text:
Rebekah Brooks: The Rise and Fall of a Female Media Mogul
The tabloid phone-tapping scandal in London has broken a last frontier for women: the corporate villain.
The problem with most corporate scandals as they drag on in the press is that the men at the center of them tend to be as dull as the suits they wear. Poor Tyco's Dennis Kozlowski was upstaged by his $6,000 shower curtain. The sole memorable fact about Enron's Jeffrey Skilling: his decision to abandon spectacles in favor of Lasik. Not so the delicious villainess at the center of London's astonishing News International scandal, which has seen the startling resignation of Britain's top policemen, the closing of its top tabloid newspaper, the teetering of a prime minister, a pie thrown in Parliament, and the revelation that a book containing the personal cell-phone numbers of the royal family was sold by a bodyguard for a mere 1,000 pounds (roughly $1,650).
Hollywood's brightest would be hard-pressed to come up with a better character than the grotesquely ambi-tious and phonetically spelled Rebekah Brooks. She slithered her way into the heart of Rupert Murdoch's media empire, only to be reportedly accused by his daughter Elisabeth of "fucking the company" after she allegedly oversaw the hacking of a murdered girl's cell phone while running the tabloid News of the World. (Elisabeth denies making the statement.)
Indeed, the glee with which the press pounced upon the story prompted a New York Times columnist to joke that the global media were in danger of running out of Schadenfreude. Part of the fascination with Brooks, 43, is clearly that she's a female exec — Martha aside, unusual for corporate shenanigans — and the fact that she clawed her way to the top, despite the odds.
Brooks grew up in a blue-collar family, the only child of a tugboat crewman in Cheshire, England. She skipped college, and started her career as a secretary before swiftly moving up the ladder to run News of the World and its sister publication, The Sun. She married actor Ross Kemp, and then ditched him after a tumultuous marriage in which she was once arrested for allegedly assaulting him. In 2009, she married ex — racehorse trainer Charlie Brooks, and together, they have led an opulent life.
Yet when it came to the public reckoning, her confidence deserted her. Her appearance before a committee of the British Parliament was subdued, her denials of phone-hacking unconvincing. Hounded by a baying press pack, she finally resigned, clutching a $5.6 million severance check.
So what's next? Her exit package suggests that Murdoch will keep her close. Maybe she'll retire to her country home and ride horses. Or maybe, with a life story straight out of a Barbara Taylor Bradford novel, there is a book in her. Perhaps the only certainty is this: When producers get around to casting Rebekah: The Movie, the smart money is on Nicole Kidman.


text:
Halloween Decoration Ideas
Spookify your home with Halloween door decorations and outdoor Halloween décor that trick-or-treaters will love! Whether you choose a Halloween wreath with plaid fall leaves or lit-up pumpkin gourds for your porch, guests will admire your festive decorations. Decorate the inside of your home for with purple & orange flowers and fall-scented candles to bring in the scents of the season and wish all your guests a Happy Halloween!
Halloween Table Decorations
Whether looking for a Halloween centerpiece for a dinner party or Halloween flower arrangements to be placed around the home, browse our collection of Halloween flowers that range from creepy to cute. Our Shocktail Martini Bouquet" arranged in a purple martini glass is perfect for the adults and our a-DOG-able Witchy Pooch is an arrangement children and dog-lovers will adore! With same day delivery on many unique Halloween flowers, decorating has never been easier (or faster!). If you love crafting, make a DIY Candy Corn or Pumpkin Arrangement out of flowers that will be the talking point of your home décor.
Halloween Snacks and Gift Baskets
Satisfy your sweet tooth with Halloween chocolates from Fannie May or delicious Halloween cookies from Cheryls. Our Halloween treats are perfect for trick-or-treaters, or as favors for your guests! Celebrate with friends and family near or far by sending a Halloween gift basket filled with snacks that they can enjoy. There's no tricks in our delicious gourmet foods- only treats!
Halloween Costume Ideas with Flowers
The best part about Halloween is dressing up in fun costumes. Skip the basic ghost costumes this year and learn how to make some flower-inspired Halloween costumes on our blog, from this DIY flower pot costume to a trendy Mother Nature costume. These DIY costumes are not only unique and super fun, they're also very easy to make on your own!Back to Top

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Organizations that are anti-biotech are throwing a fit over the "farmers assurance provision" that was included in the House of Representative's agricultural appropriations committee bill. The House committee voted to include Section 733 of the Fiscal Year 2013 Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration and Related Agencies Appropriations Act. The section/provision will let farmers grow genetically modified/biotech crops during legal appeals of Department of Agriculture approved biotech crops.
The Food Democracy Now organization has mobilized what it claims are 300,000 members and the membership of other anti-biotech groups to eliminate Section 733. To hype up their membership bases, the provision is being called the "Monsanto Protection Act" because Monsanto is a major biotech company introducing various genetically modified crops that could possibly continue to be planted.
Food Democracy Now claims the provision "strips the rights of federal courts to halt the sale and planting of genetically engineered crops during the legal appeals process. It allows for biotech companies to continue to sell their unapproved seeds to farmers, who could plant them while important legal appeals are taking place, instead of halting the planting of the unapproved crop until the court settled the appeal as has been done up until now."
Of course, the activists have found a representative of like thinking who has sponsored an amendment to strip Section 733 from the appropriations bill. Rep. Peter DeFazio (Ore.-D) introduced the amendment, reported Food Democracy Now.
On the other side, nine organizations have expressed strong support of Section 733. Those groups are the Agricultural Retailers Association; American Farm Bureau Federation; American Seed Trade Association; American Soybean Association; American Sugarbeet Growers Association; Biotechnology Industry Organization; National Association of Wheat Growers; National Corn Growers Association and National Cotton Council.
The activist groups' contention is wrong. The claim is that farmers are planting unapproved seed whereas in reality the farmer protection provision is geared toward allowing farmers to proceed in planting, or at least harvesting biotech crops, after an initial registration/approval. Farmers are not planting crops that were unapproved/unregistered by the USDA.
The situation has developed that every biotech/GMO crop approval is challenged by activists, which could delay farmer planting for years as court challenges stretch on and on. As noted by lawyers who have been involved in court cases, biotech crops have not been found to be unsafe. Setbacks in court to biotech crops have occurred as the registration paperwork was found to not be completed to micro detail.
"A stream of lawsuits" have slowed approvals and created uncertainties for companies developing modified plants, James Greenwood, president of the Biotechnology Industry Organization, was quoted by Bloomberg News.
Two big examples of past problems for companies and farmers that spurred the protection provision in the appropriations bill were Roundup Ready sugar beets and alfalfa.
The USDA's approval of the modified alfalfa was overturned in 2007 by a California district judge who banned further plantings pending the completion of a more thorough environmental impact statement, but the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the planting ban in June 2010. The USDA re-approved the crop in January 2011 after completing the court-ordered study. In an accommodation for sugar beet growers, the USDA last year allowed farmers to plant modified sugar beets while the agency completed a court-mandated environmental impact statement. That followed another district judge in California ruling in 2009 that the USDA erred in approving the crop without appropriate scrutiny.


text:
Rudy Fernandez for AJ and a 2012 2nd.
'); var yuipath = 'clientscript/yui'; var yuicombopath = ''; var remoteyui = false; } else // Load Rest of YUI remotely (where possible) { var yuipath = 'http://yui.yahooapis.com/2.9.0/build'; var yuicombopath = 'http://yui.yahooapis.com/combo'; var remoteyui = true; if (!yuicombopath) { document.write('
Rudy Fernandez for AJ and a 2012 2nd.
"What you do is so loud, I can't hear what you say" -Andrew LuckJunior at the University of Louisville
"If you turn the other cheek, I'm gonna hit you in the other cheek, too" -Charles Barkley
"Ego is edging greatness out" -Rick Pitino
Greenfield-Central High School Alum '14
Follow me on Twitter @steagles1
1000th post - 4/16/12 2000th post - 6/24/12 3000th post - 3/8/13
"So, which one of you guys is going to come in second?" - Larry Bird before the 3 point contest. He won.


