text:
California's proposition 37, which would have required labeling of genetically modified foods, was defeated Tuesday. The "no" votes were ahead 53 to 47 percent with about 90 percent of the vote counted early Tuesday morning.
Opposition to Prop 37 came from a host of companies and individuals – many from outside the state – who injected $36 million into defeating the initiative. Those supporting the measure raised $9.2 million.
Supporters of Prop 37 relied on social media and a strong grass-roots campaign in an effort to sway voters to adopt the nation's first GMO food labeling law. The state-wide battle was a high-profile fight because it pitted businesses against businesses. Big natural-food companies, celebrity chefs and several organic farmers supported Prop 37, while a variety of traditional farmers and chemical, seed and processed-food firms opposed the measure.
Proposition 37 gained significant exposure outside California, with many new-age food writers and celebrities supporting the measure. People such as The New York Times' Mark Bittman urged Californians to vote for Prop 37, saying, "even if there were a way to guarantee that food produced with GMO ingredients is not directly bad for you, it remains clear that such food is in general bad for all of us, based on the collateral damage from producing it."
But such arguments lost steam when local California writers such as The Los Angeles Times Alexandra Le Tellier questioned the science behind some anti-GMO research. "Is it (research) credible?" she asked. "Or is it science for the sake of fulfilling an agenda?" After noting that much of the criticism of GMO foods centered around pesticides, Le Tellier asked, "If the problem is the pesticides, then why isn't the Proposition 37 labeling initiative about that?"


text:
Content: Slate Blackcurrant Watermelon Strawberry Orange Banana Apple Emerald Chocolate Marble
Background: Slate Blackcurrant Watermelon Strawberry Orange Banana Apple Emerald Chocolate Marble
Pattern: Blank Waves Notes Sharp Wood Rockface Leather Honey Vertical Triangles
Welcome to International Emergency & 911: First Responders Fan Forum
Register now to gain access to all of our features. Once registered and logged in, you will be able to contribute to this site by submitting your own content or replying to existing content. You'll be able to customize your profile, receive reputation points as a reward for submitting content, while also communicating with other members via your own private inbox, plus much more! This message will be removed once you have signed in.
ATTN: Mod Creators: 01/23/2016Please update the FIRST post of your topic to include important information about your mods and their progress. Since you follow your topics and respond to them (hopefully anyway) you know what people most commonly want to/need to know about your mod and it's current state/progress. If your information will not fit within the first post of the topic, please contact a staff member and we will make it so that you own the second/third (as-needed) posts are yours as well. Having the most important information in the first posts of the topic will hopefully reduce the repetitive questions asked by having the most important information related to a mod within the first post.
Posting restriction on this forum: 01/23/2016Be advised that it is no longer possible to create a topic within this forum, instead it must be created in Mod Development and Concepts. This was done to lower the clutter created in the mods category, upon release of a modification contact a staff member and we will move your topic to the released/available Mods forum category.
Maintenance update 02/07/2016Dear community, After three weeks of issues we moved our site to a new dedicated root server. We fixed a lot of bugs with this release. All downloads up to 1Gb filesize should be downloadable for everyone. Encountering any kind of issues? Make a post in the website/forum support. Regards, Stan
Paid Referral Links 02/11/2016Hello, From now on we will be disallowing any referral links on our site. This is not the place to earn money directly or indirectly. Anyone found sharing paid shortened links or referral links to earn money might lose his account. Reason for this: We are providing this service free of charge, putting our own free time in this and paying monthly fees on our own costs to keep this free service running. So why should anyone else make money from something they don't pay to use? So in short from now on we will be warning and banning users abusing or misusing referal links. Regards, Stan
Signatures 03/04/2016Hi everyone. It appears that the update to the new forum has affected the format of the majority of signatures (adding extra spaces, changing sizes etc.). Due to this, could everyone please check their own signature, ensuring that it complies with the site rules. See the http://www.emergency-planet.com/tos.html/ or http://www.emergency-planet.com/topic/16848-acceptable-signature-sizes/ for more information. We'll give it a few weeks to give enough time to edit signatures, after that the unnecessarily large signatures will simply be removed. Thanks for your cooperation. Regards, EMP Staff.
Montana Mod v2.1 (In Development) Download link removed by Authors
Started by
Marked Police Car Fleet 69 members have voted
1. What setup of marked patrol units should be given to the on map police department?
'96 Chevrolet Caprice + Chevrolet Lumina13
Chevrolet Lumina X22
'96 Chevrolet Caprice X20
'97 CVPI + Dodge Intrepid25
Dodge Intrepid X23
'96 Caprice + '97 CVPI15
Please sign in or register to vote in this poll.
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new account
Sign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now

subset: commoncrawl


text:
NOTE: This post was originally published in 2013
What do Eve Muirhead, Kalynn Park, Thomas Ulsrud and Chelsea Carey all have in common? They have all said that the curler they most love to follow on Twitter is @BennyHeebz (aka Ben Hebert).
This week's featured Goldline ambassador is the lead on the team skipped by Kevin Martin. Ben Hebert has achieved much success out on the curling ice, having won a gold medal at the world junior championships, 2 Briers, a gold and silver at the world championships, and a gold medal at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, as well as numerous other curling events and titles. The Martin team recently won the Alberta provincial playdowns, thereby earning the opportunity to play for another Brier title in front of a hometown crowd.
Ben was featured recently in the YouTube series "Cullen and a Curler"; check it out to see what Ben had to say.
We wish Ben and the rest of the Martin team the best of luck as they prepare for the Brier in Edmonton, Alberta in March.
If you weren't curling what sport would you be playing?
Where were you born?
What is your current hometown?
What is your "real" job?
Business Development Rep/Focus Corp
When did you start curling?
12 years old
Who is your favourite athlete?
Tiger Woods
Where is your favourite place to curl?
What is your favourite food?
Where is your favourite vacation spot?
What is your favourite TV show?
Shark Tank
What are you listening to on your iPod?
Country/90's rap
Who is your favourite curler other than yourself?
Wayne Middaugh
Who is your role model?
My Dad
Have you ever been in a bar fight?
Who is your celebrity crush?
Anna Kendrick
What is your favourite book?
Don't read books
What is your favourite movie?
If someone wrote a book about your life, what would they title it?
"The Beef"
If you could be anyone dead or alive who would you be?
Michael Buble.. Huge Stud!
What would you do if you had a million dollars?
I'd be John Morris!
Who is the best curler to follow on twitter?
Brad Jacobs
What is your favourite sports team?
Saskatchewan Roughriders
What is your preferred shot to win a game?
Anything easy
What is one of your favourite quotes?
"If we put it here, we win the Brier… What, you don't want to win the Brier"
– Rob Harris 2003
What is your favourite body part?
I hate Loaded questions… Chest?
What is your favourite form of exercise?
Gym session
If you could choose to stay a certain age forever, what age would it be?
25 was a good age!
What's the hardest thing you've ever done?
Juggling curling, work and wife!


text:
CORDATA - 3-Compartment Chevron-Quilted Leather Handbag
Exterior: Approx. 11.5"H x 15"W x 4"D
Interior: Approx. 11"H x 14.25"W x 3.75"D
These Caterina Lucchi handbags have been meticulously aged to make them look like they have been rediscovered from an old attick. They capture varying personalities ranging from bold and edgy to retro-chic.
(Item: IT-CL-HC02)
The CORDATA is a generous-sized handbag with three separate zippered compartments. As if the worn-out, beautifully distressed rusted colors weren't enough, the quilted chevron-pattern design on the front add a ton of personality to this bold, stylish bag.
Please note that the "aging" process that give these bags the distinct, worn-out look also results in one-of-a-kind bags. No two bags will be exactly alike, and the bag you receive will have tonality/distressing patterns that are different from the ones photographed here.Features:
- Handmade in Italy with soft vitello (calfskin) leather
- Three cotton-lined main compartments with top-zip closure - two with tasseled zipper pulls
- Outer magnetic button closure with adjustable double D-rings straps
- One zippered pocket (approx 9.5"W x 5.5"H) and two open accessory pockets on the interior
- Double leather handles with an approximate 9" handle drop
- Adjustable and removable leather strap
- Caterina Lucchi logo stitched at the top of the bag
I love the chevron on the front!- By stephane, whittier CA
I am very happy with the leather. It is a very unique bag.


text: The 2011 General Manager's Conference in Louisville features awards for top team members and vendors and a Humanitarian Event at Fort Knox. By John Lofstock, Editor Close to 400 general managers, regional managers, company executives and corporate sponsors gathered in Louisville, Ky., this week as Thorntons Inc. kicked off its 2011 General Managers' Conference. The


text:
This game was classified by the community with the following category scores - Violence=0/3, Sex=0/3, Mature Content=0/3. Shoot hoops with your avatar to be the best scorer across the world in four different game modes and five difficulty levels. Many stages in the whole world are waiting for you.
Buy Xbox content on Xbox.com. Your Xbox 360 console will automatically download the content next time you turn it on and connect to Xbox Live.Learn More


