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Whoever did this I hope they fry the *******.
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Whoever did this I hope they fry the *******.
He's already dead. Which is always the story with these ********. Which they would just save everyone the trouble and kill themselves when they wake up in the morning.
18 kids is what the wall street journal is saying. 18.
Oh I didn't realize that well at least he's dead a pity it didn't stop there
Another POS that decided he wanted to go down in history by doing something horrific. I know these things have to be shown on the news but I would hope instead of the talk shows trying to say he had a troubled child hood or something they forget trying to use logic and call it what it is. A Fking animal plain an simple so these other warped fks see there is no glory, not even a hint of pity for this piece of crap.
You know how hippos are made out to be sweet and silly, like big cows, but are actually extremely dangerous and can kill you with stunning brutality? The Pacers are the NBA's hippos....Matt Moore CBS Sports....
They are interviewing 8 and 9 year olds on live TV right after their classmates were murdered. Journalists have become the biggest whores in the world.
Shooter's name is Ryan Lanza
Smothered Chicken!
You may ask how this happens. Aside from the obvious "crazy" factor how does one get access to a school? Well, let me tell you. This morning, my kindergartner forgot his backpack. So since I happen to be off work today I decided to run it over to him. I parked, walked up to the door, which was locked, and hit the intercom call button. The office asked my business there, I told them, they asked my son's name, I told them, they buzzed me in. That's it. So, in theory, you could walk up with a bag full of guns, and get straight in based on knowing the name of one student. That's all it took. One name got me buzzed into the school. What's the solution? Do you really want the school locked up like a prison? Given the alternative I think there needs to be more layers for sure. All I know is you can bet your *** I'm bringing how I was able to get in this morning up at the next PTO meeting.
I think this is going to be the story. He killed his father in NJ it appears, drove to Connecticut to kill his mom who it now appears was a kindergarten teacher at the school. Yes, folks, I think an entire classroom of kindergartners was massacred this morning. So horrible. So, so horrible.
It's really easy to play the blame card right now or try and play psychologist, but all that matters right now is keeping these families in your thoughts and/or prayers. They are all that matter right now
Carmel HS Class of 2011
Feed the worthless piece of **** to pigs. Don't even give him a grave.
"Nobody wants to play against Tyler Hansbrough NO BODY!" ~ Frank Vogel
"And David put his hand in the bag and took out a stone and slung it. And it struck the Philistine on the head and he fell to the ground. Amen. "
As I see the pictures on the news of kids as they are evacuated, i can't help but be enraged. How could you stand there photographing them instead of trying to help? it just blows my mind.
We're talking about the same people who can't even get the right name of the POS.
"Nobody wants to play against Tyler Hansbrough NO BODY!" ~ Frank Vogel
"And David put his hand in the bag and took out a stone and slung it. And it struck the Philistine on the head and he fell to the ground. Amen. "
First, I'm definitely pray for everyone involved.
Second though, the media makes me sick too TJ. Classmates don't need to be sharing what happened, parents don't need to be hounded, and doctors and police officers don't need to be bugged for detas. The kids don't need to relive it, parents need to be taking care of kids, and the doctors and police have better things to be doing.
Leave these people the heck alone right now and do something to help instead of bugging everyone.
Thinking of those poor defendless kids that lost their life to that lunatic **** and can't stop crying.Yeah i am so away but i feel so sad and pain today.My thoughts to the families who have suffered enough already and will keep suffering from this nightmare.It's beyond crazy and unimaginable.5-year-old angels shot to death.We live in a **** mad world sometimes.
I will never underestand why any joe blow from across the road can buy guns in america.
so glad this stuff doesn't happen where im from
Counting down the days untill DJ Augustin's contract expires.
Everybody - give your kids an extra hug tonite.
Another horrible act of violence against young children took place today: http://www.latimes.com/news/world/wo...,6383015.story
"Glad that doesn't happen where I'm from"? These were children that were killed!
I was shocked to watch the news earlier and as the TV reporter was interviewing a parent, a print reporter walked up *during* the interview and interviewed the kid, apparently without her permission. It looked like the mother was just too dazed and confused to stop her interview but she didn't seem too happy about it.
Complete ******* move.
Syfy Pulls 'Haven' Episode in Wake of Connecticut School Shooting
In the aftermath of the elementary school shooting in Newtown, Conn., Syfy is pulling a Haven episode scheduled to air Friday that centers on violence at a high school.
According to a description of "Reunion," "Nathan (Lucas Bryant) and Duke (Eric Balfour) go back to their high school to help Audrey (Emily Rose) apprehend a troubled killer who is wreaking havoc at a student reunion."
Syfy issued a statement to The Hollywood Reporter regarding the decision: "Tonight's scheduled 10 p.m. episode of Haven contained scenes of fictitious violence in a high school. In light of today's tragedy in Newtown, Conn., we have decided not to air it. At this time, no decision has been made as to when the episode will air."
Instead, the cable network will air a repeat of Eureka -- the animated holiday episode "Do You See What I See" -- in Haven's usual 10 p.m. slot Friday. Haven's third-season finale is scheduled to air next week.
President Barack Obama addressed the nation Friday following the Newtown shooting, which took the lives of dozens of victims. "We're going to have to get together and take meaningful action," the president said. As a country we have been through this too many times."
Haven is based on Stephen King's The Colorado Kid.
NFL will observe a moment of silence before all Week 15 games
Posted by Michael David Smith on December 14, 2012, 6:13 PM EST
The NFL will pause before each game this weekend to recognize the tragedy in Newtown, Connecticut.
At each stadium, just before the playing of the national anthem, a moment of silence will be observed.
Like everyone across America, those in the NFL have been shocked by the shooting at Newtowns Sandy Hook Elementary School, where authorities say a gunman killed 26 people, 20 of them children aged 5 to 10, before killing himself.
During the moment of silence, hundreds of thousands of fans in NFL stadiums, and millions of fans watching at home, will reflect on the scope of the tragedy. As President Obama said today, The majority of those who died today were children, beautiful little kids between the ages of 5 and 10 years old. They had their entire lives ahead of them.
Not sure what info you all have, but from what we've gotten inside the state..
Seems like the gunman fired into two classrooms, his mother's and another one. So yes, likely an entire classroom of of kids 5 years old, and another classroom died. The death toll is now 20.
His name is actually Adam Lanza, Ryan is his brother who lives in New Jersey..who has now been taken in for custody. He killed his mother who he lived with first, drove to the school..and then went into her classroom. I'm pretty sure the Father is still actually alive, and that was reported incorrectly.
The media... I've had problems with a lot of it. Like...showing the film of parents coming out of the fire station who had clearly gotten the bad news..(That was so gruesome.)
It's almost like we're in a cycle where there will soon be so many public killings, that the populace will become desensitized to it, spend less time watching the news, leading to lower ratings (and less celebrity killers) and then less glorification of these public killings, leading to the idea of killing dozens of innocents in public being less of a driving force behind such action, ultimately resulting in fewer high-profile public killings.
It's tough to imagine not reaching this point. I hope we can collectively turn off the cable news, get better help for the people who need it, and work on becoming better ourselves. Doesn't seem like that's what's trending though.


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Robert Zemeckis' CGI masterpiece hits home video just in time for the holiday...
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A Christmas Carol, the timeless tale of the greedy, grumpy Ebenezer Scrooge and his adventures through time at the hands of three ghosts has continued to both entertain and instruct for over 160 years. Numerous film and animated versions of The Christmas Carol have been made, including a fan-favorite version featuring key Disney characters like Mickey Mouse & Donald Duck in the main roles. Now, thanks to director Robert Zemeckis and beautiful motion-capture CGI by Disney's talented bunch of animators, fans looking for the latest incarnation of Charles Dicken's classic tale have something to enjoy.
The story itself has not changed: the tightwad Ebenezer Scrooge (Jim Carrey) continues to "bah humbug" his way through life, driving away friend and family alike. Enter the ghost of Jacob Marley, Scrooge's former business partner dead seven years. Forecasting future events, Marley reveals to Scrooge visits from three additional ghosts: the Ghost of Christmas Past, the Ghost of Christmas Present, and the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come. During each visit, Scrooge is given insight into his own cold-hearted disposition and, through these visions, ultimately comes to realize the change most needed is within him. Through these relationships revealed, loves lost, and merriment found, Ebenezer Scrooge becomes a completely new man with a new attitude not only towards Christmas, but his fellow man and life in general.
Truly a fearful and uplifting tale full of disturbing ideas and inspiring beliefs, this retelling beautifully captures the original story using the most technologically advanced animation available. Jim Carrey is outstanding as Scrooge, providing plenty of animation to both the body and voice of one of literuature's most infamous characters of all time. Likewise, a number of recognizable supporting actors, including Gary Oldman, Colin Firth, Bob Hoskins, Cary Elwes, and Robin Wright, all deliver solid performances as well, helping round out the cast of characters.
The Blu-ray includes a gorgeous 1080p, 2.40:1 video transfer that's beautiful to watch. Likewise, the English 5.1 DTS-HD audio fulfills all expectations, again showing why Disney's home videos are so popular.
This 2-disc DVD/Blu-ray combo also includes a number of worthy bonus features, including a "Behind the Carol: The Full Motion Capture Experience." Clocking in at just over 90 minutes, this Picture-in-Picture featurette provides viewers with the opportunity to see both the CGI animation and the motion capture on-screen together. This is accompanied by a director's commentary well worth engaging, as it helps expand on this impressive new technology retelling this age-old, fan-favorite story.
Another bonus feature, "Capturing Dickens: A Novel Retelling," clocks in at just under 15 minutes and reveals actor insight into why this film version of the tale is truly "a novel retelling." Other bonus features include a interactive Christmas countdown and "On the Set with Sammi," a brief look at the actress Sammi Hanratty's experience making the film.
Overall, Disney's A Christmas Carol makes for a great way to celebrate the holidays. An awesome family film which will both delight, scare and ultimate reveal the true reason for the season (love and joy to all), Disney's A Christmas Carol is a solid addition to any home video library.
- Jess C. Horsley