text:
Three rocks of crack cocaine earned Eugene Tate a sentence of 25 to life.
It was 1998, and Tate had already earned two strikes on his record with convictions for burglary and robbery. He had a drug habit, and he made mistakes. But he couldn't believe that he would now be facing the same sentence as a murderer.
"All I could do was deal with it day by day," he said.
In prison, Tate sang in the choir on Sundays and for monthly memorial services. He stopped taking drugs and smoking. He attended Bible study and computer classes. And he never stopped hoping he might one day be a free man again.
"If I got the chance to get out, I wanted to stay out," he said. "To stay out, you have to change your mindset."
Fifteen years later, Californians agreed that the state's "three-strikes" law went beyond the bounds of justice with its life sentences for nonviolent offenders. Voters passed Proposition 36 in November, offering about 2,700 prisoners around the state serving life sentences for drug possession, theft and other crimes the chance to apply for resentencing. From Orange County, 27 prisoners so far have been resentenced and two petitions have been denied. In all, about 116 people have filed for resentencing, and the District Attorney's Office estimates about 160 people are eligible.
In January, a judge resentenced Tate to eight years in prison. Since he'd already served almost twice that, he was released Jan. 17.
He's spent the last few weeks working to get a permanent ID and setting up MediCal for his health problems, which include congestive heart failure and rheumatoid arthritis. He spent several nights in Santa Ana's National Guard Armory and is now working with a local nonprofit on a more permanent home.
"Even when I didn't have a place to stay, I was just glad to be free."
In each resentencing hearing, a judge must determine whether a prisoner presents an unreasonable risk to public safety. Lawyers in the District Attorney's Office and the Public Defender's Office comb through records looking at criminal histories and any other evidence that might give a clue as to how the prisoner would act if released. Prison disciplinary records receive particular attention, said Lawrence Volk of the Public Defender's Office.
"That's really the best information we have about how they are treating others, treating themselves and people in authority," he said.
Tate received one write-up while in prison, for growing a goatee.
"His performance in custody was basically outstanding," Volk said. "For all intents and purposes, he looks like he's been rehabilitated."
Ted Burnett of the District Attorney's Office agreed Tate's record in prison is better than many, but his office opposed his release. As a whole, he said the life sentences for three-strikers were well-earned.
"They're bad people with bad backgrounds," he said. "They're going to reoffend."
Before Prop. 36 passed, Burnett said judges had enough discretion to apply three strikes only to criminals with serious records who were dangerous. When petitions for resentencing first started coming to the office, Burnett said he looked carefully for cases of injustice.
"I've been surprised," he said. "I haven't felt sympathetic for any of them."
A proposition to reform three strikes – requiring the third strike to be violent or serious – came to voters in 2004, but received support from only about 47 percent. Prop. 36 was written similarly, but prohibited convicted murderers, rapists and child molesters from seeking lower sentences. In November, it passed easily with 69 percent in favor. Supporters trumpeted the reform's savings of $70 million a year to the state as it reduced its inmate population. For many, however, the moral argument proved most persuasive.
"This was the just thing, the right thing to do," said Mark Brown of the Public Defender's Office.
The new version of the law punishes people according to their crimes, Brown said. He hopes voters, courts and attorneys continue to look for justice in sentencing. Juvenile offenders with life sentences without parole could use attention, he said.
When the family of Daniel Rasmusson reflects on his life sentence, they can't call it justice.
"The only person Danny ever hurt was himself," said Denise Giangrosso, his sister.
She and her three brothers suffered years of beatings from their stepfather, and each looked for a way to escape. At 18, she moved from their home in Torrance to Buffalo, where she became a nurse and started a family. The boys turned to drugs and alcohol. The two older brothers eventually got sober, but Danny, the youngest, was in and out of custody from age 14 on.
Years went by, and they lost touch. Then their mother died in 1997. At her funeral, they saw their stepfather and were again confronted with old memories.
"That's when we all decided we were not going to split apart anymore," she said. "We were going to stay together as a family."
His brother, Dick, spent almost two months searching. Finally, he received a letter from his brother's former cellmate. It wasn't a surprise that Rasmusson was in prison. But when he asked when he would be out, the other man's face fell. With a string of burglaries and drug crimes on his record, a judge had ruled Rasmusson's latest conviction was a third strike. He was serving 25 years to life.
It's a crime Giangrosso said her brother didn't even commit. He had been arguing with his then-girlfriend, who was attempting to steal video tapes to sell for crack. He was arrested as an accessory, an offense that for someone without a record would have been punished by months.
"I don't see how anybody could say it was fair," Dick Rasmusson said.
On Jan. 29, Rasmusson was resentenced to 36 months in prison after serving roughly 200.
While Danny was in prison, the girlfriend gave birth to his child. Facing a life behind bars, he signed away his parental rights and the baby girl was adopted.
"He lost his daughter," Giangrosso said. "We lost his daughter."
Now, for this first time in years, Giangrosso said her brother has hope. In March, he earned his GED. Though he continued to struggle with heroin while in prison, his family said he's changed. He'll enter a drug program, Giangrosso said. He plans to move to Kentucky where a job and his current girlfriend – a former prison employee – are waiting for him. First, however, his siblings met him outside the California Men's Colony in San Luis Obispo and took him to the beach.
"We're all thrilled," Giangrosso said. "He has this life ahead of him."
Dick Rasmussen said it will be his brother's lifelong challenge to stay clean. His sister, who has worked with addicts, is confident he won't reoffend.
"With all our love and support, he'll make it."
Contact the writer: 714-704-3709 or email@example.com


text:
Mission Statement
The chemistry department is committed to excellence in the education of students in the field of chemistry and providing them with an opportunity to gain an appreciation and enthusiasm for the field. This is accomplished by introducing them to the language and methods of chemistry, developing their problem-solving and critical-thinking skills, exposing them to the appropriate lab experiences and chemical instrumentation and training them to appreciate and understand the connection between chemistry and real-world situations.
Relationship between the Department and Muskingum University Mission Statements
The Chemistry Department supports the University's Mission by endeavoring to offer a quality academic program with an environment of mutual respect that promotes individual fulfillment with intellectual and critical thinking development leading to vocationally productive and satisfying life experiences.
The chemistry department's goals for student learning:
Upon graduation, chemistry majors should have a thorough knowledge and comprehension of the core concepts of chemistry, and a set of fundamental skills that can be applied.
Maps & Directions
Academic Affairs
Undergraduate Admission
Financial Aid
Graduate & Continuing Studies
Business Office
Academic Catalogs


text:
LAKE COUNTY -- The AARP Tax-Aide program is looking for Lake County volunteers to help with the upcoming tax season.
Volunteers don't need tax experience ? only a willingness to help people in their own community with a service that is free, individualized and has no strings attached.
Volunteers will work with taxpayers directly, filling out tax returns and helping them seek a refund.
Volunteers will be trained on the latest tax preparation forms and software. Bilingual is a plus.
For information or to volunteer, visit the AARP Foundation website, call 888-OUR-AARP (687-2277) or email questions to email@example.com.


text:
1.) Eastlake (0-0)
This week's matchup between John McFadden's Titans and the Helix Highlanders is the top matchup we could see in San Diego this season. There's simply a plethora of storylines and talent that will be on display Friday night in Chula Vista.
2.) Cathedral Catholic (0-0)
The Dons open the season with an uncharacteristically difficult preseason schedule, facing off against Helix and Vista Murrieta in consecutive weeks.
3.) Helix (0-0)
The Highlanders always have athletes, but they lost much of last season's team, and have something to prove in 2012 if they're going to reclaim the top spot. A game at Eastlake will give Helix a chance for revenge, as the Titans were the only team to give coach Starr's Highlanders a loss in 2011.
4.) Oceanside (0-0)
It was only a scrimmage, but the Pirates' dismantling of Torrey Pines last week quieted concerns over the maturation of senior quarterback Tofi PaoPao and the rest of Oceanside's offense.
5.) Madison (0-0)
The Warhawks' opening-night game against Lincoln should be a lot of fun to watch, as both teams are capable of scoring points in bunches.
6.) Mission Hills (0-0)
Opening the season at Mission Viejo does the Grizzlies no favors, but it gives top athlete Devin Holiday an opportunity to shine on the big stage. Holiday is a dynamic kick returner.
7.) La Costa Canyon (0-0)
Week Two's matchup with Poway will offer a glimpse into LCC's resurgence (or lack thereof), but the Mavericks can't get caught looking ahead this week, even if opening-night opponent Baldwin Park won just two games last season.
8.) Poway (0-0)
The Titans return much of their defense from last year's championship team, and they'll need it with La Costa Canyon, San Pasqual and Oceanside coming up in the schedule.
9.) Vista (0-0)
Head coach Dan Williams and his Panthers face one of the top teams in Colorado this week in Grandview before taking on San Diego superpower Helix. With that schedule, it's conceivable Vista could open the season poorly once again in 2012.
10.) Steele Canyon (0-0)
The Cougars' annual opening-night matchup at Cathedral Catholic is just the start of Steele Canyon's nightmarish preseason slate, as the team also gets Eastlake, St. Augustine and Canyon in the first five weeks of the season.
Just Missed:: La Jolla Country Day, Valley Center, St. Augustine
Send feedback, recruiting updates and story suggestions to email@example.com.


text:
Festive Mint Jelly Recipe
4.5 4 2
VERIFIED BY Taste of Home Test Kitchen
- 4-1/2 cups water
- 3 cups packed fresh mint, crushed
- 7 cups sugar
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 2 to 4 drops green food coloring
- 2 pouches (3 ounces each) liquid pectin
- In a large saucepan, bring water and mint to a boil. Remove from heat; cover and let stand 15 minutes. Strain, reserving 3-1/3 cups liquid (discard remaining liquid).
- In a Dutch oven, combine sugar, lemon juice, food coloring and reserved liquid. Bring to a boil; cook and stir 1 minute. Add pectin; return to a boil. Cook and stir 1 minute. Remove from heat; let stand 5 minutes.
- Skim off foam. Ladle hot liquid into hot half-pint jars, leaving 1/4-in. headspace. Wipe rims. Center lids on jars; screw on bands until fingertip tight. Place jars in canner with simmering water ensuring that they are completely covered with water. Bring to a boil; process 10 minutes. Remove jars and cool. Yield: 11 half-pints.
Editor's Note: The processing time listed is for altitudes of 1,000 feet or less. Add 1 minute to the processing time for each 1,000 feet of additional altitude.
Originally published as Mint Jelly in Taste of Home August/September 2004, p15
Reviews forFestive Mint Jelly
My Review
Click stars to rate
Any changes to your rating or review will appear where you originally posted your review
Average Rating
Reviewed Aug. 21, 2012
"very good! I'm making a second batch!"
Reviewed May. 13, 2012
"I really like that this recipe has no apple in it but I wish the mint flavor was stronger."
Reviewed Aug. 9, 2011
"Followed directions to a tee and it worked out. For a stronger flavor you could add more mint. I used fresh lemon juice instead of bottled and my batch yeild was 8 1/2 half-pints."
Reviewed Sep. 7, 2010
"I have made jelly for a long time. I think that when I make this mint jelly I will take all the liquid from the boiled mint leaves and reduce that to 3 1/3 cups which will intensify the mint flavor."


text:
Viewpoint: Little Acts Produce Big Results
EP Editorial Staff | April 24, 2013
By Mark Lee, Vice President and General Manager, Inpro/Seal
As we ponder ways to improve customer intimacy, we are inundated with tools like CRM, VOC, RSS and a slew of other TLAs (three-letter acronyms). While the concept is making some software companies and consultants very wealthy, I'm struck by the desire to build a customer-intimate culture—one focused on delivering a positive experience for the customer. This desire reminds me of a story one of our associates recently shared with me.
After a tough day, she was treating her daughter to dinner at a local restaurant where they noticed a man clad in army fatigues dining with his own daughter. Compelled by a sense of thanksgiving and ongoing discussions about Inpro/Seal's giving program, she decided to pay for their meals (anonymously). The restaurant manager was so moved that he invited our associate to return with her daughter soon for another dinner—on the house. Walking to her car, this woman realized her bad day had suddenly turned a lot brighter. It's amazing what a simple act of giving can do.
Many organizations establish giving programs to share their success with those who need it most. In 2012 alone, for example, an estimated $298 billion was donated to charities through corporate giving. Besides the obvious monetary and service benefits for the receiving entities, there are significant benefits for contributing organizations. Giving programs boost employee morale, empower associates to make decisions, create positive business images and establish strong ties to communities. Each of these benefits has a positive impact on individual employees and companies as a whole.
One often-overlooked benefit involves the ability of a giving program to translate into a customer-centric culture that puts customers front and center in everything an organization does. Key components in this type of culture include responsiveness, can-do attitudes, humility and a clear focus on overall customer needs. Let's look at these elements from the perspective of a giving program.
At Inpro/Seal, one of our most successful initiatives is "Jean Day Wednesdays," which allows employees to wear jeans for a $5 donation. Each quarter, the company matches those contributions, and the total amount is given to a charity or benefit fund selected by the employees. Within the past year, we've donated thousands of dollars to community-based and individual charities that are near and dear to our associates. Another of our initiatives lets employees in the plant donate canned goods to a local food bank in exchange for being able to wear their favorite sports teams' apparel. With so many associates participating in these programs, minimal individual giving has become something big at our company.
Watching such donations sent out as a result of their efforts has helped generate a strong can-do attitude among our associates. In turn, they are gently reminded that no matter how difficult their own days are, there are others in the world—including some in our community—who are facing greater challenges. I've seen firsthand the lessons learned as Inpro/Seal employees focus on the needs of others and discuss the charities and benefit funds to which our collective contributions should go.
At our headquarters, we display a quarterly giving plaque with a quote from Maya Angelou that has become a slogan for us: "When you learn, teach. When you get, give." I believe this philosophy helps drive the strong customer-centric culture for which Inpro/Seal is known. If your organization hasn't yet done so, I encourage you to embrace it soon. MT
The opinions expressed in this Viewpoint section are those of the author,
and don't necessarily reflect those of the staff and management of Maintenance Technology magazine.