text:
Urban Decay Lip Envy Reviews
I've Used Far BetterI was only able to buy this at Sephora in "Envious" (pink) or "Greedy" (berry). Both of these colors had a nice feel, but they were too overpowering for my very pale skin. It lasted on my lips a very long time, but the scent is strange and artificial; I'm sure Urban Decay can do better than this. — 4 years, 5 months agoGigiSD | 1102 reviews
This review is: Helpful | Not helpful | Inappropriate | 0 of 0 people said helpful
Not the best.I own this product in 'Envious' which ends up looking super hot pink on my lips. Hard to get a subtle amount of color. Fun for occasional things but the color isn't really for everyday wear, at least not for . Decent staying power but not great. Odd vanilla smell and taste, although not terrible enough to keep me from wearing it. Probably will not buy it again, especially for the price. Will stick with posietint by Benefit. — 8 years, 7 months agoLipglossandSpandex | 521 reviews
Strong SmellThis has a ridiculously strong smell to it-- fake vanilla-y. The colors are a bit too bright; I have an olive tone so I can only imagine how bright it would look on anyone with a fair complexion, especially the pink shade. It also doesn't last very long; it starts fading very quickly around the center of the lips. Considering how many much more affordable lip stains are on the market, I will not be repurchasing this. The bottle is cute though. — 6 years, 3 months agorunee89 | 299 reviews
Nice stain for all day natural colorThis product is nice for a color base that last all day. I love to add a clear shine over this to help keep it on. — 9 years, 3 months agoPamela937 | 542 reviews
This review is: Helpful | Not helpful | Inappropriate | 1 of 2 people said helpful
Too intenseI found these too intense in color and scent. They did last all day and it might work for some but my nose is very sensitive and the smell of these made me nauseous all day. — 4 years, 9 months agorayshaviolet | 245 reviews
stays on really long!I love the fact that this stain is more of a gel-base which is easoer to control when you put on. It lasts very long and I really don't have anything bad to say about it except there are only a couple colors to choose from. — 6 years, 2 months agomamalicious | 224 reviews
This review is: Helpful | Not helpful | Inappropriate | 2 of 3 people said helpful
lip linercovers well — 9 years, 5 months agoddagrosa | 259 reviews
okmy favorite is Benefit — 9 years, 4 months agoklfnwf | 53 reviews
This review is: Helpful | Not helpful | Inappropriate | 0 of 2 people said helpful
excellentThis product is long lasting and leaves your lips feeling soft. Super great product and well worth the money. — 9 years, 4 months agoAmyB58 | 203 reviews
This review is: Helpful | Not helpful | Inappropriate | 0 of 1 people said helpful
very averageconsidering how expensive this product is, it's just not worth it. it works okay, but there are only a couple colors it comes in and this one is way too bright. usually i have to apply a coat, let it dry, and then lick my lips to take away some of the brightness. it does blend well, when you put colors over it. it doesn't last as long as i would like- just a few hours. i give it a 5 because it works, it's just so not work the expensive price. — 7 years, 1 month agoanyaland | 8 reviews
to top
My Reasons for Reporting This


text:
'Axe Cop' Co-Creator Malachai Nicolle Turns 10, Brother And Co-Creator Ethan Nicolle Considers The Comic's Creative Future
When Axe Cop first started as a co-production between five year-old Malachai Nicolle and his 29 year-old brother Ethan, one of the first thoughts that went through the minds of readers -- once we were done with stuff like "this is amazing" and "you have to see this" -- was how long it could go. The charm of the series that came from Ethan interpreting Malachai's unrestrained creativity and translating it to the page was, by its very nature, on a time limit as Malachai grew up.
That was over four years ago, and now, we're living in a world where Axe Cop is a smash hit, with print comics from Dark Horse and an animated series on Fox. On March 6, Malchai turned 10, a milestone that led Ethan to reconsider how the comic works.


text:
- Home
- Craft & Hobby
- Craft Paint & Stencils
- Acrylic Craft Paint
- DecoArt® Americana® Acrylic Paint: Spa Blue, 2 ounces
DecoArt® Americana® Acrylic Paint: Spa Blue, 2 ounces
Product ID: DA277-3
Cover art projects with affordable quality! Our 2-ounce bottle of Americana® acrylic paint in Spa Blue boasts a bright pigment that can be used on almost any surface. Once dry, this paint will create a durable, matte finish that can be varnished to create a variety of sheens.
- Light blue acrylic paint
- Permanent
- Water-based & non-toxic
- Lightfast pigment
- One coat coverage with most colors
- Intermixable
- Blends easily
- Consistent viscosity
- Made in USA
Color: Blue
Material: Acrylic
Product Type: Acrylic Paints
Shape: Other
Our Price: $0.97
2 ounces of acrylic paint per package.


text:
This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote
The reviews thus far have been 98% positive
'); 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('
The reviews thus far have been 98% positive
If I wanted to watch the Hangover Part 1, I would have just watched it, instead of spending $40 for two tickets, a drink, and a popcorn.
The scene with the stripper was pretty good though. It was unexpected and original. The rest of the movie was just a retread.
Hangover 2
Fast 5
no strings attached
Just go with it
Limitless was probably my favorite but all were good in there own way
will probably get to True Grit and Unknown by Friday i am really looking forward to watching them. Unknown sounds interesting and Jeff Bridges is in True Grit so it has to be great.
I loved Limitless as well. Saw it in theaters like six weeks ago, or whenever it was new. Bradley Cooper is probably my favorite actor to emerge from the last 5 or 6 years or so. I really enjoyed this movie.
Hangover 2 was a giant turd; felt ripped off about the jokes. I didn't care that the plot was exactly the same, but to rehash every funny joke from the first one was just extremely lazy. Most of the actors appeared to be coasting through the movie too.
Just Go With It was much better than the reviews made it seem.
Fast Five was awesome too... I haven't seen any of the other movies but I am a huge fan of The Rock. He really stole just about every scene he was in. "You I know I like my dessert first... now gimme the damn veggies!"
Also just watched Raiders of the Lost Ark yesterday. I think that might be my pick as the best movie ever made. I love it.
I'm getting very pumped for the new X-Men movie. I think it's an awesome new take for the film franchise. Very, very cool.
Hangover Part III is being talked about already. Good God, Hollywood ruins everything.
They have to bleed it dry.
unknown it is like Salt in a lot of ways and is a pretty good movie.
Last edited by pacer4ever; 06-02-2011 at 02:58 PM.
I watched the Hangover II and thought it was pretty funny, and also had a good crowd there which makes it better than it probably will be when I watch it on dvd.
Watched Pirates, but all I can think of now is: (language warning) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GI6CfKcMhjY
"It's just unfortunate that we've been penalized so much this year and nothing has happened to the Pistons, the Palace or the city of Detroit," he said. "It's almost like it's always our fault. The league knows it. They should be ashamed of themselves to let the security be as lax as it is around here."
----------------- Reggie Miller
The Last Exorcism. To me this is a movie best watched if you don't know anything about it, like one of my other favorite movies, From Dusk Til Dawn. A great rebound movie after Scot Pilgrim, and one of the best I've seen on DVD this year.
Harold and Kumar: Escape from Guantanamo Bay
Follow me at @Bluejbgold
Okay, here we go. Caught the 12:05 AM showing of X-men: First Class at my local theater. Thrilled to pay the matinee price in the wee hours of the morning, and extra glad to pay it since the movie was excellent. Not "Dark Knight" excellent, but IMO, it is the best of all of the X-men movies.
One word of advice: Unless you like watching a long stream of names, don't bother staying until the end of the credits. Unlike other Marvel movies, there isn't any payoff afterward.
Also, if any of you spot Stan Lee in the film, let me know where he was. I don't recall seeing him in this one (he usually appears in Marvel movies).
X-Men 0.
Somewhat the opposite of Thor for me. I went into Thor with very low expectations and was pleasantly surprised, and I went into this with very high expectations and just left a little disappointed. With these kinds of movies, especially when they're set in a universe I've previously loved, I find myself being very very picky, and various things just struck me wrong. Its weird, but I almost wish I could have been the director of this movie.
With that said, there's still a lot that I liked, and I would give it a B or B+.
Watching Cheech and Chong's Next Movie right now.
The adjustment bureau very good Matt Damon is a solid actor
Cedar Rapids - Aside from the holy-****-I've-never-cringed-this-much-before Wire references from Whitlock (Sheeeeeeeeeeet!), best comedy of the year so far. (Caveat: haven't seen Bridesmaids yet) Not laugh out loud funny kind of comedy, but smiling, giggling and nodding in approval kind of comedy. Ed Helms is solid as is a surprising Anne Heche. John Reilly steals the show; dude is a golden god. Liked this a lot more than Youth in Revolt. A couple of side characters were wasted and there was a little too much predictability, so it's not perfect. Captured the simple themes of small towns and personal vacations quite well. Highly recommended.
Limitless - Much better direction than writing. Cooper is solid. An entertaining watch that could have been more interesting. I look forward to director Neill Burger's next flick, having also enjoyed the flawed The Illusionist.
Hall Pass - Farrelly Brothers need to stop. Seriously. They're complete hacks at this point.
lol hall pass was pretty out there but i thought it was kind of funny. It was stupid but funny IMO.
I saw First Class friday night. I was disappointed, I thought it was good, but for all the people that are saying it even approaches Dark Knight, I'd like to know what they are smoking. To me, it lagged well behind Dark Knight as well as the first Iron Man, and I'm not sure it matched the second X-Men film either to be honest. It was just OK, I'd say. I couldn't really get involved with any of the characters except Xavier. Even Magneto felt somewhat hollow to me.
Saw X-Man. I will say it was very well done, story structure I thought was very good, special effects were excellent, it felt like an expensive movie and I mean that in a good way. So while I thought the movie was very well done, I didn't love it, didn't really like it. I liked it, it was entertaining, but it wasn['t anything more than that.
Seemed to me just when I th0ought, OK, now it is going to get good, it just didn't
Watched Red Dawn and Total Recall on Sunday. Nothing like a day of just relaxing watching old action movies from the late 80s and early 90s. I was dying laughing at Total Recall because there is a scene on the escalators where the bad guys are chasing Arnold's character and the bad guy steps on a dead bodies chest and it actually makes a noise like a toy. It sound like a dog toy that squeaks.
The Wrestler Mickey Rourke is a beast actor
Watched Jackass 3 last night.


text:
A FREE information service that aims to help struggling Norton residents before they reach crisis point, has got off to a rocky start.
Norton Community Information Point opened its doors three weeks ago, allowing residents to visit St Michael's Church to seek advice about their problems with debt, health and care services, welfare and benefit issues.
But since its official opening, only three people have dropped by the Maynard Avenue church to take advantage of the advice on offer from trained information champions.
Numerous posters advertising the service have also been vandalised.
The service's manager, Peter Dyson said: "I am really sad that my posters have been vandalised. A poster on a stick was thrown over a hedge and damaged a car's paintwork.
"The rest were on bus shelters or lamp posts and some of those have been ripped or defaced."
Despite the rocky start, Mr Dyson has vowed to continue promoting the service and helping the people of Norton, adding: "We will not give up."
He said the service, which is run in partnership with Dudley Council Dudley Citizens Advice Bureau and Healthwatch Dudley was "all about early intervention".
Mr Dyson said the information champions aim to help people before they reach crisis point by providing a sympathetic ear and putting them in touch with the right agencies.
Anyone who needs advice can visit the centre between 9am and 12 noon every Monday.