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I can't find this bar ANYWHERE IN WEST LOS ANGELES! WHY? PLUS YOU SHOW IT IS SOLD OUT - YIKES! WHY? WHERE CAN WE GET THIS DREAMY BAR? IT IS CALLED THE DARK CHOCOLATE NUT NIRVANA THANK YOU FOR MAKING A DARK CHOCOLATE BAR WITH LOTS AND LOTS OF NUTS. NOTHING LIKE THIS EXISTS....
Love the firecracker bar, but why would I buy on line when I can get in store for a dollar less?? Was really hoping to be able to order by the case and with more savings on line !
2 Item(s)


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Can Short Latency Afferent Inhibition Give us Clues to Better DYT 1 Dystonia Treatments?
- Full Text View
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- No Study Results Posted
- Disclaimer
- How to Read a Study Record
This is a research study using transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) to investigate interactions between the sensory system and the motor cortex in primary generalized dystonia (DYT1 dystonia) subjects who undergo deep brain stimulation (DBS) surgery.
The sensory system is the body's sense organs - smell, sight, sound, etc. - and the motor cortex is the part of your brain where nerve impulses control voluntary muscle activity.
|DYT-1 DYT1 DYT 1 Dystonia
|Study Type:
|Study Design:
|Observational Model: Case Control
Time Perspective: Prospective
|Official Title:
|Can Short Latency Afferent Inhibition Give us Clues to Better Dystonia Treatments?
- Change in amplitude, at 3 and 6+ months, of motor evoked potentials (MEPs) with median nerve stimulation (SAI) and simultaneous median nerve and ulnar nerve stimulation (SAIdualstim) [ Time Frame: 3 and 6+ months post-DBS surgery ]Surface electromyography (EMG) will be recorded from the first dorsal interosseous muscle to determine the amplitude of potentials evoked in two ways - SAI and SAIdualstim. For SAI, potentials will be evoked with median nerve stimulation preceding TMS by the N20 latency plus 3 ms. For SAI dualstim, simultaneous stimulation of median and ulnar nerves will precede TMS by the N20 latency plus 3 ms.
- Correlation of change in evoked potential amplitudes and clinical measures at 3 and 6+ months [ Time Frame: 3- and 6+-months post-DBS surgery ]The changes, from baseline to 3 and 6+ months post-operation, in amplitudes recorded during SAI and SAIdualstim testing will will be correlated with the changes in the clinical measures taken at the same timepoints. The Spearman correlation test will be used for this analysis.
|Study Start Date:
|May 2012
|Study Completion Date:
|August 2016
|Primary Completion Date:
|October 2014 (Final data collection date for primary outcome measure)
DYT-1 Postive
This group includes those participants who enroll having a genetically confirmed primary generalized dystonia diagnosis.
This group includes healthy subjects between the ages of 18 and 80.
Detailed Description:
The cause of DYT1 dystonia is not clear. DYT1 dystonia symptoms include abnormal posture or repetitive twisting movements affecting one body part; in some patients, the entire body can twist and contort painfully. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies are normally used to evaluate changes in brain structure in DYT1 dystonia. Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is a painless, non-invasive method to test how your brain conducts electrical messages to the rest of your body, including your muscles.
If you are a DYT1 dystonia patient, then this study involves up to three visits. The first visit (before DBS surgery) will last about 4 hours and the second and third visits (after DBS surgery) will last about 4 hours as well. These visits will include a complete physical and neurological exam, video recorded dystonia and mood rating scales, followed by electromyography (EMG) and TMS sessions. Subjects who have already undergone DBS surgery may participate in applicable visits based on the length of time since their DBS surgery.
If you are a control subject, this study involves one visit, about 4 hours long. This visit will include TMS and EMG sessions.
|Ages Eligible for Study:
|10 Years to 80 Years (Child, Adult, Senior)
|Sexes Eligible for Study:
|Accepts Healthy Volunteers:
|Sampling Method:
|Non-Probability Sample
- Between the ages of 10 and 80 years. (CONTROL SUBJECTS between 18-80 years)
- Diagnosis and genetic test results confirming diagnosis of DYT1 dystonia.
- Currently treated with medications and enrolled in evaluation process for DBS surgery to confirm candidacy - OR -
- Previous DBS surgery
- Implanted pacemaker, medication pump, vagal stimulator, Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) unit or ventriculoperitoneal shunt.
- Family or personal history of medication refractory epilepsy.
- Pregnancy: due to the frequent visits over a prolonged period and the lack of Information on the safety of TMS during pregnancy, pregnant women will not be eligible to participate in this study. Women of childbearing potential will be eligible to participate, provided that they are using adequate contraception during TMS treatments.
This study is accepting healthy volunteers, aged 18-80, as control subjects. Control subjects will not undergo DBS surgery.
EXCLUSION CRITERIA (as it applies to healthy control subjects):
- Cannot have family history or personal history of medication refractory epilepsy
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01435681
|United States, Florida
|UF Center for Movement Disorders and Neurorestoration
|Gainesville, Florida, United States, 32607
|Principal Investigator:
|Aparna Wagle Shukla, M.D.
|University of Florida
Additional Information:
|Responsible Party:
|University of Florida
|ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:
|NCT01435681 History of Changes
|Other Study ID Numbers:
|Study First Received:
|September 14, 2011
|Last Updated:
|September 7, 2016
|Individual Participant Data (IPD) Sharing Statement:
|Plan to Share IPD:
Keywords provided by University of Florida:
deep brain stimulation
transcranial magnetic stimulation
Additional relevant MeSH terms:
Dystonic Disorders
Neurologic Manifestations
Nervous System Diseases
Signs and Symptoms
Movement Disorders
Central Nervous System Diseases
ClinicalTrials.gov processed this record on September 21, 2017


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Man Booker Prize, Fiction, 1996
When four men carry out another's final wishes, they are forced to take stock of who they are, who they were, and what lies in between.
"It ain't like your regular sort of day," Ray admits. The Coach and Horses pub in London's East End opened just five minutes ago, and Ray is already having a pint. He's soon joined by Lenny and Vic, who arrives carrying a box. Vic "twists the box round so we can see there's a white card taped to one side. There's a date and a number and name: Jack Arthur Dodds."
The three men, friends since World War II, have gathered to carry out Jack's last orders and deliver his ashes to the sea. A fourth comes, too, and serves as the driver: Jack's adopted son, Vince. As they move together toward the fulfillment of their mission, their errand becomes an extraordinary journey into their collective and individual pasts. Their voices - and Jack's, and that of Jack's widow Amy - combine in a choir of sorrow and resentment, passion and regret. An interwoven series of first-person narratives shifts between times and tenses, memories and revelations.
A testament to a changing England, a stark portrait of its working class, and a morality tale that hides its ambition and expertise under moving naturalism, Last Orders is a stunning achievement by one of England's greatest living writers.
© 1996 Grham Swift; (P)2003 HighBridge Company
"A profound, intricately stratified novel full of life, love lost, and love enduring." (The Globe and Mail)
"Written with impeccable honesty and paced with unflagging momentum, the novel ends with a scene of transcendent understanding." (Publishers Weekly)
"Don't hesitate"
I cannot recommend this selection highly enough. It is a beautifully written, and wonderfully read book. It took a short while to become accustomed to the accents, but what a treat it was coming to know them.
I work in IT, I love reading, I love Writing and for those daily travels too and fro I love to listen to Audible books too
"Friends forever care even in death."
I first saw this as a great movie with a great English cast and was eager to see how this audio would compare and it does. This is how London was when I was growing up, friends forever looking after the loved ones, caring for mates.
The care for the widow, the treatment of the ashes with reverence.
A true story of friendship in a time when friends really were friends for life.
"An interesting piece of writing"
The writing by far is better than the story itself. It very slow start. I would've liked a little more narrative upfront, at least a sense of knowing where things were going. But the writing is phenomenal.
I was a high school history teacher and a physician assistant-retired.
"Hold the Last Orders"
It is difficult to distinguish among the characters because it is not apparent who is speaking, and their accents require a better ear than mine. However, it makes little difference because their dialogue is trite and their characters stereotypical. I had little interest in finishing this one.
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Andropause Meet Menopause: Couples Hormones, Life stage and relationships.
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In honor of HM the Queen's Birthday.
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Each Summer Journey is designed to draw together like-minded people with shared interests and some group activities alongside Chiva-Som's highly personalized approach to individual wellness consultations, daily massages, relevant exercises and treatments. In addition, some programs include a 'master in residence' or guest speakers, lunch and learn hosted discussions and selected takeaways.
Summer Journeys confirmed specialist speakers include Judith Horstman, an award winning journalist and author of several books on the brain, Dr. Gerald Lalande, of CEO Health and week long programs with Chiva-Som favorites like Danchai Chernprateep, Kamonwan (Nok) Khamching and Chef Paisarn Cheewinsiriwat.
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text:
A TEENAGER from Yate has paid his heartfelt thanks to the paramedics who helped save his life when he collapsed outside his house.
Football-mad Alex Turner had always been fit and healthy so it came as a huge shock to him and his family when he went into cardiac arrest early one Sunday morning last September.
Eighteen-year-old Alex had just left his home in Littledean, Yate to drive to work at the Hilton Hotel in Bradley Stoke when he collapsed on the pavement outside his home.
His parents Hilary, 45, and Kevin, 47, and siblings Adam, 16, Elicia, 12, and Sophie, 9, were completely unaware of how dangerously ill Alex was just metres away from their garden.
"We were having a lie in," said Hilary. "I had woken him at 6.30am and he seemed fine then.
"Then I heard my neighbour Carolann Lythe who was just saying you need to come now."
Carolann had only been up that early on a Sunday as she was returning from taking her husband to work and found Alex in a heap on the ground.
"She turned him over because he was face down and gave him CPR," said Hilary, a teaching assistant at Raysfield Junior School in Chipping Sodbury.
"Her brother, James Brown, called for an ambulance and they carried on performing CPR while the call handler told them what to do.
"Then the paramedics arrived and were amazing. I was just standing in the road screaming, I had gone into meltdown, and my husband and other children were in shock.
"It was Carolann's quick thinking and the help of the paramedics which saved Alex's life. If she hadn't seen him he wouldn't be here."
Alex, who was 17 at the time, told the Gazette: "I can remember putting my clothes on and being in a rush but I can't remember anything after I left my bedroom.
"The first thing I remember is waking up in hospital and mum and dad coming in."
The former Yate International Academy student was kept sedated in Frenchay Hospital's intensive care unit for a week.
"The thought was he could have brain damage," said him mum. "He was back to being a young boy but he is getting there now. He has had to stop playing football and he has had an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) fitted and we have all been tested and will be monitored.
"Life has been difficult at times but we are getting back to normality and are just so grateful to Carolann and the paramedics who helped him. Alex has been inspirational and I want young people in particular to be aware of the risk of cardiac arrest."
Alex and his mum were reunited with the team who helped him at a South Western Ambulance Service awards ceremony.
Critical care paramedic Mike Page said: "It was amazing to be able to meet Alex and to see how well he is doing, a real honour. It is cases like this that really remind you of the difference we can make to people's lives in our job."
Thornbury and Yate MP Steve Webb, who arranged the meeting and is helping the family raise awareness of Alex's story, said: "Huge thanks must go both to the paramedics who did such a great job, and also to Alex's neighbours who were first on the scene and whose prompt action undoubtedly saved Alex's life.
"It was great to be able to bring the family together with the paramedics who played such a crucial role, and I know everyone was very moved to hear Hilary's words of appreciation."