text:
Sam Worthington Photo 800x552
Sam Worthington
Samuel Henry J. "Sam" Worthington (born 2 August 1976) is an English-born Australian actor. After almost a decade of roles in Australian TV shows and films, Worthington gained Hollywood's attention by playing the role of Marcus Wright in Terminator Salvation (2009), the lead role as Jake Sully in James Cameron's science fiction/fantasy film Avatar (2009), Perseus in Clash of the Titans (2010) and Captain Alex Mason in the 2010 video game Call of Duty: Black Ops.
Recent news
Selena Gomez Needs Help to Find Australian Boyfriend
Halle Berry is Fine after Divorce
Gwen Stefani Opens Up about Life before her Divorce
Subscribe to our weekly celebrity newsletter and receive the week's trending celebrity photos and wallpapers.


text:
Ben wrote:Lose some excess kilos and give up caffeine.
Mawkish1983 wrote:I have a whopping 27kg to lose.
Digity wrote:Ben wrote:Lose some excess kilos and give up caffeine.
I recently gave up coffee cold turkey. I noticed it was making me anxious and decided I needed to stop. I've replaced it with green tea. It wasn't too bad and now that I've developed the new routine of making tea rather than coffee I don't really miss it much.
Cittasanto wrote:Mawkish1983 wrote:I have a whopping 27kg to lose.
I have about the same to get to my comfortable weight.
Ben wrote:If you have a smartphone, you might want to download the free app: "myfitnesspal". It allows one to diarise one's food intake and exercise. Its very easy and it provides encouragement via progress notes and contact with friends. My daughter told me about it and I've now got it on my phone and we track each other's progress. If you do download it and use it - let me know and I'll send you a friend request.
kind regards,
alan wrote:Have you made any, in the realm of health? I did so 10 years ago today. Still lifting weights, biking and doing Yoga. My hair is grayer but my body is strong. What have you decided to do today to be more healthful in the future?
Return to "Wellness, Diet & Fitness"
Users browsing this forum: Baidu [Spider] and 2 guests


text:
Lawsuit says St. Louis archbishop knew priest was threat to kids
St. Louis Archbishop Robert Carlson knew that a priest was a danger to children before that priest was charged last year with molesting a teenage girl, according to a lawsuit filed Friday in Lincoln County.
The lawsuit was filed by the parents of the girl, who told police last June that the Rev. Xiu Hui "Joseph" Jiang, an associate pastor at the St. Louis Cathedral Basilica in the Central West End, had molested her. Jiang, 30, eventually was charged with first-degree endangering the welfare of a child. The girl had described him as a family friend.
In the lawsuit filed Friday, the girl's parents said Carlson "knew that Father Jiang...
Do you like this post?
@ tweeted this page. 2013-07-18 09:36:09 -0500Check out SNAP's story of the day: Lawsuit says St. Louis archbishop knew priest was threat to kids http://www.snapnetwork.org/lawsuit_says_st_louis_archbishop_knew_priest_was_threat_to_kids?recruiter_id=21019


text:
Download Hometech Handyman Cost Estimator : Maine 1, Bangor & Vicinity – Hometech Publishing pdf
Our HomeTech Publishing Handyman Cost Estimator will give the ability to price small jobs (under $4000) with the speed and accuracy HomeTech Publishing products have been delivering for over 45 years. This comprehensive system is laid out the same as the HomeTech Publishing Remodeling & Renovation Cost Estimator with the same 25 divisions from Plans and Permits to final Clean up. A major feature of the HomeTech Publishing Handyman Cost Estimator is that most of the items show the cost for a minimum sized job as well as costs for the same work in a large quantity. As all hands-on contractors know, there is preparation work required on every job and sometimes on a smaller job there will be more time spent on preparation than actually performing the work. Every contractor has customers who want them to perform small jobs for them replacing sidewalks, repairing steps, installing locksets, fixing leaky plumbing but until now there was not a good way to price this work AND MAKE MONEY!
Author: Hometech Publishing
Pages: 299 pages
Format: PDF
Size: 33.40 Mb


text:
Zom wrote:By the way, when does Rain Season end?
What date?
Pavarana Day (usually in October).
This day marks the end of the Rains retreat (vassa). In the following month, the kathina ceremony is held, during which the laity gather to make formal offerings of robe cloth and other requisites to the Sangha.
[giving to people of various levels...]
"If one were to feed a community of monks headed by the Buddha, that would be more fruitful than... if one were to feed a Tathagata — a worthy one, rightly self-awakened.
Zom wrote:By the way, when does Rain Season end?
What date?
mikenz66 wrote:Hi Dhammanucara,
I guess you are in a similar community to our Thai Wat here. I think in our case there is usually one Royal Kathina robe (from the Thai monarchy) given to one particular monk. There were other robes being given as well, and robes are often part of other ceremonies but my impression is that most of the time these just get recycled from stock that has already been accumulated.... I.e. if I wanted to make a donation, and have it look nice by including a robe, we'd just get a robe that was already here, present it, and it would go back in the closet... Just a symbolic gesture. Same with candles, and some of the other symbolic stuff...
Not sure if that helps your issue or not...
Return to "General Theravāda discussion"
Users browsing this forum: Friend, Nicolas, SarathW, WontonCarter and 86 guests


text:
OAR also lends humane traps and provides advice on TNR. The organization also runs a rescue with adoptable cats and kittens. You can also see us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/ohioalleycatfans
Meet some of our cats and kittens, and fill out an application today! An OAR representative will get in touch with you to discuss your application. We do require a phone screening before an adoption so if you are coming to visit the cats and hope to take a cat or kitten home that day, fill out and submit the application at least a day beforehand so we can pre-approve your adoption.
As of 3/7/12, our adoption policy requires that the adopters of our cats not declaw the cats, no matter what the cat's age. We will, with our adoption counselors' help, provide potential adopters with information on alternatives to declawing. We also sometimes have previously declawed cats up for adoption. These can be a good alternative for adopters who are adamant about declawing.
Thank You!
Your message has been sent to Ohio Alleycat Resource & Spay/Neuter Clinic.
You'll receive a copy, too, at to help you keep track of which pets you've inquired about, and which shelters and rescues you've emailed.
NOTE: Some shelters have physical locations you can visit; some of these shelters may only have pets for a limited time, so please do not wait for a reply—just go visit the shelter! Other organizations are rescue groups run by busy volunteers who may take a while to reply. You can find information about the shelter or rescue group caring for this pet, and their adoption procedures, on the pet's details page on Adopt-a-Pet.com.


text:
Today, Cory and I tried something new and took a yoga class together.
I hyped up this upcoming experience like nobody's business because yoga at my old gym was totally perfect.
Cory, you'll feel so relaxed and centered.
Cory, I LOVE YOGA.
Cory, the couple that namastes together, STAYS together.
Cory. Get ready for your life to be changed. Forever.
At this point Cory looked through the windows to my soul and told me to namastopit.
So, 5:30 AM came and I was ready and excited to calm the hell down and find my center.
Unfortunately, the instructor was a snobby substitute for the normal instructor. I was hoping for a nice Vinyasa flow, but she was more of a bougie show off than anything else. At one point, she asked the class "Do you guys do (insert random body-twisting pose here)?" And everyone shrugged, as best as the could while in bow pose.
She replied in a snarky tone, "It really helps if you learn the lingo."
At this point, I look to Cory, who looks just as hilariously as uncomfortable as I do, and I laugh out loud.
It felt worse than laughing in church during Station of the Cross.
Needless to say, Cory hated it and my words currently hold no weight in this household. I'm hoping to redeem myself soon.
Let's chat – Do you and your partner workout together? If you're single, do you have a workout buddy?


text:
GWENT'S greatest ever sportsman Joe Calzaghe is celebrating after receiving a double honour to add to his list of glittering achievements.
The two-weight world champion, who retired undefeated at 46-0 and dominated the super middleweight division for 11-years, will next month be inducted in the Boxing Hall of Fame in New York City.
And the accolades don't stop there with Calzaghe honoured by the British Boxing writers' at their annual lunch, appropriately held in a favourite restaurant of Calzaghe's in London's Little Italy.
Calzaghe is set to be ringside at next weekend's hotly-anticipated rematch between George Groves and Carl Froch and admitted at the lunch to some mixed feelings regarding the two controversial fighters.
Calzaghe was annoyed for several years by Froch "trying to make a name for himself off my back," and accused the Nottingham puncher of hypocrisy in his withering put-downs of Groves.
However, Calzaghe's thoughts in the immediacy are on his huge honour in New York at the start of June, when he will be inducted alongside Oscar de la Hoya and Felix Trinidad, as a first ballot entrant.
"It's a great feeling to be inducted into the Hall of Fame, five years after my retirement and it shows you remain in people's mind," he said.
"It's very humbling, a big massive honour and to be a first ballot hall of famer, in their 25th anniversary year with guys like Felix Trinidad and Oscar de la Hoya, it feels like an amazing honour.
"It's nice to know I am remembered not just in the UK for my record and for my achievements, but in the US as well.
"It's great to think back on it and I think it vindicates my decision to go to America to fight at the end of my career.
"I fought in Vegas and Madison Square Garden and it obviously was memorable and going into the Hall of Fame is going to be a very special occasion for myself and for my family."
Calzaghe admits to mixed feelings ahead of Froch v Groves II.
"I can't help but feel a bit of envy for Carl and George, it's the kind of rivalry I'd have loved to have had in my career, but at 42-years of age I'm a bit too old," he said.
"The fight has captured the imagination of the public; you only have to look at the tickets they've sold for Wembley Stadium.
"Maybe if I'd been even a couple of years younger than I am now, at 42, I would have considered beating either of them. But not now. I wouldn't risk my legacy.
"If I were to risk my place in history by coming back too late and sacrificing my unbeaten record then, never mind the money, I'd be miserable for the rest of my life."
Calzaghe believes Groves can beat Froch this time around, but wouldn't put his money where his mouth is.
"One can make a case for both Carl and George. Has Froch become too old? Has Groves improved enough?" he said.
"Froch is beginning to look like he's slowing up but then he will take Groves more seriously this time. Groves is faster but does he have the steam for a long fight?
"In the end I look at it and think that George, with his backing-off style, would've been more of a problem for me if I ever thought of coming back to meet one of them. So if push comes to shove I'd go for him.
"Although in my own mind I believe that in my prime I would've beaten either of them, James DeGale, who I think can give them both a lot of trouble, and Andre Ward, who is similar to Bernard Hopkins, but who I got the better of."