text:
NetWellness is a global, community service providing quality, unbiased health information from our partner university faculty. NetWellness is commercial-free and does not accept advertising.
Thursday, September 21, 2017
Pain Management
Pain Management Post L2 to L5 Laminectomy
Surgery 5 weeks ago. First 3 weeks I was in severe pain. Took vicodin, neurontin and robaxin. Then nothing, but continued to wear brace. At 4weeks I was told I didn`t need to wear it. I became easily fatigued because I wasn`t wearing it. Started physical therapy and after two sessions started to have significant low back pain, right hip pain and right thigh pain. I realized that my muscles were tightening up because I was so tense. So last night I took a 5mg vicodin at bedtime. I slept till 2pm. Dragging myself out of bed. What can I take that will not sedate me so! Robaxin made me very sleepy and did not help the pain. I was trying ignore the pain, but I realize that is counter productive. Tylenol or motrin alone does not relieve my pain. I have never taken medications for pain before and the sleepiness with the vicodin is intolerable. Help
Thank you for visiting NetWellness. Unfortunately we do not have an expert who answers questions in your area of inquiry. However, NetWellness may have some general information available that you can access through our search feature.
NetWellness Staff


text:
Size: Mini
Lucifer and the rest of the Cinderella Tsum Tsums were released at the Disney Store in early Feb 2015 for Tsum Tsum Tuesday and at the Disney Parks a few weeks later. They were then released in Japan in late April 2015.
Tsum Tsum Central is a fan site for Disney Tsum Tsums brought to you by the fine folks at Character Central
Website Usage Terms and Conditions
Privacy Policy
A look at the Tsum Tsum Subscription for September 2017 (Spoilers!)
Tsum Tsum Plush News! Hong Kong Disneyland Tsum Tsum Fun Fair Begins!
Tsum Tsum Plush News! Unicorn set and Frozen micro set coming in October!
2015 © Two Lost Boys Technologies. All Rights Reserved. Characters © Disney and LINE: Disney Tsum Tsum © LINE Corporation. This site is in no way part of The Walt Disney Company.
Privacy Policy


text:
And, of course, the fine print:
Get free shipping on your next order when you spend over $100. The discount will be automatically applied to your purchase; no promo code required. The subtotal of your purchase must be $100.01 or greater after any promotional discounts have been applied. Additional fees such as tax or shipping and handling do not apply toward your minimum subtotal requirement of $100.01. Offer applies to standard shipping only. Certain items that require additional shipping and handling are excluded from this promotion and do not apply towards your $100.01 subtotal minimum. Offer subject to change.
Serve up breakfast scones and slices of homemade pie on this adorable hand painted dessert plate. Each plate is formed from white porcelain clay and carved with the chubby bird design once almost dry. Using a slip inlay technique, the artist adds the dark outlines and subtle touches of colored glaze before firing to a glossy, food-safe finish.
- Porcelain clay
- Slip inlay technique
- Measures 6.5" in diameter
- Dishwasher and microwave safe
This product ships from the maker within 14 days, via USPS
If you're not happy with this item for any reason, you may return it for a full refund within 14 days.


text:
Time to Buy Coal Stocks?
Last week the two coal stocks in the Standard & Poor's 500 Index, Peabody Energy (BTU) and Consol Energy (CNX) were both among the five-worst performers in the index.
Contrarians like me have to wonder if it's time to buy coal....368 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:
County Collecting Items to Send to Soldiers
Fairfax County Office of Public Affairs
12000 Government Center Parkway, Suite 551
Fairfax, VA 22035-0065
Contact: Merni Fitzgerald, Director of Public Affairs
703-324-3187, TTY 711, Fax 703-324-2010
Media Pager: 703-324-NEWS (6397)
May 1, 2007
Fairfax County Collecting Items May 5 to Send to Soldiers
Residents are invited to visit the James Lee Community Center, 2855 Annandale Road, Falls Church, on Saturday, May 5, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., to "Adopt a Soldier" and help pack up "We Care" boxes for soldiers deployed overseas. The Fairfax County Department of Community and Recreation Services is asking residents to help collect items for the boxes, help pack them and then "adopt a box" and mail it. The flat-rate boxes cost $8.10 to ship to Iraq, Afghanistan or other sites overseas.
Soldiers have to pay for all of their personal care needs, so sending them toiletries, snacks, Gatorade dry packs, candy, books, batteries, baby wipes, etc. are welcome. There will be laptop computers set up for anyone to send an e-card message to a soldier who is deployed.
For more information, contact Bill Dunn at 703-534-3387, (ext. 217), TTY 711.
For more news and information, visit www.fairfaxcounty.gov/news.


text:
MT-DEE-MI Farm Girl Meet Deer Stand Missy Tee
Farm Boy as a brand is known for delivering quality apparel and accessories that capture the heartfelt pride of farming and rural life. This Farm Girl Meet Deer Stand Missy Tee is no exception to that tradition, combining the pride of the farm life with the stylish apparel people love. Shop our extensive offers on Farm Boy and Farm Girl apparel and accessories.


text:
Blu-ray 3D and bonus features finally hit hi-def home video...
To insure your action figure collection, get in touch with Collectibles Insurance, the official insurance company of the Figures.com network. Say "Figures.com" to get 5% off your first term premiums.
To buy action figures, take a look at BigBadToyStore.com, RedfordFilms.com, PastGenerationToys.com, BriansToys.com, ToyWiz.com, SmallJoes.com, MonkeyDepot.com, and Urban-Collector.com.
Fans of Transformers: Dark of the Moon have something to celebrate this week as the latest release features not only the intense action sci-fi extravaganza on blu-ray, DVD, and digital copy (previously reviewed HERE), but also the film on Blu-ray 3D and a load of bonus features.
There's nothing new to report regarding the video and audio quality. The simple fact is Transformers: Dark of the Moon features one of the most impressive video transfers and audio soundtracks available today. As I mentioned before, the film's 1080p video transfer in its original 1.85:1 aspect ratio captures the movie's big screen gorgeousness -- the bright, bold color and quick action scenes show no issues while the deep, dark cold of space is captured beautifully. Everything from the battle-damaged cityscape of Chicago to the damaged star cruisers battling in space, everything is gorgeous here. Likewise, the 3-D brings the film to life, adding a dimension previously unseen by all but those who caught the film in the theaters on the big screen. The 3-D transitions - while easily noticed - aren't overly apparent and seem more natural than some 3-D movies on home video. Likewise, while the 3-D is impressive, it's not over-the-top. Instead of distracting the viewing experience, the 3-D enhances it and provides added entertainment.
Likewise, the pulse-pounding 7.1 Dolby TrueHD lossless English surround track brings to life every laser blast, every scream, and every Autobot rally cry. For those with a 7.1 surround system, you'll catch yourself ducking for cover as explosions rock and bullets ricochet from rear and side channel speakers. As with the previous release, dialogue is always clear from the front channels and background noise is never too loud or interfering.
As for bonus features, this copy promises to impress all of those fans who - like me - hated the first release for teasing us with a great movie, but including nothing more. Finally, we're provided the bonus materials we've all been craving and it couldn't get much better! The set includes a nearly 2-hour long, five-part documentary exploring everything and anything there is to know about making the film. Entitled "Above and Beyond: Exploring Dark of the Moon," this beast of a bonus includes the 22-minute "Rising from the Fallen: Development and Design" focusing on the film's (you guessed it!) design elements, the 27-minute "Ready for Primetime: Filming Across America" focusing on the film's locales, the 14-minute "Battle in the Heartland: Shooting in Chicago" which focuses on the cast and crew's experience filming the movie's climactic battle, the 16-minute "Attack of the Birdmen: Aerial Stunts" which shows how the film's base jumper scene was made, and - finally - the 30-minute "Shadow of the Sentinel: Post-Production and Release," which explores the film's editing, CGI, sound effects, the film's premiere, and more. Awesome in length, breadth, and sheer amount of coverage, die-hard Transformers fans will be pleased.
More bonus features include the 26-minute "Uncharted Territory: NASA's Future Then and Now," which examines the USA's space program and its 60+ year history; the two-part, 35-minute "Deconstructing Chicago: Multi-Angle Sequences," which is broken down into "Previsualizations" and "Visual Effects." Both of these examine multiple scenes in the film in a variety of development levels. As a bonus, fans can watch these scenes side-by-side with their completed counterpart and with or without audio commentary by Director Michael Bay and Previsualization Supervisor Steve Yamamoto or Visual Effects Supervisors Scott Farrar and Matthew Butler.
"The Dark of the Moon Archive" provides viewers with a number of bonus featurette-type shorts, including "3D: A Transforming Visual Art" with Director Bay and James Cameron talking up 3-D tech, "Moscow World Premiere," which shows the film's debut; " Birdmen Featurette," a shorter look at the aerial base jumping previously seen in other bonus features; "Cody's iPad," a look at Director Bay working with a fan; and "The Sound of 'Transformers: Dark of the Moon," which examines the film's audio awesomeness.
Lastly, the film's teaser trailer, theatrical trailer, and a collection of images - including style guides, posters, promo pieces, and an impressive still gallery with images of the Autobots, Decepticons, Environments, Weapons and Gear, and Ships is all also included.
As I've said before, if you're a fan of Transformers and you're looking for the best home video experience available, this is it. Even if you don't have a 3-D TV (yet!), this is a great package to pick up as it's worth the extra price for the amazing assortment of special features.
Look for Transformers: Dark of the Moon 3-D Blu-ray/Blu-ray/DVD/Digital Copy 3-Disc Set wherever fine home video is sold.
- Jess C. Horsley