text:
Non-stop battles and blood...
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Sláine: Books of Invasions can best be compared to a blockbuster movie sequel. Where Sláine: The Horned God (read our review HERE) had the obligatory task to establish the tale's epic background and characters, Invasions has the relaxed freedom to dive right in to the action. It's like Marvel creating a film about Iron Man's origin just so he can later duke it out in The Avengers.
Books of Invasions Volume 1 kicks off with a bang, opening with Sláine at a pub and being confronted by numerous Sea Devils, mutant amphibious creatures with an inclination for pain and suffering. Fifteen of the vile monstrosities prove no match for Sláine and his axe... the violent encounter acting as an excellent prelude to the main story to come. Titled "Moloch," the first half of Invasions deals with Sláine's bloody battle against the thousands of Sea Devils invading his homeland. Led by the sadistic Moloch, all appears lost for Tir Nan Og... until Sláine is unchained (literally) and his Hulk-like "warp spasm" takes over. "Golamh" continues with a new aquatic threat - the "five-limbed ones" called Quinotaurs, humans physically attached to - and enslaved by - crustacean-like Sea Demons. These aren't just any ordinary human slaves, however, the Sea Demon hosts in this story are warriors from a long lost civilization: Atlantis!
Back on writing duty is 2000 AD and Sláine creator Pat Mills. Where the vast, sweeping story of The Horned God was more serious in tone, Books of Invasions 1 loosens up with a lighter and more focused look at a couple of Sláine's key conflicts. You can tell Mills is much more relaxed with his creation, the painful labor of childbirth traded in for the joy of raising a child. Like The Horned God, Invasions is immensely imaginative (parasitic Atlantean Sea Demons?!). Unlike The Horned God, Invasions is packed from cover to cover with non-stop battles and blood. Those seeking action will love this book, Invasions truly lives up to its name.
Bringing these fantastic stories to life is the fantastic art of Clint Langley. While Simon Bisley's art practically defined Sláine to a generation, Clint Langley's style takes the Celtic hero into the 21st century with his unique blend of fully painted art and digital manipulation. At times photo realistic, others expressionistic and surreal, Langley's take on Sláine is jaw-dropping in detail and gorgeous with his use of color. In particular, his work for "Golamh" truly stands out, the Quinotaurs oozing in eye-melting Lovecraftian insanity and the Princess Scota popping off the pages with her unique hieroglyphic tattooed sex appeal.
Released late last month, Sláine: Book of Invasions 1 continues 2000 AD's mission to enlighten North America with its brilliant brand of sci-fi/fantasy. It has certainly opened my eyes... I had no idea Sláine could be this cool. I'm extremely envious of my British peers who had the chance to read this way back in 2006 with its original release, but hey, better late than never. Find out why 2000 AD is the "Galaxy's Greatest Comic," grab your copy of Sláine: Book of Invasions 1 priced at $19.99 and available at all major U.S. bookstores.
Review By Jeff Saylor
Art and Review Sample Courtesy of 2000 AD


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Day 5 (Friday) of the camp.
Group 1 did two new rhythms, Dubalen and Karinkadjan.
Dubalen is a species of tree. Dubalen are large trees, about the same size as a Baobab. The trees have a large presence in the village--they are the trees under which elders make decisions and where festivals take place.
When Mamady first started drumming, he spent a lot of time under a particular Dubalen tree in Balandugu; the rhythm (a 6/8) is one of Mamady's compositions and named in honor of that tree. Mamady was blessed by many fetishers (male and female) under that tree.
The tree eventually died and, on Mamady's last visit to Balandugu, was no longer there. Mamady cried when he saw that the tree was gone.
There is also a non-profit association of the same name that is doing projects in Balandugu to help the village. I'll post more info about that as I get it. (Update: details of the association can be found in this post.)
Karinkadjan is a rhythm composed by Mamady and named in honor of his master. The rhythm is a quite funky 4/4 that's a lot of fun to play. When I get more time, I'll post some sound clips or at least notation. At moment, I'm writing these updates whenever I can snatch a bit of time...
Mamady spent a good 20 minutes during the session talking about the relationship with his master, the things Karinkadjan taught him, and also talked a fair bit about the seven secrets. I have detailed notes and a recording of everything, but I don't have the time right now write it all up. But I can tell you that it was fascinating--I'm glad that I was there. This information is available nowhere else, as far as I know.
Group 2 finished off Zaouli 7 in the morning session.
I didn't attend the afternoon pyramid class because I had to catch my flight to San Francisco, so I don't know what Mamady covered there. (I'm waiting for Linda to email me the MP3s of the important bits, so I can at least listen to the material on the way back on Monday morning and avoid embarrassing myself too much during the pyramid class )
Mamady picked four people from Group 1 for the advanced group that starts on Monday. From group 2, I think he picked three or four--not sure about exact numbers because I wasn't in the room at the time. So, starting Monday, I guess he'll make up for lost time and really hammer us. (He promised as much during the Group 1 session )


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Kristen Bell and Josh Duhamel's romantic comedy hits home video...
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Romantic comedies are a dime a dozen and, while not all of them are as good as When Harry Met Sally or as bad as Gigli, most of them follow a pretty predictable forumla that's been rehashed time and time again and delivers little in the way of originality or true romance, comdey, or surprise.
While entertaining and sometimes fun, When in Rome, the latest romantic comedy to hit home video strays little from this time-tested (and overused) formula. It delivers a number of funny moments and laughs, but fans of romantic comedies will find little new. In fact, most of the should-have-been-funny gags seem somewhat forced and, while the storyline is fun and had a lot of potential, the way in which it's delivered and portrayed isn't as funny as the idea behind it.
With a script by David Diamond and David Wiessman (Old Dogs) that seems to be forcing its characters to perform instead of encouraging them behave and directing by Mark Steven Johnson (Ghost Rider, Daredevil), who's strayed too from his (questionable) comic book film past, When in Rome gets easily lost in the mix of romantic comedies available on the retail and rental shelf.
Starring Kristen Bell and Josh Duhamel as America's every woman and every man, the couple's somewhat hilarious arrival at romance forces its way through oddball circumstance and a number of romantic competitors, including funnymen Will Arnet, Jon Heder, Danny DeVito and Dax Shepard who each do a great job with the material they've been provided.
The hi-def film transfer is beautiful for those who do watch it. The colors are bright and there's little (if any) graininess to the picture. Likewise, the 5.1 Master Audio surround track delivers plenty of good sound, though - like most films of this nature - it features little need for side or rear speaker effects.
Somewhat light on any quality special features, the Blu-ray disc does include alternate opening and ending scenes which - once they're watched - viewer's will (hopefully) understand why they didn't go with these. 8 additional deleted scenes are also included as are a number of short featurettes, including "Crazy Casanovas: Mischief From the Set," a 12+ minutes of interviews; "Extended Pain with The Suitors," 2+ minutes of additional deleted scenes featuring the funnymen suitors; "Kerplunk!: Bloopers From Rome," a short blooper reel; a very short, 1 minute look into the real lives of the cast members in "What's the Craziest Thing You've Done For Love?;" and two music videos, including "Starstrukk" by 30H!3 and "Stupid Love Letter" by Friday Night Boys.
Overall, When in Rome, while predictable and forulaic, has some entertainment value. It's got some crude, funny humor from time to time and it has a number of laugh-out-loud moments that, while aren't really that original, aren't that old either. Of course, the film is no where near the best romantic comedy made, but it's no where near the worst made either. That said, for fans of either Kristen Bell and Josh Duhamel or for those who enjoy a decent romantic comedy (no matter how good or bad), When in Rome is a fair watch. I can think of a number of worse ways to spend an evening...including rewatching Gigli and a number of other romantic comedies I've been forced to endure over the years...
When in Rome is rated PG-13 for some suggestive content and is available on Blu-ray hi-def home video wherever fine home video is sold.
- Jess C. Horsley


