu, 2/2, 8pm
Fri, 2/3, 9pm
Sat, 2/4-5, 9 & 11pm
Donnell Rawlings is an overnight success a decade in the making. You've seen him on Comedy Central's award winning and critically celebrated "Chappelle's Show" as "Ashy Larry," the 70's jheri curled "Beautiful," and numerous other characters he's played. Donnell is the franchise player Dave Chappelle and Neal Brennan wanted as a writer and prime time player on their team. "Hilarious" is what Linda Stasi of The New York Post calls Donnell's performance as host.
The RRazz Room LEGENDARY BAY AREA GIANTS OF JAZZ Concert Series
MARY STALLINGS feat. DAVID UDOLF, AKIRA TANA & RON BELCHER
Fri-Sat, 2/3-4 , 7pm
Sun, 2/5, 5pm
Greatly influenced by Carmen McRae, San Francisco native Mary Stallings is a passionate, robust singer who isn't nearly as well known as she should be. The niece of saxman Orlando Stallings, she started singing as a child and sang jazz in Bay Area clubs during her teenage years, when she performed with Louis Jordan & His Tympani 5 and shared the stage with such greats as Wes Montgomery and Ben Webster.
Jazz Singer, Bay Area Legend
David Udolf, piano
Akira Tana, drums
Ron Belcher, bass
Blue Tango Tour ~ The Encore!
Mon, 2/6, 8pm
Winner of the Gardel Prize, a Latin Grammy nominee and member of the Tango Hall of Fame, Maria Volonte is an Argentine singer, guitarist and composer celebrated for the intense passion and beauty of her songs as well as for her charisma and sensuality on stage. The "Blue Tango" show is Maria's exploration of the deep spiritual bond that joins tango and the blues, as two genres steeped in sin, born in brothels, censored yet always resurgent and speaking directly to our souls.
Latin, Tango
CON FUNK SHUN feat. MlCHAEL COOPER
Tue-Thu, 2/7-9, 8pm
Fri-Sat, 2/10-11, 7 & 10pm
Con Funk Shun is a star-quality attraction delivering a superb, high-energy show with electrifying choreography, glistening six-part vocal harmonies, and a dash of humor. They are, unquestionably, among the heroes of Funk with romantic ballads and dance-party hits galore. Memorable melodies, inventive horn arrangements and clav-guitar woven grooves, make the group absolutely essential to the evolution of funk. They charted 4 consecutive Gold and 1 Platinum album. SOUND OF GROWN MEN coming soon.
Funk, R&B, Soul
Sun, 2/12, 7pm $35
Mon, 2/13, 8pm $35
Tue, 2/14, 8pm $40
Special Valentine's Day Performance
Cole doesn't apologize for sounding like his brother, Nat "King" Cole. He plays piano and sings and performs live with guitar and upright bass, just like Nat. Yet his voice is raspier, smokier, jazzier even. But he has emerged from the awesome shadow cast by his elder brother. In truth, his phrasing is far closer to that of Frank Sinatra or Billie Holiday, and his timing swings a little more. His vocals - suave, elegant, formidable, and articulate - are among the most respected in jazz.
Jazz Singer/Pianist
"Comedy For The New Depression" Returns!
Wed, 2/15, 8pm
"Comedy for the New Depression" is v4.0 of this uncensored, unfiltered and unhinged look at the news, Pop culture and life. Karel again takes biting wit, splitting comedy, painful truths, hysterical life stories, mixes in a few parody songs and creates one of the most unique and relevant stage shows around. "Comedy for the New Depression" is a roller-coaster ride that may not solve the economic crisis, but will certainly make it less painful.
Comedy, Political Satire
Della Reese
Thu-Fri, 2/16-17, 8pm
Sat, 2/18, 7:30pm
Legendary singer and actress. Born Deloreese Patricia Early in Detroit, Michigan. Reese began on the path that would lead her to show business by singing in her family's church at the age of six. Her talents landed her touring with gospel great Mahalia Jackson while still only a teenager. By 18, Reese had formed The Meditation Singers, the group that became the first to take gospel music to the nightclubs of Las Vegas. Reese began making records with the Erskine Hawkins Orchestra in the 1950s.
Legendary Actress; Gospel, Jazz, R&B, Traditional Pop Singer
Cece Peniston & HER LIVE BAND
Sat, 2/18, 9:30pm
Sun, 2/19, 7pm
$35 ($45 Limited VIP seats; only 60 seats)
When her first single ever was released in 1991 on A&M Records, she was immediately thrust into the music industry worldwide and CeCe has continued with success ever since. Cece Peniston's first single "Finally", achieved Billboard 1 chart status and has sold multi-platinum world-wide, in addition to being featured on more than thirty compilation albums. CeCe thrust passed the one-hit wonder mark with achieving an additional 13 Billboard Top Ten chart status singles. New single "Stoopid."
House, Pop, Soul, R&B
Tue-Thu, 2/21-23, 8pm
$35 ($40 Ltd VIP)
An Old School Double Bill Night To Remember!
Zapp is a soul and funk band formed in 1978 by brothers Roger Troutman, Larry Troutman, Lester Troutman, and Terry Troutman. Known for hits such as "More Bounce to the Ounce," "Dance Floor," "Computer Love" and "I Wanna Be Your Man," the group was a partial source of inspiration to West Coast hip hop and G-funk. Zapp's hand-clapped, drum-beat styled funk of Zapp's records and Roger's use of the talk box became another reason for the group's impact and its success.
Funk, West Coast Hip Hop
Singer/songwriter Shirley Murdock is best known for the ethereal ballad "As We Lay," which was produced by Roger Troutman. Murdock started out singing gospel music in her native Toledo. Troutman hired her as a background singer for his family's group Zapp, who had several hits on Warner Brothers (or its Reprise imprint). Based on this success, Troutman began recording tracks with Murdock and lead singer Sugarfoot of the Ohio Players, among others, at his Dayton-based recording studio Troutman Sound Labs. Murdock's brand new inspirational CD & DVD LIVE: THE JOURNEY (Tyscot Records/Oct 2011) features the Top 30 Radio single, "Dream." She recently performed this song at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Dedication in Washington DC a few weeks ago. The project also features special guests Kelly Price, Regina Belle, and Beverly Crawford.
Gospel Singer/Songwriter
An Intimate Evening With
Fri-Sat, 2/24-25, 8pm
$45Vonda Shepard's successful stint as the soulful musical voice of Ally McBeal is only one of the many polished gems adorning her prolific singing career. From late '80s hits to her latest acclaimed CD From the Sun, Vonda has a well-deserved reputation for crafting and performing authentic R&B and modern-day soul. Her richly textured voice has been called part Anita Baker and part Aretha Franklin, while her songs' musical depth and complexity are reminiscent of Joni Mitchell and Sarah McLachlan.