text:
Posted 6 years ago
(29 items)
Found these 2 dolls and have no idea if they are "collectable"
Any Sailormoon collectors out there able to give me some info ?....
Thanks, love to hear from you guys....
#1 Small Sailormoon made of what looks like some faux leather ! with suction cup on top.....
#2 Large Sailormoon ( blow-up doll (lol) ) with light inside her head..... and remote on cord with on/off switch
Both marked
copy right 1992 Naoko Takeuchi Kodansha Toei Animation Licenced by Animation International.


text:
Bianchi, Murphy asked to give outfield a try
PHOENIX -- The Brewers are mulling whether to carry four or five outfielders at the start of the season and have already asked infielders Jeff Bianchi and Donnie Murphy to give the outfield a shot this spring, manager Ron Roenicke said.
Ryan Braun, Carlos Gomez and Norichika Aoki are the team's starters from left to right field, and Logan Schafer is penciled in as the top backup. Mat Gamel was supposed to serve as a versatile fifth outfielder, available to play the corner infield positions and corner outfield positions, but that changed in January when first baseman Corey Hart underwent knee surgery, then changed again this month when Gamel suffered a season-ending knee injury of his own.
"If we don't have that [fifth option] that can go out there on defense, it limits us sometimes in using Schafer earlier in the game," Roenicke said. "We're looking at that, figuring out which is the better way to go -- with the extra infielder or that fifth outfielder."
Bianchi or Murphy could fill that need as hybrid players -- Bianchi has already expressed a willingness to give the outfield a shot, and Murphy played a Minor League game there. Another possibility is Bobby Crosby, who played a game in right field for the A's in 2009, but Crosby remained sidelined Thursday by a left thigh strain. Bianchi, Murphy and Crosby are all right-handed hitters; Schafer hits lefty.
Bianchi, a natural shortstop, hit .188 in 33 games with the Brewers last season. He is already on the 40-man roster and is out of Minor League options. Crosby and Murphy are non-roster invitees. As of Thursday, the Brewers had yet to ask another utility infield candidate, Taylor Green, to try a similar transition.
"I don't see him doing that, although you don't know," Roenicke said. "If we decide we need that left-handed bat and that's what we want, then we'll probably have a discussion with him and get him out there working on it."
If they go instead with a true fifth outfielder, the leading candidate is 24-year-old Caleb Gindl, who is already on his usual Spring Training tear. Gindl was 5-for-9 through Thursday.
"He and Schafer, they're always doing good things in Spring Training," Roenicke said.


text:
Seize on JPMorgan for a Day Trade
I am currently looking at a trade setup in JPMorgan Chase (JPM), which has tested and -- so far -- held above the Fibonacci cluster zone I'm seeing. This zone, $39.50 to $39.79, also defines my risk on the trade, and it includes the following.0.382 retracement of the July 23 low to the Oct. 17 high of $39.55 1.618 extension of the Oct. 26 low to the Nov. 2 high of $39.51 100% projection of the May 22 high to the June 4 low, projected from the Oct. 17 high $39.79 100% projection of the June 21 high to the July 23 low, projected from the Oct. 17 high $39.61
The swings from which these price relationships came are illustrated on the daily chart below....568 more words left in this article. To read them, just click below and try Real Money FREE for 14 days.
There's no substitute for a trading floor to get great ideas, so Jim Cramer created a better one at Real Money and blogs there exclusively. We then added legendary hedge fund manager, Doug Kass, with his exclusive Daily Diary and best investing ideas. Staffed with more than 4 dozen investing pros, money managers, journalists and analysts, Real Money Pro gives you a flood of opinions, analysis and actionable trading advice found nowhere else, and allows you to interact directly with each expert.
Already a Subscriber? Please login.


text:
For years I've loved mint as an addition to Tabbouli, but this is now my new favorite mint salad, and is my offering for Weekend Herb Blogging, hosted this week by Zorra from Kochtopf. If you'd like to join in, here are the rules for Weekend Herb Blogging and where to send your entry.
Cannellini Beans in Mint Marinade
2 cans cannellini beans, rinsed and well drained (or use 3 1/2 cups freshly cooked beans.)
1/4 cup olive oil
1/3 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
1/2 cup finely minced fresh mint leaves
salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
The beans will keep in the fridge for several days, but let come to room temperature again and stir before serving leftovers. (I've been eating leftovers for lunch at school this week and can testify that they're great.)
South Beach Diet Suggestions:
Nutritional Information?
More Salads with Mint:
(Recipes from other blogs may not always be South Beach Diet friendly; check ingredients.)
Chopped Tomato and Cucumber Salad with Mint, Feta, Lemon, and Thyme from Kalyn's Kitchen
Middle Eastern Tomato Salad from Kalyn's Kitchen
Cucumber and Avocado Salad with Lime, Mint, and Feta from Kalyn's Kitchen
Lime Quinoa Salad with Mint from Gluten-Free Goddess
Salad with Lime-Mint Dressing from Pinch My Salt
Charred Aubergine, Tomato, and Mint Salad from The Frugal Cook
Want even more recipes?
I find these recipes from other blogs using Food Blog Search.


text:
Hagadone optioned, reliever Crockett recalled
Francona says struggling lefty has 'special stuff,' has to work things out
BOSTON -- Nick Hagadone sounded like he was searching for answers in the immediate aftermath of Thursday's loss to the Red Sox. On Friday, the Indians optioned the struggling reliever to Triple-A Columbus to help him sort through his recent issues on the mound.
Rookie lefty Kyle Crockett was recalled from Triple-A to take Hagadone's spot in the Cleveland bullpen.
"In there, is a good pitcher and a guy that has pretty special stuff," Indians manager Terry Francona said of Hagadone. "We desperately want to tap into that. ... This is not cutting the cord. This is not giving up. When Hags is in our bullpen pitching like he can pitch, we're going to be a better team."
In Thursday's 5-2 loss to Boston, Hagadone was called upon with two outs, a runner on third base and Cleveland trailing by just one run in the sixth. The lefty issued a four-pitch walk to Jackie Bradley Jr. The Red Sox center fielder promptly stole second base and then came around to score on a two-run double by Brock Holt.
After the loss, Hagadone was asked if there was something in particular he needed to work on fixing.
"If I had that answer, I wouldn't be pitching like this," Hagdone said. "I don't know."
Cleveland promoted the 28-year-old Hagadone from Triple-A earlier this month after he posted a 2.25 ERA with 22 strikeouts against only three walks in 12 innings in May. In his first two outings for Cleveland, the left-hander struck out four, allowed only one hit and walked none in two impressive innings.
In his past three appearances, though, Hagadone was charged with two runs on three hits (one home run) with two walks, no strikeouts and only one out recorded. That rapid unraveling pushed Hagadone's ERA to 7.71 in five games.
"We want it to be a situation where, when he comes to the big leagues, he can help us win games," Francona said. "He was on a roll in Triple-A and his first couple games here he really helped us. Then, it seemed to be going the other way, even in his mind. So, we want to try to help him get over some hurdles, whether it's anxiety or however you want to put it."
Crockett, 23, rejoins the Indians for his second stint in the big leagues. The club's No. 15 prospect was originally promoted from Double-A Akron on May 16, becoming the first player from any team's 2013 Draft class to reach the Majors. In 4 1/3 innings for the Indians, Crockett posted a 2.08 ERA with a .154 opponents' batting average.
Since being optioned to Triple-A on May 22, Crockett has allowed one earned run with six strikeouts and no walks in 8 2/3 innings for Columbus. In 21 appearances combined between Double-A and Triple-A this season, the left-hander has a 0.74 ERA with 23 strikeouts, three walks and a .172 opponents' average in 24 1/3 innings.
"I think [Crockett] is really beyond his years in maturity level," Francona said. "He kind of is what he is and he can do it at the Double-A level, Triple-A level of Major League level, because the game doesn't speed up on him."
Jordan Bastian is a reporter for MLB.com. Read his blog, Major League Bastian, and follow him on Twitter @MLBastian. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


text:
Note: This item is more than seven years old. Please take the publication date into consideration for any date references.
Print – Plain Text – Permalink
News Release
Media Contact: TPWD News, firstname.lastname@example.com, 512-389-8030
March 29, 2010
Notice of Public Hearing Advisory Panel on Recreational Boating Safety
Pursuant to the call of Lance Bruun, Chairman, the initial meeting of the Advisory Panel on Recreational Boating Safety, will be held on Friday, April 16th at 10am in room E2.036 inside the capitol extension located at 1400 Congress Avenue, Austin, Texas. (See the complete news release on the Texas Legislature site at http://www.house.state.tx.us/news/release.php?id=3084.)
Publication — Permission is granted to publish, in whole or in part, any news releases on this page.
Print — A print-friendly version of the news release shows only the release with font sizes set to the browser default.
Plain Text — Plain text versions of TPWD news releases are provided for copying and pasting into editing software.
To copy text into an editing software:
- Click a Plain Text link to display the plain text page in your browser.
- Select all.
- Copy.
- Paste in a document in your editing program.
Permalink — This is a direct link to the news release, omitting the navigation context from the URI.
English/Spanish — News releases posted in both English and Spanish have one of these links.
If you have any suggestions for improving these pages, send an e-mail to firstname.lastname@example.com and mention Plain Text Pages.
(5.4.16 i)


text:
Christian Dior Couture Spring 2013 Arrivals | Pictures
Fashion's Finest and Hollywood's Brightest Brave the Snow For Dior's Couture Show
Judging by the number of bold-faced names at Monday's Spring 2013 Couture show, the buzz surrounding
Sobieski — who was a vision in red at Dior's ready-to-wear outing in October — was no less striking in a Winter-ready navy blue bouclé coat, turtleneck dress, and black moto boot ensemble. Also well prepared for the frosty air was Ulyana Sergeenko: the Russian designer and street-style favorite wore a full-length fur skirt to complement her newly lightened hair.
A peek at all the arrivals, right here.