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Every week The Argus will be grilling someone who has appeared in the news in the Big Interview feature. This week we put Andy Winter, chief executive of Brighton Housing Trust, in the spotlight.
THE ARGUS (TA): What are the main housing challenges faced by Brighton and Hove?
ANDY WINTER (AW): Simply, there's a shortage of supply to meet the ever-increasing demand for housing.
The rising cost of the housing that is available is making it increasingly difficult for people to meet their housing costs.
The increasing demand for homes in the City is partly due to the increasing number of single person households, and partly due to more people are moving here.
Brighton has a low wage economy. Those jobs that are available, often in the service and retail sectors, are subject to enormous competition.
It is not uncommon that graduates from our two universities end up in non-graduate jobs in order to remain in the city.
While people joke that this has led to us having the most qualified baristas in the country, the harsh reality is that this trend excludes less qualified, local staff out of the jobs market.
Low wages, coupled with high housing costs, is not a healthy mix if we want to live in a City at ease with itself.
(TA): Do we face any pressures that other areas don't?
(AW): Brighton and Hove is sea and land-locked. There are relatively few sites on which to build new homes. It has a thriving economy and is an attractive place to live and work. The challenge for the City is its ability to accommodate the businesses that will provide jobs, and the homes for people to live in.
I really hope that we get the balance right between jobs and homes. I would hate to see Brighton become a dormitory town, with most residents commuting to jobs elsewhere. If I wanted to live in a town like that I would move to Worthing!
I would support the building of housing between Falmer and Woodingdean, but that is unlikely to be agreed. So if we can't go south and cannot encroach on the National Park, the only way, as Yazz sang in the 1980s, is up! We need a debate on the number of high rise developments that the City needs.
Unfortunately, the debate on tall buildings has been skewed by the controversies surrounding the 'Roaring Forties' tower in the Marina and the King Alfred proposals.
Where we have a real advantage over other areas is the range and effectiveness of support services. Where elsewhere in the country such services are being decimated, in Brighton and Hove, with all party support, most have been protected, and homelessness has been prevented.
(TA): What part do you and Brighton Housing Trust play in addressing these issues?
(AW): One of the most important things we do is to prevent homelessness. Last year, because of our work, mainly through our Advice Centre in Queen's Road, we helped 4,116 households from becoming homeless.
Unfortunately, because of changes to the Legal Aid system, from next April, we will be able to help fewer people unless we can attract funding from new sources. The visible consequence will be more people living on the streets.
In addition to preventing homelessness, we do a lot of work addressing those issues that may have led people to homelessness. We help people to prepare for housing – what it takes to be a good tenant, how to work with, not against, landlords, and how to increase the housing opportunities available to people.
We provide relatively few homes but the work we do in preventing homelessness and finding practical solutions for people in housing need means that BHT's contribution to resolving issues relating to housing demand is far greater than our modest size.
(TA): What would you most want to see happen to tackle these challenges? Can local or national Government help?
(AW): In Brighton and Hove, local government could help by agreeing to build 750 homes at Toad's Hole Valley.
Perhaps more homes should be considered on this site, a thousand or fifteen hundred, but I doubt there would be support for that.
The government should invest in truly affordable social housing.
The campaign group, Homes for Britain, says that every £1 spent on housing puts £3 into the economy. And for every £1 spent on construction, government gets 56p back in reduced welfare payments.
Over the lifetime of this government, £35 billion will be spent of housing benefit, yet just £4.5 billion is being spent on building. It is economic madness.
The right to buy doesn't help. Over the last 25 years housing has moved from being affordable and available to meet local demand, to being available only at unaffordable rents.
I heard the other day about |a former council house, once with a rent of £120 per week, now being let out privately for £750 per week.
(TA): Are more people coming to you in crisis now than in the past and is that down to the recession or other factors? Are economic circumstances driving people onto the streets?
(AW): Over the last two years we have seen a sharp increase in the number of people sleeping on the streets in Brighton. That appears to have steadied over the last year partly due to excellent work being undertaken by Brighton and Hove City Council, CRI, Sussex Central YMCA, BHT and others.
I am amazed at the resourcefulness and sacrifices people make in order to keep themselves and their families in one piece. We regularly come across single people, holding down jobs, but living in cars because they can't afford housing. Parents, usually women, are going without food, to ensure that their children have what they need or to heat their homes.
The latest increases in fuel charges might well push some households over the edge, and there is plenty more bad news yet to come.
So do you foresee the situation getting worse in the immediate future? What is your worst fear? What is your best hope?
The introduction of Universal Credit from next year, changes to the Social Fund and further restrictions on housing benefit, will likely result in more people getting into difficulty.
The plan with Universal Credit is to merge into one payment most of the benefits received by a household. Universal Credit will be paid monthly, leading to new challenges for households to stretch the cash throughout a longer period. It will also incorporate housing benefit payments. This could lead to an increase in rent arrears resulting in losses for landlords and an increase in evictions.
The Department of Works and Pensions expects 80% of claims to be made online. At BHT we have carried out our own research and have found that 71% of our clients appear to have the means and support to make claims online. But when you take away the facilities and support BHT provides, that number falls to just 19%, similar to the assessment the DWP itself has made. My biggest fear is that more people will fall foul of the new welfare regime and will lose their benefit entitlement, sometimes for prolonged periods. This will result in three H's: hardship, hypothermia and hunger.
The challenge for charities like BHT is how we can find a twenty-first century solution to poverty. Food banks are already doing a roaring trade. I fear we will soon see the opening of food kitchens.
A depressing note on which to finish.
See the latest news headlines from The Argus:
- Taxi drivers bring Brighton seafront to a standstill
- 'I feel sick, it could have been me'
- Peeping Tom took photos under leisure centre cubicle
- Woman attacked by man in car park
- Noel Gallagher follows brother Liam in announcing Brighton gig