Pop Rock Singer/Songwriter, Pianist
Historic Comedy Double Bill - A RRazz Room Exclusive Special Event:
Dick Gregory & Will Durst
Comedy For People Who Read Or Know Someone Who Does
Sat, 2/25, 4pm
Sun, 2/26, 3 & 7pm
Mon, 2/27, 8pm
$35 ($45 Ltd VIP)
Dick Gregory is an activist, philosopher, anti-drug crusader, comedian, author, actor, recording artist and nutritionist. More...
Comedian Will Durst is the world's #1 political satirist. Outraged and outrageous, Will Durst is as current as today's headlines and universally acknowledged, by even his peers, as the nation's foremost political comic. He is a regular commentator for audible.com, Air America, CNN and NPR, and writes a nationally syndicated op-ed column (opposite of the editorial page). Comedy, Political Satire
Nellie McKay
I Want to Live!
Tue-Wed, 2/28-29, 8pm
A "brilliant, zany film-noir musical biography" raves The New York Times about Nellie McKay's new cabaret show, inspired by the 1958 movie of the same name that won Susan Hayward an Oscar. "Combines Nellie McKay's unlimited gifts as a singer, songwriter, actress, pianist, ukulele player, mimic, satirist and comedian into a show that is much deeper than its surface might suggest." Joined by a stellar band, McKay combines period tunes with original tunes and more for a stunning night of theatre.
Singer/Songwriter, Actress, Multi-Instrumentalist
Greatest Hits & Brand-New CD Release
Thu-Fri, 3/1-2, 8pm
Sat, 3/3, 7 & 9:30pm
$45.50 ($55.50 Ltd VIP)
Karyn White originally from Los Angeles, California, is a POP/R&B singer who became popular during the late 1980s. White's self-titled debut album KARYN WHITE was released in 1988. It was produced by L.A. Reid & Babyface and achieved platinum status. KARYN WHITE contained the hit singles "The Way You Love Me," "Secret Rendezvous" (#6 in the U.S.; her biggest hit at the time), "Superwoman" (the song which sold 2 million copies and her classic hit) and "Love Saw It," a duet with Babyface.
Pop/R&B Singer/Songwriter
Janis Paige
Stage, Screen & Television Legend Returns To The RRazz Room By Popular Demand!
Sun, 3/4 , 5pm
Mon, 3/5, 8pm
$35 ($45 Limited VIP)
A captivating chanteuse and storyteller, Ms. Paige will share favorite songs and recount tales from her lifetime in the limelight from growing up during the Great Depression to achieving her dream of Hollywood stardom to the personal and professional triumphs, losses and laughs of a long and highly successful career in the entertainment industry. The insightful and down-to-earth Ms. Paige will take her audience along for a revealing, poignant, witty and unforgettable journey.
Film, Television, Broadway Actress, Singer, Hollywood Legend
Lucie Arnaz
Lulu's Back In Town!
with Musical Director, Ron Abel on piano
Tue-Sat, 3/6-10, 8pm
Sun, 3/11, 7pm
Believe it or not, Lucie Arnaz is celebrating 40 plus years in show business. She began her long career in a recurring role on television on The Lucy Show, opposite her mother, Lucille Ball. At age 15, she became a series regular on Here's Lucy, a show which ran for six seasons. She starred in her own series, The Lucie Arnaz Show and later in the critically acclaimed Sons & Daughters on CBS. On piano, Musical Director Ron Abel joins Lucie for a night of songs, memories, and love Lulu style.
Broadway, Musical Theatre, Actress, Singer, Dancer and Producer, Cabaret
Linda Purl
Great American Songbook With A Splash Of Jazz
Tedd Firth, Musical Director
Tue-Wed, 3/13-14, 8pm
Actress, singer, dancer, Linda is a main stay of TV. She has starred in over 40 TV Movies of the Week, and currently is seen as Helene Beesley on THE OFFICE as well as on LIE TO ME, a series led by Producer, Alexander Cary. She is probably best known as Charlene Matlock from the series Matlock and as Ashley Pfister, Fonzie's fiancée, from Happy Days. Linda began her career in the theatre in Japan, where she was raised and became the only foreigner to have trained at the Toho Geino Academy.
Traditional Pop, Jazz
Oleta Adams
"Get Here" For an Evening of Musical Brilliance
Thu-Fri, 3/15-16, 8pm
Sat, 3/17, 7 & 9:30pm
Since the runaway success of her 1990 debut Platinum album Circle of One, and the hit single "Get Here" (a Brenda Russell composition), Oleta Adams has inspired a growing legion of fans in the U.S. and Europe with journeys of the heart via songs that draw deeply from her roots in gospel, while crossing effortlessly into the realms of other music genres. Oleta's success has been solidified by four Grammy nominations. Oleta was recruited by the British band Tears for Fears in 1989.
Gospel, Soul, Jazz, British Pop Singer/Songwriter/Pianist
Sun, 3/18, 7pm
What happened late night in Las Vegas now returns to San Francisco's elegant Rrazz Room. Jonathan Poretz, who has starred as Frank Sinatra in the long-running show, "The Rat Pack is Back," is bringing back the carefree spirit and fun filled nightlife that epitomized the casino lounges of the swinging 60s. Backed by his jazz and swing-infused trio, Jonathan creates an intimate, after-hours atmosphere for those late-nighters seeking a little nightcap to their evening's entertainment.
Crooner, Jazz, Traditional Pop, Swing
Lynda Carter
The Wonder of Song
Thu-Sat, 3/22-24, 8pm
Sun, 3/25, 7pm
Best known for winning our hearts as Wonder Woman, Lynda Carter is an accomplished singer who has performed to rave reviews before sell-out crowds around the world. In addition to her long acting career, Lynda has the distinction of producing and starring in five highly rated network television specials, several of which were Emmy-nominated. She has appeared onstage with many of the world's most popular singers, including Ray Charles, Tom Jones, Kenny Rogers, Bob Hope, George Benson, and Ben Vereen.
Actress, Jazz-County-Rock Singer
with Kenneth R. Thompkins, Musical Director
Wed-Fri, 3/28-30, 8pm
Sat, 3/31, 7 & 9:30pm
Sun, 4/1, 7pm
Russell's distinctive falsetto was the driving force and the backbone of the original Stylistics who garnered: 7 gold albums, 5 gold singles, 2 double gold singles, 8 platinum albums, 1 double platinum album, 4 platinum singles, a Grammy nomination in 1974 for "You make Me Feel Brand New," a plaque on the Walk of Fame in center city Philadelphia in 1974, as well as various awards and trophies from around the world. In May of 2004, they were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame.