text:
Since grain can be in contact with storage bins for a long time, pay extra attention to cleaning these structures before storing the new crop. Here is some advice from Curtis Young with Ohio State University Extension's Agronomic Crops Team.
• Remove any grain or grain dust from inside the bins by sweeping or vacuuming empty bins and brushing down walls.
• Pay close attention to cracks and crevices, ledges over doors, and hollow-tube ladder rungs on or in which grain could have been trapped from the previous storage seasons.
• Clear debris from fans, aeration ducts, exhausts and, when possible, beneath slotted floors.
• Dispose of all debris in a lawful manner and away from the storage facility.
Sanitation outside of bins is just as important as cleaning the inside of bins.
• Inspect storage structures for signs of deterioration. Check for leaks and holes through which insects, birds or rodents can gain easy access to the stored grain, or through which rain and snow can drip or blow onto the grain and produce wet spots that lead to mold growth.
• Do not allow vegetation (weeds, shrubs, etc.) to grow up against the outside of the bin, as this can harbor insects and rodents.
• Bare ground covered with gravel or cement is preferred, but shortmown grass is tolerable.
• Remove any spilled grain from around the outside of the bin and storage facility.


text:
Water is an important part of caring for calves. Water improves average daily gain and feed conversion, is very beneficial in the development of the rumen and helps in digestion and the metabolic function of the calf.
Calves do not receive enough water in feed to meet their needs. Even slight dehydration will affect the metabolic function of the calf and reduce feed intake. As calves begin to eat more starter, their daily intake of water will increase.
A young calf under two weeks of age will drink very little water, but you still need to give access to water so the animal becomes used to having it available. As they age they will begin to drink more water. In the summer cool water is advisable to help reduce heat stress.
Water is the most essential and cheapest ingredient in any livestock feeding operation.
A 180–kg. (400-pound) calf will require from 10–30 liters (quarts) of water daily, depending on factors like temperature, humidity and the dry matter content of the diet. To achieve maximum gains, provide an adequate supply of clean, easily accessible water. Test the water offered to calves and mixed with milk replacers as the pH, mineral content and bacterial counts are of primary concern. It may be necessary to install water treatment equipment to assure good water quality for your animals.
In 1984, research by A.F. Kertz at Ralston Purina found that weight gain between birth and four weeks of age was reduced by 38 percent and starter intake by 31 percent for calves that did not receive supplemental water in addition to their milk replacer.
Source: Ontario Veal Association


text:
After finishing with the fifth-worst ERA in the majors, the Kansas City Royals knew they needed to improve their rotation. They have wasted little time trying to do so.
Trading for Ervin Santana is not the first move the Royals should have made, however. Not because Santana finished with a 5.16 ERA and allowed 39 homers last season for the Los Angeles Angels. Scouts say the 29-year-old right-hander still has quality stuff but needs to regain his command.
What makes this a dubious deal is the $12 million the Royals have to pay Santana. That hardly is a bargain for a guy coming off such a lousy season, especially for the budget-conscious Royals. At that price on this team, Santana becomes their No. 1 starter.
Their rotation would look a lot stronger if Santana was No. 2 and someone such as free agent Jeremy Guthrie was No. 1. Guthrie emerged as one of the American League's top starters over the final two months, with a 5-1 record and 2.34 ERA that was fourth-best in the AL.
Put those two with Bruce Chen and either Luke Hochevar or Luis Mendoza, and the Royals would have the foundation for a decent rotation. When Felipe Paulino and/or Danny Duffy return from Tommy John surgery in midseason, they could hold their own against any in the AL.
But after committing so much to Santana, the Royals could be hard-pressed to sign Guthrie or someone in his price range. Perhaps Guthrie would take less to stay with the Royals since their coaching staff helped him return to form after a dreadful half-season with the Colorado Rockies. Such loyalty doesn't play too often in the majors, on the club or player side. Guthrie, 33, figures to command at least three years and $35 million.
Royals general manager Dayton Moore told the Kansas City Star that he's far from finished shopping for starters and could sign a free agent to a hefty deal as long as it's backloaded. One positive about the Santana deal is that it's up after 2013.
There's another potential positive, too, but one the Royals would like to avoid. If Santana rebounds, he could make an attractive trade target next July. Of course, if the Royals are shopping him at the deadline, it would mean they've fallen out of contention again.
And their seemingly never-ending efforts to upgrade their rotation would continue.


text:
Willits High School got the green light Tuesday to move ahead with the creation of a new sports facility. The Board of Trustees of the Willits Unified School District approved a request from the WHS Site Council to turn the old media center into a multi-use sports center.
Using $84,000 of Ventura-Perez Grant funds, Willits High will transform the old space into the Student Athlete Training Center a venue offering spaces for weight-lifting and wrestling. A newly-created dance studio and a designated team meeting area with audio visual equipment is also part of the design.
Principal Gordon Oslund also received approval for restoration of the school's athletic track. Improvements in drainage and a complete resurfacing of the track are slated to begin shortly.
The board also heard a final report from Facilities Director Wayne Bashore on the status of the district's solar and transformation projects and heard the status of maintenance projects district-wide.
The next regular meeting of the Willits Unified School District Board of Trustees will be held April 17.


text:
Keighley have one of their most attractive matches of the season on Saturday.
They are at home to Morley, who have won the Yorkshire Cup 11 times, have won the Powergen Intermediate Cup at Twickenham (2005) and have played as high as the second tier of English rugby in the early 1990s.
However, that was then and this is now, and although the Maroons have won their last three matches with maximum hauls in SSE North One East to climb from ninth to fourth, relegation-threatened Keighley should be up for what is a home derby.
"They haven't very far to travel, they will be coming on a high and they will have some players from Leeds University," said Keighley's director of rugby Graeme Sheffield.
"But this is one of our biggest games of the season and my players will be up for it.
"We hope to have Stuart Inman back but Scott Dyson and Leigh Sugden are big doubts due to rib and shoulder problems respectively.
"They are part of the backbone of the side in the forwards. However, we will name a squad of 20 just in case either of them make it."
While Morley have beaten Northern 32-16 at home and thrashed bottom two Durham City (94-7) and Darlington (80-5), injury-hit Keighley have lost their last seven matches, albeit three of them narrowly.
They were beaten 49-10 at Beverley last Saturday and Sheffield said: "The game followed a very similar pattern to our defeat at Wheatley Hills and I think Hills will win the division, with Beverley coming second.
"You cannot fault the effort of the lads but if you are outpaced, you are outpaced and if you are outmuscled, you are outmuscled."


text:
BP Comment Quick Links
|Strength of Schedule Report
April 8, 2013
Monday Morning Ten Pack
Prospects We Can't Wait to Put Our Eyes on in 2013
Courtney Hawkins, OF, Chicago White Sox (High-A Winston-Salem)
Kevin Gausman, RHP, Baltimore Orioles (Double-A Bowie)
Luiz Gohara, LHP, Seattle Mariners (Extended Spring Training)
Byron Buxton, OF, Minnesota Twins (Low-A Cedar Rapids)
Gregory Polanco, OF, Pittsburgh Pirates (High-A Bradenton)
Addison Russell, SS, Oakland Athletics (High-A Stockton)
Roman Quinn, SS, Philadelphia Phillies (Low-A Lakewood)
Yordano Ventura, RHP, Kansas City Royals (Double-A Northwest Arkansas)
Taylor Guerrieri, RHP, Tampa Bay Rays (Low-A Bowling Green)
Carlos Tocci, CF, Philadelphia Phillies (Low-A Lakewood)
12 comments have been left for this article.
BP Comment Quick Links
Josh Johnson
I saw Hawkins on Saturday when I sent to see Lindor, and I didn't see it with Hawkins, either. I wasn't impressed with his routes in center and he expanded the zone up on 92 MPH fastballs and down on breaking balls below the zone. I see the size and the bat speed, but in that limited look I didn't see the power utility.
Apr 08, 2013 05:56 AM
I'm not a scout (obviously) but I don't think Hawkins is projected to play center if/when he realizes his talent.
Apr 08, 2013 10:32 AM
I trust your opinion on Hawkins, but Shiner Bock is awesome.
Apr 08, 2013 07:04 AM
Your info on Polanco's weight is out of date. He's already bulked up and is supposedly now 215-220 lbs.
Apr 08, 2013 11:47 AM
Dave Holgado
Had read the same thing about Polanco. In fairness, this article is about prospects that the BP prospect team folks "can't wait to put their eyes on," not ones they've already put their eyes on (though it appears that the Professor has already had a couple of looks at Hawkins).
Apr 08, 2013 12:52 PM
I was at the game Friday night in Lakewood (2nd game of the season), and Roman Quinn was clocked at 3.51 from the left side. I had to re-check with the scout to confirm that, but yes, 3.51. He can flat out fly.
Apr 08, 2013 14:41 PM
Not a subscriber? Sign up today!