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Movie star. Oscar winner. Wife of Michael Douglas. Catherine Zeta-Jones is all those things as she nears 40 but at heart, she is still a small-town girl.
"Cougar? I've never heard that expression." Catherine Zeta-Jones looks perplexed—gorgeous, to be sure, but perplexed, nonetheless. "Cougar?" the actress says again in her native Welsh accent, which still sounds surprising, given how many American characters she's played on film. The question was: Is the term "cougar" (referring to an older woman who takes a much younger man as her lover) a compliment or an insult? With another person, that could be a conversation-stopper. But nothing fazes Zeta-Jones, who is chatty and upbeat for this lunch on the patio of the famed Polo Lounge in the Beverly Hills Hotel. "Is it a compliment? Absolutely—why not?" she says with a throaty laugh. The subject is actually The Rebound, a new romantic comedy scheduled to open before year's end, in which Zeta-Jones plays a divorcée with two young children who unexpectedly finds herself involved with a considerably younger man (played by Justin Bartha, the missing groom in The Hangover).
But it gets Zeta-Jones talking about the way the film mirrors her own life—only backwards.
"I happen to have the reverse in my own relationship," she says, sipping an iced tea, ignoring the glances of other diners, who have spotted the Oscar-winning actress. "When I was dating Michael (Douglas, her husband of nine years), there was this 25-year age gap, and what I heard was that I was just this girl from Zorro who was after his money.
"But the older woman—younger man thing—I don't know if there's a taboo or if it's just a social stigma. I don't think it happens in movies much, unless it's a comedy. I don't know why age matters so much."
It's another day in paradise and the Beverly Hills Hotel is hopping. Guests arrive and depart in flocks, striding the red carpet from the valet-parking stand to the lobby. The peach and aquamarine color scheme with a palm tree motif bespeaks an old-school glamour, from the elaborate chandelier in the lobby to the bellboys dressed in starchy uniforms and chin-strapped pillbox hats to the lavishly landscaped patio where Zeta-Jones is dining. The hotel is a reminder of a bygone era, an old Hollywood still visible in the kind of pictures that play on the Turner Classic Movies channel.
But Zeta-Jones, in a beige silk top and matching skirt, has none of that "Look at me—I'm a star!" quality. Granted, she's a beautiful woman, with her lush figure, lustrous brunette hair and deep brown eyes. But she's not dressed to make a scene or call attention to herself, with one obvious exception: a 10-karat diamond ring with a rock the size of a cashew that was a gift from her husband.
"Jewelry is my one guilty pleasure," she admits. "Fortunately, my husband has fantastic taste."
The waiter approaches the table and Zeta-Jones orders a salad, then sighs: "I've had everything on the menu," she says. "This place is a little bit like home because we stay here whenever we're in Los Angeles." When her salad arrives shortly thereafter, Zeta-Jones takes a bite and observes, "Really, I was brought up on meat and potatoes."
That's the paradox of Catherine Zeta-Jones: She's a movie star who can glam it up when she needs to, but at heart, she's still the small-town girl from a village in Wales. She's an Oscar winner who's just as happy spending her time at home tending to her two children—although home is in Bermuda (where she and Douglas live much of the year).
"She has great style and she knows how to live well, but she never puts on airs," says friend David Foster, the producer who cast her in The Mask of Zorro, her breakthrough film in Hollywood. "She's just very down-to-earth."
Which, she says, is why she and Douglas avoid living in the industry town of Los Angeles, instead dividing their time between homes in Bermuda and Manhattan.
"I wouldn't say I'm shy but I'm not the flamboyant showgirl," Zeta-Jones says. "I love my work. I can turn it on for the red carpet or a photo shoot. But when you live in L.A., you can't go anywhere without being critiqued—on your purse or the fact that you've gained weight or that you've got spots on your face. That's not the life I want. Deciding to live in Bermuda was the healthiest thing we ever did."
For Zeta-Jones, maintaining that distance works because she's already been to the top—a couple of times. She achieved stardom in Great Britain by the time she was 21—then started again from scratch when she came to the United States and hit it big once more in films such as The Mask of Zorro, Entrapment, Traffic and Chicago.
In the process, she survived the ravening attention of the tabloid press, first as a British TV star whose social life was fodder for the Fleet Street reporters, then as the fiancée (and wife) of American movie star Douglas, which made the couple a tabloid target on both sides of the Atlantic. She stood up to it all with uncommon grace, says husband Douglas.
"There's a lot to be said for how early she started working," Douglas observes. "She worked really hard. She's been doing this a long time; she's an old soul. She's got this inner joy, this inner energy, that strong Welsh character that says, 'Get on with it.' "
Stagestruck at an early age in the little town of Swansea, Wales, Zeta-Jones (both Catherine and Zeta were her grandmothers' names; the hyphen came later) was nine when she landed her first role onstage in London's West End. By the time she was 15, she had appeared in West End productions of "Annie," "The Pajama Game" and "Bugsy Malone"—and then found her career mirroring the plot of "42nd Street," a revival in which she'd won a job as understudy, when she replaced the show's star who was taken ill.
It turned Zeta-Jones into an overnight sensation at 15 and even made her a pop star in Great Britain briefly. After playing roles in smaller films and TV productions, she landed another breakthrough role: as the ingenue in "The Darling Buds of May," one of the most popular British TV series of the early '90s.
"I'm glad I got my start in theater, rather than film," Zeta-Jones says. "The fact that I was in theater meant I wasn't so much in the public eye. One thing I do regret is that I missed the camaraderie of the college thing. I miss not having studied the classics in drama. I was self-taught at a young age. But I'm doing the only thing I can do. As a headmaster once said to me, 'You're no brain surgeon.'
"Then the TV series made me known in Britain when I was 19. After the first episode of the TV show, I've never been on a subway again. Once the TV show started, there was that thing of people looking at you." Having achieved stardom in Great Britain, Zeta-Jones decided to tackle American show business—only to find that British fame didn't carry much weight in Hollywood.
"It was like starting over," she says. "It was weird. I was so associated with my TV character that it was hard to break away from it. Then I came here, where I'd go into meetings and they'd ask, 'What have you done?' But when I'd get off the airplane in Britain, I'd be mobbed."
Says Douglas, "It was tough for her after she left England. But when things started rolling for her, she never looked back."
When she hit Hollywood, there were questions and more questions, always beginning with the same one: Could she do an American accent? Which she quickly showed that she could.
"She makes everything look easy," Douglas says. "She can handle dialects and accents to the point that people are surprised to hear her in her real Welsh voice."
(Zeta-Jones laughs when the topic of Douglas and her accent comes up: "My accent is pretty mellow, unless I'm with my family," she says. "When Michael and I were dating, I was talking to my mother one time and Michael said afterward, 'That Welsh language is so beautiful.' And I said, 'We were speaking English!'")
But her talent was obvious enough that she began winning parts. She played a villain in 1996's The Phantom, then grabbed a lead role in a TV miniseries about the sinking of the Titanic, a year before James Cameron's feature film. That performance led directly to her role in The Mask of Zorro (1998), the film that made her a Hollywood star.
David Foster, who produced Zorro, recalls that, as he and director Martin Campbell were going through the casting process for the film, they struggled to find an actress who could hold the screen with co-stars Anthony Hopkins and Antonio Banderas.
"One day we got a call from Steven Spielberg (the film's executive producer), who said, 'Were you watching TV last night?' " Foster says. "He said, 'I was watching this miniseries about the Titanic and there was this actress who was really terrific.' A day later, he sent over tapes of 'Titanic' and she was terrific so we set up a meeting."
She was only one of the actresses in the running for the female lead (Famke Janssen was another). When the contenders were flown to Mexico City to test with Banderas, Foster, who was championing Zeta-Jones for the role, took her to dinner and began coaching her for the screen test.
"I was like a nervous father," Foster recalls, "and she was so cool: 'Honey, relax, I'll be fine.' And then she wiped everybody out with her screen test." The film was a hit, launching Zeta-Jones in ways she'd only dreamed of.
"She played a wealthy Spanish gal and she came off so regal," Foster says. "She was drop-dead gorgeous. And she's a dancer so she moves so smoothly, the way she walks across a set."
Zeta-Jones was convincing enough in the film that, when the film premiered in Spanish-speaking countries, reporters stationed along the red carpet assumed that she was a Spaniard and would fire questions at her in Spanish.
"For all I know, they could have been saying, 'You're a piece of shit' — and I just smiled and said, 'Gracias, gracias'," she says with a husky chuckle. Almost as soon as Zorro finished filming, the buzz started growing about Zeta-Jones who was quickly cast opposite Sean Connery in the thriller Entrapment. When she headed back to Great Britain to start filming, however, she learned just how short the public's memory can be.
"I was back in London in a cab and the driver said, 'Weren't you the girl who used to be on TV?' and I said yes," she says. "It had been several years since the series, and Zorro hadn't come out yet. And he said, 'It didn't work out for you, did it?' I was quite indignant: 'Excuse me but I just finished a feature film with Anthony Hopkins and now I'm about to embark on a big motion picture with Sean Connery!' I didn't tip him, either."
Proving herself is a recurring theme for Zeta-Jones. When she emerged from the British musical theater to try straight acting, there were doubts that she could make the move. Once she'd established herself in Hollywood as both a comic and dramatic actress, there were skeptics who questioned her abilities as a musical performer when it was announced that she would play one of the female leads in the film version of the musical Chicago.
"In England, I'd done so many musical comedies that some snotty casting director made a remark to me about putting me in a straight drama: 'She's a musical-comedy actress,' " Zeta-Jones says. "To have that triple whammy—singing, dancing, acting—is hard. When I went in to that audition, I tried to make myself look as fuddy-duddy as I could so I didn't have that jazz-hands look to me. But it wasn't until I played Scheherazade (in the French film, Scheherazade) that people said, 'Oh, she doesn't just sing and dance—she can act, too.'"
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A CALLOUS thief pretending to be from the Water Board conned an elderly woman out of more than a hundred pounds.
The man, who was described as being in his 30s, told the 72-year-old woman, of Cicely Court, Blackburn, that she was in arrears with her bill and that he needed to come inside to check the water meter.
Once inside, he told her that if she gave him some money he would not turn off the water.
She gave him just over £100 and he left the house.
A police investigation into the scam has since been launched.
The man is described as white, very tall and of slim build.
He was said to have had very dark, almost black hair, which was combed back and stubble on his face. He was wearing a high-vis waist coat and had two earrings in his right ear.
PC Stuart Smith appealed for anyone who saw the man in the area to come forward.
He said he was also keen to speak to anyone else who may have had a visit from anyone matching this description at their home.
PC Smith said: "This man is a callous thief who has deliberately preyed on an elderly lady and we are doing all we can to find him.
"If anyone has any information at all that they think could help then I would urge them to contact police as soon as possible."
Residents are advised to be extra vigilant and to check ID before allowing a caller into their home. If in doubt, it is recommended they call the police.
Anyone with information about the incident, which happened around 10.45am on February 13, should call 101 quoting log number LC-20140213-1339 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.


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11 Brilliant Innovators: Breakthrough Awards 2011
The Solar Decathlon, a biennial contest in which 20 teams of college students build houses that produce as much energy as they consume, was in the ironic position of homelessness in January 2011: The competition had lost its spot on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. The news broke during the International Builders' Show, where teams had met to show off models of their projects. The students were bummed. So they got organized and lobbied Congress, and Team California's Elisabeth Neigert (left) pleaded their case in The Huffington Post. In the end, the students won. The competition, organized by the Department of Energy, will be held on the Mall Sept. 23 to Oct. 2. During that time, the public can tour the homes and see students testing brilliant ideas—like these 22—in real-world conditions, one watt at a time.
The appeal of the Solar Decathlon? "These are homes you can actually walk through, with systems you can see," Team California project manager Elisabeth Neigert says, standing in the partially built CHIP house on the Southern California Institute of Architecture (SCI-Arc) campus. "We come together from all over the world to tackle the problems of tomorrow's housing—to show what's possible today."
CalTech and SCI-Arc's CHIP (Compact House, Infinite Possibilities) combines engineering and architecture to challenge conventional building practices with concepts like these:
Rather than penetrating a rooftop with a racking system (which can void roofing warranties and lead to leaks), students combined panel-mounting IronRidge rails with a homemade clamp-and-pipe system that can pinch the panels into place while the vinyl roof membrane remains unbroken.
Planning for a vehicle isn't a competition requirement. But Team California figured out how to use CHIP's cantilevered upper floor to create an electric-vehicle carport under the bedroom. Beefy 10-gauge wiring connects an exterior outlet to a 20-amp breaker, using the 8.0-kw photovoltaic (PV) system to charge an EV.
When asked to name the single best piece of CHIP's HVAC equipment, CalTech student Fei Yang rattled off a model number: Mitsubishi MXZ-2B20NA-1. This air conditioner takes infrared measurements of the house, then automated louvers blow cool air to hot areas.
A CalTech modification makes Microsoft's Kinect system for the Xbox 360 function like a next-gen Clapper. The system, described by designer Cole Hershkowitz as a "gesture- and location-based home-control interface," senses specific body motions to turn on lights, fire up the stereo or switch on the TV.
The team used vinyl-coated polyester, which could be recycled from billboards, as impervious siding. The white cladding also wraps the roof.
Exotic Species vs Invasive Species: Importing One Outsider to Battle Another