Legendary Classic Soul, R&B Vocal Group
The RRazz Room, San Francisco's premier nightclub, offers the finest in world-class Classic Soul, R&B, Traditional Pop, Jazz, Comedy, Revue and Cabaret entertainment. This intimate and acoustically perfect venue has been the home for past performers such as: Ashford & Simpson, Oleta Adams, Larry Carlton, Bobby Caldwell, Spyro Gyra, Hiroshima, Ottmar Liebert, Diane Schuur, Ben Vereen, Martha Reeves, Miki Howard, The Zapp Band, Con Funk Shun, Pete Escovedo feat. Juan & Peter Michael Escovedo, Freda Payne, Cloris Leachman, Sally Kellerman, Kenny G, Lil' Kim, The Angela Bofill Experience, Australia's Thunder From Down Under, All-4-One, Taylor Hicks, Marlena Shaw, Mary Wilson, Janis Paige, Mark Curry, Stefanie Powers, Davy Jones, Russell Thompkins, Jr. & The New Stylistics, Dame Cleo Laine, Jacqui Dankworth, Keiko Matsui, Ruben Studdard, Eddie Money, David Campbell, Barb Jungr, Lenny Williams, Paula West, Kim Nalley, Wesla Whitfield, Amanda McBroom, Cece Peniston, Jon Secada, Marilu Henner, Lynda Carter, Betty Buckley, Pia Zadora, Jerry Butler, Peter Asher, Judy Collins, The Shirelles feat. Legendary Original Member and Co-Founder BEverly Lee, Megan Mullallay and Rachelle Ferrell. Host-escorted seating assigned on a first come, first serve basis. Doors open 60 minutes prior to show. The RRazz Room is a two-drink minimum, all-ages venue, and tickets are non-refundable. Limited Club R VIP Memberships available: 415.394.1189 or email@example.com
Additional helpful information: The R2 Lounge and Bar is open daily at 4pm. Happy Hour is from 4PM - 7PM, seven days a week. Dress Code is upscale casual. Inappropriate attire is: ripped jeans, flip-flops, baseball caps and jerseys. No audio nor video recording without prior approval. Absolutely no flash photography. Please silence cell phones, refrain from use, and keep conversations to a whisper during performances. With a validation from The RRazz Room, parking at the Mason O'Farrell Garage is $12 (up to five hours). Enter the garage from Mason or O'Farrell Streets.


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Cedenco liquidators raise judge's ire using NZ data in Oz
Article – BusinessDesk
Nov. 27 (BusinessDesk) – The firm hired for separate liquidations of the Cedenco group of companies in Australia and New Zealand has been ticked off by the High Court for using information gained during the New Zealand administration in its work across …
Cedenco liquidators raise judge's ire for using NZ data in Australian wind-up
By Paul McBeth
Nov. 27 (BusinessDesk) – The firm hired for separate liquidations of the Cedenco group of companies in Australia and New Zealand has been ticked off by the High Court for using information gained during the New Zealand administration in its work across the Tasman.
In the High Court in Auckland, Justice Paul Heath took a dim view of the Cedenco liquidators' use of a transcript interview with ANZ New Zealand relationship manager Kate Dekker for its Australian liquidation before getting her approval, according to a Nov. 15 judgment.
John Sheahan and Ian Lock of Sheahan Lock were appointed liquidators for both the Australian and New Zealand wind-ups, and were seeking retrospective approval from the court for their use of the transcript in Australia.
"Because Messrs Sheahan and Lock hold office as both Australian and New Zealand liquidators, they cannot, as Australian liquidators, assert that they did not know what they were doing, as New Zealand liquidators," the judge said. "In effect, they (as Australian liquidators) were parties to the misconduct of the New Zealand liquidators."
Justice Heath refused to give retrospective approval for sharing the material and urged the liquidators to disclose what has happened to the Australian Federal Court to seek orders on further use of the transcript.
"It is also open to ANZ NZ or Ms Dekker, in light of what I have said in this judgment, to apply to the Federal Court for such an order as they might think appropriate to forbid or limit the ability of any other person to inspect (or otherwise use) the transcript," he said.
ANZ Bank pulled the pin on Cedenco in 2009, appointing receivers when it breached an earnings covenant. The following year the Australian receivers sold those businesses for A$93 million to Japan's Kargomi, satisfying all creditors, while the New Zealand units were sold to Japan's Imanaki for $29.5 million, which also left a surplus.
Sheahan Lock were appointed liquidators to deal with the residue.
The firm did gain some ground as Justice Heath backed the $2.39 million in fees and expenses charged by the liquidators, turning down ANZ's assertion it had overcharged for its services to such an extent as to amount to misconduct.
The judge said it would take an extreme case where a liquidator's misconduct stepped on the rights of creditors where "there would be jurisdiction to exercise a discretion for the remuneration or expenses to be paid personally by a liquidator."
Justice Heath agreed with the liquidator's counsel that "'it is officious and an abuse of process' for ANZ NZ to attempt to put improper pressure on the liquidators by suggesting they have overcharged."
The liquidators were unsuccessful in their bid to obtain bank documents and another interview with ANZ's Dekker for the New Zealand administration, with the judge saying it would be "oppressive" to her and that the attempt to re-examine her "can, in my view, fairly be characterised as being for an ulterior purpose."
The judge adjourned an application for her to be examined by the Australian administration saying the liquidators can either file expert evidence on the point or seek a Federal Court direction under Australian law.
In an Aug. 14 update, Sheahan and Lock said they have paid out $3.03 million to unsecured creditors.
Creditors will be entitled to post-liquidation interest claims if there's sufficient surplus once the liquidators have wrapped up the residual matters.
Content Sourced from scoop.co.nz
Original url


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Commentary / World Jan 15, 2013
Agricultural land grabs in developing countries?
by Peter Singer
Should rich countries — or investors based there — be buying agricultural land in developing countries? That question is raised in Transnational Land Deals for Agriculture in the Global South, a report issued last year by the Land Matrix Partnership, a consortium of European research ...


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BLURR wrote:The flatter comets aren't as stable as the domey runs. They are straight to slightly understable in flight. They are a nice compliment to a buzzz though.
For future reference(And this is my opinion):
Domey Comet = Straight to ever so slightly overstable
Flat Comet = Straight to ever so slightly understable
I can agree with this.