text:
Parador de Pontevedra
- Terms and facilities
- Useful information
- Location
- Opinions
The Parador is housed by palace which was formerly the residence of the
Counts of Maceda. It stands Old Town and combines regal, noble and
stately lines with countless references to rural dream in an environment
that invites you to explore countless coves and beaches. Distinguish,
noble and illustrious are three adjectives that define an interior with
an abundance of distinguished details, antiques and furniture with royal
character, and also has relaxing views of the garden. The carved stone
steps are one of the countless features.
Choose your room
Share it
Score based on 3 reviews
Average price per night for this hotel for the following weeks
|9/18/17 - 9/24/17
|9/25/17 - 10/1/17
|10/2/17 - 10/8/17
|10/9/17 - 10/15/17
Services and terms: Parador de Pontevedra
Standard Room Services
- Air Conditioning
- Heating
- Minibar
- Satellite TV
- Hairdryer
- Telephone
- Television
Accommodation facilities
- Lift
- Bar/Café
- Money Exchange
- Meetings Room
- Internet Centre
- Garden/Terrace
- Laundry
- People with reduced mobility access
- Non-smoker Rooms
- Parking
- Restaurant
Useful information: Parador de Pontevedra
Other names for Parador de Pontevedra:
Casa Del Baron
Location: Parador de Pontevedra
The origin of the city was always related to its strategic position in
both the early and later Roman roads in the medieval route of the
Portuguese Way to Compostela. The bridges are the most significant in
the history of the city, both the Burgo in the capital, and the Ponte
Sampaio, in the south. The city leads the county area and is the
district center of initiatives related to strategic planning, rural
development, promoting tourism, water management, public transport, etc.
This city has a historical monument of great beauty, which is
recommended to visit to assess their squares, emblazoned houses,
churches and characteristic streets with arcades that will always offer
good shelter to native and the tourists, sun or rain, to discover the
art and history that is still Pontevedra?s greatest treasure.
From Vigo airport, continue north towards Aeroporto Av's and Camino de
las Patas. Turn right on N-555/Calle Redondela N-555. Continue to a
roundabout. Slight left to stay on N-555. Pass a roundabout. Slight
right and follow N-555. At the roundabout take the third exit onto
N-550/Carretera Coruña-Tui. Take the ramp onto Santa Mariña Av./ N-550.
Continue to follow N-550. Take the ramp toward PA-9 Pontevedra. At the
fork, keep right to continue toward AP-9 and merge onto AP-9 Partial
toll road. Take exit 129 onto PO-531 in the direction of Pontevedra
(North) / PO-308/Poio/Sanxenxo (By the coast). Turn left on
PO-531.Slight left to stay on PO-531. Slight left at Avenida de Domingo
Fontan. At the roundabout take the first exit onto Bridge Burgo. At the
roundabout take the second exit onto Buenos Aires Av. N-558/C-531.
Continue to N-558/C-531.Turn left at Plaza del Muelle 59.


text:
Summer often brings with it, orange sunsets, long lazy afternoons with cold lemonade, extended holidays, the promise of fun and laughter, reunions with friends without the worry of work, and in the midst of all that goodness... it sometimes ushers in the poetic idea of summer love.
Over the longer days that dutifully showed themself in summer, and under the swelter of the sun, met a boy and a girl. A boy who loved music, who held an innate ability to create food, who was popular with every soul he came to face with. And a girl, who was sweet in every sense of the word...she was thoughtful and kind, warm and down to earth, all wrapped together in a sugary personality that you just couldn't dislike, no matter how hard you tried.
And while Jimmy and Bertha knew of each other before hand, it wasn't until that fateful summer where serendipity threw them together to do God's work filled with music, and children, that the seeds of love were so carefully planted by our heavenly Father. Because when the work was done, love began, love blossomed, and love grew in such a steadfast and certain manner, that Bertha knew from the very beginning she was going to marry this boy, with whom her heart had already begun intertwining with.
And she was right.
Four years since those seeds of summer love bore fruit, Jimmy and Bertha made their love official, promising their ever afters in front of hundreds of close family and friends (I did mention that Jimmy is very popular, and that no one can dislike Bertha ;) ) , and kissed then laughed the night away with their fingers woven into each others, soaking in the hope and joy of being able to walk side by side as husband and wife for the rest of their days.
Thank you so much Jimmy and Bertha for trusting me with your memories, and for being so awesome in listening to my advice on getting the best photos, and especially for just letting me be there to document your big special day - I know you have been dreaming about it, and looking forward to it for so long!! And lastly, I know I'm your sister, but it really was such a privilege to be given THE duty of planting your memories, your joy, and your love into pictures that you can look back on. I hope that you hold as much fondness with these photos as I do. I smiled, then teared, when I was editing some of these. I love you both :)
Here are some of my favourites from your wedding...yes some *ahem* *coughs* :P
As jimmy is my brother, this is what happens when I photograph a sibling's wedding :P I take way too many photos :p
The heels, from Alan Pinkus
All done and ready!! I thought this was the pretty spot for photos, and then Bertha went and told me that it was their regular 'photo spot' in the family. hah! And I thought photographers were the only ones who had an eye :p
The boys getting ready, courtesy of Linda :)
A short prayer just before the day started... then Bertha began to tear up. I think when you realize you are about to officially 'leave' your family, it gets quite emotional.
The laughter followed shortly after that, as the tea ceremonies began :)
Then it was off to the place where I grew up for the other tea ceremony!! I'm not in this set of photos - haha, you'll have to watch the slideshow to see me :p
Arriving at St Peter's Presbyterian Church. Bertha's smile is absolutely contagious. It breaks open like sun rays through grey clouds. It just radiates, and I love it!!
Saying a quick prayer before the ceremony.
There's that Bertha smile again!
Woohoo! Mr and Mrs!! :D
At every wedding, I always have very STIFF competition vying for the best spots and moments to capture photos. Here is another TYPICAL example of what I am talking about! Look at all the cameras!! You wonder why you need a professional at this rate!! haha... KIDDING ;)
I love how the kids were just watching so leisurely, while the ceremony was underway...
Jimmy, giving my mum a hug :) Guess her age... no one has ever got it right! haha...
People often ask me, why I get my second shooters to do the group photos... this is why. If I was madly rushing around getting the groups together, its moments like this I miss. And its moments like these, I LIVE for in my line of work. I love how candid and happy they are :)
Then off to Rouse Hill Estate for location pictures. The light was harsh and the management were super strict in not letting us go/use/sit in alot of places, but hey... here's what we got regardless :D
We found out on the day that my sister in law is a POSER!! She is a little miss POSER! hahaha... and very good at it! I didn't tell her to do these kind of poses. She just knows how to WORK IT :D
I absolutely love the light and gentleness in these 2 pics.
I made the girls do a REALLY cheesy pose... but thats so I could get them laughing like THIS! :D
The boys!! :D
This is another poser moment by Bertha. I did not ask her to do this :) I was merely there just to snap as she played with Jimmy's accessories! Why girl?? you have your own!! haha... *JOKES* :D
One of my faves.
My FAVE of the day :)
These last two can also be added to my faves list of the day. There you go bert! The 2nd is your 'look into the camera' shot you wanted!! ;)
The beautiful little details that were set out at their reception venue - Rhodes Phoenix Restaurant :) Bertha loves details and her taste is very good :)
Bertha and Jimmy opted for NO table shots the whole night (YAY!!! I LOVE that :D) - instead, they took my advice and did a fun 'photobooth' JSP style ;) I think these kind of group photos are way more fun... no? YES!!! :D
And here is ANOTHER poser moment from Bertha again!! haha... we should give this alter ego a name!! Suggestions??
Then the speeches followed... and they were filled with tears and emotions, from all the kind and reminiscent words uttered.
Plus tonnes of laughs following that!! The best man speech was the BEST I've heard... EVER.
The night ended with my brother serenading Bertha with a song he wrote himself. It was lovely :)
And since Bertha is all things sweet, pink, and sugary, I thought it only appropriate to have their ring shots like this:
Alright!! If you want to see more on top of the monster post above, watch the slideshow below! It features a song which I've recently discovered while watching some very old girly movies :D It pays to watch your old DVD stocks now and again :)
Okay everyone, I gotta run now. I'm nursing a cold and a sore throat, which means I need a huge dose of sleep, vitamin C, and rest, so til next post!! :D


text:
Industry News
Matrix's Colin Walsh Inspires His Boyhood Stylist
Matrix General Manager Colin Walsh recently traveled to his hometown of Barrie, Ontario where he re-connected with his childhood stylist, Sharon Smith. Walsh was joined by Dr. Lew Losconcy, motivational speaker and co-author with Walsh of On—A Brilliant Way to Live and Work.
Smith hosted a gathering of 100 of her friends and colleagues for a presentation and book signing by Walsh and Losconcy.
Walsh describes Smith as being "pretty, fun and stylish" with a creativity and energy that inspired his successful beauty industry career and his admiration for and connection with hairdressers.
Smith says of Walsh, "It had been 25 years since we had seen each other. He was a young teenager and now he's delivering such wonderful and empowering messages. Early in my career Dr. Lew really inspired me. I'm so pleased that I was finally able to thank him."
Walsh told Smith, "You impacted my life and my self-esteem with your talent and gifts."
The Matrix team in New York organized the event in Barrie. "You never know how you're going to affect someone who is sitting in your chair," saysSmith. Visit matrix.com.


text:
Oglethorpe University will host a seminar by The NO Project, a global anti-slavery public awareness initiative that focuses on the demand for human trafficking and educates through music, the arts, film, dance and social media.
The free event will be held Tuesday, October 29, 2013 at 7:00 p.m. in the Conant Performing Arts Center and is co-sponsored by Oglethorpe University's A_LAB (Atlanta Laboratory for Learning), Oglethorpe Women's Network, Global LEAD and The Junior League of Atlanta, Inc.
Attendees will enjoy a captivating 90-minute multi-media interactive seminar that presents the truths behind human trafficking. The seminar encourages students—and others—to use their passion, interests, talent and connections to respond and join the fight against modern day slavery. The presentation includes award-winning documentary film clips, world-class animation, music, art and dance, all of which reflect the intelligent, creative, proactive stance that youth, artists and educators are taking to address the crime of modern slavery. The NO Project seminar enables listeners to better understand forced/bonded labor, domestic servitude, and commercial sexual exploitation.
The NO Project has come a long way from its beginnings at a kitchen table in Athens, Greece. It now operates globally, from Bulgaria to New Zealand, Turkey to the U.S., Romania to the Philippines. Its presentation shows that slavery is often much closer than the average person and consumer realizes, connecting slavery to items that we use and enjoy in our everyday lives. These items include electronics and food like chocolate and shrimp cocktails. While human trafficking is barbaric, violent and overwhelming, The NO Project take an approach to the global crime that is neither depressing nor gloomy.


text:
Friday 01.27
See more Seymour
It's not enough that Jane Seymour is a famous actress and is fabulously beautiful, but she paints, too. Talk about winning the talent and genetic lottery. The former Bond girl and Emmy-award winner comes to Dallas to display her works and show the town what A-list really means.
Wisby-Smith Fine Art
500 Crescent Court, Ste. 146.
Through Sat. 6 p.m.
Friday 01.27
Del-iver us from evil
Del Shores returns to Dallas for one more go-round of his Sordid Confessions. He goes for the jugular with stories about his life that are crass and comical. He'll also be taping the shows for his DVD release of Confessions so that his rants on Southern Baptists, Hollywood and maybe even a teeny bit about his recent break-up will be preserved for all time.
The Rose Room (inside S4)
3911 Cedar Springs Road.
5 p.m. and 8 p.m. $10–$30.
Saturday 01.28
Bigger is always better
Cattle ranchers, oil men and love triangles all make for an epic story of Texas. The DTC celebrates its current show with the gala event Giant: The Celebration. You'll feel truly Texan with the wine stroll, Texas food and live local music.
Wyly Theater
2401 Flora St. 6 p.m.
This article appeared in the Dallas Voice print edition January 27, 2012.