text:
Going back to school as an adult
You've decided that college or graduate school is your ticket to a better career or the path to advancement in your current job. Or maybe you just want to take a few classes to upgrade your skills. Either way, returning to school as an adult has its challenges. You've probably heard the expression "time is money." Well, you'll need plenty of both.
Where will you find the money?
Returning to school often involves financial sacrifices, but there are ways to lessen the bite. Personal savings, financial aid, private loans, and employer-funded tuition may be available to you, and education tax credits and deductions can help you out at tax time.
The first thing to do is calculate how much your education will cost. Make sure to add in collateral expenses that won't show up on the college bill (e.g., day-care and commuting expenses). And if you're giving up your job, factor in the time you'll be without a paycheck, and the time it might take you to find a job in your new profession. Then, if you can't afford to pay your education expenses out-of-pocket, go look for the money.
Ask your employer
Unless you're leaving your job to attend school, ask your employer about tuition reimbursement. There may be strings attached, though (e.g., you may need to certify that you're not retraining for a new career, or promise to work at the company for a number of years after you graduate). The good news is that up to $5,250 of employer-provided educational assistance is tax free, even if it's for classes that are unrelated to your current position. For more information, see IRS Publication 508, Tax Benefits for Work-Related Education.
Learn about financial aid--your first academic experience
The maze of student financial aid programs can seem like another obstacle in your quest to return to school, but the process is understandable if you do some research and ask questions. Start at your school's financial aid office.
To qualify for federal aid, you'll need to submit the federal government's application, the FAFSA, as soon as possible after January 1st in the year you plan to start school. The FAFSA calculates your expected family contribution (EFC), and lets you know if you're eligible for financial aid. You'll be classified as an independent student, which means that if you're married, both your income and assets and your spouse's will count in this calculation.
There are different types of federal financial aid:
- Loans--The two main federal student loans are the Stafford Loan and the Perkins Loan. Both are made to undergraduate and graduate students attending college at least half-time, and both have annual and cumulative borrowing limits. The drawback of student loans is that you'll need to repay them at a later date. And graduate and professional students are eligible to borrow the full cost of their education (minus any financial aid received) under the federal PLUS Loan program.
- Grants--The two main federal grants are the Pell Grant and the Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (SEOG). They're available only to undergraduate students, and they don't need to be repaid. Two other federal grant programs are also available to full-time undergraduate students--the Academic Competitiveness Grant for first- and second-year students and the National Science and Mathematics Access to Retain Talent (SMART) Grant for third- and fourth- year students. Both grant programs are scheduled to sunset at the end of academic year 2010/2011.
- Work-study--The federal work-study program subsidizes jobs for both undergraduate and graduate students.
- Military aid--The federal government offers educational benefits for veterans and their dependents. Contact your local veteran's office or your school's financial aid office.
If you don't qualify for federal financial aid (and you should always apply, even if you don't think you'll qualify), you may still be eligible for institutional aid from your school--specifically grants, scholarships, and work-study programs. Inquire at the financial aid office and do your best to meet all application deadlines, because institutional aid is typically administered on a first-come, first-served basis. Finally, don't forget to search for outside scholarships. Thousands of private organizations offer them, and some are based solely on achievement. An easy way to search for scholarships is on the Internet, but don't pay anyone to do it for you--searching is free.
Keep in mind that the federal government and colleges base your aid eligibility on last year's tax records. If you plan to reduce your hours or stop working to attend school, your income will obviously be less when school starts. Make sure to bring this to the attention of your school's financial aid director, who's authorized to take special circumstances into account, and where appropriate, rebalance aid awards.
Take a trip to the bank
If you don't qualify for financial aid or you need to borrow more than the federal student loan limits, private loans from commercial lenders are an option. However, the rates on private loans are typically one or two percentage points higher than on federal student loans.
Use personal assets (or cash under the mattress)
Do you have savings that could cover a portion of your expenses? Or maybe you could sell some assets. Just remember that tapping your retirement funds should be a last resort--money you withdraw will reduce your nest egg and miss out on the potential for tax-deferred growth. And, depending on the type of retirement account you tap, you may also face tax consequences and penalties for withdrawing money before age 59½.
Investigate education tax credits and deductions
In addition to the tax break noted above for employer-provided educational assistance, there are several other tax incentives that can help ease the financial burden of returning to school:
- American Opportunity credit (Hope credit)--This credit is generally worth up to $2,500 in 2011 for tuition and related expenses for the first four years of undergraduate education, provided you're enrolled at least half-time. To take the full credit, your modified adjusted gross income (MAGI) must be below $80,000 (single) or $160,000 (married filing jointly). A partial credit is available to single filers with a MAGI between $80,000 and $90,000 and joint filers with a MAGI between $160,000 and $180,000.
- Lifetime Learning credit--This credit is generally worth up to $2,000 in 2011 to cover the tuition and fees for higher education courses taken throughout your lifetime, whether to acquire or improve job skills. To take the full credit, your MAGI must be below $51,000 (single) or $102,000 (married filing jointly). A partial credit is available to single filers with a MAGI between $51,000 and $61,000 and joint filers with a MAGI between $102,000 and $122,000. Unfortunately, the American Opportunity credit and Lifetime Learning credit can't be claimed in the same year--it's one or the other.
- Student loan interest deduction--If you graduate with student loans, you can deduct up to $2,500 of the interest you pay on student loans each year. To take the full deduction in 2011, your modified adjusted gross income (MAGI) must be below $60,000 (single) or $120,000 (married filing jointly). A partial deduction is available to single filers with a MAGI between $60,000 and $75,000 and joint filers with a MAGI between $120,000 and $150,000.
For assistance or more information, consult a tax professional or IRS Publication 970, Tax Benefits for Education.
Finally, how will you balance school, career, and life?
You've found the money--now you need to find the time. Balancing school demands with the rest of your adult responsibilities will be challenging, though not impossible. Here are some tips:
- Map out your life goals (again) to confirm that returning to school will help you achieve them.
- Establish a family/friend support network before classes start, and make sure your family supports your decision to return to school.
- If you have older children, explain your new routine and how they can help out. If you have younger children, arrange day care if necessary--check to see if your school offers it.
- Look for programs designed for adult students (e.g., support groups, tutoring programs, specially trained academic advisors and counselors).
- Consider going to school part-time, taking night classes, or signing up for online classes. Each option can save you time and money.
- Always keep in mind the financial and personal rewards that will come after your education is complete.


text:
STATINS, THE CHOLESTEROL wonder drugs, may lower your risk of dying of cancer according to a new study from Denmark. The drugs, which include Mevacor (lovastatin), Zocor (simvastatin), Lipitor (atorvastatin) and Crestor (rosuvastatin) among others, are commonly prescribed to lower cholesterol and are the most commonly prescribed prescription medications in the world.
Denmark has a remarkable health database with records on virtually all of its citizens from birth to death. More than 300,000 individuals were diagnosed with cancer in Denmark between 1995 and 2007. Of those, roughly 19,000 were taking a statin at the time of diagnosis.
After several years of follow up, statin users were 15 percent less likely to die of their cancer than nonstatin users regardless of the type of cancer or the dose of statin used. There was no indication that statins prevented cancer, rather it seems that the drugs slowed the growth of cancer once it had developed.
This is scientifically plausible since statins lower cholesterol levels and cancers need large amounts of cholesterol to grow and spread. Lowering cholesterol removes some of the building blocks that cancer cells need to grow and invade other organs.
This is not the first study to suggest that statins slow cancer growth. Studies of patients with breast and prostate cancer have shown that patients with these cancers are less likely to have recurrences of their cancer when they are taking statins.
There is a possibility that there is "selection bias" in these studies. Patients who are on statins may be more health conscious and may be more likely to get scheduled exams and follow-ups than those who are not taking the drugs. It is also possible that patients on statins would take aspirin and other heart-related drugs — medicines that also might have an effect on cancer growth.
But despite these concerns, in this large study, cancer patients who were taking statins had a 15 percent reduction in "all cause" mortality compared to cancer patients who did not take the drugs. There was not only a reduced death rate from cancer, but a reduced death rate from all causes. Since statins were introduced 25 years ago, there has been a significant reduction in cardiovascular events such as heart attacks and strokes.
The drugs are not without side effects, however. There is increasing evidence that statins increase blood sugar and the risk of diabetes. They can also cause muscle soreness and rarely a severe inflammation of the muscles. Statins also can raise liver enzyme levels, but this is usually an insignificant finding. (The FDA recently removed a recommendation to check liver tests on patients taking statins.)
Still, there is excitement in the cancer treatment community regarding these results. More studies will be needed to determine if statins should be recommended as a treatment for cancer patients, but it is too early to recommend cancer patients start on one of the drugs now.
What we can say is if you are taking a statin and are diagnosed with cancer, there probably is no reason to stop the drug.
The study on statins and cancer was published two weeks ago in the New England Journal of Medicine (Nov. 8, 2012, volume 367, pages 1792-1802). An accompanying editorial is published in the same issue.
Dr. Bill Elliott is an internist at Kaiser Novato and an assistant clinical professor of medicine at UCSF. His column appears every third Monday.


text:
(Updated coverage 10:35 a.m., July 11) A leading North American importer of citrus, grapes and other fruit has changed its name.
St. Laurent, Quebec-based Fisher Capespan is now Capespan North America, said Marc Solomon, senior vice president.
The name reflects a desire by its parent company, South Africa-based Capespan, to strengthen the Capespan brand worldwide, Solomon said.
"The name change is part of a process underway in Capespan on a global level to ensure consistency in all of our operations and to be able to maximize use of the brand name and to maximize the synergies within the group as we deal with many international suppliers and clients," he said. "It simply makes more sense to deal with our customers and our growers with one name on a world wide basis, especially as there is often overlap in the people we do business with in different parts of the world."
The change will not, Solomon said, affect the company's North American operations.
"It's business as usual."
Capespan North America imports citrus, grapes, apples, pears and stone fruit from South Africa, Chile, Peru, Brazil and Mexico.
The company will continue to operate its Gloucester City, N.J., office and its affiliated office in Bakersfield, Calif.


text:
It's summer, it's hot, let's slow down for a while and let's try to analyse how the online advertising industry is doing. This is the suggestion by Zachary Rodgers that on Channel Seven last week wrote The State of the Sector. He talks a little bit of ads quality and industry expectations, he refers to @d:Tech and he brings up a bunch of useful opinions but consultants and analysts. Definitely worth reading.
adidas advergame advergames advertainment advertising ambient marketing australia belgium best brazil coca-cola email marketing facebook fashion france germany google heineken ikea infographic italy japan marketing mobile content mobile marketing msn nike nokia online ads online advertising online campaign online marketing print advertising rich media samsung sms spain sweden tvc twitter uk video of the day viral marketing volkswagen wieden + kennedy