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Brewers run into multiple outs in loss to Dodgers
Aggressive baserunning backfires on Crew; Nelson solid on mound
MILWAUKEE -- Prior to Sunday's game, Brewers manager Ron Roenicke reiterated his belief in an aggressive baserunning philosophy, saying that in the long term, its benefits outweigh any drawbacks.
But in the team's series finale against the Dodgers, only the short-term negative effects of that mindset were on display as the Brewers ran into four outs on the basepaths. Those outs gave Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw all the breathing room he would need in a 5-1 Milwaukee loss at Miller Park.
Milwaukee put the leadoff man on base against Kershaw in four of the first five innings. In three straight innings, they had a runner on second with none out. But the team scratched out only one run, a first-inning RBI single by Ryan Braun, with all their other opportunities dying on the basepaths as the team tried to create offense against the lefty.
"You can't make mistakes against that guy, man," said Brewers catcher Jonathan Lucroy. "You can't give him free bases, you can't give him outs on the baselines. You've got to take advantage of everything you can, you know, score runs when you get a chance to, because that guy is so good, he doesn't make very many mistakes. It's just one of those things, and we didn't do a good job of that today."
The Brewers were able to keep it close against Kershaw as Jimmy Nelson worked out of several jams to deal six innings of two-run ball. But Kershaw beat Milwaukee on the mound, on the field and from the plate: He limited the Brewers to one run on six hits in eight innings, made two impressive defensive plays to help create two of those baserunning outs and reached base in three of his four plate appearances, accumulating one run and one RBI.
"It wasn't easy, but we made some big plays defensively and got some big double plays," Kershaw said. "The guys getting thrown out on the bases obviously helped. I felt like I had the leadoff runner on the entire game, so it was good to get a win."
The Brewers' two most obvious baserunning errors came in the third inning, when Nelson led off the frame with a double but ran into a tag when Carlos Gomez followed with a grounder to short. Kershaw then recorded his 47th career pickoff when he threw behind Gomez and caught him leaning.
"I think any time you face a pitcher like Kershaw, if you try to just get stagnant, I don't think much is going to happen," Roenicke said of the mistakes. "Jimmy Nelson isn't used to being out there on the bases. That's always difficult. Carlos getting picked off, [Kershaw's] picked off a lot of guys. He's tough. He's tough to run against, but sometimes you think you need to do some things to try to create a few runs."
In the next inning, Braun reached on a single, advanced to second base on a wild pitch and advanced to third on a ball that got away from catcher A.J. Ellis. But Dodgers manager Don Mattingly challenged the call at third, and it was overturned. Rather than having a runner on third with none out, the Brewers had none on and one out and would not score. Roenicke said after the game that he felt Braun's attempt was a smart one.
The team's final chance with a runner in scoring position came in the fifth inning, when Jean Segura was attempting a suicide squeeze with Rickie Weeks on third base. Segura popped the ball up, Kershaw made an impressive diving catch and threw back to third to double off Weeks, preserving a one-run Dodgers lead.
"We missed the squeeze, which would've changed the ballgame and changed the way I pitch guys late in that game," Roenicke said. "It was a good game, it just got away from us a little bit there at the end."
Nelson would exit after six innings, and the Brewers' bullpen surrendered three late runs, giving the Dodgers some breathing room.
Despite the loss, there were plenty of positives to take from the homestand. The Brewers went 4-2, taking a series from both the Dodgers and Giants, and finished the weekend with a two-game lead over St. Louis in the National League Central.
And Roenicke was satisfied with another strong performance from Nelson, who overcame command issues to earn his fourth straight quality start. He allowed two runs on eight hits.
"No matter how good your stuff is or if you are on that day or not, you have to be able to battle through those things," Nelson said. "It is our job to try to keep our team in it. That was my goal today. My command was off a little bit, but I just tried to battle my best."
Caitlin Swieca is an associate reporter for MLB.com. Follow her on Twitter at @CaitlinSwieca. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


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Combining the legends of Robert Kirkman and his groundbreaking, Eisner Award-winning comic book series, The Walking Dead, and Arthur Suydam's unique and prolific work in the zombie genre led to the second in a series of exclusive Wizard World variant covers of Robert Kirkman's The Walking Dead #1 comic.
They are provided for free to all full-price attendees at Wizard World St. Louis Comic Con, March 22-24 at America's Center. Wizard World and Skybound, Kirkman's imprint at Image Comics, have teamed to produce the line.
Suydam will be on hand to sign copies of the limited-edition comic, available to fans only while supplies last.
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To buy action figures, take a look at BigBadToyStore.com, PlasmaInfusion.com, Toynk.com, BriansToys.com, ToyWiz.com, and MonkeyDepot.com.


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Multiple Levels of AuthenticationThe use of Multiple Levels of Authentication protects the privacy and the security of your personal information. This security feature uses a unique image together with a unique phrase to help certify that you are entering the bank's website, and not a fraudulent look-a-like site. Additionally, this security feature provides you with added safety by helping us to identify you and prevent unauthorized access to your accounts.
When you visit your branch office, you can identify us and we can identify you. Your unique image and phrase enables you to identify us over the Internet. When you enroll in multi-factor authentication, you select both an image and a phrase known only to you. Whenever you log in, the image and phrase are displayed so you can be sure that you are accessing our real website, and not an impostor site.
We can identify you by checking any computer that you are using to access our website. Typically, you access our website from one or two computers, such as your work and home machines. Either way, our website will remember your computer, preventing potential fraudsters from logging in to your account even if they acquire or guess your login ID and password. Should you need to login from a different computer, such as from an Internet café, additional steps are taken to verify your identity through a series of challenge questions that you set up during enrollment.
Above all, this security feature provides a significant increase in the security of your online banking over standard login ID and password authentication.
Logging in to Internet Banking
If you mistype your password, or make another login error, three times the system will lock you out. This feature is a security item that helps protect the system, the financial institution, and your data. If this happens to you, contact your financial institution representative.
Warning: If you do not recognize your Login Image and Phrase, do NOT enter your Password.


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A Change in Expectations
I began 2013 with a thesis, an overall set of guidelines for the year. I was bullish on stocks, bearish on bonds and embraced risk in general. I've remained true to those concepts until now, but something has changed. My view is now more cautious that it has been in months.
I'd like to thank everyone for the kind comments and emails I've received regarding Tuesday's article. It included a description of a trade that occurred on Monday. I'd like to expand on one of the themes presented in that piece....462 more words left in this article. To read them, just click below and try Real Money FREE for 14 days.