text: Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc. has announced that Réal Plourde is stepping down as chief operating officer effective today. Plourde plans to remain executive vice-president and a member of the executive committee. Brian Hannasch, currently senior vice-president of U.S. operations and a close associate of Plourde, will succeed him as chief operating officer. "Plourde's contribution to the


text:
Tucson, Ariz., According to a Tuesday article in the Arizona Daily Star, Safeway is unveiling its truck fleet's conversion to B20 biodiesel fuel. For the last 30 days, the company has worked to convert all 79 of its Arizona trucks to fuel that is 20% biodiesel made from domestically manufactured virgin soybean oil.
According to company spokesperson Nikki Daly, the conversion will reduce Safeway's carbon dioxide output by 3,603 metric tons—equivalent to 780 passenger cars not being driven for one year.


text:
Brandon Bird's 'X-Mans: The Strangest Art Show Of All' Redraws An X-Men Coloring Book With Uncanny Results [Art]
So have you heard about these X-Men characters? Apparently they're pretty popular, and they've been in the news lately thanks to their appearance in a new movie. But in all the places you've seen them, whether it's comics, the big screen or even commercials for breakfast biscuits, I can promise you that you've never seen Marvel's Merry Mutants like they're depicted in Brandon Bird's 'X-Mans' art show.


text: I am a Buddhist from a small Ohio town and joined to this forum to talk to more like minded poeple. It's unfortunate living in a small town where it seems as if you are the only Buddhist. I hope to get to know you all and engage in some interesting discussions.


text:
DOG owners are being encouraged to enjoy a stroll with their four-legged friend while raising money for Mary Stevens Hospice.
Supporters and their pooches will set off on the sponsored walk at 10am on Sunday September 28 and cover a 5km route around Clent Hills.
The event has been organised by Sue Williams, a keen supporter of the Oldswinford hospice, which costs around £2.5 million a year to run.
Charlotte Schofield, the hospice's lottery and special events manager. said: "It is always a fantastic event and a wonderful way to bring the local community together."
To get involved register online at www.marystevenshospice.co.uk or call the fundraising team on 01384 377778.


text:
What is our focus as veterinarians?
When you start to feel burned out or unmotivated at work, take a minute to check in with yourself and ask, "Why do I want to be a veterinarian?" In Clayton Christenson's new book, How Will You Measure Your Life? (Harper Business, 2012), he discusses the factors that influence people's motivation in the workplace and the importance of receiving the right stimulation to lead to improved performance—advice I found myself thinking more than a few veterinarians would benefit from.
Why do you love your job? These are the motivation factors. Motivators are internal—what's inside you and inside your work. They're about what's truly meaningful and keeps you loving what you do. These are the things you'd truly miss if you had to give them up. In the book Don't Retire, Rewire! (ALPHA, 2007), authors Jeri Sedlar and Rick Miners refer to these factors as "drivers."When I ask veterinary healthcare providers what their drivers are, it sometimes takes a few minutes to get to the core issues. They talk about enjoying practice, but when I ask them to hone in on what they enjoy it's as if they've never really thought about it. They have to remember that it's about loving animals, solving problems, dealing with science, helping people and making a difference in the community. Rarely is financial reward very high on the list. Yet frequently, job selection (note: I'm not saying "life's work") is dictated by compensation.
Go back to when you applied to veterinary school and had to write that standard "why I want to be a veterinarian" essay. Even considering the heavy debt loads veterinarians incur, few say they're in it for the money. "I want to have a career that allows me to … " doesn't usually end with " … and drive a Mercedes." Unfortunately, reality often rears its head and things like student debt, family responsibilities and even ego lead us to accept the most lucrative offer, thinking, "As soon as I [fill in the blank], I'll do what I really love the way I want to do it." In the meantime, we lose sight of our desire to help animals or people.
Even if we don't lose sight of these things, we can begin to resent veterinary practice because we aren't doing it the way we envisioned. It's too easy for veterinarians to fall out of love with practice because they're still focused on what they once said were the wrong things. They tend to lose sight of their main drivers—their true motivators.
According to Christenson, we need to ask a new set of questions of ourselves. Is this work meaningful? Will I be able to grow from it? Am I going to learn? Is there recognition? Do I make a real difference in my community? Veterinarians are fortunate in that the answer is generally "yes." These are the motivators, drivers and internal rewards which, if given enough financial wherewithal, we can go back to and remember why we want to be veterinarians. This is what we need to revist, renew and refocus on.
Dr. Michael Paul
, @mikepauldvm


text:
MIAMI - The Miami Dolphins began their media campaign Thursday to drum up support for renovations at Sun Life Stadium among Miami-Dade County voters.
On May 14, voters will decide whether to increase the hotel bed tax in mainland Miami-Dade by one percent to help fund renovations at the stadium. The team will pay for the local referendum.
The deal, a 30-year economic development grant, includes a non-relocation agreement. The Dolphins could pay a minimum $120 million repayment penalty if certain conditions, including the number of Super Bowls and BCS Championship they land, aren't met.
The Dolphins have offered to pay the county and the state back the money it receives from a sales tax rebate of $3 million a year for 30 years.
The state legislature is considering a bill that would authorize the rebate and also raise the hotel bed tax. Under the Senate version of the bill, the Dolphins would have to compete for that money with other professional sports franchises in the state.
"The agreement between the county and the Dolphins will sell itself if, in the next 35 days, we can get it to the people," said attorney H.T. Smith, who is teaming up with Cuban-American leader Jorge Arrizurieta to head Miami First, a political-action committee funded by the Dolphins.
Miami First aired several ads earlier this year.
"It is an initiative that H.T. and I will take to the streets of Miami-Dade County throughout every community to ensure that every question that needs to be answered is answered," said Arrizurieta
The pair said the deal struck with the Dolphins is much different than the one for Marlins Park, where taxpayers paid 75 percent of the bill.
"This is not the Marlins deal," said Smith. "Most voters, I think, are fair and they'll say, wait a minute, we're not going to hold the Miami Dolphins responsible for another deal that was a bad deal."
Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez said he won't actively campaign for the deal.
"If people ask me to participate or ask my opinion, I will give them my opinion," he said. "I am going to get into a campaign mode? No, I have a county to run here."
The Dolphins say that their 25-year-old stadium needs at least $350 million in improvements to remain competitive with newer stadiums around the NFL. In its deal with the county, the team will pay 70 percent of the cost.
The Dolphins and San Francisco 49ers, who will move into a new stadium next year, are vying for Super Bowl L in 2016. The loser will compete against the Houston Texans to host Super Bowl LI in 2017.
NFL team owners will announce the locations of Super Bowls L and LI on May 22 in Boston.
Copyright 2013 by Local10.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


text:
Very interesting read
Picture this Artest as a Bull
Tuesday, February 10, 2004
So, where does the trade that sent two All-Stars in Ron Artest and Brad Miller plus Ron Mercer and Kevin Ollie to the Indiana Pacers in return for Travis Best and Jalen Rose rank among the worst boo-boos in Chicago sports history? In the same zip code as Lou Brock for Ernie Broglio? Somewhere between the mindless release of Bobby Hull and the premature farewell to Greg Maddux?
Judge for yourself tonight, when Artest and the Pacers visit the United Center for the final time this season. What you will see in Artest is everything the Bulls can use more of these days, a lot of what head coach Scott Skiles and general manager John Paxson want them to be like in the future. A guy who defends like a Doberman on the Raw Food Diet, rebounds, passes, shoots and absolutely hates to lose.
And to think the Bulls drafted Artest with the 16th overall pick five years ago (take a bow, Jerry Krause), only to dump him in a panic move only three years later (take a hike, Jerry Krause).
"It's nothing like, 'Yeah, I proved everyone wrong,' '' said Artest, whose $7 million salary makes him one of the biggest steals in the league. "I'm happy because the team is playing well. That's the reason (for his selection). If you think about it, there are a lot of people putting up big numbers, but they're not winning."
In the two-plus seasons Artest spent here, only ORD had more baggage. He lived with his wife near the team practice facility, while his ex-girlfriend and their three kids resided in New York. Deerfield police answered so many emergency calls to his residence, the village considered an express lane. When they arrived, Artest often was found locked up alone in a bedroom.
If there's one thing Artest loves more than basketball — nay, the only thing — then it's his family. One day his young daughter called on the phone. Daddy, I haven't seen you in a long time. I miss you so much. Can you come home now? Pleeeeeze? Sure enough, Artest was on the next flight to New York. Trouble was, he blew off practice in the process. Didn't tell a soul, either. It wasn't until hours later that Artest contacted the team to let them know of his whereabouts.
You want bizarre? There was the halftime at the United Center two years ago, shortly after Bill Cartwright took over as head coach. While Cartwright discussed the game plan with his players in the locker room, one of them suddenly took off his sneakers ... socks ... jersey ... shorts ... jock. Faster than you could say Chippendale, who but Artest stood buck naked in front of his locker while stunned teammates picked their jaws up off the floor.
Yet, the biggest problem wasn't that Artest brought so many demons with him from the streets of Queensbridge, N.Y. After all, if the NBA consisted of only players without issues, then it would be a two-team league. No, the problem was that Krause and head coach Tim Floyd — especially Krause — avoided the problems rather than look them in the face.
At a time when Artest desperately needed some tough love, he was allowed to veer out of control. Floyd made half-hearted attempts to get through to him — one time Artest was benched after he wore a headband against team rules in support of a teammate — but the coach never had the respect of his players or support from above to lay down the hammer.
"There are certain things I did in Chicago that should have been handled," Artest said. "When you're under the microscope, that's when a lot of things tend to get publicized a little bit more. I was doing a lot of things in Chicago the same way I was doing here."
Then again, from Toni Kukoc to Eddy Curry, that was always the way it was with Krause and his pet draft picks, wasn't it? If you were a Krause guy, you got kid-glove treatment, pure and simple. Now you know why Curry and Tyson Chandler are still so Bounty-soft three years after they became lottery picks.
So it should have come as no surprise that Artest was still up to no good after he was traded to the Pacers two years ago. Last season Artest was suspended three games without pay by the league and fined $35,000 after he heaved a television monitor and smashed a camera after a defeat in New York. (Wouldn't you love to see somebody on the current Bulls team get hacked off like that after a loss? Other than Skiles, I mean?). In Miami only days later, Artest confronted Heat head coach Pat Riley and flashed an obscene gesture toward the crowd. He was suspended by the league four games without pay as a result.
After another loss at Washington last February, Artest smashed a framed picture of himself. Finally, with the blessing of team management, then-Pacers head coach Isiah Thomas did what should have been done years earlier. Artest was ordered to sit out one game, which marked the first time in his career he had been disciplined by his team. Artest also was ordered to seek anger management counseling and called on the carpet by the league office.
The far more mature Artest who has showed up this season isn't the same guy who was suspended for 12 games a season ago. More like the Artest Formerly Known as Ron. Here it is four months into the season and he has all of three technical fouls. And get this: The next flagrant foul Artest commits will be his first of the season.
Otherwise, he has been pretty much the same havoc-wreaker. [size=18:8c7f72606a]When Artest is in the lineup, opposing small forwards average only 10.2 points per game, the lowest total for any non-center in the league. When you consider that Artest averages 17.9 points and 38.1 minutes, he's worth nearly 10 points per game.[/size]
Still, not everyone is convinced. Critics contend that Artest will forever be one step away from the deep end, but he sounds like a man who has been there and is done with that. "I don't want to get suspended anymore," he said. "Everything I did got worse. The suspensions were more games. I don't want it to happen."
Say, does the NBA do mulligans?