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BEAUMONT, Texas - Former U.S. representative Jack Brooks, a Democrat who spent 42 years representing his Southeast Texas district, has died at age 89.
A Jefferson County Sheriff's Department statement said Brooks died Tuesday night at Baptist Hospital of Beaumont after a sudden illness. Deputy Rod Carroll said Brooks, who would have turned 90 on December 18th, was surrounded by family when he died.
Brooks was among the last links to an era when Democrats dominated Texas and national politics. He first took office when legendary fellow Texan Sam Rayburn was House speaker and Lyndon Johnson was Senate majority leader.
Brooks was in the Dallas motorcade on November 22, 1963, when President John F. Kennedy was assassinated. He was aboard Air Force One later that day when Johnson took the oath of office.
Copyright 2012 by Click2Houston.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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Incinerator planning inquiry - Former Stroud MP David Drew says he was 'kept in the dark'
3:49pm Tuesday 14th January 2014
By Hayley Mortimer
3:49pm Tuesday 14th January 2014
By Hayley Mortimer
FORMER Stroud MP David Drew has told how he was 'kept in the dark' about Javelin Park being a potential site for an incinerator during his time in office.
Mr Drew was the first to give evidence at the planning inquiry into the proposed £500 million Javelin Park incinerator project today, Tuesday.
The inquiry is being held after waste firm Urbaser Balfour Beatty appealed the decision by Gloucestershire County Council's planning committee to refuse permission for the controversial facility in March.
Speaking on Tuesday, January 14, in front of a packed out function room adjacent to the Hallmark Hotel in Matson where the appeal proceedings are being held, Mr Drew said that during his time as MP he was 'kept completely in the dark' despite consistent attempts to find out what was going on.
Labour's parliamentary candidate for Stroud, Mr Drew, said: "I tried to find out why suddenly there appeared to be some interest shown over Javelin Park as a potential site.
"I was kept completely in the dark and indeed more than once was assured that the county council had no particular interest in purchasing the site.
Mr Drew, who is also a Stonehouse town councillor, added: "Stonehouse sought regular updates and assurances from the county council as soon as it became known that Javelin Park was its preferred site.
"We have had absolutely no contact from the county council outside of the statutory requirements and even then people in the town have complained to me about the way in which that has operated.
"This is at best a negation of democracy and given the importance of this issue to all those residents living locally there should have been proper attempts made to listen to what councils on behalf of their residents had to say.
"We are now today faced with what I have called the worst decision I have even known in over 30 years of front-line politics in local government, with a site that is not suitable, a technology that is not wanted and an authority that is both incompetent and devious in how it carries outs its business."
Speaking on behalf of Stonehouse Town Council, Mr Drew also voiced concerns about transport issues and visual impact.
"Quite simply the proposal is both unsustainable in terms of good transport planning and will be entirely a threat to the community of Stonehouse and the villages along the B4008 as volumes increase, especially of HGVs," he said.
"However, our primary reason for opposition is the visual impact.
"The view across from the AONB to the Severn Vale and beyond is stunning.
"It is sacrilegious to spoil this view especially with a stack that at 70 metres high will dominate the landscape for miles around.
"This plant would forever change this part of the vale and we feel that this area has already made enough sacrifices for this proposal to be anything other than entirely unfair and damaging to all this part of Gloucestershire stands for."
The inquiry continues.
© Copyright 2001-2017 Newsquest Media Group


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Book ProblemsLogic Grid puzzles come with a handy interactive grid that will help you solve the puzzle based on the given clues.
Three friends - Jack, Lucy, and Elaine - recently joined a writing club, but they got their stories all mixed up! Using the clues, can you determine whose story is whose, and how many words each one has?
Names: Jack, Lucy, Elaine
Story Titles: The Pirate's Quest, Into the Garden, Aether Dreams
Numbers of Words: 2000, 5000, 10000,
1. The three stories are: the one with 10000 words, the one entitled The Pirate's Quest, and Elaine's story.
2. The writer of Into the Garden thought her book would be the longest, but it ended up the shortest.
3. Jack's book had nothing to do with flowers or magic; he instead chose a more boy-ish theme.
4. Lucy's book had a magical, multi-dimensional theme that had nothing to do with pirates or gardens.
AnswerThe Pirate's Quest was 5000 words long and was written by Jack.
Into the Garden was 2000 words long and was written by Elaine.
Aether Dreams was 10000 words long and was written by Lucy.
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I happen to run my own forums, and we have a set up where when a topic has been locked, we delete it and it is automatically sent to a forum we call the Trash Bin. Topics can be permanently deleted from there, otherwise it serves as an archive, as there may be things worth reading that have been closed. It works well and cleans out space so one can see and participate in the active discussions. Just a thought.
- Leah


text:
Roy Palmer English Folk Music Collection
The hill on Taiwan
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Shelf mark
1CDR0010580 (copy of C1023/88)
Recording date
Is part of (Collection)
Roy Palmer collection
Recording locations
Mr Rooney's home, Norwich, Norfolk, England, UK
Rooney, Maurice (singer, male)
Rooney, Maurice
Rooney, Maurice (male)
Item notes: Poem written by a POW about the cemtery at Kinkaseki POW camp in Taiwan. Preced by talk about the death rate in camp and the cemetry which was on a nearby hillside. Performer notes: Ex-POW at Kinkaseki camp in Taiwan (formerly Formosa), 1942-1945. Recording notes: Second generation copy of recording made by Maurice Rooney himself
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text:
Movie directed by Gaspar Noé. Cinematography by Benoît Debie. Gallery includes movie stills featuring Paz de la Huerta, Nathaniel Brown, Cyril Roy, Olly Alexander, Ed Spear, Emily Alyn Lind, Jesse Kuhn, Nobu Imai, Sakiko Fukuhara, Janice Béliveau-Sicotte, Sara Stockbridge and Stuart Miller. At the 2009 Sitges - Catalonian International Film Festival Benoit Debie won the award for Best Cinematography and Gaspar Noé won the Special Prize of the Jury and Enter the Void was also nominated for Best Film.
Award Info
Color Palette


text:
Evolution Hoax
Excerpt from Mr. Adnan Oktar's Live Conversation on A9TV dated January 20th, 2014
Didem ÜRER: Yesterday, you started a hashtag on Twitter related to the difficult situation our brothers and sisters in Myanmar are in. Many activists who take an interest in the events going on there sent messages saying; "While the whole world is going about their own business, while no one takes an interest in what is going on there because they are all consumed with their own interests, our brothers and sisters in Turkey have displayed a beautiful example of humanity for the Rohingya people. May God protect Turkey."
Adnan OKTAR: Masha'Allah. Alhamdulillah. Of course, this is our responsibility. I mean this is the least of our responsibility. We would have done much more if we have had the means but the things that could be done are very limited; we are not able to step out of those limits.
The list of names of the people who have been martyred, lost and attacked in Myanmar has been announced. In that list, there is a 103 year old woman, some people aged 60-70 and 10 year old children. 30 women and young girls, six young men, and five children have been killed. Furthermore, 200 women and girls, 120 young men and 65 children have been lost. This is a very detailed list of names. The names of those people, their family names, and the names of their fathers have all been given. Insha'Allah.
Our Muslim brothers and sisters should continue to warn the world constantly about the persecution going on in Myanmar. There is a serious massacre of Muslims all around the world and that is very widespread and gets worse day by day. Muslims should love one another and should protect and watch over each other. They should not tie each other down. And when something happens they should be forgiving and compassionate. I mean a Muslim would not be vindictive.
Let us make another hashtag related to Rohingya people. That massacre there is still going on, isn't it?
Didem ÜRER: Yes, Master. Two year old children are generally sold by human traffickers in Thailand.
Adnan OKTAR: It is astonishing how fierce the events of the End Times are. Let us say 'Save Rohingya' both in Turkish and in English (#ArakanıKurtaralım #SaveRohingya)
Didem ÜRER: In the meantime our hashtag became the Number One trending topic worldwide. Let me show that insha'Allah. (#ArakanıKurtaralım #SaveRohingya
Adnan OKTAR: #ArakanıKurtaralım
Didem ÜRER: Yes, it has become the number one trending topic both in Turkey and worldwide.
Adnan OKTAR: The hashtags #ArakanıKurtaralım #SaveRohingya became the Number One topic both in Turkey and in the world; that is very nice. By that, we've attracted the attention of the whole world to this matter. Especially its becoming a Number One topic in the world lists is very important; it is impossible to say "I haven't heard about it, I didn't see it" from now on. They should all hear about this persecution so that the relevant authorities can take the necessary precautions.