There's no substitute for a trading floor to get great ideas, so Jim Cramer created a better one at Real Money and blogs there exclusively. We then added legendary hedge fund manager, Doug Kass, with his exclusive Daily Diary and best investing ideas. Staffed with more than 4 dozen investing pros, money managers, journalists and analysts, Real Money Pro gives you a flood of opinions, analysis and actionable trading advice found nowhere else, and allows you to interact directly with each expert.
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If he signed on the cheap, I wouldn't have a problem with it. Doesn't he have some character red flags though?
We still have our MLE don't we? (not that I would use it on Josh Howard). I am just curious since someone asked about the money.
Pretty sure (not 100%) that we don't qualify to use it this off season because we had cap space.
As long as it's a minimum contract without it being fully guaranteed, then I'm fine with it.
I think the new CBA allows teams under the cap a MLE of 2.5 million for a duration of 2 years. Not sure if that started this season though.
No. But he was recorded saying, "The Star-Spangled Banner's going on right now and I don't even celebrate that s--t. I'm black, !@#$%%^&." which is just...cute.
@gswscribe: According to league sources, the Warriors' reported interest in free agent SF Josh Howard is, at the very least, ... http://t.co/tfbCJD1C
Nice to know that another championship caliber team wants him..
where did you see that he burned the flag? he was just trying to "keep it real" by saying "I don't care about that s***"
If I remember correctly, didn't he go on record basically saying he smokes the ganja and he don't care who knows, cause he don't do it during the season when he is working or something to that effect and not too long afterwards Dallas traded him to the wizards ? Not that I care that anyone smokes, it's just it seems pretty ignorant to actually admit to it, since it IS still considered illegal lol and still COULD affect this job and put him in a bad light..
no, there's no way in hell the Pacers are targeting another pot smoker lol .. no way no how(ard)..
"They want to be famous. We want to be champions. They want to be rappers and backup dancers. We want to play football." - T.J. Ward, Denver Broncos
Too many men and women have given so much to protect the ideal of our flag and Star-Spangled Banner. I personally couldn't root for him knowing this no matter how talented.
F*&# this guy!
...Still "flying casual"
I doubt he would want to come here with how many wings we have. My guess is Brooklyn
I'm a Beast
Thats one way to look at it. Of course there are problems of equality that still remain and different people express it in different ways
Sittin on top of the world!
I'd rather we pickup a backup 4 somewhere cheap...
2012 PD ABA Fantasy Keeper League Champion, sports.ws
2011 PD ABA Fantasy Keeper League Champion, sports.ws
2006 PD ABA Fantasy League runner up, sports.ws
If it's just for deep bench depth on the el - cheapo, I could live with it. Wouldn't be enamored with it, but what are we really going to get?
I'd rather die standing up than live on my knees.
-Emiliano Zapata
Not really thrilled about Josh Howard.
Let's just go with what we got. Or, better yet, try to be a part of the Houston trade that is eventually going to go down. They can't go into the season with that many PFs and the Pacers should NOT try to rely heavily on Hans. Would prefer a young PF on the roster just in case.
Any one of Patterson, White, Jones, Morris, Motiejunas would be nice to have. Other PF on their roster include JJ, Harrellson, Aldemir. Not to mention they have guys that can play SF and PF. Sheesh!
First time in a long time, I've been happy with the team that was constructed, and now they struggle. I blame the coach.
Don't forget the time he shot like 3-18 in a playoff loss then handed out flyers to his birthday party in the lockerrom afterward.
The dude's a bum. If we really are interested I'm disappointed. You want wing depth go sign Donte Green or Dominic McGuire for peanuts.
would be the worst person you could have around Lance
Last edited by PacerPenguins; 07-30-2012 at 09:04 AM.
I'd rather have another backup 4 too, or a 3-point specialist.
The poster "pacertom" since this forum began (and before!). I changed my name here to "Slick Pinkham" in honor of the imaginary player That Bobby "Slick" Leonard picked late in the 1971 ABA draft (true story!).
I'd rather have an empty space on the bench. More room for Roy to stretch out in.
I don't want him now that I'm reminded of his... baggage.
Speaking of wanting a backup PF instead, I still don't understand why we aren't a natural partner with FA Carl Landry.


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Ask the Remodeling Team
It's that time again. Post your Blog Cabin 2013 questions and we will select the very best queries and pose them to project manager Dylan Eastman and project contractor Ryan Crosser. A follow-up Q&A article will be posted in the weeks to come.
Deadline to post your questions is Monday, April 22, at 5 p.m. ET.
Ready, set … go!


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The entire region and beyond is affected by the defeat of Granite Quarry. Why? Rich Loomis provided the answer ("Quarry victory hollow," Dec. 15).
Where does concrete come from? It is manufactured from the only source we have: rock, which makes up a sizable portion of California.
Loomis gives the correct analysis of the warped decision of the NIMBYs and the totally wrong decision by the people of the city of Temecula. The long haul by trucks, fuel waste, road damage, jobs lost and the positive increase in cost to provide materials for construction is the result of the loss by Granite.
Remember the NIMBYs who complained so loudly when Highway 15 was proposed, when Mission Valley was being mined and Mission Bay Park, to name a few that are a terrific asset to us all but had to overcome the NIMBYs? And the seven reservoirs holding the imported water from the Colorado River and are dammed by concrete, much of which was mined in Mission Valley?
It remains a simple fact that the NIMBYs did not have a solution to our existing problems when they rammed in this decision.
Regarding the Pechanga people, yes, they made a wise purchase to preserve additional land. I wonder how many years that will remain in effect. We have no mines in the area and now they have the rock. You figure.


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Hellickson optioned to Double-A as McGee returns
ST. PETERSBURG -- Jake McGee was activated from the paternity list prior to Sunday's game, and Jeremy Hellickson was optioned to Double-A Montgomery and will start Monday night at Pensacola, Fla.
The move was made so Hellickson, who just returned from the disabled list, can stay on schedule.
"I wasn't opposed to it," Hellickson said. "It's not too big of a hassle. I definitely need to keep getting work in. I was all for it."
Because the Rays have the All-Star break and off-days before and after the coming two-game series at St. Louis on July 22-23, Tampa Bay does not need Hellickson. He will also start next Sunday in Charlotte before he's recalled for the Boston series at Tropicana Field that begins on July 25.
Hellickson said he was feeling good and was happy with his last start.
"Yeah, I was happy," Hellickson said. "I got a chance to work out of those situations, but for the most part, I was happy getting out there again. Probably my best start, counting the rehab starts. I was just throwing strikes and just around the plate a lot more than I was. I was pleased with it."
Bill Chastain is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


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BP Comment Quick Links
|Strength of Schedule Report
January 9, 2014
Baseball ProGUESTus
What Percentage of Scouts Played Pro Ball?