text:
Read the full story here Web Link posted Wednesday, June 4, 2014, 1:21 AM
Town Square
Primary results set stage for local Congress, Assembly runoffs
Original post made on Jun 4, 2014
Read the full story here Web Link posted Wednesday, June 4, 2014, 1:21 AM
a resident of Danville
on Jun 4, 2014 at 8:40 am
Good to see the big developers backing Arnerich loose BIGTIME !!!
We need to remember these results when he runs again for Danville City Council and asks for their big bucks again. Could not believe his campaign signs indicating that he was not backed by BIG MONEY. Yeah.....right.
a resident of Danville
on Jun 4, 2014 at 8:50 am
While we all know Newell did not deserve our vote for Assembly, unfortunately the primary results leave him in position to run our town for at least two more years. Let's start focusing on what the voters last night realized and escort him out of office for good in 2016.
a resident of San Ramon
on Jun 4, 2014 at 10:00 am
San Ramon Observer is a registered user.
I broke the votes down by County this morning at 2:30 am.
Web Link
a resident of Danville
on Jun 4, 2014 at 10:47 am
According to the Contra Costa Times website, Steve Glazer ended up with 27.12% of the vote with Tim Sbranti ended up with 22.89% so it looks like it will be Baker versus Glazer (not Baker versus Sbranti).
a resident of Alamo
on Jun 4, 2014 at 11:14 am
According to the California Secretary of State website, Baker has 36.5% of the district vote, Sbranti 29.6%, Glazer 22.5% and Arnerich 11.4%, so it will be Baker vs. Sbranti. The CC Times website is reporting only the CC County results, not the combined result of CC & Alameda Counties.
a resident of San Ramon
on Jun 4, 2014 at 1:54 pm
For those that feel that Arnerich got his money from BIG developers ought to get copies of his campaign finance disclosures to either verify their concerns or dispute them. Instead you make accusations without facts. If BIG Developers supported Arnerich then they didn't do a very good job. He only raised a little over $230,000. Glazer and Sbranti spent over $4,000,000.
I'd say this election among the Democrats came down to big money and special interests NOT ideas and character.
a resident of Danville
on Jun 4, 2014 at 7:44 pm
What "Resident" either does not know or want want to reveal is that IE's (Independent Expenditure) committees monies DO NOT show up on an individual candidate's campaign disclosure statements.
Also nefarious...
a resident of San Ramon
on Jun 5, 2014 at 6:21 am
Judging by my mail box, more than 95% of the Dem mailers came from Glazer, Sbranti or IE's that support them not from Arnerich or an IE supporting him. I don't see any evidence of a big IE supporting Arnerich.
a resident of Danville
on Jun 5, 2014 at 1:13 pm
Those who are concerned about our state's finances should throw their support behind Catherine Baker. Sbranti's funding is from the public employee unions, and he will be beholden to them. After Baker, Glazer would have been my second choice. But Baker is the clear fiscal-responsibility choice for the general election.
a resident of Danville
on Jun 5, 2014 at 1:37 pm
You can see the full story ABOUT ARNERICH'S CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTORS at this website:
Here's a few of Arnerich's contributors:
$4100 from an "Architects for Liveable Communities"---translation, "HIGH-DENSITY HOUSING" ---Political Action committee
$4100 from DENOVA HOMES, a builder that self-identifies as an "affordable" (read--- "HIGH-DENSITY") HOUSING BUILDER.
$3900 from BRADDOCK AND LOGAN, a housing developer.
$750 from DAVIDON HOMES/JEFF THAYER OF DAVIDON HOMES --- builder of the highly-contested MATADERA SUBDIVISION OFF OF DIABLO ROAD
$1000 from PONDEROSA HOMES ---builder of the just-approved 20+ home Podva Road subdivision (off of San Ramon Valley Blvd.)
$1000 from ENGEO, an engineering company that worked on the SUMMERHILL HOMES "MAGEE RANCHES" development that is now the subject of the SOS-DANVILLE LAWSUIT against the Town Council
$1000 from SUNCREST HOMES---a while back Suncrest was interested in doing a residential development for ELWORTHY EAST (100 acres of hilly Open Space off of El Capitan Drive). Maybe they are again.
$4100 from Cannon Constructors South---hmm, wonder what they want?
$1000 from Aliquot Assoc., an engineering firm that has worked on number of Danville housing developments.
$1500+ from ROBERT STORER, DANVILLE'S MAYOR, in funds he didn't have to use for his 2010 council campaign (no one ran against him, so he still has money in his campaign coffers). STORER IS HIMSELF A HIGH-DENSITY HOUSING BUILDER. When he was on the Planning Commission, he got approval for a rezoning to allow him to build a high-density project in Danville. Nice, huh?
The list goes on and on with more of the same....
a resident of Danville
on Jun 5, 2014 at 3:25 pm
I think Arnerich should resign now from Town Council to let someone else run for his seat. Storer and Stepper are both up in Nov. 2014 election. Let's get 3 NEW people in.
a resident of Danville
on Jun 5, 2014 at 3:29 pm
Thank you Money for the campaign finance information. However, you omitted one large and glaring fact. A couple of large contributions were made by Newell or his company. While this is certainly not a surprise, the nature of the contributions tell a story. Each of them were "loans". This means that if any funds remain, Newell can repay himself. He ran a campaign claiming not to be backed by large $$, but should have added that he was willing to spend everyone else's money first in pursuit of an Assembly seat. If he was truly committed to the challenge and wanted his followers cash to support his effort, then why would he put his $$ at the back of the line? His campaign slogan should have read, "Backed by anybody's $$ first, then if only necessary, my own".
He clearly was willing to leave Danville politics by announcing the Assembly bid only months after running for Council in 2012. Let's show him the door in 2016.
a resident of Danville
on Jun 6, 2014 at 7:55 am
stop by the San Ramon Valley Republican Federated table at Danville Summerfest on June 21 to meet Catharine Baker and Judge Phan.
Also, the public is WELCOME to attend the Republicans After 5 Mixer on June 24th from 5:30-7pm at Father Natures Hideaway.
Sponsored by the SRVRepublicanWomen Federated www.srvrwf.org - 5 high school seniors received scholarships from SRVRWF - join and help support our youth!
a resident of Danville
on Jun 6, 2014 at 8:11 am
Ooops - SRVRepublicanWF booth at Summerfest will be on E Prospect on Saturday ONLY! Stop by.
I'll run against Arnerich :-)
a resident of Danville
on Jun 7, 2014 at 7:11 pm
When I saw Newell's BS signs I almost peed!! What a joke!! We can do it people---let's toss Newell and his two buddies out! Met Baker and Phan--awesome!! My mantra---FN!!!!! Flush Newell!!
a resident of Danville
on Jun 7, 2014 at 8:27 pm
Overjoyed at Newell's loss! His signs were aimed at the low information voters who did not materialize on Tuesday. Glazer tried to play both sides--lol---ummm you worked for Jerry BROWN!?! Ha ha ha. Dem machine pig.


text:
CORAL SPRINGS, Fla. - Two people were hospitalized Thursday after a multiple car collision sent their vehicle into the front door of an apartment.
The accident started on Royal Palm Boulevard in Coral Springs.
Local 10's Christina Vazquez reported the car careened across rain-slick roads, through bushes and into the front door frame of an apartment. The vehicle never entered the apartment, but damaged the front door.
The man and woman in the car were transported to Broward North in serious condition, according to authorities.
The 83-year-old resident told Vazquez she was inside the apartment at the time of the accident. She said she thought the crash on Royal Palm Boulevard was a clap of thunder, but then she heard the car hit her door. The woman said she had just been at her screen door with her grandson moments before the accident.
The vehicle was towed away from the scene with heavy front-end damage.
Copyright 2013 by Local10.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


text:
Woohoo ready for a new season
Sent from my Galaxy S3 using Tapatalk
Wow. First 7 batters in this lineup likely easily hit double-digit homeruns. That's awesome.
As first pitch hasn't happened yet, I'm changing my prediction:
104 wins.
"But I do know Joey's sister indirectly (or foster sister) and I have heard stories of Joey being into shopping, designer wear, fancy coffees, and pedicures."
In all honesty Josh has had some injuries since leaving Cincinnati, which was one of the fears the club had. I don't know that he's been "injury-prone".
But I do imagine that some of those same fans who wish he was still here would think he was a lazy bum for getting hurt too.
strike 1
Nasty stuff from Cueto.
This will not change until the Reds win the World Series.......
April 28, 2006.
Off to a good start- game is supposed to be on Extra Innings but so far is backed out. Meanwhile Extra Innings is showing Dodger game even though you can get it on ESPN. Sigh.
perfect inning..nothin wrong with that
Board Moderators may, at their discretion and judgment, delete and/or edit any messages that violate any of the following guidelines: 1. Explicit references to alleged illegal or unlawful acts. 2. Graphic sexual descriptions. 3. Racial or ethnic slurs. 4. Use of edgy language (including masked profanity). 5. Direct personal attacks, flames, fights, trolling, baiting, name-calling, general nuisance, excessive player criticism or anything along those lines. 6. Posting spam. 7. Each person may have only one user account. It is fine to be critical here - that's what this board is for. But let's not beat a subject or a player to death, please.


text:
Is your kid a reluctant learner?
Find out how to get your kid excited about being back at school. more
Diabetes, or diabetes mellitus, is a general term for a group of diseases that are characterised by how the body processes glucose, also known as blood sugar. The three most common types of diabetes, that affect almost one million Australians, are Type 1 diabetes, Type 2 diabetes, and gestational diabetes.
Diabetes is caused when there is too much glucose (sugar) in your bloodstream. What causes each type of diabetes varies. Type 1 diabetes, which used to be called insulin-dependent diabetes, occurs when the pancreas doesnét make enough insulin é the substance that helps your body process glucose. Type 2 diabetes, which used to be called non-insulin-dependent diabetes, occurs when your body is resistant to insulin and the pancreas canét make enough insulin to compensate for the resistance. Gestational diabetes occurs during pregnancy. The placenta, which nourishes the growing baby, produces hormones that make your body somewhat resistant to insulin. When your pancreas canét make enough insulin to compensate for the resistance caused by those hormones, the result is gestational diabetes.
Diabetes can be a silent disease. Many people donét even know they have it until symptoms have become pronounced. Left untreated, or if not properly controlled, diabetes can result in blindness, kidney failure, lower limb amputation, heart attack, stroke, and impotence.
There is no way to prevent Type 1 diabetes.
Type 2 diabetes is a lifestyle disease, being more common in people who are overweight, have high blood pressure and do little exercise. The best way to prevent the onset of Type 2 diabetes is by eating a healthy diet, exercising regularly and maintaining a healthy weight. Symptoms of Type 2 diabetes often disappear by sticking to a healthy regime.
Gestational diabetes usually appears in the 24-28th weeks during pregnancy and disappears again after pregnancy. Women who suffer gestational diabetes with one pregnancy are more prone to it in subsequent pregnancies and are at a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes later in life.
In general, Type 1 diabetes emerges during childhood. Type 2 diabetes can happen at any age. Most kids with diabetes display some or all of the following symptoms:
The best treatment for diabetes is prevention. For Type 2 diabetes and gestational diabetes ités important to eat right, exercise regularly, and maintain a healthy weight, although sufferers may require additional medication. Type 1 diabetics almost always require insulin therapy. Diabetics will also have to regularly monitor their blood glucose levels. In a few cases of Type 1 diabetes, the individual may need a pancreatic transplant.
Always schedule an appointment with your doctor if your child displays any of the above symptoms. If your child is already being treated for diabetes and continues to have high blood glucose readings, call your doctor for advice.
Written by Rebecca Stigall for Kidspot, Australiaés parenting resource for family health. Sources include Better Health Channel, NSW Health and Health Insite.
Last revised: Wednesday, 20 January 2010
This article contains general information only and is not intended to replace advice from a qualified health professional.