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Safety and Effectiveness of Giving SU5416 to HIV-Infected Patients With AIDS-Related Kaposi's Sarcoma
This study has been completed.
Information provided by:
NIH AIDS Clinical Trials Information Service
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:
First received: November 2, 1999
Last updated: June 23, 2005
Last verified: June 2000
- Full Text View
- Tabular View
- No Study Results Posted
- Disclaimer
- How to Read a Study Record
Detailed Description:
The purpose of this study is to see if it is safe and effective to give SU5416 to HIV-infected patients with AIDS-related Kaposi's sarcoma (KS). SU5416 may prevent the growth of KS tumors.
|Sarcoma, Kaposi HIV Infections
|Drug: SU5416
|Study Type:
|Study Design:
|Primary Purpose: Treatment
|Official Title:
|A Multicenter, Dose Escalating Study in Patients With Cutaneous AIDS-Related Kaposi's Sarcoma
Resource links provided by NLM:
MedlinePlus related topics: HIV/AIDS Kaposi's Sarcoma Soft Tissue SarcomaU.S. FDA Resources
Further study details as provided by NIH AIDS Clinical Trials Information Service:
|Estimated Enrollment:
Groups of 3-6 patients are sequentially assigned to receive escalating doses of SU5416 in 33% increments. Study drug is administered as a twice-weekly intravenous injection for 4 weeks. In the absence of unacceptable toxicity, responding patients may continue on SU5416 in 4-week treatment cycles for a maximum of 1 year or until the presence of unacceptable toxicity or tumor progression.
|Ages Eligible for Study:
|18 Years and older (Adult, Senior)
|Sexes Eligible for Study:
|Accepts Healthy Volunteers:
Inclusion Criteria
You may be eligible for this study if you:
- Are at least 18 years old.
- Are HIV-positive.
- Have KS with at least 5 skin lesions.
- Have been in stable condition for at least 6 weeks prior to study entry, if receiving antiretroviral therapy.
- Agree to use effective methods of birth control during the study.
Exclusion Criteria
You will not be eligible for this study if you:
- Have had surgery within 4 weeks of study entry.
- Have taken certain medications, including therapy for KS, within 3 weeks prior to study entry.
- Have pulmonary KS (KS in your lungs).
- Have certain serious medical conditions, including liver or kidney problems, certain infections, and certain cancers.
- Are allergic to Cremophor.
- Have not recovered from previous cancer treatment (chemotherapy, radiotherapy, or immunotherapy).
- Are pregnant.
Contacts and Locations
Choosing to participate in a study is an important personal decision. Talk with your doctor and family members or friends about deciding to join a study. To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the Contacts provided below. For general information, see Learn About Clinical Studies.
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT00002226
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT00002226
|United States, California
|Norris Cancer Ctr / USC
|Los Angeles, California, United States, 90033
|UCLA Care Ctr / Ctr for Hlth Sciences
|Los Angeles, California, United States, 900951793
|Saint Francis Mem Hosp / HIV Care Unit
|San Francisco, California, United States, 94109
|United States, New York
|New York Univ Med Ctr
|New York, New York, United States, 10016
Sponsors and Collaborators
More Information
Keywords provided by NIH AIDS Clinical Trials Information Service:
Additional relevant MeSH terms:
ClinicalTrials.gov processed this record on September 21, 2017
Gill P, Arasteh K, Jacobs M, Friedman-Kiel A, Miles S, Gracey S, Hannah A, Langecker P. A multicenter, dose-escalating study in patients with AIDS-related Kaposi's Sarcoma 39th Intersci Conf Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 1999 Sept 26-29
|ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:
|NCT00002226 History of Changes
|Other Study ID Numbers:
|Study First Received:
|November 2, 1999
|Last Updated:
|June 23, 2005
Keywords provided by NIH AIDS Clinical Trials Information Service:
Skin Neoplasms
Sarcoma, Kaposi
Antineoplastic Agents
Additional relevant MeSH terms:
HIV Infections
Sarcoma, Kaposi
Lentivirus Infections
Retroviridae Infections
RNA Virus Infections
Virus Diseases
Sexually Transmitted Diseases, Viral
Sexually Transmitted Diseases
Immunologic Deficiency Syndromes
Immune System Diseases
Neoplasms, Connective and Soft Tissue
Neoplasms by Histologic Type
Herpesviridae Infections
DNA Virus Infections
Neoplasms, Vascular Tissue
Angiogenesis Inhibitors
Angiogenesis Modulating Agents
Growth Substances
Physiological Effects of Drugs
Growth Inhibitors
Antineoplastic Agents
Protein Kinase Inhibitors
Enzyme Inhibitors
Molecular Mechanisms of Pharmacological Action
ClinicalTrials.gov processed this record on September 21, 2017


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Stopping Lupus from Spinning out of Control
Not too Much and Not too Little
Anyone with lupus knows what it feels like to be out of control – your body seems to do whatever it wants with no apparent rhyme or reason. It feels that way because internally the immune system really is out of control, and scientists at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) have found out one reason why.
Funded by the LRI, the TSRI team has identified a family of tiny molecules called microRNAs that regulate the immune system's response. Mice that produce too many of these molecules develop an autoimmune syndrome like lupus while those with too few of these molecules lose their normal infection-fighting ability.
Unraveling a Crucial Process
Led by Dr. Changchun Xiao, the TSRI researchers identified a key role for the microRNAs in controlling the interaction between T cells and B cells, the armies that make up most of the immune system. B cells, which produce antibodies, usually lie in wait for a virus or bacteria, but need to be physically activated by T cells to start producing antibodies to fight them off.
Xiao and his colleagues plan to investigate methods for boosting antibody responses – to vaccines for example— as well as lowering production of autoantibodies in people with autoimmune diseases such as lupus.
"This finding gives us insights into immune regulation that could be very helpful in a range of medical applications, from viral vaccines to treatments for autoimmune diseases," said Dr. Xiao. The study results are reported online in the July 2013 issue of Nature Immunology.


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Mint Brownies
While I absolutely LOVE Ina's Outrageous brownie recipe (especially the Oreo variation), it is a somewhat demanding recipe. It requires a over a pound of chocolate, a pound of butter, and 7 eggs. I don't always have all of those ingredients on hand. While it's definitely my favorite brownie recipe for special occasions, I think I've found a more suitable recipe to use when the craving for a great brownie hits. The recipe uses cocoa and other ingredients that I always have in the house.
I've actually made this recipe before. I've jazzed it up with some peanut butter earlier this year and more recently with a cookie dough topping. This time I decided to add a mint flavor since I had some Andes baking chips in the cabinet. I guess I've never actually made this brownie recipe as-is, but after making all these variations of the recipe, I can vouch that it's a great recipe.
Mint Brownies
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
2 1/4 cups sugar
4 large eggs
1 1/4 cups Dutch-process cocoa
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon espresso powder, optional
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups Andes baking chips
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9" x 13" pan
In a saucepan set over low heat, melt the butter, then add the sugar and stir to combine. Return the mixture to the heat briefly, just until it's hot, but not bubbling; it'll become shiny looking as you stir it. Heating this mixture a second time will dissolve more of the sugar, which will yield a shiny top crust on your brownies.
Transfer the sugar mixture to a medium-sized mixing bowl, if you've heated it in a saucepan. Stir in the cocoa, salt, baking powder, espresso powder, and vanilla.
Whisk in the eggs, stirring until smooth.
Add the flour and chips, again stirring until smooth. My chips started to melt a bit while I stirred them in. That's ok though.
Spoon the batter into a lightly greased 9" x 13" pan.
Bake the brownies for about 30 minutes, until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean, or with just a few moist crumbs clinging to it. The brownies should feel set on the edges, and the center should look very moist, but not uncooked. Remove them from the oven and cool completely prior to cutting.
Recipe adapted from King Arthur Flour
6 Responses to "Mint Brownies"
Can't beat an Ina classic!
Ina's sound decadent, but I'm with you – I'd never have that much of anything on hand if I got a sudden brownie craving. Like that addition of mint here, but then I'm a sucker for anything chocolaty and minty.
What lovely, yummy-looking brownies. I love your addition of mint. YUM!
I've yet to try Ina's brownies; I need to rectify that ASAP.
I have tried Ina's brownies before and I have to agree….awesome! Although like you said I don't have a lot of that stuff just sitting around. I love addition of mint in this recipe. Such a nice spin on the normal brownie 🙂
I just tried the Andes baking chips and really like them! Your brownies look SO good!
My favorite brownies of all time are a cocoa based recipe. I think that they are just as rich and chocolatey as any bar-chocolate recipe as long as coffee is added. These look DElish!


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The Football FansLogic puzzles require you to think. You will have to be logical in your reasoning.
Thirty fans hire a bus to attend a football game. On the way to the stadium, they realize that exactly half of them are fans of one team and the other half are fans of the other team. With still some way to go before reaching the stadium, the bus develops mechanical problems and the driver announces to his passengers that the only way to continue the journey is for half of them to get out and walk. There is a huge fight that doesn't stop until the driver speaks to them again and suggests a way of selecting the passengers who are to get off the bus.
"All of you," he said, "get into a big circle. When you are ready, beginning at this spot, I'll count nine people clockwise. The ninth person leaves the circle and continues on foot. Then I'll count another nine starting from where I stopped, and the ninth person leaves the circle and continues on foot. And so on until fifteen people have left the circle."
Suppose that you are one of the fans. How should you arrange all the other fans of your team so that none of them will have to leave?
AnswerIf the two teams are A and B and you are a supporter of team A and don't want any of your fellow supporters to end up walking to the stadium, organize them in a circle starting at the point where the driver starts and reading clockwise as follows: A, A, A, A, B, B, B, B, B, A, A, B, A, A, A, B, A, B, B, A, A, B, B, B, A, B, B, A, A, B.
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Okay, as requested (by mikeland ) here is a preliminary review of the Imperial Harquebusiers right out of the box.
You will need to excuse the photo quality, I'm not the best photographer and some of the pics needed to be taken with the iPhone!
None the less, here they are:
First up - the box.
Front Cover
Back Cover
The info on the back cover is a tad bit difficult to read, but all of it is located on the actual page in the web-store.
Background guide - front.
Background guide - back.
Please note - I have purposely messed up the flags. I didn't want to upset the WG people by giving away their flags!!
All three horse sprues.
Close-up of one of the sprues.
The metal bits...
...and their close-ups.
Not pictured, but in the box, is the sprue of green bases.
Right now my impression is a good one - I really like the figures and their level of animation. The one thing that's got me going "hmmm..." is some of the info indicates these guys saw service primarily on the continent and didn't see much use in the ECW. Not sure how true this is - guess I need to do some more research. Can anyone shed some light on this?
Also, I've never had to assemble horses before; I'm a bit leery of this but will give it a go.
All-in-all I'd say this is an excellent set! Now I just need to figure out what ROYALIST unit to base these guys one - thoughts, suggestions?
I will post updates on this unit as it progress, but don't look for it to be anytime soon, I have Romans to work on as well!!
Let me know if you have any additional questions about this set, or want additional pictures.