Most of our writers didn't enter the world sporting an @baseballprospectus.com address; with a few exceptions, they started out somewhere else. In an effort to up your reading pleasure while tipping our caps to some of the most illuminating work being done elsewhere on the internet, we'll be yielding the stage once a week to the best and brightest baseball writers, researchers, and thinkers from outside of the BP umbrella. If you'd like to nominate a guest contributor (including yourself), please drop us a line.
Conor Glassey spent the past five years covering the MLB Draft for Baseball America magazine. Now he writes for his personal website, ConorGlassey.com. You can follow him on Twitter @conorglassey.
At some point, you may have wondered (as I have) what percentage of scouts played professionally, and what percentage played in the big leagues. The information is out there, so I decided to do some digging.
First, a few notes on the study: I looked at each team's amateur scouting staff from the 2013 season. While I know there have been some changes since then, that was the most recent listing I had, thanks to the Baseball America 2013 Directory. That gave me 705 total scouts. I searched for each scout's name on Baseball-Reference.com and didn't give a scout credit for playing professionally if their only experience was in the independent leagues.
At first I was skeptical about how comprehensive Baseball-Reference's minor league data was, but I checked with Sean Forman, who asked Ted Turocy, and this is what he said:
Published league averages started containing all players from about 1965 onwards. Before that, it depends on the league and year you're talking about; some published all players, some completely omitted less-thans below some threshold of activity. Generally, more recent years are probably more complete than older ones and higher-level leagues more complete than lower ones, but there are probably hundreds of exceptions to that pattern.
Could there still be errors in my data? It wouldn't surprise me. The minor leagues are vast, and data collection for those leagues hasn't always been the greatest. Perhaps a couple guys slipped through the cracks, or maybe I missed counting a guy because his first name at Baseball-Reference is different from what he actually goes by. Either way, it wouldn't impact the overall percentages too greatly. But if the minor league data is complete from 1965 onward, then realistically everyone aged 65 and younger would be covered.
Let's take a look at the results.
Of the 705 scouts, 368 (52.2 percent) have professional experience.
Honestly, that's lower than I expected. I thought the number would be closer to two-thirds, or even 70 percent.
Of those 368, 71 made it to the big leagues. So, about 10 percent of all scouts have big league experience of some kind. And that makes sense because, first of all, it's extremely difficult to get to the big leagues. Secondly, playing in the big leagues is lucrative, and if a guy has any success there, taking a low-paying scouting position and being away from his family even more probably doesn't rank too highly on his retirement wish list.
What about the current set of 30 scouting directors? A little more than half of them (18) played professionally to varying degrees, though the Diamondbacks' Ray Montgomery and the Orioles' Gary Rajsich are the only ones with big league playing experience.
Here is a breakdown of each team's 2013 amateur scouting staff, sorted by percentage from highest to lowest:
Of the 368 scouts with professional playing experience, 130 of them (35 percent) were pitchers. In other words, probably a tick less than you would expect given current lineup construction.
Scouts who played professionally certainly have some advantages. When you're looking for professional players, there's no doubt that it helps to have been there and done that. They've been around the professional game longer. They've seen, first-hand, what it takes to succeed and what doesn't work. They know how prominently makeup factors into the equation. They've been on those fields, in those clubhouses, on those long bus rides and in the crappy hotels. When they're in a player's home, they can talk about all those experiences and assure parents that their son is going to be okay. Because of that, they also likely have more contacts within the game.
On the flip side, those who didn't have the fortune of playing professionally probably at least played in college, and many coached at the college level before getting into scouting. Others grew up around the game because their fathers were involved somehow. So, while they can't talk about what it's like to have played professionally, they have still likely been around a lot of players who have gone on to play at the next level.
Mets scouting director Tommy Tanous is one of those without professional playing experience. I talked to him about it last spring:
"You know, I think the advantage of playing professional baseball immediately gives you more contacts within the professional game," Tanous said. "When you've not played professional baseball, you have to work on getting those contacts a little bit more. But, as far as playing professionally, or how good of a player you were, I'm not sure that has much to do with evaluating. Otherwise, the best players in the game would be the best scouts, and that's certainly not true. But I do think it has advantages. As an area scout, going into a home, and parents and players asking you, 'What is it like to play pro ball?' I think you have some first-hand knowledge there and it adds a little validity to what you're trying to tell the player about professional baseball. As far as not playing professional baseball, because I was recruiting, I always felt comfortable going into a home and describing what our organization was about. I think that was an advantage of being a college coach."
Everyone's experiences are unique, and different backgrounds can have their own pros and cons. You don't need to have a criminal background to be a good detective. You don't have to be a master chef to know what good food tastes like. Evaluating players is the separator. If you can accurately evaluate players, judge talent, and find diamonds in the rough, it doesn't matter if you never even played in college. If you played in the big leagues, you may get a longer leash, but you're not going to last long if you can't get out there and find players for your organization.
One of my favorite pieces I did during my time at Baseball America was called "Scouts on Scouting," where I interviewed many scouts about the ins and outs of their job. I asked scouts about what they considered the five tools of scouting, and evaluation was always one of the first things they mentioned.
"I would say number one, first and foremost, is evaluation skills. You can be organized, you can look nice, you can wear nice clothes, you can be professional and all that crap—and it's not crap, it's part of the game. You can run around like a crazy man and put 80,000 miles a year on your car—you can do all that, but the bottom line is, you've got to know what the hell you're looking at."
It all comes down to judging talent, regardless of your background. Just look at some examples from other industries. In football, just three of the 32 teams have directors of college scouting who played in the NFL—Eric Stokes with the Buccaneers, Scott Campbell with the Redskins, and Scott Studwell with the Vikings.
Most of the famous music executives didn't have successful careers as musicians. That's true for John Hammond, a talent scout with Columbia Records, who is credited with discovering and/or signing Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Billie Holliday, Leonard Cohen, and Stevie Ray Vaughan, among others.
Lorne Michaels wasn't a famous comedian, but as the creator of Saturday Night Live he has put his stamp of approval on a huge percentage of the people responsible for laughs you've likely enjoyed over the years.
Scouting works the same way.
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Topic: A Reprint Message About Bile Thinning
Hi, (this is a reprint message about thinning the bile so it can flow a bit easier.)
Hydration is one of the most important factor in digestion;normally it requires 6-8 glass of water a day (about 2000ml/day).
Lemon juice and water(juice of 1/2 lemon added to 2oz of water),drink just before meals will help the digestive distress.(or 2-3 pieces of squeezed lemon in a cup of hot water will do.)