text:
So you realize that texting and driving is dangerous. Maybe you're aware that cellphone fidgeting has surpassed drunken driving as the leading cause of teen driving deaths, killing more than 3,000 teens a year. But, try as you might, you just can't put down your smartphone when you're behind the wheel.
Entrepreneurs have come up with a few anti-texting solutions that should prove popular with auto insurance companies and parents alike.
A 'Quiet Zone' in your car
Brandon Butts, a 26-year-old computer repair tech from Zephyrhills, Fla., has invented a device he calls Quiet Zone Drive that automatically blocks texting while driving.
Once the $330 thumb-drive-size device is permanently installed or plugged into a vehicle's cigarette lighter, it bars texting from any phone that 's on board, as long as the phone has downloaded the free Quiet Zone app.
Quiet Zone Drive is the road version of a similar product called Quiet Zone Hush that Butts developed in January for theaters, churches and doctor's offices in January. The stationary version automatically puts phones that have downloaded the app into silent mode when they come within range of locations using the device. Phones without the app are unaffected.
A 'movement' to muzzle cellphone use?
There are also free smartphone apps available to keep you from texting while driving, though they rely on you to be a little more active against your potentially bad behavior. For example, you have to turn on Text No More when you get behind the wheel, and it then stops all incoming text messages and automatically tells senders: "(Your name) is driving and cannot reply." The app offers coupons and other rewards when texts are successfully blocked.
Quiet Zone's site says stopping texting and driving has become a full-fledged movement.
"Everyone knows that cellphones have become the most invasive distraction of our time ... Quiet Zone reminds users to be in the moment -- to put down their smartphones when it really matters, and give full attention to their surroundings."
Onboard devices are catching on
My hunch is, Butts and other developers may soon be deluged by orders from parents and calls from forward-thinking auto insurance companies that are just beginning to explore the marketing potential of vehicle monitoring technology.
Progressive's Snapshot onboard monitoring program, the most visible example so far of this nascent industry trend, offers drivers the potential to lower their rates by demonstrating good driving behaviors.
As a similar onboard consumer option, Quiet Zone Drive might one day not only save you money -- it could also save your life.
Follow me on Twitter: @omnisaurus
Subscribe to Bankrate newsletters today!
Jay MacDonald is a Bankrate contributing editor and co-author of "Future Millionaires' Guidebook," an e-book by Bankrate editors and reporters.


text:
GVSU Student Creates A Graduation Prank Out Of Her Name
This is too good to not share. GVSU student Kelsie Frick made a quick change to the note card that announcers read from, just before the commencement ceremony began.
What would've normally been "Kelsie Elise Frick" became "Fricken Awesome!" as she walked across the stage.


text:
One can find discussion on the benefits of commenting, especially among the SEO crowd but the art and science of how to comment, not so much.
I will lead with a post by Brian Clark of CopyBlogger from June 2009: Is Commenting on Blogs a Smart Traffic Strategy?
Of course not everyone who comments is looking for traffic, they may, as I, simply enjoy being part of a certain community.
And yes.
It depends on how you do it.
In fact, you can actually attract that traffic you want via a smart commenting strategy.
Regardless, how one comments might be compared to how dress and comportment labels one. So how should a comment dress and behave?
I quite enjoyed this guest post from Rob Lyman, A Little New Year's Advice, 25-December-2010.
Note: Megan McArdle, business and economics editor for The Atlantic: I'm opening up the blog on Christmas day to my long-time regulars. I'm soliciting guest posts from commentators who have been with us for a while, especially those who started on the old blog.
You well hooked?
'Tis the season of goodwill towards men, loving our enemies, forgiving those who did us wrong, and calls for unity, civility, and an elevation of our public discourse to new heights of seriousness.
Yeah, well, Bah Humbug to all that.
Instead, I thought I'd offer my guide to effective blog commenting: one serious tip and a bunch of fun and manipulative tricks. My Christmas wish to you is that you should all find it in you to become as much of a sneaky b*****d as me.
To do any of the above is difficult, to do them all well and appropriately the study of a lifetime (unless one is DCrx ).
So first, the serious tip: Commenting is a performance, not a conversation. Most people who read your work will never respond. ...when you get into a reply string, you should always address the comment above yours... But the fact is, your interlocutor is not your audience, so your goal is not to persuade that person, it's to persuade (or perhaps merely entertain) the silent majority...
Make allusions you decline to explain. Any idiot can deploy a stupid simile... But an unexplained allusion gives anybody who understands it a nice little insider's smile--and causes them to feel a certain affinity for you, as a fellow insider. An outsider who has to go to Wikipedia to figure out what you're talking about will recognize your superior knowledge.
Use fake imprecision to imply greater knowledge. ...any idiot can do is look up dates online. ... On the other hand, if you can toss off references... you can make it appear that you really do know what you're talking about... As with allusions, however, you should be careful only to refer to things you do have some understanding of, lest you look like an idiot.
Treat stupid questions as if they were serious. ... Blogging works much the same way--monkey dancing is the dominant mode of commenting. But on the other hand, if you ... act as though you don't detect the challenge, point at something and call the questioner's attention to it--you can get inside his OODA loop (unexplained allusion! Look it up, people!) and diffuse a bad situation.
[Note: Kim, is fabulous at this ]
Treat serious questions as if they were stupid. This isn't something I would do all the time. ... But sometimes an earnest question can present the perfect opportunity for mockery, especially of your opponents. ... a good opportunity to score a cheap point and maybe get a laugh or two. ... it's hard for people who disagreed to complain about unfairness, and people who were inclined to agree got a chuckle.
Admit to any and all faults you are accused of. Is there any point to getting huffy when somebody calls you a ---? ...They won't repeat an insult if they know it won't bother you, and you can either move on to their substantive points (if any)... For more serious commenters who have gotten off the rails a bit... such an admission is an admonishment to correct their behavior that doesn't permit them to be defensive...
Eagerly claim adherence to loathsome opinions. ...The purpose of this sort of admission is to highlight the stupidity of the original statement. ... Now, you could get huffy about strawmen, or engage in a bit of armchair psychologizing... but then you're being just as big of a jerk, in reverse. And nobody likes a jerk, remember? So just jump on board with it and let the stupidity shine through without any commentary from you.
Ask earnest questions instead of making arguments. ... Do you remember creative writing in 7th grade, when you were asked to "show, not tell" the story? Well, this is the same thing. It's easy to say "That's wrong." But it's much, much more convincing to ask a good question and get a lame answer. ... So instead of declarative sentences about the wrong wrong wrongness of somebody else, how about a little well-placed cross examination? ...your goals are better served by real questions, earnest questions--questions that are hard to answer but impossible to dismiss.
Never, ever attempt to pull rank. It can be tempting, when arguing with an idiot, to start ranting about what a genius you are, and all your years of education and experience, and whatnot. ... When you start telling everyone you know better than them even if it's true, you look like a jerk. And--this is becoming a bit of a theme--people will believe a moron they like over a genius they don't.
Let surrogates make some arguments for you.
Set up ludicrous a strawman--and then admit it's a strawman. Strawmen are fun, and much easier to defeat that actual arguments. So you want to use them when you can, but you don't want to have people dismiss you as just peddling strawmen. But if you admit in advance that's what they are, how can anyone accuse you of anything? ...The argument will seep in, but the fundamental invalidity has a good chance of getting filtered out.
Shamelessly copy from writers better than you. ... you may notice that I sprinkle my writing with locutions and one-liners I take from his books. ....makes me look smarter than I really am. Plus, it counts as an unexplained allusion, for double points!
Finally: Be brief. One chuckle-worthy one-liner is worth 10 lengthy policy discourses. It's not rational and it's not fair, but who cares? If you want to be fair, use more sunscreen.
I hope you got a Boxing Day comment bargain value for the new Year ahead. Feel free to practice here at Cre8.
Note: Your efforts will be critiqued and appropriately marked:
:pieinface: :rofl: :thumbs: :clap: :yuk: :spanked: :duh: :drunk: :frustration: :emo5: :nanacomputer:


text:
Posted 7 years ago
(373 items)
Metropolitan Stadium was built in Bloomington, MN in 1956 to attract professional sports to Minnesota. It's first tennants were the Minneapolis Millers, the farm team for the New York Giants baseball team. It was well known that the Giants were looking to relocate. Under major league rules of the time, the Giants had priority rights to a major league team in the Twin Cities, because of the location of their farm team. The Cleveland Indians, Philadelphia Athletics and Washington Senators also seriously considered moving here. However, the Giants chose to follow the Brooklyn Dodgers to the west coast. San Francisco had long been home to the Pacific Coast League's San Francisco Seals, the top farm team of the Boston Red Sox. As part of the deal, the Millers' parent team then became the Red Sox. The Red Sox were certainly not planning to move anywhere. However, in 1961, another American League entry, the Washington Senators, did, to become the Minnesota Twins. The Minneapolis Millers, and also the St Paul Saints promptly folded.
Pro Football came to the area as early as 1956 when the Steelers and Eagles played an exhibition game at the stadium in 1956. From 1957-1960, the Packers, Cardinals, and Cowboys all played preseason games at Metropolitan Stadium. In 1961 the expansion Minnesota Vikings arrived at Metropolitan Stadium. Both teams stayed through 1981 until the Metrodome opened. Metropolitan Stadium was torn down in 1985 and the Mall of America was built on the site in 1992.