text:
The NHLPA had until Jan. 7 to respond to the league's pre-emptive lawsuit asking a court to declare the NHL lockout legal; they didn't bother waiting until that deadline.
In a memorandum filed on Thursday afternoon, the players argued that the owners' lawsuit was an attempt to force them to remain a union, rather than exercise their right to disclaim interest and proceed with their own class-action suit.
"In essence, the NHL's position is that the Court should force the players to remain a union so that the NHL can continue to claim that the non-statutory labor exemption protects activities that would otherwise be flagrant violations of the antitrust laws," read the filing.
The move comes as the union once again is preparing for a vote that would authorize union leadership to file the disclaimer. A Jan. 2 deadline passed, which was seen as at least a superficially positive step, and the legal wrangling would be moot if the sides managed to agree on a deal by the league's Jan. 11 deadline.
A status conference regarding the case will be held at the New York Southern District Court on Monday at 9:30 a.m.
CBA negotiations—which can be summed as tenuously progressive—continued in New York on Thursday. The two sides had unproductive meetings early in the day, then broke for internal meetings before calling it quits without reconvening. The union had a 5 p.m. conference call with its executive board, and the vote on authorizing the disclaimer began at 6 p.m. Federally mediated meetings are scheduled to resume on Friday at 10 a.m.
In the filing, the union states that the league made its move before it had any proof that the NHLPA was discussing a disclaimer—a fact that, in the union's opinion, should lead to its dismissal.
Further, the union argues, the statements presented by the league as proof that the union was threatening litigation (and not negotiating in faith) were "innocuous at best." Not helping the league's case: Commissioner Gary Bettman said after Wednesday's marathon that "(the) word 'disclaimer' has never been and has yet to be uttered to us by the Players Association."
The union also argued that the owners filed its suit in an attempt to gain leverage with a favorable court: "The NHL clearly filed this action in an effort to control the forum of what it alleges is an imminent antitrust suit brought by players, which courts in the Second Circuit have routinely found to be an improper use of a declaratory judgment action."
A good stretch of bargaining this week has produced some progress toward ending the dispute, including an apparent agreement between the sides to allow each team up to two compliance buyouts prior to the 2013-14 season. Those would allow teams to terminate player contracts without being penalized against the salary cap, although the buyout amounts would count against the players' overall share in revenue.
The sides had also discussed a 20 percent yearly salary variance in contracts, an improvement from the NHL's previous demand of 10 per cent.
However, the salary cap range for the 2013-14 season—the first full one under the new CBA—remained a significant hurdle, according to the Canadian Press. The union is seeking a $65-million cap and a $44-million floor while the league has proposed an upper limit of $60 million and a lower limit of $44 million.
The biggest concern for the NHLPA is that lowering the cap from its current position of $70.2 million while transitioning to a 50-50 split of revenue will force a huge dispersal of players throughout the league.
There is also lingering disagreement over who would shoulder the financial liability in a switch to a defined benefit pension plan for players.
With The Associated Press.


text:
While bopping around the web today, I came across a Style.com slideshow with a list of the 10 must-have trends for fall. Number six has really been on my radar recently, so I thought I'd spotlight some of my favorite bright bags (at great values). I recently purchased a Louis Vuitton epi crossbody bag in a bright green, so I'm not just preaching — I'm actually already on board!
LANVIN Green Patent Hero Handbag
BALENCIAGA Neo-Classic Orange Satchel
Red Suhali Leather Le Talentueux Bag


text:
And Breen is about as good as they get.
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And Breen is about as good as they get.
Odd, they only have JO for 2 assists. I counted 3 at least.
This space for rent.
This space for rent.
Murph with another trey
I wouldn't mind watching the opposing feed more often if other announcers were this good.
This space for rent.
Holy cow. Hate that.
This space for rent.
ah crap - Randolph is the new grandmama?
Does anyone else get tired of players hitting fluke shots against us at the end of quarters?
Watching the Knicks is like observing a dysfunctional family where the kids rule the family, but are spoiled brats.
Randolph is an idiot, but talented
I think it could have been a no call.
It obviously didn't affect him much.
"Look, it's up to me to put a team around ... Lance right now." Kevin Pritchard press conference
Am I reading this right... half-time and the Pacers haven't even been to the line once!?! Plus we're getting hammered on the offensive glass and have turned the ball over 10 times, and we're still up by 7? I guess we're lucky we're shooting 55%. Either that or the Knicks really suck.
well "hammered" on the boads is slightly overdone, think Balkman going 0-5 in 2 seconds while having 5 off rebounds at the same time, and the numbers are explained, anything else, well what can i say Im sure JO had at least 3 blocks, but none according to his stats, and his ast are out as well.
So Long And Thanks For All The Fish.
If you've done 6 impossible things today?
Then why not have Breakfast at Milliways!
Kenny Smith does some of the games in place of Frazier, too, and he's just as good...although obviously lacks the same flair and amazing style.
Welcome home
So Long And Thanks For All The Fish.
If you've done 6 impossible things today?
Then why not have Breakfast at Milliways!
This is my first Pacers game in a month, some one tell me what I missed.
(Though it still miffs me that we had no trips to the line)
we've played some good D actually
Jamaal has averaged 20.1 points, 8.9 assists, 4.9 rebounds and 2.14 steals while shooting .446 overall and .500 from the 3-point line in the last seven.........
This space for rent.
Shawne is in JOB's doghouse...


text:
Cities and towns across the United States are identifying, preparing for, and responding to the impacts of climate change, a process known as climate change adaptation. They are using a variety of nature-based approaches to protect people and property that also benefit wildlife and habitat areas. NWF's Green Works for Climate Resilience: A Community Guide to Climate highlights the ways in which cities and towns are working to prepare for a wide range of climate change impacts, such as flooding, wetland degradation, drought, rising sea levels, threats to water quality, loss of species and habitat, and many more.
The increased frequency of storms caused by climate change will undoubtedly increase precipitation levels for many areas, seriously threatening inland communities along rivers and floodplains. Allowing for wider, natural floodplains instead of building higher levees that are frequently breached not only allows rivers to flow, but also reduces property damage and provides floodplain habitat for fish and wildlife. The city of Philadelphia has committed to protecting and restoring riparian areas in the city to improve their capacity to protect against rising waters and to provide healthy wildlife habitat.
In communities across the country, failing and outdated infrastructure is unable to handle the large volumes of stormwater produced by growing populations in urbanized areas. Extreme weather events, like flash floods, can pose serious runoff problems for community stormwater systems, particularly in urban areas. The resulting overflows produce sewage backups in streets and in the basements of buildings, and can easily contaminate and aquatic ecosystems. King County, WA is particularly concerned with the health of highly sensitive salmon habitat, and is promoting the increase of permeable surfaces in the area. This will allow stormwater to filter into the ground, relieving some minimizing runoff and relieving pressure from civic infrastructure. These permeable surfaces include open spaces like parks and rain gardens that can also provide wildlife habitat.
Between rising sea levels and increasingly powerful storms, coastal cities are particularly threatened by the effects of climate change. Preserving and protecting coastal wetlands can help communities be better prepared for climate impacts by retaining flood waters, providing a buffer from storm surge, and limiting erosion, while providing much needed habitat for wildlife. The city of Chula Vista is managing for inland migration of its coastal wetlands to both provide habitat for threatened species and improve their capacity to mitigate flooding and sea-level rise.
Cities and urban areas tend to experience higher temperatures than rural areas due to a phenomenon known as the urban heat island effect (UHIE). Cities have a high percentage of impervious and artificial surfaces (i.e. buildings, roads, railways) that retain more of the sun's energy, raising temperatures. The high energy usage in cities also produces waste heat. The UHIE will only exacerbate climate change's higher temperatures in urban areas, which are likely to experience dangerous, record-setting temperatures with increased frequency in years to come. Many cities, like Washington D.C., are planning to use natural shade to combat the coming heat: the District has committed to increasing its urban tree canopy to 40 percent of total city area by the year 2035, providing valuable habitat for wildlife and cooling shade for all.
Population centers consume large amounts of fresh water, but long-term drought and decreased snowpack caused by climate change will threaten both the quality and quantity of water supplies for many communities. These shortages will impact both human drinking water supplies as well as the in-stream flows necessary to maintain healthy aquatic ecosystems. Local water storage and conservation activities will help communities like Chula Vista prepare for drought and will lower GHG emissions by reducing the amount of energy expended in transporting water.
Learn more about what communities across the country are doing to prepare for the effects of climate change!
See how NWF and cities across the country are working to promote climate adaptation approaches that benefit people and wildlife.
National Wildlife Federation is helping communities across the country become "climate-smart" through a wide range of exciting projects.
Check out these links to blogs, news stories, and more relating to climate-smart communities.
Wildlife in Hot Water: America's Waterways and Climate Change