Beet juice(1 fresh beet,peeled and grated mix with juice from1/2 lemon and 2 tablespoonful of flax seed or oil, take 1 teaspoonful of this mixture and eat like a salad with lunch or dinner) .if you can eat one beet a day for 3 months,it will help to thin out the bile.---www.lifespa.com/article.aspx?art_id=107 .I know beet is good for the bile,but I have no proof of the above claims with regard to the duration(3month) of the beet juice therapy.Just use your common sense to help your mom.
2 years after resection without any problems show up for CAT scan is very good news. Try to continue scan every 4-6 month to monitor the situation.do not let your guard down. Ask your mom to eat well to maintain good health and strength.In this way, if things happen,your mom will be in good health to deal with the future problem at hand. I am a patient of CC for sometime now.and this is how I continue to do for my health.
God bless.


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Announcing HtmlTags 1.0
I'm pleased to announce the release of version 1.0 of the HtmlTags library. You can add it to your projects today using nuget. > Install-Package HtmlTags HtmlTags provides a simple object model for generating HTML from .NET code. The main … Continue reading
Posted in fubumvc 9 Comments
Code samples from my ADNUG talk – Coding with Conventions
A couple people have asked for the code I used during my talk at the Austin .NET User Group last night. The code is on github: https://github.com/joshuaflanagan/adnug_Feb2011 The master branch has the state of the code before I started the … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized Leave a comment
Applying data restrictions to route authorization
I introduced our concept of data restrictions in the context of filtering out entities from data access queries. I then had to clarify that data restrictions are not tied to data access – they are part of the domain logic. … Continue reading
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Helpful DateTime extension methods for dealing with Time Zones
This post is inspired by Scott Mitchell's 5 Helpful DateTime Extension Methods. I built a couple extension methods while adding time zone support to our application. Since time zone math is never fun, I figure someone else may benefit from … Continue reading
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A quick follow up about data restrictions
A comment on my last post caused me to re-read it, and realize that I didn't do a good job of emphasizing the role of data restrictions (implementations of IDataRestriction<T>) in our application. Since I introduced them in the context … Continue reading
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How we systemically apply filters to our data access
I wrote about limiting access to sensitive information in Dovetail Support Center on the company blog, but didn't get too deep into the technical implementation. Since that feature development relied heavily on the capabilities of our open source web framework, … Continue reading
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Validate a Facebook JavaScript SDK cookie with Ruby
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Use gitk to understand git – merge and rebase
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Over the long holiday last weekend I had some friends over for dinner, and this was one of the things I tried out on them. My friends are so nice about eating my experiments, even the ones that turn out to be not quite blogworthy. Luckily that wasn't a problem with this dish. It's a continuation of the theme of Parmesan and pine nuts that worked out so well on the stir-fried green beans, but with the wonderful addition of chopped fresh basil stirred in right before serving. This wouldn't be worth eating with dried basil, but when you have fresh basil in your garden, it's delightful.
Basil and Parmesan Rice with Pine Nuts
1/3 cup toasted pine nuts
1 T olive oil
1 C long-grain white rice (use Uncle Ben's Converted Rice for the South Beach diet)
2 cups homemade chicken stock or canned chicken broth
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese
1/3 cup or more fresh basil, finely chopped
In heavy dutch oven type pan, brown rice in olive oil over high heat for 2-3 minutes, until rice is starting to look slightly toasted. Add chicken stock and bring to a boil. (Stock will spatter when it's added to the hot pan, so be careful.) When stock starts to boil lower heat, cover pan with tight-fitting lid and simmer 20 minutes. After that much time, check to be sure all the liquid is absorbed. When it is, turn off heat and let rice sit 5 minutes.
While rice sits, toast pine nuts in dry skillet until slightly browned, about 2 minutes. Shake pan a few times and watch them closely so they don't get too brown. Wash basil, spin dry, then chop finely with chef's knife.
After the rice sits for 5 minutes, fluff with a fork, stir in Parmesan, chopped basil, and pine nuts and serve immediately. (This does not reheat well, since it loses that fresh basil flavor when it's reheated, so you'll have to eat it all, which probably won't be much of a problem.)
This would make a great side dish for phase two or three of the South Beach Diet. Uncle Ben's Converted rice is very low on the glycemic index compared to most white rice, so it's a great product for South Beach Dieters or anyone interested in low-glycemic eating to increase energy or lose weight.
You Can Make So Many Good Things with Fresh Basil:
Spicy Cherry Tomato Sauce for Pasta
Italian Sausage and Zucchini Soup
Caprese Salad with Apricots from Rand
Basil and Garlic Marinated Mozarella Sandwich with Tomatoes from Lucullian Delights
Thai Basil Fried Rice from Is it EDible?
Basil Chicken with Coconut Curry Sauce from Simply Recipes
Spring Peas, Onions, and Artichokes with Lemon Basil from Erin's Kitchen
Chilean Sea Bass with Cherry Tomatoes and Basil Mousse from Beyond Salmon
Thai Basil Hummus from 28 Cooks
Thai Tomato Basil Salad from Tigers and Strawberries


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More Fun with PID Controllers
Exploring Just How Flexible and Powerful the PID Controller Can Be
Greg McMillan and Stan Weiner bring their wits and more than 66 years of process control experience to bear on your questions, comments, and problems. Write to them at email@example.com.
By Greg McMillan and Stan Weiner
Stan: We continue exploring just how flexible and powerful the PID controller can be. The concept of setpoint (SP), process variable (PV), controller output (CO) and mode have been used since the inception of the PID in the 1930s. The modern-day DCS has all the modes, such as manual (MAN), automatic (AUTO), cascade (CAS), remote cascade (RCAS) and remote output (ROUT), developed for the electronic analog controllers in the 1970s. The RCAS mode is used for supervisory or model-predictive control, and the ROUT mode is used to position outputs for batch operation, transitions, start-up, shutdown and abnormal conditions.
Greg: You want the operator to be able to set a target (setpoint), monitor the control error, put a control system in manual and position the valve to deal with unforeseen situations, and to check out valve operation. The PID provides this familiar and effective interface, and has the flexibility to do just about anything within its framework. In the future, the operator will also be able to see trajectories of the PID SP, PV and CO intelligently scaled and time spanned to show where the process has been and where the process is going. The use of smart PID trajectories can overcome the problems introduced by digital displays, and provide a better perception of loop dynamics and tuning as discussed in "Are We Misleading Our Operators" (http://tinyurl.com/6xd3buf). For example, the delay between a change in the SP or CO and a change in the PV can make the operator aware of dead time, which is the most important and difficult dynamic parameter to understand.