text:
North Tahoe wildfire 100 percent contained
January 28, 2014
INCLINE VILLAGE, Nev. — The first wildfire in the Sierra broke out early this morning at North Lake Tahoe.
Firefighters responded to the half-acre fire in heavy vegetation on U.S. Forest Service land in the Allison subdivision of Incline Village at 2:30 a.m. Friday, according to a press release from the North Lake Tahoe Fire Protection District.
No structures were threatened. The fire near the Mt. Rose summit was 100 percent contained by 4:30 p.m., said NLTFPD spokeswoman Rancourt.
The U.S. Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit has control of the incident.
The fire's cause is under investigation. Anyone with information should contact NLTFPD Assistant Fire Marshal, Mark Regan at 775-461-6200.


text:
Customizable dashboard
Most important information you truly care about all in one place. Read more
Piwik is an open analytics platform currently used by individuals, companies and governments all over the world. With Piwik, your data will always be yours. Learn why Piwik is the right web analytics tool for you below.
Piwik is and always will be a free and open source software with transparent GPL license.
It's totally up to you how much data you store and for how long.
Join our vibrant community and help contribute to developing a better and free analytics platform.
View data in your browser or on the go with our Android and iOS applications.
Piwik is available in 53 languages and supports all time zones.
Get started within minutes, even if you are an inexperienced user.
Full insight on your users and their engagement on your site.
All the standard reports you would expect from a state of the art analytics package. Make notes on the charts to describe and remember all the key events of your site's history. Read more
Most important information you truly care about all in one place. Read more
View details about your visitors in real time as they enter your website. Read more
View historical values of almost any metrics relevant to your website or app, and compare several dimensions at once. Read more
Find out where your visitors come from, in particular their country, region and city. All your visitors are displayed on the live interactive map. Read more
Big and small companies all over the world have already liberated their web analytics with Piwik.
Learn about your users' behavior – where they come from, what they are doing and where they are going.
Plus many more features to give you further insights.
Analyze traffic by its source – be it websites, search engines and keywords, social networks or campaigns.
Observe the effectiveness of links within the context of the webpage.
Piwik automatically tracks your file downloads (70+ popular filetypes supported).
See which links to external domains were clicked by your visitors most often.
See which URLs are leading to 404 error page and repair broken links easier.
The feature we use the most in Piwik is the Email and SMS Reports which automatically keeps our clients up to date on their Key Performance Indicators such as: Visits, Keywords and Goals Conversions Rates and Revenue. John Brett
Monitoring for your online campaigns and your sales.
Track orders, cart updates, product views and many more on the specific tab dedicated to Ecommerce.
Analyse your marketing campaigns to see how effective they are and how much revenue they generate.
You can track campaigns like Google AdWords, Facebook Ads, display ads, Tweets, affiliate links and links in newsletters to mention just a few.
You can set specific goals of what you want users to achieve on your website. Measure almost anything and check whether your business objectives are met.
Keep your colleagues or customers up-to-date by sending them regular email reports with the information they need.
Magento, PrestaShop, osCommerce – these are just a few Ecommerce Platforms that Piwik can easily integrate with.
Need your analytics on the go? Install Piwik Mobile application for iOS or Android to access your data from anywhere. Keep your finger on the pulse to easily spot any potential situations or use Piwik Mobile in work meetings to support your ideas with real data. Read more
If you'd like further information or if you have any questions regarding Piwik, check out our extensive user documentation or contact an expert:
Many answers and more information about Piwik You can find here:
Follow us:


text:
A Conversation with Angel Daniel Núñez
The man behind Macanudo cigars—and the Connecticut shade tobacco grown to wrap them.
(continued from page 6)
In June, the 55-year-old Núñez sat down in New York City with senior editor David Savona for a wide-ranging discussion about himself and his company.
David Savona: We just lit up your new Partagas 160, which is made from the same batch of Cameroon wrapper from the 1970s used to make the Partagas 150. Can you talk about the wrapper?
Angel Daniel Núñez: It was 1995 when we bought the whole wrapper lot. It made such an impact on me that since then, I always keep the best 10 bales of every crop we grow or finance. I call it my personal library. Sooner or later somebody—it doesn't have to be me—they have something that is special. It's expensive, but it's romantic.
Q: Let's talk about this particular cigar. The wrapper is from 1977?
A: The batch was a mix of 1977 to 1981. So there were five crops, 947 bales.
Q: That's a lot of tobacco.
A: A huge amount. It was like going into a gold mine.
Q: Who owned it?
A: It was Tabacalera of Spain, and Alfons Mayer [the now retired tobacco buyer from General] and I made a trip to Malaga in 1995, and they had a beautiful warehouse. That's when we first saw the product. In those days there was a shortage on Cameroon tobacco. When we saw the grades and the sizes, we were a little bit discouraged. I remember we were going all over the list and the sizes were so discouraging, because they were medium to small sizes. So we said, "Now that we're here, let's look at it, and if it's not good maybe we'll use it in machine-made product." And we opened up a couple of bales, and what came out of it—the aroma, the smell—it was magic. It was like a genie from a bottle. But it was dry, so I asked for a bucket of water. I had nothing to lose. So I dumped [the tobacco] into the bucket of water, shook it out, took a few hands, and we wrapped it in a piece of cotton cloth and we said we'll come back in the morning. I have to be honest, my expectation was we would come back and it would be all smeared, maybe rotten, but what a surprise. That tobacco started to talk, and the sheen came out, and right there we understood this was something special.
Q: You didn't have enough tobacco to make regular Partagas at that point, right?
A: Yes, we even stopped production. Then we met in Puerto Plata [in the Dominican Republic], and the idea came out—why don't we make something special, because it's the 150th anniversary of Partagas. And in those days there wasn't a market for a four [inch] by 46 [ring gauge] cigar, short-size cigars were not in demand. We did what we could with the sizes, I said, OK, let's make this amount, put it in the market, and then I would take care of the rest.
Q: I don't think a lot of people knew that you had more of this wrapper, and that you could use it to make more cigars.
A: We did say that we didn't have enough to make those sizes, but we did have more to make small sizes, but there was no market for it. Last year we started to think, let's use the tobacco. The smoke is so mature and clean, it's a fresh smoke.
Q: Describe what you've gone through to hold on to this leaf. I know you have a lot of tobacco, but you went through special precautions with this.
A: One is making sure the humidity and temperature was as constant as possible, to prevent breakage but still allow the tobacco to keep working, having adequate humidity and temperature. And for safety reasons, we divided the lot into four locations. We have it in two locations in the U.S.A., and two locations in the D.R. Two months ago, we started bringing some from each of the locations and blending them. Most of these cigars are made already, because we are going to age them four months.
Q: For those who don't know, explain why you would further age a cigar that is made with a component that is 30 years old.
A: When the tobacco is in the bale, it is trapped. But every time you add water to the tobacco leaf, then you start the reaction again. Ammonia is going to be liberated. From my point of view, what we owe to the consumer is to sell and provide a product with the least amount of ammonia as possible. Once we case, or humidify the tobacco, it starts to take life again and starts the process, which creates ammonia. And that's the reason for aging—put it in a place where the cigars have time to breathe and release the ammonia slowly. Once it dries out, there is no more ammonia released.
Q: Did you have to handle this old tobacco differently?
A: Much, much more care. We set the bale to absorb humidity for one month in an 85, 90 percent humidity environment, so the tobacco would slowly absorb humidity. Tobacco is very hygroscopic. If we had opened the [dry] bale and tried to handle it, the breakage would have been enormous.
Q: So you would never pick this up and handle it?
A: Not anymore. (Laughs) I did it for a sample.
Q: Was it difficult to pick the other tobaccos to go into this blend?
A: No. Everything is planned. We put aside the best binder, the best long filler, to go with this. We've been [doing this] since '94, and in '95 we documented everything—everything is documented in General Cigar—that we must put aside 10 of the best bales that we handle. So when we were working on [the Partagas 160], already the long filler that was going to go with it was part of the process.
Q: Last year, you came out with the Partagas Decadas. Is that the first to use some of that tobacco you've been setting aside each year?
A: That's the first one to use what I had in mind back in 1994. It's to deliver to the consumer something special, something different. The wrapper is 10 years old, the binder is 10 years old. It's just going back, to stay with the basics. Let's not reinvent the wheel.
Q: Speaking of basics, you've taken a remarkable journey, rising to the top of General Cigar. Take me back to growing up as a boy in the Dominican Republic.
A: I was just a kid with a lot of ambition. It comes from my mother. She was a very ambitious lady, and she believed in me since I was a little kid. We are five in my family. My father was a farmer. He grew plantains, a little bit of tobacco, a little bit of everything. My two older brothers were mechanics, and they were very successful. When I finished eighth grade, I won a scholarship to a private school, but I said to my mom, "I don't want to do that, I think I want to go with my brothers and be a mechanic." She said, "You can do that, but you are my only hope of someone to have a life where you wear clean clothes. If you want to be greased up, go with your brothers, but it's your choice." And that's all it took.
Q: So your mother pushed you?
A: My mother used to get up with me at five in the morning to study every single day. And then I enrolled in an agricultural vocational school, with the only conviction that by doing so I would have my secondary degree, which is high school. And if I didn't have enough money to go to college, I could work as an agronomist. And so I did, only with a surprise: the month before I graduated, five Americans came into the room. I was 15 years old, 105 pounds, and they said, "We have a test for a full scholarship to go to Texas A&M." And I won. I didn't speak one word of English, I had never slept away from home, and from a small village in the town of Moca to Houston—it was quite a jump. When I arrived in the United States, it was my first contact with an escalator. That was two hours. Can you imagine, a kid, two hours going up, and down? How can this thing take me up and take me down? (Laughs) It was a lot of fun. Then there were the cowboys. Those were the days of segregation still.
Q: Was it tough?
A: I was too young to understand. In my mind, in my culture, there was no color segregation. That was something, thank God, we didn't have in the Dominican Republic. Since I didn't speak English, whenever the cowboys would talk to me, they realized I was a rare animal. They would come up and say, "What the hell are you?" But I made a lot of friends. I studied agronomy, I graduated, and I went back home, and my first job was in tobacco. I knew that was what I wanted.
Q: Tell me about your early days with tobacco, and then with General Cigar.
A: I started in the Tobacco Institute in 1972, and with General Cigar in 1974. Edgar [Cullman] Sr. [the former chairman of General Cigar] looked at me and said, "You know young man, I'm going to make a tobacco man out of you." And that was so true. Even when I see him today, I admire him so much, because of the sense of quality that he had. I started growing wrappers, then for General Cigar I developed Connecticut shade wrappers in the D.R. It was all natural wrapper, and it had a problem—it did not taste like Connecticut shade. And believe me, Dave, I can, without any mistake, say that until the boom, any wrapper that did not look or taste like Connecticut shade, Cameroon or Sumatra was not a factor on the market. Except, of course, Cuban wrapper. I remember the first reasonable batch, I presented it in 1978 to Angel Oliva. He said, "Daniel, this is a great wrapper, but I can't sell it." It was strong, the flavor was strong. It's different. And that's when we decided in 1980 to move it into candela, because we can use it all.
Q: So it was Connecticut seed, but it tasted much stronger than the Connecticut grown in Connecticut?
A: Yes, due to the soil and the conditions. Back in 1979, we had 135 acres of Connecticut shade natural [in the Dominican Republic]. Extremely good—I wish I could have a crop like that today.
Log in if you're already registered.
Or register for Cigar Aficionado today—it's free.
Registration allows you to:
Keep track of your favorite cigars in your personal humidor.
Comment on all our stories.
Ratings & Reviews
Search our database of more than 17,000 cigar tasting notes by score, brand, country, size, price range, year, wrapper and more, plus add your favorites to your Personal Humidor.