Stan: In this third of a four-part series, we continue our interview with Mark Congiundi of Sasol, who has done an incredible job of using the PID, so the operator is not intimidated or out of touch with advanced applications—a common problem with supervisory, model-predictive, batch and field control systems.
Greg: When we use a variable-frequency drive (VFD) we have the opportunity to use tachometer feedback for greater rangeability and precision of speed adjustment. The speed control is very fast, and is best done in the drive rather than the DCS to avoid introducing a delay and lag due to signal transmission and DCS execution. For fast process loops manipulating a speed loop, slowing down the speed loop by putting it in the DCS can cause a violation of the cascade rule, which stipulates the secondary loop (speed loop) should be five times faster than the primary loop (process loop). Also, the vendor has the knowledge of internal drive operation to make the speed loop do its job. Keeping the speed loop in the VFD avoids the transfer of the responsibility for speed loop tuning and performance from the manufacturer to the user. The downside is the loss of operator access and visibility. How do you address the lack of an operator interface for a speed loop in a VFD?
Mark: I use a pass-through speed controller. The operator sees a speed PID loop that he can monitor and select modes. If the speed loop is put in the cascade mode, the PID uses a setpoint that is the output of the process PID. The speed-indicating controller (SIC) PV is the actual speed. A zero-gain PID with an external feedback signal that is the speed setpoint is used, so there is no response to the speed PV; the SIC functions to provide the flexibility of a hand-indicating controller (HIC), even though it looks like a conventional SIC. The bumpless transition to cascade, process PID features and equipment coordination are provided as if the SIC was doing speed control in the DCS. For example, the speed setpoint is automatically set to a minimum when the motor is off, so the motor can start at minimum speed.
Stan: The tuning settings for best setpoint response and disturbance rejection are quite different. The settings for minimum integrated error from unmeasured disturbances will typically cause overshoot and excessive oscillation for a setpoint change. This problem is prevalent in batch loops and automated start-up and transitions of continuous loops. How do you get the best setpoint and load response?
Mark: I use proportional action on PV rather than on error, so the controller gain does not provide a kick from the setpoint change. I then add to the PID output a feed-forward signal that is simply the change in setpoint multiplied by a gain factor. I can control the size of the step change in controller output from the step change in setpoint without affecting the disturbance response.
Greg: Some control systems offer a PID structure with factors built in to allow tuning for setpoint response without affecting the load response. For example, in a "two degrees of freedom" structure, the user can specify beta and gamma factors for the response to setpoint changes of the proportional and integral mode. The beta and gamma factors do not affect the reaction to disturbances. For loops with low controller gains and little-to-no rate action due to excessive dead time or noise, setpoint feed-forward can still be useful for a standard PID, since these factors have a 1.0 high limit. For these cases, where you effectively have proportional action on setpoint changes limited by a gamma setting of 1.0 and a low controller gain setting, the setpoint feed-forward factor would be the inverse of the process gain minus the controller gain. For example, if the process gain was 1.25 and the controller gain was 0.2, the setpoint feed-forward factor would be 0.6, so that the sum of feed-forward and proportional action on setpoint immediately puts the output to its final resting value, corresponding to PV = SP (feedforward gain = 1/1.25 - 0.2 = 0.6). The enhanced PID developed for wireless operation allows the controller gain to be set equal to the inverse of the process gain for loops dominated by an analyzer cycle time or wireless measurement update time as discussed in "Wireless PID Benefits" (http://tinyurl.com/644pt82). This immediately puts the PID output at the final resting value for self-regulating loops.
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Support Fair Trade USA with LevelUp
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The Champaign County Genealogical Society (CCGS) was established in 1969. On Friday, April 25, 1969, eleven genealogists met to form an organization dedicated to encouraging each other in their desire to discover ancestors. Some had roots in Champaign County, while others had no ties at all to the county. They not only worked on their own family histories, but contributed to making records easily available to all.
The purpose of the CCGS is to:
- Promote genealogical and historical research.
- Aid in the publication and preservation of genealogical and historical records and manuscripts.
- Provide programs designed to assist both the beginning and the advanced genealogist.
CCGS serves all of Champaign County and currently has around 150 members from around the country. New members are always welcome, whether you are researching Champaign County ancestors or not. The Society enjoys encouraging and assisting others in their genealogy quest. An individual annual membership currently costs $20 and they also offer student, family, organization, and patron memberships.
Society members enjoy the following benefits:
- Subscription to the Champaign County Genealogical Society Quarterly (published electronically in March, June, September, and December; all back issues available online).
- Access to tombstone transcriptions of several Champaign County cemeteries.
- Ability to add as many surnames as you want to the surname database (non-members can only search the database, not add names).
- Access to the Members Forums (post queries, ask questions, share information, etc.).
- Access to searchable Champaign County birth and death record databases, which cover the years 1878-1918.
- Access to a searchable members list.
- Access to CCGS minutes and reports.
General membership meetings are held the second Tuesday of each month at 7 PM in the Lewis Auditorium at The Urbana Free Library (basement), located at 210 West Green Street, Urbana, Illinois. These meetings generally last 60-90 minutes and are open to the public. Meetings start with a short business meeting, followed by a speaker, discussion of research problems, or show-and-tell time. The April general membership meeting is a joint dinner with the Champaign County Historical Society. This meeting, open to the public, also starts at 7 PM and is held in the Lewis Auditorium at the Urbana Free Library. All meeting dates, times, and speakers can be found on the Calendar of Events page of their website.
While CCGS does not have its own library, it is affiliated with the Champaign County Historical Archives located at the Urbana Free Library (210 West Green Street, Urbana, Illinois; second floor). It is open to the public and no appointment is necessary (for further information please call 217-367-4025).
Resources include a photo atlas of Champaign County, books, journals, newspapers on microfilm, directories, school yearbooks, county records on microfilm or in paper form, manuscripts, images, maps, oral histories, local organization newsletters, special collections of businesses, organizations, or individuals, and much more. The focus of the collection is Champaign County but the collection also contains numerous books on other counties in Illinois and states east of the Mississippi as well as general genealogical reference materials. The holdings can be searched online. In addition to these resources, patrons can also access online databases including GenealogyBank, World Vital Records, HeritageQuest, Fold3, and Ancestry Library Edition.
The Society is currently working on creating an every-name index for all of its Quarterlies. These will be available on the public portion of our web site. In addition, a book entitled, The Nofftz, Messman(n), Holl, and Krueger Families of Pesotum Township, Champaign County, Illinois, Volume 2, is in progress and will be available soon.
For additional information about the Society, visit their website or contact them by email at email@example.com.


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