text:
It's a Brandi Carlile type of week for us here at the Voice. We posted this interview with her on Wednesday, my review of Bear Creek hit newsstands (and our website) today and now we have a video to add to the mix.
The Americana Music Association posted this video of Brandi Carlile performing one of my favorite songs from the album, "A Promise to Keep." She intros it a bit with some words on the meaning behind the song and I love how she's giving sexy eyes at the very end.
The AMA also posted that Carlile will be part of their festival and conference this September in Nashville. And although she was here back in February, she hasn't announced any dates back in Dallas on her current tour for Bear Creek. At least not yet.
Watch "A Promise to Keep" after the jump.


text:
Ohio Growers See Solid Pumpkin Crop Despite Rains
Pumpkin-picking time has arrived, and Ohio growers say plenty are available despite crop losses caused by bouts of heavy rain.
Ohio State University Extension educators tell The Columbus Dispatch too much rain at peak blooming times caused problems. It limits pollination, causes flooding and leads to root rot from water mold. The educators say some regions lost as much as 30 percent of their crop.
Paul Fleitz of Fleitz Pumpkin Farm in Oregon, Ohio, tells The Blade in Toledo that production will be solid but can't compare to last year's bumper crop.
This season has been better for some than others. In Amherst, Leslie Gede tells The Morning Journal of Lorain that the weather at Gede Fruit Farm has been near-perfect for pumpkins.
Ohio is among the top pumpkin-producing states.


text:
Batman: Arkham City - Armored Edition Wii U
- Publisher: Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment
- Release Date: Nov 18, 2012
- Critic score
- Publication
- By date
Nov 17, 2012Batman: Arkham City isn't perfect, but listing the little things I didn't like gets in the way of all the stuff I adored.
Nov 21, 2012The Wii U-specific additions put a few chinks in the Caped Crusader's costume, but Batman: Arkham City - Armored Edition is still a great action adventure game.
Dec 3, 2012Even if you don't play Batman's story again, just the extra content is enough to justify the purchase.
Nov 29, 2012If you've never had a chance to play Arkham City and are looking for a fun action/adventure game that has awesome combat, fun exploration, and an excellent presentation, you can't go wrong with Batman: Arkham City Armored Edition. The game has enough content to keep you busy for over twenty hours and is entertaining from beginning to end.
Dec 11, 2012Still an outstanding game, however the new features introduced to take advantage of the GamePad are generally superficial and really add nothing to the experience.
Nov 27, 2012Armored Edition comes with all the pre-existing DLC as part of the game, and the player can jump right into Harley Quinn's Revenge from the start screen (though it warns you that this is likely to spoil a great deal of the story). This, plus the awesome immersion of the Wii U Gamepad makes it so, I can't imagine wanting to play this incredible game on any other system.
Nov 30, 2012It is the best version of the game out there when it comes to content and experience, but the framerate makes it hard to enjoy sometimes. If you haven't played the game before, it's one of the best adventures you'll see in a while.
Games Master UKJan 15, 2013A treat for the dedicated Nintendo-heads. Others should stick to 360/PS3 GOTY edition. [Feb 2013, p.74]
Nov 22, 2012This is still the same great Arkham City we played last year, but the new gimmicks, weird visual issues and glitches make it truly an inferior version when compared to the others. I really wish they had put more thought into how to implement the touch screen into the mix, because as it stands, it is more hindrance than help.
Nov 18, 2012Armored Edition is a great way to finally appreciate the game along with a majority of its DLC. However, the Wii U port isn't preferable to Game of the Year versions you'll find on PS3 and 360. Armored Edition utilizes the GamePad better than some other AAA games being ported to the system, but that's still not enough to make this the definitive release, or one you should go out of your way to play.
Dec 7, 2012In Batman Armored Edition the GamePad is not working perfectly, banalizing the experience and forcing some features that feels unnecessary.
Nov 18, 2012It took things that already worked perfectly and shook them until they cracked. Not shattered completely, but undoubtedly broken, just a little bit.
Nov 26, 2012A very good port of an already excellent action-adventure game. If you missed the original, try out this unique Wii U edition.
Dec 18, 2012GamePad integration is not so brilliant as it could have been, graphics shows some problems and B.A.T. Mode is interesting, but oversimplifies the Free Flow Combat System. Nevertheless, Batman Arkham City: Armored Edition is a great game, with a deep gameplay and compelling narration: if you've never played a Rocksteady game before, this could be a good start.
Dec 10, 2012It's difficult to call Batman: Arkham City: Armored Edition the definitive version of the game, but it does well to stand on its own merits. Frame rate issues aside, the incorporation of GamePad controls makes this feel like a natural experience, almost as though the game was originally made with Wii U in mind.
Dec 6, 2012This games uses the GamePad options very well. It's one of the best launch titles one can get at the moment.
Dec 9, 2012Still a fantastically well-designed action adventure, but this is easily the worst version of the best superhero game ever made.
Pelit (Finland)Jan 23, 2013Armoured Edition is an excellent superhero's sandbox. The BatGamePad-gadgets work nicely. [Jan 2013]
Feb 20, 2013Batman: Arkham City is one of the best games ever created, no matter the platform. It's engaging from beginning to end, the production values are first rate, and on Wii U there's an extra level of depth to the experience. You can't go wrong with an outright purchase.
Nov 28, 2012The original Arkham City is a great game, so it would have been pretty hard for this version to ruin that. However, a frame rate all over the place and insignificant additions to the experience makes this a hard to recommend version if you have access to other machines. For Wii U only users, it is a fantastic game.
Nintendo PowerDec 14, 2012Batman: Arkham City-Armored Edition sets a new bar, not just for comic-book adaptations, but for games in general. [Dec 2012, p.76]
Nov 25, 2012A few technical bugs aside, Batman: Arkham City Armored Edition is a great port of one of last year's great games.
Nov 30, 2012Arkham City is one of the strongest games in the Wii U launch lineup, mainly thanks to the original content that's as fascinating as it was about a year ago. But this port also benefits from good implementation of the touch pad controls that seem tailor-made.
Dec 2, 2012It looks like Nintendo have finally grown a pair and are willing to partake in an older gamer's market - delivering mature, dark, and often violent titles like Arkham City. It is also a comforting display of loyalty from a brilliant studio like Rocksteady, who haven't just ported the game, but honestly had some genuine fun with the new hardware of the Wii U.
Dec 12, 2012If you haven't played Batman: Arkham City yet, you should really do it now with the Armored Edition. It's a very well-done open world action adventure with an formidable atmosphere, that gets seldomly disturbed by technical deficits.
Dec 7, 2012If you have yet to experience Batman: Arkham City on the Xbox 360 and PS3, then Batman: Arkham City – Armored Edition is a no brainer purchase; yet, if you have already ventured a few rounds with the cape crusader through this adventure on a previous console than I have a hard time recommending the $50 plunge.
Jan 2, 2013Probably the best superhero game ever made. If you're willing to fight innovations to see the game at its best, this is a huge slab of muscular adventuring.
Nov 29, 2012This is hands down the best and most complete version of the game.
Dec 10, 2012Although a year later than its brethren, Batman: Arkham City - Armoured Edition manages to differentiate itself as a subtly enhanced version with all the bells and quirks of the extra content added on top. The GamePad additions will split opinion on what works and what doesn't, but for one of the better launch titles -- if maybe not the best running one -- this is a considerable option.
Jan 11, 2013If you enjoyed Batman: Arkham City in 2011, there's really no great incentive to don the superhero costume again. The Wii U version is still a good way to experience and explore Arkham City if you've yet to play the game, though.
Nov 18, 2012Although the core of Batman: Arkham City remains intact, new glitches and tacked-on gimmicks take away from the overall experience enough to make this a clearly inferior version of one of the great games of this generation.
Nov 17, 2012The coolest use of the GamePad, however, is in the environmental audio. When Batman receives radio transmissions from Oracle or overhears a conversation with his surveillance equipment, the audio comes in over the GamePad, simulating Batman's earpiece.
Dec 13, 2012Batman Arkham City: Armored Edition is pretty much similar to Arkham Asylum. Less focused on the story, Rocksteady's game sticks to the usual codes linked to the famous Dark Knight, flying from crime scene to crime scene across Gotham City. A great liberty of action that offers diversified gameplay sequences. However, the Wii U version suffers from freezing problems and the new gameplay mechanics introduced by the GamePad are mostly anecdotal.
Nov 29, 2012So, Wii U owners: In the end, you got the weakest version of a game that stays utterly remarkable in its own right. It deserves all of your attention. Everyone else, go on, there's nothing here for you that you haven't experienced in a better iteration somewhere else.
Dec 17, 2012A really good game that becomes fantastic with GamePad. It almost feels like the whole game was designed only for this way of playing Batman: Arkham City.
Feb 3, 2014An outstanding experience that will throw the player into Arkham's sombre environments. This game is able to turn nearly everyone into a Batman follower, whether they're ready or not. An essential title which perfectly ties exquisite story-telling with near-perfect gameplay mechanics.
Dec 4, 2012I won't say that the framerate issue is a deal-breaker, but it's definitely keeping me from wholeheartedly recommending Armored Edition.
Awards & Rankings
User Score
Generally favorable reviews- based on 222 Ratings
User score distribution:
Positive: 39 out of 43
Mixed: 4 out of 43
Negative: 0 out of 43
Nov 18, 2012If you have already played it there is no reason to get this. The new editions are not worth it and the game looking side by side next to theIf you have already played it there is no reason to get this. The new editions are not worth it and the game looking side by side next to the 360 version looks about the same. I am glad all of the DLC is on it but I kind of feel like I should of passed on this. It is still the game it was a year ago and that is actually a big let down. But I am not gonna give it a bad score because it isn't a bad game. So I will give it what I gave the 360 version and assume someone will not make the same mistake I did.… Full Review »
Nov 18, 2012I never got Arkham City when it first came out, so this is brand new for me. Its great, and even though I am not far in, I can already tellI never got Arkham City when it first came out, so this is brand new for me. Its great, and even though I am not far in, I can already tell there is a lot of added value with all that dlc included. That said the WiiU controls aren't that amazing; they don't seem to add to much, but it could be a nice alternative for people who played Arkham City already.
Glad I got this one at launch.… Full Review »
Nov 20, 2012This is the best Wii U launch game by so far. Yeah, maybe it's one year later, and it's suppose that there is not going to be anyone to playThis is the best Wii U launch game by so far. Yeah, maybe it's one year later, and it's suppose that there is not going to be anyone to play this one. Anyway, it's the same game, simply the great and brilliant game released on 2011. Nothing changes, even the technical aspect. But if you've played another versions, specially the GOTY one, you are going to waste your money shamelessly. This game is great for those who haven't played the game, or simply are Nintendo-Batman fans.… Full Review »


text:
Former Olympic rowing champion Martin Cross has paid tribute to fellow Molesey Boat Club member and former GB men's eight cox Acer Nethercott, who died yesterday.
Nethercott, who won men's eight silver at the Beijing Games in 2008 and coxed Oxford University to Boat Race victories in 2003 and 2005, had been suffering from cancer.
The 35-year-old was a regular at Barge Walk on Saturday and Sunday mornings where he often took to the water with fellow Olympic gold medallists Jonny Searle, Tom James and - occasionally - Sir Steve Redgrave.
Nethercott, who had been in the running to cox the men's eight at the London Games until the job was handed to Phelan Hill, was involved as a cox and coach in the club's sporting giants programme designed to uncover the next gerneration of rowing stars.
"He was one of Britain's best ever coxes," said 1984 Olympic men's coxed four gold medallist and Hampton School teacher Cross in a statement on the Molesey Boat Club website.
"To his crews, he brought a combative desire to win, together with an incredibly sharp mind.
"Both were real confidence boosters whether your boat was in the middle of a really tight head to head race, or half-way through a 20km training session and needed some inspiration.
"He will rightly be remembered for his role in two memorable Oxford victories in 2003 & 2005, together with the Olympic silver he won coxing the British eight in Beijing.
"But unsurprisingly for such a high-achiever, there was far more to him.
"Beneath his sometimes quiet, cerebral and focussed exterior, lay a man with big heart; responsible for giving a helping hand to so many in British rowing.
"It was typical of the man that he refused to discuss his illness. And when he went for coxing trials in 2012 for the British Olympic eight, many of the crew did not know that he was suffering from cancer.
"At 35, his death has taken him from us too soon. Our thoughts are with his clubmates, friends, and family."


text:
Your browser does not support iframes.
Picking up a book can lead to rewards and fun activities for children who participate in the Grant County Library's annual summer reading program.
The two-month program will feature a variety of events that begin June 7 with the Fizz Boom Read summer reading kickoff at the Northern Kentucky Fairgrounds in Williamstown.
The kickoff, presented by the library and the Grant County Parks and Recreation Department, is from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Haley Bryan from Grant County High School recited three poems which included 'Enough' by Susan Buffam, 'Self-Portrait' by Chase Twichell and 'Charge of the Light Brigade' by Alfred Lord Tennyson in Kentucky's 15 high school Poetry Out Loud competition.
Students competed for the title of state champion and the opportunity to represent the Commonwealth at the national Poetry Out Loud competition in Washington, D.C.
The program is coordinated by the Kentucky Arts Council.
Copyright © 2017
The Grant County News is your source for local news, sports, events, and information in Dry Ridge, KY and the surrounding area.


text:
He's become a beloved character, as popular as some of the players on the team.
His list of euphemisms are growing and becoming a fabric of his being.
When Fox Sports Ohio color analyst Austin Carr tells his viewers that one of the Cavaliers "threw the hammer down," they know he's talking about a big dunk.
He has a new one this year: Players are "dotting the I" when they make a shot.
Let's not forget, "Deep from The Q" or whatever arena they are in. Sometimes he forgets the name of the arena he's in and has to be reminded by play-by-play man Fred McLeod.
"Fred finds a way to correct him," Cavs director of broadcasting Dave Dombrowski said.
One of his most popular phrases is, "Get that weak stuff out of here" after a blocked shot. They now play it over the P.A. system at Quicken Loans Arena.
Dombrowski said they put a microphone on Cavs forward/center Tristan Thompson during a recent game. While on the bench, he reacted to one of his teammates' blocked shot and said, "Get that weak stuff out of here."
"That was a nice compliment," Dombrowski said.
Carr, 65, said a lot of his euphemisms originated from his playground days. On the playground, he said he'd dunk on a guy and say, "Throw the hammer down."
It was trash-talking, circa 1965. "None of it has a negative connotation now," he said. "It's all positive."
The Cavs constantly interact with their fans. According to their surveys and discussions, their fans' comfort level is very high with their television announcing team.
"Our fans love homers," Dombrowski said. "I've told people this: Austin wants to win more than anyone in the organization. He's a die-hard. Fans relate to that.
"He's not a typical color guy. He's not all about X's and O's. There are times he does that. Other times he's a cheerleader. He's at best when we're not playing well. His frustration comes from him wanting to win every game. His role is to spread the good word."
Carr bristles when the discussion lands on him being a possible homer. "I don't pay attention to that," he said. "I'm always going to accentuate the positive. But I also say negative things. I don't think I'm a homer. (Boston announcer Tommy) Heinsohn is more of a homer than I am."
McLeod disagrees with the homer tag.
"I don't think he's a homer," he said. "He'll be very critical when things are not playing out the way they should. Does he want the Cavs to win? Of course. Do I want the Cavs to do well? Of course. When the Cavs are doing well, we get excited.
"He'll give praise to the opposition, as I do. We celebrate the NBA, as well as celebrating the Cavaliers."
While talking to one area announcer, he said, "Austin probably cares more than some of the players."
McLeod agrees.
"He bleeds wine and gold," he said. "So does (Fox analyst) Campy (Russell). These guys have such an emotional history vested in this town. That's why they continue to live here. What a greater testament to Northeast Ohio and the organization than for them to stay here. That was their choice."
That's big with the fans.
"As it should be," McLeod said. "I'm proud to say I'm from here."
This is Carr's 15th season of doing the Cavs on TV.
"Mr. Cavalier" replaced Quinn Buckner on WUAB in 1997. He took over for Matt Goukas as the full-time Fox analyst for the 2001-02 season. He worked with Michael Reghi for years. This is his seventh year with McLeod. Their ratings for other regional telecasts are in the top five in the NBA.
Charge hits big time
Time Warner Cable's SportsChannel will broadcast the Canton Charge's last four home games on a tape-delayed basis. The telecasts will feature Charge play-by-play man Scott Zurilla, alongside a rotating cast of color analysts from within the Cavs organization. The games will be shown on SportsChannel's HD Channel 1311 and 311.
The following are the rest of the games:
-- Friday vs. Erie, 7:30 p.m. Rebroadcasts at 11 p.m.; Saturday at 8 a.m. and 7 or 9 p.m.
-- Saturday vs. Erie, 7:30 p.m.; Rebroadcasts at 11 p.m.; Sunday at 8 a.m. and 7 or 9 p.m.
-- March 20 vs. Maine, 7 p.m., Rebroadcasts at 11 p.m.; March 21 8 a.m. and 7 or 9 p.m.
-- March 30 vs. Texas, 7:30 p.m., Rebroadcasts at 11 p.m.; March 31 at 8 a.m. and 7 or 9 p.m.
Quick hits
-- WKNR viewers were up in the arms when rumors swirled that afternoon host Bruce Hooley was suspended. It turns out it was a hoax. He missed time after having knee surgery.
-- Producer Lindsey Foltin has been relieved of her duties by WKRK-FM 92.3 The Fan.
-- Amanda Petrak is leaving the Cavs after 14 years. She started in 1997 as a public-relations intern. She will be joining Case Western Reserve University's communication department and doing some marketing for the medical school. Friends threw her a going-away party on Wednesday in Tremont. She'll be missed.
-- Fox Sports Ohio is merging its website with STO's. It is expected to be complete on Sunday.


text: ORISUE is a men's clothing brand offering fashionable streetwear options for guys everywhere. As a brand, ORISUE is inspired by life's many positive elements: the expression of affection, hard work, perseverance through adversity, struggle, and the valuable character-building moments of life. It also draws inspiration from youth subcultures, such as hip hop, skate, and art. ORISUE clothing is created for true individuals—people who are driven by their passions and strive toward excellence. It's for the kid who skateboards everywhere, the DJ who mixes until dawn cracks, or anyone else committed to success and dedicated to becoming his best.


text:
Kristen Edgren and Andrew McDevitt
Kristen Edgren and Andrew McDevitt were married June 29 at Cornerstone Gardens in Sonoma.
The bride is the daughter of David and Dawn Edgren of Los Altos. She graduated from Los Altos High School and earned a bachelor's degree in liberal studies from the University of Redlands and a teaching credential from Notre Dame de Namur University in Belmont. She teaches fourth grade in Danville.
The groom is the son of William and Paulette McDevitt of San Rafael. He graduated from Marin Catholic High School in Kentfield and earned a bachelor's degree magna cum laude in mechanical engineering from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and a doctorate from UC Hastings College of the Law. He is employed as an associate attorney at Walkup, Melodia, Kelly & Schoenberger in San Francisco.
The couple honeymooned in French Polynesia and live in Lafayette.